Culture and Coculture

 

Culture shapes and defines how people see the world. A group that interacts and shares the same language, values, norms, and interests is identified as a culture or society. Thus, culture is described as the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs shared and learned by people (Adler et al 69). Membership in one culture is often the source of identity, pride, and enrichment. However, when a group is discriminated against or stigmatized by others, it becomes less fulfilling to be identified with it. This is because dominant groups set rules to disadvantage the underrepresented communities, especially in employment interviews and social settings (Adler et al 70). People who interact daily with others from different cultural backgrounds are doubtful to express prejudice than those who do not. Thus, everyone must hang out with people from different cultures and appreciate diversity. This paper provides a detailed discussion about culture and coculture.

What is the Difference Between Culture and Coculture? To What Cocultures do You Belong? How do These Memberships and Your Own Cultural Identity Affect the Way You Communicate?

            Culture and coculture are used interchangeably by many people but mean two different things. Culture encompasses the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs individuals share and learn from each other. In today's society, cultures include age, race, physical disability, sexual orientation, and religion (Adler et al. 70). Belonging to a particular culture is a source of enrichment, pride, and identity. Elsewhere, coculture is a group of people whose values, beliefs, and behaviors exclude it from a larger culture that is part of. In other words, it is the perception of membership into a particular group that is part of a larger culture.

            From the definition of culture, different people belong to different cultures. In my case, the culture I belong to in society is age. I am a young American, but I often interact with different ages and cultures to ensure that I do not express prejudice. As a young American, I must recognize that I identify with this group's customs. Frequently, members of different groups develop unique communication patterns (Adler et al. 69). Membership in a particular culture shapes how one communicates with others. Also, intercultural communication's effectiveness is influenced by participants' communicative behaviors (Korneeva 5). Communicators must appreciate the existence of cultural differences for them to communicate. As a young person, I rely more on social media, which inhibits communicating face-to-face. Simultaneously, it has caused many young people to lack exposure to a real conversation with other people. This undermines how one communicates effectively with others.

Do People Ever Make Assumptions About You Based on Appearance or Stereotypes? If so, how does this affect the way they Communicate with You?

            Without a doubt, many people have made stereotypical remarks about me. Some have described me as a spoiled millennial, while others have referred to me as lazy. Some people make assumptions that are not based on facts and lack justification for the generalization of an entire thing. When individuals are subconsciously singled out and monitored more closely than others, it damages how they communicate to them. For some, after being close to me, eliminate the adverse effects of stereotypical remarks and treat me with dignity. Some learn about the insurmountable impacts of prejudice, such as its impact on intercultural interactions. Equally, others develop an open-minded attitude to interact competently (Adler et al 89). Stereotypes affect the way people communicate with others because they are part of how one processes information. Once a person places negative attributes on another, it becomes difficult to communicate positively because of the low opinion held about them.

Works Cited

Adler, Ronald B., et al. Understanding Human Communication. Vol. 13. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Korneeva, Alyona. "Communicative Behavior as the way of Expressing Cultural Identity." SHS Web of Conferences. Vol. 55. EDP Sciences, 2018. https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/pdf/2018/16/shsconf_icpse2018_02025.pdf

Self-Identity Management

 

Newton’s Definition of Otherness

Newton defines otherness as the formation of an identity where an individual perceives himself or herself as different from others in regard to biological features or socially-constructed groups such as race. In furtherance, otherness excludes someone’s sense of belonging because of the perceived differences from peers. Newton delineates how being different from community members defined her Self. As a black child attending all-white academic institutions, she perceived that her history, hair, and skin color were not right (Newton 00:03:55). Otherness makes someone lose his or her sense of ideal Self. Individuals can focus on the biological characteristics, including geographic, political, and cultural histories, which can make them fit into the social identities such as ethnicity. In this light, some people see their Selves as different from those of others based on group-based identities.

Meaning of Losing Oneself

Losing oneself involves embracing oneness, a concept that centers on discarding the otherness. As such, individuals stop defining their Selves based on the characteristics that make them different from others. Losing oneself requires a flexible Self-hood where someone does not stick to the original identity that embraces otherness. For instance, Newton lost her pervasive, dysfunctional identity and demonstrated “another Self” when she was dancing (Newton 00:05:08). The activity allowed her to portray a unique expression of her identity. Therefore, individuals should change their earlier perceptions of Self, which are based on the feelings of being different, and connect with others.      

Reflection on My Self-Perception

I have multiple Selves that I portray to the world. The Self presents what someone thinks or feels about himself or herself as an object (Carter and Bruene 5). First, I define myself as a disciplined individual who is willing to obey rules without supervision. I control myself and demonstrate consistent behavior even when no one is supervising me. Culture and family upbringings have played a crucial role in influencing the current identity. My parents instilled the belief in transcendence and fear of God in me since when I was a young person. Second, I see myself as a self-reliant individual because I strive to make life decisions independently. For instance, I strive to overcome several stressors involving work and relationships without consulting formal forms of support. Social institutions such as schools contributed to the development of the current identity. Instructors addressed the importance of being an intelligent person who spoke his or her mind. Due to the influence, I have been striving to solve many problems in my life with little direct support from other individuals. Third, I see myself as an empathic person. I participate in different types of charity works that help individuals facing different adversities such as natural disasters. For instance, I have donated blood in the past because of my passion to save people’s lives. Multiple environmental factors such as family morals, religion, and events have shaped my empathy identity. One of the life events involved observing a fatal accident in my childhood. An objective observer is highly likely to agree with my identity. I have demonstrated consistency in my portrayal of the behaviors to individuals around me.          

What the Textbook Says Regarding Identity Management and Perception

The text highlights many concepts that can explain my identity management. First, the cultural environment plays a crucial role in shaping one’s self-concept (Adler et al. 40). The current concept explains how religion and parents have influenced my discipline. The belief in God enhances my control in the workplace and other settings. Second, all individuals experience perception biases such as selecting the details to attend to when describing others (Adler et al. 43). In this light, you cannot find an objective observer since every person experiences a particular set of perception errors.

 

 

Works Cited

Adler, Ronald B., et al. Understanding Human Communication. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Carter, Michael J., and Sara Bruene. "Examining the Relationship Between Self-Perceptions of Person, Role, and Social Identity Change and Self-Concept Clarity." Imagination, Cognition and Personality, vol. 38, no. 4, 2019, pp. 1-27.

Newton, Thandie. “Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself.” TED Talks, July 2011, www.ted.com/talks/thandie_newton_embracing_otherness_embracing_myself?language=en. Accessed 05 Feb. 2021.

Police and the Media

 

The media plays a crucial role in informing society regarding current events. Nevertheless, the media can omit some facts associated with a particular event to excite its audience. A plethora of society members knows that the media can exaggerate information when reporting a particular event (Schultz 22). One of the concerns involves the impact of media’s bias on the public’s perception of the criminal justice system. The paper discusses the media bias regarding its coverage of police officers.  

Recently, Newsweek published an article outlining the incidences of police brutality on both demonstrators and the journalists covering the protests associated with George Floyd’s death (Slisco para. 1). Some reputable research center affiliated with Harvard University recorded more than 300 cases where law enforcement officers victimized journalists (Slisco para. 3). ACLU, a human rights advocacy organization, has condemned and sued the police for the deadly force that led to the death of Floyd. Police officers and the department heads seem to support their attack on protestors and journalists.

            The article is biased because it includes only pieces of information that portray the police as inhumane. The article indicates that the police have been using excessive force on individuals protesting the death of Floyd and journalists covering the event. The assertions are backed with evidence from research groups and activist organizations. All the pieces of evidence provided portray the entire police department as proponents of brutality. For instance, all officers attached at Buffalo Unit, New York, resigned after the suspension of two colleagues who shoved an older activist during Floyd's death demonstrations (Slisco para. 11). Media bias can occur in the form of the choice of words covering a story (Kellison para. 4). The current article quotes speeches of an activist group that used bitter words condemning the police for their inhumane treatment of Floyd.   

The law allows the police to apply a force that aligns with the threat. Regarding Texas Penal Code, force is allowable when an officer has a reasonable belief in the immediate necessity of using the harsh actions to assist arrest or prevent escape (“Texas Penal Code § 9.51. Arrest and Search” para. 1)). Newsweek article did not portray any instance where police officers’ use of force could have been justifiable. Racially charged circumstances can draw the media’s attention away from reporting the truth to airing its opinion (Schultz 10). Protests involving racially charged incidences like in Floyd's case have a high potential for violence. Nevertheless, the article did not mention any instance where some protesters were violent. As such, the media did not include any evidence that could support the use of force against the demonstrators. In furtherance, the article does not mention whether some protestors were arrested. Creating awareness of the arrest of the protestors would trigger the public to question the reason behind the detention.

            The due process and crime control models present a binary framework, where the latter focuses on the implementation of a fair system that does not violate both defender’s and plaintiff’s constitutional rights while the former emphasizes the repression of criminal activities. The case presented in the Newsweek article aligns with the crime control model. The crime control framework emphasizes promoting safety and order in the society over individual freedoms. Law enforcement officers have significant latitude regarding their decision to use force when arresting individuals. By contrast, due process requires the protection of individual's freedoms and rights at all stages of the criminal justice system.  

            In conclusion, the current article presents bias against the police because all the evidence used supports the protestors and journalists. The reading omits all facts that could have portrayed any violent or undesirable behaviors during the demonstrations. All the protesters are viewed as peaceful, whereas the police are portrayed as violent. Although the police might have used excessive force, the article does not include any information that can vindicate some police officers.    

 

Works Cited

“Texas Penal Code § 9.51. Arrest and Search.” Class Notes.  

 Kellison, Cole. “Media Bias and Representation of Law Enforcement,” Messiah University, n.d., www.messiah.edu/download/downloads/id/7735/Cole_Kellison.pdf. Accessed 31 Jan. 2021.

Schultz, James. "Media Coverage of Law Enforcement and Effects of the Image Created," Senior Theses, 2019, no. 127. 1-33. Doi: 10.33015/dominican.edu/2019.CMS.ST.01.

Slisco, Aila. “Increased Attacks on Journalists Covering Protests Coincide with Videos of Police Attacking Unarmed Protestors,” Newsweek, 6 July 2020, www.newsweek.com/increased-attacks-journalists-covering-protests-coincide-videos-police-attacking-unarmed-1509136. Accessed 31 Jan. 2021.