Role-Playing

Role-Playing is a topic with a great number of facets that aren’t covered in the book, seeing as it has possible used both in dyadic communication as well as group-oriented personal interaction. It can be used as a strong communication mechanism, playing the role of a character that someone knows in order to convey a specific point to that person. For instance, if it’s a child being stubborn, role-playing can be used by the parent to emulate a character the child idolizes to convince them that an action would be either in their interest or that said character would do it, and thus so should they.

Not only is it a strong communication mechanism, but it is also a way to relax a group to allow for more open communication. Using it for the possible entertainment value behind it can be quite fun as well as getting people to act as if they were in a role that they wouldn’t normally find themselves in.

Interesting Concepts

I found the three aspects of Rhetoric – Ethos, Pathos, and Logos – to be one of the more interesting concepts of the course. What made these stand out to me is that, after learning more about them, I began to realize how much of an impact that they had on my life before even learning about rhetoric and communication. Not only did I see how much I used them, but how much I focused on them in others as well.

The rules behind personal interaction also piqued my interest. From my personal observations of others, I’ve noticed how differently people act when in the same situation with just different company. My family and their friends are a perfect example of this: My brother finds it natural and normal to be insulted by his friends as a greeting, and finds it humorous. On the other hand, my mother is professional in most circumstances, having a job where she is required to be as such – a Support Technician – and thus greets people with directness and respect.

Rhetorical Research Methods

Out of all of the different research methods, the Conversation Analysis is the most interesting to me. I like this approach because it is direct and into the actual interaction between individuals instead of focusing on the different parts that affect an encounter or interaction. Not only does this focus on the spoken parts of the interaction, but also the nonverbal communication that is used. In general, this methodology is focused intently on how persons interact.

If I wanted to do a study on an aspect of deception, I’d use this same method in combination with being unobtrusive in the interaction. With such a focus, my question would be, “What cues does someone give when they are being deceptive?” By focusing on the interaction itself, as well as nonverbal cues and even verbal interaction, I could take note of alterations in their behavior or distinctive differences between them and a similar partner. In addition to differences from their partner, by observing them in a normal interaction without deception, comparison with a deceptive encounter would illuminate behaviors and cues that they give when they are being as such.

Media Agenda

Everyone knows that all media outlets have their own agendas. They decide what they feel is most important to the people that receive their messages, even if what they deem important is believed to be otherwise by their viewers. They cherry-pick what ideas and events they feel are most important and relevant to the interests of the people, but they also have their own bias that aids in filtering the important events.

This bias is very heavily seen in political situations. What one person does may be looked over completely by the media simply because of their political affiliation, whereas something simpler is criticized endlessly for the same reason. Additionally, in elections, they may decide to “peg” someone as the victor even before all the votes are counted. This was most evident in the Bush/Gore election, where different media outlets predicted Gore to win, but Bush won the Electoral College. In short, the media always picks what they want the public to see, whether or not it is truly important, and their bias also causes their perceived importance of events to differ depending on the situation and those involved.

Messages and Mediums

The message in a medium is just as important as the message being broadcast. The listeners will receive a message differently if it comes from an online ad, a television commercial, an email, or radio. Because of this, the messages being sent through a specific medium are tailored around it, making sure to send the message appropriate to the medium. Radio, for example, won’t try to show you something, whereas television won’t focus on telling it to you, rather the other way around. In this way, the medium is the message, as the same message in each medium will be drastically different, both in expression as well as reception.

As for television being a “cool medium,” it does require the viewer to fill in details about what they’re watching. The viewer comes up with reasons behind certain actions that may not seem to be obvious, or they extrapolate a possible ending of the show through the clues and foreshadowing throughout. Additionally, they create theories for future episodes, with those that have an on-going story, based on the information given to them.

Cyber Relationships

I have formed relationships with people online. The main difference in these relationships is that they are not face-to-face with the other person. I cannot get a non-verbal message from the other person through facial expressions or movement. Additionally, I cannot get an idea of the meaning behind messages, seeing as it is difficult to get intent from text alone. Another difference is that the face-to-face interactions with others has a greater output, and is thus more rewarding, than just interacting with someone over the internet.

However, one of the more prevalent relationships I have created online came to fruition offline when I met said person at an Ohio convention in October. They were very similar to the person I knew online, and the face-to-face interaction was much more rewarding than the online interaction we had many times before. On top of that, the two of us strengthened our friendship while at the convention, going a little farther than text alone could really allow us to go.

Telecommute

Telecommuting is, to some, the best way to work. I know someone who works far enough away that, when he does go to work, he has to drive about an hour to and from his house to work. This costs him a decent amount of gas every week, as well as making it so he has even less free time than normal. Because of this, he prefers to work from home to save him the hassle of getting to and from work every day.

However, on the other hand, his co-workers prefer when he’s there. When he is in the office, he’s able to communicate directly with those around him as well as see what they’re doing, allowing them all to make sure things flow smoothly. Additionally, because of his sense of humor, he also happens to lighten the mood of the workplace, increasing efficiency.

In either case, telecommuting is a viable option with definite positive and negative aspects. Weighing them and figuring out which ones are more important to you, the company, and your co-workers is what you have to do. If you’re losing money while working because of how far you have to commute without being able to relocate yourself closer, then it might be a better idea to telecommute or find a way to carpool.