Week 9, Chapter 7, Question 1

For me one of the hardest things to do is control my memory. More importantly my short term memory has been the problem. When engaged in a conversation I try and listen to the best of my ability but sometimes it can be hard to decide what is important to them and what is important to me. But when you are trying to repeat back what you heard in order to get it straight. But there are times when selective hearing also comes into play when you tend to hear that you want to hear in order to prove your point, I tend to do that a lot as well. I have to try and really retain what the person is saying in order to compose a good counter argument or response. But from time to time it is like I am just waiting to talk and I don’t really hear what the person is saying.

Week 9, Chapter 7, Question 2

There have been a few times where I have had selective attention. It happens more often than we want because a lot of times we are waiting to talk versus actually listening. It is actual work when trying to listen. Being in sales it is a huge deal to listen to specifics when trying to gather information about potential customers. But most often I feel that selective attention or selective hearing happens during arguments or debates. Most times people don’t actually listen to what is being said and are just trying to be right by any means possible. For instance, There was a time where me and my dad were getting into a pretty heated political debate. We tend to do this a lot and the ultimate goal is to prove to the other our point whether we are right or wrong. Now obviously in politics it is extremely if not impossible to be 100% right, but this doesn’t stop us from trying. Most of the time we are just spitting words out left and right and not truly listening to anything other than we want to hear. If we were to take a step back and truly listen we might see that we may being arguing the same point but in different perspectives.

Chapter 5, question 3

Nonverbal communication was an interesting part of Chapter 5. Seeing as how the majority of communication is nonverbal it is an intricate part on the group dynamic and normal everyday interactions. Just watching how someone’s face or body reacts to something you say can say way more than the words they spew out of their mouth. I cant tell you how much I value non-verbal communication Vs verbal in my job. As a salesman you are always gauging where the customer is at in the conversation and you can tell more how they are reacting to your words but what the do rather than what they say. If they are swaying while they say “ok” the conversation probably isn’t going the way you hoped it would even though they said “ok”. By watching these queues we can interact with our group members in whole other manner which gives us another look into our group dynamic.

Chapter 5, question 2

“White men of privilege” is a concept that can be interpreted in different ways. I myself see it as a way that minorities view the “white man” as having a cake walk through life. It is a crutch in which minorities use as an excuse for their shortcomings. Being a minority I have heard this term, in different variations, many times. Is there some validity to it? Sure there is. White Caucasian males may have a leg in the corporate world and other areas of our culture. This isn’t the case as much as in the past 50 years, but it is still an issue in today’s world. In the world I have viewed this has never really been the case. Obviously we all have experienced different things in our lives, but I have never truly witnessed a white guy getting something over a black, Hispanic, Asian or any other ethnicity. I feel that this is a way for lazy people to justify them not getting what they want. It is my experience that has taught me that if you want something you have to earn it. May u have to work harder to get it than a white person? Maybe. But that shouldn’t be an excuse to stop trying.

Chapter 5 question 1

I think that almost everyone that went to high school was stereotyped at one point or another. I myself was a jock, and I was labeled everything that accompanies that title. I obviously used to hang out with people who also played sports and as a group was labeled as trouble makers, dumb, “simple”, etc. Granted there were some members of the group that may have fit into that category, but for the most part we were nothing like that. I always found it so funny when I’de be in class and people would make comments regarding me or my friends. But that is the way high school is. When that translates in adult life is where we run into problems. The book talks about how damaging stereotypes can be and how no good comes from them. I would agree with that statement, because for the most part, stereotypes are negative. Very rarely is a stereotype a positive thing.

wk 3, question 3

One concept that I like in this chapter was Cohesiveness. “Is the extent of which member are loyal to the group.” (Pg 54) This is a great definition. Its funny how when it’s a member of your group you can except things from the m that you wouldn’t from others. I know some of my friends do some pretty stupid things, but you still tend to stand by them and stay loyal to the end. I don’t know what it is. It really is “A force that binds groups together.” (Pg 54) You develop a sense of camaraderie and are willing to do things for them that you wouldn’t do for anyone else. I have gone above and beyond the call of duty for my group of friends as they have for me. But taking a step back and looking at it from an outside perspective it has to seem weird the things we go through for our friends.

week 3, question 2

I have witnessed a violation of group norm on many occasions. My close group of friends tend to mingle with other groups all of the time. For instance, I have grown very close to my sister boyfriend and his friends over the past year or so and sometimes have my group of friends come over his house from time to time. When this happens there tends to be some norm violation by my group of friends when it comes to his group norms. For the most part depending on who’s group setting it is, the foreign group tends to have an internal obligation to conform to the “home” groups norms. When it comes to say beerpong, my group of friends play one way and his group plays another. My group tends to adapt to that norm for the most part. But when a specific rule such as rebuttal throws come in, my group tends to disagree and a violation of a norm comes into play making it somewhat uncomfortable.