Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 

I chose to watch the new show "Black-ish." Not because it is not something I would not normally watch but because it is something that I have never watched before. After watching the first episode, I will most likely continue to watch the show. Even without the sound on, it was really funny and contains pertinent views of culture in the United States.

Without the sound, it is still evident that this family of six practices a great deal of sarcasm in their communication with one another. There is also an air of confidence from the character of the father. The grandfather, played by Laurence Fishburne, displays a really laid back style of communication often seen sitting in a chair drinking a beer. The mother/wife displays facial expressions and body language that convey irritation and disapproval of the father's actions. In one scene in the laundry room, her eyes are bulging out, she leans forwards, waves her arms, contorts her face into an expression of anger and seems to be yelling at the dad as he stands with a confused expression on his own face.

With the sound on, the father's communication is much more clear. He displays confidence at his job but clearly has many conflicts with his role in an all-white upper class neighborhood and job setting. His verbal communication conveys amazement and dismay at the odd dynamics between him and his co-workers, his son's choice of sports and friends, and his family's willingness to let go of their culture.

When I watched the show with the sound off, his sarcasm was abundantly clear and that was proven once the sound was on. My assumptions about the grandfather were wrong. His non-verbal communication was casual, but his verbal communication was really aggressive and grumpy. My assumptions about the wife, were spot-on. However, some of this is rooted in my knowledge of the actress. I have listened to her as a public speaker on a few occasions and am familiar with her verbal communication style. Her character has many of the same mannerisms, speech patterns, and phrasing as the actress. 

Obviously, if I had been watching a show I know well such as Law and Order SVU, I would have had a much more accurate read on the regular character's nonverbal communications. I am quite familiar with their facial expressions, movements, and gestures. A show such as the one I chose to watch was completely unfamiliar to me. The "aha" moment came from wrapping my previous knowledge of the actors into their characters which mislead me on the nature of the grandfather. Professionally, we can often make assumptions about people's character based on their nonverbal communication. For example, I have a reputation as being very aggressive because I walk very quickly and move with purpose and intensity. The truth is, I am not aggressive. I'm actually fairly calm most of the time.  The same can be said for working with children and families. We can not make assumptions about the intentions and character of a parent or a child based solely on nonverbal communication. Parents may appear angry when they are simply tired from a long day of work. We must always look beyond the obvious and ask questions for clarification.