Ashford HHS207 Week 1 Discussion (dq1+dq2)

Ashford HHS207 Week 1 Discussion

Dq1

Culture plays a primary role in how we communicate with each other. As human services workers, we often encounter individuals whose cultural perspective is very different from our own. Knowing the key elements that differentiate cultures, as well as our own cultural orientation, is important in being able to communicate effectively. In this discussion, you will be describing aspects of cultural difference that may impact interpersonal communication. You will also be reporting on your own cultural orientation. 

Read Chapter 2 of The Interpersonal Communication Book. In addition, answer the fourteen questions on your cultural orientation found on pp. 35 – 36. 

Reflect on the findings of the cultural orientation test that you completed. How did this help you to understand your own cultural orientation? Were there some elements that really made sense to you while others did not? How did this compare to what you read about differing components of a cultural orientation? How would you describe your own specific cultural orientation (not just as the United States or your country or origin)? 

Initial Post: Prepare a 300-word minimum reply that sufficiently addresses each of the items below: 

• Based on what you read in the textbook, identify and describe at least three factors can that be used to understand a culture. 

• Describe the impact of culture, as a whole, on communication. 

• Discuss your own cultural orientation in relation to these three factors. 

• Explain how understanding a cultural orientation may aid in interpersonal communication in a human 

  services work setting. Please use at least one example in your explanation. 

• Dq2

Much of what we know about how we communicate and engage on a daily basis is guided by theory. Theories provide useful and informative frames of reference that help to explain different phenomena. Have you ever tried to understand the motivation behind a person’s actions or habits? Or perhaps questioned a technique or approach a professional might use when working with a client? If so, it is more than likely that some type of theory was involved. In this discussion, you will have an opportunity to read about various communication theories and describe them within different contexts. 

Read all four of the required website links related to the communication theories provided (constructivist, attachment, communication accommodation, attribution), and reflect upon the significance and application of the theories presented. 

Initial Post: Prepare a 300-word minimum post that sufficiently addresses each of the items below: 

• Briefly identify and describe each of the communication theories that are presented. 

• Describe how two of the communication theories can be applied in a health and human services setting. 

  For example, how can constructivist theory be used to understand people’s views of the world in human services work? How can levels of attachment, as related to the attachment theory, be used by human 

  service professionals to understand client needs?