Questions for blog:
1. Is Guthrie's message individualistic or collectivistic? Explain.
2. Do you find this song to be pro-government or anti-government? Explain.
Answers:
1. His message is collectivistic because Guthrie is talking about how America is for everyone ("you and me"). He says that America was made specifically for all of the people.
2. I think the song is anti-government because he is focusing more on the people--you and me. He doesn't say, "This land was made for you and me and the government." He also questions how good of a job the government is doing in the verse about how the people are all hungry. Guthrie wonders whether the government is trying to preserve the land for "you and me," or if they're focusing more on themselves.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Reading Journal: 1984 (Part 2)
Winston has a difficult time believing ("swallowing") the Party's lies. I think the main reason for this is because of his memories of the times before the Party as well as his memories of some facts before the Party changed them. He remembers what life was like before the Party interfered, so when the Party tells the citizens of Oceania that the literacy rate has improved, or that everyone has better food and shelter, he can question whether that's the truth or not. Also, when the Party changes facts (for example, when the Party vaporizes somebody and afterwards that person presumably never existed), Winston can't help but be conscious of what the facts really are, instead of what the Party made them to be. I don't think that his "acts of defiance" are forms of normal protesting, but rather forms of personal, internal protesting. This is because he isn't openly defying the Party to anyone but himself--the journal was kept to himself, his beliefs were kept to himself, his questioning was kept to himself. Although he shared some of these things with Julia, it wouldn't be protesting because she is against the Party as well.
Compared to acts of rebellion today, Winston's acts might seem small. However, what people do today is show discontent with certain aspects of their lives, which is exactly what Winston does. Occupy Wall Street shows how people don't like the distribution of taxes; Winston's writings show how he doesn't like the new life the Party created for him.
Our society definitely has quite a long way to go before we reach an Orwellian society. Our government mostly takes in the opinions of what the people want, while an Orwellian society focuses strictly on the government and its oppression of the people.
Compared to acts of rebellion today, Winston's acts might seem small. However, what people do today is show discontent with certain aspects of their lives, which is exactly what Winston does. Occupy Wall Street shows how people don't like the distribution of taxes; Winston's writings show how he doesn't like the new life the Party created for him.
Our society definitely has quite a long way to go before we reach an Orwellian society. Our government mostly takes in the opinions of what the people want, while an Orwellian society focuses strictly on the government and its oppression of the people.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Egg
Questions for blog:
1. What kind of man was the narrator's father before he married? What changes did he undergo after marriage?
2. How does the narrator feel about and view chickens?
3. Why does the narrator claim to have had trouble, even as a child, being happy? What are we to make of the narrator's supposed gloominess and cautions against optimism?
4. What role does the father's collection of "grotesques" play in the story?
5. After abandoning chicken farming and going into the restaurant business, what decision does the father make regarding his personality and behavior? What is wrong with this decision and what happens as a consequence of it?
6. What is the meaning of the narrator's statement at the end of the story about "the complete and final triumph of the egg?"
Answers:
1. He was a cheerful, kind man who didn't know much of power or ambition. After he married, all he thought of was rising in his position in the world.
2. The narrator thinks chickens are pointless. They are a symbol of his gloomy childhood, so he thinks negatively of them.
3. He claims to have had trouble being happy because he lived on a chicken farm, which was caused by his parents' ambition. We are probably supposed to think that he doesn't veer towards optimism because he knows that if you aim too high, you might fall short of your expectations.
4. The "grotesques" are metaphors for how all different people use or treat the lower class.
5. The father decides that he needs to start entertaining his customers and being more "pleasing." This decision doesn't suit him because he's not good at entertaining, and it pushes people away from his restaurant.
6. "The complete and final triumph of the egg" means that the "egg" that had caused his life so much trouble just won the battle in the end. Basically, the grief and trouble beat him.
1. What kind of man was the narrator's father before he married? What changes did he undergo after marriage?
2. How does the narrator feel about and view chickens?
3. Why does the narrator claim to have had trouble, even as a child, being happy? What are we to make of the narrator's supposed gloominess and cautions against optimism?
4. What role does the father's collection of "grotesques" play in the story?
5. After abandoning chicken farming and going into the restaurant business, what decision does the father make regarding his personality and behavior? What is wrong with this decision and what happens as a consequence of it?
6. What is the meaning of the narrator's statement at the end of the story about "the complete and final triumph of the egg?"
Answers:
1. He was a cheerful, kind man who didn't know much of power or ambition. After he married, all he thought of was rising in his position in the world.
2. The narrator thinks chickens are pointless. They are a symbol of his gloomy childhood, so he thinks negatively of them.
3. He claims to have had trouble being happy because he lived on a chicken farm, which was caused by his parents' ambition. We are probably supposed to think that he doesn't veer towards optimism because he knows that if you aim too high, you might fall short of your expectations.
4. The "grotesques" are metaphors for how all different people use or treat the lower class.
5. The father decides that he needs to start entertaining his customers and being more "pleasing." This decision doesn't suit him because he's not good at entertaining, and it pushes people away from his restaurant.
6. "The complete and final triumph of the egg" means that the "egg" that had caused his life so much trouble just won the battle in the end. Basically, the grief and trouble beat him.
10/26/11--American Friendships
Question for blog:
"I have heard many international newcomers say (in the US) that American friendships are superficial. They say Americans do not know what true friendship is; they seem very friendly at first, but the friendships do not grow." What could be a reason why Americans are perceived this way?
Answer:
Americans tend to be perceived this way probably because Americans are thought of to be more independent than most people from other cultures. It is probably thought that instead of turning to our close friends, we try to do things on our own or with the help of people who are not as close to us as our friends because of our pride. However, this is definitely not true in all cases (on in most, really). Most Americans do look to their friends and family for help, myself included.
"I have heard many international newcomers say (in the US) that American friendships are superficial. They say Americans do not know what true friendship is; they seem very friendly at first, but the friendships do not grow." What could be a reason why Americans are perceived this way?
Answer:
Americans tend to be perceived this way probably because Americans are thought of to be more independent than most people from other cultures. It is probably thought that instead of turning to our close friends, we try to do things on our own or with the help of people who are not as close to us as our friends because of our pride. However, this is definitely not true in all cases (on in most, really). Most Americans do look to their friends and family for help, myself included.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
10/21/11--"2+2=5" by Radiohead
Questions for blog:
1. What is this song talking about lyrically?
2. How does the music mirror or help push the message?
3. The title is an allusion to 1984. Explain the connection.
Answers:
1. The lyrics discuss how what a power/authority says is always "right." In other words, people have to follow what the power says, even if what it says doesn't make sense. The power has the control.
2. The listener can't always understand what the music is saying (meaning, he or she can't HEAR the lyrics), which mirrors that what the authority always says can't always be understood.
3. In 1984, the narrator mentions that the Party could tell everyone that 2+2=5, and they would have to believe it. The connection is that the people under the authority have to believe the authority, without question, even though the authority makes no sense.
1. What is this song talking about lyrically?
2. How does the music mirror or help push the message?
3. The title is an allusion to 1984. Explain the connection.
Answers:
1. The lyrics discuss how what a power/authority says is always "right." In other words, people have to follow what the power says, even if what it says doesn't make sense. The power has the control.
2. The listener can't always understand what the music is saying (meaning, he or she can't HEAR the lyrics), which mirrors that what the authority always says can't always be understood.
3. In 1984, the narrator mentions that the Party could tell everyone that 2+2=5, and they would have to believe it. The connection is that the people under the authority have to believe the authority, without question, even though the authority makes no sense.
10/24/11--Collectivist vs. Individualist Cultures
Questions for blog:
1. In a collectivist culture, what personality traits are likely to be considered ideal? What about in an individualist culture?
2. In some societies, your opinion is less likely to be challenged if you're the oldest in your family or if you have a PhD with the most published books in your university. From the other side of the conflict, you may not feel free to assert yourself with such a person if your status is near the bottom of the group. In what type of culture might this be true? Explain.
3. Create a specific problem a teacher may encounter when he/she moves from teaching in a collectivist culture to an individualist culture or vice versa. Explain what specific values caused the clash. Propose a way for the conflict to be resolved.
4. What is an acquaintance? Does the word have a positive or negative connotation?
Answers:
1. People from collectivist cultures are likely to appreciate people with team working skills and selflessness. People from individualist cultures are likely to appreciate people who are independent and assertive (people that can take care of themselves).
2. This would be true in an individualist society because the person at the top and the person at the bottom don't affiliate with each other; they don't work with each other. Because they work for themselves, this would be individualistic.
3. When a teacher from a collectivistic culture tries to teach students from an individualistic culture, she wants to have everyone participate in several group activities. However, when the students are put into groups, generally one person from person from each group tries to take over the assignment. The values of the teacher are that everyone should work together, while the students just care about their grades, individually. This could be solved if the teacher would go around the class to make sure everyone is working.
4. An acquaintance is someone you know, but not necessarily someone you would hang out with or do things with. The word has a neutral connotation, generally, because it doesn't mean you like or dislike the person, necessarily, like the words "friend" and "enemy."
1. In a collectivist culture, what personality traits are likely to be considered ideal? What about in an individualist culture?
2. In some societies, your opinion is less likely to be challenged if you're the oldest in your family or if you have a PhD with the most published books in your university. From the other side of the conflict, you may not feel free to assert yourself with such a person if your status is near the bottom of the group. In what type of culture might this be true? Explain.
3. Create a specific problem a teacher may encounter when he/she moves from teaching in a collectivist culture to an individualist culture or vice versa. Explain what specific values caused the clash. Propose a way for the conflict to be resolved.
4. What is an acquaintance? Does the word have a positive or negative connotation?
Answers:
1. People from collectivist cultures are likely to appreciate people with team working skills and selflessness. People from individualist cultures are likely to appreciate people who are independent and assertive (people that can take care of themselves).
2. This would be true in an individualist society because the person at the top and the person at the bottom don't affiliate with each other; they don't work with each other. Because they work for themselves, this would be individualistic.
3. When a teacher from a collectivistic culture tries to teach students from an individualistic culture, she wants to have everyone participate in several group activities. However, when the students are put into groups, generally one person from person from each group tries to take over the assignment. The values of the teacher are that everyone should work together, while the students just care about their grades, individually. This could be solved if the teacher would go around the class to make sure everyone is working.
4. An acquaintance is someone you know, but not necessarily someone you would hang out with or do things with. The word has a neutral connotation, generally, because it doesn't mean you like or dislike the person, necessarily, like the words "friend" and "enemy."
Thursday, October 20, 2011
10/19/11--Islam, Globalization and Gender
Questions for blog:
1. Identify the conflict. Is this an internal or external conflict?
2. How/why does globalization create conflict? In the speaker's opinion, globalization has flown in only one direction. What does she mean by this?
3. Although the speaker feels globalization has been one-sided, she notes there has been one benefit related to the process. What benefit does she mention?
4. The speaker says Muslims and Westerners live by/are obligated to two different sources of truth. What two sources (two texts) does she mention?
Answers:
1. The conflict deals with the issue of the headscarf and how different people view it and the women who wear it. This is an external conflict because it involves multiple people/nations.
2. Globalization creates conflict because when different cultures are trying to share ideas with one another, there will be some difference of opinion on certain things. She means that it is only flowing in one direction in that only one culture is taking in parts of the other (the other culture is biased).
3. She says that globalization has opened up a lot of role models. It released different ideas of what it means to be a woman.
4. Westerners live by the U.S. Constitution, and Muslims live by the Qur'an.
1. Identify the conflict. Is this an internal or external conflict?
2. How/why does globalization create conflict? In the speaker's opinion, globalization has flown in only one direction. What does she mean by this?
3. Although the speaker feels globalization has been one-sided, she notes there has been one benefit related to the process. What benefit does she mention?
4. The speaker says Muslims and Westerners live by/are obligated to two different sources of truth. What two sources (two texts) does she mention?
Answers:
1. The conflict deals with the issue of the headscarf and how different people view it and the women who wear it. This is an external conflict because it involves multiple people/nations.
2. Globalization creates conflict because when different cultures are trying to share ideas with one another, there will be some difference of opinion on certain things. She means that it is only flowing in one direction in that only one culture is taking in parts of the other (the other culture is biased).
3. She says that globalization has opened up a lot of role models. It released different ideas of what it means to be a woman.
4. Westerners live by the U.S. Constitution, and Muslims live by the Qur'an.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Reading Journal: 1984 (Part 1)
There are several elements that dictate what a utopia is. The book 1984, written by George Orwell, addresses most of these elements just within the first section of the story. In the story, the people of a new nation, Airstrip One, built from what used to be England, are run by a demanding power. This power, known as "The Party," (run by a man named "Big Brother") enforces many rules and regulations--but not laws, "nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws" (page 6)--to keep its citizens in conformity. The main thing that the Party did was remove the people's rights, especially the right to privacy. Placed in everyone's home was a "telescreen," which received and transmitted sight and sound simultaneously so that "there was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment," (page 3). Also, the Thought Police made sure that no one committed "thoughtcrime," which is basically what it sounds like: illegal thinking (primarily against the Party or Big Brother). All the people of Airstrip One are expected to live by the same beliefs as the Party, and especially the Party's motto: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.
The Party used all of these things and more to limit conflict in the nation. Though religion is not necessarily discussed, believing in the Party is so enforced that it is practically a new religion altogether. In fact, one woman cried out that Big Brother was her "savior." Relationships are greatly restricted to the point where love and friendship no longer exist in Airstrip One. Few people get married, and those who do don't marry for what people used to marry for (love, trust, etc.). As mentioned previously, under the Party, the people's right to choose pretty much vanished from existence. Everyone is required to follow all Party beliefs and practices or else they are killed (children of the newest generation in the book love to go to public hangings).
Overall, the people go along with what the Party says and does. They are told that what they have is the standard "happy" life, and for the most part, people believe it. This new society is definitely a dystopian society. The Party is in complete control, and they run every single person's life. All of the rights people are supposed to be born with are taken away by the Party and Big Brother. Though some (both Party members and normal citizens) consider all that the Party does for the greater good, these methods are really just turning the nation into a terrible place.
The Party used all of these things and more to limit conflict in the nation. Though religion is not necessarily discussed, believing in the Party is so enforced that it is practically a new religion altogether. In fact, one woman cried out that Big Brother was her "savior." Relationships are greatly restricted to the point where love and friendship no longer exist in Airstrip One. Few people get married, and those who do don't marry for what people used to marry for (love, trust, etc.). As mentioned previously, under the Party, the people's right to choose pretty much vanished from existence. Everyone is required to follow all Party beliefs and practices or else they are killed (children of the newest generation in the book love to go to public hangings).
Overall, the people go along with what the Party says and does. They are told that what they have is the standard "happy" life, and for the most part, people believe it. This new society is definitely a dystopian society. The Party is in complete control, and they run every single person's life. All of the rights people are supposed to be born with are taken away by the Party and Big Brother. Though some (both Party members and normal citizens) consider all that the Party does for the greater good, these methods are really just turning the nation into a terrible place.
Friday, October 14, 2011
10/11/11--"Utopia"
Questions for blog:
1. What is a utopia?
2. What is your ideal world? Explain.
3. What type of music would be the soundtrack for your utopia?
Answers:
1. A utopia is an area that contains not just life, but some sort of structure that governs life.
2. My ideal world is a world in which violence doesn't exist. This would be a perfect world because wars wouldn't exist, and if countries were to feud, it could be solved without killing many people. There wouldn't be any mass murders, homicides, etc. That would be perfect because people wouldn't suffer from the actions of other people against them.
3. The music would all be peaceful to encourage non-violence.
1. What is a utopia?
2. What is your ideal world? Explain.
3. What type of music would be the soundtrack for your utopia?
Answers:
1. A utopia is an area that contains not just life, but some sort of structure that governs life.
2. My ideal world is a world in which violence doesn't exist. This would be a perfect world because wars wouldn't exist, and if countries were to feud, it could be solved without killing many people. There wouldn't be any mass murders, homicides, etc. That would be perfect because people wouldn't suffer from the actions of other people against them.
3. The music would all be peaceful to encourage non-violence.
Friday, October 7, 2011
10/6/11--"Chuck Baird"
Questions for blog:
1. Make a claim about the artist's voice. Support with facts.
2. Identify a culture within these paintings.
3. Write a claim you could make about this culture based on the paintings.
Answers:
1. The artist has a creative voice. We know this because he uses lots of bright colors in his paintings.
2. The artist's culture group is expressionists.
3. The artist's culture involves being creative, expressing himself, and using emotion. All of the paintings have bright colors, which can represent his tendency towards expression. Also, the two paintings with faces have faces with emotion (one is saying "I love you," and the other looks surprised or shocked).
1. Make a claim about the artist's voice. Support with facts.
2. Identify a culture within these paintings.
3. Write a claim you could make about this culture based on the paintings.
Answers:
1. The artist has a creative voice. We know this because he uses lots of bright colors in his paintings.
2. The artist's culture group is expressionists.
3. The artist's culture involves being creative, expressing himself, and using emotion. All of the paintings have bright colors, which can represent his tendency towards expression. Also, the two paintings with faces have faces with emotion (one is saying "I love you," and the other looks surprised or shocked).
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