The power of social media

            Social media has had a major impact on the way people respond to issues that occur in society. While the platform was originally meant to help people connect and share experiences, it has evolved to become a platform where social vices such as racism, corruption and other ills in society are brought to light and criticized. Other than creating awareness on the vices that exist in society, social media allows people to share their opinions as well as suggest possible solutions that could be implemented to make society better. This is achieved through various platforms, among which is memes.  Memes have taken over the internet especially because they are designed in a direct and creative way that targets different topics thus allowing people to keep up with the trends in society. Due to their simple nature and small size, memes gain popularity because a serious issue such as racial discrimination or oppression of certain ethnic groups can be sent to millions of people in something as simple as a photo.

            The meme used for this topic focuses on society’s tendency to give attention to issues that are not that serious but ignore vices that could make society a better place if rectified. Since meme’s are intended to trigger a specific reaction, the meme used calls attention to something as serious as child poverty which is a serious issue especially due to the challenges that children growing up in poverty have to overcome on a daily basis. Society has a responsibility to protect the rights and freedoms of members of the community (Barber 41). While child poverty is something that has been discussed in the media, the meme shows that not enough attention is given to the issue because they are more concerned with less serious matters such as the government reading their emails. Although invasion of privacy is something of note, it has little consequences compared to child poverty and the meme tries to show how society fails to focus on things that are important and need immediate attention.

            Although the meme is intended for everyone in society, its direct target audience is millennials as they are the ones who mostly understand and relate to memes. People who grew up in the millennial era also saw the popularization of social media and the emergence of memes. They are therefore the most ideal target audience because they not only relate to the meme itself but also to the topic it calls action to, which is child poverty. However, the call to action is not just for millennials but everyone in society because, for there to be positive change, people need to work together and focus on things that really matter and in so doing, bring about positive change.

            According to Barber (Barber 42), society has a responsibility to look out for the best interest of everyone in the community. However, people tend to neglect looking out for the public good because they tend to mostly focus on things that affect them directly. When people focus on only their interests it takes away the community’s voice, making it hard to address issues of concern and this is what the meme tries to draw attention to. The meme has a picture of the famous character, the joker, who is a villain in the superhero world of fictional movies. Although the joker is a villain, he is known for his dark sense of humor and his picture in the meme shows the irony of how people are more concerned about privacy than child poverty. From the meme, if someone like the joker is concerned enough about child poverty, then people in society should be just as determined to do something to do away with child poverty.

Work cited

Benjamin, Barber. “A place for us: How to make society civil and democracy strong” Hill and     Wang, 1998

 Interview with Jessica

To prepare for the interview with Jessica who is having some problems at work, I first did research on some of the factors that contribute to employees’ problems at work. Research is an important element in an interview, it helps one understand factors that help in proper selection of topics to be handled through the interview (Okun, 2001). By doing this, I was able to gain insight to the issues that Jessica could be facing and it helped me formulate relevant questions for the interview. The interview took about 20 minutes and I will have to admit that this was not easy because Jessica is a really open individual that loves to express herself and so it was so hectic moving from one question to another to ensure that the interview took the set timeframe.

This interview was unstructured in nature and this is why I chose to use open ended questions. Open ended questions are effective because they give the client a chance to expand their answers and this gives the interviewer more conclusive answers that help make the right diagnosis (Sarason, 2015). In this case the open ended questions were effective in helping me understand what is going on with Jessica’s life and how this is contributing to the issues that she is having at work. Some of the questions that I selected for the interview included;

1. What is your name and how did you get it?
2. What do you like to do for fun?
3. What is the most important thing to you and why?
4. Do you enjoy working here? Why?
5. What changes have you experienced at your workplace in the last few months?
6. How have you coped with these changes?
7. How is the relationship between you and your co-workers?
8. What are some of the changes that have happened in your family in the last few months?
9. How have you coped with these changes?
10. Where do you see yourself in regard to your career in the next ten years?

The venue of an interview should be in a place that makes the client comfortable and more importantly, a place that is quite (Okun, 2001). I set the interview to be in one of the private rooms within the library during the early morning hours when there are few people at the library. The interview began with informal greetings, general introductions between me and the client and general talk about the weather which greatly helped her to be comfortable and ready for the interview.  I made sure that I had my notebook and a tape recorder which I asked for her consent before we began the interview. The interview started off well but getting her to open up about her family issues was not easy, judging by her non-verbal cues, she was embarrassed to talk about her family most especially to a stranger.

 A good interviewer should ensure that the client is comfortable and free to talk which makes it easy for a client to talk about him or herself (Sarason, 2015). It was not easy getting her to trust me most especially because she was nervous that she was about to lose her job as a result of the recent mistakes that she had been making at her work. I however made her comfortable by letting her understand that everything that she said to me was confidential and it wouldn’t be shared with any other individual. I made her understand that sharing what she was going through would help ease the burden and it would help her get ideas on how to deal with the issues so that they stopped affecting her job.  The interview was effective because I got Jessica to tell me what was happening in her family life and I understood the effect that this was having on her work life.

References

Okun, B. F. (2001). Effective helping: Interviewing and counseling techniques (6th ed.).

            Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Sarason, I. G. (2015, September 21). Personality assessment. Retrieved from

            https://www.britannica.com/science/personality-assessment#ref415021

The Most Noteworthy Communication Style Variance between Men and Women in Leadership Positions

 Women are less visionary than their male counterparts in the leadership arena are. This implies that less visionary communication styles which in turn affect management roles. A leader who is able to accurately speak out their vision comes out as strategic and effective (Ibarra, & Obodaru, 2009). Whether a matter of perception or reality, studies went further to reveal that women utilized strategy frameworks that differed from the male counterparts (Nadia Batson, 2019). On the other hand, men are more visionary than women hence communicate more articulately, constructing their strategies more clearly and effectively.

Some say women are as visionary as men are but in an indifferent way, that sets them apart from men. Women who took who participated in the GELI survey claimed that women’s visionary materializes in an indirect way as compared to men (Ibarra, & Obodaru, 2009). In addition, women are more collaborative when it comes matters pertaining vision.

How the Variance Impacts Performance of both Men and Women Leaders

Visionary leaders will inspire followers more than less envisioned leaders. Leadership is synonymous to problem solving and delegating duties with the aim of achieving certain objectives (Ibarra, & Obodaru, 2009). Similarly, Visionary leaders have the ability of diffusing complex situations and planning for the future based on reasonable strategies hence perform better than less visionary leaders.

Interviews show that women may not prioritize visions as a leadership quality compared to men. Women focus on tackling day to day activities as they come thus women are actionable leaders than men even though men have a solid blueprint to their work. In addition to lack of vision might take a toll on inspiring others and amassing a following. For example, women would rather so they will not leave a man than logically showing how they may do that Nadia Batson, 2019).

Reference

Ibarra, H., & Obodaru, O. (2009). Women and the vision thing. Harvard business review, 87(1), 62-70.

 Nadia Batson- So Long. 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MebZQywb7E4

Differences between Male and Female Communication within My Organization

            In respect to interactions, men talk more than women in mixed settings do and they can speak for other staff members and not just for themselves. On the other hand, women flash friendly smiles more than men flash, give out personal information than men, and reinforce their speech with nonverbal cues such as nodding (Maureen Kenny, 2012). As a result of speaking less, women get less airtime in meeting hence less dominant. In the end, it boils down to socialization during childhood.

Based on the journal and resonating with my organization, women are less visionary as compared to their counterpart men (Maureen Kenny, 2012). It is good to note that visionary pertains leadership style and elements of the strategy and composure. More so, women are collaborative unlike men who are more individualistic and visionary.

Challenges Women Face

            Whether a perception or a reality, lack of a definite vision comes with its fair share of challenges for women in leadership position as leadership avails many (Ibarra & Obodaru, 2009). Men are more dominant than women in leadership hence women may have good ideas but drowned in men’s voices. Therefore, women rarely take credit where it is due and they rather hide it or blanket it as a general effort.

            Women take issues personally consequently affecting their emotions rather than working out the problems facing the organization and finding sustaining solutions to each one of the problems with ease (Ibarra & Obodaru, 2009). Being emotional is not a negative thing but the ability of isolating emotions so that they do not hinder the working atmosphere insulated women from performing in their leadership positions. In summary, men and women communicate differently resulting to various results and leadership outlook.

Reference

Ibarra, H., & Obodaru, O. (2009). Women and the vision thing. Harvard business review, 87(1), 62-70.

 Maureen Kenny. (2012). Male and Female Communication. The City Club Cleveland. Retrieved from: link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GynVHGUTA

Dialogue between Equality 7-2521 and International 4-8818

EQUALITY 7-2521:

Hey, do you remember that thing that we found?

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818:

Which thing?

EQUALITY 7-2521

You know! That tunnel that we found like two years ago, while we were sweeping

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 Oh, yes that thing. What about it? You know we are not supposed we are breaking the law just talking about it, right?

EQUALITY 7-2521

 Oh yes, we are not supposed to know anything. But anyway, the trips that we have been making there have been fruitful. A discovery has been made.

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 What are you talking about? What sort of a discovery?

EQUALITY 7-2521

 A real discovery, you will not believe it when you see it. Come with me, you need to see this.

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 Where is the discovery? in the tunnel? This is breaking the laws you know!

EQUALITY 7-2521

Yes yes, but this is greater than breaking the law. This will change the world as we know it. Come, follow me please.

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818:

 Okay then, let’s go and please hurry up, we don’t want any troubles. At least not now

EQUALITY 7-2521

 (At the tunnel) looks at this, a lighting bulb, its electricity my friend, electricity. Can you believe this?

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

Wow! Unbelievable,

EQUALITY 7-2521

 It’s truly unbelievable, this will change our world, and it will change my life,

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 You are a genius Equality 7-2521, a genius.

EQUALITY 7-2521

 This will be shown it to the world Council of Scholars,

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 What? Are you sure this is a good idea? They may not support this idea,

EQUALITY 7-2521

 Why not? They are the wisest people in the world, they will see that this is a great invention and take advantage of it.

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

You forget the type of the world that we live in brother, this people do not care about development. All they care about is equating people as one, without any room for one person like you being more intelligent.

EQUALITY 7-2521

 That is true, but this is different. Electricity is a form of development for the world cities; this is a chance for the world to look beautiful in brightly coloured lights. This should change their thinking at least. Don’t you see how electricity will change the world?

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 Your thinking is genuine and very sincere, but theirs is selfish. This idea will cost you more problems. Please think about the consequences. How will you explain, the tunnel, the educational notes you have been stealing from the council?

EQUALITY 7-2521

 You are right brother, but this has to be done, consequences can be lived with. It is wrong for us to keep this down here when it can be utilized out there for the better good. The discovery has to be presented to the world council of Scholars!

INTERNATIONAL 4-8818

 You have my support in the decision that you make, but remember that you were warned of the consequences. The council does not believe in individualism and though this discovery is great, they are less likely to accept it.

EQUALITY 7-2521

Thank you, brother for your support. This is a great discovery and the council will be unreasonable not to take it into consideration. Whatever the outcomes, my role in helping create a better world will have been done. Let’s head back before anyone discovers out absence.

Introduction

From time immemorial, the social world portrays human beings in terms of race, culture stereotypes, and even gender. Then, the educational system plays a part in worsening the situation further and entrenches the perceptions around race. The media also takes part in the conception, preservation, and depiction of race. From the beginning of the 20^th century, minorities made significant alterations in terms of equal rights in the American society. From the right to own private property to the right to vote in their own leaders and furthermore, integration with the rest of the community members. However, these rights did not sip through the entire society. The mass media broadcast negative stereotypes, which in turn causes stigmatization. This paper discusses the depiction of traditions, concepts, and images of black communities’ members through television image. This paper will incorporate the Narrative theory in order to assist gain insight on how television content and messages affects the value system of the black community.

The functionality of The mass media in perpetrating unequal rights

Based on the concepts of Narrative theory, the unequal rights and inaccessibility to values are main features of human communities (Lewis 113). The unequal rights benefit only a few of the population while the minority suffers. Then, the mass media can set up an imaginary wall to convince the exploited group that the conditions are normal and necessary. Historically, racial bias materialized via political systems, religious institutions and judicial processes and other societal set ups. The media is always at the center of normalizing racism and prejudice against black people. Generally, television has an immense audience, the most used form of mass media tool hence through broadcasts, art, and movies, racism thrived. Most of the time people believe what they see in their television sets.

As subtle as it looks like, negative stereotypes are emerging in sitcoms, news broadcasting, and movies. During the 1980s, numerous materials portrayed black people and their traditions in negative light on television (Lewis, 109). Major stakeholders claimed that white people favored black individuals acting roles associated with their stereotypes such as comedians, maidservants and broke struggling individuals. For instance, a recent study carried out by ABC television firm exposed that other races negatively stereotype black people as a result black end up playing criminals, entertainers, and sportsmen. It is rare for television to see a black person play a loving or responsible role.

 In addition, Nielson survey results unveiled that 10% black people watch more television than white people do. The survey goes further to suggest that before an ordinary black child begins college education; he or she spent an estimated 15,000 hours watching their favorite shows (Lewis 145). Since a good number of television shows concentrate on showing the negative side of black community members, it is correct to argue along the lines that television creates false sense of dominance on behalf of white people. On the other side, it generates an untrue sense of subordination among black people.

Television And Its Role In Shaping Reality

After emerging in the American societies in the 1950s, its aim was to unite citizens and as a result promote peace, patriotism while keeping the general good will of the public at heart. The optimism surrounding television was immense and promising (Pardo 5). Blacks existed in the advent of television and hoped the device would change their lives through better display of racial relationships. However, television became a tool used for spewing hate a widening the gap between the whites and blacks.

In earlier times, blacks made appearances on television during musical shows or under any entertainment context. In fact, they were visitors and regulars at the televisions studios. A part from engaging in entertainment tasks such as singing and dancing, black people, who made television appearances, would act as clown for the amusement of viewers at home. In summary, blacks appeared on television to perpetrate and cement the conventional stereotypes such as happy, lazy, and musical (Pardo 12). For instance, Rochester was a clown and Louise a maid in 1950s shows. Once television shows took black people and made them play stereotypical roles, the deed had a pendulum effect. The little Rascals painted a naughty picture of black Americans. The show playfully had an undertone of racism and spite.

Racism Stereotypes

Whereas there are numerous instances of television insensitivity to the essential requirement for uprightness and realistic displays of black people, one of the most outstanding phenomena are, the ‘Little Rascal show’ .The intention of the series was to playfully show the mischievous but innocence of young children. The show attained its goals but via negative stereotypical perspectives of black Americans (Harding 13). The characters rolled eyes when angry and their afros would stand up when confronted with danger. The characters uttered demeaning words that an ordinary young child would shy away from saying. Thus, in the end, the series was able to ridicule, degrade, and indirectly abuse members of the black community. Majority whites found the acts funny but blacks found it degrading and annoying.

            However, in the beginning of the 1970s, civil right movements had an influence on television shows such as the ‘Little Rascals’. The production house of the series realized its offensive elements especially among black communities (Harding 34). Hence, the director had to revise the concept or the production would seize. In the end, the civil rights movement had their way, re-editing of the show began the removal of racial slurs, and other offensive racial undertones contained in the series.

Apart from the ‘Little Rascals’ other shows labelled blacks as slow and unintelligent and love reckless lifestyles while neglecting their duties for the viewers to see (Harding, 19). However, civil rights movement was able to avert the of the television shows from airing. For example, Bill cosby would play a tennis trainer who did not restrained himself from sexual relationships unless a black woman showed up.

 ‘The Little Rascals’ was not just a show but also contained the worst negative stereotypes on blacks. In relation to pursuing negativity labels, the ABC was the first company to give a black woman a show of her own, ‘Beulah’. Although the show was perceived well by the public, it has a lot of racial slurs in it (Harding, 11). The storyline portrayed blacks as low-level servant that would do anything for money even it meant serving a racist family.

The Narrative Theory in relation to Racism Perpetration

The fact that the media conveys racism in society, constructs a certain mentality around bias, which in turn awakens racism in the heart of citizens (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 15). As seen earlier, African Americans had a hard time telling their stories, points of view, principles, shaping the identity of their race because whites dominated the television media companies, and determined what blacks can show and what they could not.

The narrative theory explains the manner of thinking and connecting it to the sequences of information processed through access of information (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 21). More so, the concepts build around the narrative theory interpret the reasoning after a viewing a racially biased program or film. Hence, one does not need to apply general principle to interpretation and analysis of information.

Prejudice, disempowerment, and discrimination in terms of race, for a long time shaped views on mainstream media such as television. No one can deny the fact that representation of African Americans on television influenced how the world perceives them (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 5). The media has a wider insight on patterns and beliefs formed around black people. Thus, they take advantage and manipulate or exaggerate the information to suit their message they would like to convey in the public domain. The media tend to be on the side of the dominant race by presenting them as powerful and black communities as weak and immoral via images that seem to solidify the distorted notions.

The harmful depiction of African American as savages or irresponsible beings in successful movies watched by many only deepens the animosity between two different races and destroys the social fabrics of communities (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 12). Some people watch movies so that they can acquire new information and later apply it in the real world. Giving a bad representation shapes thoughts, which then harms black people. For example, some employers can deny positions to black people because they automatically think they are ex-convicts.

Media Influence

Crime reporting during live television news is contentious since its early days. The anchors shed light on stories that shows a negative side among minority people. The stories may contain racial bias and may exaggerate facts (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 7). A research on television stated that black when a black person committed a crime, glowing mugshot would be on display or pictures of them handicapped in a police van. On the other hand, white criminals did not have their mugshots displayed or images made public. Although the study took a one week duration, it revealed many aspects of the local television stations.

Entman research outlines basis concepts depicted in crime reporting, relevant in present times. That is, news items on crimes perpetrated by African American people are more exclusive and intensive, loaded with visual information whereas stories by blacks are brief, with less images (Green, Melanie, and Jenna 23). Furthermore, the Entman research went on to revealed that criminal news covered black crimes 90% of the times as opposed to other races. There is no other data to compare to other races. It is vital to note that criminal reporting has an overall effect on how the media propagates race to its audience.

In summary, stereotypes incorporated into opinions within the media help propagate racism against black communities. Television watching, sentiments displayed on race and various socioeconomic progresses shape the way whites see black Americans. More so, biased journalism practices result to negative stereotypes which latter make their way on television news. In other words, is an indicator of ineffaceable marks left on communities from historic ordeals and suffering. The political, social, and economic policies can help unite members of the society against racism and promote equality. Race should unit, bond people despite of divergent characteristics.

Works cited

Green, Melanie C., and Jenna L. Clark. "Transportation into narrative worlds: implications for entertainment media influences on tobacco use." Addiction 108.3 (2013): 477-484.

Harding, Sue-Ann. "“How do I apply narrative theory?”: Socio-narrative theory in translation studies." Target. International Journal of Translation Studies 24.2 (2012): 286-309.

Lewis, Justin. The ideological octopus: An exploration of television and its audience. Routledge, 2013.

Pardo, Rebecca. "Reality television and the metapragmatics of racism." Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 23.1 (2013): 65-81.

The National Infrastructure Protection Plan

Key infrastructure and protection efforts nationwide are unified by the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). Even though it facilitates resilience in case of emergencies, it also aims at coordinating government and the private sector.

The NIPP is based on the platform developed by the 1998 Presidential Decision Directive-63. The edict recognized basic aspects of the economy and mandated various government departments to incorporate them in their activities when distributing information and fortifying reaction to attack (Cooper & Block, 2007).

The key tenets of the NIPP include agriculture and food, civic health and healthcare, info technology, and telecommunications among others. The NIPP is an inventiveness to design an all-encompassing structure that incorporates infrastructure security efforts, establish protection targets and subsidiary objectives and centers resources based on risk (Cooper & Block, 2007).

Even though these strategies are workable, they recently failed when Katrina was plagued with a hurricane. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA contributed to the failed response to the devastation brought about by Katrina Hurricane.  The DHS did not apply the strategy for dealing with catastrophes despite the likelihood that doing so could have saved many lives, an assertion confirmed by the DHS spokesperson Russ Knocke (Cooper & Block, 2007). The Federal government and the state of Louisiana were involved in unending negotiations regarding the nature of Federal help that would be offered in the first few days after the calamity as hundreds of victims were deserted in New Orleans and many other lost their lives in hospitals.

The Department of Homeland Security is a significant aspect of the NIPP. In the case of a calamity, the department can use a section of the National Response Plan that outlines how catastrophes can be handled. For instance, the NIPP principles in this regard stipulate that responding to calamities is the role of the state governments. The federal government steps in only if asked. Following this provision, confusion regarding the role of both governments in times of need will be avoided (Cooper & Block, 2007). Had this outline been adhered to in the case of Katrina Hurricane, many lives would have been saved.

To conclude, NIPP is a focal point in enhancing security, resilience, and response to emergency events. It helps in developing a coherent approach to disasters and effective courses of action. It is essential to adhere to its provisions.

Reference

Cooper, C., & Block, R. (2007). Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security. New

York: Henry Holt and Co.

Intercultural communications

Theme: intercultural competence

Introduction

Intercultural competence is the ability to communicate effectively, navigate complex environments and build relationships with people who are linguistically and culturally different.   An important point to note is that intercultural competence is not only learned in the classroom but people also gain intercultural competence outside the classroom or while they are in the community. Here, they share ideas and values and engages in goal-directed activities.  It is also important to understand that globalization has increased the diversity of cultures and for this reason, people need specific competencies to create social harmony. In order to foster intercultural sensitivity, competencies should be identified and promoted to help the individuals learn to live together.

 In trying to understand to what extent can intercultural competence be learned, Némethová (2014), asserts that intercultural knowledge is a key component of the effective language learning. In other words, the primary goal of language learning and teaching is to help the learners gain the global knowledge and engagement and more important be capable of interacting with people from a diverse cultural background.  However, it is not easy for individuals to develop intercultural knowledge and skills on their own since people focus on personal cultural perspective or in other words, they do not appreciate the action of diverse cultures.  To eliminate this barrier, there must be cultural systems and language learning where individuals from the diverse background will interact, ask constructive questions, understand set of rules how the rules are acquired, understand set of traditions and behaviors (Némethová, 2014). Generally, individuals should engage in a cultural system to evaluate the world's ideas and beliefs, learn the ways in which one can deal with other people and learn the forms of communication. 

Deardorff (2011) adds that as individuals enter in the cultural system and language learning, the teachers should ensure that individuals gain the intercultural knowledge that will enable them to manage cultural differences, inter-group posture, and stress.  In other words, intercultural competence means that culturally diverse individuals should foster intercultural relationships,   gain self-awareness and adhere to rules and norms, gain communication skills,   gain sensitivity and exhibit a positive character (Deardorff, 2011). In teaching intercultural competence, the teachers should be aware that the purpose of intercultural language learning is to provide individuals with culture-specific knowledge which they will apply in intercultural situations.  In other words, the main goal to should be providing cultural-sensitive knowledge so that individuals can understand the cultural elements, develop behavioral patterns and engage in critical thinking activities.

 In my opinion, there are various methods that one can use to understand and improve one's intercultural communication. The first method is the cognitive methods. This method involves the collection of knowledge through seminars or group discussion. The goal is this method is to assess whether individuals understand cultural diversity.  Second is behavioral methods-this means that one can observe behaviors of individuals in real intercultural situations and replace the negative behaviors with positive ones. The third method is experience-this means that one can understand the intercultural competence of individuals by communicating with them in training events, games and similar activities. Through experience, one will understand the kind of miscommunication and misunderstanding among the individuals (Lustig, Koester & Halualani, 2018).  Another method is cooperative activity-this means that one can engage in cooperative activities and have an intercultural dialogue. Through cooperative activity, group members will share, compare, listen, interpret, evaluate, empathize and more importantly learn valuable and meaningful things. Generally, all these methods will assist in understanding whether the individuals have intercultural competence. In this case, intercultural competence means the ability to foster intercultural relationships, ability to develop an international perspective, ability to understand others' perceptions, ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse cultures, cultural-self-awareness and open to diversity (Lustig, Koester & Halualani, 2018).

 Looking back at my studies, the course that had a strong influence on the development of my intercultural competence is intercultural communication. The purpose of this particular course was to help students gain intercultural awareness and skills through learning language and cultures. I remember we used to attend a seminar and we could develop group work and share ideas related to intercultural matters. In this course, I gained intercultural knowledge and skills which have assisted in dealing with misunderstandings and miscommunications that arise when interacting with people who come from the different cultural background. Despite the fact that as students we communicated and interacted in various setting such as clinical research environment, the ideas we raised were influenced by our cultures. Thus, we encountered communication challenges and it was not easy to understand or appreciate others' differences. Through this course, I have collaborated with individuals from different cultural backgrounds and through interaction and knowledge and skills gained, I   have developed intercultural competence. I now have the ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse cultures,  I can foster intercultural relationships,  I can relate with other people well,  I  am open to diversity and  I have gained self-awareness.

Conclusion

  People are living in a globalized and multicultural society and, for this reason, people need intercultural competence in order to function effectively in the cultural diverse situations.  In addition, people need to learn knowledge and skills that they will apply in the intercultural context.  It is important to understand that intercultural competence is developed through learning and this means that there must be a holistic approach that aims at engaging individuals in learning to provide them with the set of skills such as adaptability, stress management, and listening. Individuals also need attitudes such as tolerance of ambiguity, respect, and risk-taking. Generally, individuals can only build a meaningful relationship with people from different cultures if they only gain intercultural competence and the latter is developed through learning.

Reference

Némethová, I. (2014). Building Intercultural Competence through Language Education. Economica

(1585-6216), 7(4), 148-154.

Deardorff, D. K. (2011). Assessing intercultural competence. New Directions For Institutional

Research, 2011(149), 65-79.

Lustig Myron.,  Koester Jolene., & Halualani Rona. (2018). Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal

Communication Across Cultures. Pearson Education, Inc

Conflict Management

          Part A

1. I-messages are messages used to express thoughts and emotions using a soft voice and without blaming others. A person who uses I-messages tends to show the effect of behavior in an honest way and the messages urges the other person to take responsibility and handles the issues at hand constructively.  I-message do not have conflict and argument but they are honesty and promotes cordial relationships (Khalsa, 2007). Example of I-message is “I am annoyed by your behaviors of spreading rumors about my relationship break-up”.  This message helps the other partner understand how   the offended person is feeling without creating a long-term relationship damage. On the other hand, you-message are used to attack, blame and criticize other people.  You-message are judgmental statements and allows other people to know themselves. They may lead to guilt feelings and hostility and the responsible person may fail to change the behaviors due lack of sense-worth (Khalsa, 2007).  Example of you-message include "you are very selfish".  The person is judged and blamed and the two people may develop a conflict and relationship damage.
2. Rehearsing prior to engaging in a real negotiation is beneficial in that decisions based on place and time of holding the negotiation will be made and this will prevent disagreement. People involved in the argument will list the pertinent facts, understand the organization rules and policies to avoid conflict and wasting time during the negotiation (Griffith, 2007). Rehearsing will also give the people a chance to set clear objectives, determine how to solve the unintended outcomes, conduct research on negotiation strategies and communication style.

3. A conversation is an informal discussion where people exchange ideas and interacts without setting intended outcomes. On the other hand, a sell-job is a persuasive speech where the speaker changes the mind of the listener and persuades him or her to agree to something (Shi, 2015).

Part B

Part 1

1. Empathetic response occurs when a person puts his partner's shoes when the partner is expressing his feelings and thoughts. The listener understands the thoughts and feelings and communicates back and shows concern so that the person may feel accepted in the caring atmosphere (ReVelle, 2004). Through empathetic response, both parties will reach solutions to the emotional problems. For example, a patient may tell his doctor that "My doctor is impolite and discourteous because he does not respect my views concerning my treatment. I feel uncomfortable, and I may need a new doctor". In this case, the doctor may provide an empathetic response by saying that "that is so sad and you need a friendly doctor."
2. Brainstorming is an innovative problem-solving tool. The brainstorming process occur in a group setting where people engages in creative discussion to develop possible solution toward the encountered problem. There is a facilitator whose role is to facilitate the brainstorming process (ReVelle, 2004). Also, there is another small group whose purpose is to pick the best ideas from the many diverse opinions that will be used to solve the problem.

 The ground rules include;   everyone should agree on the overall objectives, everyone should be treated equally through listening to each everyone's input.  People should act honestly and candidly and maintain a high level of confidentiality in solving the problem (ReVelle, 2004).  No personal bias should be allowed, and people should agree on voting if the consensus is needed.

Part 2

1. Process issues in negotiation occur when the people involved in the negotiation fails to agree on the objectives, and this leads to content issues since failure to come into an agreement raises differences on what to be done (Griffith, 2007). Thus, process elements include ideas, interest, alternatives, options, and communication whereas the content elements include different agendas and proposals, different concepts and ideas and compromises.

Part C

Part 1

 In the article, integrative negotiations, the first significant point is that it is essential to determine the general priorities and specific offer outcome in the integrative negotiation.  In other words, it is advisable to value the opponent's perspective to improve performance and to have active, integrative negotiations. Second, it is essential to have a negotiator training to achieve positive integrative outcomes (Moran & Ritov, 2007).  The negotiator will gain strategies, skills and fundamental guidelines required in the negotiation process.

Part 2

1. The causes of impasse are value differences- this occurs when people show the difference in ideology, lifestyle and respectful positions. Second is the distributive bargaining-this arise when the parties focus on money and resources making it difficult to have a zone of agreement (Fiedler, 2000) The third cause is the lack of human health and safety since a group may neglect other group's problems and interest and focus on positions.

 Strategies for resolving these issues include; adhering to rules and procedures to reach into an agreement, focus on common grounds, acknowledge other group’s feelings, set common expectations, build trust, and value different decision (Fiedler, 2000).

Part D

1. 1. Mediation is a process for conflict resolution where the parties are engaged in a productive conversation to express their interests and concerns. Mediation is cost-effective, and it promotes recognition, understanding, and self-empowerment. However, mediation is different from more formal settings such as litigation. The latter involves the use civil jussive system where the parties file a lawsuit, and the judge solves the disputes through a fair trial (Bercovitch, Jackson & Project Muse, 2009). Mediation is also a difference from arbitration since this involves the use of the arbitrator where he or she listens to the parties in meetings rooms.

2. 2. Mediation is appropriate when addressing issues related to civil nature such as family disputes, commercial transactions, and personal relationships. It is essential to use mediation since the mediator will solve the case within two days and the parties involved will get the chance to participate and to express their concerns to reach an agreement (Bercovitch, Jackson & Project Muse, 2009). However, mediation is inappropriate in solving cases of societal issues such as public policy, national security, and other problems that require findings and credibility.

3. Example of mediation ground rules include; disclosure of all relevant information, no personal attacks, no interruption when presenting ideas, no prejudice, equality, and  use of objective criteria to create solutions (Bercovitch, Jackson & Project Muse, 2009).  It is also important to follow the rules and guidelines of the mediator and speak up if any challenge arises.

References

Khalsa, S. N. S. (2007). Teaching discipline & self-respect: Effective strategies, anecdotes, and

lessons for successful classroom management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Griffith, D., Goodwin, C., & Goodwin, C. (2013). Conflict survival kit: Tools for resolving conflict at work.

Boston: Pearson.

Shi, Y. (2015). Emerging research on swarm intelligence and algorithm optimization. IGI

Global,

ReVelle, J. B. (2004). Quality essentials: A reference guide from A to Z. Milwaukee, Wisc: ASQ

Quality Press.

Fiedler, C. R. (2000). Making a difference: Advocacy competencies for special education

professionals. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Bercovitch, J., Jackson, R., & Project Muse. (2009). Conflict resolution in the twenty-first

century: Principles, methods, and approaches. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Moran, S., & Ritov, I. (2007). Experience in integrative negotiations: What needs to be

learned?. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43(1), 77-90.

Culture and spiritual standing of a client form the basis for values and opinions. Culture and religious beliefs go on to influence many other facets of life including communication between a patient and nurse during a medical session. Currently, nurses force themselves to tailor treatment according to a patient's cultural beliefs and spiritual norms. More so, a nurse has to pay close attention to nonverbal cues and body language to ensure that he or she is on the same page with a client. Communicating without considering a patient's beliefs may end up distorting understanding of the treatment they are to undertake (Tian, et.al, 2014).

Communication is two-way traffic that needs to consider spiritual and traditional ways of a patient. In a situation where a patient follows their religious beliefs closely, a nurse commits to communicating precise words and arranges them in the way that a client can see that the nurse adhered to all his or her beliefs. For instance, if a patient is against the use of marijuana during treatment, a nurse has to make sure that whenever he or she administers a medication, the patient is aware of the content that makes up the prescription. This confirmation means that the nurse has to maintain confidentiality and integrate the belief in everything she does (Tian, et.al, 2014).

One thing about culture is its capability to create a sharp difference in ways of doing things. Consequently, a caregiver has to ensure that he or she uses the knowledge they get from a patient and incorporate it his or her communication. Fusing a patient's spiritual and cultural beliefs into dialogue pulls other things into place. For instance, a nurse will be able to know the positives and the negatives of the culture and align different values closely associated with that particular set of beliefs. So joining helps to generate other sensitivity and avoiding hard words that a patient may not be familiar with during the s therapeutic session (Ogle, Megehee, & Woodside, 2009).

Spiritual beliefs may not seem hefty but might result changing and restating of statements to avoid messages that might offend a patient is not a new thing to caregivers. Most religions tend to view some comments and suggestions as abusive or as a signal of disrespect. In light of these contrasts, a nurse may have to practice the use of polite words that show respect and concern. On the other hand, seeking clarity with a patient before proceeding with a medical procedure is an essential part of engaging the patient in their beliefs and concerns (Ogle, Megehee, & Woodside, 2009).

To some patients, privacy and observation of personal space are in line with their spiritual and cultural beliefs. A nurse has to utilize simple words to pass their message through or carry out some research to validate and invalidate how to handle various cultural norms (Ogle, Megehee, & Woodside, 2009).

One of the main predicaments about beliefs is that they vary from one person to another. Not to mention, each will apply their cultural and spiritual beliefs differently from another person who holds the same set of beliefs. This variance creates a situation where one has to use a general rule to show support, concern, and care while at the same communicating with empathy and support to a patient. For relevance and understanding that puts language into a universal ground perspective and connect the nurse with a patient, the nurse has to ensure that he or she has a clue of the beliefs of the patient (Tian, et.al, 2014).

References

Tian, K., Sautter, P., Fisher, D., Fischbach, S., Luna-Nevarez, C., Boberg, K., & ... Vann, R. (2014). Transforming Health Care: Empowering Therapeutic Communities through Technology-Enhanced Narratives. Journal Of Consumer Research, 41(2), 237-260. Doi: 10.1086/676311

Ogle A., Megehee, C., & Woodside, A. G. (2009). Perspectives on Cross-Cultural, Ethnographic, Brand Image, Storytelling, Unconscious Needs, and Hospitality Guest Research. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Portfolio of Communication

Enrolling for the course was my greatest horror based on the assumption that it is a complex one that would lead to an ultimate fail. Writing is something that I have always enjoyed throughout my academic life despite the fact that I always get disappointed.  The communication efficiency has served as the utmost achievement I have achieved this semester, and I am very grateful. Unarguably, the legal profession today requires individual with the ability to skillfully and knowledgeable make reflections (Finch, 2013). Communication represents one of the most useful skills that is needed across different careers particularly within the Criminal Justice System. Reflecting on this course, I have come to the realization that my communication skills, particularly in writing, has generally improved. Throughout the course, I have evolved from a communicator with low confidence in a profession with unique writing skills. Thus, this portfolio seeks to demonstrate the communication skills that I have learned from this course as well as highlight some notable and essential improvements. The course has equipped me adequately with several communication skills such as confidence, clarity, and conciseness and writing skills as well as appropriate application of concepts as required.

Critical thinking and conciseness represent some of the most necessary skills for an effective communicator. Communication entails both written and oral skills. Every individual is likely to encounter issues while developing as the most successful communicator. My critical thinking and expressive skills have improved through the course. I have always boasted of being a critical thinker an assertion that emerged as inaccurate after joining this class. It is actually through this course that I have learned of the need and effective utilization of my critical and analytical capabilities. The improvement is shown by the assignment week seven assignment conducting an interview. The task required a formulation of interview questions on a friend which implies that critical thinking skills were necessary for determining the subject of the investigation first. The essay is a reflection of critical skills competency.

In the legal profession, presentation reports are very important in the analysis data or findings (Miller & Meinzinger, 2014). It is through this course that I have learned that effective presentations are precise and short. The ability to create successful presentations have evolved throughout the semester with the use of detailed notes and graphics. The improvement is generally demonstrated in week 2 PowerPoint presentation that addresses the subject of communication with the public. The slides are very brief and concise as needed with visible font and an appealing design. Also, the notes offer justification to the raised claims. It is also worth noting that before this course my confidence in communication both in oral and written reports was fragile. The weakness was attributed to the fact that I paid less attention to details and in most cases unable to efficiently interpret requirement. Through the course, I have learned the essence of confidence in being expressive. This is demonstrated in the hypothetical case report where the case was developed from self-thoughts and expressed firmly.

The ability to draft proper reports is also a skill that has improved over time. Week 9 police report has proven my enhanced abilities in developing compelling and convincing reports. Writing report is a necessary skill in the legal career, and thus, the ability to efficiently analyze the situation and come up with detailed reports is something that I am proud of. The course demonstrated that an effective communicator is an individual with the ability to show that adequate communication necessitates the ability to express concepts and ideologies confidently, precisely, briefly and adequately.

In conclusion, I have benefitted so much from this course, particularly with communication skills. With the increased ability to confidently and precisely communicate on reports and presentations, I cannot regret my enrollment to this course. Before this course, my communication experience was particularly weak, but it has advanced over time. I believe that the numerous assignment that this course has provided the opportunity for practice and enhancement. I believe that I am ready for more challenges given that I am equipped with the needed communication skills such as confide, critical and responsive skills. As a legal profession, the improvement I have acquired through the course is immeasurable.

References

Finch, E. (2013). Employability skills for law students. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Miller, R. L. R., & Meinzinger, M. (2014). Paralegal today: The legal team at work: the essentials. Australia: Delmar Cengage Learning.

Evaluating behavioral competencies within the interpersonal domains

My areas of strength within the interpersonal domain is the ability to communicate effectively. Communication is my area of strength because I have the ability and skills necessary to deliver a messages accurately. Anyone can acquire the skill of communicating effectively as it only needs another listening ear and patience to interpret correctly the things being communicated across the board. It is also a fundamental skill that requires no talent but practice. Engaging in active listening while using all the verbal cues necessary to present a good intention is a strength. Communication is a strength because of its social ability to bring people together and to articulate ideas. For example people learn talking at an early age hence the skill can be channeled into more useful things (Shrm-bock-final.pdf).

Areas of weakness within the interpersonal domain

Business acumen. It requires knowledge an integration of skills and characteristics that do not come by easily, they are either acquired through experience or they take time to be developed and put into functional use. For example, financial analysis and business intelligent skills are learnt at higher institutions of learning and may take to be cemented hence can be weakness in so many ways (Shrm-bock-final.pdf).

Strategies

One of the key strategies is using different approaches to project management for example planning and monitoring various aspects within the Human resource. Understanding the external surroundings helps in incorporating the company’s objectives and vision hence channeling them to make progress in various sectors of the company. This will help to create a competitive edge over the rival companies. Finding out other fine 2details on how the company operate helps to come up with proper strategies (Shrm-bock-final.pdf).

References

Shrm-bock-final.pdf