What exactly is a feminist? While trying to find the answer to the question myself, I can came across this website called feminist.com. One can only assume that with a website entitled, feminist.com, they page would actually define feminist. I was disappointed to see that I could not find the definition on the website. I even clicked on the "about us" and still no answer. But I did learn that the website is an online community to fostering awareness, education and activism for women all across the world. I'm not really sure of the relevance of this blog post. I just thought that it was odd that a website catering to a specific group of people could not define the particular group of people. Or is that the point? Was the lack of definition intentional? Or is the term "feminist' is so broad that the definition can only be based on interpretation?
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Speaker and the Text
Chpt.3 The Speaker
& Chpt.4 The Text
Defining Ethos:
Ethos is the perception the audience has of the speaker.
"Knowing" any person is extremely
hard.
Role playing
-All of us present different pictures of ourselves to different people in different circumstances.
-The roles we play, the settings in which we find ourselves, the expectations of others, our own motives-all contribute to the extremely complex whole that makes up the "real" person.
-When we communicate with others, most of us tend to manipulate, consciously or unconsciously, the aspects of ourselves that we wish others not to see, and those who communicate with us form impressions, intended or unintended, of who we are.
Context and Ethos:
Certain events and trends that give rise to rhetoric in the first place may affect attitudes towards speakers.
-The Watergate scandal
Social and cultural elements within a context also can bear on ethos.
-potential listeners may not know the speaker, they may associate him or her with a group or cause that suggest a network of values.
The Speaker's reputation:
If a speaker is identified in a particular way with a particular issue, he or she takes on a generalized reputation that audiences may associate with other individuals who also identified the same way with the same or similar issue.
Matters in which the audience is likely to have information is the speaker's:
issue orientation
public character
intelligence and experience
Audience Priorities
Authority can be spread and misplaced.
Ethos and the Message
It is essential that the critic search for and explicate the ways in which the speaker both uses and creates ethos in his or her speech.
The text of the speech itself can reveal the use of existing ethos as a persuasive device.
The critic searches for the speaker's attempt to promote identification by discovering:
1. the ways in which the speaker associate himself or his position with an audience's values, and conversely, pictures he opposition as linked to positions upon which an audience looks unfavorably
2. the ways in which the speaker refutes or minimizes unfavorable aspects of his or her ethos
3. the extent to which the speaker capitalizes on the positive ethos of those with whom the audience does identify
4. the ways in which the speaker shows a grasp of the issues that are most important to the audience and a command of facts, information, and interpretation of those issues.
5. the ways in which the speaker seeks to convince audience members that she understands their problems and share their aspirations and concerns
6. the ways in which the speaker reveals his motivations in order to counter impression of self- interest
Ethos and Divergent Audiences
No matter what position the critic takes, the fact remains that he or she must grapple with the complexities of ethos, describing and explaining the many facets of the problem as it is faced-or ignored-by the speaker
The Speaker in Action: Assessing Delivery
The crucial point is that although delivery does not seem to influence audience perceptions, it does not seem to be critical determinant of the audience perception in and of itself.
OPINION: I feel that the it is very important that the speaker or writer gains trust from his or her audience. It is also very important for the speaker to know his or her audience and is able to relate to them. Relating to their audience makes the speaker or writer more believable and the speakers is able to persuade their audience to believe what they believe.
Chapter 4: The Text
The Whole and Its Parts
The text is the heart of the critic's work
The text of a speech is an organic whole
Analytical categories
o Argument
-Data
-Claim
-Warrant
-Backing
-Reservation
-Qualifier
o Structure
o Style
-topical
-cause-to-effect
-problem -solution
-climatic
-tone
-level of generality
-level of complexity
-diction
o Interpretation
* the process of inferring how the discourse works
o Judgment
Supporting Materials:
-example
-definition
-analogy
-testimony
-statistical data
-scientific results
& Chpt.4 The Text
Defining Ethos:
Ethos is the perception the audience has of the speaker.
"Knowing" any person is extremely
hard.
Role playing
-All of us present different pictures of ourselves to different people in different circumstances.
-The roles we play, the settings in which we find ourselves, the expectations of others, our own motives-all contribute to the extremely complex whole that makes up the "real" person.
-When we communicate with others, most of us tend to manipulate, consciously or unconsciously, the aspects of ourselves that we wish others not to see, and those who communicate with us form impressions, intended or unintended, of who we are.
Context and Ethos:
Certain events and trends that give rise to rhetoric in the first place may affect attitudes towards speakers.
-The Watergate scandal
Social and cultural elements within a context also can bear on ethos.
-potential listeners may not know the speaker, they may associate him or her with a group or cause that suggest a network of values.
The Speaker's reputation:
If a speaker is identified in a particular way with a particular issue, he or she takes on a generalized reputation that audiences may associate with other individuals who also identified the same way with the same or similar issue.
Matters in which the audience is likely to have information is the speaker's:
issue orientation
public character
intelligence and experience
Audience Priorities
Authority can be spread and misplaced.
Ethos and the Message
It is essential that the critic search for and explicate the ways in which the speaker both uses and creates ethos in his or her speech.
The text of the speech itself can reveal the use of existing ethos as a persuasive device.
The critic searches for the speaker's attempt to promote identification by discovering:
1. the ways in which the speaker associate himself or his position with an audience's values, and conversely, pictures he opposition as linked to positions upon which an audience looks unfavorably
2. the ways in which the speaker refutes or minimizes unfavorable aspects of his or her ethos
3. the extent to which the speaker capitalizes on the positive ethos of those with whom the audience does identify
4. the ways in which the speaker shows a grasp of the issues that are most important to the audience and a command of facts, information, and interpretation of those issues.
5. the ways in which the speaker seeks to convince audience members that she understands their problems and share their aspirations and concerns
6. the ways in which the speaker reveals his motivations in order to counter impression of self- interest
Ethos and Divergent Audiences
No matter what position the critic takes, the fact remains that he or she must grapple with the complexities of ethos, describing and explaining the many facets of the problem as it is faced-or ignored-by the speaker
The Speaker in Action: Assessing Delivery
The crucial point is that although delivery does not seem to influence audience perceptions, it does not seem to be critical determinant of the audience perception in and of itself.
OPINION: I feel that the it is very important that the speaker or writer gains trust from his or her audience. It is also very important for the speaker to know his or her audience and is able to relate to them. Relating to their audience makes the speaker or writer more believable and the speakers is able to persuade their audience to believe what they believe.
Chapter 4: The Text
The Whole and Its Parts
The text is the heart of the critic's work
The text of a speech is an organic whole
Analytical categories
o Argument
-Data
-Claim
-Warrant
-Backing
-Reservation
-Qualifier
o Structure
o Style
-topical
-cause-to-effect
-problem -solution
-climatic
-tone
-level of generality
-level of complexity
-diction
o Interpretation
* the process of inferring how the discourse works
o Judgment
Supporting Materials:
-example
-definition
-analogy
-testimony
-statistical data
-scientific results
Conclusion of Jenkins' CC
"Consumers will be more powerful within convergence culture-but only if they recognize and use that power as both consumers and citizens, as full participants in our culture."
This quote comes from the end if the book and Jenkins is telling everyone what they need to do in order to have a successful we have to be willing participants and active citizens. Participation becomes an important political right. The more everyone participates in convergence culture, the more diverse the culture will be.
He also uses the example of children and the media. Often times parents only focus on the negative side of the media and technology and may limit their child's intake of it. Jenkins feel that parents should encourage a meaningful relationship between their children and the media. Parents should teach their children that they can be cultural producers and not just consumers. I agree with Jenkins idea that parents need media education. I feel that parents should do their research on the many facets of the media and determine how this new type of culture can work for them.
The bottom line is, convergence culture is not going anywhere anytime soon. We have the power to collectively shape our society the way we want it. It is up to us make sure that this society work in favor of us .
This quote comes from the end if the book and Jenkins is telling everyone what they need to do in order to have a successful we have to be willing participants and active citizens. Participation becomes an important political right. The more everyone participates in convergence culture, the more diverse the culture will be.
He also uses the example of children and the media. Often times parents only focus on the negative side of the media and technology and may limit their child's intake of it. Jenkins feel that parents should encourage a meaningful relationship between their children and the media. Parents should teach their children that they can be cultural producers and not just consumers. I agree with Jenkins idea that parents need media education. I feel that parents should do their research on the many facets of the media and determine how this new type of culture can work for them.
The bottom line is, convergence culture is not going anywhere anytime soon. We have the power to collectively shape our society the way we want it. It is up to us make sure that this society work in favor of us .
Writing, Reading and Gender
I think the idea that men and women read differently is partially correct. I feel that everyone read and interpret materials and concepts differently. In my Imagining India class, we often analyze characters and talk about whether or not we were sympathetic towards a character. Many of the female students in my class were more sympathetic towards a character, especially if the character is a woman or child. In this course, however, I usually take on a traditionally masculine approach when evaluating a character in an novel . The class as a whole usually challenged the emotions of the characters and the authenticity of the author. While reading, "Composing of a Woman", I came to the conclusion that I read and may write like a man. Even in writing response papers for classes, I am very much removed for the topic and I usually like to write in impersonal ways.
Ethos and the internet
According to Aristotle, the speaker or writer's ethos meant the degree of credibility or trustworthiness that authors establish with the audience through their writing. But what if the speaker is not who we are lead to believe he or she is? Textual masquerading gives us the opportunity to be whoever we want to be and explore different gender identities. Ethos is one of the three types of persuasion(along with logos and pathos). Along with persuasion, it is the speaker or writer's job to gained the audience's trust. Is this trust violated when we give false information over the net? Is our ethos compromised when others look out our profiles or comments over the internet?
Chapter 6:Photoshop For Democracy
My section: Playing Politics in Alphaville and Vote Naked (227-239)
Main concepts:The Sims and collective intelligence,"vote naked"
Minor concepts: democracy & children, polarization, grassroot community
At the end of chapter 6, Jenkins discusses pop culture's influence on politics and democracy. Jenkins states that, "pop culture may be preparing the way for more meaningful public culture." An example of this is The Sims online game's fictional town "Alphaville."
Through the online game, consumers were able to use convergence culture for political activism. The game encouraged "players" to be active citizens.
Jenkins believes that in order to get young people to vote, we have to reach them earlier in life. The concept of democracy is exercised in the game. Children, who are not allowed to vote and may feel powerless in their everyday lives are able to use the fictional town to become active in a community. The game is not just a game, but it is a tool to motivate children and young children to become active and involved in their own communities.
In the section of "Vote Naked", the word "naked" defined as "raw", "exposed", and "vulnerable". Jenkins believes that we feel more comfortable discussing pop culture than politics. Politics is an uncomfortable subject for people, so they decide to keep their political views private. The fear of being "naked" may cause conflict in relationship.
The concept of polarization is mentioned in the end of the chapter. Polarization is a great part of American history. From the People from opposing sides caused heated debates that forced the nation to take a good look at the problem and create a solution. The negative side of polarization is the stigma each groups receives from the outside group and assumptions are made about about what each group's political beliefs. Polarization is an example as to why people are uneasy about discussing political beliefs.
Grassroots is another concept that is discussed at the end of the chapter. Grassroot communities involves the common people. They can be left or right and each group can have their own ideas and encourage their members to vote in their favor.But what if people do not vote? This all goes back to the notion of politics being viewed as complicated and many people are just not interested in it. Should Politics be apart of our everyday lifestyle? Should active community involvement(like in The Sims Online) be a requirement for citizenship?
Main concepts:The Sims and collective intelligence,"vote naked"
Minor concepts: democracy & children, polarization, grassroot community
At the end of chapter 6, Jenkins discusses pop culture's influence on politics and democracy. Jenkins states that, "pop culture may be preparing the way for more meaningful public culture." An example of this is The Sims online game's fictional town "Alphaville."
Through the online game, consumers were able to use convergence culture for political activism. The game encouraged "players" to be active citizens.
Jenkins believes that in order to get young people to vote, we have to reach them earlier in life. The concept of democracy is exercised in the game. Children, who are not allowed to vote and may feel powerless in their everyday lives are able to use the fictional town to become active in a community. The game is not just a game, but it is a tool to motivate children and young children to become active and involved in their own communities.
In the section of "Vote Naked", the word "naked" defined as "raw", "exposed", and "vulnerable". Jenkins believes that we feel more comfortable discussing pop culture than politics. Politics is an uncomfortable subject for people, so they decide to keep their political views private. The fear of being "naked" may cause conflict in relationship.
The concept of polarization is mentioned in the end of the chapter. Polarization is a great part of American history. From the People from opposing sides caused heated debates that forced the nation to take a good look at the problem and create a solution. The negative side of polarization is the stigma each groups receives from the outside group and assumptions are made about about what each group's political beliefs. Polarization is an example as to why people are uneasy about discussing political beliefs.
Grassroots is another concept that is discussed at the end of the chapter. Grassroot communities involves the common people. They can be left or right and each group can have their own ideas and encourage their members to vote in their favor.But what if people do not vote? This all goes back to the notion of politics being viewed as complicated and many people are just not interested in it. Should Politics be apart of our everyday lifestyle? Should active community involvement(like in The Sims Online) be a requirement for citizenship?
Response to Bell Hooks' Culture to Culture
In the first section, "The Dangers of Falsely Assuming Familiarity," Hook's uses an analogy, " "If you let a dog get close enough, in its eagerness to be close to you, it will lick you in the face." Monica expressed in her blog and presentation that if a person of color allows white people to assume that they have a certain amount of familiarity with them, they forfeited their own right to personal space. I agree with that statement. Throughout history, whites have been notorious for assuming superiority over other races. Before Africans were enslaved and brought to America, Native Americans fell victim to white superiority. They were subjugated and robbed of their own land. I feel that because of history, people of color have a right to keep a safe distance and keep their guards up, but only to a certain extent. People of different races should make an effort to understand on another.
I agree with Hooks' thoughts on how black topics should be discussed by black people and that white people can not "speak" for black people. However, with the idea of a white professor teaching black/African American topics,I do not have a problem with it.If the white professor is coming from a honest and unbiased perspective, I feel that having a non black perspective of African American topics can be beneficial to all students. Cultural learning is a great foundation to begin with in the process of understanding cultural and gender differences and should be mandatory in the classroom. Last semester, I took class on race relations taught by Dr. Troy Allen. Although Dr. Allen is an African American, we taught lessons on other races(White,Asian,Latino)to accommodate his racially mixed class. I felt that he was unbiased and the class was a great learning experience because the course promoted meaningful and insightful conversations between the different races.
I agree with Hooks' thoughts on how black topics should be discussed by black people and that white people can not "speak" for black people. However, with the idea of a white professor teaching black/African American topics,I do not have a problem with it.If the white professor is coming from a honest and unbiased perspective, I feel that having a non black perspective of African American topics can be beneficial to all students. Cultural learning is a great foundation to begin with in the process of understanding cultural and gender differences and should be mandatory in the classroom. Last semester, I took class on race relations taught by Dr. Troy Allen. Although Dr. Allen is an African American, we taught lessons on other races(White,Asian,Latino)to accommodate his racially mixed class. I felt that he was unbiased and the class was a great learning experience because the course promoted meaningful and insightful conversations between the different races.
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