The World of Communication Focus Questions 1. Why study communication? 2. Whatis communication? hhh hkike hangs up the phone and shakes his head. Thing with Chis Ufpiscestietiat tine is pr iy eve sn gh school but deed apart ser the enrolled in icra’ an «Ty talk by phone every few weeks ad sen emai and Ts re iy Bt ie he anne as Hanging out together, Shugging, he ts di the TV wile be nies dreming for hs date wth Coreen: THE top news tory s about the wagi shooting yee st Vngiia Tech, He grsiacs thn tng the word ha bocome prety mvan plac, Twrelighstoughis beck ta Coreen Mike hopes de wont want lk about ther retains again Tonight Heeartac the pln of analaig and dacuing tet rlaostip Uns someting wrong, bute ks tk about abe drewee Mic thitsabouthisoral presentation fr Thuredays socio ogy cs. He wot good ens but he dacan' Koo howto um ther ino i efecthe speech, He vaguely rersembers tat ihe profeaor talted about hero ongatae a speech, Bit he wn atening, Me als wikes be ke te to eal witha roup that ex got on teks He and ox oer sents tae worked fortree moni toarguizusdent book coop, bt the group can't get hat together. By now everyone i rely fisted, and nebody iment anyone ete, ie checahv col td fads any woaages fom tre ofthe gry co. He sr gi ur te WY, ae lon meet Tite Mike, oat of commusateconinualin or daly ves Esectve commnicalon i vial to lougdlstance iemdahpn, rosea ratonshipe, pete speaking,ttervewig,eaoom lenrng, tnd produce group dt Miko—and thereat of ur-rey on communication long ater oa college year Bren fy don't pane acaeer hurls cena on pbc pealng AEs sch ae teaching rl communieton wl be ental n yous works Yon may ned totalk with cnt or patents make progr reports engugein pal alguien and present proponi You say want o pervade poi hom Jou deserve nae, raroint 1 pos afbrnee a work Yih colleague o develop company poids You il have conf with co seta siperaon, snd sabontncte, Weep neds ded th sopeions wiv ermal aia Jokes or ram you sexally ox wih whom you serpy die tre. Beyond your carer, your communicate wih fly members, ends, ASaoda acqunnusoarin range cteulagy each of wich wl ca for coe tunes il (Why study Communication? Because you've been communicating all of your life, you might wonder ‘why you need to study communication. One answer is that formal study can improve skill, Some people have @ natural aptitude for playing basketball ‘They become even more effective, however, ifthey study theories of offensive and defensive play and if they practice skills Likewise, even if you communi- cate well now learning about communication and practicing communication skills can make you more effective (Hargie, 2006) Another reason to study communication i that theories and principles help us make sense of what happens in our lives, and they help us have perCHAPTER 1 The World of Communication = 3 sonal impact. For instance, if Mike learned about different gender communi ties, he might understand why Coreen, like many women, enjoys talking about relationships even when there is no problem, If Mike had better insight into the communication that sustains long-distance relationships, he might be ab to entich his friendship with Chris eespite the miles between them, Ifhe knew how to develop an agenda, Mike might also be able to get his group on tack, ‘Studying public speaking could help Mike design a good presentation for his ‘lass report. Learning to listen better would help Mike retain information like his professor's tips on organizing oral reports, Communication theory and skills would help Mike maximize his effectiveness in all spheres of his life, ‘To study communication is to learn about much more than communica- tion. John Peters (2000) writes that understanding communication offers “{an] answer to the painful divisions between self and other, private and pub- lic, and inner thought and outer word." Communication in Our Lives will help you understand the profound interweaving of communication into personal, professional, social, and civic life. This book will help you become a more ‘confident andl competent communicator, Part I clarifies how communication works (or doesn't work) and explains how perception, personal identity, lan ‘guage, nonverbal c ication, listening, and cultural factors alfect th ‘overall communication process. In Patt IL, we'll look at communication in five ‘contexts: personal relationships, small groups, organizations, interviews, and ‘mass communication, Part II focuses on public speaking. This chapter lays a foundation for your study of communication. We first define communication, Next we'll discuss the values of communication in many spheres of your life. Then we'll examine some models of communica- tion to clarify how the process works. In the thirel section of the chapter, we'll describe the breadth of the communication field and careers for communica- tion specialists, Wefining Communication Communteation* is a systemic process in which people interact with and through symbols to create and interpret meanings, Let's elaborate the key pars ofthe definition The first Important feature of this definition is process. Communication iva proceas, which meana it i ongoing and always in motion, moving ever forward and changing continually Is hard to tll when communication starts and stops, because what happened long before we talk with someone mt influence interaction, and what occurs in particular encounter may have repercussions in the future, We cannot freeze communication at any ‘Communication i also systemic, which means that it occurs within a sy tem of interrelated parts that affect one another. In family communication for instance, each member of the familys part ofthe system (Galvin, Dicko “Molafaced terme are det re in the glomary 3 he end ofthe book4+ PART ONE Foundations of Communication quiz YoursELF What ae the two levels of ‘meaning in communication? ‘A. content and persona B, personal and social (C. ecrtent and eationship D. teetonship end connotative & Marrow, 2006). In addi are elements of the syste in a formal living room and on a beach, and we may be more a times of day than at others. Different modes of communication also affect what happens between peo- ple, Recall Mike's dissatisfaction with e-mail andl phone contact with his friend, Chris, He found face-toface interaction more satislying. Communication is also affected by the history of a system. Ifa family has @ history of listening, sensitively and working out problems constructively, then saying, “There's something we need to talk about” is unlikely to cause defensiveness. On the other hand, ifthe family has a record of nasty confliets and bickering, then the same comment might arouse strong defensiveness. A lingering kiss might be 1e way to show affection in a private setting, but the same action ise eyebrows in an office. To interpret communication, we have to ‘consider the system in which it takes place, Our definition of communication also emphasizes symbols, which 1, arbitrary, and ambiguous representations of other things. Symbols include all language and many nonverbal behaviors, as well as art and music, Anything that abstractly signifies something else can be a. symbol. We might symbolize love by giving a ring, by saying “I love you,” or by embracing. Later in this chapter, we'll have more to say about symbols For now, just remember 1 cation involves interaction with and through symbols. Finally, our definition focuses on meanings, which are th nication. Meanings are the significance we bestow on phenomena—what they signify to us, Meanings are not in experience itself Instead, we use symbols to, create meanings. We ask others to be sounding boards so that we can clarify ‘our own thinking, we talk to them to figure out what things mean, we listen to, them to enlarge our own perspectives, and we label feelings to give them real ity. We actively construct meaning by working with symbols. ‘There are two levels of meaning in communication. The content level of meaning is the literal message, For example, if someone says to you, “Get lost!” the content level of meaning is that you should get lost, The relationship. level of meaning expresses the relationship between communicators. In our example, ifthe person who says, “Get lost!” isa friend and is smiling, then you would probably interpret the relationship level of meaning as indicating that the person likes you and is kidding around. On the other hand, ifthe person ‘who says, “Get lost!” is your supervisor, and she is responding to your request then you might interpret the relationship level of meaning as indi- cating that your supervisor regards you as inferior and dislikes your work. alu Now that we have a working definition of communication, let's consider its value in our lives. We spend a great deal of time communicating, We talk, listen, have dialogues with ourselves, participate in group discussions, presen ‘oral reports, watch and listen to mass communication, and so forth, From birth to death, communication shapes our personal, professional, and social lives as well asthe culture in which we live. the physical environment and the time of day meraction. People interact differently ext at certain, heart of commu s of CommunicationCHAPTER 1 The World of Communication + 9 Diversity in Social Life ‘America has akways been sadly diverse, drawing its ‘zens from counties all ever the werld Inthe new millennium, social diversity is even more a fac of life in the United States. n July 2006 (Colins, 2007; this is ‘the latest date for which statistics are available), the total population ofthe Urited States was 299 million, Here's the breakdown and the change in just one year: ‘American Indians and Alaska Natives 4S milion, up 19 ftom 2005 Asians 149 milion, ‘up 32% from 2005, Blacks. 402 milion, up 1.396 from 2005, Hispanics 443 milion, {up 3.496 from 2005, Nom Hispanic Whites 199 milion, ‘up 3% from 2005 ‘More and more people are convinced that a key function of higher education isto prepare people to function effectively and comfortably in 2 diverse socety. Two-thirds of Americans poled by the Ford Foundation (1998) say itis very important for calleges and universes to prepare students to lve and workin «society marked by dverity. Fully 94% of Americans poled said tis more important now than ever before forall us to understand people who are diferent ‘for us. Interestingly strong support fr weaving livery into education was not ied to political stands, Fifty-one percent of respondents sai they were either conservative or very conservative political. Stil the ‘majoity of those polled believed that every college student should be required to sty dferent cultures and social groups in order to graduate. Lean mote about diverse groups ad ther impact ‘on America by visting WebLink 1.1 vie your Online Resources for Communication in Our Lives. (To eam how to get stared with your Online Resources, see the inside front and back covers ofthis book) cENGAGENOW: ied she needed to learn to interact with people who differ from her: she isto participate fully in today’s world, She has learned lot about communicating with diverse people, and no doubt she will learn more in the years ahead. Like Janet, you can in ‘of people who make up ou society. ‘Communicat sional, an cultural reasons, Because co then, is important for perso rove your ability to communicate effectively with the variety relationship, profes: is a comerstone of hhuman life, your choice to study it will serve you well. To understand what's involved in coms (Models of Communication Theo in communication have developed a ingly sophisticated understandings of the commu Linear Mode or of the earliest m els (Laswell, 1948) described comm nication, let's now define the process. create models to describe how things work. Over the years, scholars umber of models, which reflect increase ication process car, or one-way, process in which one person acted on another person. This ‘model consisted of five questions that described! early views of how communi- cation worked:10 + PART ONE Foundations of Communication ‘ALLinear Model of Communication Source: Adapted om Shannon, Weave, W. (1949). The ‘Metherracal Tear of ammunition. Urbana: Unies, of lino Pre. Who? Says what? In what chann ‘Towhom? With what effect? Ayear later, Claude Shannon n Weaver (1949) advanced a model that included noise, or interferences, which distort understanding berween communicators, Figure 1.1 shows Shannon and Weaver's model, Although these early models were useful starting points, they were too simplistic to eap- ture the complexity of most kinds of h Interactive Models ‘The major shortcoming of linear models was that they portrayed communica tion as flowing in only one direction, from a sender toa receiver. This suggests hat speakers only speak and never listen. The linear model also implies that listeners only listen and never send messages Realizing that “receivers” respond to "senders" and “senders” listen to theorists (Schramm, 1955) to adapt models 10 ay be verbal, nonverbal, or both, atid it may be ;ntentional oF unintentional, Research has confirmed Schrammn’s insight that feedback is important, Supervisors report that communication accuracy and 1ejob productivity rise when they encourage their subordinates to give feedback—ask quest {respond to supervisory communication (Deal & Kennedy, 1999). ‘The interactive model also showed that communicators create and inter- pret messages within personal fields of experience. The more communicators’ leformation Transmit Receiver Destination sender ReoewarCHAPTER 1 The World of Communication » 11 fields of experience overlap, the better they understand each other, Adding the concept of fields of experience to models clarifies why misunderstandings sometimes occur, You jokingly put down a friend he takes it seriously and is hurt. You offer to help someone, and she feels patronized. Adding fields of experience and feedback allowed Schramm and other communication schol ars to develop models of communication as an interactive process in which both senders and receivers participate actively (Figure 1.2) Lori Ann— 1 as born in Alabama, ann all my ie Fve spoken to people whether know them ‘or nok. Lsay hell or something to a person I pass on the stret jus tobe friendly. When I went toa junior college in Pennsylvania, 1 got in trouble for being so friendly. When I spoke to guys I didn'thno, they ought I was coming on to ‘them or something. And other givs rou just look at me like F was odd. Fl never realized that friendliness could be misinterpreted. Transactional Models A serious limitation of interactive models is that they don’t acknowledge that everyone involved in communication both sends and receives messages, often mmultaneously: While giving a press release, a speaker watches reporters to see whether they seem interested; both the speaker andl the reporters are “listen= ing,” and both are “speaking, Interactive models also fail to capture the dynamism of communication To do this, a model would need to show that com ranges over time as a result of what happens between people. For example, Mike and Coreen communicated in more reserved and formal ways on their first date than after months of seeing each other, What they talk about and how dey talk have changed as a result of interacting. An accurate model would inchide the ‘and would depict features of communication as dyn: cally varying rather dhan constant. Figure 1.3 is a tansactional model of com- ‘munication that highlights these features and others we have discussed. ‘Our model also includes noise, which is anything that interferes with the intended communication. This includes sounds like a lawn mower or others’ conversations, as well as “noises” within communicators, such as mental bi and preoccupation, In addition, our model emphasizes that comm isa continuous, constantly changing process. The feature of time reminds us ‘that how people communicate varies over the history of their interaction, Source’ Hild of experience Receiver’ fd of experience icURe 1.2 ‘An Interactive Model (of Communication Source: Adapted fom Seba, W.(1955). The Process and Elects of Mass Communication. Urbans ner of iis Pres.12 + PART ONE Foundations of Communication cure 1s Social systems ‘A Transactional Model - of Comenticrtion fie ‘Communicator A's Source: Adopted fom Wood, 1.7 (2008), nerpersonab Communication Every Encounters (ath ed). Belront, Cs Wadsworth Tina Tena, Ce ec ‘The outer ines on our model emphasize that communication occurs within systems that themselves affect communication and meanings. Those system ‘oF contexts, include syst Jcators share (a common cam pls, town, and culture, for instance) as well as each person's personal systems (family, religious associations, friends), Also notice that our model, unlike pre- vious ones, portrays each person's field of experience and the shared field of experience between communicators as changing over time. As we encounter Which of te folowing Sota new people and grow personally, we change how we intei ns that both cor feature ofthe wansactional model_ Finally, our model doesn’t label one person a “sender” and the of communication? “receiver.” Instead, both people are defined as communicators who participate A noise actively in the communication process. This means that, at a given moment BL elds of experience in communication, you may be sending a message (speaking or nodding your ©. tine head), receiving a message (listening), or doing both D. senders preting what someone says while nodding to show you are interested), (he Breadth of the Communication Field ‘The discipline of communication dates back more than 2,000: the field focused almost exclusively on public comm famous Greek philosopher, believed that effective public speaking was essen- lial to citizens’ participation in civic alfairs (Borchers, 2006). He taught his students haw to develop and present persuasive speeches to influence public affairs Although public speaking remains a vital skill longer the only focus of the communication field, The moder discipline inchides seven. major ‘of research and teaching: intrapersonal communication, interpersonal communication, group communication, organizational communication, pub-CWAPTER 1 The World of Communication + 15 mass communi nd intereul tion and new technologi unication is communication with ourselves, or selt:talk, ‘We engage in selfalk to plan our lives, o rehearse different ways of ae and to prompt ourselves to do or not to do particular things. You might be ‘wontdering whether the term infrapersonal communication i just jargon for think ing: In one sense, itis. Intrapersonal communication isa cognitive process that {goes on inside us, Yer because thinking relies on language to name and reflect, ‘on phenomena, itis also a kind of communic book Intrapersonal Communication, which is devoted entirely to intrapersonal ‘communication, reflects the importance of this area of study and teaching. Many counselors focus on enhancing selfesteem by changing how we talk to ourselves (Rusk & Rusk, 1988; Seligman, 1990, 2002). For instance, you might say to yourself, “I blew that test, so I'm really stupid. Ul never graduate, and if do, nobody will hire a klutz like me." Because what we say to ourselves affects our feetings, we should challenge negative selF-talk by saying, “Hey, wait, ‘a minute, One testis hardly a measure of my intelligence. I did well on the ‘other test in this course ‘overall college record. [shouldn't bbe so hard on myself.” What we say to ourselves can enhance or diminish, selfesteem and thus our effectiveness in contexts ranging from inte public speaking to social conversation Intrapersonal communication allows us to rehearse alternative scenarios so that we can evaluate how each might wien out, To control a disruptive group, member, Mike might consider (1) telling the person to shut up, (2) suggest ing that the group adopt a rule that everyone should participate equally, and (3) taking the person out for coffee and privately asking him to be less dor neering. Mike can think through the various ways of approaching the gr member, weigh the likely consequences of each, and then choose one to pi into practice, We engage in internal dialogues continually as we reflect on lexpetiences, sort through ideas and options for communicating, and test alternative ways of acting. nd Thave a des up Interpersonal Communication Asecond major emphasis in the field of communication is interpersonal com- ‘munication, which de: ication between people. In one sense, Aika Analyzing Your Self-talk Pay attention to your self-talk for the next day. When something goes wrong, ‘what do you say to yourself? Do you put yourself down with negative messages blaming yourself for what happened? Do you generalize beyond the specific event to describe yourself asa loser or as inadequate? ‘The first step in changing negative selt-alk is to become aware of it. We'll ‘say more about how to change negative self-talk in Chapter 3. Is with co4+ paRT ONE Foundations of Communication Quiz YourSELF Which of the falling is ‘most likely to bean Thou telatonshig? A 8. « D, long te, intimate ‘endhip 2a detkand a shopper ‘we dassmates ork team ‘The Communication Continuum everything except intrapersonal communication is interpersonal. But such a broad definition doesn't create useful boundaries for the area of study. Interpersonal communication exists on a continuum from impersonal to highly personal (Wood, 2004). The most imperson: tion occurs when we ignore another person or treat another as an object. In the middle of the continuum is interaction with others within social roles. The most personal communication occurs in what philosopher Martin Buber (1970) called “Thou” relationships, asa unique and sacred person, Figure 1.4 illustrates the communication con- tinuwum. The more we know and interact with another person as a distinct individual, the more personal the communication is. Using this criterion, we ‘would say thata deep conversation with a friend is more personal than a casual exchange with a salesclerk. kind of communica: in which each person treats the other ‘making it one of the most vibrant branches of the fi fon how communication ereates and sustain communicate to deal with the normal and extraordinary challenges of main: taining intimacy over time (Canary & Stafford, 1994; Duk & Wood, 1995; Wood & Duck, 1995a, 19 Research indicates that communication is the lifeblood of close friend ships and romantic relationships. Communication is the primary way people develop intimacy and continuously refashion relationships to meet their changing needs and identities. Intimates who learn how to listen sensitively and talk with each other have the greatest c yg over time, Interpersonal communication researchers study how communication is influenced by gender (Wood 1993b, 1998e, 1998d, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2007; Wood & Inman, 1993), ethnicity (Gaines, 1995; Houston & Wood, 1996), and sexual orientation (Huston & Schwartz, 1995, 1986; Wood, 194b). In later we'll discuss research on the communication goals and siyles that nt social groups tend to use. Knowledge about diverse communication patterns yields principles of effective interaction between people who from one another. eof end Group Communication A third important branch of cor ation study is small-group communica tion, including therapeutic groups, social groups, decision-making commit tees, and work teams, Small-group communication scholars study leadership, member participation, agendas for decision making, and disruptive and con. structive conflict. Chapters 10 and 11 will help us nderstanel how commnun ImparsonalCHAPTER 1 The Werld of Communication + 15 eT a National Communication Aswociation “etek ea an NCA is a scholarly society INCAIs a schlnysaity end a5 such works to enhance research tecig, ‘rd caraco proud bys embers on tops of bat elocaa ond soc. ‘Siyucance Sta the NCA \sdonal Clic folow vend neta resoerh. Teaching. end sence probes, tba relays Bose opportunites to ts menbers ‘ed eprserts We ocodee scsi of oreericton se nana tons Largest communication association [NCR shochu and rest atonal organization to promt coeunicaon| ‘holratp ent eauranon Famcacin feta asthe Natens Ress ot ‘Academe Teachers buble Sposa, soceymesported 1050 ato ‘Speech Associaton Ameria, Te oerzato crargedits are to Speech CCemerriatonassocahon, 1870 Radopted is reser amen 1007, Disciptinary activites NCA aks tho lean puseng to ccc’ cls tru press ee (nae ees [ia en ne i en cation affects each of these aspects of group life and how we can participate clfectively in groups Group communication scholars also study teams, which are special ypes of ‘groups that pull together people with diverse skills and experiences and which develop especially strong cohesion. Teamwork is increasingly part of the work- place, with the average executive spending 700 hours a year in team meetings teams has become a (Tubbs, 1998). Learning to communicate effectively criterion For success and aevancement in careers. Organizational Communication Communication in organizations is another growin ‘Communication scholars have identified communication skills that enhance professional success, and they have traced the impact of various kinds of com ‘munication on morale, productivity, and commitment in organizations, For ‘many years, scholars of organizational communication have studied aspects ure, presenta area of interest of work life such a interviewing, listening, organizational stru tions, leadership, and decision making. In addition (© continuing 0 study these topics, organizational schol ars have begun to focus subst iational culture and personal relationships in professional settings in organizations. The term orgae nizational culture refers o understandings about identiyand codes of ought and action shared by members of an orgunization (Nicotera, Cl Walker, 2002). From this understanding emerge rules for interacting with “Toleam more about the field of communication, vst the ‘atonal Communication| Association's website by dicking on WebLink 1.2.16 = PART ONE Foundations of Communication each other, for viewing work and engaging in it. The impact of organizational culture was vividly highlighted in July 1994 when a Colorado wildfire became: raging inferno in which 14 firefighters lost their lives. A detailed inves revealed that a primary contibutor to the loss of lives was a “can-do” among firefighters. Trained to believe that they could do shat others could not and that they could perform heroic feats, the firefighters didn’t observe critical safety regulations. Ironically, the “can-do” culture esse ial to such, dangerous job also led to disregard for important precautions and the subse- quent loss of 14 lives. (Organizational communication scholars have also revealed that organiza- tions are fundamentally gendered. Their research has shown that commu nication practices in organizations institutionalize and sometimes challenge gender-based, hierarchical power relations (Allen, 2006; Ashcraft, 2006; Ashcraft & Mumby, 2004; Buzzanell & Lucas, 2006; Mumby, 20063, 2006). Another area of increasing interest among organizational scholars is per sonal relationships between coworkers, As we increase the number of hours wwe spend on the job, itis natural for personal relationships hetween co-wor to increase. This adds both interest and com) In one study of personal relationships betwe scholar Ted Zorn (1995) studied “bosses and bueldies,” relationships in which ‘one friend is the boss of the ather. Zorn discovered a number of ways people cope with the often contradictory rules for communication between f and between superiors and subordinates. Melbourne: Maas a real hassle when my supervisor and I stared poing out. Before, he garve me ‘ers like he did al the other waitstaff, and none of us thought anything about 1 But after we started dating, he would sort of ask me, instead of tell me, what to do, like saying, "Mel, would you help out in Section 7?" Another problem :0as that if he gave me a good station where tips run high, the other waits would give me rouble because they thought he was favoring me because we go out. And when he gove me a bad sation, Fa fee he was being nasty It was a mess being his employee ‘and his ginfiend at the same time, Being an effective professional also requires you to understand and respect how different groups communicate. For instance, in a number of ways, women and men communicate differently, and they often misunderstand one another (Murphy & Zorn, 1996; Wood, 1993b, 1995a, 1996b, 1998, 20072). Women tend to make more “listening noises,” such as “um,” “uh-hub,” and “go on, tian most men do, Ifmen don't make these noises when communicating with women colleagues, the won nk the men aren listening. Conversely, men are likely to misinterpr ing noises women make as signaling agreement rather than just interest. Such misunderstandings can hinder com= munication on the job (Murphy & Zorn, 1996). Mass and Social Media For some time, communication scholars have studied mass communica tion media such as film, radio, newspapers, magazines, and television, TheirCHAPTER 1 research has given us insight into how mass media work and how they repre: nt and influence cults ies, For instance, the cultural feminine id which centers on youth and bea fal won is perpetuated by the use of young, beauiti- sn as models in ads and as news reporters and anchors. Mass media sometimes reinforce cultural stereotypes abou icity (Wilson, Gutiérrez, & Chao, 2003). For example, African Americans are ore often cast in supporting roles than in prineipal roles. In addition, Black males are often portrayed! as irresponsible and militant, and they are typically cast as athletes, entertainers, or criminals (Entman & Rojecki, 2000; Evans, 1993; Merritt, 2000; Wilson, Gi race and eth —Franklin- hate the way television shows African Americans. Mast ofthe time, they are criminals, welfare cases, drunks, oF Uncle Toms, When watch TV, I understand wy so many people still think Blacks are dumb, wnaducatal, and criminal. Were ‘not, ut you'd never know it from watching television Although the number of Asian than 8 million—they seldom appear on prime-time shows, Hispanics and Asians who do appear on primectime TV usually appear in the roles of vik hains, criminals, or low-paid workers (Holusman, 2000; Merritt, 2000). One important contribution of communication scholars is heightening awareness of how media shape—and sometimes distort—our perceptions of ourselves and society. sieans has tripled since 1970—now more The World of Communication + 17 New technologies alow us to interact with people we've ever met in person1B + PART ONE Foundations of Communication 1H FAMILY CORES, By Bil Keane A more recent focus of media scholars is social media. How do uence our think contact and produc nount of information now rods, PDAs, cell phones, and other social media ing, working, and relating? Do th (Wood & Smith, 2001)? Does the vast available to us ereate confusion and information overload, as some scholars (Nie, 2004; Young, 2005) suggest? Clearly, the verdict om the effects of new technologies will not be in for some time. Meanwhile, all of us struggle to keep up with our increasingly technological world. Technologies of communication p vade many aspects of our lives. Videoconferencing now makes it por. sible for people who are separated by many miles to talk with and see ns now include PowerPoint images and othe al assistance. Friends, family members, and romantic couples rely on e-mail to stay in touch. Woven into later chapters of this book are discussions of the ways in which new tech= nologies affect how, when, and with whom we communicate, ach other. Many public prese forms of technologi Public Communication most of us will have opportunities to speak to others. Although we 1y not give full speeches of selFintroduction, we'll often be asked to “say a few words about yourself,” and others’ first impressions of us will be based on ‘our selbintroductions, tions where speaking up is a responsibil. ity: My editor speaks to her sales representatives to explain what her books are about and how to point out important features to faculty. I recently coached my doctor in public speaking so she could address her colleagues ‘on a development in the treatment of kidney disease, My plumber presents workshops to his staff to update them on new plumbing products and to teach them how to communicate effectively with customers. My brother law relies on publicspeaking skills when he’s trying cases in court or mediat- ing disputes. My editor, doctor, plumber, and brotherin-aw don't consider the ublic speakers, but public speaking is a part of their lives, and doing it effectively is important to their success. Scholars of public communication focus on critical evaluation of speeches and on principles for speaking effectively. Rhetorical critics study important ‘communication events, such as Martin Luther King Jr's “I Have a Dre speech and presidential speeches announcing wars. Critics often take a role Your Mediated World How do social media affect your interactions? i you use the Internet, how ace your electronic exchanges diferent from face-toace interactions? Have you made any acquaintances of friends through social media? Did those relationships develop diferent from ones formed through face-to-face contact? Do you feel differently about people you have never seen and those you see? selves