Part 1

Everyone Has a CultureSome students think that they do not have much of a cultural background because they were not born outside of the United States or because they do not speak another language. The truth is that everyone has a culture!Prepare: As you prepare to write your discussion for this topic, take time to do the following:

• Read the writing prompt below in its entirety. Note that there are three tasks.

  1. Define culture and explain its importance in communication.

  2. Describe your own culture.

  3. Explain how your culture shapes how you communicate with others.

• Review Chapter 3 of your text and identify at least one point about culture and communication to discuss in your post.

• Develop a definition of culture and explain its importance in communication.

• Review the grading rubric and note that 25% of your grade is based on your application of course material (Content/Subject Knowledge) and 25% is based on your ability to demonstrate you are thinking critically and presenting original ideas.

Reflect: Based on what you’ve learned in Chapter 3, think about key elements of your own culture and how it influences both the style and content of your communication. Think about how your culture shapes how you communicate with others, especially those who are from other cultures. Why is culture important in understanding effective communication? How can knowing about your own culture help you build bonds and/or bridge cultural divides?Write: Based on what you’ve learned in class this week:

• Define culture and explain why it is important to understanding communication.

• Take some time to write about your own culture and share with us what makes you who you are. Your culture can be related to your race, ethnicity, gender, age, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, hobbies, religion, etc. Try not to focus on just one of these aspects of yourself, but instead utilize as many cultural elements as possible.

• How does your culture affect your communication with those in your own culture and those from other cultures?


Thoroughly respond to the discussion elements by writing at least one to two sentences on your definition and then two to three sentences on each of the remaining two elements. Use the course readings, with full APA citations, at least once to help you make your points. Consider copying and pasting all three tasks into a word file and addressing each of them separately.

Part 2

The “Self” and Communication
 
In Chapter 2 of your text, Bevan & Sole (2014) lay out many psychological concepts concerning the “self.” These key elements of human psychology are central to how we communicate with ourselves (intrapersonal communication) and others (interpersonal communication).Prepare: As you prepare to write your discussion for this topic, take a few moments to do the following:

• Read the writing prompt below in its entirety. Note that there are four tasks to complete.

  1. Define self-concept.

  2. Define self-image.

  3. Define self-esteem.

  4. Reflect on how one of these has impacted your interpersonal communication.

• Review Chapter 2 in your text.  

• Focus on the segments of the book on self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem.

• Review the grading rubric and note that 25% of your grade is based on your application of course material (Content/Subject Knowledge) and 25% is based on your ability to demonstrate you are thinking critically and presenting original ideas.

Reflect: Take time to reflect on how your self-concept, self-image, or self-esteem have affected the way you communicate with others and, perhaps, how you believe others respond to you.Write: Based on the information in Chapter 2:

• Define self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem. Write at least two sentences on each term.

• Provide an example of how your “self-concept,” “self-image,” or “self-esteem” has affected your interpersonal communication.  

• Use specific examples to illustrate your point.  

• Use the text to support your points about the relationship between psychology and communication and for your definitions of the three key terms.


Thoroughly address all four elements of this prompt.  Consider copying and pasting these tasks into a word file and addressing each of them separately.