Interesting Concept

A concept that I found interesting in chapter 15 is Gender Swapping. I have never heard of this term, and was more intrigued when I found out the definition. Harris states the definition to be someone who portrays themselves as a different gender in CMC. I have never heard of this being done, and was shocked to see the percentages of how many people are estimated to have done it. I find it hard to believe that 40% to 60% of people are believed to have done this. I wanted to find out more information, so I did some research.

After doing some research, I find out a number of reasons why someone would want to participate in gender swapping. One reason was that it is a way to draw more attention to ones self. It seems that getting noticed on the internet is hard, and as a result some depend on gender swapping to get noticed. Another reason that was given was that male/females may want to get a better understanding of the opposite. They may not have a median for it, so they assume that gender. I can truly say I have learned something that was out of my scope of view.

CMC Vs. F2F

Computer Mediated Communication or CMC is interaction between people via means of media. These include but not limited to email, internet video and audio. Face to face is interaction between people in person. There are many reasons as to why one may be better than the other. Some people will prefer CMC because it offers a more convenient way of interacting with people. Others will prefer face to face because it offers a more interpersonal connection with the people.
In thinking outside of the box, I can see that people can lose some of the social skills that develop with F2F interaction. We can lose some of the verbal communication with CMC. For example if we are emailing back and forth on a solution for a project, we may lose the verbal signs that we get from F2F. If we read the email and disagree with it, then our facial expression changes, and possibly our body language. It will be difficult to get a full understanding f the problem with just words alone. I think the biggest draw back with CMC is responding in real world. With F2F, if a problem occurs, it can be discussed immediately, instead of having a communication lag with CMC.

Rappers

For this project, I observed the interactions of a rap group. I chose to observe a rap group because I listen to rap, and wanted to know more about the culture. I wanted to observe if the art of rapping had an actual business aspect. I went into the project not knowing much about the group; I came out with a wealth of knowledge. I liked this project because it gave me the opportunity to see into the life of a culture that I had very little knowledge of.

I learned a lot about not just rap music, but about different people from different cultures too. One of the members in the group had been arrested, and he felt that rapping was the only way to stay out of trouble. I also learned that recording in a studio is expensive. I was surprised that members of the rap group had jobs just so they could pay for studio time. Also, the members of the group all had different directions that they wanted to go. When I hear about famous groups breaking up, I now have a clearer understanding as to why this may happen. It may not be because they are at a big disagreement like the media may portray, but for the fact they wish to pursue their own ventures. I can relate this to the professional work world. Often, we will change our focus because we feel that our skills are better suited for other projects.

Posting 3

The forum format offers a smaller format so that groups can listen to larger audiences. In this type of format, the full audience can participate in the discussion. Participants can give responses in the form of reaction speeches one at a time. The panel is a public forum where four to eight people discuss an issue in front of an audience. Following a problem solving format, humor is sometimes used to keep the audience focused. The colloquium is public discussion in which three to six experts discuss a problem with a moderator leading the discussion. The Symposium is a series of two to six brief speeches giving by people who have more knowledge on the subject.
I prefer the forum format because it encourages everyone to participate, and can relieve some jitters and stress. I like the fact that the audience can give responses to what is heard, as it allows for more real time responses. The audience can be diverse offering different perspective on the problem.

Idea Writing

Idea Writing is the process of splitting up a large group into a smaller group so that a group goal can be accomplished. In idea writing, the group responds to a question via writing. Unlike Buzz Sessions, participants respond by writing instead of verbally. After each person responds, they pass their paper to the next person so that they can respond. At the end, the group discusses the main points that were learned.
I first experience this in my English 1B class at San Jose State University. My teacher would have us write in journals in response to a question, and then break into groups to allow others to read it. The students would then respond with short messages to help creative thinking. I think this is important because sometimes groups can get off track when discussing orally. Also, it may be easier to write our thoughts rather than speak it. By doing this, I feel I could fully express myself, and not feel shy about it.

Conflict Resolution

Collaboration conflict resolution entails that everyone comes out a winner. The group comes to a consensus and agrees to what is better for the group. Although each side may not get everything they want, the goal is to try and get the most important items. I believe that collaboration conflict resolution happens in group activity everyday. A good example of this happens when family discuss where to eat for dinner. Usually when it’s time for dinner, everyone has their place they want to go. In order for the group to function and eat, everyone needs to feel as if they have won. This situation happened last week, and we ended up choosing a buffet where everyone could have what they wanted.
Competitive conflict resolution has an outcome of a win-lose situation. It is unfortunate that everyone cannon win, but competition creates environments where people can have a healthy way of winning. A good example of this occurs in sports, like football and soccer, or in professional settings like sales jobs. Tomorrow there is a boxing match that I will watch. This match is between to evenly match players and is sure to encourage competition among viewers. Although there can be only one winner, the competition will show who the better opponent is.

Openness

The concept of openness is a term that I think is important in being creative in a group. It is important for people to feel that they can say anything that comes to their mind. If people feel that they cannot say anything, then the process can not go on. Because some of these ideas may seem far fetched to some, it is important to understand what the ideas can develop into.
A good example of this is being in a group environment with my family. I know that I have a supportive environment for communicating almost any idea that I may have. I feel I can say anything in front of my parents, and I will not be shunned because of it. They are supportive of my ideas and thoughts, no matter how off the beaten path they may be. I know that because of the openness in my family that I can use my freedom in my school work, as well in the professional world.

Cultural Barriers

I found this section to be very interesting, as it shows how different cultures are blocked from creativity. Five cultural barriers include a requirement for conformity, an expectation of politeness and following rules for social order, a reliance on statistical proofs, a trust in the power of reason and logic, and a reliance on expert knowledge.
Two cultural barriers stood out as key blockers to creative thinking: a requirement for conformity, and a reliance on expert knowledge. A requirement for conformity can inhibit a culture from being creative by not allowing those individuals to be different. If everyone has to conform to the same rules, and the same ways of thinking, then it’s going to be very difficult to think outside of the box. It’s as if thinking differently will bring embarrassment to the culture. Often time those who are different are shunned away for not following the rules. Often time, alternative thinking is what sets people apart.
A reliance on expert knowledge does not offer anyone motivation for improvement or alternative answers. If we are taught to rely on the same answer for every problem, then we might not seek a different answer that could be closer to fact. If for example we always rely on newspapers for our information, then motivation for an alternative truth will not be there. We should be encouraged to go to the library to do further research, or talk to others to see what they have to say. I think that there is not one answer to anything; we are taught that there is only one answer.

Creativity

The chapter offers many different version of the definition for creativity. The definition that further relates to my experience is “the power to originate, to break away from the existing ways of looking at things…” (Sack, 1995, pp. 241-242). When I think of being creative, or thinking in a creative way, I think in a way that is not of the norm; not traditional. My new venture class was the basis for this type of thinking. Our main objective was to think outside of the box, and to think of alternative ways to solve not only existing problems, but to come up with our own ideas or ventures.
A good example of this is when we were doing our final presentation for our group new venture project. The last and final part of the project was to design a commercial that would fully show our marketing campaign. We wanted our commercial to stand out, because we wanted it to be one that people could remember. We ended up combining a puppet show, with real San Jose State students to offer a laughable view of our solution.
I think the biggest problem with being creative is that we are not taught to think differently. From my experience, we are taught to arrive at a solution via the same means. We are not taught that there are more ways to solve a problem. And the benefits to being creative far outweigh the traditional methods of “do as the book says.” If not for creativity, many of the luxuries that we’re used to might not be around today.

Memory

The concept of memory is a critical concept when dealing with group activities. Memory comes in two forms: Short-term, and Long-term. According to Harris, “short-term memory can last from “1 to 60 seconds” (Harris 134). Within this time limit, we decide whether a message is important or not. The book gives a good example of this when a group is meeting for the first time. When noise becomes so prevalent, the actual message that we need is missed and let go.
Long-term memory is where relevant information is stored for extended periods of time. I can remember a manager stating that we need to do one thing 24 times before it will go from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. I have yet to test this theory out.
I think the concept of memory is important because it gives us a way to understand the message. If we can learn to store information for longer periods of time, then we can be of greater benefit to our group members.

Henry

Active Listening

When it comes to listening, I find that I have trouble listening to authority figures. Through reading this chapter, I’m finding out that most of my problems come from the evaluating the message content of listening. The lack of listening can come from many barriers, but some of the more common ones with me include Lack of Interest, Distracting Delivery, and Arrogance and Disrespect.
A good example of arrogance and disrespect comes courtesy of the old store manager where I work. This was the first store he had ever managed, and he believed he could act anyway he wanted because of this. He felt that because he was the manager of the store that he was superior, and that his employees were incompetent. He would not listen to anyone who was below him, even if they had valuable information. Because of this, none of his employees respected him. I would try and have civil conversations with him, but his arrogant attitude made it hard for him to effectively communicate back. If you weren’t talking about money or cars, then you might as well not speak.
Unfortunately, I was not able to resolve this problem with him. I felt that I would have to lower my I.Q. to effectively have a business relationship with him. I feel that if he could change his attitude and the way that he treats his employees, then my problem with arrogance and disrespect will be resolved.

Henry

What did you just say...? Selective Hearing

The book describes selective attention as “choosing one message over another” (Harris 131). After thinking carefully, I realized that I have selective hearing on a regular basis. The book gives different reasons as to why we may have selective attention or hearing. Reason five states that difficult material may be ignored. This has happened in a recent group project. One of the members was discussing technical terms, and because I did not understand the terms, I did pay attention to a word he said. I remember trying my hardest to understand the terms, but it was out of my scope.
I knew that I had to some how understand the terms, because I would need them for the presentation. I had the member write down a list of the terms so that I could look them up. By doing this, I could understand not only the discussion, but I was able to not have selective hearing.
I think this type of behavior can also happen with advertisements. There are just some advertisements that I do not pay attention to. One possible reason could be that that particular advertisement does not support my point of view. If someone was to ask me what the theme for the latest Coors Light commercial was, I would not be able to tell them. But ask me about the latest Nike commercial, and I’ll probably have the right answer.

Henry

Proxemics and Chronemics

Proxemics is the study of personal space, and how different conditions can affect interactions among people. Edward Hall coined the term in the 1960’s, and found out that not only does the circumstance matter when dealing with personal space, but it varies from person to person. For example, a C.E.O. may need more personal space, than a factory worker. I found the example in the book by Sommer to be interesting. I never gave much thought to how seating positions can show a pattern.
A good example of this would be at work meetings. The person in charge, whether it is the manager or director, usually sits at the ends of the table. While other less powerful people sit around the table. I never notice until now how much this makes since. I notice that the individuals who sit more towards the center of the table tend to interact less. However, I do believe that the issue of person space does vary from race to race.
I have friends of different races, and reading this chapter has caused me to think about the proxemics of each group. When I’m with my Asian friends, I notice that the level of personal space is low. They tend to interact within close proximity of each other. On the other hand, my African American friends tend to want more personal space. The interaction is not as close.
Chronemics is the study of the use of time (Harris 119). I also believe that the concept of time varies from culture to culture. In the USA, we are expected to be on time. On time means being early, at least 15 minutes. If we are later than 15 minutes, then we are considered late. Over the summer I went to Thailand, and I observed similar behavior. When scheduling a meeting, I noticed that people would arrive early, sometimes 30 minutes early.

Humor

A concept that I feel is important is humor. Humor plays an integral part in group communication. According to Harris, “Humor uses the power of verbal communication to share messages, relieve stress…” For many of us, humor is a way to break the ice. When starting out in a new group venture, humor can help everyone relax and start to act as a cohesive group. Usually, people in the group do not know each other and may feel uncomfortable. By someone telling a joke, the tension can be released. I remember being in a group and not knowing anyone. Suddenly, my cell phone goes off and it plays a funny ring tone. The next things I know, everyone is laughing at the ring tone. I know that the book says that humor is verbal, but I think it can be nonverbal as well.
Humor can also be nonverbal. The act of someone making a funny face can make someone smile, or even better laugh. If you’re in a group, and it seems that people aren’t cohesive, then implement the fish face. Simply squeeze the middle of your lips together with your fingers to form the face of a fish. This always work. Then have other members in the group try it, and this should ease the tension. Other forms of humor in nonverbal communication include other various funny faces, or perhaps someone stumbling while walking.
Humor is essential because it is easy to implement. Every culture in the world has a form of humor; it’s up to us to figure it out how to use it.

Principals

The book has some very interesting principals when it comes to nonverbal communication. One of the principals that I found interesting was “Cultural norms and expectations guide the group.” I think this is important with dealing with other cultures, as we may interpret situations differently. For example, in the United States women are seen as close to equal to their male counterpart as one would expect. We believe that we can learn valuable information from any women. But in some less off, or third world countries, women are not seen as equal. In visiting Thailand, I observed that men were the ones in charge, and women were more submissive. Men seemed to be the operators of the business, while women ran the back office.

Another equally important principal is “It impacts the quality of relationships.” This principal is important because if we do not understand different cultures, then we can do more harm than good. The book gives a good example of people sitting next to each other. This can be good or bad depending on the cultural background of the person. A good example is that I usually sit by the door in classrooms. I’m not sure why, but I seem to always sit there. There may be another person that chooses to sit in the seat next to me. My decision to sit next to the door does not symbolize my liking for the person sitting next to me. I also will rarely move if the person has a quality that I find annoying or unattractive like bad breath or dirty clothes. Again, it does not symbolize I like the person, I just happen to like the location.

Another example would be a person who constantly comes to class late. I’m going to assume that people from the western hemisphere believe that the person is lazy. We believe that the person thinks they’re better than us, and does not have to show up to class on time. The issue could be that the person has trouble with a babysitter for their son/daughter, or travels from far away and cannot make it on time. The simple action of arriving late to class can be prejudged negatively without saying a word.

Henry

Conflict Management

One concept that I find interesting is conflict management. The book points out that because people come from different cultures, they are raised to see similar things differently. I like how the book points out that confrontation in the United States resides in truth and debate, while in Asian cultures it resides in maintaining harmony.

This topic is important because now more than ever, cultures will mix. In SJSU, group projects can often have members from four to five different cultures. It is important to understand these different cultures so that we don’t mistake their actions in a negative sense. It is important to know how certain cultures perceive information, as their response can be important to the project at hand.

I think the only true way to understand people from different cultures is to ask questions. I know sometimes I am quick to “jump the gun” when it comes to things I don’t understand. Being a student at SJSU has opened my eyes to different cultures and the way they tackle problems. This is important because the work force will vary with people from all around the world.

Henry

White Men of Power

“White Men of privilege” deals with the concept of white men having the power in the United States. Harris states that “social, economic, and political power” have long been associated with upper-class and upper-middle-class white Europeans. He states that other members of society are simply placed on different hierarchies.

I agree with the concept, that this is the way it has been for sometime. No matter where we are in the United States, The man or men of power are white. Looking at top Ceo’s of companies, we can see that the majority are white. Mike Duke is the CEO of Wal-Mart, and he is white. The CEO of Exxon Mobil is Rex Tillerson, and he is white.

I don’t think this concept will completely change over time. In the United States, money is power. Those who have money will change. As more investors and innovators start to migrate from different parts of the world, the power will change. However, I don’t think that money will ever stop being associated with power

Henry

Stereotype

I have been apart of a group that has been stereotyped. I have been stereotyped because I was black. I can still remember walking down the street with my brother, who is a lawyer, and an older white lady gripping her purse tight as we walked by. She stereotyped us as muggers, when we were simply walking from our car to the store. We weren't using any non-verbal communication that may have given off the intention of a crime in the future.

This does reflects the concept in the book. One of the concepts is communication contexts. This could be true because the lady may have had learned her views from the culture she was in. There could also be pressure for conformity. Her group that she is from could pressure her to act a certain way. The book states that “We learn our automatic and perceptual responses to our surroundings from those who nurture and care for us.” If this lady was raised to view certain cultures in a negative connotation, then this will clearly explain her reaction.

Henry

Cohesiveness

The concept that I found interesting was cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is the process of the group working together,keeping them motivated, and encouraging them to give more time to the group project. I think cohesiveness is important because it allows the group to interact more,and feel more open to discuss concerns than if the groups members were not comfortable. Because groups members can come from different backgrounds, it is important for all members to feel comfortable. By creating a cohesive group, members may feel better about the group, and may result in a better outcome on the project.

From personal experience, I think it is important for the group to be cohesive. I have been in a group where others members were already friends. This makes it difficult as sometimes they can engage in "social loafing" and forgot about the other members. It is sometimes hard to break through to become a cohesive group. I think the textbook gives a good example of a cohesive group. Page 55 of the textbook shows a rowing team working together to complete the task.

Henry

My Norms

"Norms establish the accepted rules and behavior." (Harris 46). Norms provide us the tools and guidelines as to what is and is not acceptable in the functioning of a group. As the book states, group norms are not enforced by a certain person. These are guidelines that the group is expected to follow. When we follow the norms in our group, we feel excepted as if we are apart of the group. The norms of the group can affect everything from how we speak, walk, even what food we eat.

One of the norms that I have with my family is to always greet each other when we arrive home. This norm shows a couple of things: 1st, this norm shows respect for everyone in the family. By greeting each other, we are acknowledging that we have arrived home, and are again a family. 2nd, this shows common courtesy. This norm shows that we are respectable human beings, and that we have the communication skills to go with it.

Henry

Norms Around Us

I believe that there are norms at SJSU. One of the norms that SJSU has is a crucial norm. A crucial norm is defined as having a "primary impact on how well the group performs its task."(Harris 47). SJSU has a crucial norm that students will not cheat. It is crucial because if it is not done, then the task of graduating will not be fulfilled. Another crucial norm is for teachers to give test. This norm can be classified as crucial, and implicit. Students sign up for classes knowing that teachers will give a test at some point in the semester. This norm also does not have to be written, as most students have come to expect it.

As far as my group of friends that I spend time with, yes there are norms. One norm is that we all attend a social event at least once a month. This can be something as big as a concert, or as small as dinner. This would also be identified as a crucial norm because if someone misses the event, then members of the group would be disappointed. Another norm that we have is to always tell the truth. I know it may sound hard to believe, but we do practice this norm. An example would be when a friend of ours was going out with a girl that was not right for him. We knew that he cared for her, but we could see her real intentions. We had evidence, but no one wanted to tell him how we felt, in fear of how he would react. But we knew that we had no choice, but to tell him the truth about her.

Henry

Entropy and Equifinality

Entropy can impact any group size. Entropy has to do with the group being disorganized, and not moving forward as a group. This can happen for a number of reasons. One reason could be the lack of leadership. If the group has no leader, then the group can go off course. A good personal example of this was a sales meeting I had one year. Our sales manager at the time felt that she should reprimand the group because of down sales. Our sales manager was not a very motivating person, which translated into us doing poorly. She wouldn’t celebrate the good, but instead emphasize the bad.
Equifinality states that there is more than one way to complete a task. Members in a group often may start their project in different ways. For instance, one group member may choose to type first, while another member may choose to read first. This is also true with working people from different cultures. Workers from Europe may have been brought up to tackle problems more qualitatively, while workers from India may be more quantitatively.

Groups Not Functioning

In order for a small group to function, all parts of the group must function well. If all parts of the group do not function, then the group falls apart. In every aspect of our lives, we experience groups that are functioning together. Have you ever seen a fire truck driving down the street? Operating the fire truck is a group task. There is a driver that steers the vehicle from the front, and sometimes one from the rear. There is a person who is the navigator: the person who directs the driver where to go. If these people don’t function together as a team, then help may not be on its way.

When thinking of a scenario from my own experiences that illustrates interdependence, I think of group projects in class. Usually the project is broken up so that each member has an equal part in the project. If each person does not complete their part, then the project will be incomplete. In my experience, there is always one person who does not fulfill their part of the project. Whether it is a small part like bringing the actual assignment to class, or a big part like doing the research, it never fails.

An example that illustrates interrelationship is a family. A family has to depend on each other on a regular basis. One person cooks and cleans, and another person cuts the grass and the hedges. One person pays the electric bill, while another pays the insurance premium. If one person does not complete their part, then the group falls apart. My example includes a lazy ex-girlfriend. We both have our parts. If I pay the electric bill, it is up to you to pay the cable bill. If the cable bill does not get paid, it is not up to me. Each person must do their part so that the group can function. It is not up to her to buy the new dress she saw at the mall instead of paying the cable bill. All parts must function together.

Henry

Introduction

My name is Henry, and I am a graduating senior. It feels good to say that! I believe that communication is an integral and important part of the real world. I hope to receive a better understanding of how to effectively communicate in a group setting. This is my fourth online class, and I couldn't be happier. Online classes give me the flexibility to make my own schedule, and still have time for family. Some things about me are that I love the outdoors, and love to travel. This past summer I vacationed in Thailand for two weeks. If you haven't been, it is a great destination.

My plans after graduating include applying for my MBA. I hope to one day work in the private sector for the government. It is not only important for me to receive knowledge from my MBA, but pay raises in the government are based on the level of education.

One last bit of information, is that I just found out I'm going to be a father. I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. Having my son/daughter there makes me excited, but the current job market and economy has me nervous. I'm optimistic, so we'll see.

I hope everyone has a great semester, and good luck!

Henry