If you have been a reader of my blog at all, I think that you can see that my favorite concepts in this book have to do with ethnography. Ethnographic research has illustrated interpersonal relationships that lack pure subjectivity, yet they yield accurate and replicable results. In order to do ethnographic research, a researcher has to obtain some of the other communicative skills that we have been reading about over the course of the semester. These types of researchers have to decided where they want to provide self-disclosure or whether they want to take a more impersonal observer only approach to their research. They also must decide what type of relationship they want with their research subject which can become complicated and messy.
I have mentioned before that I hope to go into the field of ethnographic research which is why I like it so much. A career in research is not going to be the easiest path to take, but it is a path that will provide personal fulfillment and happiness (hopefully!). I hope to use ethnographic research to study the affects of waitresses in corporate settings, and am formulating a research question in order to address some issues that they face! So far the literature review for topics regarding waitresses have formulated tons of questions that I think could be asked, so I'm hoping to find my niche and provide some new information for people to read!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
I feel like there were a lot of new concepts that I learned throughout this class. I took 2 communications courses over summer, and some of the ideas overlapped, but I think it helped me gain a better understanding. A concept that I never really took into consideration before reading about it was the nonverbal section of this book. Nonverbal behavior can appear as a natural behavior, and I liked reading and writing about it. I also liked how the book incorporated research methods, because without research methods, the writer of this book wouldn't have much reliable information for us to read about. Medicine, law, social studies, science and so on all rely heavily on research, so I thought it was great that the author of our text book included some of the methods for students to do their own research.
My favorite thing about this class was the fact that our professor was readily available at all times (or let us know if she wouldn't be). This came in very handy for me due to some mishaps with my computer, and with the sending of the wrong file for my journal. I really appreciated Carol's understanding, and availability to her students.
It's hard to say that I disliked something about this class, but if I had to say one thing, it would be that the quizzes and tests in general were very specific and at a high level of difficulty. I am a better writer and have a hard time having my answers boxed into true false or abc answer questions. Multiple choice is a more difficult method of testing for me, so I wished there could be some short answers in combination with the multiple choice. Yet, as a student I understand the time restrictions during summer and that teachers must grade quickly and this class was online.
My favorite thing about this class was the fact that our professor was readily available at all times (or let us know if she wouldn't be). This came in very handy for me due to some mishaps with my computer, and with the sending of the wrong file for my journal. I really appreciated Carol's understanding, and availability to her students.
It's hard to say that I disliked something about this class, but if I had to say one thing, it would be that the quizzes and tests in general were very specific and at a high level of difficulty. I am a better writer and have a hard time having my answers boxed into true false or abc answer questions. Multiple choice is a more difficult method of testing for me, so I wished there could be some short answers in combination with the multiple choice. Yet, as a student I understand the time restrictions during summer and that teachers must grade quickly and this class was online.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Interesting concept
The most interesting concept for this class this semester was filtering theory. Filtering theory includes the sociological, preinteraction, interaction, and cognitive cues. I remember when I read this section of the text I was just nodding my head in agreeance over how we rule out potential partners. This theory may not apply to everyone, but I know from my personal experience that the process fits with me and many people that I know. Obviously we have to be in physical proximity of someone at some point to be intimate, so the sociological cues are very important because you have to be physically close at some point in order to gain a deep interpersonal relationship. Preinteraction cues are the step where many potential relationships are hindered due to physical attractiveness, or even because they are wearing shoes you don't like. Not everyone eliminates a potential partner over interaction cues, but for some physical appearance is an important factor in the process of selecting a partner. I also found the filtering most interesting due to my personal experience with my co-worker who I almost eliminated as a potential partner due to the fact that I was turned off at the preinteraction stage. Being able to see this process in real life makes me realize that theory itself is very interesting because it can predict, or help predict, the ways in which humans behave.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Cultural studies perspective
After reviewing chapter 2, I noticed that there wasn't much covered about the cultural studies perspective. Culture has been a key element to our discussions about communication, and I found this perspective to be one of the most important in understanding communication and power. Most of us in college have heard about media influence on our lives, but what caught my eye about this theory was when the text stated
According to them, cultures are constituted through a particular set of discursive
acts. Any given culture is, in fact, a web of interconnected acts of communication,
all of which carry meaning, much of which lies below the surface. These texts play off
of one another, as collective beliefs and experiences move from one medium to
another. Because they are linked to social forces such as capitalism, patriarchy,
racism, colonialism, and so on, texts exert power over the people who consume
them (p. 36, para. 1)
We have discussed mediums, and some of the ways that communication occurs through mediums. Television, the internet, and radio are a few, and sometimes the messages that are sent through these mediums do not have obvious power relations. The media is also monopolized into very few owners who hold the power to shape collective beliefs. Power relations exist with a sense of invisibility which cause the oppression of certain groups. In my other online class we discussed how a TIME magazine cover of OJ Simpson was photo shopped in order to darken his skin color. In turn, this cover increased the chance that the public would view him as more of a villain, and TIME was later called out on their alterations to OJ's skin color. Newsweek posted the original mug shot of OJ Simpson, and it was clear that TIME magazine had changed the photograph in order to make OJ look darker. Such a powerful magazine exerted their power in order to play on racist beliefs and to further villainize OJ. There isn't a doubt in my mind that OJ was a murderer, but the fact that TIME darkened his skin color for their magazine, thinking nobody would ever know, illustrates some invisible power relations.
According to them, cultures are constituted through a particular set of discursive
acts. Any given culture is, in fact, a web of interconnected acts of communication,
all of which carry meaning, much of which lies below the surface. These texts play off
of one another, as collective beliefs and experiences move from one medium to
another. Because they are linked to social forces such as capitalism, patriarchy,
racism, colonialism, and so on, texts exert power over the people who consume
them (p. 36, para. 1)
We have discussed mediums, and some of the ways that communication occurs through mediums. Television, the internet, and radio are a few, and sometimes the messages that are sent through these mediums do not have obvious power relations. The media is also monopolized into very few owners who hold the power to shape collective beliefs. Power relations exist with a sense of invisibility which cause the oppression of certain groups. In my other online class we discussed how a TIME magazine cover of OJ Simpson was photo shopped in order to darken his skin color. In turn, this cover increased the chance that the public would view him as more of a villain, and TIME was later called out on their alterations to OJ's skin color. Newsweek posted the original mug shot of OJ Simpson, and it was clear that TIME magazine had changed the photograph in order to make OJ look darker. Such a powerful magazine exerted their power in order to play on racist beliefs and to further villainize OJ. There isn't a doubt in my mind that OJ was a murderer, but the fact that TIME darkened his skin color for their magazine, thinking nobody would ever know, illustrates some invisible power relations.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Pragmatic perspective
Thinking about communication as a patterned interaction makes sense to a certain degree. The book uses an example of a person crying, and says that you would have to know what event that occurred before the person started to cry in order to understand the communication better. The pragmatic perspective emphasizes that there are sequences of events that happen that are ordered without rules or laws. These sequences (or patterns) are what create communication. I think the pragmatic perspective is most useful with dyadic or interpersonal situations, and how they don't rely strictly on personality. The text states "we should focus on interaction rather than personality" (p. 35). In many personal conflicts, or when there are barriers to communication, people are quick to try and blame the problem on the other's personality, rather than looking at the the events that led up to the conflict. The pragmatic perspective is much like a game in the sense that there are sequences of events that go on in interaction. One person speaks, then the partner speaks, the conversation is sequential and dependent on the other making a move. Communication can be seen as more than a game though. The pragmatic perspective does not take context, rules, or personality into account at all. In a game, someone may be the aggressor and some of these things could come from personality or culture. Communication is also more than just a game. Serious real life consequences can stem from bad communication, and it's not all about winning or losing. Games generally always have a winner or a loser, and in communication I don't think there is always a winner and a loser. I stand by the social constructionist perspective in a way because I believe context, norms, and laws that govern communication are very important in communication.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Bulding worlds through communication
According to the social constructionist perspective, our worlds are built through communication. Communication constructs our world because talking and being vocal have a lot to do with what we believe or value. The text states "If everyone around us talks about the world in a certain way, we are all likely to think of the world in that way and fail to question whether we are seeing things accurately" (p. 30). One of the first things we learn to do when we are young is how to talk. Communication from parent to child or friend to friend contains certain subjects and particular topics which in turn become beliefs or values. Instead of ideas or beliefs coming from "direct" experience, information flows from communication. For example, say someone just took a trip to Hawaii. You have never been to Hawaii before in your life, but your friend tells you it never gets cold and it is the most beautiful place on earth. A few weeks later, another friend tells you s/he is taking a trip to Hawaii. You tell this friend that Hawaii is always warm, and that it is the most beautiful place on earth, even though you have never been there yourself. This is how your world is constructed through communication. Your ideas about Hawaii are constructed from things you have heard or seen and not through direct experience.
The thing about communication is that it is also cultrually specific. There are topics that we discuss in American culture that would never be talked about in other cultures. Trenholm states "communication is a process whereby people in groups, using the tools provided by their culture, create collective representations of reality" (p. 30). In the U.S. we contain a highly consumeristic culture. Although money is important to people across all cultures, the U.S. has seen a culture of extreme consumption compared to other places in the world. Our communication has a lot to do with what we do to make our money, what we want to buy next week, what fancy phone we are saving our money for, and other related communication regarding consumption. This may not be the case in other countries who do not communicate about hoping to save money for a new BMW or Lexus or million dollar home that they have dreamed about since they were little. Communication is culturally specific, and success and happiness is definitley affected by the consumer culture. Kids grow up with shows like American idol that give them the idea that anyone can be a rich and famous star. Parents tell their children they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up, when in reality not everyone has the means to achieve stardom or hold the presidency. There seems to be a disconnect between reality and fantasy which leaves many of us feeling empty or unsuccessful because we are always searching for the next product that will fill the emptiness.
The thing about communication is that it is also cultrually specific. There are topics that we discuss in American culture that would never be talked about in other cultures. Trenholm states "communication is a process whereby people in groups, using the tools provided by their culture, create collective representations of reality" (p. 30). In the U.S. we contain a highly consumeristic culture. Although money is important to people across all cultures, the U.S. has seen a culture of extreme consumption compared to other places in the world. Our communication has a lot to do with what we do to make our money, what we want to buy next week, what fancy phone we are saving our money for, and other related communication regarding consumption. This may not be the case in other countries who do not communicate about hoping to save money for a new BMW or Lexus or million dollar home that they have dreamed about since they were little. Communication is culturally specific, and success and happiness is definitley affected by the consumer culture. Kids grow up with shows like American idol that give them the idea that anyone can be a rich and famous star. Parents tell their children they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up, when in reality not everyone has the means to achieve stardom or hold the presidency. There seems to be a disconnect between reality and fantasy which leaves many of us feeling empty or unsuccessful because we are always searching for the next product that will fill the emptiness.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Experimental research
Experimental research is interesting to me because the research I do in my field of study doesn’t contain much experimental research. Doing experimental research for social significance is more difficult compared to the medical field or other fields where groups can be controlled. I thought the example of smiling was also very intriguing because in my own experience, I find the data to be true. I am a waitress, and I thought it was funny how the experiment showed that waitresses who smile more are given larger tips. I get made fun of at my work for being the most “fake” with my customers, but in all honesty, I make more money when I am in a good "smiley" mood. When I come into work really mad, and can’t put that smile on, people are turned off by my lack of smiles and kindness that they expect when they go out to dine. I think experimental research is one of the most difficult to obtain results from due the fact that they have to think of all environmental factors, but in the end, I think they have a tendency to come up with the most accurate results.
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