Political Correctness and Colorblindness (Ch. 7)

This chapter about political correctness hit me in a sense that I should really pay attention to what I say and whom I say it to. Something that we must remember as communicators is that language is never static, meaning that words are never "JUST" words, but rather they are a way of building and shaping our social realities. The point of when we speak is to be both compassionate and accountable, so we can grow to be increasingly aware and knowledgable about the effects of our words on ourselves and others. There are everyday dismissals of language, especially when it comes to race, gender and sexuality. These are known as cultural shortcuts, or better known as political correctness (PC). Political correctness can also lead us to colorblindness. Which in a sense, is still racism. Let's take a look farther into political correctness, and the myths about it. 

As I said already, political correctness is a shortcut. But, it's also a way of arguing someones perspective we don't share, trying to make them seem more authentic. This also is known as a trope. A trope is a figure of speech that stands in for or condenses meanings and assumptions without a very complicated understanding of them. In other words, people use this term as a way to call someone out for his/her language choices, to claim that a term is being overly polite so that the person can seem politically savvy and making the right choice. This basically leads to what political correctness is about: LAZINESS! By citing political correctness falsely, it renders speech as being neutral, a seemingly transparent representation of something real. Remember, culture and language never stays static, we must imagine and conceive how our world changes. As Paulo Freire put it: "Changing language is part of the process of changing the world." 

When we think of colorblindness, we think that we perceive things as black and white. Well, it's pretty true. As Ruth Frankenberg states colorblindness, she says that it's color evasiveness. Meaning, when we try to be colorblind, we are not blind and unable to see race, rather, we're evading the topic and the implications of race. This also reproduces racism within society. By someone saying that they don't believe in racism and are colorblind, they are basically saying that they can ignore the topic of racism. For example, white people can afford to say that they are colorblind, but don't have a clue what it is to be in a black women/man's shoes. This reproduction of color evasiveness makes us avoid the effects and influences race has on culture. Color evasiveness is also better known as power evasion. Power evasion makes us choose not to see ways power is at play at a given moment, but to also avoid history and its effects. Overall, colorblindness is a form of speech that makes it harder to achieve equality for all.

My Plan For My Communication Studies

This being my first semester at San Jose State, I still have a lot to complete until I can achieve my undergraduate degree. I thought I had all of my lower general education completed, but I still have one lab left. My advisor "advised" me to take Geo 4 Lab because it was simple and had quite the abundance of slots open (I'm not taking it because it's easy, I just like the fact that there is plenty of spots. Plus, I wanted to take Astronomy, but there were limited spots). I'm also still deciding about my upper division general education core classes. There's so many too choose from, that I haven't been able to decide. I think I've been too excited about accomplishing all of my communication studies courses to even begin thinking about my upper division general education. But, as of now, I am officially declared as a Communication studies major, and am able able to plan out what courses I want to take. Most of the foundations, inquiry, and practice courses seemed interesting, but a few of them really stood out (Especially, all of the performance classes).

For the foundation courses, I found that taking 122F (Performance studies) and 110F (Interpersonal communication) to be the most suitable for me. I've always enjoyed performing in front of others, even if it means I get the shakes or even an abundance anxiousness. By studying this, I'm looking forward to how performance effects my everyday life, in different cultures, and as well as how it portrays my own identity. I've always enjoyed being noticed, but, not necessarily being the center of attention. As for interpersonal communications, I want to learn how to strengthen and better myself in interpersonal relationships. I figured, by bettering myself with communicating with others, will help me achieve my ultimate goal of teaching others how to speak publicly with strength and self confidence.

Next is the inquiry section, where I chose 123I (Performance of Ethnodrama) and 156I (Qualitative communication). What really caught my eye about 123I, is that there will be script writing which I've always enjoyed. And like I said, the performing in front of others has always been exciting for me. It lets me be someone that I can't be in the everyday life. Since I'm not great with numbers, and I've never been great with quantitative results, I really am looking forward to learning how to become a better interviewer, how to think of better research questions for the interview, and a better observer. 156I will provide these qualities, which I think can be very useful for future references.

Lastly, for my practice courses, I chose 121P (Performance as practice) and 182P (Communication in the classroom). So, once again, we see another performance class, 121P. But, I really do believe by taking these classes, it will help me become a better professor when my time comes. Being in front of people will help get the jitters and anxiety out, and hopefully by the time I do get to where I want to be, I won't be as nervous or anxious. Granted, the nervousness and anxiousness will always be there when anyone starts doing something new for the first time, but, hopefully it will be at a lower level. Next, I have 182P. Since I do want to become a professor in communications (Deanna even said I should probably take this class if I am trying to become a professor for communications), I figured it would be a good idea to learn educational dialogue, and and to apply myself within the classroom.

There is still a long adventure ahead of me for school (Even though it feels like it already has been a long long road), but, I'm really excited about what my future has to bring for my schooling as well as my career.  

 

Identity And Perception: Are You Sure You Want To Know Who I Am And What I See?

To start off, to remind us what identity is, lets define it. A compilation of your own experiences as influenced by social, political, and cultural factors that frame and mark those experiences. We're trying to answer the question of: "Who am I?" Me, I'm quite the abundance of things. But, I'll share the most important ones that I feel make me who I am. First, I'm the son of Mark David Vuko. To me, this is the most important part of me. I'm a by-product of this MAN! I underline and capitalize man because he is more than just that. From him, I have become a man myself, in the sense of being responsible, organized, a neat freak, and making sure I take charge of everything I do. I can't rely on anyone else to do these things for me. I might need help from time to time, and that's where asking sometimes can be harder for me to do (For school, I have no problems asking questions, but when it comes down to asking for help in the sense of needing someone to listen to me because I've had a long day, ask for money for rent because I became sick and lost out on a weeks worth of work, or just in general help or advice). This leads me to my second identity of who I am. I'm stubborn!!! I always feel like I should have control of everything that is going on in my life. I'm slowly learning that this isn't always possible. Metaphorically, even when I'm drowning, I still feel like I have the situation at hand. My third and final identity of who I am is my generosity. I've always been willing to lend a helping hand. I have gone out of my way for people that I love and care immensely about. Even for acquaintances, I have done things most people would just shrug off and say: "Oh I can't, I have other things going on." I do believe in karma, intangible it might be, but I believe what comes around goes around.

Perception is someones perspective or point of view which can also be influenced by social, political, and cultural experiences that frame and mark him or her. Like identity, there are many things that I perceive as good and bad, right and wrong, etc. I will give an example of what I believe is right and wrong in the work place, and then we'll go on with some of the other topics in chapter four about identity and perception. For me, I believe people should have a high standard when it comes to their work ethic. Why do things twice? When you can get it done right the first time. I run a bar in Los Gatos (I don't own the place) and I keep things clean, organized, stalked, and ready for the next person who is going to run the bar next. Some people don't do this. I perceive this as being lazy, unmotivated to do their job, and lastly not caring for their environment where they work. I also see this as being selfish as well. Instead of pointing fingers and saying: "Well, the people from last night didn't do this or that." Be the bigger person, and set the next person up for success. Before I go on and keep talking about this subject, I'm cutting myself off from saying anymore. If I did, this would turn into a venting session.

In this section, I'm going to explain, what I think are some of the important parts and theories that was touched in chapter 4. We already discussed identity and perception vaguely, there's much more to it. First, we're going to start with foundational theories in communications. Symbolic interactionism devised by George Herbert Mead and named by Herbert Blummer states that the self is a product of the messages that it has encountered over past interactions. Also how language produces who we are. For some, it's unsettling to think of this theory as a collage of communication that we have no control over. Just like symbolic interactionism, impression management relies on cultural cues. To dig deeper in what this means, impression management is building an impression on ourselves as well as others. By exploring how our communication makes our values and beliefs real, it makes us realize that not all our messages have consequences. But, also that we can change theses aspects of ourselves and our worlds to make it seem more natural. Last theory I want to touch on is the standpoint theory. Standpoint say's that we are people that occupy relationships to each other and that those relations are mediated by different powers. Here we try to take an oppositional stance, and we make it a way to talk or push back against certain power.

The last two topics I want to touch on are cultural location and performance within identity and perception. Cultural location is an identity that is a way of seeing yourself within social categories, in relation to each other. Also our positionalities, our points of view, shape our perceptions. By reflecting upon our cultural locations or positions crafted within systems of power, is one way of understanding identity and perception. For example, my next door neighbor is latino which puts him into a system of race. This frames his experience and affects his world views, and his place with power.

Next we consider performance as who we are as a result of our repeated, patterned human actions. As socially produced selves, our identities are always in the process of becoming. In a gender setting, our performance of how we speak, move, style our hair and wear our clothes is how we identify what our gender is. Also, rituals, which are how we engage in repeated verbal and non-verbal communication functions to share and define our identities. Our identities are the result of routines. Lastly, who we are is never fixed or static, but it's always in motion.

How To Overcome The Struggles Within

We all have some sort of deficiency when it comes to communication. Whether it be in a professional, face-to-face interpersonal, or even in a scholarly setting. I have always been able to speak my mind in the professional setting. At work, I don't shy away from bringing new idea's to management, even if I feel it could improve the work environment or possibly be hurt it as well. Regardless, I still speak with an assertive and professional voice. In the classroom, I have been progressing more and more. The one thing I really need to work on, is not just raising my hand thinking I have an answer. When in reality, I have a partial thought that hasn't been fully developed and completed. But, most of the time, I have a passive/assertive voice. I'm also not afraid to ask question's, even if I need the professor to repeat something, give another example of the the situation, or I will flat out say: "I'm confused and you lost me, can you put this in a way, so I can better understand it?" Some of the time, I might hear the occasional "Ugh," but I would rather be knowing than lost. Can I better myself in both of these atmosphere's? Definitely! But, I feel that there is one particular area, where I really need some help, and that is my interpersonal relationships with close family and friends.

When it comes down to a face-to-face personal conversation with friends and family (and even the complete stranger that might want to start a conversation with me), I have always been shy to say what I really feel. What I have noticed about myself, is that I don't want to offend other's. I'm always wanting to please, and not be disliked. I can joke around and be playful about situations at hand, but when it comes down to actually having a conversation with meaning, I get tense, nervous, and feel that I may say something that the other's might comprehend as: selfish, inconsiderate, not "politically correct," or harmful. I've had this problem since I was young child, and maybe that was because in my household, the children were to been seen, not heard. Another thing that I have noticed, is that when I actually do speak my mind, with emotion and meaning, people never want to take me seriously or believe that I actually feel that way. It gets to be an aggravating factor for me at least, because when I do speak this way people get offended and take things like I am attacking them.

What I want from communications studies, is to learn to be more assertive with personal encounters when it comes to dealing with emotion. I want people to take me seriously and not look at me just as some goofy guy that enjoys joking around all the time. I want the respect from other's and make sure people don't take what I say so personally, but as constructive criticism. I also want my fear and anxiety of speaking at the personal level to be close to obsolete. Knowing I can conquer interpersonal communication between myself and another human being would be ideal as I progress through my communication studies.