INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

A. Data indicating the importance of communication:

1. Politics: politicians and voters.
2. Economy:
Relationships among employees.
Advertising campaigns.
Smiling schools.
3. The military:
Soldiers should always follow orders.
The digital battlefield.
The psychological warfare.
4. Religion:
Attending the church periodically.
The church and the use of communication science and technology.
5. Science:
Communication and the evolution of scientific knowledge.
Communication science provides the other domains with the necessary
know-how.
The study of communication, the shaping of the human species and the
development of the individual:
- E.g.: the feral child; solitary confinement; computer addicts; the
road rage incidents; the laughter schools.
B. Definition of communication: a process involving a SENDER, a MESSAGE, and
a RECEIVER; the Sender encodes the Message; the Receiver decodes the
Message, stores it and later retrieves it. The process involves:
- time and space;
- biological, psychological, social, metaphysical and cosmic aspects;
- use of semiotic units such as signs, symbols and signals.
C. Classification of communicational situations according to various criteria:
1. Who communicates: human communication, animal c., plant c., and extraterrestrial c.
2. Who communicates with whom: humans with animals, humans with plants,
etc.
3. Means used: natural means (e.g.: voice), artificial means (e.g.: telephone,
Internet); verbal and nonverbal means (e.g.: gesture).
4. Reception of messages (classification determined by the senses used): auditory
communication, visual c., olfactory c., taste c., tactile c., extrasensory c.
D. Hot issues:
1. Manipulation; media and photo manipulation; brainwashing; advertising;
propaganda; charisma.
2. Obtaining information without the persons consent: interception of private
communications; torture.
3. Communication issues in the Health Care System: poor communication or
lack of communication.