comm_and_you

We Must Communicate: The Functional Perspective

Page 4

We communicate from the moment we’re born. A baby’s cry lets everyone within earshot know that something isn’t right: he’s hungry, cold, or has a painful ear infection. Throughout our lives, we dedicate a huge amount of time to communicating with others to ensure that our needs are met—though in more sophisticated ways than we did as infants. We talk, listen, smile, and nod; we write up résumés and go on dates. In these ways, we learn, express ourselves, form relationships, and gain employment. This functional perspective of communication examines how our communication helps (or doesn’t help) us accomplish our goals in personal, group, organizational, or public situations.

Technology and You

Many technologies that you may think of as having fun or leisure uses also have a functional side. Do you use technology like text messaging, Facebook updates, or Twitter posts for fun, function, or both?

All communication “works” (or not) within the context of relationships—the interconnections between people that function to achieve some goal. Our relationships involve interdependence, meaning that our actions affect one another. For example, Jamie flips burgers to get a paycheck to help pay for college—that’s her goal. Her boss depends on Jamie to do her job well and keep the business profitable. The customers, who want an inexpensive and quick lunch, depend on both of them. Jamie, the boss, and the lunch customers are interdependent.

Box 1.1 Communication Is Not Just Common Sense

Everyone has ideas about what constitutes good communication. But just how correct are those ideas? Do your personal theories of communication match what social science tells us about the way we communicate? Consider the following questions:

Does talking equal effective communication?
Have you ever sat through a lecture only to find that your instructor was boring, unclear, disorganized, or even offensive? Talking is one way of giving information, but it isn’t always effective on its own. To communicate effectively, we also need to be thoughtful and to use silence, listening skills, and symbols other than words.
Do body movements (often called “body language”) constitute a language?
As you will learn in chapter 5, nonverbal communication is important and useful, but there is no direct translation for what body movements mean. Because nonverbal communication can be interpreted in many different ways, it is not a true language.

Is more control necessarily better in communication?
While we admire people who can articulate their point of view, if we think they are trying to trick us or force us, we often resist what they are saying. Your father may stay on topic and clearly state his case against your choice of a major, for example, but he still can’t make you do what he wants.
Are most communication behaviors inborn and entirely natural?
No. Although we are certainly born with some ability to communicate, most of the skills we need to communicate must be learned—otherwise we’d go through life crying whenever we needed something. The best communicators never stop learning.
Is speaking well more important than listening?
If you talk and nobody listens, has communication taken place? No. Communication is a two-way street, and listening is a crucial part of the process.

A long line of research conducted in a variety of contexts—including work groups, families, and friendships—has found that virtually all communication behavior serves one or more primary functions, such as expressing affiliation, achieving goals, or influencing others (Wiemann & Krueger, 1980). Let’s consider each of these functions, keeping in mind that they are often intertwined.