As a Judicial Officer, I found the Kinesic Code I: Body Movement and Gesture (Trenholm, 2008, p. 115) to be especially useful during informal conferences and formal disciplinary hearings with students. When I began working with students who violated the Student Conduct Code (when I was attending school and employed at Ball State University [IN]), my supervisor enrolled me and my colleague in a training focused on the practical application of nonverbal communication/communication theory. Although I was a Communication and Rhetorical Studies major in college, I never comprehensively explored nonverbal messages and their impact on verbal communication and personal relationships. The daylong workshop trained me and Danielle (my colleague) to recognize fallacy in our students’ version of “what happened” during their incident. The presenter, similar to Trenholm (2008), emphasized “the rest of the body … as equally expressive” (p. 117) and to utilize a student’s nonverbal communication to further investigate a case. I have to admit, both the training and refreshing the experience with this reading allows me to “check-in” with myself and reflect on how I am performing in my position. For me, it’s not about finding a student “guilty” or “not guilty,” but figuring out if there’s a larger concern for the student underneath the behavior, which is why the student made the decision to violate the code. If I’m not conscious about observing these behaviors, then I may do the student a disservice by ignoring or neglecting “hidden information about [student’s] emotional states” (p. 118).
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Week 3: Post 3
Friday, June 25, 2010
Week 3: Post 2
Deborah Tannen is one of my favorite authors and linguists who have supported the position that women and me DO use language differently: https://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/tannend/
I am fascinated with her critical analysis of how “everyday conversation affects relationships”; and how her scholarship intentionally considers how the “way we talk” as gendered beings correlates with access. For example, in her book _You Just Don't Understand: Men and Women in Conversation_ (1990), Tannen offered this comparison of women and men’s speaking styles:
WOMEN
Women talk too much
Private/Small
Build relations
English language spoken
Overlap
Symmetry
MEN
Men get more air time
Public
Negotiate status/Avoid failure
English language written
One at a time
Asymmetry
Similar to the harm judgments and stereotypes can impose on someone before we know them, socially constructed gender scripts obscure authentic interactions and communication messages between women and men (and individuals who exist along the gender spectrum). Because of the power dynamics created between dominant and subordinated groups, I believe the difference in usage of language by women and men can promote sexism and sexist language; where, as Tannen found, can diminish the female presence and oppress women. I believe the experience of women living in the double-standard is very real. I have been “coached” by my supervisor to navigate this labyrinth where if I am not assertive “enough” I am meek; however, if I am “too” assertive I can be labeled “unapproachable” and, often, “bitchy” or arrogant. As a woman in higher education, I continue to navigate this puzzle. Because of this and my commitment to advising student organizations while wearing my social justice glasses, I have explored the practice of shifting my language to be more gender-neutral/inclusive (e.g., “man” the desk = “staff” the desk; how you “guys” doing today? = how are “you” doing today, “Staci”? /how are “you”?).
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Week 3: Post 1
PAN = Pay
Attention
Now
As the trainers explained this simple, yet stimulating concept, they reminded us PANNING is about being intentional in your observations and being conscious of your feelings about these recognized behaviors and patterns. A person who develops the skill of PANNING is able to do two things well:
1) QUESTION with authentic curiosity/wonder: Is this an isolated incident or a possible pattern of experience? For example, “Why have I seen two White families “breeze” through security at the airport and two Families of Color (especially if they’re perceived to be ‘Middle Eastern’ or have ‘Middle Eastern’ names) be questioned and/or searched?”
2) AVOID making (snap) judgments or creating a “story” of what you see and experience. For example, “Oh she must be the ‘guy’ in the relationship because she’s wearing a tie with her jeans and her ‘girlfriend’/’partner’ is wearing a skirt and dress top.”
While I believe we, as humans, are inquisitive creatures who are socialized to judge and stereotype, I also believe by learning and practicing the skill of PANNING one can improve and/or manage perceptions of those we know well (i.e., colleagues/friends) and those we name as “strangers.” PANNING requires you to “pay attention now” to the specific details and only the facts about what you feel, hear, and see, etc.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Week 2: Post 3
Preparing to write this blog post made me think about my first public speaking course in college. Similar to the reflections of over half of my peers in COMM 105P, my instructor came into the first day with the statistics of human fears and public speaking was highest with respondents more open to obtaining a shark bite; and, of course, it’s a bigger fear than the end of life! Oddly, while I never “thought” I had a speech anxiety fear, I surely “felt” it when I embraced the hollow wooden podium for the first time in front of 25 first-year faces. While my post tonight is not about flushing out this concept, I find solace in the memory!
As I stated, I enrolled in my first public speaking class as a first-year student in 2000. One concept I don’t recall learning (which is exciting now) is Alan Monroe’s “five-part organizational plan” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 285) or the motivated sequence. As I was reading how this specialized stock organizational pattern targets “the psychological reactions of receiver” (p. 285), I thought, “Oh my gosh! Fast-paced infomercials…especially at night!” In addition, I began to consider how this pattern could entrap women consumers by positioning its message against stereotypical, but internalized conditioning. For example, consider the times of day (and night) beauty and weight/size-based infomercials targeting women-buyers are dominating breaks in broadcast. I see the “perfect” equation of attention (“Hey! Want to get into that summer bikini, but enjoyed those spring cookies a little too much?”) + need (“Well, why look like this at the beach and have people stare at that tummy and those thighs when you can try QuickieThin and the staring will turn into following because you’ll look so hot people won’t recognize you!”) + satisfaction (“All you have to do is eat two of these cookie bars and a sensible dinner and you’re there!”) + visualization (“You’ll lose 27 lbs in 27 minutes on this plan and look and feel great!”) EQUAL (=) the action step (or purchase) (“Call now…but WAIT! All this for $14.95, plus shipping and handling”). Personally, I find, while the communication strategy is effective (most will buy), the outcome is disastrous-deteriorates self-worth and unhinges self-image.
Week 2: Post 2
On May 15, 2010 I drove to Sonoma State University to see Frank Warren, author, founder, and inventor of PostSecret (“an ongoing community art project where people mail their secrets anonymously [to Warren’s address] on one side of a postcard”). Warren has been deemed the “world’s friendliest stranger,” becoming the recipient of people’s most intimate confessions and secrets. In 2005, the blog began as an art project for Warren; he walked the streets of Baltimore (Maryland) and invited people to return blank postcards to his home address with their secrets. PostSecret has fostered a communication community for people who otherwise assumed they were in solitude.
While Frank Warren may not be “the best” speaker I’ve ever heard, I believe he was effective because he did three things (and darn well ;)): educated, agitated, and organized. Through his speaking time, he discussed the PostSecret history, mission, and vision. He inserted humor and his examples were authentic and tangible to the audience. For me, I experienced Warren to possess the ability to enmesh his participants and this created an opportunity to suspend “real time” and “be present” with focus solely on Warren and his message.
Here’s some links for anyone who hasn’t been exposed to PostSecret:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/PostSecret/21977955239
John Whitemore’s first address as President of SJSU ranks high on my list of “worst speakers.” As a staff member and a “young professional,” I am looking for someone to ignite my passion for student affairs work; I want a speaker who I can refer to when I’m “in the trenches” and feel my work has no purpose. Sadly, I remember nothing of his message beyond his performance. I believe he lacked charisma; and I believe any leader of an organization must focus on commitment and “buy-in” from her/his team. In addition, he was monotone and expressionless making me feel his speech was disingenuous. I wasn’t purchasing a thing that day! ;)
Week 2: Post 1
Disclaimer: Just wanted to apologize to ya'll (my peers) for my lack of posting this week. And, my posts for this week will not be 12 hours apart. As someone committed to the learning environment, I acknowledge the absence of my contributions lessons the greater learning of the whole and doesn't maintain full integrity to our work, especially as an online-learning community. No comment is needed on this statement, just wanted to inform and dedicate myself to improvement! Now, read on...;)
Through the lens of social construction, an understanding of “reality” and of “self” is derived from multiple (or a collection of) truths; because I have been reared in one (immediate) family system doesn’t equate to our complete family sharing of “collective representations of reality” (Trenholm, 2008, p. 31). For example, my father is an environmentalist and an organic farmer. He has placed a value(s) system on “hard work” and blue-collar labor. After graduating from my undergraduate degree, my father did not understand my reasons for pursuing an advanced degree. For me, attending university exposed me to more options and invited me to explore academia further and seek a self-defined happiness rather than one controlled by him. My father is a product of the Baby Boomer generation and I am positioned on the cusp of Gen X and The Millennials. We interact and communicate quite differently based upon the internalized and imposed expectations of our generations.