- Aug 2023
-
socialsci.libretexts.org socialsci.libretexts.org
-
Since communication studies is a broad field, many students strategically choose a concentration and/or a minor that will give them an advantage in the job market. Specialization can definitely be an advantage, but don’t forget about the general skills you gain as a communication major. This book, for example, should help you build communication competence and skills in interpersonal communication, intercultural communication, group communication, and public speaking, among others. You can also use your school’s career services office to help you learn how to “sell” yourself as a communication major and how to translate what you’ve learned in your classes into useful information to include on your resume or in a job interview. The main career areas that communication majors go into are business, public relations / advertising, media, nonprofit, government/law, and education.[1] Within each of these areas there are multiple career paths, potential employers, and useful strategies for success. For more detailed information, visit http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/communication-studies.
I love how this book is already is fighting the misconception communication degrees are useless. There was this show I watched called Scream Queens and all the sorority girls said their communication girls was useless. They had to scramble to find jobs. It's really interesting what is on this list, like public relations, marketing, media. These are all jobs these sorority girls would love. A lot of jobs with communication degrees, especially those associated with technology, looks like they will grow and there will be more opportunities for those with communication degrees.
-
At a cultural level, communication scholars could study how the election of an African American president creates a narrative of postracial politics. Our tour from Aristotle to Obama was quick, but hopefully instructive. Now let’s turn to a discussion of the five major forms of communication.
Like Obama or hate him, Obama is a highly memorable president. Obama isn't just memorable just for being the first black president, he is remembered for his revolutionary ideas and dedication to human rights. Obama advocated for rights for his own group and groups that Obama did not belong too, like gay rights. I often wonder if Obama was white, would he be remembered as one the best presidents of our time?
-
The end of the “Manuscript Era” marked a shift toward a rapid increase in communication technologies. The “Print Era” extended from 1450 to 1850 and was marked by the invention of the printing press and the ability to mass-produce written texts. This 400-year period gave way to the “Audiovisual Era,” which only lasted 140 years, from 1850 to 1990, and was marked by the invention of radio, telegraph, telephone, and television. Our current period, the “Internet Era,” has only lasted from 1990 until the present. This period has featured the most rapid dispersion of a new method of communication, as the spread of the Internet and the expansion of digital and personal media signaled the beginning of the digital age.
I love seeing how much communication has evolved over civilization. The printing press marked a big milestone in civilization. When printing presses were widespread, this put power in the people's hands. Freedom of religion increased and free speech in general increased. From the printing press, communication evolved faster, because things could now be mass produced. The printing press is still essential 500 years later for widespread communication. A little over 500 years later, another communication milestone was invented, the internet. With the internet, it mirrors the invention of the printing press where widespread communication was available for the first time in history. With the internet, it meant widespread communication was now available anywhere. The internet was such a milestone, communication evolved faster than ever and now a new era is beginning, the digital era.
-
Some scholars speculate that humans’ first words were onomatopoetic. You may remember from your English classes that onomatopoeia refers to words that sound like that to which they refer—words like boing, drip, gurgle, swoosh, and whack. Just think about how a prehistoric human could have communicated a lot using these words and hand gestures. He or she could use gurgle to alert others to the presence of water or swoosh and whack to recount what happened on a hunt. In any case, this primitive ability to communicate provided an evolutionary advantage.
I have often wondered how humans first started to communicate. Humans first words being onomatopoeias make a lot of sense. Humans probably learned how to talked based on imitating sounds. This actually is how all humans learn to talk, is by imitation. When young children learn to talk, they do it by imitating their parents.
-