readingandtyping

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ACTIVITY - LESSON 3 (INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION)

Write down a scenario where two or more cultures clash that can create misunderstanding, discomfort, or conflict.

A scenario that can cause cultures clash that creates misunderstanding, discomfort, or conflict is when said cultures do not set aside any assumptions, whether it is positive or negative, that they have towards the other and so turn, it creates a false impression on cultures and when people interacts with others and they have different cultures and they do not set aside any assumption that they have, it can lead to an atmosphere of distrust which leads to misunderstanding, discomfort, or conflict. An example of this is if a Arab man and a Jewish man met and discuss on any topics they want. Let us say that the Jewish man thinks that ever Arabian would want to dismantle the state the Israel and persecute the Jews that lives and in turn, the Arab man believes that every Jewish person support the expansion of Israeli territory by taking over territory on the state of Palestine. When these two people would meet and not set aside the assumptions towards each others culture, it results in them not believe a single word that they have heard and they will antagonize each other with stereotypes and derogatory words in the end, this will make them more convinced that the other's culture only sees their culture as inferior and will lead to nothing but conflict.

In terms of creating a ‘third space’, think of a scenario where you and someone from a different cultural background need to work together. Describe how the two of you could create a "third space" where both your perspectives are valued.

If there was a scenario in which I worked with someone who comes from a cultural background that is different from mine and wanted to create a 'third space', here is my plan. The first step would be for us to disregard any assumption that we have in each other's culture so that we would have an unbiased to who we really are to each other. The second step would be interact with each other beyond just matters of work and discuss on many things in order to know each other's perspectives on many different topics. This is very important since being open to one another conveys a message of friendliness and curiosity to each other's culture and helps in both of us teaching each other on the cultural identity we have and correcting any assumptions that we have since it would create a false narrative and that can cause tension. The last step would be to internalize the things that we have learn from one another and helps us on understanding on their identity and respecting the opinions that we have even if it does match with their culture since it can help in creating bonds with each other and this would create a 'third space' in we would adjust to each other's culture and that can result in forming a good and solid relationship with one another.

Give an example of a dominant culture using its power to exclude a subordinate culture.

An example of this scenario in would be the exclusion of Native American culture during the time of US expand westward under the guise of "Manifest Destiny" where it was their God-given right to expand and settle to the western parts of America. They would seize lands from the natives and would forcefully relocate them and those who tried to resist will be crushed with the help of the US armed forces. The Americans would also make Native American children to attend boarding schools for the purpose of assimilating them and making them forget the culture that they had. This resulted with their population and their culture being reduced to a large scale and would affect them and descendants even in the modern day.

Date: Nov.11, 2024

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LESSON 2 - ACTIVITY (INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION)

Describe a time when you felt anxious or uncertain while interacting with someone from a different culture. What were the reasons for your feelings, and how did they influence your communication during that interaction?

A time that this occurred was when I was passing my credentials to apply for an entrance exam and I met someone who was a foreigner asking what time it was. At first, I was nervous and so I just duck my head down and pretend I didn’t hear him because I am a shy person but I relented and gave him the time and he thanked me afterward. After that situation, it teaches me to be less shy because it might not work the next time I interact with someone.

Have you ever realized you were making assumptions about another culture based on your own experiences? Share an example and reflect on how this affected your understanding of that culture and your relationship with the person you interacted with.

Yes, I was making assumptions about people from different cultures and it was based on their portrayal in media like in Facebook, YouTube, television, and such. An example of this would be how I assume the stereotypes of Muslim people during ISIS were dominating the news cycle almost a decade due to their association to the terrorist attacks that occur in cities within Europe such as in Paris. It really made me suspicious on how Muslim people will think but after a while,  I realized that it was just nonsense and was just a tactic for the media to attract attention since not every Muslim wanted to do Jihad and just wanted to live a normal life. What I learned from this is that I should not label people based only on what culture they have and that we should learn from their culture, not be suspicious of it.

Date: Nov. 11, 2024

[readingandtyping]

LESSON 1 - ACTIVITY (INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION)

Describe a time when a difference in verbal or nonverbal communication led to a misunderstanding. How did you respond, and what would you do differently now?

I remembered an event like this when I was in grade 12 and it occurred when a teacher is reviewing the draft of a research paper my group was made. After reviewing it, she asked some questions about said paper and the answer that came out of my mouth was not coherent since I was shy and also tired due to reviewing the paper. I was embarrassed by my answer and the teacher was confused and so asked again the question but luckily my other groupmates covered for me. If I had done something differently, I should've make notes on what most likely the teacher would question before giving it for review so that I could prepare an answer to respond to said question.

How comfortable are you with direct vs. indirect communication styles, and how do you think this preference affects your interactions with people from different cultures?

I am more comfortable with direct communication since if I people were to do a style of indirect communication when interacting with me, I wouldn't be so sure on what they are saying and so I would just miscommunicate with them.

Think of a recent interaction where someone’s nonverbal cues (e.g., eye contact, gestures) contradicted their words. How did this affect your perception of their message?

An interaction where this situation happened is when I was talking to someone when asking for directions. When talking to him, I see that their eyes are looking at the time on the traffic lights and that his face seems annoyed. After finishing the interaction and thanking the man, I assume that he tired from his job and that asking him questions did not dampened his mood. It really didn't affect the message a lot but it did make me use my phone more when it comes to directions to avoid interactions like the one presented. DATE: Nov. 5. 2024

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ESSAY

In the modern era, where it is marked by evolving social dynamics and rapid communication, it is important to understand the function of language to society as a whole since it is increasing when it comes to how crucial it is to everyday life. One of the ways on how to do it is through Halliday’s theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics as it provides a framework as to how language operates. Halliday’s theory suggests that language is a social semiotic system, which means that it is shaped by socio-cultural contexts and that it is subjected to changes through power shifts within society. Within language, Halliday mentions three "meta functions" that allow it to produce effective communication and these are the Ideational, which helps language represents ideas; Interpersonal, which is how language it useful in establishing relationships we have with others; and Textual, who is how information is organized and presented to ensure that it is understandable to those who receive said information. Halliday also pointed out that these three "meta functions" interact dynamically as without it, then language would be an ineffective tool to exchange information and ideas among people.

Another way on how to understand the importance of language within society would be through the theory of active externalism by Andy Clarke and David Chalmers. The theory states that the boundaries of the mind extend to the external environment and not only exist within the body and that a major factor on how a person would think is through tools and resources that are external to our biology. An example of this is when using a calculator as it helps a person in dealing with complex number problems or through the use of a pen and paper to help write down ideas which helps in organizing and clarifying them and without using these external tools and resources would result in information being lost and that collaboration and exchanging of ideas between people would not be as effective as when using said external tools and resources.

Though these two theories have many differences, they emphasize the interconnectedness of language, thought, and social interaction. Halliday’s theory has a focus on how language would function within a social context to facilitate communication while Clarke and Chalmer’s theory gives insight on how the tools and resources outside our biological makeup influence the cognitive processes of a person. Together, these perspectives illustrate that language is more than just a way to express thought but is an important part when it comes to social practices and cognitive development. When we integrate the two theories, it can help us in gaining a more complete understanding of the role of language in our modern society. Take the metafunctions that Halliday points out, it highlights how language helps us in representing ideas, building relationships, and organizing the information we have while Clarke and Chalmer’s active externalism tells us that through the use of tools not found within the body, it helps us enhance the abilities we have.

Ultimately, in the modern day in which the way we communicate and how we socialize are rapidly changing, the theories discussed provide valuable understanding as it remind us that to achieve effective communication, we do not rely on the skills on how to properly use language but also in our ability to use the tools we have, whether it be physical or digital. Through understanding language within the framework of said theories can we see beauty in how language can foster an environment of collaboration, learning, and social changes that nurture our interconnected world into one that values the creation and spread of knowledge and wisdom.

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ASSIGNMENT

here is the link to the assignment:

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ACTIVITY 5

In the age of the Internet, can technology really contribute significantly to the formation of a national identity? How about regional identity?

The technology during the age of the internet would not only help in the formation of a national and/pr regional identity, but it would make proliferate even further than it would have been a century ago. The reason behind this is that because of such advancements in the technological side of communication and media, information is much more faster to spread and that it cannot be contained by any physical, financial, social, or cultural boundary, and this results in people within a given community , despite having different backgrounds, forming an identity bound by their experiences and the dreams.

In what way can the Internet be a bane in the formation of national and/or regional identity?

Unfortunately, the internet can prevent the formation of a national and/or regional identity as it can create tension amongst those who created an identity. There are many reasons for this, but in my opinion, the main reason is that powerful would use the internet spread discord and mistrust to any opposition in order maintain their rule within the country.

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ACTIVITY 4

Do you think Adiche’s claim of the single story can be attributed to people who perform specific identities that were perceived by others and then the latter eventually ascribed such identities to the former?

Yes, I believe that one of the reasons of the existence and proliferation of the single story is that people would not tell the entire identity of a society. The reasoning behind this is might be that people who are "performing" wanted to show an identity that is considered foreign and 'savage' because there is an inherent want for people to feel superior than to other people and this can cause people to only have a singular narrative to an entire culture.

Can there be a particular situation or scenario where people stop “performing”?

Yes, there is a scenario when people would stop "performing" to the audience. A scenario would be that the audience expected to see one thing due to what people would say whilst the actors would perform something different that confuses the audience which makes them not want to see the "performance" and this can cause the actors to end their "performance" since nobody wants to see it.

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ACTIVITY 3

1. What are the specific actions that you have to perform so as to convey the right impression of self?

The specific actions that I needed to act as someone who has firsthand knowledge with the topic at hand and that any questions given by the audience, I can respond quickly and with confidence.

2. Was the audience able to convey the right impression as you have desired?

No, I was not able to convey the right impression and I was embarrassed when looking back at said event.

3. What are the limitations that you encounter when performing such identity?

The limitations that I encountered is that, when facing the audience, I become very nervous and when a question was given, my response was filled with stutters.

4. How important is it to you that the audience provides the correct impressions of the specific identity that you perform?

It depends, if it was a public audience, then I would make myself be as formal as possible, and when the audience are close friends or families, then I will be in a casual state of communication.

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ACTIVITY 2

If interaction is viewed as a performance shaped by the environment and the audience, will there be a situation where the impressions can no longer be in consonance with the desired goals of the actor? Provide scenarios.

Yes, there are times that the impressions of an actor is no longer coincides the their goals which would result with a negative impact for the actor. An example of this is when the actor's mental state has eroded (either due to old age and/or some ailment) and that limits his interaction to the audience. This happened during a presidential debate a few months where one of the candidates confuses simple questions and this results with the audience losing faith to said candidate.

With Goffman’s insights on performance which is primarily focused on the “front” will there be a time when the people become desensitized to the reality? in what way?

Yes, there will be a time when people becomes desensitize to reality. A way for this to become a reality is with to the advent of technological breakthroughs in AI and since it enables people to mask who they are truly which can cause people to slowly doubt which is real and which isn't and this could lead to people not caring what information they receive in social media

Do you think Goffman’s work, while providing a sense of appreciating how people interact, becomes one-sided especially towards the marginalized? In what way?

Yes, Goffman's work becomes one-sided towards the marginalized and this is due to the fact it focuses general interaction and give less emphasis on challenges marginalized groups would face.

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ACTIVITY 1

Here is a diagram of myself:

What is the basis for the labels you use to refer to yourself

I base these from hobbies that I do on a daily basis and from my experiences that I have been through for all of my life.

How did/do you become aware of how others identify you?

I became aware on how people would see me by talking to them.

Which of other people's for you do you identify and why? Which of these do you not identify with and why?

The thing that I identify would be that I am a hard worker and that, even though I am lazy, I try to overcome it to work on the things that needed to be worked with.

As for something that I don't identify, it would be reliant since, as I said before, I am a lazy man.