Problems Honestly Observing

There are a number of dilemmas that can come up in a ethnographer’s research, but the main issues I can think of that would strike on a moral level would revolve around covert roles. In order to keep your role as a researcher a secret one must lie to the very people they are trying to get to trust them. These lies can be difficult the longer a research stays in the covert role mainly because it would be hard if not impossible to not form a personal relationship. The other thing that can come from creating relationships is the difficulty in making objective observations. It has happened to everyone. We like the people, but our job is to study them in a scientific manner. Then you code all the data and form an opinion that is supported by the data. However, if you like the subjects then it is much more likely that your data will be jaded.

Ethnography and Deception

My personal favorite in terms of research is ethnography. I love to watch people and thinking about, guessing, and discussing the possible reasons why people do what they do. I think this is so interesting because it requires an understanding of people, their mannerisms, various cultural differences, and emotion. When thinking about the idea of deception I automatically go to sales people, so I would research something around the various types of deception salesmen employ on heir work. My question would be: Do cultural differences of customers change the method of deception used by sales people? I’m not sure what method I would use to answer this question, but I wonder if ethnography won’t be a perfect match. Interviewing those that sell and those that bought from them would make an interesting research project. It would give a fairly whole picture of the reasons why different deception tactics were used, and is cultural differences really play role.

Informal Channels vs Formal

We learn about the different modes of organizational communication, and their usefulness in chapter 8. One of the things that stood out for me was the variation between formal and informal channels of communication. I was interested mostly because I have been doing some research about formal versus informal communication with organizations as it pertains to identifying competencies. The text says, “Both forms of communication are essential to the life of the organization.” (p. 218) However, what I have found is that while both obviously take place, and they each have different types of information base through them, informal communication tends to be more popular amongst those at lower levels. Also, it is interesting how much legitimacy informal information carries. Often we find these rumors to be truer than not, even though the classic “water cooler” conversations can be deemed gossip. So, I would agree that both informal and formal channels are essential to the operation of any organization.

Importance of Mediums

I very much agree with Marshall LcLuhan’s idea that the “the medium is the message.” We see this sort of thing all the time where I work. People are turned off, or begin to ignore the message if the way it is communicated isn’t well received. In this the medium is crucial to the success of the message. I think that the new generation learns is very much that of the mosaic logic. I heard an article recently about the constant perceived need for students in high school and college to be connected. The article went on to explain the student’s inability to be alone. Without TV, smart phones, Facebook, or the internet they won’t know how to communicate with people. In this way be see their need, potential as a result of growing up on TV, their need for information quicker and quicker. I fond myself stuck partially in that world, but even more afraid of being past up by it.

Cyber Buddies!

I have yet to create a new friend from cyberspace. I have, however, maintained a few friendships with the help of social networking sites such as Facebook. I think this has come easier to me because I already place value on these people, and really that value comes in the form of time. The rest of my life is fairly full, and the idea of trying to find new friendships via the web sounds tiring. I never really understood the point of establishing whom you are in written terms mainly because I always seem to have a harder time expressing myself in written in comparison to in person conversation. I think I just enjoy watching people so much that it seems like half the fun of getting to know someone and hanging out with them would be immediately, and needlessly, eliminated. I think it made sense when this was the only way to gather or share information from a great distance, but we can share so much more these days with modern technology.

Choosing a Leader

As I read chapter seven I found myself drawn to the idea of leader emergency. In the text we hear about Fisher’s idea of leader emergence in terms of participant elimination. Does this really seem right? Haven’t you ever been in a situation where you simply never wanted to even speak let alone be the leader of a group? However, I suppose that at the onset of any discussion all participants could be considered in equal contention for the noteworthy honor of leader. Fisher goes on to tells us that he believes all initial conversation is a bid for the spot, and natural attrition begins to set in. Eventually people drop out in order to take on other roles, and finally one person, potentially with the help of his/her group, take the lead. Then the tough task of leading the group towards accomplishment sets in. Hopefully the group chose the right person.

Romantic Cues

When I look at people in terms of romantic partners I have to say that the things that strike me as attractive have changed. This may seem obvious to some, but for me my desires have changed with time, life stages, and intellectual aptitude. I can completely see how proximity plays a pivotal role in influencing romantic partner possibilities. I don’t want to try to date someone I’ll rarely see. As for preinteraction cues I look for someone who cares about their physical appearance, but doesn’t hold it in such high importance that it consumes them. Once we begin the interaction phase I want someone who will challenge me without trying to dominate every situation. I also look for someone who is well rounded in their ability to hold a conversation, views of the world, and friendships. Cognitive cues are by far the most important. I look for someone that has a passion for life, values family, and understands commitment.

Partners

I cannot imagine that a long-term relationship could survive in any sort of healthy manner if partners only held to a rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry pattern. If I had to guess I would say that the worst of the three styles would be the competitive symmetry mainly because there would always be this desire to dominate the other. A agree that some form of competition can drive people to push beyond preconceived ideas, however, at what point would you slow down enough to appreciate life around you.
I would also guess that the submissive symmetry would be the most damaging to one’s self-esteem mainly because you would no longer have a sense of personal identity. Without some form of personal identity than a person is no longer a person, but a mechanical robot. I believe that we all need to stand up and ask/fight for what we want because it is rare that anyone else will do it for you.

Panel Discussions

The panel discussion can be a very valuable tool for when trying to better understand and share information about a certain topic. The idea is simple in concept, but the execution can vary widely based on the moderator, the panelists, and the audience. The text says, “The key to moderating or participating in a panel is to be well informed, to listen carefully to others, and to make sure the discussion is coherent.” (p. 205) One of the best panel discussions I have had the opportunity to listen to was about sustainable fishing practices. The moderator was an environmental law professor who was well spoken, and well informed about the subject. The panelists varied to include a member of the Monterey Bay Aquarium fish watch, a culinary instructor, a representative of the Alaska fishermen’s group, and a writer who had just finished a book all about sustainable fishing practices around the world. The discussion was so informative that I can easily say everyone walked away more informed than when they had walked in, and they enjoyed it.

Images of Self

I believe that we as human beings want to achieve perfection, and that is one of the things that drives us to explore, change, and improve. I have a hard time with the idea that we are born into sin, and that is our driving force. I just don’t like to think that my 8 month old son is sinful. The rationality premise is something that I think has a lot of merit. This idea, “the belief that most people are capable of discovering the truth through logical analysis,” (p. 353) is a cornerstone in American culture. The text tells us that, “many American institutions, including democracy, trial by jury and free enterprise,” (p. 353) are all born out of the rationality premise. Finally, the mutability premise is a basic concept in communication theory, shared understanding/meaning. This concept tells us that we are molded from a external influences and that the only way to improve our lives is to better those influences.

Shared Culture

I would say that I only half agree with Ruth Benedicts’s statement about how we are creatures shaped by our culture. I would agree that culture is shared, and in that the text says, “we learn very early to separate the world into “us” and “them,” and we work very hard to make sure that others recognize which of the two we are.” (p. 344) This is something I have seen in many instances, and I think it is probably tied to our inherent human desire to be a part of something larger. The text also says, “Because cultures are shared, we are not entirely free to act as we wish.” (p. 344) This is where I disagree, and disagree fairly strongly. I believe that we all have the power to choose to be who ever we want, but the truth of the matter is that there are repercussions from anything we do. It is like Newton’s third law, to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction