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Our Communication, Our World
An Introduction to Communication Studies

v1.1 Richard G. Jones Jr.

Chapter 1 Communication History, Theory, and Research

How did humans develop the ability to communicate? Are humans the only creatures on earth that communicate? What purpose does communication serve in our lives? Answers to these historical, anthropological, and social-scientific questions provide part of the diversity of knowledge that makes up the field of communication studies. As a student of communication, you will learn that there is much more to the field than public speaking, even though the origins of communication studies are traced back thousands of years to ancient Greek philosophers and teachers, such as Plato and Aristotle, who were the first to systematically study and write about speech. Communication students and scholars also study basic communication processes like nonverbal communication, perception, and listening, as well as communication in various contexts, including interpersonal, group, intercultural, organizational, health, and media communication.

The oldest forms of human expression that we have discovered are cave paintings around the world that date back 30,000 years. These paintings mark the beginning of abstract thinking, which is a key part of modern human evolution.

Ancient cave wall paintings showing bison and other horse-like animals.