Kayla D. King
Journal 9
December 1, 2013
CAT
Part 1 The Communication Accommodation Theory came about after; Giles realized that speech goes beyond twangs, pronunciation, and gaps in speech. In 1987 Giles coined the Communication Accommodation Theory as a theory that is based on intercultural communication. Accommodation is the ongoing shift in communication that is either toward or away from others. This theory is based on two strategies: convergence and divergence. Both are seen as accommodation because of the constant shift in communication. Convergence is a strategy that is used when an individual adjusts their speech to be similar to the person they are speaking with. Another strategy that is based on convergence is called discourse management. Discourse management is the act of carefully choosing topics that will not generate tension or awkward moments. In contrast, divergence is the act of moving away from others by not adjusting speech. An individual emphasizing the differences between he or she and another person is another way to divert. In intergenerational relationships, the elderly tend to use self-handicapping as a face-saving strategy. Self-handicapping, in this case, is when the elderly use being older as an excuse. Another divergent strategy is maintenance. Maintenance is continuing to use original communication without regard for others, also known as underaccommodation. Moreover, overaccommodation is patronizing belittling speech, could also be known as “baby talk.” The book also states that the motive of this theory is a way to be socially accepted. With acceptance, social identity may ensue. Social identity is group solidarity. Then there is initial orientation. Initial orientation is the inclination to focus on individual identity or the identity of the group during discourse. There are five factors that impact initial orientation: collectivistic view, difficult history of the interaction, stereotypes, norms for treatment, and high group solidarity. The collectivistic approach is when the individual is more concerned with the apprehensions of the group. Difficulty of the interaction is based on the history of current interactions. Stereotypes are bad perceptions of out-groups. Norms for treatment of groups is the typical behavior in particular situations. Lastly, high group solidarity is when an individual is heavily dependent on the image of the group they are a part of.
Part 2 I understood this theory best personally when it came to my interaction with my mother. Typical terms that I would use on an everyday basis with my friends are not terms that I would use when I am speaking with my mother. There are terms that I use that are categorized as slang that my mother may not understand because she is older so I release those terms when I am conversing with her. For example, a popular phrase that a lot of people my age use is “turn up”. “Turn up” is just another way of saying that I am going to have a really good time. It’s funny when I try to use slang with my mom because she dismisses what I say by saying “girl, I don’t understand a thing you’re saying”. So ways that I will convert is by using terminology that she is accustomed to. She’ll do the same thing with me as well. Instead of using deep-rooted phrases that I don’t understand she uses normal sayings instead. If we don’t understand we’ll ask one another what something means and over time our conversations actually merge, I’ll find myself using phrases that she’s explained to me before and vice versa.
Part 3 This is an objective theory because it is testable. The book states that the theorist tested this theory by evaluating recordings between the police and citizens in interactions. He found that both groups were more accommodating when the driver and the officer were of the same race. This theory is practical because it’s relevant. We all categorize ourselves in groups and we all make the decision to either divert or convert during discourse with other groups. Because this theory has the “aha factor”, it is fairly easy to understand because it can be applied to any situation or group. This theory also allows individuals to predict outcomes of other situations based on the factors of the theory. For example, stereotypes exist and people may react to stereotypes by reinforcing them resulting in a shift in speech, either divergent or convergent. All of these concepts make the Communication Accommodation Theory a good objective theory.