LINGUA INGLESE – 12 CFU

Prof. SABATINI Federico

LEZIONE 27 – 29.11.2021

[PRESENTAZIONE IN AULA SU FILM “STRAUGHT OUTTA COMPTON”]

Plot summary:
in 1987 five young men started using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, putting
their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most
powerful weapon they had: their music.

Gangsta rap: deviant verses or musical rebellion?

<<gangsta rap>> is a subgenre of hip hop emerged during the 80s in the USA eastern area.

Political incorrectness in the rhymes ->

As they became famous for their sociopolitical loyalty towards violence against minorities
and racial abuse, the N.W.A. (the rap group) composed powerful lyrics such as <<Fuck the
police>>, <<Straight outta Compton>>.
In these words, it is easy to find a lot of dysphemism.

Discourse analysys: the <<N-word>> ->

Nowadays we use <<n-word>> to hide the dysphemism <<nigger/nigga>>, linked to
centuries of slavery and racism.
The N.W.A. uses the n-word as part of their ethnolect of the social group.
SCENES:

Lights, camera, action: police inspection ->

During this scene we can see the group in front of two police officers that want to check
their identity and what they are doing.

Police harassment ->

The police officers are rude and disrespectful, assuming a dominant behavior.
They express prejudice, assuming that the guys are “gangsters” just for the color of their
skin.

[PRESENTAZIONE FILM “THE TERMINAL]

PLOT:
Viktor Navorski arrives at New York airport but he is not allowed to enter into the USA
because his passport is temporary not valid due to a civil war that started while he was
travelling.
Frank Dixon, the Acting Field Commissioner of the airport, tells Viktor to remain in the
transit lounge until the issue is resolved. The protagonist finds a gate under renovation and
he settles there. Dixon tries several times to conspire against Viktor to make him leave
airport illegally so that he can be arrested and become someone’s else problem but he fails
of all his attempts.
Viktor meets Amelia Warren, a flight attendant, and falls in love.
After nine months, the civil war in Krakhozia comes to an end and Viktor is free to go to the
USA to fulfil the promise he made to his father but Dixon prevents from doing so.
STEREOTYPE AND PREJUDICE: an example

VIKTOR’S IDENTITY CRISIS DEVELOPMENT:

During the film, the protagonist goes trough a culture shock. Viktor finds himself in an
intercultural and unfamiliar environment which is drastically different from his own.
He does no longer find familiar signs, symbols or surroundings such as language, nor people
to interact with. Viktor feels like a fish out of water and this seems to overwhelm him.
Viktor’s identity crisis is the result of an <<earthquake>> that drastically changes aspects
that are meant to be fixed and immutable such as cultural, economic and social
environment.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
- <<The terminal>> shows how a man managed to survive for nine months in a hostile
environment, without any money, friends, language connections, food neither home.
- Viktor survived because he was able to build social networks at the airport and the people
he met were eager to establish an intercultural communication with him.
- the film conveys a strong pathos-oriented message about both national and familiar
identity
- Ethos and logos elements can be identified as well:
1) Ethos: the film is inspired by the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri and aims at
teaching something on intercultural communication
2) Logos: you might meet special persons by going beyond stereotypes and prejudices.
LEZIONE 28 – 30.11.2021

[PRESENTAZIONE FILM “THE HELP”]

THE PLOT:
The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen words as maid for Elizabeth Leefolt,
whereas her friend, and maid, Minny works for Hilary Walters.
Hillary and Elizabeth’s mutual friend Eugenia Phelan (Skeeter) is disappointed with the
racist attitudes of her town. Moreover, she wants to become a writer. Therefore, she
decides to write a book about the town’s racism toward maids, after discovering that her
mother fired the maid who raised her.

THE KIND OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

-> Personal: in includes interpersonal and individual discrimination that can be direct or
indirect.
-> Institutional: it refers to different access to services on the basis of ethnicity
-> Structural: They narrow opportunities to a specific group of people
The home theme:
-> for white women the home is a private space
-> for black women the white’s house is a workplace where they must fight to earn respect

Examples of gender inequality happening today:

- Child marriage
- Economic independence
- Education
- Wages

LEZIONE 29 – 1.12.2021

NOTA PER SECONDO ESONERO: NEL FOGLIO

DELL’ESONERO INDICARE SE SI VUOLE SOSTENERE
L’ESAME FINALE IL 12/1. IN QUESTO CASO IL DOCENTE
CORREGGEREBBE IL VOSTRO ESONERIO
ANTICIPATAMENTE PER FARVI PREPARARE L’ESAME PER IL
12 GENNAIO.

TRADITIONAL GENDER STEREOTYPES

<<THE MEN>> And <<THE>> WOMEN

Feminine: “not aggressive”, “Dependent”, “Easily influenced”, ecc.
Masculine: “Not at al talkative”, “Tough”, “Less sensitive to other feelings”, ecc.

To understand the relation between gender and language we have to analyse grammatical
asymmetries, then we move to lexical asymmetries.

This stamp represents the gender stereotypes.

What is stereotyped oriented about gender in this stamp? The man is in higher position and
he is protecting her. Indeed we know that after the divorce from him she started wearing
high heels, during the wedding she never wore them.
Such a popular image in the world was representing the stereotype. Also because Prince
Charles was supposed to be the next king.

GENDER DOUBLE STANDARD

(Socio-cultural and “linguistic”)

Students learn better when teachers are passionate about teaching.

Versus
The students learn better when the teachers are passionate about teaching.

-> both sentences are correct, but the meaning is different. Without article is a general
statement related to the whole category of students. The second is not incorrect, but it
must be in a conversation with a context (ex. The students of intercultural communication
course…).

QUOTES FROM DONALD TRUMP

“People don’t know how well we’re doing with the Hispanics, the Latinos.”
“I have a great relationship with the blacks. I’ve always had a great relationship with the
blacks.”
“I love the Muslims. I think they’re great people.”
“Ask the gays what they think and what they do.”
“I will be phenomenal to the women.”

-> comments on these quotes: he always refers to the others with the article “the” to
suggest that they are the same
-> “The Hispanics”, The Latinos”, ecc.
-> We could use “The Hyspanic people”, or “the Hyspanic community”, inclusive terms.
DISTANCING “THE”
Using the word “the” in front of a group is a way of highlighting the group’s otherness from
the speaker and his or her audience (e.g. Eric Acton)
“There is this distancing effect, like they are over there”
“They’re signaling they’re not part of it – they’re distancing themselves from it”.

If you are going to use a distancing expression to a group that already has a history of being
oppressed and marginalized, then you are really running a risk of creating an ‘othering
effect’

In addition to distancing, the speaker who labels a group with the article “the”
1) suggests that members of that group act and think homogeneously
2) it’s drawing a circle around a certain group of people. It is a very straight-jacketing kind
of expression
3) it’s a very delineating strategy that could make members of that group think they’re
being pointed at.

LANGUAGE AND GENDER

1. SEX: either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated with
reference to the reproductive functions.
2. GENDER: either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by
social and cultural roles and behavior: the feminine gender.

As for human beings:

SEX: man/woman
GENDER: male/female (feminine/masculine)
KEY POINTS

1. “Human sexuality” refers to people’s sexual interest in and attraction to others; it is the
capacity to have erotic or sexual feelings and experiences.
2. Human sexuality can be understood as part of the social life of humans, governed by
social norms, implied rules of behavior, and the status quo. Society’s views on sexuality
have changed throughout history and are continuously evolving.
3. Each society has different norms about premarital sex, the age of sexual consent,
homosexuality, masturbation, and other sexual behaviors. Individuals are socialized to
these norms from an early age by their family, education system, peers, media, and
religion.
4. With the advent of patriarchal societies, gender roles around sexuality became much
more stringent, and sexual norms began focusing on sexual possessiveness and the control
of female sexuality.

Patriarchal: relating to a system run by males, rather than females. This may lead to SEXISM
AND/OR MISOGINY.
Misogyny: hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls.
Sexism or Gender bias: social system, ideology
Heteronormativity: the belief that heterosexuality is the norm. it is linked to homophobia.
Mores (moral conventions): A set of moral norms or customs derived from generally
accepted and established practices of a society, rather than its written laws.