Posts

On the Usage of English as a Standard Language

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A child learning English. Image via Pxhere . This week, there were a couple of videos presented describing a few ways in which English has been made, while technically unofficially, the standard language used in a variety of professional contexts. The first video described how to many business professionals in China, learning English is almost essential (OpenLearn from The Open University, 2011). There are a variety of businesses in China that have chosen to conduct day-to-day matters entirely in English, even. Previously, learning English in China was simply a nice thing to put on a resume, giving someone a nice advantage in the job market. Now, you'll be hard-pressed to find a well-paying business job in the country without a firm understanding of the English language. There are a number of implications this may have, which I will go into in a bit. An English-language class in Guangxi, China. Image via  Wikimedia Commons . In the second video, there was a discussion on the shift...
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The Cherokee Language: A Presentation

 Hello everyone! Here is my presentation on the Cherokee language. https://spark.adobe.com/page/Af0cIIQxGtHTo/ In addition, here is an oral narration of the presentation. Hope you learn something and enjoy!
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The Social Dilemma and Social Media's Grip on Society

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Social networking services are engineered to be addicting to keep people coming back. Image via Pixabay . The Social Dilemma speaks to major issues regarding the control social media and the internet at large can have on our lives. The audience receives a hard hitting deep dive into the dangers social media poses to our impressionable and error-prone minds from several people who directly contributed to it, as well as a fictional dramatization of what effects this could have on the younger generations. There are several examples discussed throughout the film, some of which I wish to briefly discuss. For one, one must keep in mind that in a society that is based so firmly on profit, there has to be some way for social media companies to make money when they offer their services to the end user for "free". Therefore, a large majority of them sell ad space to buyers in order to compensate for the services that are being provided. In order to maximize profit, these companies not...
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The Silencing of Race Discussions - Infographic

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This week, there was a lot to think about regarding the silencing of race discussions both in schools and in the general public at large. This leads to issues regarding issues of race not being addressed, almost as if racism does not exist anymore. I created this infographic to help illustrate the main points of “I Don’t Want to Hear That!”: Legitimating Whiteness through Silence in Schools by Angelina E. Castagno, as well as the film  Whitewashed: Unmasking the World of Whiteness . I hope this will help you understand the main concepts addressed!
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Disclosure - A Video Summary and Discussion on Normative Power

 
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"The Codes of Gender" - A Brief Summary and Analysis

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The film The Codes of Gender  provides a deep dive into how the structure of gender is developed within our modern society. In particular, there is a deep analysis of how photography featured within advertisements create a two-gendered society, with distinct differences between the two. There are several specific examples used as to how in this structure, clear definitions of "masculine" and "feminine" are created, portrayed, and upheld. Examples from the Film Women will often be shown prone in order to emphasize submissivity.  Image via  Pixnio . For one, women in photos used in advertising more often than not are shown as submissive to men. They appear in positions that portray them as weak and sexualized in contrast to men, who are strong and ready for anything. Note that there are some times in which this is slightly strayed away from, such as female action movie roles, but it almost always leads back to a state of sexualization. The woman in this image is once ...
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Introduction and Foucault's Concept of Power

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 Introduction Hello everyone! My name is Fletcher Holbrook. I am a senior International Studies major with minors in Management and Japanese at Webster University. I’m originally from Ohio, but I moved to St. Louis, Missouri to study at Webster. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and opinions on various readings regarding the intersections of language and power. Thoughts on Language, Power, and Foucault Michel Foucault. Image via  Wikimedia Commons . Before reading about Michel Foucault’s idea of power being everywhere, I personally only thought of power in the repressive aspect. Being threatened by those who are in a higher position of power is something that is clearly intimidating, so that is typically the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of power. Likewise, I thought of language in the same way, seeing it in the surface-level interpersonal relationships I have with those I interact with on a daily basis. Foucault does an incredible job at describing h...
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