Keynote Analysis

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MINDANAO
College of Humanities and Social Sciences






Keynote Address
By Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert
International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development
Seizing Opportunities, Upholding Rights
(An Analysis)


In partial fulfillment of the course requirements in
Speech Communication 104
(Occasional Speeches)









Submitted by:

JESSA LORETA BILLANO
2007-56718
2 BA Communication Arts






Submitted to:

PROF. KAREN JOYCE CAYAMANDA
SPCM 104 (Occasional Speeches)
Instructor


I. INTRODUCTION

Rhetoric, according to Aristotle, is the possible means of persuasion on any subject in a given situation. The emphasis is clearly on the suasive, on bringing about the desired outcome or effect. Its domain was largely political, and certainly public (as cited by Andrews, 1992).
He then suggests a situational definition of rhetoric as the art of finding the “available means of persuasion” on any given issue (Emmel, et. al., 1996).
In an Aristotelian view of rhetoric, there are three elements that interdependently work with each other. These are the sender of the message or the speaker, the message or the speech, and the audience or receiver of the message.
Aristotle suggests that there are three kinds of proof wherein the available means of persuasion are based: (ethos) ethical, emotional (pathos), and logical (logos) ( as cited by Griffin, 2006).
“Logical proof comes from the line of argument in the speech, ethical proof is the way the speaker's character is revealed through the message, and emotional proof is the feeling the speakers draws out of the hearers” (Griffin, 206).
On the other hand, Winterowd asserts that rather than being confined to the persuasive, rhetoric is a “meta-subject that can serve to unify the diverse aspects of the study of discourse of all kinds” (Winterowd 1968: vii). He then goes to argue that all communication is persuasive, and therefore all communication is rhetorical (as cited by Andrews, 1992).
With these definitions and background of rhetoric, we will be able to understand clearly what rhetorical criticism is.

Rhetorical criticism is a tool to analyze symbolic objects including words, phrases, images, gestures, performances, texts, films, and “discourse” in general. It aims to discover how and how well they work: how they instruct, inform, entertain, move, arouse, perform, convince, and persuade their audience, including whether and how they might improve their audience. Therefore, rhetorical criticism seeks to understand how symbols act on people. What is called “rhetorical criticism” in the Speech Communication discipline is often called “rhetorical analysis” in English (Answers.com).

To a layman, rhetoric is simply an act of persuasion. It is applied when you are convincing someone to believe in your thoughts, ideas, ideologies, and so forth. Thus to him, rhetorical criticism is when you analyze how the speakers attempt to persuade their receivers by looking at the various components that make up the act of persuasion.












II. DRAMATISM

Dramatism was Kenneth Burke’s favorite word to describe what he observed when people open their mouths to communicate (Miller 2005). Kenneth Burke's view was that life is not like a drama, life is a drama and the entire world is a stage. Dramatism is not just for persuasion. It is for every role in our lives. Therefore, communicators involved in different situations are seen as actors performing the dramatic scenes of their lives.
According to Kenneth Burke, the proponent of the theory, there are three central concepts in dramatism namely, identification guilt-redemption cycle and dramatistic pentad.

Identification
Identification is the “common ground that exists between speaker and audience” (Griffin, 2006). Without identification, there is no persuasion.
Burke suggests that all things have substance. He defines it as the “general nature or essence of a thing. Each person is a distinct substance, a holistic essence derived from the interaction among all aspects of that individual” (as cited by Wood, 1997). This distinct or unlike substance of each person, is believed to be the basis of human communication. Though there is an overlap between the substances of individuals, we remain apart because this overlap is incomplete (Wood, 1997). “Communication becomes the primary means by which we seek to transcend our divisions and enhance our consubstantiality or identification with each other” (Burke, 1950, as cited by Wood, 1997).
Communication is made possible by our consubstantiality and we understand others only because of some overlap in our individual substances like goals, experiences, and language. “Communication is the primary way that we increase our identification, or consubstantiality with others and diminish our division or separateness from others. Identification is sought because we feel division; division makes us aware of the need for identification” (Wood, 1997).

Guilt-Redemption Cycle
Burke (1965, 1966) defines guilt as the central motive for human action specifically, communication. If defined broadly, guilt is any tension, discomfort, sense of shame, or other unpleasant feeling that humans experience (as cited by Wood, 1994).
There are three ways in which symbolic abilities give rise to guilt in humans (Burke, 1965, 1966, as cited by Wood, 1997).
First is hierarchy. “Guilt can be aroused both by being above some people and by not being higher ourselves in the social hierarchy” (Wood, 1997).
Next is perfection. Wood (1994) says that if there is a gap between the situations or cases that we have (personal shortcomings, imperfections in relationships, social inequities) and the perfection that we can imagine, then guilt will arise.
Lastly, there is “the negative.” The negative, according to Burke is the moral capacity of humans to say “no,” “not” and “thou shall not.” “Because we have invented a great many negatives and we judge ourselves by them, it's difficult to avoid guilt from disobeying some rule we've created or in which we believe.
Guilt is the primary motive for human action. Therefore, Burke argues that purging guilt then becomes the principal goal of communication and the guilt-redemption cycle is the root of all rhetoric.

The Dramatistic Pentad
The dramatistic pentad is a tool that provides a structure for analyzing human actions or how the speaker tries to persuade the audience to accept their view of reality as true. It offers a way to determine why the speaker selected a given rhetorical strategy to identify with the audience (Griffin, 2006).
The pentad consists of five crucial elements of the human drama that Burke considered central to understanding and analyzing human symbolic activity:
The Act – what was done
The Scene – generally thought of as where and when; context of an act
The Agent – the entity that could be construed as performing an act
The Agency – the methods or tools used to perform the act
The Purpose – the goal or motive that lies behind the act






















III. ANALYSIS

The ACT

Globalization refers to the process of global integration of the economies of nations by allowing the unrestricted flow of goods, services, investments and currencies between countries. Nation states pursued globalization in the hope that this would lead to prosperity. They believed that globalization would bring them agricultural modernization, industrialization, urbanization, and hyper-consumerism resulting in increases of per capita gross domestic product (GDP).
The opening of the world through globalization creates a huge impact on the issue of migration. The increased movement of people, particularly women, within and across national borders is a key aspect of globalization analyzed from a gender perspective.
One of the most significant trends in migration has been the entry of women into migration streams that had heretofore been primarily male. About half of the migrants in the world today are women, as has been the case for several decades (Zlotnick 2003).
In the United Nations’ Consultative Meeting on Migration and Mobility and How This Movement Affects Women, Susan Forbes Martin asserts that these women include both international migrants, who move to other countries, as well as internal migrants, who relocate in other parts of their own countries. Many women accompany or join family members. But now, increasing numbers of female migrants migrate on their own and they become the principal wage earners for themselves and their families. While there are those who move voluntarily, still, a significant number are forced migrants who have fled conflict, persecution, environmental degradation, natural disasters and other situations that affect their habitat and livelihood.
“The mobility of women affects the roles of both female and male migrants, families left behind in the migration process, and source and destination communities and countries of migrants. In particular, migration of women within and from developing countries affects the development process itself for those countries. It also raises a number of challenges to immigration and refugee policies that address such issues as family reunification and formation, labor migration, trafficking and smuggling, and forced migration” (Martin, 2003).
National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) Chair Myrna T. Yao says that "there is a notable trend in the growing number of women migrants. At present, they make up nearly half of the global migrant population. This is often referred to as the ‘feminization of migration.’ Women migrate for various reasons including for reunification with their families and for marriage." With this, the NCRFW organized the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development.
The said conference became a home of exchange of ideas and views about the looming migration of women. A lot of speeches, talks, discussions, regarding migration, gender and development were done. There are also speeches about migration and other factors that are related to or have something to do with it. One of those is the Keynote Address delivered by Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert.
The speech was conveyed to primarily make the participants of the International Conference aware of what is the relevance of migration to diplomacy. Ambassador Albert also focused on the issues about the migration of women, especially Filipino women. She as well talked about how necessary it is to get the Filipino women migrants out of harms way through diplomatic efforts.

The issue on migration becomes a political issue that is why diplomacy becomes a relevant topic in this case. “Diplomacy is the science of international relations; it is the conduct of negotiations between nations” (Grolier New Webster’s Dictionary, 1992) which is greatly affected when there is migration or when transborder movements of persons from societies of origin to societies of destination occur.
Moreover, according to Ambassador Albert, “diplomats are drawn to play a role in this global drama… diplomats are charged to promote and protect the national interests of their respective countries including of course of their nationals. They remain at the forefront of these relations.”
In Asia, the Philippine takes third seat after China and India in global migration.
The Philippine is a middle-sized country with 90 million people and a population growing annually at 2.3%. Half of the population are women. As of December 2007 there are approximately 8.73 million Filipinos found in 193 countries of this number 3.69 million (45% are permanently residing abroad, 4.13 million are temporarily working overseas and about 10% are considered irregular migrants.

She afterwards presented that the ratio of women to men workers overseas increased to 60% in 2006 due to the increase in global need for services.
According to her, women have a higher literacy rate than men. Additionally, “more women finish primary and secondary levels of education and enrolment in tertiary education registers more women than men. Beyond these levels there are considerably more women licensed professionals and account for 63% of those who pass government professional board examinations. In the diplomatic service known for its stringent examinations, more women have been making the grade than the men.”
Yet she argues that “Filipino men are likely to end up in jobs that need more skills and therefore better paid the women are likely to get jobs that are low paying and often unprotected.”
The United Nations states that despite the substantial contributions to both their families at home and communities abroad, the needs of migrant women continue to be overlooked and ignored. Moreover, the State of World Population, A Passage to Hope: Women and International Migration informs that although migrant women contribute billions of dollars in cash and services, policymakers continue to disregard both their contributions and their vulnerability-even though female migrants tend to send a much higher proportion of their lower earnings back home than their male counterparts.
The global setting is then taken into consideration.
An impetus to the feminization of Filipino migration to Europe was the “mailorder-bride” arrangement introduced in the 1970’s and continued into the 90’s. This arrangement came about after Europe began to close its open-door-policy for Asian migrant labor. Women workers then came in with “fiancé visas”.
During this period, we witnessed a number of domestic violence cases involving mail-order brides. Today however, I note that the numbers of domestic violence cases have abated. Newer issues such as competition for workplaces with women from the Eastern European countries – is being felt especially in the nursing and domestic services sector. Also, the slowing of economies has diminished the possibilities for low-skilled workers.

Susan Forbes Martin of the United Nations says that “companies recruiting mail-order brides tend to be highly successful in countries with poor economies and few economic opportunities for women. While many companies have a legitimate interest in matching spouses, some of these businesses use the lure of immigration as a pretext for trafficking the women into prostitution.”

A close look into policies governing its migrant workers show that the Philippines is the largest organized labor source country in the world today.

Again, reacting to these developments, a strong political response came in the passage of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 known as the Magna Charta for Philippine labor. The law called for the government to promote the welfare of migrant workers and place their protection above all else. The law states- “While recognizing the contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the national economy through their foreign exchange remittances, the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development.
The existence of the overseas employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizen shall not, at any time be compromised or violated.”
In effect, the law spelled out the marching orders for Filipino diplomats. Today, consular establishments are set up in areas where there are a sizeable number of Filipino citizens. The flag followed the migrants.

When the Ambassador talked about the Government Responses to these issues of migration of women, she focused on the effective response of the government to the demands of migrant workers and the developments in the participation of Filipino diplomats in many global debates on migration. She also included the passage of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 which she identified as a strong political response to migration.
The World Bank reported in 2007 that the Philippines is one of the top recipient countries of recorded remittances. However, the said law makes it clear that the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development.
Along with the responses of the government, the diplomatic effort for the women migrants around the globe is noteworthy. Ambassador Albert related her own hard works as a diplomat. Her resolution 2004/49 entitled, “Violence Against Women Migrant Workers” called upon governments of origin and destination, to undertake the following measures:
1) To put penal sanctions to punish traffickers and perpetrators of violence against women migrant workers; 2) to provide the victims of violence and trafficking with the full range of immediate assistance such as counselling, legal and consular assistance, temporary shelter and other means; and 3) to safeguard their dignified return to the country of origin as well as to establish reintegration and rehabilitation schemes for returning migrant women workers.
However, even though the Philippines is the largest organized labor source country in the world today and diplomatic efforts may give great help to Filipino women migrants, the effect of global recession is unstoppable. “Recent global developments are showing signs of declining economic performances of major economic players. I believe that it is time to take a good hard look at the impact of this global economic downtrend especially on the more vulnerable segment of the migrant communities, namely; the women migrant workers” Ambassador Albert said.
The global recession reduced demand in developed economies such as the U.S. and Western Europe. As businesses lost their clients, thousands of workers - most of them women - lost their jobs.
In the article of Prime Sarmiento (Inter Press Service, March 04, 2009), he mentioned that the study issued by the International Labor Organization (ILO) revealed that women are experiencing “the first blows of job cut’’ in developing Asian economies, including the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Thailand.
“This is because women dominate the workforce in the garment, textiles and electronics industries. Women also form a big part of the labor force of the tourism industry, another hard-hit sector. This, the ILO report said, will erode the gains achieved by women in paid employment in the past three decades”, he added.
Nieves Confesor, associate dean of the Centre for Development Management at the Manila-based Asian Institute of Management (AIM), said in an interview with the Inter Press Servive that “we always forget that it’s the women who will suffer most in this crisis.”
Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert’s 30 years of experience in women migration made her able to end her speech by asking a few questions: Do we want a second generation of Filipino women domestic workers overseas? What are our choices? How can we, as concerned women bring about those choices?
“I reiterate the need for an honest assessment of Philippine migration policies taking into serious consideration the current economic and political challenges,” she said.














The SCENE

The International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development held at Manila, Philippines last September 22-26, 2008 was brought by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW). The NCRFW was established on January 7, 1975 through Presidential Decree No. 633, as an advisory body to the President and the Cabinet on policies and programs for the advancement of women. It is mandated “to review, evaluate, and recommend measures, including priorities to ensure the full integration of women for economic, social and cultural development at national, regional and international levels, and to ensure further equality between women and men.”
Women's concerns were positioned at the heart of the government agenda with the integration of the gender equality principle in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It was during this period, that the first Philippine Development Plan for Women (PDPW), 1989-1992 was adopted through Executive Order No. 348. Also enacted shortly was the "Women in Nation-Building Act" (RA 7192), which promotes the integration of women as full and equal partners of men in development and nation-building.
The organization's advocacy for women's rights and the opening up of countries due to globalization which resulted in the increasing migration of workers and their families in the year 2008 made them able to come up with the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development last September 25-26, 2008 in Manila, Philippines. The conference aimed to (a) highlight rights violations against women migrant workers and (b) provide a forum for policy dialogue, highlighting good practice in policies and programmes that protect the rights of women migrant workers at all stages of migration.
Moreover, according to Ambassador Regine de Clerq in the First Global Forum on Migration and Development, “migration is the most complex issue related to globalization yet it is the least addressed issue.”
The “feminization of migration”, or the growing number of women migrants that makes up nearly half of the international migrant population is worth noting in the field of migration. According to the NCRFW, “these women migrate for various reasons such as reunification with their families, marriage, and increasingly, to search for jobs. Commercialized migration of domestic workers and caregivers, trafficking of women for sexual exploitation, and organized migration of women for marriage, reflect the kind of jobs or sectors women migrate into. Much of trafficking, in particular, happens within the context of migration by manipulating the vulnerability of women and legal migration channels.”
Such conditions exist despite countries' endorsement of regional and international human rights instruments such as the ASEAN Declaration on the Promotion and the Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC), the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and other state obligations on migrant workers.
As what I have said earlier, the issue on migration becomes a political issue that is why diplomacy becomes a relevant topic in this case. And “diplomacy is the science of international relations; it is the conduct of negotiations between nations” (Grolier New Webster’s Dictionary, 1992) which is greatly affected when there is migration or when transborder movements of persons from societies of origin to societies of destination occur.

Indeed, with the effect of globalization to migration of women in the year 2008, the problems that threaten women migrants and the significance of diplomacy to address these problems, the conference intended to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices in promoting opportunities and gender equality for women migrants, to enhance their contribution to development and upholding their rights and those of their families; and to infuse a gender perspective and rights-based approach to policies, programs, and services on migration between and among countries.
















The AGENT

Delia Domingo Albert, the first woman Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Minister) of the Philippines from 2003-2004, is a career diplomat and has represented the Philippines in various capacities in Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, the former German Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Commonwealth of Australia with concurrent accreditation to Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. In September 2004, she was appointed Presidential Adviser for Multilateral Cooperation and Development and concurrently from 21 January 2005 as Presidential Envoy for Mining. In January 2005 she was appointed Philippine Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. She attended the University of the Philippines as well as academic institutions in Europe, namely: the Institute for International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland; the Diplomatic Institute in Salzburg, Austria; Boston University Overseas in Bonn, Germany; the Institute of Political Science and Strategic Studies in Kiel Germany; the J.F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and the Public Administration Institute of London, U.K. She speaks English, German, French, Romanian, Spanish and Japanese in addition to her national language, Filipino. While on assignment at the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, she also attended conferences of the various United Nations Specialized Agencies both in Geneva and Vienna and New York. She chaired the UN Security Council during the Presidency of the Philippines in June 2004. In the home office she served as Director-General of the ASEAN National Secretariat and Secretary General of the 4th APEC Leaders meeting for which she was commended by the Philippine Senate in its Resolution No. 9 of 29 November 1996. On 24 January 2004, H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred on her the Order of Sikatuna, with the rank of Datu, for her exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines. On 28 July 2004, she was conferred the Honorary Royal Title of “Bai-A-Rawatun Sa Pilipinas” by the 16 Royal Houses of Lanao and the Maranao Women with Royal Titles in the Islamic City of Marawi, Lanao del Sur, Philippines for assisting the women of Mindanao in their search for peace and development. In June 2005, the National Council for Women of the Philippines awarded her “Outstanding Woman in Public Service”. In 1992, she was awarded the Knights Commanders Cross of the Order of Merit with Star by the Federal Republic of Germany for promoting Philippine relations with Germany as well as relations between ASEAN and the European Union. The Philippine Women’s University, during its 81st Commencement Exercises and 85th anniversary of 2 April 2004, conferred on her the degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa in recognition of her contribution towards building a gender-fair society as the first woman Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and in the ASEAN region.
With this background of Ambassador Albert, and her dedication in her missions to build a gender-fair society and good international relations among nations, she is so much qualified to deliver the Keynote Address in the International Conference on Migration, Gender and Development – Seizing Opportunities, Upholding Rights.
With her established credibility, own experiences as a diplomat and an advocate of women’s rights, and her skills in public-speaking, she was able to effectively relate with her audiences and inform and educate them with the present condition of women migration in the globe.
The AGENCY

Migration, specifically women migration, the problems that threaten women migrants and the significance of diplomacy to address these problems is a very complicated and sensitive issue. If one has to talk about it, he/she must present the real score carefully and clearly.
Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert's speech on diplomacy and migration was divided into ten parts and these were the following: Introduction, Diplomacy and Migration, Gender Equity Index, Challenges, The Global Setting, Government Responses, Diplomatic Efforts, Global Recession, Current Trends and Policies, and Conclusion. As we can see, the topics were orderly arranged in such a way that the ideas would not all be mixed up. These divisions were intended to make the message of the speech easier to grasp by the ones who are listening to it.
The participants of the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development where she delivered her speech were Government Senior Officials (from UN Member States) directly involved in policy making, particularly on women, migration and development matters, Civil society (from UN Member States): women and migrant advocacy groups, children's advocacy groups, NGOs, religious groups, federations, trade unions, Academe, Private sector and International and Regional Organizations. All came from different parts of the country that is why English language is used.
The language is also formal with a reverent but passionate tone in order to have a respectful, intimate connection with the audience.
She began her speech by giving thanks to the prime movers of the International Conference on gender, Migration and Development. It was meant to give respect to them of course. And her last statement in her introduction was for the purpose of building a firsthand impression or notion on the topic she will be discussing about.
Ambassador Albert then asked, “Why is diplomacy relevant to the global debate on migration?” One of the most effective ways to catch the attention of your audience is to ask them a question and let them ponder on it for a while.
After which, she answered her own question directly through defining what is migration and diplomacy and made a clear statement on how these two are related with each other. And then she gave an example based on her experiences for illustration.

Perhaps, the best answer would be the fact that migration which consists of transborder movements of persons from societies of origin to societies of destination would necessarily impact on the relations between and among states. As such it becomes a political issue and diplomats are drawn to play a role in this global drama. Moreover, diplomats are charged to promote and protect the national interests of their respective countries including of course of their nationals. They remain at the forefront of these relations.

To illustrate, let me speak of my own experiences as a practitioner of diplomacy for the past four decades.
I joined the Foreign Service at the height of the Cold War in Southeast Asia. The Philippines, as an ally of the West joined in the efforts to stem the tide of communism in Indo China. By supporting this effort, the Philippines was rewarded with contracts to construct and reconstruct and with it went the supply of Philippine labor.
When the conflict turned against the West it became necessary to get the Filipino workers out of harms way through diplomatic efforts. As a young and adventurous diplomat with no sense of danger I joined a successful effort called “Operation Pakikisama” through which we successfully got our workers out before the Tet offensive could get to them.

The following definitions were given by Ambassador Albert:
migration – transborder movements of persons from societies of origin to societies of destination
diplomacy – relations between and among states
Because of these, she was able to unambiguously explain the relevance of migration to diplomacy. This showed that Ambassador Albert used the appeal to logic to inform her audiences about the relevance of diplomacy to migration. The reasoning became logically correct because of the accurate starting points – which are the definitions – thus leading to truthful account about the relevance of diplomacy to migration.
On the other hand, the illustration where Ambassador Albert used her personal experiences made her able to establish ethos or an ethical appeal towards her audience. By this we mean that she created her credibility, character, and confidence as a speaker. She also tried to express the crucial role of diplomats in implementing a national policy to assist/save their own nationals.
She identified with her audiences as well. In order to identify with them, Ambassador Albert made use of her own experiences as a diplomat. She knew that all of them in the audience could relate well to her because like her, they have also undergone, if not exactly the same experiences that she had as a diplomat, at least somehow the same undertakings for the welfare of migrants in their own countries.
After she illustrated her personal experiences, Ambassador Albert continued with her speech and touched on the Philippine experience. She tried to appeal to the emotions of her audiences as she delivered these emotion-laden words when she started her illustration in the Philippine setting.

Let me now turn to the Philippine experience.
To understand the picture of hundreds of Filipino maids congregating on Sundays at a park in Hongkong or the omni-present Filipino women salesgirls at Duty Free Dubai, it is necessary to take a close look into the Philippine setting.

These words would likely to catch the attention of the audiences. This was an effective invitation for them to continue to listen to the speech. Moreover, the emphasis on the Philippine experience would be an interesting topic for those participants/audiences who came from other countries.
Facts and figures were also used to support the arguments presented.
In Asia, the Philippines takes third seat after China and India in global migration. The Philippines is a middle-sized country with 90 million people and a population growing annually at 2.3%. Half of the population are women. As of December 2007 there are approximately 8.73 million Filipinos found in 193 countries of this number 3.69 million (45% are permanently residing abroad, 4.13 million are temporarily working overseas and about 10% are considered irregular migrants.
Unusual in Asia, it is a predominantly Christian country with a minority of Muslims and other indigenous religions. The medium of instruction is English.


The use of statistics in presenting the status of the Philippines in global migration was a logical appeal to the audiences. The facts and figures on it made the line of argument more convincing.

The ratio of women to men workers overseas increased to 60% in 2006 due to the increase in global need for services. While Filipino men are likely to end up in jobs that need more skills and therefore better paid the women are likely to get jobs that are low paying and often unprotected. The majority of women workers overseas take on jobs which are extensions of their roles in performing domestic chores.
This is quite a contradiction because Filipino women still maintain a higher literacy rate compared to men. More women finish primary and secondary levels of education and enrolment in tertiary education registers more women than men.
Beyond these levels there are considerably more women licensed professionals and account for 63% of those who pass government professional board examinations. In the diplomatic service known for its stringent examinations, more women have been making the grade than the men.

Ambassador Albert presented the contradiction that lies in the global migration of Filipino men and women. She declared that women have higher literacy rate compared to men and yet they still end up with jobs that are low paying and often unprotected.
These sad realities about women migrants were Ambassador Albert’s tools in purging guilt to her audiences for them to sympathize and be convinced to what she says and to her in her next accounts.

She then conveyed to her audiences the Global Setting concentrating in the European scene where she served for twenty years.
An impetus to the feminization of Filipino migration to Europe was the “mail-order-bride” arrangement introduced in the 1970’s and continued into the 90’s. This arrangement came about after Europe began to close its open-door-policy for Asian migrant labor. Women workers then came in with “fiancé visas”.
During this period, we witnessed a number of domestic violence cases involving mail-order brides. Today however, I note that the numbers of domestic violence cases have abated. Newer issues such as competition for workplaces with women from the Eastern European countries – is being felt especially in the nursing and domestic services sector. Also, the slowing of economies has diminished the possibilities for low-skilled workers.

We can see that she still aimed to purge guilt for her to be able to drive the drama with her audiences.

Last year, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of “Babaylan”, an umbrella organization of ten (10) Filipino women groups in ten (10) European countries. It is impressive to observe how women working together have been effective in lobbying decision makers and NGO’s, especially the religious organizations, to help them assert their rights as migrants. Indeed, it is a joy to see how many of the Filipino migrant women have developed leadership roles in their respective communities.

After purging the guilt and letting everyone see the somehow dark sides of the feminization of migration, she mentioned the positive sides that the Filipino women migrants have developed in Europe to balance the mood of the audience.
There was also an instance that Ambassador Albert mentioned a law that was a political response to women migration.

A close look into policies governing its migrant workers show that the Philippines is the largest organized labor source country in the world today.

Again, reacting to these developments, a strong political response came in the passage of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 known as the Magna Charta for Philippine labor. The law called for the government to promote the welfare of migrant workers and place their protection above all else. The law states- “While recognizing the contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the national economy through their foreign exchange remittances, the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development.
The existence of the overseas employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizen shall not, at any time be compromised or violated.”
In effect, the law spelled out the marching orders for Filipino diplomats. Today, consular establishments are set up in areas where there are a sizeable number of Filipino citizens. The flag followed the migrants.

Mentioning a law is actually a competent way to deliver information to your audiences and for you to be agreeable to their point of view.
She also acknowledged diplomatic efforts of the Philippines on migration focusing again, on her own experiences and own efforts.

My first hand experience in dealing with women migrant workers who were violated physically and psychologically gave me the determination to go beyond just extending immediate consular assistance.
In 2004 as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, I saw an opportunity to elevate the issue to the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva by initiating resolution 2004/49 entitled, “Violence Against Women Migrant Workers”. My resolution called upon governments of origin and destination, to undertake the following measures:
1) to put penal sanctions to punish traffickers and perpetrators of violence against women migrant workers;
2) to provide the victims of violence and trafficking with the full range of immediate assistance such as counselling, legal and consular assistance, temporary shelter and other means; and
3) to safeguard their dignified return to the country of origin as well as to establish reintegration and rehabilitation schemes for returning migrant women workers.
I was supported fully by the women Foreign Ministers who were present at that conference. Certainly, as you are all aware, there is great value in networking among women. Perhaps we could unite to monitor how all these political and diplomatic initiatives are being respected.
It was an appeal to ethics or author’s credibility as she associated herself in her speech. All that was said focused on Ambassador Albert’s experiences as a diplomat. She made her own self as an example, again, to build an impression and credibility as a diplomat and an advocate of women’s rights.
Yet, she was also able to stress that diplomats have a great contribution in the endeavor to stop violence against women migrant workers.
However, global recession makes it difficult for diplomats to go on with their advocacy to help women migrants. It is because women are the ones who are greatly affected with the declining world productivity.
Recent global developments are showing signs of declining economic performances of major economic players. I believe that it is time to take a good hard look at the impact of this global economic downtrend especially on the more vulnerable segment of the migrant communities, namely; the women migrant workers.

The appeal to the emotion was used by Ambassador Albert to plea to the listeners “to take a look at the impact of this global economic downtrend especially on the more vulnerable segment of the migrant communities, namely; the women migrant workers.”
She concluded her speech with questions the following rhetorical questions: “Do we want a second generation of Filipino women domestic workers overseas? What are our choices? How can we, as concerned women bring about those choices?”
These rhetorical questions are used for effect, emphasis, or provocation, or for drawing a conclusion statement from the facts at hand.
“I reiterate the need for an honest assessment of Philippine migration policies taking into serious consideration the current economic and political challenges,” the Ambassador said it over again this to instil the discussions she had to the audiences’ minds and for them to be convinced and not to forget this request.
Ambassador Albert gracefully ended her speech by again thanking the organizers for giving her the opportunity to contribute her share to the global debate on gender and migration and by telling everyone that her support is with them throughout the conference.
Because of these, she left the audiences, a positive look and an agreeable impression to all that she said and to her as well.
















The PURPOSE

The purpose of the keynote address of Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert delivered in the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development – Seizing Opportunites, Upholding Rights is to be one of the instruments to achieve the following general goals and objectives of the said conference:
· To infuse a gender perspective and rights-based approach to policies, programs, and services on migration
· To explore partnerships and linkages among different sectors of government, civil society organizations, academe and the private sector in upholding and protecting the rights of migrant women and their children
· To facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices in promoting opportunities and gender equality for women migrants, enhancing their contribution to development and upholding their rights and those of their families; and
· To infuse a gender perspective and rights-based approach to policies, programs, and services on migration.
The speech has its own goals as well.
It was intended to clarify the relevance of diplomacy to the global debate on migration. It aimed to show how diplomacy played an important role in the life of migrant workers through the years, since the opening up of countries due to globalization that has resulted in the increasing migration of workers and their families.

The speech focused on the increased movement of people, to be more specific, on the increased movement of women within and across national borders which is now often called the “feminization of migration.” And how can diplomatic efforts be a solution to the problems that threaten this increasing number of women migrants. It was said, “diplomats are drawn to play a role in this global drama… diplomats are charged to promote and protect the national interests of their respective countries including of course of their nationals. They remain at the forefront of these relations.”
More importantly, the speech gave importance to the Philippine setting or to the Filipino women migrants. She talked about how necessary it is to get the Filipino women migrants out of harms through diplomatic efforts. Since the conference was joined by participants who came from different countries, the speech endeavored to let them see and understand the situation of Filipino migrants scattered in the globe.
The resolution of Ambassador Albert, which is the “Violence Against Women Migrant Workers” was also mentioned since its content conveyed also the goal of the speech. These are: 1) To put penal sanctions to punish traffickers and perpetrators of violence against women migrant workers; 2) to provide the victims of violence and trafficking with the full range of immediate assistance such as counselling, legal and consular assistance, temporary shelter and other means; and 3) to safeguard their dignified return to the country of origin as well as to establish reintegration and rehabilitation schemes for returning migrant women workers.
Furthermore, the speech aspired to relay to the audiences the government responses to the issues on migration and how these responses made the Philippines the largest labor source country in the world today.
Nonetheless, it was also discussed that global recession highly affects women migrant workers, especially Filipino women. They are the ones who get the most direct and worst negative effects of the decline of the world productivity.
That is why the speech strived to call the need for an honest assessment of Philippine migration policies taking into serious consideration the current economic and political challenges.
Moreover, the speech aimed to let the participants ponder on the rhetorical questions raised by Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert: “Do we want a second generation of Filipino women domestic workers overseas? What are our choices? How can we, as concerned women bring about those choices?”













IV. CONCLUSION

Rhetorical criticism using Burke’s theory of dramatism became a significant tool in analyzing the keynote address of Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert which she delivered in the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development – Seizing Opportunities, Upholding Rights last September 25-26, 2008 in Manila, Philippines.
Dramatism, especially one of its three central concepts namely the “dramatistic pentad” which consists of the act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose was appropriate in the analysis.
The global debate on migration and the issue of the increasing number of women migrants which is referred to as the “feminization of migration” mounted in the year 2008. Threats to women migrants due to global recession and the vulnerability of these women were also feared. It is the result of the opening up of countries due to globalization. It was believed that diplomacy or the relations between and among states plays a vital role in these issues. Diplomatic efforts can be the solution to the problems that women migrants are facing.
That is why the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development held at Manila, Philippines last September 22-26, 2008 was brought by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW). The conference aimed to (a) highlight rights violations against women migrant workers and (b) provide a forum for policy dialogue, highlighting good practice in policies and programmes that protect the rights of women migrant workers at all stages of migration.
Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert was chosen to deliver the Keynote Address because of her known dedication and established credibility as a diplomat and an advocate of women’s rights.
In her speech, purging of guilt and identification was evident. She also made use of the appeal to logic, emotions and ethics. Because of these, she was able to have a good connection with her audience which resulted to their better understanding of the things that she talks about.
Thus, she achieved the purpose of conveying to the audiences/participants of the conference the present problems that interfere in the migration of women, especially Filipinos, the diplomatic efforts that can address these problems and the need for an honest assessment of Philippine migration policies taking into serious consideration the current economic and political challenges both in the national and international levels.















V. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Andrew, Richard. (1992). Rebirth of Rhetoric: Essays in Language, Culture, and Education. Routledge Publishing.
Emmel, Barbara et al. (1996). Argument Revisited, Argument Redefined: Negotiating Meaning in the Composition Classroom.
Griffin, Em. (2006). A first look at communication theory (6th ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill.
Wood, Julia. (1997). Communication Theories in Action: An Introduction. Wadsworth Publication: Belmont, California.
http://web.worldbank.org
http://www.gened.arizona.edu
http://www.globalissues.org
http://www.ncrfw.gov.ph
www.government.gfmd2008.org
www.icgmd.info
www.ipsnews.net
www.mfasia.org
www.ncrfw.gov.ph
www.philippine-embassy.de
www.rhetorica.net
www.un.org


VI. APPENDIX



Keynote Address
By H.E. Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert
International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development
Seizing Opportunities, Upholding Rights
September 25-26, 2008
Manila, Philippines

Introduction
I thank the Chairperson of the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women, Ms. Myrna Yao for the invitation to address such a distinguished group of experts, on the subject of “Gender, Migration and Development”. I am deeply and truly honoured.
I congratulate the organizers of the conference for the insightful topics that will be taken up in the discussions to follow. My contribution will focus on my area of expertise, namely the relevance of diplomacy to migration.

Diplomacy and Migration
Why is diplomacy relevant to the global debate on migration?
Perhaps, the best answer would be the fact that migration which consists of transborder movements of persons from societies of origin to societies of destination would necessarily impact on the relations between and among states. As such it becomes a political issue and diplomats are drawn to play a role in this global drama. Moreover, diplomats are charged to promote and protect the national interests of their respective countries including of course of their nationals. They remain at the forefront of these relations.
To illustrate, let me speak of my own experiences as a practitioner of diplomacy for the past four decades.
I joined the Foreign Service at the height of the Cold War in Southeast Asia. The Philippines, as an ally of the West joined in the efforts to stem the tide of communism in Indo China. By supporting this effort, the Philippines was rewarded with contracts to construct and reconstruct and with it went the supply of Philippine labor.
When the conflict turned against the West it became necessary to get the Filipino workers out of harms way through diplomatic efforts. As a young and adventurous diplomat with no sense of danger I joined a successful effort called “Operation Pakikisama” through which we successfully got our workers out before the Tet offensive could get to them.
This experience was to repeat itself many years later when I participated in the successful negotiations for the release of a Filipino truck driver Angelo Dela Cruz from his kidnappers and would be executioners in Iraq.
I have referred to these two extreme cases as examples to convey to you the crucial role that Filipino diplomats play in implementing a national policy to assist/save our nationals whether they are documented and undocumented overseas workers, men and women alike.
Let me now turn to the Philippine experience.
To understand the picture of hundreds of Filipino maids congregating on Sundays
at a park in Hongkong or the omni-present Filipino women salesgirls at Duty Free
Dubai, it is necessary to take a close look into the Philippine setting.
In Asia, the Philippine takes third seat after China and India in global migration. The Philippine is a middle-sized country with 90 million people and a population growing annually at 2.3%. Half of the population are women. As of December 2007 there are approximately 8.73 million Filipinos found in 193 countries of this number 3.69 million (45% are permanently residing abroad, 4.13 million are temporarily working overseas and about 10% are considered irregular migrants. Unusual in Asia, it is a predominantly Christian country with a minority of
Muslims and other indigenous religions. The medium of instruction is English.
The ratio of women to men workers overseas increased to 60% in 2006 due to the increase in global need for services. While Filipino men are likely to end up in jobs that need more skills and therefore better paid the women are likely to get jobs that are low paying and often unprotected.
The majority of women workers overseas take on jobs which are extensions of their roles in performing domestic chores.
This is quite a contradiction because Filipino women still maintain a higher literacy rate compared to men. More women finish primary and secondary levels of education and enrolment in tertiary education registers more women than men.
Beyond these levels there are considerably more women licensed professionals and account for 63% of those who pass government professional board examinations. In the diplomatic service known for its stringent examinations, more women have been making the grade than the men.



Gender Equity Index
The relatively high number of educated Filipino women has contributed to the high ranking of the Philippines in the 2006 Gender Equity Index of the World Economic Forum which has placed the country in the 6th place and the only Asian country in the top 10 following the Nordic countries. Education is one of the 4 criteria that include political participation, economic activity and health.

Challenges
While literacy rate is high, a recent ADB study on the Philippines reported that “schools are producing the wrong skills for its labor market needs and is hurting economic growth”. The result is that there are too many highly educated people chasing too few jobs. Moreover, the report cites that because higher education is a more important determinant of employment in the Philippine market, “low productivity jobs are taken over by the more educated force.”

The Global Setting
Let me now take you to the European scene where I have served for more than 20 years.
Filipino women workers who went there in the early 70’s were employed initially in health and nursing sectors and then to service jobs. The demand for domestic labor grew from a population that benefited from the industrial recovery of Europe in the 60’s. Moreover, the increased standard of living forced European women to find jobs to augment the family income. The Filipina housekeeper came in handy liberating the European women from housework enabling them to pursue their careers or businesses.
The pattern of migration to Europe developed in a context where the changing structure of the labor market created specific limited job opportunities for migrants, especially women.
As work permits became more restricted, Filipino women service workers who opted to remain acquired permanent residence or by marriage.
An impetus to the feminization of Filipino migration to Europe was the “mail-order-bride” arrangement introduced in the 1970’s and continued into the 90’s. This arrangement came about after Europe began to close its open-door-policy for Asian migrant labor. Women workers then came in with “fiancé visas”.
During this period, we witnessed a number of domestic violence cases involving mail-order-brides. Today however, I note that the number of domestic violence cases have abated. Newer issues such as competition for workplaces with women from the Eastern European countries – is being felt especially in the nursing and domestic services sector. Also, the slowing of economies has diminished the possibilities for low-skilled workers.
This development may be an opportunity for the Philippines to manage its migration policies and seriously consider ways to attract home its migrant workers especially the women before the crunch sets in.
While I may have painted a half-empty glass, let me balance the picture.
Last year, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of “Babaylan”, an umbrella organization of ten (10) Filipino women groups in ten (10) European countries. It is impressive to observe how women working together have been effective in lobbying decision makers and NGO’s, especially the religious organizations, to help them assert their rights as migrants.
Indeed, it is a joy to see how many of the Filipino migrant women have developed leadership roles in their respective communities.

Government Responses
A close look into policies governing its migrant workers show that the Philippines is the largest organized labor source country in the world today. While a substantial number of Filipinos abroad are permanent emigrants, most of whom settle in U.S., Canada, and recently in Australia, the majority of overseas Filipino are workers go to the Middle East and East Asia where the pull factors are strongest.
The mass deployment of Filipino workers overseas had a significant beginning in the 1970’s with the great demand for workers in the production process and related occupations coming from the Middle East following the boom in the oil industry.
The government decision to lend support to overseas Filipino at this stage was to mitigate the risks involved in migration such as abuse and exploitation. At this point, the protection and promotion of rights of migrant workers became an important government policy. Philippine diplomats became instant social workers, investigators, referees, legal advisers and even marriage counselors and forensic officers.
Subsequently, in order to respond effectively to the demands of migrant workers, a quasi-government entity, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) was created to manage the welfare fund of workers and provide services to its contributing members.
Increased Filipino emigration became a highly political domestic issue that Philippine Congress filed 55 bills to look into OFW deaths between 1987 and 1991. In 1995, following the execution of a Filipino woman domestic worker in Singapore, Filipino diplomats found themselves in the forefront of a politically charged debate that caused the resignation of both the Foreign Minister and the Labor Minister and downgrading of bilateral diplomatic representation.
Again, reacting to these developments, a strong political response came in the passage of the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 known as the Magna Charta for Philippine labor. The law called for the government to promote the welfare of migrant workers and place their protection above all else. The law states- “While recognizing the contribution of Filipino migrant workers to the national economy through their foreign exchange remittances, the State does not promote overseas employment as a means to sustain economic growth and achieve national development.
The existence of the overseas employment program rests solely on the assurance that the dignity and fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Filipino citizen shall not, at any time be compromised or violated.”
In effect, the law spelled out the marching orders for Filipino diplomats. Today, consular establishments are set up in areas where there are a sizeable number of Filipino citizens. The flag followed the migrants.

Diplomatic Efforts
My first hand experience in dealing with women migrant workers who were violated physically and psychologically gave me the determination to go beyond just extending immediate consular assistance.
In 2004 as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, I saw an opportunity to elevate the issue to the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva by initiating resolution 2004/49 entitled, “Violence Against Women Migrant Workers”. My resolution called upon governments of origin and destination, to undertake the following measures: 1) to put penal sanctions to punish traffickers and perpetrators of violence against women migrant workers; 2) to provide the victims of violence and trafficking with the full range of immediate assistance such as counselling, legal and consular assistance, temporary shelter and other means; and 3) to safeguard their dignified return to the country of origin as well as to establish reintegration and rehabilitation schemes for returning migrant women workers.
I was supported fully by the women Foreign Ministers who were present at that conference. Certainly, as you are all aware, there is great value in networking among women. Perhaps we could unite to monitor how all these political and diplomatic initiatives are being respected.

Global Recession
Recent global developments are showing signs of declining economic performances of major economic players. I believe that it is time to take a good hard look at the impact of this global economic downtrend especially on the more vulnerable segment of the migrant communities, namely; the women migrant workers.
Last week, notices were released by the DFA that several traditional destinations for women service workers were closing their recruitment doors. It was also reported that even low-paid jobs were getting even lower. Soon, it may not even be an economic win to have women workers continue with overseas jobs, if one has to take into account the serious social costs of an absent wife and mother.
Certainly, one has to admit that labor export which was initially intended as a stop-gap measure has served and continues to serve the country well. Remittances reached a peak of 15 billion dollars in 2007 representing over 23% of export earnings. Indeed, the globalizing world has opened opportunities to the Filipino migrant worker.

Current Trends and Policies
Before I left Berlin last week, I learned that migration has moved to the top of the political agenda of the EU.
Under the current French Presidency, measures are being taken that will commit the EU to a common policy of managing migratory flows through a multilateral treaty which will: 1) define the obligation for countries of origin to re-admit their nationals who are illegally staying in the territory of another state; and the 2) prohibition addressed to all host countries from encouraging brain drain or accepting manpower needed in the development of the poor countries.
What is interesting in this directive is the two-prong approach: - first, a concerted and selective immigration policy that takes into account the interests of both the country of origin and of the host country; - second, a development aid policy that intends to address the socio-economic causes of migration.
These initiatives will be taken up at the 7th ASEM Conference, next month (17-18 September) in Paris.

Conclusion
As I look back at more than 30 years of women migration experience, I can not help but raise certain questions: Do we want a second generation of Filipino women domestic workers overseas? What are our choices? How can we as concerned women bring about those choices.
I reiterate the need for an honest assessment of Philippine migration policies taking into serious consideration the current economic and political challenges.
I’m thanking the NCRFW for giving me this opportunity to contribute my share to the global debate on gender and migration. I am reminded of an comment from Jan Karlsson, the former co-chair of the Global Commission on International Migration who 6 said, “In all fields of public policy, migration is the area where the distance between those who know and those who do is the largest”.
I hope that you in this conference who certainly belong to “those who know” can bridge that gap. I’m certain you will because you are women and you care.
I wish you all not only a pleasant stay in the Philippines but more importantly a conference that will make a difference. From my side I give you all my support, diplomatically or otherwise.
Thank you and Mabuhay!

When Stories and Distinct Cultures Enter the Computers

When Stories and Distinct Cultures Enter the Computers

In partial fulfillment of the course requirements in
Communication Arts 101
(Introduction to Communication Theories)


by Jessa Loreta C. Billano
COMA101-B



Prof. Antonino Salvador S. de Veyra
COMA 101 (Introduction to Communication Theories) Instructor





March 27, 2008






When Stories and Distinct Cultures Enter the Computers


About 2000 years ago, at the birth of the abacus, a wooden rack holding two horizontal wires with beads strung on them, the history of computers starts out. Blaise Pascal is usually credited for building the first digital computer in 1642.
A lot of improvements have been made since then. One of these is the coming of the Internet.
Nowadays, computers and the Internet play a vital role in our lives. These give us a lot of possibilities. Generally, our works become easier and quicker. We are able to see the world without actually traveling but by just surfing the net. We are also able to communicate conveniently with other people anywhere in the world. Not just that, while we are conversing, we see them through computer cameras.
The Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate. E-mail has been the most rapidly adopted form of communication ever known. Less than two decades ago, not many people had heard of it. Now, many of us e-mail instead of writing letters or even calling people on the phone (http://communication.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging1.htm).
However, sometimes even e-mail isn't fast enough. You might not know if a person you want to e-mail is online at that moment. Also, if you're e-mailing back and forth with someone, you usually have to click through a few steps. This is why instant messaging (IM) has become so popular (http://communication.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging1.htm).

One of the most popular features of instant messaging is chat. The communication act below is a good example of it. This is a part (end part) of the conversation of my sister (codename: Loujan_02) and a man (Bee27) she just met online. Their conversation was done with Yahoo Messenger last March 17, 2008 at around 6:00 in the evening.

Bee27: you shuld not always go out with your girl friends
Loujan_02: but y? dey are my friends…and you don’t know dem
Bee27: juz do wat don’t said. You shud learn to be independent already
Loujan_02: i wont consider that
Bee27: you must
Loujan_02: no, i musnt….
Loujan_02: i don’t know you
Bee27: you know, if you kip on going out with them, you will be like my sister
Loujan_02: whats with your sister?
Bee27: Every Saturday morning, she goes out with her friends, they go shopping and watch movies
Bee27: then she goes home late in the evening and you know what happens to her face?
Loujan_02: what?
BUZZ!
Bee27: sum up all her friends faces
Bee27: she looks like them already! Scary! Haha!
Loujan_02: ur kidding? It is not funny.=l
Bee27: no im not
Loujan_02: i don’t want to argue with you
Loujan_02: bye…….
BUZZ!
Bee27: im not done yet

The medium used by the communication act above was a computer. It was a computer-mediated communication (CMC). Therefore, Social Information Processing Theory of Joseph Walther can be used as a tool for the analysis of this communication act. Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect Styles and Walter Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm was also used since it was a conversation between a man and a woman, and there was a narration or story told by one of the persons in the communication act.
According to Walther (as cited by Griffin, 2006), “the human need for affiliation is just as active when people communicate online as when they are with each other face-to-face.”
He also said that, “nonverbal cues are filtered out of the interpersonal information that we send and receive through CMC.”
Thus, in the communication act between Bee27 and Loujan_02, physical context, facial expression, tone of voice, interpersonal distance, body position, appearance, gestures, touch, and smell were all missing. However, these nonverbal cues that were filtered out were not essentially critical to a well-defined impression of the other or the relational development that it triggers in the communication act. Rather, the two features of CMC, verbal cues and extended time, presented by Walther, which were foundations of Social Information Processing Theory, were the ones that were necessary and crucial in the relationship development of Bee27 and Loujan_02.

The abstract of the Social Information Processing Theory (Griffin, 2006) states that:

Based solely on the linguistic content of computer-mediated communication (CMC), parties who meet online can develop relationships just as close as those formed face-to-face – though it takes longer. Because online senders select, receivers magnify, channels promote, and feedback enhances favourable impressions, CMC may create hyperpersonal relationships.


Bee27 and Loujan_02 were not able to develop a hyperpersonal relationship, which was Walther’s term (as cited by Griffin, 2006), to describe computer-mediated communication (CMC) that can develop relational intimacy that surpasses what’s available through face-to-face communication. Time was an important factor to explain this. Relationship development through CMC requires a longer time frame since information exchange is much slower than that of face-to-face. In CMC, impressions are formed at a reduced rate. Bee27 and Loujan_02 chatted only for a very short time and that made the relationship development fail.
Another feature of CMC is verbal cues. “When motivated to form impressions and develop relationships, communicators employ any cue system that’s available” (Griffin, 2006).
In the communication act, the use of an “emoticon” is visible. Loujan_02 used a sad face to convey her disappointment to Bee27. She used an emoticon given that it was the only cue system that was available for her to express what she felt.
As stated earlier, “online senders select, receivers magnify, channels promote, and feedbach enhances favourable impressions” (Grifffin, 2006). In CMC, senders choose what they send, receivers interpret the messages sent by the sender by creating an impression, and the channel makes the communication possible by letting the users express themselves the way they want and when they want.
“BUZZ!” was used in the communication act. It is a button in the chat window and a verbal cue that is used when you want to get the attention of your chat mate. Loujan_02 used “BUZZ!’ after she asked Bee27 if what the matter with his sister’s face was. Bee27 took a long time before responding to the question that is why Loujan_02 became impatient and wanted a response immediately. We can see the act of selecting what the sender wants to reveal and the receiver’s magnification of the situation.
Bee27 and Loujan_02's verbal cues also reflect the cross-cultural communication between men and women.
As presented in the Abstract of Communication Theories (Griffin, 2006), Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect Styles states that:

Male-female conversation is cross-cultural communication. Masculine and feminine styles of discourse are best viewed as two distinct dialects rather than as inferior or superior ways of speaking. Men’s report talk focuses on status and independence; women’s rapport talk seeks human connection.


Men’s desire for status and women’s desire for connection was very evident in the communication act. Bee27 told Loujan_02 to stop going out with her friends and learn to be independent.
This simple statement strongly showed that Bee27 do not want connection or a bond with other people. Life for him was maintaining your status – your position above others.
Loujan_02 on the other hand refused and said the she will not obey him since those were her friends. She needs the connection, which she has already developed with her friends. And in the first place, Loujan_02 said that they do not know each other.
However, Tannen does not believe that men and women seek only status and connection,
respectively, but these are their primary goals.
The following types of talk which shows that women value rapport talk, and men value report talk were also apparent in the communication act: public speaking versus private speaking, listening, asking questions, telling a story and conflict.
According to Tannen (as cited by Griffin, 2006), “men seek to establish a one-up position.” This was typical on Bee27’s lecture style of telling Loujan_02 not to go out with her friends and learn to be independent. “Tannen finds that men use talk as a weapon. The function of the long explanations they use is to command attention, convey information, and insist on agreement” (Griffin, 2006).
The communication act was done in public; we can clearly see that Bee27 said more things than Loujan_02. Loujan_02’s ideas were not thriving to let him know her opinion because he keeps on talking without listening.
Men speak more in public because they feel the need to defend themselves against others to maintain their status. They are silenced in private conversations because they feel that they already do not have to talk to protect that status. On the other hand, women’s rapport style of relating, according to Tannen (as cited by Griffin, 2006), “doesn’t transfer well to the public arena, where men vie for ascendancy and speak much more than women do.”
However, Loujan_02 carefully listened to what Bee27 had to say. This was evident because she responded with her questions “what?” and, “what’s with your sister?” and so on. This also implies that women ask more questions than men because it is their way of establishing connection with others.
Bee27 seemed to be so indifferent with listening because he wanted to be just the one who must be talking. He tried to control the conversation and did not want to be interrupted. As what Tannen (as cited by Griffin, 2006) explains, “men regard any interruption as a power move to take control of the conversation.”
When Loujan_02 refused to obey his advice to stop going out with her friends and learn to be independent, she reasoned that she does not know him. Bee27 thought of that statement as a sign of taking control of the conversation that is why he tried to go back to the topic they were talking about. He made use of telling a humorous story about his sister to do this. For him, a humorous story could persuade Loujan_02 to do what he wanted her to do.
Tannen (as cited by Griffin, 2006) recognizes that, “the stories people tell reveal a great deal about their hopes, needs, and values…men tell more stories than women – especially jokes. Telling jokes is a masculine way to negotiate status. Men’s humorous stories have a can-you-top this? flavor that holds attention and elevates the storyteller above his audience.”
However, Loujan_02 was not convinced by Bee27’s story. She seemed to be irritated and she didn’t find the joke and story of Bee27 funny and realistic. Instead of staying in the conversation and argue with Bee27, she chose to say goodbye to avoid getting into conflict with him.
It is because, “to most women, conflict is a threat to connection – to be avoided at all costs” (Ibid, p.150).
Yet Bee27 still wanted to continue their conversation even though it seemed that they could not really understand each other. His desire to continue their conversation and more likely to persist their argument was seen when he said, “I am not done yet.”
Tannen (as cited by Griffin, 2006) believes that, “since they [men] see life as a contest, many men are more comfortable with conflict and therefore less likely to hold themselves in check.”
In addition, according to surveys and laboratory experiments, men admit to more aggression than women do. For example, by administering what they believe are hurtful electric shocks (Eagly & Stephen, 1986; Hyde, 1986). Psychologists refer to aggression, not to assertiveness but to the physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt someone (Myers, 1990).
Bee27 may not be too aggressive but he became sarcastic with his words, “I am not done yet,” words that may lead to hurtful words for Loujan_02.
As said earlier, Bee27 told Loujan_02 a story about her sister. Walter Fisher (1978, 1984, 1987) believes that humans are natural storytellers. We express our stories through the narration of the things happened in sequence. In his theory, The Narrative Paradigm, he defined narration as “symbolic actions – words and/or deeds – that have sequence and meaning for those who live, create , or interpret them” (1987, p.58).
Bee27 used that to persuade Loujan_02 not to go out with her friends and learn to be independent. For him, “telling a compelling story is more persuasive than scads of statistics, expert testimony, and logical deduction” (Fisher, 1978) (as cited by Wood, 1997).
Yet, Bee27's story was not able to convince Loujan_02. That is because his story was not persuasive.
Fisher (as cited by Wood, 1997) stated that, “not all stories are equally compelling; that is, not all stories have the same power to gain or belief.” He then presented the concept of narrative rationality for judging the quality of various stories.
Two standards for assessing narrative rationality were identified by Fisher: coherence and fidelity.
The coherence criterion asks whether a story makes sense. For Loujan_02, Bee27’s story was nonsense. It had no internal coherence which means that it lacked important details for it to be believable. Bee27 also distorted the parts of the story for it to be funny which made it again violate coherence. Loujan_02 didn’t think of it as an effective story rather, it was just a joke that was not even funny.
The second standard for narrative rationality is fidelity which Fisher (1987) defined as “the extent to which a story resonates with listener’s personal experiences, values, beliefs, and self-concepts.”
According to narrative theorists (as cited by Wood, 1997), “we find stories believable when they are consistent with their experiences in our lives, and we find characters believable when they act as we do or else we would like to see ourselves acting.”
Loujan_02 found the story of Bee27 implausible since it did not fit her experiences and present knowledge. She used to go out with her friends but never did they change faces with each other or never did she get her friends’ faces. She also thought that those things were really impossible.
To sum up all that were discussed, Social Information Processing Theory explains the inherent differences between computer-mediated communication (CMC) and fac-to-face communication. Likewise, it pointed out that both of the two could develop a hyperpersonal relationship which was Walther’s term (as cited by Griffin, 2006), to describe computer-mediated communication (CMC) that can develop relational intimacy that surpasses what’s available through face-to-face communication.
The advancement of technology, specifically the advancement of computers and the Internet, makes the people do many things that were once seem to be impossible. Now, with these developments, we can already see a lot of communication theories which were, in the past, just present in face-to-face conversation. An example is the Genderlect Styles of Deborah Tannen, which sates that men and women’s styles of discourse are not viewed as superior, or inferior ways of speaking rather, these are best viewed as two distinct dialects making it a cross-cultural communication. Another example would be the Narrative Paradigm of Walter Fisher which tells us that human beings are natural storytellers and we use compelling stories to persuade other people.
In conclusion, time was a very important factor in the communication of Loujan_02 and Bee27. Relationship development through CMC requires a longer time frame since information exchange is much slower than that of face-to-face. However, they only chatted for a very short time.
Moreover, they were not able to agree on things they talked about since they have different views, opinions and desires. They, being a girl and a boy, have different cultures. Men’s report talk focuses on status and independence; women’s rapport talk seeks human connection.
Furthermore, Bee27 was not able to persuade loujan_02 with his story since he did not observe coherence and fidelity, the standards for narrative rationality.
Therefore, in the communication act of Bee27 and Loujan_02 hyperpersonal relationship development is a failure.




Literature Cited


Griffin, Em. A First Look at Communication Theory. 6th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill, 2006.

Meyers, Jeremy, “A Short History of the Computer” [Online] Available (March 21, 2008)

Myers, David G. Social Psychology. 3rd ed. New york: McGraw Hill, 1990.

Wood, Julia T. Communication Theories in Action. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1997.

(http://communication.howstuffworks.com/instant-messaging1.htm)

coma101........=)

Topic:

THE PERCEPTION ON THE INTERNAL DIALECTIC OF EXPRESSION/PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIPS


OBSERVATION

I want to blab my feelings, my wants, fears, apprehensions and all the people and things that trouble me to my considered true and special friend. Just so he’ll know and understand me. Yet, there is in me that suffers to reveal because of the fright of becoming vulnerable by disclosing personal information to someone who, I don’t think already considers me his true friend.

Everytime I experience the tension of my need to be closed and private (that is when my friend asks something about my “ex-crush/love”) I shut up and keep silent even though we are in the middle of our conversation. I know, that silence is the signal that I really want to be closed and private. after my silence, my friend acts strange. i don't know if he's angry or irritated with me because he might think that, that silence shows that i don't trust him or anything, any reason he can think of. i don't know if he understands that there are really times that i need to put up walls around me.



IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

In my study, I would like to know if what my friend thinks of everytime I shut my mouth and keep silent in the middle of our conversation. I would like to know also what other people(those who are involved in friendly relationships) think when their friend or partner does the same thing. Do they understand the Dialectic of Expression/Privacy? Or do they consider it(the silence or any signal that shows that someone doesn't want to talk about a certain thing) as a negative element in their conversation and in their relationship?


this study would focus on the Dialectical Theory of Leslie Baxter and BArbara Montgomery as a primary source to understand the contradicting tensions within relationships. the coordinated management of meaning of W. Pearce BArnett and Vernon Cronen would also be a basis to know how individuals create meanings with nonverbal actions (e.g. silence).



Dialectical Theory is a distinct theory about the dynamics of communication in relationships. Grounded in different assumptions and focused on different relational processes, dialectical theory emphasizes the continuous, inherent tensions that arise from contradictory impulses for autonomy and connection, openness and closedness, and novelty and routine. Viewing dialectics as natural, ongoing, and productive, this theory provides impressive insight into dynamics that are central, continuous, and never fully resolved parts of relational life. Dialectical Theory encourages us to understand and appreciate the contradictions and continuous changes that saturate, complicate and enliven our relationships.

Dialectical theory of Leslie Baxter and Barbara Montgomery

Communication Theories in Action, Julia T. Wood.


the Coordinated management of meaning is concerned with how humans construct meaning for their communication. it emphasizes that we use communication rules to coordinate meanings in interaction with others. it is an interpretive theory that assumes human communication is rule guided and rule following.

Coordinated Management of Meaning of W. Pearce BArnett and Vernon Cronen
Communication Theories in Action, Julia T. Wood

routes...=)

>i read this article on the internet =) <

source: http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/fall_01/adv382j/cmoore/elaboration_likelihood_model.htm

Central route

Persuasive communication

For a message to be effective it must be persuasive. It attempts to steer one’s thinking in a direction that will likely benefit the communicator and/or the receiver. Determining whether the message is indeed persuasive is what this model is all about. If it is a neutral message, it has failed to be persuasive and the receiver can take it or leave it for what it is worth (a waste of the receiver’s time). So, assuming that the message is in some way, at least a little bit persuasive, the receiver becomes involved in the next step. For the purposes of this paper, a persuasive message should be considered to be an advertisement.


Motivation to process

In order for the receiver to have motivation to process the message it must have some relevance to her. It should pertain to something that she already knows about. At least some familiarity with the subject matter of a message will encourage the receiver to process it. People have a lot to do in a day. They don’t have a chance or the desire to think about every little thing that pops up. This is known as low involvement. When a person has little or no tie to a product or message, they have little involvement with it and thus little or no desire to hear much about it.



On the other hand is high involvement. An expert in woodcarving will want to know more about techniques and processes that he can use to refine his craft. A person suffering from asthma will want to know about new breakthroughs in the treatments that will help her breath a little easier. In shopping for a car, a consumer will want to find out about all the features of several different models in order to make an informed and confident decision before spending such a sum of money. When a person has a high degree of personal experience with information conveyed in the persuasive communication, he or she is more likely to pay attention and get deeper into the message.


Ability to process

Now the receiver has been motivated to process but does he have the ability to do so? There may be a multitude of distractions: the kids screaming for dinner, the neighbor is at the door for another cup of sugar, the receiver is thirsty and wants a drink. Other advertisements and outlets of information are also distractors. Competition among persuasive messages is fierce and the receiver’s time is precious. He may simply not have the opportunity to process the message at that particular time.



The information being conveyed may be to complex to comprehend. An asthma sufferer will surely want to know about the new product but if the ad contains a lot of technical and medical jargon, the patient is likely to be turned off because she simply cannot understand the diction. She will not elaborate on the message.



If the receiver can understand the message and there are no distractions, he or she can then go to the next stage in the model.


Nature of arguments in the message

What is the message trying to say? If it is a strong message -- that is, if it is a well-constructed and convincing message, the receiver is more likely to receive it favorably. Persuasion may occur even if the message content is in contrast to the receiver’s initial attitude. If it is in keeping with the receiver’s previous opinions, there is likely to be lasting, positive persuasion. The receiver will have been pulled even more in the direction that he or she was already leaning, thus reinforcing that particular attitude for the future. At this point it is likely that behavior can be predicted as a result of persuasion (Fishbein 1975), i.e. the consumer will purchase the asthma medication because she was persuaded based on the strength and relevance of the message. Successful persuasion has occurred!



If the receiver has become involved with the message this far into the central path but the message does not contain a cogent argument or if it contains false information there is likely to be a boomerang effect. This means that the receiver will reject the message and form negative thoughts and feelings about the message. This is especially true when the receiver is an expert or has a lot of previous knowledge about the subject of the message. She may disagree with the ideas expressed in a well-formed argument and simply reject the message. Or she may see the inadequacies of the message and dismiss it as unreliable information, failing to be persuaded.




Peripheral route

If a message fails to be channeled through the central route, it may find a path to the receiver via the peripheral route. This happens when the receiver is not motivated to think about the message, if he is unable to process it, or if the argument is weak. A message using the peripheral route attempts to persuade by focusing on issues or themes that are not directly related to the subject matter of the message. That is, the message will attempt to grab attention by making the receiver think about something that she is already familiar with and has positive thoughts about, such as sex, money, or a celebrity. An example is the use of Michael Jordan in selling batteries. There is no distinguishable tie between Jordan’s reputation as a basketball player and a battery but a consumer may be persuaded to buy the battery simply because he likes Michael Jordan. In this example Michael Jordan is a peripheral cue.



Robert Cialdini has identified six types of peripheral cues: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity.



1. Reciprocation is the idea that the receiver is somehow obligated to agree with the message because of some past experience or information.



2. Consistency means relying on thoughts held in the past. (“I felt like this before and I feel like this now”)



3. Social proof is akin to peer pressure. The actions and words of others are likely to influence a receiver of a new message.



4. Liking simply means that the speaker is likeable. They may be physically attractive, charismatic, or charming.



5. Authority is the sense that the speaker has some power over the receiver, be it an expertise in the subject matter or possibly an overbearing attitude.



6. Scarcity is the idea that the message will only be around for a short time and that the receiver should snatch it up before it disappears.



Each of these peripheral cues has little or nothing to do with the actual content of the message. (http://www.as.udayton.edu/com/FACULTY/Kenny/chap17.htm)



So if the message fails to take the central route at any step in the process (i.e. if the receiver is not motivated, does not have the ability, or if the argument is weak) then the next question is whether there is a peripheral cue present in the message. If there is no cue present, the original attitude will be retained. The attempt at persuasion will fail. If there is a cue, it may produce a positive, but temporary attitude change.



Although the attitude change may be temporary, it could be enough to encourage action. The consumer would then have some more experience with the object of the message. Then, later, when the message is repeated, it may have a better chance of surviving through the central route and change attitudes permanently.



For example: a student needs a new backpack. A Jansport ad happens to come on TV with kids looking cool and having fun with their new packs. The ad touts a few benefits but for the most part the ad is full of appealing visuals. The student is then peripherally motivated to buy a Jansport backpack. The student discovers that the pack is quite a nice and useful one and comes to respect the brand in general. The next time the ad comes on TV the student will have had some practical experience with the brand and will be more motivated to listen to the message and reinforce the positive opinions of Jansport backpacks. Even the very repetition of the message will serve to reinforce the opinions of the student. (Eagly 1993)

***************************************************************************************

we were tasked to choose two TV advertisements — one that we think will be centrally processed, and the other we think will be peripherally processed.




PERIPHERAL ROUTE

Advertisement:

myra-E multivitamins

Motivation to process:

"be blooming."
she says those words perfectly.
I really admire Dawn Zulueta. that is why i always stop every time her myra-e commercial apperas on tv. she is beautiful. she doesn't look like her age.

ability to process:

sometimes i already want to believe that myra-e is effective. but the thought that dawn's beauty was in born and not really because of myra-e makes me realize that it may not be useful for me.

CENTRAL ROUTE

Advertisement:

Nescafe

Motivation to process:

drinking coffee is a part of my college life. i can't stay awake all night and study if not because of this.

ability to process

i was able to process the message. aside from it is calm and light, it shows the bonding within friends who drink the coffee. it keeps them awake and enjoy their moment with each other. it may be funny but what i have in mind now (that also made me captured by that advertisement) is that, i can stay awake all night and enjoy my every moment with my lessons, reviewers, books and notebooks. hahhahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

"one moment. one nescafe!!!"


=)

don't ya!

don't mess with me...


i'll show you what i've truly got.


hahaha!!!

u'v got mail Jim...

"Shelley and Jim have been dating very seriously for about six months. From the beginning of the relationship, Jim has known that Shelley has kept a private diary that he has never shown anyone. At first, he wasn’t too interested in this activity, but as they have drawn closer, he has become intrigued by her personal writings. Yet he never asks if she would share her prose with him, she responds that she needs secret place to work out her thoughts and emotions. In conversation, she never holds back from him, freely self-disclosing about herself and their relationship, but the diary remains all her own, and Jim is perplexed, even disturbed by this. The more interest he shows in her private writings, the more adamant about her privacy she becomes. What should they do?"


This letter is for Jim. i don't know how to send it to him, i just hope he could read this post of mine.

Dear Jim,

Hi!

maybe you're a little curious why i wrote you this letter. I am just concerned with your situation. (actually,the amin reason is that, this is my assignment..lol!=)

there are no better ways to explain what Shelley is going through right now than telling you about the RELATIONAL DIALECTIC OF EXPRESSION/PRIVACY.

it doesn't mean that if Shelley wouldn't let you read her diary, she doesn't trust you anymore. According to the relational dialectic of expression/privacy,there are really contradicting tensions within individuals. This is the desire to be open and expressive, and the need to be closed and private. she feels the struggle between self-disclosing and keeping personal information.

to tell you honestly, i am experiencing the same thing with a friend. there are times that i want to talk about my feelings, my fears, problems, likes, dislikes and so on. that is so my friend would understand me. yet there are things that must remain to be completely private. they are parts of my self that should be preserved and not shared to anyone.

you could not blame shelley. all of us could feel the same way. you should understand her in the first place.

if you would mind, please read my older posts about it. they would be of great help.

do not ever think that i just go with the side of Shelley because we are both girls.
please deal with my simple advice smartly.

until here. God bless you!

p.s.

I am conducting a research about developing personal relationships through the dialectic of expression/privacy. could you be one of my respondents? thanks in advance.

truly yours,


jessa



"I enjoyed seeing my old high school friends over the winter break, but my parents really got on my nerves. They nagged me to come in early in the evenings, and they saw to it that sleeping-in was impossible. I had to eat on their schedule. My mother’s having a real problem letting go of mothering me — she still treats me like I’m ten. When I protest she says, “You have to understand that you’ll always be my precious little child.” For some reason, that bothers me, and I stomp around and say something like “I’m an adult, so treat me like one!” or “As my mother, you ought to understand that I need my autonomy!” Then she gets huffy and claims that my manner and tone of voice are unpleasant. Or she’ll say, “I don’t like your body language.” I wish she’d focus on what I’m saying instead of getting off on tangents. One time she said to me, “You just hurt my feelings,” but I hadn’t even said anything! My father’s obsessed with my smoking. He claims that the secondhand smoke bothers him, but it really bothers me that he never complains when his buddies smoke in his presence. He’s also been riding me because I changed my major from premed to communication. He says, “I wish you’d go back to being premed-not for me, but for your own future.”

From my first day at home, I tried to be assertive about my needs and values and have done my best not to back down, but they just don’t seem to appreciate my efforts to be my own person. There’s not much giving in around the house. I wish they would let go. And my little sister is acting strange. My parents claim that she was an angel all fall, but when I arrived home I quickly saw that this couldn’t have been the case. The whole time I was there, she was getting into trouble right and left, continually requiring my parents to drop whatever they were doing — especially when it was something with me — to deal with her crises. Just when Dad and I were about to leave to attend a concert I’d been looking forward to for days, she announces that she thinks she’s pregnant. Of course that brings down the house, and the concert is forgotten. And of course she isn’t pregnant.

Later, when I called her on it, she told me that I was the one who was out of line. She complains about my yelling, and the way I talk to her. Can you believe that? I told her, “You ought to take my advice because I’m older than you!” She shoots back, “You ought to leave me alone because you don’t really live here anymore!”

Honestly, I love my family, but they’re nuts, and they drive me crazy. I’m sure glad to be back at school.

Now if I could just get my roommate to listen to reason…"



Dear whoever you are,

greetings!

you also drive me crazy. i think you are the who's going nuts.

haha!!!

just kidding.

by the way, i am jessa. maybe you are thinking that i have no right to mind your own business. oh well, i really do not have it (but i have to have!haha!it is my assignment!)

i just want to ask you this question, do you know the Watzlawick's Interactional View?

that would really help you develop your relationship with your family.
i will tell you a little about it. if you just know the levels of meaning, you would know the difference between the content meaning or the obvious meaning, which is the content of what is said, and the relationship meaning which carries information about your relationship with your family.

you would also understand your mother and father saying all those things to you. they are your parents and nothing in the world could change that. they are still superior and they have the power to say what you must do. yet at some point, they may be wrong, but that doesn't mean you'd lose your respect to them.

have a talk with your family. say what you feel about the things that are going on. try to explain in the most subtle way your side, the one that you think is right.
listen to them also. they have so many things to tell you.

you should be happy, you are with your parents, your family. think of all the sons and daughters that are not with their parents. think of me!!!(emo!haha!)
the time when you will have your own family, you would understand fully what's the real score between you and your family.

until here. God bless you and your family!

truly yours,


Jessa