Final Summarization of the blogging assignment:

I began this assignment with the very clear objective to discuss a current event and attempt to personalize it for readers. At some point during the process, I realized that this had become personal in a different way. At this time in my life I am striving for self-improvement working to rediscover my own voice. In a way my expression of a compassionate view towards others is also speaking to a compassionate view towards self. Tolerance and acceptance of differences became more of a central theme rather than the mere relation of current events. The ability to write in a “bloggy” or personal mode I think allowed me to make this transition more easily as I was in fact speaking in that voice that I have been trying so hard to find.

The use of visual images was also freeing - choosing images to reinforce my points was a good challenge, but the visual rhetoric analysis was a revelation into what makes a good image speak. It is as if I learned a new language and way in which to communicate thought. By far I will say that this was my favorite part of this assignment. The lessons learned here will be used in many aspects of my future efforts to communicate, which would be the entire point of a composition course, to communicate effectively.

It always is positive to learn, but to enjoy the learning process is a true gift.

Thank you!

Shawn

Visual Rhetoric - final thoughts

Final observations:

I find that this has been a very interesting assignment. I think that most of us on a subconscious level understand that images do profoundly affect our perception of a message. We also should be very aware that this is used frequently to manipulate our thinking. Advertising is certainly guilty of this, and I am pretty certain this is not a secret. But I can see other applications that are not quite so blatant in their efforts to shape our opinions. This is certainly an area for further thought.

Another perspective that I am in the process of mentally working through comes from my interest in the creation of art. Until I sat and looked at the different communication strategies I did not have the vocabulary to express the elements that make one image powerful and another simply a family snapshot. I see now that the images having the most impact are those that combine multiple strategies. Case in point, the surfing kitty only invokes Logos, Pathos and Mythos. It’s a cute picture; it gets its point across and is memorable in its own way. The handshake image on the other hand uses all four strategies to good effect. Additionally this image also is transparent enough in its simplicity to be a different story for each person who views it. Now that is powerful.

Visual Rhetoric - Surfin' Kitty

The image:

This image uses humor to make its point. My subject matter and message in this blog are both pretty heavy, this was a more lighthearted way communicate the accessibility of electronic media. Technology is so pervasive in our world that in fact even a cat (a coffee drinking cat at that) can use it, leave aside all of the mouse jokes =) 

Humor is a good tool, we laugh our minds open and we are receptive to a message.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Mythos defined:

Pathos is most certainly a strategy used in this image, we laugh, joyful feelings are invoked. The silliness of a cat at a computer makes us laugh while it also challenges our logic or Logos to recognize that computers are everywhere. I see the two strategies as sort of a double whammy. Invoke a feeling and engage the mind, it’s pretty effective and certainly makes the message more memorable. Mythos is also a player in this image, we are members of a wired society… look around, the only place you don’t have to listen to somebody else’s conversation is on a plane and it looks like that won’t be quiet much longer. I swear I have even heard women on the phone while sitting on a toilet in a public restroom. It’s almost as if we’ve experienced a hostile takeover of our auditory world! I do not see much of a role for Ethos in this image. Our sense of belief, value and trust are not particularly tweaked by the web surfing kitty shown above. 

Conclusion:

There are still people intimidated by the gadgetry we are surrounded by, I know several. When I was training business people to convert to an automated process in their work place I had an elderly gentleman in my classes. I would get calls from him routinely with problems. Imagine my surprise when I went to his office and discovered that his keyboard was sitting on top of his monitor, he’d stand up to type hit enter and have no idea why this wasn’t working for him. I still chuckle at the image. But more importantly I realize that his frustration was very real.

The reality is that everyone is using technology. The point that I was attempting to convey in my blog post is that while people are being enabled in their efforts to rise up and seek freedom using tools to communicate, the same tools are being used by those who would do harm as well. The image is lighthearted but the message is anything but.

Visual Rhetoric - analysis of a handshake

The image:

This is a deceptively simple image. The simplicity is enhanced by the use of black and white photography. We see a handshake. One hand is black and the other white. A handshake conveys many things: friendship, agreement, respect. This is a pretty heavy emotional load for such a simple photograph. The use of differently colored hands brings an even deeper meaning: race relations, acceptance, equality, even a sense of camaraderie. What is not shown is gender, the dark hand is definitely more masculine but the gender of the light hand is unclear. I like that this detail is left open to interpretation. The message to me is that differences can embrace; we don’t all have to be alike. This is an image that will speak to many people in many ways, based on our personal experiences. I chose it for exactly these reasons. The message is clear, however it leaves a lot of room for individual vision, it is quiet and I believe we learn most when we listen. To me the simplicity conveys quietness that implies receptiveness to learning something new.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Mythos defined:

I view photography as an art form, and within art I see the ability to invoke emotion and share a message… it is not always about simple mindless entertainment. Thus the strategies of Logos (our rational logical minds) and Pathos (arousal of an emotional response) are both used with the simple expression of friendship and mutual respect framed within the contrast of race. Intellectually we know that race bias is destructive and unfair, emotionally we respond to the gesture of a handshake. Ethos or personal trust is also conveyed in the gesture of friendship. Not to be left out is mythos. This strategy I believe is the one that will have the most varied impact. We all come from different walks and as such will view this image with our own perspective. I am a white woman from a very humble origin; I worked for many years in business and technology. I know from firsthand experience that it is difficult to be a woman in a man’s world. This, my personal story, I bring to the table when viewing this image. I am in a shared community with women; my values are inspired by a fundamental belief in equality and opportunity. Another person will have a completely different life experience and as such different belief, but I believe the fundamental message remains intact.

Conclusion:

My point within this assigned blog has been to look at a place in the world that is being shaped by current events. To look with a more compassionate eye in an effort to personalize and find common ground with a people living a very different life from most who will read my work. We still have much work that needs to be done in this country before we can deem all people equal and on fair footing, but we have come a long way. My generation is not so much marked by actual racial and gender equality as it is an awareness that these levels of equality are the goal. I was very disturbed when I noticed the overt racism that seemed to be everywhere after 9/11. As if we were able to throw away our moral values because a group of people were foreign to us. This is simply unacceptable, we know better. I believe that this very simple very quiet image conveys a gentle reminder of all that.

Crystal Ball.... what does the future hold?

Oppression.

It’s an ugly word. The act of oppression is an ugly deed. And sadly it’s alive and well throughout our world. In America we find the concept difficult to comprehend. Yet I think that we’ve all encountered some form of oppression in our own lives. While our personal experiences cannot come close to the experiences of those living under an oppressive regime I still maintain that even a hint should provide us with at least the means for a compassionate view on this subject.

In the sidebar definition of oppression I find it quite interesting that the word is linked to depression. We hear about this word all the time, the media is constantly barraging us with advice, diagnosis, and treatments for depression. So perhaps the clue here is a link between an oppressive regime and the depression of its citizens. This makes sense to me, the hopelessness which must surely paralyze a people living under tyranny explains a lot in this context.

A political view, can democracy work?

It is crystal clear that something big is going on in the Middle East. We are watching history happen and of course everyone has an opinion on how it will turn out. One thing is certain; citizens that are standing up for their freedoms have an uphill battle if they are to succeed.

Remember the old adage united we stand divided we fall? This is a historical reference generally credited to the Greek author Aesop, incidentally the Greeks are also credited with the notion of democracy as we know it. Those guys were really on to something and not just the free and the brave have taken note and made use of this wisdom. Tyranny is no accident. This form of leadership is cultivated through deliberate acts that reinforce power and control over a people. Natural divisions are exploited to undermine the power of their victims.

In the MENA region we have ample evidence of this. Political leaders have led to division by exploitation of religion and geographic isolation (S. H. N. N. 2011. 2011). We’ve all heard the terms Sunni and Shiite. These are simply different branches of Islam, not unlike the differences between Baptists and Methodists. All believe in the same God but have different customs they abide by in their worship. Except last time I checked most socially acceptable forms of worship that we see aren’t dabbling in government (okay this is debatable but for the most part we do uphold the division of church and state pretty well) or killing each other.

A very current example of forcing isolation is the decision of both the Egyptian and Iranian governments to shut down internet communications during protest and riots. The power of communication is not lost on these regimes. While this shutdown was only temporary, it does offer some insight on how seriously regimes take the threat of communication among their people (Seeley. 2011). But severing communication is not the only way to attack this problem. Many regimes are using social networking sites to track down dissidents and silence their voices. This behavior is not unique to the Middle East, China has arrested the outspoken artist Ai Weiwei, while the KGB quotes Facebook comments during interrogations (SHANE, 2011).  The use of social networking sites is a valuable tool for both sides of the conflict and quite clearly shows us that the web is not responsible for these uprisings but to minimize its impact is also unrealistic.

 With all the odds stacked against the success of the public protests, what is the chance that lasting democratic reform will actually come to this region. Time will only give us the answers but the ability to unite and overcome differences with compassion and respect will most certainly be a critical element. A lesson we can all benefit from.

Stock Photo

 

References:

n/a (nd). Merriam Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppression

n/a (nd) Stock photo. http://stagingweblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/bigstockphoto_hand_shake_black_white_1200381.jpg

Seeley, N. (2011, April 4). Arab leaders exploit their countries' divisions to stay in power. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

SHANE S, (2011, January 30). Push comes to shove: Technology helps ignite change (as in Tunisia). Except when it bolsters oppression (as in Iran). New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost..

S. H. N. N. (2011). The politics of social networking. (cover story). Middle East, (420), 20. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

 

Is a hammer only a hammer?

N/A (N/D)

In this post I’d like to explore free communication. The internet is an amazing and wonderful tool. It allows an exchange of information that we’ve never before had access to. Any question you may have can be answered in moments with only a few keystrokes… Being quite curious by nature I look up all manner of obscure factoids. Also we are able to keep in touch with friends and family, real time; we are truly a “connected” society. Information, instruction and world events stand at the ready, waiting only for a question. Anyone can do it.

However, innocent learning and communication is not the only purpose free communication can serve. These mechanisms can be exploited for other use. We don’t have far to look, terrorism is global and we have not been spared. Not only have we seen the devastating effects of terrorism on our own soil we also have seen an increased recruitment of world citizens targeted by terrorist organizations. Want to build a bomb? You got it, just search and you’ll find the answers (may I point out that I have not made any queries on this subject and I am not suggesting that you should either… only that it’s a well-documented fact that the information is available). Al Queda has an online magazine, Anwar al-Awlaki has many hours of extremist sermons on YouTube of all places, “In May 2010 Roshonara Choudhry stabbed the British M.P. Stephen Timms after having watched 100 hours of extremist sermons by Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. … Al-Awlaki’s other followers include the Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, the Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and the Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad.” (Ferguson, 2011).

Now here is the thought to ponder. As much as we value our freedom of speech, shouldn’t restraint sometimes be in order? The recent Quran burning in Florida sent shockwaves around the world and inflamed Islamist militant organizations… how? Cell phone and internet access (Ferguson, 2011). So what exactly is the balance between freedom of speech and restraint? Our freedoms are precious, and yet they can easily be exploited and manipulated into something destructive. This is a fine line, as we become more interconnected we are not only national citizens but world citizens. We must learn about other cultures, peoples, their values and treat them with respect if we are to live side by side in peace.

An afterthought?

Chisholm S. (2011)

An obvious problem with our “war on terror” (do we still call it that?) is that it is reactive rather than proactive. Militant organizations use communication tools to plan, organize and fund their actions around the world. Almost as an echo to my thoughts on this subject we learned that Osama bin Laden had at long last been located and assassinated. He was in the end tracked down by his use of communication. Word spread quickly and people assembled around the world. This was a monumental event. How did the word spread? Virally of course! I was on my way home from Baltimore when I learned the news.

But even more interesting to me is the administration’s decision not to release photographic documentation of the assassination itself due to its inflammatory nature. In fact many details of this mission that have been revealed in the news were specifically designed with the intent to minimize the stirring of passions. Remember, we see the death of a man who symbolizes a horrible time in our world history. But this man has devout followers, who believe their truth just as passionately as we believe ours.

References:

Chisholm, S. (2011/05/01) original image

Ferguson, N. (2011, April 10). The Mash of Civilizations Social networks might promote democracy, but they also empower the enemies of freedom. Newsweek, retrieved from web http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/10/the-mash-of-civilizations.html

Image retrieved May, 2011 http://keenetrial.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Cat-Surfing-The-Web.jpg

Demographics of Freedom

Us and Them, let’s personalize it a bit.

In this post I want to share a bit of factual data. Numbers and statistics are pretty boring. Trust me, I’m the first person to yawn when this kind of stuff makes an appearance, but stick with me. What I want you to take away from this post is some information that compares our daily lives to those in the Middle East… to make it a little more approachable and to help use this information to understand some of the conclusions I hope to guide you through in later posts.

A Hungry World

Percentage of total household consumption expenditures going to food

U.S.	U.K.	Australia	Mexico	Brazil	Iran	Russia	China	India	Tunisia	Egypt	Nigeria
7%	9%	11%	24%	25%	26%	28%	33%	35%	36%	38%	40%

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Here I’ve found a very simple set of numbers describing the percent of income by nation devoted to basic survival (Foroohar, 2011). Note that the more industrialized nations (yes folks that’s us) tend to have a lot more of our money left in their pockets after providing food for their families. I was stunned to realize how affluent we are simply by the luck of where we were born or live. Even though I suspect we know this intellectually a gentle reminder never hurts.

Some vital statistics

	yemen	bahrain	syria	lybia	egypt	united states
population (in millions)	24	1.2	22.5	6.597	82	313.232
mobile phones (in millions)	8.313	1.578	9.6	5.004	55.352	286
percent of population with mobile phones	34.64%	131.50%	42.67%	75.85%	67.50%	91.31%
literacy	50%	86.5	79,6	82.6	71.4	99%
gross domestic product per capita	2600	40400	4800	13800	6200	47400
unemployment	35	15	8.3	30%	9.7	9.7
population living below poverty line	45.2	na	11.9	(about 1/3)	20%	12%
area (in square km)	527	760	185,180	1,759,540	1,001,450	9,826,675
arable	2,91 %	2.82	24.80%	1.03%	2.92	18.01
airports	55	4	104	137	86	15079
roadways in km	71,300	3851	2052	100,024	65,050	6506204

(The world, n.d.)

I concede that this is a pretty ugly set of numbers… I pulled this information from our very own CIA’s data to see what a basic set of demographic data looked like across the middle east compared to the united states. Some of things that really stood out to me were the very significant differences in infrastructure (roads and airports). Here in our own country we think nothing of getting from point a to point b. The worst we really go thru is to either refer to a map or that handy little GPS device. We have cars, roads and lots of airports that allow us to move around with ease. The Middle Eastern countries aren’t quite so fortunate. Of course there’s not so much spending money after eating so even if the infrastructure were in place there might not be many people that could afford to use it.

Next take a look at the incomes and literacy rates. We take for granted in this country that everyone can read, but imagine for a moment how your view of current events, even world events, would be limited by being unable to read and gather information for one self. Although it seems at times our consumption of what is happening in the world is limited to quick sound bytes from a local news program rather. But that is fodder for a totally different discussion. Next we see that little of the land in the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region is considered farmable. Perhaps this contributes to the statistic I presented earlier showing the percentage of income that is spent on food. Lastly on the same note are the high rates of unemployment. These numbers are difficult to come by as they depend on government reporting. I have seen many reports suggesting unemployment rates in the 30 percentile range. By contrast in the US we are facing unemployment in the 10 percent range, and we all feel the squeeze. It’s common to listen to any news program and hear reports about the impact of job loss and jobless rates here in the U.S. Imagine if the numbers were tripled!

We begin to see a pattern emerging of an area marked by poverty, not so great education, a pretty mean environment as far as ability to raise food for harvest and not very good job prospects. Added to the lack of mobility and disposable income I pointed out earlier it’s not hard to see these people as fairly isolated from the rest of the world. I draw the conclusion that this population is primarily focused on getting by (aka survival) with not many resources available to do so.

Now, look at the rates of cell phones in use by the general population. Here’s another graphic I found to depict this data:


 Does it strike you as odd that while we live in relative wealth and luxury we are less connected than those in the Middle East? Proportionately the sacrifice that people make to have access to internet and social media is staggering. I found this amazing when viewed in terms of the personal choice of how disposable income is used. Wow!

Another article that I read discussed the role of religion on the economic and technological growth. This article points out the same data regarding literacy, poverty and governance that I have brought forward but a new thought is explored in the relationship of religions of the world and their relationship to and the apparent shunning of such growth by traditional Islam beliefs. It is suggested that the catholic/protestant Reformation era brought forward ideals of self improvement and individual accountability provided a favorable climate for the development of capitalistic societies (Cassidy, 2011). In contrast traditional Islamist governance did not accommodate the growth of a financial sector. Also inheritance laws deemed that 2/3 of property must be distributed to all heirs thus limiting the passage of intact family wealth (Cassidy, 2011).

Clearly the differences in culture and lifestyle are a complex issue. However I think we are seeing some of these differences at their tipping point as personal frustrations and interaction with the rest of the world increase. The ability to communicate is becoming a high priority. People are overcoming the lack of infrastructure and learning about the outside world in a way that has never been possible before.

References:

Cassidy,J. (2011). Prophet motive. New Yorker, 87(2), 32-35. Retrieved March 31, 2011, Database, from the Academic Search Complete Database.

Foroohar, R. (2011). Food fights. Time, 177(8), 19. Retrieved March 31, 2011, Database, from the Academic Search Complete Database.

n/a (nd). The world factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, Retrieved March 31, 2011 Google Search https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ym.html