Most people have heard about someone who is a "Drama Queen" or "The high school called and they want their drama back, " but the communication theory on drama is just a little different. There are three parts to this theory which include identification, dramatistic pentad, and the guilt-redemption cycle.
There are five parts to the identification part of the dramatism theory. These five elements are act, scene, agent, agency, and the purpose. The movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days applies all five elements. The scene is New York City, Ben's family's home on Statton Island, Composure magazine office, Andie's apartment, Ben's apartment, Ben's office, the Knicks basketball games, a night club, and several other places throughout the movie. There is no official month, year, or season for the scene, otherwise these factors would be included in the scene element. There are a few acts in this movie as well. Andie is writing a magazine article and is looking for a guy that will dump her in ten days while Ben makes a bet with two women in his company that he can make any woman fall in love with him before their big diamond ball (which also happens to be in ten days). The two woman choose Andie, knowing very well that she is writing the article, in order to have Ben lose the bet. Andie and Ben are the main agents in the movie. They are the ones committing the act, as well as the two woman that are involved in the bet with Ben. The purpose is the final element and can be identified as creating a eventful and exciting movie for the audience.
The dramatistic pentad is applying the factors of identification and the guilt redemption cycle is bringing out the guilt instead of the elements of identification.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Cultural Approach to Organization
The cultural approach to organization begins with ethnography.
Ethnography is also broken down into several parts including metaphors, stories (corporate, personal, and collegial), and rituals. Metaphors includes "I'm heartbroken" (the person is hurt, but their heart is not actually broken) or the expression "America is a melting spot" (America is not a pot with melting substances, but a mix of different people in one place). When I worked at a Dairy Queen for three years, there were several holidays that had special rituals. On July 3rd, our town has a fireworks show and while we were stuck at work, we would be prepared at the drive-thru for the massive amount of cars to come for ice cream. Even though we were normally only opened until 11p.m., we always prepared to stay until around midnight. On the Fourth of July, we were allowed to dress up in red, white, and blue instead of our uniforms. New Years Eve during the day, we had a half-off sale on everything in the store, so all the employees were prepared for the crowds. These rituals happened everyday. Finally, there are stories. In the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie is part of a writer for the magazine Composure. Andie takes story ideas that can really interfere into people's lives (like the editor suggesting Andie's friend write about her love life) and came up with an idea to protect her friend and help her own "How to..." section of the magazine. This example shows the corporate story. A personal story in the movie would be the editor bragging about Andie's section of the magazine. A collegial story would be when the editor tells Andie she can finally write about whatever she wants, but it can not have anything to do with politics and has to deal with more of a fashion feel. A scholar put ethnography to the test with the Major League Baseball. The final step of ethnography is finding someone who can enforce the ethnography.
Ethnography is also broken down into several parts including metaphors, stories (corporate, personal, and collegial), and rituals. Metaphors includes "I'm heartbroken" (the person is hurt, but their heart is not actually broken) or the expression "America is a melting spot" (America is not a pot with melting substances, but a mix of different people in one place). When I worked at a Dairy Queen for three years, there were several holidays that had special rituals. On July 3rd, our town has a fireworks show and while we were stuck at work, we would be prepared at the drive-thru for the massive amount of cars to come for ice cream. Even though we were normally only opened until 11p.m., we always prepared to stay until around midnight. On the Fourth of July, we were allowed to dress up in red, white, and blue instead of our uniforms. New Years Eve during the day, we had a half-off sale on everything in the store, so all the employees were prepared for the crowds. These rituals happened everyday. Finally, there are stories. In the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Andie is part of a writer for the magazine Composure. Andie takes story ideas that can really interfere into people's lives (like the editor suggesting Andie's friend write about her love life) and came up with an idea to protect her friend and help her own "How to..." section of the magazine. This example shows the corporate story. A personal story in the movie would be the editor bragging about Andie's section of the magazine. A collegial story would be when the editor tells Andie she can finally write about whatever she wants, but it can not have anything to do with politics and has to deal with more of a fashion feel. A scholar put ethnography to the test with the Major League Baseball. The final step of ethnography is finding someone who can enforce the ethnography.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Adaptive Structuration Theory
Rules are something we follow everyday, but rules and resources are also part of a Communication Theory.
The sport of basketball has rules and resources which is part of the structure. Each member of the team has a resource that they contribute. On the Cavaliers team in
The appropriation deals with following the rules and resources. Faithful appropriation reminds me of my middle school basketball city league team. We did not have specific positions like the National Basketball Association, but everyone had a resource to contribute. We also followed the rules and had referees for our games to insure the rules were being followed. Ironic appropriation is when rules and resources are not going the way they are supposed to. An example of ironic appropriation would be when someone crumbles up a piece of paper and tosses it into the trash. There are no specific basketball rules being followed and the resources by the person tossing the paper away are not an issue.
The final part of the theory is production and reproduction. Reproduction can be found in a local gym where members are playing basketball. The players will often make comment when a player has double-dribbled or has made a foul on another player. The players are reinforcing the rules and following the standard rules for basketball. Production is when someone takes a rule or resource and makes it their own. If someone is a great shooter, they might have a chance of being a small forward, but they can also use the shooting to their advantage when playing the game “P-I-G.” The player is using their resource in a game to beat the other players before spelling the word pig in a production of the game.
Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making
We put ourselves into groups last week for my Communication Theory class to create a commercial as well as learn about the four functions of the Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making Theory.
The first thing we did was analyze the problem. We stated the problem was thinking of a new reality television show and trying to avoid reality shows that had been done before. We had 25 minutes to come up with an idea and form a commercial to demonstrate to the rest of the class.
We then formed a goal (the second function for this theory) of coming up with an original television show along with an exciting commercial.
After we found our goal, we needed to form alternatives which meant brainstorming (the third function of the theory). We came up with two ideas. I suggested an idea to have a television series with the real drama behind dorm life. Many television shows have documented high school life on the beach as well as roommates living together, but I've never seen a show with college students. I shared with the group that my dorm was very small freshman year and everyone knew everyone as well as every one's secrets. The second idea was made by another girl in the group who suggested to do a "behind the scenes" show on the reality television shows to see if the shows were real or directed. With this series, a new reality show would be observed every week. A third member came up with another idea, but it was a little too out there that we decided it would be too much and may not attract as many viewers (a wild idea).
Going back to our original two ideas, we had to make our final decision. A group member stated that she liked my idea, but because there had been several similar shows, that it may not be the best idea. She also said that even though we found find dorm life interesting, being college students, that other viewers may not. I backed up the fact that teenagers are the targeted area for Laguna Beach and Real World, but agreed that the other idea was more original. This part of our group assignment showed the members of the group promoting positive criticism after combining every one's ideas.
We then continued brain storming for the commercial. Everyone had at least one line and a part in the commercial. We also pointed out positive and negative characteristics about the commercial. One girl commented she had only three words so we volunteered all of the other four positions to her. The narrator of the scene wrote out a script while the director and film director decided their lines while the other pretend actress and I decided how we were going to preform. Each little group shared their parts with the rest of the group and we were able to share our ideas as well as some ideas. This was the final step of the theory.
Through this project, we were able to be promote (a role of communication in the theory) by coming up with ideas and a script for the presentation. However, there were times that were disruptive and we spent too much time talking about our favorite reality shows. Although this had a little to do with the project, it was not helping with coming up for a new show idea or a commercial. When we got off track, someone would always say, "Let's run through the commercial again," for the counteractive role.
I agree with this theory. When in a group assignment, I found myself following all of the functions of the theory, but not in the same order. According to Hirokawa and Gouran, the order is not necessary so I agree with this theory. It's interesting how every day life is created into a theory.
The first thing we did was analyze the problem. We stated the problem was thinking of a new reality television show and trying to avoid reality shows that had been done before. We had 25 minutes to come up with an idea and form a commercial to demonstrate to the rest of the class.
We then formed a goal (the second function for this theory) of coming up with an original television show along with an exciting commercial.
After we found our goal, we needed to form alternatives which meant brainstorming (the third function of the theory). We came up with two ideas. I suggested an idea to have a television series with the real drama behind dorm life. Many television shows have documented high school life on the beach as well as roommates living together, but I've never seen a show with college students. I shared with the group that my dorm was very small freshman year and everyone knew everyone as well as every one's secrets. The second idea was made by another girl in the group who suggested to do a "behind the scenes" show on the reality television shows to see if the shows were real or directed. With this series, a new reality show would be observed every week. A third member came up with another idea, but it was a little too out there that we decided it would be too much and may not attract as many viewers (a wild idea).
Going back to our original two ideas, we had to make our final decision. A group member stated that she liked my idea, but because there had been several similar shows, that it may not be the best idea. She also said that even though we found find dorm life interesting, being college students, that other viewers may not. I backed up the fact that teenagers are the targeted area for Laguna Beach and Real World, but agreed that the other idea was more original. This part of our group assignment showed the members of the group promoting positive criticism after combining every one's ideas.
We then continued brain storming for the commercial. Everyone had at least one line and a part in the commercial. We also pointed out positive and negative characteristics about the commercial. One girl commented she had only three words so we volunteered all of the other four positions to her. The narrator of the scene wrote out a script while the director and film director decided their lines while the other pretend actress and I decided how we were going to preform. Each little group shared their parts with the rest of the group and we were able to share our ideas as well as some ideas. This was the final step of the theory.
Through this project, we were able to be promote (a role of communication in the theory) by coming up with ideas and a script for the presentation. However, there were times that were disruptive and we spent too much time talking about our favorite reality shows. Although this had a little to do with the project, it was not helping with coming up for a new show idea or a commercial. When we got off track, someone would always say, "Let's run through the commercial again," for the counteractive role.
I agree with this theory. When in a group assignment, I found myself following all of the functions of the theory, but not in the same order. According to Hirokawa and Gouran, the order is not necessary so I agree with this theory. It's interesting how every day life is created into a theory.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
There was a commercial on the radio a little while ago where a daughter approached her mom asking if she liked the new shirt she just purchased. The mom responds with that the shirt is the prettiest thing she had ever seen then continued to ask how much the shirt cost. When the daughter told her mother the shirt cost 56 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers, the mom responds with "56 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers?! That is the ugliest shirt I've ever seen!" The daughter questioned the mother and said she had just said it was the cutest shirt in the world. The mother ended the commercial with commenting that she thought the shirt was cute before she realized the shirt was worth 56 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers.
This Wendy's radio commercial is an example of the cognitive dissonance theory. The mother thought the shirt was beautiful and then changed her mind when she realized how much the shirt cost. Her actions and beliefs did not match and this specific answer can be considered part of the post decision dissonance (buyer's remorse).
If there is a small reward for the behavior then the belief may change as well as the small amount of contact reduces the amount of dissonance are two of the other hypotheses of the theory.
I really do not agree with the majority of this theory. If a behavior does not match the attitude expected, that does not mean there is a dissonance. This theory is very interesting, but needs to be investigated further!
Elaboration Likelihood Model
There are two types of persuasion: Central Route (elaboration) and the Peripheral Route.
The central route deals specifically with elaboration. First of all, there is either a personal relevance or a need for cognition. When I approach a store and there is a group of Girl Scouts selling cookies, I feel obligated to buy atleast one box from the troop. I was a girl scout and I remember how difficult it is to sell cookies in order to receive exciting prizes. This is an example of relevance because I know how important cookie selling is to Girl Scouts. Someone who needs cognition may be someone like my Logic professor. He gets really excited about equations and shares that once you know how to do one, they are pretty easy.
When I think of a peripheral route, the show Deal or No Deal comes to mind. While the viewers are getting involved with the contestants winnings, they also have a chance to win money. The viewers can pick one of six cases to see which case has $10,000 by sending in text messages or submitting up to ten guesses for a case online. This is a tangible award that someone watching the show can obtain. Source creditablity may also come into play for the viewers. They look and see six beautiful women with six brief cases and may lose their train of thought for why these six women are on television.
I believe that someone takes one or the other route for different situations and not the same route for every situation. I am intrigued by ads online, commericals on the radio, and even the infomercials on television which means I am following the peripheral route, but I also follow the central route where something needs to relate to me to increase my motivation. I hope this theory is continued to be investigated to see if all people fall under one of another or if these are the only two routes that can be taken for motivation.
The central route deals specifically with elaboration. First of all, there is either a personal relevance or a need for cognition. When I approach a store and there is a group of Girl Scouts selling cookies, I feel obligated to buy atleast one box from the troop. I was a girl scout and I remember how difficult it is to sell cookies in order to receive exciting prizes. This is an example of relevance because I know how important cookie selling is to Girl Scouts. Someone who needs cognition may be someone like my Logic professor. He gets really excited about equations and shares that once you know how to do one, they are pretty easy.
When I think of a peripheral route, the show Deal or No Deal comes to mind. While the viewers are getting involved with the contestants winnings, they also have a chance to win money. The viewers can pick one of six cases to see which case has $10,000 by sending in text messages or submitting up to ten guesses for a case online. This is a tangible award that someone watching the show can obtain. Source creditablity may also come into play for the viewers. They look and see six beautiful women with six brief cases and may lose their train of thought for why these six women are on television.
I believe that someone takes one or the other route for different situations and not the same route for every situation. I am intrigued by ads online, commericals on the radio, and even the infomercials on television which means I am following the peripheral route, but I also follow the central route where something needs to relate to me to increase my motivation. I hope this theory is continued to be investigated to see if all people fall under one of another or if these are the only two routes that can be taken for motivation.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Constructivism
Constructivism is broken down into four parts. Cognitive Complexity, Sophisticated Communication, Person-Centered Messages, and Beneficial Outcomes.
Cognitive Complexity is when a group of people can only be classified into two groups. This category includes classifications such as good people or bad people, old people or young, and rich people or poor. In the Musical, West Side Story, there are two types of groups. These groups consist of The Jets who I think of as classic jocks. The Sharks are the second group and they are are from Puerto Rico looking for new life in America. There are a few neutrals in the movie, but for the most part, everyone makes up the Sharks or the Jets.
Sophisticated Communication takes goals and plans them out before putting them into action. In the movie Mean Girls, Cady and her two friends, Janis and Damian, decide they want to have revenge against Regina. They come up with a plan to destroy her body, separate her from the rest of "The Plastics," and make her boyfriend break up with her. They come up with several ideas before putting them into action, but the first ideas failed and just made Regina more popular. After they had come up with the key plan, they put the plan into action for revenge against Regina.
People who are able to expect another's view on a message and are able to adapt to the messages understand Person-Centered Messages. Most therapists and psychologists need to be able to know Person-Centered Messages. However, in most movies, they show psychologists who are unable to understand person-centered messages. In the movie, The Sixth Sense, Dr. Malcolm Crowe is a psychologist who tries to understand Cole's claim to "see dead people." He could not make the correct Person-Centered Messages to help him adapt to his "sixth sense."
Beneficial Outcomes include using useful types of messages (comforting and persuasive), organized effectively, and being able to fix relationships. In the movie, The Wedding Planner, Mary helps brides shake their cold feet before the ceremony. She will tell the brides about how much their husband-to-be is happy to have his new bride and how members of the family are jealous of certain characteristics, making the bride more comfortable to continue. Together with her partner, Peggy, she is able to organize phenomenal weddings and receptions for any kinds of brides and grooms. When couples have a falling out before the marriage, she is able to bring them together and point out their strong points (even if she really wishes that the couple would not stay together).
This theory was very fascinating to me. I am curious the amount of people who fall under different categories and think there should be an experiment to reveal how certain people go through their life and if they experience any of the Constructivism categories.
Cognitive Complexity is when a group of people can only be classified into two groups. This category includes classifications such as good people or bad people, old people or young, and rich people or poor. In the Musical, West Side Story, there are two types of groups. These groups consist of The Jets who I think of as classic jocks. The Sharks are the second group and they are are from Puerto Rico looking for new life in America. There are a few neutrals in the movie, but for the most part, everyone makes up the Sharks or the Jets.
Sophisticated Communication takes goals and plans them out before putting them into action. In the movie Mean Girls, Cady and her two friends, Janis and Damian, decide they want to have revenge against Regina. They come up with a plan to destroy her body, separate her from the rest of "The Plastics," and make her boyfriend break up with her. They come up with several ideas before putting them into action, but the first ideas failed and just made Regina more popular. After they had come up with the key plan, they put the plan into action for revenge against Regina.
People who are able to expect another's view on a message and are able to adapt to the messages understand Person-Centered Messages. Most therapists and psychologists need to be able to know Person-Centered Messages. However, in most movies, they show psychologists who are unable to understand person-centered messages. In the movie, The Sixth Sense, Dr. Malcolm Crowe is a psychologist who tries to understand Cole's claim to "see dead people." He could not make the correct Person-Centered Messages to help him adapt to his "sixth sense."
Beneficial Outcomes include using useful types of messages (comforting and persuasive), organized effectively, and being able to fix relationships. In the movie, The Wedding Planner, Mary helps brides shake their cold feet before the ceremony. She will tell the brides about how much their husband-to-be is happy to have his new bride and how members of the family are jealous of certain characteristics, making the bride more comfortable to continue. Together with her partner, Peggy, she is able to organize phenomenal weddings and receptions for any kinds of brides and grooms. When couples have a falling out before the marriage, she is able to bring them together and point out their strong points (even if she really wishes that the couple would not stay together).
This theory was very fascinating to me. I am curious the amount of people who fall under different categories and think there should be an experiment to reveal how certain people go through their life and if they experience any of the Constructivism categories.
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