So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, good-bye

As the semester comes to a close, I have started thinking about how far I have come as a writer throughout the course of English 225. I have learned more about myself as a writer in the way I approached each assignment for this class. There were definitely times when I felt the workload in English 225 was very overwhelming. Until mid-October, I walked out of class most days feeling confused, stressed, and like I had too much to do for only this class. However, as I became accustomed to the expected workload of English 225, I began to strategize how to wisely utilize my time to write thoughtful papers. Meeting with my instructor outside of class really helped me to organize my ideas and outline what I wanted to write for each paper. Now, I can say that towards the end of the semester, I actually looked forward to coming to English class. I grew to become very comfortable around my instructor and peers, and felt that I was more able to express the social identity I discussed in my first few posts in this class.

My instructor has done an excellent job of teaching this class. She has taught me a methodical way to approach rhetoric, using mature reasoning and evidence containing logos, pathos, and ethos. In previous classes, I had always seen argumentation as containing only logos: facts and statistics. But I saw the powerful impact ethos and pathos could play in conveying a writer’s point. I liked how I was allowed to develop the same thesis and topic throughout the semester, and how I could relate what I learned in English 225 to my own learning. Through studying the biopsychosocial approach for three months, I do thoroughly believe that it is important to implement it when doctors interact with patients, and personally plan on using it when I become a doctor. Writing each paper taught me a different angle of rhetoric: gathering facts to learn more about a topic, taking a stance to convince an audience that an idea is valid, and persuading an audience to take action. The papers I have written for this class are much deeper than my previous concept of research papers, and have allowed me to stretch my mind and view facts from multiple perspectives and integrate information from various sources. I enjoyed being able to apply concepts I learned in class to something I am passionate about. While doing my research, sometimes I looked things up just because I was curious, and it didn’t even seem laborious like I had to do work for a class. I am certain that the analytical writing skills I have acquired from English 225 will benefit me in future biomedical engineering courses and in my medical studies.

During persuasion presentations, my instructor pointed out how every student in the class started with the same prompt, yet we developed it in such different ways to suit our own interests. Topics pursued by my classmates ranged from changing medical school admissions, to binge drinking, to the media’s construction of a professional athlete’s identity. Whoever thought that studying identity could take on so many forms? With that said, I have really enjoyed learning about the identities of my classmates and instructor over this semester. I hope that you have enjoyed reading my blog and have gotten to learn a little more about me and my identity too!

Introducing the New Sun Maid Girl

I came across an article about the controversy over changing the Sun Maid raisin advertisement. The Sun Maid girl has been a popular icon that has been easily recognized for over 90 years. It is the bottom picture of the two I posted. The original icon was based upon a woman picking grapes in her backyard and symbolizes the simplicity of life in rural areas. However, in the past three years, the advertising agency has been pushing for a more modernized Sun Maid girl, with a refreshed and refurbished look. This icon is the topmost picture in my post. The agency thought this new icon would be more appealing to consumers because it would represent the reality of women in this day and age, and therefore would be more relatable to modern society. There are some feminists who are against the refurbished icon state and they claim that the new Sun Maid Girl looks like “Julia Roberts decided to don a red bonnet and start picking some grapes”. These feminists would prefer the simplicity of the classic icon and believe that reforming the Sun Maid girl would project ideas to women about their body image, since the new Sun Maid girl is much thinner and has more defined breasts than the original. However, the president of Sun Maid claims that the point of the icon is to promote raisins as a healthy snack, so showing a leaner icon may reinforce this notion.

I personally do not think it is a good idea to change the Sun Maid girl. There are certain icons that are classics that we have grown up with, such as the Pillsbury doughboy and Aunt Jemima. These are icons that we would recognize anywhere, and once they are changed, I feel like that would change a consumer’s ideas about the product even though the product remains the same. One benefit of refurbishing the icon would be that the new advertisement would appeal to ethos of people in modern society. Consumers would look at the Sun Maid girl as a typical woman in the 21st century and therefore be interested in buying the healthy snack so they could look like her or be as pleased as she looks in the ad. However, in this case, I think that keeping the original icon would evoke a strong emotional reaction from consumers and use pathos to persuade consumers to buy Sun Maid raisins. When people see the Sun Maid girl, they experience nostalgia about their childhood and remember how long that icon has been around. I agree that the icon reminds consumers about the simple things in life, and allows them to temporarily escape from the pressures of modern society. This has a stronger appeal than identifying the traits an audience possesses. Although identification before persuasion as advocated by Charland is generally a useful tactic in persuasion, sometimes the traditional approach can evoke pathos and be more effective.

Here's the link to the article: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/108296/sun-maid-girl-makeover-sparks-controversy.html?mod=family-love_money

Developments of my Blog throughout the Semester

When I first started this blog for my English 225 class, I really didn’t know how to approach it. I had never kept a blog before and didn’t have any idea what I should be blogging about. My first few blog posts were about my identity and the different roles I played depending on my surroundings. I placed a great emphasis on the merging of my social and academic identities in the first two posts I made, and this made me really look within myself and realize what elements I consider a part of my identity. As I read about theories of identity in class, I tried to incorporate these theories into areas that appeal to me, such as my major. I think this is one way my blogs have improved over the semester. I try to take ideas that we discuss in class and apply them to various contexts. For instance, in the post “New Revelations on Identity and Inquiry”, I tie in William James’s theory of identity into biomedical engineering. I discuss how a biomedical engineer has his own self perceptions, as described by James’s self as a source, but how a BME also engages in a number of indirect social interactions that make up his social identity. These social interactions relate to the companies and patients who will be using the products made by biomedical engineers because the engineers need to take the ethos and needs of these recipients into account when making their designs. Another way I tie in theories of identity into my interests is exemplified in my post “The Things We Do When No One Is Looking”, which combines several social identity theories and discusses my views on whether people’s actions are a reflection of their own values, or of how they want to be perceived by society.

Another thing I noticed is that I have used my blog entries to relate theories of identity and elements of argumentation into popular culture and my own opinions. My first few blog posts are quite lengthy, and I usually gave a lot of analysis on a theory of identity or rhetorical technique that we discussed in class, and follow up with a short example of my own. However, some of these ideas have become so engrained in me now that I start thinking of identity and rhetoric during my leisure time! Whether I am watching a TV show or catching up on some news on CNN, something will always trigger an idea that was brought up in English class. For instance, I posted an entry in which I tied in theories of the false self into an episode of Gossip Girl. In another post, I analyzed both sides of an argument about the ramifications of placing a controversial photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of Newsweek.

As the semester progressed, I also realized that my blog posts have become more personal. I tied in the identities I find myself immersed in while I am with different groups of friends to the Organizational Self, and questioned whether being part of a group can lead to a loss of one’s identity. One of my latest posts talks about my anticipation as I approached my first Black Friday, and how this day brings out the worst in some people’s identities. My latest post, Lie to Me, was actually haphazardly written in a blind rage. On that day, I was just about to sit down and write my blog when I became sidetracked and found out that a good friend lied to me. I took out my frustration on my blog entry, and figured the post was something I would probably delete the next day when I regained my rationality. However, I saw that some of my ideas did relate to the scope of the class and therefore decided to keep the post even though it was different and more emotional than my previous posts.

All in all, rereading my blogs has made me realize how my concepts of identity and rhetoric have changed over the semester. The notion of identity can come up in so many places, and English 225 has taught me to use mature reasoning and evidence to validate how a certain theory of identity applies to a situation. I am glad that I am able to apply these theories to pop culture and my own experiences. Even as I leave this class, I am sure that every now and then, I will be having a conversation with a friend or watching TV and be reminded of Mead’s social interaction theory or something of the sort.

Lie to Me

I am usually a pretty laid back person and don’t easily get mad. I feel like life is too short to spend incessant time worrying about trivial things, and I focus more on the bigger picture at hand. However, the one thing that will make me legitimately angry is when people lie to me. I consider myself to be a pretty honest person; sometimes too honest. I am one of those people who is pretty blunt, and if my friends ask for my opinion, I will give it to them regardless of how untactful it sounds. My friends are asking my opinion because they want an honest judgment, not a sugarcoated euphemism. In return, I expect others to do the same for me. I am bringing this up because recently, I was lied to by someone I considered a good friend. What made me the most upset was that the lie was about a really small, trivial thing. It was completely unnecessary, and I wouldn’t have gotten angry if he had told me the truth. And yet he still chose to look me in the eye and lie about it. I don’t understand what’s so hard about telling the truth. This got me thinking about the parts of someone’s identity that causes them to lie to others. Maybe some people lie in order to save their social identities. They might fear that telling someone the truth may break a friendship or hurt someone. Some people may choose to lie to their friends in efforts to protect them from the ugly truth. This could be an attempt at salvaging social relationships.

I’m not exactly a saint, but I try not to lie unless I absolutely have to. It is simply a part of my identity and reflects how I value honesty. The few times I do lie about certain things are generally because I am embarrassed to admit something to others or because I don’t want to hurt someone. But if you think about it, lying to someone doesn’t make the truth any less real. For instance, if someone pretends to be your friend but secretly talks about you behind your back to others, that person is inadvertently lying to you every time you see them. But just because you don’t know that your so-called friend is backstabbing you doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Sure, some people believe ignorance is bliss. They feel like what they don’t know can’t hurt them. Ignorance of lies makes a person only fulfill one part of William James’s definition of identity: the self as a source. Those who ignore the lies around them select what they want to believe to influence their identities. But personally, I feel like those people are living in an imaginary universe and not facing the reality of what is going on. The hurtful things are going on whether you know about them or not! If something is going on that could potentially hurt me, then I want to know about it so I can deal with it and move on.

Additionally, some people lie because they are ashamed of something they did and don’t want others knowing about it, or they fear that others will be angry with what their actions. But in these cases, I feel like no matter how bad of a thing someone did, if they are willing to own upto it and take responsibility for their actions, there is still some hope for them. With time, I can probably forgive the action, but the one thing I cannot forgive is lying. When I have called friends out on lying to me, they have said they did it because they didn’t want to hurt me. To which I always say, if you didn’t want to hurt me, then you shouldn’t have lied to me. What kind of friendship do we have if you don’t even trust me enough to know that I can handle what you have to say?

I apologize for the lengthy and depressing post, I think I just needed a place to vent and this was it.

The Madness of Black Friday

This week is relatively light for me in terms of schoolwork and exams. I am very much looking forward to Thanksgiving break, it is much needed based on the past week I had. Usually, my family and I go to Milwaukee to visit family friends every year, but this year, we are staying at home in Michigan. This year, I am going to attempt to participate in the madness that is Black Friday. Usually, I go shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I’m not one of those hardcore shoppers who gets up at 4 am and camps out outside of Best Buy waiting for the doors to open. I personally don’t want to battle out hundreds of people over saving a few dollars. Usually I just go to the mall around 10 or 11 am and there are still plenty of great deals so I take what I can get. However, this year, my mom and I are planning on hitting up the mall at 8 a.m. to try our luck at some great deals. I am preparing myself for some mad aggression and fighting off some intense shoppers.

I think it is interesting to see how Black Friday can bring out the worst in some people and how, for those few hours, their social identities completely change. All sorts of people wait outside of stores in the early morning hours to hopefully save lots of money. Generally, these are nice people: they could be kind mothers waiting to buy toys and clothes for their children, men waiting in line to buy jewelry for their wives, teenagers looking to buy Christmas presents. Yet as they all gather together and fiercely compete for the same goal, these people start to get nasty and aggressive. They will use rude language as they shove aside all others, thinking only of themselves and how fast they can get into the store. Just a few days ago, I was reading a CNN article about how a Wal-Mart security guard got trampled to death during a Black Friday stampede. The picture above is just one example of how chaotic crowds can form in front of stores as shoppers fend each other off for the best deals. While I understand that saving money is very important, especially given the state of the economy, I really don’t think it is necessary to lose common respect for others and disregard human values. Yes, I know that it is a dog-eat-dog world, and sometimes you have to put yourself first, but it any appliance, electronic, or clothing item really so important that you have to physically hurt others to get it? I think it is still possible to maintain composure and a respectful social identity while trying to obtain the same products that others are fighting for. I guess I will experience the true notion of Black Friday in just a few days. Bring on the battle scars.

Magazine Photo Inspires Dual Identity Perceptions

As I went to check my e-mail for the sixth time today, I started browsing some top headlines for the week. One story that caught my eye was about Sarah Palin and a controversial picture posted on a magazine cover. Here is the link to the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091119/ap_on_re_us/us_lifestyles_palin_s_cover_shot

Newsweek used a photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of an issue this week that showed her wearing a red long sleeve shirt and shorts. The picture was initially taken for Runner’s World magazine, but Newsweek decided to use the photo on their cover because it was gender neutral, and apparently fit with the theme of the issue. Palin was outraged that the photo was taken out of context and claims that it was sexist because it showed her exposing her legs. Some of her supporters say that it is not a big deal that this particular photo of her was used since she looks trim and fit in it and therefore conveys a positive self-image. However, others say that Palin is at fault for posing for that photo. Since she is a public figure, she should have known that any photo could be used for purposes other than the one it was intended for. It seems like Palin does not want this photo to be representative of her identity. I am not very avid in following politics, but seeing how Palin is a Republican and conservative, I would assume that she would not want to portray herself with her legs exposed on the cover of Newsweek. I don’t really understand how this particular picture of Palin relates to the content of the article, since the article is about politics and the GOP. Maybe Newsweek was inadvertently trying to portray Palin in a negative light because the article was discussing her faults. I think this photograph is open to interpretation depending on the identity of the audience. If a reader already had negative views on Palin, then those views would be further exacerbated by this picture. On the other hand, if someone supported Palin and her views while she was running for vice president, that person would see the picture portraying Palin as an outdoorsy, athletic, nature-loving woman, which was the intent of the picture if it had been placed in Runner’s World. As Charland said, the picture calls out to the audience and strengthens their views on what they already believe about the identity of Sarah Palin.

Construction of an Audience

For my class assignment, I had to read “Constitutive Rhetoric: The Case of the Peuple Quebecois”, which develops an idea proposed by Kenneth Burke about identification of an audience preceding persuasion. The first time I read this essay, I merely glossed it over and was pretty confused about the claim. However, after breaking the piece down sentence by sentence in class, I think I have gained a better idea of what Charland was trying to say. My understanding is that, in order to effectively convey an argument to an audience, a speaker must first appeal to an aspect of the audience’s identity, and establish a common belief system. In class, we discussed the deliberate placement of commercials during TV shows that reach out towards an intended audience. For example, if I am watching the Pistons game on TV, most of the advertisements are centered on shoes, Gatorade, or other products related to sports. This is because the TV network knows that the audience watching the game will most likely be athletes. Thus the TV network recognized this part of the audience’s identity and used it to market athletic products in an efficient way.

However, Charland brings up the point that maybe it is the argument that creates the audience. If a speaker appeals to a part of an audience’s identity that the audience had not previously considered important, the speaker could bring together many people for a common cause. For instance, relating to a previous post, Hitler appealed to his audience’s sense of nationalism and pride for Germany to unite them as a single group vying for the same cause: the betterment of Germany. This argument implies that an audience does not exist until the speaker calls out to it.

When I write my blog entries, I assume that the only people reading them will be my instructor and the students in my class. In theory, I should be writing my entries for the general public, but realistically, I don’t think people would be interested in reading my blog unless they are familiar with the topics I allude to from class. Every now and then I add in a post that relates to the scope of the class but is more in tune with my life, pop culture, and current events, but for the most part, I think some of my posts are definitely geared for my English 225 peers and instructor. However, in case anyone other than this intended audience decides to read my post, I provide a little background information on what elicited my thoughts on the subject I am writing about. I think overall, blog writers constitute their audiences by relating posts to aspects of the audience’s identity. When I am reading my classmates’ blogs, the ones I tend to flock towards are the ones I can relate to, or the ones that immediately draw in my interest due to an image or bold statement. For my upcoming persuasive presentation, my intended audience is first-year medical students and I am trying to persuade them to use the biopsychosocial approach while interacting with patients. I will have to come up with ideas on how these medical students identify themselves, and draw them into my presentation by reaching out to these common beliefs.