{"id":31,"date":"2015-08-24T18:39:35","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T18:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/introductiontocommunication1xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=31"},"modified":"2015-10-20T21:03:48","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T21:03:48","slug":"31","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-introductiontocommunication\/chapter\/31\/","title":{"raw":"Defining Communication Study","rendered":"Defining Communication Study"},"content":{"raw":"

What is Communication Study?<\/h2>\r\n\"Chart<\/a>When we tell others that we teach Communication, people often ask questions like, \u201cDo you teach radio and television?\u201d \u201cDo you teach public speaking?\u201d \u201cDo you do news broadcasts?\u201d \u201cDo you work with computers?\u201d \u201cDo you study Public Relations?\u201d \u201cIs that Journalism or Mass Communication?\u201d But, the most common question we get is, \u201cWhat is that?\u201d It\u2019s interesting that most people will tell us they know what communication is, but they do not have a clear understanding of what it is Communication scholars study and teach in our academic discipline. In fact, many professors in other departments on our campus also ask us what it is we study and teach. If you\u2019re a Communication major, you\u2019ve probably been asked the same question, and like us, may have had a hard time answering it succinctly. If you memorize the definition below, you will have a quick and simple answer to those who ask you what you study as a Communication major.\r\n
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Ancient Depiction of Human Communication<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nBruce Smith, Harold Lasswell, and Ralph D. Casey provided a good and simple answer to the question, \u201cWhat is Communication study?\u201d They state that, communication study<\/b> is an academic field whose primary focus is \u201cwho says what, through what channels (media) of communication, to whom, [and] what will be the results.\u201d<\/i>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_350\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]\"Photo<\/a> Egyptian antiquities in the Brooklyn Museum[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAlthough they gave this explanation almost 70 years ago, to this day it succinctly describes the focus of Communication scholars and professionals. As professors and students of Communication, we extensively examine the various forms and outcomes of human communication. On its website, the National Communication Association<\/a>\u00a0(NCA), states that communication study<\/b> \u201cfocuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels and media. The discipline promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication.\u201d<\/i> They go on to say, \"Communication is a diverse discipline which includes inquiry by social scientists, humanists, and critical and cultural studies scholars.<\/i>\" Now, if people ask you what you\u2019re studying in a Communication class, you have an answer!\r\n\r\nIn this course we will\u00a0use Smith, Lasswell, and Casey\u2019s definition to guide how we discuss the content in this book. Part I of this book sets the foundation by explaining the historical development of the Communication discipline, exploring the \u201cwhat\u201d and \u201cchannels\u201d (verbal and nonverbal communication), and presenting the \u201cwhom\u201d and \u201cresults\u201d (theories and research methods). Before we get into those chapters, it is important for you to know how we define the actual term \"communication\" to give you context for our discussion of it throughout the book.","rendered":"

What is Communication Study?<\/h2>\n

\"Chart<\/a>When we tell others that we teach Communication, people often ask questions like, \u201cDo you teach radio and television?\u201d \u201cDo you teach public speaking?\u201d \u201cDo you do news broadcasts?\u201d \u201cDo you work with computers?\u201d \u201cDo you study Public Relations?\u201d \u201cIs that Journalism or Mass Communication?\u201d But, the most common question we get is, \u201cWhat is that?\u201d It\u2019s interesting that most people will tell us they know what communication is, but they do not have a clear understanding of what it is Communication scholars study and teach in our academic discipline. In fact, many professors in other departments on our campus also ask us what it is we study and teach. If you\u2019re a Communication major, you\u2019ve probably been asked the same question, and like us, may have had a hard time answering it succinctly. If you memorize the definition below, you will have a quick and simple answer to those who ask you what you study as a Communication major.<\/p>\n

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Ancient Depiction of Human Communication<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bruce Smith, Harold Lasswell, and Ralph D. Casey provided a good and simple answer to the question, \u201cWhat is Communication study?\u201d They state that, communication study<\/b> is an academic field whose primary focus is \u201cwho says what, through what channels (media) of communication, to whom, [and] what will be the results.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Egyptian antiquities in the Brooklyn Museum<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Although they gave this explanation almost 70 years ago, to this day it succinctly describes the focus of Communication scholars and professionals. As professors and students of Communication, we extensively examine the various forms and outcomes of human communication. On its website, the National Communication Association<\/a>\u00a0(NCA), states that communication study<\/b> \u201cfocuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels and media. The discipline promotes the effective and ethical practice of human communication.\u201d<\/i> They go on to say, “Communication is a diverse discipline which includes inquiry by social scientists, humanists, and critical and cultural studies scholars.<\/i>” Now, if people ask you what you\u2019re studying in a Communication class, you have an answer!<\/p>\n

In this course we will\u00a0use Smith, Lasswell, and Casey\u2019s definition to guide how we discuss the content in this book. Part I of this book sets the foundation by explaining the historical development of the Communication discipline, exploring the \u201cwhat\u201d and \u201cchannels\u201d (verbal and nonverbal communication), and presenting the \u201cwhom\u201d and \u201cresults\u201d (theories and research methods). Before we get into those chapters, it is important for you to know how we define the actual term “communication” to give you context for our discussion of it throughout the book.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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