1.

Cite three (3) topics/lessons in this course that you personally find interesting and
relevant. Explain how each topic has helped you gain a better and deeper
understanding of yourself, others, and the society in general. (minimum: 3 pages)
The First topic that I find interesting is the Nature of Power. Second topic is The Subject and
Power by Michel Foucault. Third is the Politics of Popular Culture by John Street. These three
topics are the topics that I personally find interest and relevant.

First is the Nature of Power. I find this topic personally interesting and relevant because
in this part of the book it discussed Luke’s 3 dimension of power and the is Hay’s theory of
power. The topic Nature and Power helped me understand myself because it discussed about the
different dimension of power; first dimension concerns on the capacity of an individual to
achieve a desired end even if it opposed by others. Clearly even in the first dimension of power it
basically shows the reality of life, that because other are more powerful than you are, there is a
greater tendency that they will still achieve their desired goal even if it is against the interests of
others. Next is the second dimension which preventing alternative interests of others. This means
that power is controlling the political agenda of others. This is the reality that is happening in our
society. Others are being controlled by those who have greater power. Chooses are being limited
to those who benefit those who are powerful. Third dimension, in this dimension power is being
used to manipulate others. This means that power is able to persuade subordinate groups. This
topic helps me understand myself better because it explains why things happen to certain people
especially when they are powerless.

The topic Nature of Power helps me gain a better understanding of myself because in a
way help me have a clearer view on my standing of the world. As a student, using the different
dimensions of power, I can clearly say that my power is being controlled by greater power above
me. Greater power above me is able to force me, persuade me and even manipulate the decisions
that I am making. Sometimes I am left with false consciousness and I am left powerless in a
given situation. This is the reality that is happening in our daily lives. We are being controlled,
persuade and manipulated by the powers of others which are greater from ours.

Second topic is Just Rage. The Article Just Rage is very interesting to me personally
because it gives a sense of justice to those who were victimized. The idea of just rage is that the
victims of unjust political rule craves relief from the suffering and dehumanization of tyranny. It
shares an emphasis on dissent as public expression of grievance.

Victims of unjust violence last resort is just rage because rage is necessary in the struggle
against injustice and it must not be repressed. Just like the idea of Peter Sloterdijk, he theorized a
“proper rage”, this highlights the power of humans’ desires for justice and revenge. These
victims of unjust violence wanted to return a share amount of pain stored up inside of them
especially who causes them that pain but is not yet punished.

This is what majority of the people want to do. The just rage is a form of revenge but is
justifiable because of the pain it caused them. Majority of people does not simply want to have
rage but rather just rage. The reason for their violence is caused due to the pain that they felt
before and the person who caused them that pain is still not punish. Just rage is somehow a form
of revenge. Revenge does not simply happen without any cause. There should always be a
caused that would cause people to resort to just rage.

The topic of just rage helps me understand the society in general this topic gives me a
better understanding towards other people who resort to just rage. Just rage is also a form of
violence but it goes beyond just violence. Just rage it somewhat a form of reaction to those
people who were unjustly victimized and those who caused them pain is still not yet punished.

Third is the Politics of Popular Culture by John Street. I find this topic very interesting
because everyone can relate to this topic. Popular culture is the accumulation of cultural products
such as music, art, literature, dance, film, and other kinds of culture, that are consumed by the
majority of the society’s population. This topic helps me gain a better understanding of myself
because with this, I realized that I am also part of those who are in a popular culture. As part of
the popular culture, I am able to be part of this culture because it is what I am provided. I cannot
consider myself as part of the high culture which the elite people belong I am unable to access
some part a culture, I am also limited to the music, art, literature, dance, and film to the things
which can readily be accessed by anyone.

In the Politics of Popular Culture there is a sub topic which is the Politics of Protest, now
popular culture refers to the use of a specific culture to express political views. This is what
happens in Politics of protest, songs, art, and other forms of literature are used to create a
different kind of protest. This helps me gain a better understanding of the society because this is
the reality and what is happening in our daily lives. Many people protest on what they believe is
right but not everyone is able to perform rallies on the street, so they found others ways to show
their protest, these protests are in the form of music and art. Not all songs are a form of protest
but there are some great songs which would really touch are hearts by its voice, its, rhythm, and
even the arrangement of the song.

Another sub-topic of Politics of Popular Culture, is the Politics of Censorship, the idea of
Politics of Censorship is that the state intervenes in its production and distribution. States across
the world are responsible for banning and altering of popular culture. This helps me gain a better
understanding of the society because that is the reality. It could not be denied that popular culture
is controlled by the state. They function as a strainer to what goes in and what goes out on social
media. Even on the songs that we play, it also affected by the state. Before anything goes out in
social media or in any form of social platform, there is always a high chance that it was already
filtered by the state. The fact that censorship is happening, makes it political. Some popular
culture is censored because there are explicit words or ideas that the state does not want everyone
to know. This may be a good or bad thing but the very reason or censoring it makes it political
already.