Final Exam Essay Question

[Essay Question]

Choose one topic and write a complete essay. Think of yourself as a communication studies scholar and analyze a specific communication situation. It should be a full five-paragraph essay, with an introduction that contains a clear thesis statement, followed by supporting details and a conclusion. [30 points]

 

Topic 1. Intercultural Communication

Food conveys more than flavor and nourishment. Food often teaches us about other cultures, and we can teach others about our culture through our food. However, learning about other culture through food can mean many different things. It can lead to deeper learning about other culture, but it can also be very superficial and sometimes, even exploitative.

1) Listen to the following podcast (http://www.racistsandwich.com/episodes/2016/3/21/e1-bertony-faustin) and read the article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/why-everyone-should-stop-calling-immigrant-food-ethnic/2015/07/20/07927100-266f-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html?utm_term=.74f733218a04).

Choose one of the following options to develop your essay:

2-1) Based on what you’ve read and listened to, think about your own intercultural communication experience that involved food. Did the food change your perception about a certain culture? How was it transformed and why?

2-2) In relation to what you’ve read and listened to, introduce a particular dish from your own culture and discuss how it is perceived and consumed in the United States. What social and cultural meaning does the cooking and consuming that food convey? Why is the social and cultural context in which the dish is produced and consumed important?

3) IMPORTANT: In your essay, discuss what our attitudes toward certain foods reveal about our assumptions about the culture they come from and how food can help us become competent intercultural communicators. Use specific examples, and make sure to cite the podcast, the article or a third source to strengthen your argument.

 

Topic 2. Communication Technology

https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_soghoian_your_smartphone_is_a_civil_rights_issue

https://www.ted.com/talks/aleph_molinari_let_s_bridge_the_digital_divide

In our class discussion, we spoke about how development of communication technology always pushed the boundaries of citizenship so more and more people could participate in the political process. Do you think the Internet and smartphones have expanded the scope of inclusion and empowered people unprecedentedly? How did these technologies change your life? Watch the speakers talk about accessibility to the latest communication technologies. Then, in your essay, define digital divide and discuss how it may impact people’s lives and why it is crucial to address its existence.

 

 

Topic 3. Media Literacy

In our class discussion about media literacy, we spoke about the ways parents intervene in the children’s media consumption. In your essay, define media literacy using your own words and discuss why and how media literacy relates to the questions of identity formation and democratic citizenship.

State a clear position, and use concrete examples to support your claim.

 

 

 

Study Guide: Midterm Exam

Make sure to look at charts and tables.

For the exam, review handouts, Power Point slides, and textbook.

 In the textbook, review the following topics for the midterm exam:

Textbook:

Chapter 1

Evolution of communication models

Chapter 3

Language and thought: denotative meaning, connotative meaning

Language and meaning-making: euphemism

Chapter 4

Similarities & differences between verbal and nonverbal communication

Nonverbal coding systems

Chapter 5

Difference between hearing & listening

Effective listening strategy

Barriers to effective listening

Types of listening

Chapter 6

Theories of interpersonal communication p120-129

P 138 Ethical Communication: Sugar-Coated Hostility

Midterm Exam Essay Question

[Essay Question]

Choose one topic and write a complete essay. Think of yourself as a communication studies scholar and analyze a specific communication situation. It should be a full essay, well organized and thoughtful.

[30 points]

 

Question 1

Do you think hate speech should be protected as free speech? What is a hate speech?

What influence does a hate speech have? Provide a concrete example and explain why you think hate speech should be protected or regulated.

 

Some questions to think about in developing your essay:

What do you think is the role of communication and communication studies for the larger society? Why is the discussion around hate speech / free speech so crucial?

 

Question 2

Reflect on your own speech communication experience. What do you think about accent or a dialect? Do you find it pleasing? Do you have negative feelings about it? How does accent or dialect reflect cultural associations and values? How does it affect your speech communication with others? Provide concrete examples to support your thesis.

 

 

 

Question 3

Touch has the power to comfort someone. But touch can also be considered threatening because of its connection to sex and violence. Reflect on your own communication experience. Provide a concrete example and analyze how touching sent nonverbal messages and affected your feelings, perception, and relationship.

 

Some questions to think about in developing your essay:

What did the touch make you feel?

Why did you feel that way?

Why was touch so crucial in that situation?

Did you feel that your personal space was violated? How?

LaGuardia Mellon Humanities Scholars Application 2018-2019 is open

The LaGuardia Mellon Humanities Scholars program enriches LaGuardia students’ understanding of the Humanities, and helps them build academic and career pathways in the Humanities. Through biweekly meetings and additional humanities enrichment activities, the Humanities Scholars are exposed to modes of critical and creative thinking, various historical and cultural perspectives, and aesthetic appreciation. They will also further develop their skills in research, oral and written communication, collaboration, project management, and digital literacy.

The Humanities Scholars designs and creates a project that will be usable for the individual student and the college-wide community. With the student at the center, this group determines what they need to succeed to towards graduation and their future careers.  They work in the program, their major courses, and humanities activities, and are advised by peers (vice-versa), graduate fellows, and faculty mentors to engage in a project that will advance them towards baccalaureate and graduate degrees as well as their future careers. In addition, they will work within student affairs to share their exploration with the LaGuardia community.

2018 Application form

2017 LaGuardia Mellon Humanities Scholars’ Showcase

2017 LaGuardia Mellon Humanities Scholars