Even though I have tried to keep it simple my definition is still very complicated. Our interactions don’t just take place face to face, they take place on many different levels and we use a variety of different methods and many modes of delivery in getting our message across. So, the rider to my definition is that ‘communication’ is a very difficult term to pin down to one simple statement. When studying definitions of communication it is important to remember that definitions reflect the interest and background of the person making the definition, and may also reflect their perceptions and experiences, so, therefore, their definition is not necessarily true in every context.
How do we communicate?
So my next thoughts turn to the question of how we communicate. I have no doubt that you have considered this in your response to the writing activity. Communication can be anything from a personal text message from a friend, to a public advertisement on the side of a bus. It might be as simple as a smile or something as technically complicated as a piece of software for a computer. Thinking about methods and modes and channels of communication is an important aspect of understanding what we mean by communication and this is explored further later in this chapter.
When we come to study communication it quickly becomes clear just how complex a phenomenon it is, even though we all engage in it from the minute that we are conceived. On a personal level we communicate with the world around us by the things that we say, the way that we say them, and the things that we do and the way that do them. It can be the clothes we wear, how we style our hair, the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we behave, and how we demonstrate our attitude to life. Communication is all of these things and much more.
Communication, values and wellbeing
Communication affects the way we feel about ourselves as well as the way we feel about others. According to Littlejohn and Foss (2005), how we communicate is associated with “personal values”, with our “culture” and how we “value others” as well as ourselves. We live in a multicultural society and we cannot just consider how we communicate (meaning ourselves within our own cultural group) – we must consider others and how they communicate too. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework that you read earlier makes it quite clear that Communication (Core Dimension 1) is very closely linked with Equality and Diversity (Core Dimension 6). The Common Core of skills and knowledge for the Children’s Workforce also makes it clear that communication is closely linked with ethical practice and respect for ourselves and others.
Psychologists study communication and have argued that at every age and stage of our lives communication is fundamental to our very being. We all have different levels at which we feel comfortable communicating but we all need to do so to keep us well and functioning (West and Turner, 2007). According to Bowlby (1969) and Crowley and Hunter (2005), in situations where human beings are isolated and consequently forced into non-communication, their mental and physical health deteriorate. In tiny babies non-communication can lead to very severe consequences and be life threatening (Bowlby, 1969).
I am confident that as a result of the writing activity above you are now aware of just how big a subject communication is and, as our main focus is interpersonal skills and communicating with others, perhaps you are now able to summarise this discussion and, as a result, would like to review your own definition before moving on to look at the definitions of others.
Definitions in academic study
In academic study it is always more useful to explore subject-specific definitions or, at least, definitions written by scholars within a particular discipline. Take the following definition, for example. Wood (2004) defines communication as “a process in which individuals interact with and through symbols to create and interpret meaning”. On the surface this could be viewed simply as a collection of words but there are many levels on which you can explore this definition. Let us look at those words and how Wood explains her perceptions and understanding of what communication is. The definition uses the word ‘process’, which is commonly understood to be a series of actions or activities that produce something. The word ‘individuals’ suggests not just communicating with oneself but also with others. So communication, according to this definition, is about taking part or sharing actions with another person or with a group of people.
Symbols
Wood (2004) suggests that we use ‘symbols’ in our communication with ourselves and with others and that we ‘create’ and ‘interpret meaning’ through those symbols. This throws another interesting perspective into the definition. ‘Symbols’ are things that represent something else. They can be in the form of a material object, such as your country’s national flag, or they could be in the form of a symbolic action such as a gesture.
Alongside this idea we need to put the notion that we then ‘create’ and ‘interpret meanings’ from such symbolism, either through a shared activity or via our own internal understanding. That seems relatively simple but the creation and interpretation of symbols can present us with all sorts of difficulty because symbols can be interpreted differently by different people and their use in communication can be a little precarious.
| REFLECTION 1.1 |
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1 Have in front of you a small piece of paper, approximately 2 inches by 3 inches (5cm by 7.5cm), and colour it in red. Paint, felt tip or crayon will do nicely. Look at that piece of red paper. Does it mean anything to you?
2 Now imagine yourself holding that small piece of red paper above your head in a busy supermarket. Would the action of holding up your art work mean anything to the people around you? How do you think people would react to you? How do you think you would feel?
It is more than likely that people would perceive you as a little ‘odd’ and, consequently, having had a little peek at you (we are all curious beings after all) the people around you would ignore you and get on with their shopping and perhaps you would be left feeling a little foolish.
Now imagine that you are a referee on a football pitch. That little piece of red paper, all of a sudden, takes on new meaning. It has a symbolic function. It is seen as a Red Card. The Red Card symbolises that one of the players is judged by the referee to be guilty of a serious misdemeanour and is to be sent off the pitch. If you were the referee it is likely that you wouldn’t feel foolish in this situation at all; rather you would feel noticed, validated, powerful and in charge. Although, perhaps, my perceptions of what it is to be a referee are a little at odds with reality. But whose reality? This is an important issue. It seems that we all share common realities and understand symbols that are meaningful to us but each of us also has our own interpretations of the world and these interpretations are influenced by some of the factors that Littlejohn and Foss (2005) outline in relation to values, social groups and culture.
I am going to follow this through a little more as it raises important issues for us to understand. If we were observers of the football match, regardless of how big the stadium was or how many people were there, we would easily spot a small piece of red card in the hand of the man dressed in black, and we instantly recognise the meaning of the action and the symbolism of the card. Knowing the Red Card’s function we will respond, but our response isn’t always absolutely predictable, even if we all interpreted the symbolic action the same way. Our response to observing the Red Card will be in accordance with whether or not we support the referee’s decision to give a Red Card. Our interpretation of the referee’s action is likely to reflect where our support lies; is it someone on our own team who is being sent off or someone on the opposite side? Our response could be predicted by the colour of the team colours or scarf that we wear and/or by the end of the stadium at which we stand or sit while the game is being played. However, our responses to symbols are not always