Can You Keep A Secret?

Communication in today’s day and age is something that surrounds everything, and everyone, everywhere. People’s lives are affected by it daily, and with modern communication technology, we are able to communicate a message to pretty much anyone in any place on the globe. This technology and advancement in instant communication is a luxury that has been produced, which has allowed for the expansion of Globalization into areas, and communities that would not be able to be reached without it. With this privilege, also comes a few disadvantages, such as the challenge of maintaining privacy. With more communication also comes more invasion of privacy, and with the number of hackers around, privacy is something that is able to be jeopardized quite easily. It becomes very hard to maintain a personal, private life with secrets.

Even before all the new technological advances, secrets were a hard thing for people to keep from blurting out to thosewho shouldn’t hear. Now with so many different, easier ways of communicating it is almost next to impossible to have a secret kept by someone.

More communication is not always better (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 29). This is one of the subheadings from the course textbook, where it discusses in further depth, the lecture that Dr. Sevigny did. Usually people are criticized for a lack of communication but in some instances, such as the one that my chosen article is based on, to much communication is a mistake. The article I choose was “His war secret out, Prince Harry redeployed” by the Globe and Mail. The secret of Prince Harry’s identity was a matter of life or death. With the media publicity surrounding the Royal Family, the Prince of Wales was somehow able to slip through the cracks and go unnoticed to the enemy and the media. This is a prime example of how to much communication would be a bad thing. It is surprising and almost shocking that no one had leaked any information of his whereabouts, because with instant messages, phones, computers, satellites, etc. there is a much larger opportunity for people to share this kind of valuable information. “One key to successful communication is to share an adequate amount of information in a skilful manner. Teaching you how to decide what information is adequate and what constitutes skilful behaviour is a major goal of this book” (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 30). It is important in today’s society, to make sure that we understand the power of our communication skills and methods, and how the results of them will affect us and others around us. In particular situations it is necessary to be carefully and sensitive with the knowledge we have and that we respect new advanced communication. Communication can be a good thing, if used properly, also when it's utilized when it is supposed to be and not uexploited when not to be used.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/video/vs?id=RTGAM.20080228.wvharry0228&ids=RTGAM.20080228.wvharry0228

Adler, Rodman and Alexandre Sevigny. Understanding Human Communication. CanadianEdition: Oxford University Press (2008).

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

When you see a beauty pageant on TV, some would either watch to see the attractiveness of the overall event, or would just simply flip right past it. It is thought that pageants are just filled with naturally beautiful individuals who are people that do not have to work hard and are trying to use their attractiveness to their advantage. For some this may be true, but a lot more thought, technique, and nonverbal communication skills go into performing in a beauty pageant.

There are many different types of nonverbal communication that are used in such things as a beauty pageant because of the way that one portrays themselves to others. This ability can either help or hinder their cause. A model could be born with natural beauty and personality, but if they do not display good nonverbal communication skills to the judges then they will have no chance of winning. This shows the communicative power of kinesics, the study of body movement, gesture, and posturing (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 186).

The article I focused on for this was the Miss World Canada Pageant, featuring McMaster’s very own Nicole Hemmer. What I found interesting about this pageant was that girls were not just judged on their appearance, but throughout the competition they were judged in a number of different situations, which required more natural skills then just being pretty. They were judged on how they reacted in an interview situation, which can be a situation where nonverbal communication skills can have an affect on an individual. Certain gestures become present when a person is put into a public situation. Fidgeting is discouraged from being performed in an atmosphere such as a Beauty Pageant, because it is usually something that is unattractive and “observers are likely to interpret as a signal of dishonesty” (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 187). This is something that a contestant is not trying to portray to the judges.

Another nonverbal communication element that affects a contestant is visible through their posture, and also through their face. How an individual conveys themselves affects the way in which others see them. If all the models in the pageant are walking tall, confident and with perfect form and one model is slumped over and slowly walking, she is not likely to win at all. Posture communicates vulnerability in situations far more serious than mere social or business meetings (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 186).

Also, the face is probably the most noticeable part of the body. Research shows that smiling restaurant servers earn larger tips than unsmiling ones (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 187). This statistic can also be seen in Beauty Pageants. If a contestant is all smiles then they have a much larger chance of winning or scoring a higher score than someone who is frowning or has a serious face.

The elements of nonverbal communications are essential to succeeding in an atmosphere that is public, such as a Beauty Pageant. Contestants are continuously examined, and if they learn how to master the art of nonverbal communication then the sky is the limit.



Congratulations Nicole Hemmer, on the honour of representing your hometown of Grimsby and McMaster University in this competition.






http://www.soitbemaybe.com/2008-miss-world-canada-winner/#comment-265
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo6u2jb045M

Adler, Rodman and Alexandre Sevigny. Understanding Human Communication. Canadian
Edition: Oxford University Press (2008).

I Say Tomato, You Say Tomahto...I Say Potato, You Say Potahto

Today's society is filled with such a diversity of different languages, customs, traditions and beliefs. The issue of communication throughout the world is something that has been a sociological barrier, left unbroken. Unless all these elements of individual culture conform to become one universal way of life, this barrier will always exist. A communication barrier also exists within a society where the same language is used, but people from around the country speak differently. This is true in such countries such as the United States, where people from the northern states have a very different way of talking then those of the southern U.S. states.
Another example is Canada. Canada is known for the diversity of culture, people and language. This element of Canadian society has many different benefits, but also adds some difficulties. A great example of this is illustrated in the article that I chose to focus on for this blog; Speaking French in anglo 'hoods, by Andy Riga. This article is a written account of an experiment he conducted in the French-speaking population of Quebec. He went around the area for a period of time talking only in French to see how the people of Quebec would respond. He found that if he responded to an English “hello” in French, while some either refused to switch or respond at all, the majority of those tested would quickly switch over to French to accommodate him.
This article directly relates to the element of communication, Perception and Culture. In the text, it discusses how perceptual differences can make communication between people from the same culture difficult. The culture that an individual lives in has a direct influence on the way in which we interpret something said, done or experienced (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 46). Dr. Sevigny discussed in lecture the concept of Perception and Culture, and used the very same example of the differences between English and French speaking Canadians. Even though both live in the same country, words said in one language are taken or said differently in the other.
Communication is something that is essential for the world to function. Every person is different and comes from a different background, which means we all may communicate and interact with others in a different way then some may not be used to. It is also something that continues to develop and evolve our way of thinking throughout our own society, as well as others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTiifk7gwHo

Adler, Rodman and Alexandre Sevigny. Understanding Human Communication. Canadian Edition: Oxford University Press(2008).

Personality or Not, There's Always A Personality

Personality is defined by Adler, Rodman & Sevigny as a relatively consistent set of traits people exhibit across a variety of situations (59). The phrase "They don't have a personality" is wrong because if someone is said to "have no personality" that actually means that they have a unique personality that others may not understand. The world is guilty of judging others by appearances, likewise individuals use the way they dress or look as a way of communicating what they are about. Each and a every person has a personality that can be seen and also expressed through different ways, whether it be by talking/discussion, clothing, or facial expressions.

The article I choose was the 2007: Year in Photos, that was posted on Vanity Fair. I found this slideshow to be interesting because it displayed a large variety of expressions of personality. In each photo it is easy to point out a distinctive element of personality about the individual, based on the look on their face, the setting they are in or the outfit they are wearing. A picture can express so many different things to a viewer. This is also true to when people look at others. Sometimes we try to determine what an individual is actually like as a person before we meet them just by their facial expressions.
Personality is an interesting concept in itself, for it is something that is not consistent (Adler, Rodman & Sevigny 60). A persons personality is dependent upon the settings that surrounds them and depending on certain feelings such as stress, intimidation and confidence. A individual will act differently when around someone they fear, than if they are around someone they feel confident or comfort with.

The article slidshow shows a variety of people, in a variety of situations, displaying a variety of personalities. From each picture you are able to see what that person might be feeling and what kind of a person they are. This is something that happens everyday in life. Personality is a great thing that defines people and the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBioHq3aPsQ

Adler, Rodman and Alexandre Sevigny. Understanding Human Communication. Canadian Edition: Oxford University Press(2008).