Plain-language explanation.
Communication theory studies how people and systems exchange information and meaning. It asks: how does meaning get created, transmitted, and interpreted? Why do misunderstandings happen? How does context affect what messages mean? Communication is studied at every level — from two people talking to mass media reaching billions.
Core concepts and standard treatment.
Communication models: Shannon and Weaver's mathematical model (sender, encoder, channel, noise, decoder, receiver — focused on signal fidelity), Lasswell's model (who says what in which channel to whom with what effect), Jakobson's functions of language (referential, emotive, conative, phatic, metalingual, poetic), and transactional models (communication as mutual, simultaneous, context-embedded process). Semiotics: Saussure (sign = signifier + signified; langue vs. parole), Peirce (icon, index, symbol), and Barthes (denotation, connotation, myth).
Deeper theory, debates and edge cases.
Rhetoric (Aristotle: ethos, pathos, logos; the five canons — invention, arrangement, style, memory, delivery): classical persuasion theory foundational for public speaking, political communication, and advertising. Discourse analysis: critical discourse analysis (Fairclough: language, ideology, and power — how discourse naturalises power relations); conversation analysis (Sacks, Schegloff, Jefferson: turn-taking machinery, adjacency pairs, repair sequences in naturally occurring talk); genre analysis (Swales: rhetorical moves in academic and professional genres). Interpersonal communication: active listening, non-verbal communication (kinesics, proxemics, paralanguage), uncertainty reduction theory, and communication accommodation.
How it is applied in practice.
Organisational communication: information richness theory (Daft and Lengel: media choice matching communication complexity to channel richness); communication climate (defensive vs. supportive climates, Gibb); and the communication aspects of leadership, change management, and organisational culture. Intercultural communication: Hofstede's cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/femininity, long-term orientation, indulgence) and their implications for professional communication across cultures. Health communication: patient-centred communication (SPIKES protocol for breaking bad news), health literacy, and risk communication during public health emergencies. Strategic communication: integrating PR, marketing, advertising, and internal communications around a coherent, authentic narrative.