Introduce yourself to the class get to know some other members of the course and discuss the article Nacirema
The purpose of this first discussion board is to introduce yourself to the class, get to know some other members of the course and discuss the article “Nacirema.” It is also meant to help you begin to explore cultural material and relate it to your life.
Here are the instructions:
Prompt:
Art is an important part of culture. The oldest remains of art we have found so far come from rock art painted inside of caves in South Africa over 77,000 years ago. Art is unique because while it is universally present in every modern culture, its meanings, forms and interpretations are different depending on where you are from and your particular life experiences. A whole classroom of people can look at the same piece of art and have different interpretations. In this assignment, I would like you to choose a piece of art from around the world and tell us what you like about it and how it relates to your life, experiences or world view. Please follow these instructions:
1. Go to OneArt.org/galleries. They have contemporary art from all over the world. You can scroll through the page, or select a particular country or type of art you want to see. If you click on the “see more” button at the bottom of the image, you can read about the artists’ background and intention with the piece.
2. Choose an art piece that you find interesting or relates to your life: Make sure it is one that no one else has chosen yet. (Look over the posted threads on the discussion board before you begin–If you find one you like, you can post the picture first, and then follow it up with your post to make sure no one else takes it while you are working).
3. Click “Reply” to the main prompt on the discussion board. Put the title of the piece of art (and the artist’s name) as the first thing you write in your discussion thread (so we can all see it). Include the image in your discussion post (Please embed the image directly in your post so we can see it without having to click on it.) Here is info on How to embed a photo in a discussion board
Alternatively: If you would rather discuss music instead of art, go to NPR’s world music cafe http://www.npr.org/music/
4. Introduce yourself: Write at least one paragraph introducing yourself. Make sure to include your name, your major (or possible major), and where you are from, and what you are interested in. If you feel comfortable sharing this info, you could tell us how you are doing during the “stay at home” quarantine. Are you with family or friends, pets? Are you facing new challenges to this class because of what’s happening? You could also ask the class a question about this.
5. Write one paragraph about the piece of art: Describe the piece of art to us. Tell us why you chose it, or what about the piece relates to your life, experiences or world view. Some things you could mention are: is this artist from a place you want to visit, or have lived, or had never heard of until now? Is there something in the image that stirs up emotions, or makes you ask questions about the world around you? Did you learn something new from reading the artist’s statement?
6.Write one paragraph about Nacirema: Look through Nacirema and find your favorite term, idea or quote. Tell us what it is, what it means and why you like it. What is it trying to say about American culture? You could also ask a question about the article. Use at least one of the following terms in your answer: ethnocentric, culture as a lens, exoticize, making the familiar strange. (I recommend watching video lecture 1 before you do this!)
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