Communication And Social Development In Society

A society can neither exist without communication nor can a social structure survive without it. The multi faceted development (economic, social, political and cultural) have further asserted the importance of communication in human life. Successful communication is the key to all social relationships and environments – personal or professional.

What is Communication? “Communication is something so simple and difficult that we can never put it in simple words.” Various sociologists, educationists and psychologists have defined communication in different ways and according to the disciplines to which they belong. According to Legans – communication is an act of getting a sender and a receiver tuned together for a particular massage or series of messages. Schramm says, it occurs between two corresponding systems accompanied through one or more non-corresponding systems, resulting in an identical status to establish commonness.

Others like Howland, Warren Weaver, Gist, Loomis and Beegles etc. have defined communication in their respective ways, but one can conclude that it is a social interaction, that transfers the thoughts or ideas from one person or group to another so that it could be understood and acted upon. The more homogenous a group is, the effective the communication.

In the 21st Century, everyone in the world can compete on an equal footing with everyone else. Therefore the difference between success and failure will be the ability to communicate and to understand.

Communication is a continuous activity. It is the two way process. It is an act of sharing knowledge, feeling, ideas, information with the use of words, facial expressions, gestures, body movement and often silence, that takes its meaning from the situation.

The communication situation exist when:

there is a person (sender or transmitter) desirous of passing on some information;

there is another person (receiver) to whom the information is to be passes on;

the receiver partly or wholly understands the message passed on to him;

the receiver responds to the message i.e., there some kind of feedback.

The communication situation cannot exist in the absence of any of these four components.

Consultant Faculty Member, Center for English Language Training (CELT),

College of Engineering, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007.

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Communication is the lifeblood of the world. In today’s globalized world, communication is essential for life. Communication is more than just a matter of speaking and hearing. Good communication, on the other hand, means that your message will be sent and that the people understand the message in its entirety. Further, they are much more likely to respond in a positive manner if the message was communicated effectively. A poorly communicated message will result in an unfavorable response.

You cannot have human relations without communication. However, good and effective communication is required not only for good human relations but also for good social development.

Types of Communication

Verbal – oral and written

Non-Verbal – expression, expressive behaviors and body language

Communication Distinctions

Formal/Informal

Official/unofficial information exchange

Vertical/Horizontal

Superior – Subordinates/peers

Personal/Impersonal

Situation of mutual influence/exchange without mutual influence

Instrumental/Expressive

Necessary for job/non-job information transmission

Principles of Communication

In order to make our communication effective we should follow certain scientific principles. They are shown in the Figure – 1.

Figure – 1

Courtesy

Consideration

Conciseness

Completeness

Clarity

Correctness

Principles

Of

Communication

Clarity

For clarity of expression:

use simple, easy-to-understand words,

use single words for long phrases,

use concrete expressions that have a visual impact on the mind and will be easy to remember,

prefer active constructions, which are direct,

avoid jargon.

Completeness

For completeness ask:

who,

what,

where,

when and,

why.

Conciseness

For conciseness:

only relevant facts,

no repetition,

no verbosity,

proper organization of the message.

Consideration

For consideration:

avoid gender bias,

emphasize positive, pleasant facts.

Courtesy

Courtesy begets courtesy:

so make your message courteous,

use empathy,

be respectful by not fawning,

be brief, clear and courteous.

Correctness

Correctness implies:

giving correct facts,

at an appropriate time,

in a suitable style.

Conditions for Effective Communication

Scholz describes some of the factors which influence the effectiveness of communication.

The credibility of the communicator and the motive attributed to him have a profound influence on the reception of his message.

The most successful communications are those which reinforce at least some of the audience’s beliefs, those which state conclusions as well as premises and those which call for action.

People are interested first in people, then in things, last in ideas. Their attitudes and opinions are strongly influenced by the groups to which they belong or want to belong.

It is better to communicate information little by little over a period of time than all at once. Repeating a communication obviously prolongs its influence.

Short sentences, familiar words and active verbs help to make communication both interesting and persuasive.

In changing opinions, an oral presentation tends to be more effective than the written word.

Only rarely is it possible for communication, particularly over the short range, to impart deep-seated attitudes or beliefs.

Mass communication alone is hardly ever an effective agent of change.

Communication in Education

Traditional education always neglected communication. When we talk of communication skills in the field of education, it not only points at the provider, supplier or teachers but also it is equally important to develop this art among the recipients or the students. Quest of knowledge, search of truth, urge of understanding have resulted in identifying communication as the ultimate factor in making education effective. Communication is an art and if used scientifically in education it can create wonders.

Communication in Industries

Communication is a valuable skill. If you possess strong communication skills, this will go far in effectively helping you communicate in both your personal and professional lives. Being able to successfully communicate in business is a prime qualification many employers actively look for when hiring new staff.

When conducting business we interact with different people, including, but not limited to customers, bosses, colleagues and subordinates. Depending on the nature of business we may also interact with other agencies or partnering organizations. No matter the industry, if we work for the private or public sector, or what our line, grade or position is, it is a guarantee communication will somehow prominently play a part in our daily routine.

Your communication skills not only reflect upon you but your business. Organizations want to ensure they hire candidates who possess these dexterities. Once in the position our communication skills illuminate a statement about both yourself and our company, and we’ll want to present a positive image. Projecting poor communication skills may paint us or our organization in a negative light.

Communication and Globalization

Culture, Communication and Globalization are focused on issues related to intercultural and international approaches to the ways in which culture, communication and globalization interplay with the world around us.

Today India is developing fast vertically in the field of industry, trade, education etc., but if the efforts are put at individual level in the area of communication whether interpersonal or intrapersonal, the horizontal development in terms of quality could be also achieved at the desirable rate.