Gift from Kenya

The gift from Kenya is truly generous and heartfelt. There may be some key misunderstandings between the people of Kenya and America, but I feel this can easily be overcome. The cow's representation must be thought about in terms of what the Kenyan people meant by it. Americans cannot just look at the cow and think, "ok." They cannot simply be ignorant. They must look further into the "why" behind receiving this cow. It was a gift of comfort and reassurance. I feel this was very graceful and compassionate despite different beliefs about cows. 

The fact that Kenya is raising the American cows to this day even shows that they are behind the American people and wish them well. Americans ought to realize this. 

Two Models of Communication

There are two models of communication described in the book. I do not think one is more important than the other. In fact, they both work together whenever they are used. Both are important in learning how communication works.

The transmission model of communication is very basic. It follows the trend of moving an object from one place to another, such as produce as the author mentions. Hopefully the message or object is the same when it gets to the receiver. The source, message, receiver model is very straight forward can be used to describe any method of communication.

The cultural model is a more in depth look at communication around the world. It explains the path of a message within a culture. Messages are passed down through generations and are important to the  traditions and beliefs of a culture. Communication within a society serves as the glue connecting everyone together. More so than the previous model, the cultural model gives a bigger meaning to the messages being transfered. Our ideology is formed by what we hear and see within our culture. 

Media Representation

I found this video to be interesting in the sense that it breaks down a word to help make understanding it easier. We often take for granted the meaning of the word "representation" without stopping to think about what it means in the context. One must think about how it is used at the time to gain a true understanding of what is being said.

Like the others, I also found the media in the background ironically distracting. Depending on how something is represented, the message can be lost in distractions or other noise. 

Media plays a huge role in representation as well. They shape how an issue or subject is viewed by the masses. In a way, they are the gatekeepers of information. The media is trusted to show the truth, but we know that is not always the case. All over the world the media presents issues. They are seen differently in all those places. The war on terror is a classic example. While Americans may see the war as a way to protect ourselves and our freedom, the Islamic community elsewhere may see it as repressive on their beliefs.