Asserting Ethnic Identity and Power Through Language Essay Example for Free

Asserting Ethnic Identity and Power Through Language Essay Week-1 The linguistic ideology at work here is founded both on the concept of the ‘mother tongue’ as well as on the ‘one nation, one language’ principle. Communities on the western side of the border are not interested in learning the language of their eastern neighbors. Eastern communities, on the other hand, are strongly motivated to learn western languages. The importance attributed to English as the ‘language of globalization’ is common to both sides. We can actually say that ‘language’ is a very hot and recurrent issue for some communities: namely the German-speaking community in Bernstein (D), the Czech-speaking community in Vejprty (CS), the German-speaking and Slovenian-speaking communities in Eisenkappel/Z? elezna Kapla (A),etc. The term ‘mother tongue’ is often used – forms the ‘way of thinking’ of its speakers, and thus the different ‘mentalities’ and ‘national characters’ are connected with the use of different languages. Many informants are convinced that it is the ‘mother tongue’ which determines thought, social behavior, and exhibition or control of affection and emotions. Thus the confrontation between languages automatically becomes a clash of mentalities. For example, the German-speaking community in Ba? renstein finds there is a relation between the insurmountable difficulty in pronouncing and learning the Czech language and the incomprehensibility of the words Czech-speaking people produce. People in western communities explain this widespread knowledge by saying that ‘the Others’ need to know my language, because my language is the superior One. We can also find indices of implicit prestige in many interview quotes, like ‘my language is useful to find a job’, ‘my language is more international than theirs’, ‘it represents a symbol of upward social mobility’; ‘the importance of my language forces them to learn it, and in this way they show practical sense, intelligence and cleverness, because they well know that the knowledge of the languages spoken on both sides of the border offers more professional and economic opportunities’. People are not generally interested in learning the language of the ‘Other’, and the reason is, as we have already seen, its ‘uselessness’, or its low value on the ‘language market’. They only learn what they need in their commercial transactions. Europe is a multilingual continent in which the tension between linguistic pluralism and assimilation is quite evident at present. Week-2 The topic for this week was â€Å"Creation of a Sense of Belonging through Language†, which we found very much interesting as we have to present our own explanation, views and thoughts. The topic is about Finland, Iceland and Latvia. Firstly we discussed about Finland that Swedish-speaking people along the coastlines, spoke a non-Scandinavian language, namely Finnish. The Finnish language was to become the most effective medium in the nation-building process as well as the most important criterion in creating an awareness of a collective identity. Language became a defining characteristic towards the ‘outside’ and a communicative driving force on the ‘inside’ within the great diversity of local and regional cultures. We could say that for the process of nation-building in Finland during the 19th century two main deficits had to be overcome: sovereign state structures had to be developed and an individual Finnish national consciousness had to be formed. In the process of spreading a Finnish national consciousness – a development often associated with the term ‘awakening’ as in a religious experience – the main focus was directed towards the common people, their language and culture. Finland’s modest cultural life, Finnish had gained the status of a modern cultural and scientific language. The civil servants, scholars, and many artists, continued to use Swedish as their language of communication and publication. But Finnish steadily gained ground. Many people were already, or became, bilingual. The accusation that Finnish was ‘too primitive’ was defeated by generating new terms, which proved that the language was innovative and possessed the potential for development. In the discussion about Iceland by Halfdanarson. The text tells a story of Icelandic nationalism and the struggle for independence of Iceland under Danish rule. Halfdanarson points out the rare case of Icelandic nationalism, and its non-violent nature. In fact, according to the article, both Iceland’s struggle for independence and the Danish reactions to it were both surprisingly pacific in nature, partly because of the idea of shared past and cultural heritage between the two countries. There are certain elements in common with the case study of Iceland and Herders text, such as the idea of mystic, shared past of a nation, the role of the single language of a social group forming the nation and so on. I think especially in cases like Iceland, language and linguistic identity have essential role in formation of national identity. Iceland is isolated, both in geographical terms as an island in the middle of Atlantic ocean and in terms of language. Although Icelandic is a language related to scandinavian languages, it still differes from them quite a lot. And lastly There was a question that is it possible to have a single language in whole Europe? We think its not possible to have a single langage in the whole Europe as there are many different countries with their own languages from last hundreds of years. In Europe, People communicate with each other using the shared language of their group. The group might be as small as a couple (married or unmarried partners, twins, mother and daughter etc. who share a ‘private’ language where only they know the meaning of some words) or as large as a nation, where everyone understands the allusions in their shared language (often allusions to shared history, to contemporary events, to media people of fact or fiction etc). The ‘secret’ language of the smallest group and the ‘public’ language of the national group are two ‘varieties’ of the same language. Every social group, large or small, has its own language variety, (regional groups have varieties of the national language (as opposed to regional or minority languages) which are usually called ‘dialects’) and there is overlap among all the varieties. However there is a possibility to use English as a second language as use of English gives a considerable advantage to the 13 % of EU citizens who are native English speakers, and to speakers of closely related languages (German, Dutch, Danish and Swedish), over all other Europeans. Week-3 In the week 3, we learned about ‘Language and subjective identity’. The two articles were on Franz Kafka and Simone de Beauvoir. Franz Kafka was German though he never lived among the Germans. He was then living in Prague, Czech. Hence Kafka knew both Czech German languages. But, he preferred Czech Language as he was of the view that one could express his/her feeling in a better way in a particular language. In this case, he thought that Czech was a better language than German to express his feelings. Franz Kafka was in love with Czech translator Milena Jesenka. He used to demand Milena to write him letters in Czech language than German. He belived in a approach belongs to a language. When Milena replied his letters in Czech, he believed that Czech was much more affectionate, which removes all the uncertainties, he could see his lover more clearly, the movements of her body, her hands quickly which almost resembled as they both are meeting. This shows how Kafka prefered Czech more than German. Kafka encouraged his favourite sister Ottla in her marriage to Josef David, a Czech Catholic, against the opposition of parents and relatives, and wrote affectionately to his new brother-in-law in fluent Czech. For Prague Jews of Kafkas generation, language and identity could be painfully dissonant. In Kafkas case, this dissonance reached deep into his own family, conferring an alien quality on the most intimate of human relationships. Franz Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924. He is buried beside his parents in the family plot in Pragues New Jewish Cemetery. Simone de Beauvoir is a French Women. She was French writer, political activist, feminist, and social theorist. She gave her whole life for feminine rights and equality with men in Society. Beauvoir was an outstanding student. She did her postgraduate work at the Ecole Normale Superieure, the top postgraduate program in France, where she met Jean Paul Sartre. When World War II broke out in September 1939, Sartre was called for military service. He became a prisoner of war when the French army surrendered, but he was released and both Beauvoir and Sartre participated in the resistance, and after the Vichy Regime dismissed Beauvoir from her teaching position, she began a novel about the resistance. When the war ended, Beauvoir and Sartre became part of a group of leading French intellectuals, who concerned themselves with the perceived failures of modern French society. they founded Les Temps modernes as a means to explain their social and cultural views. At the same time, Sartre suggested to Beauvoir that she undertake a book on the status of women, and she published, La deuxieme sexe (The Second Sex). This was her most famous, and influential book. It became a sourcebook of modern feminism, particularly in the United States for later feminist thinkers such as Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. De Beauvoir used very specific and effective and powerful words to underline her matter. She is willing to deploy language and words towards others, because she knows about â€Å"a manner in which her body and her relation to the world are modified through the action of others than herself†.

Gatsby :: essays research papers fc

A great lecturer once said,  ³Man is so caught up in his own recklessness that he does not notice the values of life. ² The theme proclaimed in the quote reflects literature in the abundance that it is used in throughout the history of writing. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald, spokesman of the Jazz Age, illustrates the shallow emptiness, careless recklessness, and materialistic concerns of the rich in his novel The Great Gatsby. First and foremost of all are the issues of the materialistic concerns of the rich. Jay Gatsby, a young rich bachelor, had so many personnel possessions because he wanted Daisy, the first love of his life, so much that she was the equivalent of  ³Winter Dreams ² to him. Gatsby ¹s silk shirts being tossed over his head out of his dresser is a good example of how his money means nothing to him and how he would give it all away to have Daisy. Also his eccentric cars were the center of attention because of their high price and extreme beauty. All of these ex amples of prosperity represent the lives of the people of this novel to a point. Together, the citizens of this book are more concerned with their possessions and money, than their health and lives. Subsequently, the people at his parties show careless recklessness with their abuse of alcohol and their bodies. First of all, the people at Gatsby ¹s balls drank all night and showed no respect for Gatsby ¹s house or possessions. Also the participants of the parties held at Gatsby ¹s mansion are audacious enough to drive home while very intoxicated. Furthermore the individuals who were drinking were astonished to see the car in the ditch but none of them bothered to help. Alcohol in large amounts and large groups can cause misjudgements and even death. All in All drinking by Gatsby ¹s guests led to extremely reckless behaviors. Next and final of all is the emptiness that the characters of this book posses and how it affects their lives. Tom Buchannen, an insidious man who had an affair with Myrtle, has the nerve to be married to Daisy and have a mistress. Following Tom is a man they call Kiplinsinger, a gambling piano player, who lives with Gatsby and doesn ¹t go to the funeral but he has the brashness to ask for his tennis shoes back. Other guests of Gatsby are shallow enough to trash his house and not care that they are very drunk.

Personalized Nutrition Plan Assignment Essay

To start my family has a history of cancer. According to chapter 5 of the readings, cancer is linked to fat in the diet. Consequently, my family members that have passed away I would not have known his and her eating habits. Therefore, I do not know if bad eating habits contributed to his and her illness leading to death. Nevertheless, this would be something interesting to look further into however, according to chapter 5 of the text cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and is estimated that 30 to 40% of cancers are linked to dietary choices. To illustrate more my auntie passed away from leukemia, which attacks the blood and can spread throughout the body to other organs, such as the liver spleen, and lymph nodes. In addition, she battled with leukemia for about 7 years. At the time I did not know much about leukemia and still not quite up to date so I researched and found that risk factors for leukemia for most people, the cause is unknown. As a result, there is no known way to prevent it. www. webmd. com Equally important, scientific evidence suggests that nutrition may play a role in cancer prevention. But no diet has been shown to slow or reverse cancer-and no diet cures cancer. Researchers are interested in antioxidants-vitamins A (particularly beta carotene), C,E and selenium- but are also studying folic acid, vitamin B-6, magnesium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, and phytonutrients (substance in food that seem to prevent cancer), among others. Also, observational studies have shown that cancer is more common is some people with certain dietary habits. www. webmd. com In the future, I will set realistic physical activities such as choosing activities I know I will stick with as well as enjoy. Below are steps I plan to use daily while staying physically active. * I have not walked in awhile therefore; I plan to start walking again for about 30 minutes a day. * Start using my exercise videos more (hip hop abs) for about 30 minutes a day. * I purchased a belt that stimulates the muscle in the belly; I will start back using it while I lift weights. * Days I don’t walk I will ride my treadmill for about 45 minutes. In addition to setting these goals I know I have to take certain actions to meet each one. Such as stick with it once I start, another would be not to procrastinate. Two years ago I made it a daily routine to exercise however, starting school and work makes it more challenging to stick with such goals. As a result, I rarely walk, use my exercise videos, or ride my treadmill. In the same way, from this day forward I plan to get back on track because at my age staying healthy and in shape is important. Moreover, I don’t feel I need to alter my eating habits because as I said earlier eating healthy is important to me now that I’m at the age I am. I mainly, need to get back into physical activities and they would include walking and exercising. As far as the weather goes for me to walk I can always either go to a gym or ride my treadmill when the weather does not permit me to walk outside. During, the time of planning a new outlook on life and health I know I will endure some setbacks. However, my main approach to overcome any setbacks would be to make myself a timeline of important things I need to do and follow it. This help me before, I got out the swing of things when I began taking these online courses and working along with getting temporary custody of my grandchildren. According to my pyramid at the beginning of this course my energy intake is lower than my estimated energy requirement for the day. With that said outcomes I will use to measure my success will be to expend more energy or calories than I take in thus, keeping the weight off and staying fit. According to Web MD exercise can help control fatigue, muscle tension, and anxiety in those with cancer. Patients tend to feel better if he or she does exercises such as walking or swimming, which calm the mind as well as strengthen the body. Exercise has also been shown to improve the outcome associated with cancer treatment. www. webmd. com In conclusion, the only potential health risks that I can for see if my plan is not implemented would be obesity. On the other hand, while walking is good for the heart, heart disease could be a potential health risk for me. Of course, I know exercising will not necessarily protect me from heart disease. Incorporating a heart healthy diet will limit cholesterol, Tran’s fat, and saturated fat these have just enough calories to maintain a healthy weight, and provide plenty of fiber, antioxidants, and B vitamins. Additionally, to reduce my risk of cancer of any kind I will certainly stop smoking after, nearly completing this paper I came across a paragraph that stated to remember; do not use tobacco in any form. With that said my overall health is not in the shape I thought it was because I smoke which puts me in danger of heart disease, and lung cancer. In the same way, I’m working on putting down the cigarettes, mainly because I know they are not healthy and another reason is the job where I work only allows us to smoke on our 30 minute break. Most days I don’t have smoking on my mind because I work in a hospital and it is very busy thus, making it impossible to go outside and across the street to smoke. In summary, this paper explained health and nutritional problems that I can for see as a result of family history. This paper also identified the health/nutrition problem that will be targeted as well as my nutritional and/or physical exercise goals. However, this paper explained how I intend on meeting each goal. This paper addressed how my plan may be adjusted to fit any changing nutritional needs as a result of age. This paper described anticipated setbacks or difficulties and approaches for overcoming them. On the other hand, this paper described outcomes I will use to measure my success. This paper presented evidence of my plans effectiveness in addressing the identified problem or need and evaluated the potential health risk if the plan is not implemented. This paper also described the current dangers that I put my health in by smoking I however, for about 3 months have worked toward becoming smoke free I plan to get some type of stop smoking aide to help me accomplish my goal and to save my life. Finally, when I knew that I would be taking this class I just knew it not only would be a breeze but I would know everything and get through the 9 weeks with no problem. This is not true I struggled in this class but learned a lot of new and useful information. And to further gain knowledge I will refer back to this class in between my other classes. I have learned more in the past 9 weeks than I have learned throughout life. Additionally, conversing with my classmates about nutrition was also a learning experience that I enjoyed.

Shakespeares Desdemona and Othello An Analysis

At the heart of Shakespeares  Othello is the doomed romance between Desdemona and Othello. They are in love, but poor Othello cant get past his self-doubt as to why such a lovely creature would love him. This leaves his mind susceptible to the tragic poisoning by the scheming Iago, even though sweet Desdemona has done nothing wrong.   Desdemona Analysis Too often played as a weak character, Desdemona is strong and bold. She defies her father: â€Å"But here’s my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord† (Act 1, Scene 3, lines 184–188). This quote demonstrates her strength and her bravery. Her father appears to be a very controlling man, but she stands up to him. It is revealed that he has previously warned Roderigo off his daughter: â€Å"My daughter is not for thee† (Act 1, Scene 1, line 99), and she takes control so that he is unable to speak for her. Desdemona and Othello She, having the choice of many a more suitable match, chooses a man despite his racial difference. In marrying a black man, Desdemona flies in the face of convention and unapologetically faces criticism for her bold choice.  It could be argued that she loved him because of his racial  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹difference  if she meant to shock her father.   As Othello explains, it is Desdemona who pursued him after she fell in love with his stories of valor:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"These things to hear would Desdemona seriously incline† (Act 1 Scene 3, line 145). This also shows that she is not a submissive, passive character in that she decided she wanted him, and she pursued him. Desdemona, unlike her husband, is not insecure. Even when called a whore, she remains loyal to him and resolves to love him despite his misunderstanding of her. She is resolute and tenacious in the face of adversity. On the subject of her relationship with Othello, Desdemona says: That I did love the Moor to live with him,​ My downright violence and storm of fortunes May trumpet to the world: my hearts subdued Even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othellos visage in his mind, And to his honour and his valiant parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate. So that, dear lords, if I be left behind, A moth of peace, and he go to the war, The rites for which I love him are bereft me, And I a heavy interim shall support By his dear absence. Let me go with him. Desdemona’s Tenacity Desdemona is one of the only  characters  early in the  play who stands up to  Iago: Oh, fie upon thee, slanderer† (Act 2 Scene 1, Line 116). She is astute and bold. She bids Othello do the sensible thing and ask Cassio how he obtained her handkerchief, but this is too rational for Othello, who has already ordered his murder. Her tenacity partly serves as her downfall; she continues to champion Cassio’s cause even when she knows this may cause problems for her. When she wrongly believes him to be dead, she openly weeps for him as she clearly sets out she has nothing to be ashamed of â€Å"I never did/Offend you in my life, never loved Cassio† (​Act 5 Scene 2, lines 66–67).​ Desdemona’s love for Othello is unwaning: â€Å"My love doth so approve him/That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns—/Prithee unpin me—have grace and  favour  in them† (Act 4 Scene 3, lines 18–20). Even as Desdemona faces death, she asks Emilia to commend her to her kind lord. She remains in love with him, knowing that he is responsible for her death. Othello Analysis Othello might be impressive on the battlefield, but his own personal insecurity leads to the tragic end of the story. He  admires and loves his dear wife very much, but he cant believe that she would be in love with him. So Iagos crazy lies about Cassio just feed into Othellos self-doubt, to the point that Othello doesnt even believe the truth when he hears it. He just believes the evidence that fits with his skewed, incorrect perception borne from his own insecurity. He cannot believe in reality, for it seems too good to be true.