T16a

Name: Isabella Sanchez / Samuel Gonzales / Ana Sofia Fonseca / Isabella Velasquez
Date: 30 / 01 / 2023 Group: Brundtland

1- Responds critically and informedly to a variety of texts in a range of forms, styles, and contexts suppor-
ted by interdependent reading skills, analysis, and research.
2- Makes use of effective, creative, accurate, and appropriate written communication forms, a firm
foundation for further study of language, and linguistics, to write clearly, accurately, creatively, and
effectively for different purposes/audiences, using different formats.
3- Comprehends and applies natural and scripted speech featured in different contexts, both formally
and informally, for analysis and as a stimulus for personal communication and creative expression.

Branches of the same tree

What’s new with you, dear student?
We thought I’d be nice to start the class by thinking about Einstein’s words: “All
religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”
What are the implications of these words? All religions, arts and sciences are
branches of the same tree because these aspirations are directed toward
ennobling human life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence
and leading people towards freedom. In this metaphor, religion, art, and
science are all compared to branches. A single branch is connected a
tree, and that tree has many other branches, so this suggests that any
human expression, whether of faith, aesthetics, knowledge, and inquiry
are all related and come from the same origin. Simultaneously, trees
can grow for a very long time, so it also suggests that our knowledge
about religion, art and science is always changing and growing.
Let us keep an open mind to focus on today’s topic. Although we have
discussed the topic of racism, immigration, alienation, and
self-alienation, before we would like you to twist the picture, and talk
about the people. Not the politics. Today we want you to consider on
one hand othering and on the other belonging and inclusiveness to
shape the future of the world.
Othering is a phenomenon in which some individuals or groups are defined
and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group. It is an effect that
influences how people perceive and treat those who are viewed as being part of
the in-group versus those who are seen as being part of the out-group.
Othering also involves attributing negative characteristics to people or groups that
differentiate them from the perceived normative social group.
It is an “us vs. them” way of thinking about human connections and relationships.
This process essentially involves looking at others and saying, "they are not like me"
or "they are not one of us."
Othering is a way of negating another person's individual humanity and,
consequently, those that are have been othered are seen as less worthy of dignity
and respect.
On an individual level, othering plays a role in the formation of prejudices against
people and groups. On a larger scale, it can also play a role in the dehumanization
of entire groups of people which can then be exploited to drive changes in
institutions, governments, and societies. It can lead to the persecution of
marginalized groups, the denial of rights based on group identities, or even acts of
violence against others.
1- Get together with a group of your classmates but do so, for the sake of today’s activity, with
students who you do not usually work with.

a-b
 T16b
Name:
Date: Group:

Your teacher will assign two random radio programs for you to listen to.
Identify the topics that it covers and discuss it within your group.
2- Conduct a brief presentation for the rest of the class, it’s ok if you have the same radio program
as another group, what matters is the perspective with which you cover the content of the news.
Try answering the following questions:
a) What social issues does the news discuss?
b) What perspectives are covered in the news?
c) How do you feel about the topic discussed?
d) Do the interviewers and interviewees provide factual
answers and evidence or merely opinions?
e) Since some of the radio program focus on a spiritual
approach to cover some topics, why is it important to solve
these dilemmas with an ethical perspective or perhaps
gaining moral grounds?
3- Your task in today’s class is to:
1. Define inclusiveness.
. It. . is. . being
. . . . . . empathic
. . . . . . . . . .enough
. . . . . . . to
. . .not
. . . .do
. . .what
. . . . .you
. . . .wouldn't
. . . . . . . . .like
. . . .others
. . . . . . to
. . .do
. . . to
. . you
. . . . .and
. . . .take
. . . . into
. . . . .account
. . . . . . . .the
. . . people
..........
. that
. . . . surround
. . . . . . . . . .you.
..................................................................................................
2. Define belonging.
.Is. .feeling
. . . . . . .that
. . . . you
. . . . are
. . . .part
. . . . of
. . .something
. . . . . . . . . . and
. . . . .welcome
. . . . . . . . .taking
. . . . . . into
. . . . .account
. . . . . . . .your
. . . . .differences.
....................................
.................................................................................................................
3. Promote a strategy that fights othering.
.We
. . . .will
. . . .propose
. . . . . . . . that
. . . . is
. . important
. . . . . . . . . . .that
. . . . we
. . . pay
. . . . close
. . . . . attention
. . . . . . . . . .to. . our
. . . . similarities
. . . . . . . . . . . and
. . . . don't
. . . . . .judge
. . . . . .books
. . . . . .by
. . .their
. . . . .cover
......
.but
. . . .always
. . . . . . be
. . . open
. . . . . .to. . know
. . . . . .new
. . . . persons,
. . . . . . . . .and
. . . . if. . we
. . . don't
. . . . . .like
. . . .them
. . . . . we
. . . just
. . . . get
. . . .away
. . . . . without
. . . . . . . . being
. . . . . . rude.
..................
4. If our knowledge comes from the same tree, what common answer can be given to the hatred,
isolation, alienation, xenophobia, racism, or discrimination against other human beings?
.Criticizing
. . . . . . . . . . or
. . . discriminating
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .against
. . . . . . . others
. . . . . . .is. .reflecting
. . . . . . . . . your
. . . . . own
. . . . .fears
. . . . . and
. . . . insecurities
. . . . . . . . . . . .because
. . . . . . . .we. . .are all the same
.although
. . . . . . . . .we
. . .have
. . . . .certain
. . . . . . . characteristics
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . that
. . . . .make
. . . . . us
. . . unique.
. . . . . . . . Besides,
. . . . . . . . many
. . . . . . times
. . . . . .we
. . . feel
. . . . like
. . . . we
. . . can
. . . . control
...............
everything,including what others think, so when we recognize a different perspective we react wrong and with anger.
5. Read the following quote:
“We believe that the only viable solution to the problem of othering is one involving
inclusion and belongingness. The most important good we distribute to each other
in society is membership. The right to belong is prior to all other distributive
decisions since it is members who make those decisions.”
john a. powell and Stephen Menendian

- On the light of the radio program heard, do you agree with the statement?
To what extent?
.No
. . . ,. we
. . . .don't
. . . . . agree
. . . . . .because
. . . . . . . .we
. . .think
. . . . . .that
. . . .countries
. . . . . . . . . with
. . . . . the
. . . .resources
. . . . . . . . . need
. . . . . .to. . help
. . . . .those
. . . . . in
.
need
. . . . . and
. . . . .allow
. . . . . them
. . . . . .to
. . create
. . . . . . .a. life
. . . .in. . their
. . . . . countries.
.............................................
- If humans could learn to get in touch with their spirituality and be more
“humane” could this solve the issue of othering? How? Why?
Yes,
. . . . .because
. . . . . . . .the
. . . .main
. . . . . cause
. . . . . .of
. . discrimination
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . is. . the
. . . .lack
. . . . of
. . .humanity
. . . . . . . . . and
. . . . .thinking
. . . . . . . . with
. . . . . the
..
. heart.
. . . . . . Therefore,
. . . . . . . . . . .if. .people
. . . . . . .start
. . . . thinking
. . . . . . . . . and
. . . . acting
. . . . . . .with. . . . .their
. . . . .heart,
. . . . . .we
. . .would
. . . . . . treat
. . . . . others
......
better, like a family.

a-b