Week 16 - Other Interesting Concept

Just like my last post, I had a hard time finding something to write about here. I was flipping through the book and the nonverbal section looked interesting and then soon after, I found myself reading the section of Increasing Nonverbal skills.

In order increase our non-verbal skills Trenholm states that we need to just be more aware of the things we are not being told by words but by body language and gestures. As simple as that may seem, it is very true. I work retail and every customer tells me so much with their body language rather than their words. This may seem like a "typical salesman" but there are some dead giveaways that customers do that tell me they are not going to buy anything and I should not waste my time. The customer will constantly look at their watch or phone to check the time, they avoid eye contact, they pretend to be on the phone when they see an associate in the area, they take pictures of the products and price tags, their pace of walking increases when they are approached by an associate...the list goes on. Trenholm also states that we need to be aware of our own nonverbal cues and we can even be offensive or threatening to others. When we stare at people for too long, walk in front of them when he/she is looking at something like a television in a store.I have taken my personal experiences from the time I spent selling televisions and when I apply it to the textbook, it is very true.

Week 16 - Interesting Concept

There are so many different concepts that we have covered and learned in this course. I feel that picking just one would not display what I enjoyed most about this course in terms of learning from the textbook. If I had to pick one concept to discuss from the entire semester that I enjoyed, I would pick table 10.2 on page 283 pg 283 pf the textbook.

This table shows different ways to end a public speech. When I was taking public speaking at Sacramento State, the professor required us to end our speeches a certain way. According to the textbook there are six examples, which I believe there are a lot more, of different ways to end a speech. I never really thought about ending a public speech with a personal intention. A personal intention is when the speaker leads by example in hopes that the audience will feel the same way. An example of this is - "I know for sure I am voting Yes on measure J, because it is the right thing to do for our community and I hope you do the right thing too."

I give a speech in front of people almost once every other month, not just in the major but with family and friends. Whenever there is a get together due to an occasion, usually speeches are required by popular demand (people chanting for individuals like myself to give a speech)and I am ALWAYS chosen. It has come to the point where I anticipate giving a speech even though no one has told me before hand. The speeches are usually impromptu but I give it a twist when I pull out note cards. It gets a few laughs but for the most part, people still want and expect me to give a speech about something.

With that said, I think next time I will try these new methods. Believe it or not, my other textbooks do not even have this table or something close to it.

Week 16 - Research Method

Out of all the different types of research in table 13.3, I feel that ethnography is the most interesting out of all of them. I feel that getting in there and seeing everything unfold first hand whether the researcher is undercover as a pretend participant of the cultural group or his/her presence is being known and the people of the group are aware they are being observed, there is no experience like it. I have conducted many ethnographies as a Communication Studies major and I must admit, at one point the assignment no longer feels like an obligation and it becomes pleasure. The level of personal interest that I had in all my ethnographies were either extremely high or it got better as each day progressed.

If I were to conduct (another) case study of my choice, I would choose to study the culture of shoe collectors pertaining primarily to Jordan and Nike fanatics. The research question I would ask is - "What causes the fetish of shoe collecting for those who seem to spend all their free time and extra money into shoes, primarily Jordans and Nikes and is there any correlation between the shoes and sexual arousal."

I personally wanted to conduct this research before I graduated but unfortunately for me the classes I took in the last three semesters did not assign any ethnographies or case studies. Since I am graduating this May, I no longer have the opportunity to conduct this research for a grade. I am extremely interested in doing ethnographies overall because I learn so much and I am exposed to a whole new aspect of thinking and behaving. It was actually thanks to my Comm 156 (Qualitative Inquiry) course that made me drive to finish college. I conducted an ethnography on the football team I was coaching at the time, on locker room culture and how it is different from one the field behavior before, during and after practice and games. It was not my findings of the players that convinced me to get my college degree, but it was when I interviewed the other coaches. To make a long story short, I interviewed the coaches and based off their answers, I realized that a college degree is more powerful than I thought. The other three coaches do not have any college education and their answers were not only incomplete, they would contradict what they JUST said less than two minutes prior to the answer they were giving. Throughout the season I decided to continue my observations of the coaches and it just got worse each day. During the presidential election when Obama became president, NONE of the other three coaches(and keep in mind that the head coach is in his mid sixies, the assistant head coach is in his early thirties and the other coach is in his mid twenties), knew that the electoral college was what decided who becomes the next president. When I explained that to them it was like I was telling them 2+2= 5. They were not only in shock but told me I was wrong. Later, when they realized I was right, they all went on about how the electoral college is bullshit and it was "not like that for the other presidents."

As you can probably already tell, I have a passion for conducting ethnographies. I can seriously write a 30 page paper on the sneaker fetish without even blinking. I would choose the ethnography over the other methods because I get to experience something new in a hands on manner and what I find is going to shock me one way or another. The other styles of research involve studying and observing, whereas ethnographies require a hands on experience. There is no doubt in my mind that ethnography is the most interesting one to me. =)