Friday, May 22, 2009

Cion Research Paper

For my paper topic I am thinking about continuing my research relating to religion. The more I read about the religion and how it changes, the more I have noticed the development in Cion. I think it would be cool to go deeper into depth about how religion changed for the slaves when they came from Africa, what they believed when they were slaves, and if that changed when they received freedom. I also think that the overwhelming extend that Christianity has taken over most of the worlds religions is very interesting. When I was doing my project I learned the extent to which Christianity has spread, and I think it presents itself in Cion by showing how religion has affected the family in Kilvert. Looking at the book through a religious lens changes the meaning of it by traditions, holidays, and other things that come along with their religions.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Is That Video Game Programming You"

Reading this was like reading a million other articles, or hearing a million other stories on the news. This idea of video games producing violence in people, is probably nothing new to anyone from our generation. There's the need for parental approval to buy certain games, and all the different warnings that the games come with. Then there is the skeptical older generation sitting there judging us and shaking their hands with the traditional "back in my day speech". I personally am not someone that enjoys the "first person shooter" games, but have been known to enjoy a good game of Vice City every once in awhile. Which is why I have mixed feelings regarding this idea.

I know that studies have been done, and it has been shown that kids who play violent video games are more likely to be the ones who also carry out the violent acts. But then that begs the question, is it simply the video game that leads to this violence?? I'm a big believer in someones environment shaping who they become, because I feel like my environment has shaped who I have become. I don't feel like I would have become a violent person from video games even if I had been surrounded by them as a child. I think this comes from my parents being very sure to explain to me what is wrong and what is right. The whole being a parent thing, teaching your children what is right and what is wrong. I always wonder when i hear stories like this, what role did their parents play? Did they stress to their children the difference between real life and the fantasy world of video games? And I know that not all of this responsibility can fall on parents, because no matter how hard someone tries to be the perfect parent, they can still have children that act out in this way.

The next thing I found interesting about this article was when the author pulls in the idea of if violent movies and other violent things should be facing as much criticism. Several of my favorite tv shows are crime shows. I could sit and watch Law and Order SVU all day everyday. The show is all about rape and child abuse and other incredibly violent acts. But again, I don't feel like it leads to me being more of a violent person. I see the acts that this criminals carry out in these shows, but I could never get up and go carry them out. I still know what is right and what is wrong, and I don't fear myself becoming someone more violent.

I think as a whole, the games that children play can have an affect on the way they grow up. I do think that violent games can lead children and teenagers to think that violence is ok and cool. But I also think, that having someone their to guide them and tell them that just because they see it on tv or play it in a game, does not mean it is something acceptable to do in real life. I know that violence is always going to surround us, but with the right discussions, and involving yourself in other activities that are just video games and violence, a person who plays the violent games can grow up into a perfectly healthy, nonviolent person.

Monday, April 20, 2009

"The Hurt, Betrayed Son"

Once I got over my initial struggle with the writing style used in the article I came to my next problem, the article being about Rambo. I have never seen the movie Rambo, and until this point was unaware that there were even Rambo novels. So sometimes during the reading I found myself struggling to relate or understand what the author was saying simply based on my own lack of knowledge.

Once I was able to accept that there were going to be things in the writing that I just didn't understand, I began to try and look at what the writing was saying. I also did a lot of relating the reading about Rambo to the reading "I'll Explain It To You". This presented a really interesting idea for me to look at. It seemed that this writing kind of varified the other reading in a weird way. One example of this is page 177 where it says "To admit that he had been wounded in he war is first of all to try and impress these men, to brag about being tough in an area they will admire". I think this directly ties to the reading because it says that a lot of men talk so much, and "lecture" so much as a way to impress other people. And this reading says the same thing, he is trying to impress others.

The other part I found interesting was his explanation of men feeling the need to hide their emotions. I think that this is something that is really sad. I know that a lot of me really do think that they need to hide something, or pretend they aren't upset or hide what they are really feeling. This goes back to the idea that used to exist of men being the "protector" or "the strong one" and Robinson even acknowledge this in his writing. He says "Men shall protect. Men shall suffer so that other will not". I think that this idea needs to change. Just because a man can show his emotions, or express how he feels, does not mean that he isn't a man, or that he can't still protect the people in his life.

I think that the author did a good job of explaining "the son" as a person who struggles against the people who are higher above them "the father". I think this father son relationship can be related to an actual father son relationship, or as a father son relationship that consists of a man and the people ranked above him. This relationship can be applied to a player and a coach, an employee and his boss, or as mentioned in the article, someone in the military and their higher ranking officials. Rambo defines this idea by being someone who struggles to fight the relationship between them and someone higher ranking than them. He also defines all of this by trying to survive after he has been hurt, but tries to hide the feelings and emotions he has.

As a whole, the main ideas in this article are really interesting. I think it is never really discussed that men aren't allowed to feel emotion, but rather everyone knows it and it just goes without saying. I think this article pulls in a deeper idea that a lot of people tend to ignore.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

"I'll Expalin It To You"

When I began reading this article I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I know that men and women speak different languages, but I didn't quite expect this article to beat it into my head as much as this article did. I think as a society people try to act like everyone is equal, and there are no differences between men and women. And although there are differences between people, I still think that everyone should be treated equally.

The main idea that I got from this article was that men seem to communicate in a more dominant way, even with each other, than women do. I'm sure on an average this seems to be the way that most people communicate, but I also know that in my experience I've seen just as many women who want to dominate the conversation as I've seen men. I think that part of this may be true, and I've seen it where the men feel the need to kind of dominate a conversation to show off. But then there are always the women that want to be the center of conversation and they also want to show of who they are.

I don't think that its fair to generalize that men dominate conversation and that women just go along with what they say. This may not have been the idea that the author was trying to get across, but that is how i felt. In the "If you've got it, flaunt it--or hide it" section, the author says that in some cases even if women were the experts in situations, they still tended to say, "Yeah" and "That's right" way more than the men.

I don't think that it can be completely generalized that men are always the ones that dominate the conversation and women just sit by and do as they are told. I think it is unfair assume that all women are willing to be complacent and do as they are told. I've met many women in my life that stand up and say exactly what they feel, no matter the men they insult, or people they make angry. And I've also seen just as many men that are afraid to stick up for themselves and make themselves the center of conversation. I think that this article is just a bad generalization of the way that some people communicate.

Monday, April 6, 2009

"Homemade Education"

I am again being productive, and decided to go ahead and do the next of our assigned readings early. This is the "Homemade Education" an article of Malcolm X's learning of language.

Beginning this article, I had some knowledge of who Malcolm X was. I knew he was a civil rights activist, and Muslim minister, but that was about as much as I could tell you. So in reading this article I wanted to know more. Which I know is partly what we are supposed to be doing while we are "critically reading". So I did what any college student does. I wikipediaed him. I know it's not the most well thought of source, but I didn't need to know every tiny little detail, more just a broader overview of who Malcolm X was. I now know that Malcolm X was a civil rights activist that "indicted white America for its crimes against black America" according to wikipedia.

So once I had a better understanding of who Malcolm X was I could really begin the reading of "Homemade Education" and focus more on what he was saying, rather than who he was. The part I found most interesting in this essay was the way Malcom X went about becoming someone knowledgeable about language. By reading and re-writing the entire dictionary? This is something that I personally could never imagine doing. The dictionary is there when you need to know one or two words, not for someone to sit and read and write the whole thing over again. That's just madness. But then I started to think, for someone who unlike me didn't have a great education, this is a way for them to learn. I started to realize that not everyone is as able to learn language at a young age as I was. Not everyone is as exposed to books and words as a small child. And after all a dictionary teaches people language and words. I've realized, that the dictionary was his only real source of being able to learn all the things he wanted to learn about language.

The next part of the essay I found most interesting was how proud Malcolm X was after copying down the dictionary. To me sitting and writing the entire dictionary would be the most tedious, boring, annoying thing I could imagine. But for him it was a sense of pride. That wasn't something that came easy for him, or something he'd always been able to do. He worked at it, and accomplished something that he hadn't been able to do before. Although I may not agree with all the actions of Malcolm X throughout his life, hearing how proud he was really was inspiring. I am someone that wants to be a teacher, or do something to help people, and seeing someone be so proud is something I truly enjoy.

"r u online?': The Evolving Lexicon of Wired Teens"

Well today I'm at work, and although some days it is crazy around here and I find myself incredibly busy, today is not one of those days. So rather than sit and play games or chat on facebook, I've decided to be productive and do homework early. So i read the "r u online?" essay.

I like most college students am guilty of the teen "lexicon" or vocabulary. I text and i.m. on a regular basis, and I am guilty of using abbrievations and other devices to help my speed. So reading this article was something that interested me, and something that I could form opinions on.

The first thing I noticed about this essay was the fact that our generation was not the first generation to change language. This is not something that I am typically not used to hearing. Most of the talk is how technology is ruining our generation by allowing us to use improper language and abbreviations. But there is never any focus on the fact that our generation is not the only generation to change language to fit it to our lives. Neil Randall is quoted in the essay as saying "This is really an extension of what teenagers have always done: recreate the language to their own image." I found this to be an interesting point. So maybe our changes in language are more dramatic than other generations, or maybe we have made them in different ways, but the point is, we aren't the only generation to make changes.

The next part I found interesting was the parents being worried about the online grammar being carried over to paper and homework. I know for me, I can tell the difference between chatting with my friends or writing on someone's facebook wall, and writing a paper. I know when to use one type of English and when to use the other. This ties into daily conversation. People don't talk to their friends the way they would talk to a professor or parent, and they are able to handle having those two types of language, so how is it different in writing? I know when I'm writing a formal paper not to write, btw for by the way. It's common sense. I don't think that parents fearing their children will begin to write in a completely atrocious manner is logical. Of course they may have some grammar errors, no one is perfect, but they aren't simply going to start throwing in j/ks all over the place.

People need to realize that language changes. No generation keeps the exact same way of speaking as the generation before them had, and this has been proven over time. Our generation isn't ruining the English language by simply trying to save a little time and energy by abbreviating some words.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Spanish Lessons

Our second day of class i accidentally thought that this story was our homework, so i already read it when it came time for me to do my homework today. It was a very nice surprise.

But i learned during this assignment, that reading a story or something twice really does help to better understand the information that you are asked to be reading. the first time i read through this story i was very confused, i didnt understand if the narrator spoke spanish, and english, or just english. But when i reread the story i actually read the introduction, explaining to me that although the narrator was raised in a household of english and spanish, her parents decided to help her better adjust by only having her speak english. this answered my question as to how the narrator was raised and what language she spoke.

When i read this story i was right away pulled into the story. i found it very ironic that the story began becuase the narrator was singing in spanish, and didnt even realize it. i dont believe that she should have been aware of this because she's mexican american, but rather simply because she was signing it. its weird to me to think that someone would loudly be singing something, and truly have no idea whats shes really saying, or what language she is even singing in.

I also find it ironic that her parents encouraged her to be aware and proud of her heritage, but not to speak the language. this basically is them telling her to be ashamed of how she was, but at the same time be proud. how could someone fully carry out being proud and ashamed at the same time? this goes along with the last sort we read, where its a question of whether a person can lose their language and keep their culture and their history. i personally think losing a language, or being ashamed of a language, is much more than losing just a language or being ashamed of just a language. it carries over to their culture, history and heritage. its something you need to embrace and be proud of to keep them alive and keep people aware of them. this includes language, and the traditions of a culture.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lost in Translation

Reading this essay was really saddening for me. Although i'm aware of the variety of and complexity of languages fading, id never really taken the time to think seriously how much it affects the people and the culture. losing a language is a lot more than simply losing a language. it is the loss of people's identity,culture, history, background and everything that makes them who they are.

growing up in south eastern ohio i know i have a bit of a dialect hats special to this area. knowing this there have been times in my life where i have been embarrassed by it before. because of this i cant imagine being gabov and completely ashamed of my language. gabov was ashamed to speak and write in his native language because people laughed at him and this is part of the reason the language is fading out. this is such a harsh reality. people are different, its a fact of life, and they need to be able to speak in a way that reflects who they are as a person. although my example is obviously a lot less dramatic, i can still relate to those feelings.

another aspect that i found rather saddening was when the author compared losing a language to an animal species going extinct. although i dont fully agree with that comparison it still brings out the more dramatic side of a language dying out. It's not simply the loss of a language but also of the people and their culture. The language is a representation of the culture and the history behind the people who speak it, and as it fades, so does their identity as a people. this is the saddest thing about the language fading. It's a part of the people, and without it they arent the same people they were.

The part i found saddest when reading this was the part about the people were pushed into an area that did not speak the language they did originally. it would be like a group of american people who speak english that live near mexico all the sudden being forced to speak spanish. no one would want that or agree with that, and it was the same situation for these small villages.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

critical reading

To me critical reading means rather than simply just reading something, but rather take notes and analyze the reading a lot more critically. This allows you to gain a deeper understanding for what you are reading. Reading critically will allow me to deepen my reading understanding and further my education.

The three techniques i find most helpful are, annotation, summarizing, and reading line by line and then going back and rereading it as a whole. I find these most helpful because i had a lot of practice using them in high school. Some of these techniques were not written about in the introduction but i still find them to be incredibly helpful.

I also highlight or underline words i dont understand and go back and figure out what they mean, because otherwise i dont completly understand what im reading.