Communication Processes RESPONSIBILITY

First, let’s review:  Two main facets of communication?  Most of anything can be used in communication (everything is at play)  Miscommunication is VERY common.  Sender-Receiver Model  Begins with sender  The sender sends a message  A receiver receives a message  A receiver gives feedback  All messages travel through a medium. A medium is the carrier which a message is transmitted. Think: social media, spoken word, text, etc.

What are issues with the Sender- Receiver Model?  Is perfect communication ever possible?  Can we *really* know what’s up with the receiver?

So, we know how communication works…  But how should we work with it?  Key Question – when we persuade, are we educating or coercing?

Coercion  1) It’s a form of persuasion  2) We associate it with threats of some kind  Central question – does a threat need to be us threatening them or educating them about a threat?

Education  Assisting one in learning  Can we *really* educate someone if they’re not already thinking we’re right?

Are these really clear cut?  There’s a definite grey-area.  The question for us is one of ETHICS.

Ethics  A person’s sense of right and wrong  Things may not ONLY be coercion IF it’s meant to do the right thing  Value Structure has 3 elements –  Working to be a good person  Communicating constructively  Caring about your audience

What is a “good” person?  Give me some ideas!

Two major ways to identify “the good”  1) By consequences – your choice would create good consequences and avoid bad ones. Consequences are the results of a particular choice or action.  The long fancy word for this is Consequentialism.  Example – doing something as a means to an end  2) By rules – you have ethical rules (or principles) and you abide by them.  The long fancy word for this is Deontology.  Example – refusing to break with your principles (Tho shalt not kill, etc.)

Intrapersonal Communication  “Talking to yourself”  Assessing your thoughts, feelings, and reactions.

Interpersonal Communication  “Talking with others”  Takes place any time messages are transmitted between two or more people.  Not just public speaking – includes all conversation.

Oratory and Rhetoric  Oratory – public speaking  Rhetoric – the art of public speaking

The difference?  An orator is doing public speaking  A rhetorician is studying public speaking

Ethics are central to both  You should *care* about your audience  Their reaction and feedback is the goal of your oratory and investing in rhetoric.

Three methods for appealing to an audience  Logos – logical appeals  Pathos – emotional appeals  Ethos – personal appeals  Logos + Pathos + Ethos = Dialogue.