Processes of Communication

Processes of Communication We shall study the process and elements of communication. This will: Describe the process of communication Explain the elements of communication Describe the importance of communication process in our everyday life Introduction Communication is a process of sharing of ideas, facts, opinions and the manner by which receiver of the message shares meanings and understanding with another. The objective of any communication process is to send a set of knowledge, in the form of signs, words or visuals, to a specific destination. However, there are certain parameters which are responsible for this entire process. This lesson will focus on those essential factors which make communication process successful. Process of Communication Communication is a process that uses a set of media to transmit ideas, facts, and feelings from one person to another. For thousands of years messages were communicated through spoken voice, when the sender and the receiver were in face-to-face situation. Even today in India, oral communication seems to be a part of majority population. In face-to-face communication sender gets an immediate feedback. He then easily knows about the impact, further needs or demands of the receiver immediately. In this type of communication, the process remains limited to the sender and the receiver, where in, the channel is the spoken language. Let us take another example of a teacher teaching in a class. The teacher is using various combinations of basic forms of communication- spoken, written and visual. In the lecture, the teacher uses a black board or shows the chart. He also combines written words with spoken words. In this process, the sender becomes the teacher, the receiver becomes the students, and the channel becomes the audio-visual mode of teaching. The sender of the message selects when and what to communicate and also decides an appropriate medium for its transmission. The receiver takes the message, interprets, perceives and responds to it. The entire chain here becomes the communication process. As a process, it is routine and continues forever. Every time a person transmits the facts, ideas, opinions or feelings, another person responds in turn communicating facts, ideas, feelings or attitudes. It is a never ending process which is cyclic in nature. According to Wilbur Schramm, communication requires three things: The source The message The destination The source may be an individual speaking, nodding, gesturing or writing. The message may be in the form of sound-waves in the air, or a wave of the hand or a written letter etc. The important thing is that it should be conveyed clearly so that the receiver can interpret it easily. The destination may be an individual who is listening, watching or reading the message or it may be a group of people listening to a lecture or watching a film. Harold Lasswell suggested a convenient method of describing the process of communication. Answering the following questions holds the key to understand the act of communication. The questions are- Who? Says what? In which channel? To whom? With what effect? Suppose two persons A and B are talking on telephone. Person A:Â  Hello, how are you? Person B:Â  I am fine, thank you. How are you? When are you visiting us? Person A:Â  I am fine too. I am coming tomorrow at 6 p.m. to your place. Person B:Â  Shall I pick you up from the airport? Person A:No thanks dear, I will reach myself. Person B:Â  All right, I will wait for you. In the above conversation, ‘Person A’ initiates the discussion then he is the source. ‘Who’ therefore means communicator or the source. ‘Person A’ is communicating to ‘Person B’. ‘Person B’ is the destination or ‘whom’. If the discussion is on phone then telephone is the channel used. Whatever ‘Person A’ is conveying to ‘Person B’ becomes the message. When ‘Person B’ responds to the message it is the feedback. Let’s see the Lasswell model once again: According to David K. Berlo, the whole sequence of communicating or the communication process involves six steps. The source or the initiator of the message encodes his thoughts, ideas, desires, objectives, and a purpose for communication, which is translated into a signs, symbols or code or a language. This is performed by the encoder who is responsible of taking the ideas of the source and putting them in a code, expressing the source’s purpose in a form of a message. The receiver is the target of any communication. The receiver decodes what is being communicated to him by the sender. He interprets the message and reacts accordingly. Thus, there are a few imperative components of communication which are the unchanging and dynamic essentials. Communication bridges the gap between two or more persons (sender and receiver) through producing and receiving messages which have meaning for both. How does communication take place? Encodes Decodes Sender2. Message 3. Channel4. Receiver Decodes Encodes 6. Feedback Sender of the message, first of all conceives the message in his mind and he encodes it in symbol, painting, music etc. The message thus encoded is transmitted to the receiver through a channel. The channel can be direct face-to-face-talk, telephonic conversation or through letters etc. The receiver of the message decodes it and after understanding it gives a proper response to it. If the response goes back to the sender then it is called feedback. Because of the feedback, the sender modifies his message or mode of communication to make it more effective. For Instance, if we talk about a famous film ‘Rang De Basanti’. Here, the sender is the director of the film Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra. The message is the film itself, the channel is cinema, receiver is the audience and the feedback of the film is that it was a hit. ________________________________________________________________________________ Elements of communication The elements involved in communication process are: Sender Message Encoding Channel Receiver Decoding Feedback SENDER The sender is the communicator of the message. He is the one who transmits the message. He conceives and initiates the message. He is the one who thinks of an idea that he wants to communicate and accordingly fixes on a specific channel, to the capacity of the receiver. He transmits the message in such manner that it is easily understandable to the receiver. MESSAGE Message can be defined as a data, idea or information, spoken or written, to be passed from one person to another. It is the subject matter of communication. It may involve any fact, idea, opinion, figure, attitude or course of action, including information. Message is constructed by a set of codes that has an interpretation and an individual understanding to both sender and the receiver. The code could be verbal, non-verbal or written. A code can be defined as group of symbols that can be structured in a meaningful way. Languages are codes, which contain elements like sounds, letters, words, etc. For instance, a song is a code, which has notes, syntax, tune, rhythm etc. Any form of communication thus requires code. Thus, message exists in the mind of the sender, who selects a set of codes to encode the message according to the needs of receiver. ENCODING The process of converting the subject matter into a set of codes or symbols is called encoding. The transmission of a message from sender to the receiver requires the use of codes. Therefore, the sender plans to encode the message in a particular way, depending upon the receptive power of the receiver. The sender or the communicator constructs the message using a set of codes. These codes encode the ideas for the receiver in a specific format and thereafter are delivered to its destination in the form of a message. CHANNEL After message is encoded in a format, sender decides a channel to transmit the message. Communication channel refers to medium or media through which the message is disseminated. The channel or mode of communication should be selected by the sender in such a way that it is fully understood by the receiver. For example, if the message is a song, the channel becomes the audio medium of communication. If the message is in written forms, the channel can be in the form of letters, reports, manuals, circulars, notes, books etc. Television and films use audio-visual channels of communication. RECEIVER Receiver refers to the person to whom the message is intended. Sender of the message constructs a particular message for the receiver. The receiver decodes the message and understands it. He should be mentally and emotionally prepared to receive the message. Message should be conveyed in such a manner that the receiver is able to comprehend it fully. An effective communication can not take place without the presence of receiver. He receives, interprets, perceives, understands and acts upon the message. For example if the message is a film, the receiver is the audience. DECODING When encoded message is translated and understood by the receiver, it is called decoding. The receiver converts the symbols, words or signs received from the sender to know the meaning of the message. Decoding of the message depends on the perception and the interpretation of the receiver alone. Decoding makes the message clearer and it is converted into ordinary understandable language by the receiver. FEEDBACK On receiving the message, the reactions given by the receiver is called his feedback. Feedback is very essential in the process of communication. The continuity in communication is established only when feedback is generated. Communication is a process of action and reaction. Exchange of responses is an imperative thing in this process. Unless the sender is not aware of the response or feedback of the receiver, he cannot communicate further to make the communication effective. The sending back of knowledge about the message to the transmitter is known as feedback. For example, if the film is a message, the receiver is the audience, the feedback becomes the responses of the audience i.e. if they liked the film or not. Assignments Class Assignments Whispering Gallery Play the game ‘Whispering Gallery’. The game can be played with a group of 10-15 students. A class can be divided into three or four such groups. The game begins with a group leader whispering a message to the first member of the group, who then whispers it to the second and so on, till the message reaches the last member of the group. The leader checks to see how much the message has been changed. All groups may discuss the reasons for the transformation of the messages while they were playing the game. Write down what the game tells about the communication process. Home Assignments Draw the process of communication. Fill the following table: Summing Up Communication is often considered as an activity only. In reality, it is actually a process. The process of communication includes transmission of information, ideas, emotions, skills, and knowledge. This is done with the help of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs, drawings, and illustrations, etc. Again, communication is the process by which we understand and in turn try to be understood by others. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to the overall situation. Therefore, communication can be described as the interchange of thoughts or ideas. This is also referred as sharing of meaning. The thought is conceived by the sender and reaches the receiver after going through all the steps in the ‘information transfer’ or communication process. The sender first process the thought he has received for clarity as to what exactly he wants to convey to his receiver. Once there is clarity in the message to be transmitted sender decides channel through which he wants to convey the message. When the message reaches the receiver he interprets the message and follows the same steps that were followed by the sender. Possible answers to Self-Check questions (c) We cannot communicate through gestures. Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver-Response of the receiver Sender, Message, Encoding, Channel, Decoding, Receiver, Feedback True Encoding (a) Converting message in an understandable language. Terminal Questions Explain the components of the communication process Explain Harold Lasswell’s process of communication in detail. According to Wilbur Schramm, what are the three essential things to the process of communication? Explain in detail. Suggested Further Readings 1. Communication- C.S Rayudu (Himalaya Publishing House) 2. Mass Communication in India- Kewal J. Kumar (Jaico Publications) 3. Mass Communication Theory- Denis McQuail (Sage) 4. Understanding Mass Communication- Defleur Dennis (Hougptons Mifflin Company) Keywords Source: A place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin. Transmission: To send or forward something to a recipient or destination. Response: An answer or reply, as in words or in some action. Destination: The place to which a person, thing or a message travels or is sent. Feedback: A reaction or response to a particular process or activity. Receiver: A person or audience that is being informed. Channel: A medium, carrier or a method through which something is directed. Encoding: To convert a message into a form that can be received by the receiver. Decoding: To convert a message from code into ordinary language. Interpretation: An explanation of the meaning of anothers artistic or creative work; an elucidation.

Free Narrative Essays - A Bowl of Soup :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

A Bowl of Soup    It was a simple bowl of soup. Chicken with rice, from a can. But as I sat down to eat my lunch, a sudden thought flashed through my head: What a miracle this bowl of soup is! A savory, golden broth, bright orange carrot coins, plump grains of rice, bits of chicken. Struck deeply by this realization, I simply sat for a minute watching thin wisps of steam rising from the surface.    Just a bowl of soup. I'd never given much thought to the origins of my food. I simply went to the store, threw produce and cans and boxes into my cart, and brought them home. But I've been thinking a lot lately about the interconnectedness of all things, and a great understanding coalesced for me in this blue-and-white bowl. In a flash, I glimpsed the giant web of nature and people that had brought this soup to my table.    First, of course, came the sunlight and water and soil in which farmers grew all the ingredients. Then truckers hauled the harvest to market and later to the processing plant. Workers there made the soup in a detailed process that requires abundant electricity generated by the labor of coal miners and hundreds of utility employees. Workers in another factory made the cans, which were fashioned from ore dug from the earth by more miners even farther away. Then someone else transported the cans of soup to my local store, where another person placed them on the shelf. Bankers were also involved, and secretaries, and the printers who made the labels, and who knows who else?    Plus, there are my clients and the publishers who pay me for the writing I do. Without their belief in me, I could not have purchased this amazing can of soup, nor the cheese and tomato sandwich I ate along with it. The web shimmered in my mind's eye, each connection leading to many more I couldn't even begin to imagine.    Then I remembered recent video images of relief workers standing in the backs of trucks and flinging loaves of bread that are snatched in mid-air by outstretched refugee hands.

The End of Race

The End of Race What if the human races of the world all vanished into thin air? That’s what Steve Olson proposes in â€Å"The End of Race: Hawaii and the Mixing of Peoples†. According to the world everyone is made of a certain race. The two main races are White and Black (African American). But there are others as well, including American Indian (Alaska Native), Asian, Hispanic (Latino), Native Hawaiian (Other Pacific Islander), or Other. Most people only identify as one corresponding to their birth parents, where they were born, or what they identify with the most from their own choice.Some people, even from one of our own states, go to such heights as to say that they are â€Å"Mixed†. Steve Olson believes that, â€Å"Almost half the people who live in Hawaii today are of â€Å"mixed† ancestry. What it means to be mixed is not all obvious genetically, but for official purposes it means that a person’s ancestors fall into more than one of the [si x] â€Å"racial† categories identified on the U. S. census forms†¦.. Intermarriage is a cumulative process, so once an individual of mixed ancestry is born, all of that person’s descendants also will be mixed.As intermarriage continues in Hawaii – and already almost half of all marriages are between couples of different or mixed ethnicities – the number of people who will be able to call themselves pure Japanese, or pure Hawaiian, or pure white (haole in Hawaii), will steadily decline† (251). Races could truly end if everyone becomes mixed somehow. Collaboration could also send races on their way to the dump. One man who has insight on collaborating is Bressler 2 Marshall Poe.In Poe’s â€Å"The Hive† he claims that, Wikipedia has the potential to be the greatest effort in collaborative knowledge gathering the world has ever known, and it may well be the greatest effort in voluntary collaboration of any kind† (264). If that m any people could come together and create a website made of their own thoughts and opinions, who says that we can’t all agree that races are over and done with? So with mixes of races and collaboration on what races are, it could really be the deadline for races. Biology, location, and affiliation could change whether race persists or not. -â€Å"Community of Descent†? Define Race and Concept of Race -Why do ethnicities continue to function in society if race no longer has a biological basis? -U. S. Census Bureau’s explanation of the racial categories used in the census taken every ten years -How is race represented on Hawaii’s official state government Web site at Hawaii. gov and Hawaii’s tourism Web site at gohawaii. com? Any differences? Use race definition to support position. -School races persist in Hawaii according to Olson. Locate Web site for some schools there and find evidence to support for Olson’s argument or complicate it. -Ect †¦ on page 262 and 263 or on Ri9ghts and Bytes worksheet.

The African Union Organization

The African Union is one of the worlds most important intergovernmental organizations. It is composed of 53 countries in Africa and is loosely based on the European Union. These African countries work diplomatically with each other despite differences in geography, history, race, language, and religion to try to improve the political, economic, and social situations for the approximately one billion people that live on the African continent. The African Union promises to protect Africas rich cultures, some of which have existed for thousands of years. African Union Membership The African Union, or AU, includes every independent African country except Morocco. Additionally, the African Union recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which is a portion of Western Sahara; this recognition by the AU caused Morocco to resign. South Sudan is the newest member of the African Union, joining on July 28, 2011, less than three weeks after it became an independent country. The OAU: The Precursor to the African Union The African Union was formed after the dissolution of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 2002. The OAU was formed in 1963 when many African leaders wanted to accelerate the process of European decolonization and gain independence for a number of new nations. It also wanted to promote peaceful solutions to conflicts, ensure sovereignty forever, and raise living standards. However, the OAU was largely criticized from the beginning. Some countries still had deep ties to its colonial masters. Many countries associated themselves with the ideologies of either the United States or the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Although the OAU gave weapons to rebels and was successful in eliminating colonization, it could not eliminate the massive poverty problem. Its leaders were seen as corrupt and unconcerned for the welfare of the common people. Many civil wars occurred and the OAU could not intervene. In 1984, Morocco left the OAU because it opposed the membership of Western Sahara. In 1994, South Africa joined the OAU after the fall of apartheid. The African Union Is Founded Years later, Libyas leader Muammar Gaddafi, a strong proponent of African unity, encouraged the revival and improvement of the organization. After several conventions, the African Union was formed in 2002. The headquarters of the African Union is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its official languages are English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese, but many documents are also printed in Swahili and local languages. The leaders of the African Union work together to promote health, education, peace, democracy, human rights, and economic success. Three AU Administrative Bodies The heads of state of each member country form the AU Assembly. These leaders meet semi-annually to discuss the budget and major goals of peace and development. The current leader of the African Union Assembly is Bingu Wa Mutharika, the President of Malawi. The AU Parliament is the legislative body of the African Union and is composed of 265 officials who represent the common people of Africa. Its seat is in Midrand, South Africa. The African Court of Justice works to ensure that human rights for all Africans are respected. The Improvement of Human Life in Africa The African Union strives to improve every aspect of government and human life on the continent. Its leaders try to improve educational and career opportunities for ordinary citizens. It works to get healthy food, safe water, and adequate housing to the poor, especially in times of disaster. It studies the causes of these problems, like famine, drought, crime, and war. Africa has a high population that suffers from diseases like HIV, AIDS, and malaria, so the African Union tries to give treatment to the afflicted and provide education to prevent the spread of these diseases. The Improvement of Government, Finances, and Infrastructure The African Union supports agricultural projects. It works to improve transportation and communication and promotes scientific, technological, industrial, and environmental advancement. Financial practices like free trade, customs unions, and central banks are planned. Tourism and immigration ​are promoted, as well as better uses of energy and the protection of Africas precious natural resources such as gold. Environmental problems like desertification are studied, and Africas livestock resources are given aid. The Improvement of Security A major goal of the African Union is to encourage the collective defense, security, and stability of its members. The African Unions democratic principles have gradually reduced corruption and unfair elections. It tries to prevent conflicts between member nations and solve any disputes that do arise quickly and peacefully. The African Union can grant sanctions on disobedient states and withhold economic and social benefits. It does not tolerate inhumane acts such as genocide, war crimes, and terrorism. The African Union can intervene militarily and has sent peacekeeping troops to alleviate political and social disorder in places like Darfur (Sudan), Somalia, Burundi, and Comoros. However, some of these missions have been criticized as being too underfunded, undermanned, and untrained. A few nations, like Niger, Mauritania, and Madagascar have been suspended from the organization after political events like coup detats. Foreign Relations of the African Union The African Union works closely with diplomats from the United States, European Union, and United Nations. It receives aid from countries around the world to deliver on its promises of peace and health for all Africans. The African Union realizes that its member nations must unite and cooperate to compete in the worlds increasingly globalized economy and foreign relations. It hopes to have a single currency, like the euro, by 2023. An African Union passport may exist one day. In the future, the African Union hopes to benefit people of African origin living throughout the world. African Union Struggles Linger The African Union has improved stability and welfare, but it does have its challenges. Poverty is still a tremendous problem. The organization is deeply in debt and many consider some of its leaders to still be corrupt. Moroccos tension with Western Sahara continues to strain the entire organization. However, several smaller multi-state organizations exist in Africa, like the East African Community and the Economic Community of West African States, so the African Union can study how successful these smaller regional organizations have been in combating poverty and political strife. Conclusion In conclusion, the African Union comprises all but one of Africas countries. Its goal of integration has fostered one identity and has enhanced the political, economic, and social climate of the continent, thereby giving hundreds of millions of people a healthier and more successful future.