Communications:
The study
of human communications has a long and distinguished history. We can say that
since humankind first acquired the ability to communicate through verbal and
nonverbal symbols, people have ‘studied’ communication. In order to understand
how communication is studied today, it is important to appreciate how we got to
where we are now. The oldest essay ever discovered, written about 3000 B.C.,
consists on advice on how to speak effectively. This chapter was inscribed on a
fragment addressed to Kagemni1., the eldest son of the Pharaoh Huni.
Surprisingly, the oldest book called as the 'Papyrus Prisse' is a treatise on
effective communication.
Papyrus
Prisse I & II : The Instructions to Kagemni
These works
are important because they prove that the study of human communication is older
than any other area of current academic interest. But its actual contribution
to current communication theory was minimal. The study of human communication
today can be divided into two major classifications- rhetorical and relational.
The rhetorical communication approach focuses primarily on the study of
influence. The function of rhetorical communication is to get others to do what
you want or need them to do and/or think the way you want them to- to persuade
them. The relational approach examines communication from a transactional
perspective. That is, two or more people coordinate their communication to
reach a shared perspective satisfactory to all. These two represent the
dominant orientations of western (rhetorical) and eastern (relational)
cultures. The western orientation would sacrifice relationships to accomplish
influence and the eastern orientation would do just the opposite. Rather, they
represent differences in emphasis. But both are interested in accomplishing
objectives and maintaining good relationships through communication.
References:
1. D,
Steve. & McMahan, D.(2014). Communication in Everyday Life: A Survey of
Communication,SAGE Publications.
