What is Communication?
Communication is a natural activity done by human beings. It is the human act of sending (verbal or nonverbal; online or offline) and receiving messages during which interpretations are normally constructed.What is Purposive Communication?
Purposive Communication is an intentional communication that happens within the bounds of specific contexts. It is about writing, speaking, and presenting to different audiences and for various purposes.These contexts include:
- Settings or environment (such as family, school, workplace, religious communities)
- Social relations (friends, husband and wife, parent and child, colleagues/boss, subordinate in the office)
- Scenes which include place, time and occasion (business meeting, job interview, social gathering—parties, weddings, etc.)
- Culture (history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values, etc.)
Take note that contexts are vital considerations in communicating, since they significantly affect the process of sending and receiving of messages, semantics or meaning, choice of channels, words, and methods of delivery.
For example, you wouldn’t want to just text your boss using slang words to ask him for a job promotion. Nor would you want to send your family a formal letter informing them you’ll be late for dinner.
Purposive communication, therefore, is a communication—the act of sending, receiving and interpreting messages—applied in a specific setting, environment, scene, social relations, and culture.
To end, in the process of communicating, remember what Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”