Final Week Question #1

1). (Regarding Chapter 13) Which of the research methods listed in Table 13.3 seem the most interesting? Assume you want to study some aspect of deception. Frame a research question. Which method would you choose to answer the question. Why?

I can't believe we actually made it to the last chapter in the book. Wow, how time flies. It is hard to choose just one research method because they are all very interesting. Each is so different yet very similar. If I wanted to study some aspect of deception a research question I may use would be: How can you judge the level of deception a human exhibits in a job interview? I think the conversation analysis would be the most useful in this study because the basics of the study come from the conversation and rhetoric used during the interview. I think the research question would be good because people often tend to embelish the truth during interviews and on resumes. This causes the people that are honest to loose job oportunities to people who embelish the truth.

Final Week Question #3

3). Pick one other concept in the book that you feel needs further discussion?

A concept in the book that I feel is worthy of further discussion is Ethnography and Auto-ethnography. I find this topic to be of great importance in the communication field because it gives communication scholars the opportunity to apply critical theory to everyday life types of situations. In my qualitative communication class we all did an ethnography of some sort and then presented it to the class. There were so many everyday activities that had critical theories applied to them and it was eye opening to learn of them. Mine was on a nursing home that is in Gilroy. I looked into traditions in this sort of environment and applied a critical theory. It was very interesting and I think if there was more about it in the book other students may be more encouraged to become involved in Ethnography.

Chapter 11 Discussion Question #2

Marshall McLuhan first stated that the medium was the message when he was attempting to get across to people that the channel through which the message is transmitted is just as important as the message itself. I do agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message. Without the medium the message would cease to exist If we made television shows but had no way to broadcast them then they would be pointless. No one would see the message because the medium would not be there to support it. The cool medium idea is interesting. I am not sure I completely agree with it though. I don't find the comparrison between the coolness to the hotter to make a lot of sense.