| |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Communication & Media Custom Essays Samples
Free Online Research Papers, College Papers, English Papers, Admission Essays, Thesis, Analyzed Essays, Essay Papers, Term Papers, Coursework Essays, Custom Papers, Non-Plagiarized Essays
|
|
| |
|  Cultural Factors of Communication |
|
| ...Some Japanese homes and restaurants require that shoes be removed. In Ryokan style restaurants, a Yucatan or a kimono robe is usually provided by the restaurant to be worn. The robe should be only wrapped left over right, as only the deceased wear a kimono wrapped right over left. When conducting a meeting, the Japanese feel that punctuality is key. Late comers are considered rude. The Japanese work week consists of 48 hours with no overtime.
During the first 15 minutes of any meeting or conversation, the Japanese consider it proper to be silent. The bow is the most important gesture in Japanese culture. Bows are used for expressing appreciation, making apologies, greetings and farewells. The depth of the bow is also important. When addressing an individual of a higher status, or when the rank of the individual is not known, the bow is low. When addressing an individual of equal rank, a bow at the same height of the other person is suitable. The Japanese consider pointing to be rude. Instead, one should direct the hand towards the person indicated with the palm facing upward. The Japanese also consider direct eye contact as a sign of respect. When shaking hands, the Japanese use a gentle grip. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Communication theory |
|
| Communication is transfer of information, such as thoughts and messages, as contrasted with transportation, the transfer of goods and persons. The basic forms of communication are by signs and by sounds. The reduction of communication to writing was a fundamental step in the evolution of society for, in addition to being useful in situations where speech is not possible, writing permits the preservation of communications, or records, from the past.
Communication theory is a mathematical theory formulated principally by the American scientist Claude E. Shannon to explain aspects and problems of information and communication. While the theory is not specific in all respects, it proves the existence of optimum coding schemes without showing how to find them. For example, it succeeds remarkably in outlining the engineering requirements of communication systems and the limitations of such systems.
In information theory, the term information is used in a special sense; it is a measure of the freedom of choice with which a message is selected from the set of all possible messages. Information is thus distinct from meaning, since it is entirely possible for a string of nonsense words and a meaningful sentence to be equivalent with respect to information content. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Family Communication |
|
| The study of family communication has a long tradition. Some of the most influential works in the field were conducted around the time of World War II and are still influencing the way scholars think about families today. The past 15 years have witnessed more exciting new developments in the field of family communication that are fundamentally reshaping the way people think about functional and dysfunctional family interaction. New developments are providing badly needed information about current family problems. With recent attention and increased focus on problems such as divorce, child abuse, domestic violence, and mental health problems, scholars, therapists, members of the clergy, and students of communication have begun to realize that these problems are in fact communication problems. By better understanding the forms, functions, and processes of family communication, people hope to be able to comprehend how and why these problems exist, and perhaps begin to take steps toward preventing them in the future. In addition to concerns about family problems, people also hope to understand issues such as what makes for a happy marriage, what parenting techniques are associated with positive child outcomes, and how to maintain meaningful relationships with family members over the entire life span. These too are fundamentally communication issues. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Organizational Communication |
|
| The discipline of organizational communication traces its roots through the discipline of rhetoric back to the orators of Ancient Greece and Rome, such as Aristotle, Cicero and Quintillian.
The modern field often finds its more recent lineage through the business information, business communication, and early mass communication studies published in the 1930s through the 1950s. Until then, organizational communication as a discipline existed primarily as a few professors within speech departments who had a particular interest in speaking and writing in business settings.
Through the WWII and post-war years, particularly 1942 through about 1949, studies of effective communication practices in group and organizational settings became particularly salient. Great numbers of servicemen (and some service women) underwent communication training, first in the military, and then in colleges and universities. A concern with effectiveness in transmitting messages soon broadened into concern with environmental factors, characteristics of the people involved in the communicative activity, and differences in utility of different transmission media.
Several seminal publications stand out as works broadening the scope and recognizing the importance of communication in the organizing process, and in using the term "organizational communication." Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon wrote in 1945 about "organization communications systems", saying "communication is absolutely essential to organizations."
In 1951 Bavelas and Barrett wrote "An Experimental Approach to Organizational Communication" in which they stated that communication "is the essence of organized activity."
In 1953 the economist Kenneth Boulding wrote "The Organizational Revolution: A Study in the Ethics of Economic Organization." While this work directly addressed the economic issues facing organizations, in it he questions the ethical and moral issues underlying their power, and maintains that an "organization consists of a system of communication."
Then in 1954, a young Chris Argyris published "Personality and Organization." This careful and research-based book attacked many things, but singled out "organizational communication" for special attention. Argyris made the case that passed for organizational communication at the time was based on unstated and indefensible propositions such as "management knows best" and "workers are inherently stupid and lazy." He accused the emerging field of relying on untested gimmicks designed to trick employees into doing management's will. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Political Advertising |
|
| Political campaigns in the United States are not merely a civic ritual and occasion for political debate, but a multi-billion dollar industry, dominated by professional political consultants using sophisticated campaign management tools, to an extent far greater than elsewhere in the world. Though the quadrennial presidential election attracts the most attention, the United States has a huge number of elected offices and there is wide variation between different states, counties, and municipalities on which offices are elected and under what procedures. Moreover, unlike democratic politics in much of the rest of the world, the US has relatively weak parties, with campaigns being controlled by the individual candidates.
American political campaigns have become heavily reliant on broadcast media and direct mail advertising (typically designed and purchased through specialized consultants). Though virtually all campaign media are sometimes used at all levels (even candidates for local office have been known purchase cable TV ads), smaller, lower-budget campaigns are typically more focused on direct mail, low-cost advertising (such as lawn signs), and direct voter contact. This reliance on expensive advertising is a leading factor behind the rise in the cost of running for office in the United States. This rising cost is considered by some to discourage those without well-monied connections, or money themselves, from running for office. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Risk Communication |
|
| When a newspaper reporter writes a story about a chemical spill or a radiation leak, he is engaging in risk communication. When a television reporter does a story on a new wonder drug like Prozac, she is also involved in risk communication. When a magazine journalist produces an article about acid rain, she is writing about risks. When a television or theatrical movie depicts a family dealing with a disease, it is communicating information about risks. And when a journalist writes a story about a disaster like the Los Angeles earthquake or an act of terrorism like the Oklahoma City bombing, he is also dealing in risk communication.
In sum, risk communication occurs whenever the news or entertainment media depict dangers--potential, imminent, or existing--that could place at least some readers or viewers in a health risk. That risk could be to the physical, emotional, or mental state of the individual digesting the reports of these events.
These dangers run the gamut of personal health problems, public health concerns (such as the spread of AIDS), environmental concerns (such as the deteriorating ozone layer), and accidents involving hazardous materials. But risk communication can also extend beyond these boundaries to stories or shows about natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or impending weather crises, or depictions about such mental, nervous, or emotional problems as schizophrenia or autism. |
|
| full text » |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
