Interpersonal Communication Terms

Provide feedback (reply) to at least two of your fellow class members to continue the discussion for each chapter. Your initial posting should be should be at least one paragraph for each reply. reply to these answers (agree or disagree and use interpersonal comm terms and ideas in the answer)4 questions so 4 repliesthis is the text: Wood, J. T. (2016). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781285445830chapter 2:Q2.2. In your textbook it defines a SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY by stating, “One particularly powerful way in which communication shapes the self is self-fulfilling prophecy, which occurs when we act in ways that bring about expectations or judgments about us.”. Do you agree with this statement? Why/why not? How do the labels/expectations we place upon ourselves (or others place upon us) affect the way we behave and act? Give an example.I happen to agree with this statement. The reason I agree is due to the fact that our behavior, in many circumstances, is based on our expectations of ourselves and sometimes is managed by the judgement of others. Therefore, the entire concept of the self-fulfilling process is absolutely a strong way that shapes communication and ourselves. One mere sentence from someone else can effect how one acts afterwards. For instance, if one was to introduce a person to someone and described them as outgoing and generous, that someone would most likely go in with a happier attitude and perhaps be more open with them. However, if the person was described as rude and obnoxious, that someone would probably have their doubts and act in a timid way towards the other.The labels/expectations we place upon ourselves affect the way we behave and act because we expect to live up to those exact labels and expectations. Whether we like it or not, words have a great impact. Which ultimately brings forth the discussion of stereotypes. Stereotypes, regardless of if they are true or not, shape our mindsets. An example would be the cliche stereotype of how women are seen as “weaker” than men. So if someone were having trouble lifting a heavy item, there is a good chance that person would look for a man to assist them. Which, of course, is due to the way society has molded our outlooks on certain groups of individuals over the years.Another example would be if a teacher told a student that they were one of the smartest students in the class, it would theoretically enable them to feel good about themselves and encourage them to work harder on future assignments. Unfortunately, that label could also negatively affect that student. If there were a time where the student receives a bad grade on a test or turns in an assignment late, it could reshape the teacher’s view of the student and how the student views themselves. They could begin to think that maybe they are not the smartest student in the class and as a result, end up showing less effort towards their schoolwork. But on another note, it could motivate them to work harder. Overall, it depends on how we handle the multitudes of labels and expectations we place upon ourselves and if we decide to let it make us or break us.Q2.3. Discuss the idea of race. You may want to reread the section on race and identity in this chapter. What is race? Is race a useful way to classify people? Why or why not? Do you think the Census Bureau should allow people to check multiple races to define themselves?Race is the characterization of people based on their physical features and traits. As an example, East Asians is a racial group defined by prominent characteristics such as epicanthic folds – also known as monolids –  and dark hair. In addition, a large majority of East Asians are also lactose intolerant and a sizeable percentage experience the flushing of the skin when consuming alcohol. This is contrasted from Caucasians, who have a high percentage of those who can digest lactose and very little who experience a flush reaction to alcohol.Race can be a useful way to classify people, as one’s racial background is often tied down to their ethnic background. A majority of East Asians come from countries within the Sinosphere, or the East Asian cultural sphere, which share similar cultural features, such as using chopsticks as their primary form of eating utensil and have a Confucianist outlook on society and the world. However, race is not everything. Despite Korean and Chinese cultures being similar, there are differences between the two that would go unnoticed if one were to categorize both Koreans and the Chinese as similar “East Asian”. In addition, children of 3rd generation and beyond immigrants may associate themselves more with the country they currently live in than that of their ancestral homeland. So while race can be helpful at getting a general idea of someone’s cultural background, there are flaws when one exclusively bases their idea of a person based on their raceI believe that the Census Bureau should allow people to check multiple races to define themselves. There are countless interracial families in our global world that would make forcibly classifying individuals as one race very inaccurate to one’s background. Indeed, there are exist racial categorizations for individuals of mixed ancestry, such as Mulatto and creole.chapter 3Q3.1. Think of two situations: one in which you perceive that the majority of people are like you (same sex, race, sexual orientation, age) and one in which you perceive that you are a minority. How does your sense of being a majority or minority influence your perceptions of others who are present?Being a 19-year-old bisexual woman of Latina descent, there is not a whole not of my everyday scenarios where the majority of people around me are just like me. The one place where the vast majority of people were like me was at the 2019 Pride Parades I went to in Norfolk, Virginia. Although there were people of all races, ages, sex, and such, I still never felt like I belonged somewhere like that. I made many friends who were just like me.One place I feel the most like a minority is actually in my own neighborhood. I have not found people in my neighborhood who looks like me. My neighborhood is very cookie cutter and I definitely do not belong in a place where it is not very diverse. Going from being in a place where I am comfortable versus where I am not too comfortable, I know I would rather be in a place where there is a little bit of everything rather than just one kind of thing.Q3.3. Identify a situation where stereotypes (as schemata used in organizing perceptions) are useful and helpful in a communication situation. Next, identify a situation where that same stereotype becomes unproductive and perhaps damaging.Communication about career choices can be positively or negatively affected by societal stereotypes. The stereotype that women are good with children and are made to take care of children as their primary job can aid the conversation when someone has the intention of becoming a teacher. The stereotype can be perceived as supportive in conversation instead of in the manner of misogyny and sexism. If you make this generalization that all women are good with children it comes as an affirmation that that women can be good at that job.On the other hand, if a woman decides that she wants to pursue a different career field like engineering people might tell her that she shouldn’t. If they base the stereotype on the fact that she should stick to working with children instead of engineering it could come off as demeaning. It becomes damaging to the conversation because often women are looked over and ignored in their wishes to do work outside their womanly duty. It also makes the conversation unproductive because you have shot down the idea of her alternate career before she even got the chance to prove that she was capable.In both situations the stereotype is negative and in my opinion, hinders the relationship. Even though the conversation was not halted the conversation doesn’t mean that the act of using stereotypes is not wrong. Stereotyping people is making an assumption that is usually negative and often untrue. Stereotypes are not based on any information directly related to the person the assumption is about. Even though this stereotype might be how someone perceives you that isn’t always an accurate reflection. For example, it uses to be a stereotype that all black people were lazy. This is not only an unfair assumption or generalization but it oftentimes is not true.