More Discussion..

One concept from this course that I feel can use more discussion is “How big is a small group?” I think this concept can use more discussion because everyday we are placed into small groups without even realizing it. Due to this fact I think it is important for people to be better educated on how to communicate in these groups. Often times people are so wrongly informed that it leads up to huge blow-ups and fights. Although if we were to be better educated on this subject then we could avoid such conflicts. Another reason for opening up the discussion on small groups would be conflicts in the workplace. When talking to my best friend she often tells me how there is so much lack of communication between managers as well as between mangers and their employees. She tells me that many times it’s as if any of her fellow co-workers and manages know how to communicate respectively with one another. Sometimes I find it to be true with my own team.

Interesting

In the “Thinking Through Communications book there were a lot of communications theories that were very interesting. On theory that I found interesting is the Nonverbal Communications sections, but more so the section on body types. The reason why I find this section very interesting is because most people define people by their body types. For example, when someone usually see someone with a mesomorph body type they assume the individual lays a sport, whereas all they may like to do is work out. I think I find this concept very interesting because I find it very similar to some of the situations I find myself in to at times. In the normal society I may be seen as a mesomorph body type, but in the society of athletics I am usually seen as an ectomorph body type. I think I just like the two different words of the body type and how in one area you can be one body type and in another you can be something else.

In My Opinion...

This post is in response to the questions, what have I learned throughout this class, and what were the most favorite and the least favorite things about this class?

There have been, any different aspects of communication that I have learned in this class. One that sticks out in my mind is the concept of verbal and non-verbal behavior. Before this class I understood that non-verbal behavior was a way you can really tell how someone is feeling and what they really think, but the classmates and the book giving great examples and depth about the concept made me better aware of the verbal and non verbal behaviors I use to no pay attention too. My favorite thing about this class was the fact that we used the blogger website to share our discussions. In normal class where you have to attend them there are always students who do not participate in the discussions, but this class forces you to because that is where the majority of our work is done. The site allows everyone to get a fair part in expressing their ideas and they have no choice but to be apart of the discussion. I do not believe there is any thing I did not like about this class. Everyone was mature in their feedback and I believe the class was set up very good. I think the class is set up very good and does not need any changes.

Th Psychological Model

One concept that we did not discuss that I found extremely interesting was the psychological model. I found this one perspective of communication very interesting because I am fascinated with how people think and how those thoughts lead them to certain actions. According to the book, the psychological model “focuses on what happens ‘inside the heads’ of communicators as they transmit and receive messages” (pg. 24). In this chapter they outlined the process in which one receives the message and how they might respond to it. It begins with someone who could either be receiving or sending out the message who are labeled either the sender or receiver. The person then determines how they would want the person on the other end to perceive the message they will send. This means that one is encoding the idea into a message. Once one encodes their message they will then send their message through a channel, which could be by phone, e-mail, or text. Once the message is sent and reaches it destination, it is up to the person the other end to decode the message. Decoding the message simply means how one will interpret the message. While one is decoding a message, their beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and values will come into play to determine how they will think and feel about the message. Those feelings will then determine how they will act after. 

Perspectives

After reading chapter 2 and learning what the four perspectives of communication are I can now relate some of those views to real life situations. A lot of times we hear individuals saying that one person have copied their vocabulary, style, hairstyles, and etc. It leaves many of us feeling as if we are no longer individuals because certain trends come along where we are all almost the same.  One perspective that I easily linked to those feelings is the pragmatic perspective. According to the book, the pragmatic perspective is when “communication consists of a system of interlocking, independent behaviors that become patterned over time” (pg. 31).

Over time I do believe that communication becomes like a patterned interaction. Often times when a group establishes a certain language and behaviors it becomes a routine for them to always communicate in those ways. Sometimes other groups will like the way the other group communicates and will begin to pattern their own communication style after the other group. For example, my group of friends usually uses different words or phrases to describe different situations and we’ll later hear another group using those same words or phrases. Due to this, I do think communication is like a game. Different groups are the players and the way they choose to use their languages and behaviors are the moves used in the game. Depending on how groups use their moves to interact with each other determines the outcome and if those moves were successful in communication or not. It is like communication is a cycle of similar interactions.

Building Worlds

“Building worlds” through communication can be interesting but also a problem. In chapter 2 we learned about the social constructionist model and what it means. According to the book, social constructionist model is when communication is thought of as “a process whereby people in groups, using the tools provided by their culture, create collective representations of reality” (pg. 28). What I understood from this was that each culture creates its own language and behaviors that only members of that culture would understand. 

I find that to be interesting and that it could be a success to members of different cultures because it provides common ground for members to all relate. It would mean that they could bond with each other not because they come from the same culture but because they have common language and behaviors. Although it could be a success, I think it could also be a hindrance. I think it would a big hindrance because members of other cultures who interact through intercultural communication could possibly feel left out. They would feel left out because one culture would have their own world that no one else would understand but them. I think that would be completely unfair since we are now living in such a diverse world.

Performance Research

One concept that I found interesting in chapter 13 was performance research. According to the book performance research is when “communication scholars focus on a wide range of performances” (pg. 371). What I understood from this was that someone goes to study a certain act and they actually perform this act themselves. When one actually does the performance in part of their research they can come to a better understanding of why and exactly how this act is done. The steps for performance research were pretty easy to understand and self-explanatory. Performance research consists five steps. Those five steps are: selecting, playing, testing, choosing, and repeating. Selecting is when one identifies “a communication act or text for study” (pg. 371). Playing is when the researcher chooses different ways in which they can interpret their work. Testing is when “the researcher tests interpretation against the evidence contained in the text”(pg. 371). The fourth step of choosing is when the researcher chooses the way in which they’re going to perform the action. Lastly, repeating is the step in which the researcher “repeats and rehearses the piece until it flows naturally, learning more in each iteration” (pg. 371).