Discussion #3 Further Discussion

The one topic in this course that I wish had more information and could use further discussion would be emotions and reasoning. The book covered on this topic, but there was not much information. I wanted to know more about the process of emotional manipulation and how it affects the decisions we make. I know our emotions can cause us to become bias about certain things, and that can negatively influence us in the choices we make. Human emotions are strong and can change the way we think and see things, but I never thought they were that influential. I also wish the book went over ways we could possibly overcome this type of obstacle. It would have been helpful, because we deal with this in our daily life. Having a bit of direction to help us with this will allow us to become better critical thinkers and be more efficient in reasoning. 

Discussion #2 Favorite/Least Favorite & Improvements

My favorite part of this class was how informative and easy the textbook was to read and understand. It helped me understand the concepts even more, and the examples were relevant and again, easy to understand. If all textbooks were written this way, maybe I would be reading them more often. I also liked the fact that what I have learned in this class can be used in my daily life, especially being able to better communicate with others. My least favorite part of this class was the group project papers. It was annoying having to meet up with our group members because 90% of the time, we are all busy. So it was difficult to pick a time where we were all available. I took this online class because I thought it would make my schedule less stressful and more manageable, but it only added more stress because I was constantly worrying about the group projects. This could be one thing to improve. Another thing that can be improved is the 12-hour wait in between blog posts. I didn’t like that we had to wait after we posted one blog because some times I would forget to post the next blog after 12 hours. It would help a lot if we could post the blog posts whenever we wanted. It would have made things a lot easier. 

Discussion #1 What I've Learned

Over the course of this semester, I have learned a lot. Most importantly, this course stressed the importance of critical thinking and how it helps us in arguments and decision-making. We also learned what fallacies were and how to identify them in conversations and arguments. Inductive and deductive reasoning was a big part of this course too. We spent a lot of time differentiating them and using it in our reasoning. Another thing we learned were the different parts of an argument, such as the premises and the conclusion. Functions of language played an important part in arguments because using a certain language brings about a different end result. Lastly, this course has taught me how to make a strong argument and to communicate better with others. I believe the things we have learned this semester will help us in our future classes and make us better communicators to our peers.

Week 14: Discussion #3

The Mission Critical and Causal Argument Website was very helpful. Both websites provided examples and explanations to each term. Another plus to these websites is that they are very easy to access and understand. All terms are summarized, which makes it easier to understand on my part because I do not like long explanations or definitions. The two websites helped me understand the concepts more clearly and if you had any confusion on what some terms were, these websites would clear it up for you. The websites also served as review because I would sometimes forget concepts I have learned earlier on or throughout the semester, so going through the websites helped refresh my memory. It was like a little mini review in preparation for the final. The overall design of the websites could be updated to help it look more organized and modern. Even without the changes, the website still serves it purpose and we still learn from it.

Week 14: Discussion #1

Today’s Sagittarius Horoscope:

Don't hesitate to try something new today, Sagittarius. If you've thought about joining a book club or taking a class, do it today! You're likely to meet some interesting people and enter a new social world. You might be tentative at first, but you'll find the group warm, friendly, and eager for your input. You'll talk like old friends by the end of the second meeting. This is just the infusion of fun you need!

Usually horoscopes are pretty accurate and apply to my daily life. However, today’s horoscope was half applied to my life. I did try something new today, which was going to the FAME SS2012: The Masquerade. It was a place where fashion designers, dancers, and DJs got to gather together and share with the public what they loved to do. It was interesting and entertaining because I have never gone to one of these events before. The people there told us about their company and what they represented, and it was heartfelt because they set themselves aside from major retail brands. Although I probably will not ever see them again, our conversations were easy to talk through and it impressed me with how much they have accomplished. Overall, horoscopes sometimes scare me with how accurate they can be, but I do not go through my day expecting my horoscope to come true. It’s fun to read your horoscope, but it does not predict what will happen to you in life.

Week 14: Discussion #2

A time that I drew an incorrect conclusion was recently this weekend. I was spending the entire weekend with a group of friends, and one of them brought a girl. From the looks of it, it seemed like they were a couple until someone told me the girl was his ex-girlfriend. After that, I assumed they were going to get back together after this weekend. During Saturday night, we were having “girl talk” and I decided to ask the girl if they were going to get back together. She said no and that they were hanging out for the first time in years. Afterwards, I felt like a complete idiot for thinking they were getting back together. The girl thought her ex told us they were getting back together, but I assured her I only thought they were going to get back together. It proved me wrong yet again, that assuming something is never the right ways to think because there is more to it than you think. 

Week 12: Discussion #3

The topic that caught my eye this week was sensationalism and the news. The news covers a lot of stories that are currently happening, but not all news will interest us. According to the Boss textbook, “most people prefer heartwarming, true-crime, or disaster stories over critical analysis of national and international issues” (pg 344). This is true for me too. When I am surfing the web for news, I skip pass anything that sounds like politics or anything that does not relate to me. If a story about a tragedy pops up, I immediately click the link and proceed to read it. As people, we have empathy, and newscaster and journalists play on that. When we see others in distress, we feel for them and want to reach out and help. That is why Newspaper cover stories and headlines are usually related to topics that will grab at our heartstrings. This strategy is good for the news because it will grab people’s attention and make them want to know more about the situation.

Week 12: Discussion #2

Brook J. Sadler believes strongly that plagiarism is unfair to both students and teachers, and should be punishable to those to take part in it. Universities should punish students by expelling them and making them an example of how plagiarism is not tolerated what so ever, especially in higher education. On the other hand, Russell Hunt does not believe plagiarism is bad for students. He thinks it is good for students to us it to reach professor’s requirement on writing. Both Sadler and Hunt provide a good argument with reasons to support them. Sadler focuses more on the negative side of plagiarism, while Hunt tells us why students might use plagiarism. I believe Sadler has the stronger argument because she explains thoroughly the effects of plagiarism to both the students using it, and the students who are not. Overall, plagiarism is the short way out for a paper, but there is no short cuts in life.

Week 12: Discussion #1

The media is very influential to our daily lives. News is written, published, and read by everyone around the world. The place where I get the most news is off Facebook. When people I know read an article online or decide to share it, then it pops up in my news feed. From there, I am able to see what news interests them and maybe it would interest me too. It will also show others who read the same article too. I find that fascinating because Facebook is a social network that not only connects people around the world, but also brings news to us in a new, modern way. What I read in the media sometimes makes me bias in certain situations. I do not do it on purpose, but when I remember certain things I read in the news, it makes me more wary about decisions I make, especially major decisions. Overall, the media is a strong, influential thing in all our lives, no matter how we use it.

Week 11: Discussion Question #3

According to the Boss textbook, product placement is a type of advertising strategy where “a real commercial product is used in fictional media, and the presence of the product is a result of an economic exchange” (pg 320). We mostly miss the products when we are not focused on finding them, but when we are aware of it, we see it everywhere. Brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are major companies who participate in product placement. Companies pay a lot to have their brand and logo displayed on major television shows. When viewers watch the shows, they will see the advertisement and perhaps buy these company products. Companies shell out money for advertisement hoping they will generate even more money in sales to compensate for the cost and make a profit. Product placement is influential to everyone, especially towards the younger generation. What they define as “cool” on television will influence them to buy the same products to make themselves look cool.

Week 11: Discussion Question #2

After reading Wootan’s and Liodice’s articles, I can say Liodice’s argument is more strong and valid. Wootan’s position is placing blame on negative food advertisement targeted towards young children. She believes that implementing the Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children will lower child obesity levels. These Guidelines are very particular in placing food in the category of “bad food” or “good food.” I do not believe that food should be classified this way because it will not teach children to choose a healthy diet. If we teach children why a healthy diet is important, they themselves will make the conscious decision to eat healthy. If we restrict the “bad food” from them, all they will want to eat is the unhealthy food. Liodice believes these Guidelines are “ridiculously restrictive” (Boss, pg 336) and I could not agree more. Parents should be responsible for teaching their children to eat a healthy diet. The parents should set an example for the children to follow. Even though food advertising for children can be influential towards them, if they understand what a healthy diet is, they will be less likely to consume unhealthy food on a regular basis.

Week 11: Discussion Question #1

Marketing strategies surround us 24/7. It is quite difficult to miss. I consider myself an impulse shopper, but I can place some blame on the companies who come up with these strategies. This week, as I was watching a show online, the same advertisement for a new face product played on repeat. By the end of the show, I was intrigued by this product and looked up more information about it online. Next thing I know, I’m buying the product at Target. What hurts my wallet even more is when I’m waiting in line and I pick up a magazine from the rack next to me. I’ll read an article and halfway through it, it would be my turn to pay. Wanting to finish the article, I would throw the magazine in the pile of items I’m buying. Lastly, when I shop for makeup at MAC, I always go back to that one salesperson. I feel she knows my style and taste, and would recommend products that would suit me. I felt a bit depressed when I read about guilt response in the textbook because it is true. Every time I go see the makeup artist at MAC or if I pass by the counter and stop to chat, I feel terrible if I don’t pick up something before I leave. Marketing strategies are extremely effective towards consumer and I feel terrible knowing that I always fall into their traps.

One of the more effective marketing strategies would be product placement because popular shows have a high audience/viewer count. With so many people watching the show, product placement is a good way to have people notice the product within a show they like, and prompt them to buy it the next time they see it in the store. One of the least effective marketing strategies would be advertisement on the radios. For me, once I hear the start of a commercial on the radio, I skip to another channel, and continue to do so until I find a station that is playing a song.

Week 9: Discussion Question #2

UFO’s is a very debatable subject because there is no actual answer to whether they are real or not. Condon believed there was no such thing as UFO’s due to the lack of evidence. He believes we should focus more of our time on scientific advancements and to only pursue UFO research, if there is evidence to prove their existence. Hynek believes that UFO’s exist in our world. He wants people who have witnessed a UFO to come forward and describe their experience. Hynek feels we need to gather data on this subject matter because he truly believes there is extraterrestrial life out there other than humans. Lastly, Paynter does not believe in the existence of UFO’s. He feels there is not enough physical evidence to prove they exist in our world. Until the day he sees a UFO or there is enough evidence of it, he will continue on believing they do not exist. I believe Paynter has the best argument because without proof, we can all say whatever we want about the situation, but with proof, there is an absolute answer.

Week 9: Discussion Question #3

This week, I found the concept of hearsay to be interestingly enough to discuss. Hearsay is a term used for a type of evidence. According to Boss, this evidence “is heard by one person and then repeated to another person and so on until you hear it.” By the time you receive or hear this information, the information would most likely be different or altered from the original information. It is not that people do this on purpose, but it is because we sometimes forget little details or when we try to repeat the information, our words choices have a completely different meaning. Therefore, this type of evidence is considered to be unreliable. An example of this concept would be a game of Telephone. I remember I used to play this game when I was a young child. You would stand next to your friends and one-person from the end of the line would whisper a message to the person next to them. Then that person would repeat it to the next person and so on. Eventually, the message will make it to the last person and they would say it aloud to see if it matches up with the original message from the first person. Most of the time it doesn’t because messages get changed as people pass it on. Through this game, the concept of hearsay is reinforced.

Week 9: Discussion Question #1

From the textbook by Boss, knowledge is “information or experience that we believe to be true and for which we have justification or evidence.” According to the dictionary, wisdom is “accumulated philosophic or scientific learning: knowledge.” When someone has wisdom, they have the ability to put into perspective the situation, apply judgment, and take action. We are acquiring knowledge daily from college. As years go on, our knowledge from education and experiences will turn into wisdom, in which we can share with the younger generations.

The information age has made it easier for people to access information quickly. If you need a question answered or research information for a paper, then you just look it up online. Having this type of information access has made us more knowledgeable. It does not give us wisdom in an instant because wisdom is when one can provide insight and judgment with knowledge. We all will eventually have wisdom to share of our own. We’ll continue to soak in knowledge from our daily life because there is so much to learn from life, no matter how cliché that sounds.

Week 7: Discussion Question #3

One concept that caught my attention this week was expressive language, which “communicates feelings and attitudes and is used to bring about an emotional impact on the listener” (Boss, pg 63). This type of language is popularly noted in religion and poetry. I am taking a creative writing class this semester, and we are currently studying poetry. The strength of poetry is when the listeners reminisces about memories or feel the emotions of the poem. One time, a poem was read to us by the poet, and by the end of the reading, I was thinking about the happiness I felt playing as a young child with my friends and how we let our imagination take us to a whole new world. It kind of shocked me how deeply it affected me because I never knew words could bring about such feelings. This type of expressive language is very unique and powerful, and is good for all of us. Reliving my happy memories always reminds me that I should live within the moment and make the best out of every situation.

Week 7: Discussion Question #2

Rhetorical devices can be heard in our daily conversations. If you ask my friends, you will know very well that I use sarcasm all the time.  Our laundry room in the house was getting messy, and one of my housemates pointed it out. My response was, “Oh really? I haven’t noticed even though I trip over clothes and slip on plastic bags every time I walk through the laundry room. It’s not like I’m scared for my life every time I walk through there in the dark nowadays.” She got my point; the laundry room needs to get cleaned up by the ones who made the mess.

Another rhetorical device is a hyperbole, and it’s used as an exaggeration. In my Asian American Studies class, the professors always give long lectures. After the class is over, I would turn to my friend and say, “That lecture bored me to death.” Obviously, it was an exaggeration because I did not literally die from that hour and fifteen minute lecture, even though it was super boring and my brain probably didn’t process 2/3 of the information spoken to us.

Week 7: Discussion Question #1

Sally Ride is a person who is very admirable. She exemplifies the qualities of successful communication skills and how it helped her succeed in life. Communication skills are very important in her career because one has to be able to listen, speak, and write effectively with their co-workers in order for projects to be completed correctly. Sally used research and inquiry skills to determine what career would best suit her. With her extraordinary communication skills, NASA was a perfect work place for her. She was in charge of the capcom for the first and second shuttle flights. Sally was also the first female astronaut in space, and that helped break the barrier for other females to do the same.  Her persistence in a field dominated by males shows us that we are all capable of reaching our goals, no matter the obstacles. As long as we use our skills, we can be successful. Sally achieved a lot in her life because she used what she was best at to help her, and that was her communication skills.

Week 6: Discussion Question #3

According to the textbook, rationalists “maintain that religious beliefs should be consistent with reason and evidence.” I find this to be interesting because people normally believe in the religion or they do not. This type of Rationalism is quite popular within the American population. They believe there is a correlation between God, the creator, and proof that he exists. Rationalists rely on evidence to back up a certain belief in the religion. If there is no proof, they become skeptical of the idea and may reject it entirely. Sometimes the blame may fall on the failure of science to prove their beliefs, and not towards their religion. Proof is extremely important to them because it is answers to their questions. Yet, there are people out there in the world that try to disprove the rationalism ideas because they believe it is not God that brought us here, but rather the idea of evolution.

Week 6: Discussion Question #2

When it comes to religion, people can get offended easily and it is not a topic I discuss regularly. I believe every person has their own belief and we do not have the right to tell them whether they are incorrect or not. Evolution and a belief in God are incompatible to the claims of Dawkins and beliefs of Aquinas. Dawkins keeps pointing out the fact that Aquinas believes God creates everything. Yet, he cannot provide proof that there is something else or another force at work for everything that is on Earth right now. If he could prove that God does not exist, then his argument for evolution would be valid and more believable. If Aquinas were alive today, he would probably tell Dawkins to provide proof that God did not create everything and our existence. 

Week 6: Discussion Question #1

Every so often, we are asked what our strengths are, and our answers evolve a little each time. That is because we are constantly growing as people, and we are learning a lot more about ourselves. One of my strengths is seeing the bigger picture within a problem and solution. I feel you have to fully look at both the pros and cons on each side and figure out what the best move to make is. The best solution one can come up with will make both parties happy, but it does not happen all the time. Sometimes the solution you come up with will not satisfy everyone, even though it is the best plan. This type of thinking is critical for my career choice because when you work with the environment and its resources, you have to figure out how your actions will affect the environment, ecosystem, and the human population. 

Week 4: Discussion Question #3

Inductive generalization includes the usage of polls. Polls help gather information and public opinion on certain topics that we want to analyze. These polls are given to a group of people known as a sample group. Public opinion is very important to our lives. It helps the government determine what the public thinks about certain policies that they are trying to implement or to see what changes the public wants to happen. Public opinion is very important because the government works to represent the people and their needs. With the use of polls, it is easier for the all our information to be collected and then analyzed by numbers to see what policies and changes are favorable. When we see polls, we do not think much of it until we look into it and see the bigger picture. It gives a diverse group of people a chance to share their opinions.

Week 4: Discussion Question #2

Dr. Novello has overcome obstacles in her past and achieved a lot during her lifetime. She has helped us realized that tobacco ads have affected the youth in a negative way. The cause-and-effect inductive reasoning can be applied to this issue. You recognize the issue, and then find a solution to change it.

Premise 1 (Cause): The number of teens and children who smoked had begun to increase dramatically in 1988

Premise 2 (cause): when the Joe Camels ads for Camel cigarettes were first introduced.

Conclusion (effect): More teens and children will begin to smoke if the Camel ads keep targeting the youth.

Once she saw the cause of the problem, Dr. Novello came up with a solution. She rallied for “more education in schools as well as a ban on cigarette and alcohol ads that targeted the youth” (Boss, pg. 221). She successfully implemented the cause-and-effect inductive reasoning into her work.

Week 4: Discussion Question #1

Inductive Argument: I was going to go to get my hair colored at my usual hair salon, but I read reviews on Yelp for another salon and they got praised highly for their hair coloring services. I will probably get better results that I like at this new hair salon than at my usual hair salon.

I’ve wanted to change my hair color for some time now. There is a hair salon I always go to get my hair cut and done. I initially thought I would go there to color my hair, but I started researching other hair salons for a better deal. In this process, I found other salons who received better reviews by other people on their hair coloring services and that intrigued me. This would be known as generalization. Since other people had a great experience here, I figured I could be one of those people too. The conclusion I came up with was since there were all these good reviews; I would get the perfect hair color that I’m looking for there. 

Week 3: Discussion Question #3

There are four types of leaderships, but the most successful one, in my eyes, is the participative leadership. Members in this group will work together with the group leader on making decisions and reaching their goal. The group leader does not dictate what the group members are to do, but guide and give a bit of a direction for the members to go off of. This type of group usually takes more time to complete their goal, but they will ultimately produce a higher quality of work. In the end, quality over quantity is always best. Group members work harmoniously together knowing the group leader and themselves are pulling equal weights in this project. They have shared responsibilities and the work atmosphere is more positive. Ultimately, if people feel they are all on the same page, there will be no tension, and the work process will run smoothly without delays.

Week 3: Discussion Question #2

The death penalty is a very controversial topic, and will remain such. I do not believe in the idea of a single or group of human being deciding whether another human being lives or die. We should not be wasting our life and time deciding on this choice. We should be doing more important things, such as living our life and enjoying it.  Sister Helen Prejean believes that the death penalty is a violation of human dignity and we should not participate in such an activity. This is not our purpose in life, nor will it change anything that has already been done. Christians in the United States might find the death penalty as rightful justice for the crime that was committed in their community. Does a murder for another murder, bring justice at all? No. It will become a never ending cycles of murders if we believe in the death penalty system. There will be constant pain and anger in this cycle, and it can all be avoided. There are alternatives solutions we can use instead of ending another life.

Week 3: Discussion Question #1

When Sherlock Holmes says, “The difficulty, he maintains, is to detach the framework of undeniable fact from the embellishments of hearsay and reports,” means it’s hard for us to let go of pass experiences, negative feelings, and the opinions of others. Our life is constantly being influenced by outside sources, instead of what we want. Nowadays, the media and Internet play a big part in what we “think” we want. I can’t think of my own personal experience for this, but I have a friend whose experience would be appropriate for this topic.

We’ll call her Sam (she didn’t want her real name mentioned). Sam use to be on the heavier and bigger size in middle school. One day, she realized it was not the “acceptable” body image in our society. She worked out constantly, starved herself, and in the process became obsessed and depressed about herself and her body. She eventually lost the weight, but it was in an unhealthy way. Sam constantly thought she was fat, even though she was now thin. She was still picky about her food, worrying she’ll get fat if she ate too many calories or fat. Sam was terrified of going back to the body she had in the past. She didn’t want people telling her she was fat and ugly or how no guy would want her. She was trying to escape her past, but she couldn’t because she relives it every day.

The media didn’t help at all. Photos of models and celebrities were all over the web and in magazines. It was difficult to miss. I remember she once told me she needed the body of a Victoria Secret model. I was shock and heart broken. She was already there. How could she not see what she had become? After that, her parents got her help, even though she refused it in the beginning. After a few years, she is a lot healthier, but there are moments where she falls back into her old habits for a minute until she catches herself. This just goes to show how we can easily lose ourselves when people are telling us what is acceptable and what we should be. 

Week 2: Discussion Question #3

An effective self-managing team consists “of highly skilled workers who are completely responsible for producing high-quality, finished work” (O’Hair and Wiemann, 2004). The members of the team make critical decisions themselves because there is no set leader who dictates commands. Within this team, workers set their own expectations, schedules, and find new members to join the team. Most importantly, from their experiences, the team can decide together what is best for their future and positively implement these changes for the group.Teammates cooperate and work together on a project, rather than individuals working alone with a single task assigned to them. Effective communication skills are used and improved through this process too. Other characteristics that one may gain from a self-managing team are their own self-identity and accountability for their actions. With this type of team, workers tend to have a more positive attitude and bring their best skills to the table to help the team be successful. 

Week 2: Discussion Question #2

Personally, I have never been put into such a position where I would lose my friends or my job over an issue where both sides have strong opinions over. However, if you knew me at all, you would know I am not a big fan of real fur being used in anything. I have a close friend who is very into fashion, and he dresses to express and impress. Ever now and then, he would mention a piece of clothing he has been eyeing lately at a store, and my first question would always be whether it was made out of real fur or not. Seventy-five percent of the time, the clothing does have some sort of real fur. I would get so heated about this issue and explain to him some of the negative consequences in real fur. The main reason being that animals are purposely being killed for their fur, and I feel it is wrong to wear them around our necks as a scarf or as a coat. My friend on the other hand does not feel as strongly about this issue. He prances around in his Ugg boots, which are made out of sheepskin, as if nothing is wrong in this world. Of course, I cannot force him to not purchase products that require animals to be killed in order for it to be produced, but I can express to him my opinions and hopefully some of it can change his opinions. 

Week 2: Discussion Question #1

Although President Barack Obama opposes legalizing same-sex marriage on a federal level, he shows he can be open mined. While Obama stands strongly behind his beliefs, which were most likely influenced by the ideas from his upbringing and religion, he still manages to shine some positivity on this issue. He is consistent with his beliefs and equal rights for same-sex couples by allowing civil unions. Even though all couples, homosexuals and heterosexuals, should have the same equal rights, civil union benefits are a step in the right direction. Obama’s actions have showed us he truly believes in equal rights for all and will do what he can to help and support them without compromising his beliefs.

A possible response Obama might give to Nava and Dawidoff’s argument is his agreement and support. Even though Obama might not agree with same-sex marriage on a federal level, he believes every one deserves basic rights regardless of their sexual orientation.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Sylvia. I'm a sophomore at SJSU majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental Restoration and Resource Management. I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. I've never taken an online class or used blogger before, so I look forward to this new experience.