Week 15 #3

Self-image affects communication. " I" is that people are birth with, but " me " is affected by environment, family, and culture.Ting-Toomey defines that people grow up and raise in their culture. The individual -identity is stand for and related to the group-identity. the individual norm, behavior, and understanding of social value is tied to the membership in the culture group. For example, one of my friend who is Chinese, but she was adapted by an England couple when she was a baby. She grew up in London. even though she looks like a Chinese, she behaves totally an Englander; she doesn`t have any Chinese norm and culture in her mind. Therefore, " me " is influenced in the environment, culture, and family.

Week 15 #2

In communication theory, the clock face is shown the relationship of karl weick`s three criteria. The hours of twelve, four, and eight show weick`s three criteria: generalizability, accuracy, and simplicity. At twelve o`clock can be applied in every situation, it`s more successful than expected, but it is no completely context-free approach to social behavior. ( P 468) At four o`clock is pure scientist like stating, testing, and rejecting null hypothese ( p 468); it focus on explaining the tests in the pass and proving them. At eight o` clock is collapsed data into a single conclusion. The three criteria are related to each other; and can`t be done alone.

Week 15 #1

In chapter 36, Griffin mentions that communication is motivation and communication needs motivation. Motivation is that " needs and desires that drive or draw us to think, feel, and act as we do." ( Griffin, E. 2008), ( P 472). Motivation includes social exchange theory that people can see it when people will become more vulnerable in their depth and breadth of self-disclosure; need for affiliation is that human needs support and is scared to be isolated from other; need for achievement is that people want to be successful by setting goal, identity alternatives, and evaluatating the achievement; need for control is that people are controled by powerful group, and the powerful group has the greatest voice; need to reduce uncertainty is to gain knowledge and create people`s understanding. People like to discover information when they meet others in the first place; and Burke suggests that need to reduce anxiety to reinforce people`s existing beliefs, seek social support.

Week 12 #3

In Chapter 35, Kramarae concludes that " in order to participate in society women must transform their own models in terms of the recieved male system of expression." ( Griffin, E 2008) ( P 459). It`s a good idea to transform women`s own models to recieve male system expression. It can help women understand more men`s thinking; and women can find the best way to communicate with men. But, men have to transform their own models to recieve female system expression. Like men, women also have their own thinking that is different from men`s thinking. It can help men to find out why women have different explaination in the same things or ideas than men do. Also, men can have more sense about women`s thinking and emotion. It can help men make good relationship with women. If only women make change, and men have no change anything, it will create the different unequal between women and men.

Week 12 #2

In chapter 35, Griffin explains muted group that is " people with little power who have trouble giving voice to their perceptions because they must reencode their thoughts to make them understood in the public sphere; e.g., women. " ( p 455). Women are in the muted group . It doesn`t mean that women have no voice in the society, but women have no power in the society. They can`t react the ways they like to ; they have to follow the roles that are provided by the culture. Before they get married, women have to follow their fathers and brothers` orders. After they get married, the women have to listen to their husbands` orders. If not, the society will be reacted the women badly. As a result, women are tought to be in muted group by their own cultures when they were young.

Week # 12 #1

In chapter 34, griffin mentions standpoint is that " a place from which to critically view the world around us." ( P 441). The story in P 443 was so bad and touched my feelings. In our society, men and women are not equal in real. In China, based on the Chinese culture, the people like baby boys because boys have power, can continue the family bleed. In some small villages, when baby gilrs were birth, the fathers would threw the baby gilrs away and tried to have other babies because they hoped the other babies would be boys. 90% of orphan in orphanage in China are gilrs. Also, there are still many abuse cases which are husbands abuse their wives in physically , psychologically, and sexually. But some wives think that they have to suffer the abuse because the men are their husbands; and the husbands should control the wives. I hope that the women will change their mind to fight back and get away the hurt.

Week 10 #3

In chapter 29, Griffin talks about fear of isolation is that " the fear of isolation is the centrifugal force that accelerates the spiral of silent." ( P 373). In a group, the minority person always keep quiet . He / she doesn`t want to share his/her ideas or opinion because he/she doesn`t make sure that the others would accapt the ideas he/she has. He/she doesn`t want to be isolated in the group because he /she is minority. When he/she listens to others` ideas or opinions, he/she just keeps silent even though he/she disagrees with the ideas or opinions. He/ she has strong feeling of anxiety when he/she speaks out the different ideas or opinions. I think that everybody has the same experience in daily life , expecially, when you are new in an environment. you try hard to keep yourself in a group and are afraid of being isolated.

Week 10 #2

We can find that some news always report in TV everyday even though people don`t want to look at them. In Chapter 28, Griffin mentions interest aggregation is that " clusters of people who demand center stage for their one, overriding concern; pressure groups." ( P 363). For example, presidental campaign 2008, now we watch the same TV news report about the two candidates even though their speech is the same as the first they spoke to the public. The clusters of people are interesting in the news, some news about economic issues and our troop in Iraq are the same important for the U.S. people, but the clusters of people think that the news is the center of the issues today, they don`t like to put the news very often in media. Therefore, most of people can control the media, but the clusters of people can use media to show their interest.

Week 10 #1

In chapter 28 mentions that media agenda is that" the pattern of news coverage across major print and broadcast media as measured by the prominence and length of stories." ( P 360). Also it tells about the relationship between media agenda and voter`s agenda. In every presidential campaign, all candidates spend a lot of their money in media to tell people what policy they will have, what persons they are . In that period time, people can watch, read, and listen to the candidates`s names everywhere. The purposes they spend the money with media are making people to vote to them, and winning the presidental campaign. Addition, the candidates spend their time focus on the issues people are more interesting in. For example, this year`s presidental campaign, two candidates focus on economic issues to touch people`s hearts. Therefore, media agenda can make people to vote, but the voters can change media agenda.

week 9 #3

In chapter 26 mentions hegemony is that " the subtle sway of society`s haves over its have-nots." ( 336). Also, it talks about hegemony in the international scene that " hegemony usually refers to the preponderant influence or domination of one nation over another." A good example is that the stock market of the U.S. is crashed from two months ago. At the beginning, American people affected on it, but the happen goes very fast to spread out to the whole world now. Some countries even are bankrupt or will be bankrupt. Their situation is more serious than the U.S. Some people might say that this is the U.S` problem, how it is become other countries` problems. It`s hegemony in the in ternational scene. The problems in a strong contry must affect to others because others` economy, development, and culture are affected by the strong country.

Week 9 #2

In chapter 26, economic determinism is that " the belife that human behavior and relationships are ultimately caused by differencess in financial resources and the disparity in power that those gaps create." ( P 336). Who has the power, who controls over ideology and political power. The example of Iraqi war, at the beginning of the war, the government sold the idea of the war in TV to push people believe that created the war was the right idea and necessary responsibility. Later, the government encouraged people to support our military in Iraq. people who agreed the war and people who disagreed the war try to do any thing they can to support our military.Who has the power can change our culture and believe by using media

Week 9 #1

In chapter 24, according to McLuhan, all humans go through four ages. Tribal age is that " an acoustic era; a time of community because the ear is the dominant sense organ." ( P 314). In this age, humans believed what they heard from because spoken words went to their ears immediately and directly. Literary age is that " a visual era; a time of private detachment because the eye is the dominant sense organ."( P 316). In this age, humans focused on what they saw. They could read books, and transfered the hearing to reading. Also, humans changed their way to communicate from group activities to individual reading ,and they thought about the reading by themselves. Print age is that " a visual era; mass-produced books usher in and industrial revolution and nationalism, yet in dividuals are isolated." ( 316). In this age, humans changed their reading from written to type. The readings could be printed many as humans wish. This age, humans sent information to the world was faster than any age before because of the print readings. Electronic age is that " an era of instant communication; a return to the global village with all-at-once sound and touch." ( 317). In this age, humans could stay home and knew every big events in the world by watching TV and talking on phone. This age made the world become more connected and sent information easier. Digital age is that" a possible fifth era of specialized electronic tribes contentious over diverse beliefs and values." In this age, humans use a lot of electronic products to connect the world. The electronic products help humans make the world no distand at all. we are in the digital age now; we don`t need to send a lettle and wait another 10 days to connect our friends in the another side of the world. We can use webcam to see the friends immediately.

Week 8 #3

In chapter 23 talks about humans love to tell stories to communicate with each other. In our daily life. we listen to stories or tell stories everyday. When we were young, our parents taught us the own culture by telling stories. When we went to schools, our teachers told stories to teach us the school rules. The teachers spent enough time telling or reading stories to teach us norm and the rules of our society. When we are adults, our friends have problems and need us to help, we give the friends examples to help them find out the solution. Therefore, telling stories is an important communication way in our daily life. People feel more confortable to accept the story telling. And people believe that humans can learn a lot from the stories.

Week # 8 #2

In chapter 22 mentions about dramatistic pentad that is " a tool to analyze how a speaker attempts to get an audience to accept his or her view of reality bu using five key elements of the human frama--act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose." ( Giffin, E 2008), ( P 291). It has five elements. Act is that speakers tell the audience what they will talk about in their speech. Scene is that the speakers give the audience their speech`s background. Agent is what characters are the speakers. Agency is that the speakers explain the meanings and the information in the speech. Purpose is the speech`s goal and the main ideas the speakers stay with in the speech. Therefore, dramatistic pentad is important for public speech.

Week 8 #1

In chapter 21, Griffin mentions Aristole`s three kinds of proof that are logical ( logos), ethical ( etho), and emotional ( pathos). " Logical proof comes from the line of argument in the speech." ( Griffin, E, 2008.) ( P 280). When we attend to a public speech, first of all, we listen to the argument in the speech and find out the main ideas of the speech. If we don`t know or the argument is indistinct, we will lose our interest in the speech. " Ethical proof is the way the speaker`s character is revealed through the message." ( Griffin, E, 2008).(P280). For example, Martin Luther king`s " I Have A dream", he told the black that he was a member of them , they had to struggle for their freedom with nonviolent the same as him. Also, he spoke to the white that the black just wanted to be treated equal as the white with nonviolent because he was an example of the black. " Emotional proof is the feeling the speech draws out of the hearers." ( Griffin, E , 2008), ( P 280 ). Martin Luther King spoke to people that " I Have A Dream" to catch people `s emotion ; and people could connect to the dreams they had. Public speech is not only communication to people , and also have these three kinds of proof to catch people`s interest, focus, and emotion.

Week 7 #3

In chapter 20, Deetz mentions that " meaningful democratic participation creates better citizens and better social choices, and provides important economic benefits." ( Griffin, E, 2008 ). ( P 269-270). Communication in workplace is important . It can stimulate workers` job interest and help company create more profits. If the company puts its power over the workers, the workers will lose their interest in their jobs and find other job opportunities from other companies. The company will lose its workers later. I like the example in page 269" A morning Exercise by Stan Deetz". It tells the real meanings of communication and how it is important.

Week 7 #2

In chapter 20 mentions " consent" that is " the process by which employees actively, though unknowingly, accomplish managerial interests in a faulty attempt to fulfill their own." ( Griffin, E, 2008). ( P 266). I have the same feelings as the example of Lynn in P 266-267. When I was a child, my father usually worked overtime everyday. He didn`t take care of me and played with me much. My mother took care of the whole family. My father loved his company because he thought that he had more power in his workplace. He was poud of his power and communicated with other co-workers with the power in the workplace. When he went home, he didn`t feel the same power at home. Therefore, companies have a lot of power to keep their emplyees spending their times and interest in the companies.

Week 7 #1

In chapter 19, Geertz states that culture is that " webs of significance; systems of share meaning." ( Griffin,E), ( P 251). Also, Griffin, E mentions that Japan`s industrial output has more cultural value than technology. When people walk in any Japanese company, people can feel strong Japanese cultural value mix into the workplace. One time, I went to Japan to visit my friend`s company. Manager of every department was the king of the department. Every worker had to listen to and follow the manager`s orders. When the workers were rebuked by the manager; they only said yes whatever the manager was right or wrong. Also, the manager was always the first one to leave the department to have lunch or go home; and then the workers could leave. In Japanese culture, wife has to follow her husband`s orders, children must follow their parents` orders, and youths have to listen to seniors. They put their culture into the workplaces whatever people like or dislike.

Week 6 #3

In chapter 18 states how and why interaction is important in group decision making. Interaction is that " intentional acts of group members who are aware of what they are doing." ( Griffin,E), ( P239). In the group discussion, every member might have difference ideas to the group project; members need to talk to the whole group and let others understand the ideas. After the memebers understand the ideas, they will try the ideas they feel comfortable with to make decision. If the memeber doesn`t tell their own ideas, others won`t understand his/her ideas; and they will just stay their own ideas. In this case, they can`t make group decision because everyone has his/her own decision and not group decision. So, making group decision can`t be without interaction.

Week #6 #2

In chapter 18 mentions about "Rule" that is " propositions that indicate how things ought to be done or what is good or bad; recipes for actions." ( Griffin, E.) ( P 240). Rule is important for group decision making ; and it teaches every member in the group what is good or bad, and what he/ she can do or can`t do. It controls the members` behaviors during group activities; it helps the members to achieve their goals. If everybody in the group doesn`t follow the rule, he/she won`t achieve with the goals of the group. If someone in the group breaks the rule, the group will be affected directly. The goals of the group will postpone to achieve. The rule is a necessary element to guide the group activities and decision making.

Week6 #1

In chapter 17,Hirokawa states that goal setting is important for group activities and decision making. In the chapter, " goal setting" is that " establishing criteria by which to judge proposed solutions." ( Griffin, E. ) ( P 224). In a group , if every member in the group understands the goal of the group, he/she will try to achieve the goal. Also, the goal can make the group more successful. If the group doesn`t set a goal, members of group don`t know what they try to accomplish, feel that they have nothing to do with the group, and are tired to attend the group activities. In this case, the group is failed. I`m so lucky never have a group like that. Does someone have the experience of group failure beause of no goal setting?

Week 5 #3

In chapter 13, Watzlawick mentions " content" which is " the report part of a message, what is said verbally. " and " relationship " that is " the command part of the message; how it`s said nonverbally," ( P 172). If there is no content, there is no relationship. For example, my husband and his older brother had some kind of misunderstand 10 years ago. After that, they didn`t meet and talk to each other. Now, my husband understands that he made a mistake in 10 years ago; and he likes to call his older brother to say sorry. But, when he called his brother, he found out that his brother moved out to another state; he can`t find the brother. They haven`t contacted for ten years, haven`t known how they were and where they lived. They have been strangers even though they are brothers. Therefore, there is no content between epople, there is no relationship even though they are in the same family. Two days ago, his sister called my husband and gave the brother`s phone number to him. Yesterday, my husband called his brother, they talked on the phone about four hours about the happen 10 years ago, how they were in the 10 years, and how their families were. After the call, my husband said that he understood more his brother than 10 years ago, and didn`t understand why he didn`t call his brother within 10 years. They are still brothers and try to become the best friends. They lost their relationship about 10 years; they are very thankful to have the relationship back to their life. So, content and relationship are related to each other.

Week 5 #2

In chapter 12 mentions that " for without dialogue, there is no relationship." It`s a very good piont to talk about communication. In the first month of my son`s new school, I didn`t know anyone in his school. I was alone. But, in some day of the second month, a mother of a first grader talked to me while we were waiting for the kids dismissing from school. At the beginning, we just talked some simple things about the school; later, we found that we had a lot of similarities from each other.Half years later, we went shopping together. Now , she `s one of my best friends. Our relationship began with only simple dialogue. On the other hand, my husband and his brother had some kind of misundersatnding 10 years ago. They haven`t met and talked together. Now, my husband doesn`t know how his brother is, where he lives, and how his family is. Even though they are brothers, they haven`t had relationship from each other because they didn`t have dialogue between them.

Week 5 #1

In chapter 11 mentions about Computer-Mediated Communication versus Face-to-face. Now more than 90% of young people like to go on Internet to research, send and get mails, talk through webcam, and play games. They can`t live without computers. Most of them feel comfortable with the activities of computers, but feel anxiety to make face-to -face communication with people. They are social isolated from people and society. Also, it`s dangerous to communicate to others through computers. People create good image and personality online to perform themselves. If young people believe the "good image and personality", the young will get caught. Therefore, young people don`t spend much time online; they need to go out to meet people face by face to develop their social skills.

Week 4 #3

In chapter 10, it mentions " Message plan", which is " Mental representations of action sequence that may be used to achieve goals." ( P 129), ( Griffin, E 2008 ). If you want to catch your communication goal, you must make message plan in your mind to communicate others. In our routine life, some people are easy to achieve their communication goal. At the first, they catch others` attention by showing their friendly manner. The others feel warm from the people and like to open their " doors" to communicate with the people. And then, the people organize their ideas step by step to let the others understand easily. On the other hand, if a person is nervous or having other problems, he/ she performs himself/herself in cool manner. The others withdraw from him/her, and don`t want to communicate with him/her. In this case, even though he/she has excellent ideas, he/she can`t communicate the ideas to others. The ideas are only in his/her mind. Therefore, " message plan" is imptant in communication.

Week 4 #2

I like the ideas of Comparison Level--Gaging relationl Satisfaction in Chapter 9. Peter was looking forward to call his girlfriend on Sunday night, and talked more than 30 minutes to her. The coversation made Peter happy. In our rountine life, our friendship, romance, and family ties is pegged by our relational history. For example, my son became a third grader at the new semester. Even though he was happy with his new third grade teacher and classmates in the classroom, he still loved to play with his second grade classmates at the recess time. He feel happy and safe with his relational history. Few weeks later, he spent more time playing with his third grade classmates and less time with the old classmates. His new relational ties is taken the place of his relational history. But the relational history gives a stable emotion for people to begin or develop new relational ties.

Week 4 #1

I agree with Axiom 6--Similarity in chapter 10 which is " Similarity between persons reduce uncertainty, while dissimilarities produce increases in uncertainty." ( P127) ( Griffin, E. 2008 ). As the chapter explaintation, if both people are bog lovers, they will be easy to become friends because they are similarity. They will begin to understand each other from the bogs they have. They have the same issues to talk about. They feel comfortable to start their frinedship. But, if one person loves bogs, and another loves birds, they will feel hard to find the same issue to talk about. And it`s difficult to follow each other`s conversation. They will feel more difficult to start friendship than they are similarity. i love to look for friends who are similarity as me.


Griffin, E. ( 2008). Communication Theory. New York:McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Week 2 #3---Me

According to the textbook from chapter 5, " Me, The objective self; the image of self seen when one takes the role of the other." ( P63). People develope their " Me" by communicating with their friends and peers. people`s " Me" change time by time because they communicate to difference friends and peers in difference time. we always hear parents say why their children`s behaviors change often. Also, people look at their friends to detect the image of themselves, and try to act like their friends. For example, when I was in the third year of middle school, I had two best friends who were the top five students in my class. I spent more of my time studying with them, and I studied hard to get good grade. I thought that I should be a top student in my class just like my friends. Therefore, when people change their behaviors, not only ask why they change, but also need to understand their friends.

Reference;

Griffin, Em. (2008). Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Week 2 Blog #2

I`m interesting in "Communication as a system of information processing" from Chapter 4. We use phone calls everyday, and we can`t without the phone in our routine life. It`s a very good source to send information. But, the sound and voice from phone line can make total difference result in sending information to receivers. For example, within dinner time, I got a call of advertisement. I was angry to receive the call, but I heard a smooth and nice voice with right speed from the phone. At that moment, I held the phone and sat down to listen to the phone even though I didn`t want the products or plans. Finally, I got some information from the phone call. On the other hand, after the call, I got another advertisement call. I was happy to answer the call because of the call I got before. When I got the second call, I heard a unhappy voice from the phone. At that time, I cut the call immediately. I didn`t know what the call was about. They are not only my experience. I know that every one has the same experience as me .

Week 2-- #1 Blog

I`m Chujing. The Socio-Cultural Tradition from chapter 4 is very touched my feelings. The Socio-Cultural Tradition is focused on people`s talk, they produce and reproduce culture. The same color has many difference meanings in difference culture. For example, Americian think that white color means peaceful, honest, and purify. They use the color in their wedding. But, in Chinese culture, Chinese think that the white color means sad and ghostly. They usually use the color in funeral ceremony, and don`t use it in their wedding. The white color has total difference meanings with these two cultures. Therefore, people misunderstand other people not only the words they speak, but also they have difference explaination with their culture.

I`m Chujing

Hi, everyone in Comm101:

I`m Chujing .It`s nice to study with all of you in Fall 08, I think that i will learn and gain a lot of experience from all of you. It`s my first time to blog with Google. I still try to get used to it. I`m usually very busy because I`m a student and a 9-year-old boy`s mother. My boy has a lot of energy, and i need to spend a lot of time playing and studying with him. But it`s fun. We also do homework together. He understands that being a student has to finish his/her homework. So, he is doing well at his school and he`s an "A" student. He has high expectation for himself. I love my boy and enjoy doing anything with him.