Introduction to Communication sciences 1

Introduction:

In an interesting article entitled “The Rise of Homo Communicans and the Death of
the Self” Remington Tonar stated that “One can no longer say cogito ergo sum, I think
therefore I am, as stated by Descartes, we must now say sum communicates ergo sum, I am
shared therefore I am. The self is no longer that which you are to yourself. It is that which
you are to others.” This statement suggests a shift in perspective from the traditional
understanding of the self, to a more contemporary view, emphasizing the importance of
social interaction and communication in defining one's identity.

Moreover, In his book "Prolegomena to a Theory of Language", the French

philosopher Louis Hjelmslev suggested the term "Homo communicans" to describe humans
as communicative beings, underlining the importance of communication in human life. His
contribution, among many others, led to the conclusion that communication is essential to
connect people, build relationships, create groups, and helps the mechanisms of interchange
among and between societies. By means of communication, we share our thoughts, feelings,
and intentions. It helps us understand one another, work together, and relate to each other.

In the following paragraphs, we are going to cover some of the main aspects of
communication, as well as the need to study those aspects scientifically. We start by defining
communication, communication sciences, and the importance of the latters. Then, we will
briefly discuss the elements and types of communication.

1- Definition of communication:

Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver defined communication as "the process of

sending and receiving messages with information attached." This definition highlights the
transmission of information from a sender to a receiver through a channel, with noise
potentially disrupting the process. From the same standpoint, another definition of
communication is given by Barnlund and Berlo, who added to the previous definition by
stating communication as “a dynamic and interactive process”. According to this added
input, communication is not merely about sending and receiving messages, but also involves
mutual influence, interpretation, and feedback between communicators.

From another standpoint, symbolic interactionists define communication as the

exchange of symbols through which individuals create and interpret meaning. According to
this definition, communication is a fundamental process through which humans construct
their social reality and negotiate shared understandings. Furthermore, James W. Carey

1
Introduction to Communication sciences 2

defined communication as "a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained,

repaired, and transformed." This definition emphasizes the active role of communicators in
shaping their shared realities through the exchange of symbols.

These definitions offer various perspectives on communication. They reflect the

diverse approaches and theories in the field of communication studies. Each definition offers
valuable insights into the complexities of human interaction and the many ways
communication shapes our lives.

2- Definition of communication sciences:

According to Mai Al Abdullah, communication sciences can be defined as “a social

and cultural phenomenon, a profession, or an academic field that is not always clearly
defined”. This definition leads to the introduction of communication sciences as the
scientific and academic study of communication, which is a social and cultural phenomenon.
Moreover, Carole Probst and Benedetto Lepori stated that Communication sciences can be
described as a divergent and rural field with close links to neighboring fields of study, such
as social sciences, philosophy, economics, engineering, psychology and history. The field of
communication sciences covers basic and applied topics. This view puts communication
sciences in the center of different disciplines, which is the current and most embraced
definition within academia.

We can say concisely that communication sciences, also known as communication

studies or communication research, is an academic discipline that explores how humans
communicate with each other across various contexts, mediums, and cultures. It
encompasses the study of verbal, nonverbal, and written communication, as well as the
social, cultural, psychological, and technological factors that influence communication
processes.

3- Importance of communication sciences:

Good communication is key for everything, from personal relationships where it

builds closeness and trust, to workplaces where it drives productivity, creativity, and
collaboration. Even across cultures and languages, communication helps different societies
connect, share ideas, and live together in harmony. And communication sciences takes their
importance from this position as a mean to decipher the subject of the study. They can
illuminate many aspects as follows:

2
Introduction to Communication sciences 3

For instance, with the help of communication sciences, one can understand effectively
the human behavior, according to Tatiana Santos Gonçalves, many theoretical approaches
emphasize the importance of communication sciences for understanding human behavior.
The role of communication involves how it contributes to the promotion of a good quality of
life.

Moreover, communication sciences provide a rich framework for individuals to

explore and understand themselves through various interpersonal, intrapersonal, and
mediated communication processes. By applying principles and techniques from
communication sciences, individuals can gain valuable insights into their self-perception
and enhance their overall self-awareness and personal growth, and it will improve the way
others see themby applying the same techniques.

When this state is reached, individuals can get important life and professional skills
that can help them professionally by improving their communication skills and
interpersonal skills, it can also lead to enhancing their negotiation and persuasion
techniques.

Furthermore, communication sciences can help individuals contribute effectively to

society and it helps them understand our diverse world. This is due to the better
understanding of mass communication, intercultural communication and the critical
thinking they get from the theories and applications of this field.

4- Elements of communication:

Communication involves a minimum of two participants: the Sender and the

Receiver. It starts when the Sender wants to convey an idea, fact, information, or opinion to
the Receiver. The Sender formulates the idea and selects a communication channel to convey
it. Once received, the Receiver comprehends the idea and takes action based on the
information or direction provided.

The process of communication involves the following steps:

Sender: The person who conveys his thoughts, message or ideas to the receiver is
known as the sender.

Message: The subject matter of communication is termed as messages. It includes

ideas, feelings, suggestions, order, etc., which a sender wants to convey to the receiver.

3
Introduction to Communication sciences 4

Encoding: The process of converting messages into communication symbols, which

may be understood by the receiver. Encoding translates the internal thought of the sender
into a language which can be understandable.

Media: The path, channel or medium through which encoded message is transmitted
to the receiver is known as media.

Decoding: The process of translating the encoded message into an effective language,
which can be understood by the receiver is known as decoding. In this, the encoded symbols
of the sender are converted.

Receiver: The person who receives the message of the sender is known as the receiver.

Feedback: In order to complete the process of communication, feedback is essential.

The process of reversal of communication in which the receiver expresses his reaction to the
sender of the message is known as feedback.

Noise: Any construction or hindrance which hampers the communication process is

known as noise. It acts as a barrier to effective communication and because of this message
is interpreted differently by the receiver.

5- Types of communication:

We can categorize communication according to many aspects:

If we take the expressions we can state five types of communication: verbal, non-
verbal, written, listening, and visual. Verbal communication occurs when we engage in
speaking with others. It can be face-to-face, over the telephone, via Skype or Zoom, etc. Non-
verbal communication includes facial expressions, posture, eye contact, hand movements,
and touch. Written communication is carried out via email, a memo, a report, a Facebook
post, a Tweet, a contract, etc. all forms of written communication have the same goal to
disseminate information in a clear and concise manner. Active listening is one of the most
important types of communication because if we cannot listen to the person sitting across
from us, we cannot effectively engage with them. Visual communication is done through
visual media such as televisions, memes, videos, images, etc.

On the other hand, we can categorize communication by participants we find:

intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, large group, and mass communication.
Intrapersonal communication happens anytime you communicate with yourself, and
interpersonal communication is between two people. Small group communication happens

4
Introduction to Communication sciences 5

in a team or a group, where everyone has to actively work with each other. Large group
communication takes place when the audience or the participants are multitude or public,
often in a one-way direction, to a large audience in one room. And mass communication is
directed toward a very large audience who are not always in the same room or are not always
receiving the message at the same time. The idea is that the message reaches a mass number
of people in different places and different times.