So, the reading "Villains, Victims and Heroes" made me begin to think about how people view other societies. There is no doubt in my mind that there are a select number of people who after 9/11 view everyone from the Middle East as terrorists. Now, this obviously isn't the case but you can't change the minds of the ignorant too easily I imagine. But what I am really getting at with this post is how people on the other side of the world view North Americans. I believe it was Russell Peters who pointed out the fact that whenever terrorist gangs and whatnot are shown on the news, we all assume that the entire population of that country beaves in the same manor, when in reality, those are like the 'rednecks' of that region. I am so curious to know what the vision on the news is of Canadians and Americans. If it is anything to do with trailers, shot guns and mullets, I am pretty ashamed.
In fact, Russell Peters (again) has a short piece in one of his acts about the 'White Canadian Accent' and the people who don't realize that they have them. He describes it as a 'matter-of-fact' bobble head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJXedRX-0Ro
If that is how the rest of the world sees Canadians, again, I am pretty ashamed. He makes it seem pretty ridiculous. He also talks about how his very Indian father gets upset because a woman answers her phone but cannot speak English. I find this hilarious because in this situation he descirbes his dad as turning into a redneck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zge74dWHA3Q&feature=related
I am hoping that this isn't the view the world has on us, if so, things need to change.
Ashley Rickards
Monday, November 30, 2009
Through the Looking Glass
This week in the reading “The Media and Globalization” it talks about many different things but the most interesting of those things is how to be cosmopolitan. Hannerz, the author, describes it as a person who can connect with the local community but also with the global community. But how does one achieve this without being labeled with other names such as tourist or immigrant for example. He talks about how when it comes to a modern cosmopolitan they achieve this through the media and communication. People who are trying to achieve this sense of the international community look at it through “artificial eyes”, which is the way he describes it. “Artificial Eyes” means that we have eyes and we can see the news but we can’t touch, thus meaning that we are not able to have first account experiences. People who only see the world on T.V. or in newspapers or books are looking through other people’s experiences and not their own which could be described as less cosmopolitan.
The biggest example where cosmopolitanism is not welcomed is when large scale war has broken out and it is not welcomed. If you take the Afghanistan and the Iraq war then there is this sense of non freedom where only the news and film makers will dare to go in a time of crisis. This is when cosmopolitanism crumbles because you can’t travel to these places and like George Bush said “You’re either with us, or you’re against us”. So unless your the definition of being an American then you are against the country.
When the war broke out in 2002 there was almost a lock down on society because the international community could not be trusted. The two buildings on September 11th/ 2001, which were the bench mark of World Trade had fallen in the country that believes in freedom. Freedom which is intertwined into the definition of cosmopolitanism.
There is such a wide spectrum of definitions of being cosmopolitan, a world traveler who is educated but yet still participates in the world community by experiencing different culture, learning languages or living with a person of a different culture. It used to be a male explorer by definition but in the modern world any gender can be cosmopolitan especially with the rise of media and communication to get you started.
Ehren Scheffler
Saturday, November 28, 2009
When Technology is Used for Bad
The internet has proven to be an amazing tool for students. Young people are using it for fun, research and above all, communications. E-mail, Facebook, chat rooms and instant messaging are being used so people young and old can stay in touch. When these online forms of communication first became popular, it seemed as if it was the perfect way to stay in touch with friends, family and others. However, what no one foresaw was the negative effect it could have on young people. Today’s young internet users have created an interactive community away from their parents. Children and teens are now using these mediums to bully and harass others. 27% of children who are bullied endure this over the internet. Teachers and parents have enough trouble dealing with bullying in schools. In this technological world that we live in, they now need to try and monitor the internet to keep bullies at bay.
These sites have made it much easier for bullies to get other children involved in their actions. Sites such as Facebook have allowed young people to create a virtual community of people against another. One may create an inappropriate group about someone, where everyone can make their comments. This is just as harmful, if not more so than what goes on in the classroom or school yard.
Instant messaging is another online communication community and yet another forum for online bullying. This type may be the most harmful of all because it will go unnoticed unless the victim steps forward and tells a trusting adult. It is interesting that this bullying medium, internet, affects the ethical behavior of children. These young bullies cannot see instant feedback on the consequence of their actions. This lack of feedback means that they do not feel empathy for their victims because they cannot see the harm they are doing.
Online bulling is an example of a negative action that arises when a new form of media is introduced. In this case, the medium is internet and the original purpose was research and communication throughout the world. Unfortunately, this communication community is now used by people young and old in negative ways. It is only a matter of time before this problem becomes a serious global issue.
By: Tamra Barlow
These sites have made it much easier for bullies to get other children involved in their actions. Sites such as Facebook have allowed young people to create a virtual community of people against another. One may create an inappropriate group about someone, where everyone can make their comments. This is just as harmful, if not more so than what goes on in the classroom or school yard.
Instant messaging is another online communication community and yet another forum for online bullying. This type may be the most harmful of all because it will go unnoticed unless the victim steps forward and tells a trusting adult. It is interesting that this bullying medium, internet, affects the ethical behavior of children. These young bullies cannot see instant feedback on the consequence of their actions. This lack of feedback means that they do not feel empathy for their victims because they cannot see the harm they are doing.
Online bulling is an example of a negative action that arises when a new form of media is introduced. In this case, the medium is internet and the original purpose was research and communication throughout the world. Unfortunately, this communication community is now used by people young and old in negative ways. It is only a matter of time before this problem becomes a serious global issue.
By: Tamra Barlow
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
No Substitutes Please
Instant messaging via the computer, cell phone and portable communication device has become increasingly popular over the past several years. Using text messaging and programs such as MSN Messenger and Blackberry Messenger as a means of communicating has sky rocketed not only among teens but amongst children and adults as well. Although Instant Messaging (IM) and Short Message Service (SMS) have become excellent communication tools, they also bring about various negative effects on users.
Let’s discuss the effects these tools have on people’s relationships and interactions with others. IM and SMS do allow people to communicate quickly and it can be efficient in certain situations. However, they also tend to remove the personal and emotional aspects of the conversation and situation.
As a method of communication, IM plays a great “middle man” between e-mail a
nd face to face conversation. It enables people to keep in touch despite possible barriers such as time, money and distance. In addition, it allows for multi tasking and the ability to maintain various conversations at one time. IM and SMS are both great means of making plans, exchanging information, quick clarification or questions, and keeping in touch with friends and family. However, if simple “old fashioned” face to face communication and phone conversations are completely replaced with these methods, that relationship is bound to suffer.
The problem is, with so many things going on at once, there must be a large lack of focus on each individual situation. In addition, the emotions of the communicators can be very easily misinterpreted in the faceless communications of IM and SMS. The tone of one’s voice is not present in this sort of conversation. Therefore, someone can type one thing and the receiver can interpret it as something completely different. Sarcasm and jokes are perfect examples of this type of confusion.
All in all, IM and SMS can be great tools for maintaining and strengthening relationships. Humans are social beings who require communication and interaction with others. Instant messaging and text messaging are often effective means of this. However, people need to be careful not to eliminate face to face communication and allow these other forms of conversation to substitute for good old fashioned contact and interaction.
BY: NIKOLE DAVIES
Media and their representation of Reality
- By Alyssa Higginson
In our reading for this week called Villains, Victims and Heroes: Melodrama, Media, and September 11 there was an in depth discussion on the media coverage of September 11th. This made me instantly think about the current melodrama in the media surrounding the H1N1 vaccine recently. This current issue is sparking a lot of discussion and is important to forming a national identity for Canada as our health care system is an area of national pride for many Canadians. The reports concerning H1N1 in the media were extremely confusing for many Canadians as some were saying that it’s not safe, while others were urging people to get the vaccine. This contradiction left many people unsure of what to do. An assistant professor of communication at Simon Fraser University, Dr. Peter Chow-White said, Chow-White believes that fervent media coverage of the H1N1 vaccine program “has seeped into our daily lives to the point where the public has trouble distinguishing between what warrants justifiable panic and concern about protection.” http://www.sfu.ca/pamr/issues_experts/issues_and_experts/issues_11030901.html
An interesting article published in Abbotsford Today suggested that the media hype of H1N1 is scaring people to the point that they are getting sick. For more information on this please visit: http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/?p=24222
The H1N1 crisis will be talked about for many years to come and has been a prevalent story in the media recently. It is often difficult when complex issues are reported in the media as they can often overdramatize and exaggerate the issue. This can cause many to be left confused and upset.
Reports of September 11th formed an American national identity that was created out of victimization which later led to action for protection. Similarly, while the H1N1 vaccine issue is not as large a tragedy, there have been those that were described as victims of the H1N1 virus. The National Post printed an article after Evan Frustaglio, a thirteen year old boy, died of H1N1. The National Post said, “Evan’s sudden death is credited with putting a human face on H1N1 virus and prompting people to stand in long lines across the country for the vaccine. Clinics in Toronto opened the same day he died.”
Overall the media plays a very large role in any crisis, tragedy or situation as they are the main source of information for those that are at home. The media’s mass communication has a lot of power but also a great amount of responsibility to report the truth and the facts. This is something that can be learned from both of these media blitzes.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Facebook: Good or Evil #2
The introduction of facebook to the world has brought about a new set of communicating rules into the culture of online social networking. This short video outlines 5 important rules of Facebook:
5 rules of Facebook:
1) Don’t change your relationship status without consulting the other person.
2) Don’t post embarrassing photographs of other people.
3) Be discreet when posting messages on another person’s wall.
4) Don’t steal other people’s friends.
5) Don’t start hate groups.
If all of the people who used Facebook followed these five simple rules I believe Facebook would be a better place for all. Since there is always someone who feels the need to break these rules Facebook is not always a place where everyone can co-exist in peace. Not following these rules can lead to individuals getting hurt or worse. People can get fired over such things as hate groups or a friend can get fired because of an inappropriate picture that was posted of them. Also, people have the habit of jumping to conclusions when it comes to suspicious wall posts. Instead of communicating thoughts to the person who either posted it or the person who received the post individuals will get angry and sometimes post something that they will later regret. Facebook is a means of communicating but sometimes certain things get lost in translation and that is where communication ends. Individuals need to be more open to communicating and more open to figuring out communication errors if Facebook is going to continue to be a blessing, otherwise it is only a curse.
- Liz Williams (Post for week 11)
Modern Art
When someone mentions the word "history," I don't think of wars or politics or Great Depressions. When I think about history, I think about one of the most important ways humans can communicate - art. I think about famous artists like Michelangelo, about memorable architecture and paintings and sculptures. It seems that cultures in the past found art to be of such great importance, and today their works are still renowned.
Of course, art still exists. To those who appreciate it, modern art is a big deal. But is it as big a deal as it used to be? I can't help but wonder which artworks, created recently, will remain iconic images hundreds of years into the future. Our society is so technologically-driven and has such a short attention span that I wonder if we will even care.
Of course, perhaps when Da Vinci was painting, no one suspected his legacy to last. Just like you sometimes can't tell which moments will remain in your memory, maybe it's hard to say which artworks will become classic. That's why I wanted to talk a bit about Deviantart.
Deviantart.com is an online art community whose members post thousands of potential masterpieces per day. Artists can upload traditional pieces, digital artworks, artisan crafts, poetry, short stories, photo manipulations, and virtually any other art form imaginary. Of course, they are not all high quality pieces - but many are breathtaking. The skill level some artists display is amazing- like, for example, this hyper-realistic acrylic painting by user Vijujako:
But Vijujako is just one of many extremely talented artists hosted on the site. Also, many of the works posted are created digitally in programs like Photoshop. This is why I would find it incredibly interesting to see which artworks and what medium will stand the test of time and be called upon hundreds of years from now to represent the culture of the 21st century.
You can visit Deviantart and see the art for yourself by going to http://www.deviantart.com.
Vijujako's painting can be viewed on its' original page here.
By Natalie Dallaire.
Of course, art still exists. To those who appreciate it, modern art is a big deal. But is it as big a deal as it used to be? I can't help but wonder which artworks, created recently, will remain iconic images hundreds of years into the future. Our society is so technologically-driven and has such a short attention span that I wonder if we will even care.
Of course, perhaps when Da Vinci was painting, no one suspected his legacy to last. Just like you sometimes can't tell which moments will remain in your memory, maybe it's hard to say which artworks will become classic. That's why I wanted to talk a bit about Deviantart.
Deviantart.com is an online art community whose members post thousands of potential masterpieces per day. Artists can upload traditional pieces, digital artworks, artisan crafts, poetry, short stories, photo manipulations, and virtually any other art form imaginary. Of course, they are not all high quality pieces - but many are breathtaking. The skill level some artists display is amazing- like, for example, this hyper-realistic acrylic painting by user Vijujako:
But Vijujako is just one of many extremely talented artists hosted on the site. Also, many of the works posted are created digitally in programs like Photoshop. This is why I would find it incredibly interesting to see which artworks and what medium will stand the test of time and be called upon hundreds of years from now to represent the culture of the 21st century.
You can visit Deviantart and see the art for yourself by going to http://www.deviantart.com.
Vijujako's painting can be viewed on its' original page here.
By Natalie Dallaire.
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