Blog 19: Article from The British Psychology magazine

This article in the British Psychology Journal does an in depth analysis of the reason and effects of stereotype. I will make no pretense that I actually read the entire article. However the general abstract that I did read and the parts of interest I went over included primarily the effect of stereotype in society and the reason for its existence.

The primary effect of stereotype in society is clearly to create a generalization and oversimplification of a complicated picture. Essentially the reason for stereotyping is self obvious. As of now not many people can appreciate the complexity of a multi-ethnic world. Globalization has been much too quick for some people to learn to adjust. Desperate to get a grip on this phenomenon, they have turned to stereotyping for the same reason early humans turned to nature spirits; to create an understanding. 

Stereotyping, despite its negative connotation is not always bad. The Swiss stereotype for being precise and the Italian one of being gregarious are two common examples. However it does not take into account the value of each individual. Stereotypes can however be transformed into either a more positive or negative light. Effectually the article ends by informing the reader that the way a person can err in stereotyping is not the act but they way it is presented.

Bibliography:

Marisol Palacios, et al. "Stereotype content model across cultures: Towards universal similarities and some differences." British Journal of Social Psychology 48.1 (2009): 1-33. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.

Blog 18: Research 2

Slumdog Millionaire should have been a novel moment for India. Several citizens of the country and a movie set in it won the Oscars and the BAFTA’s. In the United Kingdom, United States and Australia there was a record breaking craze to see it more than any other India-related movie. I am an Indian and I haven’t seen the movie. Surprisingly, so haven’t most of my countrymen. The article that I chose to review is an Opinion on the New York Times.

The reason for this is the critical reaction the movie has generated in some quarters of the country of being a poor stereotype of the economic and social situation of the country. The title of the movie some say, threatens to degenerate the entire cosmos of a nation into the prevalent misconception of a dirty developing nation. The article presents a logical face by side stepping the right-wrong and instead analyzing the reason behind the disgust to the stereotype. While most Indians are upset over the representation of the country, the word “dog” which has an affectionate overtone in the west is typically seen to be a dirty animal in India. The appearance game frustrates both ways.

With all the talk about holy cows on the road and dirt roads in cities, I hear in context with India on campus; the stereotype has managed to get a significant hold on the psyche of people. To bring it closer to home (USA is home right now) take the Simpsons. The character “Apu Nahasapeemapetilon” is another example of stereotype in media. The fallout of this effect is misrepresentation and generation of misunderstanding between people.

 Bibliography:

The Editors, et al. "The Real Roots of the ‘Slumdog’ Protests" The New York Times, February 20, 2009, Online January 23, 2011

Blog 17: Research paper 1

Stereotypes in society and how the projected differences are resolved will be the core of my research. I have to say that the prospect is very interesting given the diversity in America. With diversity however spawns stereotypical representation that generates mistrust and misunderstanding between groups of people. This is made clear in the story “Day of the Dove” of Star Trek: The Original Series. 

The article I read today dealt similarly with how the Islamic population was viewed in America post 9/11. The article highlights the paradigm shift between American values and attitude towards the Muslim population. It takes two cases, one in a rural town and the other being the Ground zero mosque in New York City. The first part of the paper basically talks about a local Muslim doctor gets sharp opposition from his own patients when he tries to build a mosque in his locality. This sudden hostility leaves him stunned and shocked. The other episode is the more famous New York City ground zero mosque which grabbed national headlines throughout the country. This mosque tore open through ranks on both sides of political establishments. The political establishment played it clever till the proper political fallout from any decision could be calculated. 

The conclusion of the paper is that the best way to resolve these outstanding issues would be by appealing to the good virtues of the society. Every society has certain principles it lives by and as long as these principles remain strong; the just will always be the victor. 

Bibliography:

Andréa Ford, et al. "Islam in America." Time 176.9 (2010): 20-26. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 22 Jan. 2011.

Blog 16: Prospectus

In the episode “Day of the Dove” in the series Star Trek: The Original Series an attempt has been made by the writer to demonstrate the dynamics of inter-species relation. The relation is amongst species of comparable sentient character. The story depicts how an external threat can bring two unlikely parties together to face the danger.

Interestingly the time period of the show kept me focused on how related this episode could be to Martin Luther King’s movement of equal rights for the African American population of America. King discussed at length how the normal pejorative connotations of being intellectually dull, culturally rough and ferocity were representation of misconceived social prejudices. Throughout the episode the episode depicts how one alien race lacks the refinements and goodness that is possessed by the other group. This disproportionate distribution of good characteristics is reflective of the essence of the debate that was raging between the camps of the white supremacists and pro-rights supporters.

The episode also stresses on the need for prudent co-operation. This brings in a realistic aspect such as when the United States briefly forgot the Jim Crowe’s laws to focus on Vietnam. This happens when Kirk and Kang declare a ceasefire together to defeat the alien. However the episode also has an unreal element to it. The biggest reason for this is that it would be expected of a show of this period to go beyond the constricting vision of the supremacists to a more liberal and open view; of cherishing equality and dignity.

Blog 15: Run-ons

Run-on sentences are a Grammar problem I never seem to tire off. Technically runoffs occur whenever a sentence stretches off over a large number of words without any complementary punctuation marks or stops. Run-ons pose a significant challenge to the readability of a work. Run-ons can also lead to interesting matter become boring and dry. It’s almost like a professor droning on in a monotone for hours at an end. 

Run-ons have been documented since the earliest times. Shakespeare’s plays sometimes used them to demonstrate intense emotions or facts in a short span of time. Run-ons in most modern usages occur simply because most people have a lot of repressed feeling and can use a word processor to pour those feelings out at 74 words per minute. In fact most people find run-ons to be a perfectly normal fact of life. Run-ons can be avoided by a more structured and thoughtful use of English. Run-ons can be avoided by preplanning the format of representation. The best ways of preventing run-ons is by spacing the information over different pieces of the same sentences. Another method is to use periods to break information over different sentences. Run-ons have been subject to different punctuations like comma’s colon’s semicolon’s and hyphens. 

In the future run-ons might cease to be a problem because of the digitizing of information. As people get used to computers reading stuff off on a monotone, long winding written paragraphs might cease to be a problem. The ultimate way of stopping run-ons is probably by paying actual real attention to the subject.

Blog 14: Day of the Dove, argument

The episode I choose to write on is the Day of the Dove, of Star Trek: The original series. In so far as Star Trek episodes go, this one is not very highly acclaimed. I choosing it has more to do with a certain explicit hypocrisy that I cannot come to terms with. The episode attempts to talk about on the most controversial subjects in human history, that of race. Yet in doing so it commits a few very naïve and grave mistakes.

The prime argument I will make will center on the fact that despite discussing racism and stressing the message of United we stand, the episode succumbs to the cliché of displaying the species with the darker skin to be morally and intellectually weaker to the Caucasian. There was a clear lack of color diversity that should be present within any planetary group that has evolved on a planet of their own.

The argument can only be countered by supposing that the cast of the episode chose to send a discreet message to the viewer and play a pun per se. This was neither very effective nor humorous. 

As far as the story comes out, the intention is noble but the manner it was presented threatens to make it a hypocrite. Racial diversity in the cast and a more logical balance between the two powers in question would go far to address most of the issues. On a positive light, it would be encouraging to see that a sci-fi episode in the 60’s could use subtle metaphors to discuss issues as serious as these.

Blog 13: Arena

Arena is a quintessential action sci-fi movie. The plot revolves around survival, action and the virtue of mercy. The Enterprise arrives at a planet to find the federation post destroyed. Suddenly the landing party finds itself under attack, as does the Starship.  Kirk finds a Photon launcher and sends the alien packing. The landing party beams back on board and gives chase at a super high speed. They enter into a completely different part of the galaxy. There they are confronted by an omnipotent species who decide that the two antagonists must battle to claim a victor. Kirk and the Gorn he was chasing are beamed to a desert planet. They are told that there is sufficient resource to build a weapon. Kirk eventually gets a gun built that takes the Gorn down. When the Metrons (advanced alien) came down to offer to destroy the Gorn ship Kirk shows mercy. This melts the Metron who sends Kirk back to his ship In the meanwhile the crew of the Enterprise realize that the Gorn destroyed the outpost because they perceived it to be a threat.

The part of this episode I chose to focus on is when Kirk asks the Metron to let the Gorn go. The Metron realizes the high virtue that Kirk displays. If the Metrons could appreciate this why did they choose to send the two people to a barbaric fight to the death? Was the whole thing a test?  Or did the Metrons have some ulterior motive in mind.