Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Great first week class. Both group assignments were done very well and I appreciate the discourse beginning. So far this week we have covered;
Different epistemologies
Personal experience
Intuition
Authority
Appeals to tradition, custom, and faith
Magic, superstition, and mysticism
Research
6 Characteristics of research
What all communication scholars have in common
Model of communication research
2 competing research paradigms
G. R. Miller’s reasons for studying communication
Question for thought?
Monday we discussed several different epistemologies. The problem with everyday ways of knowing occurs when we should question what is assumed to be true, but do not because we accept things simply at face value. Think about an instance when you (or a friend or society at large) have believed something that later was found to be incorrect. For your posting, describe this instance and list the epistemology you used.
*Remember to include your name after posting anonymously. You may have to preview your post first. (I have posted an example)
Different epistemologies
Personal experience
Intuition
Authority
Appeals to tradition, custom, and faith
Magic, superstition, and mysticism
Research
6 Characteristics of research
What all communication scholars have in common
Model of communication research
2 competing research paradigms
G. R. Miller’s reasons for studying communication
Question for thought?
Monday we discussed several different epistemologies. The problem with everyday ways of knowing occurs when we should question what is assumed to be true, but do not because we accept things simply at face value. Think about an instance when you (or a friend or society at large) have believed something that later was found to be incorrect. For your posting, describe this instance and list the epistemology you used.
*Remember to include your name after posting anonymously. You may have to preview your post first. (I have posted an example)
posted by Dr. Jeffrey Bolt at 5:38 PM
19 Comments:
When I was younger, I had a misunderstanding of philosophy majors. I had this feeling that to study philosophy, one had to hang around hippies and bath in patchouli. This was a belief through Intuition. Later, while in college, I came across a brochure of majors offered by the university. It listed possible careers for each major including philosophy. The research done displayed new possibilities for the degree that I previously did not think of. My intuition was corrected by the university’s research.
J. Bolt
I always thought that in order to stay fit and healthy, one should only eat three meals in a day. "Snacking" was always considered bad behavior because it just added unnecessary calories to the diet. However, recent studies have shown that consuming five or six smaller, balanced meals throughout the day is the key to staying trim and healthy. The knowledge I acquiried at an early age was corrected by the research of modern nutritionists.
Amanda Gabriele
For a society in general, there are some horrible misconceptions in parts of Africa about the prevention of spreading HIV. Some of these methods (ie: engaging in adult activities with virgins to protect oneself from the virus) wholeheartedly follow the idea of appealing to tradition custom and faith. The facts may not be true, but some follow them according to how it has always been done.
Steph Repp
“I used to take for granted whatever I was exposed to in different forms of media,” one fellow wrote in the Letters to the Editor section of an international magazine. I paused to think about the significance of this quote and felt forced to fall upon the conclusion that it would have been me quoted exactly the same way, had I been interviewed few years ago. I used to view as true almost whatever that appealed to my emotions. My intuition formed the starting point in the process of approaching individuals and making conclusions about different topics. I never looked at the world critically or thought of it in an attentive manner. To me, that was the way one should proceed. It was not until becoming familiar with critical reading and insightful perception that I started reviewing my way of thinking about the world around me. I now know for fact that in order for us to reach a better understanding of the world and people, one should not only rely on emotions, but also on critical ways of looking at the world and individuals.
“I used to take for granted whatever I was exposed to in different forms of media,” one fellow wrote in the Letters to the Editor section of an international magazine. I paused to think about the significance of this quote and felt forced to fall upon the conclusion that it would have been me quoted exactly the same way, had I been interviewed few years ago. I used to view as true almost whatever that appealed to my emotions. My intuition formed the starting point in the process of approaching individuals and making conclusions about different topics. I never looked at the world critically or thought of it in an attentive manner. To me, that was the way one should proceed. It was not until becoming familiar with critical reading and insightful perception that I started reviewing my way of thinking about the world around me. I now know for fact that in order for us to reach a better understanding of the world and people, one should not only rely on emotions, but also on critical ways of looking at the world and individuals.
Mohamed Aboulhaya
When I was little I didn't that there were certain materials that couldn't be microwaved. The bread I wanted to eat was frozen so I thought I'd just stick the entire bag in the microwave instead of just the 2 slices I wanted. The plastic bread bag caught on fire and I freaked out and left it in the microwave until the flames went out. My personal experience has taught me that there are certain materials--like plastic bread bags--that should NOT be microwaved.
Lauren Birmingham
When my sister and I were little, I never really understood how someone could get "shocked" from an electrical outlet and my sister did not think it could really happen. So my sister decided to take a safety pin and stick it in a light switch. She then claimed that the wall had bit her and we got in trouble by my parents. Through my sister's experience I now know that you can get shocked and that it does not feel good. I also learned that I should listen to my parents when they warn me not to do something...
Machelle Montgomery
Growing up playing football my dad would always tell me about his experiences in sports. When he played sports the coaches made the players eat salt tablets instead of drinking water. A couple years later they found out that giving athletes’ salt when they were thirsty was basically the worst thing that could be done because it dehydrates their body. Although this is not an occasion that directly interacted with my life, I felt that it is a very good example of the authority epistemology. A good athlete will listen to their coach and believe what they are told to do is the best thing for their body, which we all know now is not correct.
Marc Shupp
When I was in high school, what always seemed to hold true as being the most important things that mattered in life, or to some of the people I went to school with, was what I wore to school, how I looked, what circle of people I was associated with, and who I would attend a school dance with. Now, after being in college for a few years, thus allowing time for maturity and the gaining of some perspective on life, I have learned from my own personal experiences through meeting new people and gaining new relationships, that what I wear is not the most important thing in life, but the knowledge I gain, the accomplishments I make, and living a life that is joyuous and fulfilling is what matters most.
Ashley Mayle
When I first started running competitively in college, I thought that I had to practice as hard as I could everyday of the week to keep up with the top runners. Even when my coach emphasized the importance of recovery runs I kept on practicing hard. I peaked a month into the saeson and then burnt out. Also, that was followed by three stress fractures. Through my personal experience, I learned that slow recovery days are very important and help runners become better. My coach was correct. It just took me a while to listen.
Erin Satzger
This summer I applied for a job working and living in a homeless shelter serving the rural people of Appalachia. I was really scared for a number reasons. For one, the traditional stereotypes of the homeless are that they are lazy and dangerous. I associated this characteristics with people because of what people (authority) had told me. After spending time with the people I saw something completely different than what I was expecting. The people I met and built relationships with were just like me. They were either lacking support, uneducated, or living out the consequences of poor decisions. They were though, the extremely accepting, open, and loving. They understood community and how to survive on the minimum. They taught me more this summer than I've learned from any class.
-Elizabeth Franko
When I was a little kid, I always thought that when I saw violence on televsion or in a movie I thought that it was real and that people were really getting hurt. After growing up a little and after realizing that if the violence was real then more then likely the person would be dead and wouldn't have gotten right up. The research and reports that I read while growing up indicted that my orignal thoughts were wrong and my intutition was corrected by this research and reports.
Richard Toth
When I was in elementary school, I remember one of my worst fears was going to "English" class. I actually have always enjoyed English and writing classes, but back then "English" class was simply "learning cursive writing". I was absolutely horrible at writing cursive, and all I can remember was my creepy old writing teacher yelling at me and telling me: "you'll never make it in the world without writing cursive flawlessly", and other overly-dramatic remarks of that sort. If all this wasn't bad enough, I even broke my wrist during the beginning of the year so I had to write with my other hand for awhile. Needless to say, it was a rough 2 years of school. Upon entering high school and beyond, the only time I write cursive is to sign my name. I honestly don't know if I could write certain letters correctly now. Looking back, it is kind of funny that there seemed to be a "cursive writing revolution" sweeping the educational system for awhile when I grew up, and being younger our teachers represented the "authority epistemology" in it's fullest sense during these times.
James Sherlock
The high school in my home town is called Charles F. Brush High School, named after the famous inventer of the arc light. This is a normal public high school, however when I was a child I thought it was a beauty school, becuase of the name. Ten years later when I entered the school I learned that I was completly wrong!
Matt Brower
In recent years, reality t.v. has consumed our television sets. At first I found this fascinating that "normal" people would want their lives viewed on millions of television screens. However, reality t.v. is still used for entertainment purposes and research shows that the "reality" that we view on our television's are often edited and staged. This leaves me to question how much real life is really in reality t.v.
Lauren Lellio
Everyone always says that as long as you know the right people you will get far in life. I once applied for a job where my friends mom owned the store, was going to be the one that interviewed me, and had already hired atleast 4 of my friends. Intuition told me there that for sure I had this job in the bag because of all of these reasons. However, I learned that this was not true. I didn't get the job and learned that just knowing someone and assuming they alone will lead you to success isn't enough. I shouldn't have assumed I would get the job only because to me it made sense.
Leah Verbosky
I initially chose Public Relations as my major and thought it was more about promoting/marketing an organization and positively representing it in a community. After working in a PR department, I personally experienced how much of their work focused on spin doctoring and showing only the best side of the organization to the public, which went against my ethical viewpoints. So...I jumped to Comm Studies and have never looked back!
Marianne Riggenbach
I have always been taught that education is the key to a meaningful life. Both my parents are involved in education and my father has a doctorate from The Ohio State University. He was a guidance counselor at Canton Mckinley for 35 years. He still tells me that he doesn't care what I do in life as long as I am educated. I believed that this meant that acquiring some form of a degree was the only way to prove education. In the time since my High School graduation I have realized that you can be educated in many things that do not provide a document stating so. Many of my friends have made a good living doing construction and labor. They have been educated in these fields and are providing a service to the community through this education. The authoritarian figure being my father led me to believe that school was the only option. I have learned that this is not always the case. With that being said, and graduation looming, I am glad that he pushed me towards school. But, it is not always the best option for everyone.
Drew Wilson
I am personaly into history, and I really like to learn about how they lived and what they did, thinking they were bettering their lives and themselves. One fact I thought was interesting was that the women use to wear make-up with lead in it, thinking it was making them more beautiful. Well as time went on their faces started to look worse, and they later discovered that the lead was deteriating their faces. In their case I guess they had to learn from experience.
Megan Bryan
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