Relfection - Myrna Guerrier

 Myrna Guerrier

SPC 1017

January 30,2022   

REFLECTION

     Plenty of people struggles with communication. Although the communication process can be difficult, I learned in chapter three that we communicate based on our culture. The purpose of chapter three is to study the ways in which culture and communication connect by examining the enduring influence of culture on perception and communication. As the chapter begins, it introduces some of the basic concepts of culture and several ways in which it differs. As a system of values, beliefs, attitudes, and norms, culture defines what is accepted and acceptable among people who have a similar identity. In addition to the dominant American culture, there are co-cultures as well. I learned that dominant culture is the set of norms used by the majority of those in a society who are given the power to do something. Surprisingly, communication is affected by co-culture. Members of co-culture groups sometimes code switch, changing their language and nonverbal patterns to suit the dominant group. Now the term biculturalism is being used to describe how dominant American culture is gradually beginning to respect and honor the diversity of cultures. Several of the co-cultures in the United States today are established around shared beliefs and values, such as those related to race, ethnicity, sex and gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, age, and disability. At the end of the chapter, it suggests ways to improve intercultural communication. Having an open mind, being altruistic, practicing listening, practicing intercultural empathy, and being flexible are ways I learn to improve intercultural communication. 

    Chapter nine focuses on groups. A group, according to the book, is a gathering of 3 to 20 people that communicate and try to influence one another to achieve a shared goal. Although each group serves a distinct function, one thing that all groups have in common is that communication is essential to their success. Not to add, group communication encompasses all verbal and nonverbal communications exchanged among group members. This chapter opens with understanding the purpose and characteristics of various groups, and also a few of the communication issues that people frequently encounter when engaging in each of them. Families, social groups, support groups, interest groups, service groups, workgroups and teams, and virtual groups are among these classifications. The chapter then goes on to describe fundamental features of healthy groups as well as group establishment and growth stages. Healthy groups are characterized by having ethical goals, being interdependent, being cohesive, developing and adhering to productive norms, being accountable, and being synergistic.  There are different stages of group development. I learned that these stages include forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning, and transforming. People who confront more obstacles in a group are more likely to think in groups.  The fact is that everyone will fail, but how they handle their failure decides the outcome. In fact, groups that face conflict but fail to adequately handle it are more likely to disband and never accomplish their purpose. During group interactions, there are three sorts of disputes that might arise. Pseudo-conflict, issue-related conflict, and personality-related group conflict are among the examples. The chapter concludes with tips for effectively handling group disagreement. Moreover, I discovered that individuals adhering to individualistic cultural values are more likely to utilize direct verbal conflict resolution methods, while those adhering to collectivist values are more likely to use indirect nonverbal conflict resolution tactics. In addition to determining communication tactics, people can use the differences between cultures for resolving group disagreements and interpreting the messages of others. Compared with real-world groups, communicating with virtual groups is more difficult since people are unable to transmit and receive nonverbal messages effectively. Today, individuals prefer expressing themselves with emoticons and acronyms to substitute for missing nonverbal cues, but sometimes the recipient cannot differentiate between the many different interpretations. As an example, the receiver might interpret the face in a smile as being honest or cynical, making it difficult for them to process. Finally, good communication among virtual group members can be more effective than face-to-face connection. Simultaneously, inefficient communication among virtual group members may result in unresolved issues. To effectively communicate among virtual group participants, it is recommended that you feel comfortable explaining both what you believe and what you feel about a topic.

     The goal of chapter ten is to teach me how to communicate effectively with my group members. Leaders face a variety of challenges every day. Communicating with each other, however, can guide the members of a group towards a common goal. Group members can also be inspired to adhere to principles and values. This chapter describes a group of leaders working together to achieve a common goal, rather than focusing on a single leader. Despite the difficulty of accomplishing a goal, this chapter breaks down what is required for a successful achievement. Leaders are typically the ones who are blamed when something doesn't turn out well. This chapter provides details of how the group has shared responsibilities and makes decisions as a group. Today, business leaders believe that group leaders are more effective. These benefits include problem-solving, more brilliant ideas, getting things done, and a boost to group principles and values. Collaborating with others is a challenging process. Even though communication and teamwork can be challenging, this chapter covers how to problem solve and how to lead a team. Furthermore, this chapter explains how leadership works, as well as the obligations of each group member. It then discusses in more detail how to conduct group meetings properly throughout and after. By using systematic problem-solving, the chapter then shows how a solution can be found. Methods of systematic problem solving usually include identifying and defining the problem, analyzing the problem, determining criteria for judging potential solutions, generating several solutions, evaluating solutions, deciding on a solution, implementing it, and assessing the results. This chapter, therefore, equips all participants with the ability to form an opinion about the success of a group as well as communicate effectively. These chapters provide me with helpful information that I can use in my personal life. I enjoyed working and listening to my classmate's presentation on these chapters.