Communication is defined as the process of a message being conveyed and interpreted among people. Immediately we assume the best communicators are the ones who are well spoken and are extraverts, however there are many aspects that need to be taken into deliberation in order to effectively construe context within communication. Context is an important consideration when interpreting communication. There are many variations of context within any language and it is important for us to grasp these concepts as we engage in communication with others. Communication between people are always integrated with context. Context can be interpreted otherwise by various receivers that have unique historical, situational, temporal and socio-cultural circumstances. These context styles can also have certain communication barriers involved with them that can cause difficultly when interpreting the conversation or sending the message. Communication as a whole is a very board-based concept and is difficult to be expressed in an accurate way, this is why it is so important to be considerate of different factors for understanding context (H.G.FitzGerald 2002).
Situational context is referred and defined by the setting where the communication is taking place, the activity that is being had or the environment in which the person is in. In different situations you communicate and respond differently, through the types of styles, tones and varieties of communication in these settings. Associated with and greatly influenced by situational context is body language – the voluntary and involuntary ways in which you show your attitude whilst communicating as well as, behaviour – the way you conduct yourself in the location. If you were performing at a theatre, your tone that is conveyed to the audience is perceived to be more outspoken and descriptive than what it would be at home. Your speech would change significantly if you are at a business meeting compared to if you are at a university party. "Physical environments consist of a user's familiarity with his/her surroundings; i.e. whether he/she is at home or in public" (V.Karnowski and O. Jandura 2014 pg 184-193). Communication is unsuccessful when there is a break down between the sender and the receiver. These barriers may include physical and lack of clarification which are caused by the situation that the sender or receiver may be in. Communication is only effective when there is a common understanding of the message between the sender and receiver. The behaviour of the sender or receiver of the message depends on the situation they are in. "Responses to others' suffering may be situation-dependent, and drastically vary across social contexts" (Cheng Y, Chen C and Decety J 2017). A physical, auditory interference barrier could be a noisy train station where the receiver of the message can misinterpret the message that is being conveyed to him do to the loud noises around him. An uncomfortable environmental condition could be a freezing temperature and the receiver of the message cannot interpret the message properly because he is too distracted by the cold. "To be appropriate and effective, communication must fit the requirements and expectations of the situation" (H.G. FitzGerald 2002 pg 171). Situation or circumstance consideration is key to full communication in which context is being transferred.
It is not only situation that influences communication however, the temporal context correspondingly has a significant impact on communication. Temporal context factors are particularly significant in influencing interpretations (S, Chriem 2007 pg 449). A message that is positioned within conversational events if referred to as temporal context; the timing of an occasion or act. It governs the disposition of the conversation and how the topics are to be adopted and related thereafter. The discussion would be carried out differently when someone says they're mother died compared to when someone announces they bought a puppy. The conversation matter can represent the temporal context within discussion. (Shadlen, M N & Jazayeri, M 2010 pg 1020-1026) explains effectively how understanding communication goes hand in hand with temporal context. The time aspect is the main barrier people may people will face in temporal context within communication. If there was a group of friends who met up every Tuesday at a certain time to talk about a specific matter, and one friend decided to have the group over on a Tuesday at that exact time, it is expected that the same topic or communication between the group will arise due to the timing of the event. This can be considered as a temporal context barrier within communication as the one friend was probably expecting to have a different conversation. Timing is crucial when bringing forward an idea or conversation as it applies to the environment or people who are around you, for instance, it would not be in context for you to ask a colleague out to drinks while at a meeting with superiors' present, this may lead to people having negative thoughts about you in the business environment. Temporal context can be seen linking to situational context as the timing of a specific conversation relates to the setting or environment you are in.
In cohesion with time frames, historical context refers to the conditions during a certain time or place this may include the religious, social or political issues that a person is in; which enables them to behave in a certain way. Long ago, women were perceived to be the cleaners, cooks and the inferior parent to children, whereas at present, women obtain high level occupations that are in equivalence with men, voiced opinions, through social movements and began to be taken seriously. These two very different eras can be seen as a historical context in the way that women behaved and limited themselves in comparison to what they have become. Within the work environment women may not be taken as seriously as men. Men may not want to listen to women who are on the same payroll as them or in charge in relation to the work because they are seen as inferior. "Considering how broader cultural and historical contexts might affect representations of woman during any time period is an important step in better understanding the rhetorical history of women" (Ramsey, E M 2010). Another example of interpersonal barrier with the lack of historic and cultural knowledge, could be slavery in the 1800s, where incarcerated people were sold off for a profit would never be acceptable in the 21st Centaury, there would be outrage. So, an event that occurred at a certain time in historic setting should never be looked at without placing it in its context or the communication will not be effective. Social movements as well as collective struggles for racial equality, as part of the Civil Rights Movements in the 1960s are by no means an easy conversation (LaFever, M 2008). This can be seen as a communication barrier within historical context. People who went through these struggles would try make other people understand what they went through and try change their perception of the matter, however they may not be able to relate, making it very frustrating for the sender to get the message across.
In relation to culture, society correspondingly comprises of socio-culture, where within the hierarchy of social groups or organisations there is diverse culture. Socio-cultural context refers to the immediate social setting or physical setting in which people are in. It is merged with culture that a certain individual was brought up with or taught through education as well as the people and establishments they interact with (Titrek, O 2010). An example of socio-culture would be if an English business man had to travel to China in relation to a business opportunity. The English man may not have anything in common with that culture in comparison if he had to travel to America. It is important that people of the same socio-culture are placed together in different regards such as business meetings or training as they would be familiar with that culture when communicating. There could be a substantial ethnocentrism communication barrier between the English business man and the Chinese men at a dinner meeting for instance. In the English culture it is known that if you cleared your plate, you have enjoyed your meal and you are grateful for the food. However, in the Chinese culture it means you could be testing their generosity and you will be served with more food, it is their social norm (Catherine O.Egbe, Inge Peterson & Anna Meyer-Weitz 2013). In these circumstances it is important to understand the socio-cultural background of people when interacting with them in society.
Context needs to be interpreted correctly in order for communication to be effective. Referring back to the different types of context, it seems that context is an important consideration in interpreting communication. The situational context shows the dependable factors that come with this context, how every person's situational context can differ to the next person's. Temporal context is another factor that can influence interpretations in communication because of the timing of an occasion or act. Historical context demonstrates the certain conditions within a time or place that a person is in and why that behaved like they did. Socio-cultural context refers to the instantaneous physical and social setting in which people are in or which develops. Communication barriers may be experienced in each of these contexts and caused if context is not considered, they however, need to be overcome in order for the communication to be more effective from the sender to the receiver. In conclusion, I do agree that these contexts greatly impact the interpretation of communication if they are not considered or identified.