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Chapter 1
An Overview of Everyday
Communication
Defining Communication
Not just sending messages
Communication is affected by
context
Communication is affected by
relationships between a speaker
and listeners
Communication is affected by
nonverbal communication
Examining Everyday
Communication
 Relationships and
communication work together
to create ‘worlds of meaning’
 Communication is both
content- and relationshipbased
What We Accomplish by
Communicating
 We reveal our cultural
background, assumptions, and
knowledge
 We establish or ‘perform’ a
relationship with the other
party/parties involved
Three Perspectives on How
Communication ‘Works’
 Communication as action
 Communication as interaction
 Communication as transaction
Properties of Communication
1.
Communication involves the
use of symbols


Symbol: Object or idea whose
meaning is arbitrary (e.g. $
means “dollar”)
Signs are directly connected to
an object or idea (smoke = fire)
Properties of Communication
2. Communication requires
meaning
 Different symbols can be used
to establish the same meaning
 Symbols can have multiple
meanings in different contexts
 Meanings can change over time
Properties of Communication
3. Communication is both
presentational and
representational
 Symbols reveal not only what is
true (factual/representational)
but also what a speaker thinks
or wants others to think
(personal/presentational)
Properties of Communication
4. Communication takes much
for granted
 ‘Social frames’ help us define
rules of communication for
given settings
 Social frames help to make
communication more efficient
Properties of Communication
5. Communication involves
intentionality
 Taking meaning from another
person’s message implies that
the message was sent with
intention
 Random communication does
not have the same meaning
Four Types of Communication
1. Successful (intended and
interpreted accurately)
2. Miscommunication (intended but
not interpreted accurately)
3. Accidental (not intended, but
interpreted accurately)
4. Attempted (intended but not
received)
Defining Communication
Communication is: “the transactional
use of symbols, influenced, guided,
and understood in the context of
relationships, taken-for-granted
understandings, meanings, and
reality that it presents and creates
as ways for people to share an
understanding of the world that
they inhabit together.”