Social constructionist approach to communication and communication competence

Abstract

(uk) У статті розглядається онтологія соціального конструкціонізму. Дослідники виявили, що методологічні підходи соціального конструкціонізму надали особливого імпульсу розвитку комунікативних дисциплін. Автори проаналізували моделі комунікативної компетентності, прокоментували її мінімальний, задовільний і оптимальний рівні.

(ru) В статье рассматривается онтология социального конструкционизма. Исследователи выявили, что методологические подходы социального конструкционизма дали особый импульс развитию коммуникативных дисциплин. Авторы проанализировали модели коммуникативной компетентности, прокомментировали характеристики ее минимального, удовлетворительного и оптимального уровней.

(en) The paper introduces social constructionist approach and how it is manifested in today’s social research across disciplines. Based on Berger and Luckmann’s work, The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise on the Sociology of Knowledge, the author reviews the process of «social construction» and what it means to be «socially constructed». The paper highlights the ontological, epistemological, theoretical, and practical foundations of constructionism that distinguish it from other approaches. Some implications for social researchers are outlined. In contemporary communication literature, these traditions are most fully developed in the general theory of interpersonal communication known as Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM).Communication competence was viewed as a systemic process in which persons attempt to cocreate some degree of coorientation and coordination to achieve their individual and collective goals. Viewing communication as practice puts a different emphasis on language and talk. It implies that language and discourse are a «matter of using and doing» rather than merely a vehicle for the representation of ideas. Language is not simply talk about action, it is action. It is a part of an emerging process in which people create themselves and their realities. Central to social constructionism is understanding communication as a primary formative process, a basic human activity or practice through which people co-construct their social realities. Today’s communication research literature widely recognizes the significance of competence in communication interactions and argues for the need to understand its nature. The complex nature of communication competence has resulted in a great multitude of theoretical and methodological approaches and models. The existing models of communication competence include competence as effectiveness and appropriateness, goal-attaining, interpersonal problem solving, social skills, adaptability, behavioral flexibility, interpersonal impression and perception, fundamental competence, linguistic competence, social competence, relational competence, etc. Examples of minimal, satisfactory, and optimal communication competence in specific problem solving situations were identified and critiqued. Communication problems that trancsend one meeting or organization were identified and some interventions suggested.