The communication of the dead is tongued...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

2009-06-28T00:37:00.001+08:00

Since this would be the last post for the blog project, I've decided to share my views on something meaningful. Having worked as a teacher before, I've seen some students of today who just do not stand on their parents' position, while parents feel that their kids have turned into delinquents. Yet, how many people actually evaluate the problem from the media's side?

We often go on war with our dearest parents. Sometimes, we are so passionate about our stands that we conveniently ignore that the root of their disapproval comes from love. We become negligent and blame in on "GENERATION GAP" because it seems like what the kids do on trashy television programmes. Think about what generation gap is in reality. It is evolved from mass media.

Within the last decade, the rate of globalization has been growing at an unprecedented rate. While the first few words that come into our minds are "economy", "trade", "technological advances", "market" and "tourism", people don't think of media globalization (unless you're taking a course and an instructor introduces you to this phrase). After enlightenment, I equate generation gap to media globalization.

Don't be sceptical; it's true. With the cultural imperialism from the western countries, us, from the east, get somewhat confused. Not saying that these are wrong/right because definitely there are both advantages and harms:

- Premarital sex used to be a shame and a taboo;

- respect used to be equated, irrevocably to age;

- Christianity and Catholicism used to be a western thing;

- classroom teaching used to be student-passive,

... and the list goes on and on.

Do not forget that our parents were brought up from that era. Just like understanding why teenagers these days are into certain things, our parents feel that confusion, too.

Of course, how did we come to the conclusion that having premarital sex is acceptable? Well, we get positive sanctions from Hollywood movies such as

American Pie,

Dirty Dancing,

Titanic and...

Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

(Yes, yes, it's a form of art. Then again, how many people in the world can appreciate art, and how many people in the world distort/misinterpret the meanings, due to media messages?)

We listen to loud music that contains lewd and sex-related insinuations. Since everyone is nodding their heads to the beat and dancing happily in clubs to those songs, there is nothing wrong at all, only our parents are bugging us...

Another disadvantage that our parents (who sadly, are deemed to be obstacles to being cool and free) have is language barrier. As many of them have problems with speaking/writing English, they have no access to western movies. Though you may flamboyantly say that there are subtitles, then again, can you imagine yourself watching a french movie while exercising your eyes in a parallel direction to read the words and catch the stars kissing? Us, however, have the advantage of knowing English and by chance, the craze for western movies just came up. Ta-dah, a fanatic desire to be western is developed.

"Well, they are from the older generation anyway. They're out of trend. They aren't cool."

In future, think about media globalization and cultural imperialism before commenting shallow stuff.

(What feelings do you have after looking at this picture?)

Then again, media hasn't been fair. If you have noticed, there is a flaw: if you have the money, technology and power, you dominate the media world. Since there is an unequal balance of success between American media industry and the rest of the market, flow of influence of culture is rather one way. Having the foundation for teenagers in Singapore to embrace and understand western culture so as to relate to it, the support for western movies would not waver.

I guess that money is always the driving force to every issue, since it's scarce. Somehow, money seems evil. Then again, money is an impartial party. Humans are always the ones who cause complication. If you can influence a few to aim for benevolence, you are a great dude.

Now, what can you do after reading this post?

Stand up.

Educate.

Lead.

Change.

THE BEAUTY OF MASS COMMUNICATION THEORY

2009-06-20T00:35:00.002+08:00

Open up today's The Straits Times under home section and look at the piece of news. It brings us a distinct memory... Remember the saga when the Casinos in Singapore were about to be built?

Remember MAKING SOUNDS OF DIGNIFIED ANGER, OUTRAGE because conscience and religion told you it was going to be a big mistake?

Well, whatever your viewpoints had been, it didn't matter. Because as of today, your viewpoints have already either been

(1) changed to a pro-casino view, or

(2) been stifled till no one could hear you.

And the worst part is, we, as victims of the mass media, don't even know we have been manipulated.

I'm not here to give my stand on the advantages or harms of opening casinos in Singapore, but to share my opinions related to mass communication. The mass media directs our thinking to suit their purpose in a thoroughly subtle manner. We generally do not notice the changes in climate on issues reported in the newspaper and that, is the art of mass communication.

Let's take the whole saga on building casinos in Singapore as an example. When the announcement of Singapore's plan was being made, there were roars of outrage from citizens. The media did represent their voices by doing several publications. These publications have always been countered with the government's side about making our economy, tourism rates and future promising. Subsequently, we notice that the temporal opposing arguments started to tone down- articles were pushed to back pages, choice of voices became neutral rather than harsh etc.. Then, before we noticed it, the newspapers became passionate and repeated representatives of proposition parties of the Casino saga by constantly publishing advantages of having casinos, ways to prevent your family from becoming addicts and having more job places to boost employment rates. The repeated news coverage also ensures that Singaporeans have the Integrated Resort issues to think about, thus making this issue of national importance.

And every now and then, we get positive reminders about the Integrated Resort such as the news in the home section.

Singaporeans do get 'brainwashed' by the media because they are reliable and reputable. This is the Powerful Effects Theory, which talks about how influential the media is. We are more than likely to believe the reports and findings because our media is accurate, effective and reliable.

Who are the ones more likely to believe the unobtrusive issues about the Integrated Resorts reported? Of course, it is those who are not directly affected because they have not been there, done that and consequently, they do not have first hand impact that can be both positive and negative. Imagine you have a family member who is a heavy gambler; naturally you will despise the news and think that the seemingly positive effects of the Integrated Resort are all nonsense. On the other hand, having no connection to gamblers and heart wrenching lives for their families and friends, you will eat up the positive connotations from the newspaper.

Who sets the agenda setting function? In this case, the government plays a crucial role. Of course, if the leader of the band is known to be experienced, far-sighted and fair, the people being led will benefit. Just like the case of the casinos, we have never expected the economy to make a downturn. Though tourist rates are likely to decrease due to lack of affluence, more Singaporeans are able to hold jobs thanks to the Integrated Resort.

As for the voices of discontent that have been stifled, luckily they now have another platform to shout out - the Internet. Then again, it is more challenging to reach out to the audience.

INDIVIDUALISM VS COLLECTIVISM

2009-06-14T22:27:00.005+08:00

HELLO!
Before I embark on my journey on this topic, I shall give a little background on the key terms:

Collectivist: Someone who allows social behavior to be determined by beliefs, needs and goals of the group rather than self.
For instance, a student taking up a university course as his parents and friends encourage him to, and since he doesn't want to offend them, he chooses that path.

Individualist: Someone who determines social behavior by personal goals, attitudes and values of the collectivises.
For example, a student, despite parents' and friends' adamant objections, chooses to take up a particular degree course as he is extremely passionate about the subject.

My source: Internet article

http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/ARCHIVE/2009/JULY/Pages/WantedSoldiersWithCulturalSavvy.aspx

After reading this article, I question myself several issues which can guide you through your reading. Are civilisations better off with having collectivists or individualists? Am I a collectivist or individualist, and which is more superior?

First off, I feel that an ideal society should consist of mostly collectivists and a few individualists. As per seen from the article, army training is important in cohesion, effectiveness and efficiency. Having a strong group of servicemen who share similar cultures can help to boost a country's sense of belonging and foster beliefs (whether good or bad ones) as others tend to be influenced.

However, having individualists can also be advantageous. These are the people who are not afraid to be different from the rest and consequently, they tend to voice out their opinions, whether displeased or concurring ones. This allows for us to utilise our critical thinking constantly and not blindly follow customs, traditions and cultures which might be misleading, unhealthy and even dangerous (groupthink).

Individualists are the bold people who tend to be creative. They are the ones who dare to risk, and thus, they do have adventures and they explore sides of societies that collectivists will never dare to believe in. Let's take for instance, the general population in Singapore believes that specialising in the Arts and Music genre is a foolish thing because the people who are heavily involved would not have enough opportunities and support to succeed. Hence, though our government is encouraging people to be more artsy, most still do not take the step. Individualists are the ones who set the trend and get the ball rolling. Without them, society may progress but at a much slower rate.

Nevertheless, if we have too many individualists around, it would be a challenge (and a headache) to allow for societal progression, as everyone seems to have his own goals and would not be united enough.

I am both an individualist and collectivist; I feel that it is healthier to have both sides to be flexible. Let's take for instance, when doing projects, the individualist's personal goal is to excel. the collectivist side of me wishes for harmony in my group and thus, I tend to be more careful with my words. This allows for mutual liking in the group to get things done. A mixture of individualism and collectivism comes in: I believe that one should be rewarded based on individual performance but there should be equality in reward distribution. Isn't this a mixture? What I mean is, all group members should be reward based on their individual inputs to the group but distribution should be fair.

As such, we can see that both the aspects are needed to get things in life done.

Lastly, I feel that being an individualist in Singapore, one has to be financially affluent. In order to stand out, gain freedom and believe in personal goals and not conform to laws and rules, one has to be prepared to pay a high price: fines. Also, in order to gain social recognition and gain rewards, a hedonistic individualist finds himself being an entrepreneur. All these leads to one thing: money. I strongly believe that when one has not enough money to contend with rules and go against conformity, he should stick to being a strong collectivist and go by conventional ways to succeed in his life in order for him not to be depressed by problems that he will definitely face by being an individualist.

So, are you a collectivist or individualist, and what are your opinions about the categories?

p.s. Food for thought: Feminists: Individualists or collectivists?

REFLECTION: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

2009-06-07T22:20:00.008+08:00

Just to give a clearer picture, interpersonal communication is the interaction between 2 parties who have already established a relationship. That relationship can be between friends, colleagues, couples, parents, siblings etc..

The lectures on this topic got me to apply what I have learnt to my relationship with different people. I am going to bring about my relationship with 3 people on an impersonal level and I hope this can summarize most of the key points for this topic.

CASE STUDY 1: THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD RELATIONSHIP

My best friend Jaslin and I got together because we had been in the same class. I realise that back then, I had used the filtering technique to eliminate those who I felt would not be my close friends. Jaslin and I spent lots of time together and as we got closer, we started to reveal who we really were- our favourite food, our bad habits, our pocket money and so on. Gradually, we did not feel awkward being physically close any more.

Of course, conflicts between us occurred. There were things that we had different opinions of, and naturally, quarrels could not be avoided. Thankfully, we focused on particular issues and thus, our resolution was not dysfunctional. Personally, the presence of conflicts in this friendship made us closer- we started to understand each other after every conflict.

This friendship has lasted for almost 9 years; though we now have our own lives, we do make lots of efforts to maintain the friendship. Such include keep in constant contact, sharing our problems, eating together, watching movies together etc.

CASE STUDY 2: THE CONTROVERSIAL RELATIONSHIP

Another relationship I thought of was the relationship between Cheyanne and me. Why do I call it controversial? Because she was a teacher and I was a student; moreover we had an age gap of 10 years.

This friendship is what we call a novelty. Having an unique relationship causes unique problems. Many people did not believe that this unique friendship could occur and last, and others disagreed in the forging of this friendship. As expected, we had external pressures which gave us a lot of strain and stress.

CASE STUDY 3: DISSOLUTION AND RESOLUTION

Lastly, my close friend Suba and me had a friendship, we became strangers and then back to close friends again. Our first year together was like a typical good beginning: we clicked so well, laughed at the funniest things, skipped the same lectures, ate together and shared our dreams together. However, a huge issue came in between us at the end of first year.

Each of us realised that we had caused each other to retain our first year. We started to avoid each other and justified that it was for the best. Then, we just avoided contact.

After almost 2 years, this friendship resurrected. It was through individual problems and stress that got us back together. We realised that our friendship is so much more important than many other things. We finally became more mature and we also gave each other support. This mutual understanding makes us friends once more.

In conclusion, all interpersonal relationships follow some part of models and stages follow no particular order. However, whether or not they can be maintained depends largely on the parties involved. Bear in mind that it is a blessing given to allow us to have supportive family members and true friends. So I want to take this chance to tell all my loved ones that I love you all so much, and I hope all of us will continue treasuring each other!

Power of adverts through nonverbal communcation...

2009-05-29T11:04:00.002+08:00

(Entry 3)

So I've done magazines, movies and this week, I'm going to touch on print adverts because it's highly relevant to nonverbal communication, which is what I will be focusing on. Enjoy this post, it'll be light as compared to the last 2 (phew!).

Stare at this advert (flyer) for 10 seconds...

What are the first things that your mind register?

FREE GIFT!

FEEL PURE WITH BLUISH WATER?

I FEEL LIKE SWIMMING...

ATTRACTIVE WORDS!

Yes, these have been the general answers as I conducted a survey. Have you ever wondered why these feelings or words pop up in your mind? Well, the answer is NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION! My take is non-verbal communication is absolutely essential in print advertisements, and I shall deconstruct the advert I have chosen to convince you that my stand is right.

First of all, the advertiser makes use of objectics (or artifacts) by placing a free sample on the print advert. The physical presence of the sample itself acts like a confirmation that the product is reliable; otherwise, why give a free trial when one hasn't bought the product? So, the placement of the sample can give a turnabout effect on a dubious customer, and since trying of the sample and not giving a flowery speech is so effective, it goes to show the power of nonverbal communication.

Secondly, the colors that were chosen by the advertiser is extremely vital to whether a print ad would be successful or not. I can safely interpret that Biotherm is trying to get the message across that the current skincare range is absolutely oil free since they have used a clear blue color. Secondly, the choice of colors give me an outdoor, all natural feeling, which is what Biotherm has been advocating. Moreover, blue is related to aqua, or water, which suggests that one's face will be squeaky clean and comfortable after using their products. As a result, the entire physical appearance of the advert becomes attractive and desirable for a targeted group of women.

Time also appeals to the consumers; there is a hint of recent technology and the time clashes perfectly with the popular chosen word as ''INNOVATION''. Our minds subconsciously register this word and link it to this product range as being recent, and since we also have the mentality that technology equates to socially accepted as being good and reliable stuff, this product naturally has high affinity for our skin and hence is much reliable.

Lastly, words are also a form of nonverbal communication since we are ignoring how the speech is being carried (such as tone, pitch and speech). Personally, I believe that the number of words for a printed advertisement should be limited because it is of vital importance to get a certain set of messages across in the shortest time before potential consumers become disinterested. Hence, the choice of words is important. Biotherm has used meaningful words like ''innovation'', ''oil-free'', ''purifying copper'' and '' 3 steps to shine-free in 7 days''. The term oil-free can lasso a typical female with oily skin because she will be concerned about purchasing a moisturizer with non-oily and non-sticky texture. Furthermore, there is an intangible assurance through providence of numerical statistics. Lastly, the advertiser has included the presence of science through the chemical term- copper. Miraculously, it can take less than 3 seconds for all these to register in one's mind, suggesting again the impact nonverbal communication has on our minds.

Some of you may protest ''Tracy, what I have interpreted is so much different from your interpretation!'' Neither of us are wrong- it goes to show that nonverbal communication is receiver oriented and subjective.

In conclusion, you can see how influential nonverbal communication is. Intended (and sometimes unintended) meanings just creep into your mind subconsciously, and really, you do not have a choice to reject them, unlike verbal communication which is more of a conscious thing. Thus, advertisers bank on this to draw customers. What do you think?

p.s. I'm so attracted to the products!

ANGELS AND DEMONS

2009-05-22T23:00:00.006+08:00

(Entry 2)
I feel that one of my entries should cover movies and I specially took the effort to catch a movie a midst of my hectic schedule! My source for this entry is the movie Angels and Demons!

No, I'm not going to join the snowball fight on the controversies from religious groups or scientific groups. And it's okay if you did not catch the movie because what I'm going to comment about is remotely related. I am going to discuss two interesting issues that many of us tend to take for granted:

(1) Language problems I (and many viewers) encountered while interpreting the movie

(2) Non-verbal communication and how people use it for their own profits

First off from point 1, many parts of the movie were spoken in a foreign language and it really hindered my understanding. The problem of lack of foreign language skills just slapped in my face time and again in exciting parts! Tom Hanks also encountered the same problem as I did. He was supposed to interpret scripts, but he couldn't read Italian and had to asked someone who was adept. See, having a common language is essential for humans to transmit information and strive for mutual understanding. It gets frustrating if someone doesn't understand the language that you speak! This is why I strongly feel that the English language is absolutely essential for effective and efficient communication in today's world.

The use of a foreign language allows us to use our perception skills. We infer scenes the way we want to. I based my perception on past experiences and certain gestures that the actors used. What about you?

Next, I watched this movie with a friend of mine and realised that she couldn't relate to the introductory part of the movie because the movie depicted a ''scientific world in Switzerland wanting to collide photons at the speed of light to get the fundamentals of an atom to know about the Big Bang''. I bet you don't understand what I've just said. Why?

I was speaking a Physics jargon (specialised/technical language associated with Physics). People who are not familiar with Physics find themselves lost. Do you realise that this is one of the barriers to optimal communication? This is why we have to study a certain subject thoroughly before we are allowed to specialise and apply it in precise terms. Words used in a particular field of study mean precise things and should not have subjective meanings.

For point 2, I believe that our actions also communicate something to the people around us indirectly. Sadly, people manipulate one another by portraying certain actions because of human nature to jump into conclusions and thus they perceive the way manipulators want them to. Let me give you an example that is again, extracted from the movie Angels and Demons:

The murderer was alone with a federal guard in a room and the federal guard held the murderer at gunpoint because he wanted to force out the truth. The exploitative murderer then injured himself deliberately and screamed for help and people flopping into the room immediately. It appeared to those people that the Federal guard had simply injured the murderer and wanted to kill him, so they shot and killed the federal guard without giving him any chance to explain the bizarre situation.

Let us analyze the scenario. Firstly, using both verbal and non-verbal communications, the murderer exploited human nature for his own well-being to save himself. Next up, intercourse was successful because he got what he wanted- people indeed did believed the worst from the bizarre scene. Thirdly, since everyone interprets things differently, communication and human behavior are all complex and should not be taken at face value.

We cannot really blame people for adhering to their instincts, because many scenes that we encounter are universally or culturally categorized into right or wrong. Moreover, books, movies and soap operas have definitely educated us on typical scenes having particular consensual and subjective meanings, like X holding Y at gunpoint who is screaming for help means X, naturally is the bad guy. Many a time, I feel that The Media allows people to widen their manipulative minds and it gives space for them to copycat negative actions and apply them into real life to ascertain advantages to themselves. But then, I rethink again. Are those entertainment genres a reflection of our lives, or are we copycatting them?

I welcome your views, concurrence and counter arguments from my own, personal recounts that you have encountered, or any other comments that are valuable for mature discussions.

Source for pictures:http://angels-and-demons--trailer.blogspot.com/2008/06/angels-and-demons-pictures.html

NADYA AND HER LOONY ACTIONS

2009-05-13T00:55:00.011+08:00

(ENTRY 1 , EDITED)

The issue (for your understanding)
The recent event of Nadya and octuplets has kept people (on a global basis) raged over their seats. Nadya Suleman of age 33, a single parent in California of USA has 6 children, and she recently gave birth to another 8 through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

This reckless act has resulted in many issues being raised. First up, the righteous are concerned about the health and future of the 14 kids. Secondly, we're speculating if Nadya's a fit mother; many keen eyed have pointed out that Nadya is just trying her utmost to emulate Angelina Jolie. Lastly, ask the Americans and they are incensed about Nadya being a freerider of monetary support from the taxpayers while others have to break their backs to save up for their livelihood.

Click on the images to understand the issue better!

Source: Singapore's Women's Weekly, May 2009
MY TAKE ON THIS ISSUE
I feel that the issue is simply blown out of proportion because different people exposed to different social factors and cultures are converging and forming perceptions on the same issue. If a single mother were to have 14 children in say, Nigeria, we wouldn't be that fired up because the mental framework we have formed over decades is such that it is perfectly normal for Nigerians to have so many children. We have actually formed the common perception by observing their lifestyle, culture and economic development.

The opinion of the number of children in a developed country (DC) is so unlike that of in a less developed country (LDC). In a DC, parents and the society has to take responsibility financially from the birth process right up to death. Parents start to have fewer children and opt to give more attention to the precious one or two, resulting in a national competitiveness in raising the most all-rounded children. And let's face it. Nadya is financially unfit. She made her parents declare bankrupt because she couldn't repay them. And the fact that Nadya is practically begging for donations and selling pregnancy and baby videos goes to show how financially unprepared she is to the financial provision for her children. Coming from a DC myself, my perception is shaped such that I feel finance or the lack of it is the key issue to the decision of having the number of children, and moreover, the norm for the number of children is 2 to 3. Thus, I don't concur with Nadya's actions.

Others may judge this piece of news through their experiences faced or character. For instance, a person who does not have a natural affinity with children or liking for them will not understand the desire to have so many children. Parents with quite a number of children in a DC will know first-hand about how emotionally and physically draining taking care of children can be.

The medical officers and those concerned about medicine and science would base this issue from their profession or knowledge. Nadya has to think of the psychological health of the children. First, there are dire consequences to having 8 fetuses in the womb. Examples would include insufficient nutrients, undeveloped lungs and hearts. Even after the birth process, which is traumatising for the babies, complications may result. Also, the octuplets who were conceived through IVF will no doubt be closely watched by the world due to the advancement in media technologies. The poor children did not choose for their privacy to be compromised, did they? Nadya's action is really insensitive, if not a little insane.

However well-adjusted children raised in single-parent environment are, we can't argue that they lack love, or I should say, exposure to a more complete family. True, many turned out alright, but that opinion is shaped simply because you are exposed to social factors such as seeing more cases of divorce and single parenthood in the 21st century. Thus, you form a particular perception of the issue.

Lastly, this whole issue is a classic example for a novel stimuli, because Nadya is the second woman in the world to give birth to octuplets through IVF, she has thus set a precedent. Since it is just so different from other cases, The Media see its potential and thus selects this piece of information to publish to the consumers. As consumers, our cognitive minds automatically and often consciously open up to process this information. But if the frequency of occurrence is such that every woman gives birth to 8 children through IVF, our minds would do it subconsciously and we would accept it without much question.

Follow-ups:
Sorry, Nadya, Angelina's way better looking than you.
http://www.popcrunch.com/octuplets-mother-nadya-suleman-angelina-jolie-look-alike/
AND
http://www.wowowow.com/post/nadya-suleman-mother-eight-denies-angelina-jolie-plastic-surgery-rumors-204793

AND Nadya defends herself:

Please give your comments, opinions and feedback on this issue. I look forward to seeing from another point of view and and it will serve to broaden our horizons!

Tracy Says Hello...

2009-05-09T02:06:00.003+08:00

Greetings!

My name is Tracy Wee and currently, I'm passionately involved with a module- Introduction to Communications. This blog is actually a school project and it came from the module I've just mentioned. I will be here (breathing the same virtual air as my readers) approximately once a week.

At the back of your minds, you must be wondering... So what is this Tracy going to talk about?

Well, I shall not keep you waiting. I will draw your attention to recent issues that you may obtain from The Media. That includes newspapers, magazine articles, advertising campaigns, music releases, feature films or movies (as if I hadn't done enough for Nuffnang) and even television progammes.

For simplicity's sake, they won't be over a month old.

So please join me to keep a lookout on the hottest, coldest or most controversial issue, because I am officially inviting, no, begging you guys to discuss any thing related to the issue(s) that I will be bringing up. Just click on ''COMMENTS'' after individual posts.

Thank you for your contribution and let's work towards having the important life skill of CRITICAL THINKING!