The role of social communication in society. The role of communication in modern society

;color:#a6a6a6">MSU of Culture and Arts

">Saltykova M.V.

1. ">Introduction to the subject of communication theory.

">1.1 The concept of communication and its role in society.

;color:#000000">Without exaggeration, communication can be considered a necessary and universal condition of life.

">Communication "> specific exchange of information, as a result of which the process of transferring information of intellectual and emotional content from the sender to the recipient occurs.

">Here are a few more definitions of communication found in the literature:

">Communication is the mechanism by which the existence and development of human relations is ensured, including all mental symbols, the means of their transmission in space and preservation in time (K">uli).

">Communication exchange of information between complex dynamic systems and their parts that are able to receive information, accumulate it, and transform it">(A. Ursul).

">Communication in a broad sense, the social unification of individuals using language or signs, the establishment of generally valid sets of rules for various purposeful activities">(K. Cheri).

">Communication is the information connection of a subject with one or another object - a person, an animal, a machine">(M. Kagan).

">Communication is, first of all, a way of activity that facilitates the mutual adaptation of people's behavior... Communication is an exchange that ensures cooperative mutual assistance, making it possible to coordinate actions of great complexity">(T. Shibutani).

"Communication is the act of sending information from one person's brain to another person's brain">(P. Smith, K. Barry, A. Pulford).

">Communication (biol.) is the transmission of signals between organisms or parts of one organism, when selection favors the production and perception of signals. In the process of communication, information changes and mutual adaptation of subjects">(D. Lewis, N. Gpuer).

">Communication specific exchange of information, the process of transmitting emotional and intellectual content">(A.B. Zverintsev, A.P. Panfilova).

">What role does “communication” play in society?

">Communication activities are carried out in society in three forms:

">1) ">communication "> dialogue of equal partners;

">2) ">control "> purposeful influence of the communicator on the recipient of information;

">3) ">imitation "> borrowing patterns of behavior, communication styles, and lifestyles of some members of society by others. Thanks to imitation, language, traditions, knowledge, and skills are passed on from generation to generation.

">1.2 Types, models and functions of communication.

">There are two types of communication: synchronic and diachronic.

">Synchronous (horizontal">) communication is realized through oral and written communication channels between contemporaries. Thanks to such communication, unity, cohesion, and consolidation of society are ensured. Synchronous communication">is necessary for solving current social problems, coordinating the actions of different social groups, for the life of an ethnic group in the present time.

">B ">diachronic (vertical">) communication, information of spiritual content is transferred from generation to generation. Thus, social memory is formed. Diachronic communication, therefore, preserves the ethnic community, the movement of language, traditions.

">Communication is closely related to information. The transfer of information can also be carried out in three communication forms:

">1) ">monologue">, where such communicative actions predominate as unidirectional transfer of information from the organizer of communication to the recipient of information;

">2) ">dialogical, "> in which the subjects of communication interact and are mutually active. With this form of communication, information is exchanged. In dialogic communication, the development of agreed solutions becomes important;

"> 3) ">polylogical"> organization of multilateral communication. Such communication has the character of a struggle for mastering the communicative initiative and is associated with its most effective implementation.

">If the goals of communication are the exchange of information of predominantly emotional content, then">communication goals"> are: exchange and transfer of information; formation of skills and abilities, development of professional qualities; formation of attitudes towards oneself, towards other people, towards society as a whole; exchange of activities, innovative techniques, means, technologies; changing values ​​and motivation of behavior; exchange emotions.

">Depending on the purpose of the message, five models of communication are distinguished in the scientific literature: cognitive, persuasive, expressive, suggestive, ritual.

">Each of these models is characterized by its own goals and expected results, organizational conditions, communicative forms and means.

">Based on the goals, communication fulfills the following">functions ;text-decoration:underline">:

"> - information and communication (process of information exchange);

"> - interactive (interaction of individuals in the process of interpersonal communication);

">- epistemological (cognitive);

">- axiological (the process of exchange of spiritual values);

">- normative (the process of transferring and consolidating norms in everyday consciousness);

">- socio-practical (exchange of results of activities, abilities, abilities, skills).

1. Communication barriers and failures main aspects.

2.1 The concept of communication barriers and the main reasons for their occurrence.

Specific communication barriers may arise when exchanging information. They exist both at the level of interpersonal and at the level of organizational communications. The emergence of a barrier to understanding is usually associated with a number of reasons, both psychological and other.

">A communication barrier is usually understood as anything that prevents and blocks effective communication.">This problem is very important, since unsuccessful communication can be fraught with serious troubles for its participants for the simple reason that the transmitted information was not received in full, in a distorted form, or not received at all.

">During a dialogue between people of different nationalities, for example, a language barrier may arise, and during the passage of a radio signal, radio interference may occur.

">In communications between a manager and a subordinate, status differences between the manager and a subordinate, or the desire to hear only what one wants to hear, can serve as obstacles and barriers. In a conversation, distractions, incorrect interpretation of the information received by the recipient, and semantic problems can be an obstacle (giving different meanings to the same words). All interference and barriers distort the transmitted signal, so it is important for the communicator to make sure that the information is correctly understood by the recipient. To do this, a feedback channel is included in the communication system. In a conversation, it can be used as a feedback channel be, for example, a short retelling by the recipient of what he heard. With the help of feedback, the communicator can assess how effectively communication is carried out.

">Conventionally, the following reasons for the emergence of barriers in communications can be identified:

">-Complexity of message content (related to speech, words, gestures, body movements);

">-Unusual and complex message form;

">-Problems with message transmission means;

">-Bad feedback;

">-Information delay and many others.

1. ">Classification of communication barriers.

Barriers exist both at the level of interpersonal and at the level of organizational communications.

">A). Interpersonal barriers.

">These include:

">Barriers of perception;

">Semantic barriers;

">Nonverbal barriers;

">Bad feedback;

">Inability to listen.

">Complex (mixed) interpersonal barriers:

"> Barrier "avoidance"

">Barrier "misunderstanding"

">Barrier “logical misunderstanding”

">1. Perception

">can be defined in the most general form as the process of receiving and processing information. This process consists in the fact that information received from the external environment is processed, put into a certain order and systematized. Each person’s perception of reality is different and is always subjective in nature . People interpret the same information differently depending on their accumulated experience. The discrepancy between the bases of judgment can cause selective perception of information depending on the range of interests, needs, emotional state and external environment of people. A person using visual, sound, tactile channels for receiving information, does not perceive all the information coming to him, but only that which has a special meaning for him. It follows that in many cases people perceive only part of the message they receive, due to selectivity, ideas encoded by the sender can be distorted and not fully understood. Information that conflicts with our experience or previously learned concepts is often either completely rejected or distorted in accordance with these experiences or concepts.

">2. Semantic barriers.

">The purpose of communications is to ensure understanding of the information that serves as the subject of communication, that is, the message. By making contact and using symbols, we try to exchange information and achieve its understanding. The symbols we use include words, gestures and intonations. The sender encodes the message using verbal and non-verbal symbols.

">Consider the use of verbal symbols words. Semantics is the study of the way words are used and the meanings conveyed by words. Because words can have different meanings for different people, what someone intends to communicate will not necessarily be interpreted and understood in the same way by the recipient of the information. Semantic Variation often become the cause of misunderstanding, because in many cases the exact meaning attributed to the symbol by the sender is not at all obvious. A symbol does not have a unique, inherent meaning. The meaning of a symbol is revealed through experience and varies depending on the context, the situation in which the symbol is used. Because for each person experience, and every exchange of information is to some extent a new situation, no one can be absolutely sure that another person will attribute the same meaning to the symbol as assigned by the sender.Semantic barriers can create particularly strong communication problems for companies operating in a multinational environment . Semantic barriers caused by cultural differences can seriously hinder the exchange of information.

">3. Nonverbal barriers.

">Although verbal symbols (words) are the main means for encoding ideas intended to be conveyed, nonverbal symbols are often used gestures, smiles, eye expressions, posture, etc. In nonverbal communication, any symbols other than words are used">. ">Often, nonverbal transmission occurs simultaneously with verbal transmission and can enhance or change the meaning of words">. "> Another type of nonverbal communication is formed by the way we pronounce words, that is, intonation, voice modulation, fluency of speech, pauses, etc. Nonverbal barriers can also include cultural differences in people's behavior (for example, nodding the head in the Japanese means “no”, and in many other countries consent).

">In many cases, the way we speak is more important than the words we say. We need to ensure that the non-verbal symbols used to convey the message correspond to the message being communicated.

">4. Bad feedback.

">Some messages do not require feedback, but to make communication effective, it must be two-way. Feedback is important because it makes it possible to determine whether the message received by the recipient is actually interpreted in the meaning that was originally intended. A barrier to effective communications can be either poorly established feedback or its absence.

">5. Inability to listen.

">Effective communication is possible when a person is equally accurate in sending and receiving messages. It is necessary to be able to listen. Many people think that listening just means being calm and letting the other person talk, but this is just part of the process of attentive, focused listening. It is important to be able to hear specific questions presented: It is not enough to perceive facts; you need to listen to feelings">. ">Listening to facts and feelings is listening to the message in its entirety, thereby increasing the ability to understand the situation.

">6. Complex (mixed) interpersonal barriers.">In the process of business communication, at least three complex communication barriers may arise.

">"avoidance";

">"misunderstanding".

">Having divided all people into authoritative and non-authoritative, a person trusts only the former and refuses to trust others. Thus, trust and distrust are, as it were, personified and depend not on the characteristics of the information being transmitted, but on who is speaking. For example, older people listen poorly to the advice of young people.

">social status

"> from belonging to a real “authoritative” group. Psychologist P. Wilson showed students of different college classes the same man. In one class, the psychologist presented this man as a student, in the second as a laboratory assistant, in the third as a teacher, in the fourth as an assistant professor, in the latter as a professor. After the guest left, the students were asked to determine as accurately as possible his height and the height of the experimenter himself. It turned out that the stranger's height steadily increased as his social status increased, while the psychologist's height did not change It is interesting that the gap in the height of the stranger from the first to the last class was 14 x 15 cm;

">attractive appearance (is the hairstyle neat, combed, ironed, shaved, buttoned up, etc.);

">a friendly attitude towards the recipient (smile, friendliness, ease of use, etc.);

">competence;

">sincerity.

"> Barrier "avoidance"">A person avoids sources of influence, avoids contact with the interlocutor. If it is impossible to avoid, then he makes every effort not to perceive the message (inattentive, does not listen, does not look at the interlocutor, uses any excuse to stop the conversation). Sometimes they avoid not only sources of information, but also certain situations (for example, the desire to close your eyes when watching “scary places” from horror films).

">It has been established that most often the barrier is caused by one degree or another of inattention. Therefore, only by controlling the attention of the interlocutor, the audience, can this barrier be overcome. The main thing is to resolve two interrelated problems:

">attract attention;

">keep your attention.

">Our attention is most influenced by the following factors: the relevance and importance of information, its novelty, non-standard presentation, surprise, the intensity of information transmission, the sonority of the voice and its modulation. Therefore, to attract and retain attention, it is necessary to use several techniques that take these factors into account.

">When this barrier arises, such interpersonal barriers as the barrier of perception and the inability to listen (reluctance to listen) are combined.

">Barrier "misunderstanding"

">Often the source of information is trustworthy and authoritative, but the information “does not reach” (we do not hear, we do not see, we do not understand).

">Usually there are four barriers of misunderstanding:

">phonetic (phoneme sound)

">semantic (semantics semantic meaning of words)

">stylistic (stylistics style of presentation, correspondence of form and content)

">logical.

">Phonetic barrier"> misunderstanding arises in the following cases:

">when they speak a foreign language;

">use a large number of foreign words or special terminology;

">when they speak quickly, slurredly and with an accent.

">It is quite possible to overcome the phonetic barrier, and for this the following are important:

"> - intelligible, legible and loud enough speech;

">taking into account the audience and individual characteristics of people (the less a person knows the subject of discussion, the slower one must speak, the more detailed one must explain; people of different nationalities speak at different speeds: in the north and in the middle zone - slower, in the south - faster; small children and old people do not perceive fast speech well, etc.);

"> - the presence of feedback with the interlocutor, with the audience.

">Semantic barrier"> misunderstanding occurs when phonetically the language is “ours”, but according to the conveyed meaning it is “foreign”. This is possible for the following reasons.

"> any word usually has not one, but several meanings;

">“semantic” fields are different for different people;

">slang words, secret languages, and images often used in any group are often used.

">The emergence of a barrier can be explained as follows: we usually proceed from the fact that “everyone understands as I do,” while it would be more correct to say the opposite: “everyone understands in their own way.”

">To overcome the semantic barrier it is necessary:

">speak as simply as possible;

"> agree in advance on the same understanding of some key words, concepts, terms, if you need to clarify them at the beginning of the conversation.

"> Stylistic barrier"> misunderstanding occurs when a person is obliged to understand and, therefore, reflect in some answer or action only that verbal address that is subject to the established grammatical structure. Otherwise, when there is a discrepancy between form and content, a stylistic barrier arises.

">In other words, if the style of presentation is too heavy, too light, in general, does not correspond to the content, then the listener does not understand it or refuses, does not want to understand.

">To overcome this stylistic problem, it is necessary to correctly structure the transmitted information.

">When this barrier arises, such interpersonal barriers as a perception barrier, inability to listen (reluctance to listen), a semantic barrier and non-verbal barriers are combined.

">Barrier of logical misunderstanding

">This barrier arises if a person, from our point of view, says or does something contrary to the rules of logic; then we not only refuse to understand him, but also emotionally perceive his words negatively.

">Overcoming the logical barrier is possible if the following conditions are met:

"> - taking into account the logic and life position of the interlocutor. To do this, it is necessary to roughly imagine the position of the partner, the interlocutor (who he is, what positions he stands in, etc.), as well as individual and social-role characteristics;

"> - correct argumentation.

">When this barrier arises, such interpersonal barriers as a perception barrier, inability to listen (reluctance to listen), a semantic barrier, non-verbal barriers and poor feedback are combined (information is exchanged, but the meaning reaches the recipient of the information distorted, and by his own consciousness).

">B). Barriers to mass communication

">1. Barriers caused by environmental factors

">These include characteristics of the external physical environment that create uncomfortable conditions for the transmission and perception of information:

">· acoustic interference"> - noise in the room or outside the window, repair work, telephone calls, etc.;

">· distracting environment -">everything that can distract the attention of interlocutors (bright or dim light, etc.);

">· temperature conditions -">too cold or hot indoors">;

">·weather conditions">- rain, wind, pressure, etc.

">Each of the listed factors can affect the effectiveness of communication due to its influence on the individual psychophysiological characteristics of the communicants.

">2. Technical barriers

">A technical barrier is that certain phenomena interfere with finding and receiving the necessary information. Technical barriers include “noise” and “interference.” The concept of “noise” is associated with technological problems, and meant disturbances that are not part of the message, transmitted by the source. The source of noise has the ability to destroy information, thereby increasing the degree of uncertainty of the receiver. It is possible to identify technical barriers to communication that are also caused by the human factor: incorrect use of communication technology; incorrect choice of technical means for transmitting a message.

" xml:lang="en-US" lang="en-US">III">. Characteristics of methods and means of overcoming barriers in communications

">3.1 Rules and principles for building effective communication

">All “barriers” and errors are negative factors that interfere with the implementation of the communication function, to increase the effectiveness of which it is necessary to overcome them.

">There are general rules and principles for building effective communications.

">The most general rule is not to start communicating an idea until it becomes completely clear to yourself.

">The rule of “constant readiness for misunderstanding” and the assumption of the performers’ “right to misunderstanding.” A leader is often mistaken in believing that he cannot be misunderstood. However, the variety of “barriers” often leads to incomplete and inaccurate understanding.

">Rule of specificity. You should not use ambiguous, vague expressions and words, or overload messages with professionalism.

">Rule of control over non-verbal signals. Control over facial expressions, gestures, intonation, and posture is necessary.

">Rule of the addressee. We must try to speak the language of the interlocutor,

">considering his level of life, professional, cultural and educational.

">The rule of “own wrongness”. It is necessary to admit the fallacy of a personal point of view.

">Rule of “place and time.” The effectiveness of governing orders increases with their timeliness and the choice of the most favorable environment in which they are implemented.

">Conclusion.

">One ​​of the key problems of communication is the problem of adequate perception of the transmitted information and, consequently, the effectiveness of communication. The message transmitted by the source to the recipient overcomes numerous communication barriers. As a result, it may not be accepted completely, in a distorted form, or not accepted at all. Factors limiting the effectiveness of communication are the environment (external conditions) of communication, technical means of communication and the person himself as the main character of the communicative act.In order to increase the effectiveness of communication, attention should be paid to the problem of communication barriers and improving practical skills to overcome them.

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Communication (from Lat. communicatio- message, transmission) is the process of information exchange that occurs in any society. The joint activities of people, the reproduction and creation of cultural heritage represent the transmission and perception of certain messages.

The process of communication is a property of many complex systems. Therefore, when speaking about human society, the term “social communication” is usually used.

Social communication includes a number of components:

• ? subjects of communication (individuals, groups, institutions);
• ? means of communication;
• ? the content of communication, certain meanings and meanings transmitted during interaction;
• ? a communicative environment in which information is exchanged (depending on the characteristics of the communicative environment, the same signs can be interpreted differently).

Communication in human communities (as opposed to communication in animal communities) is always symbolic - mediated by certain meanings and meanings that are assigned to material or immaterial objects (words, objects, images, actions, gestures, etc.) that serve as means of communication.

The most important means of communication is language. Communication carried out through language is called

verbal communication and is fundamental for a person. However, along with verbal language, there are other symbol systems - non-verbal, who also serve as intermediaries in the communication process. These are facial expressions, gestures, as well as the so-called “secondary languages” - Morse code, programming languages, etc.

Culture as a whole and its “subsystems” - art, science, religion, etc., also using specific “languages”, can be considered as a language system - a sign system. For example, Russian icon painting is a complex sign system. Each element of the image has a special symbolic meaning - the location of the figures, their size and poses, the color of clothes and background, etc. People who do not know the specific language of an icon are not able to perceive all the information that it carries, and only notice the unusual style of image, which seems “primitive” to them.

According to the definition of the German philosopher E. Cassirer, man is a creature who creates symbols. And indeed, a person perceives the world and acts in it based on certain meanings and meanings that he himself has assigned to the objects of this world. Any object endowed with meaning can be considered as a symbol. Communication as the exchange of meanings, interpretation and creation of symbols is at the same time a process of constructing and maintaining the reality in which a person is immersed. We see the world through the prism of the symbols that make up our culture. Culture exists only through continuous communication.

Communication can be oral, written, visual(transmission of messages using visual images), etc. Different types of communication require specific forms of encoding of the transmitted information. Letters of the alphabet, hieroglyphs, digital and musical notation are all different forms of information encoding.

According to the method of transmitting information, communication can be direct(direct) and indirect(indirect).

Direct communication involves the transmission of a message, the exchange of information in a situation of direct interaction. Indirect communication can occur without personal contact between the sender of the message and its recipient. For this type of communication to arise, it was necessary to invent additional ways of storing and transmitting information in addition to oral speech. Thus, the advent of writing made it possible to exchange information between people separated not only by space, but also by time.

Communication is not only the “exchange” of messages, signs, signals. It is a process by which subjects influence each other's behavior. Thus, communication exists wherever there is joint activity. Communication itself is a necessary condition for joint activity and, ultimately, survival - both in animal communities and in human society. Forms and means of communication not only changed in the process of cultural development, but also themselves became a significant factor in cultural and social changes.

The emergence of verbal language meant a qualitative breakthrough in the evolution of forms of communication. Language makes it possible to operate not only with “real” objects, but with signs, images of objects, not only real, but also arising due to the very presence of language. U. Maturana writes: “...the emergence of language among people and the entire social context in which language arises gives rise to a new (as far as we know) phenomenon - reason and self-consciousness as the deepest life experience of humanity. Without having a corresponding history of interactions, it is impossible to penetrate into this inherent human sphere (let us remember, for example, the wolf girl). At the same time, the mind as a certain phenomenon of linguisticization in a network of social and linguistic coupling is not something that is located in the brain. Consciousness and reason lie in the area of ​​social conjugation - that is where the source of their dynamics is. As part of human social dynamics, reason and consciousness are involved in choosing the path along which our ontogenetic structural drift follows. Moreover, since we exist in language, the discourse areas (fields of judgment) we generate become part of our domain of existence, as well as a fragment of the environment in which we maintain identity and adaptation.”

Thus, it was not the phenomenon of communication itself, but a new form of communication that became the property of man at a certain point in evolution, that contributed to the emergence of qualities that distinguished man from the animal world.

The acquisition of language and the social experience mediated by it is a necessary condition for the formation of a human personality. A person becomes a full-fledged person precisely as he masters social experience and cultural heritage, which is impossible without linguistic communication.

Thanks to language, culture is formed - an infinitely diverse world of meanings and meanings that arise, change and persist in the process of constant communication. Language did not arise as a means of understanding the world. It was formed as a tool of social interaction, ensuring the adaptation of the human species to the environment. However, the emergence of language and the need to master it for human development made it possible and necessary to understand the world, which ultimately means mastering the meanings encoded in language.

Cognition now means not just direct experience (this type of “cognition” is also available to animals), but the assimilation of information about the world. And the possibilities of such knowledge are endless. Language takes a person far beyond the boundaries of immediate experience. As language takes shape, it creates not only a means for cognition, but also the object of cognition itself. Language does not reflect reality. He designs it - for human consciousness.

“Language was never invented by anyone just to perceive the outside world. Therefore, language cannot be used as a tool to discover this world.

Rather, it is through languageization that the act of cognition gives birth to the world in that behavioral coordination that is language. We spend our lives in mutual linguistic contiguity not because language allows us to reveal ourselves, but because we are educated in language in the continuous becoming that we create with others. We find ourselves in this... interconnection, not as a previous referential correlation and not as a correlation with some beginning, but as a continuous transformation in the formation of the linguistic world that we build together with other human beings.

The means and forms of communication changed and improved in the process of human cultural development. For thousands of years, oral communication, communication as direct communication in a face-to-face situation, was virtually the only one. It is this form of social communication that underlies tradition as a mechanism for preserving and transmitting cultural experience.

In this form of cultural heritage preservation, human memory plays a huge role - only what people remember is preserved. The transmission of cultural meanings occurs in the course of immediate everyday activities and is woven into the usual way of life. There is no specialized activity aimed “only at training”, only at transmitting information. A person, by acting, masters cultural experience. This applies to both economic skills and religious beliefs.

Tradition as a mechanism for inheriting cultural experience is usually associated with inertia and immobility, rejection of the new. This is partly true, because tradition is the experience of ancestors, the experience of previous generations, which, from the point of view of traditional consciousness, has indisputable authority. And yet, the very specificity of the functioning of tradition, the form of communication on which it is based, turns tradition into living and supporting

a visible phenomenon. After all, if a tradition is passed on “from mouth to mouth,” if the only way to store information is human memory, then this inevitably gives rise to both distortions and the emergence of new elements. Something is inevitably forgotten, something, on the contrary, is added. Thus, tradition carries within itself both constancy and variability. However, the specificity of traditional consciousness is such that even new elements of tradition are interpreted as ancient, inherited from ancestors.

Societies where oral tradition dominates live as if outside of time, for them there is no history. Events that took place several decades ago are located next to much more ancient ones. The past is quickly turning into myth and legend. The same applies to outstanding personalities, the memory of whom quickly becomes overgrown with fictitious details, thanks to which they often turn into mythical characters, along with deities and spirits. A society dominated by oral tradition lives as if in an eternal present, reproducing the experience of the past and not expecting any changes in the future. Everything that can happen has already happened.

The emergence of writing - a new form of storing information and a new method of communication - became the next important stage in the development of culture.

The earliest prototypes of writing were mnemonic signs - notches on wood, knots (“knot writing”), tattoos, i.e. various symbols that were supposed to help retain some significant information in memory. Even today we use similar signs. But with the help of mnemonic signs it was possible to save only a limited amount of information, in addition, only a fairly narrow circle of people could understand the meaning of these signs.

Quite early - even in the Neolithic era - the so-called pictographic letter- in other words, a consistent series of “pictures” that realistically depicted objects, phenomena or events. Pictographic writing is not writing in the full sense of the word, since it records not the speech itself, but its content.

Writing itself occurs when graphic symbols begin to capture elements of speech. A letter is characterized by a constant composition of characters used (although both the number and style of characters may change over time). Each sign captures either a word, a sequence of sounds, or a separate sound. The forms of signs used can be different: pictorial, geometric, etc. But it is not the form that is important, but the essence - writing allows you to record the elements of speech. However, different types of writing accomplish this task with varying degrees of effectiveness.

Ideographic letter involves the use of graphic signs (both realistic “pictures” and rather schematic, abstract images) that have a fairly wide field of meaning.

For example, the image of a hand can mean both the word “hand” and the words “take”, “hold”, “rule”, etc. The possibilities of ideographic writing for conveying information are limited precisely because of the “ambiguity” of the graphic symbols used. Therefore, this type of writing existed only as a transition to verbal-syllabic (logographic-syllabic).

Verbal syllabic writing preserves the ambiguity of graphic symbols. However, it uses additional signs to clarify the meaning of words. Despite its “cumbersomeness” and complexity, verbal syllabic writing made it possible to transmit any information - from economic reporting to religious myths. However, mastering this type of writing was a rather labor-intensive process, since the number of characters used could be in the hundreds and even thousands.

The verbal-syllabic type of writing includes the writing of Ancient Egypt and China, Sumerian, Cretan, Mayan writing, etc. Not all ancient systems of verbal-syllabic writing have been deciphered. In the modern world, the only surviving system of verbal-syllabic writing is Chinese.

Syllabic writing uses signs that convey sequences of sounds. Elements of such writing could be present in the verbal-syllabic writing system, and the syllabic writing itself could arise as a result of the simplification of the verbal-syllabic writing. In ancient times, syllabic writing was common in India and Southeast Asia.

There are fewer characters in syllabic writing than in verbal syllabic writing, but, nevertheless, much more (hundreds) than in the alphabetic writing that is familiar to us.

IN alphabetical letter one character (letter) usually conveys one sound (in this case, vowel sounds may not be transmitted in writing). The source of alphabetic writing was the Phoenician script. The Phoenician proto-alphabet, which included only 22 characters, was adopted in addition to Asia Minor (and, naturally, modified taking into account the peculiarities of the language) in Greece and Italy, giving rise to Western alphabets and, one might say, Western civilization. The “Western alphabets” began with Greek writing, which probably arose in the 8th century BC. e.

Slavic letter(Cyrillic) arose on the basis of the addition of new specifically Slavic phonemes (“sh”, “ch”, etc.) to the Byzantine Greek alphabet (although even before cultural contacts with the Greeks, the Slavs may have used their own writing. It is still unclear, for example , the origin of another Slavic script, supplanted by the later Cyrillic alphabet - Glagolitic).

Alphabetical writing is much more convenient and “democratic” than other types of writing. It allows you to encode information of any level of complexity, including abstract logical constructs. At the same time, mastering the alphabetic letter requires much less time and effort. It is no coincidence that ancient ideographic and verbal-syllabic writing systems existed in societies where a powerful priesthood was formed, which was the main custodian of the written tradition, and literacy was not accessible to everyone. Mastering literacy (for example, in Ancient Egypt) opened the way to a successful career - the profession of a scribe was highly respected. Where the alphabetic system arose

writing, literacy was much more widespread (however, in addition to the complexity or simplicity of writing, there were other, specifically social factors that could hinder or promote the spread of literacy).

The emergence of a new type of communication - communications, mediated by graphic symbols, encoding the content of oral speech, - entailed many important social and cultural consequences.

Writing allowed information to be stored. Thus, human memory has ceased to serve as the only “receptacle” of cultural heritage. A new effective way of storing information opened the way for virtually unlimited accumulation. With the advent of writing, it became possible to record historical events, and thus humanity had a real, not a mythical past.

Writing made it possible to accumulate knowledge about the world around us, which created the conditions for the emergence of ancient science. With the advent of writing, religious myths were also codified, sacred texts and sacred books appeared, which also meant the complication and enrichment of cultural heritage.

It should be noted that along with writing, which conveyed speech itself, other systems of graphic symbols arose - for example, symbols associated with the development of technical and mathematical knowledge.

Writing changed the nature of communication, making possible “mediated” forms of communication that did not require the direct presence of participants. With the help of writing, communication became possible between people separated not only by space, but also by time.

Writing contributed to the complexity of the culture of society, creating the so-called “written” or “high” culture of “scientists”, educated people. Representatives of written culture lived in a different, much more saturated information space than illiterate bearers of oral tradition. In traditional societies, access to written culture served as one of the social “delimiters” that separated the privileged minority from the illiterate and powerless majority. Mass access to education (“written culture”), characteristic of modern societies, is a phenomenon virtually unique in history.

The creation of writing contributed to the codification of language norms, and the prerequisites were created for the formation of a “literary”, “correct” language. The structure of the language also became more complex. Communication mediated by written text did not allow the use of additional communication channels, which is possible with direct communication (gestures, facial expressions). Written communication does not provide the opportunity to “re-question” the interlocutor in order to achieve a better understanding. Therefore, the development of written communication contributed to the gradual improvement of linguistic means of transmitting information - the emergence of complex sentences, various ways of structuring text - for example, highlighting paragraphs, writing words separately, etc. All this contributed to the development of abstract thinking skills.

The formation of writing is closely connected with another important and turning point process in the development of human societies - the emergence of ancient states. Writing made it possible to improve management.

Firstly, it became possible to formulate and record legal norms. Secondly, “remote” control arose - with the help of decrees, instructions, messages, the ruler could give orders and control his subordinates without being directly next to them. Writing made it possible to formalize the management process and make it more orderly.

Finally, writing also contributed to the improvement of economic activity. The most ancient written documents that have reached us are not only the decrees of rulers and inscriptions glorifying their deeds, but also materials on economic reporting related to the activities of ancient temples, as well as ordinary merchants. However

the written heritage of ancient civilizations is not limited to this.

Thus, the emergence of writing was directly related to the formation of ancient civilizations, with the entry of humanity into the next, new stage of historical development. Literary works, religious and philosophical teachings, descriptions of the life of various peoples of antiquity, even private correspondence that have come down to us thanks to writing, make it possible to recreate, although not completely, the appearance of ancient civilizations. It was writing that made it possible to understand their spiritual world, i.e. communication between different eras. The “unwritten” past of humanity still remains “silent”. Objects of material culture that have reached us only allow us to speculate about the world of ideas, ideas and beliefs in which their creators lived.

In the era of antiquity and the Middle Ages, written culture was the property of a minority. Written communication coexisted with oral communication, which was dominant in traditional societies. The invention of writing made it possible to replicate texts. But this was most often done through rewriting, so the number of texts in traditional societies was very limited.

The situation changed radically when the very type of traditional society began to collapse in Western countries. The processes of development of the capitalist economy, changes in social structure and culture entailed changes in forms of communication. This will be discussed in more detail later.

• Maturana U., Varela F The tree of human understahding. - http:// www.uic.nnov.ru/chi-bin/htconvent.cgi7maturana.txt
• Maturana U., Varela F. The tree of human understahding. - http:// www.uic.nnov.ru/chi-bin/htconvent.cgi7maturana.txt

Bibliographic description:

Nesterov A.K. The role of communication in modern society [Electronic resource] // Educational encyclopedia website

Humanity is accumulating information at an ever-increasing pace; the volume of already accumulated data has exceeded the volume amenable to simple human perception. Arrays of newly created information are transmitted so quickly that a person cannot and does not have time to perceive and process them.

The role of mass communication

Mass communication is a consequence of the growing pace and increase in the volume of transmitted information, while technical solutions for the accumulation, transmission and broadcast of information have long ensured the mass transfer of any volume of information. It should be noted that the process of increasing the technological level of mass communication began a long time ago. The first stage was various printed media, then newspapers and magazines appeared. The second stage is the emergence of radio. The third stage is television. The fourth stage is computerization and the Internet.

In modern conditions, mass communication plays a significant role in society, allowing an unlimited number of people to receive various information, using it for their own personal purposes. At the same time, Internet communication allows you to transmit text, sound, image, video.

Mass communication today covers all spheres of human activity and social relations: from communication between relatives and friends to the management of large enterprises.

At the same time, the development of mass communication, the complication of transmitted information, the increase in the volume of transmitted data, has led to an increase in the importance of the information itself, the growth of its value, the requirements for its content, as well as the importance of new technologies, innovations and a body of knowledge in all areas. There is an accelerated development of information and telecommunication technologies compared to the development of public and human perception, which determines the possibility of adequate processing of transmitted information. On the one hand, this requires the fastest adaptation of a person to new conditions of communication, on the other hand, it increases the role of mass communication in society, and in a form that the majority of society can perceive.

The role of social communication

In modern society, communication is an elementary system that includes three elements, as shown in the figure.

Elementary scheme of communication in modern society

In the context of an increase in the volume of transmitted information, the strengthening of the nature of mass data transfer, and the development of information transfer technologies, the main obstacle appears, which is concentrated in the person himself. A person’s capabilities are objectively limited, therefore he is not able to perceive the flow of information that exists today, and he is no longer able to embrace the huge array of accumulated data and knowledge. It is impossible to have sufficiently extensive knowledge in several fields and to be simultaneously a competent engineer, welder, accountant, historian, physician, etc.

Social communication is understood as the movement in social space and time of various knowledge, skills, and emotions. In fact, this is a general form of information transfer in the form of objectively defined data arrays, grouped according to some characteristic.

The role of social communication is determined by the fact that individual recipients of information must have all the necessary capabilities to receive the transmitted information, an array of knowledge, a complex of data, etc., understand them, realize the meaning and assimilate them.

If it is impossible to receive, understand, comprehend or assimilate the transmitted information, social communication is impossible. In other words, if someone transmits information via the Internet, then those watching TV will not be able to receive it. To understand certain information, you need to have knowledge: for example, information about the characteristics of an oil well tells a surgeon little. Understanding requires a certain level of knowledge; roughly speaking, it is impossible to convey information about integrals to a fifth grader. Finally, the assimilation of information will depend on the person himself; if he does not consider it important enough, he will miss it.

It is also determined by the communicative characteristics of both society itself and its communication space.

Communication features of modern society

Communication in society is of great importance for the functioning of its social structure, ensuring the functioning of all public institutions, government, economic relations, education, etc. For modern society, the role of communication is determined by the peculiarities of its structure.

In Russia, the communication features of society are determined in modern conditions by the following aspects:

• Formation of sustainable public groups - interest clubs, professional communities, social groups, for example, car enthusiasts, students, as well as political parties, non-profit organizations, etc.
• The interaction of social groups is determined by the structure of interests, group norms, and conflicts, which manifest themselves in different forms and at different levels of society. If the size of the social group is sufficiently large, for example, at the level of economic sectors, interaction is carried out at the state level.
• Public communication is high-tech and mass. This determines the existence of many forms, types, and formats of communication in modern society, which increases the role and significance of its unification.
• The extreme degree of saturation of communication in modern society - information and new knowledge are increasingly becoming the main value in society.
• A high degree of penetration of digital and electronic communications into various spheres of public life: electronic hospital registration, electronic sick leave, electronic business registration, electronic registration and receipt of public services, electronic interaction with authorities, enterprises and between them.

Determined by the following aspects:

1. The high role of effective communication in resolving public conflicts.
2. Mechanisms for using communication to form positive attitudes in society.
3. Communication by socially significant subjects (politicians, authorities, organizations, public figures).
4. Raising the cultural level and ethics of society.
5. Changing speech patterns of behavior, forming new forms of communication between subjects of communication.
6. The role of communication to increase the level of civic responsibility and consciousness in modern society.
7. The use of communication by business representatives for projects related to the implementation of the principles of social responsibility.
8. Communication, as the very fact of transmitting information through the media, also determines its role for modern society.

For modern society, it is important to use all conflicts in a positive way, since objective contradictions between group interests exist due to the complex structure of our society. In this regard, any conflict of interests, being a conflict, must be resolved in a constructive manner, which can only be achieved in conditions of rational use of communication between social groups. Rational communication in society presupposes active discussion, refusal to evade existing problems, taking into account various valid points of view, comprehensive coverage of existing problems, and compliance with the norms of behavior accepted in society.

Communication space

The role of communication in society is largely determined by its communication space, which includes both a complex of ethical, linguistic, cultural issues and aspects, and means of communication.

In modern society, communication is predominantly carried out through various technological means, including television, radio, print media, and the Internet. Modern information technologies have ensured the expansion of the communication space beyond the boundaries of any community or previously isolated social group. If earlier public groups were looking for means of effective communication among themselves, now individual social groups are increasingly appearing that seek to reduce the amount of information received through communication channels.

The modern communication space in the technical aspect includes three components:

1. The Internet that covers the entire planet.
2. Hardware and software systems that support mass communications, including television and radio broadcasting.
3. Means of interaction of information systems that ensure communication in modern society.

As a result, the role of communication in society is determined not only by the information transmitted, but also by the space in which it is distributed. From the point of view of socially significant interests, issues, requests, it is necessary to create a unified communication space in which the necessary information can be obtained.

The Internet largely meets this requirement:

• The presence of universal protocols allows you to transmit any information in such a way that it can be received by any recipient.
• The ability to use the Internet for personal communication, for professional purposes, in education, to obtain up-to-date information.
• The ability to organize complex communication: individuals, individuals with groups, groups with groups.
• Productive information exchange – thematic exchange of information through personal communication, impersonal dissemination of information, electronic publications, databases, and collaboration.

The role of communication for society in the future

Communications have significant potential for society, which is due to both the development of public communication systems and the improvement of technologies for the transmission and dissemination of information. In the future, the role of communication for society will only increase:

• The complexity of the transmitted information increases the requirements for its perception, awareness and assimilation.
• Scaling information systems into complex functionally defined structures with unlimited possibilities for storing and processing accumulated information.
• Increasing requirements for the quality of transmitted information will lead to increased responsibility for the disseminated information and the reliability of information and data.
• Reducing the possibility of misleading social groups or society as a whole.
• Transborder communication for society means the opportunity to contact and exchange information between representatives of different nations.

Mass communication- systematic dissemination of messages (through print, radio, television, cinema, sound recording, video recording and other channels of information transmission) among numerically large, dispersed audiences with the aim of informing and exerting an ideological, political, economic, psychological or organizational influence on people's assessments, opinions and behavior .

Mass communication is public in nature and performs massification function— rallying the audience around common ideas, political views, values, consumption patterns.

Object of influence mass communication is a man(audience). The audience, as a consumer of information, is not just an object of influence, but also a participant in communication. Experts divide the audience into consumer, spiritual, professional, and sexually mature.

The role of mass communications in modern society

Interaction of people based on mass communications enables social action. The derivative of social actions is social dependence. This is a social relationship in which a certain social system cannot perform the social actions necessary for it if another social system does not perform its actions.

Mass communications exist information exchange. Mass communications and their products in the form of knowledge, messages, myths, and images implement relationships of dependence. Mass communications provide the masses and become the driving force of social progress based on their influence on supply and demand.

The interaction of people based on mass communications ensures political, economic, and competitive struggle. Modern society is dynamic in nature due to the interaction and inconsistency of different classes. The contradictions themselves at different levels express. Through the exchange of information, influencing public consciousness and mood, mass communications contribute to the resolution and transformation of conflict.

Interaction of people based on mass communications provides personal development. Mass communications play a crucial role in the formation of personality in that part that is associated with influence. Mass communications do not replace interpersonal influence; they bring sociocultural patterns and personal patterns to the individual through education, religion, propaganda, advertising and mass culture.

Thanks to mass communications, society and the state solve the problems of social interaction, social control, personality formation, relieving psychological stress in people, influencing public consciousness and mood.