1/ SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONGeorge Herbert Mead

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory makes sense in that there are many things we put meaning to that then become symbolic or a reality to each of us. And when something becomes a symbolic interaction, it is generally accepted by everyone as having that same symbolism or meaning. Or there are times when we create our own reality from others perceptions of us as well.

Entry 1:

I can remember being in High school in the early 90’s and some of the girls had “promise rings” from their boyfriends. They had been dating for a while and it was not quite an engagement, but pretty much getting there. If someone had a ring like that, then it meant the relationship was pretty serious. Or as serious as could be for High school I guess.

Entry 2:

Another similar type symbol was when a girl had a “purity ring.” Most girls from church seemed to have those or girls who wanted to show their moral standpoint. This standpoint meant that they wanted to keep their virginity until marriage and the ring was a symbol and reminder that they would remain that way.

…For both of these examples it was a symbolic interaction for the culture and place of that time for us in High school. I’m sure not everyone would view it that way all over the place. Some people who didn’t view the symbolism the same way for these rings would just see them at face value, only rings.

Entry 3:

Another part of this theory relates to the voices we have in our minds of how others view us. I know that even as an adult now, I always have my grandmother’s voice in my mind critiquing the decisions that I make. For example, quitting a job a while back, I could hear her say, “Well that’s not something I would do, I can’t believe you’re going to walk away. This makes you look bad.” When in reality, it was a bad situation and it actually was a much healthier decision for me to leave, rather than for me to stay just to save face in front of others for what they might think.

2/ EXPECTANCY VIOLATION THEORY Judee Burgoon

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

I can totally relate to this theory in that we all have certain personal spatial zones we don’t want people to overstep. Most of us call it “personal space.” In learning about this theory in class it was interesting to note the specific measurements of space depending on the relationship of the person or people surrounding you. Most people would never think of the differences, but it really is very true. Intimate people can stand much closer without causing someone to get freaked out versus a complete stranger moving in as close would most definitely freak someone out. There was a really wide range of measurement of course between those particular two; from 0-18 inches to 10 feet out or more! Also noting that familiarity of people caused either a positive or negative reward valance was true.

Entry 4:

This clearly shows the middle girl’s personal space being invaded, as the accepted measurement is generally 18 inches to 4 feet. Obviously she knows the other girls or otherwise her state of arousal would be high and she would be freaking out.

If she did not know them, I am sure she would not allow them to be this close to her face!

(Friend’s picture from Facebook)

Entry 5:

I also remember having a foreign classmate at one time who used to stand right up in my face (intimate space!) I couldn’t stand it. I finally told her to back up and she got offended, but I explained I’m just not used to that and it made me uncomfortable! She was still upset, but o’well. That was definitely a negative reward valence because we were not that close of friends.3/ SEMIOTICS

Roland Barthes~ HUMANISTIC ~

Learning about symbols and how easily their meaning can change dependent on time frame and culture was educational for me. I never thought about these things before. Signs are very much a part of our culture and the connotations related to them can go from historical meaning to mythical meaning. The signified

objects can be anything physical, to ribbon color, to a hand gesture. The signifier is how that object is defined in its time and place of culture.

Entry 6: “Christian” Fish Symbol (Ichthys)

The preceding article, found online, was interesting in realizing that this fish (the signified object) went from it’s historical meaning of being used by pagans to mean fertility or birth to becoming a signifier for Christians at a later time in history when they used it to recognize each other while being persecuted. I never knew this.

4/ SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORYIrwin Altman & Dalmas Taylor

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

I found this theory to be very relevant to our day-to-day relationships. It’s easy to believe you know someone just by having a lengthy conversation with them, however I was glad to learn that the depth and breadth of that conversation plus other factors is really what determines whether or not you “know” someone.

Entry 7: Scene from Shrekhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bMcXVe8zIs

In this scene from Shrek, Donkey is trying to get to know Shrek better and thinks he knows him quite well already. Shrek begins to explain that he is complicated and tells Donkey that he is like an onion with layers. This was a great example from this theory regarding self-disclosure. Shrek only tells him Donkey so much about himself but doesn’t seem to reach any depth within his “onion” layers. Donkey knows some breadth (surface things) about Shrek from having spent time with him but he is not even close to knowing everything about Shrek. Donkey would probably say that they are good friends but they have a lot more to learn about each other.

Entry 8: Dating

Another example is when you’ve been in a relationship with someone and the different stages you go through from beginning to end. In the beginning there is

reciprocity with self-disclosure but then as you begin to either grow or start feeling like it’s coming to a halt…the breadth and depth factors change depending on how it’s going. One person may reveal a lot of depth while the other still keeps their personal history, secrets, attitudes, and values to themselves for the most part. The self-disclosed person may feel really close to the other but in reality it’s just not the case unless more “onion” layers peel back.

5/ SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORYJohn Thibaut & Harold Kelley

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

Costs – Rewards = Outcome. Most people weigh out their relationships by how much they get out of them. If the relationship makes them happy (rewards) and the happy feelings are greater than what it cost to actually be in the relationship, then they will stay put. However if the cost of being in the relationship is greater than the reward or happiness they feel they get from it, then they will look for other options that make them feel better and they will leave the relationship. CL, which is the comparison level, is how they gauge the outcome of what they will decide. Sometimes there is also an alternative CL involved with decision-making. This comes into play with abusive relationships. Even when someone is in a high cost and low reward relationship they will tend to stay because they feel anything would be better than nothing…so they have to be able to see that there are other better options if they leave a bad relationship via a comparison level alternative (CLalt).

Entry 9/10: “Enough” Movie with ending song. (Jennifer Lopez)http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jenniferlopez/alive.html

This movie is a perfect example of the Social Exchange Theory including the CLalt! “Slim” finds herself in a very abusive relationship. When it first begins everything seems great and the costs of being the relationship are minimal with outstanding rewards! Her husband whoos her and gets her a beautiful home and she get pregnant and everything is “perfect.” Then she discovers he cheats often and he becomes abusive. For a while she remains in the relationship because she doesn’t

think there are any better options for her and her child other than to stay. She is too afraid to go until finally her friends help convince her it’s time to get out. Because she gets this help (CLalt) and she sees

that she actually might be better off free from him and safe with her kid…then she finally leaves. The song lyrics are the part of the movie at the end. She was lucky to have made it out “Alive” with the help of her friends.

6/ RELATIONAL DIALECTICSLeslie Baxter & Barbara Montgomery

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory was great to review and learn about the “normalcy” of tensions that can occur with being in a relationship! We all have our individual selves but yet desire to be connected with others as well. So, in romantic relationships this absolutely makes more sense now. There are moments when and individual needs just that…autonomy. And then there are moments when a person just needs and wants to feel connected with another.

Entry 11: Personal Experience

I can attest to the proof of this theory having lived out my most recent romantic relationship and break up. There were times when I absolutely loved being with him and then there were times when I missed just being on my own and doing things “my way.” I’ve been on my own for years so I see it’s natural now to have a desire for both sides of this “coin.” I believe it’s healthy to have both. As much as you want to connect with someone, you also need time to just work on and have time with yourself as an individual. Time to reflect, think, and grow. I believe that is healthy and keeps a good relationship going because you always have even more to offer after having had some time to refresh yourself. The break up showed me this even more so. I spent almost every weekend with this person, and now I have time to just do things on my own that make me happy. I miss this person, but I also see that it’s good to have time apart. Next time I will have a better grasp of dealing with this balance.

7/ CONSTRUCTIVISMJesse Dalia

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory was a bit difficult for me to grasp for some reason…but I gather from what I read about the person-centered messages that each of us has a certain level of cognitive reasoning that allows us to judge and respond to people/situations accordingly. Some people are better able to asses what is happening in a certain situation and can come up with better responses to handle the said situations than maybe others would with less cognitive comprehension.

Entry 12: Text page 104 example

I really valued this example of Laura that was told in our text. She was able to recollect personal experience and also pair that with her cognitive level of thought processing in order to give a very sound response to her boss that was that was

giving unwelcome advances towards her. I like that in those short moments of her reasoning how to reply to him…she was able to salvage her job and save face for both she and her boss in the way that she responded to his unwelcome advances. I agree with the author that most people would be bothered by her response and would probably have told the man “where to go,” but she was able to stay calm and keep rationality over emotion to give a wise and healthy response in the given situation.

8/ UNCERTAINTY REDUCTION THEORYCharles Berger

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory deals with axioms and theorems about how people deal with each other when getting to know each other. Upon meeting a new person, you generally don’t go up to them and ask personal questions (axiom 6) because that would be inappropriate. If the person knew you already it would not be as bad, but when they don’t know you at all and you ask deep questions, then they will just be “creeped” out by you. Axioms 5, 7, and 8 deal with reciprocity, liking, and shared networks; this is relevant in the fact that if you are comfortable with someone it will produce high levels of reciprocity in communicating with each other; if you like the person you will be also be more receptive and not as uncertain or closed off toward them; and lastly if you have shared networks, there is more trust to be applied because you share a commonality on which to communicate. If none of these axioms are present in a good way then the opposite applies; you will have less certainty about the person you are getting to know and will not be as receptive.

Entry 13: Scene of Hitch and Sarah from the movie “Hitch”.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnxojUcLBoU

This was a great scene showing both aspects of this theory. At first another man approaches Sarah with some really goofy pick up lines at this bar. Because of the way he does this, she does not reciprocate, does not necessarily like, and has a heightened sense of uncertainty. Next comes Hitch who approaches her in a much more appropriate, mysterious, and congenial manner. Because of how he does this he catches her attention in a more positive way and she lowers her sense of uncertainty and begins to respond with more certainty and reciprocation.

9/ SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING THEORYJoseph Walther

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory is based on computer-mediated communication (CMC), which is text-based messages that filter out most nonverbal cues. This theory basically states that people can still achieve high levels of intimacy and getting to know one another through self-disclosure just as well through computer communication as they would be able to in a face to face speaking situation.

Entry 14: Personal Experience

I believe this is true. Self-disclosure can sometimes become hyperpsersonal though as the text suggests on page 143. Because the communication is all written and you have more time to think of responses to messages, it does make it easier to self-disclose more than people normally do when meeting face to face. The pace seems to go quicker which makes you wonder how legitimate this way of communicating is. On the other hand, depending on perspective, sometimes this way of communicating is easier for people and becoming close quickly may not be such a bad thing. I have done online dating/meeting people and it is most definitely a different dynamic from just meeting someone in person. It’s almost a backwards process. When you meet in person, you usually take more time to self-disclose. When you meet online you have the freedom to think and really create your messages with less boundaries because there is no one actually in your face. So it can feel like a backwards process of communicating in that you become close quickly but then meet and feel like you’re not sure if you really do know each other because the physical presence is different than what you have built up in your mind. Whereas if you meet in person, it seems to build slowly and then grows into something bigger at a general pace of communication.

10/ SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORYMuzafer Sherif

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory has a lot of facets to it in my opinion. There are latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and non-commitment, which are a base measurement as to how an individual will receive or reject or not care about ideas/topics that are presented to them. Each of us has an anchor that we make these “judgments” or determinations from. In other words, our personal experiences help determine which latitude we will choose. In addition to personal experiences we also have filters that can make us lean closer toward or further from our anchor point. These filters include ego-involvement, assimilation, contrast, and the boomerang effect. If someone is ego involved, they are usually extremely passionate about an issue so much so that join groups to show their judgments on the topic. When people are in contrast to a topic they are judging the message as being further from their

anchor point than it actually is. The opposite is true with assimilation; people are judging the message as being closer to their anchor point than it actually is. When boomerang effect occurs, someone is so fed up with the extreme verbiage or focus of a message that it pushes him or her even further away from the message rather than persuade his or her acceptance of the message.

Entry 15: Personal Experience

I had to purchase a car and was a first time buyer. Instead of feeling persuaded by the sales pitch I was pushed further away from wanting to buy a car which resulted in a boomerang effect for the salesman who was trying to persuade me.

11/ ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODELRichard Petty & John Cacioppo

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory focuses on how messages are presented via a central route or a peripheral route. If the message is central is more detailed and allows time for longer thought process when making a decision or taking in the message. If the message is peripheral it is like a mental shortcut to cause persuasion so someone will have an impulse or quick reaction to the message when making decision or taking it in.

Entry 16: Sales Ad (Peripheral Route)

Entry 17: Peripheral Route Personal Experience

When I have gone to home make-up / skincare parties like Mary Kay products or Arbonne products, I almost always end up making impulse buys in the excitement of the moment because these one of a kind products are only on super discount the day of the party and can’t be bought anywhere else or in a regular store! If I thought about it realistically, I’m sure I could find valid options that were just as good or better and not as expensive.

Entry 18: Article from CNN health. (Central more elaborated route)http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/31/study-eat-7-servings-of-fruit-veggies-daily/

12/ FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVERandy Hirokawa & Dennis Gouran

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory is generally used for decision-making and problem-solving groups. It is based on four functions: Problem Analysis, Goal Setting, Identification of Alternatives, and evaluation of positives & negatives. It also uses FOICS (Function Oriented Interaction Coding System). This system helps determine by verbal utterances whether someone will be a promotive, disruptive, or counteractive influence for a group.

Entry 19: Article on a study of eight firms in the microcomputer industry.http://amj.aom.org/content/31/4/737.short

13 /CULTURAL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONSClifford Geertz & Michael Pacanowsky

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory talks about how organizations do not “have” a culture, they “are” a culture. The theorists use ethnography (observation) to interpret stories, rites, and other symbolism to make sense of corporate culture. I can see where this has been evident in a few different places where I have worked. Ethnographers use thick description, very detailed observation to explain what an organization’s culture really is. Symbolic interpretive stories are a tool used to explain the culture as well as metaphors and rituals (“rites of passage”).

Entry 20: Industrial Piping, Inc. (Current workplace)

This company is a culture of people who value and promote quality, safety, and great service regarding the works of mechanical processes. Basically they create, design, and build all sorts of containers, piping, etc. for huge warehouses and manufacturing companies. If they were to tell you a symbolic story it would be a thick description of a particular job they designed and built (i.e building a production line that helps weave rugs together or helping produce mechanical production lines for the Ralph Lauren Clothing Company.) In particular I have witnessed the ritual culture here at this company with trying to format a few forms differently. Change is hard for them and does not come about easily! I was told, “You can’t change something that has been done the same way for 50 years!” I believe in time a manager could be an agent of change here but it would be at a slow moving pace.

14/ CRITICAL THEORY APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONSStanley Deetz

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory was really eye opening and interesting to me. It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about but yet it’s extremely relevant to everyday life! Corporations really do have a lot to do with how our reality is shaped and the way we think about certain topics. We often just believe whatever we are told without even realizing it. Media is definitely a tool used by corporations to feed society suggestions and ideas on how to contemplate things in life. Upon viewing the example of the movie scene from “Erin Brockovich,” I was able to better grasp the meaning of managerialism and the unwitting allegiance to covert control. This led me to my example of the Enron Scandal.

Entry 21: The Enron Scandal…summarized in an article.http://finance.laws.com/enron-scandal-summary

An ENRON Scandal Summary

The ENRON Scandal is considered to be one of the most notorious within American history; an ENRON scandal summary of events is considered by many historians and economists alike to have been an unofficial blueprint for a case study on White Collar Crime – White Collar Crime is defined as non-violent, financially-based criminal activity typically undertaken within a setting in which its participants retain advanced education with regard to employment that is considered to be prestigious. The following took place in the midst of the ENRON Scandal:

ENRON Scandal Summary: The Deregulation of ENRON

While the term regulation within a commercial and corporate setting typically applied to the government’s ability to regulate and authorize commercial activity and behavior with regard to individual businesses, the ENRON executives applied for – and were subsequently granted – government deregulation. As a result of this declaration of deregulation, ENRON executives were permitted to maintain agency over the earnings reports that were released to investors and employees alike.

This agency allowed for ENRON’s earning reports to be extremely skewed in nature – losses were not illustrated in their entirety, prompting more and more investments on the part of investors wishing to partake in what seemed like a profitable company

ENRON Scandal Summary: Misrepresentation

By misrepresenting earnings reports while continuing to enjoy the revenue provided by the investors not privy to the true financial condition of ENRON, the executives of ENRON embezzled funds funneling in from investments while reporting fraudulent earnings to those investors; this not only proliferated more investments from current stockholders, but also attracted new investors desiring the enjoy the apparent financial gains enjoyed by the ENRON corporation.

ENRON Scandal Summary: Fraudulent Energy Crisis

In the year 2000, subsequent to the discovery of the crimes listed in the above ENRON Scandal Summary, ENRON had announced that there was a critical circumstance within California with regard to the supply of Natural Gas. Due to the fact the ENRON was a then-widely respected corporation, the general populace were not wary about the validity of these statements.

However, upon retroactive review, many historians and economists suspect that the ENRON executives manufactured this crisis in preparation of the discovery of the fraud they had committed – although the executives of ENRON were enjoying the funds rendered from investments, the corporation itself was approaching bankruptcy.

ENRON Scandal Summary: Embezzlement

An ENRON Scandal Summary of the acts of Embezzlement undertaken by ENRON Executives may be defined as the criminal activity involving the unlawful and unethical attainment of monies and funding by employees; typically, funds that are embezzled are intended for company use in lieu of personal use. While the ENRON executives were pocketing the investment funds from unsuspecting investors, those funds were being stolen from the company, which resulted in the bankruptcy of the company.

ENRON Scandal Summary: Losses and Consequences

Due to the actions of the ENRON executives, the ENRON Company went bankrupt. The loss sustained by investors exceeded $70 billion. Furthermore, these actions cost both trustees and employees upwards of $2 billion; this total is considered to be a result of misappropriated investments, pension funds, stock options, and savings plans – as a result of the government regulation and the limited liability status of the ENRON Corporation, only a small amount of the money lost was ever returned.

15/ NARRATIVE PARADIGMWalter Fisher

~ HUMANISTIC ~

I really enjoyed learning about this theory; probably because I love stories and storytelling. I do often use these tools, coherence and fidelity to judge my social reality, as I believe most people do. I liked hearing the examples of your daughter as well and how you could tell she was fibbing by the fact that the characters in the story did not behave in a reliable manner. I think Walter Fisher was really in tune with how we tend to communicate through narrative paradigms and shifting

paradigms from a rational world to a narrative one. This is probably why movies, songs, tales, etc. are so engaging to us in general. It helps to make sense of things or decide if it’s just BS.

Entry 22: Song Lyrics by Francesca Battistelli (Christian Music Artist)

Entry 23: Using My Testimony As a Christian

I have had many opportunities to share my personal story with how I decided to believe in Jesus Christ and give my heart to him. Paradigm Shift is so relevant to this context when I share! Of course some people believe in this type of faith and others do not. So I can see where a person listening to me is definitely going to use their experience, perspectives, and values to decide whether or not my story rings true or has fidelity. Then they can shift the information I have given them from a rational to a narrative thought process in which to decide if they will choose to believe this faith or not.

16/ CULTIVATION THEORY

George Gerbner~ DETERMINISTIC ~

In a nutshell this theory claims that t.v. cultivates or promotes a view of social reality that is inaccurate, but that viewers assume reflects real life. Synthetic reality of t.v. shapes heavy viewers’ attitudes and beliefs about the real world. Some specific examples of this type of shaping are: Resonance – the extent to which something is congruent with personal experience and Mean World Syndrome – belief that the world is a dangerous place, full of selfish mean people who cannot be trusted and who are likely to harm us.

Entry 24: My resonance from t.v. or movies.

Anytime I have watched a movie or t.v. show having to do with children that have issues with their parents, especially unknown parents, I definitely deal with resonance. I can’t think of a specific movie at the moment but I know that when I watch such a scene or scenario, my emotions get triggered from my personal experience of having not met my biological mother until I was in 6th grade! I never knew her and always wondered about her. When I did finally meet her, I almost wished that I just would have never know her. So when movies or shows portray emotional scenes with people struggling with these types of issues I cry and I remember and I am affected.

Entry 25: Romanticism (Similar to Mean World Syndrome)

I completely understand the example of Mean World Syndrome but more so see it in view of romanticism in movies! Instead of believing in the world being a dangerous place, people tend to believe that every romance is a fairy tale, which is not the case! Shows and movies portray love stories as being so full of passion and perfect moments with less problems that reality is definitely skewed when it comes to thinking about relationships. People end up thinking that if their relationship is not a fairy tale like story then it’s not valid…this of course is NOT reality and untrue. There are many great relationships that face struggles and come out strong because of them. I believe the greater reality is that people figure out the greatest romances don’t have to be fairy tales; they just need to be true stories of persons who struggle through challenges and end up deeper in love and more connected than any character in a fairy tale romance!

VS.

17/ SPIRAL OF SILENCEElizabeth Noelle- Nuemann

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory is definitely applicable to many social situations. People don’t want to be isolated or go against public opinion. In situations where an individual might have a different opinion that goes against the majority they tend to remain silent rather than have people ostracize them because they believe differently on a subject. Media contributes to SOS because it is repetitious of a single point of view

regarding a subject and everyone wants to be accepted so they end up staying quiet if they have a difference of opinion. They do not want to be standing out like sore thumb.

Entry 26: Personal Experience

When Obama ran for president I definitely found myself in instances where I did succumb to the Spiral of Silence, especially if people who really wanted to vote for him surrounded me. Usually I feel pretty good about speaking up and if someone had asked my opinion I probably would have said something but otherwise…it was just best to keep quiet most of the time. I’m sure because of my silence that people just thought I agreed even though I really did not.

18/ AGENDA SETTING THEORYMaxwell McCombs & Donald Shaw

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

Media tells us what to think about and how to think about it. Items move from the news to the public agenda where they end up being the central focus of everything media oriented. Basically media dictates what the public should be talking about.

Entry 27: Casey Anthony Trial (Young woman believed to have murdered her 2-year-old child) http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crime/casey- anthony-PECLB004341.topic.

This story was all you would hear about or see on t.v. for months. Other people have done horrendous crimes too but in the heat of the moment it’s the only thing that the media focuses on and therefore we the public do as well. You can tell by the article dates & pictures below it was definitely placed on the public agenda via media.

19/ FACE NEGOTIATION THEORYStella Ting-Toomey

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory makes sense and shows the differences of how a collectivist culture handles conflict and thinks about it as opposed to how an individualistic culture handles conflict and thinks about it.

Entry 28: 300 Rise of An Empire Movie Scene… This is a link to an actress describing the scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70LujOefKLs

There is a scene in the movie where a war general named Themistocles wants to collectively join Greece to fight the Persian Empire who had just killed 300 of Sparta’s finest warriors. The Queen of Sparta is very much of an individualistic cultural mindset that anything done from Sparta will ONLY be FOR and about Sparta no matter what. Eventually she changes her mind almost at the end of the movie, but I see this theory in action between the two cultural views even though they are both from Greece and it is not an Asian collective culture versus an Individualistic American culture.

20/ SPEECH CODESGerry Philipsen

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theorist explores the different types of vernacular and speech codes throughout the “English” language. He studies a community outside of Chicago, IL which he calls “Teamsterville.” He also studies a community near Santa Barbara, CA which he calls “Nacirema.” There are a list of propositions related to this theory that help exlain the differences and effects of speech codes in different communities. In studying the online lesson I found the “code switching” clip to be very helpful.

Entry 29: Personal Experience

Upon moving from the West Coast to the East Coast here in Charlotte, I definitely had some culture shock in a few different ways, but one of those ways was with speech codes! The way Ebonics and Southern English are used on the East Coast if very different from the speech codes used on the West Coast. There are definitely different euphemisms and colloquialisms between the two! The most blatantly obvious one is the Southern English “Ya’ll wanna do something?” and the West Coast English, “Would all of you like to do something?” Makes me giggle.

21/ MUTED GROUP THEORY Cheris Kramarae

~ HUMANISTIC ~

This theory uses explanations of masculine bias, different experiences, and social construction to show the power differential between men and women in language uses. Men typically are the ones to name thought processes or how things are thought of and sometimes women don’t know how to talk about something in the same way because of this. It is called muted group theory because this type of perspective with the bias of men tends to mute women’s’ voices.

Entry 30: Clip from t.v. show “Mad Men,” this illustrates the facets of masculine bias, different experiences and social construction very well.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCs7IXonOIA

This is based on a 1960’s advertising agency and its environment / relationships.

22/ STANDPOINT THEORYSandra Harding & Julia Wood

~ DETERMINISTIC ~

This theory talks about how people view the world depending on their standpoint (where they were raised, how they were brought up, their own personal experiences, whether they are high class or lower class individuals). The theorists believe that females have the best worldview perspective because they see things and situations from the bottom upwards. Whereas, richer, higher class people, especially males may not have as clear of a view from their own perspective which is top looking downwards. Their views tend to be a bit more distorted as they are not exposed to the same experiences as lower class persons are.

Entry 31: Scene from the movie “Crash”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QXyyj1RiCE

This scene shows two black males and one complaining about their treatment from a black female waitress because of the way they think she possibly “views them.” The higher-class couple later in the scene walking toward them brings up another perspective of how the white higher-class female tends to stiffen up upon viewing them and this is probably because of her worldview and stereotype of how lower class black men are.