Second Order Information
Anthrcul101 Sec 033
First Writing Assignment
PROMPT 1:
In her chapter “How Do You Know”, Ilana Gershon introduces the concept of second order information. Second order information refers to the conjecture of the background information or concealed meaning of a communicated message. The communicated message’s phrases are analyzed beyond their initial literal meanings in order to decipher any expectations or intentions the message may deliver. Various mediums of communication allow for different ways to interpret second order information and new communicative technologies produce new ways to incorporate second order information into daily communication. Even seemingly insignificant details such as mispronouncing words or spelling and grammar errors can make a considerable difference in the interpretation of a message. Second order information plays a vital role in how messages are written or interpreted. People often struggle to use the correct words while communicating with others. With the addition of second order information, people must furthermore incorporate how the message recipient will interpret the message. Instances of second order information abound in daily life. Friends’ texting or chatting with each other often includes inside jokes or phrases that are significant to only a few people. An employee who received a positive job performance review may try to read between the lines of the report to discover how he can improve. One instance when second order information influenced how I interpreted a message was when I was a part of my high school tennis team. My coach was often hard on us when we would lose a match. However, I often felt that he was much harder on me than on my teammates because he did not compliment me as much as he did for my teammates. He often said things like “you can do better” or “that’s not good enough”. For a while I thought this was unfair and I expressed my discontent in a private meeting with my coach. We had a conversation
First Writing Assignment
PROMPT 1:
In her chapter “How Do You Know”, Ilana Gershon introduces the concept of second order information. Second order information refers to the conjecture of the background information or concealed meaning of a communicated message. The communicated message’s phrases are analyzed beyond their initial literal meanings in order to decipher any expectations or intentions the message may deliver. Various mediums of communication allow for different ways to interpret second order information and new communicative technologies produce new ways to incorporate second order information into daily communication. Even seemingly insignificant details such as mispronouncing words or spelling and grammar errors can make a considerable difference in the interpretation of a message. Second order information plays a vital role in how messages are written or interpreted. People often struggle to use the correct words while communicating with others. With the addition of second order information, people must furthermore incorporate how the message recipient will interpret the message. Instances of second order information abound in daily life. Friends’ texting or chatting with each other often includes inside jokes or phrases that are significant to only a few people. An employee who received a positive job performance review may try to read between the lines of the report to discover how he can improve. One instance when second order information influenced how I interpreted a message was when I was a part of my high school tennis team. My coach was often hard on us when we would lose a match. However, I often felt that he was much harder on me than on my teammates because he did not compliment me as much as he did for my teammates. He often said things like “you can do better” or “that’s not good enough”. For a while I thought this was unfair and I expressed my discontent in a private meeting with my coach. We had a conversation
Cited: Bourgois, Philippe 2003 Violating Apartheid in the United States. San Francisco, CA: Cambridge University Press Koff, Clea 2004 The Bone Woman. New York, NY: Random House Trade Paperbacks