COMS 130 Study GuideChapter 1:Civic Engagement: individual and collective actions designed to identify and addressissues of public concern. It encompasses the many ways that people can get involvedin their communities to consider and address civic issues.- Barely half of eligible Americans have bothered to vote in presidential elections.- Other indicators of civic engagement have declined like the number of peoplewho pay attention to news, attend public meetings, or work for political causes. - Significant declines in the number of people signing petitions, writing letters to elected representatives, or local newspapers. - But more people now donate more money to political and civic causes today than ever before, the number of non-profit organizations in America has doubled since 1968. Page 3-6: challenges of democratic citizenship ^^^Page 12: communication challenges of the 21st century- Public speaking is important because it allows us to have a say in decisions that affect our lives but also encompasses high levels of anxiety. - Problems at work arise from poor communications; many employees wish their co-workers could communicate more effectively. - Problems: the media, the Internet, the television, increase in texting and phone usage. Also, audiences we address are far more diverse than those of previous generations. Plagiarism: submitting material in part or whole that is not entirely one’s own work with out attributing those same portions to their correct source. Chapter 3:What are things to consider about a speaking situation?What you knowWhat the audience knowsAre there acoustics in the room?What you want to accomplish in the speechWhat are some ways to reduce communication apprehension?Research and Preparation (and believing in the information)Addressing substantive issues to which you are committedBeing well preparedPositive AttitudePractice speech and active listeningDeep breathing and exercises for relaxationState Anxiety: Try to avoid speaking in public whenever possible, any given situation in which speaking is involved stirs up anxiety and causes heart to race.Trait Anxiety: a particular set of circumstances triggers feelings of communication apprehension. (seeing a particular audience or speech setting as threatening) especially if they are anticipating a hostile or negative response from listeners. -Contextual factors that might influence a speechChapter 4 Positive Outcomes of Effective Listening:Helps us become better informedPart of our responsibility as citizens in a democratic societyGives us a clearer sense of who we are and what we value Helps us develop and sustain better interpersonal relationshipsBy becoming better listeners we can become better speakersBarriers to Good Listening:- Passivity Syndrome: public speaking as a one-way street, the speaker acts while the listener remains passive. - Mental Games: listening is difficult when a speaker challenges our existing beliefs or values. We prefer to listen to people whose thinking is consistent with our own. - Short Attention Span: losing interest after only a few minutes- Stereotyping: we observe a few members of a particular category and draw conclusions about all others belonging to that same group. Unfairly categorizing and stigmatizing people. - DistractionsGuidelines for Improving Listening- Remember your responsibility as a listener (how much you can learn and benefit)- Come prepared to listen and offer feedback- Understand your identity as a Listener - Listen with a purpose- Understand the setting and Intended Audience- Consider the speaker’s purpose- Examine the impact of the speaker’s ethos (separating the person from their message, not just dismissing the message because you don’t like the specific person)- Practice Critical Listening as an Active ProcessChapter 5 What demographics should you consider when analyzing the audience of a speaking situation?- Age- Gender- Race and Ethnicity- Intercultural factors- Religion- Geographic/cultural environment- Education- Occupation or profession- Economic statusChapter 6Main things to consider when picking a suitable and significant speech topic:- Find issues and topics that are important to you and important to your community- Write down issues that capture your interest- Intellectual and Educational Interests (what do you want to learn more about)- Things you like: leisure activities and interestsGeneral Purpose: What you want the audience to simply understand from your speech. In some occasions you may hope to change their minds or motivate them to act.Three general purposes:- Informative Purposes: you want understanding; you give an informative speech to gain understanding from your listeners- Persuasive Purposes: aim to get something from us: agreement, empathy, maybe even some change in behavior. Persuasive speakers want to influence our beliefs, values, and actions.- Ceremonial Purposes: uplifts us, comforts us, and reinforces our sense of community with others. Specific Purpose: is the ultimate response that the speaker hopes to achieveThesis Statement: a single, complete declarative sentence that embodies the idea that you want the audience to understand or accept in order to accomplish your specific purpose. *The Thesis Statement grows from the Specific Purpose, it answers the question “What do listeners have to understand, feel, believe, or do if I am going to get the response I want?”Chapter 7How do you evaluate Internet resources?- Look at the source of information… is it .edu? is it .gov? does it come from an educational or accurate site?- The purpose of the page: is it designed to give information or is it to advocatecertain policies or causes? You don’t want content that may be influenced- The amount of balance and accuracy in the website. Are a variety of viewpoints acknowledged? Is there credible evidence? Credible sources?- Check and see if the site is current and when it was created Citing Sources during your presentation:- “Time magazine reported last month…”- “Dr. so and so, a distinguished professor at the University of Kansas told me in a recent interview…”Do this if: (citing sources during presentation)- boosting your ethos by associating your ideas with that of a recognized authority- the information you are presenting is so startling or unusual that the audience will doubt its accuracy unless a respected source is cited- you support an unpopular position and with to blunt its unpopularity by