Te amo?

To me, understanding language and how it was created in order to help humans communicate is beautiful. Having two minors from Cal Poly in Spanish and Latin American Studies, I have been able to study the differences between Spanish and Latin American uses of language with English. While living in Spain, I volunteered at an elderly retirement home, and practiced Spanish with the people who lived there. One of my favorites, Esperanza, was kind enough to speak mostly Spanish (not Catalan, the national dialect of Barcelona, which is a combination of Spanish, French and Basque, and a language so hard to understand, you have to be born there to understand it) with me and help me practice. During one of our conversations, I remember using the phrase “I love that”. She corrected me in Spanish by saying “me gusta”, reminding me that in Spanish, the term “to love” (amor) is not used in the context that we use it in America. While we can love anything from Dinosaurs, to chicken nuggets, in Spain, when you use the word “I love” it has an emotional attachment far beyond the capacity of an extinct creature, or inanimate object to reciprocate. For this reason, the topic I found extremely interesting in the book was on page 335, “Culture and Language Style”. The example given above highlights the idea the author talks about when saying, “a concept that is central to the language of one culture may be translated into another language only with difficulty,” (Trenholm, p.337).  To me this is a fascinating concept that people can create a tool, language, to help communicate, but have different uses for that tool. By this I mean, the culture, environment and language all shape the way people communicate, and discovering the differences in the way we communicate helps us not only to understand another’s language, but our own as well.  

Ponder this!

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

This question was fun, and reminded me of my psyc class at Cal Poly, with my nutty-but highly intelligent-professor. In regards to the first part of the question, the rationality premise, which states that most people can and will use logic to find the truth, I must say I agree in part. The part that I agree with is that since we are human, logic is our mode to truth; the part I somewhat disagree with is defining “logic”. For me, I know that my “logic”, or the way I come to solve a problem, is or can be completely different than someone else’s. This is why I only partially agree. If logic can be defined in our own terms, and can vary from individual to individual, then yes I agree with the rationality premise. In terms of social institutions that are based on this belief, law, justice system, even politics can all be considered founded in this premise.

In regards to the perfectibility premise; the premise that we are all born in sin, but can overcome it with hard work and dedication, reminds me a little too much of puritanical teachings. I do believe that we all have the capability to overcome and adversity that’s set in front of us through hard work, however the whole, “born in sin” part is hard to believe. I prescribe more with the nurture belief than nature (though I think both play a part in how we’re shaped). Social institutions that are based on this belief of course are religion; perhaps one could even argue the “American Dream” has roots in this belief.

The final premise, the mutability premise, the belief that humans can be bettered by their environment, I do agree with. However my approval is also tied to the capability of humans to recognize their environment, and their capability to change it. There are so many situations in which an individual cannot change their physical environment, due to economic or political situations which inhibit their ability, however this does not exclude their mental environment. This is where the psyc class comes back to me, and makes me question the questions posed. If we are incapable of changing our physical environment, can we change our mental environment to improve ourselves and therefore apply to the mutability premise?

Food for thought!!

I absolutely agree with Ruth Benedict in her description of humans as products of our culture.  Having been lucky enough to have traveled to several countries, there is no doubt in my mind that our environment is a great factor in the way we turn out as human beings, not to mention how we communicate.

The greatest example I can offer was my time spent living with a family in Peru. While there, I had two younger brothers, Diego (5) and Fabio (3).

This is Diego!

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And this is Fabio and my Mom!

All of us on a family picnic!!

My Peruvian Parents were both tour guides and loving parents to these two little boys. However, in many Latin American cultures there is a term called, machismo, which is an attitude that ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism. Peruvians definitely fall into this category of Latin American countries that helped form the meaning of the word. For this reason, these two boys, my little brothers, were able to boss my Peruvian mother around like they were her husband. She catered to their every whim, and in return, helped to build the cultural identity of a Peruvian male.  

I do not share story as a negative part of my experience, but rather to show the vast difference in cultural identities which can help to form our opinions of our own sex. Though in the United States we’ve had a history of women’s’ suffrage and the fight for equality, women in comparison to Peruvian women, have immensely more rights and freedom. In this way, our culture has shaped how we communicate, as children (like my two little brothers in Peru),  to how we communicate as adults.

Emblems and Italian gestures

In Chapter five, the section on Emblems was highly interesting to me, especially in its relation to culture and communication. As we have already learned, everything about communication is relative; relative to the if we are the speaker, the receiver; relative to the manner in which we perceive the message; the country we live in; the way we were raised, along with numerous other factors. The same, as noted in Chapter Five, goes for nonverbal communication, and in this particular example, emblems. When traveling abroad, I learned the hard way which Italian hand gestures were derogatory or not. Coming from an Italian family, my grandmother is the source for my hand gestures which I thought would be fun to try when in Italy. However, I learned that not only do different countries use different emblems, but in fact different regions have particular meanings for emblems as well.

While my family is from the Tuscan part of Italy, hand gestures from there are not interpreted the same way in the city of Torino. Learning this only helps to reinforce the need for open-mindedness and understanding, as well as tying back into an earlier post; learning to withhold judgment until we can make an objective decision.

Do you agree that men and women use language differently? In what areas? Give specific examples.

I definitely agree that men and women use and interpret language differently, due to the gender norms we adopt as we’re growing up. In the breakdown in Chapter four on page 89 of the “Conclusions Drawn from Research on Gender Differences in Communication,” there are many points which I agree with, but some I have trouble believing. For example, I do agree that men are less likely to share personal information in casual conversation than women, and stick to activities as their main form of “communicating” with other male friends. I also agree that women, unfortunately, use more disclaimers, tag questions and qualifiers than men do, especially in the workplace.

However there are some areas of communication I feel our generation has helped to change the status quo. For example, the research that shows that men successfully initiate topics more often than women, or that they offer more jokes and witticisms than women falls short in our generation. Though women still fight the uphill battle for perfect equality (we still make less money than men on average) I do not see gender as a great indicator of wit, humor or communication initiation. Instead I believe that the personality type as well as environment of surrounding the communication will predict which gender is more likely to initiate or use humor.

The next section in the reading was particularly interesting. The different schools of thought on whether our language is created by our gender, or our gender helps create the language we use, is an intriguing intellectual battle. I feel that both gender, culture and communication are all inextricably linked and therefore the order does not necessarily matter. It reminds me of the old adage, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” In this case, which influences which, GenderàLanguage or LanguageàGender?

Don't judge me!!

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?

It is never possible to perceive others without judging or categorizing them. Judgments are what help us make sense of the world; they’re how our brains categorize and understand all the stimuli we are faced with everyday. It is also impossible to enter into any interaction or communication without bringing in our prior knowledge and experience. These are what shape how we react in any situation. Since it is impossible to remain completely objective in any interaction, we have to be aware of our biases so that we may know when and how to use them. By this I mean that if we know we are predisposed to react to a situation due to prior experience, and we are aware of this predisposition, there are ways we can work around it.

For example, I currently work in Human Resources. Since I am the gatekeeper for my boss, the Human Resources Director, I am confronted multiple times a day with different questions and interruptions from coworkers. When I am working on an important project or deadline, I have a tendency to get agitated when interrupted by coworkers. However, knowing this, and knowing myself, I can remove myself from my desk and work elsewhere where I cannot be interrupted and therefore do not make rash judgments about my coworkers who interrupt me (such as being annoyed by their questions, or even thinking them rude or thoughtless).

In other situations, trying not to judge people presents a larger problem. As I mentioned above, I work in Human Resources and recruiting and interviewing make-up a large portion of my job. In this case, the judgments I make about people from the time I first speak to them up until our last interaction, are the judgments that decide whether that candidate is hired. To make my opinions and biases more fair, my company utilizes the team interview tactic. This means that many members of our team participate in the interview, and each takes turns talking to the interviewee. By doing this my judgments are equalized with others opinions which might not be the same. In this way, a well rounded opinion of the candidate can be formed.

Visual Aids

In Chapter 10, I found the section on Visual Aids (Trenholm, p.276). It is impossible to ignore in this day and age the added benefits that technology gives. This translates to the world of public speaking as well. As the book explained, visual effects can help your speech be more memorable, more enjoyable and more interactive. However, it is important to note the drawbacks of using technology in a speech. Technology should do no more than enhance a speech; not take over for it. This is one of the biggest pitfalls of many speakers I feel. For example, many teachers have included PowerPoint presentations in their classroom lectures. Relying on this technology, and using it to teach their information rather than putting the effort into the actual lecture is a pitfall I think most students have had to endure. This being said, PowerPoint can also enhance a presentation by a teacher if used properly. For these reasons, I believe the section on visual aids was highly interesting and valuable reminder for all public speaking occasions.

PIP's and Graduation

  Have you ever been influenced by a speaker? Think of the best speaker you've ever heard. What was in about that speaker that made his or her communication memorable? Think of the worst speaker you've ever heard. What do you remember about his or her message?

The best speaker I've had the pleasure of seeing recently was a Past International President of my sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. She spoke at our Leadership Retreat in Tucson, AZ last summer, on her role as International President, her role as a leader, and her role as a woman. What was so powerful about her speech was her delivery, one of the five cannons of rhetoric. Not only was she able to engage the audience, and captivate us with her quirky personality, but she was able to relate her experience in AOII as a collegiate, 50 years prior to most of those in the room (this speaker is about 87 years old!!) By putting her experience into context for her audience, Peg was able to gain credibility as a speaker. We in the audience were able to identify with her struggles though college, not just because we are all bound by the ties of friendship through AOII, but because we had all been through similar experiences in our collegiate years. For this reason, Peg the PIP (Past International President) broke barriers of age, education, and culture, and bound us all with shared experiences.




This is Peg, our PIP, giving her speech!



After her speech!



The worst speaker I was ever unfortunate enough to have to endure was at a graduation ceremony for my brother. He was the dean of the college of Architectural Engineering, and regrettably, assumed a lot about his audience that was untrue. To start, this speaker assumed that due to his title as dean, he had the respect and authority over the audience, which he did not hide in his speech. This came off to us in the audience as a conceited attitude that left us all wishing he’d hurry his speech up. However, this dean had other plans. I specifically remember him even saying, “This is my time to speak so you all sit down, shut up, and get ready for a long talk,” Though this was an obvious attempt at humor, the self-important nature of his delivery made the audience take it wrong. From both speeches, the good and the bad, it is interesting to note after reflection that the key difference between the two was audience trust. Since Peg gained the audiences’ respect, she in return received trust.

Doubt

"Consider the social constructionist perspective. How do we "build worlds" through communication? Think of some ideas we talk about in our culture that may not exist in other cultures. How do these concepts contribute to our happiness or success (or the lack of these) in our culture?"

In response to this question, the first thing that shot through my mind was the Spanish subjunctive tense. For those who do not speak, or have not studied Spanish, here is a brief overview of what the subjunctive is: It expresses facts that are contrary to reality. It expresses doubt that something is or will be a fact. It expresses how a person feels about a possible action or state of being. It expresses a wish, intent or command for a possible action or state of being.

I offer this as an example because of the way in which the subjunctive is used in Spanish-speaking countries. During my college career I was deeply immersed in the Spanish-speaking world due to my double minors at Cal Poly in Spanish as well as Latin American Studies. I also had the privilege of living in Peru for a summer, as well as in Spain (Barcelona) for five months. While in these countries, it was wonderful how much I learned not only about their cultures, but my own as well. Putting myself in environments completely different than the one I grew up in, also put all of my tendencies, language and otherwise, in juxtaposition. So as I mentioned above, the subjunctive was a condition that I struggled not only to master language-wise, but also culturally.

To understand the subjunctive tense, the easiest way I have found, is to think of it as any sentence in which doubt is implied. In our very structured, organized and "Westernized" life, this is a hard concept to wrap our heads around. Doubt is not a positive characteristic in our society, and often implies ill-preparedness, laziness, or lack of knowledge. I believe it is for these reasons our culture has seemingly deleted it from our language. We rarely use the subjunctive tense in English, and I wonder how many of you learned it as a tense in your English classes?

However, in the Spanish-speaking cultures, doubt and the subjunctive take on a much different meaning. In their culture, the subjunctive is often used to describe a feeling; in this way, the speaker is able to communicate in a much richer way to their listener how they are feeling. Spanish-speaking cultures are also much more understanding of doubt, I have found, and are able to utilize the subjunctive tense in a positive way, expressing how they feel about what they don't know, or what they wish will happen in the future.

I compare this tense to our culture, not to bash on America, but only to offer perspective while answering the question of how we "build words" through the way we communicate. This is just one example of how communication differs not only through languages, but through cultures and societies.

Hey this is crazy. I just met you. But here's my blog. So read me, maybe? (Introductory Post)

I couldn't resist. A weekend ago I re-visited my college town (San Luis Obispo) for Beerfest, a local tradition, and that song played over and over again on the radio, and try as I might to avoid it, it's catchy!

So here's me in a nutshell:

Currently what I do: Jr. Human Resources Specialist for a tech company called AVer Information, Inc. Communication is key in this role. Good thing I have a degree in Communications.....wait that's not entirely true, let me back-track just a bit.




I graduated from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo with a B.A. in Communications and double minors in Spanish and Latin American Studies.



However when living here in Barcelona, Spain for 5 months, I had no idea when I would return to the states, my units wouldn't transfer and thus I would be graduating 4 units shy of that B.A.



So I found myself graduating and starting a job, new life without that handy degree I'd worked so hard on. But taking the silver-lining approach, I convinced my boss to let me take this course and hence am on track to really graduate at the end of this summer!

In attempt to fulfill this first assignment and introduce myself to you all, complete strangers, via the Internet, I hope that some carefully chosen pictures will elaborate on my bio!

I began college as a student-athlete, playing softball for Cal Poly. After a career ending injury, I was able to branch out (again the forever-optimist in me returns) and was able to enjoy new activities such as traveling, sorority life, and work. I did two study-abroad trips during my 4.5 years at Poly, living for a summer in Cuzco, Peru and then spending 5 months in Barcelona, Spain (and pretty much everywhere else in Europa my student-loan would take me).



That's me senior year at Cal Poly, when I became President of my sorority Alpha Omicron Pi, with my Vice President (and best friend)!



As cliche as it might sound-my sorority truly did get me my current job. While hosting an alumni event, I met my future boss, who recruited me right out of college! The hard work as President my senior year in college really did pay off. So now I work in the Silicon Valley, and get to enjoy those activities that I love like:



RUNNING!!!





DANCING!!!



Being a little carefree!

And doing it all with the most important people in my life, my family:

I hope to use this opportunity to continue my learning in the Communication Studies field and brush up on my old study habits. I am excited to learn through a new medium (never having taken an online class) and explore new creative outlets, such as this blog! I sincerely look forward to "stalking" all of my fellow classmates on their blogs (and hope that didn't sound creepy since I feel stalking has become a socially acceptable form of getting-to-know-someone ever since Facebook rocked our world).