WSC NOTES

2018:

AN
ENTANGLED
WORLD
HUMAN
RELATIONSHIPS
INTRODUCTORY QUESTONS
Aristotle once wrote, “Man is by nature a social animal.” What do you think he meant?
By his quote it seems most likely that he meant that humans are social animals and
our development and our purpose in society can only be set using human to human
social interaction without which we would not be nurtured simply because of the
labour-intensive process of raising a human baby. Therefore, no man can possibly fit
in with others without ever receiving or being a part of a human to human
interaction.

Why do you think we form relationships with other people?

I believe, that originally relationships were created and bond of trust was created in
cave men because there is more safety in larger groups providing better protection
for one another making it necessary for humans to form any social relationships,
which has changed. Now relationships are formed because humans need to mate
and have people whom they can trust in a world full of lies and competition.

What makes some relationships more lasting or more meaningful than others?
There are many factors that play a role in making certain relationships more
meaningful than others but one of the key factors being trust made from honesty
and mutual gain or respect. Humans thrive on respect and love if they are made to
feel insubordination the relationship loses its purpose, however relationships are
also made based on trust due to the present shortage of trustworthy, reliable and
honest people out there who you can trust to have your back in all situations. This
makes these relationships worthwhile, worth investing into and more meaningful
than other forms of human to human contact relationships.

Are some people more social than others? If so, why do you think this is?
Yes, scientifically speaking certain people are more social and sociable than other
people hence the division of introverts and extroverts, this is based on circumstance
and the personality of the person. Introverts prefer being alone and are not exactly
the best at or open to social interactions while extroverts crave such interaction
making them two separate types of people.

Friendship comes with benefits; does it also come with costs?

The opportunity costs of friendships are best analysed before creating them.
Friendships can always be based on common interests, fun incidents and trust but
they come with costs like time wastage and sometimes the emotional agony of
betrayal.

For many people, the most important human relationships are those they form with their
families. Are family relationships similar all over the world, or do they vary meaningfully by
culture? And, is it always better to be close to your family?
Family relationships and their intimacy generically varies from culture to culture
based on the importance of families and cultural heritage however as many
examples prove it is not always the best to be close to your family based on how
they are and how they treat you it may be suitable and better to maintain some
distance.
 Is there anyone with whom you thought you’d never become friends, but to whom you are
now close? Conversely, is there anyone with whom you thought you’d be friends forever,
but from whom you have since grown apart?
Yes, it is part of our day to day lives as to prevent ourselves from harm to judge
people sub consciously and marking them out of a zone of people you would be free
to converse with and certain people are placed in the hypothetical zone of trust and
friendship. So, it often happens that the way you judged a person turns out be
wrong, the one you thought would be good fun and trust worthy turns out to be
boring and sly and the person you thought was a backstabbing snitch show his or her
true colours as a friend and when this happens you could either be left pleasantly
surprised or drowning in sorrow.

Are your friends mostly IRL, or do many of them live on the internet? How are relationships
different across different mediums of communication and interaction?
Relationships differ based on many factors including the medium of interaction, it
helps to have most friends in IRL but as a part of the internet and social culture it is
almost inevitable that one or two of your friendly relations develop online based on
common interests or similar views on international and political events. In such
scenarios, it is always better to not get intimate but the transfer of information can
certainly broaden your horizon.

HOOPS OF STEEL: UNDERSTANDING FRIENDSHIP

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Is proximity the most important force in starting friendships?
No, although proximity can be one of the many driving forces in a friendship it is not
necessary that it is the number one or the most effective. Driving forces in a
friendship may include trust, common interests and views.

Do we like our friends because of who they are—or because they like who we are?
Ideally we should like our friends for who they are than them liking who we are but
the cycle should be both ways so that they respect who I am and what I stand for to
allow a greater bond of appreciation to develop. This is key because of we like
people for how they see us and not how we see them then that is one sided and a
friendship or a bond which is not built on mutual appreciation and could fall because
of it.

Why do some people choose to have fewer friends?

There are many reasons to why an individual chooses to have fewer friends one of
which could be previous incidents like lack of trust or back stabbing/ betrayal or
another and a feasible reason some people choose to have fewer friends is because
of shortage of time and the amount of time it takes needs to build a friendship or a
partnership.

What is the greatest number of friends a person can have?

The greatest number of friends that person could have is solely dependent on the
person and can be debated without one numeric conclusion. Theories are present
which talk about human interaction and argue differently based on the number of
friends a person can have at maximum while creating a meaningful relationship with
 all, the number is not yet fixed and shall never be because the ideal number of
friends a person should or can have is dependent on the person and if he or she has
the right number of friends they believe they are. The number is neither 180 nor 22
it is flexible and tangible.

THE INGREDINTS OF FRIENDSHIP

Sympathy- It is the feeling or the sense of pity or sorrow based on another person’s
loss.

Empathy- it is the act of putting yourself in someone else’s shoe to feel what they
are going through without the sense of pity.

“similarity begets friendship”- This is a phrase that literally means that similarity
brings out friendship, this can be easily countered and be proposed using examples.

Childhood- Childhood is the period of mental, emotional and physical maturity

starting from birth till the onset of puberty or sexual maturity.

Reciprocation- It is the unsaid but appreciated act of returning a favour or a

compliment in a friendship.

Trust- It is simply put the obligation of the person bestowed with a responsibility or
information to follow the guidelines provided with it.

Proximity- It is the distance, physically, emotionally or ideologically separating or

bringing people together in a social interaction.

Propinquity- It is when you are either physically, emotionally or ideologically close to

one another in a social interaction or relationship.

“repeated, unplanned interactions”- This were the three things in socially studied
and decided on back in 150s to maintain or increase a friendship which are getting
harder to do physically due to increasing distances and lack of time but easier to be
done online due to decreasing distance and physical gaps.

FRIENDLY TERMS TO KNOW

Dependency- It is being dependent or reliant on someone else in a social interaction
or human relationship.

Imaginary relationship- Imaginary relationship or an imaginary friend a psychological

phenomenon where a friendship takes place on an imaginary plane and is not real.

BFF- BFF is an acronym for best friends forever a term used for a friend who has
grown in personal proximity and is more than other friends enough for the person to
consider him a friend who will last forever.
 Mutual friend- This is a term used for friends online on social media platforms where
you choose to be friends with a person on the website because he or she is a friend
of another one of your friend making you a friend of a friend.

Bromance and womance- A bromace refers to a very intimate but not sexual
relationship between two men and womance is the same for a woman to woman
relationship.

Frenemy- It is the social position where you are friendly or on talking terms with a
person despite a dislike or a hatred.

Critical friend- A critical friend is a friend who is supportive but is known for finding
faults to improve on and other things in the other’s personality that requires a
change.

Six Degrees of Separation- This is an interesting theory that states that there are only
six degrees of separation which include people and all the other things between you
and any other person in the world. This number has fallen below on Facebook and is
currently 3.8 with mutual friends.

Homosociality- These are same sex relationships that are not sexual in any way.

Dunbar number- The Dunbar number was a number in and concept in psychology
which suggests that as a human you cannot form meaningful human relations with
more than 150 people. This has been argued and discredited.

Hedgehog’s dilemma- the hedgehog’s dilemma or the porcupine dilemma is the

dilemma that a hedgehog faces where if they come too close to one another they
might end up hurting one another but they need to be close to one another to het
heat and fight the cold so the dilemma is the distance of precaution.

UNFRIENDLY TERMS TO KNOW

Language barrier- It is a figurative phrase used to refer to communication gaps to
due to difference in cultures and their languages.

Unemployment- It is the state where a person is actively looking for a job but is
currently not employed.

Aging- It is the physical process of getting old.

Hermitage- It is a place where a religious person lives on their own separate from
society and its norms.

Loneliness- It is mostly the unpleasant response of the human body to isolation.

Passive aggressive- It is the indirect resistance to one’s demand or in other words

avoiding direct confrontation.
 Avoidant personality disorder- This is a personality disorder marked by sensitivity to
rejection and inhibition in front of others in society in fear of being judged.

Agoraphobia- This is a personality disorder that causes the fear of places and
situations that can cause embarrassment or helplessness.

Avolition- It is the demotivation to perform self-directed purposeful activities.

Hikikomori- It is typically a person who avoids social interaction or follows social

contract in Japanese society usually an adolescent male.

Ghosting- It is the act of cutting all forms of communication without explanation in a

human relationship.

Seenzoning- This is the modern term where you see a message but deliberately not
respond to it.

Ostracization- It is the act of excluding someone by general consent and is something

that is looked down upon.

Stigmatization- It is the process of unfairly labelling an event and the person for
something that you consider bad. Entire communities are stigmatized like the
LGBTQ.

Betrayal- It is the violation of a formal or informal/ presumptive contract that leads

to breaking of trust or faith.

“it’s not you, it’s me”- This is an over popularised line often used in pop culture to
denote breaking up a sexual relationship where in order to make the rejected feel
better you blame the breakup on yourself.

Introverted vs antisocial- An antisocial person usually has a mental disorder that can
make him destructive feel not bound by the social contract and can do anything he
or she feels like to society and everyone else and does not take part in
conversations. An introverted person is a person who does not prefer the presence
of strangers like solitude and is a bit uncomfortable when it comes to interaction.

WE’RE A HAPPY…: FAMILY AND KINSHIP

FAMILY TIES
What is unique to your family relationships—or are there some things you would never do
with your family?
This is a subjective question and changes from family to family based on do they
follow the norms, do they have special relationship or it ideal or what idealistic view
as normal.

What would your life be like if you grew up in a differently structured family?
 This is a very subjective question again and differs based on an individual’s
upbringing and their family structure and what they believe is the importance of a
family in their lives.

Biologically, your family is the people who are genetically closest to you. Socially, how and why
might this definition be different?
This is again different for different people however at times due to the increasing
distances people like sexual partners, colleagues and friends can grow closer on a
social and personal level than the family due to them staying away from you or
certain things you prefer not to share with them. This does not make them any bit
more genetically separate.

TYPES OF FAMILY AND KINSHIP

Nuclear- A family that only consists of the couple and their kids.

Single parent- This is a family where a single parent takes care of the chidren due to
divorce or other separations.

Childless- Childless couples are couples who either wish to not have children or are
not able to.

Adoptive- It is a family where the parents legally adopt a child to take his or her full
responsibility.

Extended- It is a type of family that extends or goes beyond the nuclear family to
include grandparents and other relatives.

Beanpole- A beanpole family is a multigenerational family that includes people and

members from different generations and is a type of extended family.

Reconstituted- A reconstituted or complex family is a type of family that includes

children of one or both the couples from previous relationships combines to form a
family.

Clan- It a tightly knight group of closely related families.

Family of choice- A family of choice is what involves two or more individuals to call
and consider each other family which at times can be legally binding.

Surrogacy- It is the type of pregnancy where the foetus is carried and delivered by
another woman instead of the true genetic mother.

Milk kinship- Milk kinship is a kinship formed when a non-biological mother nurses of
breastfeeds a child who is not genetically hers.

Grandparents- Grandparents are the genetic parents of a child’s genetic parents.

 Blended- It is the family containing children had form previous relationships by their
parents.

Dysfunctional- It is a family with regular misconduct, conflict and child neglect

causing a family to not function.

ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW

ABCX Model- This is one of many models that tries to identify the major contributors
to family stress and conflict.

Family systems theory- This is a theory that suggests that an individual cannot be
understood or judged in isolation or without their families as they make it an
emotional unit.

Family resilience- It is the ability of a family to bounce back or return to normal after
a greatly stressful event.

Attachment theory- It is a psychology model trying to understand the dynamics of a

long term or a short-term human to human relationship.

Only child- Only child is the term used for an offspring who does not have a sibling.

Parenting styles- These are the types of parents with four notable styles to discipline
and teach their offspring.

Consanguinity- It is when two people are from the same kinship as one another.

Family tree- It is a chart that represent lineage or genealogy in the form of a

comprehensive chart.

Genealogy- It is family history when you trace your family’s back story or history and
ancestors.

WHEREFORE ART THOU?: ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Is “romantic love” a modern concept? When did it first come about?
Romance by definition extends beyond the sexual relations and mating and is a
symbol of love, intimacy and social bonding therefore it is technically not biological
or a part of the human instinct. It is therefore concept that is not all that old,
however there are no first records of romance and it is a highly-argued topic but
most consider it to be a modern idea no more than 900 years old.

How are dating and courtship viewed in different cultures?

Dating and courtships are viewed differently in different cultures. In American and
Chinese culture both dating and courtship are approved and embraced like most of
the western world except in China it means a step closer to marriage. In other
cultures, like certain African ones and Indian based on age and the socio-economic
 standing of the person who is being dated and the age it can be glorified or looked
down upon for better and arranged solutions.

Why are more people than ever before choosing not to marry?
There are many reasons why people are opting not to get married due to the burden
of sexual and emotional constraints of a marriage. In many parts of the world
marriage symbolises the birth of an offspring and due to inflation, increasing
overpopulation and unemployment they seem like valid reasons for not marrying.

Should marriage be treated as a contractual arrangement?

This is a debatable question that can be answered both ways but certainly it should
be treated as a contractual agreement to prevent infidelity.

What is the science behind love--can love be seen as a chemical reaction or neurological
phenomenon?
Love is a complex emotion and to some who may argue it is greater than an
emotional but it is justifiable by a dopamine, endorphin and adrenaline rush as
something that makes the body feel good and is often required in one form or
another to maintain a hormonal balance.

TERMS TO KNOW
Infatuation- It can be described as strong and intense sexual admiration but one that
is short lived.

Puppy love- This is a feeling often connected to adolescence which is linked to

intense yet shallow romantic or sexual attraction with another person.

Love hate- It is a personal relationship involving a usually changing or alternating mix

of extreme love and extreme hate.

Friendzone- It is a pop culture trendy topic and a form of relationship where there
are two platonic friends but one has an attraction to the other sexually causing him
or her to ask the other person out but they are turned downed and reduced back
into the zone of just being friends.

Limerence- It is a near or an obsessive romantic love where one is too attached or

obsessed with another person.

Free love- It is the idea of having sexual relations without conforming to society’s
norms of long term relationships.

Sublimation- It is when you re-channel socially unacceptable connection and

thoughts as an unconscious defence mechanism into a more acceptable wave of
thoughts and reactions.

Crystallization- It is a process of metamorphosis that converts the unattractive

characteristics of new love into cherished and loved ones.
 Philia, storge, agape, and eros- These are four out of the seven words for love in the
bible each describing a stage of sexual binding and connection written in Greek.

Unrequited love- Simply put it is one sided love not accepted or acknowledged and
seen by one’s beloved.

PDA- this is an acronym for Public Display of Affection and in many places in a
punishable offense involving the conduct of intimate and sexual activities in public
places.

Love triangle- a love triangle is a triangle of three people involved in mostly some
kind of unprofessed or rejected emotional and sexual connection with one another
and can be of many types.

Breakup- It refers to the termination of an intimate relationship which may or may

not be mutual.

Long distance- Long distance relationships are sexual and intimate relationships that
continue across borders of physical separation.

Proposal- It is usually referred to as an offer to marry or in certain cases accept an

intimate relationship.

Oxytocin- It is a love hormone which released by the pituitary to help organs of the
body involved in sexual reproduction and controlling it.

Phenylethylamine- It is a chemical compound and a neurotransmitter which

stimulates the nervous system.

Norepinephrine- This chemical compound is a neurotransmitter and a hormone that

is similar to adrenaline and causes the constriction of blood vessels increasing the
blood flow in the body one which activated by a sexual desire.

A DEEPER LOOK AT MARRIAGE

Bridewealth- It is the money or the wealth in goods provided by the groom’s family
to the bride at the time if marriage or over many installations.

Wedding- It is the ceremony to proclaim and formally start the bond of marriage
which is ideally lifelong love.

Dowry- It is the money or the goods given the by the bride’s family to the groom and
their new family at the time of marriage.

Concubinage- It is the intimate and sexual relationships in which the couple are not
or cannot be married.

Polygamy- It is the practice of having more than one wedded wives at the same time.
 Monogamy- It the relationship in which they only have partner at any time during
their relationship.

Arranged marriage- It is the type of marriage where the bride and groom are
selected by individuals other than the couple.

Cohabitation- It is the state of living together and having a sexual relationship

without marrying.

Alimony- It is the provision money paid by the husband or the wife after separation
or divorce.

Living apart together- It is when couples having an intimate relationship live at

separate addresses or homes.

Ghost marriage- It is a marital tradition in Sudan where the wife of the deceased
husband is forced to marry his brother.

Sheng nu- It is a derogatory term for women who choose to remain unmarried or
haven’t married in their late twenties and beyond.

Nikah mut’ah- It is a type of Islamic Shia marriage I which the date of marriage and
separation is pre-decided.

Ketubah- It is a Jewish prenuptial agreement which talks about the groom’s

responsibility in relation to the bride.

Levirate- It is a Jewish custom in which a brother is obliged to marry his deceased

brother’s wife.

Civil union- It is a legally binding union in the eyes of the law similar to that of
marriage.

No-fault divorce- It is the type of divorce in which one spouse does not have to prove
a wrong doing of the other spouse just state a legally acceptable reason for
separation.

Annulment- It is the legal procedure within religious customs to get a marriage null
and void.

Green card marriage- A green card marriage is a marriage between a legal resident
of a country to someone ineligible for citizenship to marry and wait for the wait time
be legally allowed citizenship into the nation.

FRIENDING IS A VERB: DIGITAL CONNECTIONS

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
 How has social media influenced your relationships?
Social media deeply influences the social interactions of all its members and this is
hence a very subjective question based on a very personal experience which differs
person by person.

Does social media affect the way you perceive other people?
It is in human nature to judge people and social media presence of different people
does make people judge them and almost every time unfairly and influences the way
we perceive other people based on their profile online.

What would your life be like without social media?

This is a very subjective question and therefore the answer to it differs person to
person based on their social media usage time and purpose the lack of it can deeply
influence their lives or not change it at all.

Do people relate differently when they are anonymous online than when they use their real
names?
This is again subjective and can work both ways, using real names can cause
judgement which could be racial and socio economic in nature but it can help
connect better with people you know. A fake username prevents judgement of race
and can spark total anonymity but on the other hand it could lead to lesser
interpersonal connection with social media friends and acquaintance who are
present in your life.

How does the medium in which we communicate affect what we’re saying? Can you
communicate something on Snapchat that you can’t on, say, WhatsApp - and why would
you choose one medium over another?
Different mediums of communications are suitable for different things, currently e
mail is formal, WhatsApp is business or normal free chats, Instagram is for design,
travel and businesses while snapchat is regarded as the best for intimate
conversations and exchanges or for exchanging private and confidential content.
This is because a WhatsApp conversation can be stored while a snapchat
conversation and its stories vanish in 24 hours.

NOTABLE SOCIAL MEDIA (EXAMPLES)

INTERACTING
Email and letter writing- Emails or online letters are faster mode of communication
but are based on the concept of actual mails and letters where there is a specific
format and a particular style of conversation.

Facebook- It is an American social media website and platform which involve around
the concept of creating virtual friends and then conversing with them via its own
personal messenger or share parts of their lives using pictures and videos that could
be reacted on and liked by a user’s virtual friends.

Twitter- It is a messaging and sharing/ posting website or social network where its
users are to express themselves using 140 characters or less and photographs or
 videos. This is not personal but does include its own personal messenger and is the
modern way of keeping up with news and trends.

MySpace- It was an interactive social networking site founded in 2003 and was the
largest social networking site till the rise of Facebook in 2009.

Viber- It is a cross platform and instant messaging service with multiparty secure
messaging.

Tinder- It is the most people online dating service for intimate and sexual connection
where connections or matches are made when two people like each other’s profile
which gives them a power to message each other and start an intimate relationship.

Discord- This is a user to user and multi user platform involving the voice over chats
in chat channels which are designed for gaming communities to help them better
communicate.

WhatsApp- This is a user to user and multi user or group chat software designed to
transfer free and secured chats using an internet connection, while allowing calls
and video calls including sharing of media content of different types.

WeChat- It is a secure Chinese instant messaging service which allows different types
of interactions but mainly focuses on group interaction and connection.

Vkontakte- Vkontakte or VK is a Russian social networking and media service which

became the most popular amongst its Russian users for being a copy or clone of
Facebook mashed with other popular services.

SHARING
Snapchat- It is a multimedia sharing platform and messaging website where all
content be it personal, public, multimedia or text it gets deleted within 24 hours of
being viewed, making it better for sharing intimate and confidential information.

Instagram- It is a photo or video sharing social network which shares multimedia

between the user and his or her followers also containing its own secure messaging
platform.

Reddit- It is an online content sharing discussing and rating website originating in the
United States.

LinkedIn- It is a formal social media profile creation service and is job and
employment oriented which helps build connection between people in the same
work field or helps people employ or choose other people as possible job
candidates.

Line- It is an instant messaging and video calling website for video conference and,
text and audio visual media sharing.
 Kakaotalk- It is a free instant messaging service providing free call and messaging
services.

Behance- It is an Adobe owned website primarily for self-promotion and includes

consulting and portfolio websites.

Pinterest- It is a web search engine and software tool designed to search GIFs and
images that are indexed publically online.

Tumblr- It is a media sharing web service designed to be a creative tool and is

considered a mindful version of Facebook which allows it users to share community
specific images including art pieces and other forms of creative expression.

StumbleUpon- It is a discovery or advertisement search engine that recommends

web content to its users.

MODERN EXCHANGE AND INTERACTION

Para social interaction- Para social interactions are human social interactions that
are one sided and involve a party being emotionally and physically involved in
interaction while the other party is totally unaware if their existence.

Obsession- An idea or thought that continually intrudes a person’s mind.

Internet relationship- It is a social connection or relationship built solely on internet

between two people who only know each other via the internet.

Uses and gratification theory- It is a theory and an approach which presumes all its
users are active consumers an it a theory to understand how users seek specific
media to satisfy specifics needs.

Celebrity worship- It is an obsessive and addictive disorder in which the patient gets
addicted to deeply involved in the details of a popular public personality’s personal
or professional life.

Virality- It is the tendency for a piece of media to be circulated rapidly on the

internet.

Misrepresentation- It is the offensive action of deliberately providing a misleading

account of something that changes its nature and often makes the original thing
looked down upon negatively and can cause legal penalties.

Cyberstalking- It is the use of internet to stalk or indirectly harass a individual or a

group.

Cybersociality- It is the act of being part of a mesh of users and online

communications that form an online society.
 Synchronisation- Conducting any activity at the same rate or time.

Pseudocommunity- A false community online created using cyber sociality but is not
strong or does not a have purpose to create an actual usable and productive
community.

Media equation- It is theory or pool of idea in which people consciously or non-

consciously treat precious pieces of technology as human or as living.

CONNECTIONS OF THE FUTURE

Quantum communication- It is a field of quantum physics and closely related to
quantum teleportation in which a channel of communications is secured using forms
of quantum cryptography.

Hologram- It is a three-dimensional recording of a light field which is projected

outwards to convey a message.

Ansible- It is a usable and programmable tool for creating automation and

automated application deployment. It is for future mechanical jobs that will not
require humans.

Augmented reality- It an interactive experience between a real-world object and a

virtually created simulation or adjustable three-dimensional object.

Virtual reality- It is an interactive and simulated experience occurring in a virtual

environment.

Smart machines- A smart machine is a machine that 3can make its own decisions
without human command.

Voice enabled technologies- Any technology controlled and commanded by a human

voice.

Artificial intelligence- It is the theory and the ability for technology to require no
human assistance in tasks it usually requires human assistance in. The ability given to
a machine to make its own decisions.

OVER SIDEWAYS AND UNDER: RELATIONSHIP AROUND BOUNDARIES

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Some communities create boundaries between themselves and the rest of the world; does living
within such boundaries affect how relationships form?
Yes, such figurative boundaries created by certain cultures do affect the way in
which they evolve and how differently they will evolve in comparison to the rest of
the world. The best example is the Piraha tribe from our Science syllabus and due to
their isolation their language and everything has uniquely evolved in ways that
confuse all modern linguists and such boundaries can negatively affect the growth
and relationships of people in that region with the rest of the world but in some
 cases like in Chines and Chinese cultural separation helps it to preserve its ancient
culture that thrives today as well because of their cultural and pure cultural isolation
which has got nothing to do with their economic or commercial relations globally
that are evidently getting stronger.

Other communities are organized with internal boundaries, whether hallways in a dormitory or
castes in a society. How do relationships form within and across such boundaries?
Now this, is a subjective question that differs from situation to situation but some do
believe small distance increase relationship bonds due to constant want of social
interaction but a barrier of distance of space making certain bonds and relationships
stronger but from a dormitory scenario to a caste scenario it can lead to harsh
discrimination and formation of strong stereotypes.

When two very different communities are forced to interact, how do the people within them
relate? Do they become more alike or more different? What might lead to one outcome or the
other?
This is again a subjective question but based on various examples it can lead to
ingenious outcomes or loss of culture. Examples show that fusion of culture can
create culinary wonders and products that sell across the world like hotcakes, but in
certain cases where one culture seems dominant one culture starts glorifying the
other leading to creation of envy and following everything in the other culture
leading to loss of one culture die to total influence which can cause severing of ties
and other trade relations.

KEY SOCIAL STRUCTURES TO EXPLORE (EXAMPLES)

Intentional community- It is a community designed to have multicultural unity
teamwork and cohesion.

Multigenerational living- Multigenerational living is a family type in which more than

two generations are seen living together.

Commune- It is a simple group of people living together sharing the same

possessions and certain similar or same responsibilities.

Kibbutz- A Kibbutz refers to a traditional small community of Israeli people living

collectively on agriculture.

Ashram- It is a term used for a spiritual monastery that houses the disciples of its
faith.

Ecovillage- An ecovillage is a traditional planned village with the aim to create a

social, cultural and economically self-sustainable village.

Cohousing- It is a designed community of closely packed homes that are close to one
another and can include shared spaces like the kitchen and the dining area.
 Micronation- It is a small and evolving entity that claims to be separate and
individual state or nation but no major global power think it to be one or recognise it
as one.

Levittown- It is the name of the seven large suburban areas and housing societies
built and created by the US and Puerto Rico.

Hostel- It is an establishment that gives inexpensive and rentable establishments and

cheap food for a specific group of people like students.

Dormitory- A large and shared bedroom for multiple people.

Ghetto- It is an area with usually cheap housing or slums occupied by any minority.

Gangs- It is in simple terms a group of criminals that have an order a hierarchy or a

form of organisation.

Fraternities- A group of like-minded people who share similar interests and

professions.

Sororities-They are group of women with similar interests and professions.

Societies- They are groups of people involved or tangled in social interaction.

ADDITIONAL TERMS TO LEARN

Border towns- It is a town, a village or a small city between two nation states.

“Chinatowns”- It is the ethnic place of stay of Chinese or Han people when outside of
mainland China.

Enclaves and exclaves- An exclave is the portion of a state or its territories divided by
a physical barrier and an enclave is small territory surrounded by larger territories.

Mutual society- It is an organisation owned by its members, where the profits go to

reinvest in the business.

Culture shock- It is the disorientation when you suddenly come in contact with
another culture.

Assimilates- It is the process of adjusting and adapting to a new culture and

environment.

Adaptation- It is the processing of changing to fit into society and a different unique
culture.

Acculturation- It is what is known as the side effect of blending cultures which

involves adapting to social, economic and other aspects of the new culture.
 Biculturalism- It is a unique identity in which one recognises themselves as a
combination of two cultures.

Hybridity- It refers to the term mixture and is used when a person considers himself
or herself a mixture of many different cultures.

Xenophobia- In simple terms it is the fear of foreigners and their culture, which can
include any foreign culture or its form. Islamophobia is a type of xenophobia.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION (HYPENRLINKS ONLY)

Monument of Kalhu (oldest handshake)- This is a link showing the world’s first ever
recorded handshake made into a mural in north Iraq between the king of Babylon
and Assyria as a diplomatic peaceful gesture. In ancient Greece, as well sculptures
can be seen of people holding hands mostly high dignitaries or Heads of State. The
handshake became a symbol of peace because many historians theorised that an
empty hand meant a lack of weapon which meant lack of malice or bad intention.

Linked TIME article (TIME article)- This article talks about the changing dynamic of an
American family which has shifted from a stay at home mother with a working dad
and a nuclear family, According to the article more and more women are joining the
work force and fewer people are getting married therefore laws should be changed
such as the laws that grants universal education should move down to include
preschool and policies that assume that a kid is to be born with a couple to take care
of him where the mom takes care while the dad works. According to TIME this does
not even count the same sex laws and therefore should be changed.

One that resists contact (isolated societies)- This is an interesting article about an
Indian tribe which remains one of just the handful of tribes that have not yet been
contacted and live on the North Sentinel Island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The
tribe is protected and will be wiped out by human presence because of their lack of
disease resistance. There is only one footage of them and one photo shot by a safety
and emergency helicopter that wanted to confirm the sign of life after the 2004
tsunami to which the tribe responded by aiming at the helicopter and the camera.
You are not legally allowed to come within 5 kilometres of the island and these
people are hostile as they were to researchers in70s and 90s trying to make contact
who were then sprayed by arrows. They are protected by tribal protection
organizations globally and are very mysterious in their ways with their unknown
numbers ranging from 50 to500 people in the tribe.

One that tried to (isolated tribe)- This is the story of a tribe that tried to stay without
societal contact but failed in the 17th century. The Bororo is a tribe that now has six
divided territories and has had positive relations with multiple people however, after
their discovery and their increasing number, relationships with the people their
population fell after the Bororo were used in battles and killed because of famine,
war and hunger which means it did not help them by just being contacted. It went
down road from their but one can only wonder what would have been of the tribes if
they had not been contacted and continued their lives in their villages where houses
were built around the central spot in circles leading their own confusing lives.

Border towns- This is an interesting article about Russian and the Chinese border
which talks about a border town and how Russians do not grow anything there
because the soil and the climate is not appropriate but as soon as you enter China
their blooming flowers and acres or lush farming. In Russia, there is the actual St.
Basilica but in China there is a replication where inside there is no Church. The article
then takes us through the part of increasing Chinese power over Russia in any future
conflict and the story of a woman who employed and married a Russian as a legal
rule to run a business there.

Spiral of silence theory (reasons behind interaction styles)- This short article was
about a German philosopher and how she theorises why we cannot and should not
speak our mind if it is an opinion that is not generally accepted or in majority at the
moment to avoid tension and for self-preservation. This theory is called Spiral of the
Silence and talks about how bad it can be to voice an unpopular opinion in public
which can do physical damage but most importantly it paints a target on your back
and cause extreme isolation due to a view that nobody seems to have or appreciate.

This article (friend making process)- This is an article about the process of friendship
creation which includes ling lasting and meaningful relationships. According to
researcher Alex Williams who as written and researched extensively to find that
making long lasting friendships after the age of thirty is nearly impossible but some
believe that once you hit thirty you start doing things that are more important to you
because of the realisation that you are getting old. This makes people who are
married focus on their families close themselves to prospects of friendship and the
general view of having fun this makes any friendship formed after the age of thirty a
meaningful one. Some believe more meaningful friendships are formed by single
people because they do not have constraints of family and family time giving them a
window to put themselves out there to make friends and intimate sexual
connections. This however a subjective question that differs person to person.

Studies suggest (living with pets)- This is a TIME article with an attached video that
gives evidence to prove that dog owners have better social connection and lead
longer and healthier lives. This is because the presence of a dog can reduce stress
and anxiety. A dog’s presence can also reduce blood pressure and lower the risk or
Asthma. Dog owners are fitter and healthier individuals because they on average
walk more than non-dog owner making their lives emotionally, mentally and
physically better and relaxed.

Caste systems- This is an article on India’s present and still sullen state of caste
segregation formed around a thousand years before the birth of Christ which divides
the Hindu society in four major parts the top most being the priests, teachers and
intellectuals who were devoted to the teachings of the many Hindu gods, they were
followed by the soldiers who included the kings, warriors and other men from the
nobility. They were followed by rich businessmen and merchant traders who owned
shops and traded, imported and exported goods. The last were the poor workers
and those who were treated as untouchables due to the work they did which
included agriculture, cleaning the streets, household labourers and construction
workers who also worked at crematoriums. The article talks about the abolition of
the system by the law after the formation of the constitution but little to no
following it because across India marriages and job listings are dome and made
based on creed caste and religion forcing the supreme court to give minority lower
caste people reservations in government and private jobs, schools, offices and
colleges.

Artificial friends (robot helpers)- This is an article on the growth and the acceptance
of the weird idea that robots will take care of the elderly and most importantly
provide them with companionship. All this does sound outlandish however, robots
are being designed by the likes of Toyota that have 24 fingers to wash massage hair,
mobility devices which could be voice controlled to takes the elderly to his or her
destination and other location walking posture sensors. The idea is there and the
work is being done to convert these into smart and working machines that can hold
proper conversation and give better replies and assistance.

Talk, shop and work through the service Wechat (the uses and applications of
Wechat)- This is the article about WeChat and how simple looking messaging service
only known for its dominating presence in China become a landmark for instant
messaging success. This is because many factors but ultimately it is because unlike
other platform of online communication it was designed on and for smartphones
and not adapted to it but shaped by the smartphone revolution and is now more of a
single application that can do it all. It was created fir Chinese people and most its
services and functional in China like accessing and contacting city services online
without going out, provision of an online marketplace for shops, events, plane
tickets and recharges giving the user the ability to spend money including the in app
money feature to pay securely and rather quickly without leaving their comfort zone.
This is the reason why it earns 7 times greater average revenue per user than
WhatsApp.

Nearly all the business of their daily lives (Wechat)- This is again an article about the
rise of WeChat in the Chinese market where Emails never took off and better more
convenient cult like application was formed with too many services combined into
one. WeChat got more than half of its users to link it to their banks over one third of
them make regular daily and weekly transactions using the platform. This makes it
bigger than most online services with an estimated Revenue to be 80 billion already.
This was only caused by their impressive one app of everything marketing strategy
and including and integrating Chinese cultural and festival for easy and special offers
discounts and gift sharing services making it the winder of the East being watched by
all the tech giants of the west looking at it grow and outgrow them.

Voice-enable technologies- This is an article exploring the Voice enable technologies

and artificial intelligence and its future in the world with Siri, Alexa, Cortana and the
Google Assistant being the starting points of the revolution and having unimaginable
potential which is explored in the article where there is a world here transactions are
authorised by voice recognition and a great business potential and an untapped
markets of now with crazy ideas including the fact that one day voice recognition
would take over signatures and fingerprints even in legal and bank documents. The
article explores the potential and the up and coming business proposals that could
be predicted to ignite an artificial intelligence revolution which is voice activated and
enabled.

Double life (online social media deception)- This is an article about the fake or made
up lives many social media users live that can others to feel depressed based how
much fun others are having causing envy jealousy and clinical depression. This is an
article that uses scary suicidal examples to prove this point. A double life led online
by most of us. Or at least we witness other people posing for events to make them
seem extremely glamourous while they might or might not be that luxurious but it
does certainly give boasting powers and authority over others to show off without
being physically looked down upon. This causes many users to envy those who
create a fake but interesting persona online using platforms like Instagram and
Facebook.

Slightly dated interview (illusion of companionship)- This is an interview of the MIT

social studies of science and technology professor Sherry Turkle who states that
humans demand more and more from their machines and less and less from their
human friends and other people which has caused an effect which she accurately
describes as the sense of the illusion of having companion ship without the demands
and the efforts of a friendship making social interaction easier faster but the
interactions themselves weaker because people are expecting more and more for
putting less and less efforts in real human to human relationships like friendships.
People would much rather text than, talk or even call which is turning into a
quicksand of obsession and easy entertainment and social contact and connection.

Wormhole (connecting students of MIT and Stanford)- This is a designed live

recorded connection in a plexiglass dome in MIT cafeteria which is displayed on
multiple screens there. The screens show a similar cafeteria in Stanford and this liv e
connection is called the wormhole which connects two of the most premier
technology universities in not just America but in the world. This wormhole is
created to encourage unintended and accidental contact to create human social
relations across 3000 lies in California.

The theory (media equation)- This is a new theory with some substantial evidence to
prove that humans in fact treat new media communication devices like television
just the wat they teat humans and create human like person and interpersonal bond
with their technological devices. A male voiced computer causes different responses
than a female voiced computer and the large on screen faces can cause a very
human like response of judging character and persona despite knowing that they are
not real humans. This theory was created by Stanford University professor Clifford
Nass.
This article (enemy response and creation)- This is an article which talks about a
study conducted in West Africa and the US where people were asked if they had
enemies and then were given the definition of an enemy in which they marked one
to be a person driven by personal hatred against you and who is trying to disrupt
your plans and take revenge. In this study, they found that Ghanaians are three
times more like than people in the United States to thinks they have personal enemy
and consider a person who does not have one as naïve and foolish while in US it is an
idea of hatred where they believe it is abnormal to think you have an enemy This
differs so much because of the cultural gap where people in US believe you make
your own enemies because you control all your social interaction because you have
the freedom to while in Ghana people live in deceiving groups of large families and
colonies trying to get the better of each other forcing the belief that someone has a
personal hatred for everyone and hence everyone has enemies.
HISTORY OF
DIPLOMACY
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
What is the purpose of diplomacy?
Diplomacy as a whole has multiple purpose, one and the most important one of
which is peace keeping and representing the policies and ideology of their nation to
negotiate treaties in their nation’s best interest. Another key purpose of diplomats is
to represent their nations stand to build better international relations with other
countries.

How is diplomacy different than discussion?

Discussions are a key part of diplomacy but diplomacy is bigger that discussions
because anybody can discuss about any relevant or irrelevant topic but the form of
discussions diplomats are trained to partake in is called a negotiation where they
discuss keeping their nations interest in mind and negotiate an appropriate
profitable deal without hurting either parties.

Does a diplomat always represent one party’s interests to another party?

A diplomat must represent and keep his party’s interests in mind but that does not
stop him or her from being understanding and strike a win-win deal.

How did modern diplomatic protocols come about—and do these protocols do more to
strengthen diplomacy or to limit it?
Diplomatic protocols are mostly global unsaid rules that differ from nation to nation
they are more like a general courtesy or respect towards higher level diplomats and
head of states. Yes, there are country provided and otherwise globally accepted
protocols or ways in which a diplomatic business should be conducted but in no way
does it always restrict the true spirit of diplomacy. It can be legally broken but it is a
code followed, not to limit diplomacy but to allow it to be as peaceful as the goal of
the diplomatic mission.

When two countries sign a treaty, what guarantees it will be upheld?

In many countries across the world a simple sign to a treaty does not make it binding
there is a ratification process to grant the treaty its authority. Most treaties signed
between nations and their underlying obligations are met without failure because of
two main reasons. The principal of International Law pacta sunt servanda or
agreements must be kept and secondly because of a party does not meet the
agreement or treaty signed then its international legitimacy in the eyes of other
nations falls down and their allies question their alliance and other nation do not
form alliances with them because they consider the nation to be one that does not
keep its promises.

Is diplomacy inherently political? Are diplomats politicians?

Yes, on multiple occasions diplomats do seem to be inherently supporting an
ideology or political movement but they are states appointed and generally do not
rise to a public office via votes and do not hold strong political believes but if a
nation or its head of state does have a certain political inclination it becomes the
duty and the sole responsibility of the diplomats to represent that but it does not
make a diplomat himself a politician or politically motivated to make decisions.
What is the difference between an ambassador and a diplomat?
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomatic position that one can have, most
ambassadors represent one nation exclusively with another.

Does diplomacy need to look different in the 21st century?

Yes, diplomacy in its technicalities needs to evolve with time. This is the twenty first
century where diplomacy needs to be about online trades, cyber-crimes and hacking,
online markets and digital nuclear codes. Due to these reasons diplomacy needs to
adapt just the way it is adapting according to the changes brought about by the
digital era.

How do countries come to diplomatic agreements—and what happens when two nations
cannot reach a diplomatic agreement?
If two countries have a neutral relationship then their heads of state and the
ambassadors choose a meeting spots which could be one of the two nations, if they
have a hostile relationship then a third neutral nation is chosen where talks and
state dinners are held to discuss the issue and come to a negotiation with a
confirmed agreement. If none of the above methods are completed then the two
nations can resort to treating each other with hostility, placing trade sanctions or
start a war.

What problems has international diplomacy helped to solve in recent years – and what
problems has it helped to create?
International diplomacy in general especially from a UN stand point has just been a
mediating tool it has helped mediate conflicts like US Iran relations and increased
conflicts like Palestinian and Israel conflict. In context, as of last month both have
been set on fire due to the Trump administrations fiery response system.

Is it ever appropriate for a diplomat to express disagreement with his or her country’s leader?
It is appropriate for a diplomat to have his or her own opinions however any
disagreement should not ever be mentioned publically, in an official conversation or
to officials of the host nation or he or she could be fired and cause some major
diplomatic troubles.

Should diplomats be granted special privileges when they are representing their nations
abroad?
This is a complicated question to answer and can be bent both ways based on the
relations between the host nation and diplomat’s nation of origin. If a diplomat is
charged for breaking simple parking rules the other hostile nation can consider it to
be a politically charged move and therefore certain privileges should be provided to
diplomats for international security.

Do businesses and other non-governmental institutions need diplomats—and if so, under

what circumstances? How about revolutionary movements, or terrorist organizations?
Nope, businesses and other non-governmental organisations do not need diplomats
so to speak but in order to build close company to company relations they do have
access to people who do somewhat play a diplomatic role like Public Relation
officials and lobbyists.
ORIGINS OF DIPLOMACY
Explore the origins of diplomacy in historical civilizations. How different was it than diplomacy
today?
The origins of diplomacy as a concept is very hard due to its existence long before
written records. Scientists claim that such traits of diplomacy could be found in early
central American civilisations but the truth is that the first written and genuine
records could be still witnessed in Indian, Chinese and the Middle Eastern early
civilisations. They do have the common trait of forming useful and mutually
beneficial partnerships however, the only father of modern diplomacy is Greece. It is
the only place whose ancient vocabulary and ideas have been literally copied by the
Vienna convention and diplomatic bodies globally. Diplomacy has grown from that
phase into something much bigger that affects each country, its economy and its
people.

EXAMPLE OF CIVILIZATIONS TO RESEARCH

City states of Ancient Greece- Greece is considered the birth place of modern
diplomacy and the art of negotiation. It started as negotiations amongst city-states
of ancient Greece. These city states had similar cultural ways and shared their
festivals and traditions which increased their link between one another. The
founders and organisers of these interstate festivals and cultural events were not
just people who built ties but were the first few diploma ts. This link grew over time
and transformed into interwar treaties like that of humane treatment and
behaviour. This idea was then applied to non- Greek states like Persia which helped
prevent some disputes, in turn saving money and lives. The only Greek term for
diplomacy is Proxenoi or state friends.

Han dynasty China- Han dynasty China was a long standing ruling dynasty in part
because of their diplomatic traditions which they created over time to build better
foreign relations. China viewed itself as the centre of all civilisations and therefore it
sent out diplomats in the form of travellers to distant lands to maintain peace and
peaceful relations and to allow trade to happen creating a very economically
powerful dynasty.

Byzantine Empire- The Byzantine was a very long standing flourishing empire despite
being surrounded by harsh enemy, this was because they were smart enough to
acknowledge their lack of military strength and tried to keep war as way from them
for as long as possible using diplomatic tools that some describe as the bridges
between ancient and modern diplomacy. They adapted all the ancient styles of
diplomacy, including orators from Greece and inter dynasty royal weddings of
Mesopotamia to seal alliances.

Renaissance Italy- This was another great phase to study diplomatic rise and how it
happened. The Italians used the ideas of the Byzantines and their own city states like
Venice to come up with their policy of Deception, Bribery and Espionage, where
each played a part in preventing war.
 Ancient India- Kautaliya was the key advisor to king Chandragupta Maurya who
advised the king on war strategies and economics. He wrote the book which is
widely considered the birth of Economics and its concepts. In the same scripture he
writes about the art of preventing war and getting the best for their empire in the
signing of a deal using what he called the four stages of diplomacy- Sam, Dham,
Dand, and bhed. These range from negotiation to compromise and then to straight
on either punishment or war effectively starting the idea for the first penalising
sanctions.

Look into the evolution of modern diplomatic institutions, concluding (for now) with the Vienna
Convention on Diplomatic Relations in 1961. Have the roles, responsibilities, and privileges of
diplomats changed significantly over time?
Yes, earlier diplomats were simple tools which acted as mere translators, often the
sacrificial lambs to their empires but now diplomatic privileges protect diplomats in
all situations as representatives in war torn zones who have special rights and
privileges that help them remain safe and better put forth the agenda of their nation
to their home nation.

YOU SCRATCH MY BACK: THE INSTRUMENTS OF DIPLOMACY

DIPLOMATIC INSTITUTIONS
Embassy- An embassy is the residence and the office of the ambassador in his host
nation. It provides services like Visa and immigration, inside the grounds of the
embassy of a nation despite it being in another nation the laws of the nation of
origin apply.

Consulate- It is an office that is under the authority of the embassy or the

headquarters, it provides similar services under the authority of the ambassador. An
embassy is usually stated in the capital of the country; however consulates can be
multiple and spread out across many metropolitan and high traffic cities.

Mission- A mission is a group of people from their originating country staying in their
host nation to formally represent their nation and its interests to their host nation.
People part of such diplomatic missions are trained diplomats. An embassy is a
permanent mission in their host nation from their nation of origin.

Asylum- It is a concept of international law which provides protection to a citizen of

another nation in their nation to protect him or her from their nation of origin. For
example, Edward Snowden is currently given political asylum by Russia form the US
government.

Diplomatic immunity- These are the privileges of exemption from certain taxes and
laws provided to diplomats to prevent them from prosecution in their host nation or
the nation which is the base of their mission. This was granted to diplomats
universally at the Vienna convention.

Diplomatic bags- It is a diplomatic container which is like a bag or a pouch from the
embassy as official mail to its nation of origin or vice versa that does not have to go
 through customs or any form of security checks and can only be opened by either
the embassy or the external affairs ministry in the nation of origin.

Rezidentura- It is a Russian word for an embassy in another nation that provides the
services of an embassy but can act as a perfect cover for KGB intelligence missions.

DIPLOMATIC OFFICES
Ambassador- An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat representing one
nation stationed in another nation and is the head and the authority figure of an
embassy and all the other consulates in the nation.

Envoy- He or she is a messenger or a representative sent on a diplomatic mission.

Minister- He or she is a politician who is a member of the government.

Consul- He or she is an appointed official member who is an acting diplomat sent on

a mission from one nation to another, this a was a Roman word. The modern consul
works under the authority of the Ambassador.

Secretary- It is a diplomatic post in a mission which is below that of a counsellor.

Counsellor- It is usually the second or third on command post above secretary and
looks over mission details and reports directly to the ambassador.

Charge d’affaire- This is the French word for the diplomatic post given to someone
who takes on as acting ambassador in case an ambassador should leave for work
related trips and heads the embassy.

APPROACHES TO DIPLOMACY
Gunboat- It is a form of foreign policy that is backed by or supported using the threat
of military power.

Coercive- It is the form of action on a foreign policy where there is the threat of
military force or the use of limited force to force the party to comply to the policy.

Preventive- It is the action taken to peacefully prevent disputes from arising or

prevent existing disputes to increase in magnitude.

Appeasement- Diplomacy by appeasement is the form of action where a party

makes concessions to a dictatorial power to avoid conflict. It was put in to use by
British prime minister Neville Chamberlain who, failed miserably hence making it a
policy for the weak.

Paradiplomacy- It is the form of diplomacy conducted by sub national or regional

governments internationally to build international relations for their own interests.
 Soft power- It is called the appeal and attraction form of policy where non coercive
and peaceful, cultural actions are taken to attract the other party to partake in the
treaty.

Hard power- It is the action involving the use of military or economic means to
persuade the other party.

Nuclear- Nuclear or atomic diplomacy refers to the use of nuclear threats and
threats of MAD to achieve diplomatic goals.

Counterinsurgency- It refers to diplomatic efforts to legitimise claims made by

authority or government.

Public- It is a form of diplomatic technique use to spread propaganda to citizens of

the other party to positively influence them to make the diplomatic deal. This is
mostly in the cases of trade treaties.

Dollar- It is the use of a nation’s financial power to achieve diplomatic goals.

Cyber- This a topic on which diplomatic missions are lead, to allow access,
governance and cyber security to a political body.

Zero-sum- Simply put zero sum diplomacy is a state where the diplomatic obligations
make one party gain exactly as much as the other part loses.

Third Neighbour- It is a part of foreign relations involving building relations with two
of your closest nations to increase a sphere of influence.

ADDITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW

Proxenos- In ancient times consular agents for ancient Greece were called proxenos,
however unlike modern diplomats they were the citizens of their home nations.

Paiza- A paiza or a paizi were small metallic tablets carried by the nobles and envoys
of Mongolian origin as symbol for their diplomatic privileges across borders including
getting goods from civilian populations at cheaper rates or without money.

Plenipotentiary- This is a power given to certain diplomats from their country of

origin to have full powers and to take independent action regarding the diplomatic
missions.

Peacekeeper- This is a reference to the United Nation’s peace keeping troops a troop
which goes to regions of international conflict only carrying light weapons and are
allowed only self-defence or action in case they are under armed strikes. They are
symbol of peace and peaceful non-violent conflict resolution.

Non-state actors- It is an individual or an organization with significant political power

but not allied to any state.
 Alliance- It is a relationship between two groups or states that is mutually beneficial
with the similar goals.

Summit- A summit is an international meeting between heads of states with an

already decided agenda a certain media coverage.

Embargo- An embargo is a when one state puts total trade restrictions on another
state.

Persona non-grata- A person non-grata in diplomatic terms is a diplomat entering or

staying in a country where the government of the host nation does not approve or
allow his or her presence.

Extraterritoriality- Extraterritoriality is a form of diplomatic immunity provided

where the diplomat is not subjected to any local laws and their violation.

Sanctions- They are threats of penalties used to provide incentives to follow the law
or in this case sign the treaty and comply with one nation or state.

Self determination- This is a small group of diplomats who have the right to decide
how, and who do they want to be governed by, they get to choose any nationality
freely.

Polarity- It is one of many ways created to describe the distribution of power

international relations.

Realpolitik- realpolitik or practical politics is a governance system where political

decisions are made based on what is practical rather than the ideology of the praty
or the politician.

Ultimatum- It is like a deadline a final demand which if not upheld will lead to a
retaliation or a collapse in international relations.

PEN TO PAPER: THE OUTCOME OF DIPLOMACY

NOTABLE PACTS AND TREATIES (EXAMPLES)
Amarna letters- These are clay tablets with letters Written on them as diplomatic
exchanges between the Egyptian kingdom and its representative in regions like
Canaan.

Treaty of Nerchinsk- It was the first ever diplomatic treaty between Russia and China
which compromised on land spaces given to one another.

Peace of Westphalia- They were a series of peace treaties signed in Westphalia cities
to mainly end a European conflict that caused millions of casualties.

Abuja Treaty- It was treaty in Africa between certain African nations that aimed to
establish and promote economic commercial development.
 Treaty of Utrecht- They were a set of individual treaties that reinstated peace over
the French and British conflict of Spanish succession.

Treaty of Versailles-The treaty of Versailles was a diplomatic treaty signed by and

between all the major parties of the first world war to acknowledge that the sole
blame for the war if Germany and they are to pay reparation to the financially
weakened nations. The treaty of Versailles also prevented the Germans to have an
army larger than 100000
troops. Germans also had to give up industrial and profitable rhine land.

Paris peace accords- This was an agreement and peace treaty signed in Paris
between diplomats of USA and North Vietnam to officially end the Vietnam war.

Antarctic treaty- The Antarctic treaty was a treaty signed between USA and 12 other
nations in Washington to ensure for the peace and the safety of the world Antarctic
land will not be used to show any form of international discord due its natural
importance.

Khitomer accords- This is a fictional Star Trek treaty signed between two imaginary
places in space as a reconciliation effort.

Treaty of Tordesillas- It was a treaty and agreement aimed at settling the conflicts
over lands newly discovered by Christopher Columbus.

Paris climate agreement- This was one of the largest agreements signed under UN
framework with collective funding and effort to reverse the effects of climate change
by 195 countries.

Sugauli treaty- This treaty was signed between the East India country and the king of
Nepal to set the border of Nepal and that of the British empire.

Nuclear non-proliferation treaty- It is a global treaty led by Nuclear nations to

prevent and to disarm other Nuclear nations and ultimately leading to total nuclear
disarmament of the world.

Douglas treaties- This was a territorial treaty signed between certain indeginous
tribes and the colony of Vancouver island. Most of the treaty has been lost in
translation or documents misplaced.

INSTITUTIONS OF ACCORD (EXAMPLES)-

Congress of Vienna- The congress of Vienna was a meeting between European
Ambassadors after the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars in 1814 to set
boundaries of Central European nations.

Congress of Berlin- This was a meeting of representatives of all major Europeans

powers like France, Italy, Germany, Britain, Russia, Austro Hungarian empire,
Ottoman empire and the Balkan states to divide the territories of the Balkan
peninsula.
Conference of Ambassadors- It was an inter allied organisation of the Entente which
was formed following the period of world war 1. This organisation was later
incorporated into the League of Nations

League of Nations- This was failed attempt at a international cooperation that was
made to keep peace after the first world war. They had many members form start.
America was the one that started the idea but ended up not joining after the end of
Woodrow Wilson’s term. The body was unable to maintain peace due to the lack of
the only economically sound super power America not being a member, their
inability to stop growing conflicts and dictatorships. They could not stop the German
rearmament or the second world war making it a big failure of a supranational
organisation.

United Nations- This is the largest supranational peacekeeping authority priding

itself with its peace keeping, diplomatic and democratic processes. Although it could
be argued that they are in no way democratic their ultimate goals is a utopian world
with no global conflict, poverty or lack of healthcare. They are still going strong and
have learnt from their LoN predecessors. The current secretary general of the UN is
António Guterres.

ASEAN- It is the association of south east Asian nations, it was formed in 1967 by
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Its purpose is to promote
political and economic cooperation and regional stability.

G20- It is an economic grouping of the world’s largest advanced and emerging

economies. This is a group of twenty countries that together form 2/3 of world
population, 85% global GDP and 75% global trade. Its purpose is to have a policy to
promote international financial stability.

NATO- It is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation formed by the US ad twelve

countries. Currently it has 29 members that are in the north American or Atlantic
European region. The original purpose of the formation of NATO was to be the first
post war organisation to maintain peace and defend itself from communist or Soviet
Union ideas. As what may seem obvious Russia opted not to be a member of NATO
even after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

OPEC- It is the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It is a cartel which

was formed in 1960 in Baghdad. Its headquarters are in Vienna. Its purpose is to
ensure there is a regular global supply of petroleum, to monitor its prices and the
producers get a good price on its sale.

Arab League- Arab league was formed in 1945 in Cairo and still exists to mediate any
middle eastern conflicts, promote their culture and its influence.
 Commonwealth of Nations- It is an economic grouping of all former British colonies.
They share a common past therefore they try sharing common ties. They cooperate
with one another. The British monarch is a symbolic head of the Commonwealth.
Each member nation, despite its socio-economic position has an equal say in the
common wealth of nations and in order to celebrate that they play and partake in
Commonwealth games which are played one every four years.

APEC- It is the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation with 21 member nations. This
economic union was formed in 1989 with its goal to build economic prosperity and
commercial unions and a form of Asian cultural preservation.

African union- It is a supranational organisation with 55 African union members.

Their goal is to protect African unity. Represent and protect one another in a time of
war, preserve the African spirit and culture, create tight commercial and trade
relations among African countries to strive for collective prosperity.

European Union- It is an economic union of 28 countries in Europe, they have a

common flag and currency. These countries have a Schengen free border with a
unity in diversity motto. Its purpose is to bring about peace prosperity and to form
trade links.

OFF IN PARIS FOR SO LONG: THE ROLE OF DIPLOMATS

FAMOUS DIPLOMATS AND PEACEMAKERS (EXAMPLES)
Niccolo Machiavelli- He is widely known and accepted as the father of modern
political science. Niccolo Machiavelli was a trained diplomat, a philosopher and a
poet. He has inspired the modern Machiavellianism which means the persons who is
Machiavellian is deceiving, cunning, smart and most definitely a psychopathic world
ending non- believer. Machiavelli was known for his atheist beliefs and was an
outcast who lived by his rules and wrote the lines and grounds of treaties.

Otto von Bismarck- He was the first chancellor of Wilhelm the first of Prussia he
helped transform Germany into a modern unified nation. He was strong willed and
was rightfully called the Iron Chancellor who was an open advocate of the
Realpolitik. He got what he wanted even starting many wars in the process.

Henry Kissinger- He was a powerful open thinker and the US secretary of state. He is
a politician and a diplomat who wrote the book Diplomacy which talks about the
importance of diplomacy and the cold war. He is the first to react to matters
involving diplomacy and national security.

Eleanor Roosevelt- She was a mother figure to people of USA and was the first lady
to Franklin D Roosevelt. Although not technically a diplomat she is known for her
strong willed amusing charm and her active voice in peace summits and is
considered by many as a diplomat.

KR Narayanan- He was the tenth president of India who was known for adding as
deeper meaning to the the largely ceremonial position of a president. He was a true
negotiator and he too was a diplomat with the power to stand up to China and
Russia. He was a noble fatherly figure for all future presidents till his death in 2005.

Thomas Jefferson- He is a popular founding father and a writer of the declaration of

independence. He is known as the third president of USA; however he was a
diplomatic messenger to France on behalf of USA.

Kim dae-Jung- He was a former of president of the USA and is known for his firm
attitude and was a leader and a diplomat when it came to conflicts with North Korea.
He even criticised his biggest allies USA. He won the Nobel peace prize for his efforts
and his diplomatic and bold positions.

Oscar Arias- He was a former president of Costa Rico and he too received the Nobel
peace prize due to his help on support and diplomatic works during the Central
American crisis.

Zhou Enlai- He was the first premier of the People’s Republic of China. He is marked
as a pioneer and the most respectable figure in Chinese diplomacy. He acted as one
of the first chinses diplomats who searched for world peace. Before becoming
Premier he was the minister in the field of foreign affairs.

Mikhail Gorbachev- Gorbachev was the president of the soviet communist party and
the leader of the Soviet Union for a year. He is known for his limited use of words for
diplomacy but rather answered his questions via actions. He is considered the
perfect heartless diplomat who only answered question through his brain power in
the limited time of Soviet union’s existence after he became party president. He still
lives a rather hidden life somewhere in Russia.

Samantha Power- She was the former united states ambassador to the United
Nation. She was a hard-working diplomat trying her hardest to make her voice heard
in the UN. She served her nation for 8 years. She had a soft fork approach to
diplomacy.

Ban Ki-Moon- Ban Ki-Moon is considered one of the biggest humanitarians and a
diplomat. He was the UN secretary general for many years and one who believed in
the power of unity and was one of the most successful UN secretary generals ever.

Dag Hammarskjöld- This Swedish humanitarian economist and diplomat was the
second serving UN secretary general.

U Thant- U Thant was an award-winning diplomat form Burma and was the third
serving Secretary general of the UN.

Ambassador Spock- Captain Spock is a fictional character form Star Trek who was the
captain of their space ship. He was also his company and his kind’s ambassador to
other international races.
 Colin Powell- He is a former United States chief security advisor and a strong hearted
quick thinker and international relations advisor, and who some believe was the
master mind behind many American diplomatic and foreign policy relations.

António Guteress- He is the standing United Nations General Secretary. He is a

Portuguese general secretary yet to scratch the surface and leave a mark on the
history of this supranational agency.

HOW WERE DIPLOMATS (AND DIPLOMACY) INVOLVED IN… (EXAMPLES)

July crisis- The July crisis which took Europe by storm and what quite essentially
started the first world war was the diplomatic crisis of July which was set into motion
by the assassination of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist
group called the black hand.

Cuban missile crisis- In 19762 the Cuban missile crisis was the one that almost
propelled the cold war into a high alert nuclear confrontation. The crisis was around
Castro and his newly formed alliance with the Soviets. The Americans panicked at
the threat of war. Ultimately this was solved diplomatically but with coercive
diplomatic practices USA put a total trade embargo on Cuba which is still in pace.
This was a necessary step to prevent a nuclear war. After the Crisis they
diplomatically held talks with the Soviets although to no good result American
coercive diplomacy is what saved them from nuclear destruction.

Fashoda incident- This incident or crisis was the peak of the east African conflict
between France and Britain in 1898. In this situation France, had launched an
expedition down the river into Sudan to prevent the British from occupying it. The
French were heavily outnumbered by the British and Egyptian forces only so that
matter could be sorted out on friendly terms, but this created a war scare in Britain
and made everyone panicked and fear the outnumbered French.

Great game- After the supposed fall of Islamic Asia as it was called back in the
nineteenth century the European powers of Russia France and England were afraid
that one of them is going to set foot and establish an empire there first. This created
the great game a nineteenth century Anglo-Russian confrontation which was
territorial in nature. Russia tried to move into Iran and Afghanistan while the British
empire made constant efforts to prevent that from happening.

One China policy- This is an ongoing conflict that has separated mainland China or
China with its two special administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau with Taiwan
as of today a separate nation. Each part of China views the one China as differently
and currently there is no progress being made to make two China o groups of people
who call themselves Chinese into one China which includes Taiwan.

Middle Eastern Qatari embargo- The middle eastern Qatari embargo is a trade crisis
for Qatar that has been blocked off by its Neighbours including Saudi Arabia and UAE
due to their claims that Qatar is in favour r supporting extremist jihadists. This has
yet not been proven but in a small nation the size of Qatar 90% of its food is
imported of Which more than 30% comes from Saudi alone causing hoarding,
stockpiling and food shortages. They are running out of business and their country
lacks essential raw material. Many are left to wonder what will happen to Qatar and
the 2022 FIFA world cup.

Zimmerman telegram- The Zimmerman telegram was a telegraph intercepted by the

British intelligence sent by the German government to the German ambassador to
Mexico which stated a formation of alliance, a continuation of submarine warfare,
possibly on the waters of Mexico. This caused the US to take the wat seriously and
ultimately join the efforts of the triple entente.

South China sea disputes- The south China sea is currently stated as international
waters and are not Chinses territory. An estimated 5 trillion dollars’ worth of trade
passes these waters annually Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia use these seas. China
wants to own the sea and to prevent that from happening USA conducts regular
navigational freedom exercises on those waters.

XYZ affair-The XYZ affair refers to an early confrontation and diplomatic episode
between the United States and Republican France. This was when John Adams first
took charge which lead to the undeclared Quasi war.

U-2 Incident- The U-2 incident was an incident where a U-2 spy plane of the US
military was sent deep into restricted Soviet territory. The pilot was a CIA agent on a
reconnaissance mission to photograph certain restricted areas. The plane was shot
down by the Soviet military which worsened the US and Soviet relations.

Christmas Truce- The Christmas truce was a temporary and unofficial cease fire
along the western world war 1 front to celebrate Christmas. This occurred in the
early period of the war.

Pig and Potato war- The pig war was an indirect confrontation between the United
States and the UK forces near their border on San Juan island. This war was triggered
by the shooting of a pig. No bullets were fired in this war with no human casualty. It
was a conflict caused by a pig eating potatoes from other side of the border.

The Falkland Islands- The Falkland Islands are an offshore British territory near
Argentina and over the years it got into confrontations with Argentina. Now this
island and hundreds of other islets sit there peacefully without conflict.

Partition of India- this was a complicated end to the collapse of the British colony in
India. At the time India was not consolidated as a nation with over 500 despotic
rulers many demanding their countries. The politicians of the Muslim league wanted
a nation exclusively for their religion but India stood as a secular country. All
kingdoms could pick their side and after convincing most joined India and the land
mass left of the Indus river in a land that used to be Sind became Pakistan and its
other part being across India called West Pakistan and currently Bangladesh. The
 conflict required months of discussions and diplomatic tries by the INC to convince
the Muslim league from not splitting up and forming Pakistan.

SELECTED READINGS AND SPEECHES (EXAMPLES)

The Practice of Diplomacy by FRANCOIS DE CALLIERES
Francois was a French diplomat serving as a plenipotentiary to the Dutch empire. He
wrote the book titled The Practice of Diplomacy which is treated as a perfect guide
into the world of diplomacy for beginners and is still taught in course globally. He
was involved in creating and signing the Rijswijk which ended a war and got him
appointed as the cabinet secretary.

Remarks on Russia by SAMANTHA POWER

Samantha Power was the United Nations ambassadors from the United States, she is
known for calling out what she considers cheeky or cowardly. After the Aleppo
incident, she was the first and the most aggressive speaker to blame, Russia, Iran
and the Assad regime. She called them shameless and creatures incapable of feeling
shame for what they had committed. She also harshly passed the total responsibility
and the blame for the tragedy to Russia stating the there is nothing that could shame
it.

Blood and Iron by OTTO VON BISMARCK

This is a speech made by Otto von Bismarck to the Prussian parliament and its
budget discussion is which he states how simply becoming liberal is not going to
affect Prussia but allies like Germany and other strong nations look up and ask for
alliances because of Prussia’s power and not its humanitarian beliefs. He says great
problems are not solved by votes and discussions with peace but by Iron and Blood.

An Independent diplomat by CARNE ROSS

Carne Ross is the founder and CEO of Independent Diplomats after serving in the
British diplomatic corps for several years, he created a non-profit organisation that
gives a voice to unrecognised parties, countries, states and soon to be or developing
states in international relations and diplomacy. This helps nations build economic
ties and trade alliances while they are being formed to give a head start to their
industrialisation and economy.

The Fog of Peace by GABRIELLE RIFKIND AND GIANNI PICO

The fog of Peace is a book that draws connections between the Psychological and
the diplomatic and conflict resolution aspect of diplomacy and international
relations written aptly by a diplomat and a therapist. The book talks about how
essential it is to read the enemy and to understand him. The book states that a key
rule of conflict resolution and diplomacy is to respect the culture and show
appreciation for the culture of the enemy. This gives a softer advantage and is
compelling.

ADDITIONAL CASES AND QUESTIONS (HYPERLINKS ONLY)

This online version (diplomatic board game)- This is an online version of a diplomatic
board game or at least what is left of it due to its lack of popularity and close to zero
users being a part of it. This game is about negotiation, conflict resolution, coming to
compromises and placing sanction like threats.

Case of Chen Guangcheng (tricky cultural diplomacy)- This is a case of 202 that put
American and Chinese diplomacy including their relations to test when a person on
house arrest ran into the American embassy who wanted security. The diplomatic
talks on the fate of the man were kept under wraps but go to a point where they
were about to call of the US and Chinese economic talks, the talks continued and the
matter was supposedly solved and the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton did not
even mention Cheng or his fate in interviews regarding the talk.

Up for renegotiation (global trade agreements)- NAFTA or the North American Free
Trade Agreement is a free trade agreement between Canada, USA and Mexico.
Trump dislikes the agreement and since US trades as much with Mexico and Canada
as with Japan, South Korea and the Bric nations. This makes it a vital part of every US
household the treaty and trade agreement goes on so that America get its products
of daily needs. Due to the clear disagreement of Trump with the NAFTA treaty and
the other members this treaty is up for renegotiation using diplomacy because its
presence boosts the economies of all three of its members.

Those that failed (global trade agreements)- This was a failed attempt at what was
speculated to be a very powerful multilateral trade agreement revolving around
countries which are developing to gain prosperity. The Doha trade agreement and its
talks revolved around countries providing these countries with agricultural subsidies
which were denied by the European Union and the United States leading to its
failure.

“Hard power” and “soft power” (types and forms of diplomacy and its techniques)-
The terms coined by Joseph Nye are soft power and hard power. The term soft
power is the ability to persuade or partake is diplomatic agreements without the use
of coercive force. Nye writes and argues that a strong nation like USA should use a
mix of soft power and hard power diplomacy to insure success in its diplomatic
missions.

One Christmas day (the Christmas truce)- What may seem poetic and something only
fit for make belief cinema is the fact that the temporary and informal cease fire
began with Christmas carol singing on the eve of Christ on the west side of the world
war 1 battle front and from the trenches French, British, Belgians and Germans
dropped their weapons and started singing together in the spirit of Christmas and
resumed fighting the day after.

“ping pong” (weird diplomatic strategy)- After Zedong and the China turning red the
United States cut its ties with China, however they both sought an ally against Russia
due to Russian Chinese border wars despite their alliance. USA and China opened an
encrypted communications system with the US the tensions finally decreased when
an American ping pong player at the International world championship of table
tennis in Japan entered the red shirted shuttle bus of Chinese players where the
Chinese star player stepped forward to greet and converse using translators and the
Chinese gave the American a gift, a painting of the Chinese mountains. This
ultimately broke their international tension. This was a move seen internationally
and appreciated with many looking for underlying meanings including the obvious
contender in such speculations, Russia. After the conversation, the players were
spotted conversing repeatedly almost like diplomats and in a diplomatic gesture they
ended up practicing and training together for the tournament.

This iconic image (diplomacy’s finest?)- Yes, this is obviously one of the finest
moments of global diplomacy ever. Where else can you see two symbols of the free
world of democracy and capitalism sitting together with the all authoritarian leader
of socialist, communist Soviet Union sitting at the same bench and enjoying each
other’s ruthlessness.

The signing of the Iran nuclear deal (triumph of diplomacy?)- Yes, it was a triumph of
American and non-proliferation diplomacy which was recently ruined by Trump. It
allowed the Iranians to trade and boost their economy with European powers and
the US but in turn dis arm themselves or contain the project just within Tehran to
prevent the deionization of Nuclear weapons. This was a historic moment where it
could be counted as a victory for non-proliferation.

“panda diplomacy” (a weird but cute form of soft power diplomacy)- This was
surprisingly a form of power diplomacy developed by Mao Zedong and has
continued and been popularised in recent years where, when China goes in a
diplomatic talk with a nation it loans them the cute furry and attractive panda cubs.
These cubs are then the starting points of international relations, talks and
discussions at international summits involving the People’s Republic of China.
BRAVING THE
DISTANCE
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
Do you tend to listen to music or appreciate art (from sculptures to Snaps) by yourself, or is
there always an impulse to share what you enjoy with others?
This is a question that can have many opinions but it just depends on the type of
visual or audio media it is in my case some songs are created so you can enjoy them
alone and to cherish them as relatable and understandable works of art, however
certain songs or aspects of art as soon as noted are meant to be shared enjoyed
together.

How do different media express emotions like fondness and love in different ways? Is there a
best way to evoke them? What about negative emotions, such as dislike?
Different media types express different emotions in different ways on a music that is
defined by the vocals the lyrics and the speed of the beat, in visual media that is
defined by background music and camera angles in paintings and or sculptures it is
defined by the posture, the position, the lighting and the colours. Sadness s depicted
using slow music sad lyrics bent posture, dull colours and dim lighting.

In what ways, can art and music allow people to connect and interact across cultures, or even
across time?
Art and music are mostly universal and although music is connected to cultures via
the means of the language the beat, the tune and the vocals convey enough for it to
be shared and for it to share its general theme and beauty. Similarly, when it comes
to art the background, the lighting and the colours set the mood for a sculpture a
painting or a doodle universally without requiring any other form of connection
which is a reason why art is so captivating and yet so complex.

When exploring each of these selected works, consider the contexts in which they were created.
How can art and music reflect the culture and society of the times in which they were created?
The uniqueness of art in general is the fact that has different forms and movements
and in music these are called genres they help in the distinction between one
expression and its form with another. Art and music reveal enough about the creator
and the process of creation that each piece be it hip hop or mannerism reveals itself.

Is it possible to "own" a doodle, or a melody, or a sketch? To what extent are laws about
intellectual property and fair use able to be upheld justly?
Yes, this is a debatable topic, however in my opinion an artist has the ability and the
right to own and defend their own unique intellectual property.

SET 1: EVERYDAY ENTANGLEMENT

ART
The Bus by FRIDA KAHLO

This is a painting of the social realism art style as it was percieved by Frida Kahlo in
the painting she is trying to showcase the different social classes present in the
Mexican society in the late 1920s. She has created six characters that tell her tale of
the Mexican society. From left to right she has shown a housewife who has left the
house to buy groceries, a blue collared worker, an Indian mother breastfeeding her
baby, a curious little boy a white collared worker or a rich business man holding his
bag of money and finally what critics consider a portrait of herself to the far right.
She has drawn inspiration from her husband Diego Rivera’s works and conveys how
the life of all the people coming from all the different social levels and distinctions
collides together in the bus where all of them travel to their destinations together.
This is a prime example of everyday entanglement.

My Parent by DAVID HOCKNEY

This is a painting by David Hockney that was made in studio lighting and setting due
to the even light across the painting. The painting was made a year before his dad
died and it resembles how when he asked his mom and dad to sit still and pose for
the painting his mom stayed still throughout the sittings while his dad got impatient
and moved around. This caused him to be painted reading a magazine. The scene
has also been staged due to the Chardin and other books being added to the
painting on purpose to give details of the paintings and the past. The vase and its
flowers were added to the painting to make it pop due to the painting being very
blue and light.

Nighthawks by EDWARD HOPPER

This is Edward Hopper’s most famous work of art and tis canvas represents a dinr at
night which his wife’s notes describe as cheap and the painting was originally to be
named Night Hawks based on the bird because one of the men in the bar as
described by hopper had a beak like nose. The hawk could also reference to street
vendors or hawkers that were plenty during the 30s but America had sort if
advanced to a stage of diners. This could therefore indicate the American industrial
and commercial progress. The painting is dimly lit and the only source of light and
colours is the bar itself attracting attention. There is a unique attention detail which
brings about the fact that the restaurant sold Phillies cigars for five cents apiece.

I and the village by MARC CHAGALL

This oil on canvas represents Marc Chagall’s take on Cubism and a Russian village
drawn in France it has a sort of Nostalgic view to it. The man on the right by many is
considered to be Chagall who is staring into the eyes of the cow where he has drawn
a line. At the bottom of the work there is a tree which represents a tree of life and
the painting is full of Christian imagery even though Chagall himself was a Jew he has
drawn a church and the human figure that is considered to him is wearing a holy
cross. This painting has been seen by many as a take on the Christian dominance in
Russia and what was thought of Jews and what he has been taught and the
discriminations he has seen. The man holding a scythe is shown to have a cap and a
beard both could be Jewish symbols and the scythe representing death or the reaper
with a fallen young girl possibly dead in front of him which shows how Jews were
considered as people who end happiness and life alike. There is a screaming face
right outside of the church which might be young Chagall witnessing the Christian
oppression and people’s hatred towards him and his kind inside the church. He is
shown looking up to Christianity as a better religion because of what society had
taught him about the Jews. As a Russian Jew, he had to flee France when the Nazis
were occupying it during the war.

Listening Post by MARK HANSEN AND BEN RUBIN

This art installation collects real time data using primitive forms of data mining from
thousands of unrestricted chat rooms online. These simple non-revealing
conversations are showcased on more than two hundred pixelated digital screens
and their network. They are also read or sung out in real time as the chat progresses.
This is what some call a perfect combination of art, design, science and the machine
and what some just call invasion of privacy. This was created back in 2001.

The Oath of Horatii by JACQUES LOUIS-DAVID

This was a royal commissioned painting portraying the tale of the three 7 th century
Greek warriors who are taking the oath to defeat Curiatii the weapons are being
given to them by their father and they vow to either kill and conquer or to die in
conquest as the women of the family cry. This painting is on display on the Louvre in
Paris and is unique because it started the trend of using large canvases to portray
the actual size of the subject portrayed by the painting.

Signing the Treaty of Waitangi by MARCUS KING

This was a treaty signed in Waitangi, New Zealand between the British crown and
the Māori chiefs where they peacefully agree to follow the same set of laws. This is
celebrated in New Zealand as the national day.

Connected by XKCD

XKCD is an online graphic novel and comic strip that is known for its critique and
humorous sarcasm. This comic is one that question why society has chosen to
romanticize teenage love or young love which is in its essence not really love, not
anything but a couple of similar interests like liking the same song. This makes it
awkward for not just the society but teenagers due to society’s norms and the
formation of a labelled relationship of romance between the sexes.

Embroidered Family Photos by JUANA GOMEZ

JUANA GOMEZ a Chilean native. Setup a gallery full of creepy works of art which
were pictures of herself and her family ancestry and lineage to explore the
connections between her and her family and its female ancestry to show a mastery
of the female form and to link it to biology, art and ancestry by embroidering
connections, state of mind and blood vessels into these images which gives them a
dark and creepy appeal.

Wynyard station Escalators by CHRIS FOX

This is a visual art installation of the romanticised wooden escalators dangling right
above the real escalators at the Wynyard subway station. Chris Fox was
commissioned by the government to use what was once fascinating and one of the
world’s first wooden escalators as an art installation aptly named INTERLOOP to be
placed on top of the actual escalators. This has been a beautiful success story at least
form a PR standpoint.

Gemelli (twins) by ALIGHIERO BOETTI

Alighiero Boetti was an Italian artist working in the mid 20th century and was
influential pioneer and leader of the Arte Povera movement. It means poor art or art
for and by the poor. He created photomontages and collages which were meaning
 full using reused material like bathroom mats and carpet he used paper planes to
create a paper plane installation and showed society that art is not only about fine
art or high renaissance pieces but it is a medium of expression which is accessible to
all.

MUSIC
Für Elise by LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Fur Elise is a composition of Beethoven which was discovered over forty years after
his death. The original manuscript was lost however the transcript was made and
named. Fur Elise literally means for Elise and the mystery is who Elise was and there
is no solid answer, however many musicologists believe that the upbeat alternating
altar symphony shows that he was dumped or had to break up with Elise and this
was the symphony he created to move on with his life.

Habanera by GEORGES BIZET

Habanera by Georges Bizet is an opera composer and Habanera is the opening for
the title character in the opera called Carmen which is one of his most famous
operas. The song and its dance called Havana or Habana represent that love is
rebellious bird.

Khallini Shoufak by NAJWA KARAM

Najwa Karam is a multi-platinum singer and sex symbol in the middle east with more
than 60 million records sold she dominates the music industry and is the sweet heart
of the region. In her song Khallini Shoufak she demands to see her lover and says she
is not ashamed of the prospect of making love be it day or night and she is ready.
This is a youthful and beloved song which goes against the strict restrictions on the
female form and its role in the middle east making its young listeners feel strong and
rebellious.

Malaika by MIRIAM MAKEBA

This is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian songwriter Adam Salim, however the
song has been sung and used by many artists including the likes of Boney M. This is a
Grammy winning song sung by south African singer Miriam Makeba who is
considered mama Africa in the west due to her African songs and style of singing
which includes words of English to provide context to the rest of the world. The
word Malaika translates to Angel and in the song, you can hear her saying I love you
my angel.

The Moon Represents my Heart by TERESA TENG

This is a love song conveying the authenticity of Teresa’s love in mandarin Chinese. It
uses symbology when she says that the moon represents her heart. The moon is a
symbol of sincerity and love. The Chinese love god resides inside the moon making it
a very significant part of the song and the process of conveying her loves and its
authenticity with complete conviction.

Ojalá by SILVIO RODRIGUEZ

 This is a song of hope were Ojalá literally means I hope in the face of tragedy which
seems like the death or the departure of the lover and how Silvio is trying to cope up
with it hoping the world is normal without his lover and he is able to forget the
beauty of their relationship. He hopes that the moon is able to rise without her
presence. The song is very sad but it shows streaks of hope in the lyrics.

What is Love by HADDAWAY

What is love is a song of a confused lover who loves someone who does not love him
back and question the spirit and the reality of love. Haddaway is trying to show that
love hurts and that is a fact. The song has some grim lyrics mixed some very upbeat
music with a gloomy dance video. The song was sampled by legendary rapper and
poet Eminem in his song and collaboration No Love with Lil Wayne.

Everybody Loves Somebody by DEAN MARTIN

This 1965 chart topper was the first chart topper for the record label Reprise which
was founded by Frank Sinatra. Dean has completed his album with 11 songs and
since all US albums had 12 songs he asked Ken Kane a pianist for a song who
presented him with one of his biggest hits Everybody loves somebody. The song
revolves around the idea of finding the one. It is a song on destiny and how the
perfect partner for everybody is waiting for them somewhere and loves presents
itself when there is a perfect partner. This is what happens to everyone at least once
in their life.

We are Family by SISTER SLEDGE

This was the title track of their third studio album and this is a band of four sisters
and in their R&B album they talk about their hopes and goals and how their
togetherness is the only reason they have and will achieve greatness. This is a song
marking their bind as a band as real sisters.

The Quiz by HELLO SAFERIDE

This is a song by Hello Saferide in which she is giving her lover a quiz to understand if
he would be as gentle as kind and allow her to be herself, meet her demands and
allow her to do her mannerisms. This is a test to prove if they know each other well
enough to be in love or to move win together. The quiz goes through her life’s
innocent details that she believes should be followed by her lover like the fact that
she is scared of feet and therefore he should wear socks all the time.

Banana Pancakes by JACK JOHNSON

This is a song from his album In Between Dreams the song starts off with a rainy day
and how Jack and his lover should sleep in the word banana pancake is a euphemism
for sex and so the phrase is used multiple times in Hawaii. He wants close the
curtains do what he does on the weekend and uses another Hawaiian phrase Halaka
Ukelele mama made a baby. Which refers to the outcome of making banana
pancakes during the day when it is rainy outside.

SET 2: BEYOND SPACE AND TIME

ART
Live High Five by KLM
The KLM live high five is an installation in Amsterdam and in New York which is an
interactive game where pedestrians from New York and Amsterdam try to high five
one another using the instruction provided to them virtually. The installation is
connected to the internet and uses touchscreens and cameras. The person who has
the perfect high five wins either tickets to Amsterdam from New York or the other
way around. This was a marketing and publicity stunt that got many involved into
the game making it a success.

Mappa Mundi by FRA MAURO

Fra Mauro was a 15th century monk with exceptionally stereotypical but accurate
cartography skills and could be found near the busy ports of Venice asking the sailors
question about their land as he was commissioned by the Portuguese king to do so.
He created the most accurate map for his day and age, he was quick dismiss the
religious conformities being spread by the church and other religious authorities and
was the first European to show Japan as an island and that you sail from below the
African continent into Asia.

Halfnhalf project by SHINLI-ART

The halfnhalf project is a creation of art made by two lovers separated by distance,
one in New York and one In Seoul, Korea. They took split images of similar things and
how they differ across the globe, the pictures were split in half, one showing Seoul
and the other NYC. It is a beautiful project described by them as knowing, believing
and living one part in one city and one in another.

Cueva De las Manos by HUNTER-GATHERERS

Cueva de las manos or the cave of hands is a place in Argentina created between
13000 to 9500 years ago by human ancestors called the Palaeolithic hunter
gatherers. They have out their hands and have drawn animals in caves in Argentina
which are now a UNESCO protected site. It is one of the world’s first paintings that
has been preserved rather well.

Love Locks Bridge by RESIDENTS OF COLOGNE

Love padlocks on the love locks bridge in Cologne is a travel destination and tourist
attraction due to a trend which was started where the couples bought a lock and a
key. They put the lock on the bridge and threw the key into the water to symbolise
their never-ending love. Since the start of the practice more than 40,000 locks have
been added which have increased the weight of the bridge by 2 tons and the
authorities are wondering how much longer can this bridge survive. The tradition
goes and has certainly caused a lot of key getting stuck on fishing nets and inside
fish.

Memory Matrix Installation by MIT

This is a unique installation at MIT which is open to public interaction and has more
than 20000 little plexiglass tiles each creating a symbol, form or shape of a
monument destroyed by war. These little plexiglass tiles allow the owner to encode
a permanent cryptographic message on to the tiles all the tiles together in a string
form the Palmyra arch of triumph which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Each tile can
be coded with a bitcoin address therefore creating an indestructible code or
message with their attached monument.

Hemlock Hospice by DAVID BUCKLEY BORDEN AND AARON ELLISON

This is an art science and design installation in the Harvard forest inside the 200-
year-old hemlock grove. This grove now has 18 sculptures planned and positioned to
tell a story of a disappearing species and disappearing forests. The forest is said to be
cleared out of existence on another seven years. This interdisciplinary installation is
to tell a tale of mankind its destruction nature and why in thought provoking signs
and sculptures.
 Relativity by MC ESCHER

This is a lithograph by the Dutch artist MC Escher which shows a space with seven
stairwells where laws of physics do not apply and where there are only three gravity
wells or sources of gravity, rest everything is free of gravitational restrictions.

MUSIC
Hey There Delilah by PLAIN WHITE T’S
This song truly represents braving the distance where the singer is missing his lover
Delilah who is in New York city. The song starts with setting the premise and base of
the story then it enters phase of metaphorical appreciation for his love and towards
the end he says he will be able to make ends meet with his guitar and she should be
good and not spend time in heartbreak or recall their memories just finish school so
they can have all the time on the world to do what they like and if he (singer) ever
accomplishes anything it will be because of Delilah and their love.

Guess how much I Love You by THE LUCKSMITHS

This is again a song based on a long-distance relationship and love. How the singer
misses his lover and how he thinks of her wherever he goes. He says that a long-
distance phone call can be heart breaking and that he loves her the distance of a
thousand miles although just three fingers on a map is far more than that.

We didn’t start the fire by BILLY JOEL

This is an iconic song by Billy Joel that shaped music and a generation. In this song
the meaning of fire is eternal destruction, tensions and the occurrence of bad
events. In the song, he uses many examples to counter the fact that all bad things
did not start in their generation but have been going on since the existence of time.
He subliminally says we have just been passing on the blame for bad things from one
generation to another but the fire means change good and bad we need to embrace
and stop playing the blame game in living in a painted biased and nostalgic god old
image of the past. He proves his point by citing real life examples of good and bad
things that have been happening since 1920 till 1970s and how all the generations
between did not have it so good either how the fore cannot be stopped. His song
mentions many examples of influential events like the Panmunjom peace treaty, the
coronation of queen Elizabeth the 2nd, the suicide of John McCollum, the victory of
Richard Nixon his second term and the Watergate scandal, the communist take-over
China, the H-bomb’s creation, the rise of communist leader Joseph Stalin, the rise of
Khrushchev, the Suez canal invasion and attack, the space race and the rise of
Castro, the victory of Kennedy and the division of Germany, the rise of Ayatollah and
Reagan and the Assassination of JFK. Apart from all the saddening incidents
mentioned in the song he talks about change such as increase in TV sales, his
favourite team and other player linked baseball references this brings the holistic
image of change which is brought about by the eternal fire. The music video of the
song is a display of the youth movement and teenage rebellion in the 60s with the
formation of Hippies.

Murder in The City by THE AVETT BROTHERS

Murder in the city is a song based on a hypothetical situation created and produced
by a band of two brothers. The song is about brotherly love and if in a hypothetical
situation one of them gets murdered then the other should not avenging him the
song then looks into who one brother thinks is loved more by his parent and why he
thinks one never faced the consequences for his action by his parents. The song then
talks about the death of their father and goes back to the hypothetical scenario only
this time both sing together to not go revenging his death just read the loving letter
on the desk to his family in case he (either) gets murdered in the city.

Letter to Me by BRAD PAISLEY

This is a soulful song that breaks the barriers of space ad time. The song is written in
a hypothetical scenario that the singer could write a letter to himself from the future
to when he was seventeen which would have notes on how to worry less and move
on from heartbreak. He tells his younger self that he will pass Algebra a grow past
problems and listen to his teacher’s advice because he is going to grow to write this
letter. He talks about not messing up the next date and being grateful to everyone
he knows who has supported him especially his aunt.

Good Riddance (time of your life) by GREEN DAY

This is a song about the singer’s girlfriend and their separation, the song is meant to
be sarcastic and is a little harsh on the girl. He talks about how time is the biggest
healer and guides to make the right decisions that can only be made when the time
is right. He speaks to his former lover indirectly and says that yes the separation was
unpredictable like certain things in life are but they are right decisions and for what
it is worth the time we spent has taught some lessons and made me wiser. He
remarks you can keep all the photos and the memories of the relationship we have
had and hope you cherish them when you look at them and hopes that she had the
time of her life with him.

You will Be Found by DEAR EVAN HANSEN

You will be found is a track from the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen in this song
Connor was found and his video went viral. The song has message to all the audience
in the Broadway theatre that whatever you do if believe you are special and you
 believe in it with sincerity you will be found by the world for what you truly are. This
song ended up being an emotional part of the play where tears could be seen
pouring out of the eyes of audience members.

Someday Out of The Blue by ELTON JOHN

This was a hit Dreamworks song for the move Road to El Dorado written and
performed by Sir Elton John the song’s video includes him turning into a cartoon.
This song is highly recommended song and is often used in couple’s counselling. The
song talks about an old relationship and how it started when Elton turned around
and saw ‘her’ he believes that one day they one day could start the relationship
start and that he has faith that maybe someday he will again turn around and will
see ‘her’ reigniting the relationship.

SET 3: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

ART
Girl with a Pierced Eardrum by BANKSY

This is an art piece made as a graffiti or street art by famous street artist Banksy. This
was posted on his website and is a clear parody to the Girl with the Pearl earring.
This painting is title the girl with a Pierced eardrum where the ear jewellery is
replaced by a burglar alarm on a building in Bristol. This painting has not yet been
vandalised unlike his other works of street art.

Magdalene’s Niece by CESAR SANTOS

Magdalene’s niece is a contemporary take on Mary Magdalene a Christian figure
known for being expelled from the holy land. This is a contemporary oil on canvas
representing Magdalene as the coloured oil figure and her niece the uncoloured
figure. There are speculations as to who the niece is but it seems more likely that it is
a spirit or a dream. This is very controversial for Christians world-wide.

Emoji Nation Part 3 by NASTYA PITCHEK

These are very smart pieces of digital art where classical or very highly popular
pieces of fine art were used to represent and create the posters 0of some the most
popular films. The titles were on point and the paintings used also included The
Scream which is one of the most expensive pieces of art ever sold on top a home
alone poster.

Things from Space by MARK BRYAN

Artist Mark Bryan has created an entire section of his website dedicated to his
artworks from his section called things from space this includes robots, robot
families, flying cars, Dogs, references to fine arts and high renaissance paintings,
aliens, alien families, portal and lasers which are all imaginary creations of his mind
in what he thinks are from space.

Royal Ontario Museum by DANIEL LIBESKIND

The royal Ontario museum was renovated and part so of it were built back with the
help of the artist, designer and architect Daniel Libeskind who imagined and created
little crystals to form a set of crystals made from steel supported by aluminium
beams. This shows the process of crystallisation and is the home to many historical
pieces and evidences that are quite as breath taking as the building.

EnTWINed by THE SINGH TWINS

 The Singh twins are a pair of twin Sikh sisters who have together worked to provide
a gentler approach to colonisation and what it has given us. The art piece includes an
episode of Britain’s got talent and a lot of Indian pop culture references including a
list of movies and a bigger list of freedom fighters. The painting can be classified as a
montage or collage but also as pop art due to its vibrant colours.

MUSIC & DANCE

Michelle by THE BEATLES
This is yet another story of separation between two lovers in this case Paul
McCartney and Michelle whom he loves too much, The song is part of their Help
album and it says that the singer is trying and will find a way through to meet
Michelle the love of his life.

Amen, Brother by THE WINSTONS

This song is remnant of the tragic loss of a beat which was the intellectual property
of the Winstons however, it was used without their permissions and has founded the
base of all upbeat music and to say the least Hip Hop. They were not paid or asked
before their sample was used multiple times and they remained poor without
money to feed themselves while major record labels and singers profited from their
masterpiece called Amen brother.

Almost like Praying by LIN MANUEL MIRANDA

This is a song produced and created by Lin Manuel Miranda so that all its proceeds
could go to the hurricane relief in Puert Rico. This song has a collaboration of twenty
artists including Camilla Cabelo, Louis Fonsi and Joell Ortiz. This song is mostly in
Spanish and a great gesture and effort to help the suffering people of Puerto Rico.

Earth Passport by LIQUID BLUE

This is a song by Liquid Blue and is a tribute to the United Nations and the US
department of peace. The band claims to be the world’s most travelled band and
 they have performed in over 110 countries. This band has created a song to respect
that and consider everyone not just the citizens of their respective countries but the
citizens of one Earth. The song they have created is sung in all UN official languages
including English, Hindi, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and French.

Where the Hell is Matt? by MATT HARDING

This is a song by Matt Harding a dancer who has travelled many countries and cities
within the span of a year to take the shot of himself dancing with other natives of
that part of the world. This was a video that he created showing the dance. This song
has taken Matt to war torn or rather shocking countries including North Korea, Syria
and Israel.

CASE STUDIES
Louvre Abu Dhabi Review by HOLLAND COTTER
Louvre Abu Dhabi is an architectural marvel and looks like something out of a
science fiction movie on space. The museum has been designed to look galactic form
inside there are pores in the walls layered to perfection to only provide light damp
shade like lighting which is perfect, not over exposed not too dark to understand and
enjoy the beauty of the art pieces.

Embrace the Remix by KIRBY FERGUSON

This is a Ted talk by Kirby Ferguson who explores the fact that everything that is
creative is a remix because it comes from things we have heard things we have seen.
This idea is described using examples of Bob Dylan and how he was accused of
copying tunes but tunes and melodies were indeed clearly copied but the song was
something entirely else. He believes any creative creation requires taking old
content transforming it and fusing it together in essence remixing it. He then talks
about patents and intellectual property and how the laws are not properly executed
and how Apple has patented everything like multi touch but the idea and the use of
a screen that could sense more than one finger and its gestures was already present
and being used. He then clarifies how we have always remixed things to call our
own, where nothing is our own.

Happy Birthday
The happy birthday song although sung and heard by billions was created by and
school teacher in the 1800s but was then used and owned by different companies.
The song started as a good morning to all theme created by two teachers then used
for birthday celebrations and then patented by Warner brothers who sued multiple
times for its use. They earnt over 5 million dollars of royalties each year for its use
including NASA and its rover that sung itself Happy Birthday. The song is very
controversial and therefore after many arguing it should be in the public domain and
how Warner is hiding evidence of its creation it has been ruled as a public domain
property which is free to be used by all.

SET 4: CAUGHT UP IN THE KNOTS

ART
House of Thorns by ALICE MAHER
House of thorns is an art piece by Alice Maher and it is a 3D rendering or model of
the house made from wood and thorns from rose stems stuck together as its border.
The house is the size of 15 cm by 10cm.

Inflatable bag Animals by JOSHUA ALLEN HARRIS

This is an initiative turned into plastic bag installation of animals and plants that are
going extinct due to human activities. Joshua Allen Harris has used plastic bags,
garbage bags and grocery bags to create seal tight balloon like sculptures of polar
bears elephants and monkeys to inform the world of the damage we as humans are
causing other organisms.

Alexander cut Gordian knots by JEAN SIMON BERTHÉLEMY

Alexander the great the ruler of Rome with a large empire was the one who cut the
Gordian knot according to the mythic legends because a Gordain knot is an
unsolvable problem it is a knot that cannot be untied therefore alexander was forced
to think outside the box and he cut the Gordian knot. The oil on canvas art piece is a
mannerist piece with elements of Chiaroscuro.
 Countdown by WENQING YAN

This art piece is one that shows a conceptual but realistic representation of the
destruction polar ice caps due to global warming in the form of a ticking hourglass
that is about run out. This conceptual design is a way to represent the little time
remaining to act on our actions and change them for the better.

Periscope by PAWEL KUCZYNSKI

This is an amazing and surprisingly accurate representation of today’s urban youth

where a you boy is shown to be using Facebook as his periscope to get information
about the outside world because he thinks he restricted indoors inside a jail cell or
his fear of the world is what restricts him from exploring the world outside even
though the cell doors are unlocked but he chooses to look at it from a distance
forming his own virtual world and reality.

MUSIC
Finlandia by JEAN SILBELIUS
This music is a symbol of Finnish nationalism created by Finnish composer Jean
Sibelius the Finnish music composition struck the hearts of any citizens and brought
about their unity in resisting Russian influence on what was then the Grand Dutchy
of Finland. This does seem similar because certain parts of it such as Finland awakes
have been immortalised by pop culture as background music for popular movies
including certain part of it for Harry Potter.

Tangled Up in Blue by BOB DYLAN

The song is one of many masterpieces of Bob Dylan. The song is about old memory
and events explained in great detail in his poetic yet western country voice. Although
his fans have presented more than 12 theories as to the meaning of the word blue
Bob himself has just agreed to all of them giving no definitive answer. The truth is in
fact the meaning of the word blue changes after every verse for example, it clearly
represents the rain in the first verse but due to the theme of the song the general
mean of the word blue is lost or old love and interconnectedness of everything in
everyone’s life due to greater spiritual authority or body.

Somebody told me by THE KILLERS

This is a rock song that talks about heartbreak and trials and error. The song starts
off on a negative note where it appears the singer had lost all hope but in truth the
singer talks about a girl in his life who has a boyfriend and how he gave up but he
wants the girl to brace herself because he is going to give it a try. He is going to try
his best to win her over.

Every Breath You take by THE POLICE

Every breath you take from the start to its end does seem like a creepy song where
the singer is inappropriately stalking a girl, however he believes that the girl is
perfect for him and therefore every breath she takes every night she sleep and every
person she meets he will be watching her waiting for her to learn from her mistakes
so that she sees what is right in front of her and fall in love with him.

In a Crowd of Thousands by ANASTASIA

This is a song from the Anastasia musical play, the song is about the singer’s
childhood romance and a particular incident where he was just ten look at a serene
girl he reached out and ran behind her on to the road to explain how his heart felt as
a crowd of literally thousands of people cheered him on and how he bowed and
expressed his feeling but she escaped his eyes, then he introspects and talks about
what he would have done differently in front of a crowd of thousands of people
cheering his young love.

Memory by CATS
This is a song from the Cats musical which is talking about looking at the streetlamps
die due to the sunrise and the start of a new day which indicates no matter what the
circumstance is she is not giving up and neither should her listeners, cherish your old
memories when you knew what happiness meant, when you were still beautiful. The
song memory believes that if happiness does not come in this life she will not give up
for there is hope in the next one for happiness.

Bizarre Love Triangle by NEW ORDER

 This is yet another song on heart break and the patience of the singer in waiting to
for her to say the words that he can’t say. This line means that he is waiting for his
lover to say that she loves him back and that he is dying of anticipation. He feels that
they are living in a world of pretence and she is in fact not what she seems like. He
wants to live in the time frame of yesterday when they weren’t playing into this
pretence and where who they truly were.

Treaty by YOTHU YINDI

This is a song sung the Aborigines singer Yothu Yindi inspiring people from his tribe
and informing them to ask for the treaty as quickly as possible because of their ill
treatment. This was to inform the ill-informed people that the government should
and must keep its word and if it does an equal treatment treaty will be signed.

GUIDING QUESTIONS (HYPERLINKS ONLY)

Marc Chagall’s take on Cubism (unique view of cubism and cubist expression)-
Most of Marc Chagall’s works are not cubist in nature however is works do include
folk lore and mythology often religious, he has his unique take on cubism as seen in
some of his works including I and the Village in which he uses folklore mixed with
cubism with vibrant radial colours which is something that his unique to him because
cubism usually includes bright solid popping colours with a modern or a still life
image.

This modern parody (classic artwork changed)- This is the artwork titled The girl with
a Pierced Eardrum by the street wall artist Banksy is a take on the mannerist classical
oil on canvas painting called Girl with a pearl earring. In the parody the pearl earring
is replaced by a burglary alarm.

This project (Halfnhalf project)- This is the Hafnhalf project that captures to stories
to form a single journey of love using split images to show the beauty and unison in
the story telling form but a difference of culture, time zones and lifestyle which still
does not change the only constant in the project which is Love.

Padlock metaphor (love lock’s bridge in Cologne)- The Love Lock’s bridge is a place
that marks love and its eternal bondage. In Cologne, this bridge attracts tourists and
couples alike many of who buy padlocks to attach to the bridge and throw the key in
the water as a symbol of love. This is very dangerous as it pollutes the water with
excessive iron and these keys end up in the stomachs of fish which is deadly fir them.
Over 40000 locks have been attached to the bridge making the authorities wonder
how long the bridge can last because of a two ton increase in weight making it way
too heavy on a traffic full day for the beams to support.

Happy birthday (translations of the song)- This is a YouTube video showing 7

languages in which the happy birthday song has been translated into, the song has
been translated into many hundreds of languages and dialects due to its popularity
and its increased use throughout the world especially because it started off as a
good morning rhyme for kids.
Amen Break (the tragic loss of intellectual property)- this is the beat that is one of
the most used samples and drum loops in the history of music. It started upbeat
music especially Hip hop but consider that the creator and the drummer of the beat
Gregory Coleman slept homeless when he passed away proves how important it is
for your intellectual property to be protected. The beat was catchy and therefore all
record labels and hip hop producers used without giving a dime of loyalty to poor
Gregory who created the beat which is now known for its use in Power Puff Girls
theme song.

This video (Where the Hell is Matt)- Yes, dance when done correctly can be a
universal language with no barriers which can connect thousands and millions of
people together using the force of the movement using our limbs. They signify joy,
distress, happiness and love all of which can be conveyed cross culturally using
dance.

You will be Found- Yes, social media can be used to do good and spread ideas of
change as we have seen in the past, social media does have the power to influence
the masses and change lives because of its current mainstream appeal. Ideas like the
Connor project are entertained online with their global presence and have the
power to make a difference just like the me-too movement.
THE

SCIENCE
OF MEMORY…
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
How do we store and retrieve memories?
To answer this question, we need to understand the two major types of memories
procedural memory and declarative memory. Our procedural memory is stored in
the cerebellum this includes how to ride a bike etc. Our declarative memory or
explicit memory is stored in the hippocampus which converts short term memory or
memories that we constantly observe into memories we need stored in the brain.
The memories are retrieved using neural pathways of multiple neurons. The more
the number of times we rehearse the memory the closer the neurons get to one
another therefore decreasing the gap called the synaptic cleft. Habitual memories
have very strong and neural pathways like every time you enter your room without
thinking your hand reaches the switchboard.

How do our memories and experiences shape who we are?

Our memories are a group of experiences that we have and they shape who we are
and how we understand and perceive the world. Example a positive memory of
god/faith can transform a person’s worldview forever into a religious one. A key
example would be that of Patient HM who had his hippocampus removed. He could
still attach emotion due to his amygdala functions and remembered all procedures
but forgot everything after just some seconds therefore repeating activities
forgetting who he was and all the other people in his life making him a unique
patient who increased our understanding of how plain life is without memories and
our emotional connect with them.

What makes certain memories “stick” more than others?

Most of the stimuli our brain picks up constantly does not end up being a part of our
memory, our brain sorts out important stuff or stuff with emotional significance and
stored it in the hippocampus like you would remember how you felt about
someone’s awesome birthday gift but not about the bar code on the Oreo packet
even if you read it because our brain does not consider it to be something that we
would use later therefore no need to save a random set of numbers but if we
rehearse these numbers multiple times then we may create a strong neural network
to these numbers where they ultimately get stored in our long term memory like our
parent’s phone numbers.

How does memory relate to attachment—such as to other people, or even to inanimate

objects, such as stuffed alpacas?
Our amygdala is the almond shaped response centre that causes a connection
between memories and emotions. Over time as we use a device like a laptop our
memory grows of how it looks feels where there are bumps and so on the more we
use it for purposes like mailing friends or watching amazing TV shows our brain
connects it more with these amazing emotions and we grow an attachment. Same
for childhood pillows and stuff.

Are our memories always reliable? If not, when can they become unreliable?
No instead of our memories being a picture-perfect record of our past our memories
are in fact coloured and biased. Whenever we retrieve an old memory and think
about it we change the memory forever we as humans create memories add details
 and forget that we added details. Our memories are the interpretations of what the
actual record was. The recall of our memories is affected by our present expectation
of how are memories were therefore we tend to alter and supress memories that
affect our self-esteem. Most memories contain accidental fabrications as proved by
Elizabeth Loftus who has conducted multiple experiments to prove that the human
brain can add details and remove them to alter memories to fit our expectations
subconsciously therefore making many eyewitness accounts false.

Can our memories lead to distortions of judgment?

Memories are fallible and are in fact reconstructional which means our long-term
memory of any given day is in fact pieced together when we retrieve it because our
memories are not linear this causes a lot of problems in detailed reconstructions
causing distortions in judgement based previous memories that not reliable.

Can we influence the way people remember us?

To answer this amazingly vague question we need to understand that we cannot
physically change what others think about us but based on how we act we can
certainly influence their opinion of us.

Even without the help of technology, can we choose to edit our own memories – if so, how?
The simplest way to edit an already formed memory is to remember it, to remember
an old memory we need to reconstruct it and the process of detailed reconstruction
changes memories while reconstructing memories purposeful details can also be
added to memories and if reconstructed enough number of times a memory can be
purposefully edited.

How reliable is your memory? What steps can you take to make it more reliable?
Our memories are not reliable they cannot be treated as a perfect store of
information especially those memories that are of an emotional nature because
emotional biases are often added to our memories but when it comes to factual
memory we can memories well enough to store some information like the
Independence Day and other such things.

What is the evolutionary value of memory? Does answering this question suggest anything
about what memories we might be most likely to hold onto?

UNDERSTANDING MEMORY
THE BASICS OF MEMORY

BIOLOGY OF MEMORY
1) Hippocampus- is named after a seahorse, humans and other mammals have 2
hippocampi which are located in the medial temporal lobe. Purpose is that it
provides us with spatial memory and helps convert short term memory into long
term memory. It is affected in Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
2) Amygdala- it is a part of the limbic system at the end of the hippocampus, it is
shaped like an almond. It is responsible for the response and the memory of
emotions especially fear.
3) Cerebellum- it is located behind the top part of the brain stem it is responsible for
balance and skill memory or procedural memory.
4) Acetylcholine- is a neurotransmitter that sends signals that cause the muscles to
contract and activates pain response. It can also regulate endocrine and sleep
functions.
5) Localization of function- It is the idea that the cerebral cortex is divided into different
parts each having its own function. I n this a part is referred to as a lobe where each
lobe is named either due to its position or because of its functioning.
6) Neuroplasticity- It is the ability of the brain to constantly change throughout an
individual’s life. In case of neuroplasticity certain parts of the brain take over the
function of other parts of the brain in case of injury. Neuroplasticity in simple terms
is the flexibility of the brain that decreases as we age.
7) Neurons- A neuron is a single nerve cell or the basic component of the nervous
system its basic purpose is to pass on impulses from one neuron to another to create
a chain of messages.
8) Nervous System- Nervous system is our body’s system that relays massages from the
brain, the spinal cord to the rest of the body. It is divided in to two parts, the
Peripheral nervous system contains every neuron other than the brain and the spinal
cord. The central nervous system is made of the brain and the spinal cord.

AN INTRODUCTION TO SCHEMAS

What is schema theory?

The schema theory is the theory of memory that claims that our knowledge of the
world is organised and categorized, which can influence our cognition and
behaviour. Unlike other psychology theories this was not theorised by one
psychologist in fact it has evolved in almost over a hundred years via the
contributions of famous psychologists like Bartlett and Piaget.

How do schemas help structure our memories?

A schema is a mental concept that informs a person about what to expect from a
variety of situations based on the past experiences and memories of certain types of
events. Schemas are based on memories provided by our life experiences and
knowledge and are then stored on our memory. The more we experience the more
our schemas evolve.

What functions do schemas perform – are they necessary?

The schema theory states that all memory and experiences are stored in the form of
units that help develop a schema. Schemas create a perception of what we see to fit
our pre-existent schemas based on life experiences. For example- The schema for a
dog within which we most likely have knowledge about dogs in general like they
bark, four legs and teeth. This might contain information about certain breeds we
may also think of dogs as a larger concept of animals and living things. Each new
experience with a dog incorporates more information to your schema. This broadens
the schema to include more diverse ideas about dogs.
Schemas are implicit, often non-conscious, hypothesis that we use to interpret
social events. Schemas are a necessary part of understanding what exists and how to
fit it into our understanding. Without the existence of schemas gaining a new
structure based on what we experience will be difficult. For example- For a kid who
has a schema of a dog as a four-legged furry small cute animal a cat for him might be
recognised as a dog but when told his brain can modify the schema to differentiate a
cat.
Are schemas always reliable, or can they lead to distortions? If the latter, when are distortions
most likely?
Schemas are not always reliable at times our perception or reformed world view can
easily manipulate the way we recall things because schemas often adjust what we
recall based on our expectations, thereby causing distortions on memories.
Distortions are most likely in old memories, embarrassing memories and sad
memories where total recall requires manipulative reconstruction

STUDIES AND RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE

JEAN PIAGET
(SWISS)
He was a psychologist in the early to mid 20th century and he introduced the term
Schema. He did not provide a conceptual understanding of the term which was then
provided by Bartlett but he acknowledges them in his theory as a category of
knowledge as well as the process of acquiring it which continuously changes,
however he is best known for his theory of cognitive development where he defines
cognitive growth in a child using four distinct stages-
Sensorimotor stage (0-2)
Preoperational stage (2-7)
Concrete Operational stage (7-11)
Formal Operational stage (11 and above)

FREDERIC BARTLETT (WAR OF GHOSTS)

(BRITISH)
Bartlett was a British psychologist working in the early to mid 20 th century. He
created the currently present structure for the schema theory, which he theorised
when he saw memory distortions in native American folk tales, while exploring their
recall. He theorised that human beings possess generic knowledge in the form of un
conscious mental structures or Schemata and these structures produce schematised
errors in recall while interacting with incoming information. He therefore stated that
using schemata our old knowledge influences our new information. He then
observed the four key elements of schemas-
An individual can use a schema without even realising to do so.

Once a schema is fully developed it tends to be stable over a long period of time.

Human brain uses schemata to organise store and retrieve chunks of important
information.

Schemata is accumulated over a long time through different life experiences.

In 1932 Bartlett decided to conduct an experiment on some British subjects where
they were asked to remember a native American story and recall it over days, weeks
and months and another set of British subjects were asked to listen to it and tell it
and repeat the story to another person. He aimed to understand how memories
were reconstructed based on schema processing. He had chosen the native
American classic tale of the War of Ghosts because he felt that there would be a lot
of cultural differences causing what he theorised as distortions in memory. Bartlett
found no significant changes when it came to repeated recall but in the process of
telling the story to another person he noted distortions on three different levels-
Assimilation- The story was significantly changed based on the participant’s own
cultural expectations, which he described as- the story was unconsciously changed
to fit the norms of British society.

Levelling- The story was shortened with each retelling based on what the
participants considered as important or significant.

Sharpening- The participants were observed to change the order of the story and
break t into chunks using terms that were more familiar to the participant’s culture.

EF LOFTUS AND JC PALMER (CAR CRASH STUDY)

(AMERICAN)
Elizabeth Loftus is a psychologist who has dedicated her life to study and question
eye witness accounts in particular, how the questions are framed and the visual
imagery used. She believes both of these have an impact on the witness’s recall of
the incident and can lead to distortions in memory. Her findings suggest that
memories of something we have witnessed is highly flexible and if the witness is
exposed to new information between the event and the hearing the witness’s
memory is unconsciously modified, changed and supplemented.

Elizabeth Loftus also theorised that a memory of a witness can be altered by the way
the question is framed leading to confabulating distortions mostly in cases where the
leading verb suggested something harsh. In order to prove her hypothesis JC Palmer
and EF Loftus conducted two experiments back in 1974, one of which was-
They showed 7 clips to at random groups of 45 American university students and
asked them to judge the speed of the cars when they collided into one another as
shown in the clips. They framed their questions differently for different groups the
verbs ranged from, when the cars came in contact what do you estimate the speed
of the cars? to hit, bumped, collided and smashed. They found out when
exaggeration was used in the verbs the results changed from a mere 32 when asked
the speed at the point of contact to 41 at when asked the speed at which the cars
smashed into one another, proving how easily the brain modifies the result based
what it thinks is expected of it when asked question framed with a harsh and
exaggeratory undertone.

WEAPONS EFFECT
It is simply the mere ager caused by the presence of a firearm. It says with evidence
that just the mere presence of a weapons triggers anger response in humans. The
presence of weapons primes aggressive cognition and even more so if the human is
aroused. This first came up in 1967 when a study conducted by Leonard Berkowitz
showed how a group of humans given the same offensive stimulus reacted more
angrily when a revolver and a shotgun was kept on their desks instead of sports
equipment. This a universal fact true everywhere across the globe.
TYPES OF MEMORY

Long-term vs Short-term memory-

Short-term memory is not to only store on an average 7 items that quickly decay and
are removed 20 to 30 seconds after they are cognised.

Long-term memory can store a lot of information for an almost indefinite time
frame.

Short-term memory of something is quickly removed if not repeatedly rehearsed or

processed the memory fades and is mostly lost forever.

In long-term memory once a memory is stored in the long-term memory it does not
get interrupted by newer cognitions unlike in the short-term memory case but these
memories are often cue based which means that we can only retrieve them once we
are provided with appropriate cues and situations which trigger the reconstruction
and recall.

Short-term memories involve different part of the brain called the cerebral cortex
where they are stored after their cognition for a short duration and fade based on
what our brain deems as important information.

Long-term memories involve the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. These
memories are first stored in the hippocampus where they convert into long term
memories and are permanently stored in neural pathways in the cerebral cortex
responsible for language and perception for permanent storage.

Explicit(Declarative) vs Implicit(Procedural) memory-

 Explicit
Long-term
MEMORY Implicit
Short-term

Explicit memory is simply any memory we can consciously or voluntarily remember

and reconstruct.

Implicit memory is any memory that we unconsciously and or

subconsciously/effortlessly remember.

Explicit memories are mostly stored using different parts of the brain starting with
their cognition and conversion to long term memory in the hippocampus and their
storage in different regions of the cerebral cortex. They also involve the amygdala
which adds the emotions to declarative memories like the first time you fell while
riding a bike.

Implicit memories are long term memories that mature and modify with new
procedures learned by the human body. These memories are stored in the hind
brain and the cerebellum also called the little brain which is responsible for our
primal instincts and procedural memories like how to ride a bike and hold a pen.

Semantic vs Episodic memory-

 Semantic
Explicit
MEMORY Long-term Episodic
Implicit
Short-term

Semantic memories are memories that are factual in nature and their recall is that of
general facts like the date when India got its independence.

Episodic memories are declarative personal accounts and are a part of

autobiographical memory.

Both semantic and episodic memories are initially stored in the hippocampus and
our late moved to the cerebral cortex but episodic memories have a connection to
the amygdala which adds emotions to them.

Eidetic- This form of memory refers to a rare phenomenon where people almost in
every instance kids seem to remember mental images and images shown to them in
great and vivid details. It is the closest we can get to a perfect photographic memory
which till now does not seem to exist. The 2 to 10% of the kids who do seem to have
eidetic memory can be shown an image and for 30 seconds and they can still refer to
the image once it has been removed in present tense as if it is still in front of them
for a few minutes and can accurately describe it.

Hyperthymesic- Hyperthymesic memory or hyperthymesia is a neurological disorder

called hyperthymestic syndrome. The patients experiencing this syndrome possess
what psychologists call superior autobiographical memory where the person is
known to remember a great majority of personal experiences and events in their
lives. Many patients can remember things chronologically right the day the dates
and what exactly happened. What many people might consider a boon to be able to
remember everything is a greatly painful disorder meaning that the patient can
never forget the gruesome details of bad incident that have occurred in their lives.
Reconstructive- Most old long term memories are stored in parts and parts of the
memories like details are often thought to be lost if not recalled therefore as
proposed by Bartlett and as believed by most psychologists, memory is an active
reconstructional process which means that we unconsciously complete memories
that our lost based on our schemas, perceptions, emotions and expectations.

Muscle- This is a form of memory not stored in the muscles in fact it is linked to
muscular activities done repeatedly that they occur without much thought to them
like habitual neural pathways with increased efficiency and accuracy. The examples
of muscle memory in our daily activities range from typing on a familiar keyboard,
typing in a known and often used PIN, riding a bike and martial art.

Collective- It is the common information or memory shared by members of the same

social group. Most collective memories are based on incidents that have taken place
in the past and those that have affected many people such that they are transferred
from one generation to another by their ancestors an example of this is the Century
of Humiliation that many Chinese people who have had barely any contact with one
another still carry the memory of. It refers to the century between 1849 to 1949
where China lost the Opium war and was trampled over foreign powers like Japan,
England and France.

Genetic- In psychology genetic memory is described as a memory or complex

knowledge that is present at the time of birth when there is no sensory experience.
Memories like these include primal instincts and our passed down in our genes and
DNA over thousands of years. Most of the genetic memory provides us with the
survival instincts that we need like in the case of all turtles that are born on land as
soon as they hatch they dig out and run directly towards the sea as it is considered a
survival from all the predators waiting for them on land it is also true for iguanas.

FLASHBULB MEMORY

What are flashbulb memories? How are they formed, and what differentiates them from other
memories?
Flashbulb memories are memories that are detailed and very vivid and are stored on
a particular occasion and remain in the brain for life. This is mostly the case due to
the emotional arousal that is linked with these memories and they seem like
snapshots of overwhelmingly emotional events in our life. These memories are
formed like all other implicit memories however these memories tend to have a
deeper connection to the amygdala. They are very different from normal long term
memories as these memories generally don’t seem to have distortions or
reconstructional errors and these memories have a great emotional response
attached to them and are usually very accurate. An example can be that of many
bystanders or live views of the collapse of the twin towers in 2001. In most people
this would create a flashbulb memory which is very accurate and evokes an
emotional response.

Why do we remember some memories more vividly than others?

Memories that have deep emotional and personal connections are usually more
vivid than other memories and random cognitions due to the fact they shape our
personality and most of these memories shape us and the way our lives have been is
why we tend to remember such emotionally strong memories with a deep
connection to the amygdala better than other memories and these vivid memories
are mostly flashbulb memories.

Does rehearsing a memory make it more likely to be reliable?

The rehearsal of memories does convert short term memories into long term memories. A very
key example to this are the alphabets we learnt in kindergarten which still remain strong in our
memory in the correct order, if you come to think of it the rehearsal the alphabet was what
ingrained it into our memories. The process of memory rehearsal is a process that prevents
certain parts and details of a memory from being lost and therefore prevents reconstructional
errors and memory distortions making any memory increasingly accurate and reliable.

Are we more likely to forget memories that we don’t share out loud with friends?
It is not true that sharing a memory out loud helps establish it and better remember
it, it is in fact a trick used in fear, that if not shared out loud it will be overlapped
with newer incidences and due to that the memory will be shifted to our
unconscious mind. In order to prevent this from happening or recalling old long term
memories, the memory rehearsal technique can be used or if given the right cues
the old memory can resurface.

Why are some cultures more likely to forget events as a whole?

Motivated forgetting or the psychological phenomenon to consciously forget or
supress memories are the real reason why many people do not remember events or
incidents and this case a culture as a whole. Motivated forgetting occurs in events
and memories that have caused social or political trauma to societies and act as
personal defence mechanisms to move on and not remember the defeat in a war or
an embarrassingly weak performance in a war. In the case of Piraha tribe they do not
forget things they just can’t say things that they obviously remember it is just not in
their culture.

TERMS AND RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE

Overt vs Covert rehearsal

Overt rehearsal is when we consciously rehearse something to transfer it into our

long-term memory like the alphabets.

Covert rehearsal is hidden rehearsal when we unconsciously rehearse information

that we consider important to be stored in our long-term memory.

Individualistic vs collectivistic

An individualistic individual is one who has an individual approach and is more

interested in individual people than society.
Collectivistic or collectivism is a world view that views groups as basic entities and
individuals as constantly shuffling.

Both views and traits are present in all individuals due to the want to be alone and
unique but also having contact with a greater purpose or group.

Emotional arousal- An emotional arousal is a heightened level of emotions that

control our actions. An individual reaches emotional arousal because of daily
experiences. The human tendency called the flight or fight response where the
individual is in a physiological state of emotional arousal.

Neisser and Harsch- They conducted a test on how accurate flashbulb memory is,
they asked 106 students in first year psychology to fill in a questionnaire asking
questions like, how they heard the news? And Where they were? In this case, it was
the challenger disaster which was the mid-air in orbit destruction of a USA space
shuttle. They filled out the questionnaire in under 24 hours of the disaster. Exactly
two and a half years later 44 of the original participants were given the same
questionnaire and were asked to remember if they had filled one before or what
they had written, after answering the questionnaire they were asked on a scale of 1-
5, how accurate they thought they were. Then they were shown their original
questionnaire answers. Neisser and Harsch found a lot of discrepancies in the
answers and there they questioned not the just the reliability of the usually
considered reliable flashbulb memory but also all memory in general. The flaw to be
noted is that they presumed that the challenger disaster would create a flashbulb
memory in all the participants.

Brown and Kulik- They conducted a study on 80 participants who were asked to fill a
survey asking questions like where they had heard the news of shocking event
versus a normal event? How they had received the information? In the survey, they
found that memories of events that were unexpected or shocking had been
captured and stored more vividly than other day to day memories, they together
theorised the Flashbulb memory theory where they felt these memories are almost
photographic in nature. This directly opposes the Neisser and Harsch study.

Wang and Aydin- In 2008 they conducted a study that showed that in collectivistic
cultures like in Japan and China the presence of negative emotions is considered
dangerous and therefore adding strong emotional connect to memories is frowned
upon leading to the formation of fewer flashbulb memories than in individualistic
cultures with the freedom of expression like in the France, UK and US.

MEMORY AIDS TO EXPLORE

Elaborative encoding- It is the process of remembering new information by

elaborately linking it to already present knowledge. For example, you meet a man
named fisher in order to remember his name you imagine him wearing a silly fishing
net and repeating it a few times by linking it to your already present memory of
fishers.
Spaced retrieval- it is the technique where you are required to store information and
successfully retrieve it after increasing spaced intervals. It is a leading technique
used to help people with dementia.

Mnemonics- These are systems created to aid the storage and accurate retrieval of
memory. For example, DNA base pairings as Apple fall form Trees and Cars are
parked in a Garage.

Mind palace- It is the technique where you create an imaginary 3d rendering of a

place in your memory and store certain memories in certain symbolic places like
rooms. It was widely popularised by Sherlock Holmes novels and television
productions.

Simonides- The Simonides of Ceos was a very wise and famous Greek poet of ancient
Greece. He is considered the father of memory training and is kwon for his creation
of mnemonics and a few Greek letters.

Giordano Bruno- He was a very influential philosopher and poet and all his works are
in Latin. He is known for creating what he called the art of memory written in a book
called De Umbris Idearum. He created a memory wheel to enhance what he called
image vocabulary thereby creating his own memory system.

Nootropics- Nootropics are cognitive enhancer drugs that enhance and improve
executive cognitive functions like enhancing memory and creativity. They are
commonly referred to as smart pills. Some example are Lion’s mane mushroom and
Boron. Most regulated nootropics are legal in many parts of the world.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation- This is a non-invasive technique involving

magnetic fields used on patients suffering with depression as they are given
magnetic pulses that improve and stimulate neurons and are temporarily effective
fighting depression and are often used as a last resort treatment.

ADITIONAL TERMS TO KNOW

Chunking- It is the technique of memory recall where individual pieces of
information are combined into larger units to aid in recall. This can include mobile
numbers where we chunk individual numbers into pairs of two or three.

Priming- It is a non-conscious form of human memory responsible for perceptual

identification of objects. It activates representations of an object or word just before
carrying out a task or action. It primes the brain about our own perception about a
thing based on our previous experiences with it non-consciously before we interact
with the object.

Interference- It is a psychological concept that refers to the phenomenon where we

try to remember something in our long-term memory but Instead of remembering
what we want, our memory recall is interfered by a memory with a similar format.
 Memory inhibition- It is a form of cognitive inhibition in which there is the stopping
or overriding of a current mental process either intentionally or without intention.

Working memory model- It is a better-defined model proposed by Baddeley and

Hitch which says working memory is a slave process and is responsible for the
storage of short term memory and memory cues that control decision making and
behaviour temporarily.

Multi store model- It is a memory model also called modal model for memory which
hypothesises that memory consists of three stores, short term memory, long term
memory and sensory memory.

Levels of processing- It was identified in 1972 an effect which explains how we

remember stimuli once it is cognised. The effect states that we are more like to
remember a cognition of a stimuli based on how deeply we analyse it.

Humour effect- It is the phenomenon where humans are better able to recall things
which they consider funny or humorous this includes visual and auditory memory.
This effect is in part due to increased attention that occurs when we consider
something a humorous.

Generation effect- It is the psychological effect linked to the fact that humans
remember things better that they generate instead of information that they read.
Scientists still cannot explain this.
Positivity effect- It is the age relate psychological trend that refers to how old people
non-consciously prefer positive stimuli over negative stimuli. It means that unlike
younger people older people store more positive information than negative
information.

WHEN MEMORY GOES AWRY

WHAT MEMORY?

Would it ever be ethical to change or remove someone else’s memories?

This is a highly debatable topic this can be bent towards both sides by saying how if
we clear bad memories with the consent of the person or alter them how it could
prevent self-harm or suicide and help a person continue without the past to worry
about, however this debate could also be shifted toward points like MK ultra and
regimes and governments will without consent wipe out the memories of citizens
and how we already have coping mechanisms developed in our bodies like
motivated forgetting and how being aware of the past might actually positively
affect future decision making.

Is there any way to know for sure whether our memories are accurate?
No there is no actual way on which you remember your memories, however certain
tips include comparing what you remember of incidents like 9/11 with what is there
in books or the internet, if it happens to be personal memory then you can compare
it with a diary or journal, recording you might have maintained and lastly you could
check how accurate your memory of an event personal or generic with what people
you might have it with remember it as if the stories match then there is a greater
chance that the memory is accurate.

How accurate is eyewitness testimony? Can it be misleading, and can it be improved?

Eyewitness testimonies can be accurate and false based on the case, when did the
crime take place is it newer or comparatively older, did it create a flashbulb memory
or not, how old was the eyewitness. EF Lofting and her work has already proved the
presence of schemas and the distortions created in reconstructing a memory and
she has also given proof and example as to how she has freed innocent people
convicted for a crime. Yes, memories can be misleading but there are ways to ensure
that those memories are accurate by practicing techniques like spaced retrieval.

Do people from different cultures and societies remember the same things differently in
predictable ways?
Yes, people from different culture and societies remember things in different ways
than one another that can be predictable in nature. There are many examples to this
like the fact that many Americans view the Iraq war as just another military
operation while the rest of the world sees it for its atrocities and the greed for oil.
The North view the civil war from a stand point of slavery and brutality while neo-
confederates and southerners believe it was wrong for the north to interfere in
businesses and put tariffs.

To what extent can we trust decisions made by those without sound memory?

Though it is a phrase the we must learn from our mistakes or that we study history
to help decision making and not to repeat it but this debate relies simply on the
definition of a sound memory. It is easy to state that no individual has perfect
memory except those with hyperthymesic disorder therefore no person has a sound
memory and therefore judging by the motion we must not trust any individual’s
decisions. Our decisions making is affected by our schemas and memories however
we judge and trust decisions made by people who have enough merit to make them.

ON THE TIP OF THE TOUNGE-

Decay theory- It states that memory fades away due to the passage of time. It is a
concept of short term memory where it fades away if not rehearsed.

Motivated forgetting- It is the psychological phenomenon here were as a defence

mechanism we purposefully repress a memory, not necessarily at a conscious level
but as a safety mechanism. Most of these memories are too sad, painful to
remember.

Gaslighting- It is a form of psychological manipulation which involves making a

person doubt his or her own perception or sanity. This can lead to emotional abuse.
It is concept based on the play called Gaslighting and the movie.
Amnesia- It is the total or partial loss of a memory. It can occur due to alcohol
blackouts, drug overdoses or concussions.

TBI- TBI or traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by external force
classified on the basis of the area affected or the severity. It nit degenerative in
nature but can cause a reduce state of consciousness or can limit cognitive
functionality.

Blackouts- Blackouts are a form of amnesia mostly linked to alcohol or drug abuse
and can be caused due to the lack oxygen and concussions where the subject has
partial or total memory loss of any events after the event that caused the blackout.\

Nostalgia- It is a sentimental feeling/connection to a period or place in the past.

Alzheimer’s- It a progressive/degenerative disease causing the destruction memories

and mental function. It is a form of dementia. It is called the billion-dollar disease
and is usually found in elder people.

Dementia- It is a chronic disorder of mental processes and memory which is either

because of brain disease or injury. People with dementia go through the memory
loss and personality changes.

Korsakoff’s syndrome- It is a memory disorder caused by a sever deficiency of

thiamine, the most common cause of Korsakoff’s syndrome is alcohol abuse and it
causes memory loss, severe amnesia and muscle antrophy.
Flashback- It is defined as a recurrent memory which is involuntary and is linked to
have a great emotional connection and are described as a sudden re-experience of
the past and is common in PTSD patients.

PTSD- PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder it is a trauma or a stress related

disorder which occurs due traumatic exposure to unnerving events like genocide,
death, killings and kidnapping it can be natural or manmade in nature. It is common
in war veterans and refugees.

Disassociation- It is the splitting or separation of cognitive process as defence

mechanism in many parts to disassociate from unpleasant memories.

BIASES AND FALLACIES

Seven sins of memory- It is a book written by Daniel Schacter which explains how the
mind remembers and forgets. The mains reasons we forget and remember are seven
of which first thee are related to omissions and the last four are related distortions
in memory. It is linked to the idea of memory distortions.

Self-serving bias- It is a tendency of a person to be biased and attribute all victories

to his own characteristics or attributes and all negative events on external factors.
 Rosy retrospection- It is the positively biased view of nostalgia to a period in time
related to fond remembrance compared to modern times. It comes from the popular
idiom to see through rose coloured glasses.

Confabulation- It is a symptom of a memory disorder in which a person created

imaginary stories based on some reality and sticks to them non-consciously. These
stories created subconsciously conceal their memory loss.

Repression- It is a conscious phenomenon in which a person tries to forget or

temporarily repress thoughts of grief or pain to keep his or her mood pleasurable. It
is a defence and coping mechanism.

Memory implantation- It is a technique used by cognitive scientists and researchers

to implant a memory of an event that never actually took place in an individual’s
mind. It is used to study an individual’s memory and how they are created stored or
manipulated.

The memory wars- It is a book written by Frederik Crews which is a critique of

Freud’s works and in the book Crews captures the heated debate revolving aound
the idea of recovered memories. In 1980s people were being encourage were told to
go through therapy where they could remember repressed memories that they had
blocked in order to bring rapists and abusers to justice. At the time recovered
memories were admissible in courts as evidence, however in many cases there was
no proof of events occurring that had been mentioned by those who went through
repressed memory therapy and their claims started cases based on false information
where at times they were forced to remember things using the therapy in ways in
which they could confabulate false stories non-consciously. This started a debate
between the Freudians who believed that recovered memories were accurate versus
those who stated that memories are not like recording boxes. Now recovered
memories are not admissible in the court of law but the debate was dubbed the
memory wars.

Memory conformity- It is the non-conscious phenomenon that takes place where

one’s account of an event is changed by someone else’s account of the same event
in order for the compulsion that the stories must conform.

Telescoping effect- It is the effect in cognitive psychology were certain recent events
seem far off in memory and distant events are recalled as recent or fresh.

Recall bias- It is an error caused by the differences in the accuracy and completeness
of reconstructed events. A person with a recall bias and cancer is more likely to think
and believe that he or she used to smoke because problems in reconstructions
causing judging using present scenarios and situations.

TECHNOLOGIES OF REMEMBERANCE
Can technologies help us to remember things?
There are no technological implements that are made which aid our memory and
accurate recall however with the help of technology we can better and factually
recall things instead relying solely on reconstructional memory technology can
provide us with pictures and videos of events as hard facts prevent distortions and
confabulation thereby in an indirect manner aiding remembrance but not directly at
present.

Can they help us to forget them?

Currently no devices exist that aid motivated forgetting however in indirect ways
technology has been seen to have the capacity to temporarily distract or divert our
attention from reconstructing certain events. This does not mean that they are
particularly designed to aid forgetting an event but do result in temporary
distractions often helping us forget painful memories.

ELEMENTS OF MEMORY IN A DIGITAL AGE TO EXPLORE

Jacquard loom- It was a popular power weaving textile device used to add easy
patterns to fabric due the pre-printed holes on punch cards. They are an example of
one of the first uses of pre-programmable machines.

Punch card- These were the then efficient memory storing devices with holes that
could be interchangeable to switch patterns and designs.

Stored-program computer- These were one of a kind devices in the mid 20th century
because of their special ability to store programmes and code in the form of
electronic memory instead of plug boards.

Drum memory- It is an early form of computer memory stored in magnetic drums as

electronic memory, they were widely popular at the time of the initial computers in
the mid 20th century.

Digitization- It is the process of converting information into a digital format to be

stored as bytes of data easily and quickly retrieved. The current age is called the age
of digitization where all data is stored on laptops or on the cloud.

Caching- It is the digital process of storing data in caches or temporary digital storage
units making it faster to search the same thing or a similar thing. Clearing caches is
beneficial for the functionality of smart devices.

Crawler- They are a prewritten program used on the world-wide web in a process
called web crawling which allows some search engines and sites to be kept up to
date. It is used to find what is new on the internet, Google uses its own Googlebot.

Metadata- It is defined as any set of data that gives information about other sets of
data. The information or memory provided can be of a statistical, structural and
descriptive manner.
Emulation- It is the programmed ability for a computer program in a device to
emulate or copy another device as an example we have a printer designed to
emulate the computer.

RAM- RAM or random access memory is used by the CPU to store information that is
being run of currently in use, it is lost when the devices loses its power making it
short term.

Abandonware- It is a piece of software designed by the coders and developers that is

no longer in use and is ignored to which no kind of support is being presently
supplied.

Digital dark age- It is the lack of old file due to format issues and older versions in the
age of digitalization.

Obsolescence- It is simply put the process of becoming outdated or obsolete no

longer required or used.

Link rot vinyl- It is commonly called error 404 webpages not found, it is when the
hyperlink or an entire website itself become permanently unavailable because of
being remover reshuffle or rearranged.

GeoCities- It was a free web hosting service which was bought by Yahoo and had the
ability to easily set up websites for users and their businesses with easy to upload
text and pictures creating e-commerce websites. This website was later on closed
down, similar services re being provided by the website called GoDaddy.

Timehop- It is an online content and media sharing application with the ability to
arrange all your Facebook and Instagram posts in memorable and shareable
memories with friends.

The Wayback Machine- It is an extremely meticulously recorded internet archive

showing how each website looked, providing information and evidence on how the
face of the world-wide web has changed. This has been preserved for researchers to
study.

MEMORY DEVELOPMENT TO EXPLORE

Restoring active memory-
RAM is a project being developed by DARPA or the Defence Advanced Research
Project Agency. Its ultimate goal is to cancel out all effects of a traumatic brain
injury. It is working on treatments for war veterans who have suffered a TBI.
DARPA’s end goal is to create a wireless and fully implantable neural interface that
restores all damage caused by a TBI for which it is pairing up an advanced research
unit to create detailed paths and channels or a multiscale computational model with
high spatial and temporal resolution to project how neurons code declarative
memory. By doing so they want to bring the injured soldiers back into the army and
on another level, create a non-invasive therapy to treat and cure all effects of TBI.
They want to keep it ethical and are therefore using patients as test subjects who
have given their consent with the help of ELSI experts who insure there are no
ethical violations.

HDAC inhibition-
HDAC enzymes are a group of neural enzymes and research proves their connection
with neuroplasticity and the genes controlling it. HDAC enzymes can prove beneficial
and if stimulated using drugs they can help revive lost memories with certain traces
of them still present to a complete restoration and are great memory aids for people
with dementia, however these drugs are not yet approved and safe, tests conducted
on mice show positive results however if the right enzymes are not used then it can
cause fatality. This is the reason why human tests have not been conducted, the
initial studies by MIT have shown one enzyme specifically responsible for memory.

Optogenetics-
It is the process of using gene therapy to add photosensitive genes found in nature
to certain cells in this case a neuron and then using light turn on or off the particular
cell or groups of cells thereby giving a perfect map of how they contribute to the cell
chain. This was used to get rodents which were attracted to cocaine removed from
its addiction or the pleasure it caused them. This is not approved and has never been
tried on humans.

Neuroprosthetic implants-
Theodore Berger is what you might call a researcher with an unorthodox way of
dealing with problems that makes everyone including his colleagues think that he is
not in his senses. He refers to the idea of cochlear transplants and how they are a
prosthetic, electric implant that aid thousands of people’s hearing and believes in
the same way prosthetic implants could be created for the brain aiding cognitive
function. He says the real work of a researcher is not to check if there was a change
in brain activity due to exposed stimulus but understanding why and how it is coded.
He believes that the brain works in electric codes and their loops and if correctly
decoded or understood could be reprogrammed on implantable chips to imitate lost
brain function. His ideas and experiments on rodents have shown positive results
however this method is not open for human trials.

Creating false memories-

Ramirez and Liu used optogenetics to plant a false memory in the brain of a rat
making it a real-life inception a memory inside a memory where all of them are false,
basically they used gene therapy on the rat make some of his identified neurons
photosensitive. They created a memory where the rate was a actually placed in the
box and given a foot shock and then that same memory was reactivated using light
in a place which had no connection to the place where the rat had been shocked
thereby creating a false memory and artificially making it pop up or recalled. They
think this in the future might help in memory preservation and memory erasing.

Rewriting existing memories-

 Chan and LaPaglia have conducted similar work as Elizabeth Loftus, but in fact they
showed how actively memories that were created could be changed they did this by
making a group of people watch the pilot episode of a TV series 24 and were then
distracted by a videogame for twenty minutes after which they heard the audio
recall of what they had seen with certain details changed and were asked to take an
accuracy test. This test showed how if actively the brain was made to reprocess
given information it might cause total change, because the participants wrote how
one character had killed the other with a stun gun which was present in the audio
recall rather than a knife which was what they had really seen, this proves Elizabeth
Loftus’s theories but also adds how distortions are actively generated and can
purposefully be manipulated changing a pre-existing memory.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND CASES (ONLY HYPERLINKS)

the power of first impression-
It is a psychology today article written and published in their e blogs talking about
how first impressions like dressing and behaving well do matter in short term
relationships and interactions however in relationships with distance such as families
and as the example states teachers the first impression does play key role but
ultimately it is the substance in the character of the person that matures or
advances a good relationship with mutual respect. In fact the article states an
amazing first impression can lead to misunderstandings using the halo effect where
if you are seen as friendly you might be also considered generous by the person in
question which might not necessarily be the case.

Highly superior autobiographical memory-

This is a disorder very similar to hyperthymesic disorder where HSAM is considered
to be a part of the disorder in the article provided the example of Alexandra Wolff is
given who have been identified as one of the 55 people in US with HSAM. HSAM is
the disorder which makes the ability to forget day to day things nearly impossible,
people with this disorder now exactly what they did, ate and wore on any day in
their past and recall it accurately, this is what many consider a gift, however they are
unable to forget bad memories and they stay with them in great detail, therefore all
patients identified have had extreme depression and in some cases PTSD. People
with HSAM have been known to lack the ability to forgive because they don’t seem
to forget anything making it a problem for them to get into relationships and all
those who end up getting traumatised. It is a very rare condition and scientific
research is being done on why we forget and why it is useful.

This review (Internet and forgetting)-

This is an article about Mayer-Schönberger who is a professor of internet
governance at the University of Oxford. He believes that the ability to forget is
something that most people think of as not an ability but a weakness, however when
you remember everything you are more like to be put down by it. He argues that the
age of internet and giants like Google and Facebook store more information about
its users than the user itself, he says this is in fact a privacy risk and then talks about
how everything in the digital world is stored in bytes or on the cloud where you
could store millions of pictures related to your life and essentially every time you
tried to forget something a brief glance though you Facebook account or I-cloud
account could refresh a painful memory thereby not allowing us to forget event of
shock and loss including 9/11 because of the vivid, traumatic and most of all
immortal video clips of planes destroying to twin towers which is in part an imagery
based reason fuelling islamophobia. In an interesting example, he states how a
researcher was not allowed entry into USA because of a paper he wrote and
published in 1960 about the effects of LSD and what it had done to him which was
more than fifty years ago but due its current online presence he was not allowed
into USA. He similarly gives examples of HR departments and research units
researching thoroughly only to find five parking tickets to the name of a recent
employee leading to raised suspicions and believes it prevents people from living the
present and only basing their judgement on past experiences.

This TED talk (Elizabeth Loftus on reliability of memory)-

This is a very famous TED talk on memory distortions and how they could be
suggestive. In this talk EF Loftus gives examples of multiple cases in her career and
talks about experiments and studies on false memories where if suggested correctly
memories could be permanently change. In her talk, she speaks about how
eyewitness accounts are falsifiable and how memory distortions are very common
because memory is reconstructive and every time it is reconstructed it becomes
vulnerable to changes. She then also mentions how she conducted tests of planting
false memories which many considered unethical but she got the government
approval. She talks about how people do not want to appreciate let alone
acknowledge the presence of memory distortions or at least their frequency leading
to many lawsuits and trials.

Past memories (the power of recognisable old stimuli such as old songs)-
This is a psychology today article taken from their e-blog talking about how humans
have deep connections to tune and rhythm due to its connection with neural
pathways and the limbic system therefore every time we hear a tune or a song we
used to listen and was played when something emotional look place the next time
we hear it which could be after years it would still connect us to the events of the
time, a place, person or an event. This means music and some visual and other
sensory stimuli are stored in ways that if a similar stimulus was ever brought back
and cognised it would remind us of memories associated with it. This can be
nostalgic and or biased in nature and can have certain bits of exaggerated emotions.

This warning (nostalgia)-

Mohsin Hamid is a poet/novelist who poetically opened an article where he shared
his ideas and views on the way the world functions and the way it could function, he
believes that the world is living in the past and this is due to nostalgia and how we
have coloured ideas of how beautiful and simple the past was in comparison to the
complicated and poisoned future. He believes that Trump’s slogan make America
great again is false because we focus on how great it was than acting on what it is
today. He goes on to state that if we continue to live on the past or drown in
nostalgia we would not be able to rightfully act on what there is today because our
decisions will be based on biased judgements of romanticised past than the present
leaving no window to plan ahead for the future. He believes it to be a warning and
how we must forget and cut attachments to the past or else we might not be able to
see and shape the world for better.

Many linguists claim (the Piraha and their memory)-

This is in an article on Spiegel international and an ever so raging debate amongst
the community of linguists who cannot seem to understand the way Piraha which
are small tribe in the amazon forests communicate, they have the exact same
genetic coding as all humans yet in their language there is no concept of numbers
there is just a word for comparison which means small in fact they cannot be taught
to count from 1 to 10 and cannot remember or understand which bag has more
nuts, all of that aside what bogles great thinkers like Noam Chomsky is that all
human language use subordinate clauses however the Piraha do not, they simply
refer to everything in the present. This was discovered by Daniel Everett and only
Peter Gorden knows their language enough to research and understand. This has
raised a long time debate out of the grave which questions whether humans are only
capable of thinking about those things for which their words exist.

Chapter 7 (museum journey into story telling)-

This is a chapter in the book on digitization of the great Smithsonian museum and
how it has shaped the way other museums are trying to digitize, This strategic
development plan was made in 2009 and formalized in a conference in 2010 which
led to the start of the scanning of thousands of creations and antiques which include
fossils and other cool artefacts. In 2011 their museum website got around 102
million unique visits which at any scale has been an exponential growth. The website
has more than 200 lesson plans which inspire a lot of teachers to download them,
millions of projects have been put up on their websites with 3d virtual renderings to
delicate x-rays and photos revolutionising the way people visit museums and gain
information.

Medium of digital ephemera(snapchat)-

This is an article in TechCrunch which talks about how Snapchat defies the basic
reason why photography became popular and how this app is criticised by those
who believe in old school photography. The entire argument lies on the base that
photos were initially clicked to preserve memories and to store things in more vivid
ways than your own memory, however Snapchat allows its users to click and share
till it disappears. This is not a concept that makes the users feel like their images will
later to be stored in museums or preserved and cherished but rather as a direct
mode of sharing and mostly communication. This according to orthodox
photographers is pure madness but n perspective decreases the restraint and the
burden of a perfect shot and allows anyone to just aim, shoot and share making it a
faster and a better way to have fun than orthodox photography which is done to
preserve.

Crypt of civilization (time capsules)-

In Oglethorpe university lays the brain child of Dr.Thornwell Jacobs a professor
inspired by the Rosetta stone and other artefacts who created a plan to create a
time capsule also the first time capsule of the modern time created in the mid 20 th
century it was built were a swimming pool was supposed to be therefore the room
was treated for humidity and the vault was created which includes large
encyclopaedias, books and artefacts and their replicas, with a basic coded system
allowing it to be easily used. The vault contains political, entertainment and religious
data to allow those who shall open it to get a deep but pretentious and fabricated
view of the past. The idea was approved by the government and the expense was
paid to allow the building to stand till 8113 and all artefacts to be stored in vacuum
chambers and nitrogen to allow there to be zero microbial presence. This was a first
attempt at a time capsule and is still standing. It provides manual and visual easy to
understand instruction on its inscriptions allowing those who do not speak in English
in the future to communicate and operate the time capsule of knowledge named the
crypt of civilization.

Part 1(world war 2 and how it is taught)-

In this article, we looked at how the WW2 is taught in different schools in Europe.
The countries discussed in this group are Austria, UK and France. Austria take a harsh
approach but first make students compulsorily understand how Austria was earlier a
land of Nazi sympathisers and in fact WW2 did not start when Germany invaded
Poland but in fact when they annexed Austria which openly accepted this. They
teach kids how the blame does not directly go to Germany but to all Nazis mainly
because of their presence at the time in Austria.
In Britain, the kids are compulsorily taught WW2 as a part of other topics in modern
history and due to the many boards of education there is no centralised curriculum
and approach towards the topics but is taught in terms of the impact of the Blitz and
how they survived through economic debacle.
In France, only the central board approved syllabus is taught but it is covered in a
neutral way in which they first look at the global impact and then the war itself and
lastly the holocaust the parties involved ad its brutality.

Part 2(world war 2 and how it is taught)-

In this article we will be covering the way world war 2 is taught in other countries in
Europe which include Russia, Ukraine, Germany and Poland. In Germany WW2 is
now taught in an unbiased and factual way which includes the number of atrocities,
the German blame and national socialism with its dictatorial democracy destroying
ideas. A lot of times kids in 10 grade are also taken to Concentration campsites to
put history into perspective.
In Poland, due to the extensive history curriculum WW2 is not yet considered an
important topic, however the impression that France and England did not initially
keep up their side of the argument in the peace treaties is kept making people
believe in the spinelessness of LON. In many cases the students often also go to visit
concentration camps.
In Russia, WW2 is not taught in detail at all it is the tales of the glorious motherland
as approved by the new education unity system by Putin. Most don’t remember
when or how the war started but people remember all details of the Russian Great
patriotic war.
In Ukraine, the topic is discussed based on the pre-war treaty between Russia and
Germany and then the focus shifts onto the atrocities of the holocaust and the post
war soviet deportation of groups from Crimea.

Not to remember (societal memory)-

Domnatio Memoriae is a very debatable concept, it exists and therefore people
discredit and destroy statues and figures that depict history or fallen kings and
thereby manipulate and destroy collective and societal memories. I believe all
confederacy statues should be destroyed due to their offensive motives and nature
however I certainly do not give in to believe the that domnatio memoriae is the right
way which would lead to destruction of all statues and other artefacts after the
death of each ruler. This Latin word was adopted and used in ancient Greek and
roman times where people destroyed temples, statues and any form of glorification
of a dead king. This would happen to either heal the pain and remove painful
remainders of the past from collective memory or in a conflict in order to destroy
the afterlife of the fallen. It depends from case to case but mostly I stand in belief
that a society should not completely be made to destroy a memory simply based on
how painful it was.
BLACK
MARKETS
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS

Do all markets function the same way around the world?

Yes, all markets do function the same way around the world no matter the
commodities sold all markets do function on the basic principle of demand and
supply.

What (or who) determines the prices of goods and services?

Many economic agents affect the prices of commodities sold in a market they vary
however in a free marker the producers and the consumers interact to reach the
equilibrium price or in other words the market forces decide the price of a
commodity which is called the equilibrium price, however this can differ from
market to market. For example, in a monopoly due to the unique product the
producers can set the price of the commodity in the absence of close substitutes.

What is money – and where do the different types of money derive their value?
Money is a medium of exchange accepted for the payment of most goods. Just like
other goods the value of money is decided by its demand and supply. An excess
supply of money would drop its value in regards to other goods in the economy. The
current form of money used is good faith money where the currency itself has little
value but its value is stated by what is written on it and promised by the central bank
to be paid to the bearer.

To what degree can governments control prices or quantities of goods and services exchanged?
This is dependent on the types of economy there is. In a controlled economy, ideally
all commodities, their prices and their supply is controlled by the government,
however in the case of a free market economy ideally all goods and services, their
price, supply and demand is controlled by the market forces. Most economies in the
world are mixed economies which means some commodities are controlled by the
governments and some commodities, their price, supply and demand is decided by
market forces. The commodities controlled by the government are usually the
necessary goods like petrol, medicine and public transport or demerit goods like
cigarettes.

KEY TERMS TO LEARN

Supply- The ability and the willingness for producers to produce goods and supply
them at a given price point. The higher the price the more the incentive for the
producer to increase the supply.

Demand- The desire and the ability of a consumer to purchase a good at the given
price point. The more the price the lesser the demand and lower the price greater
the demand.

Deadweight loss- It is the fall in the total surplus of the consumer or the producer
due to a market intervention or distortion like taxation and price ceiling. It leads to a
loss in welfare for either the producer or the consumer it is measured by triangle
between the old price and the new price.
Regulation- A directive or a rule maintained or set by an authority which cannot be
broken without penalty. Number of buyers and seller dealing in a homogenous
product, the price of which is determined by the industry.

Perfect competition- It is a market form in which there are very large number of
buyers and seller dealing in a homogenous product, the price of which is determined
by the industry. For example, gold.

Imperfect competition- It is a market form in which large number of buyers and

sellers dealing in heterogeneous products and prices are independently determined
by the users, depending on the rival prices and the USP of the product. For example,
shampoos.

Monopoly- It is a unique market with a single seller trading in a unique good with no
close substitutes giving the producer the authority to decide the price. Monopolistic
markets are not promoted by economies as many international big corporations can
crush domestic production of goods therefore the government intervenes if any
market turns monopolistic. The only current example of a monopoly is DeBeers
diamonds.

Taxes- they are a one-sided payment made to the government by its citizens with no
expectations of direct returns. They can be of two types direct and indirect.

Tariffs- They are a tax imposed on the import and export of goods and services.

Embargoes- They are a complete/total ban on the trade of goods and services with
another country. This occurs due to unfavourable political positions and
atmosphere. Cuba and USA

Sanctions- They act as threat or a penalty for breaking a law or a rule. In most cases,
international law and code of conduct. US Sanctions on North Korea till it
denuclearises.

Arbitrage- It is the difference in the price of a product or a currency in two places at

the same time.

Bazaar- It is a market in a Middle Eastern country

Souk- Sells and specialises in primarily selling one type of good. The term is Arabic.

Exchange- Buying and selling of goods and services. The point of exchange is called a
market. In terms of currency the changing of money to buy another country’s
currency also can be barter.

Swap meets- The exchange of goods and services without the use of money.
 Boot sales- Originates as a sale from the boot of a car of mainly old or used goods.

Stock market- It is a specialised market where listed public limited companies sell
their shares to the public to invite capital for their business. It is a market where
shares are bought and sold. A share is a part of the ownership of the capital of a
public limited company.

Futures market- It is an auction market in which people buy and sell commodities for
a specified amount on a future date. For example, foreign exchange and shares.

Trade agreement- When two or more trading partners decide on common terms of
trade. For example, bi-lateral trade, SAFTA

Laissez-faire- Is the French word for a free market or an unregulated market.

Optimal functionality- It is when the market functions at an optimal level meaning

the best utilization of resources.

CONTRACTS: FORMALIZING EXCHANGES

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Contract- It is a legal agreement between two or more parties where each party
promises to pay or give goods in exchange for a benefit provided by the other
partner.

Where do contracts derive their authority?

All contracts derive their authority from agreements, once an agreement is signed
the contract is validated and becomes a legal document due to the mutual consent
of the signatories.

How do contracts vary between countries?

Different countries have different ways to create a legally acceptable contract. In
most countries, the contract needs to be clearly worded with a mutual consent that
is determined mostly by a signature or a thumb print. In some countries like USA the
contract does not need to be written in order to employ someone and one can fire
at will. In fact, in some South American countries, before the contract is created or
signed it needs to be read by public notaries in courts. In Saudi Arabia, the contracts
are based on the sharia law.

Do all contracts imply a transaction of some sort?

Yes, all contracts imply an agreement of transaction in tangible and intangible forms.
Which can mean to agree to do something or to agree to not do something,
transactions can include, money, goods, ideas etc.

How are contracts negotiated?

For a successful negotiation, there must be an agreement from both sides which
means both sides need to compromise, either both parties must gain something or
both parties must lose something. In a mutual contract with an agreement both
parties have the legal right to detest a contract and make or adjust the offers. In
most cases the contracts go through a series of drafts till mutual consent is met.

Does every contract have an offer and acceptance? If so, does an offer need to be explicitly
accepted for the contract to be binding?
Yes, every contract to be admissible in the court of law needs to have an explicitly
stated offer and an agreement by all the participating parties. Yes, for a contract to
be legally binding all parties need to reach an agreement which leads to an explicit
acceptance which is essential to make a contract valid as it prevents contracts to be
forced on to a participating party or its forgery.

Are offers on the market contractual obligations?

No, offers in the market are not contractual obligations the post negotiation
acceptance is what converts offers into contractual obligations that if violated are a
punishable offence.

KEY TERMS TO RESEARCH

Formation- the formation of a contract or an agreement requires at least two

parties, the one that makes the agreement is called the offeror the who accepts is
called the offeree.

Offer- An offer is a contractual intent set by the offeror to the offeree.

Acceptance- It is a consent given by the offeree to the offeror.

Agreement- it is a formal decision that is made between two or more parties.

Rights- It is a justified or a recognised claim on a specific tangible or intangible

concept.

Liabilities- It is defined as a legal financial debt or obligation that arises during the
course of business. Liabilities are the funds that the business owes to other people.

Breach- It is an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement or a code of

conduct.

Estoppel- is a legal rule of evidence that prevents a party from making allegations
that contradict their previous claims.

Duty of care- It is a legal obligation to ensure the safety or the well-being of others.
Employers have a duty of care for their employees.

Condition- It means that each of the parties in a contract is required to perform a

particular function or duty. These become the obligations of the partners.
Consideration- It is a benefit that must be bargained between the parties of the
contract.

Capacity- It is the legal requirement that a person fulfils to be able to sign a valid
contract.

Implied vs Express contract

In an implied contract the behaviours of the parties lead them to believe that an
agreement exists.

In an expressed contract the offer is stated in clear language and so is the attested
agreement.

Misrepresentation- It is giving false information by one party to the other.

Duress- Pressurising a party to sign the agreement.

Collateral- It is when one party wants to enter a contract with another party and
thereby pays money to the original party.

Quid pro quo- It is a Latin phrase which means something for something therefore
every contract is quid pro quo.

Caveat emptor- It is a Latin phrase which means let the buyer beware. That means
the onus of any purchase agreement lies on the buyer. It is to check all the terms and
conditions.

Force majeure- It is a Latin and a French word which means superior force. It is a
clause in a contract that removes the lability of an Act of god, natural or unavoidable
catastrophe.

Smart contracts- They are self-executing contracts in which the terms of the
agreement are written in lines of code. These codes and agreements work on a block
chain network.

Oral contract- It is a contract done verbally and not in written form. It can be difficult
to prove the terms of an oral contract in terms of breach and is admissible in the
court of law. Only few forms of contracts can be oral.

Written contract- It is a written agreement with terms and conditions between the
offeror and the offeree which is legally binding and is easier implemented than a
written contract where the terms and conditions can become hazy.
 Adhesion- In this contract the offeror is more powerful than the offeree and they
decide on a standardised set of terms and conditions which remains the same for all
offerees. It is one sided like apple’s terms and conditions.

Legal regulation- It is a legal order/rule in which a superior authority implements and

supervises the rules to check the action of those under its control.

Statutory regulations- It is the process of regulating business activity by government

organisations. For example, ISO mark.

Formalities- It is a legal procedure that has to be followed in making or adhering to a

contract.

Remedies- It is a sum of money which given in the case of a breach of contract often
causing financial loss.

Freedom of contract- It is the ability of two or more adults it creates a contract with
their own suitable offers, terms and conditions without any government
interference.

Sanctity of contract- It is a general idea and consensus that once the parties reach an
agreement the will honour the contractual obligations.

Reasonableness- Reasonableness places a limit on the discretionary powers of a

party in a contract.

Negligence- is error committed in completing the terms of the agreement in a

contract.

BLACK MARKETS

What makes black markets necessary?

Black markets become necessary when demand for the product is in excess or the
supply of the product is in shortage. This will create a need or necessity to sell the
product at a higher price than the market value. Some other reasons that make black
markets necessary are price ceilings, rationing or banning the product.

What distinguishes a black market from other kinds of markets—do they function differently?
A black market is different from regular markets because the goods traded in a black
market are illegal and mostly their payment is made through untraceable sources
and is unrecorded. They do not function differently than normal markets in fact they
are also based on the principles of supply and demand, only in most cases excess
demand and limited supply making black markets more expensive.

Are black markets better suited for the offline or online worlds?
In developing countries, the black markets are mostly offline, however the black
markets in developed countries tend to be online and both are equally suitable for
black markets, however online you can remain untraceable and pay using
cryptocurrencies and offshore payments which becomes harder to do offline with
physical presence.

What kinds of goods and services are traded on black markets?

Various types of goods and services are sold in black markets these goods are either
banned by the government, are rationed or have price ceilings on them they are
mostly illegal goods or restricted goods. They can include copycat products,
narcotics, sugar, gold etc.

Is there a difference between a black market and an informal market?

An informal market is also called a grey market where the goods and services traded
are legal but the payments made are unrecorded and not added to the GDP or the
GNP of the economy.

Do governments benefit more from eliminating black markets or from regulating them?
For many black markets the government will benefit from its regulation, because if
we regulate some black markets like organ trade and prostitution, casinos and
gambling then they can generate a lot of revenue for the government and their
activity can be monitored, however some black markets like child trafficking,
narcotics and animal trafficking cannot be regulated due to the human rights
violation and are best eliminated.

Is the new popularity of cryptocurrencies in part of a function of their usefulness on the black
market?
Yes, since cryptocurrencies are encrypted and secure on a block chain, their use is
untraceable making them safer and more reliable options for buying or selling things
on the black market which is one of the reasons why they are so popular but it is
mainly because of how suddenly their prices shot up making many investors a
fortune and bringing them in the public eye.

Does the term ‘black market’ refer to a specific marketplace in any given country, or can
there be many black markets even in the same place?
Yes, there can be multiple black markets in the same place and a black market does
not refer to a single place a black market is created when there is an interaction
between the buyers and sellers of contraband.

Are there contracts in the black market? If so, are they legally enforceable, and who should be
responsible for enforcing them?
Yes, contracts are present in a black market they can be oral or written in nature but
due to the nature of the goods and the market itself they cannot be formally or
legally enforceable. They are enforced mainly on the basis of trust or mediated by
high authority/power figures present in the black market.

Does anyone regulate black markets?

Efforts are made by law enforcement authorities to regulate black markets, however
they themselves are mostly unregulated and completely illegal the only people
capable of regulating black markets the buyers and the sellers.

Are there any countries in which black markets are formally endorsed by the authorities?
No, if countries legally or formally endorse a black market then it transforms into a
legal system meaning it is no longer a black market if it is legally endorsed.

KEY TERMS TO LEARN

Underground economy- It is an economy that deals with illegal economic activities.
For example, the Medellin cartel.

Shadow economy- Same as above

Informal economy – It is an economy where legal goods are traded but the
transactions remain unrecorded. It is an unorganised economy

Unreported economy- Same as above

Black market- It is a market where illegal goods and services are traded.

Grey market- It is a market where legal goods are traded however the transactions
are unrecorded.

White market- it is a formal market where legal goods are sold and the transactions
are recorded.

Import cycle- It is a phenomenon in the black market where the demand for the
product creates a need to import as there is a shortage in supply.

Fluid supply- in a black market there is a regular supply of contraband irrespective of

demand.

Compounding crime- It is a bribe or an in-kind payment given to a person who

promises not to disclose information that will result in the prosecution of the person
who bribed.

Commission-free- It is when a transaction is materialised without any extra

payments as commissions.

Counterfeiting- Replicating or duplicating goods and services.

Smuggling- It is taking goods and people out of a state illegally.

Black money- It is money unaccounted for in the economy.

Money laundering- Hiding of illegally obtained money using illegal transfers and
other techniques.

Price ceiling- It is a price control imposed by the government for the welfare of the
consumers, therefore government fixes a price below the equilibrium price as a
maximum price ceiling. For example, essential goods like milk.
Market failure- It is the irreconcilable conflict between the market forces.

Underground- undisclosed and illegal trade.

Contraband- they are illegal goods and services.

BLACK MARKETS TO EXPLORE

Organs- It is the trade of human organs and tissues illegally for mainly the purpose
of transplantation. It is illegal in almost all parts of the world. The main countries in
the public eye where many recorded cases are present include China, Indonesia and
India. In 2010 over 11000 organs were traded the black market according to the
WHO those numbers have shot up. In USA, the legal punishment for the sale and
purchase of organs is 5 years in prison with a 50000 dollar fine. Estimates show that
a heart can be casually worth around 119000 dollars and a live more than 150
grands making this an extremely profitable business. The only country where the
trades of organs is legal is in Iran.

Gold- It is the black market that is involved in the trade of the precious metal called
gold. The black market for gold has an international presence and is a very risky
market to step into. With the progression of the online era the black market for gold
has substantially reduced in developed countries, however is developing countries
the government usually charges a very high percentage of tax onto the miners of
gold and ask for it to be sold to the central banks at lower prices. In order to prevent
paying extreme taxes like in the Philippines miner shift to unrecorded or illegal
payment to dealers and traders that smuggle gold internationally making a large
chunk of the profit. In Philippines, the situation is so bad that there has been a 92%
fall in the gold sold to the central banks in a span of less than a decade.

Art- It is the illegal trade of artworks and other cultural memorabilia. This black
market mainly revolves around fine art and is prevalent in central Europe and North
America. Fine art is bought by the super-rich and wealthy as investments or to store
their cash and black market thieves sell it to them. The market is thriving in most
developed countries where the laws still do not require a title document of
authenticity with the sale of art piece and memorabilia. This is a multibillion dollar
market as the demand for fine art is rising but number of Italian renaissance pieces is
disappearing.

Endangered animals- This is a thriving black market with its heart in China where it is
the biggest. The trade of endangered species is not just a nation to nation legal
offence but rather any species that is considered endangered by the WWF is put on
the list of animals that if found being traded between nations could cause serious
international offences with prisons sentences and high fines. The trade is a risk as
these animals are now protected by international law, however it is still a growing
market with global revenue thought to be upwards of 10 billion dollars. This black
market has a major presence in China where tiger bones and other carcasses are
crushed to formed traditional Chinese medicine. Items sold globally include ivory,
pangolin shells, tiger teeth and skins and penguins. These illegal products can fetch
more than half a million dollars if preserved properly and for money that kind people
are ready to take the risk.

Oil- This is probably the biggest black market that has ever existed even though most
of it remains unreported and involves corrupt officials the present numbers is that
the industry for oil theft and trade called hydrocarbon thefts earns an annual
revenue of 133 billion dollars making it the biggest black market there is. It is a
complicated black market with no point of origin and control. This black market
operates on multiple levels including corruption high up in bureaucracy and includes
all petrochemical bi products like kerosene, petrol and diesel. The theft has a
complex mechanism and the big stashes of illegal petro products are cashed in using
illegal bunkering or acquiring it from illegal pumps into the main pipeline. This
creates stashes of oil later traded between ships and boats on international waters.
In smaller countries like Nigeria this happens using a process called tapping where
hidden taps are placed on day to day LPG and CNG supplies. The process is so murky
it at times involves government officials bribing leading to an unclear exact number
on barrels of oil stolen. The black market continues to points of legal transactions
where petrol pump or gas station employees use adulteration to save petrol and
diesel from being sold in its true purity leading to engine failures. This black market
runs in a mostly unconnected global way making it difficult for international agencies
to interfere.

Cigarettes- The black market for cigarettes is a large one mostly involving the
counterfeiting of actual approved brands of cigarettes, the two ways in which this
black-market works are number one, the counterfeiting of cigarettes and two, the
suppliers that reduce prices. Cigarettes are demerit goods therefore they are heavily
taxed on by the government and therefore certain people paid by criminal gangs
that work at manufacturing units are bribed to give gang members cigarettes on a
higher price than their production value but still lower than their selling price, after
obtaining cigarettes they sell them at cheap rates which allows more people ton
easily buy genuine products illegally but at a cheaper rate. The other way is where
shopkeepers and other sellers counterfeit cigarettes in similar packaging to real
brands and fill them with cheaper versions and substitutes of tobacco and nicotine.
Cigarette black markets have a deep-rooted network in England and this partially
due to bribing and mostly due to lower penalties on arrest.

Slave trade- After the abolition of slavery in most parts of the world slave trade fell
but due to globalization and industrialisation globally a market for slaves was
created and which acts as a remnant of development causing an increase in
disparity. Human trafficking and slave trade were marked as the fastest growing
black markets in the world and are mainly present in south east Asia and particularly
China and Vietnam. This trade is strictly against human rights and brutal where
thousands of people are forced in labour without pay and is a pure form of
misogyny. Slave trade is prevalent in china for reasons such as buying brides and kids
for prostitution and labour. A kid in china can go up to 7800 dollars and a virgin girl
5000 dollars.

Housing- This market originated and primarily exists in urban parts of Australia and
mostly use what are called fake schemes which involve ideas like rent to buy where
sometimes deposits themselves are higher that the worth of the property and the
tenant gets the house for three to five years on a price at which he could buy the
house. These schemes are getting rare due to increased housing and real estate
literacy and by using brokers that catch frauds, however the most popular new
Australian scheme are those which are too god to be true and the government
marks those offers as ones to be avoided.

Currency- This is a complicated black market to understand and is only present in

nations that have weak economies, incredibly high domestic currency to
international trade rates and limited foreign exchange reserves leading to an
increase in demand for foreign currencies and thereby allowing those who are
residents of the country where currency originates to sell the currency at cheaper
rates and sell in bulk to earn profits. This kind of black market is mostly present in
developing nations like Iran, Egypt and Argentina.

Weapons- The black market for weapons is probably the shadiest and the most
dangerous black market, it is a market with no particular source of origin or interest
and is global in nature a key to crime rates globally. This market is particularly active
in war zones and in certain parts of Europe and the United States. This market
involves mostly the stealing of legal guns and selling them to people without
background checks but now that technology has progressed there have been more
developments in this black market. The US law allows the production of guns
however the possession and purchase of one requires background checks and the
law differs from state to state, this law has led to the movement of ghost guns.
Ghost guns are guns that are made and are sold as individual parts and are not
traceable in nature either to the manufacturer or the buyer. Different parts of guns
could also be made using 3D printers and such companies exist to create lower
receivers without which a gun is technically not a gun. These forms of trade are still
considered legal and the debate goes meanwhile these guns and other illegal types
of untraceable firearms are sold online on dark web trading websites.

Medicine- This is a black market for legal products such as prescription pills sold to
buyers without prescription. Prescription pills are legal and in most cases, are
necessary and lifesaving, however there are two things that fuel the black market for
prescription drugs. Number one is the fact that some lifesaving drugs are too costly
therefore people suffering from the disease must opt for illegal and untested street
drugs which are cheap substitutes for the actual expensive drug and this is solely
done based on compulsion and lack of legal options. The other and darker side to
this black market is the one that fuels people’s addiction to pills like painkillers and
hallucinogens like Percocet and propofol and these people simply lack the
prescription required for their legal sale or cannot but it legally due to the number
pills they require to feed their addiction. Such black markets flourish in the United
States and are both prevalent on the streets and online on dark web trading sites
like Silk Road.

Silk Road 1.0-3.1- Silk Road is one of many online black markets based out of the the
dark web but it is the most popular and the largest. This black market runs on the
concept of anonymity and untraceable transactions therefore requiring the use of
cryptocurrencies and mainly Bitcoins. Silk Road is on the dark web which is a deeper
and elicit form of the deep web which is simply made up of a bunch of sites that are
not indexed on any search engines making it hidden. In order to reach these
websites, you need a VPN and a third-party search engine that allows anonymity and
encryption. The current and most popular search engine of this sort is The Onion
Router or TOR. With the use of TOR you can access Silk Road which was originally
created by Ross Ulbricht who went by the name of Dread Pirate Roberts and as a
computer programmer created a website the could be used to sell illegal products
without revealing the buyer or the sellers identity online you just needed to pay for a
product sold online by a seller using Bitcoins and give an address for shipping and
the product mostly illegal in nature would be delivered. This trade started and was
mostly used to sell drugs and soon started providing other services like weapons.
The FBI was monitoring the site and DPR was caught when he made one mistake
where he used his real email on a portal online to ask question this quickly removed
but FBI had a name and now an agent went undercover in talks of buying the
website and with a conversation that lasted over a year DPR asked the undercover
agent to assassinate a partner in the business who DPR thought was unfaithful the
undercover agent captured the partner in the business and staged an assassination
for which DPR paid the agent in Bitcoins and when they got a location on DPR he was
caught in a public library and arrested before he could close his laptop and was
charged guilty of crimes involving narcotics and money laundering and attempted
murder it was then noted he had also asked for and paid for six other assassinations
the first version of Silk Road was shut down by the FBI and DPR is facing life in prison
with 150 million dollar fine. Due to the popularity of the website other online
markets changed their names to capitalise on the Amazon of the dark net and so
created Silk Road 2.0 which was also later shutdown by the Europol and the FBI
another version of the website was then created which sold slightly milder but still
illegal drugs and was widely popular but was again closed in 2017 and there are
claims of another easy to access silk road called silk road 3.1.

Darknet- Darknet or the dark web is often referred to as the deep web and it is the
part of the internet that has webpages which haven’t been indexed by search
engines like yahoo and google, which does not necessarily mean that it is illegal but
due to their hidden format it allows criminal activities to take place. Many believers
create a distinction in the web calling darknet or web as a part of the deep web but
the one which requires unique links and are considered illegal. This includes
websites containing snuff videos and illegal black market trade and chat rooms.

Acropolis- It is a unique online market based out of the deep web and unlike most
deep web markets this focuses primarily on the trading of books and other digital or
other forms of audio visual data and although this may seem legal most content is
 pirated or stolen and sometimes due to censorship in certain countries certain
media is banned and therefore black markets like these allow them to accessed. The
name comes from acropolis of Athens in Greece however due to the mythic legends
based out of Athens and its historical scriptures the website uses its name to
function anonymously and securely on the black market.

CRYPTOCURRENCY
INTORDUCTORY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER-
What is a cryptocurrency, and can a cryptocurrency be considered a form of money?
It is a decentralised digital currency encrypted and stored to keep transactions
anonymous. Yes, cryptocurrency can be considered a form of money and can be
used in the trade of goods and services.

What does it mean for a currency to be decentralized and unregulated?

Decentralisation in simple words means there is no one regulating body like in
centralised currencies for example a central bank, however multiple parties have the
authority to make decisions making it decentralised. An unregulated currency means
a currency which is not controlled by a government and it is not imposing its laws
and restrictions over it. These are all characteristics of a cryptocurrency.

Who controls cryptocurrencies?

There is not one party or body that can control a cryptocurrency, before its
formation all ideas and the framework is controlled by the key developers of the
currency, however one it is created the authority lies with the people who
contributed or invested and those who are involved in the transaction. The currency
is given value by those who invest in it, giving them certain amount of control and
some control also goes to the miners who get rewards for validating transactions.

Why are people skeptical of cryptocurrencies?

People are skeptical of the idea of cryptocurrencies for many reasons like the fact
that they are decentralised and not many such currencies exist making it a harder
concept to grasp, the idea that a faith based non-traceable and secure currency
exists online which is only given value because of the people who invested in it is
something which hard and scary to understand because it creates assumptions that
such currencies are solely used for illegal transactions and are a hub for criminals.
The last reason why people are sceptical of these currencies are because of their
constant value fluctuation and a sudden increase shocks potential investors and
their sudden drop makes hem harder to gamble on and invest in.

What makes one cryptocurrency different to another?

Most or all cryptocurrencies run on an encrypted programme called block chain and
in essence most function in the exact same way but what makes one cryptocurrency
different from all the others are the people who invested in them and the currency’s
value. What makes Dogecoin different from Bitcoin is that currently the value of one
bitcoin is higher than one Dogecoin even though they work on the same concept and
programme of a block chain.

Why is Bitcoin so volatile? What determines its value?

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are considered very volatile or simply put their
value keeps changing almost too frequently to predict and this simply because unlike
most centralised and established currencies a Bitcoin has a smaller market size and
therefore smaller amount of change impacts the value more significantly for
example, if too many people sell their Bitcoins at once it will decrease in value. The
value of Bitcoin is determined just like the way the value of any other currency is
using demand and supply if there is greater demand and more people invest in the
coin then its price will increase.

What kinds of transactions would a cryptocurrency make possible (or easier) that a normal
currency might not?
A normal currency or a centralised and established currency is mostly traceable and
therefore theft and illegal trading becomes easier to be monitored and illegal
transaction harder to execute without alerting the government, however a
cryptocurrency in decentralised and unregulated making it invisible to the
government and other due to the block chain technology used and its encryption
methods, making it safer to trade illegal goods using the currency.

Could goods be valued in cryptocurrencies?

Yes, goods could be and are valued in cryptocurrency however their rates need to be
updated on daily basis based on the fluctuation in the value of the currency. This is
so in cryptocurrency conventions where goods such as water bottles are traded in
cryptocurrency based on the value and another example of this is the silk road black
market website based out of the dark web where goods were listed based on the
Bitcoin value.

Do cryptocurrencies weaken governments?

The existence and use of cryptocurrencies does not directly weaken the government
in any shape or form, however cryptocurrencies and their increasing use does and
will eventually impact the value of centralised and established currencies due to the
lack in their demand and in an extreme and hypothetical future example
cryptocurrencies could become so powerful that they totally reduce the value of
centralised currencies to nothing and cryptocurrencies and in current standings
Bitcoins are ultimately accepted as a global currency. Such an idea is not that far-
fetched and has been theories multiple times due to their increase in popularity.

KEY TERMS TO EXPLORE

Medium of exchange- It is any tool or instrument of value (can be assumed or
generally accepted) that is generally accepted as a mode to trade goods and
services. All currencies are mediums of exchange and so are cryptocurrencies.

Store of value- It is the ability of any asset to hold or retain its value over time.
Certain examples of goods that act as stores of value include currency and precious
stones and metals like gold.
Unit of account- It is the ability of an asset to be measured and used to calculate and
put the value of goods and services. For example, the use of money as a unit of
account is to measure and calculate debt or interest accurately.
Blockchain ledger- A blockchain ledger is a public ledger used in cryptocurrencies
which can be divided into blocks or individual or interconnected set of transactions
secured and linked to the blockchain using cryptography.

Decentralised- Any currency not controlled or governed by a single active body.

Mining- Mining is the process used to validate a transaction on a blockchain network

it is done by the use of miners who in turn use computer and processer specially
designed to solve math problems that secure a transaction while validating it and
adding it to the blockchain. The increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies means
more individual miners and more complex math problems that means a better
secured transaction. Miners are rewarded certain amount of the cryptocurrency for
every transaction they validate. The miner that reacts and solves the math problem
first is given the mining rights to the transaction, meaning two miners cannot mine
the same transaction unless they are working in a mining pool where together
miners work to better and more efficiently solve the problems and each miner is
given a divided share of the reward based on their contribution.

Hard forks- In simple terms a hard fork is a radical change to the mining protocol
requiring an update to be made by all the miners where miners with the old
software would not be able to mine and validate transactions in a ways that is
accepted by the blockchain allowing greater security and forcing miners to stay
updated.

Soft forks- Very simply a soft fork is also a change is software protocol, however this
simply makes the previous transaction invalid and since the blockchain accepts the
newer transaction or blocks it is easier to place and is backwards compatible.

Wallets- These are software programs where a unique one is given to all users which
theoretically stores bitcoins and contain their private and public key used to allow or
initiate a transaction. A wallet can and should be only accessed by the user.

Private keys- The Bitcoin wallet contains the private and the public key of a user
where the public key is a complex derivative of the private key which is used to allow
the user to access his or her cryptocurrency. This is an advanced form of
cryptography created to prevent theft and unauthorised access to an individual’s
funds.

Volatility- It is the ability or the tendency of a cryptocurrency to unpredictably

change in value due to the number of people simultaneously deciding to buy or sell
their currency, making it one of the many driving forces of the scepticism related to
cryptocurrencies.

EXAMPLE CRYPTOCURRENCIES TO RESEARCH

Bitcoin- It is the largest and the most highly recognised cryptocurrencies. It was
formed in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto a supposed Japanese national who is
considered as the mythic legend behind the creation of the cryptocurrency and is
 not a real identifiable person. The Bitcoin debate fuelled when its prices shot up in
December of 2017 leading to many early investors selling it and making a fortune. It
is the first coin to use the blockchain program and to allow its users to be a part of a
secure unregulated currency.

Bitcoin cash- It is a spin off or a strand of the Bitcoin separated by a hard fork and is
a cryptocurrency. Developers who wanted to increase the space on the blockchain
prepared a code change and when it was placed it split the cryptocurrency into two.
When it was created at the time the people who owned bitcoins also owned the
same amount of Bitcoin cash.

Ethereum- Ethereum is another blockchain based cryptocurrency whose value is

pegged above that of Ripple coins but is lower than Bitcoins. It is different than
Bitcoins because it is not just a cryptocurrency it is a ledger technology with different
versions allowing users and companies to build their own blockchain and
decentralised platforms.

Ripple- It is classified as a cryptocurrency due to its use of the blockchain, however it

very centralised in nature since it does not use mining and unlike the generation
bitcoins using the mining process Ripples were created from the start and most of
them are owned by the company that created them called Ripple Labs therefore it is
possible for them to see and monitor transactions and due to them owning majority
of the share of Ripple coins they act as its centralised body.

Stellar- Stellar or Stellar Lumens is a cryptocurrency much like the Ripple and was
created by the same person who thought this would act as a connecting path and
this company acts as a platform to build other cryptocurrencies based on the
blockchain technology it differs from Ripple as instead of solely acting as a sort of
centralised cryptocurrency it provides a building platform.

Dogecoin- This cryptocurrency was a created as a parody to how successful other

blockchain based cryptocurrencies are. This was created, based on the internet
meme of the bamboozled dog or the doge. This was a currency to mock Bitcoin’s
success but in turn has become one of the most powerful cryptocurrencies in
existence after more than 110 billion Dogecoins were mined. The currency is
currently worth over 1.17 billion dollars.

QUESTION FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION (ONLY HYPERLINKS)

Case of doge (the creation of Dogecoins)- This is an article which talks about how
doge coin started as a joke on other cryptocurrencies and their popularity was
turned into an internet sensation which caused people to invest in the coin making
its market cap at over a billion dollars which also reached 2 billion dollars and was
bought by Jackson Palmer to keep it running as a serious coin in the cryptocoin world
and is currently very successful as a cryptocurrency.

Widespread black market in Venezuela (ethical question)- This is the story of

Venezuela a nation facing economic crisis due to hoarding of the products by the
government and their lack of supply which forces people to buy necessities like
lifesaving medicines, sanitary pads and rice from the black market at an over inflated
price due to the high demand. The Venezuelan government has set special task
forces to stop such trade and even given shoot to kill orders for major black market
vendors. This has created a problem which makes us consider the question of what
is ethical and what classifies as a crime. To get the rationed products legally the
citizens must stand I lines and make orders for rationed products which can take
multiple day to be in stock and available. The stocks finish up rather quickly and
therefore every working citizen must turn to the black market for the solution. The
creation of this black market is an obvious fault of the government however should
the people be blamed or prosecuted for trying to buy bread where and when it was
available is the question that has left everyone shocked.

The effort in Cuba (motivating black markets?)- This article talks about the
interesting phenomenon of a Marxist or socialist economy. Ture to its ideals the
Cuban economy is mostly Marxist in nature and the idea of self-employment or any
other form of employment that is not provided by the state is scary or illegal which
fuels the hidden capitalism that each citizen wants. The lack of choice or the ability
to earn more due to one’s merit is what the Cubans long for therefore the island
depends on its black markets. The black market is no longer considered illegal by the
people but in fact as a way to rebel against how people are not able to make profits
this leads to more than half the population being involved in petty thievery including
stealing a small quantity of sugar as a government employee putting it in the pocket
and selling it for profit making the calculation for the black market economy and its
revenue impossible. The article includes examples of neurosurgeons and high level
paediatricians rooting selling bootlegged CDs over the weekend just to make ends
meet. With the coming of the new president Raul Castro a bill was passed which
allowed certain forms of self-employment and another 178 jobs legal including
trading in stole or pirated goods which in some people’s opinions is a step towards
capitalism and in others a way to add the fuel to the fire.

This individual in Nairobi (the entrepreneurial opportunities of mining)- This is the

story of Eugene Mutai a Bitcoin miner who was a farmer in Kenya till he discovered
Cryptocurrencies and started to research what the hype was about. He created his
own computer at home using parts the he imported form all his savings which are
primarily ASUS graphic cards and started to mine bitcoins using his home setup and
earns 800 dollars a month which is a lot in terms of Kenyan currency and spent 7000
dollars on the setup. He is now earning profits and has created a program to
continue the mining process even when the electricity is out.

Grey market (creation of informal markets)- This is a simplified article talking about
how grey markets are formed of consumers legally purchase goods genuinely
created by the manufacturer however the good is not sold by an authorised reseller
and is usually cheaply imported into the company. The article further explains how
this is legal for the consumers and the online purchase of the I-pad is the one
created by Apple however such a sale oversees which will have surprisingly cheap
offers can cause certain problems like cutting out on the warranty and the company
not providing any post sale services. This is also a risky market for the consumer
because although these grey market products are technically legal to buy the
company or the government might cancel their import and export due to suspicions
of counterfeiting causing a delay in their shipment.

This book (Donald Trump and his deal making tactics)- This is a book written by
Donald Trump on the art of deal making and in this chapter, he provides mostly
unusable generic website online knowledge of what can create successful
partnership and what can lead to fruition using simple tactics in the formation of
contracts like thinking big, making good on contractual obligations and asking for a
fair price. Other than that, the chapter is simply bogus motivation about staying
positive and thinking big.

The most illegally trafficked animal in the world (Pangolin black market)- Pangolin is
the most illegally traded mammal in the world. It is not a very popular or well-known
creature due to its sedentary and burrowing lifestyle. This animal has protective
scales which are made of keratin a natural compound that is used as a hair growth
stimulant more than 300 pangolin products were seized last year in the US and
scientists think more than a million of these cute creatures have been killed in the
past decade due to their scales fetching a high price.

Kidnapping (bitcoin exchange manager was kidnapped)- This a short piece indicating
how a senior EXMO employee and blockchain expert was kidnapped to allow the
kidnapper to steal user’s wallets and their money however, they could not access
anything and the company stated that Pavel Lerner was returned safely and no
money was stolen.

Restaurants (Bitcoin ATMs)- It is easy to install a bitcoin ATM and even simpler to
pay through it. It takes 3500 dollars to install and the user just need to use randomly
generated QR codes which are then scanned to pay using the bitcoin wallet. These
machines are what allow bitcoin conventions to solely run on bitcoins and based on
the area wise popularity can and should be installed in shops.

No one knows who Satoshi Nakamoto was (the secret behind the guy who founded
bitcoins)- Satoshi Nakamoto has left human status and is now a known legend a
mythic legend there have been many studies and independent researches including
formal investigations trying to find Satoshi Nakamoto but the man has not been
found. As of now he is considered to be the man behind the creation of white paper
which allowed the creation of cryptocurrencies. He is considered to be just an alias
or a false identity for the real man behind Bitcoins. Many have been asked and many
deny that they are not him and have no clear connection however, out of the many
possibilities Craig Wright an Australian computer scientist is trying to provide proof
that he is in fact he infamous creator of the Bitcoins and many analysts think that if
he was found he might qualify as the richest man alive based on the current value
and worth of Bitcoins.
Manuka honey (most expensive honey and its black market)- This is an example of
an absurd product like honey being sold on the black market. Manuka honey is an
expensive honey with its nutritional value being more than four times normal honey
and many multi thousand dollar thefts have been reported. This product is used to
make creams and other lotions and has a surprisingly popular black market
presence.

Japan’s GDP the link redirects to the WSC website either it is a fake hyper link or not
indexed in India.

In Kiev, Big macs (counterfeit burgers)- This is an article which talks about the fast
food culture in Ukraine where people love fast and their affection seems to be
growing because of the number of young people who do not have time to cook their
own food. There is a cheap knock off version of Mc Donald’s there to capitalise on
the popularity of American cuisine which is cheaper and tastes like it too due to the
wrongly executed mimicry of American fast food there are copied versions of fries
and big macs a part of the western movement in Ukraine.

Online marketplace (silk road)- This is a factual piece which talks about how the
online sales and revenue of the dark web has plateaued and gives reasons for it. The
one main reason is that the general trend in dark web markets is such that once a
marketplace becomes too popular it is shut down due to its mainstream appeal.
Then it is replaced with another marketplace that capitalises, this has proven to
buyers and sellers that it is a volatile and unsafe marketplace, what has furthermore
angered buyers and sellers online is the newer and smaller marketplaces start listing
products and services and when a few sellers start selling and some big transactions
are made the marketplace shuts down and with it takes its users bitcoins as fraud. It
seems like an expensive lesson has been learnt by the online community.
VOICES OF THE
INSEPARABLE
INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
Does literature bring us together, or is reading a fundamentally solo act?
Yes, literature does bring us closer together. Although reading is usually a solo act
but when many people read the same book, genre and series it creates a fan base
which becomes a community of like-minded people and the connection is what
brings people closer together.

Consider different types of literature: does enjoying poetry separate a person from broader
culture, or does reading popular novels connect us? Are there forms of literature that can travel
between high and low culture?
Some pieces of literature are lost in time and yes, reading popular novels does
create a community with a similar interest but reading poetry or other soulful
content does not necessarily disconnect them from the rest but makes them a part
of the broader culture of people who read poems and understand, appreciate
poetry.

Many of this year’s selection were written by authors who “belong” to two cultures. How do
these selections, and perhaps literature in general, bridge (or reinforce) separations
between people?
Over the years, literature has built the reputation of connecting people from across
cultures and languages using translation. The selections from our syllabus where the
authors and writers belong to or identify with two or more cultures they themselves
act as bridges between cultural gaps due to their multi-cultural exposure. This helps
writers like them express, connect and draw parallels with the cultures to make
readers understand the other culture better due to their description and multi-
cultural comparison.

To what extent is a writer entangled in his or her culture, and can he or she get outside of it? Can
any works of literature truly be considered universal?
Yes, a writer is most definitely influenced by his or her culture but that is what
makes their piece of literature unique or special, there are works of literature that
are truly universally considered classic, like Shakespeare or the Black Beauty but are
they culturally universal and do they mean the same to people globally in
comparison to people living in the place of origin is debatable but, my answer for
that would-be no.

Why do so many people turn to poetry to express the pain and pleasure of love? Is there a
reason poetry is particularly associated with intimate feelings?
Poetry breaks the normal bond of regular prose and it syntax to give a certain
freedom to the poet to express by twisting words and phrases, making them rhyme
or add the extra little emotion to it making it the go to form of literature when it
comes to expressing powerful and extreme emotions like love or pain.

How does literature help us remember the past (or speak to the future)? Can we trust fictional
accounts of the past, or are written accounts inevitably biased?
Not all written accounts of the past are biased but due to their old and long standing
presence it is almost impossible to judge them for their accuracy and credibility,
especially because poetry is a romantic form of literature and romanticising a thing
often includes exaggerating it. Other written historical accounts could be biased or
 accurate but as always there is no way of knowing. The use of literature does
however give us a voice to interact with the future generations in ways that ensure
that the future generations know the past and it beauty using old literature which
can include any piece of literature written by anyone alive today.

What causes a work of literature to last? How does the presence of a literary canon—that is, a
body of work agreed to be “important”—connect us to the past?
Literary cannons are works of literature that are the most important and influential
of their time. Literary cannons are influential and supposedly important, in order to
create a long lasting literary cannon, the work of literature should be straight from
the heart and often in case of being long lasting they need to talk about your present
and the future reader’s past in terms of an important or influential event. This
connects the future reader to the past is more likely to be considered a long-lasting
evidence of the past.

Does the “Western canon” still serve a purpose in our contemporary, entangled word? Did
it ever?
The Western Cannon is a compilation of literary pieces from the high society of
Europe and North America. These pieces are considered to literary cannons and
reminders of the past. They are still relevant in understanding the high society of the
rich at the time, their ceremonies, celebrations and their day to day lives.

POEMS
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
I Gave Myself to Him by EMILY DICKINSON

I gave myself to him,

And took himself for pay.
The solemn contract of a life
Was ratified this way.
The wealth might disappoint,
Myself a poorer prove
Than this great purchaser suspect,
The daily own of Love
Depreciate the vision;
But, till the merchant buy,
Still fable, in the isles of spice,
The subtle cargoes lie.
At least, 't is mutual risk, —
Some found it mutual gain;
Sweet debt of Life, — each night to owe,
Insolvent, every noon.

This is a self depreciating poem where the American poet talks about the contract of
marriage in which she treats herself as a material possession. She believes that she
would be bought her value is of depreciating nature and she is just like any other
product in the market waiting to be ourchaesd and bound by the eternal contract of
marriage by her lover. She believes that the merchant or her husband would
consider her wealth to be low and just like all her poems she ends on a note of doubt
questioning if she will ever be bought or will her value increase or decrease with the
passage of time. All of this was done by the use of financial terms in a metaphorical
poem which says a lot about the treatment of women by society in the nineteenth
century.

[i carry your heart in me(I carry it in] by EE CUMMINGS

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

This is a love poem by EE Cummings who deliberately uses wrong syntax to explore
the boundaries of poetic freedom. In this poem he describes how much he loves her
using words like my darling and my love. He talks in metaphors and how he carries
her pain and her joy as his own.

Supple Cord by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE

My brother, in his small white bed,
held one end.
I tugged the other
to signal I was still awake.
We could have spoken,
could have sung
to one another,
we were in the same room
for five years,
but the soft cord
with its little frayed ends
connected us
in the dark,
gave comfort
even if we had been bickering
all day.
When he fell asleep first
and his end of the cord
dropped to the floor,
I missed him terribly,
though I could hear his even breath
and we had such long and separate lives
ahead.

This is a poem which is known for its simple use of words to convey the message of
love and connection with the use of the word cord to describe a connection or unity
and such a connection despite adult separation created in loving moments are the
ones that stay for a long time.

What my Grandmother Meant to Say was by AJA MONET

What my Grandmother meant to say is a sentimental and speculative long poem
which leaves the read to question what the grandmother meant to say but the most
obvious and popular theory is that she meant to convey her struggles for her own
freedom and to get to the safe place where she is, her pain and suffering but she
never spoke of it and never said a word about the pain, she wanted to share it but
only when the time was right till she died without saying what she wanted to convey
to her family. This relies around the theme of family, heritage and history.

A Dog Has Died by PABLO NERUDA

This is a sad piece by Pablo Neruda which was originally written in Spanish and was
translated into English. The poem uses imagery to describe the bond between the
poet and his dog he talks about how they had a different and yet superior
relationship which was unconditional. This revolves around the main theme of
death.

Look Up by GARY TURK

This is a crafty poem represented in the manner of a spoken word film designed and
dedicated towards the youth. He starts the poem off with the number of friends he
has online but none in real life he has so many friends but is still alone. He talks
about addiction and human craving for information and personal gratification at the
press of a button but if only we looked up and shut our monitors and stop watching
this video we would feel alive as we explore the world outside.

Kinship by MARGARITA ENGLE

Two sets
of family stories,
one long and detailed,
about many centuries
of island ancestors, all living
on the same tropical farm...

The other side of the family tells stories

that are brief and vague, about violence
in the Ukraine, which Dad's parents
had to flee forever, leaving all their
loved ones
behind.

They don't even know if anyone

survived.

When Mami tells her flowery tales of Cuba,

she fills the twining words with relatives.
But when I ask my
Ukrainian-Jewish-American grandma
about her childhood in a village
near snowy Kiev,
all she reveals is a single
memory
of ice-skating
on a frozen pond.

Apparently, the length

of a grown-up's
growing-up story
is determined
by the difference
between immigration
and escape.

Kinship is a poem on immigration and escape form the homeland in an attempt to

save your life. It talks about how people’s lives disturbed yet they go on and in order
to prove this point she gives the example of her grandmother and how she is
Ukrainian and Jewish, who ran to save her life.

Wild Geese by MARY OLIVER

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

This is a short poem on belongingness and loneliness with reference and

comparisons to nature, the rain and the Wild geese. The poem uses these examples
to show that no matter what happens the one thing you will always have is your
imagination based around nature and what you see and observe just like the wild
geese making sure you are never left alone.

Valentine by CAROL ANN DUFFY

Valentine is a love poem which is metaphoric in nature which describes love to be an
onion and the more layers you peel the more you will cry, the poem talks about
valentines presents and how mon should be packed, moon is considered a symbol of
love. The poem indicates marriage and love using metaphors and alliteration to give
the poem its smart and lyrical appeal.

To Have Without Holding by MARGE PIERCY

This is a poem about conflict reconciliation and her preconceived notion versus the
reality of their relationship, her partner has liberal approach while she believes she
must feel he is worthy of all her efforts. This causes the speaker to feel
uncomfortable in her relationship. She shows her discomfort in the poem using
similes, metaphors and symbolism.

Elegy for a Mother, Still Living by ELANA BELL

I was formed inside the body
of a woman who wanted me
as she wanted her own life,
allowed to drink the milk
made only for me.
I was given mother-love,
its bounty and its cocoon
of those first years without language.
It is right to mourn the rocky hills
of Crete where we walked, my small
hand in hers for hours. The hidden
beach where we swam naked
then baked on the fine sand. Lazy
afternoons in her lap, thick
hand stroking my curls.
 Her fingers have stiffened.
In her eyes, the eyes of an animal in pain.

I hold the memory of my mother

against the woman she is.

This poem is a compressed history of the mother daughter relationship right from
before birth till her final days, the title suggests the mother is still alive but barely
with her limbs stiffening and her eyes losing the affection they had when she was
young.

Head, Heart by LYDIA DAVIS

“Heart weeps.
Head tries to help heart.
Head tells heart how it is, again:
You will lose the ones you love. They will all go. But even the earth will go, someday.
Heart feels better, then.
But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart.
Heart is so new to this.
I want them back, says heart.
Head is all heart has.
Help, head. Help heart.”
This is an interesting short poem about an ongoing conversation between the heart
and the head where the head consoles the heart only for it to fall back into sadness
again. In the second phase of sadness the heat asks for help from the head as it is
the only thing he has.

COMMUNITIES BIG AND SMALL

Mending Wall by ROBERT FROST
This is a poem written in 1914 and is still relevant to date just like other poems by
Frost. This poem represents the obligation of the writer to mend the wall because
the neighbour wants to. The poem is about a spring day each year in a rural area
where the neighbours come together to mend the wall that runs across and divides
their properties.

No Man is an Island by JOHN DONNE

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

This complex yet short poem is preachy message on how everyone relies on others
and how no one is self-sufficient. Written in old English in the Seventeenth by John
Donne.

The Map of the World Confused with its Territory by SUSAN STEWART
This a long and confusing poem that starts of with a world map and how it is folded
into eights and how it creased it is a very flat and dull representation of the world
truly is, then the poet personifies the river. In the end the map of the world which is
very confusing because of it proportion, colours and creases is compared to a human
map, which many consider to be a link to the profession of palm reading and how a
person’s palms can’t rightfully represent their personality just like a map cannot
represent the true beauty of the world.

Maps by YESENIA MONTILLA

This is a poem about the sense of being trapped in world a world in which you are
burdened by complex sets of rules and the maps have borders and how borders
separate people. In this she talks about how she wishes for there to be no borders
the map to be free and no sense of being trapped.

Yertle the Turtle by DR. SUESS

This is a poem that has been argued and debated over and over to understand the
true meaning of the Yertle and what his rule and greed over all other turtles
symbolises. People argue that this might be communism or fascism but it cannot be
either because communism is not authoritarian and about one person having power
and it cannot be about fascism because of Yertle’s capitalist monopolistic views
therefore this what people consider a capitalistic dictatorial regime formed by a little
turtle claiming to be the king of all the other turtle present in the lake.

From by FATIMAH ASGHAR & EVE L. EWING

This is an Arabic poem talking about prejudices and pre-conceived notions people
have regarding where other people were born of where they are from. The poem
talks about the present hostile notions and xenophobia around immigration and
other cultures. The word wrong refers to the prejudiced population of the world
they are compared to drones locking on to its target in this case people from
different culture which is also referring to terrorism and hate crimes.

For Want of Nail by PROVERB

For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the Kingdom was lost,l for what we have now
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

This is a smart proverb cautioning how things are interconnected and how the want
for one thing can lead to disasters that could be traced back to you, your want
therefore we must be contended with whatever we have. This is a proverb which is
used globally in many language for how wise it is and the rhyme goes on.
Remember by JOY HARJO
This is a poem by in free verse by Joy Harjo and talking about gratitude, its charm
and its importance, how we must remember where we came from and the journey
to always be thankful and grateful, but more importantly take nothing for granted.

The Answer by ROBINSON JEFFERS

Then what is the answer?- Not to be deluded by dreams.
To know that great civilizations have broken down into violence,
and their tyrants come, many times before.
When open violence appears, to avoid it with honor or choose
the least ugly faction; these evils are essential.
To keep one's own integrity, be merciful and uncorrupted
and not wish for evil; and not be duped
By dreams of universal justice or happiness. These dreams will
not be fulfilled.
To know this, and know that however ugly the parts appear
the whole remains beautiful. A severed hand
Is an ugly thing and man dissevered from the earth and stars
and his history... for contemplation or in fact...
Often appears atrociously ugly. Integrity is wholeness,
the greatest beauty is
Organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty
of the universe. Love that, not man
Apart from that, or else you will share man's pitiful confusions,
or drown in despair when his days darken.

This is a poem about the answer to life, existence itself and every question in
between. The poem is one where the poet wonders what the answer is, is there an
answer or the world cannot justify its functioning. The poem gives the readers a part
of Robinson Jeffers’s world view and how he thinks his question may or may not be
answered by the appropriate answer. He is a man of ideals and believes in unity,
strength and organic wholeness.

Encounter by CZESLAW MILOSZ

We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.

And suddenly a hare ran across the road.

One of us pointed to it with his hand.

That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,

Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.

O my love, where are they, where are they going

The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.
 This is a short poem about wonder and imagination of the unknown. The poem
questions life after death, after starting out with this incident involving a hare and
how now the hare is dead and so is the one who pointed him out that is a flash back
of a very old memory. The poet wonders and asks not in despair or sorrow due to
death but out of curiosity, wondering what becomes of human life and spirit after
death.

Riding alone for Thousands of Miles by SALLY WEN MAO

In Lijiang, the sign outside your hostel
glares: Ride alone, ride alone, ride
alone – it taunts you for the mileage
of your solitude, must be past
thousands, for you rode this plane
alone, this train alone, you’ll ride
this bus alone well into the summer night,
well into the next hamlet, town,
city, the next century, as the trees twitch
and the clouds wane and the tides
quiver and the galaxies tilt and the sun
spins us another lonely cycle, you’ll
wonder if this compass will ever change.
The sun doesn’t need more heat,
so why should you? The trees don’t need
to be close, so why should you?

This is a poem riddled with similes and metaphors, it talks about sadness and
loneliness which all started when she saw a sign outside a hotel in China which read
ride alone, ride alone and ride alone. Mao wonders if the sign in any way shape or
form taunts it readers. This then takes her into a realm of sadness where she
compares the human needs to the fabric of nature and since trees do not need to be
close to one another to grow do humans? Do humans need an emotional
connection?

HAUNTINGS AND THE HAUNTED

Abiku by WOLE SOYINKA
This is a confusing Nigerian poem based Nigerian mythology and Nigerian folk tale of
Abiku a child who dies multiple time before reaching adolescence. The child dies but
then comes back from the womb with same physical features and then dies again.
The mother then brands the kid with a scare only to see it come back with the next
kid.
This makes the parents of Abiku consult their oracle who says that the spirit of the
child has not been satisfied and is hungry so you need to make a sacrifice to it.

“Dark House”, from in Memorium by TENNYSON

This is a poem about unhappiness and loneliness, it is a part of a group of other
poems with intense emotions. This is a poem that revolves around a relationship
with his friend. It talks about the passing away of his friend and how it has left him
lonely. This makes the poet go down the memory lane recalling all the memories
which depress him enough that he starts to wait for his own death.

Sleeping with Ghosts by STEPHEN DUNN

This is a poem about good ghosts and ghosts that sleep with you, they themselves
lived there once but now they are dead, they guard and show no negative traits,
they touch will you sleep like a strange wind but sleep beside you normally like
friends and sleep where they once slept on the bed. The poet says that we know
nothing of these ghosts and says that if you met them when they were alive you
might have gotten along with them. This goes against the general views that people
hold about supposed paranormal activities.

Try to Praise the Mutilated world by ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI

Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June's long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You've seen the refugees going nowhere,
you've heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth's scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.

This is a poem written by Adam Zagajewski and talk about how as humans we should
discover and notice beauty in the presence of bad things present in this mutilated
world that we must ignore for our own harmony and peace we must stay positive.
This then talks about war and global atrocities that our world is facing today. This is a
poem on optimism and what some believe has connection to the 9/11 tragedy and
terrorist attack. The poet wrote this poem after deriving inspiration form a hiking
trip on top of a mountain where the mountain itself was beautiful but he could not
help but notice human bones of those who had tried climbing including soles of their
shoes.

Ghosts by KIKI PETROSINO

Some ghosts are my mothers
neither angry nor kind
their hair blooming from silk kerchiefs.
Not queens, but ghosts
who hum down the hall on their curved fins
sad as seahorses.

Not all ghosts are mothers.

I’ve counted them as I walk the beach.
Some are herons wearing the moonrise like lace.
Not lonely, but ghostly.
They stalk the low tide pools, flexing
their brassy beaks, their eyes.

But that isn’t all.

Some of my ghosts are planets.
Not bright. Not young.
Spiraling deep in the dusk of my body
as saucers or moons
pleased with their belts of colored dust
& hailing no others.

In this poem, all the tree stanzas are mean something else are in in no way
connected to one another. In this poem, the poet has imagined what ghosts are like
and they do not represent the scary creatures that we consider them to be but
random things like mothers who are neither happy nor sad, groups of heron birds
and other animals and lastly a lifeless, abandoned planets. Despite many efforts
there is no clear way of knowing what the poet wanted to convey or whom she
thinks ghosts are.

What the Living Do by MARIE HOWE

This is a medium length poem in a matter of fact way describing a day which is
supposed to be normal and a reminiscent of what it feels to alive but the day is
anything but normal where the poet is left procrastinating over his brother’s death
and shows a lazy day where he was lazy. For the poet to be alive means to shop,
drink coffee, parking a driving. This poem is the one that is indirectly in memory of
his brother.

Self-portrait in case of disappearance by SAFIA ELHILLO

i am afraid that everyone died & it did not fix

the world this was meant to be the afterlife

to the burning countries our mothers left behind

girls with fathers gone or gone missing

 sistered to dark boys marked to die & our own

bodies scarved & arranged in rows on prayer mats

we go missing too & who mourns us who

falls into the gap we leave in the world

This is another poem revolving around the dark theme of death and kidnapping or
disappearances. This was inspired by when she saw people praying for the deceased
and the disappeared, she wondered what would happen something like that did
happen to her, would people conduct prayers would they even care.

This hour and What is Dead by LI-YOUNG LEE

This is a long piece and one about the passing of his brother and their dad. The poem
represents loneliness and then the poet goes through. The poem reminds him of his
relationship with his brother before and after their death which can end up being a
guilt trip. The poet is trying to reach inner peace despite being sad and fidgety while
writing the poem.

Inventory by RICHARD HOFFMAN

What I have given to sorrow,

though I have poured out
all I am again and again,
does not amount to much.

One winter’s snows.

Two loves I could not welcome.
A year of mostly silence.
Another man I might have been.

This is another depressing poem about sorrow, love and fear. This short piece was
written in a confused state of mind where the poet shows how despite his love from
his father he was always scared but he could not reconcile their love. In this poem,
the speaker is the eldest and has had a very emotional; and tragic life involving
incapacitation and loss of loved ones.

DRAMA AND FILM

Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa)- This is an anime movie referring to it being a Japanese
creation in an animated form using story telling describe the lives to two school
students one who lives up on the mountains where she wants to explore the city of
Tokyo and another school student in Tokyo with a part time job as an employee at a
restaurant. Both of them simultaneously see each other in a dream where they are
in a different body of a different gender and both start a journey to meet each other
in their vivid dreams to exchange bodies. This is considered to be a great anime
movie which is not dubbed in English and only has English subtitles.
 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- This is a movie on heart break based in a
fictional time period with the existence of memory erasing devices. After the
breakup between Joel and Clementine, Clementine the free spirit decides to get the
memories of their relationship removed and when Joel realises that he is
heartbroken and goes for the same memory erasing procedure however he decides
against memory removal in between the process of the procedure and tries his
hardest to hid form the machine and hide his memories inside his mind that he does
not want to be spotless and without their loving procedure. After the procedure in a
separate storyline the company running the memory erasing operations has two
lovers inside it whose memories are forcefully removed. In the end Joel and
Clementine are made to listen to a tape of their love and their relationship which
was made when they were in love which reminds them of their love and their bond
leaving with an end note of despite the craziness in the world their relationship is
what keeps them happy making them renew and restart their love.

Romeo and Juliet ACT 2 SCENE 2, ACT 3, SCENE 5

ACT 2 SCENE 2
In this scene Juliet thinks she is all alone while Romeo hangs hidden in the shadows
of the balcony listening in when Juliet bursts into a soliloquy confessing her love and
her want to marry Juliet and one it ends in a romantic gesture Romeo steps out of
the shadows shocking Juliet when he asks her to call him love. They agree to marry
despite their family restrictions while Juliet is called out by the nurse and Romeo
escapes with the promise send details of his wedding arrangement via a messenger
tomorrow.

ACT 3 SCENE 5
This is a scene where Romeo is shown leaving for Mantua and separating because of
the sentence of death for these lovers and their separation. Juliet’s mother enters to
see her crying and wrongfully identifying the cry to be that of the departure of Tybalt
she reveals the plan of having Romeo poisoned and reveals that Juliet is to get
married to Paris on Thursday which leaves Juliet in despair and shock telling her
mother that she could not be married of in a hurry. The scene ends with the entry
her father who thought she would be thrilled after finding out that he had arranged
her wedding but found his daughter to be upset enraging him and demanding that
Juliet must obey her father’s commands.

LONGER WORKS
The egg by ANDY WEIR
The egg by Andy Weir is a conversation between his imaginary god and another
character in his story. It is a very weird but Hindu concept. Once the character died
he woke up in a universe with just him and god, he asked him questions and he
answered in authority adding that there is the next life and this is the buffer time
between and how he is sending the character back in time as a Chinese peasant. So
then all of it is revealed where god says that that timeline and particular timeframe
is only in your universe and your universe includes only you because you are the sole
entity of the universe, you were Hitler and Gandhi, you were Stalin and Mussolini
you are everyone, you are my son still developing, you are a foetus and you will one
day become god. After every life, your general intellect and consciousness grows till
you become a god, therefore as god says this period of life and afterlife with another
life is just the period where you are in an egg. You are the universe and universe is
an egg.

Reunion by JOHN CHEEVER

This is a short story about the reunion of a father and a son separated by divorce.
This fictional and hilarious tales is of their reunion at the Grand Cross station where
they then decide to go for a couple drinks and food before they go their separate
ways. They end up going to four different restaurants and they were kicked out of all
of them due to his dad’s rough, hard and arrogant behaviour involving shouting,
taunting and ordering things using his loud voice. He bad mouthed places he went to
turning it into a literal series of errors and comedy till they had to part ways.

The Rules of the Game by AMY TAN

This is an excerpt from the Joy Luck Club a book by Amy Tan which talks about the
Journey of third generation immigrants and this is one of the many chapters of the
book. This chapter talks about Waverly’s start in chess her awesome way of learning
and correctly represents the difference between the cultures. The chapter starts
with the introduction to chess and ends at a national level female chess player who
is acting out in arrogance.

Marriage is a Private Affair by CHINUA ACHEBE

This is a short story of a village and its tribal marriage system of marrying only
Catholics despite which a kid is forced to confront his father on his decision to marry
the woman he loved instead of a woman whom his dad had selected for him. When
he learnt that the woman spoke a different language and a different tongue he lost
his appetite. The word spread around the tribe of his son’s misbehaviour and a
meeting was called when the son had left the village for Lagos which went on a
theological level to argue out whether such a marriage should be allowed or
whether love or being attracted to someone was important in the marriage because
a marriage’s sacred purpose is to give kids and get a daughter in law who is well
mannered and knows all house chores rather than the slightest hint of love.

Simple Recipes by MADELEINE THIEN

This is a short story about Malaysian immigrants into Canada and their culinary
adventure. This us through the journey of a dad who is an awesome Asia and
oriental chef with an equally enthusiastic daughter who wants to learn everything
and is trying her best to learn what she can in order to prepare delicacies like
steaming rice cakes out of many. They have a language gap as they are second
generation immigrants and despite all her parent’s efforts neither nor her brother
would pick up on their native tongue which is surprising and a trigger for frustration
for their parents.

The Perfect Match by KEN LIU

 This is a milder version if a dystopian story online a world where technology does not
totally takeover and causing destruction but a cautionary tales about how the use of
technology called lead to total dependence and therefore surrendering parts of our
daily lives to it. In this story Sai is a young employee in the corporate market who is
controlled and managed by his personal assistant virtual and artificial chore doing
robot. The point is proven using the story that without technology we lose parts of
ourselves we can’t remember parts of our lives and what we need to do to send time
showing how technology could lead to a point where it becomes the dominating
force above us.

Unwind by NEAL SHUSTERMAN

This is a short story about this smart kid who is being unwound or in their fictional
worlds being adopted by the state and separated by and from his parents so his on
the run before the police can catch him and he tries to escape his family he is cold
hearted and does not a say a word. He is smart enough to execute his plan to run
away before being picked up by the state, go the city and hide in the security of
massive population.

The Kite Runner by KHALED HOSSEINI

This is a chapter from the award-winning book on Afghan teens called Kite Runner
and this chapter talks about the onset of winter causing the schools to shut down
and the kids to enjoy the annual kite cutting and running tournament. The chapter
revolves around Amir and Hassam running toward a Kite and how Amir’s dad thinks
he will win this tournament this year and Amir is left to wonder of all the fame and
the great things that will happen if Amir and his dad’s duo is going to win the biggest
competition of around the town.

Children of the Earth and Sky by GUY GAVRIEL KAY

This is what people call an amazing storyline based off the Italian high renaissance
only to be set in another dimension with some contradictory to actual history but
cool stuff happening especially as it what set in the 14th century. The book takes on a
mission alongside with Pero Villani to paint a western image of the Grand Khalif. He
has embarked this mission because of Seressa’s council’s orders. This book is
considered one for nerds but anyone who wants to see high renaissance and its
leaders change their ideology due to their presence in another realm is worthwhile.

GUIDED QUESTIONS AND CASE STUDIES (HYPERLINKS ONLY)

An entangling of words and minds (epigraphs)-This is a long article on the use of
epigraphs and their importance in literature using examples like Frankenstein and
how the epigraph conveyed its story beautifully. An epigraph which in a simple
quotation conveyed what the book meant and the idea of a creation not by god but
by science. The article’s heading is, This Begins with an epigraph and unsurprisingly
the article begins with an epigraph. Then the article goes on to convey how epigraph
are inspirational and how they act as the writer’s inspiration that should be added as
an introduction.
Who the translator is? (the implications of literal translations, does the person
translating affect the message)- This is an article on how translations of Greek into
English makes ancient Greece look like Pre-civilised Britain which is not what it was
like they twist and turn the words of great thinkers such as Homer. The translation
could be manipulated deliberately or simply as mistakes. Then article shifts to a
tangent where women were not allowed to read classics and other literary cannons
in fear that they will educate themselves and challenge male domination.

Adapting works to a new culture? (freedom to change and possibly reduce the
cultural significance of a piece by translating it)-This long piece is about the great
poet Rumi and ow WhatsApp and Facebook forwards have made him somewhat the
most selling poet due the beauty in his words. The article says what many do not
realize is the fact that Rumi is a Muslim which surprising due to the increasing wave
of xenophobia. The article mentions how Rumi has become the go to poet to pickup
lines from for toasts and ceremonies at churches and weddings which is again
shocking due to the fact the he was a Muslim a strong devotee and a believer in the
Sharia and Islamic ideals. This all started with the translations of his original works
which were written it Persian and Farsi. They were neither so romantic as they are
now but more importantly they were theological texts revolving around Allah but
after different cheaper and or more beautiful translations there is deliberately no
link to Islam in his verses and most of them have been romanticised by talks of
beauty and love all which qualify as misrepresentations of Rumi’s works.

Interactive storytelling (is it literature?)- This is along piece about whether podcasts
and RPG games with a storyline deep and player controlled should be considered a
form of storytelling based on the skill it requires and whether it should be
considered as a genre literature with a story that requires both the developer and
the player to play and create. This article talks about how delicate it is to maintain
the balance between what I player controlled and what is controlled by the
professional story tellers. The article mentions the importance of learning and
changing what the users want the developer to change. This game that article
mentions, is the highest rated RPG game Dungeons and Dragons. This has already
sparked a debate as to whether interactive storylines like of video games should be
considered as literature.

Other examples (role playing games)- This entire webpage is a page dedicated to just
giving examples of different types of video games all which could be considered
literature. The web page divides its hundreds of examples based on genre and video
game type like fusion, virtual reality and theatre.

All the way back to the Bible (Bible fan fiction?)- This is a very well researched article
talking about the new raging pop culture fusion of different characters and series in
what is called fan fiction. The article takes us through the journey of exploring fan
fiction and its origin which the writer speculates to be the bible where informally
people of different religions have been connecting theirs to Christianity and the
story of Jesus Christ. This article then moves on to add how Shakespeare never
owned the stories of his plays causing a lot of fan fiction theories. Then the article
moves up to modern cinema including Harry Potter and Star Wars also multiple
Twilight zone universes.

Create imaginary worlds (fan fiction)- This is another article about fan fiction and
particularly Harry Potter fan fiction. The article starts off with the fact that JK
Rowling would not be writing anymore Harry Potter books simply because she had
completed the story arch, however since it is one the world’s bestselling books and
has its own cult following writers and fans like Racheline Maltese will continue to
write and extend the story line because fans cannot get enough of their favourite
books and characters, the article continues on with the twilight zone and how the
Twilight zones has created so many fan fiction theories the might as well seem more
popular than the original story arch of the series.

The ultimate fanfic? (Hamilton)- This is an article about Alexander Hamilton the hit
2017 musical on Broadway by Lin Manuel Miranda. The show is not exactly accurate
considering the fact that it has African American founders rapping. Despite all the
efforts by Lin to ensure nobody treats his show as something that is historically
accurate or is meant to be in fact it is one of the greatest pieces of fan fiction where
the creator Lin got inspired by Alexander Hamilton being a second-generation
immigrant and in particular his biography. This technically makes Hamilton a piece of
fan fiction.