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AaronR

Page history last edited by flarin_aron@... 14 years, 4 months ago

Week 12

There are two options for this week’s discussion question. Please identify which option you choose to use by only pasting in your wiki page the option chosen. Both deal with the role of music in establishing and projecting your own culture.

Option #1: Select one song or artist/band or genre of music that you would use to exemplify your personal or a co-culture you belong to and the role it plays in signaling who you “are.” Be specific and use examples.

 

I think it’s important to note that music is a culture - though not often thought in such a way.  Everyone prescribes to different genres/artists/songs for various reasons.  Most of the time we express our connection to such a culture by buying mp3s or CDs.  Other’s wear t-shirts, or hang posters on their walls.  No matter which way an individual chooses to be part of culture is neither here no there; there’s no right or wrong way.  The important thing is that music is apart of everyone’s life.  It has grown to become an entity of it’s own; it’s a culture.

 

Musically, a culture I tend to identify with is that of soul playing and artists/bands/genre that go outside “traditional” ways of playing and make their style more of a ‘feeling,’ rather than just chord progressions and mundane note playing.  The artist which best identifies with my personal (music) culture would have to be my man, Jimi.  Jimi Hendrix, easily one of the best guitarist to ever have ever picked up a guitar has yet to be rivaled in such an artistic way of playing.  When I hear Jimi play I can see the soul of music come alive.  When it comes to music culture, I would have to say that Jimi Hendrix speaks to my soul the strongest. I would therefore identify, musically, with Hendrix culture the most.

 

My favorite Hendrix song, ‘Red House’ represents who I am in that the way it is played speaks to what I believe is music; a feeling.

 

Week 10

Often the media we consume reflects our culture(s). Select a television program or movie that embodies or bridges your culture(s) or co-culture(s). Describe that particular cultural aspect(s), explain why you think that TV program or movie is a good representation of your co/culture, and how this links into the text.

 

I honestly cannot think of any movie or television that accurately depicts my cultures.  And I’m not going to post that George Lopez defines my Latino side of me because a.) I don’t find him funny; sorry.  And b.) I don’t think he depicts “Latino” culture accurately.  I think the show depicts an Americanized version of what other cultures want to see from Latino cultures.  The George Lopez show corners the market in television as being the primary ‘latino’ show and I just don’t identify with it.  To put it a better way, I could compare the show as such; “If you had a job where you only got paid in pennies, finding a quarter would be like winning the lottery. It's all relative.”  There’s a billion television shows, however George Lopez just happens to be the one quarter.  In this case, it’s the quarter I just gave to the homeless man on the second floor of the MLK Library so he’d stop bothering me.

 

Anyway, minus the rant I’d say that given my cultural identity being that of; Puerto Rican, Italian, and Irish descent.  There really aren’t that many movies or tv shows that transcribe to me.  I didn’t grow up in South Central LA, so that means I can’t identify with Boyz n The Hood; although I guess if I was feeling ‘gangsta’ enough I suppose I could somehow work that movie in my favor.  I’m not Mexican-American, so The George Lopez show and La Bamba are fazed-out.  Gangs of New York?  No.  People are just people.  Too often, we as people are predominantly focused on marginalizing ourselves into categories - as to separate each other from ourselves; us vs them. People forget that we’re all connected on this planet and that we are all one in the same.  I’ve read others posts and most have fallen into the rut that a “culture” has to be your ethnicity or race, which couldn’t be further from the Truth.  For remember, “culture is the ordinary processes of meaning making...”(Wise 8).  For that reason I’d say that Jurassic Park best suites my cultures.  In an identity sense, my multicultural ethnicity is relative too that of the movie Jurassic Park.  Being mixed of all these cultures, Jurassic Park defines my life and my interpretation of my cultures in that it’s simply chaotic, but kinda cool.  Culture is subjective whatever you want it to be.  

 

Week 6

Carey (p. 152) states that “we are awash now in nostalgia for the future.” It what ways does your “nostalgia for the future” impact your present? That is, unlike nature, we construct our worlds teleologically (designed or directed toward a final result). How are your actions now designed to create your specific future? Please avoid generalities dealing with education to get a better or good job, make you smarter, etc.

 

 

 

Week 3 

What is the “value” of a college degree? Why did you choose to attend college and what are your expectations (specific or general) for earning a degree?

 

 

The value of a college degree is something to be highly praised by society.  However, what you do with that degree is what gives that degree meaningful value.  A lot of people just go through the emotions - whether to please one's parents or just to have health insurance - many people miss the point of going to college and getting a degree.  I couldn't honestly tell you what I want to do with my in progress communication degree, however I love the fact that communication studies deals with so many areas of scholarship.  Aside from my own major, the value of a college degree ultimately depends on how that degree is put to use.  Sure a film studies major could get a BA or whatever in film studies, but if that certain individual ends up working at Subway, or somewhere other than their degree field, then the effort of going to college and obtaining a degree was a complete waste of time.

 

I attended college for a simple principal of structured learning in a classroom type environment.  I wanted the experience of being able to accept others opinions and to debate my own.  I want a degree to conform to societies standards and contribute to the world in a positive aspect.  Too many people just ‘bitch and moan’ about problems and never do anything - the result of ignorance from uneducated, lazy people.  Having a degree and simply going to college allows me to focus my ideas in a logical manner.

 

 

wiki#1 What communication rituals do you practice? Interrogate a media based communication ritual - trace its origins - where did it come from? How did you create/adopt this ritual?

 

A communication ritual I engage in is Twitter.  Twitter is a social networking medium (such as facebook, myspace, AIM, etc).  However, it defers in that, you give "updates" about your life (i.e. micro-blogging). Unlike, facebook and myspace which are profiles that allow you to communicate your individuality through wallpapers, applications, groups, etc.  Twitter, from personal experience, is a social networking site that allows you to wallow in self indulgence - a 21st Century form of nostalgia.  You inform your “followers” (“friends”) of constant instant updates regarding your life.  you basically inform your friends/followers of what you are doing.  A window into your life, essentially.  Your friends/followers then have instant knowledge as to what you are doing, and have the option of giving their own two-cents as to what they think about your life.  I have friends who go as far to Twitter update that they’re, “waiting in line at Safeway. [And that] the checkout lady is taking forever.” 

 

On the other hand, it is useful to have Twitter because it allows you stay connected and communicate instantly with a mass audience.  Thus allowing information more viable.  Whereas, facebook and myspace are focused on your profile - the overall image of your website.  It’s certainly interesting to see how technological innovations such as the iPhone are bridging the communication gap between our “friends,” and is allowing us to be in state of constant communication.  Just like any other social networking phenomenon, I started ‘twittering’ when it became popular and saw that more and more people were using it as a means of communication.  Communication is largely based on exchanging information - Twitter does exactly that.  And with peoples’ busy lives no one hardly has time to waste on face-to-face communication.  Twitter has eliminated the good ol’ fashion pleasant face-to-face conversation and has pushed people (out of necessity) to enjoy digital communication largely due to its convenience.

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