Negotiation and Persuasion
If you have ever wondered why you bought something you did not really want, or lost an argument you felt you should have won, this class can explain why. The deluge of information we receive from television, print, the internet, radio, even people around us, is typically purpose-driven communication. Too often, the purpose is to persuade you to act according to the goals and belief systems of others. This course will give students insight as to how others attempt to influence us on a daily basis. It will arm students with the tools necessary to evaluate and use information that is practical, and avoid tactics that may seek to take advantage of us.
The course will incorporate PACS 1 concepts of communication and media. Communication techniques seen in PACS 1 readings from Postman and Martin Luther King will be evaluated. Modern business texts, legal debates, and work from leading communications professors will be utilized. Students will put into practice the techniques studied by creating their own marketing campaign, and judging their peers in-class debate. The effectiveness of rhetoric will be analyzed through study of the readings, peer review, and instructor discussion topics.