November Blog Post- Kambri Smith

      

 Examining our Relationship Influence Within Culture

        The focus of the connection between identity and perception was one of the main topics presented in Christina Ivey’s COMM 160 class. In the beginning of the lecture, we watched a video called "Monkey Business Illusion" where we were told to count how many white shirted people came into view. The main point of this video is not what we saw, but what we didn’t see. When I was counting how many white shirted people there were, I missed the changing colored curtains in the background and a giant gorilla jumping around on the screen. Professor Ivey’s main point was that people focus on one thing and end up missing everything else in the picture, based on there perception. Bringing this idea full circle, back to perception, we tend to miss elements in relationships we have with one another. Just focusing on one thing about a person can narrow the view that we see of that person in our minds. Now, treating a person like a jar, there is a certain way we start to get to know them. We first learn about the “big rocks”, things that are defining values and beliefs. From then on, small rocks represent smaller big items and then you fill the jar with sand. The sand represents all the small details when you get to know that person further. Ivey quoted Martin Buber, who is pictured below, in the 4 reasons to study relationships and understanding important aspects of them. When we begin to understand how relationships work, we can begin to understand there effect in culture.

      
      Buber’s 4 Reasons to Study Relationships:

          1. “Something unique and important in…relationships.”

          2. “Fluid and unpredictable.” (IDENTITY isn’t SOLID)

          3. “Ethic responsibility.”

          4. “We must meet the other person.”

        Each of these ideas helps us begin to understand that person more by really diving deep, using critical thinking especially to really dissect these ideas. Every relationship is different but there are aspects of understanding how a well-developed relationship looks like that we can really apply to our daily lives. Learning specifically about being open vs closed off, and the purpose of self-disclosure, are effects that I can contribute to a relationship that can make a difference in interactions. For myself, every relationship so is extremely unique with unpredictable behavior from that other person. Even with people I have known my entire life, they still surprise me. To become close to someone, one must show themselves trustworthy and show a genuine care for that other person. In the second photo, this is a photo showing a level of connection that take part in the physical connection between two people. This is the type of relationship that goes beyond the big and smaller rocks.

     Taking this a step further, I truly believe the relationship that you have with another human being can affect culture. Growing up, you are taught how to work in a group and how to develop friendships on the playground. Those skills we take and expand as we grow in life but those interactions affect the way we work with others. Relationships with family members, friends, schoolmates, people from outside functions are the main stepping stones of creating a web of relationships. You can cause a chain reaction through those people which have webs of their own. As they affect others, the web of connection and communication widens.

     The main point is this; relationships are beautiful in their own way, each unique. Although different, aspect of these relationships are the same and by knowing how to navigate this harsh terrain can broaden the level of connection we can have with another person. The difference  we can make in the world by getting closer to one another, especially in a technology dominated world, can start to brighten the world we live in. We all can create a chain reaction by how we choose to interact!