COMM 1004 week 1 Discussion Essay
Introduction to Communication Studies
While it feels as though most conversations with my kids fit into the Transmission Model of Communication where I’m the sender; doing all the talking, and they’re the receivers; there are occasionally conversations that fit into the Transaction Model of Communication, where there is more give-and-take in our dialog. My son and I had such a conversation yesterday morning on the way to school. COMM 1004 week 1 Discussion Essay
My son is ten years old and like many kids his age, he loves everything about video games, including watching YouTube videos of other people playing them. My husband and I have a very strict rule that if a video game is rated for an age older than our child’s age, it is not allowed. Because he has three older brothers, some of the games that he wants to either play or watch videos about are more mature than I and his bonus-dad allow. Occasionally, my son will “push the envelope” about a game that one of his brothers can play but he’s not old enough for. Yesterday was just such a dialog. When he asked again if he could play a certain game, it initiated a conversation about why his bonus-dad and I have the rules that we have which led into a conversation about responsible choices in the face of various pressures.
The communicators in the interaction were my son and myself. The meaning that he and I co-created was a better understanding of how to make responsible choices (Co-creation of Meaning). Our roles as parent and child dictated to a certain extent what was acceptable for him to debate within our conversation (Social Context). While certain rules and norms were determined by the social context of our discussion, because he and I are so close, he felt comfortable pushing against some of those rules (Relational Context). The fact that he and I had this conversation while in the car, non-verbal communication throughout our discussion was difficult (Physical Context) and because he feels so passionately about video games, his emotions were slightly elevated (Psychological Context). There was not really any Cultural Context to our conversation.
The writer’s main point is that superstitions are highly overrated and can be proven to be fake via statistical data even though it is believed by most. This piece entitled “the leap year superstition” is a descriptive piece. It involves the collection of data via surveys, interviews or the internet to help show that superstitions are overrated and can be proved to be false. The writer gives a great analysis via the use of statistics, rhetorical questions, opinions, vocabulary, and etcetera.
The method of delivery used by the writer shows the reader how educated and intelligent he/she is based on the vocabulary used in the extract. Some of the words are quite substantial and thus gives the reader an idea of the writer’s level of education. Also the use of statistics in the extract helps to emphasize on the factual data that has been collected and the research that has been done. It shows the reader the lengths of which the writer went to prove his point and this helps to captivate the reader.COMM 1004 week 1 Discussion Essay
It also shows data that is reliable as it is proven that ‘the leap year superstition’ is not true. The writer uses other techniques to develop her paragraph, one of which is the use of characters. He includes his normal family members like his mother with the skilled and well educated sociologist. By doing this he not only gets the opinion of a well educated individual but also the opinions of many average citizens like his friends and family, hence the reader can therefore relate to these people easier.
In the extract many forms of punctuation are used which sere to indicate the structure and organization of writing as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading text aloud. Punctuation marks such as full stops, commas and apostrophes are used but the most common is the question marks which follow after a rhetorical question. Furthermore, the writer uses rhetorical questions more than once in the passage which is quite effective in reader involvement.
It helps in maintaining interest in the reader and convinces the reader of the writer’s point of view. In retrospect, the writer uses many techniques and vocabulary while simultaneously incorporating statistical data, punctuation and characters. In doing so, the extract becomes quite appealing to the reader while also showing that superstitions are not always factual.
How did humans develop the ability to communicate? Are humans the only creatures on earth that communicate? What purpose does communication serve in our lives? Answers to these historical, anthropological, and social-scientific questions provide part of the diversity of knowledge that makes up the field of communication studies. As a student of communication, you will learn that there is much more to the field than public speaking, even though the origins of communication studies are traced back thousands of years to ancient Greek philosophers and teachers like Plato and Aristotle who were the first to systematically study and write about speech. Communication students and scholars also study basic communication processes like nonverbal communication, perception, and listening, as well as communication in various contexts, including interpersonal, group, intercultural, and media communication.COMM 1004 week 1 Discussion Essay
Communication has been called the most practical of the academic disciplines. Even the most theoretical and philosophical communication scholars are also practitioners of communication, and even though you have likely never taken another communication studies class, you have a lifetime of experience communicating. This experiential knowledge provides a useful foundation and a starting point from which you can build the knowledge and practice the skills necessary to become a more competent and ethical communicator. I always inform my students that I consider them communication scholars while they are taking my class, and I am pleased to welcome you to the start of your communication studies journey. Whether you stay on this path for a semester or for much longer, studying communication has the potential to enrich your life in many ways. COMM 1004 week 1 Discussion Essay