Analysis of Communication Barriers and Listening Techniques Case Study

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CASE STUDY 1
Case Study 1: Culture, Perception, and Listening
[Name: First Last]
COMM1101: Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Skills
Dr Sung Tsai
Sunday, May 26, 2019

CASE STUDY 2
Case Study 1: Culture, Perception, and Listening
1. Interpersonal communication includes verbal and nonverbal communication methods. That
includes body posture, eye contact and facial expression itself. Even it provides silence also
because sometimes touch and sense are required for interpersonal communication. The more
focus is on that other person will understand the meaning of the exchanged communication.
Interpersonal communication has seven characteristics which help to classify the different
elements during any conversation. One of the seven aspects of interpersonal communication is
personal rules, which are one of the most important ones. The following example will help to
illustrate with the case:
In particular regulations, an individual set rules for communicating with others and follow those
rules all the time when it comes to delivering in future. In given case, Annette, was moved to live
in a more significant area after her grandmother died and later one month spending with her new
friends, she used to feel become ashamed of her roots but her friends invited her for outing to
visit at the riverside, but there is found that they were drinking alcohol; also, she ran away from
there because that makes her remember of her neighbours' party where people drink and fight.
That saved her from that situation because one of the fellow girls missed since that evening. It
explains that she set rules of not being a part of any alcoholic parties helped her to become save
her from unexpected events. She decided that she will never be a part of any communication
with alcoholic people (DeVito et. al., 2016, p. 4-7) .

CASE STUDY 3
2. Enculturation is a process where people understand the importance of their culture and learn
the valuable things from their parents, grandparents, media and other essential factors. It
influences them to learn the values and act accordingly in their life. It helps an individual to
develop the ethnic identity by comparing they're cultural with other cultures. Acculturation is a
process which often belongs to the aesthetic modifications of immigrants when they move to
some culturally different areas. It is a process where a person's cultural will be modified through
its direct exposure to the new, different artistic of new land. Acculturation process includes
modifications in their owned aesthetic.
Annette was very close to her grandmother because she was the only family left after her mother
lost a few years back. Annette learned many things in the kitchens such as cooking moose meat
and berry stew from her grandmother. She learned all types of sewing and beading at a very early
age. She sewed and bead at her jingle dress at nine years. She discovered her Cree language to
communicate with others. It was an enculturation process but later, when she became friends
with other in school and she got a chance to expose their cultural she started feeling ashamed of
her identity and become more familiar with the new aesthetic. It explained the acculturation
process, which was helpful to develop a new character (DeVito et al., 2016, p. 27).

CASE STUDY 4
3. Self-concept means the way the person sees at themselves. There are four essential dimensions
of developing a self-concept, which is other images of you, comparison with others, self –
evaluation and cultural teachings. It helps to identify the person the importance of self-concept as
well. In this case, Annette was a lovely girl. Her mother was lost after a night out with friends
and never come back. She has just a grandmother who died later and had to live with foster
parents to a new area (DeVito et al., 2016, p. 48). She used to live at Sawridge lake Cree first
nation and then moved to a new place with her adoptive parents.
In her new school, at first, fellow kids made fun of her and even told her to go back from
Edmonton. Kids used to call her from different names such as "rez girl" and all which made a
negative impact of her own cultural on her mind. After a few days, when she became friends
with other girls, she used to feel ashamed for her culture in front of her friends. Which explains
in terms of self-concept, the dimension “others’ images of you” suits Annette best. In this
concept, a person will start looking at themselves with the pattern of other behaviours' primarily
how people treat or react at the person when they meet. When she began feeling ashamed of her
new cultural, it explains that she got affected how school kids treated her in the first few weeks.

CASE STUDY 5
4. After two days of that evening river party, one of Annette classmate did not come to school.
Her classmates did drink at the party, and her mother was disappearing after a night party her
friends, these things made her super nervous about the whole situation and consequences. She
decided to go the principle for informing him about that evening and the missing friend, but he
did not pay any attention to whatever she said to him. He stated that this is not a new thing; it
happened all the time; she will be with one of her many boyfriends and will come back soon.
The principal here made a fundamental attribution error while communicating with Annette
about missing girl. Fundamental attribution error is a kind of mistake where people concluded
that people will always act like the kind of people they are, not according to the situation they are
in. In this type of attribution error, people don't give preference to the case, they blame the
person for whatever happened. Principal itself did the same thing when she was explaining her
the story of that particular evening (DeVito et al., 2016, p. 63). He already made his perceptions
about the young girls who do parties with their friends. He did not pay attention to the
seriousness of the situation, which explained that he made a fundamental attribution error.

CASE STUDY 6
5. When Annette went to the principal to inform him about that evening party at the riverside and
missing girl, he did not listen effectively and paid no attention to the information which she was
giving to him. There were some listening barriers also, which impacted his listening ability while
he was communicating with the Annette. The main obstacles for his listening ability are physical
and mental distractions and premature judgment.
The principal was busy when she visited him. He was busy checking his e-mails on his computer
and during the entire conversation; he was doing that played the role of a significant distraction
to him. If a person is mentally or physical distracts, then he is not able to listen effectively. The
second reason was that he made a premature judgment about young girls who do parties with
boys that she was with one of her many boyfriends, and she will come back soon.
Effectively listen to techniques – If the principal used a non-judgmental and critical listening
technique, it would be straightforward for him to open mind and listen to Annette without
making any more premature judgment. This technique will be helpful to him to look extra and
ask a question if it any he would have any doubts (DeVito et al., 2016, p. 81).

CASE STUDY 7
Part B: Field study
Part 1 – listening barriers
Helen – hello Mimi
Mimi – hello Helen, how are you doing?
Helen – I shared you a few things, but I don't think you paid any attention to that.
Mimi – Oh, I’m sorry about that, it wasn’t intentional, but it made you feel this way, I want to
explain some barriers which made me distracted.
Helen – I know you were putting makeup that took all your attention.
Mimi – No, not just physical barriers, I got distracted because of some other issues such as I
made a premature judgment about you that you are working and still you can’t afford your rent
to a new place and other than that I got distracted because of those headphones which I was
showing you. One other thing was that I was not involved with the conversation with you and
I’m sorry for that.
Helen – oh!! I get it.
Mimi – I have to share one more thing that I got biased because of your eating habits, so when
you shared that someone complains about you eating hard-boiled eggs, I got biased.
Part 2 – Listening techniques
Helen – Hello Mimi
Mimi – Hey, Helen!! How are you doing? Why you seem so upset.
Helen – I want to share something with you. Somebody complain about me about eating hard-
boiled eggs in the morning, and I think people don't like me at work.

CASE STUDY 8
Mimi – Oh, that’s no good. Who did that? I don’t think that people don’t like you at work. You
are friendly to everyone and pretty helpful too. Did you have any fight with anyone recently?
Helen – Not really.
Mimi - Strange!! Did boss ever tell you anything about it before?
Helen – Never!! But I have a problem with my neighbours' too; they are pretty nosy.
Mimi – I remember you were telling me that things are pretty complicated there and you can’t
afford any other place right now.
Helen – Yeah.

CASE STUDY 9
References