Thesis ideas

• What is the relationship between fashion and photography?

• What is photography? Is it Art? Is it record or document? Is it advertisment?

• Controversial issue surrounded a ads photos for the campigne of United Color brand taken by Bamment. Issue of shocking photography.

• Controversial arguments surrounding the Irivng Pen's exotic portrait.

• Controverial arguments surrounding the nature of documentary photography. Is it "violating" the subjects? IS photographing poor unethical?

MAP final draft: The Future of Journalism Argumnents

Introduction:
(1) Research question or thesis
Lots of newspaper companies shut down and lots of journalists lost their jobs in past couple years. Because of this situation, the traditional journalism now faces the biggest problems they have ever had. Over its existence and survival, many scholars and medians have discussed the different ways of saving the traditional journalism. In this essay I will explore the rhetorical process in each argument to try to find whether the speakers used the available means of persuasion to evoke the intended response from audience or not.
(2) A description of the artifacts and its contexts, Justification of the analysis
The 4 arguments including- Steve Jobs from CEO of Apple Inc, Hal Varian from Google Inc, and John Kerry from government - are best for the method of criticism used in this situation. Steve Job argues that attracting its audience is the way to save traditional journalism. Hal Varian argues that increasing ad revenue will save them from crisis. John Kerry argued that in order to save traditional journalism, government involvement is necessary.
Some people might ask: why do need to analyze these arguments? First or foremost, does the future of traditional Journalism matter? Well the answer is “yes”. Believe or not, the future of traditional journalism is important issue for all of Americans. Journalism has been part of American life and supported our society more than 100 years. The reason why we can access to reliable news is because of traditional journalism. If the traditional journalism somehow disappears, that means end of the nation. There will be no nation exists without communication, news, and information (unless you are in North Korea or some other exceptional country). These 4 arguments are worthwhile for analyzing because they are being discussed out there today. This entire analysis contributes to better understanding of the best way of saving traditional journalism as well as saving our own nation.
(3) Description of a method of criticism (?)
For this analysis, the neo-Aristotelian criticism is the best theory to use. The significance of neo-Aristotelian analysis is that it compares the means of persuasion by understanding the inventions. The purpose of this critical theory is to find out whether or not the speakers use the best rhetorical techniques to evoke intended response from its audience. Its purpose is not, obviously, to discover if the speaker succeeded in the persuading his audience or not. With the neo-Aristotelian analysis, the situation will be outlined first. Then audiences will be specified as well as their decision is defined. Finally, choice and arrangement of persuasive factors including- logical, psychological, and character logical- will be revealed and evaluated against the guideline of the rhetoric.
(4) History:
Before we begin, we should look at the background of the issue because it will help us having better understanding of what we are about to do. Why people began talking about the future of traditional Journalism? What lies on the background of saving them? The origin of failing traditional journalism is not simple. Its causes are very complicated, and it is mixture of two or more factors. For example, the first and foremost discussion about the future of journalism started almost 10 years ago. When the Internet came, some media people worried about existence of newspaper. Newspaper industries have been surviving until now by transforming themselves with digital contents. However, they lost its audiences as well as advertisement revenue. As the recession gets worse from couple years ago, many newspaper industries has began to shut down and employees lost their jobs. Due to this complicated background, the solution for saving the traditional Journalism has not met yet.

Analysis: Applying the canons
(1) Invention
Invention is important rhetorical element to look during analysis. During his presentation of its high-tech device called iPad, Steve Jobs used mixture of internal proofs- logos and pathos. Here is how he invented his arguments:
During the demo, he showed New York Times article on the iPad screen. Then simply he just began to play around with device; opening up an article, enrage images, flip the pages etc. There were no words. But audience at the conference was all attracted to Jobs’ performance.
(From Apple’s Website)
The visual images have more emotional effects than words, and Jobs knew that. He showed how iPad can attract audience by demonstrating attracted audience at the conference. He continued "therefore, high-tech device such as iPad will revolutionize and save the traditional journalism industries" by using logical appeal. Ethos however, did not work out well in Jobs argument. His character of being "CEO's Apple Inc" played negatively because it made audience think he is just trying to sell his products for his company's benefits. Thus, he lost his credibility and honesty because of his character.

Meanwhile, Hal Varian used external proof-documents from Newspaper Association of America- along with logics. He used data from NAA document. For example in his statement, Varian stated data such as "Typically, 53% of newspaper spending goes to traditional printing for distribution, and 35 % of them goes to core function of newsgathering". Other external proof are seen in the quote "only 39% internet users surveyed by Pew said they spend time online looking for news" and "currently online ads bring in only 5 % of newspaper ad revenue” stated in his argument. With these external proof and data from NAA documents, Varian criticized Steve Jobs’ argument. Varian concluded the argument; even though industries could attract audience by high-tech device, its users will not see the news with the device. Varian’s argument for how to save the traditional newspaper industries is to get ads revenue by increasing qualities of online ads. Therefore, he continued, Google Inc can help newspaper industries and improve their qualities of ads. Thus, Varian used external proof and gained credibility in his argument; he also used inductive reasoning: series of specific data is used to draw a conclusion in which the solution is to increase the qualities of online ads.

Like Varian, John Kerry also used many rhetorical skills of invention at the government hearing. One of the significant parts is the opening remark of his statement:
“A brass plaque on a wall at Columbia University’s School of Journalism bears the words of legendary newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer: ‘Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together.’ If we take seriously this notion that the press is the forth states, or the fourth branch of government, it is time we examine the future of journalism in the digital Information Age and what it means to our Republic and to our democracy”
(From website of Senate John Kerry, Newsroom)

Here, Kerry’s rhetorical choice is concerned with which person’s quotes to use. He quoted from the most credible person in journalism field, Joseph Pulitzer, and this choice gives credibility, as well as attention gather. Another significant rhetoric he used is that he talked about alternative solution for saving traditional journalism: cross media ownership, and local web-only news style. He then pointed out some elements of why these alternative solutions do not work. Kerry used inductive reasoning: He first lay out bunch of examples- both internal and external proof, which illustrates the changing of economical society and the emergence of new form of media. Then he draws to general conclusion. Here are some of the examples he used:
“In the last eight years, we have gone from zero bloggers to more than 70 million…just look at the way Janis Krums, a New York City ferry passenger, broke the news that flight 1549 out of La Guardia had landed in the Huston River- he took a picture himself and tweeted the feed to an audience of thousands”
(From website of Senate John Kerry, Newsroom)
Thus, Kerry used a specific events happened in the past as an evidence for showing how the media is changing. Then he continues:
“Google topped $21.7 billion in advertising revenue in 2008, but the news it provides is an aggregate from free news sources/ Craigslist, which provides free classified ads on-line, gets about one billion visits a month, costing newspapers billions of dollars a year”
(Quoted from website of Senate John Kerry, Newsroom)
These examples are external proof such as documents, which allow him to illustrate the condition of changing society due to the emergence of new media. Then he draws to the conclusion saying the new business model of newspaper industries are needed in this new society; but many solutions are failed; and therefore, government involvement is called for its solution. This inductive reasoning with mixture of different kinds of evidence he used worked well in his statement.

Conclusion and implication
In exploring the rhetorical process in each arguments, my attempts to find whether or not the speakers used the available means of persuasion to evoke the intended response from audience was revealed by analyzing with the method of Neo-Aristotelian criticism. As a result of this analysis, it showed that the speakers use the bunch of different rhetoric techniques in order to propose the solution for saving traditional journalism. Steve Jobs from Apple Inc. argued that iPad will save the traditional Journalism; Hal Varian from Google Inc. argued that increasing the qualities of online ads will save its future; John Kerry, a government official argued that government involvement will save them from the crisis. Thus, by re-constructing its contexts and applying the canons, the analysis shows the special connection between speakers and their arguments. That connection is the fact that what each speaker argues for the traditional journalism is based on their interests, belief, and profits. This significant finding from the analysis allows us to enter into the persuasion of my proposal in which how to save traditional Journalism: In order to save traditional Journalism, we need to hold a discussion forum, and individuals are needed to actively participate in the conversation.

Why Can't Women Ski Jump- WHere the stasis lies in the argument?

In the article "Why Can't Women Ski Jump", Claire raised questions for the situation which Olympic does not offer ski jump for women. She disagree some degree with IOC but in some degree she agrees. And she argues that it is likely impossible to include it.

She shows the unfairness and contradiction of IOC by stating the fact that ski jump are not offered to women although all games are offered both men and women. It is contradiction and discrimination.

However Claire also points out how women's ski jump does not apply to its "technical requirement". Also she described the difficulties and realities in the attempt of including women's ski jumper.

With this association of concepts, she created her conclusion that it is impossible to include women's ski jump in Olympic. This association of concepts and the conclusion is stasis in her essay; the degree of difficulties the women ski jumpers faces in contradiction of IOC's announcement.

Debates Team: Abolishing private school?

I agree with Chris's value which shows importance on equal educational opportunities for everyone. That is why I vote for him. However, I am not 100 % agree with his proposal. Even equal education chance is important, it does not mean avoiding private school gives equal education opportunities. Only public education does means equal education opportunities, but mixture of private and public school also can create equal educational opportunities in society.

For instance, in Japan we have both public schools and private schools. We have public college and private college as well as high schools and junior high school, or even private kindergardens. But compare to U.S., the numbers of such private kindergardens or high school are few, and public schools are majority. So why can Japanese education system of mixture of public and private keep its equal education opportunities? Well, the ration of public and private school is one answer. Unlike U.S., most of kids goes to public school, and kids who go to private school are rare. So private school does not take opportunities over from public school.

Another reason is the quality of public school and private school are same. Basically no matter you go private or public school, what you learn in the school is same. So in Japan, just because you go to private school does not mean you have better education. That said, whether going private or public school, everyone has equal educational opportunities.

Thus, after debating, I think it is not the matter of avolishing private or the other. The solution they should look at is not that point. Rather, they should discuss how to improve the standard American education system.

Movie Review: Castro's Life

This weekend, my boyfriend asked me to watch this Al Pacino mivoe called "Castro's Life".

My first thought is: It wouldn't be better than Scarface. Whatever the new film comes out, people compare Al Pacino's film with the legend film Scarface. I didn't wanted to feel dissapointment after wacthing the film.

I knew it would be disappointment because I heard the plots and characters are almost same as in Scarface. According to the DVD package, Castro's life is a story of drug dealer, who lives in New York. It is just Scarface in 20 centry version.

But despite of my negative thoughts, Al Pacino did not let me down. His talent and carisma attracted me just as much as he attracted me in the Scarface.

The story and characters were same, however, the two stories had totally different tastes. It wasn't just a 20 centry Scarface. In Castro's life, there are many elements that were'nt seen in Scarface. For example, it's love. Scarface is pretty much focusing on drug dealer and how he became rich from poor, and how he declined from thr rich to pig. It was all about money, power, and drugs. And it is hard to related youself with the characters because it is a little too unrealistic.

On the other hand, in "castro's life", you will feel more connection with the character. It is more focus on the love, humanity and relationship. While it is story about drug dealer, there are love elements in the film. And that the part where Al Pacino's talent can be seen. Al Pacino acted a character of one drug dealer who lives in New York trying to start new life. It was not just one drug dealer's life. The character confronts with struggle in society, conflicts within himself, friendship and betrays, and love with one woman. These humanistic elements that everyone can relate to is the elements that makes "Castro's life" distinguishes from Scarface.

It is not just a replica of "Scarface". As good as the "Scarface" was, the "Castro's life" is one of the greatest film of all the time.

Social Ideology in Japan: Failling Young Generation

Selecting artifact
Japanese Newspaper Editorial article addressing young people need to be more enegetic.
Analyzing an artifact
1. Reconstructing the context
a. Rhetor: Yomiuri shinbun is a more conservative newspaper. Rhetorical philosphey is..... Around this time, many there were some kind of ideology that young people were seen as failer in Japan. Yomiuri is trying to show how young people are in danger and need to change.
b. Occasion:When this rhetoric occured, Japan had ideology that young are looser. Many politicisan, famous writer started to argue how young people are not active, and they need to change. They are insulting young people. Due to ressesion, there are so many young peopel who doesn't have jobs and young homless too. These economic and social background made the ideology.
c. Audience: The audience is people who reads the newspaper, meaning, people in Japan, but not young kids, but mostly adult, college students, or maybe some highschool student as well. So althought Yomiuri is talking about school kids, they are not talking to them, but talking to adult to make them to help the young people. Newspaper are seen to be credible, but some people criticize Yomiuri because it is conservative. Audience has knowledge about young's decline because that is cultural ideology. Most of adult agree with Yomiuri's aticle because of cultural ideology. And since the Yomiuri argu that this si national danger, audience's attitude will be more serious.
2. application of the five canons to the artifact
a.Invention. External proof: such as testimonies and statistics. The evidence works for the audience's nationalistic belief.
These evidence is consisted to the thesis? No. It shows evidece that shows Young's un-patoriotic attitude, and how young people are so decling and disappointing. However, the article missing the point that adults are the one who teaches tyoung. Article basically use young people as scape goat to try to unit patorioric idea.
b.Organization.
c.Style.
d.Memory
e.Delivery
3. assessing the impact of the artifact on the audience
Formulating a research question
Did the rhetor used the avairable means of persuasion to evoke the intended response from the audience?
Writing Essay
Introduction:
Since couple years ago, Japan has hold controversial debate over the nature of young generation. Many famous writes, politcisian, commentators has been talking about how young people has been changed as generation changes. As and for the sake of the controversies heat up, media started to write about this issue. In this essay, I will explore media’s arguments on the young generation issue to try to find the appeal of media.
Justification:
Although this issue and my analysis narrow the audience, it is important for people live in Japan. For it is social ideologu developed recent, we don’t really know the truth. Also, analyzing media’s article is particulary important because media are those who has power to shape social ideologies.
There are four articles I picked: Yomiuri, Asahi, Mainichi, and Kyoto newspapers.
Historical Contexts
This social ideologies comes from Japanese economic and cultural background. Japan has fall in recession around 2000. Many young people become homeless. A lot of young lives with their parents, bnot work, receive some pocket money, and do their hobbies. Also, Japanese unique culture of Otaku is another background of this issue. Otak, is seen a lot in young people, and they like to stay in home, play video game, and non-social. Therefore, they have some negative image in society. And most of them are seen in young people. Due to these background, many adults looking and said that how young people has changed from past. The one big reasn why media started to write about young people is based on one incident, which young man, a Otaku, murdered. From this issue, how media look young becomes obvious and against. Since media started to report, more people started to argues, and it finally created it as social ideology.
Yomiuri Weekly in fact talked report the incident, and it shows subjectivity. Although it is newspaper report which expected to be objective, the reporter argued his subjectivity criticinging young people . He argued that by using 2 quotation.

my interests area in writing

I am interested in writing about....
Healthy goods, about the country life, about the Japanese traditional cultures, Japanese historical buildings, Japanese traditional foods, something wired thing that I can notice about Japan from outside, documentary photography, fashion photography, high fashion and design etc..