Aktuelle Version vom 12. Juni 2018, 23:45 Uhr

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Homework
- 1.1 Recent Homework
- 1.2 Negative effects of stereotypes
2 Basic Skills & Information
3 Muslims in Britain
4 Religion in the USA: The Christian Right, Megachurches and TV-Preachers
5 Basic Values: The American Dream, Puritanism and "God's Chosen people"
6 Immigration, Multiculturalism
7 Who we are - who we want to be: Obesity, Good Looks and Plastic Surgery
8 Environment
9 Drama, Baby, Drama

Aktuelles

Homework

Prepare one of the two dialogues on in the "box" on the right at the top of the page!

Prepare to be candidate A or B!
Think about how you would start the dialogue!

Recent Homework

Describe and comment on this cartoon! (3 minutes!)

Write a review on the play "The Incident" until Wednesday June 8!
It should be between 400 and 600 words long! Follow the guidelines here

Read the script of "An Incident" from page 47 to page 51, l. 5!

Make a table with two columns showing what Mrs Blake and Shirley think about the Smiths.
What kind of people could the Smiths in this play stand for? Explain!

Describe Shirley's behaviour before and after she realizes that Miss Jones' companion is calle "Smith". (pp. 42+43) !

What does Miss Smith mean when she says "after all, we are in England!! p. 45, l. 1)

What is the effect of Mrs Blake's and Shirley's behaviour on the two women and on the audience? (pp. 43+44)?

Read the script of "An Incident" from the beginning to page 41, l. 34!

If you were the producer of the play: What lighting and what sound would you suggest for the opening scene (p. 38, l. 1 to p. 39, l. 23)?
Collect information and phrases that characterize Shirley, Miss Jones and Miss Smith. Start a separate sheet for each of the characters (This will be continued!)

What are the problems and solutions mentioned in the video on this page

Read this page on possible solutions for the problem of deforestation: Solutions
Be prepared to present the content of this page in class!

Watch this VIDEO and take notes!
Be prepared to present the content of the video in class!

Look at the article and the short Statements on the American Dream today!
Add important aspects of what the dream means today and of what is criticised from our worksheet and the online-article! Start with/use the list below:

Basic ideas:

All people are created equal
Attitude of hope and faith fulfils your desire for success, prosperity, happiness, liberty, religious freedom
Pursuit of happiness <= Declaration of independence

Different groups and dreams throughout history:

Puritan pilgrim fathers: escape from Britain and religious freedom
Settlers/pioneers: land, natural resources, personal freedom, abilities on your own hands work
Revolutionaries/founding fathers: USA as the result of a successful revolution against the English king.

Democratic federal state! No nobility and no monarchy

Immigrants in 19th and 20th century: new and safe life, escape from poverty, from prosecution, from inequality

Simple rules for those who want to live the dream:

Work hard!
Be patient, never give up!
Believe in yourself and follow your dream!
Believe in God and America!
We can only do it together!
If you want it, you can do it!
You can be what you wanna be!
Don´t dream it, do/be it!
You get what you deserve!

Criticism / the dark side of the dream ...

Working hard and wealth is over-emphasized. No time to enjoy what you have.
Over-emphasizing material aspect oft he dream – spiritual and idealistic aspect is lost.
Dream is unachievable for many people (poverty, inequality still exists).
Dream gives a tough answer to those who don’t make it: „You didn’t try/work hard enough.

Describe and analyse this cartoon!

Joe Millionaire is an American reality television show that was broadcast on Fox beginning in January 2003.
The basic premise is that bachelor Evan Marriott has inherited millions of dollars and is searching for a potential bride. He takes a group of hopeful women on several dates to exotic and luxurious locations, eliminating women at the end of each episode until only one woman remains.
_{Aus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Millionaire}

The Swan was a 2004 American reality television program broadcast on Fox. >br> Women who were judged to be ugly were given "extreme makeovers" that included several forms of plastic surgery. The title of the series refers to the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling, in which a homely bird matures into a swan.
_{Aus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swan_(TV_series)}

Der Text für die Mediation liegt im Sekretartiat bereit ab 9.00 Uhr am Donnerstag, 3.3.2016!

Instructions:

Read the text two times! Especially read the introduction!
1st reading: mark the relevant parts (according to what is specified in the introduction), also mark what is irrelevant (for addressee) and what are just examples etc.
2nd reading: write short keyword summaries/notes for each paragraph/relevant point. Identify repetitions, find similar points and finally reorder your notes/keywords! This will help you to write the mediation.
Write your mediation! Don't forget the addressee/situation from the introduction. Write an appropriate introduction!

Book, p. 82/83 America is a religion

Answer Questions 18a+b on page 83! Answer part 18a in full, written sentences! Be prepared to explain 18b in class!

Describe and analyse this cartoon!

Write notes! I shall ask you to present it in class!

Finish the analysis of the cartoon!

The cartoon shows the effects of criticism of Islam and the islamic actions by religious leaders, politicions and the state. It is split up in four frames.

The solution can be found in the section on religion!

Von_Zuwanderern_lernen.zip Mediation herunterladen und mit Passwort entzippen!
Und wie gesagt: "Mediation ist ...! (Wer's Passwort vergessen hat: Mail an mich!)

Prepare a three minute talk on three negative effects of stereotypes:

Negative effects of stereotypes

(Cf. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype,

Stereotype threat

The effect of stereotype ....

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Stereotypes lead people to expect ....

Discrimination

Because stereotypes simplify and justify social reality, ...

Write 3 different beginnings/introductorx paragraphs for a comment on:

Mass immigration can still be a chance for Germany

Explain (orally) what kind of comment will follow (structure …)

Interprete this cartoon!

ICE means: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Look at this information!!! before you start to describe the content and analyse the cartoon!

Email your analysis to joerg.thelenberg@gmx.de by Wednesday, 28th October!

B) Watch the clip (perhaps you need to watch it two or three times)!

Questions (Take notes!) Be ready to present your answers to the whole course in a 3-4 minute talk!

What is the EDL?
What did Mr Robinson, the leader of the EDL, surprisingly do?
What are the reactions from his former supporters and his muslim opponents?
What does this divide mean for British society (in your opinion)?

A) Answer questions 2 and 3 on the worksheet!

B) Watch the clip from 0:00 to 1:25!

Questions (Take notes!)

Who is interviewed?
What is the question?
What were his motives / are explanations for radicalization?

Look at these statistics! and describe the situation of muslims in Britain on the basis of these data!

If you are not sure how to work with statistics, see here!

What effects does this have on the muslims' situation, attitudes and integration?

Just write down notes - NO FULLY WRITTEN OUT ANSWERS REQUIRED!

Look at this information!!! before you start to describe the content of the cartoon!

Describe the following cartoon (NOTES!)

Cartoon women's rights in Islamic countries

Basic Skills & Information

Information on homework and oral grades
Reading and Marking technique - SQ3R Method A useful method to read, mark and annotate texts.
Working with Cartoons

A good speech/speaker ...

Working with statistics ...

Writing an interview

Answering questions on the text

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Muslims in Britain

Texts and Summaries

A problem of perception: Muslims are well-integrated in Britain – but no one seems to believe it
Problematic issues between British Muslims and the "Christian" majority

Muslims:
fast-growing, disadvantaged part of population

Government and population

Situation:

are quickly judged as spies, terrorists
are bullied at school
disproportionally often in jail and high unemployment rate
want to be more accepted
oppressed by gov. and police (racial profiling)

Attitude:

do not like radical muslims
feel/think unlike those extremists
Britons, who happen to be Muslims
embarrassed about radical Islamists
came to Britain to find a better life

Fanatics:

want an islamic rule and division of Muslims from Christians

Attitude:

do not trust Muslims
many think all muslims are extremists
(irrational) fears: terrorism, being outnumbered by muslims due to high birthrate, different culture (fear of the "OTHER")
prejudices

Treatment:

abuse their power to oppress muslims
often deny "ethnic profiling"
call for less immigration and more integration
fight against extremism spreading at schools, universities, mosques

Reasons:

9/11, London bombing and other acts of terror
fundamentalist groups (Islam to rule Britain)
false identification

Statistics
Statistics on muslims' education and emplyment!

If you are not sure how to work with statistics, see here!

What effects does this have on the muslims' situation, attitudes and integration?

Why do young muslims turn extremists?

Reflections of a Former Islamist Extremist

Read from beginning to "And it's a very powerful grip on one's mind. And in my case it took years to shed that influence." (third box)

Reasons for Extremism:

crucial event: death of thousands of European muslims in war in Bosnia in 90s! West just watches and doesn't help the muslims there. (Parallels to wars in Iraq .... muslims are being killed and no-one cares)
Islam is cleverly presented as way of looking at history: like in Marxism it is always a struggle, them against us, bad against good, everybody against the muslims (idea of Western/Jewish conspiracy against Islam/muslims)
at school/in university young muslims become part of an active, organized, outspoken movement ⇒ proud to be an active muslim, feeling of power, feeling of belonging to group and of changing the world.

Answers to book, p. 86/87 q. 5 + 6: Two generations of British muslims

Cartoon

Cartoon women's rights in Islamic countries

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Religion in the USA: The Christian Right, Megachurches and TV-Preachers

Vocabulary

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Facts on Religion and Politics in the US

Special Religious Groups and Institutions

(Evangelical) Mega-Churches

church should not play the role of the state, but have clear positions
against stem cell research
against gay marriage
against abortion
some are liberal in enforcing their views
some churches are big: up to 8,500 seats in church and about 11,000 congregants (Megachurches even bigger)

Trends

72% of the Americans want their president to be clearly religious
half of the Americans think churches should express views on political matters
41% of the Americans want more religion in politics
Americans vote for candidates who aren't afraid to express their religious views
Americans are comfortable with showing their faith in public
about 25% are white evangelical christians and vote republican

BUT:

majority says churches should not endorse candidates
only about 30% of Americans refuse gay marriage in 2003 - as compared to 41% in 1996
many Americans believe that religion should not have any direct influence on US politics but believe in religion being a privately exercised, individual matter
many American Christians are not evangelicals and clearly want a more liberal, open-minded idea of Christianity and belief in God

Typical aspects/facts concerning religion in the USA

US constitution strictly separates church and state

BUT:

US politicians - unlike their counterparts in Europe - often mention God in their speeches (God bless you, God bless America ...)

Influence of the Christian Right in the US

Cf. Book, p. 80/81

Majority of conservative judges at US Courts appointed by Bush - hope for Religious Right?
Religious Right fails at forcing schools to do school prayer and teach intelligent design.
Religiously motivated influence on US Foreign Policy
Most states forbid gay marriage while Washington refuses to include ban in Constitution
Christian Right successful with ban on new stem cell research
Supreme Court still rejects display of religious symbols in public institutions

TV-Preachers

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Megachurches

Download Summary of facts about Osteen's megachurch

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Cartoon

Freedom from persecution!

Cartoon ⇐Klick!

4 frames, three show acts of violence/hatred committed in the name of Christianity/Western Civilization
evangelical pastor [=church] burning Korans, evangelical/conservative politician [politics] against building mosque in USA, secret service agent [=government] torturing terrorist suspect)
irony: they all want revenge/act as unchristian/intolerantly as those they accuse of doing this to them
irony: preacher is completely stupid: of course "them folks don't act like Christians" - they simply aren't christians!
preacher also doesn't seem to know his Bilble: "Jesus hates Mohammed" is absolutely like anthing Jesus preaches in the Bible: Jesus preaches love, peace and forgiveness - not hatred!
picture four shows the result: children in USA have learned, that you needn't act as you wish others to act towards you (in civilized way, mercyfully, helpfully, tolerantly ...) but can do anything you want as long as nobody stops you.
General criticism: christian/western preachers and politicians and governments do the same things they accuse terrorists and radical islamist of ⇒ they are no better than them

Possible solution (full text):

Describe and analyse this cartoon!

Write notes! I shall ask you to present it in class!

Finish the analysis of the cartoon!

The cartoon shows the effects of criticism of Islam and the islamic actions by religious leaders, politicions and the state. It is split up in four frames.
In the first frame you can see a crazy older man, wearing a suit and tie, who publicly says „I’m burnin Korans ‚cause them folks don’t act like Christians.“and a sign in the background says „ Jesus hates Mohammed“. He represents the right winged Christians in the USA who strongly oppose Islam.
The second frame shows a TV where you can see a fat old angry man who thinks „We shouldn’t allow the Mosque in New York because they won’t allow Churches in Saudi Arabia.“ He refers to the mosque near Ground Zero in New York, which many Americans saw as an insult.
The third frame shows a man wearing dark suit and sunglasses and he`s holding something censored in his hand. He is interogating a suspect and is saying: "Its`s okay to torture terror suspects.`Cause they are utterly devoid of human decency."
In the last frame we can see a woman with three children sitting on the floor in front of her in a room with a big cross. She is trying to teach them the christian values, and begins a sentence: " And so, children we do unto others..."which a boy finishes with the words: " Any way we can get away with."
The cartoon criticizes the self-righteousness and hypocrisy of fundamentalist evangelicals, conservative politicians and the government that shows in their attitude to Islam and Muslims. The pastor reveals not only his own limitations bey accusing the Muslims of not acting like Christians (which isn't really surprising for a Muslim) but shows his own hypocrisy or rather gross misunderstanding of what Jesus - who he claims hates Mohammed - teaches in the bible: tolerance, forgiveness, love and respect for orthers - not hatred and ar against them.
The politician seems only to have one motive - revenge for the way Saudi Arabia treats Cristianity, and he, too, reveals that he lacks a truly Christian, loving and forgiving attititude as well as a sound political strategy, that really helps Christians in the Arab world: The would rather profit from serious talks with Saudi Arabia (which is an ally of the US) and something like a political deal, that balances the mosque in New York with some churches in Saudi Arabia.

Basic Values: The American Dream, Puritanism and "God's Chosen people"

The American Dream

Links

Cf. worksheet: "The American Dream Today"
The American Dream (Wikipedia)
Todaysamericandream.com
Library of Congress: American Dreams

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Explanation and Criticism

Basic ideas:

Declaration of Independence:

All men are created equal => everybody has the chance
Pursuit of happiness

Attitude of hope and faith
fulfills your desire for success, prosperity, happiness, liberty, religious freedom

Different groups and dreams:

Puritan pilgrim fathers: escape from Britain and religious freedom
Settlers/pioneers: land, natural resources, personal freedom, ability to surive on your own hands' work and build an existence from what God/the land offers you by workingbhard
Revolutionaries/founding fathers: USA as the result of a successful revolution and fightfor freedom against the English king. Democratic federal state! => No nobility and no monarchy, free and equal men
Immigrants: new and safe life, escape from poverty, from religious and political prosecution, from inequality

The American Dream is:

to make money/have a job and to have a house
to raise a family and care for them
to build a better and safe future for you and your children through education, love, and hard work
the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of your skin color
to be able to safely own the things you need or want

Rules/Guidelines

Work hard!
Be patient
Never give up!
Believe in yourself!
Follow your dream!
Believe in God and America!
We can only do it together!
If you want it you can do it!
You can be what you wanna be!
Don´t dream it, do/be it!
You get what you deserve!

Criticism:

Working hard and wealth is over-emphasized. No time to enjoy what you have.
Over-emphasizing material aspect oft he dream – spiritual and idealistic aspect is lost.
Dream is unachievable for many people (poverty, inequality still exists)
The dream is a farce, a slogan used by politicians
Many have no time for the American Dream, but are busy enough hanging on to what they have
Dream gives a tough answer to those who don’t make it: „You didn’t try/work hard enough.
Immigrants are widely held responsible for the failure of the American Dream
Immigrants themselves are those who most ardently believe in the dream and see it fulfilled, as life is better than where they came from and will even be better for their children

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Mindmap: The American Dream

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Puritanism

Concepts of Puritanism in US Politics and Society

Puritans in both Britain and British North America were part of a broad 16th century protest movement that showed a fierce passion to purge the established church and culture of what they regarded as corrupt, sinful practices. They fought against Roman Catholic ritual in church, against the ruling hierarchies, the ceremonies in which the clergy wore ornate vestments and repeated prayers from a prescribed liturgy and therefore had to leave England in the middle of the 16th century. New England’s Congregational churches were self-governed; worship services were simple and dominated by long, learned sermons in which their clergy (they elected their ministers!) explained passages from the Bible. As a result education, especially reading and writing, was seen as crucial for any good Christian, as without it one couldn't read the Bible, write sermons or prayers and understand religious teachings. .
Puritans believed that the civil government should strictly enforce public morality by prohibiting vices like drunkenness, gambling, ostentatious dress, swearing, and Sabbath-breaking, and they believed in severe punishment for offenders. Accordingly, active, full membership in their churches was limited to the “visibly godly,” meaning those men and women who lead sober and upright lives. Also, like many Christians of this time, they believed that the devil finds work for idle hands. Therefore honest and hard work was seen as a virtue. .
All Puritans shared the Calvinist belief in predestination – that God determined who would be saved or face damnation. Human beings were innately sinful by inheriting the original sin of Adam and Eve. But Calvin also taught that God would spare a small number of “elect” individuals from the fate of eternal hellfire. That elect group of “saints” would be blessed, at some point, and suddenly know that they possessed God’s “saving grace.” God had decided who would be saved or damned long ago, but even if good deeds and hard work couldn't result in being chosen, a life full of successful work, blameless behaviour and success status were clearly seen as visible proof of God's grace. Poverty, laziness, illness and a low status seemed, on the other hand, to show that one was not among the chosen ones. Another explanation is of course that by working hard, Puritans naturally often were successful, which then made them work even harder, as their success proved God's grace, which they had to be grateful for.
The Puritan ideology was characterized by great hopes and the idea of predestination: they considered themselves God's chosen people with a singular sense of election, chosen to build a "New Jerusalem", "The City on the Hill" in the New World. Their advent on the world stage appeared in a sacred rather than secular light, it was to be grasped in terms of "meaning" and "destiny". So one vital contribution of the Puritan theology to American culture lies in the fact that it provided the settlers with an urge to create a "new order of the ages" (Novo ordis seclorum - the motto of the American seal). Soon Americans felt they had a "Manifest Destiny" to perform: to realize God's best plans, to set up a lighthouse for humiliated and oppressed man, to enlighten and civilize the rest of mankind. This messianic streak becomes evident in metaphors comparing America to a "Garden Eden" inhabited by the "New Adam".
It also explains an outstanding sense of superiority and mission. Adding to this missionary zeal is a strong Manichean quality in Puritan religious thinking: the world tends to be considered in terms of good and evil, salvation and damnation. Thus there were (and are) spiritually and morally superior and inferior nations, a "Kingdom of Light" involved in an eternal struggle with the "Kingdom of Darkness", a struggle eventually to be decided in the apocalyptic Battle of Armageddon. Accordingly an amazing amount of self-righteousness, which luckily runs parallel to an equally amazing amount of public self-criticism can be considered a true characteristic of the American identity.

_{From (with adaptions): Christine Leigh Heyrman. Puritanism and Predestination. National Humanities Center <http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/puritan.htm>}

Compare: America is a religion, book p. 82/82!

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Immigration, Multiculturalism

Immigration

Immigration into Britain:

(Cf. book on page 50!)

Article on immigration from Eastern Europe

history:

Polish people immigrate to UK in increasing numbers from 2004 on - up to 700 000 - peak in 2007
In 2009/10 numbers drop sharply … more Eastern European immigrants leaving than arriving

reasons for coming:

economic situation in East - jobs in Britain ==> comparatively few with high qualification ==> low skilled jobs
reasons for leaving: less work in low-paid sectors of economy

effects:
massive demands for stop on immigration during peak of eastern European immigration

* Polish immigrants are largest foreign group in Britain!

* massive traces in everyday culture (e.g. food, churches …)

Cf. handout about "Aspects of Immigration in Britain 2007" and "Maryam and her daughter Faith" about first and second generation immigrants!

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Typical features in lives of immigrants in the USA - Buch 64/65 (Q 1):

(Cf. book p. 45)

belief in American dream (job, house, provide for family)
(parents) came to USA to have more opportunities/due to poverty in home country
work

first jobs in agriculture (fruit picking) or fast-food sector, textile industry
children often have to work with parents
often migrant workers
often non-permanent, short-term employment
low-paid jobs

permanent resident or citizen status often through marriage with permanent resident or US citizen
live simple lives, work hard, believe in American Dream
often support other family members (in home countries)
often not accepted/looked down upon by established/Caucasian US population

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Immigrants as factor in US-elections

Barack Obama Reelection Signals Rise Of New America

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Cartoon on illegal immigration

Cartoon: Help Wanted!

ICE means: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Possible solution for interpretation of this cartoon:

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Pros and cons of immigration

PROS of immigration	CONS of immigration
exchange of cultural values → cultural diversity new opportunities for the people from both cultures/countries (work, family…) immigrants bring energy and fresh new ideas it improves the image of a country (open, international and welcoming ) transfer of knowledge from one nation to another results in amixed population, ready for a connected/ global market job vacancies and skills gaps can be filled immigrants and their children help to fight the problems of an ageing society economic growth is much easier and can be sustained young migrants enhance their prospects in life it gives struggling, persecuted people a possibility to have a better life/future in another country developing/poor countries profit from savings sent from migrants to their home countries high rate of unemployment in poor countries gets lower	overpopulation ghettoization growing number of immigrants in certain areas → local population feels in danger of becoming minority (language, culture, politically) problems with integration and quarrels with/unrest among local population immigrants may bring in diseases, may be terrorists jobs are “stolen” from "native" population → danger of unemployment esp. for low-qualified "native" population lower average wages due to availability of cheap labour less educated immigrants are believed to increase crime rate → more security demanded by citizens → high costs, loss of liberties exploitation of (esp. illegal) immigrants unemployed/poor/illegal immigrants get social benefits, healthcare, free schooling although they pay little/no taxes → burden for social services drain of knowledge/qualified people from one country to another → poor countries end up donating their educated minority to other richer countries most workers leave on their own, so their families break up + some couples leave their children behind → end up on the streets and get criminal

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Living together is difficult: Stereotypes

Definition

... are fixed, simple ideas or images that many people have of a particular type of person or thing
... often use simple criteria and give a simplified version of reality
... help us to categorize/distinguish between dangerous and harmless, attractive and unattractive, reliable - treacherous ...
... help us to understand and explain the world in a quick and simple way
... can be positive (men are strong) and negative (men don't have true feelings)
... are often very hard to change, even if experience suggests thtat the stereotype may be wrong/too simple to explain complex realties or individual behaviour