Task 1A
The first element I took notice of then reading the text “How You Can Save Western Civilization by Reading True Grit” was that the author of this text used informal language to get his message across to the reader. The sentences in this text are short and precise and the author uses pronouns such as “You” to deliver the message. This makes the text much easier to read and to understand, rather than if the author used complex and difficult words. Already in the first paragraph words such as “It´s”, “you, we, me “are written, confirming that this text is written in an informal language. By using “you”, the author also makes the text more personal for the reader, by referring only to him. Some words I also found in the text that made me believe the text was informal, are: “Jerk, crap”.
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The second element I want to explain is that the text is very similar to a speech. By using the second person in the text, the author addresses the reader directly, making him more involved in the topic of the text, and also challenges the reader to think and state his opinion. It is also used facts in this text: “The New School for Social Research in New York proved that reading literature improves empathy”. This strengthens the author´s message, by proving for the reader that what he said can be confirmed by facts.
The third element is that the author is encouraging the reader to do something that may be strange to the reader. This makes the text even more personal for the reader because the author implies that the reader’s life would be better if he did as the author said. In paragraph one, the author is encouraging reading, because reading makes you open up new ideas, new experiences, and new perspectives. In the second paragraph, the author is encouraging learning. By learning new things, you will always have the possibility to be part of a conversation you maybe couldn’t if you never learned something new. This continues in the third and the last paragraph where the author continues implying to what the reader should do for his life to get better.
The last element the author is using is repetition, however not in single words but at the start of sentences. An example is found in the second paragraph where the author says; “Read difficult books. Read controversial books. Read a book that makes you cry...”. Here is the word “read” used four times, to deliver the author`s point, which is to read. This gives the reader motivation to want to read.
Task 1B
Reading has always been a type of therapy for me, and I would say that a lot of people would agree with this statement. The text “How You Can Save Western Civilization by Reading True Grit” puts reading in focus, and how reading sets aside inane distractions of modern culture. When you read a book, you step inside a completely different world. You can relax and forget about all the problems or issues in your life or the world. It is just you and the book. Reading books is not just relaxing, it also brings you as a person in a new perspective. You learn more about how to build sentences, you learn more about the language of the book you are reading and you adapt new ideas.
Learning is also very important for any human. We live in a world with a lot of things to learn. Everything from the language of a country, culture, history to war is something that is a very important topic in this world and something more people should know. It amazes me how I can just travel to a country and experience a whole culture than what we have in Norway, in our home and also experience a completely different language. We have the capacity to learn, so why not use it? When going to school you reach a certain amount of learning. You learn what the curriculum wants you to learn, and then the rest is up to you. Not only is learning important to understand things, it is also important for you to continue your life. Without a certain amount of knowledge, you would not be able to get an education or a job.
Task 2 – long answer
2B
“For a nation to function, it must have a shared culture”
Anthropologist E.B Taylor defines culture as: “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”. (“Culture.” Wikipedia, May 1, 2017.) Every country and society have a culture, some similar to each other and others completely different. Being a part of a culture, gives a person the feeling of belonging, being part of something greater, and finding yourself as a person. A culture has a lot to say about a person and how that person acts. The same goes for a nation. How can multiculturalism
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According to Access to International English, a nation is a community held together by blood, language, territory, history and common values. It was also defined as an inclusive association, which would mean; a nation is something consciously created to serve the interest of its members and held together by a common set of rule and laws. (Access to International English. 2nd ed. Cappelen Damm, n.d.)
For a nation to work, it is important to have a shared culture. If we take America as an example, there is a mixture of many different cultures. In fact, United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. This is because of the population of more than 320 million. The American culture is shaped by the immigrants and the cultures of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians. The different cultures adapt and learn from each other. The American culture has also an impact in the Western countries, where they listen to American music, movies, and even food. In America, they learn from each other´s culture and adapt from that. However, in recent times, there have been problems tied to the different cultures.
A shared culture – also called multiculturalism, has in recent times established a population that is against a shared culture. They believe that having shared cultures has gone too far, that it has become threatening to the central values and characteristics of the nation. If we still have America as an example. In America, they have a set of values, called the American Values. By sharing different cultures, they are afraid that the American values would eventually disappear. To keep their values, they want cultural minorities to understand their culture as quickly as possible. They want them to take on the same traditions, language and values they believe are held by the majority. Donald Trump can be of current interest when the topic is about cultures and how some cultures are bad for us. Trump has a strong belief that the Mexican culture in America, is nothing less than bad for the American culture. Therefore, he has started to deport and build a wall to keep such bad influence away from his country. This is a bad example on how to handle cultural differences.
Another issue that has been a hot topic for the past year or two, is the refugee crisis that is happening in the world now. More than a million migrants and refugees crossed into Europe in 2015, creating a big problem for the Europeans. ( “Migrant Crisis: Migration to Europe Explained in Seven Charts.” BBC News, March 4, 2016, sec. Europe)
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Some believe the trouble in this crisis is because of the lack of space to take in all these refugees in different countries, others believe countries deny taking in refugees because of their culture and how the refugees would not adapt to their culture, only bring in their culture and ruin the current culture.
A series made by the famous Bosnian/ Norwegian Leo Ajkic shows us how strong the hatred one culture can have toward another culture. In one of the episodes, it is strongly shown how Greece does not want anything that the Syrian culture has to offer, that they have to think of the Greek people who are suffering first before they can help other people. In some way, their point of view can be. However, when countries like Austria and Norway, with a good economy, refuse to help, people start to wonder. The only possible way they can deny to help refugees has to be because they are afraid that their culture will change, and that by taking in someone with a different culture, they are bringing bad influence to their own culture. A while ago, an article was published about how people denied people from other countries to wave with any other flag than the Norwegian flag on 17th of May, saying that people from other countries had nothing to do with the Norwegian celebration. Another article said how the foreign people loved celebrating 17th of may because they could finally be a part of the Norwegian culture without being judged. They could finally celebrate just like any other Norwegian. These two articles thought us that if how if you see everything negatively, it will come out that way. The people coming into Norway only want to be part of the Norwegian society, not ruin their culture.
A series made by the famous Bosnian/ Norwegian Leo Ajkic shows us how strong the hatred one culture can have toward another culture. In one of the episodes, it is strongly shown how Greece does not want anything that the Syrian culture has to offer, that they have to think of the Greek people who are suffering first before they can help other people. In some way, their point of view can be. However, when countries like Austria and Norway, with a good economy, refuse to help, people start to wonder. The only possible way they can deny to help refugees has to be because they are afraid that their culture will change, and that by taking in someone with a different culture, they are bringing bad influence to their own culture. A while ago, an article was published about how people denied people from other countries to wave with any other flag than the Norwegian flag on 17th of May, saying that people from other countries had nothing to do with the Norwegian celebration. Another article said how the foreign people loved celebrating 17th of may because they could finally be a part of the Norwegian culture without being judged. They could finally celebrate just like any other Norwegian. These two articles thought us that if how if you see everything negatively, it will come out that way. The people coming into Norway only want to be part of the Norwegian society, not ruin their culture.
Another person that we see in the series “flukt” is the Croatian Tomislav Sunic. He is against mixing cultures and strongly believes that the best way to live in a nation is to keep cultures separated. He believed that the war in what was once Yugoslavia started because of the different cultures that were mixed. This is a war that is very close to me, and I have heard so many stories about it from my family back in Bosnia. No one mentioned anything about how the cultural difference made the countries go to war. As Leo said himself, he lived in a country full of peace and love until the government started to ruin things, there was never a problem with culture. “Fences make good friends” is something Tomislav Sunic said to Leo in an interview. That is wrong in every way possible. Turning our back against the refugees or any other person with a different culture tells us a lot more about how we act as a group, than that person who is seeking a better life.
A shared culture is important so that we can stop the hatred and the ethnocentrism in the world. Ethnocentrism means that one views the world as if their culture is the center of the universe and every other culture is then defined according to their culture. This can only lead to bad things. Just as every person is equal, so is every culture. I think it is important for us to mix cultures so that humans can learn more. I am from mixed culture and have to live in the Bosnian culture when I visit my mom, however when I´m with my friends I live in the Norwegian culture.
Something I learned from this is that there are no negative sides to multiculturalism. You learn different languages, which is a big benefit if you are going to work overseas, and on your application to works, schools etc. You learn about how different cultures work, and you can find similarities and differences in the two or more cultures. You can exchange features about your culture to someone with another culture. A nation that learns much about different cultures, will have a big benefit when it comes to, for example, business with other countries. Everyone benefits from learning about different cultures.
It is important to remember that every culture is equal. Never dismiss or condemn another culture, because maybe you can learn something from that culture that your culture does not provide you. Also, it is important to never judge a culture if only one person represents their culture the wrong way. There is no rule that says that cultures should be separated.
Sources
· Access to International English. 2nd ed. Cappelen Damm, n.d.
· Zimmermann, Kim Ann, Live Science Contributor | January 15, and 2015 10:23pm ET. “American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United States.” Live Science. Accessed May 12, 2017. http://www.livescience.com/28945-american-culture.html.
· “Culture.” Wikipedia, May 1, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Culture&oldid=778119079.
· “Migrant Crisis: Migration to Europe Explained in Seven Charts.” BBC News, March 4, 2016, sec. Europe. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911.
· NRK TV - Se Flukt. Accessed May 12, 2017. https://tv.nrk.no/serie/flukt/KMTE30002416/sesong-1/episode-3.
· “Slang | Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English. Accessed May 12, 2017. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/slang.
· The assignment sheet
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