My two Concentrations area are : Women Studies and Communication

 

ASB 211:Woman in other cultures. This course provided an introduction to women's lives in various cultures around the world, primarily from the perspective of gender studies within the discipline of cultural anthropology.  Through books, articles, films, and lecture, we examined women’s lives in relation to various topics, such as kinship, marriage, economics, politics, motherhood, and sexuality. 

 COM 100: Introduction to Human Communication This course introduced basic theoretical concepts and communication skills in a variety of contexts, including personal relationships, families, cross-cultural encounters, mediated communication, and public speaking. 

 

COM 259:Communication in Business. This course helped me to recognize, understand, and perform effective communication in settings common to business and the professions. The main goal was to understand the process of becoming employed and preparing for entering the professional work environment and practice professional communication.

 

WST 100:Woman, Gender and Society. This course was an introduction to the study of women’s experiences and ways of knowing in contemporary U.S. society.  We analyzed various positions regarding women’s lives and experiences.  The goal of this course is to critically evaluate and understand the ways in which gender shapes our society, and the ways in which it intersects with identities such as race, class, sexuality and so on.

COM 394:Storytelling and Oral Historyit this course I will study the theory, communication techniques, and applications for the research and practice of storytelling and oral history interviewing. I will have the opportunity to explore a family story and a fable, produce a storyboard, and practice and present this story.

 

COM 494:Mothers, Daughters and Communication. Iwill explore relations and communication between   mothers and daughter.  This special bond has often been described as one of the longest, closest, and most emotionally connected relationships a woman will ever experience.

 

WST 380 -  Race, Gender and Class. This course focuses on intersections of race, class, gender, age and sexual orientation. I will study an interdisciplinary approach of class, race, gender and sexuality from sociological, cultural and historical point of view.

 

Synthesis of Women Studies and Communication

 

There is a strong correlation between Women Studies and Communication. Communication is a part of many disciplines and we are able to recognize many subfields within it.  By indentifying common ground theory we are able to “establish the basis for identifying disciplinary theories, concepts, and assumptions that will enable us to combine or integrate insights and thus produce an understanding that is interdisciplinary.” (Repko, p.274). One of the most popular theories within the communication field is a Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT), explaining dialectics existing in relationship. 

 

The main idea of this theory is that the closer we become with someone the more conflicts and issues we recognize with each other. However, regarding dialectics we are growing apart. Baxter and Montgomery say, "Contradiction is the central concept of relational dialectics" (oak.cats.ohiou.edu).  The authors also recognize few more argumentations drawn in this theory. They are Connectedness-Separateness, Certainty-Uncertainty, and Openness – Closeness’.  Analyzing those three dialectics we can notice the ambiguity at issue. We need to stay connected, but at the same time we need space and separateness. Certainty is an essential element in relationships, but if everything is in order with no spontaneous moments, life becomes dull and monotonous. “Self – disclosure provides information about self” (Morreale, Spitzberg, Barge, p.69), however too much information is unnecessary. Closeness on the other hand can cause an isolation and emotional insertion. Life and relationships itself are in constant growth, so the conflicts will always be present and it would be impossible to eradicate the opposites.  

 

 The above contemplation brings us to the conclusion that nothing in life is perfect but rather it requires a perfect balance. In this theory we can clearly notice synthesis between Communication and Women Studies. We can use this theory to analyze differences in communication between genders, more specifically by analyzing relationships. We are aware that relationships experience various conflicts, and the majority of which have their source in communication. 

 

            Nonverbal communication is an example of a main concept within communication which greatly correlates with Women Studies. Nonverbal communication is a kind of communication which includes all human behaviors and attributes other than words. This concept is frequently visible when analyzing women’s behavior and explains a lot about women as a gender. As is commonly known women are more sensitive individuals than man. Theirs nonverbal communication helps us to find specific characteristics about women’s femininity. We recognize few major types of nonverbal communication such as physical appearance, gestures, touch or body movement.  

 

            Theory of Communication and Women Studies often overlap each other. For instance, intersectionality theory is another example of evidence of correlation. Although this is a feminist sociological theory is also used within the communication field. Intersectionality is a methodology of studying, “the relationships among multiple dimensions and modalities of social relationships and subject formations" (McCall 2005). The idea of this theory was to look at categories such as race, class, gender, disability and how they correlate with people’s identity and how they contributes to inequality. Class, gender and race never exist separate so it’s important to find the “cross section” in order to discontinue and prevent oppression. As important as it is to find the “cross section” in feminist theory, it is significant to notice similar issue in the communication field. The great example can be interpersonal communication and being aware of a respectful “cross section” in diverse communication. 

 

 

Future goals and application of common ground

 

                                                                                                                                   

 

            My primary goal was to become a professor at college and teach communication classes with an emphasis on diversity. Although this still remains my purpose, recently I am more and more fascinated by counseling. A few days ago I finalized my divorce and the last few months I have experienced pain and consequences of divorce.  This unpleasant event made a significant impact on me and my emotional life. Studying communication and women studies I’m aware of mistakes I made in my marriage and as a result, I would like to help couples and families to avoid the pain. I learned of a program offered by ASU – Marriage and family therapy. In completing this program I will receive masters in family therapy but also I keep my initial goal and teach.

 

            Relational Dialectics Theory within communication taught me a lot about dialectics existing in relationships. I would be able to apply this theory in my practice. I believe that married couple, particularly, in crisis, would definitely benefit from this theory. I think majority of marriages experience some kind of crisis during their matrimony, in part of because the couple is lacking balance in the relationship. We can start from the day when two people fall in love and they think they are “perfect” for each other because the opposite attracts. However, in some cases this is the key reason why they end up divorcing. According to the Relational Dialectics Theory married couple can be separated from each other but in the same time they need the closeness. Separation will give an individual needed autonomy. The connectedness is an essential element to intimacy and healthy relationship. The important is to find balance between both categories otherwise the separation will lead to loneliness and closeness may turn into emotionally deprived dependency. I think they are both necessary and we cannot eliminate any of them; however the key would be accurate sense of stability. Let’s analyze the certainty and uncertainty in marriage. When a couple is able to predict how every single day or every anniversary will flow, the relationship will lack of spiciness.  Then is only matter of time and they will finalize marriage with divorce. On the other hand if every day they experience surprises, the unpredictability could be damaging and stressful for relationship as well. Openness and closeness are vital elements in every relationship. We can be open toward our spouse but we need to remember that sometimes generous openness can hurt others feelings. Closeness in marriage may turn into depression. Continuously closeness may cause the partners to growthapart and reconciliation won’t be possible. What is needed in each of these examples is a bridge connecting opposite needs by providing right balance. I can clearly see how applying this theory helps me as a future therapist to encourage couples to keep balance in their marriage.

 

                As a marriage and family therapist I will be constantly exposed to sexuality and gender.   Gender is a complex concept. It refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities assigned by society.  Within gender concept   the womanhood and feminism are the key issues. Knowing the feminism theory I will be able to talk with women, instruct and help them to understand their role and power in the society. I think sometime women are seeing themselves bare under the cult of domesticity. They suffer from very low self esteem of completely lack of it. As a therapist I want them to understand that every woman is influential and they should seek for equality and dignity.  It would be also important for me to demonstrate evidence of professional communication skills where interpersonal concept will become useful.

 

                I believe that knowing and exploring both fields will help me to become a great therapist with an interdisciplinary approach. In addition to my therapist practice I hope to inspire and counseling students. By teaching them the essence of diverse communication and appreciation of multiculturalism I think I can have a positive impact on their educational endeavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another  example of my essay from WST380.

 

White privilege

 

I become interested in the subject of white privilege when I got married to an older African American gentleman. Although my marriage survived only nine years I feel extremely fortunate to learn Black history from insiders. I often had heard stories of discrimination, but honestly speaking I though they only appeared in the movies, like the “Roots” which I used to watched when I was living in Eastern Europe. My perception has changed in last ten years I lived in the United States of America and becoming part of an African American family.

                Reading assigned stories proofed my assumption about white privileges. I was wondering what a definition of privilege is. According Webster’s dictionary privilege is “a right of benefit enjoyed by a particular person or group of persons”. This definition is self explanatory. All of the authors of today’s readings introduced different examples of racism and the existence of white privilege. Patricia J. Williams in “Of Race and risk” shares her personal experience how she was rejected by a loan officer. She was in the process of purchasing a new house in another state so the entire paperwork was completed by phone. She believed her house purchase was a done deal until she received all her documents in the mail. Everything was correct besides one error regarding her ethnicity.  The bank documents stated that she was White. She corrected the mistake and sent it back. To her surprise, the smooth process suddenly turned complicated. Well she was treated and accepted as a White citizen because of her good financial standing, the job she was holding, great credit history and excellent English. But because of her race she wasn’t welcome in the neighborhood, which was predominantly White. Her presence, the bank thought, could lower the standards of the community. It makes me wonder if she had not indicated her ethnicity when she moved into the White neighborhood she would probably had some unpleasant experiences. I recall that few years ago my relative, successful, mid age African - American woman tried to purchase house in Kansas City, also in White neighborhood. She was rejected the first time but she didn’t give up and tried again after few years, this time successfully. I couldn’t believe her story but unfortunately this was and still is reality.

                Peggy McIntosh in “White Privilege” emphasize that particular condition in life, which White people have taken for granted including myself. She pointed twenty six circumstances which stroked me and made me think deeply about my privileges. I never thought that “I can choose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color and have them more or less my skin” (McIntosh, p.102) As a White woman I can do many things in life without considering my race. Actually, I think I’m extremely privileged. Although I’m a White female and Immigrant in this country I can see my civil liberties on daily bases. I often compared my situation and my race to my ex husband who had struggled all his life in every single sphere of his life. Being born in 1930 as a Black man everything become a challenge and fight of his survival. I consider him as an extremely successful man and I do admire him for his achievements including completing three Masters Degree and graduating from Tuskegee University as well as Cornell. I never could understand why his life was filled with so much pain just because of his skin color. This makes me really mad and irritates me every time I hear his stories.  

Tim Wise, speaker and author is focusing on white privileges in education. He also points that white privileges is not only damaging for people of color but it works against the White race. I read a few of his articles and heard him often as a speaker. As much as I agree with some of his arguments and think he is a brilliant speaker, sometimes I think he is too ironic and harsh. On the other hand maybe he is right with his frustration, because it seems that more we discuss and emphasize the issue of race the more issues we experience.  However, I strongly agree with his arguments regarding immigration. Many claims that lowering wages for White workers are effect of working Immigrants. Wise states that “the reason migration has that effect — especially undocumented migration — is because such workers are super-exploitable by employers, can be paid like crap, can’t organize in unions, and often won’t fight for better wages and working conditions for fear of deportation”.  Wise (2010)

 As much as American society seems to hate Immigrants from Mexico, I always wonder if White Americans would work on strawberry fields for five dollars per hour. As an Immigrant I spent ten years cleaning houses and all of the workers were either from Eastern Europe or Mexico. We worked for minimum wage but for us it was enough to support families in our countries.

Concluding the thoughts about white privilege I’m very disappointed to still witness the presence of racial discrimination. Almost fifty years ago Dr. Martin Luther King in his famous speech said: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. Martin Luther King (1963)

 In 2011 we, an American society, still judge each other base on race and skin color. Isn’t time to move past racism and finally acknowledge the differences in power and privilege? Can we focus on building coalition around common causes instead of hating each other?  Like Dr. King I still have a hope that one day we will all be treated equally and white privileges become privileges of each human being not a race.