Speech Codes Theory

Speech Codes Theory

Example: A Group's Slang Terminology

Remember People Might Not Understand Your Speech Code

The example of a group's slang terminology supports Speech Codes Theory. A speech code is a specific language used by small social groups to convey information in non traditional ways. It is important to note that each small social group has their own distinct language they use. For example, basketball players say, "He just got baptized" or "He got postered" when it comes to a guy getting dunked on hard by another player. They also use phrases that only another basketball player other athletes might pick up on like, "All day, all ball, shut down, or hack-a-shaq." Baseball players say words or phrases like, "backstop, five tool player, hot corner, go yonder, got heem, hit the gap, come on babe, dip, here we go kid, etc.." There are hundreds of slang words and phrases that baseball players use, but I wanted to keep them short and sweet. Football players use words or phrases like, "three and out, ice the kicker, the trenches, being a student of the game, sack, etc.." The point I am making is that social groups like sports teams, theatre students, student council, etc... all have words or phrases that make since to them, but do not make sense to other people hearing them. That is what the Speech Codes Theory is about.

I believe this theory is important for others to understand. Seeing as I played 4 sports in high school and my whole life (baseball, football, basketball, and soccer), I understand a lot of the slang in sports. However, I do not understand the speech codes of politicians, drama people, and journalists. Simply put, I need to remember who I am talking to when it comes to using the speech codes I have developed. If I am talking with people who don't know a thing about sports, I probably shouldn't use my sports speech code. I believe this theory will help me out tremendously in my communication skills. This is because it has taught me that not everyone understands what I am saying when I am talking about certain subjects. Some people have never heard of the words or phrases I say and I need to realize that before I start using them. I need to be able to communicate to everyone in a way that they will understand. Some people who have played sports or know the terminology will be easier to talk to because I know the speech code and so do they. Other times, I might be speaking with someone who has done nothing but drama or theatre productions their whole life. That person and myself would have a very difficult time communicating if they used their speech code and I used mine. It would be like me going to Mexico and trying to talk to someone who doesn't know a word of English. There would be a huge communication breakdown. At the end of the day, I need to pay close attention to who my audience will be or just the single person I will be talking with. I need to remember that not everyone understands my social class's speech codes. Because of this, I need to work on broadening my vocabulary as well as trying to learn other speech codes (music, theatre, art, politics, etc...) in order to successfully communicate with multiple people from multiple social groups.

Genderlect Styles

Genderlect Styles

Example: Blue & Pink Phones & Hearing Aids

Are You Playing Tug of War In Your Communication?

The example of blue and pink phones and hear aids supports the Genderlect Styles. Genderlect is defined as a term suggesting that masculine and feminine styles of discourse are best viewed as two distinct cultural dialects. In this theory, Tannen describes the differences between how men and women communicate. Men tend to switch topics a lot (love to talk about sports) and prefer to accomplish ideas and move on. Women like face-to-face time and enjoy talking about just one topic. Men tend to be quiet in relationships while women are wordier. Men tell more stories than women, jokes elevate their ego, and they tell more stories about themselves. Meanwhile, women just like to talk about others. Those differences between men and women represent the blue and pink phones. This is because men and women communicate differently. The blue phone represents how the men communicate and the pink phone represents how women communicate. When it comes to listening, men and women differ as well. This can be represented with the blue hearing aid for men and the pink hearing aid for women. Men want rapid fire conversations, while women like to add agreement terms into the conversation like ("OK" "Uh-huh" "right" and "mmmhmmm"). The differences in communication (talking and listening) between men and women can cause tension and a tug or war like mentality. Personally, I believe that men and women can learn from one another when it comes to their communication styles. Quiet frankly, if men and women don't try to understand how the other communicates, their relationship is doomed and will not be very successful.

This might be one of the most important theories for myself to understand out of all the theories discussed this semester. This is because communicating man to man or women to women is always easy. Why? The answer is simple, because we understand how the other talks and listens. When it comes to communicating with the opposite sex, men just say, "Women are complicated" and women just say, "Men are weird." Both of these statements have truth to them, but I have come to realize that the problem (I am guilty of this too) is that men and women don't take the time to understand how the other communicates. They try to use a blue phone to talk to a pink hearing aid and vice versa. It wont work!! This theory has opened my eyes to the main differences between how a man talks and listens compared to how a woman talks and listens. I will make sure to spend time talking about 1 topic thoroughly with women and not try to bounce around subjects. I will also attempt to talk a little less about sports and don't use sports analogies all the time. I will make a goal to listen more carefully to the opposite sex when they are talking to me. I might even throw in some agreeing terms, so that they really believe that I am listening to them. Those goals I have set out for myself might seem impossible to some, but to me, I believe it will vastly improve my communication with women, so that we stop playing tug of war when it comes to communicating.

Cultural Approach to Organizations

Cultural Approach to Organizations

Example: An Organization or Group's Culture

Some of My Greatest Friends in the World

The example of an organization or group's culture supports the Cultural Approach to Organizations. This theory is all about how groups operate. In this theory, the group is in the middle of its life cycle as a group. In order to understand organizational culture, one must realize that the key is not to look at culture as part of an organization but to understand that an organization is a culture. Culture isn't a whole or undivided.    It is also important to remember that that an organization's culture is made up of stories, rites, and symbolism. This theory helps groups who have been together for a long time stay together by understanding how these groups operate and how they can keep the strong bonds they have developed so far. This was one of my favorite theories because it helped me get a better feel for how groups I have been involved in for awhile operate and how our rituals, stories, and metaphors keep us closer and make our culture different from other groups.

I see this theory playing out in my life every day based on the groups I am involved with that day. One of the groups is my friends from high school. There are about 10 of us that played sports together and we have continued to stay best friends while in college. We have certain rituals we are always doing, especially during the summer and baseball season. We also have so many stories because we have been together for so long. This theory has helped me understand my group of friends because it has opened my eyes to the culture we have. It is a culture that is very laid back, has a lot of inside jokes, is heavily involved with sports (baseball being #1), and always hanging out on breaks when all of us are home (especially over the summer). This theory has helped me realize our group is one of a kind and that no other group I am a part of will be able to communicate to each other like we do. Our group is at a point in time where we can communicate with one another and know exactly what the other is thinking or going to do without even saying anything. We are unique and I am so thankful that God has blessed me with these friends and allowed our group to stay so close together over the last 6 years.

In the end, this theory has made me realize that communicating between different groups is not an easy task. It is quite difficult because different groups have different stories, rituals, and metaphors that separate themselves from other groups. These three things help create the culture of the group. Each group or organization is a different culture. If you look at people from the Midwest, East Coast, West Coast, and the Deep South you can see that each acts and speaks differently than the other people group. This is because they all live in different cultures that make them unique from the other cultures out there. It is important to be understanding this point because it will help one communicate better with people living in different cultures than your own. One needs to be patient and understanding when communicating with another group because your stories, rituals, and metaphors might mean something completely different to the other groups stories, rituals, and metaphors. In the end, I enjoyed studying this theory and hope it helps others realize that culture is unique and special.