Well, this class is going to be great. Yay, learning!
I'm excited about taking this class for a number of reasons. First, it is taught by (seriously) one of my favorite teachers. Second, some of my friends are in it with me. Third, the rest of the people in class seem pretty awesome and I can't wait to get to know them all
Fourth and fifth are my goals that I want to reach through this class: Fourth, I want to learn to communicate effectively with everyone. My ideal career goal has variety of perspectives in which communicating with people from other cultures will be of great value. So, one of my goals for this class is to soak up as much information as possible and learn to apply it appropriately.
Fifth, I have two WONDERFUL nephews ages 8 and 3. They are both autistic to a degree so communication with them is difficult at times. Actually, I find it challenging to converse with children in general so being with my nephews can especially tax me not just intellectually but emotionally as well. In every day functioning I am confident in my communication skills. But when I interact with my nephews I realize just how limited I truly am. I'm limited to communicating with people who are my peers, or who share my level of intelligence, or my religion or economic background, educational level, etc. I'm LIMITED! And that is incredibly emotionally frustrating. Therefore, my second goal of this class is to expand my communicational skills to people not like myself. I want to spend time with my nephews and make them smile. I want to give them what they need to feel loved and accepted. Most importantly, I want to enable their success as they grow within the world.
In class last night we watched a video which introduced us to general ideas and concepts relating to communication between cultures. I liked the video because it showed just how easy it is to have an assuming manner towards others or make quick judgments about them based on appearance alone. It showed that members of society whose cultures recognizably differ from someone else's can be tolerant of others' mistakes and accepting of their questions regarding that which is unknown to them. It also showed that, even though it can be difficult, communication is the key to understanding and until understanding is achieved, people mostly just walk around either confused or hurt and usually both.
So, I'm intrigued by the introduction and am ready to dive in to the rest of the course! You can't be successful without other people and the more people you have, the more successful you can be.
Until next week!
Kara
Good honestly, Kara. After reading this, I may alter on of our topics a bit. I might try to bring in something on abilities/disabilities. I think that even in our own class it would be interesting to talk about the limits that people have.
ReplyDeleteGood points, Kara.
ReplyDeleteWe've a history of underestimating the impact of culture on communication.
Ernest Becker ("The Denial of Death") developed the reality that all culture rises out of our personal necessity to cope with Generative Death Anxiety.
Becker's students demonstrated the "stages" cultures (and individual representatives of those cultures) go through as they interact and have their cultural coping mechanisms challenged.
1) Ignore the challenge
2) Convert the challengers
3) Assimilate the challengers (both sides compromise
4) Annihilate the challengers
Info here:
http://ernestbecker.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=9:audio-materials&layout=blog&Itemid=32
and here: (especially customer reviews)
http://www.amazon.com/Wake-11-Psychology-Terror/dp/1557989540/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295010845&sr=1-2
I was touched by your insight into your nephews' autism. And I am remarkably pleased with your desire to not only show and give them your love, but also to teach, facilitate and assist their development as productive beings, ready and able to build, grow, do and be.
ReplyDeleteThe wind is under your wings, Kara.