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). 

Moral Dilemmas

One of the biggest moral dilemmas most ethnographers face is deception. Often times when they go into their research they must remain true and not make their subjects feel as if they’re using them. What also comes with that is being able to make the group members you’re studying very comfortable and not have a problem with lying to them. Ethnographers have to go in with no feelings and emotions so that they don’t get emotionally attached. Often times when one does get emotionally attached, it can affect the research and the ethnographer could possibly “make objective observations” (pg. 360).

Another moral dilemma that ethnographers face is having to set their own morals and values to the side so they can solely focus on the group they’re observing. When an ethnographer does this they are doing presuppositionlesss research which can defer this moral dilemma. . It would not be fair to the research for an ethnographer to go in with preset ideas of what their researching because it could hinder the research altogether.

Ethnography Method

 The concept from the table in chapter 143 that I found the most interesting is Ethnography. The reason why I find it the most interesting is because it kind of requires undercover work. For example, if I wanted to do research on studying homeless people I would go into their environment and live the life they live. I would have to do all of theses task without going into the area without and pre-judgments or perceptions of the environment. I also like the fat that the hypothesis will be built at the end of the observation. I think for the simple fact that you get to go undercover is what sold me on the whole concept. When people go undercover that is when they find out the most things about people and their values. You get to see how people act and make decision based on the situations they are in. But I just like the whole concept of gaining new information about people and things that most of society is no aware about so that why I find the ethnography research method the most interesting.

Grapevine

One concept that I found interesting from chapter eight was the “grapevine”. According to the book the “grapevine” is an “informal channel”. What I took from this is that when a message is being communicated by many different people and not necessarily by the source of who created the message. I found it so interesting because this concept is so relevant in our lives, especially right now in college. One person can say one thing about something that happened and through informal channels that message gets spread all over campus. What’s so funny about that is that so many times those messages get misconstrued by the time they reach the end of the grapevine.

Medium as Message

“The medium is the message” is phrase commonly heard in communications studies. After learning a little bit more about exactly what it meant, I would have to say that I agree. I think that the format of the medium determines what kinds of reactions audiences will have towards the content being delivered. McLuhan stated that, “the channel through which a message is transmitted is as important as the message itself…” (pg. 291). One example that came to mind was the assassination of former president John F. Kennedy. If I had lived in that time when it happened and were to have witnessed it on television then it would have drastically changed the way I would have been affected by the assassination. On the other hand, if I were to have listened to the assassination on the radio then I would not have got the full effect of what was happening at the time. As far as his “cool medium” idea, I think what he means is that if you aren’t appealing to the general public then you wouldn’t be successful in the television field.

CyberRelations

This post will be in response to friendship the existed in cyberspace.

Although I have not made friendship in cyberspace, I have known many people who have made friendship in cyberspace and the issues that come with those friendships. The reason why I have not made friends I cyberspace is because I think that it is very awkward if someone randomly messages you or tries to interact with you and you do not know them. In contrast to being face to face, you are actually seeing the person and you can communicate verbally and through non-verbal behaviors. Cyber relationships in my opinion are not real. You do not get to interact the same ways as if you were in person so you do not get to make the same decisions you would because you are being told through messaging.

Dysfunctional Patterns

Hi class,

In this weeks reading for chapter 6 we read about dysfunctional patterns that often shape our interpersonal relationships. What is meant by that is within these relationships “individuals create specific patterns of interaction”. It happens so often that we don’t even realize when we create these patterns. Part of these dysfunctional patterns was rigid role relations. Rigid role relations often have to do with power within the relationship. For example, the one rigid role relation I found to probably be the most difficult to change is competitive symmetry. Competitive symmetry is when “both members fight for the one-up position”. I think that would be extremely difficult to change in a relationship because it would be a constant power struggle that would never end until eventually someone gave in. Due to the constant power struggle I think competitive symmetry would also be the most damaging to a relationship. Although competitive symmetry can help partners push each other to be better in life, it can most likely hurt the relationship because it would cause too much friction and competition between the two. When it comes to which one would be potentially damaging to one’s self esteems level would be rigid complementarity. In this role one will either play the dominant role or the submissive role. Due to this the one who plays the submissive role might begin to think they are not good enough to hold some type of power in the relationship, which then will cause their self esteem levels to go down.

Process Of Elimination

Hello Class

In response Duck’s theory, I think that I use many of his filters to eliminate people from consideration from partnership. One of his concepts in which I use the most is the interaction cues and preinteraction cues. I believe that this is one of the first steps that you should use when deciding if someone should be at your interest in becoming a partner for you. One of the main things that believe me to find someone unattractive is the individual being emotionless and them making situations awkward.

Emotion is a way of giving people the cue to let them know that you are entertained or not. So when someone is emotionless I find it very difficult to know what mood they are in at the moment. Preinteraction is one that I value the most. In my opinion nonverbal cues mean the most. Clothing, and self care mean a lot because it lets others know the individual take cares of themselves. If someone does not show they take care of them self that is what I find the most unattractive. I believe I understand Duck’s theory and I highly agree with it. I have eliminated someone by using the sociological cue, but then reconsidered them based upon the cognitive cue. 

How Big Is a Small Group?

Hello Class,

The concept I have chosen from chapter 7 to discuss is “Group Size: How Big Is a Small Group.” The reason why I found this concept interesting to discuss is because it talks about how a group begins at three people, and how communication changes when a third person is added to a group. I feel that I am a prime example of this concept. Since I am involved on a football team and we are around each other for the most part of our day we build relationships with one another.

Even though we are all on the same team and talk to one another, we still have our little groups within the group. On page 168, Trenholm discusses that once people in the group do not relate to one another in the group, they sail off into smaller groups, which then make them into bigger groups. That’s basically the concept with our team. We all love doing the same thing and want to win, but at certain points outside of football we all have different values and morals, and those are what separate us into our different groups.

Culture & Role Identities

Hello class,

This post will be going over the concept of Role Identities and Culture, which was discussed in chapter 12.

There are a lot of cultures that have different values and some of these values can be people, age, status and other things such as materialistic possessions. I found the Culture and Role Identities section to be very interesting because in my culture we highly value status and occupation. The reason why my family values status and occupation is because without occupation it is very hard to provide yourself with the necessary materials to survive. If you do not have a job or a way of generation a type of revenue, it ha been shown to be very difficult in this economy. My parents and grandparents look at life in a way that if you do not have a job or you are not in school then something I wrong and we need to figure out a way to fix the situation.

One of the other things my family values is status. We believe that if you know the right people then that may be able to also take you a ways throughout life. Relating back to the economy, even after you graduate from college and make you way into the real world, it is still hard to find a job without knowing the right people. So we values status because what you know always plays a part in life but who you know can also benefit you in the long run.