Cross-Cultural Blog

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Published by Feross Aboukhadijeh.

For my research, I will be investigating the phenomenon of cheating in video games.

Almost every type of game—online and offline, single player and multiplayer—has cheaters. However, not all cheaters are the same. It’s impossible to fit all cheaters—or gamers, for that matter—into a single stereotype or definition. The variety and differences among gamers in today’s society is simply too great to allow such a blanket categorization. Mia Consalvo, author of Cheating: Gaining Advantage in Videogames (pictured at right), agrees. She argues that identifying cheaters as having a unique subculture does not “adequately explain the broader world of gamers and game players that currently exists.”

Everyone cheats for different reasons. Some players cheat to make games easier during solo play. Cheat codes that generate extra lives, allow players to skip levels, or grant God mode (invulnerability) are common examples of harmless cheats that players use to make the game easier. Cheat codes are typically harmless and are often programmed into the game by the developers as “Easter eggs” for dedicated players to discover. Other players cheat to ruin the game experience for other players. This typically occurs online in the form of aimbots (software that assists the player in aiming), twinking (passing on powerful items to players who would not typically have such items), and the illicit sale of in-game currency. Other players cheat for the technical challenge of “hacking” the game and defeating the anti-cheating mechanisms built into the game.

Part of my job as researcher will be to examine these differing reasons for cheating to discover how each distinct type (and there are any more than the ones I touched on here) affects the game experience for other players and even the cheater himself.

Another interesting argument that Consalvo advances in the opening pages of her book is the notion that successful gameplay is dependent on rules. If these predetermined game rules are broken, she argues, then “the whole play world collapses. The game is over.” I feel that this definition of games is too shallow and fails to take into account the recent trend towards open-ended, sandbox, and emergent gameplay—games largely without rules or objectives. Games like Electroplankton, SimCity, and Little Big Planet are examples of emergent games that stretch the traditional definition of “videogames” by proving players with gameplay free of rules, missions, or clearly defined goals. Are these not games? Similarly, what if a gamer behaves in a way that the developer does not anticipate? Is this “cheating” because the gamer is breaking the implied “rules” of the game?

Simcity was one of the first sandbox games.

Her argument also has implications for “hacking” as a form of gaming. Hacking has no well-defined rules or goals—although it usually involves obtaining items of value or increasing one’s in-game rank—the methods by which to accomplish these goals are up to the hacker to decide. I argue that this can be seen a unique form of metagaming. Contrary to Consalvo’s argument, the game actually begins for a hacker the moment they start to cheat and break the rules.

From my cursory examination of Consalvo’s research in Cheating thus far, I have gained great insight into the wide variety of experiences of players of videogames. I have also seen interesting arguments about what makes a videogame a game. Indeed, the definition of this term is still up for debate. I hope that my research will help to shed some light on this frequently debated topic.

Image sources:
Book cover is © MIT Press, found at their website.
SimCity screenshot is © Electronic Arts Inc., found through Google Image Search.
I believe in good faith that my usage of the above copyrighted images, which are low-resolution, and illustrate the subject of my article, and are used for a scholastic pursuit, qualifies as fair use in the United States.

Posted by Feross Aboukhadijeh, Stanford at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (96) | TrackBacks (0)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

In today’s tech savvy era, more and more people are relying on the internet and computers to perform daily activities and tasks. Professional and mundane work aside, technology has taken on more recreational tasks and responsibilities. Once seen as a luxury, video games have become a necessary component of daily life, as it provides gamers/players with an escape from the burdens of reality. Interestingly enough, in both Multi Massive Online Role Playing Games and Single Player Games, the creation of avatars (virtual characters with which players can interact with the virtual world) has become a major lure.

This striking cultural and social phenomenon involves the projection of certain traits and personalities onto a virtual avatar. When players create this new identity for themselves, their personal views tend to get blown out of proportion. This hyperbole of action and thought is especially present in MMORPGs. But the affect of avatars doesn’t stop there; in essence, these identities serve as a cultural mirror, exposing certain social flaws and mentalities. In relation to avatars, the portrayal of female and male characters is especially telling. Thrust into the virtual social interactions of MMORPGs that are devoid of physical interactions, gamers inflate and exaggerate personalities and interpretations of these mental constructs, which have severe social ramifications on gender roles and stereotypes.

The first striking feature of avatars is their customizability. From hair, to body type, to species, to you name it, avatars provide players with the ultimate control in how they shape their character. However, gender of avatar in relation to the player seems to be the most contentious topic. Men generally exaggerate the features of female avatars. When role playing as female avatars, men tend to act “hyper feminine.” “Men tend to make nipples very large, [add] bigger hair, perfect makeup, more expensive skin, flimsier silks, [and have] sluttier language” (p. 39). These inflated female characters have been associated, in the gamer world at least, with men. Another stereotype people have is that most of these men are gay.

Additionally, there is a freedom in narrative that arises. “The avatar is their character, the system is their story environment, and the events that happen to the avatar are all steps along a narrative chosen by the driver of the avatar” (p. 23). An avatar draws literary parallels to the classic arc of character development. “Ultimately, avatars are about the advancement of personality within a kind of fiction that is both social and personal” (p. 23). What is forbidden or taboo in the real world can be expressed in the virtual. Avatars are often seen as masks, which makes over 75% of users feel safer speaking their mind when they use an avatar (p. 36). This exposes players thoughts and behaviors because they are more inclined to reveal themselves when interacting through avatars. There is too much importance placed on anonymity and distance that seems to warrant the disclosure of all of a player’s likes, dislikes, and thoughts. An intense emotional connection is established from this unprotected immersion into the virtual world. The illusion is that the avatar mask makes users feel like they are in complete control, which could inflate gender roles in game play. While a person might be more reserved about his/her thoughts on gender, in the world of MMORPGs, these thoughts get translated into real social interactions and behaviors, which is all too telling of how people perceive these stereotypes.

According to I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life, by Mark Stephen Meadows, an avatar is an interactive, social representation of a user. “Sociability is the air an avatar needs to breath” (p. 13). Without some time of social interaction, the avatar can’t exist. Sociability and interactivity are deeply connected concepts that work in synergy. Avatars are perpetually linked to certain social rituals that are built out of rules and roles (p. 44). These rituals are much more important in virtual worlds. “In a virtual world we don’t have some of the same degree of complexity or fidelity of the senses, [so] subtleties in human behavior are lost” (p. 45). The specific visual representation people choose for their virtual character is greatly influenced by his/her role in society. Although a game defines logistical boundaries of the avatar, the player determines “cultural sets of archetypes and rituals that the avatar lives” (p. 46). While an avatar can only be one of two genders, how the player perceives that gender and acts upon those preconceptions saturates the social interactivity of that avatar in the virtual world.

Posted by at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

For my research topic, I originally intended to write on governmental structure and how its relationship with the citizens of a country affects the games it produces. However, through my research of this topic I stumbled upon a perhaps more intriguing and certainly more defined topic: virtual worlds and their relation to the September 11th attacks. Much of what happened and the surrounding events were supported by the existence of a virtual world. Indeed, Slavoj i ek comments upon this relationship with the virtual world, writing that “’If there is any symbolism in the collapse of the WTC towers, it is not so much the old-fashioned notion of the “center of financial capitalism,” but, rather, the notion that the two WTC towers stood for the center of the VIRTUAL capitalism….’”

There are two significant ways in which the gaming world and the military world have interacted with regards to this attack: flight simulators and government-funded games. Elizabeth Losh of the University of California Irvine investigates the games funded by the government and they deep impact they had on the gaming and development world in her piece titled “Making Things Public: Democracy and Government-Funded Videogames and Virtual Reality Simulations” (This article can be found at http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1183334&coll=GUIDE&dl=GUIDE&CFID=33116903&CFTOKEN=47434535&ret=1#Fulltext ). This piece serves not only as an introduction to Tactical Iraqi and Virtual Iraq, two games currently funded by the United States government, but also as a sort of summary of the controversy surrounding the creation of these games.

Before the September 11th attacks even happened, the fighters of Al Qaeda took advantage of the advantages the virtual world can give in training. Truly, I believe that had it not been for the flight simulators available to al Qaeda soldiers on which to train, the September 11th attacks would have happened much later due to purely fiscal and practical reasons. Al Qaeda probably would not have had the funds to get and train on real airplanes, not to mention that doing so would certainly attract more attention than a group of men on hidden consoles. It is the existence of the flight simulators and their parallel relationship with the real world that allowed al Qaeda soldiers to become skilled enough to be able to apply their gaming skills to the real world and thus instigate the tragedy at hand.

After the attacks, President George W. Bush ignited the country with his declaration of war upon the Middle East: the War on Terror. Though it began as a mad hunt for Osama bin Laden, it eventually phased into the war on Iraq. Though it is unclear why Iraq was invaded and assimilated into American ways, the government is beginning to support the soldiers in a new way, namely, the creation of games which in some way help the soldiers as individuals as they prepare for or return from a tour in Iraq. Tactical Iraqi is a game created to “accelerate a soldier’s acquisition of spoken Arabic to assist in volatile tactical situations,” and is intended for use before a tour. The soldier plays as John Smith, a burly young American man on tour in Iraq whose first mission is to help rebuild a girls’ school. Through this character, a soldier can learn not only how best to communicate with the civilians on a personal level, but also learn key phrases in Arabic in a very applicable setting. Virtual Iraq, on the other hand, is a clean-up game of sorts, intended to assist soldiers who have returned from recent tours to recover from their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The creation of these games, though certainly beneficial for the everyday soldier, set the gaming world on fire. The intention as well as the government funding brought the game development world into a whole new sphere of reality in which by creating virtual spaces, they could arguably be supporting the war. In fact, Gonzalo Frasca denounced those who are helping to make these games possible, telling them to “cut all ties to military projects” and alienating them by refusing to call them his colleagues. On the other hand, many fought back with the fact that these games help the soldiers as individuals and as people, and do not directly support the current war efforts. In these ways the virtual world has supported the tearing apart of the real world, and the two have begun to mesh in ways previously unthought of. The virtual world of the days of Pong is no longer quite as separate as we would like it to be, having real-world consequences and uses. What other tragedies or momentous events were supported by the virtual world? I will continue my investigation of this in the research paper to come.

Posted by at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

My research topic is on the influence of gaming within the whole economy of a country, especially on the positive influence of the release of the upcoming game Starcraft 2 within the Korean economy.

About the Game
Starcraft 2 is a sequel to a strategic simulation game that became the prototype of the current real-time strategy games today. Considering the fact that the gaming market and other markets associated to the gaming market (Internet cafés, food industry, TV Programs) are significant in Korea, even just one game can be an important factor in revitalizing the Korean economy. Other than direct sales of the game Starcraft 2, there are magazines, toys, and other merchandise that are sold under the name of Starcraft 2.

Starcraft 2 features numerous new characters and upgraded visual effects.

Indirect boosts and the Starcraft League
However, the game’s possible indirect boosts are far more worth mentioning. I recently was on a chat with Chang Hoon Lee, the owner of the website ilovepcbang.com, the official website that unites the community of all PC Bang chains, which internet cafés designated just for the gamers. According to Lee, there are almost 20,000 PC Bangs in Korea and they collectively make about 120 billion wons (about 100 million US dollars) every month. Lee has also stated that “This is not the only source of economic influence achieved by gaming. There are three cable channels for starcraft leagues and tournaments, as well as thirteen other professional teams. These game broadcasts have potentials to be exported into other countries, just like how Korean dramas were actively exported throughout Asia during 2002-2006.” It was surprising to find that he compared the Korean drama boom in the early 00’s, when Korean dramas nearly swept all across Asia and enabled a wide expansion in the entertainment industry.

PC Bang – The gamer’s social space

What is so great about Starcraft 2 and these PC Bangs? They provide a social space for people from elementary students to university students to interact, without the constraints of their strict parents. Unlike how gamers have an image of staying at home under closed doors and looking at the screen with huge bags under their eyes, gamers have a more social representation. In fact, the greater you are at playing the new Starcraft, the higher your friends will think of you. Not only do PC Bangs help you move up in your social life, PC Bangs provide some additional bonuses in certain games. For example, you will be able to double your experience points as if you were at home. Lee stated that “The deals that [the PC Bang chains] have with the online game companies make our stores more attractive. We are also working on a deal with Blizzard to give Starcraft 2 players more incentive to come to our stores.” Expansion of PC Bangs is very important in my argument because there are responsible for enhancing many industries. Not only do they provide about 100 000 new jobs, but they can boost up sales for instant snacks and noodles sold in these chains.

Fans cheering for a player at a professional Starcraft game
Fans cheering and holding banners for a player at a professional Starcraft game – some of these guys are as well known as the top sports stars and celebrities.

Education purposes?
Starcraft can actually be considered as an educational game in a sense that it simulates a great educational model. The gameplay is all about the economics, like how efficiently and effectively you build your buildings and units. As you start the game, you start with four workers, which can either build (or mutate, depending on your race) or gather minerals, which are used as the main natural resources for the game. Once you have an ample amount, you can build another “worker” or choose to build a building, which could be technological or military. Military buildings create army units that can go and destroy the other side, and technological units can improve the military units, or the workers’ efficiency to ease your resource-gathering. All of these aspects of the game are great training tools for someone to implicitly learn economics. They can learn the true meaning of increase in productivity, the effect of an increase in government spending in an economy, and how efficiency and an adequate allocation of resources improve the economy. Finally, there is a “population limit” as well, so you really need to allocate your workers and military units well.

Lee has owned a PC bang for eleven years now, and believes that “This [gaming] industry never stops growing in South Korea. The industry had a steep incline with the first Starcraft and the Starcraft expansion. Now especially with Starcraft 2, we could have another sharp increase in this industry.” We all know that game is only a game and has its limits. But Starcraft 2 is a cultural sensation that is too significant for us to classify it as “A simple game”. I will conduct more interviews with other PC Bang owners, game creators, and economics specialists to hear more variety of perspectives. However, I am certain that they will all have high expectations in this game’s ability to revitalize the economy.

Lee has owned a PC bang for eleven years now, and believes that “This [gaming] industry never stops growing in South Korea. The industry had a steep incline with the first Starcraft and the Starcraft expansion. Now especially with Starcraft 2, we could have another sharp increase in this industry.” We all know that game is only a game and has its limits. But Starcraft 2 is a cultural sensation that is too significant for us to classify it as “A simple game”. I will conduct more interviews with other PC Bang owners, game creators, and economics specialists to hear more variety of perspectives. However, I am certain that they will all have high expectations in this game’s ability to revitalize the economy.

Sources
Lee, Chang Hoon. Telephone Interview. 22 Apr 2009.

Image Sources
Miles, James. “A banner!”. 2009. Starcraft in Korea. Dance Dance – Warwick Blogs. May 3 2009. < http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/jmiles/entry/starcraft_in_korea/>
(No name). “STARCRAFT_2_art_fiction_by_ULTRAZEALOt!”. 2009. Starcraft 2. Play247.ro. May 3 2009. < http://play247.ro/strategy/starcraft-2/>

Posted by at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Video games and movies are both great forms of entertainment. They both have rely on the interaction with their user, or viewer, to create a desired effect. The success of movies and video games also relies heavily on the ability to tell a story. This would make one think that when a popular video game becomes a movie, the film would also be fairly popular. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. What differences in the two forms of entertainment contribute to the success of one and the failure of another? Why have few video game based movies been successful? Have movie based video games faired any better? These questions will hopefully lead to a focused topic analyzing the relationship between video games and movies.
In order to tackle these questions, I will rely on primary research to not only view movies, but to play the games they are associated with. Among the movies I will look at include the Super Mario film, the Laura Croft films, Mortal Combat films, and more. It will also be useful to research video game reviews and film critique reviews to see what elements are analyzed in both forms of entertainment and see why there is little crossover in terms of success. Hopefully, when my work is complete it will become clearer as to which elements of video games fail to translate into success for movies.

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Tracing back the origins of video gaming, it seems that a majority of video games in America were the means of escaping reality for many straight, white male adolescents. Video games offered a life that they couldn't live, rescuing damsels in distress, blasting aliens into oblivion, and attaining glory. They were, of course, direct responses to the life outside video games: unrequited love, bullies, and a lack of social acceptance. In modern times, there is a much wider audience playing video games. The appeal is no longer limited to race, gender, and age. Game designers have also considered sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is the most taboo characteristic of them all, but more and more games have progressed to include homosexual relationships, aside from the typical hero-damsel love story.

At Guardian Unlimited, a blogging website, writer Aleks Krototski discusses homosexuality in recent video games, from The Sims Online to The Temple of Elemental Evil. He explains the role of identification as a means to enjoy the video game and going back to what was said before, live the life that can't be lived. This time, it isn't the straight, white male adolescent wishing to escape the trials of peers. It is, more currently, the gay man, or woman, escaping the critical eyes of society into a reality where one is not judged so.

Krototski brings up an interesting point in his blog. “Companies have no issue with including a gay character in a game; it's the response of the larger gaming community that's the issue.” Considering that companies that design the video games for the gaming community, both are responsible in molding the video games' nuances, including homosexuality. What then is the reason behind including gay characters if “the explicit inclusion of a homosexual character has made many straight gamers uncomfortable”? Surprisingly, it is not to aid the progressive movement for a more accepting society, as I, or any other optimist, would hope.

Krototski wrote, “Gay gamers are possibly the least-considered group of interactive entertainment adoptees.” His blog is still puzzled by the fact that games have even toyed with the idea of homosexuality. So why do it even though they risk criticism? The answer was right under Krototski's nose. It is a mix of both “gender bending” as well as “sexual fetishes” for straight male gamers.

Here is the rationale behind this. Boys often joke that in order to be acquainted with girls, they must pretend to be homosexual. Only then will girls let down their guard against testosterone ridden urges. This same concept can apply to video games, such as in The Sims Online. Instantly, with his flamboyant wardrobe and unknown true identity, he can talk to women better than any muscular he-man. Retrospectively, the male video gamer can play the role of a lesbian to satisfy his sexual fetish and “get some” with other women.

Games, therefore, have not progressed to promote social acceptance. It may only appear that way, especially in the case of homosexuality. The deep-rooted origins of video games still exist and they seem here to stay.

The link to Krotoski's blog: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/game_culture/2005/01/homosexuality_and_gaming.html

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

With sales of over $22 billion in 2008, video games have experienced quite a transformation from the humble Tennis for Two created in 1958 to the graphical miracles of titles like Metal Gear Solid 4 or Crysis. For my research, I will be investigating how the evolution of the hardware and software responsible for these novel forms of entertainment has impacted game play throughout the years.

This particular article, The Evolution of Gaming: Computers, Consoles, and Arcades focuses on the transformation of games in their respective genres throughout the evolution of the video game industry over the past fifty years. Sixty-six games are examined, divided between eleven categories, each focusing on a particular genre of gaming ranging from sport simulations to role playing games. Each individual examination contains a screenshot, the original hardware required to play the game, and then a few paragraphs of history and analysis, usually concerning game play or significant milestones related to the title.

The author’s goal in this article was to determine if overall game play has remained unchanged as time has passed, with graphical improvements being the only advancements made in the gaming industry as a whole. As he says, “Many old-school gamers often lament the focus of graphics over game play in modern titles, but was it really true that only graphics got better over time?” Initially the author is very biased towards this view but does well to keep it out of his research. In the conclusion he says, “When I started the article, I expected to find that while graphics had advanced by leaps and bounds, game play had either stopped advancing or was developing extremely slowly. I was surprised to find that improvements in game play had occurred at every level of game development, right up to the present day.”

This article focuses a great deal on how game play has evolved in relation to specific genres but not quite so much as a whole. I believe I will find the specific information on the hardware used to play these games of value as I attempt to connect hardware and software throughout various stages of the history of gaming. This article also provides quite a wealth of information concerning game play changes within a genre, which I could also tie into hardware limitations or lack thereof. Overall I feel as though there is quite a bit of information within this article that I will be able to synthesize with other sources as I continue my research.

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Who could forget sitting down in front of their Super Nintendo, N64, or any other old generation consoles and feeling the rush of playing video games for hours on end? Video game emulators let you relive the thrill and excitement of these days by mounting any game you can find on your computer to be played at any time. People often throw around the phrase “it's so much fun, it should be illegal.” In this case, it really is illegal. No matter how much fun reliving your childhood through the convenience of your computer or how much easier it is to just download the “ROM” (read-only-memory) for the game you want to play than tracking down a copy of the game, it end up hurting the gaming industry and the publishers who originally put out the games we have grown to love.

In “License to Plunder,” Andy Holloway explores just how pervasive the emulation “industry” really is in both its popularity and its impact on the video game makers themselves. He opens the article depicting “Christian” who is “just like other nine-year-old-boys.” He lists all the common things nine-year-olds are interested in and revel in doing (such as football, baseball, and the like). Included in this list is being a “video-game pirate.”

The article goes on to depict emulation as a part of life now a days. Along with being described as something so common it is not surprising that a nine-year-old boy is actively participating in, it is also described as being “relatively cheap and readily accessible” to anyone who is seeking a game to play. Holloway explains how it is not only the classics of the old days being reproduced but also games that haven't even come out yet.

The streamlining of games still in production leads to possible delays in release and steep costs to the companies developing them. In 2003, piracy cost the gaming industry $3.2 billion in US dollars. This number is staggering enough but it stands out even more when it is compared to the value of the gaming industry that year, approximately $6.9 billion in US dollars. The piracy rate of 46.6% is astonishing, particularly when placed along side the 10% piracy rate in the music industry and the less than 5% piracy rate in the movie industry.

If the percentage is so impressionable why is it that the media doesn't focus on this piracy or that game companies crack down on the pirates? For one thing, “arresting kids, the industry's primary demographic, doesn't generate the kind of publicity most companies want.” Furthermore, the media can't report on measures being taken to cut down on the piracy because it is so difficult to crack down on the ones cracking the codes of the games and uploading them to the internet. As Holloway says, “f somebody really wants to crack a game, there's not a whole lot companies can do to stop them.”

The small developing companies couldn't stop them if they tried and the companies with the financial backing to do something about it can only do so much. Not only that, but the money they have to pour into cracking down on these pirates is money they are not putting into their own game development. Thus, for a bit more convenience, the simple act of emulating “just a game or two” can end up hurting the company that users want to enjoy once again. Therein lies the irony of emulators. Maybe with all the money the companies are putting into catching the pirates they could release a new classic, one that pulls you in just as much if not more than the games of old. Just stop and think about that the next time you boot up that Visual Boy Advance and play a bootleg copy of Super Mario World.

Article cited is "Licence to Plunder" by Andy Holloway. It appeared in Canadian Business; 11/23/2003, Vol. 76 Issue 22, p95-95.

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

For my project, I will be researching and investigating the uprising, history, and evolution of machinima as a form of film, entertainment, and advertisement. I will also be researching the different techniques and methods that are part of the “machinimation” process. For those who are unfamiliar with the term: Machinima refers to the fairly new method of filmmaking that is created by taking and editing real-time recordings of video and computer games and virtual worlds. The term machinima is also used to refer to the films themselves and is derived from the terms, machine and cinema. Originally, machinima were simple recordings of game play that were captured by gamers to document achievements, stunts, or just really cool footage. Today, machinima have become elaborate, full-length movies or series that are watched, mostly through the Internet, by millions of viewers all over the world.

One specific machinima that I will be examining as a primary source is Red vs. Blue, a machinima series based on the game Halo. RvB, as it is commonly known, is a series with seven seasons and is still growing to date. The creators of the series, or the series’ “machinimators,” make use of Halo’s multiplayer death match feature and what is known as digital puppetry, the manipulation of characters and cameras, to obtain the footage that they need. Once they obtain this footage, they edited it and add dialogue to it to produce episodes that usually range from three to five minutes long. The storylines and dialogue of episodes could be described as crude, blunt, and witty. The series itself has actually been compared to animated series such as South Park or The Simpsons. As with many other machinima, the producers of RvB started off by just recording stunts and normal game play and eventually decided to make films with more substance. Although the concept of making machinima seems quite simple, the final product of RvB is quite complex. Using only the first-person view of a character in the game, the producers were able to construct and achieve amazing cinematic effects with very high quality footage. In my opinion, the plot, dialogue, and cinematography in Red vs. Blue actually surpasses those of many live action films that I have seen.

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

My research addresses the factors contributing to the prevalent sexism in the MMORPG World of Warcraft. First launched in 2004, World of Warcraft’s rich graphics and detailed story lines have captivated countless gamers, promising new goals to attain, new gear to acquire and more content to see with each of its two expansion packs. In the game, the player is able to choose their faction- Horde or Alliance- their race, their appearance, and their gender. Though members of both genders of any given race are placed in the same starting locations upon creation, the player is made painfully aware of the discrepancy; starter gear looks different depending on your gender.

Wow Insider, a popular site dedicated to gamer run discussion about World of Warcraft, hosted a particularly poignant blog post by Amanda Dean entitled Opening a dialog about sexism in World of Warcraft, found here . From her own perspective as a female gamer, Miss Dean focuses on how the individual is largely to blame for the lack of “a little respect”. “As long as we do our part as ladies, we should be able to expect other stakeholders to do theirs as well” Dean proclaims, neglecting the responsibilities of Blizzard, the game designer, until the very end of the blog post. Dean similarly champions the equality of skill in female gamers, boasting that “although our armor appears to only cover about half as much as our male counterparts' it still blocks the same amount of damage” without addressing the true issue of whether or not Blizzard condones and perpetuates these stereotypes.

The affects of gear graphics and frequently portrayed gender roles in World of Warcraft advertisements and within the game will be the end focuses of my research; as one commenter on Dean’s blog post so eloquently put it:
“Like we have a say on how the armor looks on a toon? Or should it be ‘Sorry, I can't take the awesome epic loot because it makes me look like a tramp?’”
Does Blizzard intentionally create a “tramp” image for female gamers to further entice male gamers, or is it merely a question of individual men going beyond the scope off Blizzard’s master scheme to degrade their female associates? In either case, the blog entries of real female gamers about their feelings on the issue and the backlash from the largely male gaming community will prove irreplaceable in my search.

Other sources for promotion of stereotypical sex roles could be the use of oral communication software which Blizzard only recently included in game play. Numerous female gamers on Dean's blog mentioned the inability to "hide" their gender, or avoid sexism, because higher end raiding requires the increased coordination of the entire raid. To get more information on this I could potentially survey female gamers on my own server in game about their vent experiences and how their peers reacted to their clearly feminine voice.

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This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

The typical educational atmosphere consists of textbooks, teachers, lectures, studying, and exams. Each of us has experienced first hand this physical method of learning. However, over the past decade virtual worlds have invaded the “traditional” classroom and have secured a position as primary teaching tools. Educational video games that have been crafted to teach students all range of subjects have assuredly impacted the learning environment. Recently, these “learning” games have also become an alternative method to teach medicine, both to the general public and more importantly to those aspiring to enter medical fields. Yet, some of these “new” medical tools are not only influencing education, but rather the games themselves have become a platform for scientific research and the advancement of human knowledge. The creators of the online video game "Foldit" believe they have accomplished just this.

The revolutionary game allows the player to manipulate proteins. Proteins exist as long links of amino acids that fold up into a tight complex structure. Every protein has a unique, stable arrangement that it folds into that defines its function and the game offers puzzles for the player to solve that result in the correct structure. At this point, computers throughout the world can correctly predict the unique arrangement that some proteins assume. However, humans are predicted through visualization and spatial reasoning skills to be sometimes more effective at protein structure prediction than these computers.

Foldit itself is an incredibly entertaining and honestly, addicting game. Players compete to achieve the correct folded structure, which produces a high score for the puzzle. Initially, the user is taught through a variety of introductory puzzles the composition of amino acid chains, and the methods through which these proteins fold. The player achieves an educational overview of the specific science behind the puzzles. Then, the player is set free to solve much more complex situations by physically tweaking the way in which the protein folds.

Seeing the potential behind such a promising video game, Foldit has taken the next step and has allowed their educational creation to become a platform for discovery. Foldit boasts that it “enables you to contribute to important scientific research.” The game intends to include a function to design proteins and therefore new puzzles to be solved. Foldit argues that the way these new user generated proteins fold could lead to cures to diseases such as HIV/AIDs, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s as well as impacts to knowledge about alternative biofuels.

The makers truly believe that this video game has the potential to create lasting impacts. Let us hope their dreams come true and that the educational platform they have created advances human knowledge and produces solutions to many of life’s scientific mysteries.

Posted by at 09:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

For my research, I will be focusing on racism in video games and how it may be related to the evolution of the “gamer”. I have found that gamers and non-gamers have opposite opinions on whether or not they find a game to be racist. One newly developed game in particular, Resident Evil 5, has been criticized by a number of groups for promoting racial stereotypes. The game takes place in Africa, where you play as either the white, male, and American character Chris Redfield or as the African, black, and female character Sheva.

The main objective of the game is to prevent the spread of a “zombie forming” virus that has already infected thousands of Africans. Along the way you must fight off the countless hordes of zombies who want nothing but to continue the spread of the virus. Since the spread of the virus is occurring in Africa, it is no surprise that many of the zombies are black. Kym Platt, a writer for Black Looks, a blog dedicated to exploring issues dedicated to African women, explained how she felt about the game after seeing a trailer prior to its release.

“This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young... fearing, hating, and destroying Black people.”

This comment brings up so many important issues. Platt is obviously very passionate about her views. I think that anybody who has played the game would agree with me that Platt’s response to the game is an over-reaction. Without having any experience with the game beyond seeing the trailer, it is hard to make these bold claims against it. That being said, it might be unfair for me as a white male to say that Platt’s comments are not justified.

Posted by at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (48) | TrackBacks (0)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Gaming is fun, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes video games cross the line, especially when portraying women and violence in games. Two such examples of inappropriate game play are the games Rapelay based in Japan and the Grand Theft Auto series made in the United States. Both games show women being violated in virtual yet realistic worlds where the player can do whatever he wants. The idea behind the game is that you can get away with illegal behavior with no consequences. In one clip of the game Grand Theft Auto 4 found on Youtube, the player is shown driving up to a curb in a stolen car and proceeds to pick up a hooker. While the player drives wherever he wants around the city, the hooker and the main character, being played by the gamer, have an explicit conversation about what they plan to do to each other. After the player drives around for a bit, he decides to stop in a deserted back alley and the car begins to rock back and forth while noises and vulgar language can be heard inside the van.

I personally find this footage absolutely disgusting however the game has been bought by 12 million people worldwide. And who is the audience for such a game? Why 15 year old boys, of course. Because 15 year old boys are considered “mature” by gaming executives. Who else would you want playing such a wonderful game? Children, of course, who can not even drive a car or buy alcohol. Thank goodness we have marketing executives to make sure our children can do naughty inappropriate things while they are still young! But wait a minute! I was told that you have to be 17 to watch a movie that contains explicit sexual content. Oh well, who cares, right?
Anyway, I think this clip will give me a great jumping off point for my paper as I analyze the differences between the two games: Rapelay and Grand Theft Auto. In addition to looking at the game, I would like to analyze the cultural acceptance of these types of games in both Japan and the United States. Why would the United States ban Rapelay and not Grand Theft Auto? Is it the issue of rape? Hopefully by further analyzing the games and secondary sources on the psychological effects of violent video games, I will uncover the truth behind the appeal of these games.

To see the video mentioned above, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=briD0Qx5nIo

Posted by at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (33) | TrackBacks (0)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

My topic is the gap between casual and professional gamers. For the most part, only games that involve some form of multiplayer competition can be played competitively, because competition is by definition a test of skill and a multiplayer activity. Therefore, the biggest professionally played games are FPSes (first person shooters, like CounterStrike) or RTSes (real time strategy games, like Starcraft). However, many other genres of games exist. Clearly, there is some gap between casual games and competitive games. According to an article on PBS entitled “Gen Nexters Take Video Gaming to the Next Level,” there is also a gap between casual gamers and competitive gamers. The average age of a casual gamer was 33, while the average age of a competitive gamer was 21.

My topic is the gap between casual and professional gamers. For the most part, only games that involve some form of multiplayer competition can be played competitively, because competition is by definition a test of skill and a multiplayer activity. Therefore, the biggest professionally played games are FPSes (first person shooters, like CounterStrike) or RTSes (real time strategy games, like Starcraft). However, many other genres of games exist. Clearly, there is some gap between casual games and competitive games. According to an article on PBS entitled “Gen Nexters Take Video Gaming to the Next Level,” there is also a gap between casual gamers and competitive gamers. The average age of a casual gamer was 33, while the average age of a competitive gamer was 21. This obvious disparity in audience means that game designers must have a clear idea of their audience before designing their game. Quake, an online FPS released in 1996, illustrates this idea. Gamers from before 1996 who played single-player adventure games on the NES and Sega Genesis simply could not catch up with the gamers who grew up on Quake. PBS says: “Generation Xers, the early adopters of video games, watched the technology evolve from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 to the Sega Genesis in 1989. By the time online gaming first started, and as the ever-popular first-person shooters became the centerpiece of competitive gaming, they were too old.” Another interesting phenomenon with professional gamers is that there are extremely few women: PBS reports that less than 10 percent of competitors are female. Actually, game designers today are attempting to cater more to casual and female gamers by introducing games like Cooking Mama, a Nintendo DS game that allows the player to cook food. Designers believe that they can appeal to women not through competitive games, but through casual games.

Posted by at 01:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

This entry was created by a student in Stanford's Rhetoric of Gaming class. For more about the class and the assignment, click here.

Modern video game companies have recently displayed interesting business models behind their cutting edge products. The state-of-the-art software and hardware that readily entertains us today are very complex and costly creations, taking years to develop and often requiring vast amounts of funds and resources to complete. Profitability is a key term that has been brought into question when analyzing current video games systems like Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's Playstation 3 and even Nintendo's Wii.

My research topic consists of a look into these business practices, and the motivations behind the sales of video game products that turn little to no profit, sometimes resulting in losses. The scope of the research will also include the actions that these companies take in order to boost revenue considering they cannot cut production costs by much. Thus, they turn to extremely well-developed marketing strategies and rhetoric in order to promote continued sales, which in the long run offsets poor gains from high production costs associated with the products.

One such source that points out this evolving trend in poor profitability among the modern video gaming industry is an article on the BBC news website titled " Game profitability 'under threat' ". The article, written in early 2007 during the advent of the current console gaming hardware generation, points out the general topic of profitability, but also adds the "exclusivity" of games as being a counter-measure for falling profits. Certain companies hold game titles sequels exclusive to their gaming platform, like the Gears of War series for the Xbox 360, in order to promote continued sales.

There are many articles that speak of the emerging business models among video game companies that care less about profitability, and more about number of sales. However, a big challenge in completing this research is finding sources that not only address the general topic, but dive deeper into the more technical aspects, and also shed some light on the marketing techniques that these companies utilize in order to sustain sales in a certain way, despite taking losses. The topic of research will focus on the North American video gaming market in order to be more specific and consistent with a proposed argument.

Some articles to consider:

Game profitability 'under threat' , BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6397527.stm

Why most video games aren't profitable
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10106612-17.html

Only 20 Percent of Video Games Make a Profit – EEDAR
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/only-four-percent-of-video-games-make-a-profit-ndash-eedar-/?biz=1

Posted by at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

This quarter, I'm teaching a first year course called the Rhetoric of Gaming. Below you can see my students hard at work in the classroom.

While it may look like they are just playing, in fact these students were performing a group rhetorical analysis of gameplay and game design focused in on educational gaming. We have also been looking at persuasive gaming, advergaming, video game marketing, and virtual worlds/play. In fact, we are also gearing up for a possible Second Life encounter with students from Egypt, where we can mix our interest in intercultural communication with questions of identity, avatar construction, and virtual communities.

Currently, my students are embarking on their own full-length research projects. As one of the first stages in their projects, they were asked to post a blog entry on the CCR blog in which they identify their topic and then describe and analyze one source that they feel will be important for their research.

Their blog posts are listed below -- they would welcome your feedback on their ideas!

• Virtual worlds/gaming and their relation to the 9/11 attacks
  
• women and violence in video games (Grand Theft Auto)
  
• Cheating and Hacking in Video Games
  
• Avatars in MMOs
  
• Starcraft & the Korean Economy
  
• Movies based on video games
  
• Homosexuality in video games
  
• Evolution of hardware and software for video gaming
  
• Gaming emulators
  
• Machinima
  
• Sexism in World of Warcraft
  
• Educational video games
  
• Racism in video games
  
• Casual and professional gamers
  
• Profitability in the Gaming Industry
  

As you can see, they are approaching the issue of gaming from multiple perspectives -- from the technological, to the economic, and the cultural. We're very excited to post on the Cross-Cultural Rhetoric blog to get an international point of view on these issues.

Posted by Christine Alfano at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Right now, students are connecting across a 9 hour time zone to discuss the rhetorical strategies that global leaders use in speaking to different audiences. There are six small groups on each side, analyzing speeches by figures such as Obama & Prime Minister Reinfeldt, the Dalai Lama & Christopher Hitchens, Mona Sahlin & Nyamko Sabuni, Obama & McCain on gay marriage, Al Gore & David Keith & Jill Sobule. See the lesson plan here: http://ccr.stanford.edu/workshops/042209.html

Together, the students wrestled with analyzing the rhetorical strategies utilized in these speeches, with special attention to Doxa -- or the cultural values underlying the oratory -- and a particular focus on how speakers handled elements of gender, race, and religion.

For everyone who participated, we now invite you to leave a reflection on this cross-cultural encounter as a comment to this entry. In particular, you might answer some of the following questions:

• What did you think of today's activity?
• What did you learn about global leadership or ways in which leaders use rhetoric across diverse audiences (be specific if you can; share something that your group discussed!)
• How will your experience in the video conference today enrich your own research project or approach to oral rhetoric and presentation?

Here are the teams working together!

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Next connection... May 4, 2009!

Posted by Alyssa O'Brien at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Moving to the Desert
By Rina Moussa, AUC.

In Egypt, it is getting more crowded every day. This is due to the overpopulation of the city. Moreover, the inhabited areas are those that were eligible for cultivation. It was not a smart decision made on behalf of our country, to locate the housings on this land and ignoring the desert, because now we spend more money than we can afford on importing food that we otherwise could have cultivated in our own country. We are having a serious economic problem, prior to the worldwide economic crisis, which is triggered by our environmental mishaps.
Only recently did the government realize this problem: misusing our agricultural land. Why wouldn’t we use the land that is not fit for agriculture anyway for housing and industry? Then leaving the agricultural land in good shape will be possible; and save our money and spend it on something more worthwhile.

The government found a solution to this setback: moving to the desert. It wanted all housings and industry to move to the desert and leave the now inhabited and very crowded areas. Convincing the citizens to leave the homes, where they lived their entire lives, and move to the middle of nowhere, was not easy; so they had to find a motivation. First, they convinced all the major institutions (schools and universities) to move to the desert, and then they encouraged newly founded resorts and compounds to locate there. This lured people out the city and into the desert.
This process is taking a long time; but meanwhile, we are trying to fertilize the desert but this is very costly and demands more funds than we already have. This is proof of the butterfly effect; one small change in a present decision has major consequences in the future. What would have cost us some change then, costs us fortunes now. This emphasizes the importance of our present decisions and how they affect our children and our grandchildren.

Posted by American University in Cairo at 06:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Oil, a crucial element for factory engines and cars, is also one of the main factors that harm the enviromnent. When oil is spilled, it’s toxic wastes can damage fish populations in numerous rivers and oceans. Moreover, it threatens the lives of people by causing air pollution, that is created by the factories’ combustion engines, which is an inescapable impact on society. Furthermore, according to www.offshore-environment.com, some countires, such as Saudia Arabia and the United States produce 28.3 billions barrels everyday, which is a massive amount of oil that can have damaging consequences on the enviromnent.

However, the estimated amount that ends up in the oceans is “0.25% of world oil production: about 6 million tons per year” (offshore-environment.com). As a result, this amount can accumulate on the surface of the water, starts to dissolve and prevents the sunlight from reaching the plants and coral reefs as well as poisoning the fish, stopping them from the photosynthesis process and damaging the food chain. Subsequently, all the underwater plants, marines and fish will eventually die. Also, according to www.waterencyclopedia.com, when the oil reaches the shore, “it interacts with sediments” (waterencyclopedia.com) and starts to pollute and damages nurture vegetation. In addition, oil’s effect on wildlife is excruciatingly injurious. It causes “hypothermia in fur seal pups by reducing or destroying the insulation of their woolly fur” (www.amsa.gov.au). It also causes marine mammals to lose their body weight and harm the animals’ and birds’ bodies from the inside, by damaging their red blood cells, causing them to lay damaged eggs. Although oil is a very crucial liquid for machines, it is dangerous for various kinds of lives. After gathering this information, I felt a lot of sympathy with the polluted water, animals and mammals that get killed because of the spilled oil. Finally, such information causes us, humans, to feel threatened and obligated to act and to solve these issues.

Works Cited:
•http://www.offshore-environment.com/facts.html
•http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Oil-Spills-Impact-on-the-Ocean.html
http://www.amsa.gov.au/marine_environment_protection/educational_resources_and_information/teachers/the_effects_of_oil_on_wildlife.asp

Posted by American University in Cairo at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

A few years ago, in the mid 90’s Cairo’s boarders were not too far away from the River Nile, the obvious reason for this was because this is where the water resources could extend to. Cairo was large but overcrowded and after a while, the government needed to do something. Anywhere around Cairo that was not civilized by the tall buildings, homes, businesses, farm lands and water resources was just desert. The government decided to sell this land cheap to businessmen in order for them to invest in it, get water to reach out and urbanize it. One of these areas is now known as 6th of October city and is now a province.
It took several years for this area to urbanize, but has succeeded. 6th of October city has an industrial area and many of the businesses have pulled out to there. This has proceeded to building residential areas in order for people to also move out near to their work areas and live there as well. Since residential areas came to be, schools and educational institutes have also opened and branched out to this new part of Cairo. As a lot of us know, Cairo is a beautiful city and has its’ own charm but is highly polluted and has reached to an extent where it is too difficult to clean up. So far, 6th of October is being very cautious in avoiding such polluting.

Many of the residential areas here try to go as green as possible and plant trees and garden spaces around their neighborhoods. A lot of time and money is being invested in keeping areas around this area clean, around the streets there are large trash bins and rubbish trucks actually come pick the trash up! Buildings are being built to look pretty and organized. Roads are being taken care of and are much more organized and smooth that those in the older parts of Cairo. This has also minimized the traffic. This had been a new project to improve Cairo’s condition and a lot of effort is being put into keeping this area as beautiful as it. Hopefully, we can look back at it in 10 years and find it more successful!

Posted by American University in Cairo at 03:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

" I talk here about the problem of deforestation, how it is caused and how it affects our lives."

Deforestation has become an increasing activity these days. Deforestation is when people start removing forests and cutting down trees. There are several uses and causes for doing so. But there are effects to that as well, and these affects are a threat to all of us humans and other living organisms as well. This is a major problem because it affects my life now and if it continues, it is going to affect the coming generation which could include my children and grandchildren. They could suffer from loss of such resource which could make them suffer.

(Image has been removed for copyright purposes)
The first picture shows one of the ways how deforestation takes place. It is the simplest description of the problem. Through deforestation, we get the wood needed to supply us with what we want like furniture and wood used for fire. Other reason is to use this land in farming. As shown in the picture, the man driving this tractor is removing the wood and it looks like deforestation here is to acquire wood.
(image has been removed for copyright purposes)
This picture shows another way that deforestation has occurs by, which is by burning the forest down. These children are what affected me most. Their presence in the picture proves how we, as humans, suffer from the deforestation and that, although it is important to remove forest for our best use, it is important to reforest these lands once more. It shows that it is important to limit the deforestation as the children are carrying buckets that, clearly, contain water to stop the fire and save the forest. As shown in the picture, burning these forests symbolizes the burning of our source of air refreshment. These forests are the reason our air is fresh as they photosynthesis and through photosynthesizing, we obtain oxygen produced by plants of the forest, and we get rid of carbon dioxide used by these plants to carry out that process. So now, we don’t get as much fresh air as before and in addition to the pollution that is caused by our actions, we don’t get free or fresh air.
(Image has been removed for copyright purposes)

This sums up everything. It shows the two ways that these forests are removed by and it also shows the effects of that. Other effects than those mentioned before are the droughts and floods and also that most of these lands end up as waste lands. I’m not against deforestation because it is important to do so, but, at the same time we should not just leave these forests deforested. What I mean is, it is important to reforest these lands again because, think about it in that way, if we reforest, we’re going to have near to permanent supply of wood. But if we don’t do so, we’re going to run out of forests and so of wood and we won’t be able to benefit from it anymore. And that affects me as the air I breathe is not refreshed as it should be since the forests are cut and they don’t get to photosynthesis to give me the fresh air. It is going to have an effect on the environment and I might get sick from the increasing pollution in the air and the less fresh air I get.

Posted by American University in Cairo at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

In the last few years, urbanization in Egypt has increased significantly. This phenomenon is natural as Egypt is a developing country. People are migrating from rural areas all over Egypt to settle in major cities like Cairo and Alexandria. They tend to migrate because they see them as a place of hope, where everything is possible. This is very beneficial to Egypt. The fact that more people are migrating to cities, means that more labor and workforce are available for many businesses and industries. This entire process is expected to enhance Egypt’s economy dramatically.

However, Urbanization has many negative effects on the environment. In Egypt, those cities are built near the banks of the Nile. These lands are known for their soil which is rich with minerals and nutrients. Everyday more and more of this land is taken to build skyscrapers, parking lots and even streets. Egypt spends significant amounts of money to restore barren land, which consumes lots of time as this process may take decades. It would be better for investors and for the environment if they went further away from the Nile, where there is no precious agricultural land. The picture below shows how cities are expanding into urban sprawls occupying more agricultural land

Moreover, factories nearby the Nile tend to dispose of their wastes by throwing them into the Nile directly. Also, most of the household wastes and sewage water are also disposed into the Nile. Is this a smart thing to do? Especially that the Nile accounts for 96% of the drinking water supply. Another drawback is that the garbage collected from those cities is put into landfills. Landfills are very harmful to the environment as they introduce some chemical reagents that may be poisonous to the soil. Those chemical reagents may reach underground water and affect human health directly. Moreover, factories and cars that use fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases that cause global warming and pollute the air as shown in the picture below. In this picture it is shown clearly how those emissions cause smog limiting the vision.

Finally, I personally think that urbanization could be a very efficient tool if used correctly by world leaders. Urbanization may have some negative effects on the environment, but with the progress of technology we can reduce those effects and improve the world around us. However the question is what can we do to reduce those negative effects now?
Ahmed El-Ghandour AUC Egypt

Posted by American University in Cairo at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

While thinking about environmental issues with specific reference to Egypt, I remembered a trip to Aswan and the striking difference between the Nile in Aswan and the Nile here in Cairo. While this is expected because of the difference in the lifestyles between an industrialized area and a desert area, the rate of difference is astonishing.

Cairo

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dtQBMBowNV4/SFu-4bcHJXI/AAAAAAAAAsk/ZDhbYujIBco/s400/nile_cairo.jpg

This picture shows a dim day in Cairo which is quite apparent in the picture; you can see the lifelessness of the Nile and the sky in comparison to the large fancy hotels even though the Nile is the center of the picture. The color of the sky is almost the same as the Nile, a color caused by air and water pollution.

Aswan

Own photo taken on family vacation

While with this picture even though taken by me, an amateur enjoying the beauty in Aswan is the opposite, most of the picture is dark rocks however there is life in this picture and you can see it through the dark blue of the Nile moving between the rocks and the sand and the light blue of the sky. You can also see it in something which the other picture lacked, nature whether it is the rocks, the sand or the trees.

Cairo

http://www.greywoolknickers.net/wp-content/gallery/nile/Nile-02.jpg

Aswan

Own photo taken on family vacation

With these two pictures, the exact same observations regarding the color and life in them are made with one difference which is that each focus on a specific element. The picture in Cairo focuses on pollution in Egypt's main source of water, while the Aswan photo focuses on the effect of nature on the water

While looking at these pictures, you wonder what happened between Aswan and Cairo and what is causing this effect? You ask why the Nile water in Cairo goes through several purification processes while you can practically drink from the Nile in Aswan. Why is it possible for people to swim in Aswan on the shores while impossible in Cairo? The answer to all this is human intervention whether it is through industrialization, getting rid of nature surrounding the Nile, the plain ignorance of some people who throw dead animals in the Nile or all this combined.

This issue is a reflection of several issues throughout the globe; it is the same story in other places but with different factors, interventions and outcomes. We, as human, are given something beautiful and by intervening even with the best intentions we end up destroying it.

Farah Shurrab
American University in Cairo

Posted by American University in Cairo at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBacks (0)

by Liza Shokhina, Anton Nishchev

“Globalization is not the only thing influencing events in the world today, but to extent that there is a North Star and a worldwide shaping force, it is this system.”

Tomas Friedman

Intercultural communication between peoples is an integral attribute of the human society development. Not a single country, even the one considered most powerful in political and economic aspect, can meet cultural and aesthetic requests and needs of the humankind without applying to the world cultural heritage, spiritual heritage of other countries and peoples. The modern world is developing towards globalization. In this regard, the issues about the role and the place of international communication become an integral part of life both for the humankind in general, as well as for the individual.

Before getting deeper into these issues, we need to understand the way students perceive the term “globalization”. This term is perceived in a number of ways: “the unity of capital”, “disappearing of borders between nations and increasing the international division of labor”, “the similarity of values among different cultures”, “everybody and everything together”. As it can be noticed from the results of our survey, which we held our academic group recently, the majority of students find globalization as the unity in economic, political and cultural aspects. Taking this into consideration, we can conclude that international communication plays a great role in the process of globalization.

And what is intercultural communication? “In its most general sense international communication occurs when a member of one culture produces a message for consumption by a member of another culture. More precisely, international communication is communication between people whose cultural perceptions and symbol systems are distinct enough to alter the communication event” (O. Kovbasyuk). In spite of the fact that this phenomenon is being researched by scholars from the whole world for many years, it still remains timely and causes controversies and discussions. Under the circumstances we would like to answer the list of questions: what is the role of intercultural communication in context of globalization? How will the process of globalization influence the humankind? Do we take into account cultural difference while we are joining the process of globalization, or do we globalize only for the sake of globalizing?

The first aspect of our attention is that societies and communities have no choice of either to participate in process of globalization or not, but the character of their participation is shaped by specific social, cultural, economic and political conditions. This complex multi-level process of mediation between the global and local issues, being an inherent character of communication, promises to change not only the context, but likely the nature of intercultural communication. Thus, the question about the place of intercultural communication is ambiguous.

On the one hand, due to intercultural communication, nations can engage in a dialog and find understanding during the process of searching and making decisions in crisis, critical, nonstandard situations. Not to make unsubstantiated statements the recent summit G-20 in London can be given. Countries with diametrically opposite points of view on the economic crisis’s roots managed to find consensus and start working out a common approach to the solution of worldwide problems. Another example to illustrate the same point is the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, when the whole world was standing on the brink of the nuclear war. The two leaders from a communist and a capitalist great powers made an agreement, which prevented humankind from treat of death.

On the other hand, there are a lot of grievous examples when countries were unable to find understanding and to solve urgent problems and conflicts. This can be referred to the situations between Serbia and Kosovo, South Ossetia and Georgia, Moldova and Transnistria, Palestine and Israel. In each of these conflicts, opposing forces suppose they held the only right and appropriate opinions regarding the issues, and they did not want to compromise, therefore civilians suffered.

In retrospect to the previous experience of the world history, we can ask a question: “Is the idea of the “uniform” humankind feasible?” Can you imagine the situation when everyone has similar culture with similar values and similar beliefs? Maybe, in such world community, there will be no misunderstanding and obstacles in the process of communication. This would also mean the destruction of cultural diversity as a result of globalization. In such a case, the seemingly positive side of cultural destruction can be presented in the following way:

Destruction of cultural diversity →destruction of communication obstacles →easiness to find understanding and to solve problems. It seems to also provide a great impulse to the development of society in economic and political aspects

But, if we scrutinize this problem closer, we can find a big amount of disadvantages connected with this outcome. Our cultural heritage would turn into dust because “culture is communication, communication is culture” (Hall). Moreover, due to the fact that this process of globalization is done by the “upper” side (according to the will of the strongest) the opinion of individuals (national minorities) is not taken into consideration therefore resistance against globalization will increase. It casts doubt on the idea of a totally globalized world. If this problem is solved by radical measures, two worlds will be able to appear: the world of supporters and the world of opponents who will never have their place in such kind of a world.

The above given contemplation allows us to make a conclusion, that the process of globalization is permanent. Under the circumstances, the era of globalization has at least two tends regarding its cultural aspect development. On the one hand, globalization is changing the traditional lifestyles of people. But on the other hand, some adaptation and protecting functions of each culture are generated, so the process of globalization takes an extremely controversial format. Within the bounds of intercultural communication, some common values and ideals (tolerance, equality of traditions, ethics and politics of responsibility) are being formed. However, the process of creation of commonalities within communicational interaction is not always smooth. For example, such universal values as human rights, which were accepted by western scholars as basic values, turn out to be incompatible with the political and cultural customs of many eastern countries. In order to prevent such incompatibilities, countries must find points of contact in which the principles of globalization do not contradict customs and traditions of these countries. Then, as we view it, the points of mutual contact should be found. In cases when it seems impossible to find points of mutual contact, countries should demonstrate tolerance and respect to each other. In this connection we can declare that the future of humankind depends only on us and on our actions towards each other. And understanding this is one of many steps which mankind must take in order to prosper together in peace

Note: This post has been created by Global Learning students from Khabarovsk, Russia, for the Stanford-Orebro-Khabarovsk exchange. The exchange is aimed at raising intercultural competence and global awareness of students and faculty

Posted by Khvaborsk Intercultural Business Class, Russia at 04:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It was an unforgettable day, the day I saw dead animals along the canals of Cairo. My dad was driving the car when I shouted at him to stop so I can take a closer look. It was the first time I had ever seen such a horrible image in reality. There were dead horses and cows floating in the water. What was really shocking was that people passing by did not care. It seemed to me that they thought this was normal, an image that they see everyday. But this was a first to me. I was shocked and devastated that somebody would do that.

Some Egyptians are not aware of this problem and some have a lack of knowledge, which is why they do not think about the consequences of their actions. They throw all sorts of things in the Nile and in the rivers. They throw trash and animals in water they drink from. Water pollution is a major problem in Egypt, and since the Nile is the common source of drinking for Egyptians, they are getting diseases and dying everyday. Egyptians that lack the knowledge like farmers do not know what to do with a dead animal so it is easier for them to just throw it away from their plants and fields, so it won’t contaminate them. One of the major problems that happened in Egypt was at the time of the spread of bird flu. When farmers knew that bird flu can cause death, they started throwing birds into the Nile River, not realizing that this could also lead to death to people drinking from the Nile water. The disease spread into the water causing the death of many Egyptians. However farmers are not the only thing causing the pollution of the Egyptian water. Factories tend to spew their trash directly into the Nile’s water. They are ignorant of the people who are dying constantly due to water pollution.
The lack of knowledge and the ignorance of some people are causing Egyptians to die in an increasing rate .Water pollution is a serious problem affecting Egypt as a whole, and it should be addressed immediately with the outmost severity.

Posted by American University in Cairo at 03:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Egypt is a very beautiful country. My family is mostly Egyptian and we have lived in the great city of Cairo for about eleven years now and although the a lot of the time all we can see is pollution, at times, when it has all cleared up, the breathtaking view of the sun setting behind the pyramids of Giza never ceases to amaze me!

I remember when we first moved here my parents would take my brother and me to all the touristic areas so that we could really appreciate our country. We went to Sharm El Sheikh, the Giza and Step Pyramids, felucca rides on the River Nile and all the other typical touristic attractions. I will never forget when we went to Sharm, we went on a snorkeling trip to the beautiful coral reefs of Ras Mohamed. It was better than anything I had ever seen on marine life on the Discovery Chanel! Last Spring break my friend from America came to visit me and so I, of course, planed all the regular touristic sites and this time around, since I am now older and more understanding, I learnt much more about my country and culture and seeing my friend’s reaction to all the wonderful things I introduced her to made me proud to call Egypt my country, my home.

When my friend was here I took her to my beach house by the Red Sea and we took a small boat to go out into the sea and explore and not too far away from the shore we found a beautiful little reef, not like the ones I saw many years back in Ras Mohamed but still, amazing! We had to stop the boat far away and swim to the reef because the sound and movement would scare away the fish and the closer we got the more we noticed how the reef is starting to die all around it’s edges. Is it because it is so close to the shore or is it because of the factory only three kilometers away?

We became worried about the reef so we have not told anyone about it because the more attraction it gets the less likely it is to survive. Another reason why this small reef is deteriorating may be because of the rapid climate changes happening all over the world and also fishermen who just want to make money. What we can do to help prevent this reef and others like it from extinction is to take care of our environment by reducing our sound and air pollution, create awareness of the issue and living in harmony with nature.

Posted by American University in Cairo at 02:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

One of the major environmental problems happening in Egypt is the garbage that people are carelessly throwing in the streets. It has been a way of living for a very long time, and since it has been this way for so long I don’t think the citizens of Egypt really find it as a problem. It is only normal for most Egyptians to finish what they are eating and throw the trash in the street. I think one of the major reasons for why that happens is because there aren’t many garbage cans around so people just take the easy way and stick their garbage in any corner. That corner eventually builds up and moves on into the streets.

I remember when I was in school that every time me and my friends would finish a pack of chips we would throw the empty packets on the floor. Kids in school are used to doing that because they know that there is someone there to clean it up, it is their job. In one of the photos it shows garbage building up all around the garbage cans themselves because they are so full. In the other photo, shows children surrounding the garbage as if it were no problem to be living in such a filthy environment. People living in poverty have gotten used to trash being around them, some of them get their food that way.

Do not get me wrong, Egypt is a beautiful country, Egyptians do respect it, but I think they don’t know that what they are doing is wrong because it has become such a habit for such a long time. If rules were set and if there were to be penalties for littering the streets, then I think Egypt can be become a cleaner country to live in.

Posted by American University in Cairo at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

According to your Blog, you guys stated what you had felt about the waste and pollution that caused the death of Salmon fish, the huge mountain of garbage and the disturbed ocean. In response to their blog, I believe the blog’s message was an inescapable kind of message that needs to be read by all people who encourage and increase waste and pollution. Moreover, the images that you posted were not only some images that conveyed “something that depicted the problem of consumption and waste” (Amaya), but also showed your “ethical, spiritual, and moral beliefs” (Bill), which was very effectual in showing your message to the audience. Furthermore, I think that providing your thoughts about a certain image that tackled a specific pollution issue did show your seriousness for showing people the different forms of pollution and also verified your personal beliefs. Moreover, your detailed descriptions of the four different images made them even more touching by clarifying what has happened in them at that time, such as describing what has happened to the Salmon, the huge pile of garbage and the polluted ocean. Indeed, your images acted as a kind of emotional appeal to the readers. Consequently, I was very touched and sympathized with these images, which caused me to actually feel your blog’s message. Also, I think that you, as a group, were successful in posting a very decisive and essential blog, which was been posted especially to show “nature as the victim that must be protected, no longer the wild beast to be conquered, like once erroneously thought of” (Carpenter).

Posted by American University in Cairo at 01:00 PM | Permalink

Introduction:

For many years and in many ways, humans have expended a large amount of their energy in a struggle to control nature. We do our best to predict the weather and harness the wind and geothermal energy. We also spend a lot of energy preventing floods, counteract droughts, making farmland more productive and extracting oil from the ground. The human race seems bent on subduing every aspect of nature as soon as possible and does so often without thought to the consequences. At times the relationship we have with nature is one of commensalism, in which we benefit but are neither benefiting nor harming nature, and at other times, it is one of parasitism in which we are hurting our host in order to maintain our lifestyle. Unlike most parasites though, we don’t seem to know when to stop, and are pushing the control struggle to the extreme. In doing so, we often lose sight of the consequences of our reckless actions.

Acata Felton:

-From Sandy, Ut.
-studying Marine Biology and possibly Philosophy

I was 10. It was the summer before 5th grade and like almost every summer when I was little, my family and I were on a road trip. This year, we were on an adventure up the west coast of California from San Diego up through Washington. Along the way, we stopped at every point of interest, most notably for me, Monterey. In this kind of small town, on the tourist trap strip of fancy stores and trinket venders stands the Monterey Bay aquarium. Housed in an old cannery, the aquarium is a distinctive building. I wandered through the displays, feeling surrounded by an alien but inviting world. The fish swam so effortlessly compared to the effort of walking I thought, just kind of floating, suspended, whenever they stopped swimming. I went out on the decks that overlook the Monterey bay, watched the waves crash against the shore, and felt them break against the supports of the aquarium. I looked down into the turbulent water of the inter-tidal zone, and out toward the wide band of kelp, little more than a stone’s throw from shore.

I went back inside, and came upon the sea otter display. In a giant, two story tank of water, 4 sleek creatures frolicked and played. They were four or five feet long and darted through the water like a bird on the wing. They dove and surfaced, batted toys around and pawed at their fur, grooming. I was enchanted. I watched as bubbles escaped from the fur of submerged animals and the way they rolled over and over at the surface, reminiscent of a dog chasing its tail. I sat and watched the otters for almost an hour before my parents dragged me off to get lunch. I barely saw the second half of the aquarium; I couldn’t stop thinking of those playful creatures. Right then and there I decided that what I wanted to do with my life was to study otters and the kelp forest in which they live. When it came time to leave, my little brother and I dragged my parents into the gift shop, just like we had done at every other museum, zoo, or aquarium we had visited on the trip. Of course the first things we found were the stuffed animals, where we scurried around, picking up first one then another and showing each other. Suddenly my brother produced a baby sea otter, a clam shell clutched in its paws. I completely forgot what I was holding to show him next, ran over and snatched it out of his hands. I hugged it tight and turned to my mother. I still have that stuffed baby otter, and I still want to study them in their natural habitat. Any discussion or image of otters, especially in danger or hurt by something humans have done makes me incredibly sad and solidifies my resolve on my future plans.

This image is so heart wrenching for me is because it speaks to both my love of all things cute and to my personal belief in the value of the environment and the role of humans have to protect and preserve it. Perhaps as a consequence of being a girl, baby animals, especially mammals are just so adorable to me. It just breaks my heart to see any animal, but especially a baby, hurt by human action, or negligence. The position the otter pup is in is also very saddening because it is almost curled in a fetal position which is a very vulnerable position. Lying on the cold snow with nothing really around him also gives the feeling that he has been abandoned. He feels very much like the collateral damage in the struggle humans have initiated in their attempt to control nature.

And in many ways, that is the other part of why the image is so powerful for me. It shows that he really has been abandoned by humans. We have known of the damage that oil spills in the ocean cause for a long time. And yet we have done so little to try to prevent them. Even if this particular spill could not have been prevented, it still feels like some lapse in human vigilance that it occurred. Somehow the pup being alone gives me the feeling that humans are not paying any attention, not trying to clean up the spill or prevent new ones. It fills me with sadness at the disinterest and carelessness of the human race. The carelessness comes from a brash view about the world and its ability to take whatever we throw at it.

Jacqui Yu:

Conclusion:
It seems to be the instinct of humans to dominate whatever they are surrounded by, including nature. In many ways, this has benefitted us immensely. We have overcome many limitations to our inhabiting new areas and have built new technologies to ease our lives. The one major drawback to all of this is the blindness that comes with the desire to dominate. We insist on ignoring the consequences of our desire to control. We don’t want to face the sad truth of what we are doing to the delicate, beautiful aspects of nature in the process.

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Authors:

Rebecca Castro
Charles Amaya
Janet Bill
Natalie Carpenter: Hoopa, California

Blog Introduction:

The overarching themes of our group are pollution and the environmental consequences of technology and consumption. The four pictures effectively utilize pathos to evoke environmental sympathy. Each image touches upon the dangerous consequences of today's material world and overconsumption. The pictures collectively promote a sense of environmentalism by showing the direct effects of this materialism on nature, from animals, to the ocean, fish, birds, and the landscape overall. Man's direct influence on the destruction of nature is evident in the photos of the oil spill, the tractor driving over the rubbish heap, and the mountain of trash topped off with the construction hat. The photo of the stream lined with dead fish is similar in that it is the result of a manmade dam and has created an uninhabitable environment for these fish, which have a very significant cultural importance to the Native American community in the surrounding area. Each photo connects man to nature and portrays nature as the victim that must be protected, no longer the wild beast to be conquered, like once erroneously thought of.

Natalie: Description of photo (salmon)

In this image there are at least 20 salmon washed up on the shore of a river dead. Two of the fish toward the middle of the photo have torn skin from which their pink insides are showing. There are big fish along with a smaller fish and there is a smaller fish in the bottom right corner on which I can see the salt and pepper sort of pattern of it scales on its skin. The larger fish right next to it in the middle of the photo has a hooked sort of nose and I can see its little teeth. I can also see on the skin that is not torn, where there would be the same tiny speckled pattern, it appears that the scales have been rubbed off so it looks more grayish. The visible eye of the large fish in the center of the photo is either blackened or missing, while the little one next to it has a grayish dulled look in its visible eye. One of the fish more toward the background looks rotted and it appears more mutilated than the others along with the other large fish in the middle. All of the fish are lying on their sides with one fin underneath them and one fin up in the air, and all of their mouths are open. In the background, there are dark green trees and a misty sort of fog along a river bend. The rocks under along the shore are a mossy greenish brown color, and some of the fish have some of this substance on them, giving them a filthy appearance. The river is calm and there are no visible rapids, and this creates a glassy mirror-like effect so that there is a reflection of the trees visible.

Natalie: Personal beliefs behind the Salmon image

My image speaks to my cultural and spiritual beliefs, as well as my moral and ethical beliefs because it is an image of salmon, which is a sacred animal in my culture, and this sacred animal is lying dead along the riverbed. These salmon were photographed in the summer of 2002 when the Klamath fish kill happened in which, 68,000 Chinook salmon died mainly due to the dams along the Klamath that created low water flows and toxic algae growth in the water. This unfortunate event happened in my area and so it had a huge impact on me. I am sad that people would continue to block and divert the water even when it has been made extremely obvious that the effects of the dams are harmful to the environment, by the protesting and lobbying that has been done by members of the tribes that were impacted. The salmon are eaten by the tribes of my area, and are also thought of as sacred beings so we hold ceremonies to pray for the well-being and return of the salmon along with other sacred animals and foods every two years. These salmon are also a staple food for the tribes fishing in the Klamath and the Trinity river tributary, and in a place with high rates of poverty, when a staple food item is no longer accessible, the people become even more disadvantaged and there have also been higher rates of people getting diabetes. As a person who cares deeply about the well-being of my people and of the Hupa way of life, the death of so many salmon, cuts deep into my conscience and thoughts. My culture is who I am and when a piece is damaged or removed, I am damaged or a piece of me is taken as well. I know that it is wrong for people to stand by and force the extinction of a species just for profit, the issue now is getting others to realize that this is wrong so that we can work together to fix it.

Rebecca Castro: Description of Landfill

A piece of heavy machinery operated by a man in a neon green/yellow vest plows over a giant heap of rubble. One cannot tell the actual size of the mound, but the tops of a few very dark green trees can be seen peeking out in the distance to the left. A retaining wall emerges to the right in the photograph, but very little is visible behind the massive pile of garbage. The garbage itself is very colorful and seems to either have decayed a lot or is mixed with a fair amount of dirt, ashes (gray dirt?). No single piece of this trash can be identified as an object used in daily life but is small and jumbled. The tractor is climbing over the pile and disturbing a multitude of birds. These birds are mostly all seagulls and there is black bird perched on a wooden pole on the right. The birds are circling the rubbish pile, mostly around the tractor. The sky is slightly dark, cloudy, but it is daytime because there are hints of light behind the clouds and snatches of yellow in the bluish/purplish sky. The birds cannot be distinguished from the waste on the ground and add to the jumble and confusion of debris littering the forefront of the picture. This picture is taken on a horizontal, with the scrap pile weighing down the front third, the tractor, birds and trees making up the middle third, and the birds and sky as the top third.

Rebecca Castro: An experience my image reminds me of

When I look at this picture, it reminds me of a trip I took last summer. I was a new, incoming freshman to Stanford University and I had signed up for Native Retreat, which was a kind of pre-orientation trip with other incoming Native American freshmen to the Marin Headlands above San Francisco. One day of the trip, we took a walk to the beach and the sight of the beach will forever be ingrained in my memory and was the most prominent image I recalled when I first looked upon this picture. The sand had a few different zones, some areas had fairly soft, fine grained sand while others were purely comprised of small pebbles and rocks. There were many small shells, broken bits as well as whole ones and lots of strands drying kelp. However, what struck me the most was that the beach was littered with trash and as we walked, we realized that what we were seeing wasn’t just the careless beach goer’s waste, but mixed in with the debris scattered everywhere were dead animals. We saw countless rotting jellyfish, corpses of birds, fish, and even a dead seal. The ocean view was spectacular. The waves were calm and small, gently rolling in, rocking the dead seal on the shore in its wake. It was late afternoon, so the sun was setting over the water and the sky was deep orange, red, yellow, and purple. It was a slightly cloudy day, slightly chilly, and we ran around, taking pictures, climbing on the rocks, pushing each other off of a log that had come in with a heavier tide before. We wore our shoes, even though we were at the beach and in the nice sand, so as not to step on the dead jellyfish or accidentally touch the rotting birds and fish. The beach was small and didn’t seem to be a site of heavy tourism or daily activity, seeing as it was located a pretty good distance from the main tourist attractions of San Francisco and the sand wasn’t ideal for scrunching between your toes. Also, the water, as the Pacific is known for, was cold and the day was less than sunny.

We left as dusk settled in.

This memory comes back when I look upon the picture of the tractor driving through the landfill because I recognize that landscape of trash as similar to that of the beach, though much more extreme in the photograph. I notice the beautiful sky and the birds, and how when looking at the ground in the picture, you can’t tell if those shapes are garbage or dead animals.

Charles Amaya: personal experience connected to my image (mountain of garbage)

One day around the end of winter quarter, I walked out to Lake Lag, having not seen it since fall. The last I remember, it was covered in light brown, thistly growth looking dry and dead. We walked across it one night, and I could hear the dry plants crackle with each step I took. To my surprise, as my line of sight passed over the hill approaching the lake, I was greeted by lush green and the sparkle of water. The once-dry lake had transformed into an actual lake. I found a spot on the slope facing the lake, got on the ground, and propped my head on my backpack. I pulled out my laptop and began to work on my IHUM final. There was a group of children playing close to the edge of the lake, while their caretakers were lying on their stomachs on beach towels tanning. A group of ducks was wading in the lake, occasionally disappearing below the surface of the water to grab whatever they were feeding on. The sun was hot, but pleasant, filtering through the trees above me. The wind was cold in the shade, so half my body lied in the sun. The lake was the most beautiful thing I had seen in a while, and that it lay hidden to me in a way for so long added to the allure. I tried to take a picture of this whole scene with my laptop’s webcam, but the sunlight was too bright that the screen just showed a blinding white glow.

I got up, since I was not getting much work done, and walked down the path around the lake back towards my dorm. On the way, one of the garbage cans was tipped over, and garbage was spilled across the path. I remembered a picture of an overflowing garbage can from a seminar I attended that cited the problem of garbage at Lake Lag. I remember thinking back then that this was an exaggeration, as I had never seen overflowing garbage cans, or garbage for that matter, around the lake. Today was different. I wondered how the garbage can could have tipped over. Did someone bump into it? It would have been pretty hard to accidentally run into it since the can was off the path. So I guessed that an animal was likely responsible, most likely raccoon, since the raccoons here are huge and I had seen one perched on a garbage can before. I walked around the garbage and went back to my room.

Charles Amaya: personal beliefs and values

My main focus when choosing this picture was to find something that depicted the problem of consumption and waste. I wanted something that reflected my perception of how immense and apparently insurmountable this problem is. Waste, as I currently view it, is something that is intrinsic to the current human condition. Everything that we as a modern, industrialized world do produces waste. From construction, to food production, to the clothes we wear, every aspect of our lives contributes to this pile of waste. And many of these things we deem as necessary for survival. Thus it will require a dramatic shift in the way we view the process of producing things and a re-evaluation of our relationship to earth’s natural resources in order to reduce waste. At this current rate of consumption, it does not seem as if this lifestyle will be sustainable.

I feel that each generation has a responsibility to leave a sustainable world for the next generation. Thus the entities responsible for production that use up the earth’s finite resources have a responsibility to do so with an eye towards the future. And it boils down to the individual who consumes these products to make responsible choices that are not detrimental to the environment. How this can be done, I do not know. It is an ideal that I continuously fall short of in daily practice just by participating in the routines of daily life. I once heard a speaker say that one should not consider the earth’s resources to be running out because there are a multitude of sources that have yet to be tapped, such as solar, wind, water, and other renewable sources. It should be a goal of our generation to discover new ways of producing energy to sustain our way of living and reform the production process in order to eliminate the effects that are destroying our world.

Personal belief of Photo: by Jane Bill

My Image speaks to my ethical, spiritual, and moral beliefs. Ethically I believe that we as humans have a responsibility to our natural world. Humans should not be drilling into the earth and plundering it of its natural resources. In the picture a person can witness the oil spilling into the ocean and that person can only assume the amount of devastation that it caused to the marine habitat. Ethically as humans we should feel an obligation to protect all creatures on this earth and thus far we are ignoring the needs of other animals. Pollution needs to be stopped and since this step seems to be out of reach, pollution needs to be contained. Spiritually this picture captures the negativity that in habits our earth. The scene does so because of the destruction and feeling of death that is in the essence of this oil spill. The destruction that the picture holds comes from witnessing the oil expanding into the water and knowing that the oceanic environments is contaminated. The feeling of death spawns from the thought of knowing that innocent animals have been harmed or killed by the oil spill that mankind has allowed to happen. Morality streams through both of these concepts and therefore this oil spill picture captures the morals that mankind needs to adapt so that we can find a solution to our problem of pollution.

Global significance: By Janet Bill

The oil spill represents the battle between mankind and nature. It does so by displaying how the actions of humans can endanger the beauty and significance of nature. For example, the oil spill displays how the technologies that we as humans have created break down and have drastic consequences to our surrounding environment. The observer is able to assume that the oil spill has severely damaged the oceanic environment. One assumption is that the natural flow of the ocean has been disrupted because the oil is mixed into the salty water, which makes it heavy and less able to flow in its natural current. A second way that this incident endangers the environment is by harming or even killing the animals that live in the ocean. This disruption of the natural food chain has drastic consequences for the animals in the ocean but also for humans that rely on certain fish to survive or for business purposes. Furthermore, the idea of pollution and ethics are closely intertwined in this image. These two concepts are intertwined because an observer of this image begins to think about different ways that humans have endangered the environment and can possibly resolve the problem of pollution. Some people may observe this image and first think about how much money is being wasted instead of thinking about how much this oil spill is endangering the oceanic environment. Due to these ignorant and money obsessed views environmental concerns such as pollution are being pushed to the back end of some government and humanitarian agendas. Pollution being a lack of importance to some politicians has made it a global issue because we all have garbage and therefore it is our moral obligation to try and come up with a better and more ethical solution to our global pollution problem.

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Rutger Rosenborg- Although I am of Swedish descent, I was born in Guatemala where I lived until I moved to San Diego, California at the age of 3. I am interested in Biology, Psychology, and Literature and this is my first year here at Stanford University.

Lily Dinh- I have lived the major part of my life in Georgia on the east coast of the US and am very excited to experience the west coast. I’m interested in pursuing business and/or law and also have a penchant for Latin and the classics.

For centuries, humans have strived to establish their dominance over each other through wars and conflicts. As long as they have been doing this, they have also been trying to conquer nature, to make it less threatening to them. With these attempted conquests, there has always been collateral damage, and there has always been a victim. Mankind often overlooks this fact, and is often ignorant of the dire consequences that our actions have on our fellow humans and our beloved earth. By understanding the loneliness and sadness of those we victimize, it offers us a new perspective that is important to acquire in order to acknowledge and change the way we, as the human race, carry ourselves in the world. Only then can we reduce the detrimental effects of our actions.

Rutger:

The dark colors and shades give the whole picture a dark and ominous air, a sense of impending darkness and a feeling that the shark is utterly and terrifyingly alone. Were it not for the rays of sunlight, the whole picture would be completely black. Yet the color created by the sunlight is still not inviting. It is grayish/greenish and not the typical brilliant blue that we so often associate with a thriving ocean. It is interesting that the cage is right on the brink of the darkness, indicating that if it were lowered anymore it would be forever lost in the blackness of the sea. Inside the cage there is a great white shark, a notoriously ferocious and threatening beast that is arguably the greatest predator of the sea. Surrounding the cage are three divers, who are very ominously dressed in black and wielding long spears, which are aimed directly at the shark. Yet the shark’s nose is still pointed up towards the surface, towards the source of sunlight, showing the promise of some kind of hope.

On a general environmental level, the shark represents nature as not only wild and untamed, but something that we are afraid of. By putting it in the cage, we are trying to tame it, to control it so that it is not threatening to us, so that it doesn’t impede on our perceived dominance of the world. There is also the specific relationship with sharks and humans. It is a critique on human hunting practices on sharks. There is an ironic inversion because humans are typically the ones in the cage looking at the sharks. Here, the humans are made to take the place of the sharks. It is a reversal of perspective and the viewer is made to feel scared by the humans and compassionate for the shark. This is effective because of the emotion it evokes in the viewer. It makes us re-evaluate our practices with and against nature, shedding light on the fact that mankind’s obsession with dominance has grave consequences on nature.

Humans are generally afraid of what they can’t understand. Our society is so ordered, and we are so sure that we are the center of Earth, of existence itself, that anything that contradicts that is deemed illogical. If something threatens this order, we can’t handle it, so we become scared. We can’t cope with the fact that we may not be the ultimate “chosen” being, that everything may not be under our control. So what do we do? We try our hardest to control the uncontrollable, to rein in our fears of the unknown, and prove our superiority and dominance no matter the consequences. Our bloated egos cannot handle defeat. It is the ferocious strength of the uncontrollable, the natural world in particular, that could shake the very foundations of our understanding about what it is to be human. Though we have managed to subdue and control nature with our technological and societal advancements in order to preserve our traditional views of humanity, it has produced disastrous results. We keep poking and prodding at nature, reaffirming our control, but it can only take so much before it crumbles. Then where will we be? It is time to release nature from its cage. It is time that we assess our actions and the consequences they have on our world by altering our perspectives and understanding the repercussions of our actions by looking through the eyes of our victims.

Lily:

The child in the image is distinguished from the other humans in the room in several ways. Each distinction between the child and the other people in the room marks an important message to the global audience. Firstly, the difference in age represents the devastating potential of knowledge. The victim in any given situation tends to be the one with less knowledge. The child knows little about what has afflicted him and how to handle the situation. On the other hand, the medical staff appears to be in control of the situation. However, their lowered heads and blurred faces foreshadow knowledge of a bleak end for the boy. While knowledge is not always negative, the misuse and abuse of knowledge can also be a dangerous weapon.

Another striking difference in the child and the medical staff is the exposure of the child. The contrast in the medical staff’s white attire to the boy’s tan nude body highlights the thoughts and emotions that define the essence of being human. The image captures the child’s vulnerability and thus everyone’s vulnerability that exists underneath our layers of clothing. All of the other robed humans in the room symbolize the mechanization of mankind and how humans can easily be desensitized. Once humans have joined a community, such as the medical community in this example, they adopt certain characteristics of that community and abandon others. The uniform white jackets remind the people wearing them that they are not merely humans, but that they have a specific role to fill that requires emotionally removing themselves from their patients. If something as simple as putting on a jacket can separate the thoughts, emotions, and goals of humans from one another, how do we unite as humans to prevent victimization of humans by both other humans and by nature?

Finally, the juxtaposition of the clarity of the boy’s features to the medical staff suggests that we should focus on what is real and raw. Even in his vulnerable state, where his ribs are showing and his pure emotion is evident, the image of the boy is still beautiful and more thought provoking than those in the background. The goal of preserving and advancing mankind is not about the race for knowledge or about becoming more systematic as humans. Instead, it is about nurturing and focusing on the human identity that unites us all. We must consider the consequences of our actions and in our progression, who we are ultimately victimizing by our decisions.

This image invokes emotions of fear and sadness in me. My fears originate from considering the pain and agony that mankind can bring upon themselves. The child in the image is suffering because of a product created by man- Agent Orange. While this is just one general case, there are multitudes of other inventions that man has created and actions that man has taken that solely serve a negative purpose. I find it neither ethical nor judicious for mankind to utilize these types of inventions if they ultimately aim for the preservation and advancement of mankind.

The image is also very sad in an ironic way because we are able to see that only the source of the destruction (humans) are able to handle the repercussions of humankind’s actions. The child in the image is suffering due to an invention of man, but now must turn to man for help. Even so, science and technology can only do so much once nature has taken its course. I feel that the face of the child reminds us of this continuity in time and nature. While man may try as hard as possible to interfere with nature’s course, in this example using technology to end a person’s life, nature will continue to fulfill its function despite this interference.

Closing Remarks and Questions to Consider:

In the struggle to survive, humans have victimized nature and other human beings. However, to disregard the potential consequences of our actions is to do a disservice to mankind as a whole. An exploration and understanding of the unknown and those who are victimized can reveal a new perspective to our evaluation of where we fit into nature and how to effectively conduct ourselves within nature and with other humans. While we have shown that we are a force to be dealt with, it is important to remember that our span has only been a short one compared to nature’s long history on this earth.

- Which victim arouses more sympathy- the child or the shark? Why?

- Both images have the same general layout (victim as the focal point outnumbered by surrounding people), but with different victims (nature vs. man). Despite this difference, do these layouts portray similar messages?

- Who has been more victimized by the actions of man: man or nature? Do these victims have a voice? If so, how do they express their message?

- What differentiates the victimizer from the victim? Is it their intent, motives, actions, or something else? Who or what decides if these attributes are right or wrong?

- How are technology and knowledge linked to the relationship between mankind and between man and nature?

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Authors:

Harjus Birk. Redding, California. Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience major.

Gianni Maize. San Clemente, CA. Computer Science major.

Entry Introduction:

In today’s fast-paced society, we see mechanization taking command over nature in an attempt to overpower and dominate the natural world. Humans have developed the mindset to industrialize in order to improve efficiency, but often times we do not recognize that as a result of our efforts to advance we actually harm the purity of the environment and thus take a step backwards. Our individual images of the Grand Canyon Skywalk and the Human Population Growth Chart are similar in that they help reveal the influence of egocentricity in today’s society. Let’s stop for a second and consider the fact that, though we know our most common daily activities pose a constant environmental threat in the form of landfills, over exploitation of natural resources, etc., we continue to practice environmentally harmful behaviors. We are most definitely affecting the ecological systems that sustain our food systems and yet we do not take initiative in stopping those behaviors before we can only regret our past decisions dreadfully. The backwardness of such a mentality is obvious. It seems that our inherent and all absorbing fascination with the human capacity for discovery has led our race to neglect our direct environment, as we continuously push industry, globalization, and resource exploitation. Our race incessantly tries to prove human dominance over nature and other species, as evident through the construction of the Skywalk and increased mechanization. The desire to advance represents our insatiable desire for universal mastery, and raises the crucial issue of preserving the environment and preventing further destruction of the purity of nature. We must remember to cherish the natural world and environment because it is the world we are going to leave behind for generations to come, and thus humans must judge whether attempts for advancement outweigh the adverse consequences, such as pollution and destruction of the ozone layer. We feel that simplicity is key because often less is more, and this is why nature has been so successful in its entirety as a result of its balance.

A Detailed description of the SkyWalk Image (A practice in rhetorical analysis)

The Grand Canyon Skywalk is illustrated in this picture. First of all, the clouds are white and puffy, and the sky is a peaceful blue hue. We can see the beautiful canyons and their stratigraphy (layers), and the dominant presence nature takes in this setting. However, we also see the Skywalk, which is extended on top of the canyon: the vertical extension contains unnatural-looking stone, and also has windows in the middle of the structure, which one would not expect in a natural setting of canyons and cliffs. The horizontal structure is a walking pathway which sticks out past the canyon: this looks very out of place and aberrant. Also, the greenery that the construction people added to the extension looks so unreal and unexpected at a site where only the stone color and layers make up the canyons. The people walking on the Skywalk look tiny compared to the vast size and height of the cliffs, and the pathway sticks out like a sore thumb in the illustration. The size of the Skywalk is so little compared with the canyon it is built upon; this is evident because the shadow of the walkway is seen on only a tiny portion of the canyon, which is naturally very immense and elevated. Also, from this depiction the walkway looks unsafe: it appears to be very fragile and looks like it might suddenly snap off at any moment. The majestic presence of nature is juxtaposed with the deviant man-made Skywalk structure.

A personal Experience (Harjus Birk) associated with an image (Grand Canyon- Skywalk) *See Images

It has been my family tradition for the last five or six years to visit the Grand Canyon every summer: to my family it represents the graceful beauty of nature and the complexity of Earth’s structures. The first time I went to the Grand Canyon with my family was about the Summer of 2002, and I recall being amazed when I looked at the vast presence of all the canyons, which looked so perfect and had stunning layers. I remember how tiny my family looked compared to the Grand Canyon in our family pictures, and was always afraid that there would be an earthquake and that I would fall down into the deep valleys! This was a testament to my naïve adolescence. When I visited the Grand Canyon National Park I also felt that it was perfect and that nature reigned supreme.
The reason my family fell in love with the Grand Canyon and always came back every summer was because we felt it was a site so impeccable and that nothing about it could be improved. I always used to question my parents as to how the park officials made sure everyone was safe when touring the park, and they always responded that “everything was in balance.” This made me so happy that I looked forward to my family trip every summer. This pattern continued in the summer of 2003, summer of 2004, summer of 2005, summer of 2006, and summer of 2007. I did not visit the Grand Canyon in the 2009 summer as I instead went to visit my grandparents overseas. Nevertheless, during around the summer of 2005 my parents informed me while we were on our way to the Grand Canyon that a project was being pursued where a glass-walkway was going to be built as an extension of one of the canyons. I remember repeatedly asking why because I did not understand why something so pure and natural needed any sort of addendum which might affect the balance of the canyons. We came back the summer of 2006, and also the summer of 2007, which was when my family actually walked on the Skywalk. I was happy to see the great view and size of the canyons via the Skywalk, but remember telling my parents that I thought building the Skywalk was a major mistake. I told them that it looked awkward and out of place. This was an experience that I will never forget, and ever since I have been interested in continuing to visit the Canyons.
Thus, the image reminds me of my experience at the Skywalk - at first glance when I went in real-life it was so new that I was excited to walk around on it. But as time went on I grew to recognize that it actually spoiled the pure and genuine beauty of the Grand Canyon. This illustration helps me remember why I arrived at this opinion: because the Skywalk looks so aberrant and powerless compared to the dominance of the Canyons.

An Explanation of which personal beliefs or values a particular image speaks to (Gianni Maize-Population Growth Curve image) *See Images

Considering the image and the personal values it speaks to in particular, the belief I find is appealed to the most is my idealization of behaving in accordance with a ‘precautionary principle’. That is to say, I believe that on both the individual and the collective scale, the human race has the inherent need to consider the consequences of their actions, and to thereon act accordingly, before actually acting. I hold that this is especially true for those actions that can be deemed significant in terms of the potential direct and indirect effects on local, national, and global, human health, natural ecological systems, biodiversity, and overall well-being. Furthermore, I hold that in acting, ‘we’ should be prepared to remediate for failures in action and to pursue immediate alternative paths in a manner that exemplifies deeply-rooted sense of moral and ethical responsibility and stewardship. The logical reasoning for this ‘precautionary principle’ is founded on the basic personal philosophy that “with great power comes great responsibility”. With our potential for discovery, as a race, humans have the task of also knowing when to unleash this potential, and when to quell it. This is quite contrary to the mindset displayed by the text bubble in the image “I think I can…I think I can…I hope I can…I really hope I can…Man, I hope I can…” where the basic idea is that humans, instead of first establishing the limits of this world’s food systems, are pushing the limits of worldwide sustainability until we run into a problem. Only until the train can no longer move forward will it actually stop, and then roll backwards as far as is necessary.

An analysis of the rhetorical devices employed by the author of a particular image (Population Growth Curve) *See Images

The basic concept of this image is simple; the further the train goes, the steeper the curve gets, making it so that eventually the train will be unable to keep going, or will slip significantly backwards down the curve. The text bubble, or the train’s thoughts, indicate the train is not even sure he can continue forward movement, and that progress is based only on the flimsy hope that it might be able to keep going. To contrast this uncertainty with the valuable load its tugging elicits a paradox. Logically and ethically, the train should stop moving. Its load is extremely valuable, being the basis for global sustainability, and therefore should never be put at risk of a crash. Yet the forward movement is incessant, and is insufficiently substantiated by the blind notion of ignorant hopefulness. From here we can see the symbolic importance of this image, and infer the quintessential attitude in which this image is grounded. The idea conveyed by the image in this manner essentially becomes “don’t play with fire.” With a supremely high chance of consequence the author would most likely say it is extremely naïve to push the world’s natural systems (which are extremely invaluable and irreplaceable resources for life sustenance) to their limits with great uncertainty of the results. The basic view is that we should not acquiesce to our own self-condemnation and should redress for our current behavior, now.
Implicitly, this message begs the question of how to actually address such a mentality as is satirized by the image. In turn, this brings up a concept of individual responsibility to others. Should individuals be held accountable for large-scale issues that they are only at fault for by a fraction? And should individuals thus be held responsible for actively minimizing their contribution to local issues that typically interconnect to form large-scale global issues? These are the types of questions and issues raised by such an image as this one.

Closing Statements:

Overall, we feel that human beings must find a balance between egocentricity and simplicity in an attempt to foster a natural environment. For example, the Grand Canyon Skywalk has disrupted the natural balance of the canyons and is a direct contrast to the natural aspect of the canyons, as the Skywalk is built out of unnatural metal. The issue of preservation of nature and maintenance of its purity is a global concern, and we would like to learn more about how people in Cairo help protect natural sites, such as the Nile, presumably an invaluable resource in Egypt. How is it that technological advances in Cairo have resulted in a step backward rather than a step forward? Also, to what extent can simplicity be attributed to as a solution to human egocentricity? Answers like these will help us relate our preservation and environment-protection views on a global scale!

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Sarah Kaewert
- From: Boulder, CO
- Academic Interests: Literature, foreign languages, ecology
- Outside Interests: hiking, camping, rowing, music

Shannon McClintock
- From: San Diego, CA
- Academic Interests: English (Creative Writing and Gothic Literature), Mechanical Engineering, Law (Criminal)
- Outside Interests: Piano, Acting, Singing, Community Service (Rotaract), Soccer, Running

Human Exploration and the Quest to Understand Nature -- and Conquer It

The images we have chosen explore the concepts of superiority, dominance, and the search for a symbiotic relationship with nature*. Mankind consistently seeks to explore, comprehend, *and conquer nature. We are interested in exploring the pioneering sense of mankind both upon the earth and in the cosmos. *Geographically and intellectually there are so many ways for the human race to grow and learn more about the environment we live in. This is a very important issue, since mankind’s desire to conquer the earth threatens its resources, whereas simply sitting back and not exploring the earth and space can prevent important advancements and discoveries from being made.

This image speaks to my inquisitive nature and appreciation for perseverance. The image is somewhat mysterious in subject matter and composition, which challenges the viewer to question what exactly it stands for and asks him to look at himself and assess how he fits into the image. It asks the viewer to look at taking risks, pioneering new intellectual and abstract ideas. This introduces the idea of faith to the viewer. Will he accept the idea that what is drawn on the page is real, or exists in some form since it appears in the image or is he skeptical since it is in fact a drawing. If he does believe that the image has some truth in it, then does this mean that there are other similar mysteries in nature like the black hole which are not drawn but still exist.

The image also inspires humility. Since it is so difficult to understand and place in the context of everyday life, it has an element of the wild, which the viewer cannot conquer or control. For the viewer to admit that the image has some sort of truthful value in nature is to admit that he cannot be absolutely in command of nature. The contrast between control of nature and an allowance for it to exist is a common theme brought up when discussing the relationship between science and nature. This image epitomizes the issues which arise: human desire for control and a sheer force of nature to create awe. It creates a jumping off point for inspiration. Perseverance, faith, humility, control, all of these ideas are married together in this drawing to create something which looks like fiction, but might actually exist. I cannot look at it without the itching desire to go and discover it in nature, or at least research more to find out what I can learn about the image, its creator, and other mysteries that I encounter in my life.

This image challenges the viewer and challenges society. It implies that humanity does not know and understand everything that exists in nature and is far from having control over the earth it inhabits let alone the cosmos. The lines are smooth, patterned, and controlled, but branch out in ways that imply the captioned object is untamed. Also, although the shape of the object is clearly a vortex, it is not made of any clearly identifiable objects or materials, hence it cannot be easily classified as an earthly object. The black background completes the picture of mystery, lacing the foreground of the image with a cloud of uncertainty and fear.

The image is not entirely an unsettling commentary on human dominance and superiority over the elements. It also addresses the issue of intellectual advancement. Will the reader simply look at the image as a sort of “pretty picture” or will he embrace the fact that it introduces themes that are of a pioneering nature. Like an image showing untamed frontiers of the wild American West, this image of a black hole establishes space as the newest land to explore and possibly conquer. Again the black background appears as an endless field of mystery and possibly wealth in the corporeal and academic sense. While much of the world is scrambling to maintain or exploit the resources available to mankind upon earth, this image asks the question if there are more available beyond the horizons and if so, what is humanity doing to explore and exploit them.

Finally, the image can also be read with religious versus scientific significance. It reawakens the creation myth debate and with it asks the reader to decide who or what the original artist of the black hole is, and whether the universe is a product of an omnipotent being, or all-encompassing process. Furthermore, the black hole challenges, or perhaps reaffirms the lack of control that the individual has over his own life and the information he receives. Almost all of the information released about space objects is controlled by researchers or the government. Should society be asked to present a united front on its views of the universe, or is it a matter of personal beliefs? The black hole becomes a rallying symbol for the human race to find commonality in species instead of specific beliefs, nations, languages, or cultures by introducing a much wider and different world which mankind has hardly begun to see and explore.

- Shannon McClintock

To me, this photo embodies the human urge to challenge nature wherever we can. This means we try to climb the tallest mountains, dive to the bottom of the ocean, and even fly into outer space. Not only do we pit ourselves against geographical features and our physical surroundings, we challenge our bodies to new feats of endurance and speed, and constantly broaden the reach of science and technology in terms of genomics, engineering, weapons, and many others. We always have to push the limits.

This constant refusal to be satisfied is causing problems already. We hear all the time how we are dooming ourselves into oblivion if we do not change the way we interact with nature on a global level soon.

This picture speaks to my personal belief that it is possible, or it will someday be possible, to live symbiotically with nature. By this I mean that I think there has to be a way for us to benefit from and appreciate nature, but also give back to nature or at least not damage it so the relationship will be a benefit to both parties. The picture shows nature looking pretty wild. It’s true that humans have left a mark on the land in the form of a trail, but it’s a narrow one that was designed to cause minimal impact on its surroundings. The hiker is clearly enjoying himself and being in the outdoors. I think it’s a good example of humans benefitting from nature, but also nature benefitting from humans, because trails such as these are engineered to protect the environment, while still letting us enjoy it. Think what we could do if we planned all our interactions with nature to do the same.

It seems to me as humans we’re the stewards of this planet and so it’s our responsibility to leave it the same or better as we found it. Since the arrival of the industrial age we haven’t been doing the best job, but I think it’s wrong to wallow in guilt and pessimism because we’re learning more every day about the effects we have on the environment and starting to make (slow) progress.

So the photo I chose not only illustrates the human instinct to conquer, but it also is hopeful because it shows that there can be a sustainable balance between people and nature. On a larger scale, our most recent presidential election has shown that pollution and energy issues are more important to our country than they have been before. This is also cause for hope, because it’s a step in the right direction. If we can turn the massive momentum of humanity away from the direction it’s been headed environment-wise and spin it around to work toward sustainability and balance with nature, I’m convinced that the same drive that brought us here will take us to our new goal. So there is an upside to our need to dominate our surroundings: I think the same instincts that played a part in causing us to make this environmental mess are the same ones that will keep scientists and ordinary people alike focused on these problems until we find solutions.

-Sarah Kaewert

Final Thoughts

These images inspire. Whether towards exploration, conservation, intellectual advancement, or natural awareness, both pictures present uplifting looks at the world which reveal its potential for beauty and its vast resources which have barely come near to being understood and appreciated by mankind, but they also illustrate a side of human nature that poses a threat to the environment. Despite the conflicts that may arise from studying the themes of dominance and the contrasts between humanity and nature, they both portray a sense of harmony, which is hopeful. Overall, they ask the viewer to carefully consider what role nature and also exploration have in his life, but still present an image and future of hope, where nature an man have the opportunity to work together towards betterment.

Questions

- Do the ends justify the means? Is exploration important enough that it should take precedent even over the possibility that the earth’s resources are being used and abused? Is it important enough to protect the earth (and potentially even the cosmos) such that mankind needs to focus less on expansion and instead look towards understanding nature before using its resources?

- Are these images academic or spiritual? Do they celebrate intellectual growth or question beliefs?

- Is it possible for us to turn our drive for exploration in the right direction (environmentally speaking) and change the way we live in relation with nature?

- If it is possible, do humans have the determination to make the changes that could be made?

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

On every scale, humans have always been fascinated by looking at nature, whether through our own eyes, the lens of a camera, or by complicated imaging techniques like x-ray crystallography. Why are we so drawn to nature? Perhaps it is its incredible elegance and beauty. In many ways, nature’s elegance lies in its delicate balance of simplicity and intricacy. The minimalism and cleanliness of method by which all genetic information is communicated is truly awe-inspiring. The complexity of many of nature’s devices is simply astonishing. The sophisticated symbiotic relationships in nature certainly put human civilization into a new perspective. Are we attracted to the continually intriguing arrangements of nature that leave no inefficiency while maintaining an incredible diversity of life? Or is it the visceral emotion evoked by nature that continues to inspire humans to look closer? Certainly nothing can compare to the sheer scope and wonder of an image of our entire planet. Perhaps we keep coming back to nature for its ability to soothe and to shrink our problems into perspective by its utter magnitude.

Whatever the reason, it seems that humans will continue to find new ways to view the world around us. Now let us take a closer look at some familiar images from the natural world and further explore the meaning beyond what the first glance reveals.

Taken during the Apollo 8 space voyage in 1968, Earthrise is the first photograph of Earth to be seen by humans. Rising above the pale, lifeless cratered surface of the moon is our planet appearing small and fragile in the distance. In the inky darkness of the vast universe, it emits a bright glow displaying a swirl of white clouds intermixed with the rich blue color of the oceans. The Earth looks like a child’s toy---as if it could be cradled in one’s hands and tossed about like a small ball. In contrast, the moon’s surface stretches endlessly and appears icy and barren. Due to the position of the lunar cycle, the spherical shape of Earth is shown only halfway illuminated with the bottom fading into total darkness.

By: Safiyyah Abdul-Khabir

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This image portrays a simple scene of a sun setting over the hills, and the simplicity is shown to be essential to balance the relationship between humans and nature. By showing a limited amount of manmade objects in a beautiful nature scene to objects that respect nature, this image suggests the relationship between humans and nature should be kept pure and simple for the preservation of nature as a whole and the benefit that humans can receive from such scenes as this.

The nature in this image portrays a sunset over the hilly land in Hood River, Oregon. The nature is layered; from the immediate grass and shrubs near the bench to the pine trees and finally the tree covered hills in the background. There is little impact from humans, perhaps a farm on one of the hills. The sunset, romanticized for its beauty, illuminates the branch of a tree overhanging a bench. The abundance of greens and the pale sky also makes the sunset stand out for being the brightest color, the simplicity allowing the beauty to be more noticeable.

This image only contains two manmade objects, the bench and the bucket. The bench has a sense of innocence in that although it is manmade, it is unobtrusive and not destructive to nature. It is built and placed in this spot to enjoy and observe the beauty in nature. One does, however, take advantage of the resources in nature by sitting and watching the sunset but in a simple and pure way. It is not using nature as a space to place our waste but as a way to decrease the waste in our minds. The bucket hung in the tree, is perhaps a makeshift garbage can revealing the two manmade objects in this image to function to respect nature and keep it clean.

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This image reveals my belief to live simply. In the words of Henry Thoreau, “Rise free from care before the dawn, and seek adventures. […] Grow wild according to thy nature. […] Enjoy the land, but own it not.” A simple life not only is better for the environment, but it is better for mankind. To sit on a bench and observe the land, or better yet to sit on a log, and also explore one’s own mind is a valuable and educational experience. I always need to read my own books, and do my own things outside of the institution of school for my own education. I cannot point out exactly what nature has to offer that is so valuable, only to point out that I could not have the same experience in a busy shopping mall. I doubt anyone in a shopping mall is concerned with the nature of their being in that moment while they are busy looking for things to buy and consume and complicate and decorate. Nature is simple and pure and allows you to simply live without the society-imposed pressure to make a living. The relationship between humans and nature does not involve ownership, or it should not. One does not own a piece of land that one lives on; rather one lives wherever one is in that moment of time. I believe that humans are a part of nature, but their complex lifestyles remove them from it. We are the only species I can think of that tries to build bigger and fancier houses to keep nature out, while the birds have built simple nests for all time and continue to do so.

By: Cassandra Carroll

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I believe in the interconnectedness of all things. In western culture, children are taught to live by the “golden rule” of treating others the way they'd like to be treated. In Buddhist doctrine, the idea of karma describes how one's good deeds and interactions with others actively shape past, present, and future experiences. In the movie Star Wars, the universe is united by a metaphysical and ubiquitous power “the force”, whose energy the characters can harness and channel. Whatever its title, I believe that there is an energy that connects all life forms; no creature is fully alone or independent, and each action inevitably affects the life around it.

I first came to this understanding of the world as a nine year old at summer camp in the Sierra Nevadas. I realized that the earth has a pulse, and this energy is the basis of all altruism and mutualism. When a human does something to improve the energy around him or her, they inherently improve the energy within themselves. This is not solely an abstract, spiritual concept, but in fact the foundation of many interactions between all life forms. In fact, evolution selects for and gives rise to countless mutualistic relationships. The ant-plant symbiosis depicted by this photograph is a prime example of species working together. The plant Verbenaceae secretes nectar in excess, which the Peruvian ants then eat to nourish themselves and their young. In return, the ants are faithful protectors of the plant. They prevent insect herbivory by biting and driving away caterpillars and other insects on the plant. The ants also shred other surrounding plants that may be a threat to the Verbenacceae. They even attack and bite large herbivores that disrupt their plant.

These companions of nature have a symbiotic relationship based on balanced mutualism. Human interactions are also about helping one another. When people upset the balance and take more than they give in a relationship, symbiosis is destroyed. Likewise, if we abuse our relationship with nature, we will inevitably pay for it by losing advantages the harmonious relationship brings. However, when humans work together in reciprocal coexistence with nature, combining strengths and celebrating our common energy, dynamic progress is made possible.

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Plant-animal interactions are the foundation for the vast majority of dynamic ecosystems in nature. The coevolution of species in these interactions is a large driver of biodiversity. Plants provide necessary nourishment and shelter for animals, while animals help with plant regeneration and shape species diversity and composition. However, in the past one hundred years, deforestation, human infestation, and poaching have reduced the fauna, large and small, in countless natural ecosystems. The loss of these species can have profound effects on an entire interconnected system, not simply one species directly affected by humans.

In our everyday lives, most people do not directly observe or acknowledge the intricate webbing of natural ecosystems, let alone appreciate their delicacy. If one does look closely, however, it becomes evident how precious and awe-inspiring nature truly is. Something as small as an ant can play a major role in in the life around it. If an ant species goes extinct, a plant that relies on the ants' protection may also die, which could affect large mammals that eat that plant, which could potentially destabilize the ecosystem of an entire forest. Despite its small size, the ant plays a key role in the world and is made from the same basic genetic material as any human.

Improving our understanding of nature and the complex interactions within it is important not only for the sake of conservation biology in itself but for the greater good of our own human species. While it is often easy to separate ourselves from nature, we too are part of a complex global ecosystem. Phenomena like the current changing of our climate are direct results of an imbalance in what is meant to be a symbiotic relationship with nature. The solution to these problems, I feel, is to truly take a closer look at nature and its wonders and humbly acknowledge that we too are a part of this delicate and intricate web of interactions of the world.

By: Kelsie Pombo

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A grey circle sits on a plain background of lighter grey. There is no color, only shades of black and grey. Two dark ellipses mark the poles of the circle, and the faded outline of a diamond shape is visible inside the circle spreading from the poles. Inside the diamond is an area of lighter grey, and inscribed in this area is the silhouette of an even paler circle. The image grows increasingly lighter as it proceeds towards the center, and the lightest point of the image is a single small circle of white at the very center of the larger grey circle. The white is outlined by black and framed with small black rectangle and two small black triangles on the sides of the rectangle that point horizontally away from the center. Radiating outward from the white center is a faint cross that spreads to the boundaries of the diamond silhouette. The cross is not solid, but formed by small spots of darker shade. There are four spots in each arm of the X, darkest near the center but becoming progressively lighter towards the boundary of the diamond. Formed of primary shapes and without color, it has an understated elegance. The beauty of DNA derives chiefly from its simplicity.

I do not brag when I say that I grew up in a very scientific setting. In fact, it was something that I disliked for many years. Both my parents are professors of biology, and I spent many weekends of my formative years in labs. Instead of coloring in coloring books, I decorated autoclave tape. While my classmates were watching TV and playing video games, I racked pipette tips for my mother, earning a quarter for each box I finished. I never heard my parents complain about their bosses, but I heard plenty about grants and papers. Before I even understood what a grant was, I grasped that this mysterious word represented stress and anxiety. I can remember few occasions when my parents discussed politics over dinner, but highly technical scientific conversations were commonplace. Growing up, I particularly resented these discussions that left me completely out the dialogue. Today, I recognize this background as the root of my interest in biology, but for much of my life I felt no pride in it. As soon as I realized that there was something that set my family apart from others, I resented it. I was especially bitter that my parents’ profession that meant that they worked almost constantly and had few free weekends, and so swore that I would never become a biologist.

My freshman year of high school, something changed when I started taking biology in school. Every lesson unlocked new secrets to me. When I learned a new concept in class, something I remembered my parents discussing suddenly made sense, and now my parents’ conversations helped me understand new things about class material. To be sure, most of what they said still went over my head, but I could understand just enough to give me a taste and make me want to learn more. Everything my teacher told the class somehow fit into an orderly space in my brain, next to everything that I had absorbed over fourteen years without even realizing it. I was making connections I never knew I could, and it all made sense. I had always done well in my classes, but I excelled in biology. When I realized that the majority of the classes I wanted to take were in college were in the biology department, I resigned myself to majoring in biology and following in my parents’ footsteps.

Rosalind Franklin’s Photo 51 represents many of the qualities that I love in biology, and that finally led me to realize that I did in fact love science despite our rocky beginnings. It’s simple elegance epitomizes what I think science should ideally be. It shows the central dogma of life as something neat, orderly, and precise. It can be qualified, quantified, and it makes sense. Most importantly, it explains how nature works and gives me a new way to view and understand the world around me. And above all, it reminds me that science can and should be as beautiful as the natural world it illuminates.

By: Emma Sedivy

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Below by: Safiyyah Abdul-Khabir

Before the Apollo 8 space voyage in 1968, never before has any human ever seen the entirety of Earth. We’ve seen the grey polluted rivers drain into the oceans, the grime and crime of the cities, the numerous global conflicts on TV, but it was only until this photo was taken that we were able to fully view and appreciate the planet we live on. Its unique beauty and fragile presence in the dark universe captivated us and made us take a closer look at our lives. We became breathless and shocked as we realized everything that had ever happened—every war, every life, everything that had ever meant anything in the billions of years of Earth’s existence—had happened on this small, delicate planet.

This now famous photograph was taken during the height of the Cold War—an intense battle that dominated international affairs for decades. In the same time period, tension in the Middle East had escalated into the Six Day War and the world was also still reeling from the high-profile assassinations of Martin Luther King, Malcom X, and John F. Kennedy. Then a single photograph came along and made us stop for a moment to truly contemplate our existence. Should we be taking better care of our Earth, our only home? Why is our majestic planet being dominated by violence? What exactly is our purpose in life? Our problems usually mean the world to us, but in those few moments of viewing our little planet for the first time we realized how insignificant and purposeless our problems truly were compared to the sheer magnitude of the universe.

As our perspective of our world changed, we gradually began to shift the focus away from man. We realized we weren’t that powerful after all and our dominance might just be a temporary illusion. Inspired by this photograph, Earth Day was founded in 1970 and became a movement to motivate the masses to cherish our Earth. Following afterwards in response, a slew of legislations passed in the 1970s including most notably the Clean Air Act, the Water Pollution Control Act, and the National Environmental Protection Act which established the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

This iconic photograph has undoubtedly caused a profound change and allowed every one of us to take a closer look at the intricate simplicity of our lives and the planet we live in. At first glance, this place we call home may seem simple. However, when one zooms in and takes a closer look at the incredible natural phenonomena that our planet holds -- the peaceful sunsets, complex species interactions, and precise microscopic details of life -- one cannot help but appreciate that Earth is our home.

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This collection of images shows the impact of greed and consumption in our society. The processes of human consumption have led to the pollution of rivers and air, the destruction of wilderness, and sometimes, unwittingly, the destruction of entire towns and cities. Sadly, this destruction frequently occurs in low-income communities around the world. These photographs and the stories behind them are explicit illustrations of environmental racism, socio-economic discrimination, blatant disregard for the environment, and the severe impacts of climate change on the world, but primarily and disproportionately, on the poor. Unless these issues are acknowledged and confronted, those in a power to do so will continue to exploit the environment and those who do not possess the power to resist.

Ana Miller-ter Kuile
Rural Southern Colorado

The Story of Summitville Mine

What is the Summitville Mine?

The Summitville Mine, deemed a Superfund Site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a shocking example of the immoral destruction of nature driven by man’s greed. Galactic Resources, the Canadian mining company that began mining at Summitville in the 1980’s, was not even extracting enough gold from the mountain to make a profit. Yet, they continued to extract ore, tearing down half a mountain and polluting the water of the Alamosa River. The company was careless, with little concern for environmental impact, even allowing one of the liners on a cyanide heap leach pad to tear, releasing cyanide into local water and soil. When the mine declared bankruptcy, they left the mine site in ruins. Mining debris and the horrible memory of the mine and its environmental impact was left in the hands of the people of the Alamosa River watershed, who have attempted to hide the memory by planting trees and waiting for their river to stabilize.

Gold lust has led to wars, genocide, and ruined environments, like at Summitville. The destruction of nature at Summitville demonstrates the greedy mentality of many corporations and individuals that nature is there merely for our use. The horrible misconduct and carelessness of the mining company exposes a mentality of greed and consumption without thought for protecting natural environments or the future consequences of the destruction of nature.

Summitville Mine also exposes a sad truth of environmental disasters in the world. It is too often the poor and disenfranchised communities of the world that are the most greatly affected by environmental disasters. Galactic Resources, a huge corporation, entered the community and began to mine. The people of the Alamosa River watershed were not warned of the potential environmental impacts of the mine. They weren’t even offered jobs. The community doesn’t have the monetary means to reclaim the mine site and restore it to a natural landscape, so the evidence of the exploitation of the community remains today with the bald mountain and the dead river that flows from the mine.

Documenting a Dead River

Bouncing down the dusty dirt road. The windows are rolled down. Dust fills the back seats, and we yell at Dad to close the window. Winding up the mountain roads, climbing through dry lowlands into the more lush coniferous forests of the mountains; from piñon trees in the foothills to aspen and Douglas fir in the higher mountains. Mom stops the car, and we all pile out. She grabs the water sampling kit and heads toward the river. First she samples the oxygen content of the water and the temperature. She calls out information, and I write it down. Stunter Campground, June 4, 2008. Water temperature 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Slightly cloudy, air temperature 68 degrees Fahrenheit. She wades through the rushing water back to the shore. We sit down to eat a tuna sandwich, listening to the reddish-green water of the river. We all get back in the car and get out about two miles downstream, at where the main river meets Whitman Fork. Whitman Fork should be called “white water fork”. The water that runs from this tributary looks like milk, unnaturally creamy, staining the rocks a chalky gray color. On rainy days, when lots of pollutants from the mine upstream get washed downstream, the pH measurement can be as low as four. Whitman Fork drains from Summitville Mine. I look downstream a few feet to where this water mixes with the main river. It looks like milk being diluted into a stream of chocolate. We get back into the car again and head toward Jasper, where we repeat the process of testing temperatures, oxygen, pH. Jasper was a mining town in the 1800’s, where over 500 people lived in the hills and made their living digging for gold. Now there are only a few cabins, and the road is closed in the winter because of the snow. In the hills above Jasper, I can see where intrepid miners staked claims, dug out some dirt, and left a pile as a reminder of their presence. Again, we get into the car. We pass Terrace Reservoir, the green of the water contrasting the red of the dirt. Green from copper, red from iron. There used to be fish in this water. The water used to be blue. The dirt used to be brown, with little flecks of gold in it. Now the gold is gone, and the dirt is red and the water is green. The pH used to be normal, around 7.5. Now it’s 5.5, or 6 on a good day. The water kills the fish, and it also hurts the farmers that depend on it to water their crops. Culverts and sprinkler pipes have to be replaced every few years because the acid eats the metal. We stop at Gomez, the last sampling station on the river. As I watch Mom wade out into the water, I wonder if her efforts to monitor the water will make a difference. I wonder if the river will ever come back to life; if there will ever be fish swimming in blue water here.

Tricia Sataua
American Samoa

A Lost River: The Fate of the Citarum River

The polluted view of the Citarum River is a disturbing example of human disregard and neglect of the environment. During the past several decades, the rise of urbanization in Indonesia has led the Citarum River to its fate of becoming one of the world’s dirtiest rivers. A severely polluted river, the Citarum River is no longer a safe place for fishing; instead it has become an unpleasant source for domestic waste. The increase of industrialization over the past several decades led to an increase in the number of corporations and huge factories built along the banks of the river. Many of them have used the river as a garbage dump, pouring textile treatment chemicals and other hazardous waste into the river water. The thick layer of debris covering the water is the result of the lack of appropriate garbage dumps in the area and very poor waste management. The Citarum River used to play a crucial role in the lives of millions of people who live in the basin of the river. The river used to be an undisturbed canal where villagers caught fish and collected clean, fresh water. Sadly, even though the river is incredibly polluted, villagers still collect the dangerous water to drink and use it for other domestic uses, such as bathing and washing clothes. Low-income communities who live around the river can longer depend on the Citarum River for fishing. Instead of fishing, people search for domestic products that can be sold or traded. The carelessness and greediness of the factories who are far more concerned about gaining profit than preserving the environment have placed the health of millions of people at risk, jeopardized the wildlife, and threatened the living of poor fishing families.

In today’s society, mankind plays a crucial role in the destruction of the environment. Although each class in society contributes to the destruction of the environment, those who are in power play a major role. The story behind the Citarum River gives an example of the negative effects of urbanization and industrialization on low-income communities around the world. Millions of people who live in third world countries are victims of the exploitation of the environment by those who are in power. The image represents the tendency of man to gain power, control, and wealth, without any consideration of the environment and the quality of the life of others. The image illustrates the point that technology and its advancements are not worth the price of the destruction of nature and the eventual destruction of man. The destruction of ecological systems and environmental pollution can directly lead to the destruction of mankind. Millions of people who depend on the Citarum River for water supply are at risk of waterborne diseases. The lives of these poor, disadvantaged communities are at stake.

Ayana Wilson
New Orleans, LA

Hurricane Katrina Must Not Be Forgotten

http://www.katrinadestruction.com/images/v/new+orleans+flood/

Hurricane Katrina in one frame

This is a photograph of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, LA in 2005; the sight captured was quite common throughout the lower ninth ward in New Orleans. At least six houses are submerged in water from the resulting floods of the hurricane and in the middle of the photograph there is a small, residential rescue boat that appears to be looking for survivors that might be stranded on floating pieces of wood or on rooftops. In this particular picture, the rescue boat seems to be heading towards two people, a man and a woman, who are sitting on top of a roof to bring them to safety. Perceiving the enormous depth of the floodwater is quite easy: the greenery present in the picture consists of the tops of trees; one of the trees appears to be completely submerged except for about a foot that is above water. In the very middle of the picture there is a telephone line that has been destroyed and is close to falling over. Even though there are only six readily ostensible houses in the photograph, more houses that have been completely submerged in the water are just barely perceivable beneath the surface upon second look. All of the houses on either side of the street in the picture are positioned right next to each other, creating the illusion that the street which they line is very narrow and that this area of the city that used to be was poor and overcrowded.

The Implications of Hurricane Katrina

Few people realize that the poor areas of New Orleans, which are also the predominantly African-American areas, were polluted even before Hurricane Katrina killed thousands of people, displaced millions of New Orleans residents, and wholly transformed the area into a toxic wasteland. The 85-mile stretch from New Orleans to Baton Rouge was home to many African-American communities, as well as 136 petrochemical plants and six refineries; because of the massive amounts of pollution and environmental degradation caused by this cluster of industry, the communities that comprised the area were named “Cancer Alley.” Resulting from greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent climate change, Hurricane Katrina was an unnatural disaster that disproportionally affected poor African-Americans in New Orleans who were already the victims of the environmental injustice and racism that forced their communities to also accommodate industry of this type and magnitude.

When the levee system failed and New Orleans was submerged in floodwaters, the Superdome became a refuge island surrounded by several feet of water and polluted by oil and debris. Conditions inside the stadium unnecessarily continued to diminish - at least two people died inside the Superdome within the first 36 hours. While much of New Orleans lies below sea level and is consequently structurally vulnerable to hurricanes and floods, governments at all national levels neglected to undertake requisite precautions to mitigate risks and ensure efficient and effective evacuation procedures. The levee system, which is crucial for a concave city like New Orleans that is surrounded on three sides by water, had not been rebuilt to withstand a Category 4 or 5 storm before Hurricane Katrina hit even though there was sufficient meteorological evidence that indicated that such a storm would inevitably occur in the area.

The situation in New Orleans elucidated three critical, national issues: the undeniable reality of climate change and subsequent environmental disasters; the gross economic inequalities and disparities that persist in this nation and highly correlate to race; climate change’s disproportional impact on the socio-economically disadvantaged, which comprises a majority of the racial minorities in this country. The environmental and economic vulnerability of people of color and poor communities because of environmental racism and other facets of environmental injustice were the fundamental causes of Hurricane Katrina. The areas that were completely destroyed were the lower ninth ward, a community of poor working class, mostly African-American homeowners, and the New Orleans East area, composed of mostly African-American professionals and business owners. Because the magnitude and destruction of Hurricane Katrina were undeniably the results of decades of governmental neglect, deeply-rooted racism and the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, the tragedy was an assessment of how the nation will react when confronted with the deadly impacts of its disregard for the environment on those whom it has routinely marginalized and exploited through environmental racism and injustice.

Final Remarks

All three pictures capture instances of stories that resulted from forms of environmental injustice. We ordered our pictures in this way because we believe that they create a type of visual crescendo and that the stories of discrimination behind them chronologically increase in explicitness, outrage and dismay. When organizing our thoughts and feelings about our pictures and the overriding themes, we spent much of our time meditating on the connections among environmental discrimination, climate change, the widening socio-economic disparities in this nation, the egregious greed of Wall Street, capitalism, and the current global economic crisis. We wondered if the divide between humanity and nature, between men and men, and the exploitation that underlies both divisions has finally reached a point beyond which it can no longer continue; if in our time we would be able to effectively confront the aforementioned issues and repair the divisions that alienate man from nature and man from himself. We urge you to consider such questions as well.

Posted by Carolyn Ross, Stanford at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Members:

Name: Birth Place: Academic Interests:
Michael Fanfant: Seattle, Washington: Economics/ Computer Programming
Christina Feng: Vienna, West Virginia: Ecology/ Geology/Conservation Biology
Ilias Karim: St. Paul, Minnesota: Literature/ Computer Programming
Kelly Lacob: Woodside, California: Human Biology/ Creative
Ben Jensen: Las Vegas, Nevada Engineering/Archaeology
Writing

Theme:

Our blog examines many aspects of forces of nature: from an anthropocentric lens that investigates human power, to an ecocritical one that focuses on our relation to our surroundings and how force exists inherent in nature. Our collection of images is a narrative that interrogates the role of force at the level of the individual, the society, and the environment. From the well-defined musculature of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man to the deflated and decaying corpse of a poached elephant, violent forces shape the world around us. Our individual written segments tells our personal perspectives on our theme. Each were written separately, but put together here they establish an important dialogue in today’s ecological discourse.

Images and Discourse:

Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” is a drawing of an idealized man standing circumscribed in a circle and within a square. Each limb is simultaneously portrayed in two positions. In one position each limb is spread apart from its opposite limb. In the other position, the arms are positioned horizontally and the legs vertically. These limbs are partitioned by lines which are located at each limb’s greatest joints. His fingers are extended and the palms are opened towards the viewer. His left feet are turned outwards and his right feet point forward. The man is facing the viewer. His muscles are well-formed and his body is hairless except for his pubic region and his head. His curly hair falls just short of his shoulders. His face is expressionless.

The man standing in the center of the circle and the square characterizes the essence of anthropocentrism, a product of man’s ego. As a species, our foremost concern has always been to first secure our own needs and then try to achieve the mastery over ourselves and the world circumscribed about us that Leonardo Da Vinci’s perfect man embodies. Our interest in the ecosystem that we exist within lies at the perimeter of our consciousness.

Our ego and incredibly self-conscious nature is nothing to be ashamed of. Man’s incredible consciousness has allowed him to maintain the fragile quality of life he requires in many places around the world. However, we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Mother Nature. Ayn Rand might argue that it is selfishness is the most central of human virtues, but it is damaging the environment that we need to exist.

The time has come for us to outgrow our childish attitudes. We are not the center of the universe, and our actions effect the world around us. Humanity is a clumsy child that has outgrown its playpen and risks hitting his head on the undersized playset. Nature is a struggling single mother on welfare who can’t provide for her poorly-mannered brat son.

I think my image speaks to my desire to succeed. My desire to achieve everything I put my mind to. I think it this is the most powerful aspect of the picture. With Muhammad Ali standing tall and proud over his opponent, I get the impression that with strong determination you can achieve anything. As far as cultural beliefs, I think that the picture brings up the question as to whether or not our society is all about the short term. Do you we substitute short term gains for long term prosperity? I think in this picture it is saying that the short term gratification is all we can strive for. We should constantly strive to satisfy ourselves with short term happiness. My personal belief is that I can do anything I set my mind to and this picture makes me believe that is true. His belt says “Everlast” and to me this statement just further invokes the thoughts about greatness and success. When I look at this picture I feel invincible. I feel like no one has the power to stop me and I think this basic feeling is invoked throughout humanity. Personally the thought of invincibility is not something I usually think about, but when I look at this picture I no longer feel as if I can die, or have flaws as we all know humans do.

I think this photo also plays to the fact that humans have all the power and skills to achieve anything. They can conquer the world and there is nothing or no one more powerful. I think this statement brings into question as to whether or not there is a higher being such as God. I do not know whether or not this is true, but judging from the picture I would say that, there is nothing more powerful than the human ingenuity, power, and skill in certain situations. This might not be more apparent than in a boxing ring. The question it leaves me with is whether or not humans will one day be able to control nature or whether nature will leave us behind and continue to rule the world. To this day this picture conjures nostalgic thoughts about the past, about achievement, and pride. These thoughts are continually present on the global stage because every nation wants to “be the best”. I think the concern over human success and achievement, is relevant today especially between the major world powers such as U.S.A., Russia, and China. These countries continually compete in a dialog across the globe that tries to establish their superiority to one another. I believe these countries, their people, and especially their leaders have a belief that they are “the best”. I think this picture is so successful and memorable because it plays to this perfectly. The photo allows people everywhere in every county, no matter how rich or poor to have faith in themselves; to believe that they can achieve anything. I think this basic human desire to rise up and gain for themselves what their parents never had is something that is portrayed perfectly by this photo. This photo firmly establishes the connection between human achievement and power.

I think that nature is a beautiful thing and that the complex organisms that inhabit this planet epitomize that beauty. I believe that there is a moral as well as an aesthetic justification to protect those elements of this world that should remain to some extent untouched. When looking at this image of an elephant carcass, I feel a deep sense of loss, not only for this individual’s life which was lost to poaching, but for the thousands of similar acts that have already occurred and are yet persisting. However, I don’t think that my reaction is unique. Much of the power in the image comes from its ability to cause us, the audience, to feel personally responsible for the act; the landscape is desolate, the colors muted, and at the center of the entire work is an image of human destruction. Considering the recent history of the environmental movement, it is likely that many people today feel that issues like global warming and increasing rates of species extinction are being greatly exaggerated.

But in this one picture, we find cause to reflect upon reality. Seeing photographic proof of the death of an animal –the elephant-- that we have been taught to practically idolize since childhood, shatters the ideal of permanence, of all-powerful and enduring elements of nature. Instead, the image shows us that we must confront a darker reality not only through its subject but through the way in which it is presented. As said before, the picture’s focus—a decomposing elephant corpse—is itself very powerful in conveying the destruction of a great species. But, its surroundings also help to tell the story. The plants in the photograph are the only living organisms, and even they are blackened against a backdrop of overcast skies. The image is, in its entirety, grey; desolate; dying.

Portraying the bleak aspect of human interaction with a “pristine” wilderness is obviously the main message of the image. However, it may seem strange that this one instance contains so much power in the face of the problem’s magnitude. Hundreds of thousands of elephants may have been indiscriminately killed over the course of many decades, but the picture of just one somehow speaks volumes on their behalf. Even more, it can be seen to represent the unimaginable impact of humans on the entire range of Earth’s species. The significance of this is the ubiquitous reaction of people from across the planet to this kind of destruction: the consequences of our actions are profound, but equally so is the way in which this picture may reach a global audience.

There are, however, many angles that the photograph fails to address, one of which is hopeful. While the picture is meant to inspire a sense of impending doom, not everyone is out with a gun attempting to rid the world of its elephants. People can be both the problem and the solution, and for every victim of poaching, there is some person working to prevent future deaths from occurring. What’s more, there is the complication of why it is that people poach. It is easy to assume indiscriminate greed, but what if poaching is the only source of livelihood for people that need to provide for themselves and their families? Once the problem is identified, there is hope for finding a good solution.
Finally, I think that the only real fault of the picture—strange as it may sound—is that it only shows one image. The nature of any such issue is, after all, multi-dimensional, and while this one idea may be expressed very well, there are other stories to be told before the full story can be understood. We are, in a sense, forced to confront a grave reality and then additionally to face the resulting wave of questions that it raises. The answers to some of them may come from the missing images, some from the ways in which they interact, and some may not exist. But at least there is some comfort in knowing that there are images like this one that can put us on that path.

I took this picture from inside my dorm room in the spring term of my senior year of high school. I first noticed the empty nest on the ledge in the fall, and was excited when I noticed a robin repeatedly checking it out one day. Two days later she laid her first porcelain, baby blue egg. I started researching everything I could about robins, their life and reproductive cycles, and prepared myself for the birth of “my” four chicks, expected in 12-14 days. This picture was taken mere hours after the first chick hatched, while the mother went to collect food. I love the intricate details in the woven construction of the nest, and the contrast between the natural construction and the expanse of man-made brick-and-mortar wall looming behind it. The wall rises strong and imposing on one side, the painted, black window ledge creates a perfect nook for the nest to rest on, and slight shadows hint at the overhang above, covering the nest from spring rains and mid-day sun. The two new, pink, featherless, and sightless chicks huddle for warmth as the third yet struggles to break free of its shell. The babies are fragile, vulnerable, and brand new additions to this wide, wide world… The next day while I was in class a hawk attacked and raided the nest. When I returned the nest was disheveled and any indication my chicks had ever been there was gone. The mother robin never returned.

To me, this image represents the imperfect harmony that exists between humans and the rest of the world. I am not a religious person, and I don’t believe in much besides science, but I do believe that there is a connection between all the elements and beings of the earth; that we are all codependent in our coexistence. The world is full of beautiful beginnings and fresh starts, but these developments are unstable and unpredictable. Like for these robin chicks, an amazing future can stretch out before you just to be stolen and erased in seconds, as when they were snapped up by a hawk less than 24 hours after hatching. Things do happen for a reason; the hawk’s chicks were fed that night because the robins were exposed on their man-made roost… There are intelligible forces driving all actions and occurrence. It may be an imperfect balance, but the important fact is that it exists.

Man has been endowed with many additional abilities that nature knows not, such as the power of reason and the power of intellect to create and add to that which he has been given. More often than not though, it seems that he only hurts or hinders rather than contributes to nature. Man is not inherently good or bad, but it is within his nature to want too much, to take too much, and to feel too much… Nature is like a child, naïve and innocent; she doesn’t understand why every day more trees are taken from her forests or homes from her creatures. She doesn’t grudge us our mistakes, and seldom lashes out through freak weather or natural disasters. Yet in her own way, she is more ruthless in her taking; it is only a matter of survival. When man takes, he often feels guilt and he belatedly tries to make amends, even though this sometimes causes more distress rather than ameliorating what has already been done. There is certainly a balance between man and nature, but I’m not sure I would call it by some trite label such as “the circle of life.” It seems more appropriate to call it, perhaps, an arabesque of life. An arabesque is an assembly of repeating shapes and designs that together constitute an unlimited pattern symbolizing the infinite, chaotic nature of creation. That is the relationship between nature and man: an infinite series of forces and reactions, defined by nature only as survival, and always examined and critiqued by man as something inexplicably more.

From Google

This picture is of the great Lakota Sioux warrior and Leader Big Foot after the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.

When I look at the picture of a frozen Sioux man in the snow there are many personal beliefs and values it speaks to within me. This picture brings out a bunch of concepts: hatred, disillusionment, misunderstanding, carelessness, vulnerability, assimilation, manifest destiny and much more. Coming from a family who is part Native American I have a certain belief about these situations in the core of me. My ancestors died in similar ways, by similar people all in the quest of moving west as a nation. They were driven by misunderstanding, greed and hate. Morally, It speaks to my philosophy of treating each person I meet as an individual as much as possible. To remain as color, race, sexual orientation blind as possible and just get to know someone on an individual level be for I judge them. This speaks to the provocation of white misunderstanding and the lies about how “savage” and uncivilized these Native American people were. Culturally, this picture is a symbol of and ending and eternal altering of a way of life of a people. Soon they would see assimilation, boarding schools, slums called reservations, alcoholism, drug addition and McDonald’s as their new way of life. What little culture that they fought for and resisted to neglect despite so many assimilation tactics, is now facing apathy and disregard. For the few that still remember and understand the pain their ancestors endured to ensure that they walked this earth, this is disheartening. It is natural for culture to change and evolve, but there are some realms of human nature that seem far from normal in nature’s natural order.

Whoever took this photo did it in a deliberate fashion and wanted to invoke a deliberate reaction. I think it is important to note that what increases how disturbing this photograph is, is the inclusion of the horse and 4 men in the background who do not seem to notice or care about the dead individual. It is natural for human’s to have some type of sadness, reverence or deliberate distance from the dead, but complete ignorance or deliberate ignorance seems unnatural for human being and I believe that is the root of why this picture is so disheartening. It seems that the photographer had some kind of connection to this dead man or to his people and did not hold the same views of the men in the upper right hand corner. This was not necessarily a scientific or celebratory photo of a great Indian hunt or of collecting the remains of a culture thought to be going extinct in the 1890s. Another question is why did the photographer pick this individual? This idea or concept of an old man is interesting to interject in our interpretation. This old man seems to be at an age where it is “natural,” to use the word, to die or pass on. However his death in this picture seems disturbing and in many ways “unnatural.” Why? In my reasoning it has to do with humanities innate tendency to respect the dead. In this photo there seems to be no respect for this body. The snow has not been brushed away, nor have the clothes been prepared in a nice fashion. The other humans have let nature take over and allowed the snow to cover this man. In this way it goes against human nature, but in some respects is natural, that is not altered by humans. Secondly the man sits in a contorted and once again “unnatural” position. He seems uncomfortable and this makes the viewer somewhat uncomfortable.

The photographer wanted the viewer to be disturbed and uncomfortable. However they did not want to degrade nor make the dead man seem less than human. It is not like an autopsy photo or a picture of a cut of meat. It is dignified although it is mortifying. This photo wants to show a tension between the people in the photo. It wants to display an injustice that is ignored or unrecognized. One Social political issue I could relate this photo to may be genocide in Darfur, or globalization, or even the loss of the rain forest. This beacons us as humans to look in the face of our decisions and choices that we make, no matter what the rational and ask ourselves to really evaluate if what we are doing is helping each other and is ‘right’ or if we are just perpetuating a greater ignorant path of destruction of our environment and the people around us.

Conclusion:

Whether violent, intelligent, natural, or other, forces surround us. Human power, in all its myriad forms, is an especially vivid and inescapable aspect of our daily livelihood, yet it also exerts a potent influence on our natural surroundings. Examining this influence eco-critically, we discover more questions than answers. Why are humans so unique in the encompassing view of the world’s creatures? Can we co-exist symbiotically, or will our “different-ness” always set us apart? Perhaps most interesting, are humans a successful species, or is there actually something unnatural about us?

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 05:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

This post has been created by Global Learning students from Khabarovsk, Russia, for the Stanford-Orebro-Khabarovsk exchange. The exchange is aimed at raising intercultural competence and global awareness of students and faculty

Hi, everyone! Abbreviation AIM stands for Always In Motion, the phrase that reflects the lifestyle of everyone in our group!

We all studied abroad and found out lots of interesting things! Currently we are doing reserach about Gender Relationships before marriage in different countries!

Although we are studying international business and economics, we are very interested in how people show their feelings towards each other, a topic that refers to every single person!
- When do people start dating?
- Opinion of parents about your partner: is it taken into account?
- Relationships with representatives of other cultures: is it typical for some cultures or a very rare thing?
A blog on this topic is COMING SOON!

For now we are inviting everybody to participate in couple surveys!
Part One: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nChcRTkJ3GRV_2b3uNH0OcIQ_3d_3d
Part Two: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=seEOLgmpNLWEzm7lnN3xuw_3d_3d
Thanks in advance for cooperation!

And now let's get to know each other!

My name is Dasha Fedorova. I am 22. I am from Sakhalin Island, but I have been studying in Khabarovsk, in the Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law for 4 years. I live in the dormitory, that is why I get used to adapt to different people. I major in world economy. I have chosen this major because I am broadminded, love math and economy and I am fond of studying foreign languages. Foreign language gives us an opportunity to look into the other country and its’ culture. I have been studying English for more than 10 years and Chinese for 2 years. I also have been living and studying in China for one year. It was my attempt to understand the Eastern cultures. When I have free time I like to read modern literature, watch movies and be with my friends. I like to communicate with different people, especially with people from other cultures, and I have experience of communicating with Chinese and Americans. Hope to have an opportunity to widen my knowledge about other cultures :)

Hi, everyone! My name is Elvira Gayfullina. I was born in Germany but live most of my life in Russia. I’m tartar, my parents are from Tatarstan (don’t mess with –stans in Commonwealth of Independent States. Tatarstan is in Russia :)) so my native language is Tatar. My religion is Islam, by blood, by I don’t call myself Muslim, because I don’t follow Islam traditions, since I lived most of my life among Orthodox, but I do respect Islam and all its traditions! I love learning foreign languages, that’s one of the reasons why I picked World Economy as major in University. I learned Japanese for couple years and was in Japan for couple weeks! Awesome country! I was in United States for one year as an exchange student, and that experience was really cool! My plan for next five years to learn German, French and Spanish, and somehow recover my Japanese! My dream is to work in diplomacy and promote tolerance and peace in the world!I like playing volleyball and dancing! I love travelling where I participate in every aspect of country I visit (not just sightseeing). I love people and I love enthusiastic, initiative people even more! I don’t believe those people who say that other countries are not interesting for them. Those people might just know too little about other countries.
Looking forward to communicating and working together!

Hello everyone, my name is Evgeniya Chingaeva. I’m from Russia (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Aldan). Now I’m studying in Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law (KSAEL), Khabarovsk. My Major is World Economy. Learning languages and cultures is my favorite hobby (English, German, Korean).That’s why I want to know about different cultures as much as possible. Also I like taking pictures, playing volleyball, reading philosophical books, playing the piano and communicating with interesting people on my spare time.

Posted by Khvaborsk Intercultural Business Class, Russia at 03:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBacks (0)

This post has been created by Global Learning students from Khabarovsk, Russia, for the Stanford-Orebro-Khabarovsk exchange. The exchange is aimed at raising intercultural competence and global awareness of students and faculty

Alisa Kandyba (left), Gleb Scherbina (middle), Natalya Che (sitting)

In our research we are trying to study the aspects of leadership – in general, and connected with some particular spheres of our life, using the examples of sport and fashion

Alisa: Leadership is comprehensive conception, which is rather difficult for understanding and it is culturally loaded

When I hear the word "Leadership", some images of different famous and would-known people emerge in my mind: they are V.I.Lenin, V.V.Putin, Bill Geits . Mainly, these are our presidents, rulers or organizers of large mighty business companies. But in reality, every person can become a leader.

Leadership is not a gift, but a talent, a skill, which needs to be developed and improved. All these people I call leaders just have managed to develop and perfect it.

When I think of the idea of "Leadership", I also recall one very famous and brilliant American psycholo-gist - Dale Carnegie, who wrote a book - his bestseller "How to win friends and influence people". This handbook, in my understanding, is useful for everybody, who wants to learn about the ways to coope-rate successfully and relate to people in order to become a leader.

A leader, in his understanding, often has to convince people to behave in a concrete way, and to change their own attitude and opinions.

In my understanding, leadership involves not only convincing people and assisting in solving difficult problems. It is more about developing people as personalities, constantly striving to perfection.. A real leader should help people to reveal their talents and capacities as full as possible during their advance-ment to the highest and best.

I believe that one of the main tasks of a real leader is to be tolerant to other people and to approve their initiative as well as encourage them to the realization of their limitless opportunities in the process of their work.

In Russia, leadership is often taken in particular way. We distinguish "Formal" and "Informal" leader-ship. "Formal" variant is when leaders are appointed from above and they become official leaders. People should follow them not because of their talents and features of character but because they must obey them, according to the status of power. "Informal” leadership means subjective readiness of people to listen to the leader and follow him.

In Russia, I would distinguish three levels of leadership: corporate, political and governmental. We can see corporate leadership" in the companies and different organizations, when individual quality of personality is far more important than his/her social position. This is often "Informal" variant of leader-ship.

"Political leadership" is a way of organizing and implementing power in the condition of democratic development of society. "Formal" aspect is leading here. So, a bigger part of the "Political leadership" in modern Russia is possessed by political administrative elite.

"Governmental leadership" is a strategy of development of the government.

There are two particularities of Leadership in Russia, as I see it:

1. In Russia, leaders very often combine the function of the owner of the means of production and the function of the organizer of political life. Political and cultural orientation of such politicians is characterized as egocentric and it reveals satisfaction of their personal needs as their priority.

2. Many Russian politicians manipulate people by popular values, which are very important for the society. It is one of the leadership principles, that is very common for Russia. The politicians promise people understandable and accessible remedy to all their urgent problems.

In Europe, in my understanding, the majority of political leaders are professional politicians, but in America political leaders very often combine the role of the owner and role of the politician as in Russia.

Questions:

1. Have you read the bestseller “How...” by Dale Carnegie?
2. What particularities of the leadership are in your country?
3. What do you think of leadership? Can everybody become a leader?

Gleb: A sport today is not only a healthy and interesting way of spending free time. An international sport is also a great sphere of intercultural competition and cooperation. Sport is like a universal lan-guage, understandable and accepted in every country, and the language which any country is willing to use in communication. And it is also the way of getting prestige and respect on the international level, providing that you are successful in this competition

Thousands of athletes defend the honor of their country regularly on the world’s and continental championships, and on The Olympic Games, which is always a really extraordinary and long-awaited event. And in this sphere any country strives for getting the leadership, because it is valued as much as the leadership in economy or in policy. The winner is claimed to be the best: the strongest, the fastest and the most skilled. That’s why today we can see how rapidly the world’s sports develop: the competition in the sports of highest achievements is getting stronger; the number of spectators and sport fans grows, and as a result the number of people who is going in for sports all over the world increases.

However, in spite of the fact that the essence of sports is competition, sport is something that unites people instead of dividing them. There are dozens of international sports federations; in fact every kind of sport has its international federation (sometimes several ones, e.g. boxing) which was formed by 150-200 or even more countries. These federations are responsible for establishing the rules, organizing championships and cups, for giving prizes and punishments, for resolving the conflicts connected with its sport and some other questions. It is a form of international cooperation, the way to reach the agreement and to make the sport better for everyone. The head of the international sports federation is the president, who is elected by its members; its budget is formed from the fees from every country-member and from different sponsors. In most of the cases the members of international sports federations are the federations, which are formed inside the country (e.g. Russian Soccer Union is a member of FIFA). The most well-known are the federations of soccer (FIFA), basketball (FIBA), ice hockey (IIHF), tennis (ITF), volleyball (FIVB), boxing (IBF, WBA, WBO and WBC) and others. There are not only the federations of professionals, but also amateur unions.

Leadership is an inseparable part of any sport. Captain is a leader inside the team and every player strives for being such a leader. A coach is the “external” leader of the team, the main ruler; a general manager is the leader of the sport club. Several teams are the leaders of the championship or even of the continent if it is an international league. The highest level in sport is some country’s leadership in a particular kind of sport. This is the final goal of any country and the highest sport achievement.

Sometimes people use dishonest methods of competition in order to reach this goal – taking pro-hibited drugs, for example to get faster, stronger or more enduring that they really are. But international federations fight with this problem successfully, and the athletes exposed to it are punished. Sport values only true leaders, who have got the leadership in pure competition.

Sport is a really fascinating thing, which can completely grab the attention of millions of people and make them united and understanding each other perfectly regardless of what language, culture or mentality they have. Doing sports is a good way to develop leadership skills.

Questions:

What kind of sports are the most popular in your region?
What sports are you going in for? What sports do you like to watch?
What can you say about sports infrastructure in your region? Is it easy and affordable to go in for any sports you like?

Natalya: Though the term "fashion" is associated with lots of money - and it is rather expensive to be fashionable - many designers have pointed out that Russians are very stylish. And not only rich people look smart and fashionable nowadays: many Russians choose good clothes, appropriate to their personal style. This promises a radiant future for this sphere of Russia's social life

In fact, fashion in Russia, as well as many other things, lags behind that of the West. The lag is about 10-15 years. This is true not of global fashion trends (since that would be impossible), but about fashion culture in general. Today's Russia is living through the same period that, for example, Spain passed through 10 years ago. Then it was popular to wear clothes with massive labels stamped on the chest, which declared the wearers allegiance to a big fashion name. Fortunately, this period has largely played out in Russia, and now wearing small, inconspicuous labels is preferable.

The most striking thing for many foreigners is that Russians are always dazzling. Each dress seems to be well-prepared and targeted for going out. Of course, there are lots of "fashion mistakes," but that is natural - presently, Russia is developing its own fashion culture; it's too young to be irreproachable. Mistakes dig even some of the most developed and accomplished, as is normal for human beings. But the fact is that Russians are likely to regard casual style not as a modest and comfortable way of wearing clothes, but as a way to show their personality, which implies putting on bright, unusual clothes.

"I can't understand how Russian women can wear high-heeled shoes every day," is a comment heard frequently from foreigners. This does seem strange to many people from abroad. Personally, I find high-heels comfortable. And never before did I imagine this to be a particularly Russian feature, but it is true: women in other countries normally wear flat-soled or medium-heeled shoes. This eccentric Russian style seems to shine in each element - cheap or expensive, usual or odd - but always matching the overall appearance.

It is still common to meet a woman in a beauty shop demanding a foreign star's color of hair, or in a boutique pointing to a photo of a foreign star and her celebrated bag. However, Russia's fashion digni-taries notice that trend-setting in Russia does exist, but it mostly consists of fashion magazines' editors and those who select it for Russian stores. It is explained by the youth of the Russian fashion industry and once it reaches those of the West it will probably surpass it - we will advertise our own shining do-mestic competition.

Questions:

1. Do you follow fashion tendency?
2. What do you think about fashion trends? Does it differ?
3. Is it important to be in fashion in your country?
4. How celebrities help to introduce new style in fashion?

Posted by Khvaborsk Intercultural Business Class, Russia at 02:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (47) | TrackBacks (0)

This post has been created by Global Learning students from Khabarovsk, Russia, for the Stanford-Orebro-Khabarovsk exchange. The exchange is aimed at raising intercultural competence and global awareness of students and faculty

Hello students from Stanford and Örebro! We are group of the Far Eastern State University of the Humanities. We all study to become translators. We study different languages, but English is our main language. Our future profession presupposes that we should have the ability to get along with people from other countries well, so it’s very important to break our stereotypes and be tolerant to others.
We are a group of 5 students. We are all different, have different interests, so we hope that you like our post as well as communication with us.

We are from left: Katya, Ilya, Alyona, Alyona and Aleksandra

Good morning, day, afternoon, evening or night to everyone. My name is Katya. I’m 19 years-old. I’ve already been studying English for 15 years (OMG) and I’m really fond of foreign languages, that is why, actually, I want to become a translator/interpreter and so here I am…

So, I’m a third year student of the Far Eastern State University of the Humanities. I never thought over my future profession, when I was a child, because the fact is that I always knew whom I want to be. Undoubtedly I always dreamt of speaking with people of different culture and being able to understand their own way of vision of the outward things

Concerning my hobbies, I have a few. I’m crazy about music, photography, movie making and dancing. But frankly speaking, in most of these spheres I’m merely a beginner. I have recently started to play a guitar. I like to take photographs of the surroundings. I made several shorts, devoted to my group mates. I have been attending the choreographic school for 9 years, so one could say I’m a good ballet dancer. Besides I like many other things to do like going to the picnic with my parents and friends, watching the stars at night, listening to the rain, walking barefoot on the sea-sand, admiring the sunrise and sunset, smiling and crying, cheering and saddening, loving and hating, forgiving, dreaming and simply living in this world.

Hi. My name is Ilya; I am from Russia Khabarovsk city too. I study at the Far Eastern Humanitarian University as a translator; I study English and French "un peu". I'm glad to have a possibility to communicate and share views with different people especially from other countries that motivates even to a more efficient dialogue. Few words about myself: I love nature and its beautiful views, and also classical conservative music. There is a three-coloured cat red-black-and-white in my house. I am keen on volleyball, basketball and sometimes football; know a thing or two about PCs and like seat on the emerald grass in crimson twilight, hearing the purling of the cyan river and patting my cat (you may ask questions if you want to more about me).

Spheres of dialogue and researches in which I’m interested in - first of all political and only then economic changes in the US, changes on legislative level and in religious sphere (in particular so-called "blue laws"); changes of the constitution for the purpose of discreditation of personal freedom among the American people (if these cases exist - your point of view). Open for dialogue, ready to discuss any themes, thank you for your attention.

Hello. My name is Alyona. I am 19. As all other members of the group I am a future interpreter. In addition to English I also study Chinese. It is a very interesting language as well as a very difficult one. So communication with people from other countries is essential in my future job. That’s why it is extremely important to have a good understanding of their culture. And that’s why I am here.

Studying takes plenty of my time, and sometimes it’s difficult to find time for entertaining, but when I manage to find it, I usually spend it on walks with my friends. I also enjoy going to discos, skating, listening to my favorite music and going to cinema. Films are my favorite time spending. Actually I like different genres of movies but thrillers, melodramas, documentaries and psychological dramas are my favorite. Nicolas Cage is the actor whom I really adore, his acting is really gripping.

As for the music, now I am really keen on trance. Armin Van Buuren and Tiesto are the djs whom I adore. I have heard they are famous throughout the world. Have you heard of them?
I hope that you’ll find our post interesting. Looking forward to hearing from you all...

Hi, I’m Alyona. I was born in Russia, Khabarovsk and have been living there for my whole life. I like my city very much; it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I study at the university to become an interpreter, now I’m a third year student. I like my future profession because studying languages is interesting for me; I like to communicate with people from different cultures and try to find similar interests. I have been studying English for 8 years and also 2 years ago I started learning Chinese. But besides my studying I have a lot of different interest: music, watching films, making videos and, of course, just have fun with my friends. But also I like such things as walking in the rain, sometimes I try to write poems, of course it depends on my mood. I have recently started playing the guitar, because my desire to music increases with every day.

Hello! My name is Aleksandra. Writing about oneself, perhaps, is the most difficult topic for me. It has always been some kind of contradictory item. It seems that you know everything about yourself and have so much to say but at the same time you don’t know what to start from and will it be suitable or not. So… I’ll just try to create the whole picture of myself from different angles, some kind of virtual image… Fortunately you can look at my photo and have some associations.

I’m 20 years old teen and I’m trying to find my place in the world that’s why, perhaps, I have quite enough preoccupations. It’s some kind of game for me; actually I call it “juggling with hobbies”. I’m engaged in one activity for two months for example and than pass on to another one. It makes me never have a tedious time. And now I’m going to make a list of my interests hoping it will somehow uncover my complicated identity…First of all I’m just crazy about cult and independent films (they’re also called underground films if I’m not mistaken, in the Russian culture all these films fall under the class of so called “drugoe kino”). It’s my present hobby; I try to watch this kind of films as much as possible. The point is that they are heavy with serious content and everyone can understand them in their own way, find their own sense and some new sensations and it’s lustrous I should say. My favorites are “Arizona dream”, “American beauty” and almost all films by Jim Jarmusch. He’s magnificent director and the king of anthology films. I have the collection of films of the kind, film which leave deep and lasting impression, of course it’s rather small cause I’m only novice at the independent movie sphere but I’m going to learn more! My next preoccupation is drawing. When inspiration visits me I ink it on the paper, so the wall in my room is hung with different pictures and photos, I really proud of it. Also communication with new people is included in my hobby list. It’s very cool and funny to get acquainted with new interesting people, it makes my life bright and positive, just smile and talk and it’s wonderful. So as far as everyone’s understood I’m open for chart! I really appreciate the possibility to communicate with teens from other countries; it’s cool and we can learn more about each other cultures. So let’s break the barriers!

The Talk Show Phenomenon – “What Are They Talking About?”

Our post is devoted to talk-shows and sit-comes and about the role they play in people’s life. We want to speculate on this question because of the different attitude of Russian people to these shows. In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. Daytime talk programs are popular with audiences for their democratic, unpredictable nature, with producers for their low cost, and with stations for their high ratings. Some people say that sit-comes and talk-shows help them to cope with stress and tension of everyday life, but others find them stupid and even aggressive. This is because of the different character of these shows. Some of them are really harmless and funny, but others can really do harm to people. They often happen to throw mud at people and what’s more people very often become addicted to them. One must remember talk shows only have things to ‘talk’ about that society creates

Many Russian people have got acquainted with new type of entertainment events of the American TV in the mid 80-ies - a talk show. Generally accepted "father" of this phenomenon Phil Donahue has spent some joint broadcasts with the Soviet TV. Frankness of interlocutors, sitting in the hall audience, was absolutely unusual for that time and remembering. Already by early 90-ies such as talk shows took over the day all the major television channels, pressing old attachment of housewives - «soap operas», such long-playing series with quite predicted happy end

Nowadays talk shows or chat shows are television or radio programs where one person or group of people come together to discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host. Sometimes, talk shows feature a panel of guests, usually consisting of a group of people who have great experience in relation to whatever issue is being discussed on the show for that episode. Call-in shows enjoy wide popularity now. They take live phone calls from callers listening at home, in their cars

Vladimir Pozner claims to be a founder of Russian talk shows. In his opinion a talk show is one of the most democratic forms of television which allows people to participate in a television broadcast. He says that even interactive television can not replace talk shows. Nowadays this view seems to be too optimistic. First of all this is because of the fact that many Russian talk shows are devoid of any social significance. Until 1990s people participating at talk shows could speculate on social and political issues, but in the period from 1991 to 1993 many foreign genres of talk shows started to appear on Russian TV screens. New genres of talk shows like quiz shows, reality shows, were met with enthusiasm by Russians at first. It was something new for the Russian public. But then this talk shows became omnipresent, every Russian TV channel broadcasted at least one quiz show or reality show. And for Russian TV viewers it became less significant. Talk shows started to fall from favour. And directors of TV channels started to wash dirty linen in public at talk shows to make them more popular. Nowadays Russian talk shows reveal dirty sides of people’s life. Many people mistakably think that talk shows can give them popularity. But is popularity something that can be gained by throwing mud at people?

Another drawback of present day talk shows is that people really become addicted to them, and can’t do without watching their favorite talk shows.

Psychologists believe that talk shows and reality shows can seriously undermine the mental health of the viewer. According to the research, 200 thousand people, who watch talk shows, suffer from mental disorders. They are all after a time complained of constant stress, depression and «lack of optimism». In this case, psychiatrists give only one piece of advice - watch less television and not to spend long hours in front of TV screens. However, they’re very popular among TV channels. Their audience is about 5 million people only in one country

Moreover, we have some questions for you to discuss, concerning this theme

What is a talk show for you?
What the most popular talk shows do you know?
Who usually watch talk shows in your country?
Is that true that many Americans get easily accustomed to them?
What makes people get into the habit of watching such shows?
Do you find talk shows pernicious?
What makes a talk show a “talk show” in your opinion?
Are there any rules talk shows follow?
Do you know any Russian talk shows?

We are really looking forward to hearing from you!

Posted by Khvaborsk Intercultural Business Class, Russia at 05:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

By Ekaterina Vlasenko, Marianna Sidorenko and Ksenya Pekar

People from different countries always have stereotypes about each other. It is absolutely natural as each culture always contains secrets. It is often covered with mystery, unreal stories and subjective attitudes. But some of existing stereotypes are correct and others are wrong. Stereotypes can prevent us from learning some aspects about the country and understanding a different culture in a more appropriate way.
Although sometimes stereotypes can reveal certain tendencies or attitudes, existing in the culture. Therefore we have chosen this topic as our research and we hope to clarify some points and to contribute to breaking certain stereotypes about Russia

Russian culture

I am Ekaterina Vlasenko, a freshman in the Academy of Economics and Law, majoring in International Accounting.

I hope you know that contemporary life in Russia has very little to do with playing the balalaika amidst matrioshkas and samovars, or wild rushing in sleighs driven by troika (three horses harnessed abreast) along the streets where bears supposedly wander. All these stories are just myths for naive tourists. Don’t believe them. But many things about Russia still remain unknown, such as our mentality, our attitude to religion and family, our manners, facial expressions, gestures and behavior in different situations and so on. For example, people from other cultures don’t understand why we cry when we are happy and why we smile when something is wrong. In my essay, I’ll try to cover some popular stereotypes about Russian culture and to offer my vision of these problems.

- Many stereotypes are connected with Russian vodka. Much is told about Russians drinking hard. People from other countries seem to think that most of Russians have been drinking vodka from birth

This stereotype is really offensive. And it really hurts. Such a steteotype forms a wrong image of our country. Although the level of consumption alcohol in Russia is one of the highest in the world, various steps in order to fight with the problem are being taken. As in every country, alchogolism has been desperately disapproved in our country. New clinics of treating alcoholism anonimously appeared, the number of comercials and advertisments of alkohol drinks has been cut down. Struggle against alkoholism has also a strict legislative basis. The fines for drinking alcohol in public places have been increased, selling spirits at night has been prohibited. As a result, the consumption of alkohol in Russia decreased 20 percent and the length of life increased 3 times during the last 20 years.

- Another popular stereotype is about our religion. Some people think that Russians are very pious. Others find Russians extremelly superstitious

Russia is a multinational and multiconfessional country. Although Orthodoxy is our State religion, contemporary Russia contains more than 68 religious streams and each of them more or less influences the lifestyles of Russians. Religion has always played a special role in Russian life. The statistics shows that nowadays about 90 percent of all Russians are religious. But at the same time I can’t say that religion plays as important role in our everyday life as it probably played many years ago. We have a proverb about religion: “Everyone is a believer in hard times”. As for our attitude to superstitions, it seems to be inborn. Many psychologists hold that Russians have a special sense of intuition and premonition but I am inclined to believe that its just an influence of our pagan past. About 45 percent of Russians still continue to believe in signs, tokens and supernatural strength. Pagan times of our history greatly affected Russian lifestyle and futher development of our culture. And now these two interexcluding religions co-exist in Russian society.

- A lot of stereotypes are connected with mimicry and gesticulation of Russian people. What shocks tourists most of all in Russia is that Russians seldom smile. From the first sight Russians seem very unfriendly and gloomy. And many people think that we are deeply unhappy and depressed

This is the main cause of “cultural shock” for all tourists from abroad. This really makes tourists feel uncomfortable and upset in our country. But after some days of living and communicating with Russians most visitors understand that this is just the feature of our character and our mentality. Smile is a culturally loaded phenomenon. Different cultures have different attitude to smiles, facial expressions and body language. For European cultures as well as for Americans, a smile is an expression of one’s politeness. A smile for Russians is something very intimate. It is a sign that a person likes to see another person, usually a close and a well known one, for example a friend or a relative. Russians perceive smile as a personal favour towards someone they know. We don’t usually smile to strangers as it can be misunderstood.

But when Russians get to know you, they will smile broadly and willingly, like in these pictures.

Like probably in every culture, a smile here is a natural reaction on positive impressions. It’s a reflection of your good mood and happiness that you want other people to see and appreciate. It’s the most effective method to raise the spirits of people. So I am convinced that we need to “learn to smile” in order not to offend our visitors but to bestow a smile upon everyone.

Relationships between people in Russia

I am Marianna Sidorenko, a sophomore in the Academy of Economics and Law, majoring in International Business.

I consider that understanding social relationships in a country is very critical to establish good connections with people. If people know more about peculiar attitudes and behaviors of each other, this will serve well for collaboration and friendly relationships among the nations on the planet. On the contrary, misunderstanding in different spheres of life is often caused by tense relationships and inability to be tolerant to the cultural diversity, represented by different social attitudes. My essay is aimed at shedding more light on how relationships in Russia are culturally loaded:

- Relationships between people and the government:

People here in Russia don’t trust their government very much; they don’t rely on it either. What is new, though, that people can voice their dissatisfaction with the policy or some undertaken measures in hope they are heard, and some measures to improve the situation are taken. People in Russia used to be more passive and apathetic, now they are getting more and more initiative and courage to voice their criticism and willingness to improve things.

- Relationships between people of different ages:

Russia is a relationship oriented country. Children are taught from the very childhood that they must help the elderly. For example if an elderly gets on the bus and all the sit are occupied, it’s common to concede her/him a sitting place. What is more, it’s rather common to help a senior citizen (even if you don’t know him/her) to cross the road or to carry a bag

- Relationships between family members:

Russians usually start family at 22-25 years. Men sometimes get married a little later. Many couples start a family later. Father is considered to be the head of the family, however many women have actually more power than men in families nowadays. Women work as much as men do, but they also manage to raise children, to maintain cleanliness and coziness in the house, and take care of their husbands. Grandmothers often help to raise the children. There is also a joke in Russia, that a man dislikes his mother-in-law. Actually, it is a kind of a stereotype; however, such situation does occur in a number of families.

- Relationships between the people, who are dating:

Usually it is the boy who initiates the relationships. He may invite a girl to the movies or to the café. As a rule, he pays for a girl; however it is getting pretty common to go Dutch. Also, it is considered to be very polite to open the door in front of the girl and let her enter the first. After the date he should walk her home or give her a ride.

- Relationships between the colleagues:

Russian people are collectivistic more than individualistic, so they tend to solve their problems as a group, however since the beginning of a new century there is a trend among the younger generation to becoming more independent, thus individual. Typically, people are loyal to the institution they work for and have very warm relationships; they spend much time together after job, celebrate different holydays, and help each other

- Relationships between people, who don’t know each other:

Russian people often treat associates with some sort of caution. They aren’t used to trusting strangers. They may help you to find your way or to show the bus stop, however don’t be surprised if a Russian doesn’t smile at you very often. Russians don’t smile to strangers very much. That absolutely doesn’t mean that they treat you badly. The function of a smile here is not being polite but recognizing someone one knows and likes to see. Sometimes a smile may mean the sign of flirt.

- Relationships between friends:

Russians value friendship very much. There is a proverb: “It’s better to have one friend for a long time, than two new ones”. So, usually friends from high school or university become friends for the whole lifetime. Russians are always ready to help their close friends. They are interdependent and often ready to sacrifice their own interests in favor of their friends. In addition, they don’t require any gratitude in exchange. A good friend is considered the one who will not only help in a difficult situation, but also will sincerely share his/her friend’s happiness. Friends can come without any invitation; they are welcome any time.

To summarize, Russian culture is very collectivistic and relationship oriented, so this determines human attitudes and behaviors to a large extent. Although, culture is dynamic and changing. Also, some sort of generalization is unavoidable, when we try to characterize national cultural behavior; still I consider this kind of research on people relationships very critical to raise cultural awareness about each other

Russian politics

I am Ksenya Pekar, a sophomore in the Academy of Economics and Law, majoring in International Economy

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the foreign media is overarching, if unspoken, perception of Russia and Eastern Europe as if this region doesn’t matter much any longer. Though some countries still see Russia as a dangerous enemy, most mainstream media appears to have lost interest in what truly is happening there, except for occasional sensational events. As a result, in my understanding, there is inadequate awareness of the fascinating cultural, political and economic developments taking place in today’s Russia. Relying on old cold war stereotypes results in ignoring Russia’s modern history and in lack of adequate understanding of certain events.

Reading international newspapers, I often think: “Stop! There is something confusing about this or that information!”. That is why I decided to attempt to interpret some political events from my own perspective, and to contribute to breaking rigid assumptions often provided by media.

- First of all, I would like to speak about our Ex-President Vladimir Putin. Many people are curious about our perception of this leader

“He has beaten all his adversaries: independent media, oligarchs, regional governors, communists, liberal parties, the parliament as such and even the government apparatus. The power they once wielded is being seized by Mr Putin’s KGB friends... the KGB men move into the commanding heights of the economy…”

This extract is taken from the article “Putin’s Quest for Power is harming Russia” by Anders Aslund, Financial Times; august 23, 2004. It reveals that Putin is a former KGB agent who is suppressing opposition and accumulating power. But I would like to say, that like many others in the Russian elite, Putin was once a KGB officer. The KGB, however, no longer exists. By the early 1980s, the organization had been almost completely transformed. Yes, it is associated with many bad deeds in the history of our country. But, one good thing KGB became known for is that it used to hire bright, capable young people to serve there. I think Putin was one of such a bright candidate and it served him well to have this kind of education and experience. For example, he speaks foreign languages and is more culturally aware than many other heads of the countries. Labels, however, are always dangerous if they are put on people for specific purposes.

Another aspect of controversy is his term of presidency.

As I understand it, if Putin had been preoccupied with power, he would have been seeking a third term as a President, but he had made it clear that he had no such desire and left this post, although still in service as Prime Minister.

Washington Posts “Stand Up to Putin” by Robert Kagan, September 15, 2004 and “Putin Moves to centralize authority” by Peter Baker, September 14, 2004” made me think that the USA media considered that Russians lived under Putin`s tyranny. Here is the quotation that made me think like this: “Vladimir Putin, the aspiring dictator of Russia, has forced President Bush to reveal how committed he really is to the cause of democracy around the world”. “…while critics called Putin another step toward restoring the tyranny…” In my understanding, the fact that Putin was elected with 71 percent of the vote in 2004 tells about his popularity among Russians. And many wished him to stay on for a third term. The latter is impossible according to the Russian constitution. There have been many positive changes under Putin, for example, average salaries have been increased by one third. Individuals and businesses have actually begun to claim their real incomes and to pay taxes. Due to the stability brought by Putin’s administration, people started planning long-term savings and constructing business strategies.

To move on, Russia’s media is considered as being under strict state control. “…the media in Russia is now—with a few embattled exceptions in print and on the Internet— entirely under state control.” (“Meet the Chief Exec of Kremlin Inc” by Nick Paton Walsh; The Guardian; July 6, 2005)

In my understanding, the situation with media has changed recently – media is now far from simply affirming the government’s actions. Moreover, many Russian media outlets are openly critical towards the Kremlin. Independent Internet media is getting very popular in places, where Internet access is available. Besides, Western TV news channels such as SNN, FOX, BBC, Euro news, and others are widely available and often freely broadcast in our country.

To summarize, in this essay we attempted to interpret some widely discussed and vexed questions about our country’s culture, traditions, and politics, from our point of view. We hope that our culture will become closer to you and more understandable. We look forward to getting your comments and learning about your culture as well. Thank you!

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