Global English and Power

As we know everything depends on the language. The degree of power we have in the world is closely correlated with our capacity for communication.  Language serves as our culture's preferred means of communication, the force behind our goals, and the focus and alignment of our energies. The influence of language is entirely dependent upon how it is used. Whether or not we are aware of it, we continuously use language to transform our concepts and convictions into tangible reality. We can choose to express ourselves and understand others in more thoughtful, thoughtful ways by becoming more conscious of the effect and power of words.

The video "The Expansion of English in China- Worlds of English" talks about how English is becoming a convenient language in China. In order to succed in your career, you would need to learn English. Also as China is becoming bigger and bigger part of the world's ecomomy and as people start traveling much more outside and multinational companies coming into China and the Chinese comapnies having collabrations with outside companies. It is clear that they will have to learn more than one language. For young professionals entering into the coporate world you are expected to learn English and the expectation level as wells as the need and the pressure to increase and improve their English level has become much stronger. 

The video "English in the Euproean Union"-Worlds of English" talks about the English laguage is spreading throughout Europe. The Euproean parliament  there are about 23 languages. English is becoming more used and more valued. The French lanuage has dropped below 10 %, but the reality is that you can't live without English. When the MEP's dont use their mother tounge misunderstandings can occur. People say things what they don't really mean and they say what they are able to say. These are two different things and for intereptors that can be difficult to explain what the person is trying to say. 

The problematic issues in the first video would be: 1) Learning another laugage for some people might be difficult. Especially that are certian age group, they have been speaking Chinese for almost their whole life. 2) In order to succed in your career you would need to learn some basic English even to move outside of China to the US. Learning a whole new language can take sometime. 3) Impact on mother tongue, the next generation might not even speak Chinese and would be learning English. As the Chinese language is not being taught at home. 

The problematic issues in the second video would be: 1) People who don't know English will have a hard time understanding what the other person is trying to say. The English lanugage is spreading at a much rapid pace and is more valued. 2) Some people would be learning English much later in life when they have been speaking mother tounge their whole life. 3) Some people don't prefer to learn another language and would rather speak their mother tongue. 

From the video "The Expansion of English in China- Worlds of English" the speaker Bob says "you can’t study any language for so long like in my case I’ve studied English for over thirty years now, without really seeing any deep changes in you, both in the way you look at your own country, the way of thinking exactly, living your lifestyle so everything is different now" Learing a whole new language can change they way you live and the way you might speak your mother tongue. It also has an effect on identity whether you are Chinese or an American. Another speaker from the video YI’AN "In my view and in many of my colleagues view, actually English is more than natural because language and thought and language and culture are tied to each other inextricably. The learning of English has an impact on the identity of our learners, who you are". When you learn another language you tend to adpot that culture and the question is who you really are?

From the video: "English in the Euproean Union"-Worlds of English" The french guy is not willing to accept that English becoming the dominant language in the Eurpoean Union. He thinks that English is a threat to the legtitmacy of the European Union. The amount of money that is being spent to ensuring that interceptors are always avaiable for all twenty three languages. The three dominant lanagues French, German and English have been resisted. 

Created by Sana Mumtaz 

Endangered Language Video Presentation

 Everything depends on the language. The degree of power we have in the world is closely correlated with our capacity for communication. Additionally, there are about  7,100+ languages spoken worldwide, with hundreds now extinct. There are many factors that can cause language to go extinct for example death of all the speakers or a change in power. The loss of one's language can have severe effects, including the loss of one's culture and identity, The language I will be focusing on is called Torwali. 

Please check out my video on the language Torwali! I would appreciate the feedback!

Thank you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torwali_language

https://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/3501/revitalization

https://www.torwali.org/en/revitalization-endangered-music%E2%80%94-case-torwali-music

https://criterion-quarterly.com/mother-language-education-the-torwali-multilingual-education-model/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Pakistan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Pakistan#Nationality,_ethnicity,_and_language

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torwali_people

Vlog Post - Surveillance State Or Way of the Future

In a documentary called  China: The Surveillance state or way of the future. The government has an eye on everything. On big screens, they can control approximately one million cameras and switch to any of the cameras. The cameras are able to recognize every citizen by their face, speech, and even the way they walk, even those who are breaking the law or have bad behavior.

I will be talking about the few issues the documentary addresses. Thank you for watching my personal thoughts and key takeaways from the documentary. 

Foucault's Normalized Power in China

With regard to Michel Foucault's thesis of force in everything, this newly discovered material regarding the surveillance state in major Chinese cities provides a prime illustration of a repressive power at work in real-world circumstances Freedom of speech, access to information, and protection of personal information are just a few of the liberties that Chinese citizens have learned to live without. Even if they are unaware of it, they have granted the government authority in everyday settings, as Foucault has maintained.

Infographic- SILENCE

There are times when we are not sure what or how to say something in some circumstances. At times we tend to avoid saying anything and chose to stay silent because we want to avoid saying something which might hurt the other person. There are many ways silence delivers a message. One example would be  We will look at one example concerning silence between white and people of color to think about the messages silence can send. The documentary, Whitewashed: Unmasking the World of Whiteness shows the many privileges a person has just by being white. In many situations, like being pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation, if you are white you will be given a warning and will be getting an apology. if you are a person of color, you will be given a ticket even if you weren't at fault. Another example would be the Asian lady at the mall who accidentally put another gift in her bag when she had no idea there was already in her bag. She was arrested and sent to jail. If the lady at the department was white, she wouldn’t have been arrested and would have gotten away from accidentally putting another gift in her bag. Many people of color are often considered unprofessional because of their appearance. Overall the documentary, chronicles white Americans, reflecting on "white" racial identity and racism. millions of people of European descent were transformed into "white" people when they arrived on these shores in a bid to improve their lot, they had to give up who they really were, in order to fit in their community. 

Vlog Post 3- Movie-- Beyond Good and Evil--Violence in Children's Media

 

Aacap. “American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. .” Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence, https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-and-Video-Games-Playing-with-Violence-091.aspx.

Thiesfeld, Rik. “Violent Video Games: What Parents Need to Know.” Violent Video Games: What Parents Need to Know, https://www.sandiegofamily.com/parenting/violent-video-games-what-parents-need-to-know.

Gender Codes and Normative Power

Gender Codes 

FreePiks

    The film "The Codes of Gender" written and directed by MEF Executive Director Sut Jhally, applies the late sociologist Erving Goffman's seminal theory of advertising to today's commercial world, demonstrating how one of the most influential forms of American popular culture transmits normative beliefs about masculinity and gender. Goffman's key premise that gender norms are the outcome of ritualized cultural performance is explored in stunning visual detail in The Codes of Gender, which reveals a fascinating pattern of masculine and feminine displays and stances. To present a clear-eyed vision of the two-tiered terrain of identity and power relations, it looks beyond advertising as a medium that just sells items, and beyond gender studies that focus on biological differences or issues of objectification and beauty. The film explains that 

Created by Sana Mumtaz

throughout history, both men and women have been subjected to conventional gender roles. Gender roles are cultural practices that are considered for men and women in society. These roles are created by gender rules and can be found in every section of society. Also, Gender roles in men are created by masculine norms, but these codes are created by women and women's duties. Men are seen compensating for women's lack of features by being powerful, self-assured, and competitive. For example, males appear strong because of their face and eye contact, but women next to them appear delicate, causing the idea that men defend women or that women require men's protection to be raised in people's minds.

FreePiks

Visual Codes within Class

    Overall society has taught us what gender should look like, but also what color, ethnicity, social class, and other social classifications should look like. When it comes to movies/shows portraying a race or ethnicity and making sure that the audience is aware of it, they will show the character stereotypical qualities of that race or ethnicity. According to an article called What Factors Really Influence Identity by Y Studios, our personal identity refers to how we see ourselves, whereas our social identity refers to how others see us. Within our town, school, career, or any community environment, people recognize us by our qualities. Each person will be identified by these qualities, and then placed in a collective group with others who have those characteristics. Our marital, financial, occupational, religious, or behavioral status may define some aspects of our social identities. 

    Similarly, an article called People in Higher Social Class Has An Exaggerated Belief That They Are More Capable Than Others by the American Psychological Association states that people who see themselves as belonging to a higher social class may have an exaggerated belief that they are more capable than their equally capable lower-class counterparts and that overconfidence can often be misinterpreted by others as greater competence in critical situations like job interviews. According to Peter BelAmi, of the University of Virginia and lead author of the study, explains that “Advantages beget advantages. Those who are born in upper-class echelons are likely to remain in the upper class, and high-earning entrepreneurs disproportionately originate from highly educated, well-to-do families. This is In comparison to the middle class, they are socialized to differentiate themselves from others. They are able to express what they think, and also their ideas and opinions even if they lack accurate knowledge. 

Foucault's Concepts 

    According to Foucault, normative power is everywhere, comes from everywhere, and affects everyone. From society, we learn that a woman is weak, powerless, and delicate. A man is portrayed as powerful, self-assured, and competitive. Foucault believes that culture shapes who you are and what you consider to be normal, proper, and good. Another thing we can take a look at is Foucault's concept of power as a source of social conformity and discipline. Foucault explains that relates to our "capabilities to recognize, and question socialized norms and constraints". This relates to visual codes because we are raised in certain circumstances that come to identify our visual codes. This includes gender, race, class, etc. As we grow older and gain more knowledge we gain the ability to question these codes that have been "assigned" to us. This reminds me of how Foucault explains that power does not repress, rather it produces, and one of the things it produces is a sense of reality. 

Thank you for reading my blog post on Gender Codes and Normative Power! I hope you enjoyed my insight on its connection to Foucalt. 

- Sana 

About me and the Theory of Power.

 The Concept: "Power is Everywhere"

Hello everyone,

My name is Sana Mumtaz. I live in Los Angeles, California. I'm a senior at Webster University and my major is Business Management. I currently work for the accounting department of a small business. After graduating I plan to pursue my Master's degree in Human resources. 

My Passion for Language and Culture

My (left) last dinner in Pakistan, 2000

Growing up I was very interested in learning about different cultures. My family is from Pakistan and I moved to Southern California very young. Thankfully my parents encouraged my siblings and me to have a strong relationship with our culture. I speak Urdu fluently and I am currently learning how to write it as well. One major characteristic that follows culture is language. It has the power to connect people from different religions, countries, and backgrounds. 

Foucault's Theory of Power 

Created by Sana Mumtaz, "Language is Powerful"
in English, Russian, Korean, Urdu, Turkish

The power theory connects deeply to how humans interact with one another and social discipline. According to Gaventa (2003:2), Michel Foucalt places a great emphasis on how power is an everyday socialised and embodied phenomenon. According to Foucault, power has an important role in social discipline and conformity. His approach to power is that it goes beyond politics to see power as a daily, socialized, and lived reality. He points out how norms can be so deeply established that they are invisible to us and cause us to self-discipline with any pressure from others.  Foucault uses the terms power/knowledge to indicate that power is derived from established norms of knowledge, and scientific understanding and truth. This is established in Language and Power  by Sik Hung Ng and Fei Deng, when the topic of language and power relationships arises. Power has the ability to unite, divide, and create influence.

Pixabay

One of the things that stands out to me is how language can be percieved by people of different religions, cultures, and identites. There are many universal phrases that mean the same thing amongst different countries. But the way they are said can create a different emphasis. I relate to this becasue Urdu is very simialr to Hindi. And because of this I can understand people who speak Hindi even though i myself am not Hindu or from India (where the languge is most commanly spoken). I can even watch movies and TV shows from India. This encourgaes me to learn more about the people, and their culture. I also enjoy relating them to Pakistani dramas. This is very fasinating to me, people who may have an entirely different background from myself are able to understand my native tongue. This shows me that the beauty of languge is deeper than just people who come from the same region as my family.