Web Lecture: Procedural Democracy
I think the main point of this concept is that without it, you cannot have democracy at all. A profound example of this is happening right now in Iran, where citizens are being denied the "foundations of democracy" they believed existed. They voted only to realize their votes didn't count, as the election was inaccurately calculated. They spoke out against the injustice only to be silenced. They tried to report the events only to be persecuted and have information pathways destroyed. They assembled only to be brutally attacked and even killed. How much do we take these basic rights for granted?
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Week 5: Blog 3
Chapter 11: Mindless Communication
How easy it is to get caught up in mindless communication and ways of being. We interact with people everywhere from the grocery store to the bank, but how many of those interactions are performed on auto pilot? We either use scripts or phatic communication that becomes a part of the transaction. "I'm good thanks, how are you?" as we swipe our debit card and enter our pin. If the purpose of this communication is to be polite and show common courtesies, then it achieves it, but does little else.
How easy it is to get caught up in mindless communication and ways of being. We interact with people everywhere from the grocery store to the bank, but how many of those interactions are performed on auto pilot? We either use scripts or phatic communication that becomes a part of the transaction. "I'm good thanks, how are you?" as we swipe our debit card and enter our pin. If the purpose of this communication is to be polite and show common courtesies, then it achieves it, but does little else.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Week 5: Blog 2
Chapter 10: Mediated Interpersonal Communication
There is no denying the increase of mediated devices in communication. Email, fax, texts, voicemail, online chat, and even automated telephone menus replace human-to-human communication with something else entirely. Which is why it is easy to forget that at the end of the line is a real human being receiving our messages. With the use of these technologies we can shrink an entire conversation to a few short-hand, abbreviated sentences and call it efficient. However, we must keep in mind what we are communicating by the way we are communicating. What does it say about our feelings or regard for a person if we only communicate with them in brief messages? Do we ever unintentionally say, "You're not important enough for me to put forth the extra effort to write to you in complete and grammatically correct sentences"? How much are we willing to lose for the sake of efficiency?
There is no denying the increase of mediated devices in communication. Email, fax, texts, voicemail, online chat, and even automated telephone menus replace human-to-human communication with something else entirely. Which is why it is easy to forget that at the end of the line is a real human being receiving our messages. With the use of these technologies we can shrink an entire conversation to a few short-hand, abbreviated sentences and call it efficient. However, we must keep in mind what we are communicating by the way we are communicating. What does it say about our feelings or regard for a person if we only communicate with them in brief messages? Do we ever unintentionally say, "You're not important enough for me to put forth the extra effort to write to you in complete and grammatically correct sentences"? How much are we willing to lose for the sake of efficiency?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Week 5: Blog 1
Chapter 9: Modesty
To me, this is one of the most important characteristics of a good leader, and yet it is so often overlooked and undervalued. Managers with a sense of humility are easier to trust and respect than managers who have an self-centered or self-serving attitude. A manager who puts themselves ahead of the company will certainly put themselves ahead of you as well. This type of attitude makes for a tense work environment because nobody feels supported. Alternatively, a manager with a sense of modesty is one that employees know they can depend on for help and guidance, because they know that their manager is serving the good of the company before themselves.
To me, this is one of the most important characteristics of a good leader, and yet it is so often overlooked and undervalued. Managers with a sense of humility are easier to trust and respect than managers who have an self-centered or self-serving attitude. A manager who puts themselves ahead of the company will certainly put themselves ahead of you as well. This type of attitude makes for a tense work environment because nobody feels supported. Alternatively, a manager with a sense of modesty is one that employees know they can depend on for help and guidance, because they know that their manager is serving the good of the company before themselves.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Week 4: Blog 2
Chapter 7: Second Shift
To me, this is a concept that shouldn't need to be a concept. How many generations will it take for men and women to view family/household responsibilities as SHARED responsibilities? My parents showed me this by example; I saw them both do every household task from laundry to making dinner to reading bedtime stories throughout my childhood.
I recently had a conversation with my mom where we were recalling those years, and we discussed how they made a point to not thank each other for doing a household task. Instead they would express a compliment or appreciation for a job well done, but never a thank you. To my mom especially, saying thank you to my dad for doing a chore implied that he was doing it for her, as in doing her a favor. So, in order to prevent either one of them from feeling like any one particular chore was their sole responsibility, they did not say thank you. Alternatively, and to this day, they just express their appreciation for the other's hard work and commitment to their shared responsibilities.
To me, this is a concept that shouldn't need to be a concept. How many generations will it take for men and women to view family/household responsibilities as SHARED responsibilities? My parents showed me this by example; I saw them both do every household task from laundry to making dinner to reading bedtime stories throughout my childhood.
I recently had a conversation with my mom where we were recalling those years, and we discussed how they made a point to not thank each other for doing a household task. Instead they would express a compliment or appreciation for a job well done, but never a thank you. To my mom especially, saying thank you to my dad for doing a chore implied that he was doing it for her, as in doing her a favor. So, in order to prevent either one of them from feeling like any one particular chore was their sole responsibility, they did not say thank you. Alternatively, and to this day, they just express their appreciation for the other's hard work and commitment to their shared responsibilities.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Week 4: Blog 1
Chapter 7: Authenticity
In describing the notion of authenticity, the text points out that the younger generation has propelled this movement towards creating cohesiveness between private and public identities. I think there are several reasons for this. For one, this generation of young adults are the children of baby-boomers, whose parenting approach varied greatly from that of their parents during the 50's and 60's. Children of the 80's were encouraged by their parents to be individuals, and nurtured through the process of self-discovery. As adults entering the work force, we see no reason to be anything but authentic and true to our personal, or private, identities.
In addition to our upbringing, I think online social networking has blurred the line between private and personal identities even more. With the ability to access these networks anytime anywhere, we have a 24/7 outlet for our personal expression. We no longer have to wait till we get home to be our true selves when we can tweet our private thoughts and update our facebook status from any computer or cell phone. Just having an online profile means that at any given point throughout the day, anyone can see that profile and interact with our private identity by reading a post, quiz result, "My top 5's", looking at pictures, or anything we might post online about ourselves. Essentially, social networking has allowed us to "be ourselves" at all times, even when we may not be actually performing that identity.
In describing the notion of authenticity, the text points out that the younger generation has propelled this movement towards creating cohesiveness between private and public identities. I think there are several reasons for this. For one, this generation of young adults are the children of baby-boomers, whose parenting approach varied greatly from that of their parents during the 50's and 60's. Children of the 80's were encouraged by their parents to be individuals, and nurtured through the process of self-discovery. As adults entering the work force, we see no reason to be anything but authentic and true to our personal, or private, identities.
In addition to our upbringing, I think online social networking has blurred the line between private and personal identities even more. With the ability to access these networks anytime anywhere, we have a 24/7 outlet for our personal expression. We no longer have to wait till we get home to be our true selves when we can tweet our private thoughts and update our facebook status from any computer or cell phone. Just having an online profile means that at any given point throughout the day, anyone can see that profile and interact with our private identity by reading a post, quiz result, "My top 5's", looking at pictures, or anything we might post online about ourselves. Essentially, social networking has allowed us to "be ourselves" at all times, even when we may not be actually performing that identity.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Week 3: Blog 4
Web Lecture: Ideology
I was struck by the idea of ideology as a tool for domination within an organization. When we consider that ideology is an assumption of how things are or should be, it makes sense to reason that whoever created those assumptions has also created control over those who believe it. I always had a positive connotation with the term ideology, thinking of it more in terms of "how things should be" such as in a Utopian society where humanity is at its very best. Considering it can also be used to describe "how things are" without question or even awareness, it is easy, and frightening, to see how it can be used for one group to dominate another. The most powerful statement on this topic was that group members "come to accept and participate in their own oppression."
I was struck by the idea of ideology as a tool for domination within an organization. When we consider that ideology is an assumption of how things are or should be, it makes sense to reason that whoever created those assumptions has also created control over those who believe it. I always had a positive connotation with the term ideology, thinking of it more in terms of "how things should be" such as in a Utopian society where humanity is at its very best. Considering it can also be used to describe "how things are" without question or even awareness, it is easy, and frightening, to see how it can be used for one group to dominate another. The most powerful statement on this topic was that group members "come to accept and participate in their own oppression."
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