Verbal Communication

Student Lecturers: Jeremy, Michael P., and Domaykius

Verbal Communication is...

Language

Symbolic

Spoken and Written

Arbitrary

and thus…continuously changing

Ambiguous

and thus…sometimes misleading

Meaningful

Different….the Same…..or Both?

Abstract

Words represent phenomena

Ladder of abstraction

Concrete vs. Abstract (more abstract more confusing)

Meaning behind language

Literal vs. subjective

Slang

How do you define:

Family

Good Friend

Love

Fun

Principles of Verbal Communication

Interpretations creating meaning

Consider context, relationships, self-concept, experiences

Guided by communication rules

Regulative rules and constitutive rules

Shaped by culture

Public vs. Private

Can change

Sometimes we are unaware, but we follow the rules

Punctuation; marks beginning and end

Rules of Verbal Communication

What’s wrong with this email exchange?

STUDENT’S EMAIL:

So should I type it or just hand it in with my excuse Monday?

PROFESSOR’S REPLY:

All assignments should be typed, as stated in the syllabus. You will need to email it today so I can confirm that it was completed before class. 

STUDENT’S REPLY:

I KNOW THAT. I was saying should I go ahead and EMAIL it to you. That's what I'm saying! But I'll go ahead and type/ email it to you. Same thing. Have a nice night.

Technology and Verbal Communication

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpLLZD69WFw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA

Language….

Defines phenomena, relationships, interactions

Evaluates phenomena

Organizes experiences

Allows hypothetical thought and self-reflection

Consider how the use of language shapes your perceptions of others…

Revisiting our celebrities from last week

On Miley Cyrus, Ratchet Culture and Accessorizing With Black People

The new pseudo-thugged out Miley has been percolating for a while; from her twerking unicorn suit video to her appearance on stage at a Juicy J show, the former Disney darling seems drawn to specific elements of a specific form of hip-hop. Not socially-conscious hip-hop. Dirty South/crunk hip-hop associated with strip clubs, pimps and drug dealers…The track Miley popped her ass to at his show, "Bandz a Make Her Dance," is specifically about hanging out in the company of strippers.

Borrowed directly from:http://jezebel.com/on-miley-cyrus-ratchet-culture-and-accessorizing-with-514381016

Why Can’t Beyoncé Have It All?

Beyoncé is, after all, talented, successful, and fearsomely hardworking; she’s rich, beautiful, and comports herself in a manner that’s about as dignified as pop stars can manage. She’s married a covetable partner, Jay-Z, and birthed the most famous baby in the hemisphere; she even excels at those small things that, much like Michelle Obama’s upper arms, are poor indicators of human value but require impressive effort and attention to detail (e.g., hair, nails, fitness). She and her husband are vaguely chummy with the Obamas, creating a fantasy of black-power-couple synergy that’s irresistibly seductive. We may not actually know much about Beyoncé, but there is a model of perfection we would like to see in her, and the fact that she can sustain that image suggests she has it really, really, rigorously together.

Borrowed directly from: http://www.vulture.com/2013/02/nitsuh-abebe-on-beyonce.html

Snooki’s TimeBorrowed directly from:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/fashion/25Snooki.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Snooki has a way of putting herself together that while in some ways is atrocious, is completely identifiable to her and consistent with her attention-seeking personality. She wears short, clingy dresses in a pattern or with some metallic trim, huge enameled or bejeweled hoop earrings and glittery high heels.

Lots of 22-year-old women wear revealing clothes, but they may not have her body shape, and it’s a safe bet they’re not rocking a pouf. Though that may change when a line of Snooki hair products comes out. Anyway, the effect has been interesting. “If you were to draw a cartoon of her, you would know immediately who she is,” said Chris Linn, the executive vice president for pilots at MTV. “She’s an icon.”

But trying to hold a conversation with Snooki is a little like getting down on your hands and knees with a child. You have to come down to her level, and sometimes you almost think you need to bribe her with a piece of candy to coax her to be more responsive. She is really only responsive to her own immediate needs and desires. She is not self-centered, but she is used to acting out and getting away with it.

Reappropriation of Language

(a part of evaluating phenomena)

Reclaiming “Fat”: http://fiercefatties.com/2010/08/06/reclaing-the-word-fat/

Reclaiming “Bitch”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnGXOh6TJ0k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ivt_N2Zcts

Reappropriaton of “Bitch”

Read the articles you were given in class to prepare for our discussion.

As you read the articles keep these questions in mind:

What is the writer’s argument? Why are they for or against the reappropriation?

Did the commenters disagree/agree? Do I disagree/agree?

What do the articles teach me about the power and reappropriation of language?

How do these topics/concepts play a role: experiences, relationship, context, identity, perceptions

You are not required to formally type up your responses to these questions; it is suggested that you take notes (even on the article) to help you during the in-class discussion

HCA: Power of Language

Due Thursday, 9/11 Locate an artifact that you consider to be an example of

“The POWER of language”

Examples: song, movie clip, poem/spoken word, book, letter, flyer, promotional materials

In one to two paragraphs, explain why you identify it as such? Discuss the following in your response:

Consider the role of your past experiences, identity, and culture. How does it impact your response?

Explain the message being communicated

Explain why this artifact is unique/better/powerful compared to others.

Discuss how the use of verbal communication (within the artifact) helps shape your perceptions and experiences

Come prepared to share and discuss (bring the artifact)