Intercultural communication is the communication between members of different cultures whether defined in terms of racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic differences (Tubbs). Culture is a way of life developed and shared by a group of people and passed down from generation to generation and is made up of many complex elements including religious and political systems, customs, and language as well as tools, clothing, buildings and works of art (Tubbs). According to our textbook (Tubbs), there are also co-cultures. Co-cultures are cultures within a culture. Our book (Tubbs) also explains that there are high context cultures (cultures more skilled in reading nonverbal behaviors, and they assume that other people will also be able to do so – speak less and listen more) and low context cultures (stress direct and explicit communication and emphasize verbal messages and the shared information they encode). With that being stated, Tubbs explains three approaches to studying culture. They include: the social science approach (assumes that behavior can be observed, measured and predicted), the interpretive approach (goal is understanding rather than predicting behavior), and finally, the critical approach (involves analysis of text or cultural products including those produced by the media).
Because there are so many different types and kinds of cultures it is impossible for each one not to communicate with the others. Therefore, there are several effects that intercultural communication has. First, there is the effects of the individual (travel is easier and affordable, the needs and desires of many groups to affirm and preserve their cultures is reflected in demands for more bilingual education, multicultural programs, curriculums and textbooks that better represent all cultural contributions to our literature and history). Second, there are social and political effects (international companies). And finally, there are also cultural effects (cultural homogenization – tendency for cultures in contact with one another to become increasingly similar to one another) (Tubbs).
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In high school, my class (well, in fact my whole school for that matter), was very diverse. We had people of all races. Lincoln High School is actually the most diverse high school in Sioux Falls. So, needless to say, I have always been very accepting of different cultures. We had diversity promoting programs just about every month. To be honest, they got old after awhile because I’m just so accepting of other people and their cultures and what not that it was difficult for me to understand how someone could not be so accepting. But it was needed because there were still fights at school – most of them were because of someone’s race or ethnicity. Our book (Tubbs) explains ethnocentrism which is the tendency to judge the values, customs, behaviors, or other aspects of another culture in terms of those that make our own culture group regards as desirable or ideal. Therefore, it is important that we build community with each other. The text (Tubbs) explains seven principles to increase community building and the acceptance of diversity. They are: to be committed (we must be committed to the principles of community in our lives, as well as to the individuals with whom we are trying to develop community), to be mindful (think about what we do and say), to be unconditionally accepting (accept others as they are, value diversity and not judge other based on their diversity), be concerned for both ourselves and others (avoid polarized communication and engage in dialogue whenever possible), be understanding (recognize how culture and ethnicity effect the way we think and behave – search for commonalities), be ethical (engage in behavior that is not a means to an end but behavior that is morally right), and finally, be peaceful (do not be violent to deceitful, breach valid promises or be secretive). All in all, the goal is to ultimately strive for harmony.
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In 2005, an episode of The Office called “Diversity Day” aired. In this episode, corporate sends in someone to teach about diversity because of some comments that Michael has made towards some people at the office. One thing that Mr. Brown, the man who comes in to talk about diversity, teaches is the acronym “HERO”, which stands for honesty, empathy, respect, and open-mindedness. I thought that that really went well with the seven principles that the book (Tubbs) mentioned about community building. In the office, we have Oscar, who is Mexican, Kelly, who is Indian and Stanley who is black. The rest of the employees of the office are white. So, for an office that small, I would say that they really do have a diverse group of people. I think that this aspect also makes the show much more hysterical.
Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mass Communication
Mass communication and new technologies are part of our everyday lives – especially computer-mediated communication. According to Tubbs and Moss, there are seven ways we use the computer for communication: Internet, email, teleconferencing, cell phones, telecommuting, video games, and blogs.
Also, there are three elements to mass communication: the audience, the experience, the source. The source is basically the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper is the person who, by selecting, changing, and/or rejecting messages, can influence the flow of information to a receiver or a group of receivers. However, the gatekeeper must keep in mind at all times the choices he/she has to make about what information is received. There are economic choices, legal restrictions, deadlines, ethics, competition, news value, news holes, and reaction choices that come into play (Tubbs).
One interesting thing that the textbook (Tubbs) also mentioned was framing. Framing is choosing a broad organizing theme for selecting, emphasizing, and linking the elements of a story. It functions in four ways: defining problems, diagnoses clauses, makes moral judgments and suggests remedies. I think that this also links with the agenda-setting theory that the press tells us what to think about by establishing a relative importance of certain issues.
______________________________
In today’s society, mass communication has become part of our daily lives. Each day I have to check my email to make sure I know what I am doing that day to make sure I know what I am doing that day and to make sure that no classes have been cancelled (please be cancelled, please be cancelled) as well as check my facebook to stay “in the know” about anything and everything social. I also carry my phone with me all the time and am constantly checking it for texts or answering phone calls from my friends. So, in all honesty, mass communication is inevitable.
More importantly about mass communication is the experience I had with the recent election of President Barack Obama, considering that I actually had to pay attention to each candidate’s beliefs, plans and ideas if they were elected president. This past year was the first time that I got to vote so it was important for me. However, the downside to that was the fact that the information given to me was through the media. Therefore, it was very influential on my decision. I watched the news, I read the newspaper, I read books I watched the debates, and all of those things influenced my own ideas and choice.
______________________________
A few weeks ago on The Office, the episode was about a certain post or article or something of that sort that was post on the internet for anyone to read. The post said that the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company would probably have to declare bankruptcy soon because sale deficiency and money issues. All branches of the paper company found out within a matter of minutes what was going on. At this point all employees are frantic and demand to know what is going on and if they will lose their jobs or not. Our textbook (Tubbs) tells us that 90 percent of the news we hear is through the mass media. In today’s society, I would say that the internet is the main source of the diffusion of information.
Another way that the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company uses the media is for advertising. Because the diffusion of information is quite rapid, it is easier for companies to advertise information about their company or product without much effort
Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Also, there are three elements to mass communication: the audience, the experience, the source. The source is basically the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper is the person who, by selecting, changing, and/or rejecting messages, can influence the flow of information to a receiver or a group of receivers. However, the gatekeeper must keep in mind at all times the choices he/she has to make about what information is received. There are economic choices, legal restrictions, deadlines, ethics, competition, news value, news holes, and reaction choices that come into play (Tubbs).
One interesting thing that the textbook (Tubbs) also mentioned was framing. Framing is choosing a broad organizing theme for selecting, emphasizing, and linking the elements of a story. It functions in four ways: defining problems, diagnoses clauses, makes moral judgments and suggests remedies. I think that this also links with the agenda-setting theory that the press tells us what to think about by establishing a relative importance of certain issues.
______________________________
In today’s society, mass communication has become part of our daily lives. Each day I have to check my email to make sure I know what I am doing that day to make sure I know what I am doing that day and to make sure that no classes have been cancelled (please be cancelled, please be cancelled) as well as check my facebook to stay “in the know” about anything and everything social. I also carry my phone with me all the time and am constantly checking it for texts or answering phone calls from my friends. So, in all honesty, mass communication is inevitable.
More importantly about mass communication is the experience I had with the recent election of President Barack Obama, considering that I actually had to pay attention to each candidate’s beliefs, plans and ideas if they were elected president. This past year was the first time that I got to vote so it was important for me. However, the downside to that was the fact that the information given to me was through the media. Therefore, it was very influential on my decision. I watched the news, I read the newspaper, I read books I watched the debates, and all of those things influenced my own ideas and choice.
______________________________
A few weeks ago on The Office, the episode was about a certain post or article or something of that sort that was post on the internet for anyone to read. The post said that the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company would probably have to declare bankruptcy soon because sale deficiency and money issues. All branches of the paper company found out within a matter of minutes what was going on. At this point all employees are frantic and demand to know what is going on and if they will lose their jobs or not. Our textbook (Tubbs) tells us that 90 percent of the news we hear is through the mass media. In today’s society, I would say that the internet is the main source of the diffusion of information.
Another way that the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company uses the media is for advertising. Because the diffusion of information is quite rapid, it is easier for companies to advertise information about their company or product without much effort
Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Small Group Communication
Small-group time! Yep, there is way more to small groups and the way different groups communicate than you ever thought! Its okay, I’ll just have to tell you all about it.
First, the textbook (Tubbs) give us five different types of groups. We have problem-solving groups (task oriented), casual and social groups (primary-group relationships), learning and educational groups (teach or learn something about given subject), “enlightenment groups” (members attempt to resolve problems but have no authoritative input with their decisions), and finally, work groups (specific goals to achieve). And within those groups there are group task roles – and there’s a lot!
The task roles include: initiating-contributing (proposing new ideas or a changed way of regarding a group goal), information seeking (asking for clarification, for authoritative information and facts relevant to the problem under discussion), information giving (offering facts or generalizations based on experience or authoritative sources), opinion seeking (seeking information related not so much to factual data as to the values underlying the suggestions being considered), opinion giving (stating beliefs or opinions relevant to a suggestion made), elaborating (expanding on suggestions with example or restatements, offering rationale for previously made suggestions, and trying to determine the results of a suggestion if it were adopted by the group), coordinating (indicating the relationships among various ideas and suggestions, attempting to combine ideas, and suggestions, or trying to coordinate the activities of group members), orienting (indicating the position of the group by summarizing progress made and deviations from agreed upon directions or goals or by raising questions about the direction the group is taking), evaluating (comparing the group’s accomplishments to some criterion or standard of group functioning), energizing (stimulating the group to action or a decision, attempting to increase the level or quality of activity), assisting on procedure (helping or facilitating group movement by doing thing for a group), and finally, recording (writing down suggestions, recording group decisions, or recording outcomes of decision). Then, with the task roles there are also individual roles. The individual roles include: aggressing, blocking, recognition-seeking, self-confessing, acting jokester, dominating, help-seeking, and special interest pleading, (Tubbs).
As we all know, groups don’t just happen and – that’s it. They have phases that they go through. Our textbook explains them (Tubbs). The first phase of group development is when the members break the ice and begin to establish a common ground for functioning. The second phase is the assertion of individuality. At this point, the group also begins to get confused over the goals of the group and minimal work is accomplished. In the third phase, the group starts functioning more smoothly as a unit. The final phase, phase four, is when the group reaches maximum productivity and then begins to diminish (Tubbs).
One component of the small group communication that it didn’t think about was the emotional part of it. The text explains five components of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Problem solving is also key in group functions. In this case, John Dewey came up with a “standard agenda”. According to our text, the “standard agenda” is a problem solving sequence of questions broad enough to be applied to just about any problem. Just as we need strategies for problem solving, we also need ways to come up with ideas. Therefore we have the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). The NGT, according to the textbook, involves six steps. The first step is to silently write down ideas individually, then make a list of all of the ideas. After there is a list then there should be a discussion and clarification of points without critique. Fourth, have everyone individually rate the ideas, then have a clarification of the vote and then, finally, have a final ranking of ideas. To know if the NGT was effective, you will either have a high consensus or a low consensus. If your group was not effective there are six things that you can do to make your group more effective. You can: clarify the roles of the participants, put the right people in leadership positions, require planning, get feedback, invest in groups, and compensate the leaders appropriately.
______________________________
My senior year of high school I was Drum Major for the Lincoln High School Marching Band – and no, I did not drum. Drum Major means that I, along with three other students, conduct the band. So, we direct. Anyway, the four of us (small group) had to be with each other all the time because during marching band season, marching band is life. I know it sounds crazy but it’s really true. So an important part of our group was to maintain the peace between us while leading a larger group of students and peers. This is where small group communication takes place because we had to use all of the roles stated in the group-building and maintenance roles in our book. There are seven roles. They are: encouraging (praising, showing interest in, agreeing with, and accepting the contributions of others, conveying the feeling that one feels the contributions of others are important), harmonizing (mediating differences between and among the other members, relieving tensions through the use of humor), compromising (operating from within a conflict situation for the sake of group harmony), gate keeping and expediting (attempting to keep communications channels open by encouraging participation of some or by curbing the participation of others), setting standards or ideals (expressing standards for the group and/or evaluating the quality of group processes), observing 9keeping a record of various aspects of group processes and feeding this information, along with interpretations, into the group’s evaluation of its procedures) and finally, following (going along with the group, passively accepting the ideas of others, serving as an audience in group discussions) (Tubbs). Out of all of these roles I think that the one that we used the most was the compromising. I think this was what kept us from cutting each other’s throats by the end of the season.
______________________________
There’s a new episode of The Office on this Thursday – don’t forget to watch! The Office applies to this week’s topic because work groups are a part of small groups, as well as management. One thing that the textbook (Tubbs) mention is the self-directed work team (SDWT). Basically, the SDWT is a group of employees who have day-to-day responsibility for managing themselves and the work they do with a minimum of direct supervision. This is exactly the way The Office is set up. Michael hardly supervises his employees and never does a day-to-day check up on his employees. Therefore, each worker is responsible for getting the work done that needs to be done on their own. However, the majority of them choose to do other things. So, actually, I’m not sure they ever get anything done. But it’s a TV show so, who care right? Our textbook (Tubbs) also tells us three reasons why SDWT works so well. The first reason is that the person closest to the work knows best how to perform and improve their jobs. Second, most employees want to feel that they “own” their own jobs and are making meaningful contributions to the effectiveness of their organization. Finally, that team provides possibilities for empowerment and is not available to individual employees.
Brainstorming is also a big part of a group function. Jim, I know, spends much of his time brainstorming ways to annoy Dwight because Dwight is always brainstorming how to take over Jim’s spot as co-manager. Fun times.
Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
First, the textbook (Tubbs) give us five different types of groups. We have problem-solving groups (task oriented), casual and social groups (primary-group relationships), learning and educational groups (teach or learn something about given subject), “enlightenment groups” (members attempt to resolve problems but have no authoritative input with their decisions), and finally, work groups (specific goals to achieve). And within those groups there are group task roles – and there’s a lot!
The task roles include: initiating-contributing (proposing new ideas or a changed way of regarding a group goal), information seeking (asking for clarification, for authoritative information and facts relevant to the problem under discussion), information giving (offering facts or generalizations based on experience or authoritative sources), opinion seeking (seeking information related not so much to factual data as to the values underlying the suggestions being considered), opinion giving (stating beliefs or opinions relevant to a suggestion made), elaborating (expanding on suggestions with example or restatements, offering rationale for previously made suggestions, and trying to determine the results of a suggestion if it were adopted by the group), coordinating (indicating the relationships among various ideas and suggestions, attempting to combine ideas, and suggestions, or trying to coordinate the activities of group members), orienting (indicating the position of the group by summarizing progress made and deviations from agreed upon directions or goals or by raising questions about the direction the group is taking), evaluating (comparing the group’s accomplishments to some criterion or standard of group functioning), energizing (stimulating the group to action or a decision, attempting to increase the level or quality of activity), assisting on procedure (helping or facilitating group movement by doing thing for a group), and finally, recording (writing down suggestions, recording group decisions, or recording outcomes of decision). Then, with the task roles there are also individual roles. The individual roles include: aggressing, blocking, recognition-seeking, self-confessing, acting jokester, dominating, help-seeking, and special interest pleading, (Tubbs).
As we all know, groups don’t just happen and – that’s it. They have phases that they go through. Our textbook explains them (Tubbs). The first phase of group development is when the members break the ice and begin to establish a common ground for functioning. The second phase is the assertion of individuality. At this point, the group also begins to get confused over the goals of the group and minimal work is accomplished. In the third phase, the group starts functioning more smoothly as a unit. The final phase, phase four, is when the group reaches maximum productivity and then begins to diminish (Tubbs).
One component of the small group communication that it didn’t think about was the emotional part of it. The text explains five components of emotional intelligence – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Problem solving is also key in group functions. In this case, John Dewey came up with a “standard agenda”. According to our text, the “standard agenda” is a problem solving sequence of questions broad enough to be applied to just about any problem. Just as we need strategies for problem solving, we also need ways to come up with ideas. Therefore we have the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). The NGT, according to the textbook, involves six steps. The first step is to silently write down ideas individually, then make a list of all of the ideas. After there is a list then there should be a discussion and clarification of points without critique. Fourth, have everyone individually rate the ideas, then have a clarification of the vote and then, finally, have a final ranking of ideas. To know if the NGT was effective, you will either have a high consensus or a low consensus. If your group was not effective there are six things that you can do to make your group more effective. You can: clarify the roles of the participants, put the right people in leadership positions, require planning, get feedback, invest in groups, and compensate the leaders appropriately.
______________________________
My senior year of high school I was Drum Major for the Lincoln High School Marching Band – and no, I did not drum. Drum Major means that I, along with three other students, conduct the band. So, we direct. Anyway, the four of us (small group) had to be with each other all the time because during marching band season, marching band is life. I know it sounds crazy but it’s really true. So an important part of our group was to maintain the peace between us while leading a larger group of students and peers. This is where small group communication takes place because we had to use all of the roles stated in the group-building and maintenance roles in our book. There are seven roles. They are: encouraging (praising, showing interest in, agreeing with, and accepting the contributions of others, conveying the feeling that one feels the contributions of others are important), harmonizing (mediating differences between and among the other members, relieving tensions through the use of humor), compromising (operating from within a conflict situation for the sake of group harmony), gate keeping and expediting (attempting to keep communications channels open by encouraging participation of some or by curbing the participation of others), setting standards or ideals (expressing standards for the group and/or evaluating the quality of group processes), observing 9keeping a record of various aspects of group processes and feeding this information, along with interpretations, into the group’s evaluation of its procedures) and finally, following (going along with the group, passively accepting the ideas of others, serving as an audience in group discussions) (Tubbs). Out of all of these roles I think that the one that we used the most was the compromising. I think this was what kept us from cutting each other’s throats by the end of the season.
______________________________
There’s a new episode of The Office on this Thursday – don’t forget to watch! The Office applies to this week’s topic because work groups are a part of small groups, as well as management. One thing that the textbook (Tubbs) mention is the self-directed work team (SDWT). Basically, the SDWT is a group of employees who have day-to-day responsibility for managing themselves and the work they do with a minimum of direct supervision. This is exactly the way The Office is set up. Michael hardly supervises his employees and never does a day-to-day check up on his employees. Therefore, each worker is responsible for getting the work done that needs to be done on their own. However, the majority of them choose to do other things. So, actually, I’m not sure they ever get anything done. But it’s a TV show so, who care right? Our textbook (Tubbs) also tells us three reasons why SDWT works so well. The first reason is that the person closest to the work knows best how to perform and improve their jobs. Second, most employees want to feel that they “own” their own jobs and are making meaningful contributions to the effectiveness of their organization. Finally, that team provides possibilities for empowerment and is not available to individual employees.
Brainstorming is also a big part of a group function. Jim, I know, spends much of his time brainstorming ways to annoy Dwight because Dwight is always brainstorming how to take over Jim’s spot as co-manager. Fun times.
Tubbs, S. L., & Moss, S. (2006). Human communication: Principles and contexts (11th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill
Monday, November 2, 2009
Health Communication
The text that we read this week (Corcoran) first proposed the idea of theories in health communication. Corcoran first states that communication is a cyclic process involving a series of actions. Because of this, there are two important factors that greatly influence communication and they are: content and relationship. Content is that message or the words and the information transmitted. The relationship part of communication is the dynamics between those involved in the communication transaction – the communicators (Corcoran). Corcoran views communication as a multi-way process in that the content of the message contains verbal and nonverbal communication. Also, within the nonverbal communication, Corcoran states that there are four elements in which we communicate nonverbally – prosodic, paralinguistics, kinesics, and eye contact.
However, in the context of health and communication, Corcoran says that the addition of health to the definition of communication as a ‘resource’ that allows health messages to be used in the education and avoidance of ill health. In addition to that, Corcoran proposes five theoretical models to help us understand health communication. The first is the cognitive theory, which provides continuum accounts of behavior and proposes that a certain set of perceptions or beliefs will predict a behavior. The second is the Stage step theory, which assumes that the individual is not on a continuum. Rather, the stage step model postulates that the individual goes through a process of change via a series of stages. The third theory is the theory of reasoned action. The theory of reasoned action proposes that in individual’s beliefs influence attitudes and expectations as well as influence intentions and behaviors. The fourth theory is the theory of planned behavior. This theory states that the closest determinant of behavior is the intention to perform (or not) that behavior. The theory of planned behavior also postulates that intention is determined by three factors: (1) attitude to the behavior, (2) subjective norm, and (3) perceived behavioral control. And finally, the fifth theory is the Transtheoretical model. According to Corcoran this model suggests that people change their behavior at certain states in life, rather than making one big change.
At any rate, Corcoran also informs the reader about the communication-persuasion model and the information-persuasion model. The communication-persuasion model is mainly used in the media, especially in the field of advertising as a way to guide the public and influence a person’s choices about health. And the information-persuasion model, in contrast, has clear planning stages that can be followed in order to obtain an outcome (Corcoran). Finally, Corcoran uses the health belief model, which suggests that there are also barriers – just as any – to communication. Not only that, but the health belief model contends that these barriers may be more important that the benefits and provide a focus for targeting health in communication.
I decided that it would be easier to understand the three main models of health communication if I drew them out. I am a visual learner so it definitely helps me understand better.
______________________________
Isn’t it ironic that we would be talking about health communication while the ‘Swine Flu’ (H1N1) is spreading? In all honesty I find it hilarious. The topic fits perfectly! It is a clear example of the communication-persuasion and information-persuasion models. As for the communication-persuasion model, the ‘Swine Flu’ is all over the news and has been on the front page just about every other day in the last two weeks or so. Just as well, it has also been the hot topic for the evening news. Mainly I think that one other reason why the issues of the swine flu and other forms of illnesses such as cancer have been on the news recently is because of the heated debates about health care reform. At any rate, the information-persuasion model can be seen in what schools and businesses are doing to take care of the ‘Swine Flu’ problem and make sure as few of people get sick as possible before the vaccination becomes available. Take Creighton University of Omaha, Nebraska for example. Creighton has taken important steps to help prevent the spread of the “Swine Flu” at the University. For example, there are hand sanitizers at just about every corner and major hallway in each building and dorm. Also, Creighton has set up a place where sick students may be quarantined for a period of time until they are better because the administration does not want any one sick student to go and get every other student sick. It would just not be good for the school because then classes would have to be cancelled, putting students behind in their studies – which is why professors were told to come up with a contingency plan so that students would not get behind.
It is not just Creighton and the “Swine Flu” that has everyone worried. Other health related issues are being observed and dealt with as well – such as eating right and exercising. I know that back at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD the information-persuasion model has been highly effective because over the past few years or so they have taken out the soda in the vending machines and replaced it with healthier choices such as Gatorade, flavored water and juice in order to help students make healthier choices about what they drink.
______________________________
Like I said, one of the most important health issues that we are dealing with right now is the dieting the right way and exercising. There is even one episode of The Office called ‘Weight Loss’. In this episode, each branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company is asked to compete against one another to see which branch can lose the most weight in one month. At the beginning of each week the employees all stand on a scale to get their total weight and to see how much weight they have lost compared to their competitors.
When I watched this episode, one thing that I found interesting was how each person dealt with losing weight, fact that the company wanted people to lose weight and also how each individual went about losing weight. Some of them tried to lose weight in a healthy way and others a not so healthy way. For example, Stanley quit taking the elevator and now always takes the stairs. He also starts to eat healthier foods. Dwight and Andy decide not to eat and basically become anorexic. Others decide to try being bulimic and some even try a liquid only diet in order to lose weight.
In connection to our reading, I think that most weight loss plans fit the stages of change model of health communication. The stages in this model include six stages. They are: pre-contemplation, contemplation, readiness to change, action, maintaining the change, and relapse. So, it’s easy to see how people contemplate the idea of losing weight and then being ready to change their lifestyle in order to lose weight, maintaining in their new lifestyle, and then of course, there is always a point where an individual can relapse in their diet and go back to eating less healthy food and therefore gain the weight that they just lost back.
In the end, the Scranton branch doesn’t win, however they do come in second place.
______________________________
Also this week in my communication 111 class we watched the movie called "And The Band Played On". This movie deals specifically with health and its a wonderful example of how we communicate or miscommunicate our health and ways of being healthy and preventing unwanted illnesses. Throughout the video we see how doctors and people of health administration and departments as well as health magazines and pamphlets decide what to communicate.
The movie "And The Band Played On" is specifically about the beginning of the spread of epidemics and especially the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and blood related diseases such as AIDS. One of the men who gets sick is gay. Actually, they call the disease "Gay Cancer" because it has spread through the gay community and has a forty percent or more mortality rate that is increasing each day. The problem that occurs in this video is that the doctors are unable to find out what is the source of this illness.
Anyway, this relates to the article we read by Corcoran because the health belief model can be seen in action. The health belief model can be seen in this film through the fact that most people decide that because this illness is spreading only through the people who are gay - specifically men - that they will not be affected. even some gay men think that they can't be affected because they have had sex with plenty of other men and basically choose to ignore the problem. This then, brings us also to the theory of planned behavior. This theory is seen when the gay dance choreographer gives money to the doctors in order to attempt to secure his health because he is scared and wants them to find a cure or solution to this "Gay Cancer". Unfortunately, he eventually dies.
Corcoran, N. "Theories and models in communicating health messages" (Blueline)
However, in the context of health and communication, Corcoran says that the addition of health to the definition of communication as a ‘resource’ that allows health messages to be used in the education and avoidance of ill health. In addition to that, Corcoran proposes five theoretical models to help us understand health communication. The first is the cognitive theory, which provides continuum accounts of behavior and proposes that a certain set of perceptions or beliefs will predict a behavior. The second is the Stage step theory, which assumes that the individual is not on a continuum. Rather, the stage step model postulates that the individual goes through a process of change via a series of stages. The third theory is the theory of reasoned action. The theory of reasoned action proposes that in individual’s beliefs influence attitudes and expectations as well as influence intentions and behaviors. The fourth theory is the theory of planned behavior. This theory states that the closest determinant of behavior is the intention to perform (or not) that behavior. The theory of planned behavior also postulates that intention is determined by three factors: (1) attitude to the behavior, (2) subjective norm, and (3) perceived behavioral control. And finally, the fifth theory is the Transtheoretical model. According to Corcoran this model suggests that people change their behavior at certain states in life, rather than making one big change.
At any rate, Corcoran also informs the reader about the communication-persuasion model and the information-persuasion model. The communication-persuasion model is mainly used in the media, especially in the field of advertising as a way to guide the public and influence a person’s choices about health. And the information-persuasion model, in contrast, has clear planning stages that can be followed in order to obtain an outcome (Corcoran). Finally, Corcoran uses the health belief model, which suggests that there are also barriers – just as any – to communication. Not only that, but the health belief model contends that these barriers may be more important that the benefits and provide a focus for targeting health in communication.
I decided that it would be easier to understand the three main models of health communication if I drew them out. I am a visual learner so it definitely helps me understand better.
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Isn’t it ironic that we would be talking about health communication while the ‘Swine Flu’ (H1N1) is spreading? In all honesty I find it hilarious. The topic fits perfectly! It is a clear example of the communication-persuasion and information-persuasion models. As for the communication-persuasion model, the ‘Swine Flu’ is all over the news and has been on the front page just about every other day in the last two weeks or so. Just as well, it has also been the hot topic for the evening news. Mainly I think that one other reason why the issues of the swine flu and other forms of illnesses such as cancer have been on the news recently is because of the heated debates about health care reform. At any rate, the information-persuasion model can be seen in what schools and businesses are doing to take care of the ‘Swine Flu’ problem and make sure as few of people get sick as possible before the vaccination becomes available. Take Creighton University of Omaha, Nebraska for example. Creighton has taken important steps to help prevent the spread of the “Swine Flu” at the University. For example, there are hand sanitizers at just about every corner and major hallway in each building and dorm. Also, Creighton has set up a place where sick students may be quarantined for a period of time until they are better because the administration does not want any one sick student to go and get every other student sick. It would just not be good for the school because then classes would have to be cancelled, putting students behind in their studies – which is why professors were told to come up with a contingency plan so that students would not get behind.
It is not just Creighton and the “Swine Flu” that has everyone worried. Other health related issues are being observed and dealt with as well – such as eating right and exercising. I know that back at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD the information-persuasion model has been highly effective because over the past few years or so they have taken out the soda in the vending machines and replaced it with healthier choices such as Gatorade, flavored water and juice in order to help students make healthier choices about what they drink.
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Like I said, one of the most important health issues that we are dealing with right now is the dieting the right way and exercising. There is even one episode of The Office called ‘Weight Loss’. In this episode, each branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company is asked to compete against one another to see which branch can lose the most weight in one month. At the beginning of each week the employees all stand on a scale to get their total weight and to see how much weight they have lost compared to their competitors.
When I watched this episode, one thing that I found interesting was how each person dealt with losing weight, fact that the company wanted people to lose weight and also how each individual went about losing weight. Some of them tried to lose weight in a healthy way and others a not so healthy way. For example, Stanley quit taking the elevator and now always takes the stairs. He also starts to eat healthier foods. Dwight and Andy decide not to eat and basically become anorexic. Others decide to try being bulimic and some even try a liquid only diet in order to lose weight.
In connection to our reading, I think that most weight loss plans fit the stages of change model of health communication. The stages in this model include six stages. They are: pre-contemplation, contemplation, readiness to change, action, maintaining the change, and relapse. So, it’s easy to see how people contemplate the idea of losing weight and then being ready to change their lifestyle in order to lose weight, maintaining in their new lifestyle, and then of course, there is always a point where an individual can relapse in their diet and go back to eating less healthy food and therefore gain the weight that they just lost back.
In the end, the Scranton branch doesn’t win, however they do come in second place.
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Also this week in my communication 111 class we watched the movie called "And The Band Played On". This movie deals specifically with health and its a wonderful example of how we communicate or miscommunicate our health and ways of being healthy and preventing unwanted illnesses. Throughout the video we see how doctors and people of health administration and departments as well as health magazines and pamphlets decide what to communicate.
The movie "And The Band Played On" is specifically about the beginning of the spread of epidemics and especially the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and blood related diseases such as AIDS. One of the men who gets sick is gay. Actually, they call the disease "Gay Cancer" because it has spread through the gay community and has a forty percent or more mortality rate that is increasing each day. The problem that occurs in this video is that the doctors are unable to find out what is the source of this illness.
Anyway, this relates to the article we read by Corcoran because the health belief model can be seen in action. The health belief model can be seen in this film through the fact that most people decide that because this illness is spreading only through the people who are gay - specifically men - that they will not be affected. even some gay men think that they can't be affected because they have had sex with plenty of other men and basically choose to ignore the problem. This then, brings us also to the theory of planned behavior. This theory is seen when the gay dance choreographer gives money to the doctors in order to attempt to secure his health because he is scared and wants them to find a cure or solution to this "Gay Cancer". Unfortunately, he eventually dies.
Corcoran, N. "Theories and models in communicating health messages" (Blueline)
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