THEORIES OF COMMNICATION

MASS COMMUNICATION THEORIES

The word "mass" means multiple, large size, aggregate, collective, group, crowd,mob, congregation, etc. Communication is sending out of information, sharing with, imparting to, or giving information to.Thus, mass communication means sharing information or a message with a large number of people simultaneously at one place or at several places. The act of communication begins with birth. It continues all through one's life. It is a social process. Communication can be delivered in several ways: verbal (with the help of words), non-verbal, graphic, audio-visual, even by signs and symbols. The nature, process, role, effects, use, perception of the messages so communicated are interpreted through numerous theories, and communication research models. These theories have been innovated, experimented, explained, interpreted and reinterpreted over a period of time. Many communication.

MODELS OF COMMUNICATION

MODELS 

Mass communication scholars started making use of models only recently. In human communication, speech communication and in languages, models have been used since an early time. Even Aristotle is said to have created some communication models. Aristotle's most important model is the Rhetoric Model. Many scholars and researchers have followed his footsteps. In addition to communication scientists, social researchers, psychologists and public opinion experts have also added to the development of models by way of innovating and enriching these models. The most familiar names in this area are David Berlo, Shannon, Warren Weaver, Harold Laswell, Paul Lazarsfield, Bernard Berelson, Wilbur Schramm, CharlesOsgood, George Gerbner, Everett Rogers, and several others.

UNIT-4

COMMUNICATION THEORY

MEDIA SYSTEMS

We have access to many mass media, from newspapers, magazines, radio, television, films, audio cassettes, video, and now Internet. Man's need for information, entertainment and generally to be in touch with the outside world along with the immense technological advancements have resulted in the above mentioned mass media. And today the world has shrunk, as Marshal McLuhan once put it, in to a 'global village'. Mass media inform, educate,entertain and persuade. They also have been instrumental in bringing down governments, starting wars, bringing about and felicitating change and development. They have grown into such statures that they are considered to be the fourth pillar of democracy. However, media do not grow up in a vacuum. These mass media have emerged, grown, changed and even may die as a result of geographical, technological, economic, cultural and other forces.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF MEDIA

In very simple terms the newspaper can be defined as a printed means of conveying current information. In this sense, the first organized attempt at bringing out newspapers was in ancient Rome, where 'newsletters' were distributed at far off places to inform people about the happenings in the capital. These were, of course, in the 'written' form, as printing had not been invented. During the times of Julius Caesar there were the acta diurna or daily announcements of the government and other activities, which were pasted in the capital's public places in the form of wall newspapers. These were also handwritten. The earliest hand-printed news bulletins probably appeared in China during 618-966 C.E. under the T'ang dynasty. Mostly government officials read these. The next big development came in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Germany where the Fugger family, a powerful group of merchants and bankers,issued newsletters. Agents of the Fugger family were spread all over the world and sent regular reports back home. These reports were combined in the form of newsletters and circulated to all units of the family business in different countries.

MASS COMMUNICATION-FUNCTIONS,ELEMENTS

MASS COMMUNICATION DEFINED:

It is omnipresent. The vehicles of mass communication or the mass media are everywhere. From home, office, and outside, no place has escaped from mass media. It is considered to be intrusive as it easily enters into the private worlds of our homes. It is attractive and alluring. Sometimes we find it excessive and repulsive. Often it is considered to be omnipotent or all-powerful as mass communication of information and images through advertising makes us buy things. Wars have been won through mass communication. Most importantly mass communication shapes public opinion.What then is mass communication? To give a simple definition: Mass communication a process whereby mass produced messages are transmitted to large, anonymous and heterogeneous masses of receivers.By 'mass produced’ we mean putting the content or message of mass communication in a form suitable to be disseminated to large masses of people. This also means that some technological means are used for both producing and transmitting the message.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Interpersonal communication is the communication between two persons. It can take place in any environment, and in any place. But it mostly takes place in face-to-face encounters. It is often spontaneous, unplanned, and loosely organized. It does not follow rules of grammar or other such formal restrictions. The participants are mostly face-to-face in interpersonal communication (except in case of interpersonal mediated communication through telephone, mail, email etc.). So they can use all five senses to send and receive messages. Also such situations are informal in nature. Most interpersonal communication occurs between two persons in close contact (dyad). Thus the responsibilities of sending, receiving, processing, evaluating, providing feedback, etc. are shared between the participants. Here both the participants alternate their roles as sender and receiver.

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

For intrapersonal communication we use our nervous system. There are two important parts of the nervous system: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal chord. The peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves present all over our body in the form of a network. Both the PNS and the CNS are used for generating receiving and processing of the stimuli.For example, when there is pain at any part of our body, the nerve endings at that place send the message to the brain through the peripheral ervous system. The brain processes this message and instructs about the possible remedy. This type of communication occurs often without our being aware of it. But mostly the individual is aware of most of the intrapersonal communication. In case of intrapersonal communication, an individual reacts to both internal and external stimuli (Mosquito bite is an example of an external stimuli while our thoughts are internal stimuli). Intrapersonal communication reflects an individual's habits, roles, attitudes, beliefs, values. In fact, it reflects an individual's 'frame of reference'.

Evolution of Languages

HINDI-HISTORY

Hindi is a modern Indo-Aryan language (belonging to the family of greater Indo-European languages) and is a descendent of Sanskrit, the earliest speech of the Aryan settlers in the north-west frontiers of India. Passing through various stages of evolution over the period of time -- from Classical Sanskrit to Pali-Prakrit and Apabhransha, the emergence of Hindi in its earliest form can be traced back to the 10th century A.D. (Bhandarkar 1929, Chatterji 1960). Hindi, sometimes, is also refered to as Hindavi, Hindustani and Khari-Boli. Hindi written in Devanagari script (which is the most scientific writing system among the existig writing systems of the world) is the National Official Language of the Republic of India and is ranked as the Òthird most widely spoken languges of the worldÓ (Bhatia 1996). In addition, Hindi is also the state language of the state of Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

Five Senses of Communication

FIVE SENSES OF COMMUNICATION

Sight

We communicate messages through sight by using visual signals that include facial expressions, gestures and posture (or body language). We receive these signals by using our sense of sight.

When we look at something, light bounces off the object and onto the pupil in the eye. The light crosses the lens of the eye, the picture becomes focused, and then turns upside down. The picture then shines on the retina, at the back of the eye. A retina contains rod cells and cone cells, which are both photoreceptors. These cells let your eye see colours and details. The optic nerve sends a message of this picture to your brain, where the picture is turned the right way up. Your brain then tells you what response you should make to the object that you can see.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

VERBAL COMMUNICATION- AN INTRODUCTION:

Verbal communication is communication with help of words. It could be oral or spoken. It occurs when there is direct or indirect contact between two or more individuals and the exchange takes place with the help of words.

To be a good oral communicator one needs the following qualities:

• Clear speaking voice

• The ability to speak at the correct pace. (Too fast and the audience can’t take it in. Too slow and they get bored.)

• Confidence to talk to a range of audiences, from one individual to a large gathering of strangers.

• An understanding of how non-verbal gestures can affect and influence an audience's reaction.

• Good listening skills, so not to talk over someone else or interrupt him or her, and to be able to listen and take in replies to respond to them as necessary.

• The ability to use a variety of tones in order to arouse interest in the listener. One major area of oral communication is face-to-face communication. This can occur either in a formal or informal manner: Formal occasions include business meeting such as an Annual General Meeting, (AGM) or an interview between an employee and employer. Informal occasions include lunch with customers or potential customers or just the passing of an instruction from one employee to another.

COMMUNICATION-PROCESS AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE

The process of communication involves a few elements. There are the following elements of communication:

o A communication source or sender,

o A message,

o A channel,

o A communication receiver

o Feedback

o Noise

COMMUNICATION-OVERVIEW

COMMUNICATION

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.

BEGINNING OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

It all began in the prehistoric days. Fossil records recovered from many sites all over the world show that the first development in the evolution of human beings (Homo sapiens) took place about 70 million years back. Our first ancestors were rat like creatures that lived during the period of dinosaurs. Millions of years passed before the first primates with flexible hands and feet evolved.