COM Writing Assignment 1 - Draft 1
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School
Sinclair Community College *
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Course
2206
Subject
Communications
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
4
Uploaded by CoachTank1815
COM 2206
March 31, 2021
The Remarkable Race
I want to be a contestant on The Remarkable Race because I love puzzles and challenges of all kinds. My main motivation is to win the million-dollar prize so that I can help my grandmother renovate her historic 200-year-old home. I believe I would be a great contestant on The Remarkable Race because of the many characteristics I consider part of my self-concept. Self-concept is “the relatively stable set of perceptions you hold of yourself,” (Adler et al. 70). I believe that there are many characteristics that are part of my own self-concept, and they can help me complete the mental tasks and physical exercises in the show. They might also help me to effectively collaborate with the other contestants.
Some of the characteristics that comprise my self-concept include my age, my race, my gender identity and my sexual orientation, my geographic region, my religion, my American culture, the low-context nature of my culture, the individualistic nature of my culture, the low power-distance mindset of my culture, and the achievement-oriented feature of my culture. I am 31 years old, which places me between young adulthood and middle age. I believe this factor gives me a great advantage in my speed, dexterity, and mental acuity over older contestants. My race is white, non-Hispanic and I am female. My sexual orientation is straight, but I am open to people of all orientations. I feel that this willingness to accept others from different orientations would help me in building a team with the contestants I must collaborate with. My geographic region is the Midwest. My religious background is spiritual, non-denominational, but I have studied and am open to many different religious beliefs. This openness can help me establish a connection with other contestants. I belong to the American culture of the United States. The American culture has many facets, including the low-context, individualistic, low power-
distance, and achievement-oriented elements. A special few of the characteristics or "pathways"
I hope to share with you can help me become a good competitor. These pathways include my culture, my gender, my reflected appraisal, and my social comparison.
The first "pathway," my culture, is multi-dimensional. “Larry Samovar and his colleagues
(2007) offer a clear and comprehensive definition of culture: ‘the language, values, beliefs, traditions, and customs people share and learn,’” (Adler et al. 36) One dimension of my American culture is the fact that it is a low-context culture. Low-context cultures tend to use language as a primary channel to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideas in the most explicit manner (Adler et al. 43). Explicit talk and expression can prevent misunderstandings while ensuring that communication is clear. American culture is also individualistic, which means that they "view their primary responsibility as helping themselves," (Adler et al. 44). I would be a strong candidate because I constantly work on improving myself and my abilities. I would face the challenge head-on and work steadfastly to complete the task or goal presented. What’s more, American culture is a low power-distance culture. This concept means that we aim to curtail the distinctions between upper and lower classes. We have a "pervasive belief that one person is as valuable as another," (Adler et al. 46). I want to show the respect of the other contestants and build an effective partnership with them in order to complete all the challenges. My culture is an achievement culture, which means that it is one of the “societies that place a high value on material success and a focus on the task at hand,” (Adler et al. 48). I want to succeed on the show to earn the prize money and I am quite determined to be the top contender. A second “pathway” to consider is my gender. Gender is “the social and psychological dimensions of masculine and feminine behavior,” (Adler et al. 113). As a woman, I have the tenacity to never let challenges defeat me. In the face of great trials, I will not waver. Beyond that, I have a softer side that may help me to sympathize with other contestants on the show.
A third “pathway” is in regard to my reflected appraisal. A reflected appraisal is “a mirroring of the judgments of other people,” and is “part of how the self-concept develops,” (Adler et al., 72). I may realize whether my performance is developing in an acceptable way and use this feedback as a motivation to move on. On the contrary, I will accept constructive
criticism, although it may change the way I deal with the next challenge. I prefer direct feedback,
as I am a part of a low-context culture.
The final “pathway” is that of social comparison. Social comparison is “evaluating oneself in terms of or by comparison to others,” (Adler et al., 72). While I am a part of an individualistic and achievement-oriented culture, I compare my progress to others. I would be resolute in my pursuit to win The Remarkable Race, so that I could consider myself successful compared to the others. I believe I would be an excellent contestant on The Remarkable Race because of my cultural background, my gender identity, my reflected appraisals, and my social comparisons. My individualism and achievement-oriented culture have made me a hard-working competitor. My gender identity as a woman also affects my ability to compete. I am steadfast in my pursuit of success. I tend to view myself the way others judge me. My success on the show would depend on my ability to match the skills of the other contestants, and my ability to impress them with my skills. I compare my own success and capabilities to others in social comparison. This comparison is my motivation to win the challenge. It is my belief that these “pathways,” in addition to the characteristics I mentioned previously, would make me a strong candidate for The
Remarkable Race.
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Works Cited
Adler, Ronald B., et al. Interplay: the Process of Interpersonal Communication
. Oxford University Press, 2018.