Theory of Human Communication, Expanded
Communication is one of the defining characteristics that makes us human. No other animal is able to communicate to the level that humans interact with each other every day of their lives.
There are literally hundreds of theories about Human Communication. Some break it down in levels, while others put it into steps. Each impose their own idea of what "Human Communication" is, and the scope to which it covers. My own theory coincides with Littlejohns own idea about communication. Littlejohn stated that "establishing a single definition has proved impossible and may not be fruitful (Littlejohn)."
I believe that this field will never be united by a unified theory because communication itself is entirely dynamic and changes in different situations. However, I am not stating that theories have no relevance, quite the opposite really. My own theory is that each of the hundred of preexisting theories are very useful in their own situation. After all, "a theory is not just an explanation; its a way of packaging reality, a way of understanding it (Littlejohn)."
Theories help guide our understanding as well as our actions, they help us identify patterns of events so we know what to expect. So this said, knowing and understanding as many theories as possible will only aid us in our search for meaning.
Models often help us understand complex ideas a great deal easier. Shannon-Weaver developed their own model to help people understand what happens when communication occurs. First, you have the source, which could be a person or a group of people. This can also be referred to as the transmission. Secondly, the source formulates what he is wanting to communicate and encodes the message. Next the source decides on a medium to communicate on, this could be analog (talking) or perhaps digital (e-mail). The medium is always subject to noise which could potentially break down the intended message. Next, the receiver must decode the received message to decipher what the source was intending to say. Finally, the receiver sends feedback to the source to help show that the message was received properly.
This model helps show the process that happens when communication occurs. While many people might look at this model and think that each step is so obvious it actually is important to realize each step. It helps us break down the act of communication and enables us to make theories on each portion of the process. Take decoding for an example. In order to decode something successfully, the act of listening becomes crucial. Tom Peters said it best, "Listening, like so many of these apparently simple ideas, turns out to be anything but simple (Peters)."
In order to decode the message with a high success rate, the receiver must be an active listener, where the receiver listens for meaning. The receiver actively checks with the source to see if statement has been correctly heard and understood. In my opinion, listening is one of the most important steps in Human Communication, even is the source makes an error transmitting, listening actively can provide a means of detecting the problem. Julie Flinn had the right idea when she said "we were made with two ears and one mouth, which means we have to listen twice as hard (Flinn)."
As for the source, it is very important to concentrate on the encoding of the message. "'Order it important put is to in' if you don't have the right syntax, it will not make sense (Kendell)." As Brandon Kendell showed, it is very important to have the right order of words (syntax) when you communicate to others.
As shown in the previous points, Communication is anything but simple. Littlejohn put it best when he said, "communication is one of those every day activities that is so intertwined with all human life, that we sometimes overlook its pervasiveness, importance, and complexity (Littlejohn)."
Human Communication is so complex, that there are several fields of study to understand how people communicate. Intrapersonal Communication deals with the language or thought internal to the communication. It deals with things such as day-dreaming, speaking aloud to oneself, writing or making gestures while thinking.
Interpersonal communication deals with the process of sending information between two or more people. This includes public speaking and small group communication. Group dynamics focus focuses closely on how groups interacts within each other, and how they relate to others. Organizational communication deals specifically with how people work together to achieve individual or collective goals.
One of the most important field of study in the 21st century is cross-cultural communication. Because the world is becoming "flatter" in the sense that companies and people interact with people all over the world every day, it is very important to find how to communicate effectively with other cultures. This goes beyond the idea of different languages and deals with cultural norms and expectations. It hones in on underlying mental constructs of different cultures so both cultures can engage in constractive communication.
This field is becoming more crucial for people everywhere because interactions with other cultures is a necessity in todays world. In dealing with cross-culture communication, it encompasses several other fields of studies such as anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, and communication. If communication was already complex, inside ones own culture, this is on a whole new level due to the fact that many things that sources take for granted while they encode their message will be completely different for the receiver.
Many scientists like Fons Tropenaars has developed theories on cross-culture communications. Fons broke it down into seven dimensions. Universalism vs particularism, individualistic vs collectivism, neutral vs affective, specific vs diffuse, etc... As can be seen, this model helps break down cultures so that individuals can communicate more effectively.
Another area of study is communication between couples. Gary Smalley created his own theory that through communication, every couple desires to become more intimate. The level of couple communication are as follows:
1. Cliches - typical, routine questions with no real forethought or genuine intent. "How are you", "Fine"
2. Facts - Information, talking about weather, work, news, etc... Requires no depth thinking or feeling.
3. Opinions - Includes concerns expectations, goals, dreams, etc.. Requires people to deal with differences
4. Feelings - Reaching th point where both feel comfortable to share deep emotions.
5. Needs - Ultimate level, where people feel safe to verbalize their unique needs.
As can be seen, this is one theory on how constractive communication occurs between couples. This goes back to the fact that every theory in Human Communication might be applicable for a certain situation.
In conclusion, it can be seen that communication is a very broad and dynamic discussion. People not only speak to one another, but can engage in communication through written correspondence or even non-verbal means (gestures). While I believe that there can not be only one theory to cover every approach, it is important to learn and study as many theories as possible to help you make a decision in a certain situation. These theories all have the common aspect in that they break down a situation or occurrence into smaller components so we can understand it better.
The most important aspect aspect in communication however is listening actively to what is being said or what is happening. If you truly listen and seek understanding, then constructive communication can occur in virtually every situation.