Communication experience worthy
You have three choices for this journal entry (and the rest of the journals going forward.)
1.An analysis of a communication experience worthy of analysis that has happened during the week or at a time in the past. This might be an interesting or
difficult conversation you had, a conflict, a positive encounter, or some other type of experience that illustrates a concept(s) we have discussed pertaining to
this chapter. (You can get ideas from the exercises at the end of the chapter on the green pages.)
2.An analysis of a communication concept from the chapter as played out in a film or television show. You can use one we mention in class or a film/show of
your choice.
3.A response to/analysis of an article or video that I have in the folder Supplementary Material for Chapter 4 and Supplementary Material for Chapter 5. This
link goes with question number 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qyD7vjVfLI
You only need to pick one
For any of these option, you need to start by describing the situation or summarizing the article. Think about the following ideas.
Who was involved?
What happened? Be specific.
What course concepts helped you to better understand this experience/article/video? How do the course concepts apply?
How are the behaviors you’re writing about influenced by the surrounding culture?
From the situation you experienced, or the movie/TV show you watched, or the article you read, what did you learn about yourself and your interpersonal
communication behaviors? What areas of communication might you need to continue working on?
For this journal entry, I chose to analyze an article from the Supplementary Material for Chapter 4 titled “Let’s Talk About Mental Health.” This article focuses on the importance of being open and honest about mental health issues in order to reduce stigma and help others feel more supported. The article highlights how culture can influence our willingness or reluctance to talk about topics such as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. It also emphasizes the need for empathy when discussing these sensitive topics which is a concept we explored in class - specifically active listening skills such as paraphrasing and reflective listening.
The author of the article shares her own experience with depression as well as that of other people she has known over time who suffered from various mental illnesses including depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Through her story-telling of these experiences, it is evident that cultural norms play a large role in how comfortable we may be talking about mental health issues within our social circles - often times leading individuals to not disclose their struggles out of fear or shame due to societal stigmas surrounding mental illness (Ferrari et al., 2020).
The insights provided by this article have made me think more deeply about my own communication style regarding sensitive topics like mental health. Before reading this piece I was unaware of just how much culture shapes one’s willingness to discuss personal matters such as psychological distress openly so now I am more aware when initiating conversations with those close friends and family members where there might be underlying suffering that they are afraid or hesitant to share publicly due to potential judgement from society at large (Hassan & Khanum, 2018). As a result of exploring this material, I realize that I could focus on improving my empathetic responses when conversing with loved ones regarding emotional difficulties so they know they have someone who truly cares beyond simply lending an ear but genuinely wants them find relief through sharing their pain (Klarer et al., 2019).