DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

             Throughout the quarter, we were assigned different reading assignments that corresponded to our next project. With each reading, we responded with a summary, response or both. Below you will find all of the responses and summaries I wrote throughout the quarter. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Women Talk to Much” –page 257

 

SUMMARY:

            This reading argued that the stereotype that women talk more than men, or “too much”, is not true. It elaborates on studies that have been done, and after a conclusion from those studies they give the explanation to why women do not necessary talk more than men. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Sex Differences” –page 263

 

SUMMARY:

            This reading looks into the stereotypes that we are constantly surrounded by that automatically make women the quiet, innocent, loyal and humble character, while men are the firm, blunt, smug and strong character. While society portrays women and men in these different ways, most studies show no differences between the two. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“What Language Barrier?” –page 269

 

SUMMARY: (*Best Summary*)

            This reading focuses on whether men and women speak the same language. What it boils down to is that men and women differ fundamentally in the way they use language to communicate.

 

RESPONSE: 

           This is definitely a reading that I will reread for my upcoming paper since I am looking into if there is or is not a difference in the way women and men speak. An interesting point in this reading is that the relationship between the sexes is about power, and that instead of looking for similarities between the two sexes, we are constantly looking for the differences. This is what I want to look into. I know there are distinct differences in the way that women and men communicate and express themselves, but I know that there are plenty of similarities between what they want to achieve in life through their communication with others.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“No Detail is Too Small” –page 278

 

SUMMARY:

          This reading shows how women gather information and dispense it without discrimination because women do not think life is as simple as men do. Men focus on the results and do not gather and retain information. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Is Google Making Us Stoopid” – page 509

 

RESPONSE:

           Is Google Making Us Stoopid was a very interesting article. I have often thought about the points that they discuss and expand on. Everything nowadays is so instant, so easy. When I hear what my parents had to do when they had to write a research paper, I cannot imagine having to do the same. Unfortunately, with all of the new technology I think students have lost a lot. It is nice that it is much easier and faster, but the process of research has turned into reading bullet points on a website page. This easiness has affected all aspects of our lives as society wants things the fastest and easiest way possible. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Lost in Translation” –page 505

 

RESPONSE: (*Best Response*)

            I really connected with Lost in Translation. I believe exactly what they were saying about how language does profoundly influence how we see the world. We each have a choice of how we look at things; unfortunately many people are in the habit of finding what is wrong and negative in things as opposed to finding what is good. Everything is defined by our words. This reading says, “All this new research shows us that the languages we speak not only reflect or express our thoughts, but also shape the very thoughts we wish to express.” I would love to see what the world looked like if more people thought on purpose, and realized how much they were affecting in their lives and other people’s lives with each thought they had. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Homemade Eduation" - page 67

 

RESPONSE:

            What really stood out to me in Homemade Education was the struggle that Malcolm X faced when trying to express what he wanted to convey in the letters he wrote. I guess I have taken for granted my literacy since it happened naturally throughout my childhood. His struggle that he had as an adult, unable to communicate his message clearly, is what all babies and toddlers struggle with. I can’t imagine having that frustration as an adult, and really admire his determination to overcome his illiterateness. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Saying is Believing” – page 107


RESPONSE:

            This article made a lot of sense to me. Kind of similar to “The Case for Short Words” this author along with Lederer is disputing the common belief that the better the author, the harder the reading is, the longer the words are. O’Conner argues the opposite. He says that the better the author, the more effortless the reading is. The rules for graceful writing are very helpful, and I hope to continue to use them through my writing. Once again, this article reminded me to do what is natural for you, and not try and sound “more intelligent”.         

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“The Case for Short Words”- page 104

 

RESPONSE:

            I thought this was a very interesting article. Before I read this, I believed the common belief that the longer or more difficult the word is, the more intelligent the author must be. It is refreshing to hear the opposite argument from Lederer. Lederer explains that it is the small words that “are the ones we seem to have known from the time we were born” giving them more meaning. After reading this, it made me think about classmate’s papers I have read in which I could tell they used the thesaurus. In these cases, I felt these words took away from the legitimacy of the paper. It was not natural one bit, and it was clear that they did not really know what they were saying. After reading this article, I came to the conclusion that the most important thing about writing is staying true to what is natural for the writer.  

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"King’s 'Letter from Birmingham Jail'" - Page 452


SUMMARY:

            This reading was a reprinted letter that Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in a jail cell in Birmingham. He explains himself and his mission in this letter and hopes that there will be an end to racial prejudice, and love and brotherhood will shine over. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Wheatley’s 'Some Friends and I Started Talking: Conversation and Social Change'" - page 302


SUMMARY:

            This article explains how all ideas start and spread with conversation. With technology conversation has greatly changed, but nonetheless, talking with others, thinking with others, and then taking action is how every great idea becomes real.

 

RESPONSE:

            I think this was a really great article, because I have never thought about how every great idea came from an every day conversation with friends. It made me stop and think about what my friends and I talk about. I think it is important to remember this, as you avoid gossip and talking poorly about others. Conversation with friends can be a powerful thing, if used properly. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Pipher’s 'Writing to Change the World'"- page 99


Summary:

            This article used the example of Anne Frank’s writing to describe how writing is designed to change the world. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"How to Detect Propaganda"- Page 427


SUMMARY:

          This article starts with a broad definition of propaganda, and shows how it has been around for a very long time. It explains that propagandists’ goals are to “put something across,” good or bad, rather than discover truth and fact- this action can be socially beneficial or socially harmful to millions of people. Propaganda is tricky because it touches our emotions, often causing our minds to become less sharp, therefore we don’t even notice we are falling for propaganda. The article describes the seven common propaganda devices and illustrates how and why these devices are effective in bending the truth and our thoughts. “Name Calling” appeals to hate and fear, “Glittering Generalities” appeals to our emotions of love, generosity, and brotherhood, “Transfer” uses authority to persuade, “Testimonial” is used to make us accept anything, “Plain Folks” appeals to ordinary people, “Card Stacking” is a sneaking device that involves omitting facts, “The Band Wagon” makes one want to follow the crowd, and “Propaganda and Emotion” is the key to all of propaganda.   

 

 

RESPONSE:

           I definitely liked this article and had and easy time following along. Since propaganda is so common in today’s world, it is important we are educated on what it is, and learn how to detect it when we see it. I had never seen a list of the seven common propaganda devices, but I definitely think that will help me notice propaganda in the future. This article made me realize that propaganda is impossible to completely avoid, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be smarter than it.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Doubts About Doublespeak"- Page 433


SUMMARY:

            This reading starts out with Lutz’s theory about doublespeak. We learn that “it is a language intended not to reveal but to conceal, not to communicate but to obfuscate.” The four kinds of double speak are euphemism, jargon, gobbledygook, and inflated language. Doublespeak doesn’t happen on accident, it is a very deliberate technique used by almost everyone. It is created to mislead.

 

RESPONSE:

            I definitely agreed with what this article was saying. I did my senior year research paper on George Orwell’s 1984.  In the paper I compared Orwell’s made up society to current day America. In my research, I found examples of doublethink everywhere in today’s society… especially media. When we start to do our rhetorical analyses of the speeches we selected, we will definitely have to look out for use of doublethink, since we know most speakers’ main goal is pleasing their audience.

 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Deconstructing Obama’s Oratorical Skills" - page 448


SUMMARY:

            This reading starts out by discussing the differences in opinions of Obama’s Oratorical skills; some admire his talent, others dismiss it. Obama speaks in full sentences, has good body language, and is relaxed and slow to anger, but quick to admit when he makes a mistake.

 

RESPONSE: 

            I definitely have heard all of the things that were being said in this article before. To me, it sounds like many of Obama’s haters accuse him of things that good public speakers do. I know I’m sold every time I hear one of his speeches.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

"Clichés, Anyone?" -page 112


SUMMARY:

            Clichés, Anyone discusses the problem that clichés create for writers. People believe they fail to have real substance, and they allow writers to avoid coming up with their own ideas. Isaacs shows how, if used properly, clichés can be affectively. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“Saying is Believing” – page 107


SUMMARY:

            Saying is Believing discusses the idea that the fact that something is hard to understand when reading means the author is not a very good writer. O’Conner disputes the underlying false belief that the more brilliant the writer, the tougher the going. 



RESPONSE:

            This article made a lot of sense to me. Kind of similar to “The Case for Short Words” this author along with Lederer is disputing the common belief that the better the author, the harder the reading is, the longer the words are. O’Conner argues the opposite. He says that the better the author, the more effortless the reading is. The rules for graceful writing are very helpful, and I hope to continue to use them through my writing. Once again, this article reminded me to do what is natural for you, and not try and sound “more intel

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

“The Case for Short Words”- page 104

 

SUMMARY:

            The Case for Short Words discusses the idea that the length of the word has no determination on the importance or legitimacy of it. There is a rumor going around that the longer the words used are, the more intelligent the writer or speaker is, but Lederer argues that, that is simply wrong. 


RESPONSE:

            I thought this was a very interesting article. Before I read this, I believed the common belief that the longer or more difficult the word is, the more intelligent the author must be. It is refreshing to hear the opposite argument from Lederer. Lederer explains that it is the small words that “are the ones we seem to have known from the time we were born” giving them more meaning. After reading this, it made me think about classmate’s papers I have read in which I could tell they used the thesaurus. In these cases, I felt these words took away from the legitimacy of the paper. It was not natural one bit, and it was clear that they did not really know what they were saying. After reading this article, I came to the conclusion that the most important thing about writing is staying true to what is natural for the writer.  

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.