COM CM 301 Lecture 1: Test 1 COM
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.