Communication Students

Midterm test

Name: BOGEAT Theo - FLZCXA

1. How, according to Y. Harari, the „cognitive revolution” made our ancestors homo sapiens?

According to Harari, what made our ancestors homo sapiens is the fact that we were the only specie
able to imagine things and scenarios, to think about abstract concepts. We are able to abstract
communication and that is exactly what keeps us humans because our communicative system is more
than wealthy. We were and we are able to build a whole subject reality with our brain which is a unique
ability.

2. Why the transactional model provides a more complex view on the process of
communication than the interactional model? Pls., name the three most important points!

The transactional model provides a more complex view on the process of communication because it is
based on a perpetual co-creation of meaning and not just a message and feedback channel as it is for
the interactional model.

Furthermore, in the interactional model, there is just a physical and psychological context whereas 3
more contexts are involved in the transactional model : social, cultural and relational contexts.

3. Pls., explain in keywords or max. three sentences why historical particularism’s concept of
culture is more complex than the linear evolutionist?

The linear evolution was one of the first theories of culture so it is really basic and based on simple
concepts like the use of simple resources/inventions (fire, pottery, domestication of animals), the
barbarism and the savagery of people.

The historical particularism is more advanced as it has been defined one century after at the beginning
of the 20th century. This theory presents different cultures for each nation determined by the past, and
introduces cultural relativism by his main theorist Franz Boaz which is a way of thinking where other
cultures can only be observed from their spot, we can’t judge them in comparison with our culture.

4. How would you connect the ritual communication model with the functionalist concept of
culture?

The functionalist concept of culture tells that the phenomena of a society can be explained by functions
which serve the well-being of the whole society. This sentence could be a good definition of rituals and
the ritual communication model explains that communication is not just to pass information but a way
of maintaining our communities. Then we can conclude that communication is a ritual function that
serves the well-being of a whole society, which is a link between the model and the concept.

5. What does it mean that civilization is a process in Norbert Elias’ concept?

For Norbert Elias, civilization is a process because becoming and being civilized is based on behaving
and acquiring different habits and behavior such as an emotional change with rationalization,
courteousy (deleting bad manners from our behavior), politeness, but also hygienic manners, our way
of using tools. Even if the most important point of the civilization process is our control over our
emotions which is a long process to make in ourselves to handle it as best as we can. It is a top-down
process as good habits come from the elite and then we can observe a difference between who gets
civilized who doesn’t.

6. What is Franz Boas’ main discovery/statement and why is it of historical importance?

Franz Boas’ main discovery is linked to my answer for question 3. He has discovered the cultural
relativism which consists by analyzing other culture only from their spot. We can’t observe other
cultures from our field of reference (our culture) as they are different and we would be attempted to
compare them and this is not necessary when differences remain.