Week 16: Post #3

3). What was it about this class that you liked? What do you think needs improvement?

I really enjoyed this class and the entire experience.  I have taken online classes before, but I do not think that I have ever experienced a class that felt so natural.  The class was explained in the first week with a lot of information and completely thoroughly.  This is often where many other online classes fail.  I have wished for more information or have been confused about what the requirements are for the class.  This class had a lot of information and a lot of availability from the professor, which I am sure is a lot to ask of them.  If I ever had a question, I got a response in a prompt and complete way.  I think that the course material that was covered was completely reasonable.  I think that the blogs were an interesting way of creating a dialog. I am very grateful that the workload was so reasonable, meaning not too much work, not too little where I felt like it was a waste of my time and everyone else's in the class.  

Week 16: Post #2

2). Pick on other concept from the book that you feel needs further discussion?

While I know that many of my other classmates have already pointed this out, I think we have covered some really important facets of communication studies.  However, I do think that this class could have been even more beneficial if we could have explored the impact of cross cultural communication.  I think that we could have taken a harder look at what goes on within our own country to help improve the way we communicate with each other.  I know that ethnocentrism is still a huge issue within this society and while there are people who are still ignorant to differences within cultures, we are still going to face obstructions in maximizing our potential for effective communication.  I know that exploring these concepts would be very a very extensive process, and some might eve say that this might even cross over into sociological concepts, but I think that we could benefit from the increased knowledge.  

Week 16: Post #1

1). What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting? What was it about the concept/s that you found interesting.

I think one of my favorite concepts that we discussed was when we covered the relationships developed online.  I found it very interesting to revisit the beginning of my cyberspace life.  I started exploring the internet when I was in Junior High School, along with many of my other classmates.  I however seemed to feel pretty different that many others did about my new channel of communication with the outside world.  Many of my classmates expressed much more interest in developing relationships with strangers online and developing relationships with people that they went to school with.  I never thought much about how "technically opposed" I was until I was observing it 10 years later.  I know that my parents took a very active approach in keeping me and my sister out of the house and active as possible, but I did not realize just how different that was from other kids my age.  

Week 13: Post #3

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

One concept that I found particularly amazing in this chapter was the Television portion.  I could not believe that the book said that the average American household tuned in to watch about eight hours of television a day.  Not only that, but the typical individual viewing a little less than four and half hours of programming daily.  This completely shocked me when I read it.  I am a student, who also works 30 hours a week, so I might be a little biased, but I can not imagine having eight hours a day dedicated to watching television.  I do not have that kind of time.  I also cannot even begin to imagine why watching eight hours of television a day would do to/for me.  As the book stated, it is a way to provide news, companionship, teaching and socialization, relaxation and escapist entertainment.  But there are so many other ways to achieve all of those things, that it it hard to imagine wanting to receive it all from television.  

Week 13: Post #2

2). Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

I completely and absolutely agree with Marshal McLuhan's idea that the medium is the message.  I believe that not only does the format matter as far as what is received and what is ignored, but I also believe that it also reveals more about the meaning of the message and the message sender.  For example, If I want to wish my best friend a happy birthday, I would call her, give her a present, take her out to dinner, or something else equally kind.  If I were to just send her a message on facebook, it wouldn't really seem very sufficient.  If I were to wish a distant acquaintance a happy birthday of facebook, it might seem like a nice gesture.  I believe that the format and the content of the message are equally as important as the relationship between the communicators.  I am not sure that I follow the idea of the cool medium vs. the hot medium, but as the book says, it is not embraced by everyone.  

Week 13: Post #1

1). Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?

After reading this question, I was a little bit surprised with myself.  I have grown up in a generation that is surrounded by constant communication, most of which is online.  I have known of websites, chat rooms, and instant messaging as second nature.  As one of the children in this generation, I have never formed a relationship online.  I am kind of surprised.  Not that this is new information to me, but it is interesting that for something to be so common of people my age, I had no part in it.  I was never really interested in chat rooms or surfing the internet.  I haven't ever really gotten into the instant messaging thing or the social networking sites.  I don't think that it is for any particular reason other than I just don't enjoy sitting at a computer that much.  I have always had very accessible access to computers and the internet, but it just isn't really my thing.  I use computers for school and work and that is pretty much it.  

Week 11: Post #3

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

I found the idea of the “looking-glass self” as an interesting concept within this chapter.  As our textbook says, Charles Horton Cooley’s metaphor describes the looking-glass self as a product of our own sense of self based on the approval and disapproval of those around us.  It is formed by the ones closest to us and shapes the way we see ourselves according to how we fit in and how we are viewed with others.  The book also explains that this view of self is a cycle that is regular and happens without any initiation of the person themselves.  “Someone we care about responds to us.  Our perception of this response affects our sense of who we are, and we behave in ways consistent with that self.  This behavior then draws forth additional responses, and the cycle repeats itself,” (p. 144).  When considering myself with this idea, I can completely relate to this kind of cycle.  I like to have the approval of my friends and family, even if I am attempting to get it unknowingly.

Week 11: Post #2

2). Think about the filters you use to eliminate people from consideration as potential romantic partners. What characteristics or behaviours lead you to judge others as unattractive? Does Duck's theory make sense to you? Have you ever eliminated someone by using a sociological or pre-interaction cue only to reconsider them based on interaction and cognitive cues?

When thinking about potential romantic partners, I think that I have a tendency to use all of the provided filters.  I think that my difference is maybe the order in which I apply my filters.  I would like to think that I do not necessarily base my appeal in people based on Preinteraction Cues (physical beauty, artifacts, nonverbal behavior, etc) before the Interaction Cues (social rewards, conversational management, etc.)  I would also like to think that I would consider the Cognitive Cues (attitude similarity, need complementarity, shared values, etc.)  before the Preinteraction Cues.  I know that the names of these Cues obviously signify when they take place, but I would like to think that the Preinteraction Cues do not cause me to write someone off right away. 

When thinking about how I have judged people in the past, I used Cognitive Cues to based how I believe I will interact with that person.  If these kind of Cues do not match up with my own, I have a hard time imagining that I would be able to find myself attracted to them or a relationship with them, be that romantic or just friends.  My boyfriend now was a person that I was not initially attracted to, but after understanding their Cognitive Cues, I found myself more attracted to him.

Week 11: Post #1

1). Which pattern (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) do you think would be the most difficult to change? Why? Which would be the most damaging to a relationship? Which would be the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved?

Speaking from my own experience, I would say that rigid complementarity pattern is the most difficult to change.  I speak from experience when I say that it is so hard to change peoples roles in a relationship between two people if they have been established already.  These roles are often even destructive useless and can be very hard on the people within and surrounding the relationship.  The problem is that people get comfortable with a routine, even if this routine is not a healthy routine.  People overlook a lot, or put up with a lot, because that is how they have gotten used to dealing with the other person.  Even when people can recognize that the pattern might be unhealthy or may need some altering, it can become almost impossible to break the habits that have been formed.  I would like to think that people are always aware of their roles in a given situation, but the rigid complementarity pattern often allows people to have a skewed image of themselves and the situation.

Week 9: Post #3

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed during this discussion week, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

I found the concept of effort-optimism to be very interesting and within the same boundaries of what I was talking about before.  The idea that within American culture, you are in charge of your own destiny, is not as common as many Americans would believe.  As the book points out, in many other countries, emphasis is not put on the individual level as much as it is put on the family or clan level.  I think that this is one of the core reasons that Americans clash so much with the rest of the world.  We are taught that with hard work and determination, we can achieve anything.  In other parts of the world this just isn't true.  Obama would never be able to be the King of England.  You have to be born into that kind of fortune, but in the United States we are taught that anyone can be anything they want to be.  

Week 9: Post #2

2). Do you believe in the rationality, perfectibility, and mutability premises? What social institutions and practices are based on these beliefs?

Of the three premises covered in chapter 12 in the textbook, I only truly believe in one of them and partially in another.  The premise that I do not believe in is the perfectibility premise.  The book puts it as based on the old Puritan idea that humans are born in sim but are capable of achieving goodness through effort and control.  I do not agree with this notion at all because I believe in nurture much more than nature.  Institutions that follow this premise would be religious institutions.  This might also be a reason why I don't follow this premise, since I am not a particularly religious person.  This brings me to the next premise that I believe in: mutability premise.  The books states that this premise assumes that human behavior is shaped by environmental factors and that the way to improve humans is to improve their physical and psychological circumstances.  Institutions that follow this premise are educational ones.  The book says that a belief in universal education follows this assumption.  I believe that we can always find a way to overcome.  The premise that I have mixed feelings about is the rationality premise.  I want to believe that most people are capable of discovering the truth through logical analysis, but I am not sure all of us are.  The institutions that prove this premise are the majority of institutions set up in this country such as democracy, trial by jury, etc.  I think there is a lot of truth to this premise but not with everyone, which is why I can't commit to say I agree with it completely.  

Week 9: Post #1

1). Do you agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are "creatures of our culture" and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture? If so, how can we break through the limits of our cultures?

I absolutely agree with Ruth Benedict in that we are "creatures of our culture"!  I find this idea very interesting and obvious at the same time.  Just today I was watching Oprah with my mom and she was doing a show on different women throughout the world.  She followed women in different countries and profiled their day-to-day lives as well as specific cultural norms.  A large portion of the program focused on Copenhagen in Denmark.  The women that were profiled in Copenhagen stressed the simplistic lifestyle, the free health care, the free education, etc.  The show also mentioned that in a recent study, Danish people are the happiest people in the world. 

While watching this program, I couldn't help but feel a little pessimistic.  This would never work in the United States.  Our core values are just too different for us to ever be able to emulate this country.  I want free health care and free education but I also like working hard and reaping the benefits.  I love the benefits of socialistic views (like Denmark's) but I am a materialistic American girl from a capitalistic country.  

The women from Denmark couldn't understand the need for all of our "stuff", I have a hard time imagining life without all of the "stuff".  I think the differences in cultures are so embedded in our brains that they become second nature and it isn't until we experience difference that we understand that there are other ways of living.  I think the only way to break the limits of our own culture is to experience others.  We need to investigate what is important in life, which can vary from person to person, but only when we experience difference will we understand what we really have.  

Week 7: Post #3

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed this week, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

One area that I found particularly true in this chapter was the emotional expression part.  The book says that nonverbal is more effective than verbal communication in emotional expression.  A comforting hug or a nice touch is always better than someone telling me it is going to be okay.  Emotions need more than just verbal communication because the nonverbal is what let the emotions shine through.  Tears can show that one is sad.  A smile can show that one is happy.  A wrinkled brow can indicate some anger.  All of the these things help communicate nonverbally.  My boyfriend happens to think that I like to communicate more with my face than I actually do with my words.  He thinks he can read my like a book.  I am not sure at how accurate he really is at that, but he does seem to know when I am angry, or upset.  

Week 7: Post #2

2). Although nonverbal messages are more universal than verbal messages, nonverbals do not always carry the same meanings in other cultures. Can you give examples of some of the nonverbal displays that take on different meanings in other countries? If you have moved around within this country, have you ever encountered regional differences in nonverbal meaning?

My boyfriend has been lucky enough to do quite a bit of traveling at such a young age.  With that experience he has been able to meet lots of different people from different places.  He has experienced this very idea while traveling.  Many countries have different context for nonverbal messages.  While traveling he happened to give a simple thumbs-up.  He was showing the people that whatever he was talking about was cool.  However, when he did so, one of the people he was with asked him what he was doing in a kind of insulted way.  When He explained what it meant, the other boy started to laugh.  The other boy explained to my boyfriend giving a thumbs up where he was from (Iran) was the equivalent of flipping someone off.  Regional differences also occur within this country.  In Hawaii, you see people making the "hang loose" symbol with their hands.  In rock and roll you see a lot of people making the "rock on" symbol with their hands.  In all these cases hand symbols which is a form of nonverbal communication, can mean different things to different people. 

Week 7: Post #1

1). Because nonverbal messages can be ambiguous, they are open to misinterpretation. Have you ever been wrong about the meaning of someones nonverbal message? Describe what happened. How can people increase the accuracy with which they interpret nonverbal message?

Because nonverbal messages are open to interpretation for the most part, I have unfortunately been a victim of misinterpreting nonverbal messages before.  One specific time was very hostile with some old friends of mine.  I was sitting with a couple of my friends at a party.  We were laughing a lot about some silly house decorations that were there at for party across the room from where my group was huddled.  We kept on turning towards them, saying another silly joke and then burst into laughter again.  What we didn't realize was that another one of our friends was near those decorations and had been that entire time.  When she came over to us and was really upset we were all so confused.  She had to explain to us what she saw until we were able to figure out the mix up.  She thought that we were all making fun of her when we were all laughing.  She saw us all turning around staring and laughing in her direction, and thought it was aimed at her.  Once we were able to explain, everything was okay, but with the misinterpretation of nonverbal communication, we can see why this happened.  In the future, I think I need to remember to be very aware of all of my surroundings.  If I am on the receiving end I also need to remember to not jump to conclusions.  With those ideas in mind, maybe the interpretation of nonverbal communication can be more accurate. 

Week 6: Post #3

3). Pick on concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Identifying loaded language was a particularly interesting passage in the assigned reading for me.  "God terms are terms that are so positive that they go unchallenged; devil terms express negative values and repel the listener" (pg. 57).  I wouldn't necessarily use those terms to describe that kind of behavior, however, I do believe that that language exists, and is actually very prevalent. For example, when lawyers are questioning witnesses, they will phrase a question in a particular way to get a particular response out of the witness.  When you are arguing with someone you might also use the same tactic.  When you are trying to convince someone to do something, you might describe it in a way that it is impossible to say no to.  These are all examples of loaded language.  They always have an alternative motive or a hidden agenda.  I think that loaded language is used in a way that is not always fair to all participants.  In this situation, I think it can be cruel.  However, one can usually figure out when loaded language is being used and answer honestly, and truthful to oneself, not according to the loaded language.

Week 6: Post #2

2). Do you agree that men and women use language differently? In what areas?

I think that men and women use language the same as far as context, but as when comparing content, men and women differ in a large way.  For example, I think that if a group of men and a group of women were to have the exact same conversation, I think that the groups would have completely different views about what was said and their feelings about the conversation that transpired.  

Unfortunately, I think women have a tendency to be more invested in the conversation at hand then men do.  This is not to say that men don't have strong feelings or that one group is more emotional than the other, because I personally do not buy that argument; I think men can be just as emotional as women, they just may not manifest those emotions in a different way than women.  I just think that women tend to hold people more accountable on thing that are said in a casual conversation than most men would.  

Week 6: Post #1

1). Is it possible to perceive others without judging or categorizing them? If so, how? If not, how can we make the judgments we do make, more fair?

I would like to think that it is possible to perceive others without judging or categorizing them, however, I think it is human nature to want "understand" people.  And by understand people, I don't mean that perceiver is correctly perceiving others, but rather judging or categorizing them in a way that makes them comfortable.  The perceivers could really know absolutely nothing about the observed, but if they were able to come to a conclusion that would explain their behavior, traits, etc., then that is all the perceiver needs to know.  

I think that a way to make judgement and categorization more fair is for the perceivers to actually be interested in knowing others.  They can actually ask questions and listen to the answers.  They can let their opinion be molded as much as possible by the person they are forming their opinion about.  We will still always have our own biases and judge others on preconceived notions, but we will have a better chance to actually know the other person.

Week 3: Post #3

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

Intentionality really struck a chord with me from Chapter two.  I found myself thinking about all of the times I have gotten into an argument because of intentionality.  Let me explain.  I think intentionality is one of the most problematic areas of communication because it takes on a life of it own.  It can be most often a problem when communicating non-verbally.  This means the frown you make when your mom says your having meatloaf again will likely offend and upset her, even if you didn't mean for it to.  The problem with intentionality is that there is no way to make a sure bet on it.  You never know for sure if the message sender meant to send out that message, regardless if the message is out there or not.  It is intentionality that takes on the burden of implicit and explicit messages.  If we only received explicit messages, we would definitely have a better understanding of each other.  Unfortunately we are a bit smarter than that, but we have to deal with the pitfalls of intentionality.

Week 3: Post #2

2). Consider the pragmatic perspective. Does it make sense to think of communication as patterned interaction? How is communication like a game? How is it different from a game?

According to the textbook, the pragmatic perspective "consists of a system of interlocking, interdependent behaviors that become patterned over time".  According to this perspective, we become predictable players in a game of communication.  This means we result to familiar "moves" or predictable behavior while interacting with others.  For example, many people might have a friend who isn't the best listener.  You might attempt to talk to this friend about an issue you may have, and this friend always manages to make the conversation about them.  Another predictable move might be an uncomfortable joke that is always told at some point during a conversation.  Using this perspective, we would assume that we could predict every interaction before it happens.  I don't think this is completely accurate because this perspective seems just too superficial.  I like to believe that my interactions with people that I am closest with require cognition, not just the typical move.  This is where the predictable behaviors don't happen and this show that the perspective is unlike the game.  

Week 3: Post #1

1). Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do we "build worlds" through communication? Think of some ideas we talk about in our culture that may not exist in other cultures. How do these concepts contribute to our happiness of success (or the lack of these) in our culture?

When dealing with social construction, we must remember that everyone is different.  Everyone creates their own reality based on experiences and beliefs that they have had which is specific to them.  People may share some ideas, but we must remember that we all perceive things differently based on who we are and what we have gone through. Social construction can even vary between cultures, communities, and countries. 

Some cultures have completely different ideals than others.  Being an American, we are very familiar with a conversation about obesity.  Whether we are obese or aren't, we know that it is common here and it is an "epidemic" that we deal with.  In many other European countries obesity levels are very low compared to America.  They may not have to deal with the constant conversation and to talk about such a personal health issue.  It might even be offensive since it is so personal.  

Week 2: Post #3

*3). Pick one concept from the reading assignment this week (Ch.1) that you found interesting or useful and and discuss it. Please discuss a concept that has not already been discussed this week so far.

I believe that the modern period of rhetoric has the positive results of all previous beliefs.  One approach that I was particularly intrigued by was the elocutionary approach.  This approach entails all of the unspoken communication that ensues during any given oral communication.  This is the hand gestures and delivery of the speaker.  The book suggests that this became too much of a science that resulted in very calculated speech with little to no spontaneity.  Self help books were/are developed to help people improve these skills.  While I can understand how lack of spontaneity could be detrimental, I believe this is also where many public speakers lose their audience, most often from boredom.  If the speaker is unable to keep the audience intrigued by the unspoken communication, the speaker is likely to lose the attention or admiration of the audience.  So elocution is imperative to be an effective speaker, but this may not be something that can be taught.  It more likely comes with practice and the speakers growing comfort.  

Week 2: Post #2

*2). The Greeks believed that to be an orator, an individual had to be morally good. Comment on whether you agree or disagree. What, if any, is the connection between goodness, truth, and public communication?

I find the idea of an orator needing to be morally good is often an oxymoron.  While not always the case, persuasive speakers are attempting to switch the opinion of their audience, no matter what the measures are.  By calling on ethos (emotions), logos (logic), and pathos (credibility) of their audience the orator is manipulating the audience in every fitting way.  I believe that orators are only attempting to do something that seems very natural to humans, which is try to convince others to agree with them.  However, with goodness, truth, and public communication comes differences in opinions, which I believe is the essence of life. I can understand why orators needed to be "morally good", however I don't think that having your job be based solely on convincing others of your own opinion is a good start.  Consequently, I do not believe that goodness, truth and public communication go hand in hand in a persuasive speaking sense. 

Week 2: Post #1

*1). Think of a speaker you admire (please do not use the President of the United States as an example). Does his or her power to persuade come from ethos, pathos, or logos? Think about your own ability to persuade others. What personal qualities do you have that make you persuasive? Does Aristotle's classification scheme work for them, or do they fit into another category?

One speaker that I admire most is my father.  Besides the fact that we have a relationship that would often cause me to be more accepting of what he has to say, my father has the ability to woo not only me but the rest of his audience by the power of persuasion.  My Dad tends to use pathos and ethos to draw his audience in.  In other words, he capitalizes on the audiences logic and emotions.  He will give examples that he thinks may hit close to home.  He tries to give everyone his own view point.  

Having grown up with a powerful speaker as a parent, I was able to acquire some of my Father's speaking ability as a young adult.  I also tend to use a logical and emotional stance when trying to persuade others.  While these two ideas may seem to conflict each other, I believe the right balance results in a very affective speech.  I tend to reach more for emotional arguments because I am a sensitive person.  I know what hits home for me and I like to use that same approach with others.  I like to think of myself as an understanding person as well.  This is where the balance of logic and emotions comes into perfect harmony.  Because of this, I believe that I am a perfect example of Aristotle's classification scheme of ethos, pathos, and logos.  

Week 1: Welcome!

Hi everyone! Today is the start of my last semester at SJSU.  I am a graduating Senior, and I am very excited about it.  Welcome to my blog, where I hope to be on top of our assignments, and am using it in the most effective way.  

To tell you a brief biography about myself... I was born and raised in the bay area.  I have been going to public school all of my life, and I believe that the people I have been surrounded with and the education that I have received has allowed me to be an open and loving person.  By being a Communication Studies major, I believe I have been able to look at people in a more understanding and excepting way.  I have had to work with people who have different opinions than me, but I have learned to deal with those differences in a positive way. 

My goals for this class is to really fine-tune my communication skills, especially in an online forum.  Most careers seem to be headed online, so to understand myself and to be comfortable online will be a great learning experience.  

Anyway, I hope this semester is a great one! I am sure I will be talking to you all very soon!

~COMM 105 Student