Globalcompose.com sample report paper on culture film report

1. Sample Research Paper on Analysis of Type, Function,
Model and Levels of Communication
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Introduction
Communication is the act of passing information, ideas, and instructions from one person to
another or between groups of individuals. Communication is a vital necessity to the
peaceful co-existence of the human race since it is a platform for creating understanding
(Littlejohnand Karen 3). In the absence of proper communication, conflicts between people
will arise leading to misunderstanding and hatred. Additional, when the information passed
is not clear, or the environment has distractors to communication, then there is a high
likelihood that instruction and ideas become distorted. Various types of communication
exist, their application can be used independently or collectively basing on the nature of the
message and the anticipated audience. Additionally, communication can take place at
different levels based on the type of the environment and the social class of the participants
which will dictate the tone and type of communication.
Many models of communication exist which try to explain the various types and levels of
interaction; scholar coined these models after research on communication. Communication
serves different functions from directing, persuading, guiding, warning, entertaining and
commanding, which is dependent on the reason for conducting the process (Gouran, &
Randy 82). To this end, communication is the backbone of human existence and therefore,
understanding the process of communication cannot be underestimated. To explore the
concept of communication the, investigations in this article will be based on an analysis of
the first and second episodes of season one of the series film Orphan Black. This paper
seeks to explain the verbal type of communication and analyze its application in the movie
Orphan Black, further; the paper evaluates the function and models of this type of
communication and trace their use in the film. Finally, the paper illustrates various
communication levels and how they are applied to create flow and pass information at
different scenes in Orphan Blackregarding verbal communication. In a nutshell, this article
explains the types, levels, models, and functions of verbal communication and the concept
of self-disclosure.
Orphan Black is a television series that narrates the turnout of events and the subsequent
outcome of a biological cloning that was intended to create an authentic and super-
intelligence human being to be used on the battlefield (Pence 5). The movies follow the
lives and challenges of the clones, the struggles they undergo to hold their unity together
after they discover they are sisters despite each having a different social life. The primary
challenge facing the female clones in the movie is their inability to bear children;
additionally, their immunity is compromised due to an abnormal genetic composition
(Pence 7). The clone has to find a cure for their ailment which is a time bomb that threatens
their existence; however, they have to trace the original gene that was used in the cloning
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2. process which proves to be an up- hill task. An undercover militia is also killing the clones,
while on the other hand, two powerful business units are fighting for the control of the
clones (Pence 8).
Verbal Communication and its Application in the Movie
Communication can occur in various ways, each being unique to the medium, the
environment in which communication is taking place and the type of audience being
addressed. Each type of communication has its unique way of relaying a message from the
sender to the recipient and back to the sender if a feedback is required (Littlejohn and
Karen 7). Feedback is the reply to the information, and it forms a vital part of the
communication process since it may result in a healthy discussion or it may lead to conflict.
Verbal communication is a form of communication that involves the use of sound and
precisely words to pass information and instruction from the sender to the recipient. This is
the most common form of communication and it takes place through various types of
medium depending on the kind of information and the geographical distance between the
sender and the recipient. Communication medium is the equipment that is used to convey
information; example, mobile phones, radio, television, newspaper, billboard, letters, and
sirens. The choice of a medium is critical in ensuring effective communication is achieved,
the medium must be able to convey the information without distorting its meaning. The
selection of the media for transmitting a message is also dependent on the preference of
people involved in the communication activity and the availability of the medium.
Non-verbal communication is the type of communication that happens without the use
of voice or sound; therefore, is capitalizes on the use of portraits, gestures and signals
(Gudykunst, Ting-Toomey and Chua 22). The movie has instances of non-verbal
communication; for instance, Felix signals Mrs. Hendricks that she should hide her identity
because police are coming, in this instance, there is no use of word. During the campaign
period for the school representative aspirant use posters to pass their manifesto to the
electorate.
Verbal communication can take place when the speaker and the audience are close to
one another and therefore, lead to interpersonal communication. Interpersonal
communication is the exchange of information between people in a face-to-face basis
meaning that they can physically see each other. Additionally, the process of encoding and
decoding of information is also very important in this type of communication since it may
lead to audience losing concentration of misinterpreting the message. Encoding is the
process by which the sender of the information portrays the message, it is important for the
sender to structure his sentences appropriately to avoid misinterpretation by the recipient
(Short 234). On the other hand, decoding is the process of interpreting the message by the
audience which forms the basis of how he will respond to the instruction in the message.
In the film, verbal communication has been employed using different medium to pas
both general and confidential information between characters. Sarah uses a telephone at
the start of the movie to communicate to her foster mother that she has arrived in town and
would be heading home. Verbal communication is used predominantly in every part of the
film. Additional, Dr. Korney who is a good public speaker uses her ability to convince the
audience in the theater about the reality of neo-illusion. This is a complicated biological
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3. concept, but she uses her impressive medical communication knowledge and
understanding of the concept to convey the information in a more refined manner. This is
an indication that for effective communication, the sender of the information needs to have
adequate knowledge about the subject he intends to address, this helps the speaker to
gain the confidence of the audience.
Interpersonal communication is a concept that is associated with verbal communication;
this concept is defined as the face-to-face interaction between people that has no formal
limits (Gudykunst, Ting-Toomey and Chua 46). Since has no boundaries, it leads to self-
disclosure between the individuals concerned; a situation that is important in developing a
good communication environment. Self-disclosure is the process of opening up and
building an understanding of the personality and ideologies of an individual (Gudykunst,
Ting-Toomey & Chua 67). The process of self-disclosure requires privacy and trust
between the people involved since in most cases, information passed is confidential and
requires secrecy. Additionally, self-disclosure leads to the development of close contact
and relationship between individuals involved. During the process of self-disclosure, the
sender and the recipient need to be attentive and maintain an active non-verbal
communication to ensure that one party is not destructed from the conversation. Body
language during this process plays a significant role in the success of the communication
process. When the message passed is shocking or disgusting, the receptionist must remain
focused least the sender will terminate the conversation (Short 227).
In the film, instances of self-disclosure prevail in most of the scenes because the clones
need each other’s support for their survival. Sarah, one of the clone and also the
protagonist in the film visits Felix, her adopted brother to discuss her ordeal in the hands of
drug dealers who she has been working for. Before the discussion starts, she searches the
house to ensure there in nobody because the information is very confidential and only Felix
should know about it. This is an indication that a conducive and enabling environment is
required to propagate verbal communication and more precisely self-disclosure. Further,
when she narrates to Felix that the drug lords had undressed her, Felix is annoyed, and he
starts to protest, this distracts Sarah who then walks out and leaves; the conversation does
not resurface again. Therefore, it is necessary for the receiver of the information to decord
the message, but at the same time, remain focus regardless of the magnitude and intensity
of the information. In another instance, police office Elizabeth Child referred
to like Beth, receives a phone call from her clone sister Kassima, who is pursuing a post-
graduate research on genetics. Kassima tells Beth that there is something she needs to tell
her but first she must promise not to judge her. The scene is a manifestation that self-
disclosure can occur though a medium without the sender and the recipient being
physically near each other. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of the environment
to the process of interpersonal self-disclosure. Kassima tells Beth that she is a lesbian, this
information comes as a shock to Beth but she manages to remain composed and calm. Her
reaction to the information results in improved confidence that Kassima develops in her,
she trusts her and feels that she is the right person to reveals her personal life and
challenges.
Functions of communication
Communication has numerous functions depending on the purpose of the sender and the
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4. predetermined intention of the message. Just like all the other forms of communications,
verbal communication is used to educate on various issues. In this function, a public
speaker utilizes communication to raise awareness about a particular issue. To train, public
speakers must have adequate knowledge about the subject they intend to handle; this
ensures that they capture the confidence of the audience. Additionally, having proper
information about the issue will enhance the confidence of the speaker (McQuail & Sven
41). Secondly, the speaker must have a good understanding of the audience to be
addressed regarding their academic background, opinion about the issue, and the
language they understand best. When the speakers understand their audience, it enables
them to know the way of passing out information that will not be complicated and
challenging for the public to understand. Educative communication must present
information in a sequential manner to make sure recipient grasp the message. In the
movie, educative communication is used when Dr. Korney, address the students and
interested individuals about the issue of neo-illusion. During the public speech, Dr. Korney
has a good command of the topic; he illustrates it in a transparent manner that his audience
remains keen throughout the entire lecture.
Additionally, despite the subject being a medical issue, the doctor uses simple basic
terms and illustrations; therefore, taking care of the non-medicine audience. Further, the
doctor enhances his lecture by the utilization of a projector displaying images and symbols
associated with neo-illusion. This is a technique that is of importance in educative
communication since it ensures that information remains in the minds of the audience even
after they are out of the lecture hall. However, the use of graphical display must be
evaluated to ensure that it does not destruct the audience by diverting their attention from
the speaker to the screen.
In educative communication, other non-verbal forms of communication many either
enhance or destroy the process of communication. The postures and gestures used must
be selected carefully; this is because they may pass messages that oppose the information
being transmitted by the speaker and therefore, lead to poor communication (McQuail and
Sven 79). Maintaining eye contact is also paramount in the process of public speaking and
any other form of verbal communication. Eye contact enable the speaker to have a rough
judgment about the concentration and keenness of the audience and assess if the
information being passed is confusing or complicated. In the film, Dr. Korney utilized this
aspect of non-verbal communication to make a good performance which most of the
audience comment after the encounter. However, depending on the context and the field of
specialization, scholarly communication has different language dialects that are specific
and unique to that particular area. In that case, any person who is naive about the area
may not understand the information of may misinterpret the message.
In the film, when Kassima, calls Sarah to explain a medical condition that she has been
researching and the progress of the study, she uses complicated medical terms and
abbreviations. Sarah responds by telling Kassima she is not a medical specialist and she
has not understood anything. However, while in the laboratory the researcher
communicates using the terms and other terminologies with ease because it is in their field
of expertise. In another scenario, Mrs. Hendricks who is involved in the sale of drugs, while
in a conversation with other drug dealer uses common words like letter, package, flour and
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5. stone; however, the use of these terms does not imply the standard meaning, but each of
the word and expression has a hidden meaning that is known to the people involved in that
field. This is one of the interesting thing about verbal communications, it is diverse and
universal words and expressions can be used to mean a different and very unique thing.
Another role of communication is to instruct, in this function the amount of information
provided is usually precise and direct to the point. Additionally, the sender of the message
does not require reply, but expects action regarding the instruction given and therefore, the
communication is authoritative. In most cases, individuals at higher level are responsible
for giving instructions to their juniors who are supposed to reason and analyze the
information fast and proceed to effect it. Other functions of verbal communication include
inquiring, informing, warning and entertaining.
Models of Verbal of Communication
Models are theories that seek to explain the process of communication with emphasis
on the channel followed by the communication process (McQuail and Sven 55). Verbal
communication,like other types of communication follows the ideology of particular model.
The Linear Model, also referred to as Shannon- Weaver model explain communication as a
process that follows a defined part; that is sender-medium-receiver (Gouran, Dennis and
Randy 81). This model explains that for communication to occur, there must be a source of
the message who is the sender of the information; secondly, there must exist a medium
through which the message is relayed. The stipulates that communication end by recipient
getting the information. The Interactive Model is an improvement of the Linear Model, this
theory is a combination of two linear models. The theory stipulates that information must
originate from the sender, through a medium to the recipient who will analyze the
information and convey a reply to the source (Gouran, Dennis and Randy 83).
In the movie, linear model of communication is evident in the Criminal Investigation
Department where Beth works. The Beth and other police officer are given instructions by
their seniors, they receive the information and act without giving responses. While on
patrol, the police communicate with other agents by the use of police call device which
utilizes this theory of communication. Interactive model of communication is the most
dominant theory of communication in the film with several casts being dominated by this
model. When Kassima calls Sarah inform her of the progress of her research, the type
model of communication evident if the Interactive model.
Communication in the movie is also taking place both horizontally and vertically among
different level. Horizontal communication is where people of the same social level
communicate with one another, on the other hand, vertical communication occurs between
people of different social class. In the movie, vertical communication happens at the
Criminal Investigation Department between security officers from various ranks; In the
research laboratory, the communication between the students and their professor is vertical
communication. Horizontal communication occurs between the clones since they are at the
same social level.
Conclusion
Verbal communication is a vital part of the existence of the human race; additionally, it
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6. ensures the peaceful coexistence of human. However, if information is not translated in the
correct manner then it leads to conflict, or it may result in the information being distorted
and therefore, the intended purpose cannot be met. Verbal communication can occur in
various contexts depending on the nature of information and the type of audience being
addressed. Interpersonal communication is a vital component of verbal communication; it
leads to self-disclosure. The context in which information is relayed is important in
cultivating a healthy verbal communication; this is dominant in scholarly communication
where most fields have their language dialect. Additionally, verbal communication can be
within people of the same social status, and this is referred to as horizontal communication
or between people of different social ranks giving rise to vertical communication. Orphan
Blackmovie applies both verbal and non-verbal communication to come up with a film that
depicts the daily struggles of individuals.
Works Cited
Gouran, Dennis S. and Randy Y. Hirokawa. “Counteractive functions of communication in
effective group decision-making.” Communication and Group Decision-Making (1986): 81-
90.
Gudykunst, William B., Stella Ting-Toomey and Elizabeth Chua. Culture and interpersonal
communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc, 1988.
Littlejohn, Stephen W. and Karen A. Foss. Theories of human communication. Long Grove,
IL:Waveland Press, 2010.
McQuail, Denis and Sven Windahl. Communication models for the study of mass
communications. London: Routledge, 2015.
Pence, Gregory. What We Talk About When We Talk About Clone Club: Bioethics and
Philosophy in Orphan Black. Dallas, TX:BenBella Books, Inc., 2016.
Short, John A. “Effects of medium of communication on experimental negotiation.”Human
Relations 27.3 (1974): 225-234.
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