Jordan Sanders

The Communication Department

My experience, background, and passion for the field of communication make me a

perfect fit for The University of California – San Diego.

The ultimate question lingering in my mind is, “why is this significant?” This question
was constantly repeated during my sophomore year by my cross-cultural communication
professor. I would later learn that this statement carried implications reaching far beyond
the bounds of the classroom. When I look back to the times I was happiest, when my life
held the most meaning, it was when I was teaching, studying and conducting research for
my communication classes at Indiana University.

I want to pursue a career that allows me to capitalize on my love of teaching and

research. Ever since high school, I have taught a wide array of skills in a multitude of
settings. My experience as a camp counselor laid the groundwork for leading a large
group in structured activities. I successfully transitioned my counseling leadership role to
an academic setting at Indiana University. While teaching a freshmen interest group at
Indiana University, I gained experience constructing and implementing lesson plans,
creating take-home assignments, and building classroom solidarity.

Next, I was offered a tutoring position because I was one of the top students in a
communication class. My two year tenure as the communication tutor reinforced my
interest towards both teaching and the subject of communication. After a year of helping
others succeed in one class, I was given the opportunity to tutor for another class. After
graduation, I’ve continued teaching in the communication field because it gives me a
sense of fulfillment. When my students improve, I receive great satisfaction.

As a communication and culture major at Indiana, I was fortunate to accumulate research

experience. First, I conducted a series of ethnographies that examined the construction of
gender in informal gatherings. Next, I looked at the variation between the “ends” of
communication at a poker game within an informal setting versus a formal, structured
tournament. Finally, I carried out a critical analysis of book store culture. After making
meticulous observations, I concluded that large chain bookstores create a particular type
of consumer. In doing this, chain bookstores unite American culture. My grade point
average rose each year because I found communication studies engaging and intriguing.
My final 3.7 GPA in Communication, along with recommendations from faculty, led to
an award during my senior year: the MacDowell-Gilliam Communication and Culture
Scholarship.

I have the drive to succeed as an academic. I feel my research, contemplation, and

articulation of an issue can help society understand itself. Discovering the larger picture
to my research made countless hours of erudite research and composition worthwhile.
When people within a culture become aware of the motivation behind their actions,
perhaps their heightened consciousness will produce a sense of higher purpose. The
benefit I receive from research is identical to that of teaching: both give me a sense of
contentment. I open up doors concealing limitless possibilities to my students in the
same way I plan on revealing fresh ideas to society as a communication researcher. I,
like many of the scholars at San Diego, am driven by a desire for social change.

The graduate Communication program at the University of California – San Diego is the
ideal place for me to develop as a university professor.

One of the reasons I am drawn to be a communication student at UCSD is because it has

many strengths that align with my own intellectual passions. First, I am fascinated with
cultural analysis. This interest has grown from engaging in the communication
curriculum at Indiana. Their program is aptly titled, “Communication and Culture”,
because culture is intertwined with communication. In fact, my research projects were a
form of cultural analysis. I strove to understand the role culture plays on common
practices and environments.

I have a diverse background in communication research, and could potentially study a

multitude of topics. For instance, I am also well qualified to pursue questions in
performance studies. However, my strongest interests are highlighted. I am content to
specialize on new media, new technology, built environments and spaces. In addition, I
could also encompass cultural studies or at least integrate culture with my work.

I want to attend San Diego’s Communication program because of its strong emphasis on
media and technology. My passion with new media and technology has developed over
the course of my work in new media marketing. Countless hours of applying this
technology have raised questions in my mind. How is the line between business and
pleasure becoming crossed with new media? Does the purpose of using new media vary
across cultures? What are the implications of new media’s amalgamation of work and
social life?

Barry Brown would be the perfect person to help me answer these queries because he
examines new media and technology in relation to leisure. In fact, he recently
contributed to a project that dovetails with this line of thought; he studied the way
microblogging transformed from a status sharing tool to a vehicle for building social
relationships. I fervently identify with this project because it reflects a trend that I
noticed while working with Twitter, the world’s most popular microblogging platform.

Next, Communication at UCSD can be distinguished by its concentration on built

environments, spaces and artifacts. There are many researchers who have done research
in this niche. After examining the built environment of Barnes and Noble, I became
fascinated with this topic. How do spaces help individuals differentiate between the
multiple roles they perform? How are environments fashioned to reflect culture? How
do environments influence actions?
Chandra Mukerji, the researcher with the most extensive experience in this field, would
be the ideal professor to help me answer these types of inquiries. There is actually a
question that both Professor Brown and Professor Mukerji could help me pursue: what is
the impact of integrating new media and technology into our environment and what are
its implications?

UCSD is also a perfect fit for me because many of its professors incorporate a cultural
approach into their work, even those who do not explicitly focus on cultural studies. For
instance, Barry Brown recently helped lead a workshop in Mexico to teach residents and
researchers how new technology is impacting their life. Brian Goldfarb is another
example. When I observed his class, we discussed the ways in which key aspects of our
culture can be visually represented with concordance software. Even the professors who
study an ostensibly unrelated topic, like technology or media, do so within a cultural
context.

Finally, I am interested in applying the research methodology emphasized at UCSD.

With the notable exception of Professor Hallin, the department primarily uses qualitative
methodology, like ethnographic, interpretive, and comparative methods. As indicated by
my research, I have the most experience with culturally centered ethnographies. I have
always been attracted to ethnographical research because its techniques, like participant
observation, bring my research to life and give it relevance. I truly comprehend the
nuances of a topic when I experience it firsthand. My experiences inspire me to create
positive, social change. I’d like to transcend the conventional ethnographic approach I
developed at Indiana, and branch out to a more critical one at San Diego. Instead of
simply describing culture, I want to change it.

After drawing a conclusion and explaining its significance, I want to suggest how the
situation can be ameliorated. My suggestions will develop by comparing similar
phenomenon. For instance, I could do a comparative analysis of two groups. One group
that is exceptionally successful, proficient, or productive, versus another group that is not.
How does the successful group’s use of technology and environment contribute to its
success? Next, how is the use of technology and space contributing to the other group’s
failure? Finally, what technology does the less successful group need to employ and how
can they reconstruct their space to attain the same level of accomplishment? If the scope
became too large, I could always focus on either technology or the environment.

As a graduate student at San Diego, I will be able to continue my quest for significance in
life. The Communication Department at University of California – San Diego is well
equipped to answer my questions and help me explore new ideas. After receiving my
Ph.D at UCSD, I am confident that I will be a strong candidate for a position as a
university professor.