Introduction to Communication

Communication, at its core, aims to establish a consensus between the communicating parties. Given that consensus requires the agreement and involvement of both sides, single sided communication cannot be healthy nor efficient

Interaction is a term that is used to explain
the process of interpersonal communication. It is
generally expected that this process will result in an
impact

The Glossary of Social Science Terms defines
communication as the process of exchanging
emotions and ideas between societies, social clusters
and individuals by means of writing, physical
gestures and visuals

Ünsal Oksay has synthesized the following
definition based on the ones listed above:
Communication is the values that compile the
differences arising from this division of labor,
which produce tools and equipment in order
to sustain their lives within the same physical or
environmental conditions, use them according to a
specific division of labor, and compile information
about the way they work. It is an activity that aims
to fuse them in an identity by producing their
consent.

There are multiple concepts and terms which
are essential to understanding the process of
communication. These are; source, receiver,
message, channel or vehicle, code, coding, codec,
noise and feedback. Let’s define these items briefly.

The main elements of the communication process are source, receiver, message, mediumand channel,
target, reflection (feedback) and noise.

Humans have two main roles in the process of communication. Both the receiver and the source serve
as the target audience. The source is the individual who starts the message transmission. The receiver, on
the other hand, is the person who is intended to acquire the contents of the message

Firstly, the source is tasked
with tailoring the contents of the message to the
specific requirements of the receiver’s perception.
Considering that communication is a mutually
advancing process, it should not be overlooked
that the target person(s) who does not have foreign
language and economic knowledge cannot send
a back message, and beyond that, they cannot
understand it greatly. Communication skills,
attitudes, experience and level of knowledge, and
environmental, social and cultural elements also
affect the communication of the source person (s)
that will constitute the message

It is possible to gather the effects of communication in three main
groups (Yüksel, 2008: 23):
• The change in the level of knowledge of the
receiver(s)
• The change in the perspective/opinion of
the receiver(s)
• The changein the behavior of thereceiver(s)

In the communication process, the source
should pay attention to the following when he/she
sends a message to the receiver by verbal means.
• Good saying,
• Word richness,
• Good sentence establishment,
• Compatible syntax,
• Selecting necessary and appropriate words

There are five verbal communication skills.
Two of them are speaking and writing, which can
be called coding skills. The other two are reading
and listening, which are described as the ability to
open code. The fifth skill is thinking and causality,
which is effective both in coding and decoding

Message is the thing or item coded with the
symbols or icons known by the social environment
in which the communication process takes place,
loaded with information, emotions and thoughts
that are desired to be transferred, shared and reaching
the receiver with various communication mediums
and channels. Text, words, facial expressions can be
shown as examples (Demiray, 1994: 14).

Coding is the meaning attributed to the
message by the source, and the aim is to analyze
this meaning loaded to the message by the source
within the same meaning and give feedback in
this direction. It can also be described
as the systematic arrangement or comprehensive
coexistence of symbols, letters and words used for
communication with their meanings being formed
randomly (Pearson and Nelson, 1997: 10).

There are two types of codes in communication.
The first one is the verbal codes, which consists of
symbols and the arrangement of these symbols to
include grammar rules. All languages are comprised
of verbal codes, in other words, symbols letters and
words (Pearson and Nelson, 1997: 10, 11).
Non-verbal codes, on the other hand, consist of
body movements, jests, mimics, dressing styles and
expressions of fear, joy or surprise. In fact, all styles of
expression that do not contain words are considered
non-verbal coding (Pearson and Nelson, 1997:11).

There are three different types of tools: the
first one is presentational tools that utilize the
natural language of mimics, jests, words and facial
expressions. Such tools make the presence of both
the source and the receiver as the tool is an actual
person. This requires being at the same place at the
same time. The second type is also a presentational
tool that draws from social and cultural structures
to create a communicative text such as a book,
movie, painting or a sculpture. Such tools are the
recorded versions of the ones observed among the
first type of tools which is why they can be called
communicative texts. These tools do not require
two or more individuals in active communication.
Synchronization is not a must here . In other
words, the presence of the receiver and the source
at the same place and time is not required. The last
tools are the mechanical tools that use the channels
created by engineering while transferring the first
and second category tools such as telephone,
radio, television, internet. It converts messages
or messages that are now and here or become
communicative text into electricity, light, sound
and radio waves (Fiske, 2003: 36).

Noise can be described as a factor that presents an
obstacle to the various stages of the communication
process such as the coding and decoding of the
message. Loud noises, distractive images, unusual
behaviors are examples of physical noise while it
is also possible to observe spiritual and semantic
forms of noise (Pearson and Nelson, 1997: 11)

Communication as a social relations system can be
classified as the communication with the individuals
themselves, interpersonal communication, group
communication, organizational communication
and mass communication. This approach allows us
to examine the individual in the context of initially
the groups and organizations they belong to and
ultimately the society they exist in. 

Interpersonal communication is “the exchange
of messages that takes place between two or more
individuals”. As a general rule, any communication
process that includes two or more humans as source
and receiver can be classified as interpersonal
communication. The parties, who engage in
mutual communication produce, transmit and
analyze symbols

Organizational communication has
important functions that carry crucial weights
for community life that include providing
information, persuasion and influence,
commanding and instructive communication and
merging

natural communication has the following
characteristics (Koçel, 2011: 533):
• Messages have a high speed of transmission.
• It gives important clues to managers.
• Insecure and uncertain individuals are more
likely to believe in the messages that come
from these channels.
• It plays a role that strengthens the
organizational culture.
• The flow of direction of the messages cannot
be predicted.
• It can spread gossip as well as accurate
information about the organization.
• It cannot be controlled by management but
can be affected.
• It encourages teamwork.
• It can be used as a management tool. 

Mass communication is the
effort of giving a message to a much wider audience
compared to that of interpersonal and group
communication. This message can be a spoken word,
a written article, a TV show or a news broadcast.