HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION INQUIRY
Communication is an important topic of study in the modern world. We depend on our communication with others to gather relevant information, develop relationships, and exert professional and interpersonal influence. The effectiveness of our communication is related directly to our level of success in interpreting our world and accomplishing our goals.
Yet communication is deceiving and complex, and ineffective communication is all too common. We are often surprised and confused when our communication strategies are unsuccessful, when we are misinterpreted, or when we fail to accomplish our intended communication goals.
Communication research is conducted to:
a) demystify the communication process
b) help us understand why communication does or does not work as it is intended
c) identify and explore the many interrelated elements that comprise the communication process
d) help us develop strategies for using communication more effectively and appropriately
Communication is not a new topic of research; it has intrigued and been studied for centuries.
Classical period (fifth century b.c.)
§ Plato and his student Aristotle
o Studied the public-speaking strategies of Greek orators
o Named this area of inquiry rhetoric
§ Roman Empire
o Cicero and Quintillian studied the role of public communication in Roman society
§ The classical period of inquiry thus emphasized the central role of public communication in developing and maintaining government and society and firmly established the importance of the oral tradition in communication inquiry
The oral tradition dominated communication inquiry for many years and led to the study of public speaking and elocution.
1882
§ The National Association of Elocutions was formed to promote the study of speaking style, articulation, and gestures in public address
1914
§ Formation of the National Association of Academic Teachers of Public Speaking
These associations helped legitimize communication inquiry and provided communication researchers with a forum for sharing their scholarship.
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