NOTES Chapter 3 – Communication, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution.

What is Communication? When people assign meaning to each other’s verbal and nonverbal behavior.  Verbal = Words, phrases, style  Nonverbal = Hand gestures, eyebrow movements, etc. Media plays a key role in everyday communication.  TV, books, websites, etc.  This is the communication with people via their ideas and representations. Communication is more than understanding.  Ask yourself ‘what is the purpose?’  Be aware of any and all attitudes that exist. 1

Misconceptions 1. Communication is a natural human ability.  It is learned depending on home, school, etc. 2. Communication is a good thing and should be encouraged.  It is a tool, neither good nor bad.  Think Hitler V. Martin Luther Kind Jr.  Discern their purpose for speaking 3. Communication can break down.  People always have communication, it never stops.  Enemies give hateful looks, hard steps 2

Misconceptions (continued) 4. Communication will solve all of our problems.  It creates problems as well  Can be used to offend or hurt others. 5. Communication competence is the same thing as communication effectiveness.  Competence means you know it  Effectiveness means you can explain it to others  Have you ever had a teacher with communication competence but not communication effectiveness? 2

How People Communicate (Turn to page 54) 1. Attitudes toward people and groups 2. Observations and assumptions 3. Conclusions and judgments 4. Verbal and nonverbal actions 3

Why are There Communication Conflicts? Remember that communication is when people assign meaning to each other’s verbal and nonverbal actions. When these assumptions are wrong, conflict results. Prejudices and stereotypes can influence these assumptions. 4

The steps of skilled disagreement 1. Seek the best possible answer based on the available evidence and arguments. 2. Agree that criticizing an idea is no criticizing those who propose the idea. 3. Make a conscious commitment to encourage others to contribute to the discussion and listen thoughtfully to the contributions they make. 4. Restate ideas if they’re not clear on what was said so that everyone can gain a full understanding of the situation. 5. Remember that the problem and any recommended solutions will effect everyone. 5

Steps to Conflict Resolution Fallibility  Accept the possibility of being wrong Equality  Accept that all people are equal. Reciprocity  Treat others how you would want to be treated. Nonviolence  Be willing to solve a problem without using brute force or anger. 6

How Gender Roles Affect Communication Girls and boys communicate differently because of the way that they are typically raised.  Women are nice, little girls usually play gentle indoor games in close contact with other kids.  Men are aggressive, little boys usually play rough outdoor games that involve conflict.  Male students push and shove their close friends.  Female students talk and gossip.  Men are straight-forward, usually demand instead of ask  Women ask politely and take into account other people’s feelings. 7

Types of Moral Reasoning Multiplicity  Looking at all sides of an argument  Believing that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. Commitment  Being trusted to finish something you begin  Pledging to carry something out. Relativism  All truths are not concrete, only true to those who believe them  Emphasis on individuals and their perspective. 8