gender - personal.

Growing up, I have always wanted to be exactly like my brother. I started to wear his hand-me-down clothes and I also started acting like him. I would go with him and his friends to play soccer or baseball. I always wanted the boy bike or the boy dinner plate. It was not necessarily that I didn't like the girl stuff, I just wanted to be exactly like him. Communication scholars may argue my case is an interesting one. It is common for a female to acquire the cultural stereotypes of a little girl, such as wearing pink and playing with dolls; however, these scholars do say you are influenced by your surroundings, and for me that was my brother. 

Always following in his footsteps, I tried to play every sport he did. He played baseball, so I played in the boys little league. He played soccer, so I played on the boy's soccer team until I moved up to a competitive league. He golfed, so I took golf lessons. Obviously, you can see the continuous pattern. Even though I was too young to realize it at the time, I still do not know how my mother felt about me playing with boys and basically acting like one. However, there is one question left. Why would my participating in boys sports not be socially acceptable? The answer is simple. I was born a female and therefore I should partake in the generalized female gender stereotypes. As I mentioned in the gender-artifact blog, we can surpass stereotypes when we step outside the norm and decide to be different. And this is exactly what I did. 

When I was in second grade, I realized there was one sport my brother played that I did not. This sport was ice hockey. One day while watching one of my brother's games with my mom, I said, "I want to do that too." Sure enough, she enrolled me in skating development and three months later I was signed up on an all girls hockey team. Now, you might be saying this was different for me because I was finally playing on an all girls team. Well, it was. However, unfortunately there are not many second grade girls willing to go against the stereotypical norm of "dancing" or "gymnastics." Therefore, I played on an all girls team, who played against all boys teams. The best part about stepping outside of the box and being different from every other little girl is I found a sport I loved. I learned to be different and loved doing it. And most importantly we became good enough to beat the all boys teams. 

gender - artifact.

What does the above picture represent? 

Is this lady representative of all women in the world? 

How did women acquire this stereotype? 

Why is it that women still possess this stereotype today?

  I think it is safe to say that the common stereotype of a woman today is a stay at home

Mother, who cooks, cleans, and takes care of the kids. Often times, she has dinner waiting for her

husband when he gets home from a long day at work. She spends her day tidying up the house,

doing laundry, and watching the kids. It is the man of the house who goes to work all day and

does all the "manly" tasks, such as mowing the lawn and home repairs. Even though this may

not be true of every household, it is true of many. How did this stereotypical lifestyle come about?

It originated in the very beginning of time, when societal surroundings suggested it was

right for the woman of the house to do the cooking and cleaning. It has continued on in time with

the support of the media, cultures, and family influences. Growing up, little girls are taught to

play with dolls and wear the color pink. Little boys are taught to play with trucks and wear the

color blue.

After many generations of these perceived stereotypes, people (especially women) have

started to realize that things do not need to be this way. Women have realized they can go to

work, while their husbands stay at home with the children. They have realized they can be doctors,

lawyers, and police officers. They can enlist in the army and compete in the same rigorous training

as men. In comparison with women, men have realized they can do things stereotypically different

too. Men can be nurses, or babysit. They can be chefs, homemakers, or can even sew.

So why is this picture still around? This stereotypical picture is here to remind us we can

be whatever we want to be. We do not have to let society control what we become or what stereotype

we fall into.

"the emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'it's a girl'"

- Shirley Chisholm

"I wish someone would have told me that, just because I'm a girl, I don't have to get married"

- Marlo Thomas

"The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes"

- Bella Abzug

Gender - Definitional.

What is the difference between a boy and a girl? 

What is the difference between a female and a male? 

What is the difference between a man and a woman? 

What is the difference between being masculine and feminine? 

What is the difference between acting manly and womanly? 

All of these questions certainly seem interconnected to the common eye, and in essence, they kind of are connected. While the first three questions relate solely to sex, the last two questions relate solely to gender. It is commonly mistaken for these two terms to be used as synonyms for one another. 

When referring to sex, we simply mean male or female, man or woman, boy or girl. According to Julia Wood, sex is the "biological quality that is determined by genetics and hormones." In essence, it is the "stuff" we are born with. We cannot change our sex unless we do so with scientific and medical procedures. Depending on the chromosomes we are given, either XX or XY, our sex varies. While sex may determine what we are biologically, it is our gender that influences the person we become. 

According to Wood, "gender is learned, and it varies in response to experiences over a lifetime." Our gender is either our masculinity or femininity created through social construction. Depending on our culture, time, space, and environment, our gender may be shaped differently than others. The meaning of gender for a person changes depending on these variables (time, space, culture, experience). 

One of the main influences of our gender is the media and our culture around us. Whatever is socially accepted at the time for a man or for a woman will most likely determine how we act. If it is socially acceptable that a woman stays home with the kids and cooks, she will most likely do that. If it is socially acceptable for a man to enlist in the army and defend his country, he will most likely do that. Once people learn to step outside the boundaries, we can create new gender stereotypes, either broadening or lessening the horizon for each gender. 

"If you as parents cut corners, your children will too. If you lie, they will too. If you spend all your money on yourselves and tithe no portion of it for charities, colleges, churches, synagogues, and civic causes, your children won't either. And if parents snicker at racial and gender jokes, another generation will pass on the poison adults still have not had the courage to snuff out." 

- Marian Wright Edelman

Cultural Artifact Four.

In today's society, there are many ads and websites helping those who are single find their sole mates. Often times those who use these types of websites are looking for an intimate relationship. But, what is an intimate relationship? Is it possible that people may be looking for something other than a sexual relationship? Is it possible to have an intimate relationship with a best friend? A family member? The answer to these questions is yes; it is quite possible to have an intimate relationship with a best friend or a family member. 

Intimate: to make known especially publicly or formally. (Merriam-Webster)

Intimate: to communicate delicately or indirectly. (Merriam-Webster)

Intimate: associated in close personal relations (dictionary.com)

Intimate: characterized by or involving warm friendship or a personally close or familiar association or feeling. (dictionary.com)

Intimate: very private; closely personal (dictionary.com)

All of these definitions explain how an intimate relationship does not need to be between significant others or spouses or boyfriends and girlfriends. It is quite possible to have an intimate relationship with a family member, such as a brother or sister. In fact, I do have a intimate relationship with my brother. My brother and I's relationship is one of closeness, trust, and bondage. We believe we can share anything with each other and trust one another to respect each other and the secret being told. 

Websites, such as match.com, help people search for an intimate relationship. After registering on match.com, the only question to be asked is what type of "intimate" relationship are you looking for? 

Personal Reflection Four.

How does interpersonal communication relate to my life? 

The answer is in a lot of different ways. 

When does interpersonal communication affect my life?

The answer is every single day. 

Throughout every day of my life, I communicate with various types of people, which help in creating very different types of interpersonal communication. Five out of seven days a week I attend classes, where I am constantly confronted with interpersonal communication with my professors. During my classes, I play the role of a student while my professors play the role of the teachers. I am expected to pay attention and take notes, while my professors are expected to teach the lesson of the day. 

Another type of interpersonal communication that I encounter on a day to day basis is friendship. Throughout the day, I carry on several conversations with my friends. It is common for me to run into one of my friends on the mall or in the cafeteria. One specific example of a friendship based interpersonal communication happened to me today. As good friends do, one of my best friends came to me today asking for advice. Obviously, being good girlfriends, she came to me asking about this boy she knows and what she should do about their current situation. This type of interpersonal communication involves trust and respect between the two people involved in the communicating. By asking for my advice, I was able to tell that she trusted me and respected me and the answer I gave her. 

There are various other types of interpersonal communication that occur in everyday life. Some examples are between coworkers, roommates, classmates, teammates, siblings, parent/child, boyfriend/girlfriend, and employer/employee. All of these examples represent the broad spectrum communication encompasses. All of these interactions are especially important in life and as a means of communicating. EVen though the examples mentioned were all forms of verbal communication, any of these examples can portray nonverbal communication, such as note taking, eye contact, or high fives. 

Definition: Norms.

Within communications, norms are used in everyday society to limit and direct behavior (Tubbs and Moss). A norm can be defined as any such rule or expectation about how people will or should act. Once such questions that arises is why should we follow these norms? The reason in which many people follow norms is because it helps make the behavior of others more predictable, which makes communication easier. 

According to changingminds.org, norms are "the rules a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors." Norms exist for interactions between strangers, students and teachers, family, friendships, and intimate relationships. Following norms within a specific relationship helps one understand the other person more easily. 

Within this idea of norms, there are specific types. First off, there are explicit norms, which are spoken and written openly. Second, there are implicit norms, which develop while a relationship develops. A common example of an explicit norm is the common handshake. When meeting a new person in a formal and/or informal setting, it is common for the two strangers to shake hands. In contrast, an example of an implicit norm is something one may develop with a significant other regarding their actions. This type of decision will come about gradually as their relationship progresses and they start to learn more about each other. 

One example of a norm, which has been recently seen in our society, is that of Valentine's Day. In this situation, it is the social norm that the guy will buy his girlfriend flowers or candy, and pay for dinner. However, does it have to be this way? Most people think it does. But, it doesn't. Within a relationship between two people, it is up to them to determine their own norms and how their Valentine's Day tradition/norm will be carried out. 

Artifact Three.

Within the study of communication, there are two types of research that can be conducted. There is qualitative and quantitative research. While qualitative researchers use words, quantitative researchers use numerical terms. They use these numerical terms to represent human behavior. The researchers come up with predictions and explanations for this human behavior. 

A common form of quantitative research is surveying. Surveying allows the researcher to make comparisons across different groups of people, to generalize results of a large population, and to represent theoretical concepts in numerical terms. Surveys can involve random sampling, face-to-face, telephone interviewing, mailed and structured questionnaires, field observation, and content analysis. In today's society, it is common to find survey's posted online. 

When searching "surveys" online on a major search engine, many different links came up. One type of link that continuously came up was for creating your own survey. Although, others such as "favorite football team,""fun surveys," and "myspace surveys" showed up. I logged into the favorite football survey and placed my vote with the Green Bay Packers. After I voted, the results showed that seven people have participated in this survey. It showed a tie of 14% for the Vikings, the Patriots, the Ravens, the Steelers, and others. The Packers are currently the favored team with 29% of the vote. 

Even though this survey has little to do with the study of communication, it shows how common researchers may use a survey to help them with developing theories and methods. With the use of surveys, quantitative researchers are able to narrow their focus and examine only the factors they think will be important and influential. 

Personal Reflection Three.

A common question asked within our society, and even within our own communication class, is why do we study communication and why do we do communication research? In my personal opinion, this is a much harder question to answer then the question of why do we do scientific research. It seems obvious that we do scientific research to find cures for illnesses, help animals in the environment, and discover many things about the human body; therefore, the question of why we do scientific research seemed easier. Well, it WAS a much easier question to answer until I started my basic studies in communication. 

Through our ongoing discussion over this question, we have come up with various answers. Often we study communication because it is the most prevalent thing in a person's life. It is common for people to use communication daily and unknowingly. Since communication plays a significant role in our society, it becomes important for us to study what people do and why they do it. By conducting communication studies and creating methods/theories, it is possible to gain some power over future interactions among people. The theories created help people be more strategically successful in future interactions and confrontations. If one can study and understand how certain variables affect a person's mood and actions, then it will become easier to avoid or invoke those emotions in the future. 

For example, I have encountered many situations and conversations I wish I would not have had to endure. If I could have known how to react to the situation or avoid it, I would have been much happier. Similar to the example in class, if there were a theory about the communication between mother and daughter, I would probably avoid conflict more often. If i were able to study the variables that usually make my mother angry, I may be able to avoid asking for things and or telling her things when she is in a bad mood. For example, one time I got yelled at because I had a soccer game and my warm up pants were not dry and were still in the dryer. I, thinking it was not my fault they were not dried, yelled at my mom. Well, in return I got yelled at because I did not think to put them in earlier. On the way to the soccer game, I decided to hang them out the window to dry and latch the window down on them; however, that did not work because the window completely shattered because of the thickness of the pants. Returning home with my dad to switch cars, I was graced with my mother's yelling. 

If I take a step back and examine all the things going on that day in my mother's mind and the many variables she was dealing with, I could have simply listened and gotten along with her. Since I was not unaware of looking at everything she had to deal with, I created a worse case scenario. Next time I do not agree with my mom, I will be able to look at the variables around us and how they are affecting her, and then decide if I want to argue with her. 

Definitional Three/four

According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/appratus,

an apparatus is "any system or systematic organization or activities, functions, processes, etc., directed toward a specific goal." Apparatuses exist throughout our world in all parts of society. For example, the governmental apparatus works toward creating peace within our country. Creighton University's apparatus may also be known as Creighton Student's Union (CSU), which helps run all student-run organizations. Even though these apparatuses exist within in our society, there is also one apparatus that commonly exists in the study of communication. 

      Kenneth Burke suggests a critical apparatus while explaining that a speaker must not only establish persuasion using logic and emotion, but also by establishing an "identity" with their audience (Dues & Brown). Burke suggests audiences respond not only to the message, but also to the speaker and the situation in which the message is received. Through this reasoning, he created his critical apparatus, stating that specific audiences will respond to specific speakers and messages in specific situations. Using this conclusion, he created the pentad. 

The first aspect of the pentad is the ACT, or the actual distributing of the message. The AGENT is the speaker (left, above) and the AGENCY(center, above) is the channels in which the message is being displayed or given, such as CNN or a microphone. The SCENE is the environment in which the speech is being given, such as a crowded venue or a large auditorium. Lastly, the PURPOSE is what the reason why the speaker acts at all. According to Burke, these five aspects make up the pentad and come together influentially to invoke change in the audience. 

It is quite possible for all of these aspects to affect each other individually and holistically as a group. The act that is being conducted relies completely on the existence of the agent. (Without a person to deliver the speech there cannot be any message). The purpose of the message depends on the speaker and why they want to be speaking. Lastly, the agency, or the way the message is communicated, can depend greatly on the scene, or the environment the message is portrayed. The type of venue the speech is delivered in will determine the types of channels available.