Introduction to Mass Communication
“A barrier can be defined as aspects or conditions that interfere with the exchange of ideas among people.”
A barrier is any obstacle that prevents us from reaching our goal.
A barrier to communication stops the intended meaning of our message from reaching our audience.
Types of Barrier:
There are many types of barrier:
- Language Barriers:
Language barrier is a barrier to communication between people who are unable to speak a common language. Communications become difficult in situations where people don’t understand each other’s language.
- Difference in language
- Regional accents
- Ambiguity
- Use of jargons
- Literacy and linguistic ability
- Word choice
- Physiological Barriers:
Physiology is the state of the human body and mind. Physiological barriers of communication occur due to physical condition of sender or receiver which might even be due to physical disabilities. It includes sensory dysfunction and other physical dysfunctions.
- Deafness
- Blindness
- Speech disorders
- Physical condition
- Memory
Other physical disabilities also interferes with communication like problem with hand does not let a person write or type. Physiological barriers need medical treatments, therapies or corrective aids to help make communication effective.
- Psychological Barriers:
The psychological barrier of communication is the influence of psychological state of the communicators (sender and receiver) which creates an obstacle for effective communication. Communication is highly influenced by the mental condition that the communicators are in and is disturbed by mental disturbance.
- Lack of attention
- Defensiveness
- Perception
- Emotions
- Closed mindedness and filtering
- Premature evaluation
- Physical Barriers:
Physical barrier is the environmental and natural condition that act as a barrier to communication process. Organizational environment or interior workspace design problems, technological problems and noise are the parts of the physical barriers. Disturbance in hearing due to thunder is an example of a physical barrier.
Types:
- Distortion
- Noise
Causes:
- Environment or climate
- Geographical distance
- Medium disturbance
- Workspace design
- Noise
- Cultural Barriers:
“Culture is the pattern of taken for-granted assumptions about how a given collection of people should think, act and feel as they go about their daily affairs.”
Joynt and Warner (1996)
Culture is handed down from one generation to another.
Cultural diversity makes communication difficult as the mindset of people of different cultures are different. The language, signs and symbols are also different. The way you communicate is also affected by culture, you were brought up.
- Signs and symbols
- Prejudice and stereotypes
- Ethnocentrism
- Beliefs
- Religion
- Organizational Barriers:
The organizational barriers refer to hindrances in the flow of information among the employees that may result in commercial failure of an organization.
- Organizational rules and policies
- Status or hierarchical positions in organization
- Organizational facilities
- Complex organizational structure
Knowledge World 