Communications Paper

Communication Paper Ana Espinoza SOC-110 April 29, 2010 Zack Zardo Communications Paper Attitude is the first thing people usually sense in communication. Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior. There are two different types of communication, verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication usually means spoken or in some cases signed, as in American Sign Language, it also includes; rate, volume, pitch as well as articulation and pronunciation. Nonverbal communication is facial expressions, body movements (i. ; shoulder shrugs, slight shutter in the body (at the sight of something disgusting)), diversion of eye sight (example: flirting, staring, looking away when looked at. Great example from Wiki answers. com is, a man comes home late, he hears from the kitchen the slamming of pots, pans and cupboard doors. He enters the kitchen, asks his wife, â€Å"What’s the matter, honey? † Sh e answers, â€Å"Nothing! † as she slams another cupboard door. Now she has spoken the word â€Å"Nothing†, but it is her unspoken communication that tells him that â€Å"Nothing† is not the real answer. It is clearly communicated by her actions. Men and women are really not the same. Their thinking, acting, communicating and many other behaviors are different. One can make broad generalizations about males and females. The primary difference between these genders is that men are resolvers and women are relaters. Being resolvers, men tend to focus on doing, resolving issues, finding solutions and solving problems. As relaters, women generally focus on pleasing, understanding, feelings, communicating, exploring emotions, making connections and being understood. An opposite gender can understand differently than the other because we all perceive things differently. For example, one gender can see the glass as half full, and the other can see it as half empty. Even though it is the same thing, we all see, hear, understand or comprehend things differently because of our gender. Communicating across cultures improves productivity and promotes healthy and happy learning and work environments. It helps to understand cultural differences and language problems/barriers. However there are problems and challenges of cultural differences or communication. Culture can be viewed by which groups of people understand and interpret or view the world. Generally there are two types of cultural differences. They both affect communication. Differences in body positions and movements; and differences in views and practices concerning various factors of human relationships (time, space, intimacy ect. ). Body languages differ among cultures as well. For example, sitting versus squatting, and manners of walking, communication with body parts- hands, arms, head ect, may also vary by culture. Diversity describes the reality of a national and world community made up of people from different cultures with different kinds of languages and social customs very different from our own. Communicating with different cultures does not come easy, because of a lack of knowledge. It is important to be open minded, listen and try to understand others differences. Put yourself in their shoes. Our ways of thinking and our orientations to our environments are important, we each learn diverse culturally based sets of perceptual communication contexts. For someone to fully understand communication across cultures they would need to learn a little about it in order to successfully communicate. Touching and hand shaking are important to understand in cultural communication. Some cultures do not like much touching. Their handshake may be taken as weak. Other cultures that are okay with touching, have different greetings, ranging from embraces to kisses to even nose rubbing. Differing attitudes toward various factors of human relationships cause communication problems. While American English is the predominant language in the United States the number of non- native English speakers continues to grow. Although many tools can help create a productive diverse environment, one of the most important is good communication skills. We must try to be careful in our choice of word or expressions because once something is communicated it cannot be taken back. To improve communication we must better understand what t is to communicate. Verbal and nonverbal communications are the two key aspects of communication, (especially important in high context culture). In order to communicate effectively we need to utilize these communication skills. The way cultures and genders do things are all different. We do not all walk, talk, and act the same. We do not all wake up the same, pray the same, think the same or believe in the same things. Culture is often at the root of communication challenges. Exploring historical experiences and ways in which various cultural groups have related to each other is key to opening channels for cross-cultural communication. Becoming more aware of cultural differences as well as exploring cultural similarities, can help you communicate with others more effectively. References Http://wwwindependent. co. uk/news/science/womens-brains-uareu-different-from-mens-ndash-and-heres-scientific-proof-870849. html. Http://www. slideshare. net Http://www. university of phoenix. com (2008) Small group and team communication. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, SOC-110 Website. Http://www. wikianwers. com