Communication and Society - Essay Example

Running Header: Communication and society Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Introduction 3 Cultural Approach 3 Use of symbols in communication 5 Symbols representation 6 Nature of thought 6 Challenges in communication 7 Conclusion 8 Bryman, A 2011, Principles of communication, SAGE Publication Ltd, London. 9 Introduction Communication is typically considered as the transmission and exchange of ideas and information from one individual to the other. It is only effective if the individual who is receiving information will understand the information which is being transmitted and in the exact manner it was intended. When communication fails in the society, many problems do arise, meaning that communication is very critical in the society. According to definition of Carey the whole process of communication is symbolic where reality is transformed, repaired, maintained and produced. Despite the fact that communication consist one of the main element of livelihood, many people does not understand it. It consists of the symbolic forms and language that is used (Carey 1998, p. 25). Generally communication consists of seeking information, sharing of ideas which are significant, imparting knowledge, giving instructions, conversations, being entertained and also entertaining. The familiarity of communication makes people to see as ordinary and hence they do not see it as an issue to be taken seriously. Every member of the society should embrace communication so as understand its benefits. Most of the members take communication as a routine thing hence in the long run it loses meaning and the people do not value it at all. When communication is used wisely within the society it can reduce crime, change how people perceive life and also increase their life because they will discuss on important issues that affect their daily basis activities. Communication should be considered as virtue in the society that improves they way people live. Cultural Approach The cultural approach by the society to communication varies from one culture to another but there are general similarities that apply to all of them. The general approach to is that we analyse the real world of processes, events and objects that we normally observe, then the society tries to rename this these events using their symbols or language creating descriptions which are adequate to them. The society insist there is difference between fantasy and reality and that the relation to the world that we are in between substance and shadow. The language in most of the cases confuses, obfuscates and distorts the way we see our external world (Elliot 2005, p. 45). Communication in most of the society is perceived as ordinarily but in many cases it results to be a problematic activity. The words are not names that are given to things but the things themselves are the signs that stand for words (Carey 1998, p. 27). The reality is normally brought to existence by the words which normally produce communication which is the utilisation, apprehension, construction of the symbolic forms. Reality uses symbolic forms which produce systems which are in original form and their focus is on specific terms to find out their existence. The scientists suggest that the brain is able to capture information in details and order that information in their occurrence. The capability will depend on the environment an individual is in and the reason that surround the occurrence of the cases. For example there are no lines of longitude and latitude but people use them to make the world to be organised and to set time of different areas with ease (Bryman 2011, p. 83). The lines may seem imaginary but when they are used they appear as if they exist. The mind of people contain different information depending on their usage and what they can do with that information is different from one person to the other. The information in our brains seems to be humanly maintained and humanly maintained. The biologists state that the brain of each person creates her or his own world. The intellectual processes of individuals have evolved with time and it keeps on advancing searching for new and better solution to the challenges that face the world. It is through this advancement that portrays how communication has evolved with time from one society to the other. The researchers state that man livelihood keep on changing from one dimension to the other of reality, symbolic reality and existence has been produced as a result of this agency (Carey 1998, p. 29). The communication has to be taken as the primary source of experience but not as scientific and mathematical expression. Take an example where a child is taught how to go to school and back at age of seven. There are several structures and building between the school and the homestead. The child uses them to locate his way to school and back there is no relation between both of them. There are several options that the child can use to find his way. He can be told to use trial and error, he can be escorted by an individual to the school and back or he can be made to follow an adult. The simple suggested way is to draw a map and give it to the child. By the arrangement of the buildings in a paper, squares representing streets, names, angles and lines help to come up with a featured environment. The space is better manageable and understood if its representation is in symbolic form. Use of symbols in communication A map gives a representation of an area capable of signifying a problematic situation. It has the capability of giving guidance and making an undifferentiated space to be configured and also to be understood by everyone. A map can convey a very important message by changing the looks of some areas. Just like songs the way we remember them and they remind us of certain activities in our lives the maps can also give out certain information which is very critical and very useful. Mapping space can also be compared to a danced ritual. The movements in a dance can useful because some of the moves are unique (Bolton 2006, p. 65). There are different ways of mapping a space; utilisation of line which are on a page, using of movements in a dance and the sounds in the air. They all represent the symbolic forms although they have differing symbols: kinaesthetic, oral and visual but all the symbols have characteristic of productivity and displacement. The symbols help to represent something even when that thing is not present. A writer can be talking of a certain geographical feature and he will only use the maps to show its presentation and the message will be delivered (Carey 1998, p. 28). The use of symbols was invented may years ago and it has been used over the years to convey information from one generation to the other. Symbols have been used in all academic fields to convey information to the readers. Symbols representation The message in the symbols can be hidden to an extent that it requires to be interpreted and in other cases it is self explanatory. The researchers are people who are ford of using symbols in the presentation of their research. The argument with map is that it represents an abstraction or a simplification of an environment (Blyton & Turnbull 2008, p. 102). In most of the cases some features in the maps are not simplified and they are difficult to explain what they stand for but because the information is reduced then the space becomes manageable. Nature of thought The other area that is concerned with communication is the thought that run in our minds. The way a person thinks determines what kind of individual and what is reflected in his behaviour. Most of the thought are considered to be private but they are reflected in our behaviour (Carey 1998, p. 26). Some author state that thought is public because it depends on the symbols that surround us and they are publicly available. Thoughts consist of constructing environment which is used as a model and then the model is converted to the real world activities. Thought is the utilization and construction of ritual dances which include the ancestors, equations on a paper, diagrams representing football on a black board, templates, models and maps. The qualities of the symbols we use also determine the kind of life that we live and how the available resources should be used wisely. A blue print of a house is one of the mostly used symbols to represent reality. The blue print is used to construct a house as it is with the specifications given (Blanchard & Horan 2007, p.285). If anyone asks for a house he will be shown the blueprint and it will be used even in the future. The actual house can also be used to construct any other house but the blue print is the best because it contains also the measurements. In the earlier example child going to school using a map shows that the same map can be given to other children and they use it to locate their way to school. On most of the areas of study a symbolic work is used first and then the actual work is produced. Even in the current world of computing symbols are very useful in software engineering when designing programs. The symbol helps the producers to have continuity and uniformity in their line of work. The future generation will use the blueprint that was used many years back to come with the same design. The fundamental nature of communication is to convey and express our knowledge using variety of symbols in mythology, common sense, religion, journalism, science and art. Challenges in communication Communication cannot be discovered purely as a phenomenon but it can be discussed to come up with a better explanation of what it is. It is a complex field of study and it can only be understood through explanation of what it is. Many researchers differ in their research of what it contains. The different models of communication produce different society implications and social relations. In nineteenth century the mode of communication were found in religious traditions, law and common sense but in today’s world they are found in science (Adam & Groves 2007, p. 56). The communication cannot be said to be standard because it will vary from one society to the other and differ with time. The understanding of communication involves study and understanding of different areas which cannot be analysed completely and this leaves some margin of error. The communication to a common man represents the daily activities but if they are carried out for a long period of time they change to livelihood Conclusion Communication is very fundamental in the society will live and the surroundings. The type and mode of communication varies from one society to the other. The familiarity of communication makes people to see as ordinary and hence they do not see it as an issue to be taken seriously. Every member of the society should embrace communication so as understand its benefits. Most of the members take communication as a routine thing hence in the long run it loses meaning and the people do not value it at all. Communication in most of the society is perceived as ordinarily but in many cases it results to be a problematic activity (Carey 1998, p. 25). The words are not names that are given to things but the things themselves are the signs that stand for words. The reality is normally brought to existence by the words which normally produce communication which is the utilisation, apprehension, construction of the symbolic forms. Reality uses symbolic forms which produce systems which are in original form and their focus is on specific terms to find out their existence. A map can convey a very important message by changing the looks of some areas. Just like songs the way we remember them and they remind us of certain activities in our lives the maps can also give out certain information which is very critical and very useful. Mapping space can also be compared to a danced ritual. The movements in a dance can useful because some of the moves are unique. Communication is a complex field of study and it can only be understood through explanation of what it is. Many researchers differ in their research of what it contains. The different models of communication produce different society implications and social relations. References Adam, B & Groves C 2007, Future Matters: Action, Knowledge, Ethics. Brill, Bedfordshire. Blanchard, A & Horan, T 2003, ‘communities and social capital’, Social Science Review, Vol. 16, no. 3, p. 280-293. Blyton, P & Turnbull, P 2008, science and society, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke Bolton, S 2006, communication and society, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke Bryman, A 2011, Principles of communication, SAGE Publication Ltd, London. Carey, J 1988, A cultural approach to communication: communication culture, Routledge, New York. Elliot, J 2005, An Introduction to communnication, Routledge, London. Read More