Chapter 3 Communication and Culture Flashcards
Advances in Communication technologies
Which have brought tremendous changes to communication medai and to the role of communicators, require us to rethink conventional definitions of communicaiton.
Communication has a multifacet nature
Which makes it hard to describe. It can better be theorized as a ‘‘family’’ of related concept, rather than as a unitary concept.
As communication researchers, we look at the following things and therefore describe communication as follows:
’’ the process by which people use shared verbal or nonverbal codes, systems and mediums to exchange information in a particular cultural context.’
Components of communication
- Source
- Message
- Channel
- Reveier
- Encoding
- Decoding
- Noise
- Feedback
Source
a source is the origin of information. Someone who needs and wants to exchange information with others. This need can be conscious or unconsious.
Message
a message is the verbal and/or nonverbal form of
ideas, thoughts, or feelings
that one person intends to communicate to another person or group in a specific context. It is composed of verbal codes such as language and/or nonverbal codes.
Channel
The route by which messages move from one person to another. The channel can be sound, dight, words, telephone, internet etc.
Receiver
The intended target of the message, which/ who shares the same code as the source.
Encoding
The process by which the source uses shared codes to convert concepts, thoughts and feelings into a message. In encoding we select and arrange verbal and nonverbal symbols according to rules that are known and shared by the group.
Decoding
The process by which the receiver converts the coded message into meaning, which permits the receiver to attach meaning to the source message
Noise
Refers to all factors that interfere with information transfer and the receipt to the message.
It can be physical (distracting sounds or sights),
psychological (nervousness), and semantic (different interpretations of a concept)
Feedback
refers to the response of the receiver after receiving the message.
It allows the source to judge the ocmmunication while it is still takking place.
Characteristics of communication:
1 a dynamic process
2. interactive
3. symbolic or conventionalized
4. contextual
Communication as dynamic process
The process of communication does not have a definite beginning or end point, since encoding and decoding, feedback etc, is influenced by prior interactions (ongoing process). Also, we cannot take words back or experience the same again.
Communication is interactive
Because it requires the active participation of at least 2 parties. A communicators thoughts and feelings may also be adjusted during the interaction process.
Communication is symbolic or conventionalized
A symbol is an arbitrarily selected and learned stimulus that represents something else, which can be verbal or non-verbal. They are the vehicles by which the thoughts and ideas of one person can be communicated to another.
Communication is contextual
it always occurs in a specific setting/ context, on which the nature of communication largely depends on.
Models of communication
- Linear model
- Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR)
- Transmission model
- 5W model
- Schramm’s model (more mathematic)
- Barnlunds transactional model
- Constructionist approach
- Interactive model Rogers and Steinfatt
- Tagowski and Bowman
Lineair model
The model from Shannon and Weaver is the most frequently used linear model of communication. They worked at a telephone company, so they acted as if the model worked for a telephone conversation
So: the linear model is one-way only (with no room for feedback); the context and situation
are not present; non-verbal communication is also not present.
sender (info source) >encoder (transmitter)> channel>Decoder (reception) >Receiver (destination)
SMCR model Sender- Message- Channel- Receiver
Berlo adapted the lineair model of Shannon and Weaver.
Also focuses on context, non-verbal communication, and knowledge and more.
Transmission model
How we know today the lineair model.
This conceptualizes messages as ‘‘containers’ of meaning, and communication as a process of sending and receiving information. It was applied to study media effects of persusasion
5W model
Who, says What, in Which channel, to Who, and with What effect.
Criticism of lineair model:
- It does not account for the complexity of communication.
- It suggests that communication is a technical process, whereas meaning is actually derived symbolically.
- Communication is not a one-way process; but involves interaction
Schramms model
more mathematical.
It also takes feedback context and the experiences of interactants into account (two-way process).
However it still cannot account for complex, multiple levels of communication across several sources.
Barlund’s transactional model
an elaboration of the lineair model of commucation
Basic premise: individuals are stimultaneously engaging in sending and receiving of messages. Communication is continuously changing and transforming, depended on the context.
Constructionist approach
Embedded in Barlunds transactional model.
It relates communication to an individual or group of people in social, cultural and relational contexts. In other words saying that contexts shape communication. This emphasis on context and people form the basis for the interactive model of communication
Interactive model Rogers and Steinfatt (1999)
interactive model which had emphasis on subjectivity of communication. People are subjective which means that encoding and decoding process is influenced byh past experiences, perceptions and paradigms; the sme message is decoded into variolus meanings depending on the receiver.
The interactive model aslo staqtes that the participants exert mutual control over the process
Targowski and Bowman model
Improvement on interactive model, because it takes into account contextual knowledge, verbal and non-verbal factors, a maximum of ten multiple layers/ factors that can cause noise.
- for communication to be effective, the receiver has to decode the message from the source in the way the source meant it (encoded it)
- This model shows the complexity of (intercultural) communicaton
10 factors that that can cause noise (Targowski and Bowman)
- Physical link
- System link
- Audience link
- Session link
- Environmental link
- Functions/ role link
- Symbols link
- behavior lin ik
- Values link
- Storage retrieval link
Physical link
the presence/absence of communication channel/means
System link
is the chosen channel/ means suitable to get message across?
Audience link
Does the message ‘‘fit’’ the audience, ( knowledge. attititude etc)
Session link
is the message sent and received at the same time, and under the same circumstances (time zones or the appropriateness of the moment) ?
Synchronous or asynchronous communication:
sent and received at same time, or not?
Environmental link
In which environment was the message produced? Do the sender and receiver experience the environment similarly?
Functions/ role link
Do the sender and receiver have the same ideas about their own functions and roles? (leadership, economic status, parent/ child, lover/ friend)
Symbol link
Are the symbols used to exchange information interpreted in same way by sender receiver?
Behavior link
Does the receiver interpret the message as intended by sender? How is behavior evaluated? Are words or deeds seen as decisive?
Values link
Do sender and receiver share the same values?
Storage retrieval link
How is the communication influenced by previous experiences of sender/ receiver?
( personal experiences, shared experiences, and/or cultural background)
influence of culture on communication
they mutually influence one another.
Culture is learned and shared through communication
Socialization
the process of learning significant rules, rituals and procedures, which refers to the process by which we develop a sense of proper and improper behavior and communication within the confines of those cultural rules.
Culture also
- Cultivates and reinforces beliefs and values.
*It also teaches us how to develop relationships with others. - imprints also verbal and nonverbal behaviors
Communication shows that we are alike and different at the same time
- We are similar in that each of us experiences the same feelings
- however, our unique cultural experiences and habits keeps us apart.
Misunderstanding
occurs when we dont understand each others cultural rules governing communication behavior
Intercultural communication is complex because
of the potential ‘‘noise’’ through differences in cultural frameworks (values and beliefs), codes, meaning of verbal and non-verbal symbols, relationship perspectives, communication styles, and thinking and stereotypes.
