Discussion Problem 1:
Read the section in your textbook discussing the various ways culture impacts our memory on p. 283-285 and refer back to it for the following questions:
Based on Floyd, K. (2017). Interpersonal Communication (4th ed.), here's how culture impacts memory:
How Culture Impacts Memory (According to Floyd, 2017):
1. Cultural Differences in Memory Content
Culture influences what kinds of information people tend to remember. For example, individuals from collectivist cultures often remember social information and relational contexts more vividly, while those from individualistic cultures tend to focus on personal experiences and individual-centered memories.
2. Memory Organization and Recall
People from different cultural backgrounds organize and retrieve memories in ways that reflect their cultural values. For instance, members of collectivist cultures might recall events with a greater emphasis on group dynamics and interpersonal relationships, whereas members of individualistic cultures emphasize personal feelings and actions.
3. Cultural Schemas Influence Memory Processing
The mental frameworks shaped by cultural values and norms-called schemas-affect both the encoding (storage) and retrieval of memories. These schemas help filter which information is attended to and later recalled, making memory a culturally influenced process.
4. Cultural Norms Affect Emotional Memory
Since cultures vary in how emotions are expressed or valued, this also influences how emotional experiences are remembered. Some cultures may encourage the recall of emotionally positive experiences, while others might value restraint and remembering events with a balanced or collective perspective.
5. Memory and Communication Context
Because culture affects communication patterns, it also shapes how people narrate memories. For example, storytelling styles and the importance of relational context in memory sharing differ across cultures.
In summary:
Culture plays a key role in shaping what we remember, how we organize memories, the emotional tone of memories, and how we share them with others. Memory is not just an individual cognitive process but one deeply intertwined with cultural values and interpersonal communication practices.
If you want, I can help you find exact quotes or page references from Floyd's book related to this, or assist with integrating this into an assignment!
(Note: the textbook and e-book pages do not line up. While in the e-book, the actual page numbers will be indicated on the right hand on the screen within the text of the chapters) I Don't Have The Textbook, So Answer As Best You Can
1. Summarize two examples from the above section of the textbook of how culture impacts memory.
2. What memory processes do you think are universal and not impacted by cultural differences? Would you describe the overall process of forming memory as "universal" across cultures? Why or why not?
3. Research a current event in your assigned country (JAPAN) (an event that is not COVID-19). Please include the link to a news article about this event and summarize it here.
4. Using what you researched, discuss how being from that country/culture might impact the experience and memory of that particular event. Be sure to link your answer back to the readings from the textbook.
Note - the response post format is a little different this week!
1. Refer to the current event your classmate discussed in their Main Post. How might someone from your assigned country experience hearing about/remember this event differently? Use Germany since our assigned country Japan. You wrote this for me.
2. COVID-19 was a global pandemic, affecting everyone differently. Briefly discuss how the pandemic directly impacted your assigned country. How may someone from your assigned country remember the pandemic differently in the future? Need Assignment Help?
Discussion Problem 2:
Introduction:
Sometimes people confuse being aggressive with being assertive. To assert your rights is to calmly state how you feel and propose a solution, while being aggressive is forcing your ideas on others. Rather than stating your opinion, you use a hostile tone and demanding your desires, the response you receive may either be equally aggressive and an argument escalates, or there is no response, the receiver shuts down, and no communication takes place. Many times aggressive communication creates more conflict. The Lecture Notes for Chapter 5 explains the four steps to communicating assertively: 1) define the problem, 2) state how the problem affects you, 3) propose solutions that are workable, and 4) confirm understanding. It is important to know when you should assert your rights and when it may be best to not give an assertive response. For example, if it is pouring rain outside but your grandmother wants you to take her to the store, rather than assert your right not to go out in the rain, you may be accommodating so as not to hurt her feelings.
The Prompt:
"A friend borrows $50 and promises to pay you back tomorrow. But tomorrow passes, as do 20 other tomorrows, and there is no sign of the money. You know that the person has not forgotten about it and you also know that the person has more than enough money to pay you back. How might you assertively ask for your money back? What obstacles might you face? What might happen if you are unassertive or aggressive?"