Week 10:3 Favorite Concept

My favorite concept from the text, was from Chapter 3 Mindless and Mindful Processing. I guess this concept touched home for me because I tend to mindless process information more than I realized until reviewing this section. I feel so busy all the time. I'm always involved in multiple tasks at a time and several commitments. Between my education, my job, and my personal life, I just feel overwhelmed by life. I feel like when I'm stressed and I'm trying to do my best for everyone, I get wrapped up in thought. I tend to just skim through information and conversations will pass my mind without much consideration. I feel that mindless processing can help sometimes in dealing with massive amounts of information, but it also can be damaging to your communication skills. If you don't register and remember certain things you are told or read, it can be important later and put you at a loss when you can't remember. Mindful processing is a good skill for memorizing certain facts and retaining memories. Mindful processing also gives a person independence in thought. Being mindful gives us freedom to think about things and come up with unique ideas and solutions. We don't want to be zombies in this world, just thinking and believing what they show us on television or put on the internet, radio, newspapers and magazines. I picked this concept as my favorite to share with the class because I don't want to forget! Graduation does not mean this is all done and I can forget it; now is the time to apply all these great communication skills in my life.

Week 10:2 Course Wrap Up

Through this course we have learned so many interesting concepts about communication, in a relatively short period of time. When I first read Chapter 2 I thought it was funny to explain definitions so much without really defining communication. Then we continued through the textbook and read each chapter, which would dive deeper into communication between individuals, groups, cultures, and organizations. This course revealed to me the depth of communication as a subject matter. Communication can direct your life in the right direction if good communication skills are learned and used. It is complicated and natural. It is not really like a game, but there can be payoffs to good communication.
One of my favorite things in this course was the cultural event paper. I attended SF Pride, which was wildly spectacular, exciting, and different. It was different from other parades, as their cultural concerns were advocated loudly. I kept an open mind, enjoyed the live deejays, dancing, and music. It was fun to get out, since I was pretty busy all summer when I didn't think I would be in school this summer. I am happy though that I needed the extra units and this was the class I was able to get to fill them!

Week 10:1 Most Interesting Concept

When looking over the different concepts we learned this semester, in communication I feel one of the most interesting concepts is coordinating conversational moves in Chapter 4. This is very important to have conversational skills to be a successful communicator. The cooperative principle is simply the willingness to communicate with others while following social rules. We need to be polite, acknowledge others, respect them, and respond in appropriate ways. When we have no regard for truth or relevance then communication looses its effect.
H.P. Grice discussed basic and simple conventions that guide talk. The cooperative principle and conversational maxims are essential to communication. I really liked this concept, so I thought this was an interesting concept to share in my blog. Four conversational maxims make for good conversation. The quanity maxim, quality maxim, relevancy maxim, and manner maxim. If they are applied to communication and used properly then you will be a successful communicator.

Week 9:3 Hymes Ethnographic Model

When reviewing Chapter 2 and the different discussion questions that we have had through the semester, I found the Hymes model was not really discussed before and its a good way to describe communication. The visual representation (Figure 2.4 on page 38) of how the Hymes model divides communication into hierarchially arranged contexts is easy to interpret and understand. Plus describing "speaking" by using an acrostic poem, where the first letter of each line forms a word vertically, is a great breakdown of the different components of communication. Dell Hymes developed the Hymes ethnographic model as a field guide to describe communication. With the primary context as the speech acts, the individual and purposeful acts of communication. When observing communication the setting and participants make an impact on the type of communication which takes place. "Although the methods are quite different, each helps to explain a small part of a very complex process" (Trenholm, 40). In the Hymes model there are four contexts: speech community, speech situations, speech events, and speech acts. Which are explained by "speaking": situations, participants, ends, act sequences, keys, instrumentalities, norms and genres (Trenholm, 39). I personally feel this is one of the best models or defining forms of communications in this chapter. It is interesting it was the last one included in Chapter 2, since it is the easiest to understand. This also seemed to be the best choice to include in my blog topics for this weeks discussion.

Week 9:2 Pragmatic Perspective

There are different models and perspectives to explain and examine communication. The Pragmatic perspective examines the systems of behavior, while explaining communication much like a game. Communication can be considered an interaction of interdependent plays. Each communicator is like a player and the success of their team depends on their acts in the conversation. I think that this perspective is an unusual way to think of communication. Though communication can be patterned interaction, interpersonal communication is not a competition. I would consider a debate to be more like a game than a conversation between friends. When people communicate on a personal level the behaviors are unique to the situation and topics can easily change. There is not always a goal to be met other than just talking.
The fact that communication takes a sender and a receiver can make the analogy of a game work. Trenholm explains, " a person can't be a sender without someone to be a receiver, and it is impossible for a receiver to receive a message without a sender to send it" (34). As in a game there has to be at least two to play, and each move leads to a goal. Since I personally am not very athletic or competitive I don't really identify well with this perspective. If you believe more in a pragmatic perspective, then the personality and individual acts of people are not considered important in communication. That is just wrong. Communication is very personal. Our personality shows through verbal and nonverbal communication and can determine the success of our communications.

Week 9:1 Social Constructionist Perspective

As I consider the social constructionist perspective I realize how we build worlds through how we communicate, who we communicate with and the tools we may use for communication. Now that we have gone through this course learning about interpersonal, group, and cultural communication, it is evident that our social environment makes a big impact on us as individuals. Though the social constructionist perspective focuses more on the social self and not the individual self; we identify with social groups and standards, which also form our personal beliefs and traditions. Each culture has its own codes, customs, shared roles and rules, and cultural traditions. These cultural influences are inevitably going to make communication unique in each culture.
The American culture emphasizes the importance of education. School is unavoidable as a child. We are required by law to attend school and parents can get punished for violating the education rules of attendence for children. Once we become adults we have the choice to continue our education in order to create more opportunties in our lives. The educational system in the United States is an excellent example of the social constructionist perspective, as we build worlds through communication in school. Our teachers expose us to the world through text books, lectures, and images. We learn about history, geography, and geology. Many of the things we learn and know to be true through our education are often things we will never experience in person. We not only learn about the world in school, we also learn what is acceptable social behavior and communication. We know that it is not okay to speak out of turn in a class room setting, if you have not been called on by the teacher. Good communication is socially acceptable communication, according to the social constructionist perspective (Trenholm, 31). Many behaviors, proper roles, and traditions which are socially acceptable may not lead to happiness or success. Though someone can take all the "right" classes, be part of all the "right" social groups or clubs, and get into the "right" career, they may never be happy because they work too hard and are always doing what others expect of them. Restrictions on how an individual can express themselves can ultimately cause major mood swings or mental stress. Sometimes breaking the rules can bring much more happiness and success to an individual because they follow their heart and not social guidelines.

Week 8:1 Research Methods

In reviewing the different research methods in Table 13.3 I find myself drawn to the unobtrusive methods. Being able to draw conclusions about behavior by observing traces left behind by repetitive actions is interesting to me. This does not seem to be a very successful way to conduct research because remnants may be analyzed incorrectly. When it comes to deception there are many different areas that can be studied and observed. These days the topic of divorce comes up repeatedly; whether on television, in movies, on the news, or just a conversation between friends. There seems to always be deception behind the cause of the divorce. I think my research question would have to be: "How can the deception of marriage infidelity be saved by counseling?" I think that this question is best answered through ethnography. A good place to observe behaviors of married couples experiencing counseling is group therapies held by churches, hospitals, or nonprofit organizations. You could act as a participant in order to not upset or change the true responses or reactions of the group members. By using ethnography research the behaviors of counseling patients, topics of conversation, and reactions of the participants can by observed to rate if counseling helps marriages of deception.

Week 8:3 Chapter 13 Selective Processing

I found the section in Chapter 13 regarding what receivers do with media messages to be very interesting. It is true that everyone reacts differently to messages. The individual's beliefs, values, and knowledge will affect how they interpret messages. Also individuals choose what to listen to or what message we want to retain mentally. If a message is irrelevant, or contains information and details which don't matter to us, then we will pass it by without applying any attention to it. As a graphic designer it is important to me to try and understand how people perceive messages. It is unproductive to create something that will be ignored. We want to be able to get the full attention of the audience or viewer. This is a challenge for advertisers and designers, since people are known to use selective processing. Selective processing includes selective exposure, selective attention, selective perception, and selective retention. With selective exposure we choose what to listen to or expose ourselves to visually. This happens when we pick a radio station because of the music it plays or a news station because of the topics they report on. Selective attention is when we only listen to part of the message. This seems to be a big problem for me since I tend to listen to the beginning of instructions, then fade out the rest. Selective perception has to do with how an individual interprets or assigns meaning to a message; and can be unique to that individual varying greatly from someone else listening to the same message. Selective retention is when we only remember a small portion of a message. In my opinion this has a lot to do with selective attention as well, since it is hard to retain a message only half way listened to. I end up frequently getting lost since I either don't pay enough attention to directions or I only retain the part that I emphasize in my mind. I have to remind myself sometimes to not let my mind wander when someone important is speaking to me, especially my boss. Selective processing can hinder a person if they select the wrong things to listen to, view or remember. While from a designers perspective, catching someone's attention and keeping it is what makes designing challenging, interesting, and fun.

Week 8:2 Ethnographers

Research can be done by either direct observation or indirect observation. Ethnographers can choose either way to conduct research but they may be faced with certain moral complications. In order to fit in and observe without being detected an ethnographer may have to behave in a manner not acceptable to their customs. If the research being conducted in an area that is truly against the ethnographer's morals then he may choose indirect observation. Also to observe a subject without affecting their behavior by observing from a distance can be more successful than direct observation. When using direct observation in ethnographic research the ethnographer has to decide whether they are going to try and blend in or openly be known as an outsider observing the group. When trying to fit into a group and not behave like an outsider there may be situations that cause moral dilemmas. When moral questions arise the ethnographer may resolve the situation by opening up that observation is the purpose of his presence or challenging the behavior as immoral or choose to participate for research purposes. Doubts about how to behave within a group is going to challenge the success of the research. Knowing what your personal limits are and having an idea of who you are, will help provide the guidance it takes to decide the proper behaviors and ways to approach ethnographic research experiments.

Week 7:2 Medium is the Message

In Chapter 11 we get a chance to learn about communication in mass medium. I have to agree with Marshall McLuhan in his belief "the medium is the message," especially since I am a graphic designer. If your choice of medium is not proper for the message it will not be able to reach the target group. As believed by McLuhan's theory, "each medium has its own internal logic and each affects how we experience the world." (Trenholm, 307). There are so many mediums to choose from these days, it is possible to create successful messages which reach broad spans of people. However, knowing who your target group is and the purpose of the message, can influence what is the right medium in your situation. I have to disagree partially when it comes to McLuhan's belief in television as a cool medium. I don't know if the use of the term cool to describe "that viewers fill in detail" even applies properly. It is confusing in my opinion. I think that televisioin is a very powerful medium that can influence how we think, what we think about, and even teach us characteristics and behaviors. Any thing we look at, view, or read is going to create cognitive reactions. But the channels we use and the mediums that are put to use will definately affect the message and how it is received.

7:3 Chapter 8: Information Flow

In reading Chapter 8 on Organizational Communication, I found the section on information flow to be the most interesting and useful. In the work place communication is very important. Knowing who to communicate with and how to communicate with them is essential to success in an organization. Information can flow downward from superiors to other lower level employees. Messages also flow upward from low levels to upper levels of management, or even horizontally among same level departments. The way communication is used can make a difference to the productivity of the employees. In downward communication if not enough information is given an employee feels a lack of direction and can end up not doing the right thing that the boss wants. Also if higher management has a problem to address and their approach is poor or aggressive an employee may get defensive and feel attacked. For example, at my job with the changes in the economy we continue to make adjustments at work to remain successful. The owner started to become more involved in the production of our company and began questioning certain accounts. Usually, well in the past, all departments operated independently. We all do our jobs without question. My manager takes care of balancing accounts and reporting to the owners. She doesn't really understand all of the things I do on a daily basis, and I know she doesn't really care to know, as long as I'm getting the work done. When the owner began questioning certain things in my account which she couldn't explain or didn't remember what postings were for, she had to address the issues with me. However, when I was approached she was already aggrevated over the owner's review of her and she did not share the entire situation with me. I felt attacked, as if I had been doing my job wrong or something even more serious. I was basically being accused of stealing money from the company when I had always done as directed. I immediately became defensive due to her poor downward communication. Once she took the time to listen and then review my account, it was found I was not doing anything wrong and everything was good. Due to this situation it did increase how we use information flow. Instead of being so independent in the work I do, I now use more upward flow to relay progress and problems that is related to my department. Sometimes organizations get relaxed on communicating or even they can provide too much information, but the only way to be successful is to have proper communication flows in downward, upward, and even horizontally among same level departments.

Week 7:1 cyberspace friendships

I personally am not one to build a friendship solely off online interactions. I definately have friends which I maintain our friendships through online interactions, but all have originated as face to face relationships. Online relationships have the nice advantage of being anonymous. I find that in cyberspace there is the opportunity to be anything you want to be. You don't have to reveal what you look like, where you live, or what you do in real life. Which is the reason I do not have friendships which exist exclusively in cyberspace. I like knowing who I am friends with. If I am going to open up to someone or share personal information, it will be with someone I know f2f. I am nervous to be open with an online contact if I have never met them in person, because I am unsure of what their true intentions are in communicating with me. In the age of social networks it is difficult to avoid new cyberspace relationships. Fortunately, all social networks allow you to filter who is allowed to contact you or see your information. I have in the past added people who I don't know to my Myspace or Facebook accounts only to delete them after realizing I am not interested in continuing communications. I have noticed that friendships which exist exclusively in cyberspace lack the feeling of really connecting with the other person. There is something about physical contact to me that makes the friendship or relationship with another person real. I like being able to look into another person's eyes and to read their body language. Face to face relationships have that connection which could never be possible in cyberspace.

Week 6:3 Poole's Multiple-Sequence Model

In Chapter 7 we learn about group communication. In studying how groups communicate and develop experts try to map the life of groups through phase models. In my personal experience of working in groups in many different types of classes and under different circumstances, I feel that researchers Marshall Scott Poole and Jonelle Roth are right in the fact the life of groups are messier than Fisher's model. In Poole's multiple-sequence model the phases of group development are divided into task, topic, and relation tracks which all occur simultaneously. Whether a group is formed to work on a research project for a science class or an art group to work on a huge mural project, identifying the task at hand is essentially going to lead to varying development of group duties. Groups which have multiple tasks to accomplish must approach their problem solving differently than groups with only one job or duty. Groups must be capable of developing on different tracks. Multitasking occurs when working in groups. It is only natural with multiple people working together for one goal, though tasks are divided they are also being dealt with simultaneously as members of the group are interacting and relaying information and ideas.

Week6:2 Filtering Theory

Attraction to another person is usually provoked by an interest in either physical or personality traits. I am attracted to someone with a good personality, who I can hold an interesting conversation with. Looks are not of the up most importance. As the old saying goes, You can't judge a book by its cover. Many times in the past when I felt interest in someone because of the way they looked, once I met them I found there was no connection and the attraction died. In Trenholm we learn of Steve Duck's theory on an attraction filtering theory, "Duck identifies four filters: sociological or incidental, preinteraction, interaction, and cognitive cues" (158). Duck's theory does make sense in many ways. Sociological and incidental cues can certainly influence who you may build relationships. If you frequently are in the presence of another person it is only natural to interact. Depending on preinteraction cues, you can observe how someone may act and if you find interest in them interaction is the next step. I have found in the past that preinteraction cues can be misleading. Though the first impression is very important, it can also be completely sabotaged due to setting or out of control circumstances. If your interaction cues lead to comfort in the presence of the other person, continued relationships should develop. I am about to celebrate three years married. I would have never thought when I first met my husband that we would now be married. I was first associated with him through a fast food job I had in high school. I ended up dating a friend of his for over four years. When that relationship ended I still remained friends with my husband. We then just began spending more time together. Eventually taking out of town trips with other friends, then just the two of us. A friendship when I wasn't looking for love or a romantic partner, has developed into one of the best relationships due to our cognitive cues. I share many beliefs with my husband and feel comfortable in communicating how I feel even if we don't entirely agree about something. Physical attraction can develop from more than looks. When judging someone on their physical attributes there may be an initial intense attraction, but once other personality traits, beliefs or values, come more transparent your attraction can dissolve and relationships can end. I find that Duck's theory can be good in applying attraction filters you can evaluate others in becoming potential friends or romantic partners, but your intuition about another is what really matters.

Week 6:1 Rigid Role Relations

In learning about rigid role relations in Chapter 6 on Interpersonal Communications, I started to think of my own relationships and how the patterns apply. Out of a rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, and submissive symmetry, I think the competitive symmetry would be the most difficult to change. Competition is natural in some people and it is very unlikely you will be able to adjust a personality of that sort. If someone is determined they are right, it doesn't matter what argument you may bring up they will win. Now put two of those personalities together and a competitive symmetry will exist. Sometimes these relationships result in support and motivation, but usually they end in a fight and/or hurt feelings.
I feel the pattern of rigid complementarity is the most damaging to a relationship. When one person always belittles or insults the other, resentment builds to hate or other strong emotions. To feel insignificant to a dominant partner can be very damaging the partnership. Submissive partners will eventually loose interest in trying to impress the dominant partner. It is also possible the dominant partner will get tired of pushing around the submissive partner if they aren't getting the response they want. Abusive relationships can come in verbal and physical forms, and submissive partners are usually the loser in the relationship in the long run. Extended rigid complementarity can strain relationships as partners should share the roles they play in order to feel equally important.
I think submissive symmetry could be the most damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved, since submissive individuals are usually looking for approval. They want their associates to feel comfortable around them by not being demanding or bringing conflict into the relationship. When two submissive individuals are caught in submissive symmetry self-doubt and irritation can arise. As each person tries not to be pushy, they can in turn be thinking very negative thoughts about the behavior they are trapped by. Why do I have to decide? What if I choose the wrong thing? Am I making them mad? I have been stuck in one of those arguments of where to eat with a friend. I usually take the submissive role since she is a dominant personality, but this particular time she didn't want to decide. While we finally did come to a decision, I felt our conversation and comfort level completely change from our submissive symmetry. Relationships form because partners feel comfortable around each other, as time goes on patterns can form which can be negative to the relationship or the self-esteem of the individuals involved. It is important to have open communication and equal treatment in a relationship in order for it to survive long term.

Week 4:3 Anxiety and Withdrawal

In Chapter 12 with the discussion of Intercultural Communication, the barrier created by anxiety and withdrawal is something I found interesting. Since we are creatures of habit and we develop behavior through learning accepted behaviors of our culture. When we are exposed to other cultures we can be victims of anxiety which creates barrier to how much we experience of another culture. If we are too fearful or have too much tension to allow extended social interaction in another culture, we may actually experience illness that is related to "culture shock." I know someone who recently visited Paris and Europe, after the initial excitement of new experiences, she started to deeply miss America and common luxuries we have in the states. Before you know it, she was extremely ill and ended up spending a couple of days in bed trying to regroup. The new culture experience was too much for her to completely grasp when all of our native culture was inaccessible for sometime.

Week 4:2 Rationality, Perfectibility, and Mutability

Humans are affected by their culture. It is argued by Larry Samovar, Richard Porter, and Nemi Jain that most Americans hold three basic beliefs about human nature. Humans are rational, perfectible, and influenced by social environment and culture. It is hard to say if most people are in fact rational, since decisions made through emotion can be very unrational. Road rage is a perfect example. I hope that most people do take time for rational evaluation and analysis of situations to make the best decisions. The rationality premise is especially important in our judiciary system, since an individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We have jurors determine the fate of a criminal in a court of law. Their belief is in the good of people, to use rationality.
The Perfectibility Premise is the idea humans can change, and achieve goodness even after committing sin. This premise seems to stand strong in religion. That with forgiveness, dedication, and a strong heart, any person is capable of being good. Especially when surrounded by a community of moral support and spiritual guidance. I believe the mutability premise which assumes behavior is shaped through environment, since your physical and psychological perception is impacted by your surroundings. An individual that is a student, surrounded with education and inspiration, will be a better rounded person than someone who just works a minimum wage dead end job. Without inspiration and goals your psychological and emotional circumstances may dwindle and leave you feeling down.

Week 4:1 "Creatures of our Culture"

In Chapter 12 we are exploring Intercultural communication and the impact of our culture on our communication. I do not believe I could argue with anthropologist Ruth Benedict. We are certainly "creatures of our culture," since we learn behaviors, practices, and skills as we grow up from our culture. Each culture will have its own customs which are reflected in beliefs and habits. Communication between individuals and in social settings also varies in different cultures. In order to break away from learned cultural habits, you must expose yourself to other cultures and behaviors.
If all we surround ourselves with is one culture, we will be deprived from learning about other people and other places in the world. The point in life is to not only know the familiar, but to also see as much cool stuff as possible. Now sometimes opportunities to be exposed to other places in the world are not always transparent, but every day you go outside there are other cultures all around. America is for all people. California has so many different types of cultures in one state it is impossible to not be exposed in one way or another. By learning about other cultures you can communicate better with others, and feel more confident in your behavior around someone of another culture.

Week 3:3 Chronemics-Time Orientations

The section in Chapter five on Chronemics, the study of time as it affects human behavior, was interesting to me. I am usually late, but I'm always planning ahead. I usually associate with people who are running early, but the enjoy dwelling in the past. I'm curious what that means, but according the Gonzalez and Zimbardo's scale called the Stanford Time Perspective Inventory past orientations were so infrequent they were eliminated from the analysis, so I may never know. Future time orientations are the most common, which makes sense with our culture so focused on progress and success in the future. I think I fit mostly in the Future, goal seeking category, since I spend my time working to fulfilling life goals to become a successful graphic designer.
I am highly pressured by time. Time-sensitivity orientation is different, by the experience of anxiety over pressure felt from time obligations. I want so much from life. I work full time in order to have financial security. I go to school in order to have a career. I play on rare occasions in order to have a personal life. I design in order to have relaxation and pleasure. However, there does not seem to be enough hours in any day to do all I wish I could do. I over obligate myself and spend time stressing over how I'm going to do it all. Then I can't meet my obligations because there is not enough time. Time orientation controls our lives, since our culture is so centered on the concept of time. Time should not control us, but provide a guideline to structure our day by.

Week 3:2 Men and Women Use of Language

Men and women use language differently in the way they communicate. Women are more likely to encourage conversation. Women like to talk and create intimate relationships through communication. It is comforting to talk to another person. Women like to discuss things in detail and can talk for hours about random topics. Men, on the other hand, when in a one-on-one talk will typically respond with short and exact answers. Some men like to tell jokes and be the focus of the conversation. Other men don't like to waste their time on small talk, they will discuss important matters and get to the point when initiating a conversation. When in a group setting, men normally will dominate conversations, while women spend more time as listeners. However, if it is a group of all women, no one person seems to dominate the conversation. As women can communicate with multiple people and have intimate conversations with several women at one time.
It is very interesting to consider the different meanings men and women have for the words they use. Certain expressions women use, would never be repeated by a man. As the text states, research on gender differences in communication found women syntax differs from men. Women use more qualifiers, disclaimers, and tag questions. These allow women to make polite conversation, by not offending another intentionally. But sometimes, disclaimers will follow insults or negative statements, so even though the words are coming out in polite terms it is not necessarily meant that way or taken that way.

Week 3:1 Perceiving others

When considering how we perceive others and the type of judgments we make, it is easy to say we don't prejudge others but the truth is we all do. We have a preconceived judgment by applying some prior knowledge we have to associate our new encounter. The goal is to keep your judgments in positive notes. You should always allow your experience in meeting someone, or being around others, to teach you about who they are and what type of person they are. It is not fair to apply negative preconceived notions about someone by judging them by another individuals actions.
When we are around others from another culture, it is a good learning experience. To be exposed to an outside source of cultural practices and history is unique and special. It should be taken in, without judging or applying ill logic to our thinking. By perceiving others by judging or categorizing them, we take away from our personal exposure and knowledge of what they truly are like. By having positive thinking and allowing yourself to meet others without judging them you will make more friends and learn more than people with negative preconceptions of others.

Chapter 10: Organizing Body of the Speech

In Chapter 10 I found the section regarding the structure of a speech to be the most informational and helpful. I tend to find myself getting off track a topic or losing direction because I don't organize my thoughts well. When speaking to an audience if you are not organized then they will not be able to follow your speech. It is extremely important to structure a good introduction and conclusion since that is when the audience pays the most attention. But the body of a speech is critical in presenting major ideas and providing support. Your entire argument depends on the success of the body. If the audience can follow your development of ideas and your reasoning, then your goal is met. Possibly your audience will agree and support your ideas, if you present good information and arguments.
I found the advice regarding preview, transitions, and internal summaries, was the most useful in staying organized. Being able to preview what you plan to speak about provides a structure for your audience to follow. Good transitions keeps the information flowing on to the next idea, and allows your audience to follow your train of thought. Then internal summaries allow reviewing what you have already spoken about, making the information fresh in your mind and your audience's minds as well. Also having an outline is very good, but being knowledgeable on the topic you are speaking will make the biggest difference in successful communication.

Influential Speakers

I have thought a lot about different speakers I have seen in the past. From Lecturers to Presenters, there is something special about a person who can speak in front of a group and leave an impression on them. The best speaker I have ever listened to was actually at my grandmother's funeral. On such a bleak occasion, one person stands out in my memory of that day like a beam of shining light. Lin Hamilton a very special family friend and also an important person in State Farm Insurance Emergency Response Department. I know her job requires her to speak at different meetings and presentations, so she has plenty of experience in public speaking. She stood up to speak with confidence and comfort. Her tone was soft, but audible and comforting. The speech she made was well developed, with an opening introduction which grasped my attention as well as the rest of the attendees. She spoke with much grace and intent. Relayed to everyone the true nature of my grandmother, plus revealed a special side which not many were able to meet. The words she spoke meant so much to me, my father, and I'm sure all others that listened. I could have listened to her speak for hours and hope to one day have the confidence she has in front of an audience.
When it comes to worst speakers, I would like to say the "Um-Uh" speakers bother me the most. However, I have a mother who found an opportunity to make money without having to get a 9-5 job. As I support her and provided her assistance after my dad had passed, I ended up at one of her meetings. A presentation in a new found friend's home, to share information "about a great opportunity." I went in skeptical, since I know you can not get any thing in life for free! Rhonda, a middle aged lady, who had experienced financial struggle and trials in life, which led her to these new found riches. I was so disappointed in her speech. As a sales person, she was able to get some people into her talk and her sales pitch, but I was not impressed. She presented a sob story. Laid out how terrible times were, but then lied about all this money she was now making and how easy it would be to do it yourself. It was a scam, I was not pulled in by her. Though she did have a way of relating to others in the audience, I did not believe her lies. In order to truly be a successful speaker, not only do you need to relate, you also need to be believable and credible!

Social Constructionist Perspective

When thinking of how we build worlds through communication, it seems to be dominant in our culture to associate through appearance. Certain groups of people feel more comfortable associating and communicating if they feel they relate to eachother through their similarities. Through school there always seemed to be very obvious groups which formed. Style and appearance can be a way to identify with others. Usually individuals will communicate with others that share likes and dislikes, it could be music, clothing, or hobbies which allow them to build worlds of communication. Our culture varies greatly from others, since we have so much freedom in our culture to say what we want and be who we desire to be.
I have found that other cultures have certain expectations and roles which control their communication patterns. The Social Constructionist perspective is a good way to identify cultural tools which assist in creating "collective representations of reality" (Trenholm, 30). India has cultural traditions and roles which are so different to the United States. My previous boss was from India and he shared with me certain traditions which seemed strange to me, but were custom and accepted in his culture. The oldest female in the family is considered the head individual in decisions regarding marriage of the younger family members. She is responsible for picking mates and arranging the marriages. The oldest male of the family is then the individual who will escort the bride to be married. That seems very strange to me since it is custom in our culture for the father of the bride to have that honor. While the oldest female is like the all powerful family member, other females are not allowed to speak in the presence of men if not requested to, plus they are not allowed to participate in important family discussions. The oldest male in the family is always involved in any portion of the families problems, issues, and plans. It seems very mixed to me, but this is the world that they have created through their social customs and communication.

Introductory Post

Hi my name is Lisa Leonhardt. I am a senior at SJSU about to graduate once this class is completed. I have been a student at SJSU since Fall of 2006, studying Graphic Design. My major is Design Studies and I have had the pleasure of taking lots of art classes through college. The previous class I took in Communications was at my local Junior College, MJC. I learned speaking skills and how to present in front of a group. While I was in High School I had also taken Communications classes and participated in Speech Competitions.
I live in Modesto. I have been a commuter my entire college career at San Jose State. I am really looking forward to not having to make that drive any longer. I work full time for a used car dealership, Roberts Auto Sales, in Modesto. I am responsible for all the DMV work and find myself communicating with many different dealers and auctions, by phone and email. I am very excited about new skills I may learn in this class that will make me a more successful communicator!
My personal interests include painting, drawing, designing, gardening, walking, and dancing. I try to find things outside of my job and school to help relieve stress. All work and no play, is just no fun. For some reason though, I can't seem to change my "workaholic" personality. I always feel obligated to work on something, so hopefully once school is done I can focus more on my personal interests and enjoy the work I am doing.
That's all for now. Thanks for taking the time to read this!