The Fundamental Role of Communication in Human Society

Concept of Communication, Society, and Language

The human being is a gregarious creature, living surrounded by others, never alone in the world. This fundamental need for connection is the driving force behind all communication. When needing to approach others for help or interaction, humans do so through communication. Establishing relationships with others is, fundamentally, communicating.

The Necessity of Human Connection

To communicate means to participate in what another person has, to say or make something known, to talk, or to deal with someone, whether through written word, action, or effect. Communication is the act of corresponding or dealing with each other, a relationship between two or more persons.

By the very fact of being divided into a community, humanity constantly communicates and relates to the people and objects around them.

Communication in Daily Life and Media

The procedures for communication are numerous, and our senses constantly pick up all the information provided. In everyday life, humans spend a significant amount of time issuing and receiving messages.

Examples of Communicative Acts

These acts range from subtle non-verbal cues to complex media transmissions:

• A glance or a gesture.
• The price displayed on an item.
• Traffic signs.
• Announcements (e.g., for a film).
• Sirens or alarms.

Mass media (press, radio, TV, etc.) are crucial acts of communicative relationship in which language plays an important role as the primary communication tool. Communication spans from the cry of a child to the most perfect symphony, from a simple daily greeting ("Hello!" or "Good morning!") to the most complex philosophical essay.

The possibilities of communication vary greatly in amount and degree, involving different levels and meanings. Yet, all these acts fall under the umbrella of communication within the standard transmitter-receiver process.

The Communication Process and Its Elements

In the broadest sense, communication is defined as the transfer of information or contact between two related units.

Key Components of the Message Transfer

Information is a core part of communication. When information is processed to add a semantic or relational-informative meaning, it becomes the message.

The message is a substance that has received a specific form:

• A physical form (e.g., a table).
• A form translated into acoustic vibrations or electronic impulses (e.g., a phone call).
• Graphic visual forms (e.g., text messages).

This message requires several essential elements for transmission:

1. A Transmitter and a Receiver.
2. An Encoding process (by the transmitter).
3. A Decoding or deciphering process (by the receiver).
4. A Channel for the transmission of the message.

Communication has overcome great distances in space and time, largely thanks to the development of mass media (radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, comics, etc.).