Back in 1997, there was an issue of National Geographic where the main article was about the birthday of India's Independence entitled on the cover of that issue which was "India Turning Fifty." In the article, it portrayed very detailed pictures of what India was like in that time.
One person that goes by the name of Shekhar Deshpande made an article, more like an explanation on the photos taken in that article. What he talks about in his article called "The Confident Gaze" is how people like you and I, who live in America, are part of the "Western Eye." What this means is that our culture here of course different to the culture in India, we find ourselves to say we are doing fine and the world around us is doing fine as well. Obviously, prejudice exists in the Western World as well, described in Deshpande's artice, he is describing the photos in the article, what he describes sounds more like something that would be appealing to those in our culture. "The photograph from the album of their correspondent-photographer that begins the section shows the Western white man resting on the side panels of the vehicle while three young women from the hills of the North serve as his "props." The most "attractive" of these women is looking at the camera, with a posture that seeks approval, while the other two prefer to transfer to transfer their connection to the camera through their steady look at the more attractive and more confident companion" (Paragraph 5). To most, if not all, of the people who live in the Western Culture (i.e.America) find this photo described in the article quite appealing and rather entertained by the photo. We believe by the photo, we assume that if we ever intend on moving or traveling to there, we are to be within attractive women and living the life of luxury. For those who think realistically, or live in the Indian culture itself, that is not how life is over there in India, and thus people think differently of each others cultures. Whereas there is in fact a different angle that the photographers can use where Deshpande says that "Human suffering becomes worth a good image" (Paragraph 9). Shown on the cover of the magazine of that issue, it shows a child that has a look of fear and curiosity in it's eyes, as well as has the look like his face is eroding due to the poverty in that country. This does in fact have more of a realistic look towards their culture but can however be simply over-exaggerated. Deshpande also stated that the "Constructions of self-identity comes through a representation/images of the other" (Paragraph 14). Later on in the same paragraph he explains that by looking at these pictures of "The Third World" culture India is known for, Deshpande says that the pictures explain what we would have been what the pictures portray if we did not advance or evolve into a society or "civilization" so quickly.
Welcome!
Welcome to our Eng 100 Blog “Conversations Beyond the Classroom”! The title of this blog refers to the community of active readers & collaborative learners we are creating by sharing our academic writing for Eng 100 with each other + a larger group of students, instructors, academics, and just about anybody who chooses to follow our blog! When you write and post your reader responses here (and, later, as you write your essays for the course), I encourage you to use this audience to conceptualize who you are writing for and, most important, how to communicate your ideas so that this group of academic readers and writers can easily follow your line of thinking. Think about it this way: What do you need to explain and articulate in order for the other bloggers to understand your response to the essays we’ve read in class? What does your audience need to know about those essays and the authors who wrote them? And how can you show your readers, in writing, which ideas you add to these “conversations” that take place in the texts we study?
As students of Eng 100, you will use this blog to begin conversations with other academic writers on campus (students and instructors alike). We become active readers of each other’s writing when we comment on posts here. And, best of all, we are using this space to share ideas! We encourage you to use this blog to further think through the topics and writing strategies you will be introduced to this quarter. As always, be sure to give credit to those people whose ideas you borrow for your own thinking and writing (you should do this in the blog by commenting on their post, but you will also be required to cite what you borrow from your peers/instructors if and when it winds up in your essays. More details on that later…).
Finally, keep in mind that writing to and for this audience is a good way to prepare for the panel of readers (faculty at WCC) who will be reading and assessing your writing portfolio at the end of the quarter. We hope that as a large group of active readers, we can better prepare each other for this experience. But, in the meantime, let’s have fun with it! I am really excited see how far we can take this together!
--Mary Hammerbeck, Instructor of Eng 100
As students of Eng 100, you will use this blog to begin conversations with other academic writers on campus (students and instructors alike). We become active readers of each other’s writing when we comment on posts here. And, best of all, we are using this space to share ideas! We encourage you to use this blog to further think through the topics and writing strategies you will be introduced to this quarter. As always, be sure to give credit to those people whose ideas you borrow for your own thinking and writing (you should do this in the blog by commenting on their post, but you will also be required to cite what you borrow from your peers/instructors if and when it winds up in your essays. More details on that later…).
Finally, keep in mind that writing to and for this audience is a good way to prepare for the panel of readers (faculty at WCC) who will be reading and assessing your writing portfolio at the end of the quarter. We hope that as a large group of active readers, we can better prepare each other for this experience. But, in the meantime, let’s have fun with it! I am really excited see how far we can take this together!
--Mary Hammerbeck, Instructor of Eng 100
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