An Introduction To Communication

This concise book presents theory and teaches skills allowing students from all academic backgrounds to understand the communication field.

In this introductory textbook, the author contextualises approaches and theories on cornmunication studies by making use of local examples from the mass media, as well as relevant political and social experiences. The book is divided into two parts. The first provides students with a strong foundation in communication while the second focuses on the areas of specialisation within communication studies. Each chapter starts with the learning Outcomes and a short overview of the chapter. Students can monitor their learning by using the summaries and 'test yourself' questions at the end of every chapter. Scenarios provide examples of how the theory can be applied in practice. This makes for a learner-friendly and accessible book which will prove invaluable to Students and professionals alike. Beginner students majoring in Communication Studies, as well as those studying towards various degrees or qualifications where communication is a prerequisite will find this book useful.

"This brief introduction to the field of communication has the advantages of Arthur Asa Berger's informal writing style and a flair for popular culture examples that will interest students. Designed for the basic course in communication departments, the volume introduces the key theorists who shaped our concepts of communication as he describes the varied processes and settings in which communication occurs. Chapters on social media, on communication and identity, and on visual communication address key contemporary topics. A specialist on mass media and author of over 75 books in communication and popular culture, Berger's examples range from advertisements to folk tales to James Bond films. Student exercises, quotes from key theorists, and cartoons make this a strong option for instructors who wish to explore alternatives to the standard encyclopedic textbook"--

In the second edition of this widely-used introductory text John Fiske draws upon the main authorities in the field, from Shannon and Weaver'sCommunication Theoryto Saussure's structural linguistics and Peirce'sSemiotics. He examines the two main schools: seeing communication as the encoding, transmission, and decoding of messages; and viewing communication as the generation of meanings.

This introduction to communication theory offers an historical account of the development of all major theoretical approaches by summing up the range of existing theories, and explaining how and why the diverse currents of thought emerged.

Written as an introduction for beginning students, this book offers a thorough, yet lively, overview of human communication in all its aspects. Accessibly written and assuming no prior knowledge of the discipline Communication: An Introduction: offers a thorough, yet lively, examination of all aspects of human communication, including: a summary of its nature, form and function; a detailed analysis of all the levels of communication; a description and overview of the different traditions of communication studies; and a consideration of the future of communication - as a phenomenon and as a field of research.