Blog Post 1 - Nathan Chang

Blog Post 1

Nathan Chang

Group 1, Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication

Group 1 showed impressive presentation skills. All members were vocal and confident when speaking about each individual subject. They used more pictures and visuals than words for their slides and it made the presentation more interesting overall. In 3.1 it talks about culture and how communication is integrated and used in each culture. The way one communicates is also influenced by their culture. I found 3.3 particularly interesting because it explained how monochronic cultures view time as a series of small units that occur sequentially and polychronic cultures, these cultures include (North America and Northern Europe) while Polychronic cultures view time as a continuous flow. (such as Latin America, Middle East and Native American) I found the video presentation to be unique and nicely done. It was an improvisation for the member not being able to attend class that day and I liked how he added his webcam footage at the top of the screen. The microphone audio was clear and I was able to understand what he was saying. In slide 6, I noticed some pictures were overlapping each other and covering some words. The pictures also looked squished together and the font chosen for the words made it harder to understand and read. This is the case for multiple slides and i'd say its the only negative takeaway from this presentation. They also talk about dominant cultures and how it refers to the learned system of norms held by the majority group of empowered people in a society. The celebrations marking the Chinese New Year are among the most well-known examples of Chinese culture in China. Japanese culture, which includes the language, age-old traditions, and cultural exports like anime and sushi, is predominant in Japan. The "American Dream," that you may do whatever you want, is the cornerstone of American culture. The pop culture and Hollywood scene in America are among the best-known aspects of the country. The aspect of our self-concept that is based on how closely we identify with both the dominant culture and diverse co-cultures is known as our cultural identity. Someone who is of two cultures may celebrate both of them. For instance, a person of Chinese origin living in America (like me) may celebrate both the traditional American new year and the Chinese new year. Since I have a close relationship with god, I liked that they talked about religion. It is stated that even though there is no single or universally accepted definition of religion, there are some common elements that are often found in various religions including: the belief in and/or worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods, a set of beliefs and practices that relate humanity to the supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements, a system of morals, ethics, and values that guide the conduct of human, a way of dealing with ultimate concerns about life and death. and a community of people who share a common faith and identity. Overall, this subject was easy to follow,  and I didn't get bored during the presentation.

Group 3, Chapter 10: Group Leadership and Problem Solving

Group 2 created the most aesthetically pleasing presentation out of all of them, The work was neat and easy to comprehend. The slides looked colorful and creative. In this chapter, I've learned that there are many leadership roles. These help the group acquire, process, or apply information that contributes directly to completing a task or goal. I've also learned the guidelines for meetings and what the leaders and participants must do before, during, and after to make it the most effective. One issue I had with the slides correlating to 10.3 was that it was black lettering on a grey colored background, which don't contrast each other and may make it more difficult to read. It would've looked nicer if the color of the letters were white. Besides that, this part of the presentation was very informative. It describes in detail how to analyze a problem. A couple ways to do this include: finding out as much as possible, sharing knowledge, determining additional questions to answer, and sharing information that is new to see if it contradicts or not with the group. The more a group receives information, the more chances will get to an effective solution. The next step would be to determine criteria for judging solutions. The possibility of reaching an agreement on a solution increases when parties establish criteria before making a decision. Groups will have a hard time coming up with a solution without precise criteria. Even if it unhelpful, ranking the solution criteria after the group has developed a list of them is necessary to determine whether ones are major or not. After, the group should generate a host of solutions, evaluate them, and decide. Talk about potential fixes, and don't be scared to share your thoughts. A creative, uncritical method of idea generation is brainstorming. Talk about and write down all potential ideas without bias. Create a minimum of 8–10 concepts. Make suggestions on how the solution should be implemented when the group has put it into practice. Assess the effectiveness of the solutions after final revisions. In lesson 10.5 we learn how to evaluate group effectiveness. Group dynamics are the behavioral, social, and interpersonal patterns that emerge when people work together as a group. The group's dynamics have an impact on how it operates, communicates, and decides. It is essential to comprehend and control group dynamics if the group is to achieve its objectives and keep a positive, cooperative environment. In a variety of settings, such as businesses, educational institutions, sports teams, and social groupings, group dynamics are essential. For effective collaboration and the accomplishment of shared objectives, it is crucial we comprehend their significance. Ironically, they also talk about group presentations, The focus of group presentations is on the effectiveness & quality of the individual contributions, which are made up of the parts that each person or group brings to the final, effective presentation, and recognizing the value of communication as well. The presentation would be in peril without either of the group components. Working on your presenting abilities individually or in a group can help you assess yourself, learn more, and identify new areas where you can enhance your presentations in the future.