Week 6 Discussion 3

I am sure this concept has already been shared, but I needed to write about it and actually tie it in to some of the concepts that were mentioned in comments responding to my blog. The sapir-whorf concept of the foundation or nature of a person's language determines their thoughts. When I responded to the discussion questions about judging a person, I explained how judgement, to me, is a negative term. I received a few responses from others describing that judgement does not have to be taken in a negative context. Throughout my life, I was always taught that judging a person is not right and that you should not judge others. However, many people believe that judging does not have to be a negative thing, if it is done in a politically correct manner. If I were to look at the term judging in the linguistic foundation of my classmates, I would realize that judging can mean simply the same thing as developing an understanding of a person based upon their background.

Imagine this concept amongst different languages. I think of those I may interact with to whom English is a second language. Certain concepts or terms that I share or use in conversation can provide a completely different context for them.

Week 6 Discussion 2

The thought of men and women communicating differently depends on more than just gender. I think it depends on cultural background and upbringing as well. Through my experiences I have noticed that there are a few differences that are presentin the communication style of men and women. Women, generally speaking, have a more accessible sensor. They are able to adjust their tone and reactions more easily than men when interacting with other people. In addition, I think it is often more challenging for women to develop an effective tone to show control, while men may often find a challenge in demostrating emotion in their communication. Although, I do not think this always comes down to gender, but instead the personality and demenaor of the speaker which is oftened shaped by upbringing and cultural background.

Effective characterisics of a speaker in both men and women are not determined just by gender but by other contributing factors. I think it is more effective to look past gender and look at these other contributing factors when evaluating the presence of male and female speakers.

As I thought more about the differences in communication between men and women, I thought about different interactions and circumstances. As an example, I will share some thoughts in regards to parenting. For years there have been studies about different styles of parenting and a major part of parenting is their communication with their children. In most cases, one parent assumes the role of "bad cop" and the other assumes the role of "good cop". I don't necessarily think that gender of the parents plays a major role in who assumes what role, however in traditional homes I do believe that gender can effect the different topics that a parent will be more or less upset about. When I dug deeper and looked a communication of men and women within a family dynamic it was interesting. I would love to hear more thoughts from others on this particularly too.

Week 6 Discussion 1

The term “judgement”, in my opinion, can be a harsh word. I think that we subconsciously always identify a person upon getting to know them. Once we perceive a person, we attempt to understand aspects of their background or lifestyle through their mannerisms, communication style and maybe even their appearance. In most cases my initial perception of a person allows me fine tune my communication style and find a common ground with that person. I think that it may be possible to meet someone and not “judge” them, however to not categorize them to some degree may be more challenging. In most present day interactions, there is extensive diversity which allows an individual to communicate effectively with a person of any background. Therefore, we categorize a person to a certain degree to establish a common ground.

For those who consistently categorize those they communicate with, it is extremely important that any perceptions that they develop about another person are fair and subtle. There is only so much validity that can be present in a perception unless you know a person more than just a simple acquaintance or friend in passing.

Week 5 Discussion 2

When I enrolled in a community involvement class at SJSU, I worked with a gentleman from Sacred Heart who was an extremely influential speaker. He shared a story with us the first day about why he started in the non-profit industry. His speaking style touched on ethos and pathos. He motivated me to get involved. So many people from our class were immediately drawn to him and what he shared. There was an obvious genuity that radiated from all of his thoughts. I will remember that first day of class for a long time. There were so many factors from his speech that made him an inspirational speaker, and drew to me to admire him. He was open, effective, and slow paced. His story that day inspired me to prioritize what is important in life, and to always do what you can to make a difference.

Week 5 Discussion 1

Reading this discussion question, I have to resort back to my former mention of Barack Obama. He is a very influential and powerful speaker that represents the strongest of each of the mentioned characteristics credibility, attractiveness, and power. The ethos that is present in Obama's speaking ability is the foundation of these characteristics. His credibility has been built from the passion that is present with every reaction he imposes. There is an attractiveness that has developed due to his demeanor and emotion. Attrativeness in speech can also develop the ethos in speech. These three characteristics enhance an audience's emotional draw to a speaker, and therefore naturally further build their ethos.

Week 4 Discussion 3

One of the topics from this chapter that I related to the most was Ethnography. For a former class of mine, I wrote a research paper based upon my ethnography. Our class was able to choose the type of research that we wanted to conduct, and I was immediately drawn to ethnography. This provides an individual the opportunity to immerse themselves in the environment of which they are trying to learn more about. A major aspect of ethnogrpahy is observation. I think that this is one of the key ways we can learn about a specific culture. When you are able to observe communication patterns, interactions, and behaviors, you can learn so much about their background and lives.

Week 4 Discussion 2

It is an interesting concept to see communication as a patterned interaction. Although I think this thought is sufficient, most of the times a social interaction comes so naturally that you hardly notice a pattern in communication at all. Within communication you react and respond to anothers thoughts and actions. This makes communication, in my opinion, most similar to almost a game of tennis. One person serves, and the other makes the necessary motion to meet the spot the ball was hit, and two send it back. In communication one person makes a statement, and we adjust our mindset to understand what they are saying, while getting to that point to be able to respond.

On another note, I do not think that communication is dominantly about winning, as a game is. It is about understanding, interaction, and learning about one another and each others thoughts. It is about expression and influence.