Out of all of the chapters we have read so far in the book I found that this chapter was the most relatable and also contained the most new information. Though I actually use all of these approaches, I was doing so without even knowing it everyday. For example I use the democratic approach weekly in my sorority VP position making decisions as a council. I also use narrative ethics in classes where discussion is used because even though we all come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs, respect is important. I think that most humans have a sense of these communication approaches naturally. All of these approaches want to approach the situation so that the outcome is the most beneficial and respectful for every party involved.
One area I want to highlight is dialogic ethics. As a a Communication Studies student, I noticed that this approach comes up in at least two of my classes each semester. I think that dialogic ethics is very important, especially today. We need to realize that talking about issues is the best way to learn and solve the problem. I think that we can always learn from others and open communication is the best way to do this. Though it is not guaranteed that the conversations we have will be beneficial the book states: "The emergent unknown can change a life-for dialogue is the hope of a hope we cannot own, but can only invite"(58).
Overall, this chapter highlights six important areas of communication approaches that we can recognize in our daily lives. "Each approach offers insight into the complexity of communication ethics in theory and action, with each protecting and promoting a given sense of the good"(58). With a better understanding of all six of these approaches to communication ethics problem solving respectfully and openly is in reach.
You make a good point in highlighting that most people do not realize their usage of each of these six methods in their day-to-day lives. I would add that, if approached, most people would automatically assign to using democratic communication ethics the majority of the time. It appears to me to be the most common and widely practiced communication ethic, especially in the western world. I asked my roommate (a mechanical engineering major) which method she thought she used most often and she was drawn to the contextual communication ethics practice. She explained that, to her, it appeared to be the most respectful form because it took into consideration the variation of personal preferences. She said this came into play in her work because of the wide range of people (ie. culture, ethnicity, religious belief) she interacts with on a daily basis. Perhaps, depending on lifestyle, each person leans toward a particular method overall, shifting to others per situation.
ReplyDeleteYour relation of Chapter 3's categories back to real-world dilemmas that affect you, personally, corroborates my assertion that these six category titles are very useful precisely because they hearken to shared worldviews, stereotypes, and models we all use for defining and thinking about the people in our lives. You presumably subscribe to democratic ethics in sorority management because you recognize this set of goods as philosophies that history's greatest, most respected leaders also held. Similarly, my goods identify most with narrative ethics because after several instances in my life when the stories and life realities behind people I'd previously judged became clear, I would realize the ignorance of my judgments. As a result, I approach conversations with an alertness to how life events, upbringing, and random circumstance may have forged the ethic and communication style of my fellow speaker.
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