COM CM 301 Lecture 1: Test 1 COM

• School: Boston University
• Department: Mass Communication, Advertising & Public Relations
• Course: COM CM 301
• Professor: Tammy Vigil

Document Summary

Study of communication is among the oldest and most developed academic pursuits. Effective communicator must have knowledge of the physical and social environment the audience resides in. A student of communication is best served by an understanding of history, sociology, politics, science, psychology, and art. Communication is the only medium for healthy debate and discussion. Com enhances a democratic society: transmit information, engage in debate, encourage the thoughtful exchange of ideas, critique the powerful, empower the oppressed. Traditional approach to studying communication are usually communication studies and mass communication . Human communication- the process of creating meaning through symbolic action. It is inaccurate to talk about acts of communication as if they occurred in isolation. Symbols- used to represent things, processes, ideas, or events in ways that make communication possible: arbitrary nature, but overcome the arbitrary nature of symbols by linguistic rules and customs, some nonverbal behavior can have symbolic meaning.