#drscottclemson

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Promot 3: Extended, Dimeo, Hunt & Horbury, “The Individual and the State: A Social Historical Analysis of the East German ‘Doping System’” explores a governmental scandal about a sports/medical technology. Compare this to a contemporary sports scandal of your choice, using at least two quotes from the reading. Take a local photo to illustrate the East German doping scandal in some way, and another photo to illustrate the scandal you choose.

Doping has been an issue in sports for a very long time. From the beginning of athletic competition, people have been trying to figure out how to get the upper hand. It was only a matter of time before medical knowledge progressed to the point of effective doping. The GDR doping scandal was huge athletic news at the time. Interestingly enough, we had a similar occurrence happen this year with the 2018 winter Olympics. Both involved a large number of Russian (GDR in the original case) athletes taking large amounts of performance-enhancing drugs.

The photo I chose for the GDR doping scandal was the 1936 summer Olympic stadium. There was some discrepancy on whether or not doping was happening in these games too, however, GDR took the main fall after they were the first large scandal to come to light. The reason why I chose this picture is that it is an Olympic village. Being in the Olympic village has the effect of wanting to win. Even standing there today I started daydreaming about how amazing it would have been to watch an Olympic event there. The photo, for me, captures the joy and the drive to perform in the Olympics. It makes sense that people will try to win an Olympic gold, it is a dream for many professional athletes. I think something that contributed to this doping scandal was the post ww2 tensions between the Americans and the Russians. Any form of a peaceful game between the two nations is incredibly important from a nationalist standpoint. I believe this contributed to the “worst example of corruption in the history of athletics” as the Olympic officials attempted to cover up the scandal (Dimeo et al, 2011, 219).

In today's example, Russia was just hit with another doping scandal. They were not allowed to wear their colors in the last winter Olympic games. What amazes me is how little history has changed. When I heard about this recent doping scandal it made me think, “hasn’t this already happened”. One can argue that this scandal is less politically motivated and motivated more by the increasingly harsh living conditions for professional athletes. It is becoming harder to be a professional athlete. Countries across the world are cutting benefits and may are having a hard time getting by. If I were a professional athlete who wasn't quite good enough for a sponsorship taking performance-enhancing drugs would be very tempting. My photo to represent this scandal is a picture of Victory Column here in Berlin. This statue, to me, represents the glory that can come from winning. For many athletes that is the goal. It is this pursuit for glory that pushes them to the point where they consider doing.

In some ways, it is a shame that doping has become such an issue in sports. One would wish that competition could stay fair, however, that will probably never happen. Athletes will find a way to break the rules if it means supporting themselves. There is still so much to learn from older sporting events as well. The “over-emphasis on doping and elite athletic competition has drawn attention away from other aspects of sports in East Germany that might offer additional forms of insight into the function of the state” (Dimeo et al, 2011, 225). This solidifies my point that it was the international competition on the world stage that could have driven GDR to pursue the route of doping.

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Prompt 2: Research the GPDR online privacy regulations that went into effect last Friday. Link to an official government communication from the EU or another governmental body about these new technological restrictions. Then, find an example of art or advertising in the the city you’re in (not online) that deals with similar issues of privacy or surveillance.

The recent adaption of the GPDR is a huge shift in personal protection and ones right to their data. In the past one had almost no say in what happened to their data and many companies took advantage of this. Recently the European Union implemented the GPDR to ensure one's safety and right to their data. The protection bill allows one to withdraw their personal data, erase their data, give consent to use their data, expand the definition of personal data, and much more.

Because this is such a new event, many people around the city have been discussing this. This new adaption has made its way into some interesting street art. In today’s excursion, we were able to see a cool spy station used by the Americans and British after WW2. It is now a street art gallery. The posted photo represents some people’s opinions on internet privacy. Clearly, some people don't believe it exists as it is portrayed in a satirical manner. Overall this is a huge improvement in personal rights on the internet. I can only hope that the united states implement something similar soon. The picture features the Berlin Bear Bogo stating that the world wide web is always watching you. There is some truth to this however at least some of the world has some internet protections. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-strengthen-uk-data-protection-law

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Prompt 2: Museum Communication meets Metropolis: At the museum, look for two examples of science or technology to relate to the film: 1 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was accurate in communicating the future. 2 - Find an exhibit that suggests the film was inaccurate in its vision of the future.

Today we visited the Museum of Communication in Berlin. This museum featured exhibits that displayed the evolution of communication from the easiest recordings to modern day technology. Watching the progression of communication makes one wonder about the future in 100 years. This morning we watched a version or Metropolis, a movie which displays the year 2027 filmed in 1927. I know we are still 9 years away from 2027, but, the movie still relates to today in certain ways. The first is the enslavement by the machine. The movie Metropolis shows workers absolutely enslaved to their jobs. They worked 10-hour shifts and were exhausted by the end of each one. The machines played a pivotal role in their society as they literally kept them from drowning. This relates to today in a way because our modern communication and technological systems are so heavily used, it would similar to drowning if we lost them. A good example of this in the museum was the early years of phone lines. Back in the day, the operators had to make the physical connections of phones themselves. This job was extremely tedious and it held together entire organizations. If they stopped, communication would stop, and the organization would stop functioning. Therefore, Metropolis portrayed this aspect correctly.

On the other hand, Metropolis missed on an entire aspect of technology that is so prevalent in today’s society. In the movie, they displayed the future as bleak with a lack of fun. This is not true because with the rise in communication technologies came the days of digitized music. The museum had a temporary exhibit on pop music in Germany. You were able to walk through and plug in your headphones to listen to multiple different types of music. This represents how the rise of technology left room for more self-expression than what is depicted in Metropolis. Machines and technology have allowed millions of people to be exposed to and compose their own forms of self-expression. These expressions can be shared across cultures in a matter of seconds. This proves that the film Metropolis depicted an inaccurate version of the dystopian work future. We do work on machines all day however it is at least better than the depiction.

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•Prompt 3: Advertising / Public Sphere: Public Communication and Democracy. Find an example in Berlin (not TV, online, etc.) of communication from a regional, city, or national governmental body about a particular technology. Drawing on Habermas, examine it first from a public sphere perspective: What information is needed about this technology for citizens of a democracy to have informed civic debate and deliberation about it? Then, drawing on Jaganathan et al, examine it from a rhetoric of advertising perspective: What persuasive arguments might a manufacturer or distributor of the same technology want to make to the public?

Public Transport networks are something that helps define a major modern city. The idea of cheap and easy public transport is something everyone can use and appreciate. As someone from a city without s subway network, it is far more efficient to have one when it comes to navigating the city. Subway networks are government run and also advertised by the government. Public opinion on these transport networks is also important. The public sphere, or, “realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed”, is incredibly important to government-funded projects or organizations. (Habermas, 1974, 55). In order to be successful you need a strong relationship with the public and in particular a strong public opinion. TO do this the public needs to have all relevant information towards the goal or project. In order to persuade the public they need to understand what the government is trying to do. Furthermore, press needs to be an “institution for the public” (Haberrman, 1974, 53). The press should be the main form of communication between the public and the government organization trying to make the change. With each of these things in a place a civic debate should be possible. From there the public should have a role in deciding how important the given technology is. For the city subway system you would hope the idea of implementing it was a similar process to this.

On the other hand, the way the technology is presented also can give a drastic effect. The rhetoric used can make or break a new project such as this. In order to persuade the public one needs to affect the “intelligence (logos) and emotions (pathos)” (Jaganathan et al, 2014, 153). The style at which the government advertises this through imagery that is repeated throughout the city. There are pictures of the public transport map as well as ads for it all over the city. On the map, there is a network of colored lines that have all of the stops on it. The map itself is a way for the government to promote their public transport system. Since this is already designed and manufactured for the public I am going to discuss the possibility of it being privatized. If the manufacturer were to make this for a private citizen I believe they would market it in a similar way. The system takes you anywhere around the city in a reasonable amount of time. This would need to be stressed in the marketing campaign. It wouldn't hurt to mention that if it was a privately owned entity then there would be no need to stop at unnecessary stops.

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Prompt 2: (Extended) Computerspielmuseum / DDR Museum: Public Communication of Sport Sciences and Technologies.Compare and contrast an example from each museum that talks about, shows, or otherwise presents a science or technology used in sports. Embed a music video of one song you would choose to play along with each sport (one for each, two songs total). Use supporting quotes from McLeod to explain why you chose those songs.

Sports history dates back to the ancient times. Practically since the beginning of recorded history humans have attempted to compete with each other for the sake of fun. It is part of the human nature to be the best possible person they can be. This is very clear in athletics. In modern history, athletes are seen as celebrities. This is not an uncommon theme running through time either. There were famous sprinters in Greece and Egypt as well as wrestlers.

Traditional sports have not changed much in the last two hundred years. Sprinters still run around tracks and the javelin throwers still use a similar technique. This is a good example of sports lasting over time. On the other hand, there has been a recent rise in new sports. This is seen in the united states with American Football making an appearance in the late 1800s as a derivation of Rugby. New sports increased interest for both athletes and spectators. This occurrence has created a market where professional athletes are highly marketable. In fact, many professional sports leagues and tournaments have begun associating songs with their events. The songs typically “feature memorable and easily sung choruses in which fans can easily participate” (McLeod, 541).

Different styles of music are usually associated with different sports. The style typically relates to the type of sport that is being played. During this trip, we have visited both the Computer Game Museum and the East Germany Museum. Both had exhibits regarding sports. Many computer games are based on sports as they are easier to relate to the consumer. An example of this is seen with the Arcade Game style Poly Play at the museum. This machine lets the user select which game they want to play. I noticed many of the options included traditional sports as the game. The East Germany Museum had a small section of their exhibit dedicated to sports. Most of the images were relating to “athletics” or traditional track and field. The main difference between the two exhibits was not only the physical versus virtual aspect but also the sense of single-player versus community. Athletics were so common in East Germany because of the way they are scored. Individual athletes take the track or field to score points for their Team. In these sports, every player contributed there part to the overall good of the Team. This is a metaphor for life under communist control during that time. On the other hand, E-Sports are very individualistic. Players compete against others or their old scores and there is no team aspect. This changes with the rise of multiplayer games however that isn't fully relevant for this time period.

The song I would assign to each sport is probably unexpected. For Athletics, my choice was “Hocus Pocus” by Focus. My reasoning behind this is that this song is as simple and catchy as you can find. It is the type of song that gets stuck in your head for the duration of a race and makes you anxious to the point where you want to run faster. It has no specific “national identity” as many sports-related songs have which makes it ideal to use as a sport-specific anthem (McLeod 536). It is easy for fans to sing with and it might raise some spirits by getting a laugh out of a few of them. The overall feeling seems to represent the traditional athletics quite well. Alternatively, for the Arcade game Poly-Play my choice would be”Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. This song deals with changing times and in particular, tv’s role in putting entertainment radio broadcasting out of business. This is a prelude to what is happening with E-Sports in the world today. E-Sports will never replace physical sports however they are gaining popularity to the point where they may reach the same popularity level. Both of these songs are fitting because of the energy that they offer. “Sports and music have largely been driven by and appealed to the music of the youth” and these two songs have high enough energy to fit in their sports (McLeod 536). No song can fully capture the feelings of competing, however, these to represent some of the values of their determined sports. “Hocus Pocus” features a strong guitar lead with a chorus of high energy yodeling. It is perfect for fans and athletes to draw energy from during athletic events. “Video Killed the Radio Star” is perfect for Poly-Play as it represents the changing times in a similar way of poly play. 

 In conclusion, sports and music have been around for a long time. In the recent history, they have combined to further represent what each sport means and conveys to its fans. These two songs relate to their designated sport and I believe if they were to broadcast these songs live at a sporting event there would be a great reaction. 

Video Killed the Radio Star:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

Hocus Pocus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9esBTlhbC_g

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

Wk3 Prompt 1: Ecoland / Tempelhofer Feld: Public Communication of Health Sciences and Technologies. Find the community gardens at Tempelhofer Feld. Compare how they communicate sciences and/or technologies of health (such as nutrition, sustainability, etc.). What values are expressed? How are they similar? Different? Do you see any miscommunications?

A common theme I've noticed in Europe is the healthy lifestyle initiative. People here seem to be much healthier and there is a greater emphasis on nutrition as well as being active. We saw a portion of this at Ecoland. Ecoland is an organic farming initiative which is to preserve the rights of farmers as well as offer organic goods to consumers. Their goal was primarily seen in their market. The orientation in the market made it clear that they want to promote a healthy lifestyle. They had displays of grain, spices, and meats all over the market which implies healthy or organic. One of their main selling points is their use of local farmers and Zanzibar spices. They do a great job of getting their name out which draws crowds of people to their store. We see the same principles working for Whole Foods back at home. They advertise all organic every chance they get in order to attract more customers. Therefore the primary science that Ecoland is promoting is nutrition or health science. IN terms of technology, their use of old farming and packaging equipment communicates a sense of authenticity. It ensures the buyer that the items they are buying are organic.

The Community Gardens convey a similar message. One of the first things I noticed about them was their display of athletic balls and sneakers. This made me think of a healthy community. Athletic balls emphasize sports. This is backed up by the number of athletic style shoes. In addition to sports, the plants growing out of the components communicates the growth that can come out of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, like Ecoland, they also communicate the importance of health science. The old style of the shoe also relates to Ecoland’s older farming equipment. These similarly communicate authenticity. Ecoland’s communicates authenticity of organic produce while the community Garden’s older components demonstrate the importance of health through time. I believe it is a display that highlights the importance of healthy living regardless of age. The Community Gardens is different from Ecoland as there is not a farming component however the emphasis on healthy lifestyles is the same. This leaves room for miscommunications because like most things health science is not that simple. Eating organic foods doesn't necessarily mean the food is healthy. The same goes for sports and being active. Just as much negative can come from it if not treated carefully. This would be an example of oversimplification. 

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

If you could agree to do your research and form full arguments to not misinform the public... then that would be great... (poorly executed office space reference)

Prompt 2: How is the Mercedes-Benz Arena utilized for public relations? Who are the key publics here, how are they engaged, and what types of relationship management strategies are employed to engage with these publics? Again, using information learned on the tour is a good idea.

The three articles to read by Nebel, Stobbe, and Sun discussed different incidents of miscommunication in medical knowledge. Nebel discussed a certain drug used during pregnancy had a slight correlation with an increase in autism. I believe the correlation needs to be studied further in order to be considered a causation however the initial phases of the study showed a twofold increase in the percentage of having a child born with autism. This study was quickly picked up by the media and reported upon. A lawsuit shortly followed and the author remarks on how they think they may have acted too harshly to the drug. The increased percentage was not a lot given other perspectives. This is an example of a “flawed premature conclusion” as Sobbe would put it. The study's results are more than likely valid however the entire puzzle is not complete. Only a piece has been figured out. THis is a classic case of overversimplification.

Furthermore, Stobbe talks about how a correlation in two instances does not necessarily mean a causation. THis is a common miscommunication technique. To further their point they use an example of ice cream and drowning and how there is a strong correlation between the two. Eating ice cream does not contribute to drowning but they do have a correlation. The same can be said of women’s hormone replacement therapy and a risk for heart disease. If you look at the correlation alone it can tell a different story. Therefore a common theme between the two articles is an incomplete picture or understanding of the material. 

Sun goes on to elaborate about this through their article about the anti-vaccination movement. A disproven study correlated vaccine rates with increases in autism. Anti-vaccine advocates say that disproving the study proving the correlation can somehow explain how it does, in fact, cause autism. They also go so far as to say  “When you hear people from the state public health department saying there is no risk, that [vaccines] are safe, this is the sort of thing that should cause you to be skeptical” (Sun). This is a blatant use of denialism. They are refusing every educated claim disproving their point in order to continue to believe it. They also choose to refuse to look into the recent measles and other very preventable disease outbreaks. Unlike the other two articles, they use this “incomplete picture” to argue for their beliefs. They claim that there is not enough evidence to say vaccines don't cause autism when it has been known for years that there is no relationship between the two. 

A less severe application to this idea of forming an argument around incomplete information was seen at the Ecoland tour. I am not trying to discredit Ecoland as their organization stands for a wonderful cause and does great things for small farms. One thing that did stand out to me is their stance on GMOs in the animal feed. The non-GMO argument, in my opinion, is based on people having an incomplete picture as to what a GMO is. It is as if media has created a technopanic around GMO products through their megative media. A GMO does not mean it is injected with hormones or made from harsh chemicals. They are in fact the same plant or animal product, just genetically altered to grow more efficiently or be less susceptible to parasites. An example is modern corn on the cob. Natural non-GMO corn hardly exists on the market now because it was so inefficient to grow. They genetically altered the plants to grow more cobs in less space. The cob has the same genetic makeup but the stem is different. An example of this misinformation bias is seen in today's milk and beef industry. A problem many farmers encounter is the cows injuring themselves by hitting each other with their horns due to their close proximity. Scientists can breed cows without horns however the FDA will not allow it because they are technically considered a GMO cow. In fact, these horn free cows are classified as a drug and are not legal simply because they have been genetically altered. It is better for the cows not to have horns and they will produce better meat that way. Therefore, making an argument based on partial information is a common theme that is seen throughout our society. This can create panic and harm and is without a doubt a form of miscommunication regarding technology and science. 

[brookecasuallyabroad-blog]

EXTENDED POST!! Week 2 Prompt 3: Review notes on Futurism. Read “The Furturist Manifesto.”What exhibit at the Mercedes Benz Museum do you think Marinetti would like the most? Why?

F. T. Marinetti’s “The Futurist Manifesto” is an early 20th century rambling about Marinetti’s idea of looking to the future rather than the past. Looking 100 years forward and we read his manifesto from the perspective of someone living in a post-modernization world. We regularly use technologies and methods to communicate that are far greater than anything Marinetti could have dreamed of. To learn more about humanities descent into the more modern technologies, we toured the Mercedes-Benz museum today. The museum featured multiple levels of automobiles and artifacts guiding the viewers through the history of the automotive company we know today. Marinetti makes it clear in his manifesto that he does not believe in museums when he asks “What is the point of looking behind at the moment when we must open the mysterious shutters of the impossible?” I believe, however, that there are a few exhibits that Marinetti would enjoy if he were here.

The first exhibits Marinetti would like are the early days of the automobile. This does not mean cars for the wealthy few. This means the time in the early 1900s when cars for the common person were mass produced. Henry Ford had put the Model T into production marking the beginning of average consumer automobiles. From this point on the average person had access to a car. It took several decades for cars to disperse through the classes but eventually, they became accessible for all demographics. This marked a new era where horseback transportation was no longer the standard. Therefore Marinetti experienced the changing times with his own eyes. He was born in 1876 and witnesses the development of a fossil fuel dependent society which would change the world forever.

Secondly, I believe Marinetti would enjoy the later exhibit of Mercedes’s newest edition cars. In particular, the beautiful white zero emission Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe. This car is a picture of the future. We might not have a functioning electronic car road system yet, but the world is moving in this direction. For the first time since the introduction of the automobile, we are straying from the internal combustion engine and moving toward a cleaner, more efficient future. The electric car movement leaves behind all research of internal combustion and drivetrain technology. It is an unexplored sector due to many reasons. First, batteries only recently became cheap enough to mass produce. This came from the adaption of lithium-ion batteries into everyday life. Before the early 2010’s they were not only expensive to produce but also dangerous as their high energy output could turn deadly in the form of an explosion. Secondly, we did not have the means to charge the batteries quickly. And lastly, we were not able to produce batteries with enough stored energy to make long distance travel possible. All of this is changing and I believe Marinetti would be ecstatic to see this new era.

Therefore, I believe Marinetti would like the first few exhibits pertaining to the early production of consumer automobiles and the zero-emission exhibit. The early automobiles were something that he witnessed in his lifetime. He witnessed the world change and evolve just like we are witnessing now. Zero emission cars are something that was only thought possible until recent years. Marinetti wanted to look to the future, and for us, the future is here.