Week 16 Question

There wasn't many things that were too difficult to understand but one thing that could have used more clarification was the types of delivery such as impromptu speakin, which "occurs when the speaker is suddenly confronted with a rhetorical situation and is able , on the spur of the moment, to organize a message." As well as extemporaneous speaking, which happens to be more of a preplanned yet not memorized speech. And last but not least, Manuscript speaking involves very careful composition. Although I understand these topics, because I have another communications class, I felt that they were not discussed all that much. I feel that it is important to understand these different types of deliverys in order to ensure that you have a well done presentation, when it comes to that.

Interesting Concept Week 16 Question 2

I thought that the section on managing interpersonal communication was pretty interesting, from chapter 6. Expressive-protective dialect “involves finding a balance between the need to share personal information and the need to maintain privacy” (136). I think this is interesting because I run into many people who don’t find a balance. I had a lady come into my work, and as I am checking her out she is telling me about her divorce, her stress, her job and everything under the sun. Being that I am a stranger, and I didn’t ask to hear about all of that, I feel that much of that information should have been kept to her, and not shared with me.  Autonomy-togetherness is where “friends and couples decide how interdependent they want to be” (136). Some people feel overwhelmed by too much closeness, where some want to be super close with their friend or roommate for example. Novelty-predictability dialect is where the two individuals interact and eventually fall into behavioral patterns, which after time become predictable (137).  These were interesting to me because they are so apparent in most friendships at one point or another. I found it interesting how it works that way.

LAST WEEK! Question 1

The concept from chapter 13, in table 13.3 that was the most interesting to me was ethnography. Ethnography means "the researcher observes behavior in its natural setting". The thing that stood out to me was that "the researcher may actually 'go undercover' as a participant". They go under cover in order to get an insight on the people they are observing. It makes it easier for the researcher to understand the behavior in its natural setting.

Question: What makes a person behave in a deceiving matter?

I think that ethnography or experimental research are the two best options to finding the answer to this question. As stated above, ethnography allows the researcher to undercover in order to come up with research. Experimental research means that "researchers systematically manipulate casual variables and measure the effects of their manipulations on subjects response". In that type of research they could manipulate a situation in order to get answers that they want or need.

Week 13. Question #2

From what I understand Marshall McLuhan believes that the way the message is transmitted is just as important as the message itself and that the channel determines which of the messages will be transmitted and which will not (291). I would have to say I agree with his logic. I think that the delivery of the message and the channel it comes from is as important as the message within itself. Without all of that, you don’t have message. The determination of whether the message is viewed or not, depends on the viewing of the channel itself. If the channel is viewed often, then the message will be seen. If you go for a channel in which it has low ratings, chances are the message will be ignored. When you have a message you want viewed, you have to be aware of where you are placing that message in order to secure the amounts of views coming from people.

Week 13. Question #3

The "Cultivation theory" was originally developed by George Gerbner; it "draws our attention to ways in which individuals come to accept the televised world as an accurate reflection of the real world" (290). This theory pays attention to how viewing TV for a long period of time can affect the beliefs of the viewers about social reality. Theorists argue that "just as stalagmites grow over time from the steady dripping of limewater in underground caverns, so our views of what the world is like are built up from the images and representations we are exposed to over long periods of time" (290). It is said that media can affect the way and the amount of how people feel comfortable in our worlds of social life. The cultivation theory instills that we focus on the ways that individuals choose to accept TV as a view of the "real world".

Week 13 Question #1

I have made a friendship that occurred only over cyberspace and the reason for that was because we were never able to actually meet up due to schedule differences and then eventually we just stopped even trying to meet up face to face. When you make a friendship through cyberspace and it continues to remain that way, you are chancing the truth behind the relationship. Chances are that in a cyber-relationship, the person does not have to ever see you face to face and therefore it becomes much easier for that person to lie to you, deceive you and act as someone they are not. Chances of a friendship, that is not face to face, being successful and truthful fall slim to none. Sometimes cyber relationships can be beneficial because you don’t have to be face to face and therefore you can just have a friend that will not judge you based on your physical appearance. It can also be nice because you don’t have to make time to meet up with them, but yet they are still a friend.

Week 12 Question 3

Communication genres are unique ways of communication. Examples of these are “business letters, memoranda, meetings, interviews and so on…” Each genre has a set of rules to tell what should and should not be conveyed. For instance, we have letters of recommendation which are meant to speak highly of the candidate’s qualifications and avoiding any unnecessary information about the person. The rules that define these communication genres are very culture specific. For instance, what we would use as an informal break, grabbing coffee, others might use stopping for tea as a more formal break. Business letters should remain business related, and should not go off topic or else they become inappropriate. There is a certain time and place for things and when you are trying to do something that happens to be a professional matter, you must then work or speak in a professional matter.  It is important to follow the communication genre rules, when using the communication genres.