Binary Opposition

In theory, a binary opposition is a pair of terms or concepts that are theoretical opposites. It is seen as a fundamental organizer of human philosophy, culture, and language.

1. Which of each pair does your culture favour?

Good Vs Evil

Good versus evil is the typical opposition in fairytales we are read. In most fairytales there is always a good character and a bad character e.g. Cinderella is the poor little stepdaughter that lives with her wicked stepmother, Little Red Riding hood is the innocent little girl visiting her grandma who gets eaten by the Wolf. Our culture very much favours ‘Good’, we all expect a happy ending these stories. Even not just in typical fairytales, but also in books and films we all like to see a happy ending.

Masculinity Vs Femininity

It obviously depends on which side of the fence you sit on. But femininity is on an increase in films, we now see more dominant roles for women. I prefer male characters to be the lead role, the one who protects and cares for the female. They are more romantic and typical love stories. In films power tends to associate with male figures where as emotional and inferior are associated with female characters.

Rural Vs Urban

Aggressive Vs Passive

Wealth Vs Poverty

In films we watch we often see this opposition. And we assume that the wealthier character who seems to have everything, the car, the house, and a life of luxury. But are they happy? They seem happy on the outside, having endless amounts of money to do what they want, flaunting their cash and having their dream job. In films today though I think this opposition is changing. This ideal view of having a great life because we have money is not always what makes us happy. These storylines are showing us this and a typical film now ends in the misfortunate characters being happy with little money and the wealthy rich character seems to be so tied up in their own greed they end up unhappy without realising.

Past V Present

Postmodernism in the Avatar Film

The beginning of the film there is confusion in time with past and present. You have to try and piece together the story line for yourself. No eclipses or technological effects e.g. fading or black and white for past times are used.

The Navi people are made to be very human like. They have genes and are very similar to humans. This makes you be able to sympathise with the Navi people. Normally in the films the opposite side to the human race are made to be evil attacking aliens, where as in Avatar we connect to the Navi peoples emotions and feelings.

Colonel Quaritch, a hardened war veteran is in charge of the military on Pandora. He plays a very tough character; he has resemblance to children’s action army figures. He has characteristics that we would associate to American comedy acts, is it very much over the top his character. He has a scar on the side of his head, to emphasise on this ‘hard man’ act.

Feminism has a major jump in this film. The leading scientist Dr. Grace Augustine is stationed on Pandora in charge of the programme where human DNA and Navi DNA is generated to create an avatar character which allows humans to be in control of their own avatars. She is a very focused and intelligent woman who is not scared to stand up to the military colonel Quaritch. Trucy Chacon is also a strong female character in the film. A former marine like Jake, she is now one of the RDA’s best pilots. Although today we do have female pilots, it is not very common. She is very strong-minded and takes no nonsense from her fellow military colleagues.

The film has many links to previous films, such as the action scene where Jake is being chased by a wild creature. It very much like Jurassic Park when the dinosaurs chase the characters.

Pandora is a very colourful and magical place. ‘Joy’ is used very powerfully, the colours are all very vibrant and bold. Use of colours are maximised to the full extent, every little detail has been carefully planned out. When Jake touches the large flowers and they make a popping noise and close, this is very similar to that of Alice in Wonderland when she does the same.

KEY CONCEPTS

Ideology

Power

Mode of Address

Discourse

Identity

Narrative

Technology

Britain

London city

Union Jack

Binge drinking

Red, white and blue

The queen

Royal Family

Bad weather

Fish and chips

Sunday dinner

Red double Decker’s

Red post box

Pubs

Obesity

Football hooligans

Teenage pregnancy

Class system

NHS

Royal mail

Black taxi

Immigration

Sport

British Heritage

England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland

Cultural Affiliation

Religious tolerance - mosques

Equality diversity – employment/education

Politics – Diane Abbot (black female MP)

Recognised ‘community leaders’

Tolerance – Not breaking British laws

Law – Sharia law not legal (stone to death)

A Cityscape as Text.
Rosie Beha

1. A. People are segregated by wealth, as the rich and well off people are protected by security. They have huge electric gates surrounding their houses with CCTV everywhere. Therefore they are not communicating with the people in the city, they are keeping themselves to themselves locked away behind all this security.

B. Depending on which class you belong to will depend on where you live. The Upper class is hidden away by their secure environments, metal gates surrounding their land. Where as the middle and lower class are looked down upon, they cannot afford this expensive secure technology.

C. Your social status is depending on who you are, where you live and how wealthy you are. Homeless people living on the streets will never be in the company of these upper class and rich people. They are frowned upon. L.A is seen as this highflying celebrity glamour lifestyle, they have carefully hidden away the poor and unfortunate people and protected the wealthy few with security.

2. LA is described as fortress-like because of all its high walls and secure fences. Fort is designed so nobody can get it, and LA is gradually becoming like this. The ‘poor’ are separated well away from the ‘rich’. The unfortunate are closed off into areas, where no one else will dare enter. These areas are forming into ghettos, full of crime and violence. Poor neighbourhoods are barricaded in; this is all apart of their ‘war on drugs’. The library is even designed to resemble a foreign-legion fort.

3. An ex-chief of police crusades for an anti-crime ‘giant-eye’. The giant-eye is a geo-synchronous law enforcement satellite. The purpose of this would be so police can see everything going on and be able to watch whenever and wherever. I think this is a step too far, as some people may see this as spying or invading privacy. Although it is for their wellbeing and safety, being watched 24hours a day is maybe a step too far.

4. L.A police have decided that barricaded off poor areas of the city is the easier way to prevent crime. They say the reasoning behind this is to fight the war on drugs. But this could be a bad idea as isn’t this only pushing the crime into one main area. I think this is a bad decision securing off poor neighbourhoods causing ghetto like areas. The crime will only exceed further causing poor residents who have to live their angry and even afraid of the dangers outside their home.

5. The citizens of LA are being militarized. The city is flooded with security measures. People are made to feel like prisoners in their own town. The way they security fences blockading people in, is limiting them to where they can go. The people are being watched constantly with this giant-eye peering over them.

6. Some popular films such as Escape from New York, Running Man, Blade Runner, Die Hard and They live have all played on the moral of panics of post-modern urbanisation.

7. Richard Nixon’s made predictions that the cities would become fortress like, a place of terror. Nixon was correct LA has become militarized. ‘Fortress cities divided between fortified cells of affluence society.’ The police’s efforts to battle the criminalized poor have turned into fencing them off into their own area.

8. LA’s modern social warfare is split between the poor and the middle classes. Classes and their wealth are separating them. The police are trying to secure the area for LA citizens but are making a poor attempt in trying to keep the poor secure. They seem to just push them away into areas and surround them with fencing.

9. Post modern LA is describes as a militarized state. Everywhere you turn there are security measures, cameras watching you, fencing stopping you and social welfare separating you from others. Rich neighbourhoods in the hillsides isolate themselves even more behind huge walls guarded by gun-toting private police. Where as on the other side, the unfortunate neighbourhoods are forced to live with the brutality of criminals, gangs and violence. They are not being protected; they are being barricading off to deal with it themselves.

10. I think the rich and famous will be in favour of these security measures. They see it has being protected from the lower class.

Postmodernity.

In the video ‘Sky’s the limit by Notorious BIG’ postmodernity is expressed through different ways. The video is about a singer/rappers lifestyle, showing us how they live, what they have and the luxuries they can enjoy. The video uses young children roughly around the age 10/11. It is showing us how the world is changing, and traditions no longer exist, confusion has taken over! The children are dressed in adult clothing in some ways it could be seen as provocatively. It shows them driving in expensive cars, attending nightclubs and living in huge mansions. I think it is trying to show us that children today are growing up far too fast. Their childhoods are no longer existent because they want to become this ‘image’ that is portrayed in videos, magazines and on TV. They want to be older than what they actually are. It shows that there are no more absolutes and no more definite standards. Children cannot understand that these lifestyles are not true reality for everybody; they are filled with images of expensive and fabulous lifestyles that the rich and famous are living. When reality is that not everybody can have this.

Knowledge has now become a commodity; it is like a product we can buy. Notorious BIG is selling his image through this video. His voice is dubbed to be like the child is actually singing. His lifestyle is becoming a product that everyone desires. He has created an identity not through the traditional means of class, gender and ethnicity but through is lifestyle and image. He is known for having the designer clothing and flash cars. It is like you can buy your identity.

They could also be another meaning behind this video. Not that children are growing up too fast and becoming untrue to their age, but maybe that adults behave like children or immature. Do these people feel powerful? Can they get what they want? His image has became a commodity, a product we can purchase. It seems like you can buy an identity, changing who you are to become like somebody else. He influences people to listen to his music and wear his style clothes. Young teens want his lifestyle and are wanting to grow up too fast!

The origins of fiction in your culture upbringing

1) As a baby

Generally made aware of fictions through songs and nursery rhymes.

Choose the lyrics of 3 songs or nursery rhymes that you remember. Are there any messages and values that are portrayed in these? How is this done?


Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,

Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turn brass,

Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat.

And if that billy goat don't pull,

Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

And if that cart and bull turn over,

Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

And if that dog named Rover won't bark.

Papa's gonna to buy you and horse and cart.

And if that horse and cart fall down,

Well you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town.

I think the meaning behind the lullaby is saying that parents will do anything for their children and try to protect them in anyway they can. It says how ‘papa’ will buy you something if there is a fault with what you already have. I think this is saying that parents will try to give their children the best start in life and

Jack and Jill went up the hill,

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got and home he ran,

As fast as he could caper.

There his mother bound his head,

With vinegar and brown paper.