What Is The Study Of Communication? (Full Explanation)

Communication studies is a social science that adopts a series of methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to create a body of knowledge that encompasses a range of topics, from face-to-face conversation at a level of individual agency and interaction to sociocultural communication systems at a macro level.

Do you want to know everything about the study of communication? If yes, then you are in the right place.

In this article, we will provide full information regarding the study of communication.

We will also explain why you should learn effective communication skills.

Let’s get started.

What Is Communication?
Types of Communication
Components of Communication
Importance of Communication
Emotional Awareness in Communication
What Can I Do With A Communication Studies Degree?
FAQs
Conclusion
References
Recommendation

What Is Communication?

The act of transmitting and receiving information through written or oral language, written or graphic representations (such as infographics, maps, and charts), signs, signals, and behavior is known as communication. Communication is defined as “the creation and exchange of meaning,” to put it another way.

Media critic and theorist James Carey wrote “Communication as Culture” in 1992, describing it as “a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, sustained, mended, and modified.” He argued that we define our reality by sharing our experiences with others.

All living things on Earth have cultivated the ability to communicate feelings and thoughts to one another. But, their capacity to convey precise meanings through language and words distinguishes people from other species.

Types of Communication

The types of communication include the following:

#1. Verbal Communication

All forms of verbal communication, including sign language and unspoken language. In order to prevent misconceptions and increase attention while you speak, it is crucial to grasp how to communicate your thoughts verbally successfully. Use the proper words, communicate clearly, understand your audience, give the greatest possible response, and speak in an acceptable tone.

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#2. Nonverbal Communication

Most of the battle is won by what isn’t spoken; what is stated only accounts for half of the conflict. Your tone, facial expressions, body language, hand gestures, and eye contact all fall under this category. Making modifications and eventually employing all the appropriate nonverbal cues to make your argument are possible when you become conscious of what the rest of you is doing while you speak.

Examples of nonverbal communication include:

1. Body Language

Generally, sincerity can be shown through warmth, directness, and simplicity. Sincerity is also essential for productive conversation. Establishing trust is easy with a solid handshake that is done with a warm, dry hand. An untrustworthy handshake is weak and slimy. One’s lip is gnawed to indicate uncertainty. A direct smile exudes assurance.

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2. Eye Contact

The manner and length of eye contact deemed proper in business vary significantly between cultures. In the United States, giving someone your full attention for roughly one second is a sign of reliability.

3. Facial Expressions

There are thousands of possible facial expressions on a human face. Experts have decoded these expressions to represent hundreds of distinct emotional states. Basic information about us is communicated to others by our looks. Fear is symbolized by an open mouth and a wide-eyed stare, whereas happiness is represented by an upturned mouth and slightly closed eyes. Shifting (“shifty”) gaze and pursed lips are signs of unreliability. Conversational facial expressions have an immediate impact. Our brains might interpret these as “a feeling” about a person’s character.

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4. Posture

Another potent silent messenger that communicates curiosity, aloofness, and professionalism—or lack thereof—is the position of our body in relation to a chair or another individual. An upright nature is suggested by the head up and straight (but not rigid) back. Experts urge interview candidates to imitate the interviewer’s inclination to lean in and recline on her chair.

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5. Touch

The significance of a simple touch varies depending on the person, gender, and culture. Guys may find another man grabbing their arm while conducting business in Mexico. Pulling away is considered impolite. In Indonesia, touching someone or something with one’s foot is extremely offensive. According to the author of business etiquette Nazir Daud, “it is considered improper for a woman to shake a man’s hand” in the Far East. As we’ve already mentioned, Americans respect a solid handshake highly. Yet, both domestically and internationally, handshaking as a competitive activity (“the bone-crusher”) can come across as overly violent.

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#3. Written Communication

While being a sort of verbal communication, written communication has its distinct type since it differs so much from spoken verbal communication. Every type of writing or typing can be considered written communication, including letters, emails, notes, texts, billboards, and even messages written in the sky. It’s crucial when communicating in writing to understand your target audience, have a clear aim, and be consistent.

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#4. Visual Communication

You might not be familiar with visual communication, but it works well with other forms of communication. Visual communication includes: Delivering information, messages, and points through graphical representations.

Examples that are frequently utilized include diagrams, actual models, sketches, and illustrations. In addition to verbal, nonverbal, and written communication, visual communication creates a powerful channel for conveying your message.

#5. Listening

Unexpectedly, listening is a crucial communication component; you must master this skill to be a successful communicator. Remember that listening entails more than just hearing or patiently waiting for your chance to speak. It’s important to actively listen when people speak, which entails paying close attention to what they are saying with your mind while they talk.

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Components of Communication

Simply put, any communication involves a sender and a receiver, a message, and meaning-giving on both sides. The message’s recipient provides feedback to the sender both during and after transmission. Feedback cues can be expressed by speech or nonverbal cues like nodding in agreement, sighing, or various other motions.

Additionally, there is the message’s context, the setting in which it is delivered, and the possibility of interference during transmission or reception.

Suppose the recipient can see the sender and understand the message’s content. In that case, they can also read the sender’s nonverbal cues, ranging from confidence to anxiousness, professionalism to flippancy. If the sender can be heard, the recipient can infer information from the sender’s tone, such as emphasis and emotion.

Importance of Communication

#1. The Basis of Co-ordination

The manager communicates the company’s objectives to the staff, how they will be achieved, and the dynamics of their working relationships. This enables coordination between diverse staff and departments. As a result, coordination within the company is based on communication.

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#2. Fluent Working

A manager coordinates an organization’s physical and human components to ensure smooth operation. With effective communication, this coordination is feasible.

#3. The Basis of Decision Making

The manager receives information from effective communication that helps make decisions. It was only possible to make decisions with the information. Hence, effective communication is the cornerstone of wise decision-making.

#4. Increases Managerial Efficiency

The manager communicates the goals, gives directives, and assigns tasks to the team members. These factors all entail communication. So, excellent communication is crucial for the managers’ quick and efficient performance and the entire organization.

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#5. Increases Cooperation and Organizational Peace

The two-way communication process encourages cooperation and understanding between employees and between them and management—less friction results in a factory with less industrial conflict and more effective operations.

#6. Boosts the Morale of the Employees

The ability to adjust to the social and physical demands of the workplace is facilitated by effective communication. It also fosters positive interpersonal relationships in the sector. An effective communication system enables management to inspire, influence, and gratify employees, which raises morale and keeps employees motivated.

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Emotional Awareness in Communication

Emotional awareness is a communication skill that is least spoken but is nonetheless crucial. Understanding your feelings and those of others and seeing how those sentiments may affect a given scenario is known as emotional awareness. You must be highly conscious of your emotions to communicate effectively.

Here are some suggestions for improving your communication skills and emotional awareness:

Adopt Empathy: Empathetic persons can comprehend the feelings of others. Once you’ve mastered it, you may relate to them in your communication.
Think About Your Own Emotions: Your emotions can interfere with your ability to communicate or receive information. Consider your feelings and how they might affect your capacity for communication.
Consider the Emotions of Others: Consider how your emotions and mental state may affect your interactions. Consider how someone else’s emotions or past experiences might influence their behavior.
Establish Trust: Establishing trust requires having frank discussions with the other person and matching nonverbal indicators like tone, facial expressions, and body language to spoken ones.
Identify and Clear Up Misunderstandings: Poor communication needs to be improved misunderstandings. Everyone will be calmer, and you’ll get back on track more quickly if you can identify and fix them immediately.

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What Can I Do With A Communication Studies Degree?

A communication studies major will teach you how to communicate effectively and be an ethical member of your family, career, and community.

Employers often prioritize communication skills over other traits when hiring, including integrity, the capacity to relate to others, analytical capacity, leadership and collaborative abilities, and the capacity to explain your views. You’ll practice these attributes in communications classes.

Majors in communication studies can promote themselves in almost any field of work, and various fields frequently draw communication majors.

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FAQs

What is the communication referred to?

Speaking, writing, listening, and reading are all forms of communication. Communication is the process of delivering, receiving, and sharing information. Clear speakers and writers who respect other points of view are good communicators.

What are the reasons to study communications?

Studying communication can help us understand relationships better. Learning communication improves vital life skills like; analytical thinking, problem-solving, communication skills, and teamwork. Communication studies can help you advance your career.

What is the major focus of communication studies?

Communication Studies focus on the creation and impact of communications in public, private, and professional life. Studying communication equips students with the skills they need to succeed in any field because it is the top skill companies seek.

What components makeup communication?

The eight crucial communication components are the source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference. Communication involves understanding, sharing, and meaning.

What is the benefit of communication studies?

Students who major in communication studies have the chance to improve their speaking, writing, and critical thinking abilities, making them stronger participants in the process of meaning dissemination.

Conclusion

Communication studies improve individuals by helping them develop critical life skills such as speaking, writing, and analytical thinking skills that will allow them to become better communicators and contributors to disseminating meaning.

Are you willing to improve your communication skills? Please carefully read through this article as it provides necessary information that you need to know about the study of communication and Communication skills.

We wish you the best of luck.