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Common weaknesses in communication
Weaknesses in communication
Common weaknesses in communication
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Don’t Just Stand There is an essay written by Diane Cole. It was first published in 1989 in a New York Times publication. She advises her audience about how to react to prejudice comments and jokes. However, her argument is not credible because she fails to mention vital information that would help to support her argument, and there are too many logical fallacies.
Cole omits important details that may have helped to support her argument. Cole’s argument s not credible becuse she fails to give any back round information on the guy who told the joke, For example, who is he? Is he a person of authority? Is he the workplace clown? Is he an associate or friend? Who knows, maybe this guy is Jewish also. It seems a bit odd that these two individuals were office neighbors for two years and she does not provide us with any information about this guy. Equally important, she fails to mention the joke. How could she omit such a crucial part of her argument? After all, the joke was “unmistakably anti-Semitic” and caused her to freeze, her argument is based on the content of this joke. By omit...
Discovery can encompass the experience of facing confronting and meaningful situations that have the potential to alter an individual’s perspective of the world around them. The texts Go Back To Where You Came From (2011), The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, adapted as a film by Brian Percival (2013), To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) and I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. (1963) explore the universal experience of discovery through the outcome of emotional and intellectual discoveries conveyed through the audience, purpose and context of the texts. The documentary series, Go Back to Where You Came From explores the notion of discovery though its audience, purpose and context as the authentic refugee experience encourages the audience
Richard Pryor once said, “There’s a thin line between to laugh with and to laugh at” (A-Z Quotes). Leon Rappoport, a professor at Kansas State University, believed in the same thin line as Pryor. Rappoport received his BA and MS at New York University, and completed his PhD in 1963 at the University of Colorado (Kansas State University). He studied psychological sciences, and concentrated his studies in decision making and human judgment, even writing a book called Punchlines: The Case for Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Humor (Kansas State University). In another book, The Sword and Shield Metaphor and Other Perspectives, Rappoport claims that humor depends on how the audience receives humor because humor depends on the individual and the experiences the audience has had. The audience can either be on the side of the audience that is getting laughed at, or they can be on the side of the audience that is laughing with other people.
In the beginning of the article, Lukianoff and Haidt explain how one word can offend a college student really quickly, even if the person saying it didn’t intend to insult them. The authors then tell the audience how popular comedians, like Chris Rock, have stopped performing on college campuses, because the students cannot take a joke.
“Morreall argues that, if we want to answer these questions, we shouldn’t focus on whether the joke happens to trade on a stereotype. Instead, he takes the primary problem with some humor to be that it involves disengaging from things with which we ought to be engaged.” (Morreall, 529)
According to Everything’s an Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, “Humor has always played an important role in argument.” (38). Humor itself is something that activates amusement or laughter. Moreover, in popular culture, satire is a tool that is used to point out things in our society. Satire opens the minds of people to philosophies they might completely deny, using humor.
These two kind of go hand in hand. Starting with getting off the path of least resistance, it can be as simple as not laughing at a racist, homosexual, and gendered joke. Getting off the path of least resistance will interrupt the natural flow and begin to make changes. When someone makes a joke of that nature, speak up and make them feel uncomfortable by challenging the way they think.
Across the nation, millions of Americans of all races turn on the television or open a newspaper and are bombarded with images of well dressed, articulate, attractive black people advertising different products and representing respected companies. The population of black professionals in all arenas of work has risen to the point where seeing a black physician, attorney, or a college professor are becoming more a common sight. More and more black people are holding positions of respect and authority throughout America today, such as Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Condelezza Rice and many other prominent black executives. As a result of their apparent success, these black people are seen as role models for many Americans, despite their race. However, these groups of black people are exceptions to the rule and consist of only a tiny fraction of all black Americans. These black people in turn actually help to reinforce the inequality of black Americans by allowing Americans of other races to focus on their success. A common thought is, "They made it, why can't you do the same?" The direct and truthful answer to that question is Racism.
Green, Daniel. "A World Worth Laughing At: Catch-22 and the Humor of Black Humor." Studies
Throughout history, and in today’s society, race has been a debated topic. Even today the question about whether race influences intelligence, athletic ability, and creativeness is still discussed. Through scientific research it is known that race contributes nothing to how a person thinks, feels, or acts and that is it society that creates these standards. When looking into the past there was much controversy about blacks and their self worth. According to the Thomas Jefferson’s article “Notes on the State of Virginia” blacks and whites are naturally different and fixed by nature. In other words blacks are naturally not as intelligent as whites, but today’s knowledge argues, and proves, otherwise. There is also argument about the possibility that blacks are inferior to whites because of their environment. In the movie “Race, the Power of Illusion” teenagers of many different races and ethnic backgrounds were tested to determine how different they really are from one another. In the end, everyone finds out they may not be as different as originally thought. Society as a whole needs to realize we, as Americans, are more alike than we think. If everyone can get over skin color as a classification, then society will have overcome a huge barrier and the future for equality will become clearer.
Racism and prejudice has been present in almost every civilization and society throughout history. Even though the world has progressed greatly in the last couple of decades, both socially and technologically, racism, hatred and prejudice still exists today, deeply embedded in old-fashioned, narrow-minded traditions and values.
In his 1999 song Hate Me Now, the rapper Nas says “niggas fear what they don’t understand hate what they can’t conquer”. While Nas is addressing how social stigma and ignorance foster bigotry and racism in modern American society, parallels can be drawn between our world today and 17th century Puritan society. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, the Puritan society fears, above all else, sin. They believe that even the smallest transgression can jeopardize the entire congregation’s status as the Elect. As a result, the Puritans implement strict laws that repress human expression and promote conformity. Any breach in conformity is seen in the Puritans eyes as a threat to the wellbeing of the society and results in humiliating and inhumane
like Canada and the States. Racism is a part of each and every one of us. No
Political correctness has acted as a muzzle to those with an opinion and bubble wrap to those who are easily offended. Political correctness involves the prohibition of many common expressions and habits on the grounds that someone in our diverse society may take offence to them. It might have been born of a generous impulse - it’s good to avoid animosity when one can - but it has been taken to the extreme. It has become a nightmare for anyone with a different perspective on current affairs. We are encouraged to think about sexuality, gender identity, cultural imperialism, and race, but discouraged from talking freely about these very real issues. We have arrived at a point where we are constantly talking, but we are not actually saying anything.
I deserve an A in American Literature because of my improved command of facts, better speaking and listening skills, and because of my works consistent improval throughout the semester.
You can find wide varieties of these crude pieces on the internet, and it is not uncommon to hear them in the hallways of schools, or whispered among students and followed by unjustified giggles. Attempting to lighten the seriousness of things such as sexual assault or terrorism is not comedy, no matter what people may say. Comedy is about laughing with the people being mocked, not lessening the seriousness of their situations. When we try to make ‘jokes’, we must keep one thing in mind: comedy is about laughter and joy. A joke is only funny when it is not blinding us to the reality of cruel