Essay Sample on Identity, Face and Communication: Understanding the Dynamics

Introduction

A person's identity usually shapes the way they communicate and the content of the communication. Also, identity is relevant as it determines a person's communication behaviors that further assist in developing their self-concept, which in this case entails the way they think about themselves, that is whether they are funny, honest, or smart. It also defines the degree to which interactions with other support or challenges their opinions. On the other hand, face in communication fosters the elements of innovation and engagement that are quite relevant among all parties involved. Communicating with others, identity, and face are all essential as they shape the message transmission and the way it should be perceived.

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Communicating with others, identity, and face are related in that they determine the way the entire process will be undertaken. They determine elements such as respect and admiration for the parties involved in the conversation. D'Errico et al., (2015) depicted that equally, communication can be employed to malign other identities and develop tension between groups. As such, it is always vital to think about the effect of communication on the identity groups involved. Additionally, identity, face, and communicating with others are related in that they shape people's experiences. Every person possesses identity features like the social class, but varying aspects will define the means of these characteristics, which is also developed by face.

Specific face threats occurred when Joan Rivers was being interviewed. It is important to note that individuals of all cultures usually have an awareness of self-image when communicating. The interviewer demonstrated a positive face as she wanted Rivers to approve what she was saying about her. She further showed this positivity by smiling while making the comments which Rivers did not take properly and went ahead to confirm the negative face. As such, the negative face by Rivers was a desire not to be intruded or imposed upon. She wanted the interviewer to halt her comments about her since it was evident that she did not fully comprehend the nature of Rivers. The interviewer further continued laughing and pretending that Rivers was joking. All this made her appear rude and patronizing leading to Rivers walking out of the interview. Therefore, as the interviewer attempted to counter her positive face, which was accompanied by offensive comments about Rivers by laughing, Rivers, on the other hand, opted to show a negative face as she defended herself. In the end, she demonstrated that the only way for her to be respected by the interviewer and even halt the undesirable comments was by walking out in the middle of the interview (Joan Rivers Walks Out On CNN Interview, 2014).

Particular differences between the participants have been shown regarding how people should communicate in this frame. The interviewer has shown that people ought to ignore the element of identity and instead focus on the aspect of the face during communication (Lasorsa & Rodriguez, 2013). On the other hand, Rivers demonstrated that respecting one's identity is crucial, and that face is not the only significant element. Instead, it is vital to comprehend a person's identity before initiating any form of communication.

Whitfield produces interaction identity as she fully assumes the role of interviewing but, at the same time, tries to make it seem like she is just joking with Rivers. Also, her role had already been defined, but she shows partial sections of it during the interview. Whitfield further tried to demonstrate that she was only having a friendly conversation with Rivers, but the message was not well presented. Moreover, Rivers did not take the information from Whitfield too correctly, and this is what led to her reaction. Despite Whitfield not wanting to show her actual "bossy" function in the interview, she, however, managed to say some insensitive things to Rivers.

On the other hand, Rivers produces personal identity. Initially, she appeared not to be disturbed about what Whitfield was saying about her. As such, she responded properly, and even as she was about to walk out of the interview, it appeared as though she did not have an issue. Also, it is evident that Rivers is quite accommodating and took in all that was being said to her until Whitfield pushed her to the limit. She appeared polite and approachable, and this might have made Whitfield comfortable with saying some personal things about her. Nevertheless, Rivers felt she could no longer endure the content from Whitfield and thus, opted to walk out.

Whitfield should ensure that she comprehends the person she is interviewing properly before the interview. As such, she should understand the personality and attitude of a person as it will make the entire process easy. Moreover, it is vital to have information concerning the way a person perceives issues in society and their reasons as it will make one less judgmental when it comes to communication. Besides, it would be necessary for Whitfield to develop a link with Rivers before the interview, and this would shape their discussion positively during the interview. One may deduce from the interview that they had not developed a good association, hence the interviewee walking out. It would also be relevant for Whitfield to talk less and allow Rivers to explain herself effectively.

In future interviews, Rivers should positively express emotions and further ensure that the person interviewing her comprehends her identity. Once her identity, character, and even personality have been grasped, it will be easy to determine the way she should be approached during the interview. Furthermore, Rivers should learn how to control her emotions when something negative is said to her and challenge the interviewer positively. Maintaining a competence face may also be efficient as it will ensure one is regarded as proficient and treated with respect. Being specific during an interview is also quite relevant as one ensures that irrelevant information is not sought and, instead, only gives out the essential details depending on the subject.

It has been established that identity and faces are vital in communication since they determine the way the message will be passed and received as well. The paper has based its arguments on the interview of Joan Rivers, who is shown to walk out of a nationally televised interview. Whitfield has been observed to show a positive face during the interview, probably because she wanted to obtain proof from Rivers. On the other hand, Rivers showed a negative face, which was a desire not to be imposed upon or intruded. The way people should communicate in this frame has further been displayed due to differences between the two women. One of these is the comprehension of a person's identity. Whitfield has been observed to show interaction identity since she fully assumes the function of interviewing but, at the same time, appears to be sarcastic. As for Rivers, she produces personal identity where she shows characteristics of herself that should be treated as reasonably stable despite the condition being altered. It has further been established that one must express emotions positively and control them as well during interviews. Also, the interviewer must have all the relevant information about the individual being interviewed before the interview.

References

D'Errico, F., Poggi, I., Vinciarelli, A., & Vincze, L. (2015). Conflict and multimodal communication: Social research and machine intelligence. Cham: Springer.

Joan Rivers Walks Out On CNN Interview. (2014). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-dNVjMwtVA

Lasorsa, D., & Rodriguez, A. (2013). Identity and communication. New York, NY: Routledge.