3rd paragraph on page 5 the reason I liked this paragraph so much was becasuen it talked about how many different definitions there are to the word “Communication” they said there was at one pointn 126 definitions. 2nd paragraph on page 15. This one talked about how you have to know your role in a conversation and Overall this was a very interesting read, one thing that really stuck out to me is that people tend to overlook communication. As it is such a common occurence in life that people just think of it as not much. However it is something way more and without communication we would not have much. One question I have is what is your definition of communication?
Passage #1 (PG #8, Para #3)
I found this passage to be confusing but after a second read I enjoyed the explanation that was given even though it was contradictory to my natural idea. My definition of a sign was based on stop signs and billboards. But those objects aren’t signs at all, they are symbols. Images of beaches and coronas or performers in a circus, they are symbols which represent something unique in its own way. These symbols do not mean the same thing to everyone however. Different cultures represent parts of everyday life using different symbols.
Passage #2 (PG#12, Para #1)
I found that I could agree strongly with this passage. Whether you know a person or not, whatever interaction you may have with that person subconsciously you recognize who they are and what they mean to you. If a friend were to pass you by on the street you might find yourself being more inclined to wave or say hello. If a stranger walked past you, you might not make any notice of them at all. Communication is incredibly scenario based and every interaction is different from one person to the next.
QCQ:
“All Communication contains both a content level and a relational level (PG #12, para #1).”
When a person communicates with another not only are they trying to convey a message, but the way one communicates may vary based on the relationship the “sender” has with the “receiver.” If for example you walk past a classmate in the halls you might give them a fist bump or a high five as a form of salutations. However in a similar situation if you walk past your professor in the halls you may simply try to avoid eye contact. Relationships we can maintain and grow through communicating but they do not necessarily stay the same forever. Sometimes people grow apart or to the contrary become closer and in some cases form an intimate relationship. This will change the way that you interact with this person and how you communicate with them will change as well. As I myself have grown older I have grown much closer with my Nana, we talk about everything. I fill her in on everything I do at school and all my adventures that my friends and I get into. But I communicate with her very differently than I do with my friends. I hug her and we always make some food for me to bring back to my family but that is never something my friends and I would spend our time doing together. She is also much older of course so she tells me about the past and what things used to be like where I grew up.
How could we make communication with new people easier and less stressful in our society today? What would have to change about the way we communicate with each other now that would make it easier to get to know a new person?
Page 2 paragraph 2
What makes these passages interesting is that they talk about the core of communications and how that is tied to you as a person. It also indicates how you present yourself to others because you communicate to the world who you are or in some cases who you are trying to be. Paragraph 2 talks a loud the importance of everyday communication and how it shapes lives and how remarkable things can come from everyday communication. I also like the term “communication is the frequency of our lives” I think that is an accurate representation of what communication is because all humans and living things communicate with one another in many ways. It’s how we interact.
Page 6 paragraphs 2-3
What stood out to me about these passages was the associating communications to symbols. The passages explain the symbolism of a stop sign and how that sign is nothing but an indicator that you should stop moving forward. That is because our brains have naturally understood and agreed that a red octagon that says “stop” means stop. This is important to the study of our brains because we naturally just made that connection, and it has become a universal symbol. I found it fascinating how the article pointed out that some symbols are different to different people, meaning that what something means in one state or country may not be the same in another and that is bound to cause confusion.
Question Why do our brains make the connections with symbolism?
Quote: “social construction involves the way in which symbols take on meaning in a social construct they are used over time.” Page 7 paragraph 7
Comments: until I read this text I have not thought about the study and the in-depth cation of communication.
Comment (at least 75 words): This quote seemed to be more of an exercise for the reader, but I’d like to take it to heart as someone who is often the listener during conversations so that I can absorb more and use jokes, phrases, mimic body language, or little mannerisms later. When you’re the listener I feel you take everything in, you can’t not notice the little things people do when you yourself want to come off as neurotypical. I find that because I am the listener, when I do start a conversation, I make sure everyone is involved, the whole room so that no one must be the listener. It’s not fun, it’s like doing a math equation trying to read people most days and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I always say that the door is open, and that no one needs an invite when I’m speaking.
Question: Why wouldn’t someone want to include everyone when speaking? I can’t think of an instance where I wouldn’t, but that could also be because we’re all derived from different experiences.
“Because symbols are arbitrary representations of something else, they can be different in different cultures, and strangers need extra help.” (para 3, p. 8)
It’s interesting to think that symbols aren’t universal, as we think the symbols we use for road signs and in public places seem straightforward to us. This part made me think of the debate on how we are going to label nuclear waste to communicate to those in the future to not open it. Language barriers and limited space make it difficult to communicate these things. When I was in France, the bathrooms were mostly labeled “WC”, which doesn’t convey “bathroom” to everyone in the world.
“For instance, when a student asks an instructor for an extension on an assignment, several factors influence how both approach that interaction.” (para 2, p. 14)
With a student asking for an extension or something like extra credit, both sides have nonverbal expectations for the interaction. If a student has been granted extensions or extra credit in the past they may expect that of this interaction. What the student wants to communicate, is that they expect it because they asked (but of course, you can’t demand things from teachers, that’s not an accepted way of communicating academically). If the instructor doesn’t give the response they want, it may lead to them viewing their instructor as rude or unfair. In reality, instructors have many valid reasons to decline such requests. If an extension is asked without any fair medical or familial reason, they feel they have a right to decline. Sometimes people assume others will have similar or the same beliefs as themself which can lead to issues communicating.
(forgot my questions)
Should we create a universal symbol dictionary of sorts to prevent some communication barriers? Would providing the reason for your thinking when talking with someone you don’t know as well make communicating as efficient as talking with someone of the same communication frame?
The first passage that really stuck out to me was the second paragraph from page four, it talks about how “major portions of a person’s life take shape through routine, seemingly mundane everyday communication.” The passage goes on to talk about how everyday communication can affect relationships, identities, cultures, and reality. This was very interesting to me because I didn’t necessarily realize just how much of our lives is dependent on communication, and how the way a person, or multiple people, communicates can have a very big impact on shaping your future career and life.
The second passage that really caught my attention was on paragraphs two to four on page nine. The passage talks about inventing a new word as a name for something that doesn’t necessarily have a specific name yet and how fast that “made up” word can spread and catch on. It made me remember the time in middle school when my friends and I invented our own language so that we could swear without the teachers even knowing. At first it was just my immediate friend group, however as we started using it more and more throughout the year other classmates started catching on and using the terms too.
I am mostly curious to know if anyone else in the class may have also shared a similar experience to me, and if so I would ask if and how it affected them in a social aspect. Going back to the first passage I was talking about, on second paragraph page four; I am curious as to if and how my peers can identify a major portion of their life that has been caused or affected by everyday communication. Another thing that I wanted to get my peers’ thoughts on was the passages from pages fifteen to seventeen, in which the book talks about the different ways in which communication can be used. It goes on to talk about how you can use communication as a transaction, an action, and an interaction. My question being do you think there are any other forms of communication besides just as a transaction, action, or interaction? Also which of these forms of communication do you think is the most important in the modern world? In my opinion I think that the most important form of communication is communication as a transaction, because humans are social animals and we are social with each other by having and making transactions with each other.
Not only was paragraph four of this page interesting but the entire page was talking mostly about the same topic. The fact that we have pretty much made up words and symbols and we all know exactly what they mean. For example, everyone says “menu” instead of “a list of the food that we make that you can eat.” This is something I did not even realize we do, and that is what makes it very interesting.
What other words do we use that are similar to the “menu” example?
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this paragraph they begin talking about how communication is actually just a transaction. If the sender is getting a message in return from the receiver, that means that they are both senders and receivers making it so that they are taking part in a transaction. Sending a text message also works the same way because there is still a sender and receiver. On the other hand, an action would be when only one person sends a message, and the other person does not answer.
If these types of transactions didn’t take place, what would we do?
In my reading of chapter 1 I found many ideas throughout the passages which I found important to my understanding of communications as a whole. Personally, one of the most important passages in this chapter begins right on the first page. The passage labeled “Everyday Communication and the Relational Perspective”(page 1-3) talks about the importance of realizing the nature of communication does not at all have to be only on a macro scale. The first paragraph states this by telling the reader how this textbook is different because of their focus on “everyday communications”. The passage also makes the point that it is easy to focus on big, historical events, while most human interaction is not this and is more casual and less important in the course of history or maybe not important at all. Another important aspect of this passage is that the authors make sure the relational perspective of communications is also stated. Communications, according to the author, can improve personal relations of all kinds through being studied. Another important passage within this chapter is the passage titled “Communication Is Cultural” (page 11). This passage as you can derive from the title talks on the idea that there are major and minor differences in the ways different cultures and societies use communications. For example, there may ideas that do not translate directly through language or even socially within two separate cultures. A situation like that hypothesized in the sentence prior could lead to kinds of conflict if not handled correctly or without the knowledge of how communications as an impact on societies viewpoints as a whole.
The section on page 7 para 2, talks about how communication is more than just exchanging messages. It is more than the simple transaction that it looks like. It has more of an impact and understanding than something small. Being able to know that the conversations being had leave more of an impact is so important. I thought this was interesting because it shows how important each conversation, whether it be big or small, has such a lasting impact on those around you. And how the things you say and the people that you listen to really impact who you are and how you greet others. The section on page 15 para 5, talks about how communication works in different ways than we expect. Conversations are so much more than the transactional type of conversations we think that they are. Communication is a way to interact with someone else and really learn about who this person is. I found this super interesting because it kind of goes off of the first paragraph I picked. That conversations are just one-sided or transactional, they are meaningful things that we might not even know leave an impact on us or our lives. The question that these paragraphs leave me with is why do people not realize the impact that words have on others?
The first passage that I find particularly interesting is located on page 6 paragraph 6. I find this concept interesting because people go to restaurants literally all the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Yet, nobody ever really thinks about the communication that occurs in restaurants. It’s kind of just expected, like a server telling you their name, job, and offering you their help with any questions you may have while you enjoy your meal. I thought it was a little funny when the book gave the example of shouting out menu specials in the middle of a park, but you would never expect to see someone communicating that message at that place.
A passage that I had a little bit of difficulty understanding is located on page 16 paragraph 2 through page 17 paragraph 1. I still haven’t quite grasped the difference between communication as an interaction and communication as a transaction. I presume the confusion is because in both scenarios each person is both a sender and a receiver. I’m sure I’ll understand the concepts more and more through class discussions and further reading the textbook.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are the key differences between communication as an interaction and communication as a transaction?
Tyler Richards
Communications 110
Journal #2
“The relationship shared by people will influence what is communicated, how it is shared, and the meanings that develop…” (Page 4, Para 3)
This is a very interesting way of looking at relationships and interactions because it explains that the level or intensity of the friendship determines how well and fluent both parties will be able to communicate with one another or talk to one another. It is explaining that the closer or more connected the two parties are, the easier conversation will flow and the better communicate will be generated. It is important to understand though that the type of communication may differ from relationships, but the general picture is that conversation will be more fluent.
“Social construction involves the way in which symbols take on meaning in social context or society as they are used over time” (Page 9, Para 1)
This quote is basically saying how social construction is the process in which the meaning and validness of symbols, forms or changes forms over time to adapt to society. Society puts pressure on the different types of symbols and forms them to fit into social context the more they are used. This is important because society is constantly changing and if our social symbols do not change with us, then the way we interreact and communicate with each other will be ruined or greatly messed up.
QCQ:
How might society change the way we interact with one another based on how well we know the other parties we are interacting with?
Wesley Chandler
9/1/23
Intro to Comm
Page: 4-7
Chapter one of Communication In Everyday Life gives us the introduction to communication and how we use it in an everyday lifestyle and don’t even recognize it. We use communication in everyday matters, whether it’s a conversation with your parents, gossip about the argument with your friends, or texting someone. The best part about the study of communication is science studies how we use these conversations though you use symbols. Things like slang or certain meanings for words that may be different to someone else. There are also signs in communication, A sign is a consequence or an indicator of something specific.
Page: 11
Communication Is Cultural
A big thing that I learned about this chapter is though some people use the same words and terms, those words to different cultures might mean something else. Not only that but body gestures, eye contact, the respectful aspects may be more important to one culture than another. The one thing I liked about this though I will say is if you violated your culture they reinforce and show the importance of why their ways are the way they are.
The paragraph that starts on page 7 and goes onto page 8 is very interesting to me. It discusses communication and the use of symbols, and how words and letters are symbols that represent something else. It was kind of strange to think of them as being chosen arbitrarily, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s true. You don’t typically think of “chair” as something that could have meant anything else (or nothing at all), and unless you speak another language, you don’t think of a chair as anything other than “chair”. What makes us choose the symbols we use for things? Why do we decide a word is right for something?
I really liked the second paragraph of page 17, which discussed the nature of transactional communication. It is really important not only to think of communication as a basic exchange but also as a process that, creates, builds, and develops. Communication shapes our experiences and understanding, and can add to our awareness of the world and shape how we think. It’s not just about what is happening in that period of exchange, but also what is left afterward. Each party has left with something more than when they began, and neither is the same. This has gone on for all of history, all of time even. Would it be fair to say that there isn’t any person (or even living thing) that is not impacted by communication?
In this paragraph, the author talks about the meaning of communication and how it can be conveyed to others. They talk about how communication does not have to be a verbal statement such as “”I’m happy” or just smiling”. The thought of communication in this example is that they can just be smiling and using no ways. This paragraph also states that someone who talks more than other people is a sign of someone being happier than others, in a sense. This is what is unique and interesting about this paragraph.
Page 13 Paragraph 2
The use of frames and how they are used is an interesting thing to me. In the paragraph, the author talks about how the use of frames helps someone in a communication situation to help draw the focus to one or more things and take away from one or more things. The example the passage uses is in an interview, the person being interviewed understands that they will be receiving questions and they have to answer them. Meaning that you can focus on only answering those questions.
Question for the class – Why can’t communication only be verbal?
Answer for the class – Because people have many ways of expressing their thoughts.
An interesting part about this chapter that grabbed my attention was a specific section called “Communication is Cultural”. This section talked about the thought process of communicating with someone from a different culture because all cultures greet differently and have different standards (Page 11,para 3). This is a very educational piece because it makes you want to study other cultures’ communication standards so you never feel out of place or feel like you’re giving off a rude aura. Being educated in cultural communication is a huge asset because you’re able to pass on the education to others and you also make it easier for yourself for international interactions. The second passage that caught my attention was called “Communication is Action”(Page 16 para 1). This passage talked about communication being electronic and how that also differs from the form of communication. One of the examples actually described me when it explained if Corban doesn’t check his text messages is it really communication. It brings up an interesting point stating “If communication were only an action, then there would really be no need to study it. That’s stating communication is really more than an action because if it wasn’t hard as it’s portrayed then communicating wouldn’t be as hard for others.
In this passage it talks about how different communication is used. It talks about how kids talk differently to their friends compared to their parents which is very interesting because there have been interactions I have witnessed. I have witnessed children talk to their parents as if they are friends with them and I have also witnessed conversations where they have been treated with respect and with how they should be treated. This passage makes me curious because I have also seen kids talk to their friends very professionally. I have also witnessed the different ways workers talk with each other compared to their supervisors and I find that very interesting because they both work for the same company and could be the same boss.
Page 6 para 2 line 2-4
In this passage it talks about how communication is more complex than people would think it really is. I find this interesting because many people don’t understand how difficult it really can be and what factors have to go into communication. Some factors that can play a role in public communication is the ability to be able to actually communicate. Many people have social anxiety and get very nervous talking to others and in front of larger crowds of people. Another factor that can play into this is if someone had a speech disability which would make it harder for another person to be able to understand what is trying to be communicated.
QCQ
Q: “People generally talk with friends in a different way than with their parents. Coworkers generally talk with one another in a different way then with their supervisors”.
C: I believe this is true in some instances because I have heard both kids talking to their parents differently then they would with friends, but I have also heard the opposite with kids talking to their parents like they are one of their friends. I have also had jobs where you talk a lot differently with the supervisor differently than your coworker because they are your boss. I have also heard coworkers talk to a supervisor like it is their friend and not their boss.
Q: Why do you think people are able to talk differently to other people depending on what role they play in your life?
Isabelle Trombley
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/15/23
Journal #2
Chapter 1 QCQs.
Q: “You have built-in expectations about the relationship between a server and a customer. You already know and take for granted that these relational differences exist in restaurants and that restaurants have “servers” who generally carry out instructions of “customers.” Therefore, you expect the customer will be greeted, treated with some respect by the server, told what “the special” is, and asked to make choices. You know the customer will eventually pay for the food and that the server is there not only to bring food, water, the check, and change but also to help resolve any difficulties understanding the menu. Flo will answer any questions about the way the food is prepared or help if you need to find the restrooms. Both the customer and the server take this for granted; it is a cultural as well as relational element of communication.”
C: This passage makes me think about how comforting this kind of communication is for me. As server and customer, I know what kind of expectations there are on each side, and know what kind of things to say or ask and what I shouldn’t. These kinds of “professional” or scripted relationships and conversations are much easier to navigate than casual conversations with family and friends or strangers. Knowing what the server will say before they say it helps someone like me who struggles with communication to be able to predict how the conversation will go.
Q: In other cultures, are there different expectations when it comes to communication between a server and a customer? What kinds of differences are there?
Q: “The topic is especially important in cases involving a medium. For instance, breaking up with a romantic partner can be accomplished using any of the means listed, but some may be deemed more appropriate than others. Breaking up with someone face-to-face may be considered more appropriate than sending him or her a text message or changing your relational status on Facebook from “In a relationship” to “Single.” Beyond the message of wanting to break up, additional messages, including how you view the romantic partner, the relationship itself, and yourself, are conveyed based on the medium used.”
C: This passage makes me think about how normalized communication through social media and/or texting is in our generation. In high school, most of my friendships and relationships started through the internet somehow, whether that be getting someone’s number and texting them or following someone on Instagram or another social media platform. Most of my arguments also happened over text, either with friends or significant others. Relationships and friendships were ended over text. The more I think about it, the more I realize how almost dystopian it is that many of my most important moments in a relationship/friendship happened through a screen. It is just another example of how the internet can both help and hinder communication.
Q: Is social media detrimental to proper communication? Does texting more often than talking in person have an effect on our communication skills?
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this section, it is brought up that in the end, communication is really just a fancy form of a transactional exchange. One person is communicating in order to send information while the other person is communicating in order to receive said information so in the end, both parties are getting something out of the exchange. On the same page, the book asks if texting would be an act, interaction, or a transaction. I believe it is all three depending on how you look at it. I already explained that since they are communicating, it is a transaction but the same could be applied to interacting as well. The way I see it, communicating and interacting are borderline synonyms. It can also be seen as an act since the act of initiating the conversation as well as the act of receiving said information are, well, acts.
Page 13 Paragraph 3
This part was about the idea of assigning meanings to things specific to a select few individuals. Some examples are codewords used by the military so opposing forces wouldn’t be able to extract information by eavesdropping. Another good example would be an inside joke among a group of friends. Such things would not need to be communicated to the other person because they already know what they mean. However to someone outside of the loop, you both have to take extra time and energy to explain the code and process the explanation respectively.
My question is that if all forms of communications are transactional, does that make communicating disingenuous? If you are only doing it for transactional value, how can you communicate honestly if by nature communicating is a transaction?
1
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this section, it is brought up that in the end, communication is really just a fancy form of a transactional exchange. One person is communicating in order to send information while the other person is communicating in order to receive said information so in the end, both parties
In this paragraph they begin talking about how communication is actually just a transaction. If the sender is getting a message in return from the receiver, that means that they are both senders and receivers making it so that they are taking part in a transaction. Sending a text message also works the same way because there is still a sender and receiver. On the other hand, an action would be when only one person sends a message, and the other person does not answer.
2
Page 2 paragraph 2
What makes these passages interesting is that they talk about the core of communications and how that is tied to you as a person. It also indicates how you present yourself to others because you communicate to the world who you are or in some cases who you are trying to be. Paragraph 2 talks a loud the importance of everyday communication and how it shapes lives and how remarkable things can come from everyday communication. I also like the term “communication is the frequency of our lives” I think that is an accurate representation of what communication is because all humans and living things communicate with one another in many ways. It’s how we interact.
My question is that if all forms of communications are transactional, does that make communicating disingenuous? If you are only doing it for transactional value, how can you communicate honestly if by nature communicating is a transaction?
21 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 2”
3rd paragraph on page 5 the reason I liked this paragraph so much was becasuen it talked about how many different definitions there are to the word “Communication” they said there was at one pointn 126 definitions. 2nd paragraph on page 15. This one talked about how you have to know your role in a conversation and Overall this was a very interesting read, one thing that really stuck out to me is that people tend to overlook communication. As it is such a common occurence in life that people just think of it as not much. However it is something way more and without communication we would not have much. One question I have is what is your definition of communication?
Sawyer Ohman
9/4/23
CMM110-A
Journal #2
Passage #1 (PG #8, Para #3)
I found this passage to be confusing but after a second read I enjoyed the explanation that was given even though it was contradictory to my natural idea. My definition of a sign was based on stop signs and billboards. But those objects aren’t signs at all, they are symbols. Images of beaches and coronas or performers in a circus, they are symbols which represent something unique in its own way. These symbols do not mean the same thing to everyone however. Different cultures represent parts of everyday life using different symbols.
Passage #2 (PG#12, Para #1)
I found that I could agree strongly with this passage. Whether you know a person or not, whatever interaction you may have with that person subconsciously you recognize who they are and what they mean to you. If a friend were to pass you by on the street you might find yourself being more inclined to wave or say hello. If a stranger walked past you, you might not make any notice of them at all. Communication is incredibly scenario based and every interaction is different from one person to the next.
QCQ:
“All Communication contains both a content level and a relational level (PG #12, para #1).”
When a person communicates with another not only are they trying to convey a message, but the way one communicates may vary based on the relationship the “sender” has with the “receiver.” If for example you walk past a classmate in the halls you might give them a fist bump or a high five as a form of salutations. However in a similar situation if you walk past your professor in the halls you may simply try to avoid eye contact. Relationships we can maintain and grow through communicating but they do not necessarily stay the same forever. Sometimes people grow apart or to the contrary become closer and in some cases form an intimate relationship. This will change the way that you interact with this person and how you communicate with them will change as well. As I myself have grown older I have grown much closer with my Nana, we talk about everything. I fill her in on everything I do at school and all my adventures that my friends and I get into. But I communicate with her very differently than I do with my friends. I hug her and we always make some food for me to bring back to my family but that is never something my friends and I would spend our time doing together. She is also much older of course so she tells me about the past and what things used to be like where I grew up.
How could we make communication with new people easier and less stressful in our society today? What would have to change about the way we communicate with each other now that would make it easier to get to know a new person?
Here is the link to my Journal #2 on my eportfolio site.
Page 2 paragraph 2
What makes these passages interesting is that they talk about the core of communications and how that is tied to you as a person. It also indicates how you present yourself to others because you communicate to the world who you are or in some cases who you are trying to be. Paragraph 2 talks a loud the importance of everyday communication and how it shapes lives and how remarkable things can come from everyday communication. I also like the term “communication is the frequency of our lives” I think that is an accurate representation of what communication is because all humans and living things communicate with one another in many ways. It’s how we interact.
Page 6 paragraphs 2-3
What stood out to me about these passages was the associating communications to symbols. The passages explain the symbolism of a stop sign and how that sign is nothing but an indicator that you should stop moving forward. That is because our brains have naturally understood and agreed that a red octagon that says “stop” means stop. This is important to the study of our brains because we naturally just made that connection, and it has become a universal symbol. I found it fascinating how the article pointed out that some symbols are different to different people, meaning that what something means in one state or country may not be the same in another and that is bound to cause confusion.
Question Why do our brains make the connections with symbolism?
Quote: “social construction involves the way in which symbols take on meaning in a social construct they are used over time.” Page 7 paragraph 7
Comments: until I read this text I have not thought about the study and the in-depth cation of communication.
Colette Murphy
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/1/2023
Journal #2
Quote: page 14 under ethical issue, the side note
Comment (at least 75 words): This quote seemed to be more of an exercise for the reader, but I’d like to take it to heart as someone who is often the listener during conversations so that I can absorb more and use jokes, phrases, mimic body language, or little mannerisms later. When you’re the listener I feel you take everything in, you can’t not notice the little things people do when you yourself want to come off as neurotypical. I find that because I am the listener, when I do start a conversation, I make sure everyone is involved, the whole room so that no one must be the listener. It’s not fun, it’s like doing a math equation trying to read people most days and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I always say that the door is open, and that no one needs an invite when I’m speaking.
Question: Why wouldn’t someone want to include everyone when speaking? I can’t think of an instance where I wouldn’t, but that could also be because we’re all derived from different experiences.
“Because symbols are arbitrary representations of something else, they can be different in different cultures, and strangers need extra help.” (para 3, p. 8)
It’s interesting to think that symbols aren’t universal, as we think the symbols we use for road signs and in public places seem straightforward to us. This part made me think of the debate on how we are going to label nuclear waste to communicate to those in the future to not open it. Language barriers and limited space make it difficult to communicate these things. When I was in France, the bathrooms were mostly labeled “WC”, which doesn’t convey “bathroom” to everyone in the world.
“For instance, when a student asks an instructor for an extension on an assignment, several factors influence how both approach that interaction.” (para 2, p. 14)
With a student asking for an extension or something like extra credit, both sides have nonverbal expectations for the interaction. If a student has been granted extensions or extra credit in the past they may expect that of this interaction. What the student wants to communicate, is that they expect it because they asked (but of course, you can’t demand things from teachers, that’s not an accepted way of communicating academically). If the instructor doesn’t give the response they want, it may lead to them viewing their instructor as rude or unfair. In reality, instructors have many valid reasons to decline such requests. If an extension is asked without any fair medical or familial reason, they feel they have a right to decline. Sometimes people assume others will have similar or the same beliefs as themself which can lead to issues communicating.
(forgot my questions)
Should we create a universal symbol dictionary of sorts to prevent some communication barriers? Would providing the reason for your thinking when talking with someone you don’t know as well make communicating as efficient as talking with someone of the same communication frame?
Ryan Kelly
Prof. Jessie Miller
Communications 110
4 September 2023
Journal #2
The first passage that really stuck out to me was the second paragraph from page four, it talks about how “major portions of a person’s life take shape through routine, seemingly mundane everyday communication.” The passage goes on to talk about how everyday communication can affect relationships, identities, cultures, and reality. This was very interesting to me because I didn’t necessarily realize just how much of our lives is dependent on communication, and how the way a person, or multiple people, communicates can have a very big impact on shaping your future career and life.
The second passage that really caught my attention was on paragraphs two to four on page nine. The passage talks about inventing a new word as a name for something that doesn’t necessarily have a specific name yet and how fast that “made up” word can spread and catch on. It made me remember the time in middle school when my friends and I invented our own language so that we could swear without the teachers even knowing. At first it was just my immediate friend group, however as we started using it more and more throughout the year other classmates started catching on and using the terms too.
I am mostly curious to know if anyone else in the class may have also shared a similar experience to me, and if so I would ask if and how it affected them in a social aspect. Going back to the first passage I was talking about, on second paragraph page four; I am curious as to if and how my peers can identify a major portion of their life that has been caused or affected by everyday communication. Another thing that I wanted to get my peers’ thoughts on was the passages from pages fifteen to seventeen, in which the book talks about the different ways in which communication can be used. It goes on to talk about how you can use communication as a transaction, an action, and an interaction. My question being do you think there are any other forms of communication besides just as a transaction, action, or interaction? Also which of these forms of communication do you think is the most important in the modern world? In my opinion I think that the most important form of communication is communication as a transaction, because humans are social animals and we are social with each other by having and making transactions with each other.
Page 6 paragraph 4
Not only was paragraph four of this page interesting but the entire page was talking mostly about the same topic. The fact that we have pretty much made up words and symbols and we all know exactly what they mean. For example, everyone says “menu” instead of “a list of the food that we make that you can eat.” This is something I did not even realize we do, and that is what makes it very interesting.
What other words do we use that are similar to the “menu” example?
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this paragraph they begin talking about how communication is actually just a transaction. If the sender is getting a message in return from the receiver, that means that they are both senders and receivers making it so that they are taking part in a transaction. Sending a text message also works the same way because there is still a sender and receiver. On the other hand, an action would be when only one person sends a message, and the other person does not answer.
If these types of transactions didn’t take place, what would we do?
In my reading of chapter 1 I found many ideas throughout the passages which I found important to my understanding of communications as a whole. Personally, one of the most important passages in this chapter begins right on the first page. The passage labeled “Everyday Communication and the Relational Perspective”(page 1-3) talks about the importance of realizing the nature of communication does not at all have to be only on a macro scale. The first paragraph states this by telling the reader how this textbook is different because of their focus on “everyday communications”. The passage also makes the point that it is easy to focus on big, historical events, while most human interaction is not this and is more casual and less important in the course of history or maybe not important at all. Another important aspect of this passage is that the authors make sure the relational perspective of communications is also stated. Communications, according to the author, can improve personal relations of all kinds through being studied. Another important passage within this chapter is the passage titled “Communication Is Cultural” (page 11). This passage as you can derive from the title talks on the idea that there are major and minor differences in the ways different cultures and societies use communications. For example, there may ideas that do not translate directly through language or even socially within two separate cultures. A situation like that hypothesized in the sentence prior could lead to kinds of conflict if not handled correctly or without the knowledge of how communications as an impact on societies viewpoints as a whole.
The section on page 7 para 2, talks about how communication is more than just exchanging messages. It is more than the simple transaction that it looks like. It has more of an impact and understanding than something small. Being able to know that the conversations being had leave more of an impact is so important. I thought this was interesting because it shows how important each conversation, whether it be big or small, has such a lasting impact on those around you. And how the things you say and the people that you listen to really impact who you are and how you greet others. The section on page 15 para 5, talks about how communication works in different ways than we expect. Conversations are so much more than the transactional type of conversations we think that they are. Communication is a way to interact with someone else and really learn about who this person is. I found this super interesting because it kind of goes off of the first paragraph I picked. That conversations are just one-sided or transactional, they are meaningful things that we might not even know leave an impact on us or our lives. The question that these paragraphs leave me with is why do people not realize the impact that words have on others?
The first passage that I find particularly interesting is located on page 6 paragraph 6. I find this concept interesting because people go to restaurants literally all the time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Yet, nobody ever really thinks about the communication that occurs in restaurants. It’s kind of just expected, like a server telling you their name, job, and offering you their help with any questions you may have while you enjoy your meal. I thought it was a little funny when the book gave the example of shouting out menu specials in the middle of a park, but you would never expect to see someone communicating that message at that place.
A passage that I had a little bit of difficulty understanding is located on page 16 paragraph 2 through page 17 paragraph 1. I still haven’t quite grasped the difference between communication as an interaction and communication as a transaction. I presume the confusion is because in both scenarios each person is both a sender and a receiver. I’m sure I’ll understand the concepts more and more through class discussions and further reading the textbook.
DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are the key differences between communication as an interaction and communication as a transaction?
Tyler Richards
Communications 110
Journal #2
“The relationship shared by people will influence what is communicated, how it is shared, and the meanings that develop…” (Page 4, Para 3)
This is a very interesting way of looking at relationships and interactions because it explains that the level or intensity of the friendship determines how well and fluent both parties will be able to communicate with one another or talk to one another. It is explaining that the closer or more connected the two parties are, the easier conversation will flow and the better communicate will be generated. It is important to understand though that the type of communication may differ from relationships, but the general picture is that conversation will be more fluent.
“Social construction involves the way in which symbols take on meaning in social context or society as they are used over time” (Page 9, Para 1)
This quote is basically saying how social construction is the process in which the meaning and validness of symbols, forms or changes forms over time to adapt to society. Society puts pressure on the different types of symbols and forms them to fit into social context the more they are used. This is important because society is constantly changing and if our social symbols do not change with us, then the way we interreact and communicate with each other will be ruined or greatly messed up.
QCQ:
How might society change the way we interact with one another based on how well we know the other parties we are interacting with?
Wesley Chandler
9/1/23
Intro to Comm
Page: 4-7
Chapter one of Communication In Everyday Life gives us the introduction to communication and how we use it in an everyday lifestyle and don’t even recognize it. We use communication in everyday matters, whether it’s a conversation with your parents, gossip about the argument with your friends, or texting someone. The best part about the study of communication is science studies how we use these conversations though you use symbols. Things like slang or certain meanings for words that may be different to someone else. There are also signs in communication, A sign is a consequence or an indicator of something specific.
Page: 11
Communication Is Cultural
A big thing that I learned about this chapter is though some people use the same words and terms, those words to different cultures might mean something else. Not only that but body gestures, eye contact, the respectful aspects may be more important to one culture than another. The one thing I liked about this though I will say is if you violated your culture they reinforce and show the importance of why their ways are the way they are.
The paragraph that starts on page 7 and goes onto page 8 is very interesting to me. It discusses communication and the use of symbols, and how words and letters are symbols that represent something else. It was kind of strange to think of them as being chosen arbitrarily, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s true. You don’t typically think of “chair” as something that could have meant anything else (or nothing at all), and unless you speak another language, you don’t think of a chair as anything other than “chair”. What makes us choose the symbols we use for things? Why do we decide a word is right for something?
I really liked the second paragraph of page 17, which discussed the nature of transactional communication. It is really important not only to think of communication as a basic exchange but also as a process that, creates, builds, and develops. Communication shapes our experiences and understanding, and can add to our awareness of the world and shape how we think. It’s not just about what is happening in that period of exchange, but also what is left afterward. Each party has left with something more than when they began, and neither is the same. This has gone on for all of history, all of time even. Would it be fair to say that there isn’t any person (or even living thing) that is not impacted by communication?
Daraun White
Journal #2
Page 8 Paragraph 6
In this paragraph, the author talks about the meaning of communication and how it can be conveyed to others. They talk about how communication does not have to be a verbal statement such as “”I’m happy” or just smiling”. The thought of communication in this example is that they can just be smiling and using no ways. This paragraph also states that someone who talks more than other people is a sign of someone being happier than others, in a sense. This is what is unique and interesting about this paragraph.
Page 13 Paragraph 2
The use of frames and how they are used is an interesting thing to me. In the paragraph, the author talks about how the use of frames helps someone in a communication situation to help draw the focus to one or more things and take away from one or more things. The example the passage uses is in an interview, the person being interviewed understands that they will be receiving questions and they have to answer them. Meaning that you can focus on only answering those questions.
Question for the class – Why can’t communication only be verbal?
Answer for the class – Because people have many ways of expressing their thoughts.
Altirique McElveen
Professor Miller
Journal 2- Communications
3 Sep 2023
An interesting part about this chapter that grabbed my attention was a specific section called “Communication is Cultural”. This section talked about the thought process of communicating with someone from a different culture because all cultures greet differently and have different standards (Page 11,para 3). This is a very educational piece because it makes you want to study other cultures’ communication standards so you never feel out of place or feel like you’re giving off a rude aura. Being educated in cultural communication is a huge asset because you’re able to pass on the education to others and you also make it easier for yourself for international interactions. The second passage that caught my attention was called “Communication is Action”(Page 16 para 1). This passage talked about communication being electronic and how that also differs from the form of communication. One of the examples actually described me when it explained if Corban doesn’t check his text messages is it really communication. It brings up an interesting point stating “If communication were only an action, then there would really be no need to study it. That’s stating communication is really more than an action because if it wasn’t hard as it’s portrayed then communicating wouldn’t be as hard for others.
Journal 2:
Page 4 para 3 line 3-5
In this passage it talks about how different communication is used. It talks about how kids talk differently to their friends compared to their parents which is very interesting because there have been interactions I have witnessed. I have witnessed children talk to their parents as if they are friends with them and I have also witnessed conversations where they have been treated with respect and with how they should be treated. This passage makes me curious because I have also seen kids talk to their friends very professionally. I have also witnessed the different ways workers talk with each other compared to their supervisors and I find that very interesting because they both work for the same company and could be the same boss.
Page 6 para 2 line 2-4
In this passage it talks about how communication is more complex than people would think it really is. I find this interesting because many people don’t understand how difficult it really can be and what factors have to go into communication. Some factors that can play a role in public communication is the ability to be able to actually communicate. Many people have social anxiety and get very nervous talking to others and in front of larger crowds of people. Another factor that can play into this is if someone had a speech disability which would make it harder for another person to be able to understand what is trying to be communicated.
QCQ
Q: “People generally talk with friends in a different way than with their parents. Coworkers generally talk with one another in a different way then with their supervisors”.
C: I believe this is true in some instances because I have heard both kids talking to their parents differently then they would with friends, but I have also heard the opposite with kids talking to their parents like they are one of their friends. I have also had jobs where you talk a lot differently with the supervisor differently than your coworker because they are your boss. I have also heard coworkers talk to a supervisor like it is their friend and not their boss.
Q: Why do you think people are able to talk differently to other people depending on what role they play in your life?
Isabelle Trombley
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/15/23
Journal #2
Chapter 1 QCQs.
Q: “You have built-in expectations about the relationship between a server and a customer. You already know and take for granted that these relational differences exist in restaurants and that restaurants have “servers” who generally carry out instructions of “customers.” Therefore, you expect the customer will be greeted, treated with some respect by the server, told what “the special” is, and asked to make choices. You know the customer will eventually pay for the food and that the server is there not only to bring food, water, the check, and change but also to help resolve any difficulties understanding the menu. Flo will answer any questions about the way the food is prepared or help if you need to find the restrooms. Both the customer and the server take this for granted; it is a cultural as well as relational element of communication.”
C: This passage makes me think about how comforting this kind of communication is for me. As server and customer, I know what kind of expectations there are on each side, and know what kind of things to say or ask and what I shouldn’t. These kinds of “professional” or scripted relationships and conversations are much easier to navigate than casual conversations with family and friends or strangers. Knowing what the server will say before they say it helps someone like me who struggles with communication to be able to predict how the conversation will go.
Q: In other cultures, are there different expectations when it comes to communication between a server and a customer? What kinds of differences are there?
Q: “The topic is especially important in cases involving a medium. For instance, breaking up with a romantic partner can be accomplished using any of the means listed, but some may be deemed more appropriate than others. Breaking up with someone face-to-face may be considered more appropriate than sending him or her a text message or changing your relational status on Facebook from “In a relationship” to “Single.” Beyond the message of wanting to break up, additional messages, including how you view the romantic partner, the relationship itself, and yourself, are conveyed based on the medium used.”
C: This passage makes me think about how normalized communication through social media and/or texting is in our generation. In high school, most of my friendships and relationships started through the internet somehow, whether that be getting someone’s number and texting them or following someone on Instagram or another social media platform. Most of my arguments also happened over text, either with friends or significant others. Relationships and friendships were ended over text. The more I think about it, the more I realize how almost dystopian it is that many of my most important moments in a relationship/friendship happened through a screen. It is just another example of how the internet can both help and hinder communication.
Q: Is social media detrimental to proper communication? Does texting more often than talking in person have an effect on our communication skills?
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this section, it is brought up that in the end, communication is really just a fancy form of a transactional exchange. One person is communicating in order to send information while the other person is communicating in order to receive said information so in the end, both parties are getting something out of the exchange. On the same page, the book asks if texting would be an act, interaction, or a transaction. I believe it is all three depending on how you look at it. I already explained that since they are communicating, it is a transaction but the same could be applied to interacting as well. The way I see it, communicating and interacting are borderline synonyms. It can also be seen as an act since the act of initiating the conversation as well as the act of receiving said information are, well, acts.
Page 13 Paragraph 3
This part was about the idea of assigning meanings to things specific to a select few individuals. Some examples are codewords used by the military so opposing forces wouldn’t be able to extract information by eavesdropping. Another good example would be an inside joke among a group of friends. Such things would not need to be communicated to the other person because they already know what they mean. However to someone outside of the loop, you both have to take extra time and energy to explain the code and process the explanation respectively.
My question is that if all forms of communications are transactional, does that make communicating disingenuous? If you are only doing it for transactional value, how can you communicate honestly if by nature communicating is a transaction?
1
Page 15 paragraph 5
In this section, it is brought up that in the end, communication is really just a fancy form of a transactional exchange. One person is communicating in order to send information while the other person is communicating in order to receive said information so in the end, both parties
In this paragraph they begin talking about how communication is actually just a transaction. If the sender is getting a message in return from the receiver, that means that they are both senders and receivers making it so that they are taking part in a transaction. Sending a text message also works the same way because there is still a sender and receiver. On the other hand, an action would be when only one person sends a message, and the other person does not answer.
2
Page 2 paragraph 2
What makes these passages interesting is that they talk about the core of communications and how that is tied to you as a person. It also indicates how you present yourself to others because you communicate to the world who you are or in some cases who you are trying to be. Paragraph 2 talks a loud the importance of everyday communication and how it shapes lives and how remarkable things can come from everyday communication. I also like the term “communication is the frequency of our lives” I think that is an accurate representation of what communication is because all humans and living things communicate with one another in many ways. It’s how we interact.
My question is that if all forms of communications are transactional, does that make communicating disingenuous? If you are only doing it for transactional value, how can you communicate honestly if by nature communicating is a transaction?