COM1511 Principles of Decolonial Communication Flashcards

Flashcards covering the essential vocabulary and concepts of Principles of Decolonial Communication, including indigenous forms of communication, theoretical models, and barriers in dynamic environments.

Communication

The sharing of meaning from one entity to another through various formats such as talking, writing, dancing, music, storytelling, or ancestral ceremonies.

Ubuntu

A Nguni Bantu concept meaning 'humanity', encapsulated by the phrase 'Umntu Ngumntu Ngabantu' (I am, because we are).

Ukuphahla

Indigenous African supplication or communicative practice used to send messages to ancestors.

Ukuxhela

Indigenous African ancestral ceremonies involving sacrifice to communicate with those who have passed on.

San Artworks

Rock art used as a communicative tool to record the history, battles, and hunting activities of the Khoi and San people, transcending the Western alphabet.

University of Timbuktu

Founded in Mali, it is recognized as the first university in the history of humanity, located in Africa.

Intuitive Model of Communication

A non-linear, circular process that expands participants to include the living, those who came before (ancestors), and those yet to be born.

Shannon-Weaver Communication Model

A mathematical model developed in 1949 by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver, treating communication as a process of transmitting information from a sender to a receiver through a channel.

Intra-personal Communication

Communication with the self, including internal dialogue, visualization, and in African cosmology, communication with the living-dead.

Looking-glass Self Theory

A theory by Charles Cooley suggesting that individuals form their self-concept based on how they believe other people see and judge them.

Social Comparison Theory

Introduced by Leon Festinger in 1954, it suggests people evaluate their own attitudes and abilities by comparing themselves to others based on superiority/inferiority and similarity/difference.

Cyber Self

The version of the self that a person chooses to present on digital platforms, which is more malleable than the actual self.

Lekgotla

A gathering in Sotho and Tswana communities used to discuss pertinent issues or serve as a court of law.

Tuckman's Model

A model of group development consisting of five stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Functionalist Perspective

A mechanistic or rational view of organizational communication that treats organizations as machines and focuses on measurement and control.

Interpretivist Perspective

An adaptive view of organizational communication that sees it as a human phenomenon focused on relationships and social systems.

Critical Perspective

An approach to organizational communication that addresses underlying power structures, domination, and the continuity of colonial relations.

Agenda-Setting Theory

A theory coined in 1972 by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw focusing on the media's power to influence the public agenda by prioritizing certain news items.

Gatekeeping

The practice of controlling the selection of content to be covered in the media, typically performed by editors.

Priming

Occurs when the media gives utmost importance or time to a certain event to give the impression that it is the most important news.

Framing

A process of selective control where news is shaped and contextualized within a specific frame of reference to influence audience perception.

Open System

A type of system that encourages and allows communication and feedback between the system and its external environment.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)

Ways of knowing and acquiring knowledge within indigenous communities that have often been marginalized or disregarded as superstition.

Ukusisa

A Zulu custom involving the lending of an item of value, like a cow, to help a family in need and build community wealth.

Hlonipha

The linguistic term for 'respect' used by southern Bantu-speaking societies, especially toward males and elders.

Semantic Barriers

Communication obstacles related to language, including incorrect grammar, mispronunciation, or technical jargon.

Intergenerational Trauma Barriers

Trauma that moves from one generation to the next, such as that caused by the apartheid regime, which can distort current communication.

Misinformation

False information shared without the intent to cause harm.

Disinformation

False information shared with the knowledge that it is false and the intent to cause harm.

Mal-information

True information shared with the intent to cause harm, often by making private information public.

Listening

A cognitive process occurring in the brain that involves receiving, making meaning of, and responding to a message.

Hearing

A physical process occurring via the ears, occurring when sound enters the auditory system regardless of interpretation.