My Profile

Name: Chan Si Fong
Matric Number: 219819
Age : 21
Date of Birth: 17th  February 1992
Gender: Female
Race: Chinese
Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
Program: Bachelor of Communication (Hons)

Ways to Maintain Healthy Lifestyle

Health is the greatest wealth of humans. If we do not have a healthy body, we cannot even enjoy the wealth that we had achieved. Therefore, it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. There are several ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle as follows:

   1. Having regular exercise. Having regular physical activities will help to burn our body fats and calories. Exercises such as swimming, running, jumping rope, biking and so on will help to increase our metabolic rate and increase our cardiovascular systems' function. Those exercise will also strength our muscles and shape our body. Regular exercise is also one of the way to reduce the risk for getting chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and so on. One person should have regular exercise at least three times a week to maintain a healthy body. Besides, having physical activities will also help to relax our mind and reduce the tension and stress. When we are having exercise, we will forget those trouble and tension but enjoy on our activities. This is also one of the benefit to have regular exercise. 

   2. Having a balance diet. Having a balance diet is important to maintain a healthy body. It is because what food we consume will affect our body function. We should have regular meals each day with regular eating time. Most of the people like to skip their breakfast because running of time but this will affect our body function and result to unhealthy body. People who always skip their breakfast will will hungry afterwards and this will make them consume more food later on. They will get more calories which will burdened their own body. Therefore, having regular meals in the regular time is important. In addition, we should consume our meals according to the portion of food pyramid-there is, consume much on vegetables and fruits while reduce the consumption of oil, meat and other junk foods. It is because the vegetables and fruits will provide us vitamins, minerals and fiber which will supply the nutrition we need to our body. Over consume of food such as meat, oil and junk food will increase the burden of our body because those foods contain a lot of fat. Those fat are not good to our body. Too much of fat will result to many diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Hence, we should reduce the consumption of such unhealthy food in order to maintain our health. 

   3. Reduce screen time. Spending too much of the time in front of the screen such as TV and computer will reduce our time on exercise and outdoor activities. This will makes our body fat being accumulated in our body because we did not move our body and burn our body fat and calories. Day by day, these fat will result to chronic diseases. Therefore, we should limit our time in front of our computer and TV and spend more time on exercise and other outdoor activities in order to reduce our fat and calories in our body. Spending too much time in front of the screen will also affect our body function as our eyes will be easily being dry and tired and our body muscles will become pain and strained. These symptoms are normally found on the office workers because they spend too much time in front of their computers. Hence, we should always move our body or having some little exercises when we are working in order to avoid tiredness. Always find time to leave your computer and TV screen and do something else which will relax your mind and body.

Iceberg Model of Culture-What Is It About?

In 1976, Edward T. Hall developed the iceberg analogy of culture. The models shows that some aspects of culture are visible, which are above the water. However, there are larger portion of aspects hidden beneath the surface. 

   The external or visible part of culture is what we can see and is the tip of the iceberg. This part of culture includes dress, traditions, behaviors, artifacts, customs ,heroes and symbols. The internal, or subconscious part of culture is below the surface of a society. This part include beliefs, assumptions, values, world views, perceptions and attitudes. These aspects of culture are underlie behavior.

   Hall suggests that the only way to learn the internal culture of other people is to actively participate in their culture. When one first enters a new culture, only the most overt behaviors are apparent. As one spends more time in that new culture, the underlying beliefs, values and thought patterns that dictate that behavior will be uncovered. That means we cannot judge a new culture based only on what we see when we first enter it. We must take time to get to know individuals from that culture and interact with them. Only by dong so can we uncover the values and beliefs that underlie the behavior of that society. This is what Iceberg Model really meant.

Pollution

 

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. There many forms of pollution, for example, air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, radioactive contamination and many more. 

   Air pollution refers to the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. The common gaseous pollutants which will result to air pollution includes carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen oxides. These gaseous are normally released by the industry and motor vehicles. Noise pollution then includes roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as as high-density sonar. Water pollution is caused by the discharge of waste water from commercial and industrial waste through intentionally or spills into the surface of the waters； discharge of untreated domestic sewage and chemical contaminants such as chlorine; release of waste and contaminants into surface runoff flowing to the surface waters; waste disposal and leaching into groundwater; eutrophication and littering. Radioactive contamination is result from 20th century activities in  atomic physics, such as nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons research, manufacture and deployment. Radioactive pollution is a serious pollution issue with the concern of international societies. 

   All forms of pollution will bring negative effects to our Mother of Earth, and of course to human beings. For the effect of human health, the air pollution which resulted from the release of chemical gaseous can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Water pollution will also caused death because of the contamination of drinking water which contained untreated sewage. The problem of contamination of drinking water is happened in most of the developing countries such as India and Afrika. Millions of people had dead due to the air and water pollution every year. Oil spills, which is another source of water pollution, will skin irritations and rashes. Besides, the radioactive and chemical substances that release by the radioactive industry can cause cancer and birth defects. Radioactive pollutions will affect many generations of affected area. In aspect of environment, the air pollutants or called greenhouse gases will leads to global warming which effects ecosystems of our environment. The release of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause acid rain which will lower the pH value of soil. All these pollutants will greatly affect our environment and our Mother of Earth. 

   Who needs to take the responsibilities of these effects on our earth? The human being is. In February 2007, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), representing the work of 2,5000 scientists, economists and policymakers from more than 120 countries , said that humans have been the primary cause of global warming. We, the citizens of the earth, are the one who destroy our own home. We should take actions to avoid our earth being continue polluted by us. Stop pollution!humans!We are not living to destroy the earth but protect it to be harmed. Therefore, we need to control the pollution. Without pollution control, the waste products from consumptions,heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities will degrade our environment. We need to practice pollution prevention and waste minimization practices in our daily lives. For example, practice the 3R in our daily lives: Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. The industry should have take action to reduce the release of pollutants in order to control the pollution. The Kyoto Protocol is one of the effort to reduce the global warming phenomenon. Countries which ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase the emissions of these harmful gases. A total of 141 countries have ratified this agreement. 

   However, these efforts are not enough. People should aware of how their irresponsible action will bring consequences to themselves. Start to preserve our Earth today by minimizing the waste. Reduce the usage of plastics, using public transportation instead of motor vehicles, do not waste water, do not throw rubbish all over the place-these are the small efforts that we can easily do to save our environment. What's you waiting for? Start to do it now!

Concepts of Communication

   

Communication is an important process in our daily life. One cannot survive without communicate with others. In order to become a good communicator, we need to understand the concepts of communication. I am going to discuss five main concepts in a communication process- source, message, channel, receiver and feedback. The diagram above shows the SMCR model which invented by David Berlo.     

   Source, also known as the sender, is the first component of communication. It functions as the originator and the creator of a message. It is responsible for formulating and sending the messages to the receiver in order to ensure the meaning of the message is transferred to the receiver effectively. The process of sending a message from the source involves the encode and decode process (formation of message from symbol) in order to transfer the message. Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver (1949), which introduced the first major communication model, designed their model to mirror the function of radio and telephone technologies. They considered the source as the part of the telephone a person spoke to. David Berlo (1960) then expanded the model of the Shannon and Weaver by creating the SMCR model of communication. In his SMCR model, source which represents by the alphabet S, is the element which transfers the information to the receiver that had undergone the process of formation the messages by transform its thoughts into symbols. In his views, there are five crucial elements which carried a great deal of responsibilities in helping the source to carry out the communication process effectively. They are communication skills, attitude, knowledge, social system and culture. Wilbur Schramm (1954) had emphasized the two way communication process in his interactional model of communication, which illustrates that the sender also can play the role as a receiver during an interaction, but not both simultaneously. The source plays an important role in the communication process as it determines the contents of the messages, sends the messages, understanding the feedback of the receiver and giving response to its feedback. In conclusion, the source plays the most important role in a communication process as it decides the ways of creating a message which will result to the feedback of the receiver. A source need to interpret the response of the receiver and to ensure the aim of the communication is achieved.

   

   A message is a verbal or non-verbal stimulus which produced by the source in order to explain the ideas and thoughts of the source or sender. It is carried out by the symbols which contains information, emotion and the aspects of person’s personality that will affect the reaction of the receiver. It includes the elements of meanings, symbols, encoding and decoding. Horald Dwight Lasswell had created a model to describe the act of communication which included “5 W” and “1 H” . In his view, the message flow in a multicultural society with multiple audiences through various channels. His model is quite similar with Aristotle’s communication model. Barnlund (1970), which had introduced the transactional model of communication, underscores the simultaneous sending and receiving of messages in a communication process. Meaning is achieved through the feedback of a sender and a receiver in this model. This model had presumes that as we simultaneously send and receive messages, we attend to both verbal and non-verbal elements. Erving Goffman (1959) and Richard A. Lanham (2003) believed that the process of communication is in itself the only messages that exist. Goffman had emphasized the significance of expression and the truth in both case is the articulation of the message and the package as one. A message comprises four main components which includes elements, content, structure, treatment and code. The sending of a message involves the encode and decode activity. The communication skill of the sender and receiver must be good in order to ensure that the message can be properly encode and decode. We need to form a message in order to share our ideas and feeling to others. The sending of messages are more advanced now as the rapid development of technology devices such as internet and smartphones. These advancements had diversified the way we transfer and interpret the messages. 

   Channel is a medium or route that use to transmit the message from the source or sender to the receiver. The common communication channels included light waves and sound waves, which allow us to see and hear one another. Sound and light are the two basic channels in the face-to-face communication. Claude Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver (1949) had illustrated the channel as a telephone in their original model which concerned with radio and telephone technology. They wanted to develop a model that could explain how information passed through various channels. In their opinion, channel functions as a medium to adapt for transmission. It frequently corresponds to the visual, tactile, olfactory and auditory senses. According to the SMCR model of David Berlo (1960) , we can receive the messages through our five senses by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. All our five sensors are the channels which help us to communicate with one another. Communication Model Terms that provided by Rothwell(11-15) then defined channel as the medium through which message travels such as through oral communication(radio, television, phone and in person) or written communication(letter, email and text message). There are three types of channels: mass media, face-to-face media and non-verbal media. We can get any latest information through the transmission of the message by these channels. The development of the communication technology nowadays included the Internet( which is one of the channels in the communication) had influenced the ways we communicate, which is much different if compare to the past. The impact of media on the communication process is a popular field of study by the researches nowadays as the pervasiveness and availability of media in our society nowadays.

   Receiver is the communicator who will respond to a message that sent by the source or sender. Before the receiver responds to the message he received, he need to understand the message and then responds accordingly. This process is called decoding. The receiver should be on the same platform as the source or sender for smooth flow of information and better understanding  of the message. A receiver should posses good communication skills to understand what the source or sender is trying to convey. He should have the right attitude to understand the message in a positive way. Besides, a receiver's knowledge should also be at par with the source or sender so that the meaning that the source or sender is trying to convey will be same as the receiver perceived. In order to achieve similarities of meaning between source and receiver, a receiver also needs to have the same social background and culture as the source or sender. This can avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation in a communication process.

   The element feedback is not included in the SMCR model above, but it is also an important element in a communication process. Feedback is a natural response of effective receiving. It refers to a receiver’s response as interpreted by the source. Feedback enables a sender to determine whether the message had been received and understood as intended. It is a primary way of determining whether the sender and receiver are on the same wave length. Feedback serves as a kind of control mechanism in the communication process. It had been seen as an essential component to the interactional model of communication that founded by Wilbur Schramm (1954). In his views, feedback takes place after a message is received  but not during the message itself. Rothwell defined feedback in his terms as the verbal or non-verbal responses of the receiver to a message such as a nod for understanding(non-verbal response) or asking a question in order to understand the message of the sender more clearly (verbal response). Barnlund (1970) commented that the sender’s personal filters and the receiver’s personal filters may be vary depending on their cultures, background or gender. These factors may influence the intent meaning of the message contents. This will result to the feedback which given by the receiver is not same as the interpretation of the sender. This will cause misunderstanding and misconceptions. Through these development of the models, we can now know that the importance of the feedback as it can help us to become a better communicator by identifying our strengths and weakness while sending or receiving a message. A sender must correct the faulty messages and the responses of the receiver in order to achieved similarities of messages between sender and receiver. Giving a feedback is just important as receiving a message because it makes the communication a shared process.

    Understanding these concepts of communication is important for us, as a communicator because it helps us to become a better communicator. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation of message can be avoided if we understand these communication concepts well.

Communication and Its Functions to Individuals

 

What is communication? There is a great deal of variation existed among the definitions of communication. Communication is a field of Social Sciences which related to society. It is a social process through symbols and message systems. In general, communication explains the phenomena, types and effects of the interaction of the society. Communication is an important activity in our lives. It is something that we do, something that we make, and something that we work on when we receive it from others. In this sense, communication is not just about speaking, but about any intentional acts which involved the sources, messages, channels and receivers. As communication is very important in our daily lives, we should know that what is the functions of communication to the individuals in order to understand the effects of communication to us. There are several functions of communication which are described as below.

   First, we communicate in order to work with others. Cooperation between people is the main purpose why we need to communicate with others. Communication is a must-need process if we want to get along with other people and to work with other people. For example, communication must be maintained in a group in order to achieve the aim and the objective of that group. Without communicate with others, we cannot fulfill our duties because other people cannot receive our messages and the objective of that group cannot be achieved. Therefore, communication, which involve the interaction between the individuals, is an essential process when we want to work with others, or in other words, to from a group.

    

   In addition, we must communicate to satisfy personal needs. Basically, food, water and shelter are the basic needs of a human being. Apart of this, we also need love, friendship, etc. The personal needs of the humans had been explained further by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs , which proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” . Maslow’s hierarchy is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid, with the most basic needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the peak of the pyramid. Physiological needs are at the bottom of the hierarchy which included food and drinks. These are followed by the safety needs- such as personal and financial security. Then there are relationship needs, which included love and friendships. Esteem needs, which are about us as we wanted to be respect by others and to have self-respect, are located below the top. Finally, the self- actualization needs, which involved self-expression and creativity, located at the top of the hierarchy. These needs would get more complicated and personal as one goes up the hierarchy. Without communication, we cannot satisfy these needs as communicate with others helps to satisfy these personal needs.

   

   Furthermore, we communicate to get information. Our life will become dull and passive without information. Communication, which provides the information about our surroundings, is a very important process. It is because we get the information through direct communication with others in most of the time. For example, we need to talk with others if we want to know today’s date from them. We also depends on the channels, which is one of the basic elements of the communication, to get the information from the sources. For instance, we get the latest news and information from all around the world through the mass media, which is one of the types of the communication channels.

   

   Besides the functions above, communication also provides us chances to express ourselves. This function of communication is important as it covers the creative aspects of communication. We can not only express our feeling, creativity and imagination by using words, but also pictures. For example, many autistic patients did not speak much, but most of them like to draw. They are able to express their feelings and emotions through the pictures. Communication, which enables us to interact with other people, is a very important process. This is because it enables others to understand what we are thinking about and what we are demanding for.

   

   In general, communication plays an important role in our lives. As human beings, we cannot survive if we do not communicate. We need to communicate in order to fulfill our needs and purposes of living. We can only achieve what we want by the process of communication. The study of communication is important because it serves functions that touch every aspects of our lives. Hence, we must know the functions of communication and why an individual need to communicate. Then, we can only exploit the functions of the communication well and make our life to be more interesting and meaningful. Everyone should know the importance of communication and sharpen their communication skills so that they can achieve their aim and objective of the communication: to create the similarities between the sources and the receivers.