Sunday, December 7, 2008

Week 11, Unit 8: Improving Communication

Identify one relationship in which you feel on-guard and defensive and one relationship in which you feel comfortable and supported. Describe and analyze the communication behaviors in each relationship. To what extent do the defensive and supportive communication behaviors discussed in the text explain the climates of these two relationships? Refer to your textbook for information on climates in terms of communication.

This is the final blog posting for the quarter. On Monday, 12/8, I’ll hand out the instructions and evaluation criteria for your final project, the Blog Reflection Essay and Presentation.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Week 10, Unit 7 Communication & Emotions

Describe one situation in which an irrational fallacy did or continues to debilitate you. Identify two ways you might challenge that fallacy. Some irrational beliefs could include perfectionism or fear—see your textbook for other examples that could apply to you. Your textbook also identifies ways to change, such as monitoring.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Week 9: Presentations and Thanksgiving



Again, because you are all working on your presentations, there will be no blog assignment this week. The weekly blog assignments will resume on December 1. Have a happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Week 8, Focus on Presentations



I am sure you are all so busy practicing your cross-cultural presentations that I’m giving you a week off from blogging!

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Week 7, Unit 6: Listening

Reflect on a time when you wished that you would have really listened. Describe the situation, and then explain the result of not listening effectively. What would you do differently now?

For example, you may not have listened carefully to your boss at work, and the result was that you did a project incorrectly. Now you know you listened in a defensive manner to your boss, and in the future you will guard against this type of listening by listening attentively.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Week 6, Unit 5: Nonverbal communication



What does my office say about me?


Analyze the artifacts and environment of your room and answer these three questions: 1. What do these things communicate about who you are? 2. How do those things you own affect your feelings of comfort, identity and security? 3. What would be different if all of your personal artifacts disappeared?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Week 5, Unit 4: Language



Identify at least one regulative and constitutive rule for interacting in face-to-face situations, and one of each type of rule when communicating over e-mail. Reflect on how you learned each of these rules.

Your response should distinguish between regulative rules and constitutive rules in general. Examples of regulative and constitutive rules for face-to-face interaction can be found on pages 107 - 109 of the textbook. Examples of regulative and constitutive rules for e-mail could be that one should reply to an e-mail within 24 hours of receiving it (regulative) and using ALL CAPS counts as “shouting” (constitutive).

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Week 4, Unit 3: Perception

Identify a situation where stereotypes (as a schemata used in organizing perceptions) are useful and helpful in a communication situation. Next, identify a situation where that same stereotype becomes unproductive and perhaps damaging.

Look for both the useful and necessary aspects of stereotyping, as well as the negative connotations this term often carries. That is, stereotypes allow humans to make predictions about situations and people, and that this is a necessary process so we are not constantly overwhelmed with new information. However, this can be unproductive if we do not continually seek to engage in person-centeredness to distinguish people from the social groups in which categorize them.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Week 3, Unit 2: Self & message



“Generalized other” refers to the view that others in a society generally hold. Race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic class are frequent identifiers in America and elsewhere in the continent and in Europe, as well as other Westernized nations like Australia. The “generalized other” tends to value differences unequally, such as when a group views another group as being of less value or more value than themselves.

Read through a magazine and identify examples of the “generalized other’s” perspective. Focus on how media define desirable women and men. Analyze these messages and how you respond to them.

For example, in fitness magazines, being well-toned might be emphasized more for women, while being more muscular might be more emphasized for men. In business magazines for women, desirable characteristics of women might be engaging in active, business pursuits while women may be less represented in business magazines that are not explicitly targeted for one gender or another.

What is your analysis and response to the "generalized other’s” perspective that you noticed in the magazine you reviewed. Be sure to identify what magazine you used for this assignment. Also note what appeared to be the “generalized other’s” view of what traits an attractive woman and an attractive man have. Give some specific examples.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Making a good impression on the Internet

We will be studying how verbal and nonverbal communications are important in projecting an image that reflects who you are. A good impression counts just as much over the Internet as in a job interview, business meeting, and at a social function. Throughout the quarter, you will be gaining skill in interpersonal communications. This blog will help you polish your ability to present a good impression over the Internet through correct grammar and spelling, use of appropriate language, and presenting your thoughts in a clear, concise manner.

In your comments, use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Don’t even THINK about using text-message abbreviations! Hint: if you draft your comments in a Word document, you can take advantage of the spelling and grammar checks. Then all you need to do is copy your comment and paste it into the blog.

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), all comments must show respect for me and the other students. If you are unsure whether you should say something, if you should bother checking a dictionary, or if a remark may offend, ask yourself, “would a prospective employer still hire me if he or she found my comment when Googling my name for a job I really want?”

Between now and October 13, enter a comment on this post. You may enter several if you like. The goal is to be sure you are registered and able to participate on this blog before the formal blogging assignments begin in Week 3 (October 13 through 17).