Real Communication An Introduction

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ommunication is the process by which we use symbols, signs, and

behaviors to exchange information. That process is so crucial that

communication is described as “the process through which the social fabric of

relationships, groups, organizations, societies, and world order—and disorder—

is created and maintained” (Ruben, 2005, pp. 294–295). Successful communi-

cation allows us to satisfy our most basic needs, from finding food and shelter to

functioning in our communities and developing meaningful relationships—like

many Sandy victims did after the storm. But because communication is such

a natural part of our daily lives, we often take it for granted, which can make

communication breakdowns all the more difficult. Failures in communication—

from the loss of electronic communication to the decision to hold a marathon

in the aftermath of a disaster—can lead to feelings of isolation, frustration,

and anger.

Communication challenges exist in every profession and every personal

relationship. For example, communication professor (and reserve police officer)

Howard Giles claims that 97 percent of law enforcement practices involve

communication skills (Giles et al., 2006). But police academies usually spend

little time teaching those skills. Most citizens lack these crucial skills as well. One

professor who teaches college-level communication classes to prisoners notes “the

vast majority of my imprisoned students have been caged, in large part, because

of their communicative illiteracy” (Hartnett, 2010, p. 68).

Effective communicators understand how their communication choices

affect others and why others’ communication choices affect them as they do. So in

this chapter, we introduce you to this exciting discipline by looking at why we

communicate, how we communicate, and what it means to communicate well.

Then we examine ways of visualizing the communication process and consider

the history of this rich field.

We Must Communicate:

The Functional Perspective

We communicate from the moment we’re born. A baby’s cry lets everyone within

earshot know that something isn’t right: he’s hungry, cold, or has a painful ear

infection. Throughout our lives, we spend a huge amount of time communicat-

ing with others to ensure that our needs are met—though in more sophisticated

ways than we did as infants. We talk, listen, smile, and nod; we write up résumés

and go on dates. In these ways, we learn, express ourselves, form relationships,

and gain employment. This functional perspective of communication examines

how our communication helps (or doesn’t help) us accomplish our goals in

personal, group, organizational, public, or technologically mediated situations.

There are usually multiple goals at play in any given situation. For example,

you may want to host Thanksgiving this year to illustrate your adult status in the

family, but your older sister may insist on keeping the holiday at her home out of

tradition. You and she must try to make Thanksgiving happen (one goal) with-

out alienating each other (another goal). These goals may be accomplished in

different ways. You might ask your sister to alternate years hosting the holidays;

you might drag your mother into it and ask her to advocate for you with your

After you have finished
reading this chapter,
you will be able to

Define the
communication process

Describe the functions
of communication

Assess the quality or
value of communication
by examining its six
characteristics

Define what communi-
cation scholars consider
to be competent
communication

Describe the visual
representations,
or models, of
communication

Describe why
communication is
vital to everyone

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C

chapter

outcomes