Running head: COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE

Communication: Calling, Career, and Culture Laura Guikema Spring Arbor University

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE I have a confession to make: I do not have a specific reason why I began studying

communications. Honestly, I thought it would be more marketable than graduating from college with an English degree, so I became a communications major on a whim. Detailing what communication means to me is difficult; communication makes up so much of what I do every day! Defining communication is both simple and complex for me. Its simple: I love to communicate. And its complex: communication involves many facets, such as audience analysis, relationships, persuasion, credibility, culture, media, and more. Throughout my time at Spring Arbor University, I have built my personal philosophy of communication. I have grown in my capacity to become a credible, creative, Christian professional, and as I enter the professional world in a few months, I think it is important to reflect on how I have grown as a communicator through my time at Spring Arbor University. The first Communications course I took at Spring Arbor University was Introduction to Communication. This course taught me about preliminary descriptions of communication, Jesus as a communicator, and the relational effort communication requires. We discussed definitions and theories of communication. An example from my class notes of a definition is who said what by what channel to whom. We also talked about verbal and nonverbal communication. I had always thought of communication primarily as speaking, so thinking about my nonverbal communication style and habits became an extremely beneficial portion of this course. We submitted an assignment about Jesus communication style. I chose to discuss the Parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37. In this story, Jesus knew used Scripture to prove his point. He was knowledgeable, told a story, commanded his audience, and answered questions kindly. This was my first time studying Jesus communication style, and this led me to consider my own communication style.

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE

One way I considered my communication style was through the relational transformation assignment. The purpose of this assignment was to apply principles from class material to a relationship in my life; therefore, I used communication techniques to transform a relationship. I chose my relationship with my dad. He and I have always gotten along well, but we have similar personalities in that we are not generally the one to initiate a conversation. I was worried that we would grow apart when I moved to college, and I felt like I was bombarding him with questions when we did talk. To transform the relationship, I started thinking about questions to ask him before we talked on the phone, and I also cut out distractions when I talked to him, therefore listening to him more effectively. This improved our verbal communication. Also, I made a changed based on a class discussion on October 1, 2009. Instead of saying, love you, Dad at the end of my phone call, I began to say, I love you, Dad. It was amazing that the addition of one word could change the tone of our interaction. Because of this assignment, my relationship with my dad had more depth. I learned that communication was relational and took effort and persistence. After my Introduction course, I learned about Mass Media. Campbell, Martin, and Fabos (2010) defined communication as the creation and use of symbol systems that convey information and meaning (pg. 5). I agreed with this definition, but I viewed communication as something that was more meaningful than technical. I thought the authors definition for mass communication, the process of designing cultural messages and stories and delivering them to large and diverse audiences through media channels as old as the printed book and as new as the Internet (Campbell, Martin, and Fabos, 2010, pg. 6) more accurately reflected how I viewed communication. Introduction to Mass Media provided a broad overview of areas of communication. I developed media literacy by gaining knowledge and understanding of mass

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE media through the process of description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and engagement

(Campbell, Martin, and Fabos, 2010, pg. 28). I realized that I entered college wanting to redeem culture. I wanted to understand why, for example, people watched the Super Bowl just for the ads. I wanted to discover the principles and techniques behind these effective ads (Campbell, Martin, and Fabos, 2010, pg. 375). Through Introduction to Mass Media, I learned about the history of media forms and understood why I wanted to learn to better communicate. I wanted to become more creative by solving problems through thoughtful and appropriate risk taking (Departmental dispositions). I wanted to learn to present messages creatively through various media channels. After taking introductory courses in Communication and Mass Media, I moved on to the realm of public speaking. Rhetoric taught me about speaking well and communicating using logos, ethos, and pathos. I learned about selecting a topic that was relevant to my audience (Schultze, 2006, pg. 99). I also experimented with utilizing a catchy introduction and conclusion (Keith and Lundberg, 2008, pg. 58). I became more expressive in my speaking. I gave a passion speech about mud, which may sound strange. However, my purpose of the speech was to demonstrate that I choose joy and make the most of my circumstances, including running a cross country race in muddy, rainy conditions in high school. This narrative was a story about joy, and I knew that I had to improve on my expressiveness in order to be taken seriously as a speaker (Schultze, 2008, pg. 62). Overall, I learned that communication involves logic, a focus on the audience, and effective and expressive speaking techniques. Another class I took during my sophomore year was Communication Theory. I still reflect on what many of the theories in the class taught me about communication, but the theory I have meditated on the most since the class is the expectations management theory. This theory

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE states that unmet expectations create disappointment, disappointment unresolved over time creates resentment, and resentment unresolved over time creates contempt. Expectations are unmet when they are unshared, extravagant, or known but disregarded (Class notes, Communication Theory). This theory was crucial to my development in communication. What are my expectations when I communicate? Are they extravagant? Do I share them? Do others take my expectations into consideration? By answering these questions, I can learn to better

communicate with others and demonstrate that I respect others expectations. Another model of communication we discussed in this class was Lasswells formula. He stated that a sender sends a message through a medium to a receiver with a response (Berger, 2006, pg. 31). I liked the simplicity of this formula, but I did not like that it did not include a method of feedback. This demonstrated to me that I was developing my own model of communication. I liked a simple model, but it needed to include certain attributes, and I realized that feedback, which could come in the form of another person meeting my expectations, was important in communication. While taking Communication Theory and learning about expectations management and communication formulas, I also was enrolled in Communication as Calling. The purpose of this course was to discuss how communication related to my current station and overarching vocation. Schultze (2005) said, Our vocation is to be caring followers of Jesus Christ who faithfully love God, neighbor, and self (pg. 15). Defining my calling gave me an idea of how to live it out for the rest of my life. In this class, I defined my vocation as being called to love God, love others, and live with joy. We also discussed current stations, which Schulze (2005) defined as the particular places, relationships, and work in and through which a person cares (pg. 9). He continued, God calls us to both our shared vocation and the various stations where we can

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE work out our faith concretely (Schulze, 2005, pg. 15). Through this class, I reflected on both my vocation and my station. I wrote in an assignment,

Jobs are temporary. My calling is eternal. It will never change. I am called to love God with every fiber of my being, and I desire to make this a reality. I feel led to follow my vocation through communicative relationships with others. I love communicating! I always have, and I have felt called to serve God through communicating with others. I love living with joy, and I love communicating that joy to those around me. I want to make a difference for Christ in todays media. I realized as a result of this course that I became a communications major because I enjoyed communicating, but I did not know where that love would actually lead me. Through learning about communication, I learned more about my calling. After traveling to Germany in January of 2012, I was excited to take a course about Intercultural Communication to further my learning about my calling. One of the texts for this course defined intercultural communication as communication with or about people of different cultural groups (Willis-Rivera, 2010, pg. 7). Throughout this course, I broadened my communication and cultural horizons. One of the most instructive class periods was when Paul Nemecek, director of the SAU Guatemala semester, was a guest lecturer. He said, Most Americans read Scripture through red, white, and blue glasses (Guest lecture, March 1, 2012). This was a powerful quote for me. Communication is not something I should see through my American worldview. I need to be able to think outside of myself; normal isnt normal at all anymore (Willis-Rivera, 2010, pg. 71). The field of communication will require me to be an intercultural communicator.

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE That spring, I also continued learning about the communication principles involved in public speaking, but this time the course was specifically related to persuasion. In Persuasive Speaking, I was reminded to communicate with confidence. (Carter and Coleman, 2009, pg.

129). Over the course of the semester, I realized I was more likely to be persuaded by a speaker who spoke with confidence because this added to their credibility. I also applied this to my own communication style. I needed to be confident in what I communicate! I also learned about the importance of listening in communication. Carter and Coleman (2009) said, Jesus was a brilliant listenernot because he asked questions and allowed his responders to answer them, but because he really took the time to hear and understand what people were saying (pg. 134). Persuasion and communication take listening to be effective. In another of my classes that semester, Popular Culture, we discussed how the sole cause of a mans unhappiness is his inability to sit quietly in his own room (Quote from Blaise Pascal). On the first day of this course, we discussed the popular culture formula, which said, the popularity of a given cultural element (person, object, or event) is directly proportional to the way the cultural element is reflective of audience beliefs and values (Class notes, Popular Culture). This statement astonished me simply because it made sense. What we value is reflected in our culture, or the aspects of our culture would not be present. Over the semester, I reflected on the course material in my journal, and I grew in my knowledge, critical analysis of popular culture, and my appreciation for reflection in general. I realized that I needed to take more time to sit quietly in my own room, as Pascal recommended; this would make me a better communicator. One other quote I was stunned by was in the reading from Nachbar and Lause (1992), who said, The mere passive acceptance of popular beliefs and values puts each of us at some personal risk (pg. 107). I cannot passively accept culture. Culture communicates what its

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE audience values, and I will refuse to passively accept what it offers. This is a crucial part of communication and my calling. I have spent two semesters in the Agency Experience course, and I am beginning the

transition from a student to a professional. One of the most beneficial portions of the course was the StrengthsFinder assessment, which I completed last spring. This assessment allowed me to reflect on my strengths and think about ways I communicate using them. My first strength is an achiever. This means If a day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, [I] will feel dissatisfied (Rath, 2007, pg. 37). This strength represents my love of to-do list. I love working with deadlines, and I pack my days full of achievable tasks. I also am a learner. I communicate by constantly bettering my knowledge in different subject areas. Rath (2007) said, research supports the link between learning and performance. When people have the opportunity to learn and grow, they are more productive (pg. 135). I love refining how I learn and finding new ways to communicate. My other three main strengths are belief, responsibility, and harmony. These three contribute to my desire to communicate things I care about (and therefore am called to). I can see these traits developing, but I still have a lot to learn. I am constantly growing, and I love the opportunities I have to do so. In this Senior Seminar course, I have built my philosophy of communication. In doing so, I have reflected on the departments dispositions. The mission of the Department of Communication and Media is to prepare credible, creative, Christian professionals for a world where the mastery of communication skills and technologies is essential (Department dispositions). I have refined my communication skills over my time at Spring Arbor University. I am more credible. I have learned to gather and organize information in purposeful and persuasive ways through my speech classes. Organizing speeches, especially in my Persuasive

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Speaking class, taught me to analyze my audience and be purposeful in the choices I made while writing and confidently delivering speeches. Similarly, I have developed my creativity. Being creative is not something that comes naturally to me, but I have grown in this area. In my Introduction to Mass Media course, I learned how to [solve] problems through thoughtful and appropriate risk taking. I read about examples of media and companies doing this, and I realized the need for me to be confident in my work and to know when to take the appropriate risks. In the creative realm I also [demonstrated] a commitment to excellence through careful reflection and revision. I learned about reflection through my journal in Popular Culture. This is a lifestyle choice I have continued. I journal often, reflecting on my daily life, and I want to introduce more periods of silence into my life so I am not passively accepting the media offerings constantly surrounding me. While I have grown in my credibility and creativity, I also have grown as a Christian communicator. In many of my courses, we studied Jesus style of communication. I learned that I need to always speak the truth in love and [recognize] that communication is a gift by which [I share] the image of God. I have searched for and reflected on my vocation; I know that I have been gifted with a calling from God, and the various stations in my life will allow me to live out that calling. I want to always speak the truth in love to those around me, and I can confidently communicate as Jesus did. Finally, I am becoming a professional. I am [organized] to accomplish assigned tasks in an efficient and timely manner and I am poised and prepared, reflecting a commitment to excellence and integrity. My desire is to always be a prepared professional. I am organized and an achiever, as my StrengthsFinder results demonstrate, and I desire to be a creative, credible, Christian professional. Communication is essential. I will always value communicating with others and the relationships I have built and maintained through

COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE communication. Through my experiences at Spring Arbor University, I have learned that communication is a gift from God. I am called to communicate with other people, and I am excited to see what stations God will bring me as I live out my calling day by day.

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COMMUNICATION: CALLING, CAREER, AND CULTURE References Berger, A. A. (2006). 50 ways to understand communication. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Campbell, R., Martin, C. R., & Fabos, B. (2010). Media & culture: An introduction to mass communication (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's. Carter, J., & Coleman, J. (2009). How to argue like Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. Class discussion in Introduction to Communication, October 2009 Class notes, Communication Theory, Introduction to Communication, and Popular Culture Department dispositions, handed out September 2012 Guest lecture from Paul Nemecek, Intercultural Communication, March 1, 2012 Keith, W. M., & Lundberg, C. O. (2008). The essential guide to rhetoric. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

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Nachbar, J., & Lause, K. (Eds.). (1992). Popular culture: An introductory text. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. Quote from Blaise Pascal on Popular Culture syllabus Rath, T. (2007). StrengthsFinder 2.0. New York, NY: Gallup, Inc. Schultze, Q. (2006). An essential guide to public speaking: Serving your audience with faith, skill, and virtue. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Schultze, Q. (2005). Here I am: Now what on Earth should I be doing. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. Willis-Rivera, J. (2010). An essential guide to intercultural communication. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.