Journal: Find paragraphs written in Jamaican and Hawaiian Creole.

Journal
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Lecturer’s Name
Assignment Due Date
1. Find paragraphs written in Jamaican and Hawaiian Creole. Transcribe them and then compare the structures.
Example of paragraph written in Jamaican
“In plentii konchrii, di piipl-dem no taakin di seem langgwij an no fiil se dem iz seem neeshan. So, dem wa in chaaj a di setop in di konchrii doz chrai mek di piipl-dem get fiilinz fo neeshan” (Improbable Resesearch, n.d).
Transcription
“In many countries, the populations do not speak the same language and, therefore, do not feel they belong in the same nation. In these circumstances, those who run the state apparatus often try to create a shared national consciousness” (Improbable Resesearch, n.d).
An example of paragraph written in Hawaii Creole
ʻO ka hoʻokae lāhui kekahi pilikia pilikino i kū i mua i ke kaiāulu ʻeleʻele i ʻAmelika. ʻOiai ua hoʻāʻo ʻia e hoʻopau i kēia pilikia, ua ala aʻe nā hihia o ka hoʻowahāwahā lāhui me ka mea o kēia wā he hoʻomāinoino makai i ka lāhui ʻeleʻele.
Translation
Racial discrimination is one of the social problems faced by the black community in America. Although attempts have been made to end this problem, the cases of racial bias have been on rise with the current one being police brutality against the black race.
Comparing the two paragraphs, Jamaican patois borrows some English words, but their pronunciation is different from English. However, the structure of Hawaiian Creole does not incorporate English. The words are borrowed from different languages other than English.
Reference
Improbable Resesearch. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2020, from /2012/02/17/jamaican-patois-paper/
2. Does borrowing language from a stigmatized group show appropriation or appreciation?
Borrowing language from a stigmatized group shows appropriation because it leads to a narrow look at stigmatized people and exploitation of those individuals. By definition, appropriation is an act of taking something that does not belong to you or an exchange that occurs when a dominant group takes or borrows something from a minority group that has a history of oppression or exploitation without consent (Cuncic, 2020). In this sense, appropriation involves a lack of understanding or appreciation for the historical context that influences the act of what is being borrowed (Han, 2019). When someone borrows a language from a stigmatized group, they do not have the desire for knowledge or a deeper understanding of this group.
People who are interested in appreciating a culture would offer respect to members of that culture by participating when invited. Since borrowing a language from marginalized group may not require permission of this group, and the act is conducted by privileged people, there is no guarantee that the individuals’ interest is to learn about that language. Instead, their actions would lead to oppression. Therefore, borrowing language from a stigmatized group does not fall in the category of appreciation.
References
Cuncic, A. (2020, August 5). Very well Mind. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from /what-is-cultural-appropriation-5070458
Han, H. C. (2019). Moving From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Appreciation. Art Education, 72 (2), 8-13.
3. Should non-African Americans be allowed to say the N word?
Non-Americans should not be allowed to use the N-word for various reasons. Firstly, the N-word was a derogatory word used by the white slave owners to refer to the black people (Nunez, 2020). Allowing the non-black people to use it encourages racial discrimination against African Americans because the non-African Americans could perceive black people as inferior, the same way they were seen during slavery. Secondly, the casual use of the N-word by African Americans is means to acknowledge a shared history and build friendship, which non-African Americans simply cannot attest to (McWhorter, 2019).
To be utterly clear, hearing black people use the n-word does not make it okay for everyone and anyone to use it. The term was coined in a derogatory manner to primarily degrade the black race. Black people say the n-word because are allowed. The term originates from a place of shared, oppressive history. After decades of being disparaged, African Americans deserve to claim the word as their own (McWhorter, 2019). Therefore, the black race is the only race allowed to use the n-word. Non-African Americans should say it in their head if they need to, but should not use it verbally. It is unacceptable.
References
McWhorter, J. (2019, August 27). The Atlantic. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from /ideas/archive/2019/08/whites-refer-to-the-n-word/596872/
Nunez, L. (2020, November 5). The University Star. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from /opinions/columns/only-black-people-are-allowed-to-say-the-n-word/article_386007b3-b442-599f-ab15-4ac14838e58d.html
4. Explain how a person might undertake an effort to rid themselves of implicit bias against a particular group. Give examples.
Implicit biases impact behavior, but there are things people can do to get rid of it. One of the measures a person can undertake to get rid of implicit bias is to focus on seeing people as individuals. Instead of concentrating on stereotypes to define a particular group of people, individuals should spend more time considering them on a personal level (FitzGerald et al., 2019). For instance, some of the members of the white community may perceive African-Americans as criminals based on the films they watch that portray black people as criminals. Viewing African Americans on a personal level rather than generalizing them may help people to rid themselves of implicit bias against the blacks.
Another way is to increase individual exposure. One can spend more time with people of different racial backgrounds. They can learn the culture of this race by attending community events or exhibits (FitzGerald et al., 2019). For instance, before one sees black people as criminals, they need to spend most of their time associating with African-Americans to determine whether they are hostile or hospitable. Doing so helps them do away with the negative attitudes against black people. Understanding this race by living among the people makes someone learn about the culture, attitudes, and behaviors of the black people rather than depending on media that negatively portrays African-Americans.
Reference
FitzGerald, F., Martin, A., Berner, D., & Hurst, S. (2019). Interventions designed to reduce implicit prejudices and implicit stereotypes in real world contexts: a systematic review. BMC Psychology , 7 (1), 1-29.
6. Is the genre of hip-hop adaptable to all types of themes (e.g. my trip to Europe was cancelled because of corona) or should the music be restricted to its original themes?
The genre of hip hop is adaptable to all types of themes because it improves social consciousness by increasing awareness of some of the issues faced by many people in society. For a long time, the media has criticized this genre, associating it with some of the social ills in society (Chavez, 2020). Most people have also viewed hip hop as a bad influence on the youth as it glorifies crime and evil. In fact, many media stories identify this genre as catalyst social problems like teen pregnancy, violence, alcohol and substance use, sexual exploitation as well as sex and negative attitudes towards women (Flores, 2012). However, the reality is that hip hop music is greatly misunderstood because some of the rap music improves social consciousness but increasing awareness of social issues arising in society.
Just because a rapper speaks of less than desirable subjects in their music does not imply that they intend to corrupt the audience’s minds. Many rappers rap about their life in streets and past criminal behaviors (Flores, 2012). Their intension is not to glorify these behaviors, but to pass the message of hope. Others create social awareness on negative aspects of life such as gun violence while others provide solution to social problems. As such, Rap music entertains and educates just like other music genres and should be treated like any other music out there. Therefore, because hip hop touches on major social issues in the society, it is adaptable to all types of themes.
References
Chavez, D. (2020). Why Hip Hop Matters: The Political Impact of the MC.
Flores, L. (2012). Hip-Hop is for everybody: Examining the Roots and Growth of Hip-Hop. Inquiries Journal, 4 (5), 1-2.
7. Spanish, French and German are considered heritage languages. They have been passed down through generations to current day speakers. Should AAVE be regarded as a heritage language?
AAVE should be regarded as a heritage language because it is a dialect used by black people in social setting and assimilates African Americans in the black community. Sociologists believe that language is a socio-cultural construct that represents the behavior and belonging of a particular group (Rickford & Sciandra, 2015). It also creates social identities and relationships. Just like other heritage languages like German, Spain and French, AAVE also creates a sense of social identity and belonging. For many African Americans, AAVE plays a significant role as a symbol of resistance to assimilation of white culture, expressing community membership.
Many believe that speaking Standard English assimilate one into the white culture. However, this is not the case because before the emergence of AAVE, black people who spoke Standard English continued to face racial discrimination in the white soil. They did not enjoy the freedom and rights like the white people. Since African Americans have a common ancestry, using AAVE helps them identify themselves as people of the same descent (Rickford & Sciandra, 2015). The same dialect should be passed to the next generation to identify themselves as black community.
Reference
Rickford, J. R., & Sciandra, M. (2015). Neighborhood effects on use of african-american vernacular english. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 112 (38), 11817-11822.
8. Do you think written language and spoken language are of equal importance? Is one superior to the other, in terms of rulers, logic and so forth?
I think both written language and spoken language are of equal significance because both are used as forms of communication. The written language is significant by virtue of the fact that it immortalizes the spoken sounds of words or characters. It records human civilization communication and also other people’s views, which would otherwise be lost and forgotten after a particular period. The written language is also considered as the best form of representation because it is the backbone of language and serves to formalize many documents and ideas the society agrees upon. For instance, countries are often formed based on their constitutions which must be written and saved on archives.
Legal contracts and agreements must also appear in written forms. Equally, the spoken language is more applicable in everyday living because it is efficient and conveys ideas more quickly (Wilson et al., 2018). It naturally evolves as a more effective and efficient form of communication. Spoken language not only communicates ides, but it also serves as a means of entertainment. Today, every person would speak their own language yet in there are others in the same community who cannot read or write a content.
Reference
Wilson, S. M., Bautista, A., & McCarron, A. (2018). Convergence of spoken and written language processing in the superior temporal sulcus. Neuroimage , 171 (15), 62-74.
9. Should slang be accepted in all environments?
Slang should not be accepted in all environments because it affects communication in certain sectors. It is well known that slang has become a common language among the younger generation. However, accepting it in all environments would create a communication barrier and change perception of the receiver of a message about the person communicating (Language Reach, n.d). For instance, written...