rhetoric and public culture - Artifact

This picture of the aftermath of hurricane Katrina was displayed in a world newspaper. Hurricane Katrina's episode left many people homeless, injured, and even dead. Many people lost loved ones and all of their belongings. Many people had to relocate for quite some time while their homes were being fixed up. Many people could simply not return to New Orleans due to the sadness involved. Many people never saw it coming. And lastly, many people would call this a tragedy. 

Without much of today's technology, people around the world would not have been able to imagine the tragedy involved. It would have been difficult to view pictures without a camera. It would have been difficult to see helicopter video footage with a news station and a television. It would have been difficult for those who evacuated to evacuate if we did not have hurricane detecting devices. Without technology, this situation would have been completely different. I think there are many people who are thankful that technology was able to help out in this tragedy, even if it was not much help. 

On the other hand, there are certainly people who fill technology was not a help during this tragedy. For some, they cannot understand why technology could not have helped more. They do not understand why people go to school for years on end to study and learn, and the world can still not come up with a way to prevent hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The fact is we cannot control every part of the PHYSICAL WORLD. Disasters such as these remind us that we do not have complete control over how the physical world acts. We must learn to tolerate its actions and do the best we can when they occcur. 

rhetoric and public culture - Definitional

According to wikipedia. com, the social world primarily deals with society and sociology, or the study of society and human behaviors. They say society is A society is "a group of humans or other organisms of a single species that is delineated by the bounds of cultural identity, social solidarity, functional interdependence, or eusociality." With that being said, they also mention that a society is "characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture or institutions." By partaking in a society or the social world, a person is able to achieve and accomplish things he or she could not on his or her own. 

In Pierce's chapter, the social world provides "boundaries, resources, and challenges daily." The social world can be interpreted differently by various types of people. The culture one lives in and the things happening around them will determine their social world. Traveling and emerging ourselves in different cultures allows us to experience different social worlds. Since the social world may involve different customs or traditions, many different emotions can arise from a  person when these are revealed to them. The differences may irritate a person or they could create joy and happiness. The social world has a large effect on our emotions, our actions, and our choices. 

We are so comfortable with our social culture because it is what we grew up with. Most of us are used to eating lunch at school. If we were submersed in the Spanish social culture, we may feel out of place when we would take a break from classes and would come home to eat lunch. It may be uncomfortable to have to go to class afterwards. Our environment with which we grow up in helps determine the norms for our lives.

artifact - small group communication.

Description 1: Baseball with Coke. "Things go better wtih Coke"

Description 2: Woman with Coke. "The pause.....that refreshes at home." "Housework brings that urge to pause and relax in an easy chair. Do it ... with ice-cold Coca-Cola. It adds to relaxations what relaxations always need... pure wholesome refreshment." 

Both of these ads advertise for Coca-cola and suggest why we, as consumers, should drink it. I assume both of these ads were drawn up under the careful consideration of a small group. While one person may have drawn each of these up, it was probably a group decision in picking which ad to use.  

If one person suggested the ad with the baseball, they may argue that both men and women can play baseball; therefore, it appeals to all people, not just women. The person who is arguing for the ad with the woman may argue that women buy the groceries; therefore, if they are advertised on the ad, they will be more likely to buy Coca-Cola when they are at the store.

Throughout this meeting debating the two ads, the other members of the group are probably affected by the judgements of these two people. The two persuaders are probably affecting the other's attitudes, beliefs, and values. Let's say the only way to publish one of the two ads is for a 100% approval from all members of the group. So far, everyone within the group has agreed to publish the baseball ad because it appeals to everyone and not just women, except for one person. While this member wants to publish the woman ad, she gives in to the baseball ad because it is not worth it to her to argue her point. In this instance, she demonstrates groupthink and is influenced by the other members of her group. While she does not necessarily want to publish the baseball ad, it is kind of a lost cause if she is the only one voting for the other ad. Even though she likes the other ad better, the reasoning behind publishing the baseball ad has become clear to her and has helped influence her to publish it instead. 

personal - small group communication.

When working with a small group, an emotional commitment may evolve from all the time spend together working on a common problem. This kind of emotional commitment is known as Cohesiveness, which increases as the attachment to the group becomes stronger. Cohesiveness is defined as "the total field of forces acting on members to remain in the group" by Tubbs and Moss. Many people experience this cohesiveness when they are really passionate about what their group offers or they become extremely interested in their work project. When people can see their work turn in to success, they begin to become more attached to their group. 

I am a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority. Our sorority is home to 150 members, including freshman through seniors. While 150 people does not constitute a small group, we are still an exemplary example of cohesiveness. Every single member has had to go through recruitment as a freshman, which has ultimately brought us together. We all know that we were wanted in the sorority and the sorority knows we wanted them. We share a common understanding and love for all the sisters within the sorority and we continually grow closer as we become more involved. 

For example, for fundraising, each of us is expected to work at the Quest Center during an event, a sports game, or a concert. Working with four other girls at the Sports Show, I was part of a small group. At the beginning of the day, it was clear none of us wanted to be there. It was clear we did not want to be serving and making fast food all day. It was clear we did not want to deal with needy and rude customers. 

As the day progressed on, we learned to work together and get to know each other better. Since we got to know each other better, it was easier to pass the time by with conversation and games. While we could all agree the job was no fun, it brought us together and forced us to get to know each other. By the end of the day, we became a more cohesive group within the sorority. While we love all of our sisters, no one will understand the inside jokes from that day or even the experience. Tubbs and Moss say cohesiveness involves "members who enjoy each other's company." That day at the Quest Center, we all enjoyed each other's company. 

definitional - small group communication.

According to Buzzle.com, "small group communication is, of course, the communication that is

carried out within a small group. A small group is generally defined as a group that consistes of at

least three members and the maximum around twelve to fifteen members."Just like there are four types of nonverbal messages and nonverbal communications, there are also four types of small group communication. The four types are primary groups, casual/social, learning/education, and work groups. Many of these types focus on problem solving and are task oriented groups. According to Tubbs and Moss, some examples of small groups involved in communication are a "student council, a commission investigating the causes of prison riots, a fund-raising committee for a political party, and a tenants' association organized to fight rent increases." 

Even though many small groups may involve problem solving, they certainly do not have to. The first type of small group communication, or primary groups, are the basic groups to which we belong. Some primary groups involve our friends or our childhood friends. These groups are made once we form our social identity and once we realize we belong to a group. 

Once we have established our primary groups, it is easier to belong to social groups, such as teammates, sorority sisters, and classmates. Even though these friendships and acquaintances may not last that long, they will continue to influence us throughout our life. They will determine the way we think and act thirty years from now. The primary and social groups do not necessary involve problem solving because much of the communication involved in these two groups is spontaneous and informal. 

The third type of small group communication involves the learning group. When members of this group come together, they come to teach or learn something about a given subject. Although members of this group come together to solve problems or learn something, they are not in an authoritative position; therefore, they may come up with great ideas, but they cannot put their ideas into actions. 

Work groups usually take place in the context of a job and have specific goals to achieve. Whereas members of the other groups may have had a lot in common, members of this group usually do not have a lot in common except for the assigned task. Another difference between this group and the others is the willingness to work. While it may not have mattered if you didn't participate in the other groups, it matters in this one. Since these group members are often paid for their work, it is important to do the work and do it well. 

organizational - personal.

Informal Communication can occur in all aspects of life. In organizational communication, informal communication can also be known as gossip. Gossip can be referred to as "water-cooler talk" and can be passed on through the "grapevine." Informal communication, or gossip, is the person to person communication between two employees of an organization, which often is facilitated by events within the organization.

The summer before my freshman year in college, I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch. Working there, I gained a lot of respect for anyone who works in retail. The store employees many high school and college students, and is usually managed by a college graduate, who has majored in business management. 

Many of the employees work five hour shifts and cannot wait until their shift is over. It is extremely surprising how much each employee knows about one another and the managers. Often times, I would spend my shift folding clothes and working the register with one other person. Working during the day, when most other people are at work too, the store is kind of slow, which allows for gossip time. Also, since many of my co-workers are relatively the same age, it is easy to share stories during slow periods. 

Throughout my summer, I found out alot about the other people I worked with and my managers. Many times it affected how I perceived a certain person or who I spent most of my time talking to. However, I learned to not judge a book by its cover and I also learned to listen quietly while others complained. I was able to avoid my managers on their cranky days and help out as much as possible on days they were willing to pass off jobs. It is clear informal communication can be a positive and negative thing in the workplace. 

organizational - artifact/structure.

In designing my own organization, I am choosing to establish the National Women's Cycling Association (which might already exist). This organization's goal would be to unite all the women cyclists in the nation and bring them together at specific events, such as races, training programs, and conventions. 

In assuming leader, I would establish a supportive communication style within the organization. I would rather help my members out, than yell at them or always tell them they are doing something wrong. Lately, interviewers have consistently asked me what type of leader I am and what qualities I possess. Every time I tell them I do not like to dictate or tell a person exactly how to do something. I like other people to give me their opinions, so I can help them, and the entire group, come up with a plan that works for all of us. In this cycling organization, I would like to help them, support them, and encourage them. 

In designing this organization, there are definitely pros and cons. When employees or members receive support, they are more likely to be motivated to continue working hard and doing well. Encouragement allows them to have self-satisfaction as well. They learn to become confident and self-efficient. This structure of communication may not be good because it may allow members to become over confident. Also, it may give the member a false sense of hope. They might start to think their boss, or the leader, is more of a friend. Therefore, when they do something wrong and have to be disciplined or corrected by the boss, the friendship may be affected.