Author: thoma66258@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg
Kahanni Final Reflection #2 – (Creativity & Activity) – Season 2
What Songs Matter to You Now? – ELP
What is your favorite song right now? Was it included in the 25 songs list? How did you first hear that song? Did someone share it with you or is it from an artist you follow? What do you love about the song? Are there certain lyrics that you find powerful or moving? Is there something about the beat that you like dancing to? Does the musician’s personality or identity resonate with who you are or how you identify?
Personally, I do not have a favorite song at the moment because I am a fan of most genres in the music industry but one song that I am listening quite often right now is ‘151 rum – JID’, it was not included in the top 25 list as JID is not a well-known rapper however he is one of the most unique artists I have ever encountered in the music industry, he is an artist with an amazing flow and unique lyrics. I heard of him through a friend and I am able to feel connected more with his songs because I can relate to it well. I think the aspect of the song that I love the most is the beat of the song, it is super catchy and there is a sense of culture within the beat. JID’s music isn’t something to dance to but it is rather to embrace, go with the flow and just vibe along with. His personality is shown in his music and it resonated with me because I am able to connect with his music well and I can feel the same flow of energy with the artist.
How Can We Help One Another During the Coronavirus Outbreak?
Article – How can we help one another during the coronavirus outbreak? What can you, your friends, family, and community do to look out for one another?
Coronavirus outbreak has brought the world to its knees, especially the US and the entirety of Europe. But how are we handling it? The majority of the world population is taking a common measure of social distancing in an attempt to avoid and prevent the spread of the virus. Personally, I think it is definitely effective, there is nothing better than being able to prevent the spread of the virus and eliminating the chance of more cases, however, there are some opposing arguments regarding it. In the article, it talks about how we are stronger united than divided. I think that in the case of the pandemic, it is important to self-isolate and quarantine even though it is a human’s natural instinct to interact with others around them. I generally agree with the claim and respect Serrano’s efforts to form a supportive environment and be there for each other in times of need however from a practical side of things, self-isolation is the way to go with minimal contact except for instant family. I think it is important to help others I need, in the US almost 6 million people have lost their jobs and they are not able to financially support their family hence I think it is our responsibility to try and help others by donating food supply or offering assistance to the vulnerable, we can still help even if we are not directly there.
Is It Immoral to Increase the Price of Goods During a Crisis? – ELP
Does high demand for items like hand sanitizer and masks during a public health crisis justify higher prices? Are resellers who stockpile supplies and then sell them at a higher price providing a service? Or, are they taking advantage of people? Do you think what Mr. Colvin did is immoral?
I would like to express my personal opinion on this sensitive subject in the world right now, but I will also like to explain the reality of this situation. Personally, I think when the world is in a very desperate situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is greedy to take this as an advantage and sell high demand goods such as hand sanitizer and masks in order to make a large number of earnings. However, as an economics student, in reality, the high demand goods can bring in a lot of revenue for a producer and there is a large profit incentive established here. With that being said, though it is selfish, I would also consider it a smart thing to do because, in the modern ages, money is a driving factor that keeps the world developing. I think it is particularly greedy if you are taking advantage of the lower class of society as they may not be able to afford it in the retail price, and if the price is increased the situation only worsens for them. With that being said, I think Mr. Colvin’s action is immoral but smart.
ELP – Newspaper Article Analysis
https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2019/09/16/smoking-kills-and-funds.html
Title & Date of the Article: ‘Smoking kills and funds’ on September 16th, 2019 at 8:50 am
Summary of the article: The main purpose of this article is to inform that the Indonesian government plans to raise the indirect tax on cigarettes by 23% excise hike tax which would raise the retail price of each pack of cigarettes by 35 %. By increasing the indirect tax of this demerit good (goods that harmful or unhealthy for an individual or society as a whole), the government hopes that the rate of consumption is reduced as it causes a negative externality (effect) to society.
I think this is the main purpose of the article because the article starts with a large photograph of cigarettes where the caption states “An average 23 percent excise hike will increase retail cigarette prices by 35 percent, according to the Finance Ministry, after keeping the tobacco excise steady in the 2019 election year”.
The tone of the article makes it seem like the article is informing the readers and alerting them to be cautious of how the demerit good affects society negatively. The article also seems like it wants the readers to know that they are trying to reduce all of this, by increasing the indirect tax, so to the readers (ones who are smokers or have family or friends who smoke) in a more difficult situation.
What are the techniques employed?
- The headline of the article ” Indonesia to raise cigarette prices by more than a third at the start of 2020″ which effectively draws the attention of the readers as this article aims to alert the smokers (consumers) about the increase in tax & how this will affect them as the price would increase which would naturally increase the burden on each smoker as they have to pay more.
- Another skill the author used is the formal and unique style of language. Due to this type of language, it keeps the article very engaging and in line with the topic so that readers don’t deviate off-topic. This shows the readers that the article is to be seen in a professional manner and worth reading for valuable information.
- One last technique is the use of visuals but I personally do not think that it served too well as it did not have any real effect on the aim of the article. I think more visuals that have a more powerful message can be used, possibly pictures of cardiovascular diseases which is caused by smoking.
- Excise Tax – Excise taxes are taxes paid when purchases are made on a specific good, such as gasoline. Excise taxes are often included in the price of the product.
- Cardiovascular diseases – Cardiovascular diseases are conditions that affect the structures or function of your heart.
- Impact – a marked effect or influence.
Women Stereotypes
This is not a photograph I took, but this is one I found that goes against the stereotypes. This is going against a stereotype because usually in older times, and even now in the modern era, people think a woman’s place & role in society is by her husband who is symbolized as the man of the house, & they are usually portrayed as the person who runs the household by doing her chores and keeping everything in place. Even now, women are often visualized as soft & tender, and that they are not fit for the bigger aspects of life, such as jobs and life decisions. But in this photograph, we can see a woman who would naturally be seen as a bodybuilder, and she breaks the stereotype because she is portrayed as big and strong and not the usual which says a woman is soft and tender. If there are more women like her who can stand up to these stereotypes then change will be able to occur in the modern world.
Kahanni Initial Reflection #1 – (Creativity & Activity) – Season 2
Liza Donnelly’s Political Cartoon
Liza Donnelly is a political cartoonist whose work aims to bring criticize, bring awareness of the problems of different social or political issues. She is the author of 17 books and is best known for her works in ‘The New Yorker’ and as a cartoonist of CBS news. Many of the political and social issues drawn by Liza Donnelly revolves around feminism and global women’s rights. She is famous for including humourous points in her drawings, which often hints the harsh realities around these issues, which then brings to resentment towards the readers and ones who are especially involved directly with what Donnelly is trying to bring awareness to.
In this political cartoon, it shows the desperate, helpless and sad situation that many women go through in the modern world today. Although this cartoon does not consist of any style of humor, the piece of work lets us see this issue through multi perspectives of methods in which gender roles & identities are socially and politically constructed. The painting of an Indian lady describing the helpless situation in New Delhi, how they are “forced to live with” violent sexual assaults such as groping, hostile advances, threatening looks and words, which brings the dark truth out to the surface and exposes the dirty reality inside the country. The painting of an Indian girl not only shows the plight of women in New Delhi but also in other parts of the world such as the US, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, etc. Donnelly portrays symbolism in order to show the current position of females in society, which is shown by the drawing of the lady. Although the illustration of the black woman may seem normal, the fact that she sat down defenselessly without being able to do anything implies how women are not seen as equals with men and through this, they are treated as the non-dominant side of a relationship between man and woman. Humour is a factor that can be used to ease the tension and conflict within these social and political issues, but at the same time bring out the awareness without going over the line with excessive humor.
Language & Advert
In this photo, the left side of this photo shows a girl in the traditional Indian girl make-up, dress, and long hair. The left shows the ‘Sanskari’ side of a woman. The term ‘sanskari’ is an Indian term used to describe an Indian girl who follows all her family values and traditions, more specifically Indian related ones. The right side shows that the girl makes herself look like a boy by cutting her hair short and do different make-ups. This shows how girls are forced to conform with societal norms by portraying themselves “male-like” just to have equal rights and benefits such as education. By doing this, it shows how women are forced to create an image that suits and adapts to the unfairness of the society they live in, they are put in a situation where they feel uncomfortable and happy due to how they are expected to live. In a way, the left side of the photo also challenges the role and identity of women as it shows how women are expected to act as ‘Sanskari’ whilst the right side of the photo shows how women have to conform to the way society makes them too. The darker colored background on the right side suggests that it is painful & unfair for the women to have to ‘change genders’ in order to receive inequality for factors such as education, jobs, etc.
This advertisement aims to prevent people from judging women based on what they wear. The ad portrays how there is a stereotype that as more skin of a short is exposed, you are more likely to look down upon women. The message the advert wants to send out is men should not judge women and that it is alright for anyone to dress however they want. As the length of clothing does not indicate your social status in society as a whore, slut or a person ‘who is asking for it’. The audience is the ladies affected by this problem and along with men who see this not a problem. The advert focuses on changing the mindset of men who think of this as not a problem as well as make women feel inclusive as they are not alone when they see this as a problem. Rather a group of strong women with a strong stand against judgemental men.