SOCS 350N Week 2 Discussion 2 – Power relationships - Graded A

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A cellphone company recently ran a television ad touting its call reliability, in which a young man is talking to his future father-in-law, who is telling him to address him by his Frst name and consi... der him a friend. The young man launches into a series of variations of the Frst name. Unknown to either party, the call is dropped and the young man does not hear any response from the father. He becomes very nervous and disconcertedly reverts to "Mr." and "Sir." The ad's message is clear: Use our service and this sort of thing won't happen. Why do you think the ad agency chose this power relationship for its commercial, and is it one to which you can relate? Have you had any kind of similar experience (not necessarily on a cellphone) The commercial example is definitely one in which I can relate. I have been with my husband for over 11 years and I still have this relationship with my mother-in-law. At times, I think we are breaking ground and becoming closer and then she will make a statement that makes me realize we are still getting to know each other. I still call her by her first name and not "Mom." This has been very difficult for me as I am extremely close with my parents. I talk with them on a daily basis and eat dinner with them at least once a week. My mother is my best friend. Of course, I feel my mother-in-law deserves respect, yet I wish we were able to be closer and friends like I am with my own mother. Stereotypes and the media The TV show that comes to mind is "Black-ish." It is an American sitcom which is about a family man struggling to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his children in a white upper- middle-class neighborhood. I wasn't too surprised when I saw it. Very typical of what most immigrant parents go through raising their children. High School Teachers - What do you remember? I remember my high school teachers very well. 15 years later and I still address them using Mr, Mrs, and Ms even though I'm much older. In high school trying to figure out our teachers first name was a mystery and if we did find it out calling them by it we would be punished. In Jamaica they were very strict on names. I had aunts, relatives and family friends who was my teacher and I had to call them by their last names while I was at school. I think it was funny how students parents would teach at the same school but would have to address them like any other student. This shows that superordinate relationships does exist and is very important in most cultures. This is also a way to show respect. [Show More]

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