Bones: A Grave Error in Communication Accommodation

Introduction
Every day we communicate in numerous ways. “Speech and behavioral similarities
and dissimilarities exist in all conversations…the manner in which we perceive the speech
and behaviors of another will determine how we evaluate a conversation.” (Turner & West,
p. 480). Whether we notice it or not, we are always making judgements in our conversations
according to what we hear and based on our past life experience, our culture, and our own
personal lens. Here we will give a basic background of the television series Bones. After a
basic introduction to the Theory of Communication Accommodation, we will discuss a
specific example of a communication error, and relate this scene to the theory. Included also,
is a Theory Recommendation of how the communication error could have been prevented or
mediated more effectively.
Series Background
In the television series, Bones (Benjamin & McKiernan, 2005), Dr. Temperance
Brennan is the main character. She is a forensic anthropologist with extensive education
including three doctorate degrees. She works in a scientific medical lab with many others
with similar prestige, identifying remains of murder victims. In conjunction with her high
intellect, area of work, and personality style, Brennan proves to have less than satisfactory
communication skills on many occasions throughout the series. In Season 1 Episode 6, her
friend and coworker Angela convinces her that she needs a night out on the town to relax and
unwind, so they go to a nightclub. Once at the club, Brennan begins to talk about how much
she likes the music and refers to it as sounding “tribal”. As Angela discourages her from
using this specific word, Brennan continues to say that “African Americans aren’t the only
ones with tribal heritage” at which point a black woman approaches her, offended at the idea
that she is referring to them as a tribe. Despite Brennan’s attempt to clarify her meaning, she
is further misinterpreted as another woman joins in to confront her. She attempts to further
clarify by saying that “Hip-hop mirrors the direct visceral connection you see in tribal
communication… After the Cartesian split in the 17th century, we separated our minds from
our bodies, the numinous from the animalistic.” The woman answers, “Are you calling me an
animal, fool?”, after which another woman steps in to clarify “No, fool. She’s using
Descartes’ philosophy to say she’s down with the music”. The first woman, upset at being
called a fool, pushes the other woman, and a fight ensues.
Theory Summary
The Communication Accommodation Theory is based on the idea that “...speakers
adjust their communication with others based on two factors: first, their desire to maintain a
positive personal and social identity and, second, their perception of their interlocutors’
communicative characteristics.” (Gasiorek & Giles, 2015, p. 2). These communication
adjustments include “an individual’s speech style (accent, pitch, rate, interruption patterns)
[which] can affect the impressions that others have of the individual. Giles and Smith… also
comment that the nature of the setting, the conversation topic, and the type of person with
whom one communicates will all intersect to determine the speech manner one adopts in a
given situation.” (Turner & West, 2018, p. 480). When I read the requirements of this
assignment, I immediately thought of this specific scene in this show. I chose this theory as it
is a good explanation for the communication problem in this scene. It makes a great case of
how we need to be aware of how we communicate, and how we need to change our modes of
communication based on setting and audience.
Author Background
Howard Giles is the author of the Communication Accommodation Theory. He
conducted research at the University of Bristol in social psychology, after which he became a
lecturer in the field for the University of Wales. After relocating to the United States, he
became a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later
became the assistant dean of the University. He used the theory of Speech Accommodation
Theory in the creation of Communication Accommodation Theory, which expanded the
scope to include nonverbal communication. The purpose of Communication Accommodation
Theory is to “[predict] and [explain] many of the adjustments individuals make to create,
maintain, or decrease social distance in interaction.” (Giles & Ogay, p. 293). It expands on
how we make accommodations in the ways we communicate, why, and how that affects our
conversations.
Analysis of Scene using the Communication Accommodation Theory
In any given communication event, “individuals can engage in communication
practices that emphasize or attenuate group differences and thereby dynamically harden or
soften intergroup boundaries.” (Gallois, Giles, & Watson, 2018, p. 4). It is to be expected that
Dr. Brennan would encounter differences frequently in settings outside of work due to her
high intellect and field of work. This particular scene emphasizes the differences between
herself and the other club attendees, contributing to hardened boundaries within the group,
and a grave misunderstanding. Those who hear Brennan talking to her friend and confront her
about what they interpret “[make] attributions about the motives underlying [her] behavior,
and [evaluate her] communication accordingly.” (Gasiorek & Giles, 2015, p. 2). Their
immediate evaluation is that she is making racist comments against the African American
community due to both her word choice and subject matter. Seeing that she is misunderstood,
she acts in accordance with the postulation that “people adjust their speech style to
accommodate how they believe others in the conversation will best receive it.” (West &
Turner, p. 480). However, this is not enough to relieve the communication tension that arises.
It isn’t until the last woman steps in and practices more effective accommodation to aid
comprehension of all parties. “Accommodation is defined as the ability to adjust, modify, or
regulate one’s behavior in response to another.” (West & Turner, p. 478). While the final
participant appears to be able to practice effective accommodation strategies, it is not
enough to account for the tension that has grown throughout the interaction.
Theory Recommendation
The problem in this situation was that Breenan did not use effective Accommodation
strategies in communicating with those who are not on the same educational level that she is
on. The general public is likely not familiar with many philosophers outside of Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle, much less their specific philosophies. Instead, the group experienced
Divergence, which is “when there are no attempts to demonstrate similarities between
speakers.” (West & Turner, p. 487). Brennan needed to notice the misunderstanding as
coming from an inequity of educational levels between herself and those she was
communicating with. If she had resorted to a lower level explanation as the final contributor
to the conversation, she may have resolved the misunderstanding immediately, preventing the
breakout of violence that occurred.
Conclusion
 As evidenced through the interaction explained here, much can be done to mitigate
communication errors, however, less can be done to prevent them as a whole. With the
expansive diversity of background, language, culture, and personal experiences, the variance
in communication errors is vast. Using Communication Accommodation Theory specifically,
we can effectively alter our communication patterns depending on our setting, and reach a
more effective form of communication with those we associate with. I realized how much I
use this theory from when I change my language to make myself easier to understand with
my 4 year old child, to when I find a different way to explain myself when my Peruvian
coworker doesn’t understand what I’m trying to explain. It can be difficult to make progress
in a society if we do not relate to one another, and communication accommodation teaches us
the ways in which we do this. “Whether in speech or behaviors, people bring their various
fields of experiences into a conversation.” (Turner & West, p. 480). It’s important to not only
accept but embrace these differences in order to create better experiences in communication.
References
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