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!