Interesting concept of the week

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

I really found the concept of "need gratification" interesting. It talks about why do receivers (people) turn to the media in the first place. According to many theorists who argue that they do so in order to fulfill preexisting needs. The author says, "uses and gratifications research focuses on the needs that motivate media consumers."

Receivers know what they need and they go about getting it. Another example woiuld be the research done by Herta Herzog who wanted to see why women turn to soap operas. Herzog determined that listeners used the soaps for emotional release, fantasy escape and used the show for advice with their own problems.

I never really thought about why people watch and listen to media; I always thought it was for pure entertainment only, but clearly there are some psychological factors involved in it.

Marshall McLuhan's medium

2). Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

I would have to agree with Mr. McLuhan that the medium is the "message meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived." He's pretty much saying that the media itself and not the content, should be the focus of the study.

The medium has a great impact on the society, mainly by how it is delivered i.e. television, radio, internet, and all the characteristics that are tied to it.

I also agree with Mr. McLuhan in regards that the television doesn't have a big impact on the society, as with television one has to watch it over and over again in order to have an impact on the brain. He also says that people just fill in details when watching a movie, thus it is much harder to be really affected when watching television.

This begs the question: Do kids then really get affected by watching violent programs, or is this what the government is trying to sensor?

April 29th - May 2

1). Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?


I have not made any friends in cyberspace, because I always felt that face to face friendships are more valuable and one's time should be invested in f2f relationships only.

Cyberspace relationships do have a chance to be genuine and real, but most of the times people are often playing a character on the web in order to make themselves more desirable.

Having a cyberspace relationship allows the person to avoid a lot of akward and or emotional situations that come with being in a f2f relationship. They can choose when and how they will respond to a message and don't have to be put on a spot or think fast. You can also save a relationship via text messaging. The problem is that with cyberspace relationships, people don't get to interact the way we were born to do. There are no facial expresions, no body language to convey how one feels about the other person and that is an important part of human interaction.

It is scary to think what kind of contact we will have between each other in the years to come, because of the technological advances that are coming.

Week of April 19-25

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading (not already discussed for this week) that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.

I really liked the concept of "Developing Professionalism at the Organization." I agree with the author that co-workers are not at work to become best of friends or friends at all, but it is required of them to get along in a professional matter in order to complete a task each and every day.

I work at a professional organizational and there have been instances where I saw that professionalism should be encouraged at this company more than it is already. People are people at the end of the day and we all have emotions which come out sometimes, but for the most part employees at my company do their best to put aside their personal thoughts and differences and come together to achieve a common goal of completing the work.

Week of April 19-25

2). Review the etiquette rules suggested in the text. Respond to each one. Have you ever been bothered by cell phone, answering machines, or beepers? What do you feel about call waiting? Is it rude to put people on hold to take another call?

Cell Phone/Answering machine interruptions are almost like a standard of life at the moment. It's truly amazing how much time people spend on their cellphones and they talk on it at the most inappropriate times. I was in a grocery store and the line was rather long, but one individual decided that this does not matter as he had a started a full on conversation while the cashier was trying to communicate with him.

It is also very annoying when students use their phones in the library, because this is very disrespectful and disruptive to everybody else in there. It's very rude when people don't hang up in situations when it is necessary to do that. Places like the library, grocery stores, and other public high-traffic places are designed to either be quiet or get in and get out quickly in order for business to move smoothly. It was not designed for people to have personal agendas completed on somebody else's time.

Call waiting is a great invention that is very useful when used appropriately. For example, putting somebody on a call hold for 30 seconds maximum is all right, but doing it beyond that is not. It is best to simply ignore the second call one is receiving, and then go ahead and call the other person after you are done with the first conversation. Most likely you will be thinking about the first person you placed on hold and that way you will not be attentive to the second caller and what they have to say. Again, it is a great invention if used properly, but too often it is not used the way it was intended.

Week of April 19-25

1). How are organizations tied to the environment? What is the relationship between the school you attend and the city or town in which it is situated? What, if any, ethical obligations does an organization like a college or university have to the local community?

Each and every organization that we experience is tied to the ennvironment in a number of ways. For instance, using the environment's resources, disposing trash into the environment, or simply creating a distinct culture within a specific community.

The school that I attend has a significant relationship with the city of San Jose. The school is responsible for creaitng jobs within the city, stores being built around it, and putting up cultural events that many people from the whole area attend.

The ethical obligation the school has within a community is to make sure that the area of the surrounding is as safe as possible. College students pose a huge danger ot the city as a lot of times alcohol is involved and friends from different area might show up at different events creating potential danger. A metropolian area like San Jose has a lot of residents that move around downtown and it is vital that they are safe at all times.

Week 13: Question 2 - Filtering system

We tend to use filters in order to judge somebody and how close we would like to be to that person. Steve Duck identifies the four filters that he theorize people use:
sociological or incidental cues
pre-interaction cues
interaction, and finally
the cognitive cues

I have a good amount of filters that I use when it comes to romantic partners. I have to be attracted to the person so pre-interaction cues are a part of it. How a woman behaves with her friends and in general while in a public place is another pre-interaction cue that I use in order to weed out possible partners. Interaction cues such as: whether the person has goals and ambition in life, family oriented, etc. help me decide if I would like to persue this person for a long-term relationship.

I have also used sociological and or incidental cues to end a relationship. I was with someone who grow up on a very different economical status than myself plus they lived in a different city and this put a lot of strain on our relationship. I did not see a future with us so I felt that it was better to end the relationship for both of our sakes.

Until next time,

Week 13 discussion

1). Which pattern (rigid complementarity, competitive symmetry, or submissive symmetry) do you think would be the most difficult to change? Why? Which would be the most damaging to a relationship? Which would be the most potentially damaging to the self-esteem of the individuals involved?

Rigid complementarity is the most difficult pattern to change especially in a relationship. One parter will always have to be submissive, while the other partner chooses to make all the decisions on important things in life.

It's very difficult to change this, because people have distinct personalities and we know that personalities are a part of us so losing that part would be near impossible. Imagine being in a situation where you are the person that has to agree to everything the other person says; while it may be okay at first, but over time the submissive person will develop resentment towards their signficant other and eventually they will leave the relationship.

The pattern that may be the most damaging to a self-esteem would be the submissive symmetry, simple because the person being submissive of the other will over time feel that they are not worthy enough or not intelligent enought to take the lead in the present or future relationships. Like in everythign in life, moderation and balance is the key to a succesfull life and or relationships.

Week 12 posting

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that we have no already discussed, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

I thought the concept of self-disclosure was really beneficial in understanding how healthy relationships work. I learned that certain guidelines have to be met in order for self-disclosure to really work. This means that both persons have to disclose information about each other and not just one individual to be the single voice. I have a friend that discloses way too much information to people she just met, and she would get upset each time the other person would not disclose the same amount of information to her. I explained that people are not comfortable with quick intimacy of information right off the bat, and that that sort of information has its appropriate time and place in order for it to go well and to get the same reciprocation.

One should be careful and understanding when and to whom to self-disclose, because it might change the relationship forever. I learned how to respond to other's disclosures. Most people tend to nod and then offer advice and or make a judgement about what should be done. I found out that people don't always want you to offer your own two cents, instead more often than not people want somebody to listen to them, maybe probe the situation more or make reflective statements for the other person.

Question 2 - March 29th week

2). Do you believe in the rationality, perfectibility, and mutability premises? What social institutions and practices are based on these beliefs?

I definitively believe in rationality, perfectibility, and mutability premises. Through rationality, people are fully capable of logical judgement; Through perfectibility, people can become better individuals by practicing better control and putting effort in improving themselves. Finally, through mutability premises, people can alter or even completely change by changing their environments.

For instance, by becoming more educated about a certain situation or a topic we can make a rational decision that will benefit us in the long-run.

I was always told to keep my emotions in check and use logic when making decisions in order to save me a lot of heartache and problems in my life. I agree that you always want to follow your heart when making some decisions, but ultimately one should use logic to make an educated guess and or life altering decisions.

Speaking about mutability, people that came from different cultures and or environments and then settled into a new one will have changed for the better or worse almost all of the time. Speaking personally, I came from a country (Bosnia) that was war torn and thus my goals might have been a bit different than they are now. I have been living in the US for 12 years now and when I think about the future, the sky is the limit. We are all a product of our environment and the type of situation that is around us will have an impact on the way we talk, dress and think.

Week of March 29th

3). Pick one concept from the assigned reading, that has not already been discussed during this discussion week, that you found useful or interesting, and discuss it.

I found the concept of "culture and goals" very interesting, because I had the privilege of growing up in two very different cultures and experienced it first hand. Back in Bosnia, teenagers believe that their hard work will usually not pay off, because they will be met with another hardship or another person that has a family with more money than theirs will become more successful.

In United States, kids definitively have more optimism about their future and they are thought to think they can be whatever they want and aspire. In countries where there are far less resources, kids are more timid and self-aware of their surroundings and know their own limitations, where as kids here are more self-free about their future.

To most people Americans are too ambitious and that even shows in popular slogans such as: "Just Do It" or "No Pain, No Gain" which is normal to us, but to people in other countries this might be absurd and going over the line with pushing people over their limits.