If it is important to know the meaning of the term social communication , it is essential to first discover its etymological origin. In this case, we are going to expose the two words that give it shape:
-Communication comes from Latin, exactly from “communicatio”, which is the result of the sum of several differentiated parts: the prefix “con-”, which means “together”; the noun “munus”, which is synonymous with “position”; the “-icare” element, which can be translated as “convert into”; and the suffix “-cion”, which is used to indicate “action and effect”. Its meaning is “action and effect of sending and receiving a message.”
-Social also derives from Latin. In its case, it emanates from “socialis”, which is formed from the union of two differentiated parts: the noun “socius”, which is synonymous with “partner” or “companion”; and the suffix “-al”, which indicates “relative to”.
Communication is the process and result of communicating : informing, making known, transmitting signals or dealing with a person through the written or oral word. Social , for its part, is that linked to society (a community of individuals who share traditions and customs and who have certain objectives in common).
What is social communication
Social communication is known as the set of scientific studies that analyze everything linked to the development of communicative processes in a society . Among its objects of study are mass media, forms of expression and the construction of information.
Social communication is interdisciplinary: it covers notions from anthropology , sociology , philosophy , psychology and journalism , among other fields of knowledge. The discipline that studies the various social phenomena involved in communication is also called communication sciences .
Main concepts
The basic communication scheme involves the participation of two or more actors who intervene, depending on the moment, as senders or receivers of a message . Messages are created according to a shared code and transmitted through a certain channel . The sender transmits the message and the receiver receives it, decoding its signs. The entire process is developed in a certain communication context and according to a frame of reference.
Experts in social communication, in short, study how the process described above is carried out. Starting from this essential scheme, multiple factors are added that affect the process, which becomes even more complex when it is developed on a massive level (with thousands or millions of senders and receivers).
University training in social communication
More and more people are studying social communication at the university level. And that is because it is considered that this will allow them to enjoy a notable series of advantages:
-It is possible to have a great learning of general culture.
-Allows you to discover different cultures and ways of seeing, living and understanding the world.
-Helps develop both logic, creativity and intuition.
-It is possible to have knowledge in a wide variety of areas such as advertising, psychology, technology...
-It will serve to develop empathy.
-Helps become a more tolerant person.