3 thoughts on “Welcome to English 2100”

2. I believe that people who want to be seen, will be seen and people who don’t want to be seen won’t be seen. Some people like to be in the spotlight and have all attention on them while others like to remain hidden causing some people to be visible and invisible. Political, cultural, and economic structures dictate what is visible and what is invisible because they bring attention to certain topics which forces the public to only focus on those topics that are shown rather than focusing on the “invisible.” For example, if there is a huge story on every news station, website, or newspaper, people are going to focus on that story rather than reading about a story only on one news station. Seeing can become a political act because it is a tactic practiced throughout politics. For example, if someone is running for office, they are going to show you all the big things they can change rather than things they cannot change causing things to remain the same or get worse. I think seeing is actually interpreting something’s value and mindset rather than just looking at something and making inferences. I do believe this is something we need to work at because it’s easy to say you can “see” something referring to something’s physical properties, but what about seeing one’s understanding or mindset?

3. Who and what can be seen can often depend on two things: whether or not that person wants to be seen or heard, and also whether or not that person or their ideas are publicized through the media.

   Political, cultural and economic structures can often dictate what is and isn’t seen. So often, those with political power, who are so often wealthy and White are able to dictate what is and is not heard, leaving the poor without any say. These people have much more sway in the media and in politics because of their status.

   Seeing can become a political act. If you see a politician lie or change their mind, this might affect your vote. What you see around you, the state of your environment and your life, definitely affects your political views.

   Seeing is watching something happen and interpreting it in some way. Every time that you see something, you react to it. Whether that reaction is subconscious – an internal sigh at watching a politician say something you know they won’t follow through on, or whether it is conscious – watching your favorite sports team win and cheering, whether in your living room or at the game. Seeing is something we can work on. Often there is more than one meaning or consequence to any given event. Seeing the other sides to something, instead of just the one you first notice is a valuable skill.