Assignment:
Discussion 1
The term "communication" we have learned has many forms, both verbal and non-verbal. For example, a simple gesture such as an open palm wave, accompanied by a smile is a common form of non-verbal communication in American culture for "hello." It creates connections. In business perhaps it is a handshake which commonly is intended as a greeting, a way to say "nice to meet you." What happens when you reach out and the other party does not reach back?
I learned early in my career; the handshake is not universal for all cultures. An employee came to meet with me and when I extended my hand to shake his, he did not reach back. Feeling awkward embarrassed and a bit offended, I asked him to have a seat and proceeded with the meeting. I later shared the story with a colleague, and it was then, I recall feeling so terrible that I judged this man. I learned in conservative Muslim culture; it can be seen as disrespectful for a married Muslim man to touch another women's hand other than his wife. Working in a highly diverse culture, I quickly became familiar with how to adjust my style accordingly to be respectful of cultural indicators.
One of the most powerful examples which come to mind for me of symbolistic communication that brought many socio-cultural groups together was the symbol of the American flag following 9/11. No stronger was our bond to one another as human beings following the events of that tragic time. The American flag represented unity, strength, courage, and love for each other as Americans. While Newton's Third Law, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," is most commonly applied to motion, however, applicable in this case as a for example. In a blink of an eye, the American flag can become a symbol of intense division. There are a number of reasons supplied by those individuals or groups who have burned, stomped or defamed the American flag, however, to understand the strength of this association, you need only to witness the anger and violence that erupt when someone attempts to desecrate a national flag (Kahn, 2015).
Communication and conflict have interdependence on the outcome. In my professional experience, I witness communication completely destroy or repair relationships. What I find fascinating and encouraging, and the thing that drives my passion to educate on communication is how the simplest and in some cases basic adjustments can transform even the most assumed "irreparable" situation.
References:
Kahn, A. (2015). The ecology of diversity: Examining individuals, societies, and cultures. San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education.
Allain, R. 2013, October. A Closer Look at Newton's Third Law.
Discussion 2
The origin of the word communication can be traced back to the Latin communion, which is translated as "to join or unite," "to connect," or "to share with all." After more than a century of study, researchers agree that communication is the characteristic that sets humans apart from other animals and is a unifying feature of human societies and cultures. (Kahn, 2015).
There are four main types of communication, verbal, non-verbal, written, and visual. Verbal communication is identified a, the use of sounds and words, to express yourself. Visual communication is the transmission of information and ideas using symbols and imagery.
Verbal communication is well-known to be the number one form of communication across many cultures worldwide. When we communicate with people of different cultures, the first thing we do is greet with a non-verbal form of communication "Handshake", after so we begin to communicate verbally with one another. For example, peace treaties throughout time have been known to bring and unite cultures worldwide after the war, without verbal communication between two cultures peace could never be accomplished just through a couple of handshakes or by visualizing the thought of peace with one another.
While verbal communication is to be the main source of communication, we also rely heavily on visual communication. Visual communication comes in many forms, but the main source of visual communication we see and use on a daily basis is films or movies. Every day thousands of people watch movies on a daily basis, but how we interpret the movies can cause a divisive effect between cultures. I personally enjoy watching movies, especially action movies, but there have been several movies I have watched in the past which portray Arab-Muslims as terrorists. This has caused many people to misunderstand the point of these movies as solely entertainment and mistaken these as if they are real-life scenarios that are happening in the world, causing a divisive effect between American and Arab cultures throughout the years.
References
Kahn, A. (2015). The ecology of diversity: Examining individuals, societies, and cultures. San Diego, CA. Bridgepoint Education.