Human Communication Theory: Human, Communication, And Theory

Introduction “Every aspect of our daily lives is affected by our communication with others, as well as by messages from people we don’t even know – people near and far, living and dead.” (Littlejohn, 3) From this statement it is clear how important human communication is and how fundamental an experience it is to being human. Indeed, communication is central to human life. (Littlejohn, 3) The purpose of this paper will therefore be to take a macro view of terms like “Human”, “Communication”, and “Theory”. Once a working definition is obtained it will be applied to the “Theory of Human Communication” with the purpose of using these terms and the fusion of the definitions as building blocks to explore the specifics of “Human Communication”

In fact, the term communication has changed greatly over the last twenty (20) years. It has grown to be an umbrella term encompassing all forms of human communication. According to Littlejohn, “New technologies of communication have empowered communicators to do more, faster, at greater distances, and with less effort than ever before.”(Littlejohn, 5) Communication from the Miriam-Webster dictionary is “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else. (Miriam-Webster, 2015) Both of these definitions will be useful in defining the word “Communication”. For the purpose of this paper Communication will be defined as “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.” (Miriam-Webster, 2015) but viewed through the lens that these communicators are doing so faster and via an ever increasing amount of

In Algebra 1+1+1=3, however, we cannot apply this principle to the definitions of the individual terms. It is clear that the sum of parts does not cover the macro idea of the “Theory of Human Communication”. Combining these terms in a crucible and coming out with a product that is greater than the sum of its parts allows for an artistic touch as well as an abstraction of the term. The goal is an abstraction or macro idea because the “Theory of Human Communication” should not exclude any Standpoint to which these building blocks are the foundation. Therefore, the “Theory of Human Communication” is defined as “the general ideas or principals that concern the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information between two or more Homo sapiens using all mediums possible at an ever increasing rate.” This definition can then be applied to the seven (7) traditional standpoints that provide different ways of talking about communication, (the rhetorical, the semiotic, the phenomenological, the cybernetic, the sociopsychological, the sociocultural, and the critical). (Littlejohn,