yours truly,

What I have chosen to discuss here is something that is ubiquitous yet taboo. It is something I believe no one likes to talk about and avoids. This incessant topic is our problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.

It has been riding on the wings of pestilence, not only in the case of women, but also applicable to our male population. Victims have been on the rise, especially when women have been integrated into the working class some time ago. This calls for measures to be implemented, against perpetual affliction of such physical and psychological torment, and also a necessity for as such people are deprived of support from this continuum of abuse.

http://www.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/Women%2BIn%2BThe%2BNews/Story/A1Story20080709-75660.html


http://www.aware.org.sg/?page_id=61

http://209.85.175.132/search?q=cache:khZD0TJ2jv4J:www.aware.org.sg/download.php%3Ffile%3Dpressrelease/2008-Jul-09%2520AWARE%2520Report%2520on%2520Sexual%2520Harassment.pdf+sexual+harassment+in+workplace&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg

Plenty of organizational communication concepts and principles can be highlighted and I shall draw out some resonating details. Members or should I say victims, are subjected to organizational structures and positions. These people are mostly at the lower end of the hierarchal system where they can be less vocal and opinionated, and most importantly, they know the “what and what not’s”.

This particular topic can be cross referenced to formal organizational structure as well. The downward communication concept says it all. It is a message (harassment) sent from someone at the top to someone at the bottom, exploiting the ‘superior-subordinate’ position, blackmailing victims with performance reports, appraisals and even retrenchment. Upward communication channels are mostly sealed and such taboo subjects are best left in ethical and moral quandaries. Hence, the help required from sentinel policies.

Organizational culture provides a precise and succinct elaboration of ‘why’. Organizational cultures establish the rules on how to behave (suffer in silence), what attitudes to adopt (suffer in silence), and how to rank what is significant (work first, personal problems later). When new entrants realize such behaviors are perennial in the office, they will experience culture shock and surprise. Soon, these greenhorns will seek information from the insiders and anticipate surprise (victimization and how to deal with it). Rites and ceremonials (team building activities) will become hunting grounds for sexual predators in the workplace.

Societal banes like these should be banished and eradicated by law enforcement. Channels should be made available for victims to seek redress and for each day this problem persists, the issue will become harder to resolve.

Saturation

Plurk and Twitter are free social networking and micro-blogging services. Somewhat like a cross between Facebook and Blogspot. What these new services provide are simple blogging capabilities, limiting entries to less than 140 words. Similar to the Messenger, it displays updates of personal messages and grant friends of the user to post responses as if having an online conversation. These are examples of computer mediated communication (CMC).

CMC simply means communication using computers and computer networks, including e-mail, electronic conferences, newsgroups, and Web chats. It allows access and interaction between people and databases, all over the world. These social networking services are a form of CMC because they possess certain characteristics like for example using the computer as a medium, and transpire on a virtual platform known as ‘cyberspace’.

We cannot deny that the proliferation of CMC has influenced and permutated our lifestyles. Now our world revolves around it and I would dare say it is not an ephemeral addiction. Such individuals will plunge into abysmal disorientation once they are robbed of CMC. None of us ever experiences it because technology will not allow us to be deprived. The adhesive connection between personal identity and CMC ‘caused a shift in the basic definition of self’ and this concept opens new windows to which how people can lead lives, maintain or construct relationships etc.

For me, whether it is a necessity to have so many computer mediated ‘communicators’ remains an eternal conundrum.

Communication and the Mass Media

The first video shows George W. Bush and his top ten ‘bloopers’ on the David Letterman show. The clips are taken off during his eight year reign in the constitution and I believe this is what America remembers him by. Other than the infamous ‘shoe’ incident, these are examples of how the media sensationalize content to increase television network viewership ratings.

This talk show typifies certain characteristics of media messages like invisible receivers and interposed channels. It is as such because audience are large, heterogeneous and anonymous who can terminate communication at will. The channel it employs is obviously the television network and the way the information is encoded is for viewing pleasure more than anything else, but it requires some skill in decoding for the receivers to understand the media message. The four media functions identified by Charles Wright are also explicitly displayed in this way: surveillance (information), correlation (analysis and evaluation), cultural transmission (between USA and other parts of the world that had access) and entertainment.



The next video shows the finance minister for Japan, Shoichi Nakagawa, in a G7 conference in Rome. His responses and body language had people around the world debating on whether he was or was not intoxicated. It was splashed across the news and Mr. Nakagawa defended critics saying it was due to the slumberous effect of flu medication, but thereafter, he resigned from his post. This is an example of one media communication theory. This media theory explains the role of the mass media in shaping values and world views. The powerful effects theory might have been in play and contributed to Minister Nakagawa’s demise. This is so because it is based on the assumption that the mass media exerts tremendous influence on to the passive target audience. The conclusion should be that he (Shoichi Nakagawa) realized he has brought shame to his country (thanks to the media) and hopes that resignation would instil confidence back in the Japanese of their political leaders.

North versus South

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/410272/1/.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/410272/1/.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/410036/1/.html

more can be found in http://www.channelnewsasia.com/

Given the current conflict, the next round of fusillade of gunfire would most probably break out at the 38th parallel. Ever since the collateral destruction at the Gaza strip, this would be the next glaring issue that the world would be scrutinizing. There has been some finger pointing done before this recent turmoil in Korea. Both parties accuse each other of conducting precarious military exercises and experiments and they are doing so because of the speculation surrounding them. We all know of North Korea’s efforts in concocting new weapons of mass destruction. The world’s superpowers had tried their best each time to come up with agreements and plans to tranquilize such aggression to maintain the peace and security.

This is what has been happening: DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) claims they have the right to test-tire for a space research program which no one actually believes that they are really doing research. This particular ‘research’ arose after the North-South relations soured and the DPRK accused the ROK (Republic of Korea), of violating summit accords caused the tension. ROK rebutted stating whatever military exercise that is being conducted has got nothing to do with harming the North. Since then, neither party has given in. USA intervened demanding that the DPRK halts the provocation and answer for the abduction of Japanese citizens to train their spies.

The communication theories discussed here would be the dissimilar cultures of the two neighbors. Here in the above example of the DPRK and ROK, their cultures had influenced and programmed the respective mindsets of the Koreans. In the case of DPRK, we see a collectivist society. The collectivist culture describes how:

1. Social behaviour is determined by the views, needs, and goals of the ingroup rather than of self
2. Social norms and duty defined by the group, rather than for self pleasure
3. Beliefs shared with ingroup rather than to distinguish oneself from the ingroup

These are especially transparent in the communist part of Korea. Citizens of North Korea also display collectivist characteristics like conformity and self sacrifice for ingroup members just to name a couple. The actions and response (test fire of long range missiles) of the DPRK in this hostile situation further depicts their communist and collectivist culture in addition to the human rights encroachment, economy, foreign relations etc.

In Seoul, we see how social behavior is largely determined by personal goals, attitudes and values of collectivities and S.Koreans are more liberal and advocate hedonism like many common westernized cultures. Now, they are are garnering support from similar individualist societies like USA who also condone such repugnant and preposterous proposition.

Lastly, I have been wondering how political leaders from S.Korea and USA are acting more like collectivists, taking the same stand against the nuclear armed North, and N.Korea thinking and acting like an individualist, isolated and driven by motives that only benefit them...

local celebrity couple splits

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_338252.html

Marriage epitomizes the true essence of sacred and holy matrimony of two individuals who have pledged to be each other’s responsibility. Sadly, these treasured vows are so often taken lightly. Statistical evidence has shown that here in Singapore, divorce rates are not only climbing but couples calling it quits are getting younger. Our self-centred younger generation shifts the blame ever so easily and reasons for separation are alarmingly frivolous. Whatever happened to ‘till death do us part’? In the story I have chosen in the link above is an instance of how our younger married couples are falling apart because of ‘career and individual differences’. Of which it evinces my point of the ‘me’ mentality. Today, young married couples are finding it strenuous to sacrifice their own benefits and privileges for the betterment of the relationship.

Interpersonal communication means establishing a relationship and by doing so, satisfy our social needs and personal goals. DeFleur et al stated three processes of communication in relationships which are engagement, management, and disengagement. From what is observed and extracted, Glenn Ong and Jamie Yeo found it difficult and pointless to manage and maintain their relationship because of, most prominently, conflicting relational needs. Then finally the inevitable dissolution occurs in a positive and justified way. According to Knapp’s model of relational development, the couple have reached termination stage whereby both parties part ways and moved on from the relationship as seen from the article when ‘they were spotted at a recent event arriving and sitting separately’. Lastly to sum it up, the typical behaviours evident in their relationship are applicable to the theories and concepts of interpersonal communication.

Phelps smoking pot?

World renowned American swimmer Michael Fred Phelps was photographed smoking pot, otherwise known as marijuana, and had it splashed across one of the British tabloid newspapers. An acclaimed and accomplished sportsman caught doping? In today’s world, this is by no means incredulous. Other than Phelps himself, sportsmen and athletes like Diego Maradona and Marion Jones were cardinal sinners who found themselves under the doping scandal spotlight. What separates Phelps is his nature and how our society affirmed his status as the ‘golden boy’. Before this, our perception of him is an illustrious Olympic swimmer who spent his lifetime training, and then sweeping gold medals and shattering records, leaving us common folk in awe of this swimming phenomenon. In 2004, people forgave his foolish act of driving under the influence of alcohol but maybe because it happened in his home country, it ended briefly. A celebrated sportsman certainly has many endorsement deals and for Phelps it includes Subway, Kellogg’s, Speedo and Mazda just to highlight some. Recently Kellogg’s decided to discontinue the endorsement and I believe this has to show how influential perception can be. The general population has revised their perception of him and I believe to maintain their revenue in this wretched economy, they made this calculated move and even promised to remove Phelps’ face from their cereal boxes.

Perception is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information to give meaning. We have selected positive experiences and information we have of this man. Next, our cognitive schemata organize it as such it befits the image of a ‘golden boy’. Lastly our societal interpretation of a good natured, hard-working and driven swimming sensation is formed because of prominent individual characteristics.

Human perceptions are caused by personal constructs in the case of Michael Phelps. His ‘golden boy’ image arose because of perception and it leads me to think that it is largely because of his restrained lifestyle before this. This so called fracas emerged because of our bias and first impression of him. If it were some delinquent that had smoked pot, I do not think that would have affected us. This distinguished athlete had paid a massive price for his error thanks to perception.

Heineken advertisement

This is a a Heineken advertisement about a 'walk-in refrigerator' in the house and from my point of view the idea is something similar to a walk-in closet which is commonly found in houses with contemporary themes. The idea of a walk-in closet is to have one's garments/apparels/clothing, accessories, and maybe footwear placed in it for convenience sake. The commercial shows how the male owner of the house uses the idea and creates a walk-in refrigerator. Then, the story goes on to exhibit similarities in actions and emotions displayed by members of each gender when they are exposed to the walk-in concept (refrigerator for the males and closet for the females).

The advertisement shows an example of a linear communication model. The encoder and decoder are Heineken and its advertisement viewers respectively. The channels used are the internet and any other visual mass media. The social constructionist and to a certain extent cultural studies perspectives of communication are expressed in the advertisement. I believe our society has shaped us to think that females should express their emotions in this manner when they see a walk-in closet that is filled with mirrors and clothing, accessories etc. It is likened to how we generalize males love beer. The cognitive customs and our cultural traditions compels us to process information this way and we would not be able to break out of it unless we are exposed to different beliefs or values. It has also affected the way we construct our specific gender role in society, taking the advertisement as an example, how women seek superficial material satisfaction and also how men are inclined to alcohol consumption as a form of recreation. These answer the aspect of the social constructionist perspective. The ‘pop culture’ that people of the present are subjected to play a part in molding today’s minds. From teenage soap operas, television series to magazines, they promote influential cultural systems that configure our modern day society.

In my opinion, I feel that the advertisement is making fun of the way women express themselves by making use of men enacting the same response. They are also trying to say that their product can be put on the same level as how for example, branded material comforts appeal to women. Lastly, they emphasize the value of the product by putting it in a ‘walk-in’ compartment which the people in the advertisement held in high regard.