Summary Human Communication in Society
Chapter 1
Widespread access to the world has its benefits, but it also has its costs.
Communication focuses exclusively on the exchange of messages to create meaning
Isocrates, Plato & Aristotle wrote about the important role of communication in politics, courts
and learning. Reaching back to the classical era of Western civilization.
As early as 3200-2800 BCC, the Precepts of Kagemni & Ptah-Hotep commented on
communication
Communication knowledge is not common sense. It is a complex activity influenced by a variety
of factors including cultural differences, cognitive abilities and social norms.
Communication can help attain goals, establish relationships and develop one’s identity.
The five steps in the process of critical thinking
1. Identify the assertion or action
2. Ask, “What is the evidence for and against the assertion or action?”
3. Ask, “What does the bulk of evidence point to?”
4. Ask, “What other explanations or conclusions are possible?”
5. Continue to keep an open mind for new evidence and new ways of evaluating the assertion.
Example situation: you sent a text message to your love, and haven’t heard from him/her back in
hours. Why isn’t he/she answering? What conclusions do you draw? What is the evidence? (follow
the five steps)
Human communication - a transactional process in which people generate meaning through the
exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in specific contexts, influenced by individual and
societal forces and embedded in culture.
Seven basic components of the communication process
1. Message creation
2. Meaning
3. Setting
4. Participants
5. Channels
6. Noise
7. Feedback
Message creation – messages are the building blocks of communication, and the process of taking
ideas and converting them into message is called ENCODING. Receiving a message and interpreting
its meaning is referred to as DECODING.
Chapter 1
Widespread access to the world has its benefits, but it also has its costs.
Communication focuses exclusively on the exchange of messages to create meaning
Isocrates, Plato & Aristotle wrote about the important role of communication in politics, courts
and learning. Reaching back to the classical era of Western civilization.
As early as 3200-2800 BCC, the Precepts of Kagemni & Ptah-Hotep commented on
communication
Communication knowledge is not common sense. It is a complex activity influenced by a variety
of factors including cultural differences, cognitive abilities and social norms.
Communication can help attain goals, establish relationships and develop one’s identity.
The five steps in the process of critical thinking
1. Identify the assertion or action
2. Ask, “What is the evidence for and against the assertion or action?”
3. Ask, “What does the bulk of evidence point to?”
4. Ask, “What other explanations or conclusions are possible?”
5. Continue to keep an open mind for new evidence and new ways of evaluating the assertion.
Example situation: you sent a text message to your love, and haven’t heard from him/her back in
hours. Why isn’t he/she answering? What conclusions do you draw? What is the evidence? (follow
the five steps)
Human communication - a transactional process in which people generate meaning through the
exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in specific contexts, influenced by individual and
societal forces and embedded in culture.
Seven basic components of the communication process
1. Message creation
2. Meaning
3. Setting
4. Participants
5. Channels
6. Noise
7. Feedback
Message creation – messages are the building blocks of communication, and the process of taking
ideas and converting them into message is called ENCODING. Receiving a message and interpreting
its meaning is referred to as DECODING.
