Understanding Communication

The word or terms of communication (from English "communication"), is etymologically or think he is the origin of the Latin communicatus, and the word is based on the word communis communis in these words have meaning 'sharing' or 'shared' is an attempt which have the goal of unity or common sense.

Terminological communication refers to the existence of the process of delivering a statement by someone to someone else. So in this sense that is involved in human communication. Because it refers to the notion Ruben and Stewart (1998:16) concerning human communication, namely:

Human communication is the process through which individuals, in relationships, groups, organizations and societies, respond to and create messages to indigenous to the environment and one another. That human communication is a process that involves individuals in a relationship, groups, organizations and communities respond to and create messages to adapt to the environment with each other.

To understand these terms so that communication can be carried out effectively in Effendy (1994:10) that the communication enthusiasts often cite the paradigm advanced by Harold Lasswell in his work, The Structure and Function of Communication in Society. Lasswell said that a good way to explain the communication is to answer the following questions: Who Says What In Which Channel To Whom With What Effect?

Lasswell paradigm above shows that the communication includes five elements as the answer to the question asked was, namely:

    1. Communicator (who says?)
    2. Message (say what?)
    3. Media (through the channel / channel / media what?)
    4. Communicant (to whom?)
    5. Effect (with the impact / effect?).

So based on the Lasswell paradigm, is simply the process of communication is the communicators establish (encode) the message and deliver it through a specific channel to the recipient that a particular effect.

  COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Departure from the paradigm Lasswell, Effendy (1994:11-19) distinguishes the communication process into two stages, namely:

1. The primary communication process

The primary communication process is the delivery process and the thoughts or feelings to another person by using the symbol (symbol) as a medium. Symbol as the primary medium of communication is in the process of verbal messages (language), and nonverbal messages (gesture / gesture, gestures, pictures, colors, etc.) that can directly / able to translate thoughts or feelings and communicators to the communicant.

As noted earlier, the communication in the event of equality of meaning in the message received by the communicant. In other words, communication is the process of making a tune messages for communicators and communicant. The process is as follows, first of all communicators encode (encoded) messages to be delivered delivered to communicant. This means that communicators and formulate thoughts or feelings into symbols (language) is expected to be understood by the communicant. Then turn communicant to translate (decode) messages from the communicator. This means that he interpreted the symbol that contains thoughts and or feelings in the context of this communicator understanding. What is important in the process of encoding (coding) is a communicator can encode and communicant can translate the password is (there are common sense).

Wilbur Schramm (in Effendy, 1994) states that communication will be successful (there is similarity of meaning) if the message transmitted by the communicator matches the reference frame (frame of reference), the alloy experiences and understanding (collection of experiences and Meanings) obtained by the communicant . Schramm added, that the field (field of experience) is an important factor also in communication. If the communicators experience the same field with the field experience communicant, communication will take place smoothly. Conversely, if the field is not the same communicant experience with the field experience of communicators, there will be difficulty to understand each other. For example, as revealed by Sendjaja (1994:33) that: The A a student wants to talk about the development of foreign currencies in relation to economic growth. For the A course will be easier and smoothly when the discussion of this is done with the B which is also the same students. If Person A is talking about it with the C, sorang village youth course graduate Elementary komunikaasi process will not run properly as expected the A. Because between the A and the C there is a difference concerning the level of knowledge, experience, culture, orientation, and perhaps also of importance.

Examples of these can give the picture that the process went well komunikasiakan or convenient between actors (source and receiver) relatively the same. That means if we want to communicate well with someone, then we harsu process and deliver the message in language and in ways that suit your level of knowledge, experience, orientation and cultural background. In other words, communicators need to recognize the individual characteristics, social and cultural from the communicant.

2. Secondary communication process

Secondary communication process is the process of delivering a message by the communicator to the communicant with the means as the second medium after using the symbol as the first medium.

A communicator uses the media to convey two komunikasike because communicant as targets in a relatively remote place or the number of lots. Letter, telephone, telex, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, movies, etc. The second is a medium that is often used in communications. Secondary communication processes that use media that can be classified as mass media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.). Nirmassa and media (telephone, letter, megaphone, etc..).

COMMUNICATION FUNCTIONS

William I. Curtains (in Deddy Mulyana, 2005:5-30) categorizes communication functions into four, namely:

1. As a social communication

Communication function as a social communication at least suggests that communication is important to build our self-concept, self-actualization, for survival, to gain happiness, avoid stress and tension, among others through communication that is comforting, and nurturing relationships people relationships. Through our communications work together with members of the community (family, study groups, universities, RT, village, ..., the state as a whole) to achieve a common goal.

    1. Formation of self concept. The concept itself is our view of ourselves, and we can only obtain information given by others to us. Through communication with other people we learn not only about who we are, but also how we feel who we are. You love yourself when you've loved; you think you are smart when the people around you think you are smart; you feel handsome or beautiful when the people around you also say so. George Herbert Mead (in Jalaluddin Grace, 1994) mengistilahkan significant others (other people very important) to the people around us who have an important role in shaping our self-concept. When we were little, they are our parents, our brothers, and people who live with us. Richard Dewey and W.J. Humber (1966) named the affective others, for other people with whom we have emotional ties. From them, slowly we form our self-concept. In addition, there is what is called the reference group (reference group) is a group that binds us emotionally, and affect the formation of our self-concept. By seeing this, people direct their behavior and adapt themselves with the characteristics of the group. If you choose your reference group of the Indonesian Doctors Association, you become the norms in this bond as a measure of your behavior. You can also squeeze themselves as part of this group, complete with doketer properties according to your perception.
    2. Statement of existence itself. People communicate to show himself exist. This is called self-actualization or more precisely the existence of self-statements. Communication function as self-evident existence of the questioner in such a seminar. Although they had been warned a moderator to speak briefly and straight to the point, pen or commentator is often a long talk lebarm lecture audience, with the arguments that sometimes are not relevant.
    3. For survival, foster the relationship, and gain happiness. From birth, we can not live alone to sustain life. We need and must communicate with others, to fulfill our biological needs like eating and drinking, and psychological needs of our memnuhi like success and happiness. Psychologists argue, our primary needs as human beings, and to become a healthy human being spiritually, is the need for a friendly social relationships, which can only be fulfilled with a good relationship with others. Moslow Abraham mentions that humans have five basic needs: physiological needs, security, social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The more basic needs must be met first before higher kebuthan attempted. We may already be able kebuthan physiological and security to survive. Now we want to meet social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization. Needs, especially the third and fourth include the desire to gain a sense of ownership over and owned, socially, feeling accepted, giving and receiving friendship. Communication will be required to obtain and provide information needed, to persuade or influence others, to consider alternative solutions to the problem and then make a decision, and social goals as well as entertainment.

2. As an expressive communication

Communication serves to convey the feelings (emotions) we are. These feelings primarily communicated through nonverbal messages. Affection, caring, longing, compassion, joy, sadness, fear, concern, anger and hate can be conveyed in words, but can be delivered more ekpresif through nonverbal behavior. A mother shows affection by stroking his son's head. People can channel his anger by cursing, clenching his hands as he melototkan, students protested the policy, or ruler of the state authorities to conduct demonstrations campus.

3. As a ritual communication

A community often perform different ceremonies throughout the year and throughout life, the so-called anthropologists sebaga rites of passage, from birth ceremonies, circumcision, birthday, engagement, spray, marriages, and others. In the events that people say the words or certain behaviors that are symbolic. Other rites such as prayer (salat, prayer, Mass), reading the scriptures, pilgrimage, flag ceremony (including singing the national anthem), the graduation ceremony, the celebration of Lebaran (Idul Fitri) or Christmas, is also the ritual communication. Those who participate in the ritual forms of communication to reaffirm their commitment to the tradition of family, tribe, nation. State, ideology, or their religion.

4. As an instrumental communication

Instrumental communication has some common objectives, namely: to inform, teach, encourage, changing attitudes, moving the action, and also entertaining.

As an instrument, not only communication we use to create and build relationships, but also to destroy the relationship. Study of communications makes us susceptible to a variety of strategies that we use in our communications to work better with others for mutual benefit. As with the instrument of communication functions to achieve personal goals and work, both short-term goals or long-term goals. Short-term goals such as to obtain credit, develop a good impression, get sympathy, empathy, material benefits, economics, and politics, which sometimes can be achieved by managing the impression (impression management), ie the tactics of verbal and nonverbal, such as speaking politely , close out the promise, mengenakankan natty clothes, and so on which basically to show others who we are as we want.

Meanwhile, long-term goals can be achieved through communication skills, such as speech skills, negotiate, foreign language or writing skills. Both goals (short and long term) is of course related to each other in the sense that management is a cumulative impression can be used to achieve long-term goal of success in my career, for example, to gain position, power, social respect, and wealth.