Po ciszy. Rozważania o komunikacji opartej na kontekście
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL
Abstract
The Shannon-Weaver model of communication, which dates back to 1948, ranks surprisingly well - or rather its popularized version - in the social Sciences and humanities. This is evidenced for example by Roman Jakobson’s model of communication, which is classic in linguistics, as well as by numerous seminars and books that refer to this model and its derivatives as a benchmark and an ideal to strive for. However, once we take a look at Shannon’s article "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," published in The Bell System Technical Journal, doubts about the application of this model in interpersonal communication arise, and they seem justified and obvious. The vocabulary itself should make us highly cautious ("pair of wires, a coaxial cable, a band of radio frequencies, a beam of light"). There are clear indications that referring to the Shannon-Weaver model in interpersonal communication is either a misunderstanding or a proof of failure to understand the concept. Although researchers later made attempts to modify the model, the results cannot be considered very successful, as has been confirmed by a number of critical analyses for years present in the literature.
The model's popularity and resistance to criticism, understood as being present in training and teaching despite a clearly critical assessment, thus seems to result not so much from the accuracy of the description as from its correspondence to man's dream of control and a simple view of reality, reduced to an orderly, categorized and simple system. The model’s assumptions that it is possible to have a perfect, precise, flawless and effective communication are in line with our disagreement to disability, weakness, or dependence; with our refusal to accept that our imperfection, intuitive-ness, emotionality or irrationality significantly determine our humanity. It is extremely difficult for us to face the fact that all the things we would gladly eliminate from our lives are those that not only allow us to survive and build a common part of the world with others, but often help us to live our lives more happily. If the premise we have formulated is correct, it will be necessary to reverse a vector in thinking about communication. Perhaps it is the complexity of communication - and not its simplicity, precision and schematicity - that makes communication possible. Maybe it is not the context of an utterance that determines its code, but on the contrary - the code has a supportive function in determining the contexts within which we communicate. And maybe we communicate not in spite of so-called communication disturbances, but thanks to them - thanks to so-called errors? Maybe communication is, above all, a long-term and strenuous process of building common contexts in conversations and social encounters, in other words building a common part of the world.
In its assumptions, the mathematical model is consistent with the current socio-cultural trends, which do not value work or effort, but are based on the belief that you can get everything without doing anything or very little. Thus, these trends fit well and even dangerously strengthen solutions that do not foster, but rather hinder personal development. It is especially evident in the upbringing and educational contexts. Although there is quite a lot of talk about active listening, at the same time there are no requirements or expectations that the recipient should increase his/her vocabulary and that those who want to participate in social communication are obliged to know the language code at a certain level. Without so formulated a requirement and its enforcement, communication-oriented active listening can become a tool to perpetuate lack of communication. If each element of the code can be asked about and each can be considered incomprehensible, then the course of such "conversation" is reduced to absurdity. The virtually sole responsibility of the message sender relieves the message recipient from making any effort. Thus, the child is given tools to reject the responsibility for communication (adults should make themselves more precise), and which allow him/her to take on a role that does not belong to him/her -that of making adults accountable. And yet, almost every word can be shown as imprecise if its context is not taken or is only partially taken into account. This is not about balancing the responsibility of the child with that of the adult, but about the right to expect the child to put some effort into his/her development. This is the way to participate in interpersonal communication within the community in which he/she lives, while also respecting the voices ofhis/her ancestors. The mathematical model is not applicable in the field of counselling and psycho-therapy either. The mathematical model of communication would not accept the thesis that ambiguity, errors and distortions that occur, as well as the inability to achieve precision in defining meanings, make sense. Nor would it be acceptable to say that spouses communicate excellently when the therapist is convinced that they are making major communication errors. And indeed, such an assumption is helpful in the counselling and therapy of couples. It is helpful because it is the starting point for the therapist to learn the language the couple has developed for themselves. Without understanding this unique language, assistance is more difficult, sometimes only superficial.
However, there is a certain contradiction or paradox in people. Although on the one hand we dream of simplicity and an easy-to-follow description pattern, at the same time we long for mystery, for touching something that overwhelms us - some-thing that is beyond our comprehension. Something that cannot be easily catalogued or arranged according to a defined scheme, something that escapes our control, but is intuitively perceived as important, and indeed extraordinary. The approach to con-text-based communication, proposed in this book, refers precisely to such a longing, and to such a relationship between an individual and the world that is reflected in language. Having this idea in mind, we developed a series of activities presented in the last part of the book. We conducted them among school children or students in order to draw their attention to the complexity of communication and to give them a chance to admire the language and its mystery, as well as to make them notice the importance of silence, which speaks, and the importance of the words which remain unspoken. At the same time, we wanted - by providing these activities - to give young people an opportunity to experience that "in order to set thoughts in motion, it is necessary to have contact with real art.’’
Description
Publikacja współfinansowana przez Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords
komunikacja, komunikacja oparta na kontekście
Citation
ISBN
978-83-7306-878-0