Diveristy and Communication Blog Asingment 5

Video Game Design

November 8th, 2009

Chapter 6.5 of our textbook explored images of women in video games. Traditionally women have been presented in the following roles: Damsels in Distress, Femme Fatales, or Buxom Babes.

The chapter concludes as follows:

“What remains to be seen is whether images of women, which in the past were nearly absent from virtual worlds, will evolve beyond what one game producer called “fantasy art wet dream material” (”Girl trouble, 1998, p. 99) and into strong, independent characters th at are not trapped by sexist stereotypes.

This blog assignment gives you the opportunity to become a video game designer. Describe how you would “redesign” women in a video game of your own creation so that they are not trapped by sexist stereotypes.

__________

I would re-design women in video games so that their presence as virtual characters are equal to that of the males. This means that the video gamer would have an equal number of male and female characters to choose from, rather than the token one or two women characters that are generally available today.

In terms of appearance, I think it is important to note that many of the male characters are also typically idealized in their physical physique. So, I imagine any consumer is likely to appreciate and be more drawn to playing the games as an "attractive" character, regardless of sex. So though I would definitely avoid the "buxom babe" appearance, the female characters would probably be designed with attractive features. However, their chests and frames would be more realistically proportioned, and they would be fully clothed. Hopefully these changes in appearance will help lessen the Femme Fatale affect of alluring "vixen" imagery and behavior.

As far as damsels in distress, it simply wouldn't occur in my video game. It is unlikely I would create a violent video game, but if there was fighting in it, the characters (male or female) would probably be rescuing children or innocent bystanders. Characters could potentially rescue each other if the situation were to arise in my game, but it would work both ways- meaning, the female characters could rescue male characters as well as the other way around.

The appeal to the female character would not be one of sensual mystique, but one of courage demonstrated through selfless actions aimed towards helpings others. It is likely that in order for this to happen without mass amounts of violence, the emotional ties to characters or players in the game would have to be more dramatized than they are currently. It is these ties that, when tampered with, would garnish a strong enough gamer reaction to make role playing decisions that do not involve physical fighting, such as questions of loyalty, ethics, or morals, the primary bulk of the game activity. I suppose that in order to make the game marketable, there will have to be some level of combat, and so there will likely have to be inherently "evil" characters. This leads me to belive my game would have to be one based in fantasy, in order to avoid other detrimental stereotypes.

Cork Board Games of Life

So, in August I bought a huge cork board to hang on my wall. It was just 3 dollars at the PTA thrift shop in Carrboro, so I couldn't turn it down! I imagined papers, calendars, and pictures proudly displayed across the giant white gap on the long side of my room. Three months later, it is still sitting on the floor behind my chair with a solitary "I'm a senior, who the #@#! are you?" sticker push pinned to it. (Apparently neither push pins nor nails are strong enough to hold up the epicness that is my $3 cork board)

So, in a desperate attempt to organize my life this afternoon, I found a use for my prized board. Though it still sits on the ground , it now holds great purpose in its existence. It is now the home of my life goals for the year 2010 and other important check lists, with room for me to work through them over the coming months. Maybe this visual reminder will help me keep myself in line so that I can accomplish all that I want to before I graduate! Ahhh it is November! Time wizard....slow down!


To visually present most of the stuff going on in my head right now, here are each of my 7 checklists:


I am feeling much better now that I have that down....whew! I had a great weekend this weekend with Comfort Zone Camp, once again. My little was 7 years old, so it was quite an exhausting weekend filled with running, screaming, laughing, and way too many bodily fluids...

Catch up with me via e-mail or phone if you would like to hear more bc I'm heading out to Helping Horse! Hope you are all well! Hopefully talk to you all soon!

Diveristy and Communication Blog Asingment 4

Using Customs from Other Cultures

November 1st, 2009

On October 8, self-help “guru” James Arthur Ray hosted a sweat lodge experience as part of his Spiritual Warrior retreat in Sedona, Arizona which resulted in three deaths and several injuries.

The “sweat lodge” which was covered with tarps and blankets was 2.5 feet high on the sides and 4.5 feet high in the center. It is estimated that between 55 and 65 people participated in the ceremony.

Here is an account from a Beverly Bunn, an orthodontist who participated in the ceremony. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/23/earlyshow/main5413451.shtml

Many Native Americans are greatly concerned that their cultural practices are being misused by others for financial gain. Chief Arvol Looking Horse responds to this tragedy (prior to the third death) in Indian Country Today.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/64486777.html

Is it appropriate to use rituals and practices from other cultures?

________________

I believe it is inappropriate for individuals who are not educated or invested in the true purpose of rituals and practices of other cultures to conduct them. From his behavior, it seems Ray is one of these people. The Inikaga is an important and ancient ceremony, with many complex components and meanings passed down for generations. To attempt to replicate the process without proper training or without permission from tribal leaders would be disrespectful. As a result of the tragedy in Arizona, as well as other mimicking "sweat lodges," many feel the perception of Inikaga and Native American traditions are tarnished as misunderstandings are created.

"When you involve money, it changes the energy of healing."

I pulled this quote out because I feel it is one of the most important statements that Chief Arvol Looking Horse made in his response to the "ceremonies" conducted by Ray. If money is the primary reason for an individual to conduct a ceremony or ritual from another culture, the true purpose is already lost.

Diversity and Communication: Blog Assignment 3

Hotel Owner Tells Hispanic Workers to Change Names

By MELANIE DABOVICH, Associated Press Writer Melanie Dabovich, Associated Press Writer

TAOS, N.M. – Larry Whitten marched into this northern New Mexico town in late July on a mission: resurrect a failing hotel.

The tough-talking former Marine immediately laid down some new rules. Among them, he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they’d be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.

No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.

Whitten’s management style had worked for him as he’s turned around other distressed hotels he bought in recent years across the country

To read more, visit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_trouble_in_taos

_________

When reading this article, I was most struck by the final quote from the 71 year old local artist. He said, "Nobody won here. It's not always about winning. Sometimes, it's about what you learn." I believe this is a valuable lesson which is applicable to any situation where ignorance meets diversity. In these pairings, disputes will always spark as one or both parties endure injury. Differences in culture or beliefs bring about explicit differences in interactions and/or experiences, which is exemplified in this scenario by the way Whitten managed his hotel.

It is obvious that Whitten did not understand the extent to which his behavior was offensive to his employees and to the community. The fact that he took "what always worked" and applied it to a population so different than he had previously worked with was evidence of this. The scenario suggests that Whitten either did not do his research, did not fully understand the community, or as some suggest, he was simply racist in his actions and attitudes.

I believe Whitten came from a community where these such behaviors were seen as acceptable. The fact that he was called out for his actions illustrates a positive characterization of the people of Taos. Perhaps Whitten will learn something from this experience, and he will open his eyes to a new perspective on what it means to be accepting of diversity.

I think it is equally important to consider the reverse though. It may seem backwards to need to "understand those who misunderstand," but knowing where ignorance comes from is the first step to battling it. Really the only way to learn these lessons is to bring these differing opinions and people together and to open dialogue and interactions between them. Attitudinal changes come more quickly with personal experience.

Making Big Decisions

I register for classes for next semester on Tuesday. I can't believe how quickly the day has come! These are the last classes I will be taking at UNC as an undergraduate student. It is so scary!

This is the last opportunity for me to take the classes I've been hoping to take for years, or the classes I feel may help guide my future. Crazy. Three of the classes are classes I have to take for my Public Relations major, including Mass Communication Ethics, PR Campaigns, and an elective in journalism. Then I will either be taking one or two classes in the School of Social Work, and potentially a spanish class, depending on what classes I do/don't get into.

Currently, my perspective on next year is still pretty fuzzy. However it seems my first big decision is whether or not I want to stay in the US, or go abroad for all or part of the year. And it seems one minute I am certain I want to skip the country to go on an exotic adventure, and the next minutes I am sure I want to stick around and learn some marketable skills. I don't know. Hopefully I'll wake up one day and will just know.

I have officially registered for Bike and Build for the summer. I will be biking from the Outer Banks in North Carolina all the way to San Diego, California in about 2 and a half months. Along the way I will be helping build homes and give presentations on affordable housing. If you want to donate to my ride you can visit my sponsor page and donate there. I will be starting up some campaigns and fund raising activities in the coming months while I train, so spread the word once those start rolling! You will be able to follow my ride at my bike and build blog. However, I haven't really done much with that yet. I will keep you updated once I get it up and running too.

This past weekend I participated in the APPLES trip in Lumberton, NC. Though the trip was about Environmental Justice, I feel I learned much more about community action, and the power of the people in small communities. Robeson County NC is one of the poorest areas of North Carolina. Nearly a third of all children under 18 are living in poverty. The unemployment rate is very high due to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the local community. The area is very diverse, with both large native american and african american populations. And the poverty rate crosses all racial lines.

However I also saw a resiliency and passion in many of the community leaders, who have all perservered and seen many positive changes over the years. Even through the risk of life and livlihood, they have stood by each other and fought for justice in all realms- social, economic, environmental- we learned how they are all interconnected. Mac, the executive director of the the Center for Community Action, said even some of his co-leaders and friends were murdered in the 80's for the equality work they were advocating.

The Center for Community Action (CCA) is a private, non-profit, community-based organization that utilizes the strategies of grassrootes empowerment, racial inclusion, and multi-sector collaboration as the foundation for its work in sustainable development and social justice. Some of the components it includes are River Way (where we stayed), which is a 4-acre adventure and education center on the banks of the Lumber River in Lumberton. It provides educational and adventure experiences for youth and adults from throughout the region,state and nation. There is also the Women’s Economic Equity Project – a career pathways project that organizes unemployed and underemployed women and sector leaders in the fields of health and education to assist women in acquiring jobs in these growth sectors and in advancing their careers in order to meet basic living income standards.

I'll hopefully keep in touch with Mac via e-mail because he seems like a pretty great guy. Well, I gotta run to class! Be in touch again soon. Hope you are all well!

Hitting the Middle

So this week marks the final week of my first round of midterms. I have my last one this Thursday, in PR Writing. I feel like I've been running around like a mad woman the last few weeks trying to finish a ton of projects, papers, and studying. But, i haven't totally burned out like I probably would have a year ago, thanks to some built in chill times and the healing powers of Guitar Hero for our wii video game system. Yes, I'm turning into a pretty bad ass drummer if i do say so myself. As long as all i have to do is follow small colored circles, that is.

However, I'll admit that I am starting to feel that mid-semester slump where it seems like the work is never going to end! Luckily, I think the next few weekends will help keep my spirits up and offer a bit of a break from the tiring Senior Year schedule. I am extremely excited that I will be visiting two of my best friends- Aisan and Sara- this weekend in Michigan. I only get to see them a few times during the school year, so I am looking forward to catching up and having an enjoyable (though possibly very cold) weekend with them.

I have been working this week on my application for Bike and Build, a program that I hope to be a participant of this summer. I also turned in my reflections this week on Outward Bound to the Carolina Center for Public Service, which is who gave me my scholarship. I was glad to be able to share my experiences and my gratitude with Elaine, one of the directors at the center. I look forward to being a part of selecting the next participants for my scholarship and especially the one in honor Eve Carson, which I recieved. I feel a great responsibility to pass on the "essence" of the scholarship, as Elaine described, and I look forward to doing my best to do just that.

We have our first Students of AMF support group meeting tonight, which I expect will go well. We are having all participants bring in pictures of their loved ones to act as visual aids when they share their stories.

Sadly, Helping Horse has been rained out 2 of the last 3 Mondays, so not much news has come from there.

I have been working on another paper this week on how Arabs are portrayed in the media. This time my group and I are discussing popular American films such as "You Don't mess with the Zohan," an Adam Sandler movie, and "Hidalgo," a Viggo Mortensen drama. The paper has given me the opportunity to explore some comical/ridiculous/interesting portrayals of Arabs and Arab Americans.

Another paper I am researching right now is on the welfare programs of California. So far, my paper is primarily a description and evaluation of CalWORKS, which provides temporary financial assistance and employment focused services to families with minor children who have income and property below State maximum limits for their family size. I feel like I am still learning a lot in my poverty and development class, and hope to get some time to share more about what I am learning in another blog post sometime soon.

Next week is Fall Break, so I will have even more time off! I will be participating in a service trip (focused on environmental issues), which we will spend in the Pembroke area of North Carolina. I'll have to let you all know how that goes when I get back. The weekend after Fall Break is Halloween weekend. My roommates and I are thinking of having a Halloween Party/Gathering at our house since many of our friends from other schools may be visiting. November will hopefully bring about another week at Comfort Zone Camp, a camping weekend with friends, and of course, Thanksgiving!


Okay, until next time. I will leave you with this comic, thanks to Moazzum and www.garfieldminusgarfield.net

Diversity and Communication: Blog Assignment 2

Earlier this year, a prominent Latino religious leader proposed a boycott of the 2010 Census as a way for undocumented immigrants to bring their voices to bear on the immigration debate.

The boycott, pushed by the Rev. Miguel Ángel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, now seems to be gaining momentum in some Latino communities, as well as a higher profile in the ethnic media.

To read the rest of the article, visit this link

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=902f0d8f4b79a80569beaa7a69404b38

Should undocumented immigrants participate in the 2010 census? Why or why not?

Yes, I believe undocumented immigrants should participate in the 2010 census.

I understand the frustration many immigrants are feeling about immigration reform and the delayed agenda from the Obama administration. I am frustrated too, because this debate has come to a stand still, and has left so many stranded without avenues to success. As Ron, Cait, and I discussed in our BlogTalk radio presentation, legal means of gaining rights for undocumented immigrants is of course preferred, but action has to be taken now because this issue is only growing.

However, I do not believe a boycott of the 2010 census is the best way to achieve the goals that leaders like Rev. Miguel Ángel Rivera hope for. I agree with Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, who says, "It's a well-intentioned strategy, but it's the wrong answer and it will have negative consequences."

The aftermath of such a boycott would be chaotic and costly. The attention drawn from the effort would be lost once again as important leaders try to sort out the mess. And the federal funds that are so precious and few, would once again be spent on tasks other than solving the issue at hand. There are more effective methods for bringing attention to the debate on immigrantion reform. And in order for policy makers and important players to put these other methods into action, correct and thorough infomation will be needed. This information could come from the 2010 census.

"We support the 2010 Census unconditionally because we believe it is the best and safest way to learn the real size of the Brazilian community," said many Brazilian media sources. I believe the same should be true for all immigrant populations.