Communication Studies Levels or context of communication and the functions of communicaiton

1. COMMUNICATION STUDIES
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
Levels and Functions of Communication
Dr. Marquita Byrd
Marquita.byrd@sjsu.edu

2. LEVELS OF
COMMUNICATIO
N
Organization of Research and Study

3. ORGANIZATION OF
KNOWLEDGE
Field of Communication
• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Public Speaking
• Small Group
• Organizational
• Mass Comm
• New Media
• Intercultural

4. LEVELS OR CONTEXTS
• Intrapersonal • With Self
• Interpersonal • Two or more
• Public Speaking • One to many
• Small Group • Five to nine
• Organizational • Formal rules and units
• Mass Comm • Technology/Audience
• New Media • Internet, social media
• Intercultural • Across various
boundaries

5. FUNCTIONS OF
COMMUNICATIO
N
There are Three

6. DEVELOP • Talking and interacting with others can
HIGHER increase one’s ability to think and
MENTAL engage in problem solving
PROCESSES
• Develops with the acquisition of
Language
• Manage own behavior
• Plan
• Process information

7. SOCIAL
Humans are social animals. • Become human
We need contact with others for • Work with others
Good mental, physical and • Understand who we are in
emotional health. relationship to others
• Group membership
• Culture

8. CONTROL • Internal (self) and External (others)
p
e
r
s
u
a
s
i
o
Others
n
Self

9. LEVELS AND • 8 Levels or contexts of Communication
FUNCTION • 3 Functions
• Communication can take place at
several levels at the same time.
• Levels and context are social constructs
we use to organize what we know
about communication
• Functions are the purpose and
consequences of human communication
Oral symbolic activity defines us as
a species.