Publishable Blog 2 (25/05/2016)

During the week I have researching about sex trafficking of women and children, the child sex tourism industry and its surrounding criminal underbelly. In the videos on youtube, documentaries and books, such as Slavery Inc by Lydia Cacho, I had found out some disturbing trends:

• The law enforcement and Government are hands in hand with traffickers and their industry, often looking the other way from their activities (whether that country had legalized prostitution or not) and some politicians, government officials, and police officers are clients in these brothels.
• Governments such as Turkey, cover up the issue of sex trafficking (along with drugs, arms, etc), and make such activities partially illegal to quiet western nations like the US. Cacho states that “despite an increasing number of trafficking cases involving women worldwide, the Turkish police have reported a decrease in the number of women trafficked to Turkey from Russia…How is it possible that in a few years the Turkish police force has been able to lower the incidence of women trafficked from these countries by 50 percent? Why are there no statistics on domestic trafficking?” (Cacho, 14 – 15).

If the case of government and law enforcement being involved in such illicit activities are true, that would make the roles of NGO’s and social workers jobs to eradicate sex trafficking much harder. What can we do as 21st century citizens to raise awareness for this problem? Social media is a huge thing and there are so many social media posts on facebook, twitter, and youtube that raise awareness on these women’s and children’s plight. But why is no one taking notice? Is it because they think it is not their problem, a problem they cannot see? Are governments that are big on censorship making sure these crimes are buried? In my mind map above, I have listed possible solutions to alleviate the problem of sex trafficking; it may not eradicate the problem overnight but a little bit of help counts to someone out there.

Resources:
Cacho, Lydia, and Elizabeth Boburg. Slavery Inc.: The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking. London: Portobello, 2012. Print.

Assessment 3 ideas

Main issues to tackle/think are important:

• Sexual Slavery/Sex Industry/Trafficking
• Child Abuse/Child Sex Tourism/Child Pornography/Child Prostitution
• Forced Prostitution/Survival Sex
• Devadasi
• JK Businesses/Idol Culture in Japan

These issues encompass a harmful industry that dehumanizes women and children as sex objects and takes away their basic human rights and dignity. This subject is broad and varies country to country, culture to culture. Where I go from this will be more clear within the weeks to come.

Video Documentaries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GFaN9-1iz0

Wk 6 Reflection on Learning

Reflection:
Consider the previous 6 weeks; what your learning been

From a personal perspective, what has been the most interesting to you so far in this paper?
Definitely thinking about visual text contextually; what is the story behind it, what is the socio-political situation like at the time? For me, it adds more story and layers to the visual text.
Think about the content, readings, resources, tasks and approach, so far. Comment on what has worked for you? Why?
Referring back and using the readings, resources as a guide to some texts and visual texts had worked for me and given me more understanding. The tasks I cannot say the same for; some of them had very vague instructions. Or maybe I need more coffee.
What has not worked so well for you? Why?
Whilst I like the blog work and can see the purpose behind them but it can get tedious after a very long time and it feels bleh and have no motivation to do it after awhile.
How have your ideas, assumptions, knowledge’s and ways of working been challenged?
I feel like more ideas and knowledge have been expanded because of this paper; it made me search for more information, context until I feel satisfied that I have enough to go on. Assumptions are a hit or miss; it is either correct or completely wrong for me but that is why you research more!
What creative approaches have you taken when doing this paper?
None really but I have been preparing for a Matchbox exhibition while doing university work; mentally and physically challenging!
Explain how the approaches, strategies, skills and/or processes encouraged in this paper be useful to you in your other BDes/BFA projects/modules/papers.
Some papers will ask you for contextualization; be it an existing visual text or your own. Writing techniques and MLA citation learnt in this paper can be carried on to other papers – this can be blog posts, workbooks, etc.
Do you think you have a different or a new appreciation for a paper like this and its relevance to your desired art or design practice?
If it was more reading, research and less blog work, I think I would enjoy it more.

2A Blog Task Word Cloud

2A Blog Task

“How to see yourself” (Mirzeoff, Chapter 1. 31 – 69) draws attention to the changing nature of imagining, and of imagining identity and “the self”. Discuss some of the different ways that representations of identity had shifted over time. Draw upon some of Mirzoeff’s examples to explain different concerns artists, photographers, and others have had about identity which have influenced the kinds of visual texts they produce. Use at least one example from Mirzeoff and find 1 – 2 other examples. The discussion should explore historical change or how marginalized identity confronts dominant identities.

Explain in your own words what you think the question is asking you to do?
To explain how the concept of identity, the self and the representations of the self has changed over the course of history. This is from the aristocratic portraits, artist self portraits to the modern selfie. Other changes of the concept of identity can be changing gender roles/breaking stereotypes, gender sexuality (LGBT) over the course of history and the present.
I can outline and explain/discuss these examples by exploring the socio-politics of the time and how it affected people seeing themselves (eg. Marie Antoinette’s portrait by Vigee Le Brun was slammed as an inappropriate depiction of royalty).

Resources:
Vigée Le Brun, Elizabeth Louise. Marie Antoinette with a Rose. 1783. Oil on Canvas. Palace of Versailles, Palace of Versailles.
Vigée Le Brun, Elizabeth Louise. Marie Antoinette. 1783. Oil on Canvas. Timken Collection.

1B Blog Task: What kind of thinker, planner and writer are you?

Activity Sixteen: What kind of a “shaper” are you? How do you plan your writing?

 

1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of these different ways of organized writing?
   The common thing about all these ways of thinking (The diver, Patch worker, Grand Planner and Architect), that are an advantage, is that they write notes down, do some research, compose some drafts and do some final adjustments. And though these methods are different from each other, they still create what could be called, the skeleton of an essay. However the serious disadvantage of these is that some seem to rush, have too much information that is not important or irrelevant, doesn’t have an outline, or no direction.
2. Which way of planning and shaping is most like your own approach?
   I’d say I’m a mix of the Patch work and Architect Thinker; I try to put the brief and essay question into my own words to get a better understanding of it. And often while writing notes, I have to decide which information is relevant and which isn’t (and figure out how they fit in). This is where my diagram like planning comes in (Architect Thinker); I like to think and plan before I start on my first draft.
3. How do you think your way may be different from any of these?
   Honestly I see no difference; in fact I can relate to all the types of thinkers in the readings (just relate more so to the Patchwork and Architect Thinker).

Describe how you plan and organize your writing for a major essay.
I usually read the brief and essay question given and try to understand it. If I don’t, I usually clarify its meaning with a tutor before doing anything else. After I understand the brief and question to the best of my knowledge, I compile relevant research and notes to build up my argument and essay. Soon after I write up drafts (however many I think I need), do fine adjustments, proof reading and tweak the final product for presentation.

Based on the student descriptions – explain what kind of thinker planner you identify most closely with and what was useful to you about reading how the students describe their own planning and writing processes.
I identify most with the Patchwork and Architect Thinker; reading about the student descriptions from the reading was definitely useful. It has outlined more clearly what kind of thinker I am and also gave out useful tips for my own planning and writing processes. Such as with the Patchwork Thinker I should consider which material, readings, notes and research are relevant. As the description has stated, “..Not everything I thought was interesting was actually relevant or important.” (Crème, 74).

Resources:
Creme, Phyllis and Mary R. Lea. “Reading as Part of Writing.” Writing at University: A Guide for Students. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education, 2008 (71 – 76) eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 31 Jan. 2016

1A Blog Task: Researching the Analytic Essay

1. Explain what an Analytical Essay is.
   An analytical essay is a formal academic piece commonly written by students to respond to a brief/analyze a certain specialized topic. The structure of an analytical essay consists of an argument; and at its core, a thesis – a short sentence that bears your claim/assumption.
2. What makes it distinct from other genres of academic writing?
   Other genres of academic writing include case studies, reports, book reviews, etc. An essay is distinct from these because it features elements of the writers thinking and their voice/arguments. Other genres such as case studies and reports do not allow the room for such elements because they are solely research based.
3. Identify some recommended approaches and procedures to follow when setting out to write an Analytical essay.

• Write in standardized English or its equivalent.
• Consider your tone, and audience. Make sure writing is formal with no informal colloquiums.
• Follow your essay structure and use an accepted reference system.
• Analyze your essay brief: do you understand what it is asking you?
• Research your topic and brief, noting the sources.
• Define and use key words relevant to your brief.
• Record information and notes in your own voice to better understand your research and brief as a whole.

 

Resources:
Clarke, Michael. “The Essay.” Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland. AVA Publishing, 2007. 144 – 167. Print.
“Analytical Essay.” Hints for Faster Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
“Types of Academic Writing.” Types of Academic Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
“Essay.” Essay. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.
“Organising the Answer Frames.” Organising the Answer Frames. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

Assignment One FINAL

When researching a visual text such as a painting, film, etc, it is always important to clarify its context and background information. We simply cannot rely on what we already know or think we know; more research on the background and context must always be done to think critically about the author’s message. However in a world where networking is global, it results in a surplus of false information; how do we think critically about visual texts while still keeping to the facts?

McCoy, Glenn. A Political Cartoon about Hilary Clinton. Digital image. The Week. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Mirzeoff had stated that seeing the world is “not about how we see it but what we make of what we see.” (Mirzoeff. 73) In other words, we put together information we have gathered from life experiences and past research to create a sense of understanding of our world. But how does this work in terms of research and contextualizing? What we already know or think we know is not enough to think critically about visual texts. For example; we understand current trends such as viral videos or political cartoons because they are current. Years later, they will be dated, and then eventually, incomprehensible. We need to research and fill in the background with conclusive, valid information rather than what we think we already know, to create an “awareness of the context in which these were designed, produced, used and understood, contribute to a fuller understanding and appreciation…” (Clarke. 24 – 25.) Looking at visual texts and their context with information we already know (without research) is never enough; there is always going to be context we do not understand, background information we need to fill in the gaps for. In an art and design practice; furthering our understanding is important in researching and contextualizing visual texts.

Top Trends for 2014, Ranked by Global Significance. Digital image. The Conversation. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

While we do research and contextualize visual text, the internet is the common go to for knowledge. However there is a surplus of false information out there in the net; this will hinder our own research and thinking critically about visual texts. According to The Conversation, News outlets of today often cannot compete with the spread of information by social media; be it Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, etc. This more than often results in high-profile mistakes when news outlets use information (or rather, misinformation) from social media. An example of a high profile mistake was during the Boston Marathon Bombing’s anniversary, 22-year-old Sunil Tripathi was accused of being a suspect by Reddit’s community. This led to the New York Post to publish his face and name on the front page; Tripathi had nothing to do with the bombings. When the spread of misformation is so vast and almost all-compassing, how can we research and contextualize visual texts? While we research, we need to confirm and validate information we gain from the internet before we use it in any way in our art and design practices. Without verified information and context, we risk the mistake of either spreading misinformation ourselves or misunderstanding the visual texts contexts.

In conclusion; in order to clarify the procedure of closely examining and thinking critically about visual text and information for art and design practices we need to gather verified and correct information to broaden our understanding of how we see our world, rather than relying on what we already know. This contributes to our fuller understanding and appreciation of visual texts, their contexts, and author’s message. In saying this, while we research background information to fill in the gaps, especially using the internet, we always need to verify our facts and information and be cautious of misinformation. This could result in misunderstanding the visual texts and their context we want to think critically about if not careful about the information we gather.

Resources:
Clarke, Michael “Language and Meaning”. Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing, 2007. Print
Mirzoeff, Nicholas. chapter 2: ”How We Think About Seeing”. How to See the World. London; Pelican, 2015. Print. 73
Vis, Farida. “Hard Evidence: How Does False Information Spread Online?” The Conversation. 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
Shontell, Alyson. “What It’s Like When Reddit Wrongly Accuses Your Loved One Of Murder.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 26 July 2013. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

 

Draft II (Assignment One)

Explain why the process of looking closely and thinking critically about visual texts are important to the art and design practices.

Paraphrased essay topic: Clarify why the procedure of closely examining and thinking critically about visual information/text is important to the art and design practices.

 When researching a visual text such as a painting, film, etc, it is always important to clarify its context and background information. We simply cannot rely on what we already know or think we know; more research on the background and context must always be done to think critically about the author’s message. However in a world where networking is global, it results in a surplus of false information; how do we think critically about visual texts while still keeping to the facts?

 

McCoy, Glenn. A Political Cartoon about Hilary Clinton. Digital image. The Week. 2016. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Mirzeoff had stated that seeing the world is “not about how we see it but what we make of what we see.” (Mirzoeff, Nicholas. Chapter 2. How We Think About Seeing. How to See the World. 73) In other words, we put together information we have gathered from life experiences and past research to create a sense of understanding of our world. But how does this work in terms of research and contextualizing? What we already know or think we know is not enough to think critically about visual texts. For example; we understand current trends such as viral videos or political cartoons because they are current. Years later, they will be dated, and then eventually, incomprehensible. We need to research and fill in the background with conclusive, valid information rather than what we think we already know, to create an “awareness of the context in which these were designed, produced, used and understood, contribute to a fuller understanding and appreciation…” (Clarke, Michael. “Language and Meaning.” Verbalizing the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing, 2007. 24 – 25. Print.) Looking at visual texts and their context with information we already know (without research) is never enough; there is always going to be context we do not understand, background information we need to fill in the gaps for. In an art and design practice; furthering our understanding is important in researching and contextualizing visual texts.

 

Top Trends for 2014, Ranked by Global Significance. Digital image. The Conversation. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

While we do research and contextualize visual text, the internet is the common go to for knowledge. However there is a surplus of false information out there in the net; this will hinder our own research and thinking critically about visual texts. According to The Conversation, News outlets of today often cannot compete with the spread of information by social media; be it Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, etc. This more than often results in high profile mistakes when news outlets use information (or rather, misinformation) from social media. An example of a high profile mistake was during the Boston Marathon Bombing’s anniversary, 22 year old Sunil Tripathi was accused of being a suspect by Reddit’s community. This led to the New York Post to publish his face and name on the front page; Tripathi had nothing to do with the bombings. When the spread of misformation is so vast and almost all compassing, how can we research and contextualize visual texts? While we research, we need to confirm and validate information we gain from the internet before we use it in any way in our art and design practices. Without verified information and context we risk the mistake of either spreading misinformation ourselves or misunderstanding the visual texts contexts.

In conclusion; in order to clarify the procedure of closely examining and thinking critically about visual text and information for art and design practices we need to gather verified and correct information to broaden our understanding of how we see our world, rather than relying on what we already know. This contributes to our fuller understanding and appreciation of visual texts, their contexts and author’s message. In saying this, while we research background information to fill in the gaps, especially using the internet, we always need to verify our facts and information, and be cautious of misinformation. This could result in misunderstanding the visual texts and their context we want to think critically about if not careful about the information we gather.

Resources:
Clarke, Michael “Language and Meaning”. Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing, 2007. Print
Mirzoeff, Nicholas. hapter 2: ”How We Think About Seeing”. How to See the World. London; Pelican, 2015. Print. 73
Vis, Farida. “Hard Evidence: How Does False Information Spread Online?” The Conversation. 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
Shontell, Alyson. “What It’s Like When Reddit Wrongly Accuses Your Loved One Of Murder.” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 26 July 2013. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Draft 1 (Assignment One)

Assignment one topic: “Explain why the process of looking closely and thinking critically about visual texts are important to art and design practices.”

My key arguments:
What we already know or think we know isn’t enough and always needs further research or context.
Because our network is global, there is a surplus of false information meaning we need to make our own investigation.

 Brainstorm of relevant information

Introduction (Mirzoeff)

• Mass media = Universal Medium
• Global networking is there to create, send and view images of all kinds from photographs, videos, art and animation.
• Our world is now visual: media such as photographs are now our way of seeing the world.
• Visual Culture involves things we see, the mental model we all have of how to see and what we can do as a result; “How do we see the world?”
• It involves how to see the world in a time of dynamic change and vastly expanded quantities of imagery, implying many different points of views. It is not the same world like five years ago.
• Change in one place matters everywhere else in the world.
• There is a new “us” on the internet and using the internet, that is different from any “us” that print culture or media culture has seen before.
• Anthropologist Benedict Anderson described “imagined communities” created by print culture so that readers of a specific newspaper world come and feel they had something in common.

Chapter 2 (Mirzoeff)

• Modern visual technology is now a part of the learning process.
• 2006 study from University of Rochester showed that playing video games improved both peripheral and central visual perception. There has been improved hand-eye co-ordination noted. Visual games help us see better. (Not sure if this is going to be relevant later..)
• Probabilistic Influence: Decisions we make based on incomplete information, such as choices made while driving.
• We put together an understanding of the world that makes sense from what we already know or what we think we know.

Visualizing the Visual (Michael Clarke)

• We constantly verbalize our visual experiences; a substantial part of our conversations with others is taken up by our need to give some idea or impression of people, things, places, etc they had not seen for themselves.
• Culture of visual communication
• Still need to articulate in words our response to visual culture by naming, describing, contextualizing, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating,

Reading Texts

• Context is the who, what, where, when and why that surrounds every word, image or artifact. How does it connect to the world, both past and present.
• We understand stuff like viral videos, political cartoons and such because they are current. Years later, they will seem dated and then decades later it will be incomprehensible unless there’s background information; hence the need for research.

The Conversation (Hard Evidence: How does false information spread online?)

• As of 2014, the World Economic Forum had reported that one of the top ten trends was the concern over rapid spread of misinformation online, specifically social media’s role in this problem.
• More than ever, news organizations focus more on correct information rather than breaking news. This is the result of high profile mistakes within news outlets that used social media information.
• An example of a high profile mistake was during the anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombings, information posted onto the website Reddit led to two suspect images being printed on its front page. These people had nothing to do with the bombings.
• Time consuming verification practices makes it near impossible for news outlets to compete with social media; online verification is now increasingly important if it allows for reporting of online information to be factually correct.
• The 2013 internet survey has shown that trust in the reliability of online information has changed little among British internet users of the past ten years. In fact internet users identify the internet as the most reliable source of information over radio and television (over non internet users).
• The author of the survey suggests that “This stability suggests that users have learnt to what extent they can trust information online. In this light, we can see that people have a learned level of skepticism about information that can be found online, which is contrary to many expectations of people being unduly influenced by misinformation distributed online.”

Resources:

Clarke, Michael “Language and Meaning”. Verbalising the Visual: Translating Art and Design into Words. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing, 2007. Print
Mirzoeff, Nicholas. “Introduction”. Chapter 2: “”How We Think About Seeing”. How to See the World. London; Pelican, 2015. Print.
Ruszkiewicz, John J., Daniel Anderson, and Christy Friend. “Reading Texts.” Beyond Words: Cultural Texts for Readings amd Writing. 3rd Ed. Boston: Pearson, c2012. Print
Vis, Farida. “Hard Evidence: How Does False Information Spread Online?” The Conversation. 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
Dutton, W.H. and Blank, G., with Groselj, D. (2013) Cultures of the Internet: The Internet in Britain. Oxford Internet Survey 2013. Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford.