Communication: Two halves make a whole

Webclip source

Communication is fundamental in our daily lives. We communicate through two different ways- verbally and non-verbally. Together, these two help create meaning to what we hear and observe. Shown above is a clip taken from popular television series – Gossip Girl. I will be thoroughly evaluating how verbal and non-verbal communication, together, help bring meaning to the receiver. In the excerpt, Blair is being featured as an outcast from the group.

We all know the usefulness of language. Here, language helps establish the main characters in the clip, namely Blair, Georgina and Vanessa. They can be seen dominating the conversation, especially Blair and Georgina.

Through language, we can also tell the relationship between Blair and the rest. She is clearly not very well-liked here from the hostile use of language towards her. Examples include the majority showing no interest toward her and one of the girls even asking Blair to shut the door.

Also, we are able to establish the play of power here. Georgina is obviously the one who has the most authority as she is the main one talking and dictating what they shall do. Blair, having a fair share of lines, does not get the attention of the group, showing how she is being overpowered here.

Many of us tend to overlook the value of non-verbal communication. Take for example the use of kinesics here. We see how Blair feels like an outcast through her false smiles and her symbolic retreatment backwards. On the other hand, Georgina steps up and forward towards Blair and has her hands on her hips, showing Georgina overpowering Blair.

There is also evident use of paralinguistics here. Notice how Georgina’s tone towards Vanessa and Blair differs. Towards Vanessa, she is enthusiastic whereas towards Blair, she is sarcastic. Blair also talks in an uncomfortable manner where she tries to pretend to be chirpy. All these show how Blair is not being and feeling welcomed by the group.

Then, the producers have made use of objects and artefacts to convey meaning too. Notice how the use of the door symbolizes Blair not belonging to the group. She “intrudes” the room unwelcomed by entering through the door and at the end, is “thrown out”. The door represents the separation between Blair and the group. Also, her personal invitation is being used as a coaster by the group, showing their disregard toward Blair.

Very often, people say that eyes are windows to the soul. Here, we can see the insecurity and jealousy Blair feels when she is being rejected by the group. The glare from Georgina’s eyes and the group’s general lack of eye contact with her reaffirms her feelings.

The lack of touch toward Blair also makes her feel like a stranger when contrasted with Georgina giving a tap on Vanessa’s shoulder while praising her.

Lastly, there was been clever use of proxemics here. Clearly, they maintain a social and public distance from Blair while the others have a personal or intimate distance with one another. This just reiterates how Blair is being outcast by them.

So, we can see how verbal and non-verbal communication complement one another and thus, not one should be undervalued. In order for us receivers to decode a message most accurately, we should keep in mind to take into account both forms of communication.

Bad image for Singapore?

Video interview source


Featured above is a short clip of an interview with Miss Singapore World 2009 winner- Ris Low. She tells us more about herself in the clip and also gives us some advice on fashion.

Initially, I had quite a good impression of Ris Low as she looked bubbly and interesting in the photos of her. However, this impression took a downturn when she started speaking. I found myself in disbelief at her poor command of English. Her pronunciation of words was somewhat horrendous and she struggled with expressing her thoughts. Is this lady really representing Singapore in Miss World? And what would others think of Singapore upon meeting her?

You see, what I have just done was to formulate a perception of Ris Low, based solely on the short clip of her. Establishing a perception on things is inevitable. Our perception is based on our interaction with our surroundings and experiences and in this case, it is based on watching and hearing the video.

Perception includes the process of selecting, organising and interpreting information presented before us. In this case, the majority of us would choose to focus only on the negative aspects of Ris Low, namely her poor command of English. Why? This could be based on societal standards of a representative of Miss Singapore World. In most cases, people would akin a Miss Singapore World to an elegant, beautiful lady who carries herself off with poise and class. Thus, perhaps Ris Low has been much criticized by the public because she has not met up to these standards.

After watching this video, many people, locals and foreigners alike, would probably develop a bad image of Singaporean women. People often remember more of the bad than the good of things and likewise, this unflattering image of poorly-spoken Singaporean women would probably stick with people over a period of time. Consciously or unconsciously, this cognitive schemata comes into play when people view Singaporean women now.

This brings us to think about the credibility of the management of Miss Singapore World. Do they not have a certain set of criteria such as being able to speak well? Being a representative of Singapore, it is very important that the most suitable candidate is picked as image is at stake. A bad image can easily ruin business opportunities, social relations and etcetera, in the short or long run. I am very much appalled that this is the best we can go. I am confident that there are many more suitable candidates for Miss Singapore World out there!

To be fair, we are all capable of perceptual errors. Perhaps we judge too much based on the way she speaks and carries herself. Perhaps we have overlooked the fact that this could all be due to her nervousness? How about the failure to appreciate her confidence? Or maybe she has other good aspects of her that the video failed to bring out that makes her the most suitable candidate for Miss Singapore World.

All in all, I still think this video being circulated around the Internet will bring Singapore’s image some shortcomings and also, the ripple effect of a bad image. I just hope people do not generalize Singaporean women and let us all hope the next Miss Singapore World would do a better job at carrying herself off!

Loving your body, loving you

(Magazine article source: Shape Singapore, September 2009 issue)

The above article is taken from September’s Shape Singapore, a mind and body fitness magazine for women. It features several women giving their take on how they learn to love their own bodies. The purpose of this article was to help body-conscious women learn to embrace their bodies.

Let us face it, we humans are visual creatures and I am no exception. I personally do care quite a bit about how my body looks and therefore, I found this article interesting. This article is very effective in reaching its aim of helping body-conscious women love their bodies more through various communication techniques used.

Very importantly, they have adopted the use of visuals to get their message across. Notice that not only are they good looking, they also exude positive energy through bright-coloured clothing and “positive” settings. For example, Jade Seah is radiant in tennis attire and Shirlyn Tan very into her music performance. All these contribute to create a very upbeat and encouraging atmosphere. This use of pathos certainly makes the article more convincing as we strive to look and feel as happy as the women featured in the article.

Then, the layout also contributed to the article’s success because of the informal style adopted. Body issues are usually very sensitive topics and thus, few are open to discuss about it. Therefore, this creative and fun layout lends a more light-hearted tone, making women more susceptible to reading up on this article. This light-heartedness also makes it seem less severe and therefore, making some feel more encouraged.

After looking at the photos, one would naturally look at the text and the use of text has been very intelligently used too. For one, the main points are in a different colour from the other text. This gets the message across to readers more clearly as it emphasizes what one can do to feel better about one’s body. This use of logos is effective as it shows readers that learning to embrace one’s body is within their reach in small, simple steps. This is further emphasized by the bolding of the main points. The length of the text is also kept short, making the message clear and contributing to the light-heartedness of the article once again.

Upon further evaluation, one can see that they have used mostly celebrities. If not, it is the use of other famous female figures. This lends credibility to the article, making readers more convinced of their ability to turn their negativity to positivity. They have even carefully picked out women from a range of age groups to further emphasize that everyone can do it. This use of ethos can be further seen at work with the photos of Singaporean celebrities being enlarged as they are more well-known among Singaporean women as compared to the Shape Run 2008 10km winner or a sailor from Team Singapore.

Although it might not be realistic as the women featured are mostly from occupations which require them to look good or in the process, look good in the first place, the article contains all three persuasion techniques, making it an effective persuasion to convince women that their unique bodies are beautiful. After all, beauty is the eye of the beholder and learning to love your own body simply makes you a happier person.