Yanel Orozco - Group Presentation 1,000 Word Blog

 

Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication

    Culture is a beautiful thing. I find it to be interesting how different cultures share different values, for example, some find certain things to be unjust, evil, or taboo, while others view them as normal or natural. It all depends on where you live in the world. Values are an important thing in culture, they are the base of a culture, however, those values are sometimes not held. The United States Constitution, for example, holds ideal values, such as the promise of freedom, equality, and opportunities for all. However, these ideal values are broken by real values, which guide actual behavior. People in the United States are not offered equality, and equal rights because they are treated unfairly due to race, sex, ethnicity, age, disability, or sexual orientation. In today’s society, it can be difficult to achieve full equality and freedom for all due to the different ways in which people perceive the world and how we were taught growing up. Cultures differ drastically, meaning communication between cultures can be challenging, this is known as intercultural communication. To become an effective intercultural communicator, one must learn how to understand and identify a culture, how cultures differ from one another, and finally, realize how those differences influence communication. The United States is a multicultural society filled with people from all over the world who immigrate or are descendants of earlier immigrants. Because everyone has different customs, norms, and values, a disruption can make us feel anxious. Engaging in new unfamiliar cultures can cause cultural shock. An example is Koreatown in Los Angeles, California. Koreatown is everything you would see in Korea from the food to the signs written in Korean, just located in California. This place might come as a shock for those who are not familiar with or used to Korean Culture. Over time, culture in the United States has evolved. Before the 1960s, the dominating culture in the U.S reflected the values of white, Western European-English speaking, protestant, heterosexual men. It was expected for those immigrating to the United States to adapt to these values. It was unfair and unjust, no one should be forced to adapt to a new culture and leave their culture behind. Over time though, diversity within the United States became more acceptable. People could embrace and share their cultures with others. Those who respected and embraced other cultures are known as bicultural. Over time, diverse cultures became more accepted, and people started to embrace who they were.

                                             

 

Chapter 9: Communicating in Groups

   It is important to effectively communicate in groups. This can be connected to culture, where communication is key and so is respect for one another. There are multiple types of groups out there, for example, your family. A family can generate a sense of home through communication, group identity, history, and future. Families can be described, for most, as their main type of group. We mainly go to our families for emotional support, which is why the relationship we have with our families, whether it’s good or bad, determines our quality of life.  A theory used by scholars that study families state how families typically function using one of four patterns. The first one being “protective families”, in which issues are not discussed and the family authority makes the decisions. People raised in this family converse less and turn to authority more. Second, we have “consensual families”, in which all members engage in conversation, but a family authority still makes the final decision. Those born in consensual families typically converse good and deal with a variety of topics. Third, we have pluralistic families, in which all members engage in conversation and cooperatively come to a decision. Those raised in pluralistic families enjoy conversations on issues and take part in decision-making. Finally, we have “laissez-faire families”, in which each member makes their own decision and is responsible for the consequences. Those born in this family participate in group conversation but individually make decisions. There is the possibility that there are other types of family patterns, but those four are the ones mainly studied. Moving on to other types of groups: Social groups, support groups, and interest groups. These types of groups mainly focus on the well-being of others within the group, and they may share common interests and hobbies. Service groups and workgroups and teams, generally work together for a result that can benefit others or those within the group. For example, service groups perform hands-on charitable works, thus, benefiting others. Both groups generally work together for a common goal. Virtual groups are groups in which members meet via technology. A commonly used app for this is “Zoom”, which has become popular in recent years due to the Covid- 19 pandemic and social distancing. Communicating in virtual groups is beneficial for those who can’t meet at a certain location at the same time for reasons, such as, long-distance. Conflicts may occur in groups due to poor communication. An example is pseudo-conflict, in which group members who agree about something believe they disagree, due to poor communication. Other group conflicts include Issue related group conflict, in which the group's goals, ideas, or opinions are incompatible. Many types of conflicts can occur within groups, which is why it is important to know and understand the key components that go into having “Healthy Groups”. Healthy groups contain group members with an ethical goal in mind. It contains group members who can respect each other and be open to new ideas. Communication is the main factor in a healthy group. Proper communication builds trust between colleagues, helps group members work together effectively, and helps group members come to final decisions.

    

Chapter 10: Group Leadership & Problem Solving

    There are many types of roles each group member plays. Starting with leadership, one important
factor in a group. Usually, there is a main leader within a group that oversees the group's process, but there could also be other leaders in specific areas. Maintenance roles help the group maintain positive working relationships and cohesion. Within maintenance, roles are supporters and interpreters whose jobs are to help members understand each other and encourage them to give opinions. Procedural roles include logistic coordinators whose purpose is to provide the group members with the needed supplies and equipment. Recorders play an important role in meetings. They take notes of group decisions and evidence upon which they are based. This makes it easier for members in the groups to keep track of what previous meetings were about. In groups, one must know about systematic problem solving, which includes six steps. Step 1: identifying the problem and defining it so that all group members understand. Step 2: analyzing the problem. Step 3: having a blueprint for evaluating and judging solutions. Step 4: having a variety of solutions to choose from. Step 5: evaluating solutions and deciding on which one’s works best. The final step is implementing the solution. There are different ways in which groups can communicate solutions, such as, through written format, oral formats and virtual formats. Overall, the most effective way to reach a certain goal when working in groups is through communication and understanding each other.