A Glimpse into Communication

 

Catherine Rodriguez 

A glimpse into Communication 

    Chapter 3 group 1 was all about interracial communication, things that can affect International communication is, race, gender, religion, and socioeconomic status. Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, art. It encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies. Intercultural communication refers to the communication between people from two different cultures, is a symbolic, interpretive, transactional, contextual process, in which people from different cultures create shared meanings. Different types of intercultural communication examples include verbal communication where different cultures may use different languages or have variations in the way they use the same language, such as idioms, slang, and accents.

Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of various kinds, including those characterized by close kinship relations. Modern science regards race as a social construct, an identity which is assigned based on rules made by society. While partly based on physical similarities within groups, race does not have an inherent physical or biological meaning.   Religion can interfere with communication by introducing cultural differences, sensitivity to criticism, sticking to their own group, and being very strict about their beliefs. This can make it tough for open and understanding conversations.

This country is known for its freedom of practicing any religion or sticking to no religion at all. The US historical context reveals a prevalence of monotheistic judeo-christian values and traditions within the dominant culture.

Socioeconomic status- Concerning nonverbal communication, individuals from high SES backgrounds often exhibit more disengagement cues and fewer engagement cues compared to those from low SES backgrounds. Parents in the middle class typically prioritize fostering intellectual curiosity in their children. Parents belonging to low-SES groups often prioritize obedience, accepting others' opinions; and displaying reluctance in expressing their desires to authority figures.To foster effective and inclusive interactions, it is crucial to recognize and address the social economic influence on communication.

For this is crucial overcoming barriers related to access, language, power dynamics, and cultural norms across different backgrounds is part of this process. 

Gender- There’s some cultures that strongly value traditional gender roles. These cultures also value masculine roles more highly than feminine ones. These cultures consist of (Mexico Italy Japan) You are likely to expect men to act an assertive and dominant ways and have the woman to be more nurturing, caring, and service orientated. You will view masculine behaviors as mire valuable. People from masculine cultures have strict definitions of what are appropriate behaviors for males and females. As for feminine cultures people assume a variety of roles and are valued for doing so regardless of sex. The more feminine cultures are (Sweden, Norway, and Denmark). Men and women are accustomed to being nurturing, caring, a service oriented and value those traits as much as performance and ambition. Whether you come from a highly masculine or feminine culture that influences how you communicate with others.  

        Chapter 9 group 2 Talks about communicating in groups. A group is a collection of about 3 to 20 people who feel a sense of belonging and attempt to influence each other to accomplish a common purpose. Group communication, which consists of all the verbal and nonverbal messages shared among members, is what makes participating in groups a positive or negative experience.

A social group is composed of people who genuinely care about each other’s welfare and enjoy spending time together. Most of us belong to more than one social group. Sometimes people who work together evolve into a social group when they begin to get together for social activities outside of work

Because social groups fill our needs to be accepted and to belong, communication in these groups should encourage quieter members to participate in conversations, protect members from playful harassment, and provide opportunities for friends to disclose problems and receive support.

A support group is composed of people who come together to provide encouragement, honest feedback, and a safe environment for expressing deeply personal feelings about a problem common to the members. Support groups include addiction recovery groups such as AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), grief counseling support groups, survivor or caregiver support groups, etc. Support group members need to feel safe in disclosing highly personal information. So members need to make sure that their messages follow guidelines for comforting which include clarifying supportive intentions, buffering face threats, using other-centered language, framing, and selectively offering advice.

Characteristics of a healthy group-

Effective communication - overcome challenges of virtual communication to collaborate.

Social bonds - opportunities to develop relationships and trust between members.

Training - ensure members are trained on any technologies or methods.

Participation - all members actively contribute to achieve goals. Avoid "social loafing."

Evaluation - regularly assess technologies, methods, and dynamics to identify and address issues.

Chapter 10 group 3 mentions group leadership and problem solving. Leadership: involves the act of an individual guiding or influencing a group of individuals to reach a shared objective or goal. The five common formal leadership styles are autocratic leadership style, democratic/participative leadership style, laissez faire leadership style, transformational leadership style, servant leadership style. 

formal leader: a person appointed or elected to supervise and manage the activities and progress of a group. Informal emergent leaders: effective leadership is achieved when members take on various leadership functions, contributing to the overall success of the group

shared leadership functions refers to the roles undertaken by different members within a group to support the groups tasks and promote positive relationships among. Its members.

role: are specific communication behaviors undertaken by group members to meet the groups requirements at a particular moment. 

Maintenance roles:

supporters: encourage others to express their opinions by using positive gestures or offering words of encouragement.

interpreters: help group members understand each other, using their knowledge about the different cultural, social, and gender orientation of the group members.

harmonizers: help overcome conflicts or problems

mediators: assists in ending a mutual decision solution, maintain neutrality during discussions. tension relievers: use appropriate humor to help relieve stress among the members. by doing this, tension relievers build relationships, reduce stress, and give a perspective.