Directions: Respond to question 1. Then respond to question 2. Respond to these questions in well-organized essays. As always, view your response as an argument. A good argument will demonstrate effective use of class concepts and will be well-written, thorough, and integrate the diverse theories mentioned in each question. Remember that this kind of writing typically requires multiple drafts of responses and editing is an important part of the writing process. Do not focus your attention on the length of your response. Instead focus on responding thoroughly to each question. If you feel the need to shorten a question you can do that as part of the normal editing process. I will not set an upper page limit to the question. But a well-written and well-edited response might be 7-8 pages. 20 points each (40 points total). Question 1: Film (Mystery Alaska, 1999) Across your many communication classes you have learned to think of many things as cultures (organizations, relationships, neighborhoods, etc.). Assume that the town of Mystery Alaska constitutes a culture. Describe this culture in detail by identifying and discussing the various structures that constitute this culture (e.g., roles, rules, stories vocabularies, etc.). Your description of the town culture should help someone who reads your essay to understand who these people are, what they are like, how they communicate, how they relate to one another, and what they value. How does your understanding of this culture change throughout the movie? What causes these changes? Does your understanding of the culture change over the course of your analysis/critique? Your discussion could come from our discussion of the cultural structures in the ethnography lecture but you should supplement this discussion with concepts from Tracy’s chapter on talk, selected concepts from Goffman, Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory, and/or Social Dialectics, Social Exchange Theory, and/or speech acts. The best responses to this question will be comprehensive (draw on a broad range of theories) and will integrate concepts from different theories (e.g., how talk ‘frames’ validate certain forms of talk with how talk contributes to a ‘definition of the situation’). Question 2: Take the basic concept of ‘identity.’ Identity has played a unifying role in the field of Communication. It has been important to Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Rhetoric, Performance and Media Studies. In Theories of Interpersonal Communication, we have talked about identities from different theoretical perspectives. Consider our discussions of Goffman, Ethnography, Social Exchange Theory, Politeness Theory. How is identity defined by each of these theories (or how the theory would define identity if they explicitly addressed the concept). Describe how each of these theories treat ‘identity’ (or how they would treat identity if identity is not discussed explicitly by a particular theory). The point here is for you to understand and describe what features of identity are emphasized in some theories or deemphasized in other theories. As you describe and analyze these features, be sure to recognize points of similarity and dissimilarity among different theoretical perspectives. Symbolic Interactionism A Move Toward the Social Broad Assumptions ? Assumption 1: People act toward things on the basis of the meanings those things have for them. Development of Self ? Self Schemata ? Influences of Self Schemata ? Broad Assumptions ? Assumption 1: People act toward things on the basis of the meanings those things have for them. ? Assumption 2: The meaning of things arises from social interaction. Identity Images and Looking Glass Self ? Parental Communication ? Broad Assumptions ? Assumption 3: Communication is the negotiation of social meaning. ? Altercasting ? Self Presentation Broad Assumptions ? ? ? Assumption 1: People act toward things on the basis of the meanings those things have for them. Assumption 2: The meaning of things arises from social interaction. Assumption 3: Communication is the negotiation of social meaning. Goffman’s Dramaturgical Approach ? Impressions are co-constructed ? Communication is analogous to play Actors ? Performance ? Self Presentations ? Nature of Self Presentations ? Omnipresent ? Functions Self Presentations Serve ? Hoosiers ? Expressions Given and Given Off Goffman–Regions ? Definition of Region ? Front Region ? Front Setting ? Personal Front ? Regions (continued) ? Front Region Front ? Setting ? Personal Front ? Standards Embodied in Performance ? Standards of Politeness ? Standards of Decorum ? Moral Requirements of Decorum ? Instrumental Requirements of Decorum ? Regions ? Front Region ? Back Region Communication Out of Character ? Types of Communication Out of Character Treatment of the Absent ? Staging Talk ? Team Collusion ? Realigning Actions ? Impression Management ? Threats to an Impression ? Inopportune Intrusions ? Faux Pas Impression Management ? ? Threats Defensive Practices Dramaturgical Loyalty ? Dramaturgical Discipline ? Dramaturgical Circumspection ? Impression Management ? ? ? Threats Defensive Practices Protective Practices Avoid Back Regions ? Discretion ? Stigmatized Identity ? Passing ? Covering ? Harms of Conformity to Individual ? Harms of Conformity to Society Systems Theory Coordinated Management of Meaning Focus of CMM ? ? People need to manage their interactions in ways that seem reasonable and logical to all those involved. Conversational rules Rules ? Constitutive Rules ? Regulative Rules Constitutive Rules ? Rules of meaning ? Such rules define the event ? If constitutive rule is not met, people may not be said to be participating in said event. Regulative Rules ? ? Rules of action Govern the conditions under which actions/behavior may occur Contexts ? Rules of meaning and action always operate within a context that facilitates interpretation and action. Types of Contexts ? Relationship context Expectations people have of the definitions and boundaries of a relationship Types of Contexts ? Relationship context ? Episode context — The nature of the event, itself — Is this playful banter or an argument Types of Contexts ? Relationship context Episode context ? Self concept context ? — One’s perception of their personal defition Types of Contexts ? Relationship context Episode context Self concept context ? Archetype ? ? — Image of general truth Principles in the Operation of Contexts ? Multiple contexts ? Individual action is the text ? Text and context form a loop (see next slide) Types of Loops ? Charmed Loop ? Paradox or Strange Loop The Force of Rules ? Pre-figurative force ? Practical force ? Contextual force ? Implicative force Systems Theory The Relational Approach Basic Assumptions ? People are purposeful systems ? Communication defines relationship ? Can not NOT Communicate Dimensions of Relationships ? Control ? The right to define and direct the interpersonal system Dimensions of Relationships ? ? Control Trust ? ? ? Reward Dependability Vulnerability Pattern Confidence Pattern Dimensions of Relationships ? ? ? Control Trust Intimacy ? Constrains behavior Coding Relational Messages ? Focus of relational coding scheme ? Nature of messages ? Digits Coding Relational Messages ? ? ? ? Focus Nature Digits Types of messages Patterns of Relational Control ? ? Complementarity Symmetry ? ? Competitive Symmetry Submissive Symmetry Politeness Theory A Study of Face-Threatening Acts Politeness Theory ? Politeness ? Face is a cultural universal Defined Characteristics of Face ? Face is social and public ? Face is situated ? Face is claimed ? We are emotionally invested in face ? Cooperative motivation to honor face Different Aspects of Face ? Own and Other’s Face ? Positive Face ? Negative Face Face Threatening Acts: FTAs ? Focus is on how we respond to threats to another’s face. ? Requests are inherently face-threatening because they ask people to do things they would not normally do. Strategies for Making FTAs ? Commit the FTA directly and bluntly. ? Commit the FTA on record with positive face redress. ? Commit the FTA on record with negative face redress (minimize disrespect or intrusion). ? Commit FTA off record. ? Simply not do the FTA. Positive Face ? 1. Speaker threatens positive face by criticizing or condemning the other person. Statements at this level would include criticisms, reprimands, accusation, contempt, ridicule and disapproval. Level 1 Example ? “Who do you think you are? You party and drink too much and when you drink you have the mouth of a Chinese clock and the brain of a retarded chicken.’ ? “I don’t care what your excuses are. You’re always late. Get here on time or your out.” Positive Face ? 1. Speaker threatens positive face by criticizing . . . ? 2. Strategies that acknowledge positive features of persuadee’s positive face but balance both threatening and supportive statements. Positive Face 2 Examples ? “You’re a good friend but this being late all the time is threatening to mess up our friendship and our jobs.’ ? “Look four or five times is no big deal, but every other day is upsetting the other employees and is making me look bad.” Positive Face ? 3. Strategies that directly approve of the of persuadee’s positive face by providing approval, praise, liking, etc. Positive Face 3 Examples ? “You’ve been doing a heck of a job and your pulling more than your fair share of the load. I know that’s why you’ve been coming in later. But . . .’ ? “Mary you’re a wonderful roommate and a good friend. I can talk to you when I can’t talk to anyone else.” Autonomy Granting/Negative Face ? 1. Deny autonomy of persuadee through overt use of power inherent in the speaker’s role. Negative Face 1 Example ? “Be here on time or I’ll report you to the boss and you’ll be fired.’ ? “You’re not going to party in the room so much. That’s all there is to it.” Negative Face ? 2. Strategies that implicitly acknowledge the ability of peruadee to reason through the situation and grant him/her freedom to act. Negative Face 2 Example ? “If you keep this partying up it will hurt your grades.’ ? “If everyone was late nothing would get done.” Negative Face ? 3. Strategies that explicitly acknowledge the autonomy of persuadee by encouraging him or her to come to their own conclusion about the actions needed given the constraints of the situation. Included at this level are statements indicating a desire not to coerce. Negative Face 3 Example ? “I know I’m not your mother and I can’t make you do anything but think about the kind of relationship you want us to keep here.” Situational Features Relevant to FTAs ? Power (P) ? Distance ? Rank ® (D) Purchase answer to see full attachment Tags: Basic assumptions Mystery Alaska Captain John Beibe Great North William Schutz User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool’s honor code & terms of service.