Exam 2—COM 372—Spring, 2012

Baldwin—100 pts

NOTE: Please use your ISU ID only! If your name appears on exam itself, I will take points off.

Q3: Identity ReadingIntegration Question(40 pts). Length—about 3 pp DS, 1 inch margins, standard 12-pt font: We have focused on group identities and prejudice (as well as the historical and political contexts that have lead to both identity development and prejudice). For this essay, choose one of the three theories regarding ethnicity and communication (communication theory of identity, co-cultural theory, communication accommodation theory) and relate it to two other readings.

In your essay:

  1. Summarize the theory. The “best essays” will reflect both a knowledge of the theory and a reading of the available text (each theory has at least one available reading to you, either in the text or on-line, linked from the various webpages). A good essay will cover the main parts of the theory (not focus only on one element or aspect of the theory). For example, if an entire essay on CCT is really just on the grid at the end of the theory, the coverage is too limited in scope. At the same time, with the page limits, while you cover “all” of the theory broadly, you may not be able to cover every aspect in great detail. A good way to let me know you have read “beyond” class notes or power points is to make reference to aspects in the chapters or to cite relevant concepts to show that you studied beyond what we did in class. (about 1.5 pp)
  2. Apply to two of the MN&F or other readings. It is “acceptable” to simply do a linear comparison (how the theory applies to one essay, how it applies to the other essay). But a better essay will show greater thought in the essays that you choose and how you interrelate them. There should be some cohesion here, either in that you compare and contrast two different identities (e.g., Jewish, gay/lesbian) or that you look at two essays regarding the same identity (e.g., African American) to show different nuances of the theory—or even show ways in which the theory is strong in some ways but limited in others.Feel free to include some terms from the original Exam2 SG (attribution, prejudice, stereotypes) if they are relevant to your coverage of the essays). But be sure to define them and use them precisely. (about 1.5 pp)

Grading: 20 pts. Criteria:

Coverage of theory DS essay: 20 pts

Integration of MN&F essays, thought, creativity: 20 pts

Please include APA references at the end of your exam (one list for both questions)

We have done a lot of readings that you can choose from! These include (but may not be limited to):

  • Baldwin et al., ch. 5 (identity):
  • Fern Johnson (2002): African American Discourse
  • Required: Golden et al. (in MN&F, ch. 5) on Jewish American identity and communication theory of identity
  • Other essays MN&F Part 2 (biracial identity, happy to be nappy, my 3 cultures, Chicana in white world)
  • Required: Baldwin (in MN&F, ch. 9): Stranger in a village
  • Other MN&F Part 3 (your choice): Crossing Irish border, whose (Chinese) identity is authentic, Cyprus conflict
  • You can use essays from verbal comm (part 4, MN&F) only if they apply.
  • In-class reading: White knapsack

Q2: Theory Explanation, Application, and Evaluation (40 pts): In your own terms, explain and apply one of the following theories or models (“Theory explanation” weighs less heavily in this essay, with focus on application. The specific applications are only suggested:

  • Speech Codes Theory/Ethnography of Communication: After you introduce the main purpose of SCT and introduce the SPEAKING framework, you might use this to interpret some communication practice or ritual from one of the “cultures” to which you belong.
  • NV Expectancy Violations Model: You could describe an instance in intercultural or intergroup communication when someone violated someone else’s expectations. Walk the evaluation through the whole model to see if the model would make the prediction that actually turns out.
  • Communication Accommodation Theory (only if you didn’t use it in #1): Describe a time when you or someone else accommodated. You might think of factors that influenced the accommodation, channels of accommodation, and what the outcomes were.

In this essay, you will start by explaining an interaction that you have had OR you may use a video clip (YouTube, movie) that we did not already discuss in class.

As in #1, try to treat the theory broadly (don’t just cover a small part of it). This may require you to do a little outside reading. If you do, please provide citation. But websources should be sufficient for you for any essay. CAT has an in-class reading, others rely strongly on class notes.

Since we do not have most of the terms from verbal/NV unit on the exam, try to “use them appropriately” if they are relevant to your essay (for example, if you are discussing accommodation, you might mention the levels at which you converged or diverged. If you do nonverbal expectancy violations model and the person violated a particular channel, use the scientific name for the channel or, if it was in facial display, discuss the “display rules” violated. That is, write like someone who has been developing a language for discussing verbal or NV interaction over the last few weeks. ) Note that you could really apply any of the theories to both V and NV!

Any theory could apply either within a culture or in intercultural or intergroup interaction. But (except for SCT, which could describe your sorority, family, or organizational culture) for NV or CAT, please stick to intergroup or intercultural examples. Don’t, for example, describe your adjustment to your friend Joe, unless there is some “group” or “cultural” aspect to the accommodation. But if you use SCT, you could describe some ritual or type of communication of your team or workplace as a “culture.”

The best application is to a single incident or a couple of incidents within a relationship or film (for comparative purposes). Don’t apply each concept of a theory to a different interaction, because then you won’t know how well the theory really applies.

Make sure to use specific terms of the theory in your application!

Grading: Coverage of theory in your own words: 15 pts.

Application (accuracy, completeness): 20 pts

Evaluation (a solid paragraph): 5 pts

Length: about 3 pp. typed DS

Notes:

  • Focus of weight of this essay is on application. Evaluation is “just to get feet wet” this time!
  • You can explain a section and apply it, next section and apply it, or do all explanation then all application, as long as both explanation and application are there.
  • I’m just assuming writing will be acceptable for a prepare-at-home essay. If there are writing concerns, I reserve the right to take points off.

Q3: Solutions to intolerance.

In this essay, you will describe some form of intolerance and its characteristics/levels. This is based on your general understanding of class notes (both websites, such as “prejudice” or in class discussions). For example, if you take anti-gay intolerance, is it simply something that exists in people’s minds (homophobia), something that exists in societal structures and laws, something that exists in organizational policies, something that exists in the media? In sum, in one paragraph, discuss where you see the specific intolerance that you address existing. That is, first paragraph, what is the nature of the problem? Note: If you use any class terms (ethnocentrism, xenophobia, symbolic racism, etc.) be sure to use them correctly! (10 pts)

Then, in bullet form, list 5 concrete strategies you/people/society could take to help reduce or address this intolerance. For this portion, you can rely on your understanding of the problem in the first paragraph, but you can also bolster your answers with our thoughts from reading Broome’s essay on Cyprus or the Dovidio et al. essay on the contact hypothesis (attached). (10 pts).

Exam2 Grading rubrics:

Q1: Theory explanation, synthesis, & evaluation
Coverage of theory: Accurate, complete, in your own words unless a few carefully chosen quotations : x/20
Synthesis with coverage of 2 other class readings: creativity, cohesion, thought (have you fit various class notes/essays together, e.g., comparing and contrasting, etc. rather than laying them “side-by-side” like dominoes?) x / 20
Comment: / X/ 40
Q2: Theoryapplication
(Explanation and application: CAT, SPEAKING, or EVT)
Coverage of Theory: Explanation of theory (in your own words), (X/15)
appropriate level of detail for the exam
--level of detail
--accuracy of theory
--use of appropriate sources
--own words
Application: Depth of thought & concreteness of application (X/20)
Evaluation: Appropriate level of detail, (X/5)
--Depth of thought in evaluation
--Appropriate use of any “tools” for evaluation
Writing clarity & quality: No specific grade for writing, but excellent writing can curve grade up, and significant amount of errors or poor stylistic writing can curve grade down / x/ 40
Q3: Prejudice: Problem/solution
Problem (dealt with complexly, does it make sense)? x/10
Solution (does it seem clear? Concrete? Good breadth)? x/10 / X /20
TOTAL
Comments: If they appear in your graded paper,
Blue font: Indicates a “countable” writing error
Yellow shading: Indicates a place where wording is a little awkward
Bolded terms: Just me tracking through essay noting specific terms from theories or from “application” or “integration” / XX / 10