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Without context, a piece of information is just a dot. It floats in your brain with a lot of other dots and doesn't mean a thing. Knowledge is information in context... connecting the dots
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| —Michael Ventura
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Different contexts can affect communication, and can sometimes lead to our communication efforts being misunderstood. The context or circumstances surrounding the communication might include the audience, location, cultural beliefs, timing, the choice of words used, and many other factors.
We're going to look at five types of communication context: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Group, Public, and Mass communication. Before you look at the reading below, have a think about what these different communication contexts might be, and how they affect communication choices.
Read
Section 1.3 Communication in context, in Saylor Academy (Ed.) 2012. Business Communication for Success. (See page(s) 22 - 26 in PDF version.)
This reading introduces intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, institutional, and mass communication contexts, their advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate and inappropriate uses. Remember, each context influences the communication process differently, and contexts can overlap.
Recommended: Do the first three chapter exercises, which invite you to reflect on your experiences of group and peer communication. Also, in this modified version of exercise four, please track how many mass communication messages you observe in a one-hour period of Internet surfing.
Reflection focus questions: In which context do you think an audience would defer least to the speaker? Which context is most characterized by intimacy, and which by teamwork? Did the mass communication message tracking exercise increase your awareness of these kinds of messages, and if so, in what ways? Please share your observations on the last exercise in your learning journal and make a comment about your reflection in WENotes.
Note: Your comment will be displayed in the course feed.
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