How Does Communication Affect Society?

Communication fosters education, trade and relationships. It also promotes cultural exchange and
conflict resolution. Communication allows people to express themselves, leading to social and
psychological well being. However, modern communication technologies cause privacy concerns and the
spread of indecent content, according to LiveScience.

How Stuff Works notes that communication allows people to exchange creative ideas, which promotes
innovation. It also facilitates decision making and the implementation of social programs. Parents
communicate social values and beliefs to their children through communication.

Nonverbal communication processes, such as body language and facial expression, can be used to
evaluate behavior and emotions, according to Wikipedia. Additionally, people appreciate and respect
each other through communication. Modern communication tools, such as social media, promote the
process of globalization. Communication also allows people to save time and money, leading to economic
empowerment.

According to ScienceDaily, communication technology improves visual skills but limits analysis and
critical thinking abilities. People are increasingly using visual communication media rather than print
media. For example, the use of teleconferencing tools allows people to communicate and collaborate
effectively in a virtual world. Communication also facilitates healthcare, leading to a high standard of
living. It also makes delivery of news possible, which builds an informed society. Physiological barriers,
such as poor hearing, cognitive disorders, physical distance and language differences often limit
communication processes.

Communication Changes the World

1. Communication breaks down barriers

Learning a second language in college has taught me a lot about cultural barriers and language. It turns
out that translation is a myth, that there is no such thing as fluency, and that all communication is
interpretation. (Each of those are a blog post or conversation in and of themselves.)

When you are communicating with someone in their own language and style, there is understanding. And
with understanding, there is empathy. There is connection.
 2. Communication inspires

The artful, dynamic power of a message sent and received with success.

Through communication:

 A radio broadcast.
 A TV announcement.
 A speech.

There is something about the written or spoken word that inspires us to be better than we could be on
our own, something that unites us and connects us to ideas in extraordinary ways.

3. Communication teaches the communicator

When you’re delivering a speech, writing a book, or even crafting a blog post, there is an implicit
requirement: You have to understand the message yourself.

If you don’t, the message makes no sense. You can only fake so much.

7 Major Elements of Communication Process

Communication may be defined as a process concerning exchange of facts or ideas between persons
holding different positions in an organisation to achieve mutual harmony. The communication process is
dynamic in nature rather than a static phenomenon.

(1) Sender:

The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing information and ideas to

others is known as sender or communicator.

(2) Ideas: This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion, attitude,
feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.

(3) Encoding:

Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its further passing requires use

of certain symbols such as words, actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols

is the process of encoding.

(4) Communication Channel:

The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel for sending the required

information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted to the receiver through certain channels which

may be either formal or informal.

(5) Receiver:

Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is meant for. It is the receiver

who tries to understand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the desired objectives.

(6) Decoding:

The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries to convert the same in

such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his complete understanding.

(7) Feedback:

Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message and understood in the

same sense as sender meant it.

How cultural and global issue affect communication?

Connecting with people on the other side of the world is now much easier than it was a few years ago.
Satellites, fiber-optic cables and the internet make it effortless to share information with those in
different time zones and locations. Global communication is directly affected by the process of
globalization, and helps to increase business opportunities, remove cultural barriers and develop a global
village. Both globalization and global communication have changed the environmental, cultural, political
and economic elements of the world.

The Effects of Globalization on Global Communication

Connecting with people on the other side of the world is now much easier than it was a few years ago.
Satellites, fiber-optic cables and the internet make it effortless to share information with those in
different time zones and locations. Global communication is directly affected by the process of
globalization, and helps to increase business opportunities, remove cultural barriers and develop a global
village. Both globalization and global communication have changed the environmental, cultural, political
and economic elements of the world.

Increased Business Opportunities

Many companies today hire employees that are located in other countries. Using communication vehicles
such as video calling make it simple to converse with colleagues across the globe, almost making it feel as
if they are in the same room. Technology also makes it easier to connect with suppliers and customers all
over the world, and to streamline those relationship through improves ordering, shipment tracking and
so on. With this kind of communication technology, many businesses are able to take advantage of
opportunities in different countries or cities, improving the economic outlook on a global level.

Thanks to global communications, information itself can be transferred as a valuable business asset from
one country to another. This has the effect of making everyone's operations more modern and efficient,
regardless where they are located.

Fewer Cultural Barriers

Many people perceive culture to be the root of communication challenges. When people from two
different cultures try to exchange information, the way they speak, their body language or their
mannerisms can be interpreted differently by the other person. The way people approach problems and
how they participate in communities is all influenced by culture.

Globalization has made it possible, for example, for someone in Japan to understand how someone in the
U.S. goes about their day. With television and movies, cultural barriers are becoming less prevalent. Being
able to communicate effectively and frequently with colleagues or friends across the planet helps people
understand each other’s cultures a little better.

Creation of a Global Village

You’ve likely heard of the phrase "global village," coined by theorist Marshall McLuhan. Affected both by
globalization and global communication, the global village is created when distance and isolation no
longer matter because people are connected by technology. Wide-spread telephone and internet access
have been life-changing for many people across the world, especially those in developing countries. Many
are now enrolling in universities across the world without having to leave their desk chair. Virtual
assistant jobs are becoming commonplace, where employees from developing countries work with
companies in North America or Europe, providing administrative support and other business services
that can easily be conducted over the phone or via the internet.

Globalization and global communication have made it easier to see people on the other side of the world
as a neighbor, instead of a stranger from a faraway land. There is so much knowledge about other
countries and cultures available online, that it’s no longer a complete mystery.

How Does Culture Affect Communication?

Culture impacts the ways in which people communicate as well as the strategies they use to
communicate. The different life experiences people have based on cultural norms also affect the
interpretation they have of messages delivered by others.

Culture forms a paradigm through which a person views or experiences the world. Someone in the United
States may communicate from a different perspective than someone from an undeveloped nation, for
instance. An American may complain about job pressures and social constraints, while an immigrant
worker talks about opportunities and freedoms provided by work. Such different points of view can make
it difficult for the two workers to share openly.

Many industrialized countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada, tend to rely more heavily
on electronic technology for communication as it becomes available. In Japan, face-to-face
communication remains the ideal, in spite of access to advanced technology.

In the U.S. work setting, efficiency and productivity are often goals with business communication. In
many South American countries, business communication is a blend of small talk and work talk. The goal
is to build rapport prior to or while doing business. It is important for American business leaders to slow
down and take the time to establish relationships with global business partners.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place,

person or group to another.

Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a message and a recipient. This
may sound simple, but communication is actually a very complex subject.

The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be affected by a huge
range of things. These include our emotions, the cultural situation, the medium used to
communicate, and even our location. The complexity is why good communication skills
are considered so desirable by employers around the world: accurate, effective and
unambiguous communication is actually extremely hard.

This page explains more about what we mean by ‘communication’

Defining Communication

As this definition makes clear, communication is more than simply the transmission of
information. The term requires an element of success in transmitting or imparting a
message, whether information, ideas, or emotions.

A communication therefore has three parts: the sender, the message, and the
recipient.

The sender ‘encodes’ the message, usually in a mixture of words and non-verbal
communication. It is transmitted in some way (for example, in speech or writing), and
the recipient ‘decodes’ it.
 Of course, there may be more than one recipient, and the complexity of communication
means that each one may receive a slightly different message. Two people may read
very different things into the choice of words and/or body language. It is also possible
that neither of them will have quite the same understanding as the sender.

In face-to-face communication, the roles of the sender and recipient are not distinct. The
two roles will pass back and forwards between two people talking. Both parties
communicate with each other, even if in very subtle ways such as through eye-contact
(or lack of) and general body language. In written communication, however, the sender
and recipient are more distinct.

Categories of Communication
There are a wide range of ways in which we communicate and more than one
may be occurring at any given time.

The different categories of communication include:

 Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone,

radio or television and other media.
 Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or
act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we
communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others. For example, the tone of voice
can give clues to mood or emotional state, whilst hand signals or gestures can add to a
spoken message.
 Written Communication: which includes letters, e-mails, social media, books,
magazines, the Internet and other media. Until recent times, a relatively small number of
writers and publishers were very powerful when it came to communicating the written
word. Today, we can all write and publish our ideas online, which has led to an explosion
of information and communication possibilities.
 Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can all
communicate messages.

The process of interpersonal communication cannot be regarded as a phenomena

which simply 'happens'. Instead, it must be seen as a process that involves participants
who negotiate their roles with each other, whether consciously or unconsciously.

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication

channel to one or more recipients.

The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form that
is appropriate to the communication channel, and the recipient then decodes the
message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process.

Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and

overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication process.

An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate

communication channel, hones their message for this particular channel and encodes
the message effectively to reduce misunderstanding by the recipient(s).
They will also seek out feedback from the recipient(s) to ensure that the message is
understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as
possible.

Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to
ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

The Communication Process

A message or communication is sent by the sender through a communication
channel to a receiver, or to multiple receivers.

The sender must encode the message (the information being conveyed) into a form that
is appropriate to the communication channel, and the receiver(s) then decodes the
message to understand its meaning and significance.

Misunderstanding can occur at any stage of the communication process.

Effective communication involves minimising potential misunderstanding and

overcoming any barriers to communication at each stage in the communication process.

An effective communicator understands their audience, chooses an appropriate

communication channel, hones their message to this channel and encodes the message
to reduce misunderstanding by the receiver(s). 

They will also seek out feedback from the receiver(s) as to how the message is
understood and attempt to correct any misunderstanding or confusion as soon as
possible.

Receivers can use techniques such as Clarification and Reflection as effective ways to
ensure that the message sent has been understood correctly.

Communication Channels

Communication channels is the term given to the way in which we communicate. It is

therefore the method used to transmit our message to a recipient, or to receive a
message from someone else.

There are multiple communication channels available to us today. These include face-to-
face conversations, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social
media such as Facebook and Twitter), radio and TV, written letters, brochures and
reports.

Choosing an appropriate communication channel is vital for effective

communication. Each communication channel has different strengths and
weaknesses.
For example, broadcasting news of an upcoming event via a written letter might convey
the message clearly to one or two individuals. It will not, however, be a time- or cost-
effective way to broadcast the message to a large number of people.  On the other hand,
conveying complex, technical information is easier via a printed document than a spoken
message. The recipients are able to assimilate the information at their own pace and
revisit anything that they do not fully understand.

Written communication is also useful as a way of recording what has been said, for
example by taking minutes in a meeting.

Encoding Messages
All messages must be encoded into a form that can be conveyed by the
communication channel chosen for the message.

We all do this every day when transferring abstract thoughts into spoken words or a
written form. However, other communication channels require different forms of
encoding, e.g. text written for a report will not work well if broadcast via a radio
programme, and the short, abbreviated text used in text messages would be
inappropriate in a letter or in speech.

Complex data may be best communicated using a graph, chart or other visualisation.

Effective communicators encode their messages so that they fit both the channel and
the intended audience. They  use appropriate language, conveying the information
simply and clearly. They also anticipate and eliminate likely causes of confusion and
misunderstanding. They are generally aware of the recipients’ experience in decoding
similar communications.

Successful encoding of messages for the audience and channel is a vital skill in
effective communication.

Decoding Messages
Once received, the recipient needs to decode the message. Successful
decoding is also a vital communication skill.

People will decode and understand messages in different ways.

This will depend on their experience and understanding of the context of the message,
how well they know the sender, their psychological state and how they feel, and the time
and place of receipt. They may also be affected by any Barriers to Communication
which might be present.

There are therefore a wide range of factors that will affect decoding and
understanding.

Successful communicators understand how the message will be decoded, and anticipate
and remove as many as possible of the potential sources of misunderstanding.
Feedback
The final part of a communication is feedback: the recipient lets the sender
know that they have received and understood the message.

Recipients of messages are likely to provide feedback on how they have understood the
messages through both verbal and non-verbal reactions. Effective communicators pay
close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to assess whether the message has
been understood as intended, and it allows any confusion to be corrected.

Bear in mind that the extent and form of feedback will vary with the communication
channel. Feedback during a face-to-face or telephone conversation will be immediate
and direct, whilst feedback to messages conveyed via TV or radio will be indirect and
may be delayed, or even conveyed through other media such as the Internet.

Effective communicators pay close attention to this feedback as it is the only way to
assess whether the message has been understood as intended, and it allows any
confusion to be corrected.