Week 2 dicussion - Question 2

A relationship of mine that has become close over time is the one I have with my significant other. He and I met in middle school, but didn't pay much attention to each other's existence. At that time, our relationship was an I-It because we basically ignored one another. I walked passed him in the hallways, not even acknowledging him even though I've met him once. This kind of relationship between us lasted for about 3/4 years until his senior year in Highschool. For some reason, he had worked up the courage to approach me again and get to know me. During this stage, we talked "small-talk", texting each other about our days and asking what we're doing at the time. It was very casual and our personal, private lives were never discussed. After a while, we became great friends and a relationship blossomed.

Now, our relationship can be described as an "I-thou" kind. We've gotten very comfortable around each other, so our guards our down and the trust is high. He and I talk every night, discussing not only what we did for the day, but also how we felt. Feelings and problems are often discussed in our conversations because we have opened ourselves completely to each other. Our relationship definitely had differences over time because we went from being non-existent in each other's lives, to friends, and now as a couple.

Week 2 discussion - Question 1

A "linear model" of communication is a type of communication that is only coming from one way. That is, from someone who is a speaker to someone who is just a listener. There is no back and forth dialogue that goes on between the two people having the interaction. The speaker talks without getting any oral feedback from whoever is listening, just simple facial expressions or gestures. An example of a "linear model" of communication from my life is all the times I have been scolded by my dad. During this time, my dad lectures, scolds, and even yell while I sit back and don't say a word. I only gave him occasional nods to let him know that I was receiving all the lectures that he was throwing at me.

An "interactive model" of communication happens when a conversation is two way. This means that the conversation is a responsive one, where the people involved are actively listening and speaking to each other. There is dialogue between the people in the conversation and they both receive some kind of oral feedback after they are done talking. This kind of communication is also sequential because it is a give and take process. A speaker gives a message, the listener receives and then gives his/her feedback. An example of this type of communication in my life is the relationship I have with my best friends. When they talk to me about their problems, I actively listen and tell them my opinion in between.

Introduction

Hello everyone! As you can all tell by now, I am a big Harry Potter fan. I put my name as Hermione Weasley because it seemed like a fun alias but you guys can also call me Jill if Hermione is too long to type sometimes :) During my free time, I like to spend time with my loved ones and if they're all busy, I sleep! I also love to interact with people and taking an online class where I can't have face to face conversations is very new to me so bare with me until I get the hang of it. It's something different, but I'm excited to try it out because I spend most of the time on my laptop anyway and I enjoy reading so an online class seemed like the right choice!

I am a second year at SJSU and my major is communication studies. I chose this field to study because I've always wanted to be a sports commentator and/or be a sports journalist. I am a major basketball fan and I want to have a career that will allow me to be around the sport I enjoy so much. I wish I could play, but unfortunately I was not blessed with such athletic talents, so being part of it behind the scenes is good enough for me! I've taken two communications classes already during my first year: comm 20 and comm 41 both of which I enjoyed very much. The thing I hope to get out of this class the most is that I want to learn how communication affect relationships people have with each other. I am also very interested to learn how I can better my social relationships through communication.