II. Discussion

Task 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

1. There are four ways in which all definitions of communication differ. What are they?

2. Look at the definitions of communication presented in Table 1. Which of them is the broadest and which one is the narrowest?

3. When is a broad definition good? When would we prefer a narrow one?

4. In which of the given definitions is communication viewed as a purely intentional process? Which definitions include both intentional and unintentional behaviours?

5. Find sender- and receiver-oriented definitions.

6. Which definitions restrict communication to symbolic codes?

7. Why is it useful to think of communication as a “family of interrelated concepts”?

Task 2. Define communication in the following situations using your list of definitions.

1. Two friends talking to each other.

2.The owner of the car talking to it, asking the engine to start.

3.John approaches Jane and seeing her red eyes assumes that she’s just been crying.

4.A female animal attracting a male animal by the behavior that is typical for the given species.

5.I was awakened by a hysterical barking of Laika. “If you want out”, I said angrily, “there’s no need for all that fuss”.

6.His face was glowing with anger and Stephen felt the glow rise on his own cheek.

Unit 2 Communication: Models, Perspectives

I. Notes

How Models Help Us Understand Communication

In addition to defining communication, scholars also build models of it. A model is an abstract representation of a process, a description of its structure or function.

Models aid us by describing and explaining a process, by yielding testable predictions about how the process works, or by showing us ways to control the process. Some models fulfill an explanatory function by dividing a process into constituent parts and showing us how the parts are connected. A city’s organiza­tional chart does this by explaining how city government works, and the socio­logical description allows us to see the economic and social factors that caused the city to become what it is today.

Other models fulfill a predictive function. Traffic simulations and popu­lation growth projections function in this way. They allow us to answer “if. . . then” questions. If we add another traffic light, then will we eliminate gridlock? If the population keeps growing at the current rate, then what will housing con­ditions be in the year 2020? Models help us answer questions about the future.

Finally, models fulfill a control function. A street map not only describes the layout of a city but also allows you to find your way from one place to an­other and helps you figure out where you went wrong if you get lost. Models guide our behavior. They show us how to control a process.

Models are useful, but they can also have drawbacks. In building and using models, we must be cautious. First, we must realize that models are necessarily incomplete because they are simplified versions of very complex processes. When a model builder chooses to include one detail, he or she invariably chooses to ignore hundreds more.

Second, we must keep in mind that there are many ways to model a single process. Unfortunately, when we study complex processes, we can never be one hundred percent certain we understand them. There are many “right answers,” all equally valu­able but each distinct. Although this may be confusing at first, try thinking of it positively. Looking for single an­swers limits you intellectually; accepting multiple an­swers opens you to new possibilities.

Finally, we mustn’t forget that models make assumptions about processes. It’s always important to look “below the surface” of any model to detect the hidden assumptions it makes.