(Another post on another chapter of the text book Difference Matters.) Do we or don't we have social classes in America? Do we or don't we have class conflict? Or are we truly a classless society? There are some of the questions the author discusses, while contending that we do have social classes and class … Continue reading Social Class Matters — way too much
Category: Education
Race Matters — but should it?
Following my reading through the text book Difference Matters I get to chapter 4 on Race Matters. The author does a good job of describing and defining the issues, interweaving her own experience to illustrate without using it for emotional blackmail. Much more persuasive in an academic environment. But I still find myself questioning, but … Continue reading Race Matters — but should it?
Gender and the Patriarchy
Chapter 3 in Difference Matters is all about gender. It covers a lot of territory, but starts by trying to distinguish gender from sex. What is your sex? What is your gender? Do you think of them as two different ways to say the same thing about yourself Although many people use the terms interchangeably, gender … Continue reading Gender and the Patriarchy
Questions of Power
One of the things about my communications degree that has troubled me in my previous classes is the constant talk about communication and power, communication as power. It seems to rob the field of the sense of altruism that I and some of my fellow students wish and feel it should have. Well, Chapter 2 … Continue reading Questions of Power
Difference Matters
I am trying another of my text books for my upcoming course tonight. This one reads better. It also seems to be hitting some themes that I recall from my previous class of organizational communication. Let's start with the below example: Due to socialization, children will accept social identity categories as real and natural. Yet, they … Continue reading Difference Matters
Viva Tutti … All Through the Night
Thursday Night was the Fall Choir Concert at North Kansas City High School. Since Nathan is in the men's choir, we went. I, of course, taped the concert, and here are some sound bites from the same. The first three are from the Men's Choir: Viva Tutti -- Anonymous, arranged by Ralph Hunter All … Continue reading Viva Tutti … All Through the Night
Final Analysis and Interpretation (Chapter 13 Adrian and Downs)
Surprise surprise, the first thing we learn in this chapter is that the analysis is subject to interpretation. "No one has been able to delineate completely and specifically how interpretation ought to be performed." (Location 5000). I guess this means this chapter is a really good teaching point -- on how to learn when something … Continue reading Final Analysis and Interpretation (Chapter 13 Adrian and Downs)
Group Projects
My class has been divided into teams, and each given a case study from the book to do a presentation on. Our case study is on Bullying in the Workplace. We are doing a PowerPoint. Currently we are drafting. We are trying to find videos to illustrate the presentation. One person suggested this very professional … Continue reading Group Projects
Lack of productivity
dis·si·pa·tion noun \ˌdi-sə-ˈpā-shən\ : the process of slowly disappearing or becoming less : the act of using all or a lot of money, time, etc., in a foolish way : behavior that shows you are interested only in pleasure, money, etc. pro·duc·tiv·i·ty noun \ˌprō-dək-ˈti-və-tē, ˌprä-, prə-ˌdək-\ : the rate at which goods are produced or … Continue reading Lack of productivity
Focus focus focus
Chapter 4 in my audit book is all about deciding where to focus. The first recommendation of the chapter is to examine the tasks people have to perform, and see how those affect communication. Are there tasks where people are expected to work together, and what communication will that require? If sections are interdependent, communication … Continue reading Focus focus focus
At The Rainbow 