Communication Studies

Communication Studies at Edmonds Community College

Eight Case Stories and Questions for Analysis

Serena - importance of family and family identity, social construction of in-groups and out groups ("safety"), gender, stereotypes (racial features, accents, second generation immigrants), lack of knowledge of immigration patterns, difficulty in crossing cultural boundaries to develop friendships, rape, sexual orientation, and culture shock.

Kaitlyn - stereotypes (race, status), parental expectations and pressures, in-groups and out groups, gender and social expectations, peers helping peers, outside resources for problems, and carrying the burden of a whole group.

Sara - stereotypes (both from within and without one's groups), culture shock, language (home, too American), social hierarchy, cultural relativism, collectivistic vs. individualistic orientations, internalized oppression, and tradition vs. change.

Guadalupe - accents, socioeconomic status, social hierarchy, language (too Latin, gringo, American), gender and social expectations, power and social expectations, and power and gender expectations.

Vicente - names and naming, colloquial and idiomatic language, tradition, social hierarchy, difficulty in crossing cultural boundaries to develop friendships, stereotypes, importance of family and family identity, national pride and language and social expectations (what does it mean to be family?).

Franklin - age difference, interpersonal style differences (wife, Franklin), empathy, stereotypes, occupational roles vs. racial stereotype (white cop - black cop), dominant group cultural/historical hegemony, lack of dominant culture knowledge of other histories and points of view, value of education, and academic canon hegemony.

William - disability identity (his other identities are more important to him than what others see), stereotypes, disability culture, identity management, stereotypes, cultural basis and understanding of humor, vet perspective, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and empathy.

Josh - age, stereotype of young, black males, institutional racism, family life, education, and peer pressures.