#seminar work

[jolandaobleser]

Past Present Future // Exploring a found Polaroid // Nov 16

[jolandaobleser]

Past Present Future // Break your phone // Nov 16

[jolandaobleser]

Past Present Future // Break your phone // Nov 16

[one-hell-of-otaku-is-here]

Me waiting for my thesis advisor to check the work I sent her so that I'd know what I'd need to change just mere weeks before sending it in:

[the-visual-activist-blog]

My response to an extract from Stéphane Hessel’s “Time For Outrage”

Stéphane Frédéric Hessel’s manifesto, “Time for Outrage!”, while focusing on the French people needing to become outrage, discusses issues that easily apply to people across the world, as it is shown by the book selling more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

The meaning of the text comes down to helping the new generation of French people understand why they should be passionate as opposed to apathetic when it comes to the current state of affairs in their country. Hessel goes into detail on his own experiences with speaking up due to his long life giving him “a steady succession of reasons for outrage” (Hessel and Duvert, 2011, p.23). These range from resisting the German occupation to opposing the totalitarianism of the Stalinist mass trials of 1935.

Hessel’s language is understanding towards the reader, and does not blame them for distancing themselves from their nation’s issues. His language also has instances of inclusive language which persuades the reader into feeling as if they are involved. It is however, also emotional due to the subject matter involved. Another way Hessel used persuasion was with future language which implies that the reader has the ability to influence the future of their nature.

Hessel was a diplomat, concentration camp survivor, French Resistance member and a Human Rights advocate so it could be possible to assume that he was a liberal who promoted questioning and resisting authority.

In conclusion, Stéphane Hessel’s “Time for Outrage!” is an informed and respectful call to action towards the youth of today. It can be seen how powerful Hessel’s ideas have been with calls to action that have resulted from this manifesto such as the Spanish protests of 2011. These were against corruption and politics that were against compromise or change. These protests, referred to as “Los Indignados”, similarly sparked other protests into action, one of which was the popular Occupy Wall Street Movement. This demonstrates that one of the reasons why the youth of today don’t speak up is that they may feel they do not have the ability to make a significant change. It could also be argued that the right-wing beliefs might have promoted apathetic views. Due to this, I agree with Hessel in that being apathetic and ignorant is an easy state to fall in as believing you are too weak to make a difference is easier than actually attempting it. For actual changes to be made the reader must first allow themselves to become passionate.

[livingasellie-blog]

Tomorrow I'm running a seminar on suffering and impermanence in Buddhist teachings. Hopefully it'll be more upbeat than it sounds... 🙈 We're going to be talking about some deep shit that's for sure!

[livingasellie-blog]

I officially accepted my teaching job today, as one of the teachers on the first year religious studies course. It's still technically provisional until the student numbers come in. But I'm feeling confident that we'll get the student numbers. Basically it's my job to run the classes and be the contact with all the students, to mark their work and answer their questions, hold office hours, ect. I will not be giving the lectures, but I will report to the lecturer. Luckily we will be starting the first term with Hinduism, which is my area and my supervisor will be the lecturer, so someone to make sure I don't screw up on day one. Or maybe wind me up for the rest of my life if I do. I'm officially going to be teaching Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. And I'm officially going to be marking the work of half of all students taking religious studies as a major or minor at the university this year. I'm officially going to be teaching at a top 10 university. That is quite cool.

[livingasellie-blog]

Currently on the way to London to give a talk tomorrow. A little nervous because the topic is religion and violence and I'm REALLY not an expert, at all. I took a 10 week undergraduate course on it last year and that's it. Uni are putting me up tonight in an expensive hotel in the centre of London, and I'm going out with other members of my department tonight, all paid for by uni. However, it's that short time we get in England once a year (or once every few years) where the temperature peaks. It's 30+ degrees C (maybe around 90 in F?) at the moment in London. And when London gets hot it gets sticky and smoggy and gross. And the tube can just be unbearable. I do love the sun and the heat though, so I'm really making the most of it. It's unfortunate I've spent most of this afternoon on the train. Oh. Did I mention aircon is rare in England? I haven't slept comfortably in over a week. And sweat is constant. The only place cool is the fridge.