Chapter 35 Muted Group Theory

In chapter 35 Kramarae talks about the idea that language is "man" made. Meaning that our language was developed and based around men. In this theory she points out that it excludes women, causing them to become "muted". By muted, she does not mean silent, more like ignored or disregarded. I found this theory to have a lot of truth to it, but also feel that from my own personal experiences, it is a little severe. I think the idea that women are bilingual is very true. I know from personal experience that I have had to mold the ways that I communicate to the male people who are surrounding me. One specific example was when I took a gym class in high school where I was one of two girls. I was poked fun at in the beginning but then realised that they all messed around with each other and it was not a personal attack. After realising this both me and the other girl in the class just excepted it and joined in on there jokes. Kramarae also talks about different advances for women, her examples of "sub-version" made me think of the women's lit class that I took in high school. We had two guys out of about 35 in the class. After reading journals and biographies about women they both said they they enjoyed the class and learned a lot about women.

Chapter 34 Standpoint Theory

In chapter 34 Wood talks about the standpoints, she describes them in four different terms, viewpoint, perspective, outlook, and position. She talks about the idea that our standpoints are effected by the position that we as individuals hold on the social hierarchy. When I first read this chapter I found it a little hard to follow, but after discussing it in class I understand it more clearly. Wood's basic point is that when you are in a marginalized group you are less powerful therefore you are more objective. One example that comes to mind is when I was actually having a group discussion about feminism. I was the only girl in the group and we were discussing a case study that had to do with sexual harassment. The case was very unique and it was incredibly hard for me to get my point across to the other members in the group because they just could not understand where I was coming from. because they are not female there is just no way for them to ever fully understand where I was coming from. I feel like this is a strong example because it shows how marginalized groups are where they are.

Chapter 33 Genderlect Styles

I really enjoyed learning about this theory because I am currently taking gender and communication. It was nice to be able to relate what I am learning in that class to this theory, and it also helped me understand this theory better. Tannen talks about the difference between sex and gender, and relates these differences to communication. Men and women communicate in different ways however, women can develop more masculine ways of communicating, and men can develop more feminine ways of communicating. Tannen says that while men and women use different styles, neither one is better or worse than the other. While discussing this in class, I began to think of specific times where I have seen masculine and feminine ways of communication. I decided to watch CNN and observe the communication styles that the broadcasters where using. I observed a conversation that was going on between a male and a female reporter. As I listened, I noticed that the man had a very masculine way of communicating. He was very blunt and persuasive in the way that he talked. When I observed the women, she actually seemed to carry very similar traits. It was obvious that she was using a more masculine style of communication that almost mirrored him. I found this very interesting, and it made me wonder if this women communicated like this in her everyday life, or if she was only molding it so that she could maintain her part in the conversation. I think that this is a very interesting topic to look into, and I feel that there is so much involved in these different styles of communication.

Chapter 31 Face-Negotiation Theory

This theory is one that I found to be very interesting because it talks about different types of cultures and different ways of conflict management. I found it especially interesting because i was able to see what kind of conflict management styles i tend to use. Ting Toomy talk about "face" the image that we as individuals want people to see us as, and face management, the idea of keeping up with that image. She then talks about two different types of cultures, collectivistic and individualistic. I feel that many people may view these types of cultures as one being better than the other. I however, feel that they both are effective in their different ways. I tend to use this example a lot, but on my field hockey team we live in a collectivistic culture. We all have to make decisions for each other and need to think of our team as a whole and not just a bunch of individuals. I feel that this is important for any athletic team because if one person makes decisions only for the betterment of them self, than the whole team cannot continue as a whole. An example of an individualistic culture would be America. We are a country that allows people to think and act for themselves. People make decisions for themselves and for the betterment of their own lives. Along with this Toomy also talks about face management, the idea of keeping you self image up. When I think of this, the first thing that comes to my mind is when I came in to work late over the summer. I walked in and said that there had been a bad accident and traffic was horrible. By doing this, I am saving my face because I'm blaming my tardiness on traffic and not me.

Chapter 30 Anxiety Uncertainty Management Theory

This intercultural theory is one that I found to have a lot of truth to it. I have had a lot of experience being around people of other cultures and can relate to it. After our class discussion, I began to think of all the different people that I have met from other countries, and tried to think of times when I felt anxiety or uncertainty when meeting them. The one memory that stands out most in my mind is when I met one of my roommates, Charlotte, who was from Holland. I felt very uncertain about her culture and whether or not we would be able to get along because of the cultural differences. After getting to know her and learning more about each other's cultures, we became good friends and were able get by the culture barrier. I feel that this also relates back to the uncertainty reduction theory axiom that says that the more you disclose the less uncertainty you have. I definitely agree that this theory is very complex, I understand it in a broad spectrum, but have a hard time seeing the theory in every detail. I do however, find myself more conscientious of how competent I am. After learning about the four levels I am striving to be conscious and competent.

Chapter 29 Spiral of Silence

After discussing this theory in class, and really putting some thought into it, I began thinking of times when I either caught myself or someone else getting wrapped into the spiral of silence. I began thinking of the awkward middle school years when the social scene had a huge effect on one's life. There were numerous instances in middle school were there would be a certain person or group that would have an opinion about someone or something else, and I can remember going along with that because I was afraid to be singled out. Instead of voicing my own opinion I stayed quiet and went along with the rest of the group. By doing this I got caught up in the spiral of silence because I was afraid of being isolated. As time has past I have (for the most part) grown out of that because I have gained more confidence in myself. That goes along with the theory's 6 reasons for being more willing to speak out. Along with that you then have the vocal minority, the hard core, and the avaunt-garde. One example that first comes to mind when I think of the hard core is a man that is from my home town who you often time see walking around passing out fliers or holding up signs saying "the end is near", or asking questions of whether or not you have been saved. He is an example of the hard core group because he has already been isolated from everyone else, so he therefore has nothing to lose by doing this and expressing his views and opinions. When I think of the avaunt-garde I think of people like Melissa Etherage, who speaks out and writes music expressing her views on things like global warming, and even Pamela Anderson who is a spokeswomen for P.I.T.A. They are considered the avaunt-garde because they are speaking out for the better of our society and country, they are new age.

Chapter 28 Agenda-Setting Theory

After discussing McCombs and Shaw's theory on agenda setting in class it made me think a little differently about the news. Before learning about this theory I had always though that the news and media always covered stories on things on our society because they were the most important and the ones that needed to be addressed. After learning about the two levels of agenda setting that occurs with in the media, and the idea that the media tells us what to think ABOUT, my view on this has changed. Just the other night the news was covering the current story on Don Imus who was fired from CBS for making inappropriate racial comments on his talk show. The idea that the media is basically telling us to think about this issue never crossed my mind. Along with that In McCombs' first level of agenda setting he talks about the people who set the agendas foe the agenda setters. Looking back on this news story I can see how this specific station could have been told to broadcast this story because the person who owns the station could be connected to the station it occurred on, therefore being directly connected to it.