PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES

AND ETHICS

LESSON 1: The Communication Process

The Nature of Communication

We, humans, are naturally social being, we feel an intense need to express our thoughts,
feelings, aspirations, doubts, questions, and fears. It is our ability to communicate that makes us
different from all other living things. This is our instrument for human interaction.

Communication is derived from the Latin word “common,” which means, “belonging to
many” and “communico”-to confer with others. It is the mutual exchange of information, ideas and
understanding by any effective means.

In other words, communication is a process by which people send messages or exchange

ideas or thoughts with one another in a verbal or non-verbal manner. Communication is important to
everyone - on how we can give and receive information and convey our ideas and opinions with
those around us.

Communication is the interaction of words from a society and thus gives pleasure and an
increased understanding of life. We belong to the era where opportunities for communication is
rampant. We can reach people from different places through cellular phones, videos, computers and
fax machines. Apparently, communication is extremely important so we have to use it effectively.

Elements of Communication

1. SENDER/ENCODER
The sender, also known as the encoder, decides on the message to be sent and the
best/most effective way that it can be sent. All of these are done bearing the receiver in
mind. In a word, it is the sender’s job to conceptualize.
The sender may want to ask him/herself questions like: What words will I use? Do I
need signs or pictures?
2. MEDIUM
The medium is the immediate form which a message takes. For example, a message
may be communicated in the form of a letter or an email or face to face in the form of a
speech.
3. CHANNEL
The channel is responsible for the delivery of the chosen message form.
For example: post office, internet, television and radio.
4. RECEIVER
The receiver or the decoder is responsible for extracting/decoding meaning from the
message. The receiver is also responsible for providing feedback to the sender. In a word, it is
his/her job to INTERPRET.
5. FEEDBACK
Feedback is important as it determines whether or not the decoder grasped the
intended meaning and whether communication was successful.
6. CONTEXT

1
 Communication does not take place in a vacuum. The context of any communication
act is the environment surrounding it. This includes, among other things, place, time, event,
and attitudes of sender and receiver.
7. NOISE (also called interference)
Noise is any factor that inhibits the transmission of a message. It is anything that gets
in the way of the message being accurately received, interpreted and responded to. Noise
may be internal or external. A student worrying about an incomplete assignment may not be
attentive in class (internal noise) or the sounds of heavy rain on a galvanized roof may inhibit
the reading of a storybook to second graders (external noise).
The communication process is dynamic, continuous, irreversible, and contextual. It is
not possible to participate in any element of the process without acknowledging the
existence and functioning of the other elements.

LESSON 2: Principles and Characteristics of Communication

1. Communication is a Schemata-driven.
Communication begins within yourself; you begin with what you have already
stocked in your brain or with what you have already known or understood about the subject
matter of the communicative act. Transmitted messages become understandable or
meaningful because of your innate or old knowledge about the messages.
2. Communication is an interpretative act.
The only person who knows the exact or full meaning of the message transmitted is
the sender or speaker. Being the creator or source of the ideas, he/she has the absolute
knowledge about his message. It is called interpretative act because the role of the receiver
or listener is just to interpret, infer, or guess the meaning of things appealing to his sense of
hearing.
3. Communication does not guarantee a direct or automatic link between two minds.
These forms of knowledge become meaningful only to others when you initiate
communication with them.
4. Communication is active, powerful, or forceful.
Communication is generally taken as an active message, because it has varied effects
on all participants in any communicative event. It engages speakers and listeners in action of
giving and receiving information.
Communication is powerful and forceful for it elicits different meanings or reactions;
these messages are prone to changes. Subjected to the changeable and continued existence
of the world, communication is dynamic (A process or system characterized by constant
change) as life that goes on and on like a river. Nothing remains permanent or fixed in the
world of communication.
5. Communication is symbolic.
Symbols, signs, or marks like letters, words, sentences, graphs, pictures and other
concrete objects represent or stand for ideas that you intend to convey verbally. For non-
verbal communication, you resort to bodily actions (gestures, eye movements, posture, facial
expressions) voice quality, space and time elements to stand for the ideas you want to
express.
6. Communication always results in something.
It refers to two or more persons participate in any communicative act. The first,
expresses or sends a message; the second, responds or reacts to the message.
7. Communication is irreversible.

2
 You are free to talk about anything under the sun. But once you utter something, the
things you have said remains as it is susceptible to different interpretations or meanings.
8. Communication is contextual.
An exchange of views, ideas, or feelings doesn’t only involve the sender and the
receiver, but also other aspects of the communication setting like time, place, topic,
occasion, purpose, and manner of communication.
9. Communication is developmental or progressive.
To communicate ideas is to go through the different stages of language learning that
begins from birth to elementary, high school, and college levels. It is not a one-time learning
towards communicative competence.
10. Communication is a process.
Several stages of communication take place when people exchange or share ideas
with one another. Each stage involves elements with different functions.
11. Communication is ethical.
Any communication event is expected to apply rules, moral values, and beliefs
agreed upon by societal members. Guided by these standards determined by the cultural
group you belong to, your communication becomes ethical, good or desirable.
12. Communication is influenced by media and technology.
Now, you are in the era of knowledge explosion or modern technology. This period is
characterized by an instant global exchange of knowledge, services and technology. Using
modern electronic communication devices, an exchange of ideas occurs just in seconds or
minutes regardless of the distance between or among the participants. With the speedy turn
out of varied modern media and devices of communication like the e-mail, cellphone, web
cam, internet and other computer-run gadgets, you now find interaction with anyone in any
corner of the world easily and quickly.

Lesson 3: Communication Cues: Verbal and Non-verbal Language

Verbal Language

Verbal language consists of symbols like letters, words, and other marks that you need to
subject to language or grammar rules for a coherent or organized means of understanding or
expressing ideas. This verbal or spoken language becomes a written language once you put on paper
or any surface the marks or prints symbolizing or representing the ideas you intend to convey or have
spoken to others.
Verbal symbols refer to the use of speaker language (Antonio, et.al., p. 30).
Non-verbal Language
As with other aspects of communication, norms for non-verbal communication vary from
country to country and also among cultures within a particular country. Some nonverbal
communication behaviors appear to be somewhat innate because they are universally recognized.
Two such universal signals are the “eyebrow flash” of recognition when we see someone we know
and the open hand and the palm up gesture that signals a person would like something or needs help
(Martin & Nakayama, 2010).
Smiling is also a universal nonverbal behavior, but the triggers that lead a person to smile
vary from culture to culture. The expansion of media, particularly from the United States and other
Western countries around the world, is leading to more nonverbal similarities among cultures, but
the biggest cultural differences in nonverbal communication occur within the categories of eye
contact, touch, and personal space (Pease & Pease, 2004). Nonverbal communication like other
forms of communication is influenced by context and varies among individuals within a particular
3
cultural group as well.

4
 The idea you want to convey through this non-verbal communication are symbolized or
represented, not by words, but by the following Non-verbal language symbols:
1. Body Movements
Big and small movements of your body like gestures, facial expressions, posture and
eye behavior express meanings. Kinesics, derived from the Greek term, kinesis, meaning
“motion” which refers to the study of body movements.
2. Paralanguage
These are extra sounds that go with your spoken words and a study of these special
sounds accompanying your words is called Paralinguistic. Examples of Paralanguage are the
following:
a) Speaking voice produced by your voice’s
 highness and lowness (Pitch)
 loudness or softness (Volume)
 speediness and slowness (Duration)
 rising and falling (Intonation)
 shrillness, huskiness, breathiness, mellowness, etc. (Quality)
b) Vocalization or voice’s special usage like crying, giggling, moaning, growling,
yawning, sighing and groaning.
c) Vocal pauses or boosters like ahh!...uhg…umm…oh…shh.oops…many others.
3. Time (Chronemics)
Your willingness, hesitance, or hatred to wait for a long time speaks of your trait of
patience or impatience. Likewise, this reflects your manner of valuing your relationship with
the object of your waiting. Your trait of optimism is also proven by your fondness of talking
about your goals, dreams, or plans for the future. Chronemics is the term that refers to your
act of studying the impact or effect of time on your behavior.
4. Proxemics
A space or distance symbolizes or represents your thoughts or feelings about your
world. For instance, surrounding your property with steel fence or leaving it unfenced gives
people clues about your preferences or priorities or deciding to arrange your pieces of
furniture too closely or so far from one another indicates the kind of interaction you would
like to have with people. Likewise, your body contacts, physical closeness with people, acts of
touching or patting them, or maintaining a wide or narrow gap between you and the other
party, expresses meanings on the extent of intimacy or personal relationship you can
establish with others. And, haptics is the term used to refer to your acts of studying the
effects of your touch on people.
5. Physical Appearance and Object Language
Meanings in this kind of non-verbal language, are symbolized or represented by
dressing styles, body types, body appearance like size or shape, architectural designs or
structures, art objects graphic materials, lightning effects, aromatic or smelly objects, and
other environmental factors that influence or affect any communicative event.

Reading
Comprehension
Communication Flows
Sara Lang is a charge nurse at Sunny Nursing Home and has worked under the same
president, Lisa Davis, for five years. In fact, the two have become good friends. They frequently
socialize after hours. Rick Walters, Director of Nursing, is a capable person who has been working
there for three years. Four nurses (Anna, Barbara, Charles, and Dan) report directly to Sara.

5
 Anna, one of the nurses, was having personal difficulties. She asked Sara if she could change
her work schedule from the usual 8-hour shift of 4 days with 3 consecutive days off to 16-hour shifts

6
for two days and 5 consecutive days off. Sara thought that was not a problem and told Anna that she
would enter that information into the computerized scheduling system, and that she would tell Lisa
Davis of the change, since they were getting together for a drink after work.
Barbara overheard the conversation between Sara and Anna, and she immediately went to
see Rick Walters and complained that Anna was getting preferential treatment and she wanted the
same schedule. Rick, who always wanted to make sure that the nursing staff were happy and got
along, approved Barbara’s change in schedule. He made this change through the computerized
schedule and did not tell anyone else. Barbara, who is good friends with Charles, told him of her new
schedule. Charles, who works closely with Chief of Staff, Dr. Goodman, told Dr. Goodman of the
change in Barbara’s schedule and asked Dr. Goodman to change his. Dr. Goodman thought it was a
good idea and e-mailed Charles’ new schedule to his assistant, Susan Stevens, to enter it into the
scheduling system.
On the next Monday morning, changes were implemented to Anna’s, Barbara’s, and Charles’
schedules. Yet, no one had discussed these changes with anyone else. When the schedule was
printed out and posted, it showed that Anna, Barbara, and Charles were all off for 5 days that week
from Monday to Friday and all three began work on Saturday. In the meantime, the only nurse left
working was Dan.

7
 CHAPTER 2: COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION
LESSON 1: Preparing to Communicate Across Cultures

The greater the number of statements you labeled true, the more prepared you are to enrich your
LESSON 2:arena
communication Theby Cost of Cultural
welcoming people fromIgnorance
different cultures into it. Virtually every day, we
find ourselves in situations that require us to communicate with persons culturally different from
Cultural misunderstandings often lead to lost opportunities and increased levels of tension between
ourselves (Gudykunst, 1998). Whether we are aware of it or not, culture influences
people. Communicators
communication. Accordingwho fail to realize
to researchers, thethat persons from
effectiveness different
of the Unitedcultures
States inmay
the not look,
global think,
arena
depends on our ability to communicate competently with people from other cultures (Chen to
or act as they themselves do run the risk of having those with whom they interact judge them & be
insensitive,1997).
Starosta, ignorant, or culturally confused. The culturally confused pay a high price. The following
examples demonstrate the extent to which cultural ignorance affects communication:
 Showing the sole of a shoe means nothing to observers in the United States or Europe. As a
result, when visiting Saudi Arabia, the American and European delegates to a conference thought
nothing about crossing their legs and pointing their shoes toward the speaker while listening to
his presentation. The speaker, however, was horrified. In Muslim cultures, the gesture is
perceived as insulting (Samover & Porter, 1991). Similarly, while crossing your legs in the United
States indicates you are relaxed, in Korea it is a social faux pas.
 John, who represented the interests of an American multinational corporation, and YuChen, his
Taiwanese counterpart, had difficulty establishing a working relationship. John’s eyeblink rate
increased as he became more and more nervous, fearing that his efforts to resolve their
misunderstanding had reached an impasse. This only made things worse. Blinking while another

8
 person talks is considered normal to North Americans; to Taiwanese it is considered impolite
(Gudykunst, 2004).
 McDonald’s fast-food chain unintentionally offended thousands of Muslims when it printed an
excerpt from the Koran on its throwaway hamburger bags (The Record, June 8, 1994). Muslims
saw this as sacrilegious. The mistake could have been avoided if McDonald’s had displayed
greater sensitivity and awareness.
 The Japanese view the business card as an extension of a person, while Americans view it as a
business formality and a convenience. Consequently, while the Japanese handle business cards
with great care, making certain to put them in safe places. Americans are quick to put them away
and thus often end up insulting the Japanese (Griswold, 1994).
 Arabs typically adopt a direct body orientation when communicating. Americans employ a stance
that is somewhat less direct and thus often find the communication of Arabs aggressive and
unnerving. Arabs and South Americans also tend to gesture vigorously when speaking to others,
causing the less physical Americans to construe their behavior as inappropriate and unmannerly.
It is common in Middle Eastern cultures for both males and females to physically exaggerate
responses, while in the United States emotions are more likely to be suppressed. In Japan,
individuals may try to hide or mask certain emotions. It is common among Asian cultures to
exhibit reserve and emotional restraint. In Japan, the word for “different” is the same as the
word for “wrong.” Compare and contrast a culture in which the goal is to become as much like
others as possible with a culture in which the goal is to distinguish oneself from others. Which
cultural attitude are you most comfortable with? Culturally confused lacking an understanding of
cultural difference Describe a cultural misunderstanding in which you or someone you know was
involved. Was it resolved? How do you adapt when in the company of people who are more at
home with an alternative cultural convention?
 Eye contact preferences also differ across cultures. Americans place a high value on eye-to-eye
communication and tend to distrust those who fail to look at them directly. The Japanese, in
contrast, believe eye contact over a sustained period of time shows disrespect. Among Asian
cultures, too much eye contact is deemed intrusive. Arabs, on the other hand, maintain direct
eye contact with those they interact with for prolonged periods.
 Americans tend to value personal achievement and individualism. In contrast, Asian and Native
American cultures stress group cohesion and loyalty, placing greater emphasis on group rather
than individual achievement. Failing to develop insights into cultural nuances and differences can
be costly. Recognizing and responding to differences among cultures allows for more meaningful
relationships. At the same time, we need to be mindful that not everyone from a particular
culture exhibits the same characteristics and communication traits.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Accommodation – It is the means by which co-culture members maintain their cultural identity while
striving to establish relationships with members of the dominant culture.
Assimilation – It is the means by which co-culture members attempt to fit in with members of the
dominant culture.
Co-cultures – It refers to group of people who differ in some ethnic or sociological way from the parent
culture.
Collectivistic Cultures – It refers to cultures in which group goals are stressed.
Cultural Imperialism – It is the expansion of dominion of one culture over another culture.
Cultural Pluralism – It is the adherence to the principle of cultural relativism.
Cultural Relativism – It refers to the acceptance of other cultural groups as equal in value to one's
own.
Culturally Confused – It refers to the lacking an understanding of cultural difference.
Culture – It is a system of knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that are
9
acquired, shared, and used by members during daily living.

1
0
Diversity – It refers to the recognition and valuing of difference such factors as age, gender, race,
ethnicity, ability, religion, education, marital status, sexual orientation and income.
Ethnocentrism – It is the tendency to see one's own culture as superior to all others.
Globalization – It refers to the increasing economic, political, and cultural integration and
interdependence of diverse cultures.
High-context Communication – It is a tradition-bound communication system which depends on
indirectness.
High-power-distance Cultures – It pertains to the cultures based on power differences in which
subordinates defer to superiors.
Individualistic Cultures - It pertains to the cultures in which individual goals are stressed.
Intercultural Communication – It is the way of interpreting and sharing meanings with individuals
from different cultures.
Interethnic Communication – It refers to the interaction with individuals of different ethnic origins.
International Communication – It refers to the communication between persons representing
different nations.
Intracultural Communication – It refers to the interaction with members of the same racial or ethnic
group or co-culture as yours.
Interracial Communication - It is the way of interpreting and sharing of meanings with individuals
from different races.
Low-context Communication – It is a system that encourages directness in communication.
Low-power-distance Cultures – It pertains to the cultures that believe that power should be used only
when legitimate.
Masculine Cultures - It pertains to the cultures that value aggressiveness, strength, and material
symbols of success.
Melting-pot Philosophy – It is the view that different cultures should be assimilated into the dominant
culture.
Multiculturalism – It refers to the engagement with and respect toward people from distinctly different
cultures.
Prejudice – It is a positive or negative prejudgment.
Separation – It is the means co-culture members use to resist interacting with members of the
dominant culture.

The Flight from Conversation

SHERRY TURKLE, APRIL 21, 2012

We live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have
sacrificed conversation for mere connection.
At home, families sit together, texting and reading e-mail. At work, executive text during
board meetings. We text (and shop and go on Facebook) during classes and when we’re on dates. My
students tell me about an important new skill: it involves maintaining eye contact with someone
while you text someone else; it’s hard, but it can be done.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve studied technologies of mobile connection and talked to
hundreds of people of all ages and circumstances about their plugged-in lives. I’ve learned that the
little devices most of us carry around are so powerful that they change not only what we do, but also
who we are.
We’ve become accustomed to a new way of being “alone together.” Technologyenabled, we
are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we want to be. We
want to customize our lives. We want to move in and out of where we are because the thing, we
value most is control over where we focus our attention. We have gotten used to the idea of being in
a tribe of one, loyal to our own party.
1
1
 Our colleagues want to go to that board meeting but pay attention only to what interests
them. To some this seems like a good idea, but we can end up hiding from one another, even as we
are constantly connected to one another.
A businessman laments that he no longer has colleagues at work. He doesn’t stop by to talk;
he doesn’t call. He says that he doesn’t want to interrupt them. He says they’re “too busy on their e-
mail.” But then he pauses and corrects himself. “I’m not telling the truth. I’m the one who doesn’t
want to be interrupted. I think I should. But I’d rather just do things on my BlackBerry.”
A 16-year-old boy who relies on texting for almost everything says almost wistfully,
“Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation.”
In today’s workplace, young people who have grown up fearing conversation show up on the
job wearing earphones. Walking through a college library or the campus of a high-tech start-up, one
sees the same thing: we are together, but each of us is in our own bubble, furiously connected to
keyboards and tiny touch screens. A senior partner at a Boston law firm describes a scene in his
office. Young associates lay out their suite of technologies: laptops, iPods and multiple phones. And
then they put their earphones on. “Big ones. Like pilots. They turn their desks into cockpits.” With
the young lawyers in their cockpits, the office is quiet, a quiet that does not ask to be broken.
In the silence of connection, people are comforted by being in touch with a lot of people —
carefully kept at bay. We can’t get enough of one another if we can use technology to keep one
another at distances we can control: not too close, not too far, just right. I think of it as a Goldilocks
effect.
Texting and e-mail and posting let us present the self we want to be. This means we can edit.
And if we wish to, we can delete. Or retouch: the voice, the flesh, the face, the body. Not too much,
not too little — just right.
Human relationships are rich; they’re messy and demanding. We have learned the habit of
cleaning them up with technology. And the move from conversation to connection is part of this. But
it’s a process in which we shortchange ourselves. Worse, it seems that over time we stop caring, we
forget that there is a difference.
We are tempted to think that our little “sips” of online connection add up to a big gulp of real
conversation. But they don’t. E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, all of these have their places — in politics,
commerce, romance and friendship. But no matter how valuable, they do not substitute for
conversation.
Connecting in sips may work for gathering discrete bits of information or for saying, “I am
thinking about you.” Or even for saying, “I love you.” But connecting in sips doesn’t work as well
when it comes to understanding and knowing one another. In conversation we tend to one another.
(The word itself is kinetic; it’s derived from words that mean to move, together.) We can attend to
tone and nuance. In conversation, we are called upon to see things from another’s point of view.
FACE-TO-FACE conversation unfolds slowly. It teaches patience. When we communicate on
our digital devices, we learn different habits. As we ramp up the volume and velocity of online
connections, we start to expect faster answers. To get these, we ask one another simpler questions;
we dumb down our communications, even on the most important matters. It is as though we have all
put ourselves on cable news. Shakespeare might have said, “We are consum’d with that which we
were nourish’d by.”
And we use conversation with others to learn to converse with ourselves. So, our flight from
conversation can mean diminished chances to learn skills of self-reflection. These days, social media
continually asks us what’s “on our mind,” but we have little motivation to say something truly self-
reflective. Self-reflection in conversation requires trust. It’s hard to do anything with 3,000 Facebook
friends except connect.
As we get used to being shortchanged on conversation and to getting by with less, we seem
almost willing to dispense with people altogether. Serious people muse about the future of computer
programs as psychiatrists. A high school sophomore confides to me that he wishes he could talk to an
1
2
artificial intelligence program instead of his dad about dating; he says the A.I. would have so much

1
3
more in its database. Indeed, many people tell me they hope that as Siri, the digital assistant on
Apple’s iPhone, becomes more advanced, “she” will be more and more like a best friend — one who
will listen when others won’t.
During the years I have spent researching people and their relationships with technology, I
have often heard the sentiment “No one is listening to me.” I believe this feeling helps explain why it
is so appealing to have a Facebook page or a Twitter feed — each provides so many automatic
listeners. And it helps explain why — against all reason — so many of us are willing to talk to
machines that seem to care about us. Researchers around the world are busy inventing sociable
robots, designed to be companions to the elderly, to children, to all of us.
One of the most haunting experiences during my research came when I brought one of these
robots, designed in the shape of a baby seal, to an elder-care facility, and an older woman began to
talk to it about the loss of her child. The robot seemed to be looking into her eyes. It seemed to be
following the conversation. The woman was comforted.
And so many people found this amazing. Like the sophomore who wants advice about dating
from artificial intelligence and those who look forward to computer psychiatry, this enthusiasm
speaks to how much we have confused conversation with connection and collectively seem to have
embraced a new kind of delusion that accepts the simulation of compassion as sufficient unto the
day. And why would we want to talk about love and loss with a machine that has no experience of
the arc of human life? Have we so lost confidence that we will be there for one another?
We expect more from technology and less from one another and seem increasingly drawn to
technologies that provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship.
Always- on/always-on-you devices provide three powerful fantasies: that we will always be heard;
that we can put our attention wherever we want it to be; and that we never have to be alone.
Indeed, our new devices have turned being alone into a problem that can be solved.
When people are alone, even for a few moments, they fidget and reach for a device. Here
connection works like a symptom, not a cure, and our constant, reflexive impulse to connect shapes
a new way of being.
Think of it as “I share, therefore I am.” We use technology to define ourselves by sharing our
thoughts and feelings as we’re having them. We used to think, “I have a feeling; I want to make a
call.” Now our impulse is, “I want to have a feeling; I need to send a text.”
So, in order to feel more, and to feel more like ourselves, we connect. But in our rush to
connect, we flee from solitude, our ability to be separate and gather ourselves. Lacking the capacity
for solitude, we turn to other people but don’t experience them as they are. It is as though we use
them, need them as spare parts to support our increasingly fragile selves.
We think constant connection will make us feel less lonely. The opposite is true. If we are
unable to be alone, we are far more likely to be lonely. If we don’t teach our children to be alone,
they will know only how to be lonely.
I am a partisan for conversation. To make room for it, I see some first, deliberate steps. At
home, we can create sacred spaces: the kitchen, the dining room. We can make our cars “device-free
zones.” We can demonstrate the value of conversation to our children. And we can do the same
thing at work. There we are so busy communicating that we often don’t have time to talk to one
another about what really matters. Employees asked for casual Fridays; perhaps managers should
introduce conversational Thursdays. Most of all, we need to remember — in between texts and e-
mails and Facebook posts — to listen to one another, even to the boring bits, because it is often in
unedited moments, moments in which we hesitate and stutter and go silent, that we reveal ourselves
to one another.
I spend the summers at a cottage on Cape Cod, and for decades I walked the same dunes
that Thoreau once walked. Not too long ago, people walked with their heads up, looking at the
water, the sky, the sand and at one another, talking. Now they often walk with their heads down,
typing. Even when they are with friends, partners, children, everyone is on their own devices.
10
 So, I say, look up, look at one another, and let’s start the conversation.

LESSON 3: Writing a Reaction Paper

A reaction paper is an analysis and an evaluation of the material presented.

 A reaction paper should:
 make sure to give a detailed overview of the experience and tell what exactly was taken out
of the experience.
 be more than a simple summary of the material that you are reacting upon.
 include your opinion or reaction to the material.

 This may take on a variety of forms:

 You may compare the work to other related material;
 You may come up with ways to improve the work;
 You may express what you learned;
 You may concur with the work or argue against the
work. You can even use “I” or the first person, in this type of
paper.

Guidelines in Writing a Reaction Paper

 Consider these general steps as you plan your writing:
 Pull your thoughts together on what you just experienced.
 Come up with a thesis statement.
 Come up with what reaction you want to put down on paper.
 Decide on your organization and format draft your reaction paper.
As a starting point for your reaction paper, select two or three major points from the following list and
write a paragraph for each point.
 React to the ideas presented.
 Are they clear and suitable? Explain the ideas, give examples of their application in the
material presented, and compare/contrast the ideas with your own.
 Compare it to another material.
 How was it similar to the other material? How was it different? Which did you enjoy more?
What makes it more enjoyable? Which did you learn more from?
 Discuss specific insights or facts you have learned or gained from reading the material presented.
 Discuss each insight or fact you have learned in a detailed paragraph, using direct examples
from the material presented. Include a page reference to the material you are reacting to.
 Make a judgment about the material presented and support it.
 Did you like it? Why or why not? Elaborate on your answer by commenting on the content,
style, clarity, validity of ideas and method of presentation.
 Analyzed the material presented.
 What is its purpose? How does it go about achieving its goal? What is the plan/method of
presentation?
 Tell what others might gain from the material presented.
 Is it valuable? Is it informative, entertaining, or accurate? Do you think your instructor should
use it again? Why or why not?
In your conclusion, summarize your ideas and tie them together.

11
Writing a Reaction or Response Essay
Reaction or response papers are usually requested by teachers so that you will consider carefully
what you think or feel about something you have read. The following guidelines are intended to be
used for reacting to a reading although they could easily be used for reactions to films too. Read
whatever you've been asked to respond to, and while reading, think about the following questions.
 How do you feel about what you are reading?
 What do you agree or disagree with?
 Can you identify with the situation?
 What would be the best way to evaluate the story?
Keeping your responses to these questions in mind, follow the following prewriting steps.
Prewriting for Your Reaction Paper
The following statements could be used in a reaction/response paper. Complete as many
statements as possible, from the list below, about what you just read.

My Reaction to What I Just Read Is That . . .

I think that; I see that; I feel that; It seems that; In my opinion; Because; A good quote is; In
addition; For example; Moreover; However; Consequently; Finally; In conclusion.
What you've done in completing these statements is written a very rough reaction/response
paper. Now it needs to be organized.

Organizing Your Reaction Paper

A reaction/response paper has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
 The introduction should contain all the basic information in one or two paragraphs.
Sentence 1: This sentence should give the title, author, and
publication you read.
Sentence 2, 3, and sometimes 4: These sentences give a brief summary of what
you read (nutshell).
Sentence 5: This sentence is your thesis statement. You
agree, disagree, identify, or evaluate.
 The introduction should include a concise, one sentence, focused thesis. This is the focused
statement of your reaction/response.
 The body should contain paragraphs that provide support for your thesis. Each paragraph should
contain one idea. Topic sentences should support the thesis, and the final sentence of each
paragraph should lead into the next paragraph.
Topic Sentence
detail -- example --quotation --detail -- example -- quotation -- detail -- example -- quotation --
detail
-- example –quotation
Summary Sentence

 You can structure your paragraphs in two ways:

AUTHOR
AUTHOR
OR
YOU In contrast to

YOU

 The conclusion can be a restatement of what you said in your paper. It is a comment which
focuses your overall reaction. Finally, it can be a prediction of the effects of what you are reacting
to. Note: your conclusion should include no new information.
12
Strategies for Writing a Conclusion
Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel that
they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the
conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your
paper.

A conclusion should
 stress the importance of the thesis statement,
 give the essay a sense of completeness, and
 leave a final impression on the reader.

Suggestions
 Answer the question "So What?"
o Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was
meaningful and useful.
 Synthesize, don't summarize
o Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how
the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit
together.
 Redirect your readers
o Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real"
world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from
specific to general. Think globally.
 Create a new meaning
o You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how
your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is
worth more than its parts.

Strategies:
 Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to
bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same
scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.
Example
Introduction
From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing
stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the
left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched
before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have
existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in
adults.
Conclusion
I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time,
leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired
children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in
their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-
year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California,
my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten
years old again.

 Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to
13
redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.
Example

14
 Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting
experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the
routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just
society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.

 Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or
redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their
lives or see things more globally.
Example
Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and
equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students,
there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the
best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffer, the future suffers.

 Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your
readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading
your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning.
Example
Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications
and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing
candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or
Godfearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate
or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

Summary
In summary, this handout has covered prewriting and organizing strategies for
reaction/response papers.
 Prewriting
o Read the article and jot down ideas.
o How do you feel about what was said?
o Do you agree or disagree with the author?
o Have you had any applicable experience?
o Have you read or heard anything that applies to this what the writer said in the
article or book?
o Does the evidence in the article support the statements the writer made?
 Organizing
o Write the thesis statement first.
o Decide on the key points that will focus your ideas. These will be your topic sentences.
o Develop your ideas by adding examples, quotations, and details to your paragraphs.
o Make sure the last sentence of each paragraph leads into the next paragraph.
o Check your thesis and make sure the topic sentence of each paragraph supports it.

15
 CHAPTER 3: LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION IN
MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS
LESSON 1: Culture and Cultural Globalization
Culture originates from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which
means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture (Zimmermann, 2017). In other
words; culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage,
music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we
behave with loved ones, and a million other things (De Rossi, 2017).

The Center for Advance Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining
culture as shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that
are learned by socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social
patterns unique to the group.

Furthermore, as stated by Cristina De Rossi, Live Science Coordinator; culture appears to

become a key in our interconnected world which is made up of so many ethnically diverse societies
but also riddled by conflicts associated with religion, ethnicity, ethical beliefs, and the elements which
make up culture.

If cultures provide diverse ways of interpreting the environment and the world, as well as the
relationship to other people; it is important to acknowledge that effective communicators have the
ability to select and perform communication appropriate to various settings (Fred, 2013).

Cultural Globalization

Culture is the lifeblood of a vibrant society, expressed in many ways we tell our stories,
celebrate, remember the past, entertain ourselves, and imagine the future. Our creative expression
helps define who we are, and helps us see the world through the eyes of others.

In this way, cultures can be part of culture globalization which involves the formation of
shared norms and knowledge with which people associate their individual and collective cultural
identities. Henceforth, globalization brings increasing interconnectedness among different
populations and cultures. This has been successful through the use of Internet, popular culturemedia,
and international travel.

The following are the importance of having one's culture:

A. Individual and social benefits of culture

1. Intrinsic benefits

Cultural experiences are opportunities for leisure, entertainment, learning, and sharing
experiences with others. From museums to theatres to dance studios to public libraries, culture
brings people together.

2. Improved learning and valuable skills for the future

Cultural heritage broadens opportunities for education and lifelong learning, including a
better understanding of history. Many jurisdictions make strong linkages between culture and
literacy and enhanced learning outcomes, in both public education and in the development of
valuable workforce skills.

16
 3. Better health and well-being

Participation in culture contributes to healthy populations in several ways. Creativity and

cultural engagement have been shown to improve both mental and physical health. Participation in
the arts can relieve isolation and promote identity formation and intercultural understanding.

4. Vibrant communities

The benefits of culture for individuals can spill over to society as a whole. Culture helps build
social capital, the glue that holds communities together. By bringing people together, cultural
activities such as festivals, fairs, or classes create social solidarity and cohesion, fostering social
inclusion, community empowerment, and capacity-building, and enhancing confidence, civic pride,
and tolerance.

B. Economic benefits of culture

1. Contribution to job creation

Economic opportunities created by culture have taken on greater importance as economies

transition from the industrial model, and work based on physical labor, to a new model in which
knowledge and creativity drive productivity and growth.

2. Contribution to tourism

Culture makes a significant contribution to the tourism industry, further supporting job
creation and encouraging infrastructure development. The many festivals and events hosted each
year coupled with the province's museums, art galleries, and historic sites, are magnets for cultural
tourists.

3. Cultural planning

Increasingly, municipalities are recognizing the contribution of culture to sense of place,

quality of life, and community and economic prosperity through a process called "cultural planning,"
Cultural planning is led by local governments and involves broad community engagement to identify
and leverage a community's cultural resources, strengthen the management of those resources, and
integrate them in all facets of local planning and decision- making.

LESSON 2: Cultural Differences

Culture influences many parts of people's lives including the food, dress, opinions, identity,
music, buildings, manners, social interaction and language. We need to understand others cultural
background to make sense of different viewpoints and opinions. Cultural awareness is important in
creating cross-cultural understanding and acceptance. Cultural awareness can give us a better
understanding of our own culture and how it is perceived by outsiders.

Similarly, culture is the customary beliefs, social forms and materials traits of a racial,
religious or social group. Moreover, culture makes up a large part of our day-to-day life. Thus, cultural
differences include differences in food, clothes, religion and language. For example, think about the
different ways of different cultures about drinking a tea.

Small differences like the way each culture drinks tea can be difficult to get used to at first

17
because these things are so important to day to day living.

18
Below are some examples of Cultural differences:

(Expressions)

 In Mediterranean European countries, Latin America and Sub Saharan Africa, it is normal or
at least widely tolerated to arrive half an hour late for a dinner invitation, whereas; in most
northern European countries this would be considered extremely rude.
 In England, the thumb and forefinger together to form an 'O' means Ok, whereas; in France it
means 'nothing' or 'without any value'.
 Laughing is considered a sign of happiness in most countries, but in Japan it is considered a
sign of confusion, embarrassment or insecurity.
 In most countries, shaking the head from side-to-side means 'No', whereas; in India shaking
the head from side-to-side means 'Yes'.
 "Keep your shirt on!" may be a frequently heard idiom in the U.S. But if you're traveling in
South Korea, It's a smart piece of advice for men. Yes, even at the beach.

Terminologies

Fart. We all know the English meaning of the word fart, but did you know that fort means speed in
Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish? If that doesn't make you snicker enough, the words for speed
bump in each language are fartbump, fartshump, and farthinder.

Gift. In German, a gift is not quite as pleasant as in English it means poison! Taking it a step further,
gift in the Scandinavian languages can mean both poison and marriage. These two meanings are
related and stem from the same root word, to give.

Crap. In Romanian, crop means carp, which is a type of commonly-eaten fish. To be fair, English has a
fish called a crappie.

Brat. As perhaps the most fitting example on our list, brat means brother in Russian, Polish,
Ukrainian, Croatian, and Serbian. Next time you call your brother a brat, just tell him you're learning
one of these languages.

Kiss. Kiss has a more juvenile meaning in Swedish-pee. Simple, yet amusing!

Preservative. In France, a préservatif isn't quite what you might expect. If you tend to have many
conversations about jams and jellies, it might be useful to be aware that préservatifactually means
condom. In fact, many European languages have variations of preservative that all mean condom.

Lol. The ubiquitous piece of Internet slang lol is either an acronym or initialism depending on how
you would pronounce it, but in Dutch it means fun.

Slut. Slut is yet another false friend coming from Swedish, in which it means end (and rhymes with
loot). If you happen to see Slut onscreen after watching a film, it's the equivalent to The End. And
Slutstation is not what you might hope-it's just the last stop on a train route.

When traveling abroad, it's easy not to think twice about behaving just as you would at home.
However, not all our gestures and customs are acceptable abroad: some are considered offensive
and will not only out you as a tourist, but could even get you in a bit of trouble.

19
In order to avoid possible problems, here are some ways on how to be culturally aware:

1. Engage with other's cultures by asking questions.

2. Be Open! Don't get into the habit of thinking your way is the only way of doing something.
3. Think about what you can learn from them no matter how unusual it is.
4. Invite someone to share his/her culture with you.
5. Overcome stereotypes

LESSON 3: Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity begins with a recognition that there are differences between cultures.
These differences are reflected in the ways that different groups communicate and relate to one
another. Cultural sensitivity is more than an awareness that there are differences in culture in order
to interact effectively either through verbal or non-verbal communication. People who don't
recognize differences between cultures fall on stereotyping and discriminating minority group.

Increasing your relationship and building trust to one another and how complicated it would
have been, might help one's understanding the people and cultures around them. Sensitivity to
culture is a set of skills that allows you to understand and learn about people whose cultural
background is not the same as yours. For example; in many cultures, it is customary to call people by
their last names, especially when they are older than you.

Cultural sensitivity is an attitude and way of behaving in which you are aware of and
acknowledge cultural differences; it's crucial for such global goals as world peace and economic
growth as well as for effective interpersonal communication (Franklin & Mizell, 1995). Without
cultural sensitivity there can be no effective interpersonal communication between people who are
different in gender or race or nationality or affectional orientation.

Sensitivity to Gender is being aware that there are differences between male and female,
but those differences are not universal.

Aspects of Gender:

1. Assignment. This is the gender from birth, either being male or female, it is also the gender
prescribed by the society.
2. Role. This is the set of behaviors, mannerisms and other traits that society use to express as part
of the assigned gender.
3. Identity. This is what we think the gender should be at any given time.
4. Attribution. This is the gender assigned to people when we first meet them and is based on a set
of cues that differentiate from culture to culture.

INCREASING CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

 Prepare yourself. Read about and listen carefully for culturally influenced behaviors.
 Recognize your fears. Recognize and face your own fears of acting inappropriately toward
members of different cultures.
 Recognize differences. Be mindful of the differences between yourself and those from other
cultures.

11
0
 Recognize differences within the group. At the same time that you recognize differences
between yourself and others, recognize that there are often enormous differences within any
given cultural group.
 Recognize differences in meaning. Be aware that words don't always mean the same thing to
members of different cultures.
 Be rule conscious. Think mindfully about the cultural rules and customs of others.

LESSON 4: Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation

Culture is important in a society, without culture; there is no identity on a particular area. It is
the quality of a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arets,
letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. In Anthropology it is the sum total of ways of living built up
by group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. In today's quickly
changing times, many different cultures are being brought into light, but in the wrong way. We
imitate the culture without properly knowing why certain place has that kind of practices among
them. We are bound to use one's culture in another way and purpose.

Appropriation is the action of taking something for one's own use, typically without the
owner's permission. Appreciation on the other hand is the recognition and enjoyment of the good
qualities of someone or something. The two are strikingly different but can easily be confused as the
same thing due to the fact that a lot of people don't know when they are culturally appropriating.

Cultural appreciation is when elements of a culture are used while honoring the source they
came from. It is important to note that appreciation involves respect and value.

Cultural appropriation is taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural

expressions, or artifacts from someone else's culture without permission. This can include
unauthorized use of another culture's dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional
medicine, religious symbols, etc.

Examples of Cultural Appropriation

 In 2013, Miley Cyrus became the pop star most associated with cultural appropriation. During
recorded and live performances, the former child star began to twerk, a dance style with roots in
the African-American community. Writer Hadley Freeman of The Guardian particularly took issue
with Cyrus' twerking at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2013.
 Nike caused so much anger when they 'borrowed some Samoan tattoo designs for their Pro
Tattoo Tech collection that it actually led to a petition calling on the company to stop sales.
 More recently the high street fashion retailer, Top Shop, caused consternation for using the
Palestinian black & white scarf design for a summer dress.
 French fashion brand Chanel was lambasted by Aboriginal groups and social media users for
selling a $1000+ Chanel branded boomerang as part of their spring-summer 2017 collection. The
boomerang is a piece of Australian Aboriginal culture.

11
1
 When adopting from a foreign culture it is crucial to follow some basic steps that will help you
avoid being accused of cultural appropriation and instead help create cultural awareness.

1. Research the Culture

Prior to using another culture's intellectual property, it pays to properly research and understand
it. Taking without respect, knowledge or insight will ultimately lead to a serious backlash and
accusations of cultural theft and cultural misrepresentation.

2. Avoid the Sacred

In the West, it can be easy to sometimes overlook the sacred. What might seem a bit of fun, a
joke or an innocent mistake to some, may cause serious distress to others. Much of the world still
holds somethings sacred, whether that be God, gods, spirits, symbols or anything else. Using the
sacred is a serious no-no unless you want to cause trouble.

3. Don't Stereotype

A big issue with adopting from other cultures is that it can be based on stereotypes, often
negative and incorrect. It is natural when a foreigner peers into another culture for them to do so
with their own cultural preconceptions and baggage. They cannot have an objective opinion nor an
insider's insights and therefore their understanding of the culture may be based on stereotypes.

4. Promote Diversity

One area in which many fail when it comes to borrowing from other cultures, is that more than
often that culture is not represented in any shape or form in the decision-making process. There is a
dire need for more diversity in businesses and organizations, whether media, marketing, fashion or
art. Having people with knowledge of different cultures and who understand the psychology of
minority cultures or faiths is a sure-fire way of avoiding many of the potential pitfalls.

5. Engage, Promote & Share Benefits

Perhaps the most effective way to avoid cultural appropriation is to engage with the culture you
are adopting from. Spend time in it, understand it, engage with it and then when it comes to using a
pattern, symbol, headdress or anything else make sure you use that platform to promote that
culture, its people and if possible, share benefits with them.

20
LESSON 1: The Communication Process

20