Propaganda - It is okay for the government to mislead in order to promote security

Depending on the type of security, it is either okay or not okay for government to mislead in order to promote security. For example, if the security refers solely to the economic security, I believe that Governments have the right and should mislead the public in order to promote security. This is especially true in International Economics, in which a change of confidence in a currency can have drastic effects on its value and therefore the whole economy of the country. Due to this, I believe that Governments should mislead in order to promote economic security. However, when it is a case of a national security threat due to the alleged weapons of mass destruction which Iraq possess according to the United States, then I believe that the Government should not mislead in order to promote security. 

The Iraq war in 2003 is an example of the Government trying to withhold information and mislead the public in order to promote security. This is seen especially by an Interview between a American analyst and a Al Jazeera reporter, which led to a one sided perspective being told by the American analyst of the Iraq war. Unlike the American Government which tries to mislead the public in order to promote security, Al Jazeera aims to bring a non bias view to the public, regularly having Analysts with different viewpoints of the Iraq war on their News Program. Instances of the different viewpoints and biases between Al Jazeera and the American Government can also be seen when Al Jazeera broadcasted a video of dead american soldiers on their News Program, which had a great effect on the American people as they were not handed such images by the American Government as they tried to censor such images in order to promote security. In order to prevent such videos being broadcasted by Al Jazeera in the future, the American Government sent a notice letter to them, asking them to not broadcast such images again. Even after the war had finished and the government of Saddam Hussein had been defeated, many people in America retained their biased and one sided view of the Iraqis and Arabs, often associating these people with the Iraq war. 

Even though I believe that in some cases the Government should mislead in order to promote security, such as for economic security, I do not believe that the Government should mislead in order to promote security like it was done by the American Government in the Iraq war due to the one sided biased perspective which they fed the American people, leaving many of the public with radical viewpoints on political and social issues involving Arabs in the future. 

Media Bias Rewrite

Rewritten Pro-Trump Article based on the Pro-Hillary Article by The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-case-for-hillary-clinton_us_58212bc3e4b0e80b02cc48e6

There’s A Case Against Hillary Clinton. But There’s Also A Case For Donald Trump.

Trump has done various good things for the country so far, and plans to do even greater things once he is elected as president. Throughout his life he has done great things, starting off as a small business man, he soon made a name for himself, developing the multi billion worth company The Trump Organisation. Having acquired a net worth of 3.7 billion US dollars and having reached the top of the real estate business, he plans to spread his success to the whole of America by running for president.

His policies are designed to benefit America. To make America great again. This is contrasted by Hillary Clinton, who lacks honesty and the stamina necessary to be president of the greatest country in the world. Trump’s policies benefit the majority, and not just the top one percent, as in the case of Hillary Clinton. Business taxes are to be cut to 15 percent. Childcare costs will be significantly decreased. The education system will be improved. These are just a few of Trump’s policies in order to restore America to its former glory. The interests of Americans are of highest priority when looking at Trump’s policies.

A high emphasis is also placed on the general safety improvements throughout America, and at its borders, starting with a new immigration system as well as by building a wall around the America-Mexico border which ensures that no more criminals and drugs get through to American soil. Additionally, gang members and drug dealers will be taken off of the street in order to create a safer community. Through Trump’s full support of the second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms, it will also help and empower legally owned gun holders to defend themselves. 

Through the multiple beneficial policies of Trump which keeps the American people benefiting the most at the roots of all his policies, he will for sure make a great president in the future, unlike his running mate Hillary Clinton who has severe flaws and could be characterised as a complicated figure incapable of running a country. 

Coriolanus Practice IOC Outline

Context:

• This passage is from act one scene one.
• The play Coriolanus is a tragedy written by Shakespeare and is based on the life of a roman soldier called Coriolanus. 
• In this passage, Coriolanus is introduced to the audience.

Overview and structure:

• In the passage, coriolanus is characterised through this interactions with other characters in the play such as the plebeians.
• The passage involves three characters: Caius Martius, First Citizen and Menenius Agrippa.
• Most of the dialogue is by Caius Martius. 

Establishing purpose and significance:

• The passage is mostly focused on the character Caius Martius as this is when he is first introduced to the story. The character impacts the plot heavily as the whole story revolves around his life. 
• This passage is building up to events which will occur later on.
• Establishes the relationship between Coriolanus and the plebeians which plays an important role later on in the play.

Sequential Body Analysis:

Chunk 1:

One sided opinion towards the plebeians by Coriolanus is given to the reader.

• “you dissentious rogues” - thinks of the plebeians as lower than him
• “rubbing the poor itch of your opinion” - plebeians opinion does not matter
• first citizen uses sarcasm to reply “we have ever your good word”
• “where he should find you lions, finds you hares” - Animal imagery is also used to further belittle the plebeians

Chunk 2:

A second opinion on plebeians is introduced by Menenius who does not share the same point of view as coriolanus towards the plebeians. In chunk two Coriolanus also responds to Menenius’ opinion, elaborating on his view point.

• “corn at their own rates” - plebeians desire a more equal society in which there is not one, or a couple of people, who are in charge of the whole society.
• “the city is well stored” - Menenius says that the plebeians know that the city is full of food and that the people should not be starving.
• “presume to know / What’s done i’ the Capitol” - Coriolanus believes that the plebeians know what Coriolanus has done to the society and therefore believe that he should be hanged (“Hang ‘em! They say!”)
• “Below their cobbled shoes” - Coriolanus is referencing the poorness of the plebeians, establishing the plebeians in a lower class than himself. This is especially seen at the end of this chunk when Coriolanus cals the plebeians “slaves”
• “Would the nobility lay aside their ruth” - believes that the nobility is not harsh enough and too lenient on the plebeians

Conclusion:

• The main purpose of this passage is to introduce and characterise the character Coriolanus to the audience, as well as to show Coriolanus’ attitude towards plebeians. 
• This passage also identifies certain political issues in the society which will play an important role later on in the play. 

Practice IOC Outline - Family Furnishings

Context:

This passage is from the short story Family furnishings and is situated early in the story where the narrator was fond of Alfrida. The whole collection in which this short story is in share the element of love. 

Overview:

In this passage we see the narrator exploring the complex family relationships, as well as a flashback being used in order to characterise Alfrida.

Narrator:

The story is told from the first person perspective. This allows the reader to gain insight on  thoughts and how she perceives other characters. This does withhold some information to the reader. Additionally the first person perspective allows readers to see the emotional connections between characters. 

Structure:

The passage is mostly dialougue, with a flashback also being used. Imagery, symbols, and allusions are included throughout this passage which allows the reader to understand certain aspects better. Like the whole short story, this passage also mostly follows a chronological order, however like in the whole story, a time shift is present. 

Main Idea / Purpose:

The purpose of this passage is to tie the entire short story together. This passage is also significant as the complex family relationships of the narrator’s family are revealed, which develops the theme of family dynamics.

Sequential Body Analysis:

Chunk 1 (lines 2-9):

• Theme of power is developed 
• “some sense of triumph”
• “moment of power”

Chunk 2 (lines 10-22):

• Flashback - characterises Alfrida
• Symbolism
• “bells started to ring” (context is WW1) - symbolism for fear, reflects Alfrida’s fear due to her extra-marital pregnancy
• “they were just children” - symbolising/alluding to innocence
• Foreshadows relationship reveal 

Chunk 3 (lines 23-39):

• She starts to piece everything together
• “now I was aware of two things”
• Overlooks truth
• the protagonist never finds out the true relationship between her father and Alfrida
• Metaphor
• Cold fish
• “dark face against the light” - mystery surrounding the character Alfrida. pieces things together about the relationship of her father and Alfrida, but ignores it and chooses to not see the light and stay in the dark. 

Conclusion:

The main idea of this passage is to tie the whole story together by the narrator putting pieces together as seen in chunk 3, as well as to explore the complex relationships of the narrators family. 

Practice IOC

A practice IOC on a passage from The Moons of Jupiter: https://soundcloud.com/lukas-schroth/moons-of-jupiter-practice-ioc

Literary Lyrics Activity: Lay Me Down by Sam Smith

The music video depicts Sam Smith at a funeral in a church, standing in front of a recently deceased’s coffin. Through the use of a flashback, it is revealed to the audience that the deceased person in the coffin at the church was actually Sam Smith’s husband. The music video then returns to the present day which is some time after the funeral, depicting Sam Smith sitting in the church, and mourning. Sam Smith effectively creates a emotionally powerful song through the lyrics, melody as well as the visual aid. The song is written in the first person perspective, allowing the audience to see the story from the viewpoint of Sam Smith. This makes the song more emotional and personal, especially through the visual aid. Additionally the lyrics makes this song more emotionally powerful due to the specific word choice, as seen in this small passage: Deny this emptiness / This hole that I'm inside / These tears / They tell their own story / Told me not to cry when you were gone / But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong. The song is also made more powerful through the visual aid which show the audience what Sam Smith’s life was before his husband had died as it uses a flashback to show when they got married and how happy they were. This makes the song more emotionally powerful, especially as after the flashback Sam Smith is seen in the church alone, mourning over the death of his husband.

Wallace's theory of education and Alice Munro

In the essay “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace, the author suggests that freedom acquired through education is the ability to be conscious, sympathetic and adjusted. This is seen in the essay when he says that “You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t.” David Foster Wallace develops this thesis through the use of various examples, such as the supermarket and the traffic. These examples aid the thesis of the story, it being to not be so self centred. Through these various examples, the reader is presented with the possibility that other people are or could also be in a similar situation of just wanting to relax after having a had day. This is however only recognisable when people stop being self centred. This theory relates to our inquiry question of “How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?”. This is because when you stop being self centred you will have the opportunity to have empathy with other people as you will stop continuously thinking about yourself, and will instead also think of the rough time that other people may have. This is portrayed in the essay through the various people that are listed who, even though you might not know for sure, might have also had a rough day or more. The emotional intelligence also relates to this, as it is the ability to pick up on body language and the emotions which people give off. 

Wallace’s theory about education can also be applied to the writings of Alice Munro. Many, if not all, short stories by Alice Munro are not plot driven and prompt an emotional response rather than a intellectual response. Munro’s plots have more of a day to day routine aspect instead of the whole story which builds up the a dramatic climax like in many plot driven stories. In the short stories, Alice Munro’s deep meaning can only be appreciated once it is thoroughly analysed as the stories are not plot driven and Alice Munro rather raptures the emotions of the characters and the emotional relationship between them. Furthermore, the Alice Munro stories also often relate to the inquiry question as these short stories often develop empathy and emotional intelligence. This is often done through the use of the first person perspective in the stories, as this perspective allows has the ability to have empathy with the other characters by understanding the feeling that these characters share with the narrator. Due to the first person perspective in many of the Alice Munro short stories, the main character is in the centre of the action, a theme which is also seen in the “This is Water” essay by David Foster Wallace. 

Meaning through personal history

Thesis: Chinua Achebe’s personal background is apparent in his novel Things Fall Apart as he includes both the values and belief of his Christian upbringing as well as those of his native Nigerian background, through characters such as Okonkwo and Mr. Brown, in order to allow the readers to interpret the meaning of the novel without any bias created by the author. 

Topic Sentence 1: Having grown up during the colonisation period, Achebe uses characters such as Rev. Smith and Mr. Brown in order to portray the negative and positive effects of the missionaries arriving to the Igbo land to his audience.

Topic Sentence 2: Due to his Nigerian background, Achebe uses the characters Okonkwo and Uchendu in order to show the audience the rich Igbo culture and its values, as well as the effect that christianity had on the Igbo society. 

Topic Sentence 3: In order to show an appreciation towards the best values of both cultures, Achebe uses characters such as Nwoye and Obierika as they both question some of the tribe’s traditions and values. 

Gender Influences

Thesis: Depending on one’s understanding of gender influences in the novel Things Fall Apart, audiences can have different interpretations and understandings of the Igbo society and culture due to the unique values and traditions of the Igbo people. 

Topic Sentence 1: In order to fully understand the gender influences within the novel, one must identify and fully understand the gender roles in the Igbo society, as well as it contribution to the overarching themes of the novel

Topic Sentence 2: Personal upbringing and culture shape the way someone perceives the novel thus depending on one’s values and beliefs, it shapes the way gender influences is perceived in the novel. 

Topic Sentence 3: Depending on the time period in which the novel is read in, it influences how the novel is perceived and the role of gender influences as society norms and values change. 

Tragic Hero

In Things Fall Apart, the author Achebe purposely characterises Okonkwo as a tragic hero in order to reflect the collapsing Umuofia society and destruction of the whole Igbo culture. In the novel, Okonkwo’s hermatia includes his hyper masculinity, being too quick to action without thinking situations through, and being too quick to anger. Both being quick to action and quick to anger contradict Igbo value, which ultimately leads to his peripeteia and Okonkwo getting banished. Achebe did this on purpose in order to show what happens when one lives in a very unique culture, but does not follow its values. Even though he is a well respected man due to his many titles and wealth that he has been able to accumulate, his obsession for power and personal failures act as a barrier to greater things, and rather lead to his downfall. In the novel, his downfall begins when he kills Ogbuefi’s son by accident as Ogbuefi’s funeral. Similarly, the Igbo culture also experienced a downfall due to it being colonised. The society’s downfall can be clearly seen through the character Okonkwo when he returns from his seven year exile and finds Umuofia being colonised. His inability to accept change and being colonised ultimately leads to his downfall as he tries to resolve the problem the only way he knows, by fighting back, as he does not want to be seen as someone weak like his father. However the others do not believe that this should be solved with violence, and would rather accept the change. This finally leads to Okonkwo hanging himself as he is unable to adapt to change and looses faith in his community. This also reflects the downfall of the Igbo culture due to colonisation. Achebe characterises Okonkwo like this purposely, as this also reflects the Igbo culture prior and throughout its downfall. 

Visiting Igboland - Magazine Article

The Igboland is situated in Africa, with the Igbo people forming one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. About 15 million of the Igbo people live in Nigeria, with about another million living outside of Nigeria. Like the British culture, the Igbo culture is rooted in trade, as well as farming. Farming communities in the Igboland are mostly situated between the Niger River in the west and the Cross river in the east, stretching from the delta near the southern coast to the open grasslands of the north. Unlike the United Kingdoms society,  the Igbo world is based on an equalitarian principle, ensuring that no one person or group acquires too much control over the life of others. 

History:

The Igbo culture and language is very diverse, with the Igbo language consisting of many dozens of dialects due to the many self-contained villages and towns which were separated by dense bush. Before the twentieth century, it would have been incorrect to address the Igbo people as one as they were made up of 200 individual groups. Even though their culture was somewhat similar, each group could easily be identified as a separate society. Due to this, the concept of a common Igbo identity can be identified as a product of the Victorian Era. The British conquest of Igboland began in January 1900, resulting in a rapid spread of Christianity and western education throughout the Igboland. This was due to several reasons, such as the Igbo people’s value of accepting change as well as due to the Igbo people’s realisation of the importance of Western education in the new colonial structure. 

Belief Systems:

Like in Christianity, the Igbo People also believe in supreme god which created all things and demands obedience. Religion has been an integral part of Igbo life since a long time. In addition to this, the Igbo people also believe in life after death, where there is a constant interaction between the dead and the living. In the Igbo culture, death is personified as a powerful spirit which gains mastery over the life giving principle Ndo. Furthermore, there is a carryover of social status and other personal qualities from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Like the United Kingdom’s society, the Igbo people believe in a world of moving equilibrium, a world where change is expected and encouraged. This change in equilibrium is also seen as manipulatable for ones own purpose. When visiting the Igboland, one must remember to be social with the Igbo people, as being anti social is considered a sin and people doing so are held in contempt. 

Society’s Structure:

The Igbo people’s society structure contrasts the most to western societies. Whereas there is a clear hierarchy within western societies, the Igbo people believe in equality and equal opportunities for all, resulting in a lack of centralised political structure. The Igbo world is based on an equalitarian principle. No one person should acquire too much power and too much control over the life of others, even the leader of the Igbo people should be approachable by others. However true equality cannot be achieved in any society, which the Igbo people realise, and therefore believe that each citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success. In the Igbo world, a great emphasis is placed on success and achieving titles which are bought with money, thus only men which have greatly succeeded in making money ever achieve such titles. 

Overall the Igboland is a culture that shares some similarities and many differences with the western cultures, which can be seen in both societies by things such as trade which are a foundation to both cultures. However as one might expect, the Igbo culture is also very different, with the most extreme to a western person being that there is no central government to hold everything in order, yet the Igbo people still manage to successfully function without one. The Igbo world is a must see for anyone wanting to see a very unique culture with many traditions and values which only apply to the Igbo people. Through the friendliness, where socialising is encouraged, a visitor is sure to enjoy their stay and learn many new things. 

Most Meaningful Takeaway

In the last class, we had a shared inquiry discussion about a Interview with Chinua Achebe. During this shared inquiry discussion, very interesting topics were discussed. The question which resonated with me was “Does living in foreign countries shape the way you think about your home country?”. This question resonated with me as it applies to my own life since I have been constantly moving around the world, living in various different countries. By living in foreign countries, it has shaped to an extent the way I think about my home country. By constantly being around people from other countries, I have gained a deeper insight and a new perspective into how they view my home country, which in some cases greatly differs from my viewpoint. Through Interacting with others, I have learned that stereotypes play a big part of people’s understanding of Germany. This can also be seen in some cases, but not as often, in foreign literature. I believe that stereotypes don't play as big of a role in literature, as in order to write very much about a country, one has to have a somewhat good understanding of the culture, people, and values. This knowledge will however still be far off of what a native would have, which is also seen in the book Things Fall Apart, where it is clear that the author, Chinua Achebe, has a great understanding of the culture, values and people in which his book is set in. 

Paper 1 Commentary Practice

This text is Elizabeth Glaser’s speech to the Democratic National Convention in 1992. The text can be identified as an political speech, due to the many features and conventions of this text type. In the speech, Elizabeth Glaser uses rhetorical devices, memorable sayings and slogans in order to call the audience to action and to convince them of her viewpoint on the topic. Throughout the speech, Glaser uses various rhetorical and propaganda devices as well as ethos, pathos and logos in order to appeal to her wide target audience. Through the implementation of these various techniques and devices, Glaser effectively addresses the issue of AIDS to her target audience.

As the speech was delivered to the Democratic National Convention, one can conclude that the target audience of this speech are supporters of the Democratic Party in the United States. This is also evident in Glaser’s speech, where she solely uses American people in order to back up her claim on the matter of AIDS. Furthermore, she calls out the Democratic Party and asks for their help, making it clear who her target audience is. From the ideas that she is speaking for, one can also deduce cultural values of the time, such as equality for all which is seen when Glaser uses the rhetorical technique of Hypophora hen comparing the rich and the poor to say “Is their life any less valuable? Of course not.” Furthermore a better health care is also believed in and wanted, as health care at the time of this speech is “seriously under-funded”. This value of wanting a better health care is then also backed up by the example of AIDS care costs, stating that “someone without insurance can’t afford this” as it costs “over 40,000 dollars a year.” 

Glaser opens the speech with a summary of what happened to her, providing validation of her qualification and authority to speak in order to lecture, and call to action the target audience about this topic. She then continues on, stating the failed attempts of bringing attention to  the need of AIDS research and care to the Presidents Reagan and Bush, as well as her desire, and the nation’s need, for a leader. Glaser then mentions a variety of examples concerning the topic of AIDS, both from her personal life, as well as from what she heard happen elsewhere in the country. She the concludes her speech by calling her target audience to action, the Democratic Party, telling them to vote for the correct people and to make America great again by stating several things America once stood for, such as hope, freedom, justice and equality, challenging the Democratic party to restore these values. This is done by the use of pathos, where Glaser appeals to emotion, saying that “all our lives, not just mine, depend on it.” 

As previously established, the themes of this speech are in specific about AIDS, but also more generally about health care. This is established through her personal experiences as well as her word choice such as “We need health care for all”, which implies a change in the health care in the future. To further develop these themes thought the speech, Glaser uses multiple rhetorical devices. At the start, in order to establish her credibility, the rhetorical device of allusion is used as well as pathos within these first paragraphs, evoking feeling such as understanding and trust. Furthermore, to address the seriousness of this issue, Glaser talks about the death of her daughter and uses a metaphor to say that she is “in a race with the clock”, meaning that her time is limited and could soon be over. This once again also uses pathos, which helps her set the tone and mood for the rest of the speech. The tone of this political speech encouraging, as Glaser tries persuade and encourage the audience to act now on the problem of AIDS and health care. In addition to this, Glaser uses the rhetorical technique of Hypophora in order to make the target audience question and reflect on the discussed topic more. Furthermore, Glaser’s desire for a new leader with several qualities is prominent throughout the whole speech, where she uses a metaphor to say that the new leader should “talk straight”, meaning that they should say the truth and not divert around it in order to suit heir personal interests. Furthermore through the sentence beginning “I believe in an America”, which is also an Anaphora in order to emphasise the sentence beginning, it also implies that no president before has ever talked “straight” as they have always previously “play[ed] games with number”, meaning that they altered these numbers in order to suit them. Finally, in the last part of the speech, Glaser refers back to the rhetorical device of Allusion, talking about what her daughter taught her in the last year in which she was alive. This also uses the rhetorical technique of Tricolon and parallelism in order to emphasise these things which she had learnt from her daughter. Throughout this speech, rhetorical devices are often implemented in order to emphasise and evoke specific emotions, tone and mood. 

In conclusion, Glaser used a wide variety of rhetorical ad propaganda devices, slogans, and real-life events in order to appeal to her target audience and call them to action on the problem of AIDS and health care. 

Characterisation of Coriolanus

In the first act of the play Coriolanus, Shakespeare establishes and foreshadows the key conflict between Coriolanus and the common people, and with Aufidius, mainly through the characterisation of the main protagonist, Coriolanus. In battle, he is portrayed as a brave and strong war hero, however in the city and the capitol building his flaws come to shine, as he is portrayed as a stubborn and arrogant patrician. 

The play begins with the plebeians rioting in the streets of Rome as they have a shortage of grain. Coriolanus is mainly blamed for this as he is viewed as the “chief enemy to the people” (1.1.6) by the citizens of rome. In Scene 1 of Act 1, Coriolanus is portrayed as an arrogant and stubborn patrician due to his lack of respect for the plebeians, the lower class of Roman Society, which thus justifies their hatred towards Coriolanus. “What’s the matter, you dissentious rogues,/That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,/Make yourselves scabs?” (1.1.164-167). His arrogance is seen clearly in this quote as he addresses the plebeians as dissentious rogues, as well as calling their opinion a “poor itch”, meaning that their opinion doesn't matter and is worthless. This foreshadows Coriolanus’s eventual downfall as well as conflicts with the plebeians further on in the play, when he is in the need of the plebeians’s votes in order to achieve the rank of consul.

In contrast with his flawed traits which eventually will cause his downfall, he is portrayed as a brave and fearless war hero on the battlefield. In order to convey this, Shakespeare uses specific events which showcase Coriolanus’s heroism, such as when he recklessly attacks a group of enemy soldiers by himself. Unlike his arrogance which is seen in the city of rome, Coriolanus is portrayed as a humble man in battle. Instead of boasting about his victory after the war, he shows modesty when praised, asking Titus Lartius to “praise [him] not” (1.5.590). Even though a great change in the character of Coriolanus is seen between the first scene and later scenes in act one, his arrogance seems to prevail as he once again belittles the soldiers under his command, calling them the “shames of Rome” (1.4.524). This foreshadows Coriolanus’s downfall due to his inability to effectively communicate with others.

Shakespeare depicts Coriolanus as a very complex character, who displays heroism in battle, and arrogance towards others. Even though in battle he is portrayed as a very different character when compared to himself in the city, his flaws tends to prevail, as seen by the way he addresses his soldiers whilst fighting by their side. This foreshadows future conflicts which will arise from him talking to others in such a arrogant and stubborn way, which will then ultimately cause his downfall.

Generation Like

Do you believe that today’s youtube stars are being exploited or empowered?

I believe that YouTube stars are both empowered and exploited at the same time. Many Youtube stars have a large number of followers, such as Pewdiepie, who has over 40 million subscribers. With a fanbase as big as this, one person can have a very big impact by just uploading a video onto Youtube, which will then be seen by millions of people. This large audience empowers Youtube stars as they are able to voice their opinion to the public by uploading a video. Furthermore, users are also being empowered by their fanbase which look up to them and want to be just like them. As they have such a large fanbase, advertising product and making money can also be done very easily, which can sometimes feel empowering, but mostly is the exploitation of Youtube stars from big companies. Big companies often pay Youtube stars who have a large following a lot of money so that they endorse their product in a video, making it extremely profitable for companies at the expense of Youtube stars being exploited. In addition to this, the company Youtube, who is empowering Youtube stars by giving them a voice, also exploits them by placing ads on their page as well as making partnerships with the Youtube stars, so that for the exchange of much money, Youtube can place ads into the actual video, making it guaranteed that large amounts of viewers will see the Video. In conclusion, there are negatives and positives about being a Youtube star such as being empowered or exploited. 

Stereotypes

Do you think that advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people?

In todays society, advertisements usually have some type of stereotype about people from one race, culture or country. I believe that advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people due to several reasons, however I also understand why it is done by advertisers. First of all, when advertisers stereotype people, they generalise a whole culture or race and depict them to society as all the same people, ignoring their differences. This can be very offensive to some, especially when one’s cultural or race stereotype is used in order to make the advertisement funny. Furthermore, advertisers should also avoid stereotyping people as it imposes standards on society, which are most predominantly seen in the fashion and modelling industry. Advertisers choose to include stereotypes of people in ads due to various reasons. Using stereotypes of people saves valuable time in the explanation that is necessary to set the scene in the advertisement as the audience will most likely have prior knowledge of stereotypes.  Furthermore, stereotypes can easily create an association with the viewer and the ad itself, as well as make the ad in some cases more funny. Additionally, decorative and active portrayals of men and women in advertisements can often say a lot about the intentions of an ad in terms of appeals, which is also liked to the affect transfer concept. In conclusion, I believe that advertisers should avoid stereotyping people, however I do understand why it is done and its effectiveness. 

Print Ad Analysis

Audience and Purpose:

This type of text is a print advertisement targeted towards young women. It is targeted towards young women due to the female in the picture wearing a wedding dress, as well as due to the watches both on her wrist and in the bottom right corner which look like watches for females. The purpose of this print advertisement is to make the viewer want to buy watches from Hour Choice. It aims to do this by persuading the audience with the slogan “Never Follow”, meaning to be out of the ordinary and not mainstream.  

Content and Theme

In this print advertisement, watches by Hour Choice are advertised as seen by the somewhat transparent title at the top, and the several watches in the foreground of the ad at the bottom right. In the centre we see a young woman wearing a white wedding dress, sneakers and a watch. This is done to draw the viewers attention to this section of the advertisement as it clearly contrasts with the dark background. The sneakers and watch which the woman is wearing also contribute to the companies slogan in white text, which also stands out from the darker background, “Never Follow” as it implies that you should be different than the rest. Both the slogan and the female both build upon another to bring across the theme of being different.

Tone and Mood

The tone of the print advertisement is encouraging as the slogan “Never Follow” encourages change and being different from the rest. The atmosphere created is relaxed and daring because the female in the ad is willing to be different while wearing casual sneakers and a watch which create a relaxed and daring atmosphere. 

Style and Structure

This print advertisement encourages people to be different by using the slogan “Never Follow”. The text in this advertisement does not use any pronouns, however it does use direct speech as the slogan is addressed directly to the viewer. The text at the bottom of the advertisement show all of the different brands which Hour Choice offer. This is however made in a small text font in order to not draw away much attention to the main text, the slogan. The slogan itself effectively hooks and engages the reader as direct speech is used. The structure of this print advertisement is done in this way in order to focus most of the viewers attention to the centre of this ad as well as the watches in the bottom right of the ad. 

Turoyo Language Lawyer

• The Turoyo language has similarities to the Arabic and Turkish language, making it easier to learn.
• Due to its similarities to other languages such as arabic, armenian, kurdish and turkish, it is easier to learn these languages which would increase its global value.
• Adding to its ease of learning the language, the Turoyo language is documented in both the Latin and Serto Alphabet.
• Speakers of the Turoyo language (the Assyrian people) used to be spread all over the world (USA, Germany, Australia, Russia, etc.) due to civil wars and the Assyrian genocide by the ottoman empire During WWI, making the language easier to spread 
• The Assyrians are descendents of one of the oldest civilisations in the world, dating back to 2500 BC, bringing many unique traditions and values with it.
• English was forced to be taught by the western countries due to the strength of the nations which speak english such as the UK, USA, and its allies. The english language is in no way superior to any other language, and was only seen this way due to the oppression by the western countries on languages in the orient.

Endangered Language Podcast

Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/lukas-schroth/endangered-language-podcast

Most Meaningful Takeaway

"When I think of my tongue being no longer alive in the mouths of men a chill goes over me that is deeper than my own death, since it is the gathered death of all my kind. It is black night descending once and forever on all that world of forests, lakes, snow peaks, great birds' wings [...]"

This passage of the text The Only Speaker of His Tongue by David Malouf resonated with me due to its contents on language, identity and culture. If I were to think that my mother tongue would die out, I believe that I would have the same perspective on the matter as stated in the passage above, as it does not only mark the death of my language, but the death of all of my kind. Words unique to my mother tongue would be lost, traditions would vanish, it values would be forgotten.

In the passage, David Malouf describes the death of his tongue as "deeper than [his] own death", meaning that the death of a language has a greater effect than just on an individual as the language is "no longer alive in the mouths of men". The loss of a language marks the death of its culture, customs, inherited knowledge and its traditions "since it is the gathered death of all [its] kind." David Malouf describes the death of a culture as a "black night", empty and dark, without any light that would represent the life of a culture. With the culture's death, also die the culture's unique way of describing the world, such as its "forests, lakes, snow peaks, great birds' wings", as no two cultures are alike. Each culture, like its language, is unique.

What is the value of preserving indigenous languages?

Language is an important part of society as it enables us to communicate with each other and express ourselves. According to Back To Babel, when a language dies out, “it marks the loss of an entire culture”. I however disagree with this statement as I believe that a language is only a part of a culture, and not something that solely defines a culture. However on the contrary, I do believe that some of the knowledge and understanding of a culture is lost when its language is extinct. Even though most of the culture and some of its traditions can be preserved by writing or technology, certain things such as customs, inherited knowledge and oral traditions are lost, meaning that future generations lose a important part of the culture which is necessary in order to completely understand it. 

As not all aspects of a culture can be preserved after its language dies out, I believe that it is important to preserve indigenous languages. Each language is unique, no two are the same. When a language dies out, certain words which don't exist in other languages die out with it. For example, the word “Dadirri” from Aboriginal Australian, which is an ancient word that combines deep inner listening, contemplation, and quiet still awareness of creation and the creator. Furthermore, words such as these also gives us an insight into what was valued in the culture. If all of the indigenous languages were to die out, there wouldn't be such a great language and cultural diversity as certain aspects of these lost cultures are forgotten. Due to this, it is important to preserve all languages as they all give us a unique perspective on the world and their values in their culture.