Answer the following questions
Be sure to keep in mind proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization.
- How is language symbolic? How do the arbitrary nature of language and the naming of objects or experiences lead to misunderstandings?
- How has culture affected your language? Do you use words that seem confusing to others? Have you been in a situation in which someone used a familiar word but with a different meaning than you were accustomed to? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?
- What is your reaction to the information presented in the Relating to Others in the 21st Century feature? Do you find yourself texting, IMing, or communicating online more often than face to face these days? Do you feel that you have more friends because you use electronically mediated communication? Are your relationships with these "friends" richer or shallower than your face-to-face relationships? Explain.
- Ethics: Is it ethical to mask your true feelings of anger and irritation with someone by using supportive statements or confirming statements when what you really want to do is tell the person off in no uncertain terms? Why or why not?
- Is it wrong to offer an apology even if you think you weren't wrong, but you want to make peace and it will be less stressful if you just offer a fake apology to smooth things over? Explain your answer.