Kate Lawson
103
Preliminary Assignment #4 - Initial Draft of Introduction
Sexual Harassment: A Communication Perspective

"Hey baby!" "Nice ass!" have any of you been the recipients of these types of comments. What are some of the other phrases or actions you have been subject to? Most of us have probably been susceptible to some kind of this harassment. Most of us have been sexually harassed in this manner. Ok what is sexual harassment? what do you guys think? Chris says defining sexual harassment is like trying to nail jello to a wall. There are so many factors that influence what is and what isn't sexual harassment that it very difficult to define. This is probably a reason that so many people sue for sexual harassment nowadays. If you can't define what it is how can you define what isn't. This is one of the main problems in sexual harassment cases.

Sexual harassment is mainly a problem of miscommunication. Susan L. webb suggests that SH is bounded by the guidelines of intent, severity and repetition. But where do we draw the line? If I walk up to one man and rub his leg and make sexual advances toward him. He may find this flattering. Another man may feel quite disturbed by this type of contact. Where do we draw the line when each person is different? When I have asked friends where they think the line should be drawn for sexual harassment, they had varied responses. JUlie said, "I think it is harassment, if it goes beyond where you feel comfortable." Jim gives this alternate view," you know what this issue really upsets me. I mean I can't help it if people take things the wrong way. A los of times I think people are joking and it gets taken the wrong way. people want an excuse to sue for anything." Let's look at the idea of joking. It is one thing when dave may say to his friend Diane hey you are looking mighty hot. But if he continues to repeat again dn again until it makes Diane uncomfortable he is over the line. His joke loses its humor.

Sexual Harassment is not a joke. It can affect all of you. I can't tell you how many people I know that do not know when to stop telling a joke. My brother has been telling me the same three jokes for two years. It gets old. While I can tune him out, sexual harassment is not something that goes away. It can affect of all of you and it will interfere with your lives. SO you need to know how to avoid giving people the wrong idea in your verbal and nonverbal communication. It is necessary to know how what you say can be misconstrued to other people. After all, knowing is half the battle.

To understand how to avoid sexual harassment, we must examine what sexual harassment is, how it is a measure of miscommunication, and what you can do to avoid sexual harassment.

Chris-As you can probably tell I am not too good with intros. As always your suggestions will be of great assistance.

Thanks

Kate

 

KATE'S INTRODUCTION WITH CHRIS'S COMMENTS

"Hey baby!" "Nice ass!"  have any of you been the recipients of hese types of comments.  (simulated conversation)

can you add to these comments perhaps to include more people, can you ask the audience if they an furnish examples of these types of comments...

What are some of the other phrases or actions you have been subject to?     (audience dialogue)

ok you did this, your beginning to think like me, what is a thought that should wake you up in the middle of the night.....

MANY (ALWAYS USE QUALIFIERS) of us have probably been TARGETS

some kind of this harassment.  MANY of us have been NO NEED TO Use The sexually everytime-vary the stimulus...   harassed in this manner. 

want to try and smooth out your transitions a little bit, you make a  a pretty abrupt break here, try to connect you sentences a little closer to in or enhance FLOW

Ok what is sexual harassment?  what do you guys think?Chris says defining sexual harassment is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. (one-liner, Chris quote)

There are so many factors that influence what is and what isn't sexual harassment that it very difficult to define. This is probably a reason that so many people sue for sexual harassment nowadays.  If you can't define what it is how can you define what isn't.  This is one of the main problems in sexual harassment cases.Sexual harassment is mainly a problem of miscommunication.  Susan L. Webb suggests that sexual harrassment is bounded by the guidelines of intent, severity and repetition.

Do you want to go this deep in the introduction......your creating a verbal logical and rational introduction., but need to look for opportunities to personalize and emotionalize....no tears in the writers, not tears in the rear...when you have the audiences emotions you have the audience.

But where do we draw the line? If I walk up to one man and rub his leg and make sexual advances toward him. He may find this flattering.  Another man may feel quite disturbed by this type of contact.Another man may pass out :)))Where do we draw the line when each person is different?  When I have asked friends where they think the line should be drawn for sexual harassment, they had varied responses.  Julie said, "I think it is harassment, if it goes beyond where you feel comfortable."Jim gives this alternate view," you know what this issue really upsets me.I mean I can't help it if people take things the wrong way.

you talk to a good issue, possible to make a fox paws and say something which is take out of context...we all have done that....but when it is persistent and repeated, it may beocme harassment.....don't devote too much time to definitional issues in the intro since your going to spend an main point on the uses

I think you need to emotionalize a tad more.....how does it feel to be harassed?  how might the men in the audience feel as fathers if their daughters were harassed?

 A lot of times I think people are joking and it gets taken the wrong way.   people want an excuse to sue for anything."  Let's look at the idea of joking.It is one thing when Dave may say to his friend Diane hey you are loking mighty hot.  But if he continues to repeat again dn again until it makes Diane uncomfortable he is over the line.  His joke loses its humor.

written style is a tad more verbose, oral style uses shorter sentences, of uses repetition, and pay attention to the sound of works, to have maximum impact....

 Sexual Harassment is not a joke.  It can affect all of you.  I can't tell you how many people I know that do not know when to stop telling a joke.   My brother has been telling me the same three jokes for two years.  It gets old.  While I can tune him out, sexual harassment's not something that goes away.   It can affect of all of US and it MAY (USE QUALIFIER)interfere OUR lives probably move the brother reference tot he main points to shorten the intro.

 SO you need to know how to avoid giving people the wrong idea in your verbal and nonverbal communication.  It is necessary to know how what you say can be misconstrued to other people.  After all, knowing is half the battle.To understand how to avoid sexual harassment, we must examine what sexual harassment is, how it is a measure of miscommunication, and what you can do to avoid sexual harassment.

Chris-As you can probably tell I am not too good with intros.  As always your suggestions will be of great assistance. thanks-Kate 

 Ok, what you have is pretty solid, I think you need to begin to move away from the written style and develop an oral style.  Written style is rational and dispassionate, oral style or emotional, personal and passionate...for example changing the you to we's is example of adopting an oral style...This is in pretty solid shape....emotionalize, personalize, develop a tad more oral style, and narrow some of the definitional stuff e.g move to main point, and you would be in good shape.

 good luck, good hunting

Chris