COMM 10 Unit 1.pdf

lOMoARcPSD|47171583 COMM 10 M1–M3 - A lecture reviewer under the course Critical Perspectives in Communication Critical Perspectives in Communication (University of the Philippines Visayas) Scan to open on Studocu Studocu is not sp...

lOMoARcPSD|47171583 COMM 10 M1–M3 - A lecture reviewer under the course Critical Perspectives in Communication Critical Perspectives in Communication (University of the Philippines Visayas) Scan to open on Studocu Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 COMM 10 | Critical Perspectives in Communication Module 1: The Changing Landscape of Communication Orality and Literacy Brief Background Human society first formed itself with oral speech, becoming literate very late in its history, and at first only in certain groups. Homo sapiens has been in existence for between 30,000 to 50,000 years. The earliest script dates are drawn from only 6,000 years ago. Primary Oral Culture Culture with no knowledge whatsoever of writing or even of the possibility of writing (Ong, 1980) “Technologizing” of the word began in writing but later applied to words rendered in various media such as the radio, television, etc. Diachronic study of orality and literacy and of the various stages in the evolution from one to the other sets up a frame of reference in which it is possible to understand better not only pristine oral cultures and subsequent writing culture, but also the print culture that brings writing to a new peak and the electronic culture which builds on both writing and print. In this diachronic framework, past and present, Homer and television, can illuminate one another. Note: The shift from orality and literacy and on to electronic processing engages social, economic, political, religious, and other structures. Must-knows: Our ancestors heavily relied on storytelling as a medium of propagating information before the sophisticated forms of organizing knowledge emerged. Later, they began to draw and write. Eventually, “technologizing the word” became more and more sophisticated with the introduction of tools. But orality remained in some cultures and societies despite the emergence of literacy. It resulted in polarities—traditional and old vs. new and state-of-the-art; oral vs. literate cultures. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Traditional Media, Mass Media, and New Media Media (e.g. tools for communication) plays an important role in the permanence and mobility of culture. What is Culture? (Baran, 2013) Learned behavior of members of a particular social group. Can be contested, and, as such, can unite or divide a community; can spark discourses as a community is composed of many individuals that have different perspectives. Underpinned by language as an instrument for the collection and distribution of knowledge. Must-knows: Culture and language aid in classifying our experiences. Culture cannot exist in the absence of communication, and communication is language. As such, power can shift from those who can share their stories to a larger group through the mass media (traditional or new). The Power to Shape Culture Those who could read and write Those aided by developments in modern writing (uniform message, wide dissemination) Power is boosted by access to mediated means of communication such as radio, print, internet, television, etc. Media Convergence and the Blurring of Genres Media Convergence is a new phenomenon, however only apparent in traditional media (e.g. newspapers sharing content with radio/TV news). Its convergence is only limited to content convergence. Digital Technology allowed the merging of text, audio, and video, and blurred the boundaries between media. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 What is Media Convergence? coming together of telecommunications, computing, and broadcasting into a single digital bit-stream ○ accessing media through the internet using phones phenomenon involving the interconnection of information and communication technologies, computer networks, and media content direct consequence of the digitization of media content and the popularity of the internet Module 2: Rhetoric and the Language of Persuasion What is Rhetoric? The art of Persuasion Deliberate use of language to effect change in thoughts, feelings, and actions. Language Can be verbal or non-verbal Shared A medium for effectuating change Origin CLASSICAL RHETORIC. Many historians believe that the birthplace of classical rhetoric is the ancient city-state of Athens. ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY. Back then, they lived under a type of democracy wherein all-male citizens had equal rights, freedom, and opportunities in the political arena. SOPHISTS. For Greeks, a sophist is a man who manipulated the truth for financial gain. They travel from polis to polis to teach young men how to debate in public places. Their only objective was to win. Aristotle and the Art of Rhetoric Aristotle recognized that audiences would not always be sophisticated enough to agree on arguments based only on scientific and logical principles. Therefore, persuasive language and techniques were necessary for truth to be taught in, if not all, most instances. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Aristotle’s 3 Means of Persuasion Logos (Logic) Ethos (Credibility) a. Ethics/Credibility a. Logical/Reason b. Trustworthiness or authority b. Facts, statistics, case studies, c. Tone/Style scientific evidences Pathos (Emotion) Kairos a. Emotional impact a. Time b. Personal connection b. The context of the moment The Rhetorical Situation Bitzer (1988) said that it is the situation which calls the rhetorical discourse into existence. It is defined as a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting as actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action to bring about significant modification of the exigence. Thus, it is a prerequisite in rhetorical discourse. The Three Components of a Rhetorical Situation Exigence A problem addressed by rhetorical discourse If the exigence cannot be modified, it is not considered rhetorical and it neither requires nor invites the assistance of discourse. Audience Mediators of change Individuals or people whose thoughts and behaviors can be influenced by a rhetorical discourse. Constraints People, events, relations, objects that hold power to influence decisions and actions of the audience in order to modify the exigence. Can include beliefs, attitudes, documents, facts, traditions, imaged interests, motives, et cetera. Types of Constraint Proofs: Artistic proofs - managed by the rhetor and his/her method. Inartistic proofs - not created by the rhetor; i.e. contracts, laws, testimonies. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Political Rhetoric is mostly concerned with strategies used in constructing persuasive messages in debates and disputes. It is the application of rhetoric in politics. It touches upon the fundamental activities of democratic politics. It is also the central grass-roots of political action. “Rhetoric facilitates the making and hearing of representation claims spanning subjects and audiences... democracy requires a deliberative system with multiple components whose linkage often needs rhetoric.” - Dryzek (2010) Political (Deliberative) Oratory, according to Aristotle, is an argument that is concerned with weighing up alternative future courses of actions of governing bodies. Political Rhetoric and Identity Aristotle argued that audiences could be swayed not only by the style and content of an argument, but also the character projected by the speaker (ethos). Attitude of a perceiver toward a source of information at a given time. An audience member’s evaluation of the speaker’s character. Showing of the sincerity and the trustworthiness of the speaker. Persuasive Strategies in Political Rhetoric 1. Taking and Avoiding Sides a. Appeal to as many groups as possible without sacrificing loyalty. 2. Explicit Appeals to Common In-group Membership a. Finding or establishing commonality b. single rhetorical identity—a group bound by an overarching characteristic Must-knows: Constitutive Futurity (Frank, 2010) is a form of representation in which the object of political address (e.g. the “nation”) is projected into an undetermined future. In this way, a speaker is not confined to constructing a common rhetorical ingroup located in the narrative here-and-now, but can speak to, and on behalf of, “a people that is not...yet.” Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 3. Constructing Aspirational Identities a. A representation in which the object of political address is projected into an undetermined future. b. candidates may want people to imagine a future wherein it is different than the present. 4. Implicit Displays of Rhetorical Alignment a. indirect means of influencing the thoughts of audience members, such as in clothing, body posture, paralanguage and language, gestures, etc. (branding). Digital Rhetoric Basic Characteristics Of Communication In Digital Spaces Speed Reach Anonymity Interactivity Must-knows: A wide reach does not equate to a big rhetorical audience. Only people who are capable of being influenced or transformed by a rhetorical message are considered as rhetorical audiences. “Not only persuasion for the purpose of moving audiences to action or belief but also self-expression for the purpose of exploring individual and group identities and participation and creative collaboration for the purpose of building communities of shared interest.” Motives will always be present in persuading, may it be good or bad. Ergo, it is important to be critical and analytical about messages, and go beyond what you see and hear. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Module 3: Communication and Identity Construction What is identity? Who are you? How did you manage to come up with the idea as to who you are? Where did you get these notions/ideas? Do you know yourself better? Does your identity change? Does it not change? 3 Dimensions of Self by William James Material - Tangible objects, people, or places that carry the designation my or mine. ○ The two subclasses of the material self ; the bodily self and extracorporeal (beyond the body/extended) self. ○ Another way to determine whether something is part of the extended self is to see how we act towards it. Social - how we are regarded and recognized by others. ○ “…a man has many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him and carry an image of him in their mind…But as the individuals who carry the images fall naturally into classes, we may practically say that he has as many different social selves as there are distinct groups of persons about whose opinion he cases.” ○ Modern researchers proposed that we also have Relational Self, the self defined in terms of specific relationships (as a child, romantic partner, close friend, colleagues, etc). Spiritual - inner self or psychological self; it is comprised of our self-perceived abilities, attitudes, emotions, interests, values, motives, opinions, traits, and wishes. ○ “By the spiritual self… I mean a man’s inner or subjective being, his psychic faculties or dispositions…These psychic dispositions are the most enduring and intimate part of the self, that which we most verily seem to be…” Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 What is identity? According to Djite (as cited by Verluys, n.d., p. 6), identity is “the everyday word for people’s sense of who they are”. This sense of oneself is formed through our interaction with others. Since we are social beings who interact with and relate with others as members of social groups and communities, our identity is not stable and unitary but shifting and multiple. Our self-concept and others’ conception of us are not necessarily one and the same. Must-knows: A person’s identity is shaped by her/his relationships with others, it is fluid rather than fixed, and it is political as well as personal. Our self-identity is influenced to a large extent by how others see us, and we form our self- identity in the process of interacting with other people. The Process of Constructing Identity Constructive Theory of Identity (Hecht et al) Identity is a social process and identity is constructed in and through communication. Identity is constructed in the process of interacting and communicating with others. Identity is constructed in and through language. Communication defines our identity both directly and indirectly. How does Communication directly define our Identity? When we employ linguistic codes through naming and kinship terminologies to describe and assign macro and micro characteristics to ourselves, others, and social groups. How does Communication directly define our Identity? When we internalize judgments of ourselves, others, and social groups based on our way of expressing ourselves. In this process of identity construction... some of the conceptions that we form about ourselves and others that prove relevant to existing social structures are maintained. Those that have changed overtime are refabricated. Those that are no longer relevant to the current conditions are replaced. Thus, identity is dynamic rather than static, and multiple rather than singular. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Communication Theory of Identity Personal Enacted Concerns our self-cognitions (including self Covers the performance and outward image and self-concept) or sense of being. expressions of identity All personal dispositional characteristics How we formulate messages to express that help us to make sense of who we are our identity belongs to this frame or layer belong to this frame. communication is identity and not just caused or influenced by it. Relational Communal Explains identity as something that is Characteristics of communities are held in embedded in our relationships with others. common by groups rather than individuals. “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell A shared vision of “personhood” or a you who you are.” collective identity. “Birds of the same feather flock together.” Performance of Identity The idea that identity is performed is similar to sociologist Erving Goffman’s concept of self as performance (articulated in his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life published in 1959). Their interactions with other individuals are considered as performing or acting out a role and a version of themselves, and are engaged in a process of impression management. The concept of performance of identity or self applies not only to situations where you are literally onstage performing a role or presenting something to an audience but to all communication situations. Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Collective Identities According to Hecht and Choi (2012) Identity is based on social categorization and shared group memberships. Societal norms and practices are internalized in the form of social identities based on social categories (especially in/outgroup distinctions). These collective identities include racial and ethnic identity, national identity, religious identity, and organizational identity. Types of Collective Identities Ethnic Identity - a set of ideas about one’s own ethnic group membership. It typically includes several dimensions: (1) self-identification (2) knowledge about the ethnic culture (traditions, customs, values, and behaviors) (3) feelings about belonging to a particular ethnic group National Identity - is constructed and conveyed in discourse, predominantly in narratives of national culture. - Based on Benedict Anderson’s famous definition of nations as “imagined communities,” Wodak et al. posit that national identity is socially constructed and “conceived in language, rather than blood”. Positioning The discursive process whereby people are located in conversations as observably and subjectively coherent participants in jointly produced storylines. Participants position themselves or are positioned in different conversational locations according to changes in storylines. Intersectionality How race, class, gender, sexuality, the body, and nation, among other vectors of difference, come together simultaneously to produce social identities and experiences in the social world, from privilege to oppression. Role Of Power Dynamics In Society Towards Identity Construction Stereotyping Ethnocentrism Prejudice Racism Discrimination Sexism Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|47171583 Synthesis Module 1 Dialogism of Convergent Media (i.e. multimedia, new media) Bakhtin (1981): “Past cultural works (e.g. literature) are continually informed by the present versions of the same cultural work (and vv), not as a matter of influence but as a continuous dialogue that oscillates both ways.” Spicheva (2014): "All the manifestations of culture are combined in this digital Universe which merges the past, the present, and future manifestations of the communicative thought in a gigantic historical supertext" (p. 82). Remember: The advent of digital media has made it possible for ordinary individuals to disseminate their own stories, thus creating counter-cultures. Communication practice today is multifaceted and complex, and we are called upon to develop a more critical understanding of the role of communication in addressing various challenges confronting society and in building a better world for all. Module 2 In persuading, there will always be motives, it could be good or bad. It is important to be critical and analytical, there could have been messages beyond what you have seen or what you have heard. Module 3 Identity is an intersubjective construction emerging from overlapping and complementary relationships characterized by, but not exclusive to, similarity and difference, genuineness and artifice, and authority and deligitimacy. This perspective in turn should enable us to give space for others to negotiate their identities as we negotiate ours. - Joseph, J. (2010). Identity. In C. Ljamas & D. Watt (Eds.), Language and Identities (p.9-17).Edinburgh University Press) Downloaded by Leanna Grace Oro ([email protected])