How a Definition Changed

Communication is defined as the imparting or exchanging of information or news (McKean, 2005). My definition is a little bit different. It has always been different because communication has been so much a part of my life. Before coming to Spring Arbor, I would define communication as any interaction with someone, whether it is written, verbal or nonverbal. Those types of communication were the focus that I had when I was in high school. I wrote for the paper, participated in class discussions and used my body language to describe how I felt in certain situations where I just didn’t fit in. I have found that my best way to communicate to people is through the written word. My mom tells me stories of when I scribbled on every piece of paper and gave them to my family members as a form of love letters. Then I progressed to journals full of words and keeping diaries. Now, I write articles and blog posts as a form of communicating with an audience outside of my teachers, peers and family – although they benefit from those as well.

Throughout my time at Spring Arbor University, I have been blessed to be a part of a department where communication is the main theme. And my concentration is writing allowing me to focus on what I know best – communicating in written words.  Studying communication was something I had prepared myself for while I was in high school. It wasn’t just something I chose because it sounded nice and would look good on my resume. I chose studying communication because I do it everyday in so many different ways that it didn’t make sense to study anything else. The courses that the Department of Communication and Media has offered have transformed me into a credible, creative, Christian communicator and in the process helped transform my definition of communication.

Introduction to Communication

In a course that is all about defining communication, this is where most of the growth of my definition occurred. Mary Darling chose the book More Than Talk: Communication Studies and the Christian Faith as the course textbook. The first chapter is titled “What is Communication?” A definition was to be found here – and according to author Bill Strom that “two scholars canvassed the research, thirty years ago and discovered 120 definitions even then.” (Strom, 2009, p. 3) That is more definitions than I expected, but thinking about all of the different people who attempt to define communication it makes sense.

It is also in this chapter that they describe communication in two ways – the objectivist model and the interpretivist model. The objectivist model is defined as “the process by which two or more people convey messages via diverse channels with some effect and the likelihood of interference.” (Strom, 2009, p. 10) The interpretivist model is defined as “a process whereby reality is created, shared, modified, and preserved.” (Strom, 2009, p. 10) These two models allowed for a new perspective within my own definition of communication.

This book also talks about nonverbal communication. Strom states that our nonverbal communication is less controllable than our tongue. (Strom, 2009, p. 64) Nonverbal communication is just as vital to relationships as is the spoken and written word. Some of the relationships that I have with my closest friends are the best when we can just look at each other and know what the other person is thinking or feeling. Those types of friendships mean the most and can be explained only by years of knowing each other and learning each other’s nonverbal cues. Strom also states this about nonverbal communication:

Nonverbal behavior differs from language in important ways, most notably that they are continuous, less controllable, more ambiguous, and packaged in clusters that hit us all at once. We convey our feelings for others, and for our relationships, through nonverbal cues. (Strom, 2009, 81)

Nonverbal communication is just as vital and possibly more so than writing or speaking.

As part of the course, Professor Darling assigned the class a relational transformation homework assignment. The purpose was to take two relationships that we needed to improve and report back to how those relationships were or were not changing based on the efforts that were being made by me using the things that were learned in class. After this course my definition was no longer just any interaction with someone, whether it is written, verbal or nonverbal. It had transformed to include any interaction with someone whether it is written, verbal or nonverbal and is a process that effects more all people involved, those that are the senders of the communication and the receivers of the communication.

Communication Theory and Research

One of my favorite theories from this course was the spatial violations theory. The most interesting part of the theory is the proxemic zones of intimate (0 to 18 inches), personal (18 inches to 4 feet), social (4 feet to 10 or 12 feet) and public (12 feet onward). (Jacob, 2009, p. 4) I love his theory and using it to analyze my interactions with people. If they stand to close me to talk when we don’t know each other really well I react to them in a standoffish manner. It is the same when someone I am really close to only talks to me from a distance that is social or public. This is also really interesting to see in chapel and determining where people sit and how they act from their seats.

The social penetration theory was also one of the most intriguing theories shared in this course. This theory is about being vulnerable and trying to get other people to be vulnerable as well. Vulnerability is an area that I struggle with because I don’t like people to know my weaknesses. For as long as I can remember, my strength was something that other people relied on and there are very few people who have seen me at my weakest moments. Letting people in is very scary and risky. (Jacob, 2009) This theory explains why and goes into detail about how people can get others to reveal those deepest fears and fantasies.

My definition of communication was continuing to grow. It could no longer be composed in just a single sentence. Communication now was determined by interaction with someone through verbal, written or nonverbal methods, but at certain distances certain reactions were warranted. The process of communication through whatever medium affects all people involved in the communication whether they are the senders or receivers of certain communication. On top of those things, communication also means taking risks and willing to allow people to see you in your deepest form or your most superficial form depending on whom you are speaking with.

Rhetoric

Speaking, in a public capacity, is a frightening idea for me. I do not like to stand up in front of people and give presentations; however, I do them on a weekly basis for meetings with Spring Arbor University’s student publication The Pulse. My ability to stand in front of my peers as a leader comes from what I learned through this course. I gave speeches about my love for baseball and how I met Curtis Granderson for the first time and surprised my class with a passion speech about words.  But the course was more than just telling a select group of my peers about the things that are important to me. It helped me learn that speaking and listening are vital to communication.

Through Aristotle’s ethos, pathos and logos speech is persuasive. Logos is logic. Ethos is the credibility of the speaker. Pathos is the emotional appeal. (Keith & Lundberg, 2008, p. 7) One of the main things that rhetoric focuses on is the audience. The authors of The Essential Guide to Rhetoric say “to be successfully persuasive, you need to figure out exactly whom you want to persuade and what would convince them.” (Keith & Lundberg, 2008, p. 11) The audience is a very important aspect of all communication. And that helps with my definition of communication. In order to be a more effective communicator, one must be audience focused.

Communication Technology

This course may not seem like the typical communication course. That is because it isn’t. I often referred to it as my “teach me about my Mac class.” With the changes in technology so much a part of society today it was important to have a course that was solely focused on the technology aspect of communication. We learned about the Adobe Creative Suite and some of the intricacies of the software. We talked about the basics of iLife. But, the most important thing that came from the course was the blogging and portfolio building that was necessary to finish the course. My blog and portfolio are huge branding tools for me and mine would not be as complete as it is currently if I had not started that during this class.

One thing that this class did not teach specifically, but allowed for us to understand was that there is a certain etiquette that we need to consider because of how fast technology is growing and changing. The Emily Post website says this about computers and communication:

Using your computer to communicate with others involves acting with the same respect and consideration that you use in the non-virtual world. Human contact still matters, along with what you say and how you say it. Just because forms of communication are now instant and quick, does not mean that grammar and spelling need be ignored. Always be aware of who’s around you, whose time you’re on, and always double-check before you hit “send.” (Post, 2012)

This etiquette may seem like common sense, but without it, my definition of communication would be very different. That is because technology has affected the way we communicate in such a powerful way. We share our lives on Twitter and Facebook. We conduct business from our smartphones and iPads as we email over the 3G network and WiFi. My definition of communication now also depends on the medium in which we are communicating and reminds me that the etiquette that I use when I communicate is just as important over technology as it is when I speak to someone face-to-face.

Corporate Communication

I may not plan to work in a corporation per say, but I do plan on working with other people in an office and this course allows for students learn what a office setting can be like and how communication can be affected by certain people. One of the most interesting things that can be learned from this course is your communication style and how to effectively communicate with other styles of communication. These styles include close communicating, blind communicating, hidden communicating and open communicating styles. (Hamilton, 2011, p. 67-76)

The closed style of communication means that these communicators feel more comfortable when they are working with things over people and they prefer to work alone. Blind communicators like to display their expertise and experience. A hidden communicator will thrive in groups, be good listeners and try to avoid conflict, but will hide their feelings and knowledge from those around them. The open style of communication is when people think of both the needs of other and the needs of the company. (Hamilton, 2011, p. 67-76)

As I reflect on how these styles can be added to my definition, it can be easily related to the etiquette aspect. We are going to be placed in situations with people who communicate differently than we do. And it is important to know that not everyone communicates the same way and that we can handle those people and situations in a manner that is positive for all parties involved. Communicating is about the sender and the receiver and making sure that the proper message is received and sometimes we have to break the barriers of communication style to break through.

Conclusion

As I look to graduation, I know that my degree will be from Spring Arbor University, but more importantly it will be a degree from the Department of Communication and Media, where I spent four years learning about how to communicate better with people, not only through my strength of writing, but through speaking and nonverbals as well. My definition of communication was bleak and standard, but as I took these courses, my knowledge of communication expanded and so did my definition. The beginning definition was this: “Communication is any interaction with someone, whether it is written, verbal or nonverbal. Now, as I approach the “real world” away from Spring Arbor my definition will be this: “Communication is determined by interaction with someone through verbal, written or nonverbal methods, but at certain distances certain reactions were warranted. The process of communication through whatever medium affects all people involved in the communication whether they are the senders or receivers of certain communication – it is important to be audience focused in all ways that we communicate. Communication also means taking risks and willing to allow people to see you in your deepest form or your most superficial form depending on whom you are speaking with. Technology continues to grow and change how we communicate, but we mustn’t forget that there is a certain manner that we must hold ourselves to when we speak to others. We must also remember that people communicate differently and that we are going have to try our hardest to meet those people where they are.

The best part of this is that my definition doesn’t have to be set in stone. It can continue to grow and change, just as I do. It’s like a personal mission statement. There are going to be times where revision is necessary because we aren’t the same person we were when we originally wrote it. I could look back 15 years from now and my definition of communication could simply be a paraphrase of this or nothing like it all. That’s the joy of communication it’s changing – just like I am and so my definition will too. It’s a never-ending journey, one that I am so grateful to be a part of and able to study.