Communication Accommodation Theory

Description

Write a 2 to 4 page paper (500 to 1100 words) in APA format focused on assessing your communication accommodation and standpoint in terms of social group memberships and influence, including a discussion on how Harding and Wood would measure your degree of strong objectivity. Be sure to support your statements with evidence. Instructions Communication accommodation theory (CAT) states that in intercultural encounters, people who see themselves as unique individuals will adjust their speech style and content to mesh with others whose approval they seek. People who want to reinforce strong group identification will interact with those outside of the group in a way that accentuates their differences. Standpoint theory states that your location within the social hierarchy affects what you see and how you understand the world. The standpoints of marginalized people provide less false views of the world than do the privileged perspectives of the powerful. Strong objectivity requires that scientific research start from the lives of women, the poor, gays and lesbians, and racial minorities. Identify a group to which you belong. How does your membership in this group influence your communication behavior? Do you find yourself accommodating your communication style to match other members, and/or interacting with those outside the group in a way that accentuates differences between the outsiders and the group? Think about your place within the social hierarchy of the group and within the social hierarchy of the larger world. How would Harding and Wood measure your degree of strong objectivity? Do you agree or disagree with their assessment?