Blog post #2

Jaclyn Kaul
Comm. 160
Blog Post

“The epistemological assumptions that guide my communication research include the idea that meaning is constructed through our interactions with each other and the world and that this condition of meaning making results in multiple and diverse experiences which constitute multiple realities.”

I got this quote from our week 7 reading, Making My Narrative Mine: Unconventional Articulations of a Female Soldier.  The reason in which I chose this quote is because of all of the different things talked about in this simple quote. For instance, the beginning of this quote discusses how meaning is constructed through our interactions with others and the world. After looking up online if our meaning is really constructed through our interaction with others, an article I found called Symbolic Interaction Theory: History, Development, and Examples popped up. This article talked about a Sociology concept called “Symbolic Interaction” and this concept explains that the meaning we derive from is constructed by our everyday social interaction, which is spot on with what this quote is discussing. The second part of this quote talks about how interaction with others and the world will then provide the individual with multiple and diverse experiences, therefor constituting multiple realities. I find this part of the quote interesting because although I do not always think that interaction with individuals and the world will result in multiple realities, I can see how this could be true in some cases. For example, I pulled my main quote that I am analyzing from a written piece talking about a female soldier. When you are in the military, you are entered into a completely different reality. When at war, you are living in a world where there is no room for error. For instance, an individual who may fall asleep at their desk job may get scolded at work, but often times not much more will happen, but if you are deployed are you are fighting in a battle, and your job is to be on “lookout”, falling asleep in this job may get you and many others killed. Now this is an example of a different reality. However, even when leaving the military many veterans are still living in a different reality than many others. Veterans often times suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). According to an article called The Brutal Reality of PTSD: Restless Sleep and a Black Eye an individual discussed their feelings of PTSD. This article gives an example of an individual who will never be able to be snuck up from behind without almost punching someone, who continuously has flashbacks, and who has even given themselves a black eye from having a bad dream. Now this is an example of living in a different reality. Overall, I do think interaction with others and the world can make you live in a different reality, but I do not think that it is always the case.

Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/symbolic-interaction-theory-p2-3026645

https://blackboard.boisestate.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5214754-dt-content-rid-26098705_1/courses/1183-13914COMM160001/1183-13914COMM160001_ImportedContent_20180108011344/Hicks%20%282011%29.pdf

https://themighty.com/2017/06/reality-of-ptsd-restless-sleep-violent-nightmares/