TASK I
Learn the tone words from the lesson today.
Practise more sentences.
TASK 2
1. Choose one of the prompts below.
2. Read the two people stories – about Jeremy and about Brad/Pam or use another that we have done such as Arie Edie.
3. Use the people stories as anecdotes/evidence/case studies and relate their experiences to the prompt.
4. Write a topic sentence. Explain the problem or key idea/concept.
5. Include key quotes and work into the grammar of your sentence
6. Start with a general idea and put in more precise points about the person.
PROMPTS FOR IDENTITY AND CONFLICT
- Having a sense of difference makes it difficult to belong.
- Conflict changes our priorities.
- Discovering who we are and where we belong can be challenging.
- Our connections with others tell us who we are
- The way we deal with conflict shapes who we are
- We all see life from different perspectives.
- Our memories of events often lead to differences of opinions
Domestic violence: ‘I always said to them what their dad was doing was not normal’
Cameron Houston (The Age) Published: July 8, 2015 – 6:05PM
See: http://www.smh.com.au/national/domestic-violence-i-always-said-to-them-what-their-dad-was-doing-was-not-normal-20150708-gi7v03.html
Two of us: Brad and Pam Connelly by Robyn Doreian Published: February 14, 2015 – 1:21PM
When Brad Connelly, 52, married his wife Pam, 46, in 1997, they planned a life of surfing, skiing and sustainable living. Seven months later, Brad broke his neck in a bodysurfing accident.
See : http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/two-of-us/two-of-us-brad-and-pam-connelly-20150212-12l91w.html B
EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN USE THE STORIES.
Summaries
A violent upbringing, a volatile and dysfunctional home environment can lead to poor experiences and traumatic memories. Jeremy, whose case is now before the Royal Commission into Domestic Violence, struggles that he has been conditioned to see life through a violent lens. He worries that he, too, will become violent. His mother reminds him that his violent father is “not normal”, but he doesn’t have a concept of “normal”. He only remembers how his father forced him to become complicit in the abuse of the mother. Once at a family shack in the country, he made Jeremy ring and violently abuse his mother, or he, would suffer a beating himself. So he complied, but forever worries about his shameful complicity. Did he do enough to protect his mother? Will he, too become a violent person?
Brad and Pam Connelly
BRAD CONNELLY Brad Connelly broke his neck in a bodysurfing accident and his life changed forever. Learning to communicate through lip-reading leads to a significant change in relationship patterns as does the fact that he has to learn to live with the feeling of being a constant burden. (“I shattered so many people with my injury.” From a tactile perspective, he also had to rethink his relationship with his children as he can only feel their skin through his face. As he states, “It’s not how I envisaged being a father”. His relationship with his wife Pam is not physical but rather they “sit and talk for hours” contemplating “life’s big questions together”.
Whilst Brad personally struggles with the vision of himself as a burden, contrastingly, Pam, his wife, expresses gratitude for his life and from her perspective is thankful that she did not lose her husband. She believes that she has grown through their physical interdependence and admits, “I’ve never had a problem with the wife/carer thing. Now it’s like his body is my body.” In a strange way, she believes that the accident has even “improved our relationship.”
Often individuals themselves embrace a variety of different perspectives according to their experiences in life. A change in our physical condition, can lead to a change in our mental outlook and hence differing perspectives. A near tragic accident or near death experiences can heighten our sensitivity and alter perspectives on life. Closeness or first-hand experience has a big impact upon a change in perspectives as does an accident that may involve a significant physical change. (Refer to soldiers’ experiences upon their return from war. Many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder which in itself leads to, or results from a different perspective of life. First-hand experience of the horror and brutality of war, can also lead to changed perspectives about one’s own sense of courage and honour as well as reflection upon dominant political agendas.)
Whilst Brad personally struggles with the vision of himself as a burden, contrastingly, Pam, his wife, expresses gratitude for his life and from her perspective is thankful that she did not lose her husband. She believes that she has grown through their physical interdependence and admits, “I’ve never had a problem with the wife/carer thing. Now it’s like his body is my body.” In a strange way, she believes that the accident has even “improved our relationship”.
Example 2: disaffected youth
Arie Eddie is typical of many 18-year-old youths who are struggling to find employment and feel that they lack a purpose and a sense of belonging. Official figures suggest that up to 14 per cent of youths are unemployed and the situation is worse in regional Victoria where Arie lives. After being rejected by more than 740 employers he states “It constantly makes me feel worthless. It makes me feel like I don’t have any purpose and every day is hard to get through. I feel like I have no need to be around if I haven’t got a job,” Arie said. Contrastingly, Nick Jones who is participating in a program called Ignite that provides customer service training to young adults, remarks that it has had a big impact upon his confidence and pride. He says, “it has given me a great sense of self-worth and motivation”.
It is very difficult to be oneself if one belongs to marginal groups. In this case, individuals are often restricted by disadvantage or by injustice. (Being an outsider has a big impact upon one’s sense of self.) Patti Miller shows that many Aborigines lack opportunities because they are the victims of prejudice in the community. They also lack a strong and purposeful sense of self and suffer what could be called an “identity crisis”.
Return to Classes: VCE Preparation (Thursday evening class)