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Assignment 6.1 Describing My Interdisciplinary Degree

Kaitlyn Rose Horton

Integrated & Liberal Studies Program

LIBS 101-102: Introduction to Liberal Studies

Dr. Turhan Potter

November 26, 2023

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Assignment 6.1 Describing My Interdisciplinary Degree

Within the Mass Communications discipline, there are many theories and experiments

that have been developed as a result of analyzing the field. But still, there continues to be many

questions that remain unanswered. Scholarly writer, Paul Leonardi, poses the following question:

“Do gender differences in U.S Latino culture lead to different perceptions of computers and the

Internet, and ultimately to different patterns of use between males and females?” (Leonardi,

2014). During his uprising years, Leonardi obtained his bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary’s

College of California. Later, he received his master’s degree at the University of Colorado at

Boulder, and his Ph.D. at Stanford University. Currently, Dr. Leonardi is the Department Chair

and Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara. Specifically, his

research focuses on the management, information, and communication fields. He has composed

over 70 scholarly articles, as well as published four books on the evolution of communication. In

the qualitative article, Cultural Transference in Perceptions and Uses of Communication

Technology: A Qualitative Study, Dr. Paul Leonardi concludes how different genders of U.S

Latino’s oppositely view their technology capabilities through the conduction of various open-

ended interviews, complex theoretical research, and disciplinary connections of social influence.

For the collection of his research, Dr. Leonardi chose to conduct a qualitative research

study. According to UTA Libraries, qualitiave research is defined as, “…a process of naturalistic

inquiry that seeks an in-depth understanding of social phenomena within their natural setting,

relying on the direct experiences of human beings” (UTA Libraries, 2023). To demonstrate this

method, Professor Leonardi uses an interviewing technique, recording responses from 78 U.S

Latino immigrants (45 females, 33 males); each working for housekeeping at a university located

in the west. For data gathering, every individual was placed into a Spanish focus group,
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Assignment 6.1 Describing My Interdisciplinary Degree

averaging about seven people per group. Then, after nearly 90 minutes of conversation, each

participants response was transcribed and translated into English. Once this process was

completed, Professor Leonardi went on to review the interviewees responses.

Professor Leonardi’s motivation for this study thrives off of the culturally defined theory

of “machismo”. This theory refers to, “…the Latino machos ethos, a set of qualities that have

come to be the root of gender distinction in the Latin American world” (Leonardi, 2014). In

simpler terms, this proposition revolves around the concept of male dominance and

possessiveness among the Spanish environment. Because the Latino culture has grown to

develop strong gender distinctions, this hypothesis aims to portray the differences in

advancements between both males and females. Social construction has also become a major part

of the Spanish culture, as women have been perceived as “self-sacrificing” (Leonardi, 2014) for

the last several years.

In addition to Dr. Leonardi’s methods, this research study further supports the

disciplinary concept of social influence. Within the social influence field, there are four main

characteristics: direct statements, vicarious learning, media norms, and social definitions of

rationality. These qualities inhibit the frequent aspects of media, including the internet’s ability to

present false information and negatively impact user’s perspectives. In relation to the theory of

“machismo”, both represent the social injustice of gender bias. To elaborate, the communication

area presents bias within the technical field, as “…technology has become a masculine institution

in which technical competence is part of the male identity, a factor of identity construction

unparalleled by women” (Leonardi, 2014). Therefore, the social influence aspect is strongly

dependent on which gender is in control.

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Assignment 6.1 Describing My Interdisciplinary Degree

After conducting this experiment, Dr. Leonardi concluded that U.S Latino males and

females each have unique perspectives and different usages for the internet. As popularly stated,

the female belief revolves around their fear of technology. An example of this is the response

from “F1”, claiming, “A lot of strange things happen with computers, demonic things”

(Leonardi, 2014). Ultimately, the female perspective reflects the dangers of technology, as well

as the uncertainty within the communication field. In addition, the study observed that most

women are not proficient in the technology, as they never had a desire for the purchase to begin

with. Switching to the male interpretation, the conclusion was that computers are controlled by

those using the device. Participant “M5” voices, “It’s human beings that put bad things inside

computers. That’s all” (Leonardi, 2014). So, while males feel responsible for future outcomes

their technology may present, their responses also confirmed that the internet is primarily

exercised by them as well. Overall, Professor Leonardi determined that these difference between

each gender directly correspond with Spanish cultural values, as well as the theory of

“machismo” and the social influence discipline. Furthermore, after reviewing this scholar, I now

understand that the Mass Communication discipline has many intersecting factors that all relate.

This exercise has helped me deepen my understanding of interdisciplinarity, as well as allowed

me to apply my Liberal Studies knowledge to a true real-world example.

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References

Leonardi, P. (2014). Cultural Transference in Perceptions and Uses of Communication

Technology: A Qualitative Study. Qualitative Research Reports in ...

https://www.academia.edu/615148/Cultural_transference_in_perceptions_and_uses_of_co

mmunication_technology_A_qualitative_study

“Subject and Course Guides: Quantitative and Qualitative Research: What Is Qualitative

Research?” What Is Qualitative Research? - Quantitative and Qualitative Research -

Subject and Course Guides at University of Texas at Arlington,

libguides.uta.edu/quantitative_and_qualitative_research/qual