chaper 2 questions 2&3

I think there is some value in thinking of communication as patterned interaction especially as one grows older. what come to mind to me is dating. there are certain roles each gender tends to play in relationships such that there is some predictable behavior. for example, most people will become upset if their paramour is overtly flirting with someone else in their presence. but to equate communication with a game is a mistake and minimizes the potential seriousness of playing the game poorly or even equating communication with something frivolous. everyone is unique and one is not always able to predict how someone will react to different moves. there is some truth to male stereotypes that women are unpredictable. i would agree with this because no matter how well versed one is with the game, there is no predictive element or definative pattern.



3).
i enjoyed the part of the reading that dealt with the evolving perspective of cultural studies. in this post modern world it's ironic how one takes certain perspectives for granted and this is one of them for me. i never really thought about how influential the cultural studies perspective has become because i had never given it a name. this perspective has had a tremendous impact on the social sciences, history and ethnic studies to be more specific. the later mentioned disciplines place the struggle for equality in america within the context of the continual struggle for power which is very different than the i started out in my study of history. i think the 'old study' of history frequently obscured the connections between social forces and opression which i have found useful in understanding various historical events.