I-SEARCH

The first thing that came to my mind at the very begining of this research project was multicultural communication; however, as I began to look for sources related to this topic, my attention turned to stereotypes, a pervasive social misinterpretation. I then decided to do a research paper on the dangers of stereotypes considering the potentially adverse effects that they could do on those upon whom the stereotypes are applied. I also learned more about the negative effects of stereotypes such as mental and psychological impacts, and so on. For this research, I am going to interview a small group of college students of foreign origins on their peronsal encounters with negative stereotypes. The biggest challenge for me so far is the literature review, there are so many different sources available. I have to be selective and synthesize them in a way that it can give credibility to my paper, and in the mean time, to also include my own voice, which is a significant part of this project.

In-class blogging

Lester argues in his Writing Research Papers (1976) that students frequently excessively employ direct quotations when they are doing note-taking which leads to abundant presence of quotations in their completed research. Approximately about 10% of the final version should be of direct quotations. You should therefore try your best to control the number of direct quotations in your note-taking process.

In-class Blogging

The type of social change I hope to bring about is a better multicutural communication within a society. I am not yet certain how I am going to start such a social epidemics; hopefully, the research paper I am currently working on will reach the right people: connectors, mavens and salesmen, in the right place and the right time, that is to say, the right context.

I find the last chapter most influential and interesting because it addresses two of the biggest problems we are all facing today: isolation and immunity. Especially the latter for if we want to succeed in the business realm, we have got to pay attention to the immunity and deal with it.

The one important idea I have gained from reading this book, I believe, is the Law of the Few, because to advocate and to promote your idea in an academic career, you need these people to help you tip the your epidemics; likewise, for a product to be successful, again you need them to do the exact same thing for your business or whatever you trying to sell.

The Stickiness Factor: Discussion Questions

1. Bernie Goetz got into a New York subway and was threatened for money by a group of gangs, an event which turn this man into a first-time criminal, leading him to pulling out his gun and shooting the group. I personally do not think that Bernie Goetz is either a cold-blooded murderer or a heroic vigilante; to me, he is just an oroinary man affected by the environment or the power of context at the time; what he did was to defend himself and it is true that he had long detested that type of subway gangs. All in all, the power of context coupled with the hatred he held should be held responsible for the shooting.

6. Well I believe that the reason that made Gandhi and Mandela able to immerged seemingly uncorrupted after being subject to the most brutal and atrocious conditions is self-control. They were both committed to what they believed in and were so highly self-disciplined that they were able to prevent the surrounding from contaminating their mind.