Abstract
This article examines the difficulty of defining communication as both a subject matter and a disciplinary label. It reviews prior efforts to compare published definitions of communication and identifies recurring conceptual concerns, including interaction, human participation, information, intent, and evaluative judgments about communicative acts. The article proposes a family of related concepts for speech communication theory, distinguishing communication from information, speech, language, spoken language, signs, symbols, and vocalization. It argues that spoken language can serve as a central concern for human communication without limiting inquiry to speech acts alone. The article also addresses the relationship between subject matter and professional organizations, warning that disciplinary structures may shape definitions in ways that do not follow from the subject matter itself. The accompanying taxonomy clarifies key terms for communication studies and speech communication.
Recommended Citation
Dance, Frank E. X.
(1984)
"What is communication?: Nailing Jello to the wall,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 48, Article 2.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol48/iss1/2
