is nonverbal easy??...(3rd blog entry, 4th week topic)

(The Jakarta Post, May 25th 2009, Page 7)

(http://www.okmagazine.com/pixandvids/gallery/14367/15)

Both of the images above are non verbal images taken through the media, one is from newspaper in opinion section which showing two people who are in a discussion within a particular issue; the other one is picture of Kris Allen, the winner of American Idol 2009 with his runner up contestant and the host of the show.

The first picture shows that current American President, Mr. Obama, is talking with someone about an issue of Bahamas/ Palestine/ Sudan (Because the picture is black and white, it cannot be determined surely which country it is about). There is also a small image of a person with thinking bubble in the side of the picture. This man is basically showing the fact that he is also thinking about what the 2 men are talking about, since it is clearly seen that they are having issue towards the country that is represent by the flag.
In the other image, the scene is taken when the host of the show notifies that Kris Allen won the competition for this year. Kris Allen is the man standing in the middle of the picture with a very particular face impression.

There are two ways to communicate towards people around us, which are through verbal communication and also non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication occurs when a stimulus other than words create meaning for the communicator(s) and receiver(s). This type of communication is never taught in any regular institution because it is subjective. Therefore it requires an understanding between the communicator(s) and the receiver(s) because one of the parties does not understand; it will create a miss-understanding. There are certain types of nonverbal communication, however in both images; it uses kinetics, oculesics, physical appearance and haptics.

As it illustrates, Mr. Obama uses kinetics, study of body movement, to convey his meaning. While in the same illustration, the Mr. Governor uses Oculesics, study of nonverbal meaning associated with the eyes, to demonstrate that he does not agree with Mr. Obama’s idea. As it is appear with a very decent physical appearance thus as audience that does not understand about this topic, I assume this men are highly educated men with a status. However, it creates misunderstanding, especially because as an “unfamiliar” audience, I cannot obtain the purpose(s) of the image well.

On the other hand, since I watched American Idol 2009, I understand the image better rather than the 1st image. The fact that Kris Allen was shocked because he won the competition with a person that he thought would win the competition instead of him. The shocked given by him is basically a well known nonverbal face expression; since people around the world can understand that it shows stockiness.

Overall, nonverbal communication is very close with human beings since we use that a lot in our daily lives. But indeed in my point of view, nonverbal communication is not an easy way of communication because all of the parties included have to understand one another to diminish possibility of misunderstanding.

Therefore, do you believe that everyone can understand other people’s nonverbal communication, where there are some specifics symbols during the communication? Is there anyone able to understand all the nonverbal communication among human beings?

images and first impression are manageable, is not it?? (2nd blog entry, 3rd week topic)

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/05/19/angelina-jolie-child-soldiers/

 

This article talks about Angelina Jolie, a very famous actress in Hollywood who is known to be involved in issues concerning children problems. She attends the trial of a Congolese warlord charged with using child soldiers held at the International Criminal Court.

Angelina Jolie has been known as a very caring and advocate actress who is also an activist for children, not only in United States but also in Africa. She has been known as a very generous actress that supports children not only in material value but also gives her ‘high-priced’ time to make a visit especially for children in the rural area. Being a well-known actress and also a children activist, Angelina Jolie has attracted our focus more towards her when she takes action(s) as a child activist. It diverts us, as Hollywood audiences; to see her as figure and ground from other child activist.

There are ways to which we select our information; influenced by mass media, environments, and many more. As human beings, we are used to organizing information through influences such as cognitive schemata, structural principles and organizational principles. Where cognitive schemata is also divided into personal constructs, prototypes, scripts and punctuation.

Angelina Jolie has created a different interpretation as a public figure, as audiences have personal interpretation; through personal construct and prototypes influences. Most of the case, other famous public figure does not really care about their surroundings; even though they do appear in the media as a voluntary social worker, most of them are doing that because of the scripts given, thus audiences have good interpretation about them. The first impression I have about public figures is whatever they do, is basically to make a better image for themselves. However, Angelina Jolie has proved that what she is doing is because she really cares about the children, and she changes my perception about her due to her sincere concern towards those children.

What Angelina Jolie has done this far, also shows a different perception in regards to the matter of caring about other people’s children in general, from one that has been developed in Asia. As known in Asia, people do not care much about another’s child, including those random ones and poor people children. This condition is also influenced by structural principles that shape our overall approach towards a task.  Because we are mostly being taught that taking care of other people’s business would cause trouble for ourselves.

Last but not the least that can be recognized from the article is Angelina Jolie was using verbal communication by speaking in French. She used it since she was communicating with people who talk in French. Therefore, we can conclude that Angelina Jolie is not only well versed in English, but also in French. This ability allows her to communicate better with those people who understand French instead of English when she wants to bring across her ideas.

Do first impression really cannot be changed? Do people always say that other people should have the same perception as they are?  I do not think so. This article has changed my perception towards Angelina Jolie as a famous public figure. 

(updated from the previous entry)..If you think communication is easy, read this..

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/05/13/educating-children-timika-no-easy-task.html

This article is talking about the difficulties faced in getting the local children to attend school, even though the school is fully subsidized by the government. Instead, the children are still clinging to their old ways and thus have ignored the government’s efforts.

It has been years since native Papua has not attending school to pursuing a standard education, but in the other hand they are frequently companying their parents hunting goods to help their family’s earnings by selling the goods they have found. As human, we select stimuli based on specific qualities to process the information that we get through frequency, contrast, intensity, and novel stimuli. Searching for some recycled goods has been a routine habit that has been influenced through their upbringings, routine that has been transferred from the adults, and the surrounding circumstances. The major influences have shaped the local children perception regarding their education, which has been an opposite issue for the big cities children where they are already being taught since they are young to pursuit an education as high as they can.

The local children’s routine has been shaped through their frequency and surrounding environment. However these factors have shaped the local children’s perception towards education contradicting with the government efforts to help them in education.  The new stimuli about education that is purposed by government does not interest them since the children is still prefer to cling to their old ways. The children do not prefer to achieve the education, which actually can help their family’s earnings better in the future, instead they still doing their old habit since they think helping out the parents is more essential than studying. 

This circumstance is considered as psychological perspective where individuals create the communication, since the local children still have the point of view towards education as they have been shaped. Although government has already subsidized the education, neither the local children nor the local adults can understand and set their point of view towards education as same as the government’s. In this case, the government has not been able to achieve the basic purpose of the effort; as the local children are still cling around with their old habit.

Francis Bacon analyses in the modern period are applied in this situation, which are idols of tribe and idols of cave. The idol of tribe is applied for the reason that government has rushed to conclude that they will achieve the wishful thinking to change the human cultural habit. In the other hand, the idol of cave is applied since the native children are still attaching to the frequent routine that is difficult to change.

Generally to change a basic routine that already being considered as a culture is indeed not an easy task, not even for a very powerful party as government. Nonetheless communication towards people from different backgrounds and culture is not as easy as people thought. But then I do not say that it is an impossible to be accomplished. It indeed needs a long period to make the people there understand about what are benefits of having proper education.  However it indeed need to have a special way to make them understand thus the people can start looking the education in a higher perspective that will give a better condition in the future.

Therefore, do you still think that communication is as easy as you thought before? Does the powerful government can change people in a short time period?

if you think communication is easy, you should read this..

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/05/13/educating-children-timika-no-easy-task.html

This article is talking about the difficulties faced in getting the local children to attend school, even though the school is fully subsidized by the government. Instead, the children are still clinging to their old ways and thus have ignored the government’s efforts.

It has been years since native Papua has not attending school to pursuing a standard education, but in the other hand they are frequently companying their parents hunting goods to help their family’s earnings by selling the goods they have found. As human, we select stimuli based on specific qualities to process the information that we get through frequency, contrast, intensity, and novel stimuli. Searching for some recycled goods has been a routine habit that has been influenced through their upbringings, routine that has been transferred from the adults, and the surrounding circumstances. The major influences have shaped the local children perception regarding their education, which has been an opposite issue for the big cities children where they are already being taught since they are young to pursuit an education as high as they can.

The local children’s routine has been shaped through their frequency and surrounding environment. However these factors have shaped the local children’s perception towards education contradicting with the government efforts to help them in education.  The new stimuli about education that is purposed by government does not interest them since the children is still prefer to cling to their old ways. The children do not prefer to achieve the education, which actually can help their family’s earnings better in the future, instead they still doing their old habit since they think helping out the parents is more essential than studying. 

This circumstance is considered as psychological perspective where individuals create the communication, since the local children still have the point of view towards education as they have been shaped. Although government has already subsidized the education, neither the local children nor the local adults can understand and set their point of view towards education as same as the government’s. In this case, the government has not been able to achieve the basic purpose of the effort; as the local children are still cling around with their old habit.

Francis Bacon analyses in the modern period are applied in this situation, which are idols of tribe and idols of cave. The idol of tribe is applied for the reason that government has rushed to conclude that they will achieve the wishful thinking to change the human cultural habit. In the other hand, the idol of cave is applied since the native children are still attaching to the frequent routine that is difficult to change.

Generally to change a basic routine that already being considered as a culture is indeed not an easy task, not even for a very powerful party as government. Nonetheless communication towards people from different backgrounds and culture is not as easy as people thought.

Therefore, do you still think that communication is as easy as you thought before? Can the powerful government change the mindset of people in a short time period?