3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
For this discussion question, I found the part in the Group Communication text about Practicing Mentoring to be interesting. I have always believed that a new employee can learn best from a person who has "been there" before. The new employee has a certain trust with someone who has been in his or her shoes before. I also like how they point out the fact that the mentor has a benefit too; it shows the company he or she has been workin for just how much has been learned and how valueable he or she now is to the company. I have never thought about being a mentor as going through steps, but the book explains it clearly. First, the mentor and new employee go through an initiation stage, followed by cultivation, seperation, and redefinition. I found redefinition to be the most interesting because it labels how a mentor and new employee eventually regard eachother as equals in the company, (unless one is promoted). This section in the book showed me how good it can be for a mentor and a new employee to have this type of relationship.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Discussion Question #2 (Ch11)
2). Violating the Principle of Rational Discussion (page 202) and Content Fallacies (page 201). Pick one, explain the fallacy in your own words, then give a real world example that you have heard in the past. (You may need to do additional 'research' for the fallacy that you have chosen if the concept is not clear from the text. You can 'google' the particular fallacy you have chosen for an additional explanation).
For this question, I am going to examine Content Fallacies. I didn’t find the book very clear on the distinction of Content Fallacies, but I will try my best. From what I can tell, content fallacies are arguments that are obviously bad. Usually, when analyzing an argument, one has to look and question each claim and determine if the argument is strong or weak. With content fallacies, it is easy to tell that the argument is very weak. For example, the book describes one content fallacy as being a “slippery slope”. When the argument is a slippery slope, it is easy to tell it is very weak. It is a fallacy because it is a long chain of things that supposedly lead to a conclusion; however, the claims have no explanation or reason behind them. For example, a slippery slope fallacy could be: “The government shouldn’t ban talking on cell phones while driving. Because then they will start banning everything we do.” The claim has no reason to make that conclusion. Therefore, it is a content fallacy.
For this question, I am going to examine Content Fallacies. I didn’t find the book very clear on the distinction of Content Fallacies, but I will try my best. From what I can tell, content fallacies are arguments that are obviously bad. Usually, when analyzing an argument, one has to look and question each claim and determine if the argument is strong or weak. With content fallacies, it is easy to tell that the argument is very weak. For example, the book describes one content fallacy as being a “slippery slope”. When the argument is a slippery slope, it is easy to tell it is very weak. It is a fallacy because it is a long chain of things that supposedly lead to a conclusion; however, the claims have no explanation or reason behind them. For example, a slippery slope fallacy could be: “The government shouldn’t ban talking on cell phones while driving. Because then they will start banning everything we do.” The claim has no reason to make that conclusion. Therefore, it is a content fallacy.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Discussion Question #1 (Ch11)
1). Concerning 221 - 225 Complex Arguments for Analysis: Page 225 contains Exercises on the Structure of Arguments. Please choose one of the 5 exercises and complete the exercise in one post to your blog. After you have completed the exercise, discuss whether or not this exercise was useful.
The exercise I chose is number 2. A person stated:
"1 Las Vegas has too many people. 2 There's not enough water in the desert to support more than a million people. 3 And the infrastructure of the city can't handle more than a million: 4 The streets are overcrowded, and 5 traffic is always congested; 6 the schools are overcrowded, and new ones can't be built fast enough. 7 We should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country."
Argument: Yes. I have numbered the parts that might be a claim.
Conclusion: We should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country.
Additional Premises Needed: You could make 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 a claim by saying "Las Vegas has too many people because there's not enough water in the desert, the streets are overcrowded, traffic is always congested, and schools are overcrowded and new ones can't be built fast enough." And add the conclusion, "Therefore, we should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country."
Identify and Subarguments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are independent and support the conclusion, 7.
Good Argument: All the premises seem plausible and support the conclusion. So yes, it's a good argument.
I feel the exercise was very useful. It helped me break down different parts of an argument and really analyze it. Usually, when I read a paragraph like the one I chose, I just somewhat try to read through and understand the whole of it. However, this exercise and chapter in the book taught me to break down arguments and really see if what the person is arguing is good or not. I like how this exercise showed me to take each part of it and look at it as a claim and not just a sentence. That way, I can really see how the person led to his or her conclusion. I feel confident I broke down this argument well and made it better and will continue to analyze arguments I am presented with in the future.
The exercise I chose is number 2. A person stated:
"1 Las Vegas has too many people. 2 There's not enough water in the desert to support more than a million people. 3 And the infrastructure of the city can't handle more than a million: 4 The streets are overcrowded, and 5 traffic is always congested; 6 the schools are overcrowded, and new ones can't be built fast enough. 7 We should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country."
Argument: Yes. I have numbered the parts that might be a claim.
Conclusion: We should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country.
Additional Premises Needed: You could make 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 a claim by saying "Las Vegas has too many people because there's not enough water in the desert, the streets are overcrowded, traffic is always congested, and schools are overcrowded and new ones can't be built fast enough." And add the conclusion, "Therefore, we should stop migration to the city by tough zoning laws in the city and country."
Identify and Subarguments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are independent and support the conclusion, 7.
Good Argument: All the premises seem plausible and support the conclusion. So yes, it's a good argument.
I feel the exercise was very useful. It helped me break down different parts of an argument and really analyze it. Usually, when I read a paragraph like the one I chose, I just somewhat try to read through and understand the whole of it. However, this exercise and chapter in the book taught me to break down arguments and really see if what the person is arguing is good or not. I like how this exercise showed me to take each part of it and look at it as a claim and not just a sentence. That way, I can really see how the person led to his or her conclusion. I feel confident I broke down this argument well and made it better and will continue to analyze arguments I am presented with in the future.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Discussion Question #3 (Ch3)
3). Pick one concept from either text, not already discussed, that you found useful or interesting and discuss it.
One concept that I found really interesting is in the beginning of the 3rd chapter of the Epstein book. I used to think of a good argument as being one that makes the other person believe or change their minds about the issue. However, the book brought up a good point: what if the person refuses to be convinced? Maybe he or she is in a bad mood and not thinking with an open mind? This would then make a good argument bad, according to my previous definition of a good argument. However, because of these two examples just illustrated, I now understand a good argument is not just about weather or not the other person was convinced or not. It has to do with what the information and conclusion states, weather it is true, and weather the premises lead to the conclusion. In this, we can say that the conclusion has to follow the premises to have a good argument. Now, when I may have an argument or misunderstanding with someone, I know that setting up a good argument is essential.
One concept that I found really interesting is in the beginning of the 3rd chapter of the Epstein book. I used to think of a good argument as being one that makes the other person believe or change their minds about the issue. However, the book brought up a good point: what if the person refuses to be convinced? Maybe he or she is in a bad mood and not thinking with an open mind? This would then make a good argument bad, according to my previous definition of a good argument. However, because of these two examples just illustrated, I now understand a good argument is not just about weather or not the other person was convinced or not. It has to do with what the information and conclusion states, weather it is true, and weather the premises lead to the conclusion. In this, we can say that the conclusion has to follow the premises to have a good argument. Now, when I may have an argument or misunderstanding with someone, I know that setting up a good argument is essential.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Discussion Question #2 (Ch3)
2). Discuss Strong versus Valid Arguments in detail. Give an example of each from everyday life.
When considering strong and valid arguments, one must look at the premises of an argument. If the premises of the argument is true and there is no way for the conclusion to be false, then the argument is said to be valid (Epstein, 2006). If the argument is decided to be invalid, it can still be strong. By saying an argument is strong, it needs to be believed that the conclusion may possibly be false, but is very unlikely to be (Epstein, 2006). For example, a valid argument could be, "All of Tiffany & Co.'s sterling silver jewelry is made with real sterling silver. So Diana's Tiffany & Co. earrings are real sterling silver." This argument is valid because there is no way the conclusion could be false because we know all Tiffany & Co. sterling silver jewelry is made with real sterling silver. An example of a strong argument could be, "Any jewelry anyone has ever seen or heard about from Forever 21 is under $5.00. Therefore, I can go to Forever 21 today and get a bracelet for under $5.00." This argument is considered strong, but not valid. The reason for this is because the conclusion could be considered false in some way. For instance, Forever 21 could have just gotten new, more expensive jewelry in. Or, the government could have put a new tax on the factory that makes the Forever 21 jewelry, which would increase the price of the regular $5.00 jewelry. These two reasons make the conclusion have possibilities to be false. However, the reasons are not very likely, which make the argument strong.
When considering strong and valid arguments, one must look at the premises of an argument. If the premises of the argument is true and there is no way for the conclusion to be false, then the argument is said to be valid (Epstein, 2006). If the argument is decided to be invalid, it can still be strong. By saying an argument is strong, it needs to be believed that the conclusion may possibly be false, but is very unlikely to be (Epstein, 2006). For example, a valid argument could be, "All of Tiffany & Co.'s sterling silver jewelry is made with real sterling silver. So Diana's Tiffany & Co. earrings are real sterling silver." This argument is valid because there is no way the conclusion could be false because we know all Tiffany & Co. sterling silver jewelry is made with real sterling silver. An example of a strong argument could be, "Any jewelry anyone has ever seen or heard about from Forever 21 is under $5.00. Therefore, I can go to Forever 21 today and get a bracelet for under $5.00." This argument is considered strong, but not valid. The reason for this is because the conclusion could be considered false in some way. For instance, Forever 21 could have just gotten new, more expensive jewelry in. Or, the government could have put a new tax on the factory that makes the Forever 21 jewelry, which would increase the price of the regular $5.00 jewelry. These two reasons make the conclusion have possibilities to be false. However, the reasons are not very likely, which make the argument strong.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Discussion Question #1 (Ch3)
1). Concerning part "C" in chapter 3 of the Epstein text, The Tests for an Argument to Be Good - there are three tests an argument must pass in order for the argument to be good. Please come up with an argument just like the examples, and discuss it using the three tests on Page 42.
My example: Jenny's toenails were painted pink last week. This week Jenny's toenails are purple. So Jenny went to a salon and got a pedicure since last week.
The first test one should use is to figure out if the premises are plausible. In this example, the premises are plausible because we have good reason to believe Jenny's toenails were painted pink and now they are purple. It is something that is easily observed and we don't have much reason to not believe it. The second test one should use is to figure out if the premises are more plausible than the conclusion. In this example, the premises could be more plausible than the conclusion. For example, instead of going to a salon and getting a pedicure, Jenny could have painted her toes herself, her older sister could have painted them, or she used a new nail polish that changes colors after a couple days. Because of these alternatives, this example fails this test. The third test one should use is weather the argument is valid or strong. Since it is likely this argument's premises are true and conclusion is false, it is neither valid nor good. This is an invalid and bad argument.
My example: Jenny's toenails were painted pink last week. This week Jenny's toenails are purple. So Jenny went to a salon and got a pedicure since last week.
The first test one should use is to figure out if the premises are plausible. In this example, the premises are plausible because we have good reason to believe Jenny's toenails were painted pink and now they are purple. It is something that is easily observed and we don't have much reason to not believe it. The second test one should use is to figure out if the premises are more plausible than the conclusion. In this example, the premises could be more plausible than the conclusion. For example, instead of going to a salon and getting a pedicure, Jenny could have painted her toes herself, her older sister could have painted them, or she used a new nail polish that changes colors after a couple days. Because of these alternatives, this example fails this test. The third test one should use is weather the argument is valid or strong. Since it is likely this argument's premises are true and conclusion is false, it is neither valid nor good. This is an invalid and bad argument.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Discussion Question #3
3). Pick one concept from the reading (either Epstein or the Small Group Comm book) and discuss it in detail.
In our Group Communication book, I found the section on establishing group norms to be interesting. I have recently realized that in a group I am apart of, some people do and say things differently than I would think is appropriate. My group has norms such as when one should arrive and who should speak first but sometimes I feel there is no norm for negative comments or the kinds of topics that can be expressed in a meeting. I feel the advice the book gives for setting norms is useful. It says that you should explain to the group the behavior you find harmful to the well-being of the group. Also, you should let the group know if you feel that the behavior distracts from the goals of the group. I feel this is very helpful when trying to set appropriate norms for a group. I have never thought of how much norms can affect and are a part of a group. For example, one member may think it's okay to talk about his or her great financial situation in front of many people, but others in the group may find it offensive if he or she is not so fortunate. This can lead to anger, jealousy, and competition that will not be healthy for the group as a whole.
In our Group Communication book, I found the section on establishing group norms to be interesting. I have recently realized that in a group I am apart of, some people do and say things differently than I would think is appropriate. My group has norms such as when one should arrive and who should speak first but sometimes I feel there is no norm for negative comments or the kinds of topics that can be expressed in a meeting. I feel the advice the book gives for setting norms is useful. It says that you should explain to the group the behavior you find harmful to the well-being of the group. Also, you should let the group know if you feel that the behavior distracts from the goals of the group. I feel this is very helpful when trying to set appropriate norms for a group. I have never thought of how much norms can affect and are a part of a group. For example, one member may think it's okay to talk about his or her great financial situation in front of many people, but others in the group may find it offensive if he or she is not so fortunate. This can lead to anger, jealousy, and competition that will not be healthy for the group as a whole.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Discussion Question #2
2). Use an example from everyday life: Describe a vague sentence or ambiguous sentence you have heard recently. Where did you hear this sentence? An advertisement? Was it a conversation with a friend? What qualified the sentence as vague or ambiguous?
Yesterday, my friend and I were shopping at the store Forever 21. After we had left, she told me of how she wished she had bought a necklace she saw. I started to think of how her birthday is coming up soon so maybe I could surprise her with it. When I asked her what it looked like, she replied, "It was black and kind of big." This description of the necklace gave me no information on which necklace she wanted. It could have been the black necklace they had with beads or the black necklace they had with chains. Her sentence was far too vague to help me. Because there are a large variety of necklaces at the Forever 21 store, I could have interpreted her description to be a number of different necklaces. Because of her vagueness, I guess I'll have to think of something different to get her!
Yesterday, my friend and I were shopping at the store Forever 21. After we had left, she told me of how she wished she had bought a necklace she saw. I started to think of how her birthday is coming up soon so maybe I could surprise her with it. When I asked her what it looked like, she replied, "It was black and kind of big." This description of the necklace gave me no information on which necklace she wanted. It could have been the black necklace they had with beads or the black necklace they had with chains. Her sentence was far too vague to help me. Because there are a large variety of necklaces at the Forever 21 store, I could have interpreted her description to be a number of different necklaces. Because of her vagueness, I guess I'll have to think of something different to get her!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Discussion Question #1
1). Use an example from outside of the classroom. Discuss Subjective and Objective Claims. Give an example of a Subjective Claim you have heard or used recently AND give an example of an Objective Claim you have heard or used recently. Describe the situation. Describe the claims IN DETAIL.
Subjective and Objective claims make up a part of communication that is often overlooked. Subjective claims are based on what a person thinks or believes and Objective claims are not. It is said that Subjective claims have personal standards and Objective claims have impersonal standards.
Recently, I overheard my friend talking on the phone to her mom about taking a shopping trip. I heard her say, "Nordstrom Rack always closes at ten o'clock pm." This claim is not based on weather she believes that it closes then or not. It may or may not be true that it closes at 10pm, but it is still considered an objective claim because it has impersonal standards. The truth or falsity of the claim does not matter on what my friend thinks or believes.
Today, my friend and classmate said to me, "This dance class is so much better than the yoga class we took last year." I really liked yoga last year and am not quite sure if I'm a huge fan of this dance class we're now in. My friend's claim is subjective because weather it is true or false completely depends on what she feels about the class, not what I feel about it. If I had said the same claim, it would have been false because I do not believe that the class is much better. However, it is true for her because she believes it. Her claim is based on personal standards.
Subjective and Objective claims make up a part of communication that is often overlooked. Subjective claims are based on what a person thinks or believes and Objective claims are not. It is said that Subjective claims have personal standards and Objective claims have impersonal standards.
Recently, I overheard my friend talking on the phone to her mom about taking a shopping trip. I heard her say, "Nordstrom Rack always closes at ten o'clock pm." This claim is not based on weather she believes that it closes then or not. It may or may not be true that it closes at 10pm, but it is still considered an objective claim because it has impersonal standards. The truth or falsity of the claim does not matter on what my friend thinks or believes.
Today, my friend and classmate said to me, "This dance class is so much better than the yoga class we took last year." I really liked yoga last year and am not quite sure if I'm a huge fan of this dance class we're now in. My friend's claim is subjective because weather it is true or false completely depends on what she feels about the class, not what I feel about it. If I had said the same claim, it would have been false because I do not believe that the class is much better. However, it is true for her because she believes it. Her claim is based on personal standards.
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