In everyday living, people interact with each other. Expressing what you mean and your thoughts to other people and absorbing other people’s thoughts is essential for the society to function. Without it, the complex and innate societal structures human has established shall not work. Thus, we, humans collectively shall cease to exist. Communication is a vital part of our society and humanity that oftentimes, taken for granted; it comes naturally to human just like breathing therefore becomes a reflex and sometimes rarely given thought of.

This quintessential ability of humans to express what they mean and understand others’ thought by listening to the unique sounds produced by the vibrations of the vocal chords, their gestures and articulations made separates them from other animals as with this high complexity of communication makes everything that humans achieved possible. It is the collective thoughts of humans and by the means of effective communication made humanity it is. As such, due to fast-paced world we live in, we rarely pay attention on the intricacies of communication and its processes. Instead, we rely on our gathered experiences from previous interactions with other humans and expects that each time that will work.

As a college student, I for one knows how effective communication affects me. It can mean that getting a perfect score in an essay or a failing grade for not being clear on what I am saying. It can mean a successful groupwork as there is clear and constant communication which made a productive output or a subpar work due to lack of communication among groupmates. Before Comm 10, I know that communication involves two people, where one is talking, and the other is listening and sooner or later, it ends. But it is not as easy as that. Comm10 thought me that in an effective communication, there is an interchanging of roles between communicators- the sender and the receiver where exchanging of messages and ideas are oscillating.

One of the favorite topics that I really enjoyed in Comm10 is how media affects us and its role as a means of communication. As the technology progressed and humans progressed from oral cultures and traditions, their way of storytelling, teaching people and sharing of ideas changed dramatically; there are television, radio, prints and internet as avenues of communication which is intended for wider coverage and mass consumption. It really resounds to me that for me, I really see the effects of these mass media in real time. Nowadays, with a click of a button, you are connected with wider people, you can express what you want to say, and more people could know what you want to say. Although of course with this accessibility comes with a price. If wrongly used, it can be used to misinform such as what is happening on social media where fake news is rampant. It can be an avenue for misdeeds such as slandering people and libel. But it is undeniable that media affects each one of us in a way, whether providing us with a quick avenue of communication or by conveying the societal messages that the society wants us to know.

By words we learn thoughts and by thoughts we learn life. That is how I describe how could I apply what I have learned in Comm10 in my life not only as a student but also, as a person. Knowing the means for effective and efficient communication by understanding the dynamics of communication and its factors, I will have a better command on making my thoughts more understandable to others. Also, by understanding better the dynamics of communication, it could give me edge in life for being able to communicate clearly and properly.

Being a young adult who grew up in a generation prior to the takeover of the digital technology, the song “Dati” surely stirs up a lot of childhood memories. With its upbeat rhythm, colorful sceneries which shows the things that we loved when we were young such as playing outside, collecting insects and watching cartoons really brings up nostalgia. Amidst the exponential growth of technology and the increasing complexity of the society, the song beacons a strong message; a sense of longing of the past, a wishful thought in which things were just as before. Just plain simple.

By just listening to the song, one can know that the song is about a pair of childhood friends who were inseparable during their childhood but as time passes by, started to drift away hinting that the boy  moved away and went overseas thus the song is a wishful thought of reminiscing those memories and possibly, longing for each other. On a deeper analysis and internalization, the song also reflects the gender roles between men and women; the preconceived notions of the society on how an individual must act based on their gender. Indeed, one can see the stark difference on how boys and girls must act by just watching the music video. The music video shows the two singers; Sam Concepcion and Tippy. The music video was shot amidst a slightly gloomy weather; with light drizzles yet a bright sky showing the mixed emotions of feelings that were invoked in the song; the bittersweet emotion of reminiscing memories which may not happen again. But looking closely, the female singer Tippy holds an umbrella to protect her from the weather elements meanwhile Sam was basking in the rain. On that instance, one can infer that men don’t often use umbrellas as it is seen as unmanly to wield one and society reiterates that men must act masculine and women as feminine. This theme also showed up near the end of the video when the two of them decides to bury a jar full of their toys and collection; the boy used his bare hands while the girl used a hand shovel to bury the jar with dirt. Again, manliness is shown as doing the “dirty work” and manual labor whereas the women were expected by the society to keep themselves clean.

Undeniably, there are many societal expectations for each men and women. Every society has its preconceived norms. In the Philippines, being an amalgamation of different cultures such as Spanish, Chinese, Western and indigenous cultures, one can find a myriad of gender roles. Looking at the lyrics of the song, “Ako ang iyong prinsesa, sagip mo parati” hints that women are always in need of men that will save them. This stereotype reckons back to the medieval norm of chivalry which in men must protect women as they are weak and can’t defend themselves which permeated in the contemporary Filipino culture. Religion also plays a role in forming these roles and as being a predominantly Christian nation, Filipino culture expects that women must be submissive to men, be gentle in her speech and action. By examining the motion and the gestures of both singers; Tippy appears to move less frequently and sings not as expressively as compared to Sam, who makes bolder gestures and more expressive. However, this could fall into the idiosyncrasies of the singers or one can argue that subconsciously, the gender roles takes a part of this.

According to a feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, women acquire feminine traits and learn female behavior through gender socialization.[1] This implies that the society teaches an individual about their gender roles through the use of role models to emulate. Media also has a role to play in teaching young kids about gender roles as media is a reflection of the society. The song really shows this. The song references about childhood love teams such as Marvin and Jolina, and Mylene and Bojo Bolina from the hit series “Gimik”, a youth oriented series which aired from 1996 to 1999 which shows different youth experiences such as pre-marital sex, unwanted pregnancy, sibling rivalry, love life and many others.[2] This shows that society and products of society such as media affects on how each individual acquire gender roles via examples and role models to lead on.

Other than the recurring theme of bringing back of childhood memories, it can be also said that the song invokes people to reminisce the old ways and traditions. As time progresses and society sheds its traditions, new values and norm arises. Roles amongst genders becomes blurry and for a time, we as society might get confused to this rapid change. At this point, we ask ourselves, “Gaya pa rin ba ng dati?”

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[1] de Beauvoir, S., 1972, The Second Sex, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

[2] Internet Movie Database. Gimik(1996). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354298/

 

1. Why are signs and symbols important?

In life, signs and symbols are important because it reflects the ideas or feelings that words cannot express. Each signs and symbols would vary for no two minds are a like. An example of this is the rubbing you chest. For some people it just means you’re feeling something in your chest, like hurting but in sign language, it actually means please.

2. How do the theories of representation differ from each other?

The three theories of representation are Reflective Theory, Intentional Theory and Constructionist Theory.  Reflective theory represents the meaning of reality that is mirrored to them. It is limited depending on how real is the reflection. Intentional Theory is subjective to the person speaking. It is limited on the other possible meanings that other people know than the actual subject. While Constructionist theory represents what the person thinks and what others as well. It is not limited but actually recognizes the voice and interpretation of the other people involved.

3. Who are the key scholars of representation and what are their contributions to the understanding of representation?

• Ferdinand de Saussure – father of modern linguistics; coined that language is a system of signs that needs to be understood.
• Claude Levi-Strauss- studied rituals, myths and folktales to completely grasp the meaning behind this things
• Michel Foucault – analysis of power structures;
• Roland Barthes – semiotic approach to readings and treated objects as signs with meanings as a way of communication

Reflective Theory of Representation

A.

1. In what ways can photographs reflect or mirror reality?

Photographs may reflect mirror reality by the lens of a camera and as long as no filters, or editing was done, it still gives mirror reality. But there are researchers saying that most of what we see through lenses whether of a camera or a mirror, it is not even accurate to what we actually see via the human eye.

2. How can photos possibly stand in for something?

Photos stands as a memory on hand. It captures what we want to be seen. There could be a big picture just waiting to be seen but we would prefer for our camera to just capture one small detail instead of the big one. It could possibly stand as what people wants to see but not really what should be seen.

3. Are photographs objective representations of the truth? Why or why not?

Not all the time. As generation passes, people are getting more and more creative. Lets take water photography for an example, a camera man could just splash some droplets of water and can make it seem like its raining. This type of creativeness is actually manipulation of the truth and fooling us with the end product.

4. In what ways can photographs be manipulated to distort the truth an object reality?

There are many applications that can be used to post process the light, focus and the clarity of a photo. But even without applications, people can use “natural” filters  such as using papers or glasses to give that specific glow in photos.

B.

1. Do your selfies reflect or mirror who you really are? Why or why not?

No. whenever I take a selfie I always make sure that I take a good angle of me. Even when I’m super haggard or tired of the day. I’d still want to take a good photo of me.

2. What do you do to make your selfies more appealing/pleasing/attractive?

Get better angles, the good lighting, and the perfect background.

3. Would you consider your selfies a fair representation of yourself? Why or why not?

No. Because people that would see my photos and just my social media friends, they would tell me that i really look different from the photos. I am not proud but i know Im not really the pretty type so I can things.

Who am I?
What is my identity?
Is it given? Or is it created?

“Who am I? What is my Identity” Very simple question yet very hard to answer. I am Janna Alexia Necio. Hanna or Hans to my family, Janna to some of my professors whom I forgot to correct during the first day of classes rollcall, Alexia to those who knew me through social media, Xia or Neshy to my orgmates or friends and Necio to most of my classmates or acquaintances. But these names do not define who I am.

First, I am a daughter. A loving yet secretive child. I always seem to want the comfort of my parents but I don’t want to share very personal things. I just want the assurance that if everything else fails, my family is still there for me and they know the true me even with all the rumors or challenges I am going to surpass.

Next, I am a sister. A very clingy sister, as a matter of fact. I will literally do anything to anyone if someone does wrong to my siblings. I lived in a very loving home so every time that I would have fights with my siblings, I know that later on, we will just hug it out and make up for it.

Then, I am a tired scholar. I am enrolled this semester with 22 units and a semester left in the campus. I’m trying my best to get up before 7am. And I try my best to take a bath, change into my white uniform and go to my classes. I usually forget to my eat breakfast as I try to cram my handwritten exers and read my handouts.

Then, I am a cowgirl. I thought becoming a scholar and achieving the award of university scholar would be the highlight of my college life, but this semester, I was able to represent the university in a national rodeo competition. We placed 5th over 15 teams even though we only had 3 weeks of practice. I did not actually finish one of my three events because I was attacked by the bull in my head. I was removed from the game in a stretcher because I blacked out. But overall, I feel so proud of myself. I never thought I could still go out of my comfort zone.

I believe that with all of these identities, the way people see me is already given since first impressions last but I created the way I want to be known.

Mass media is almost inescapable in an average person’s daily living. It encompasses many, if not all, aspects of our society. That being said, I see mass media as a reflection of the current state of our society: cruel, capitalistic, violent, and littered with feeble minded content. Movies, television shows, advertisements and commercials, and even the news are contaminated with stories of negativity, poverty, struggle, and shallow humor.

As an avid consumer of media, this can cause a negative personal effect on me. Negativity begets negativity. Constant exposure of unrealistic stories, poverty porn, crime, and the like promotes a pessimistic outlook on society and myself. From a young age I was taught that my validation stems from the imposed standard of beauty, or that crime and violence was a societal norm. All of these are subconsciously implanted in our psyches and thus affects my actions, priorities, and overall perception of how I should live. This ties in with how I see the world around me as well. Society influences mass media, and in turn mass media shapes society.

As a basic unit of society, I play the role of both a consumer and redistrubutor of mass media. I consume its contents and redistribute it to my peers, whether conscious or subconscious. It’s inescapable. Even the smallest of actions like sharing a news story I heard on television counts as me communicating how I interpret mass media.

However, I think I can do better and help my community more if I produce content that betters society and fights against the negativity prevalent in current mass media. I would still consume a redistribute its messages, but as a producer I would have a say on the content that reaches the masses.

1. What are the differences between primary oral cultures and literary cultures? How are they related to each other?

The biggest difference between primary oral cultures and literary cultures is the addition and lost of information while transferring the piece. In oral cultures, the source could give accurate information but the receiver could omit important information when he/she passes it to the next person. While in literary cultures, all of the information may be written as how the author wants the reader to perceive but with the imaginations no limit, the reader can grasp other things and will not be able to ask about a certain complicated information. Questions directly towards the primary source can be asked in oral cultures, which cannot be done in literary cultures.
Oral and literary cultures are the same in terms of there goal which is to pass information to the next generations, in the most understandable way possible.

2. What does Walter Ong mean by the inter subjectivity of communication? How does this differentiate communication from media?

Inter subjectivity means two way communication. Communication from media is one way communication. Walter Ong is saying that inter subjectivity provides connection and back and forth of information from the sender to the receiver, thus having better understanding of the information. Media such as newspapers, television news and 21st century social media only provides one-way communication. I mean, for most of it.

3. How does the ‘media’ model of communication show chirography (i.e. writing) conditioning?

‘Media’ model of communication show chirography condition via written texts. As a one way form of communication, media model of communication is open to readers without actually having assurance that people will read it. The source of information will just do their job and post things publicly.