Can Language Influence Our Perception of Reality? 12/31/2016

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/uc/2014/06/can_language_influence_our_perception_of_reality.html

     Language is communication, whether it be written, spoken, or sign language; all play a major role in human survival as it influences our perception of life. Shaped in part by environmental factors, language helps us create friendships as well as cultural ties that simply enables us to learn and grow. For this reason language is very important, however, it can be easily manipulated to "change" a message and thus, communication as a whole. To demonstrate, in a study conducted by Lera Boroditsky, an associate professor of cognitive science at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), language helps shape "many aspects of the world, including space and time." Professor Boroditsky even found that using different words in a sentence can have drastic implications. Specifically, when describing the economy using the word "stalled" as opposed to the word "ailing" (or vice versa) it was found that the difference is crucial. In the case of the economy, the word “stalled” implies the need for a quick solution. As Professor Boroditsky says, “When we use that analogy we’re implying that a short term financial stimulus will help us get the economy going again.” In contrast, when the economy is “ailing,” like a sick patient, it requires constant, long-term care. Essentially, the slight variation of a sentence can completely change its meaning and the way it is expressed to others. This is often used in the media to provoke a specific response or emotion from the audience such as feelings of fear or ease; which in turn can change our perception of reality and the way we view one another. As shown in the image below, word choice is an important factor that can impact our decisions as well as beliefs. Although both papers are from The Wall Street Journal, they obviously have different intentions and positions on the topic at hand. This just goes to show how powerful and manipulative language can be.

"There Is No Unmarked Woman" 12/18/16

     In the text, "There Is No Unmarked Woman," author Deborah Tannen discuses gender stereotypes and the effect it has on society's perception of women. By opening the essay with an anecdote about a past conference, Tannen effectively shows how women and men are treated differently. To specify, she describes how the women chose to dress, style their hair, and their use of make-up or lack thereof and how these decisions were all "marked." For example, she noted that the third woman's hair was "a frosted blond avalanche falling over" and how the "first woman wore facial cover that made her skin smooth and pale." In contrast, when describing the men at the conference, Tannen did not bother elaborating on their clothing or hair, instead stating that it "needed and attracted no attention." This comes to show how women are judged in everything that they do and thus, must take more time to present themselves as attractive or even just confident. This supports the idea that all women are marked, as even the English language distinguish between men and women it further reinforces the idea. As Tannen mentions in her essay, "The unmarked forms of most English words also convey 'male'" and adding "endings like ess and ette mark words as 'female.'" An example is doctor and doctorette. Although the word doctorette has lost its use throughout the years, there are still many that continue to be used such as actor and actress. Essentially, these "marked" words often have negative connotations associated with them. This is most commonly associated with the female gender as being "not quite serious" and "often sexual." This demonstrates the inequality women face in society, even when performing the same job as a male counterpart they are perceived differently. Similarly, even in other languages such as Spanish everything is marked as either female or male even something as trivial as a table. For instance, in school my Spanish teachers put great emphasis on the use of "el" or "la" in front of a word in order to indicate if a word is male or female. I believe that these markers are the result of centuries of tradition and is deeply rooted in various cultures, which all stems from the idea that men are superior to women. By constantly using these marked words I believe that people's perception of women will be impacted whether consciously or unconsciously.

"Pillow Angel" (12/4/16)

     In the article "Pillow Angel Ethics" author Nancy Gibbs discusses the controversial story of a six-year-old girl named Ashley. Ashley was born with a severe brain impairment called "static encephalopathy" as it is a permanent and unchanging condition. Being unable to sit-up, walk, talk, or feed herself, Ashley has been nicknamed "Pillow Angel" by her parents because she always remains where she is placed, on a pillow. Due to this condition, Ashley's parents has become her main caregivers and decided to proceed with lengthy medicinal treatments as well as operations to keep her small and thus, easier to care for. To demonstrate, Ashley has endured "high-dose estrogen treatment...her growth plates were closed and her prospective height reduced by about 13 inches". By doing so her parents are better able to include her in family activities and give her the care and love that she deserves. Additionally, the risk of uterine and breast cancer has been eliminated for Ashley by removing her uterus and breast tissue. These procedures could ultimately "prevent potenial discomfort from menstrual cramps or pregnancy..." Despite this, disibility advocates "have suggested that this course of treatment is an abuse of Ashley's rights'..." However, given the circumstances I do not believe that this is an abuse of Ashley's rights'. Since Ashley is physically and mentally unable to care for herself, as her main caregivers I believe that her parents had the right to decide. It is clear that Ashley's parents love her and want to do what they think is best. In this case, I believe that Ashley's family is more than fit to decide for her, of course, with the assistance of medical professionals. Even though these treatment options may have risks such as "thrombosis or blood clot", I personally believe that with any medical treatments there are always risks that may come with it. This does not mean that one should completely disregard the procedure, it is also important to consider the benefits that come along with it. As of right now the treatments and operations that have been performed on Ashley has only improved the quality of her life and that is all that matters. Overall, I understand the reasons behind Ashley's case and believe that it is justified and ethical.

Logical Fallacies 11/26/16

     As we have learned in class this week, logical fallacies are flawed reasoning that often undermines the logic of an argument. There are countless examples of logical fallacies, including Ad Hominem, Strawman, Slippery Slope and Bandwagon. Although these logical fallacies are technically 'flawed', they are easily disguised and thus can be very persuasive and manipulative; making them very effective. For this reason, logical fallacies can be practically seen anywhere in today's society. One example is Ad Hominem, where a person would directly attack their opponent rather than their opponent's position or argument. This is clearly seen throughout the 2016 presidential election where candidates such as Donald Trump used Ad Hominem to attack and cast doubt on others. To demonstrate, he constantly made sexist remarks about Hillary Clinton, called Bernie Sanders a "socialist whack job" and Ted Cruz a "maniac". All of which were attacks on his opponent's character or personal traits as opposed to their arguments. By doing so, Trump was able to undermine his opponent's case without having to directly engage with it. Even though this type of argument is considered a fallacy, Donald Trump, now President-elect has clearly showed us how successful it can be. Another example is Bandwagon, where a person appeals to popularity to seek validation. This is often seen in advertisements or commercials, which often takes the form "Number one in..." or "America's favorite..." By using the majority of the population, the argument becomes more appealing to the audience and makes the product seem more desired as nobody wants to be different or left out. Ultimately, it is clear that logical fallacies can be very persuasive and effective given the right circumstances and audience. Nevertheless, some logical fallacies are flawed and are simply not persuasive. Take Slippery Slope for example, which is an argument that says, if A happens then Z will too. However, there is often no connection between A and Z let alone proof that A causes Z. Despite this, Slippery Slope is still widely used. As my mother's personal favorite, I will often times hear things like "If you don't wear a hat during the winter, your head will hurt!" needless to say, this does not get rid of my hatred towards hats and I still don't wear them. My point is, logical fallacies can be found anywhere, and can be either persuasive or not.

Response to "Don't Fight Flames With Flames Social Media Arguments: Can't-Win Propositions"

     In the article, "Don't Fight Flames With Flames Social Media Arguments: Can't-Win Propositions" the author argues that social media arguments are impossible to win and thus they are useless and a waste of time. Starting the piece with an anecdote, he shares his own experience with social media and how he got into a Twitter argument about Trayvon Martin (the main news story at the time). Using imagery to support his claim, the author states, "My phone lit up like flashing Christmas lights as hate-filled messages were hurled at me." By showing how instantaneous social media is and how people always find faults in the opinions of others, the author essentially admits that he was foolish for engaging in the conversation in the first place. Specifically, the author says, "I know, how could I be so stupid? To think that I could have a constructive conversation about something on social media..." Ultimately, his sarcastic and humorous writing makes the piece more fun and allows the readers to make their own connections to social media. Nevertheless, the author leaves many questionable terms undefined. For example, what does it mean to win? Throughout the article the author constantly reminds us that we can't win an argument on social media, and that it is best to ignore the situation. But what does it really mean to win? Can learning something new be winning?
Additionally, the author never clearly defined an argument only ever comparing an argument to controversial topics such as "Gaza, Israel, Justin Bieber, the N.S.A., and President Obama". However, in reality anything can become an argument as long as one person disagrees. Still, the author uses diction to develop pathos more specifically, the fear people have of feeling rejected or proven wrong to discourage social media arguments. To demonstrate, he describes social media arguments using words such as "vicious" and "attacks" which have negative connotations that are associated with feelings of hate. Likewise, it is evident that the author is exaggerating the situation. For instance, the author says, "...offer even the slightest morsel of opinion on something. Then watch what happens... the digital mob is upon you." Although there will be people that disagree there will ALWAYS be others that will agree, no matter what the argument is. With so many people connected through social media it is impossible not to. For this reason, social media may not be as scary or as impossible to "win" as the author makes it seem.

Fear the Toaster (11/6/16)

     In the article, "Why You should Fear Your Toaster More Than Nuclear Power" author Taylor Pearson addresses the fear over nuclear energy and explains how it is much needed due to it being safe, clean and efficient. Starting with the recent nuclear disaster in Japan, evident in headlines such as "Japan Nuclear Disaster Tops Scale" Pearson immediately acknowledges his opponents. Stating that these claims have only reignited fear of nuclear energy and that it is nothing more than "media sensationalism" Pearson quickly dismisses his opponents and moves into his own argument. By using multiple opinions from experts in their field as well as renown organizations, the author was able to develop his credibility and strengthen his claim. For instance, Pearson quotes the World Heath Organization, the U.S. Department of Labor, officials from Tokyo Electric Power Company, a Professor at Stanford University and more; all of which creates his ethos. Additionally, by directly addressing the fears of the people over nuclear energy such as the death toll, radiation, and waste, Pearson was able to successfully defend his claim. To demonstrate, Pearson uses statistics such as "...in the United States, there have been zero deaths caused by nuclear power accidents" he compares this to oil drilling which is "responsible for approximately 125 deaths every year in the United States". By doing so, Pearson shifts the attention elsewhere and causes people to question other means of energy production. Similarly, the author also compares nuclear energy to common household appliances such as the toaster, which he claims is more damaging than nuclear energy as it kills more people. Essentially, this leaves an argument that everything could potentially be dangerous and thus, it is imperative to choose the best option that will benefit the most overall, in this case it is nuclear energy. 

Response to William Hazlitt's "On the Want of Money"

     William Hazlitt is a 19th century author that wrote the essay, "On the Want of Money". With this piece being only three sentences long, Hazlitt picked his words carefully in order to develop his claim. In the beginning, Hazlitt states that, "...one cannot get on well in the world without money". However, as he develops his essay, Hazlitt argues that although having money is essential for survival, it can also ruin lives as it forces people to abandon their morals in search for more wealth. Specifically, Hazlitt uses words such as despised, rejected, doubted, precarious, irksome, and laborious to describe the life without money. By using these words that have negative connotations, Hazlitt is trying to portray the hardships of a life without money. This is relatable to many as most people are not rich and must work hard in order to survive. In contrast, Hazlitt also explains the hardships of a life with wealth. For example, he states, "...and quit the world without any one's asking after your will". Ultimately, Hazlitt is saying that having too much money will only cause people to truly care about that money. Thus, they will only care and be nice until they get what they want and when they do, they will leave. This portrays the extent people go through to achieve more wealth and prosperity and shows how miserable a life with money is, being only surrounded by people who are attracted to money. Nevertheless, although this piece was written in the 19th century, many aspects of it still remain true to this day. As having money is often associated with having a stable and prosperous job, many people often go into fields they have no interest in, in order to earn more. All in all, it is clear that money impacts everyone's life in one way or another; as it is even strong enough to change a person's views and morals.

Naked Juice Advertisement (10/9/16)

     This advertisement was very effective, the company used various rhetorical devices to make their claim and to achieve their goal. To start, Naked is a well known juice company that makes a variety of drinks which includes fruit juices, juice smoothies, and protein smoothies. It is also very important to note the company's name, Naked, this name was purposely made as it helps promote the company's goal of providing natural products to the people. For instance, the dictionary definition for "naked" is "(of a person or part of the body) without clothes". Nevertheless, the word naked can also be associated with things such as being bare, plain, and even pure (especially when thinking about a baby at birth). Ultimately, by using this as their name, the company is trying to make a connection that their juices are pure and minimal with no added sugars or preservatives. This goes hand in hand with their motto, "BARE IS OUR MINIMUM" and "ALL NATURAL ALL THE TIME", which can be seen in bold on the advertisement. However, this also reminds me of makeup such as the Urban Decay Naked Palette since they have the same name. Naming their product, "Naked" the company is obviously trying to say that wearing their makeup will be very natural and thus there will be nothing on people's faces, making them seem bare or naked. Interestingly, both companies used the concept of "naked" to sell their products, even though the products are very different - juice and makeup, they are both very popular.

     Anyways, the speaker of this advertisement is the Naked juice company and in this case their purpose is to get people to buy their product, the "orange mango" juice. The juice itself is wrapped around a fruit peel, more specifically an orange peel. This forces the audience to compare a real orange to the juice itself which is ORANGE mango. Additionally, the advertisement itself is very colorful and bright, thus portraying a fun and welcoming tone. All in all, although the company doesn't have a spokesperson to advertise their product, they were still able to develop ethos through their clever images as well as through their creative use of font and bold print, which differed from the traditional use of Times New Roman or Arial. Similarly, although the advertisement did not state any statistical data - logos; it did have bold claims such as "ALL NATURAL ALL THE TIME" which includes buzz words (all). This creates a more assertive tone and doesn't leave the audience questioning the claim or product. Lastly pathos, the advertisement clearly used pathos the most in order to appeal to the audience's emotions. To demonstrate, the company markets their product as a more convenient way of getting nutritional benefits from fruits and vegetables as it is in a bottle. This makes the product more relatable to the public as not everyone has the time to eat and get all the nutrition needed to function properly. This is especially true for me in the morning, since I get up so early to go to school it is often very difficult to eat, hence, a healthy fruit juice is perfect. 

     Essentially, by using aspects of the rhetorical triangle, the Naked juice company was very successful in the advertisement of their product, "orange mango". 

Response to Trump's Speech (9/25/16)

     Trump's speech was very effective. He used logos, pathos and ethos to appeal to the American citizens. To start, Trump used other people's logos to develop his ethos. For example, trump stated statistics such as "Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records...roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens." These facts were used to provoke fear in the American people as it questioned their safety. Similarly, he used words such as "terror" and "threaten" numerous times for the same purpose. This was very effective, especially due to the recent acts of terror. This has only caused the chaos, fear and even anger to grow worse. However, he used these unfortunate events to his advantage and continued to use pathos to instill fear in the people in order to gain support. Trump then offers solutions which he claims would help the situation. One of which is to build a wall, which would supposedly keep the illegal immigrants out. Even though this angered some Americans; Trump supporters believe that this is the right thing to do as it provides them with a sense of safety and peace. Likewise, Trump played on words such as "we" and "our" in order to create a feeling of unity and nationalism. Ultimately, Trump's speech was very effective, using fear as his main weapon Trump was very successful in convincing the American people. Although his ideas can be seen as rude, racist, and unethical, many people still find comfort in his words.

Response to Bush's 9/11 Speech

Bush's 9/11 speech was very effective. He used various rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to help support his message. However, it can be clearly seen that Bush used pathos the most. He's trying to appeal to his audience to evoke a sense of anger and sympathy from them. To start, Bush addressed the tragedies and losses from the 9/11 attack. Bush then moves on to deliver his message, that the American people are strong and that we must stay this way to defend our country. His purpose was to calm the American people and give them hope to move forward with life. Ultimately, Bush was very successful in delivering his message.

Test Blog 9/15/2016

Hi Ms. Moccia! My name is Jennifer and I like to eat and sleep. I also enjoy playing video games and hanging out with my friends. I dislike doing math for long periods of time. Have a nice day!