That Social Barrier

As I begin to get farther in depth into this speech class it is becoming more evident to me the many things and situations can have an impact on the way we communicate with people. I have become more aware in realizing the everyday things such as gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, race, and ethnicity play a very dramatic role in the communication of society today. These characteristics all cause people to slowly, but surely group themselves into these cultures creating much diversity. I have seen from my observation that those that rank higher in social class tend to associate themselves with those that are just the same. This is not the case in every social situation, but in most. There are the occasional diverse groups that see past all the different characteristics, but it is very rare. People often have trouble bridging the gap between these cultures because of their different perception on life and their beliefs. I know that it becomes that much more difficult when other individuals do not have the same perspective as I do or come from another culture that practices different things. I know I tend to associate more with those I can relate to such as the same age group, college major, and others that are an average social class just as myself. This is not to be understood that I do not associate with others as well, it just means that it is much easier to communicate with those that understand where you come from. Being of an average social class, the majority of us tend to be more aware of how hard it is financially and have to work to be able to have some of the things that we like. Others of a higher social class may have never had to work and take for granted all the luxury they have by not being appreciative. After reading this chapter, I am trying to enhance my skill by being a bit more flexible to others cultures. I want to have more of an open mind to others that view things differently than I do. If I stop and think about the way I judge and group people I tend to stereotype them. This sometimes causes me to avoid them because I assume their way of life all together. Imagine how many different people and things we would all learn if we stopped grouping people. The only thing that results from this is a social barrier that makes communication that much more difficult.