16.4 Ethnography

* (Regarding Chapter 13), which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

I had written this post already when I saw that you changed the questions for this week, Carol. So I decided to post it anyway. I am not expecting any response to this particular posting, though. I know everyone is super busy! :-)

Among all research methods listed in Table 13.3 – page 374 of the textbook, the most interesting to me is Ethnography. I consider this method the most interesting due to the fact that the researcher becomes apart of the group he or she is studying. Also, the fact that the researcher does not impose his or her own assumptions and the conclusions emerge naturally is something fascinating to me.

If, for instance, I was going to study some aspect of deception, let’s say, how some romantic partners deceive each other, my research question would probably be: “what are the communication patterns of romantic partners who deceive each other?” Although it would not be easy to obtain true information from romantic partners who cheat on the other party, I wonder that I would go to places where couples usually go, such as clubs, and I would observe how romantic partners behave when they are accompanied by his or her other half, as well as how they behave when they go to the club without the other half.

I imagine that talking to people in public places would be another interesting way to obtain data for my ethnographic study.

Ibirapuera

16.3 About COMM 105P class

* What was it about this class that you liked? What do you think needs improvement?

I simply loved the assignments for this online class! They were challenging, and they made me think of how theory and practice can go together. I usually have a hard time to see theoretical applications in practical life, but the assignments, postings, and comments for the COMM 105P class helped me to see both combined. To me, this was fascinating! :-)

In my opinion, it would not be fair if I did not mention how amazed I am with Carol’s responsiveness in regarding to anything related to the COMM 105P class. She was quick and assertive on responding every single inquiry I had throughout the semester. Honestly, I never had had any experience like that over the course of my almost 18 years in school. Neither professors from in-person classes nor online classes I have ever had were as responsive as Carol. Keep up with the good job, Carol! :-)

I wish Carol had posted at least one posting for each chapter of the textbook. She shared some insights with us, but not for all chapters of the book. I really enjoyed knowing which her favorite topics were, as well as her experiences teaching communication.

I hated the furloughs! I hated the furloughs!! I hated the furloughs!!!!
(:

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16.2 Netiquette

* Pick one other concept from the book that you feel needs further discussion?

I remember that one of us asked, in August 09, “if commenting back on someone who had left a comment on one’s blog counted as credit.” I thought I was interesting how Carol answered this question: “In short, no. You will only get credit for your three posts and three comments on other people's blogs. However, when someone asks you a question face to face, do you ignore them or give them the courtesy of an answer?” Carol’s answer struck with me, because I could not stop thinking that many people do not like online classes because they feel as though not everyone takes online classes seriously.

One of the reasons why some people believe that online classes is a waste of time and money is because they have the perception that some students are not responsive, for instance. Given the importance of getting back to people in a quick and respectful way in a virtual environment, I think this concept deserved further discussion in Trenholm’s book.

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16.1 Interpersonal & Intercultural Communication

* What concept/s in this class have you found most interesting? What was it about that concept/s that you found interesting?

The concepts in the COMM 105P class that I found most interesting were interpersonal and intercultural communication. On the one hand, interpersonal communication fascinated me because it made the think about its unique characteristics. Trenholm (2008) explains that “none of us can avoid interpersonal communication; our survival as social beings depends in large part on our interpersonal communication skills” (p. 140). Interpersonal communication is the only type of communication that people perform on a daily basis – either they want or not, voluntarily or involuntarily.

On the other hand, intercultural communication fascinated me because it made me think of how attentive I must be when I refer to people from other nationalities. The examples provided in chapter 12 of the textbook provided examples that went beyond the surface, when it comes to intercultural encounters. The example listed on pages 341 and 342 of the textbook, for instance, was adequate to explain that “in cross-cultural settings, even simple interactions can become complex.” Assuming that norms are the same across cultures is one of the serious mistakes one can make.

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13.3 “Man bites dog is real news”

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

I was so excited when I read the passage ‘dog bites man’ is not news, but ‘man bites dog’ is (Trenholm, 2008, p. 312). This was actually one of the most simple and true things I learned in my undergraduate in Journalism in Brazil. Nevertheless, as exciting as it is to imagine how fantastic would be to report that ‘a man bit a dog,’ this is not what we see in the news today. I am not sure if I feel this way due to my strong sense of criticism. I simply cannot label everything as 'interesting.' In my view, many journalists do not do a good job just because they tend to report the same 'old news' over and over again.

As a journalist, I understand that it is not merely about what the journalist wants to show. Actually, it is 95% about following the ideology of the television channel one works for. But it feels like some journalists lost their investigative gift along the way, and set the simple goal of reporting what other television channels are reporting. Again, I know that when it comes to keeping a job, specially having a family to raise, some journalists would not think twice between reporting that ‘a dog bit a man’ by 1000 times rather than the other way around, ‘a man finally bit a dog.’

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13.2 What a dynamic medium!

* Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

I absolutely agree with MacLuhan that the medium is the message, that the format of a given medium is as important as its content. The idea that television is a cool medium is true if its content matches the expectations of those who are watching it. Trenholm (2008) notes that “the idea that form is as important as content in affecting audience responses” (p. 308). As an illustration, the History Channel conveys its ideologies by showing content related to History. If all of a sudden the History Channel folks decided to show sports, this medium would loose its identity, and it would not appeal to History lovers anymore. If ESPN decided to show information related to babies, such as TLC does, ESPN would not be the perfect medium for sports’ lovers anymore.

Although I do not have time to watch TV as much as I would like, I consider television a cool medium because of its ability to capture viewers’ attention, regardless of so many other things that might be going on at the same physical environment. The audio and visual characteristics of television indeed make television one of the most dynamic medium.

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13.1 Cyberspace

* Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?

I would not name it as friendship, but I know someone solely through the cyberspace. I never met this one lady in person. She owns a translation website. Because I love translations, once in a while I visit her website. We actually almost met in person in one weekend she visited the Bay Area. But at the last minute she could not make it, and until today we have not met each other in person. In this particular case, this lady and I have a common professional interest. Trenholm (2008) mentions that “the Internet offers us news and information” (p. 326). Also, in addition to visiting her website, we also exchange emails to keep ourselves updated on the latest news about translation.

I would say that cyberspace friendship is different from face to face friendship mainly because of the lack of nonverbal. But nowadays, with the webcams, nonverbal expressions can not be hidden anymore. I love technology, but when it comes to friendship, maybe I am still old school, but I still prefer in-person friendship rather than cyberspace friendship.

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11.3 How much is too much?

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

One of the concepts from the textbook that I found useful was “accommodate.” In Trenholm’s view, “in long term relationships, accommodation can often lead to unstated resentment” (2008, p. 165). I partially agree and partially disagree with this statement. On the one hand, I agree that after some time, excessive accommodation can easily lead one to feel frustrated, not part of the decisions, and with the uncomfortable feeling of being always on the one-down position. On the other hand, no accommodation at all can lead one party to feel unappreciated, resented, and with the feeling that his or her opinion is never important or necessary in the relationship.

Ultimately, I strongly believe that when it comes to inter-human interactions, it is fundamental to accommodate the other party’s opinion to a certain extent so that the relationship flows better. Whenever people feel their opinions have been refused consistently, they insist even harder to be heard. An example that just crossed my mind is the wife who wants to talk and the husband who wants to read his newspaper. These two individuals can only reach a certain level of mutual understanding if the wife gives some time for the husband to read at least some pages of his newspaper, and ideally, the husband should listen to what his wife has to share before necessarily finish reading the entire newspaper. To me, this would be an example of effective accommodation.

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11.2 Filters

* Think about the filters you use to eliminate people from consideration as potential romantic partners. What characteristics or behaviors lead you to judge others as unattractive? Does Duck’s theory make sense to you? Have you ever eliminated someone by using a sociological or pre-interaction cue only to reconsider them based on interaction and cognitive cues?

I certainly used the filter cognitive cues to eliminate people from consideration as my potential romantic partners in the past. I was never necessarily looking for someone whose values and beliefs were exactly the same as mine. However, there had to be some compatibility of values and beliefs for me to consider a certain person as potential romantic partner. In my view, dishonest (e.g., cheating, lying, stealing) is the first signal of unattractiveness. Although I am not perfect, whenever I ever perceived dishonest from someone I was considering to become my potential romantic partner, it completely pushed me away from that person.

Duck’s theory makes sense to me in the sense that it explains, in a straightforward way, how each filter works and how people occupy a given role in other people’s lives, depending on what they do to deserve that certain role. Trenholm (2008) explains that “those who do not pass through the first filter remain strangers. Those who make it through the first but not the second become acquaintances, and so on, with those who make it to the end becoming intimates” (p. 158).

Looking back, I recall having eliminated people from my life using the pre-interaction cue (i.e., body type). Later on, life taught me that what really matters is not how one looks or dresses. Trenholm (2008) explains that “if we let initial filters keep us from getting to know people, we may be missing out on potentially rewarding relationships” (p. 160).

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11.1 One-up & One-down Positions

* Which pattern (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) do you think would be the most difficult to change? Why? Which would be the most damaging to a relationship? Which would be the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved?

In my view, the rigid complementarity would be the most difficult pattern to change because the dominant party is not willing to give up the one-up position, and the submissive party wants to be in the one-up position so badly. Hence, the parties have different goals in mind. Trenholm (2008) mentions that “learning how to share the one-up and one-down positions gives a couple the flexibility they need to adapt to changing circumstances” (p. 149). Unless they both acknowledge the importance of alternating the one-up and the one-down positions, they will continue experiencing the frustration of dealing with two opposite forces within their relationship.

I perceive the competitive symmetry as being the most damaging to a relationship. I see a relationship as an institution where both parties bring their best assets and their imperfections into their day-to-day – either voluntarily or involuntarily. There should be no such as thing as competition between two people who are, for instance, married. It takes way too much effort to be always defensive. This time would be better employed if, instead of competing for the one-up position, the parties alternated the one-up/one-down position as life circumstances require them to do so.

Finally, I see the rigid complementarity as being the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved. When two people are in a relationship, they inevitably need to alternate the one-up and the one-down positions in order to share the burden of the responsibilities, and to feel they can lean on each other. When one only takes the one-up position and refuses to take the one-down position, the other feels unappreciated and frustrated. Furthermore, it is always more complicated to come to an agreement when only one party is willing to change something that is not working.

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9.3 “Saudade(s)” is only translatable into one language

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

One concept that I found interesting is the notion that meanings are directly translatable. Trenholm (2008) mentions that “one of the attitudes that most interferes with successful intercultural communication is the belief that everything that can be said in one language can be said in another, that meanings are directly translatable into other languages” (p. 355).

In my opinion, one word that can never be translated into other languages is the Brazilian word SAUDADE(S). When one says “Que saudades de você!”, the simplistic translation into English would be “I miss you!”. But saudade is applied not only to people one misses, but also to places one visited, experiences one had, among others. If you want to know more about the meaning of this word, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade.

If you talk to any Brazilian and mention the word saudade, he or she will tell you that there is no way to translate this word in a way that it fairly expresses its deep meaning. As a matter of fact, saudade is my favorite Brazilian Portuguese word.

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9.2 Rationality, Perfectibility, and Mutability Premises

* Do you believe in the rationality, perfectibility, and mutability premises? What social institutions and practices are based on these beliefs?

I do not believe in the perfectibility premise; I somehow believe in the rationality premise; and finally, I strongly believe in the mutability premise. First, the perfectibility assumes that “humans are born in sin but are capable of achieving goodness through effort and control” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 353). I can not accept the assumption that a newborn is able to commit any sin. As a matter of fact, I am only capable of associating babies with Angels. Yes, I do believe in Angels!

Second, the rationality premise assumes that “most people are capable of discovering the truth through logical analysis” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 353). In my view, the notion of “true” is subjective to interpretation. Any decision based on the rational premise will be influenced by the person’s beliefs and values. Hence, while I believe some people can be trusted to make good decisions (e.g., parents who do not allow their kids to be out until late), I am pretty convinced that some others can make terrible decisions (e.g., people who kill innocents because they believe they have the right to do so).

Third, the mutability premise assumes that “human behavior is shaped by environmental factors and that the way to improve humans is to improve their physical and psychological circumstances” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 353). For instance, the distribution of resources in Brazil is so unequal that many kids are forced to steal or get involved in the drug traffic in order to survive. This is most noticeable in the slums of Rio de Janeiro and some parts of São Paulo. If there was social equality in Brazil, those kids’ lives would be certainly shaped by different physical and psychological circumstances.

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9.1 What is out there?

* Do you agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are “creatures of our culture” and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture? If so, how can we break through the limits of our cultures?

At the same time I emphatically agree with the anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are “creatures of our culture and we are shaped by our culture”, I also believe that we can somehow be creatures of other cultures and allow ourselves to be slightly shaped by other cultures. Trenholm (2008) stated that "we belong to multiple overlapping cultures, some of which work together and some of which conflict" (p. 347). A while ago this would not make any sense to me. Nevertheless, today this makes absolute sense in my mind.

Before having had the opportunity to leave abroad, I used to think that I only could behave in a Brazilian way and believe in things other Brazilians believed. This was my “reality” for years straight. When I moved to the U.S., however, I had to come to terms with some habits and beliefs pertained to the American culture. They ultimately made some sense in my mind.

I believe I break through the limits of my culture every time I learn something about another culture, when I question some of my preconceived stereotypes and understand that they are not nice. In the end, although my Brazilian habits, beliefs, and values constitute and will always constitute what I am, other cultures show me the enormous horizon of possibilities that are out there just waiting to be discovered by me and by those who open themselves up for something new.

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7.3 Time and Space

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

One concept from chapter 5 that I found interesting is the notion of time and space. Maybe I found them so interesting because I can see clearly their applications in my own life.

I strongly disagree with Gonzalez and Zimbardo’s view of time-sensitivity orientation. They believe that “time orientation may be related to the kinds of employment we seek. Thus, semiskilled or unskilled occupations may be attractive to and appropriate for people with present-orientations, whereas managerial and professional occupations call for future-oriented individuals” (p. 123). In my view, Gonzalez and Zimbardo failed to emphasize that time-sensitivity orientation differs from culture to culture.

Brazilian’ lack of punctuality and their ability to ignore time, for instance, drive foreigners crazy. Brazilians are rarely in a hurry, especially in Rio or in Northern Brazil. I remember that some of my former Brazilian directors/managers rarely started meetings at the scheduled time, but they were not seeing as semiskilled or unskilled. As opposed to that, we considered them competent professionals. In fact, they were disputed by huge national and multinational corporations.

Finally, the notion of space indeed brings beautiful and funny memories to my mind. During my childhood, my two brothers and I were always disputing a particular seat at the table before breakfast, lunch, or dinner time. We almost drove our parents insane when we started playing this game. Our parents stared at us and asked “What’s your problem? With so many chairs at our house, you are fighting to seat at the same chair?! You guys are unbelievable!” Trenholm (2008) explains that the need to control areas of space and make them ours, is called territoriality” (p. 124). I believe that my brothers and I were simply trying to “mark” our territory. :-)

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7.2 This is really different!

* Although nonverbal messages are more universal than verbal messages, nonverbals do not always carry the same meanings in other cultures. Can you give examples of some of the nonverbal displays that take on different meanings in other countries? If you have moved around within this country, have you ever encountered regional differences in nonverbal meaning?

One of the things that I realized when I moved to the U.S. is that Americans do not express their feelings as Brazilians do. For instance, Brazilians kiss on greeting/saying goodbye. A Brazilian man only shakes hands with another man and a Brazilian woman kisses another woman at the face. Another nonverbal display I noticed is that Brazilians are very tactile, if compared to Americans.

I had a hard time to get used to saying hi/goodbye just shaking hands, instead of giving my usual social little kiss. Sometimes I am still afraid of being misinterpreted. As claimed by Trenholm (2008), “with all its complexities, the nonverbal system is a powerful source of information as well as a powerful source of misunderstanding” (p. 136). So I act cautiously. Only when I feel really comfortable with someone I kiss or touch a person’s arm. Nowadays, all my American friends are used to my Brazilian nonverbal expressions. It is funny and rewarding seeing them embracing and sometimes adopting my culture.

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7.1 Nonverbal messages

* Because nonverbal messages can be ambiguous, they are open to misinterpretation. Have you ever been wrong about the meaning of someone’s nonverbal message? Describe what happened. How can people increase the accuracy with which they interpret nonverbal messages.

Absolutely! I actually mentioned something of this nature last week. The most memorable experience I had in regarding to the ambiguity of nonverbal messages was when I first moved to America. Someone made the gesture “Ok” in response to something I said. I thought this was so outrageous, so disrespectful! Later on talking to my husband about this incident, he explained to me that this gesture has different meaning in Brazil and in America. In Brazil, the American gesture for "OK" is like giving somebody the middle finger.

As stated by Trenholm (2008), people can increase the accuracy with which they interpret nonverbal messages by “being cautious in interpreting nonverbal messages, by giving more attention to nonverbal cues, by becoming more aware of the messages they may be inadvertently sending, and by remembering that nonverbal they consider to be perfectly innocent can be invasive and even threatening to others” (pp. 135-136).

In my view, we can also increase the accuracy with which we interpret nonverbal messages when we live abroad. But I acknowledge that this is not always the most viable option, given its costs and logistics constraints. So, other options would be making sporadic trips to foreign countries, reading books, browsing the Internet, and of course, talking to natives is another fabulous way to increase the accuracy with which we interpret nonverbal messages.

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6.3 Language and cultural difference

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

The topic language and cultural difference always fascinates me, given that I was born and raised in Brazil. Personal experiences not only taught me how to understand cultural differences but also taught me how to respect different cultures.

Trenholm clearly states that “even when they have learned the vocabulary and grammar of each other’s language, they may still experience problems, for languages differ in many other ways” (p. 96). This is so true! Mastering a given language is not guarantee that the communication between people from different cultures will flow smoothly.

I remember that on my first year living in the U.S. someone made the gesture “ok” in response to something I said. I thought this was so disrespectful. I went home so mad. But talking to my husband about the incident, I found out that this gesture has different meaning in Brazilian and American societies. In Brazil, the American gesture for "OK" has an obscene meaning and is considered very rude. It would be like giving somebody the middle finger.

At that time, although I already knew how to speak English, I did not know about this cultural difference. At the end, I could not help but laugh. Imagining how many other incidents like that I would encounter during my staying in America completely opened my eyes to the fact that cultural differences, independently of being subtle or evident, is a serious thing. Indeed, being in contact with a foreign culture allows one to better understand and respect cultural differences.

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6.2 Men and women communication style

* Do you agree that men and women use language differently? In what areas?

Men and women use language differently because they are conditioned to do so since their childhood. The old adage “girls talk too much” does not necessary apply later on in life. The truth is that some men actually tend to interrupt or to dominate conversations.

In one of her books, entitled “You just don’t understand” (1990), Deborah Tannen explains that “modern stereotypes are not much different from those expressed in the old proverbs that women are believed to talk too much” (p. 75). But actually studies have found that it is the other way around – “it is men who talk more – at meetings, in mixed groups discussions, and in classroom” (p. 75).

Also, when women communicate, they take in consideration collective goals; while men focus on individual goals. I am really fascinated with the book ‘You just don’t understand’. Tannen talks about rapport-talk (private speaking) and report-talking (public speaking) and how these two concepts are directly related to how women and men communicate. While women do private speaking; men do public speaking.

According to Tannen (1990), “most women use communication to establish connections and negotiating relationships. Emphasis is placed on displaying similarities and matching experiences; while for most men, talk is primarily a means to preserve independence and negotiate/maintain status in society” (1990, p. 77). By observing the amount of time women lead a conversation without being interrupted by men, I agree with Tannen: women and men use language differently in their personal and professional lives.

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6.1 Human judgment

Is it possible to perceive others without in some way judging or categorizing them? If so, how? If not, how can we make the judgments we do make more fair?

In my view, it is not possible to perceive others without in some way judging (aloud or mentally) or categorizing them because judging is somehow embedded in human nature. The way one speaks or remain silent, dresses up, walks, eats, smiles and so forth, sends out messages that others perceive in a positive or negative way.

Although we can not help it, but judge others, we still can make more fair judgments by taking context in consideration and putting ourselves in other people’s shoes. More fair judgments would be made if people looked at the context before judging. Things not always are what we see on the surface. Also, asking ourselves how we would feel if the same judgment was projected on is another way to make more fair judgments. Nobody likes to be judged. So, imagining that we could become victims of unfair judgments makes us more reasonable and compassionate with others.

The illustration displayed on page 45 of the textbook encouraged me to imagine that both parties – the man and the woman can be right or wrong. In this illustration, the woman "appears" to be yelling at the man sitting next to her. The first thought I had when I saw this picture was to feel sorry for the woman, who is trying to communicate with a guy who cares only about his own newspaper. But when I put myself in this man’s shoes, I started thinking that maybe he is covering himself up with the newspaper because he is tired of listening to this woman complaining and yelling at him all the time, regardless of what he does to please her.

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3.3 Definitions

* Pick one concept from the assigned reading, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

One concept from chapter three of the textbook that I considered interesting is the notion of definition. What intrigues me the most about the notion of definition is what one takes in consideration before defining what/how things should be defined.

Trenholm (2008) claims that “definitions clarify concepts by indicating their boundaries” (p. 18). In addition to explain concepts, Trenholm mentions that “definitions also limit concepts” (p. 40). These two claims of definition are so true but so disturbing at the same time! Again, it comes to the fact that we live in a totally socially constructed 'reality'.

I could not help but think about how the definitions in the dictionary were chosen. Whoever makes the decision to pick a given definition to a word do so based on his or her social experiences. Hence, if his or her social experiences were absolutely different from mine, most likely I will refute some of his or her definitions.

One interesting example of an absolutely different social 'reality' would be the definition of the word cow for an Indian citizen and for an American citizen. For the Indian citizen, cow can not be anything else but God; for the American citizen, cow is simply a mammal. Who would dare to disagree with them? Clearly their definitions are solely based on the social experiences they had over the course of their lives.

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3.2 Communication as patterned interaction

* Consider the pragmatic perspective. Does it make sense to think of communication as patterned interaction?

In my understanding, it does make sense to think of communication as patterned interaction. The idea behind the pragmatic perspective is that patterns can be kept of changed. It depends on what works or not within a given communication – either verbal or non verbal communication. As an example, I will use the experiences of a newly married couple. If the wife feels upset because the husband does not help her with the chores, instead of accusing him of being lazy, absent or even irresponsible, she would analyze what lead him to be this way: did his mother never teach or let him to help out with the chores when he was younger? Doesn't he help with the chores because he thinks that this is a strictly feminine task?

By analyzing different reasons why the husband is not helping with the chores the wife should understand what is behind the husband's behavior that upsets her so much. As Trenholm (2008) explained, “the pragmatic perspective views communication as a system of interlocking behaviors that become patterned over time" (p. 41).

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3.1 How we ‘build worlds’ through communication

* Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do you “build worlds” through communication?

In the course of a lifetime one could not experience everything in order to conclude what is real or not. Let’s think for a moment about the big achievement of the first man who stepped on the moon in 1969, the American Neil Armstrong.

We believe Armstrong was the first man who actually walked on the moon because this historic moment was actually captured by television cameras and photographs taken by Armstrong. Otherwise, without evidences that Armstrong stepped on the moon, how could us believe him?
In the words of Trenholm ((2008), “most of what we know and believe about the worlds comes to us through communication rather than through direct experience” (p. 30).

Most of the things we believe, we do so not because we experienced those things ourselves. Instead, other people experienced them, documented them, and the evidences collected became ‘the truth’ we ultimately believe in. One of the major critics made by Trenholm (2008) about the constructionist perspective is on how one can distinguishes truth and reality.

In my view reality is a social constructed thing. Although human beings can experience certain things on their own, e.g., a woman who had a baby but has never walked in the moon. On the one hand this woman knows what the delivery moment is because she delivered her baby. On the other hand this same woman believes that it is feasible to walk in the moon because she read about it, which turned to become reality to her. But because there is so much to be experience and not so much time to do so, humans often go on simply assuming that “what is out there” is true.

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2.3 The Five Canons of Rhetoric

It was exciting to learn more about the five canons of Rhetoric. I had had the opportunity to study this subject in a fascinating class previously. Besides the fact that this is an interesting theme, it is indeed, a useful one, taking in consideration how often we utilize these five canons of Rhetoric over the course of our academic, professional, and why not to say, personal lives?

How could one pass a message across without being able to justify (invention) his/her arguments? It is so important to choose the right words (style) situation. Ideas only make sense if they are properly organized (arrangement). How would we be able to finish a story if we could not remember (memory) it? I can not stress the importance of aligning verbal and nonverbal communication (delivery) within a conversation/speech. Life would be a big mess if human beings did not utilize these five concepts on a daily basis.

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2.2. What does make a good orator?

The Greeks believed that to be an orator, an individual had to be morally good. As much as I would like to agree with the Greeks, unfortunately I disagree with such belief. One might not be entirely dishonest in his or her moral principles, and still be considered an orator. A great example would be one of the former presidents of Brazil, Fernando Collor de Melo. Although he impressed many people with his eloquent speeches over the course of his presidential campaign, it turned out that he was extremely dishonest with his country upon being elected.

Melo was so dishonest that his impeachment was inevitable in 1992. Regardless his dishonest character, nobody can say Melo is not an orator. He was able to manipulate the elements “goodness”, “truth”, and public communication to achieve his goal to become the president of Brazil. And due to some people’s ‘short memory’, Melo was elected as Senator in 2006. All he did to return to the political arena was to manipulate goodness, truth and public communication.

In the end, THE best orators – those I truly admire and I use as my mirrors are the ones who indeed employ goodness and truth in their public communication.

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2.1. Soledad O’Brien

What a challenge not to use Barack Obama as THE speaker I admire! Another challenge is not to use his wife, Michelle Obama - another speaker I admire. Fortunately there are other talented speakers who deserve to be the object of my admiration. Hence, I will focus my attention on the television journalist, María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien. The reason why I chose O’Brien is because she covers racial issues in the United States and she also contextualizes similar racial issues in other countries.

O’Brien’s power to persuade comes from ethos (personal character), pathos (the ability to arouse emotions), and logos (personal character) altogether. In the first case, as an African-American, O’Brien knows what prejudice is. Her parents, for instance, experienced prejudice in America just for being immigrants. This evidence makes her viewers believe that O'Brien knows what she is talking about when she covers racial issues; in the second case, O’Brian talks about issues that African-Americans want to see addressed urgently, but few journalists do so. As an example of O'Brien's works, I could mention her famous documentary ‘Black in America’; finally, in the third case, O’Brian has come a long way covering racial issues, which leads African-Americans to believe that her endeavor to improve African-Americans’ lives through news only can be achieve if she reports the ugly truth African-Americans still deal with on a daily basis.

In my view Aristotle’s classification scheme works perfectly for O’Brien, given that she graciously makes use of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey critical messages through documentaries and news she is in charge of. Shifting gears to my own ability to persuade other people, I would risk saying that the main personal qualities that make me persuasive are my natural ability to arouse emotion on my audience and my self-confidence.

Ibirapuera

1.2. Introducing myself

First of all, welcome to my blog! :-)

You might be curious about my name. Clearly this is not my real name. Instead, it is my favorite park’s name, which is located in my country - Brazil. I was born and raised in the metropolitan São Paulo – the biggest city of Brazil. I have been living abroad for almost four years. While I enjoy living in the United States, the distance from my family still hurts. In addition to that, I am still trying to come to terms with the racial dynamic of the US, which is absolutely different from the Brazilian racial conceptualization.

I would say that my “communication history” started when I was still being developed. My parents always tell me that I used to kick a lot when they talked to me over the course of my mother’s pregnancy. Although my kicking response was a non-verbal communication with my parents, it was indeed some sort of powerful communication.

Life followed its course and I discovered the power of words and how I could use them in a positive or in a negative way. Later on I graduated in Journalism. Finally, this is my 2nd year as a graduate student at SJSU. As far as my progress on the graduate program goes, I have taken COMM 200, 202, 244, 274, being 244 an online class.

Altogether, I will take three classes this semester, in additon to getting started on my thesis . It is a lot going on at the same time, but fortunately my passion for what I am studying will help me along the way. As an international person, I feel I have a deep understanding and respect for cultural differences. However, there is always something else to learn. Hence, I expect to learn through your different viewpoints and ultimately, to continue doing my best in my graduate program this fall.

Thanks for your time! :-)
Ibirapuera

1.1. Hello, everyone!

Hello everyone,

I am Ibirapuera and I am very excited to experience this class with you! :)

Ibirapuera