Gökhan Nedim GÜNAL 20193310024/Morning……. İDE 158 Introduction to Cultural Studies II Lecturer Burak YİĞİT, PhD C. April, 26th 2020 ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN BRIEF AND WELL-DEVELOPED PARAGRAPHS- SHORT ANSWERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. DO NOT CHANGE FORMAT OF THIS PAPER 1.15 LINE SPACING AND 11 PTS TIMES NEW ROMAN. ANY PLAGIARISM OR DUBLICATE ANSWERS WITH SOME OTHER CLASSMATES OF YOURS WILL LEAD TO FAILURE IN THIS COURSE. YOU HAVE TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS INDIVIDIUALLY WITH YOUR OWN WORDS. 1- What factors were changing people's lives at the turn of the century? Do you think people's lives today are better than people's lives were one hundred years ago? Why or why not? - - The political climate of 20th century was much different than how it was beforehand. Demands for better life standards and human rights forced monarchs and totalitarian governments to make changes but it was enough just for short period of time. In the end people realized how the system in overall need to be altered and currents of thought like feminism and socialism began to rise and make influence rapidly. Rulers realized how workers can halt a countries functioning due to industrializing world, wind of changes were clearly on the horizon. Technology and industrialization became the way of competing and the scars of colonialization started to peel off in which nationalism and will for freedom bled like a groove. A new power which would have change the tide of world arisen, persecution and oppression of Jewish people led them to emigrate in where they would live peacefully and be evaluated by their hardwork and qualification; it was United States of America. Capitalism changed the whole perception, the fire didn’t only burn the ground but also splashed to the far sees, all over the Europe and even Asia. But the desire for domination and greed of power made leaders to poison their people with hostile thoughts against their neighbours thus preparing foot soldiers with their war cry. While at the start of 20th century people were full of hopes like having prosperity, peace and freedom, life changed drastically with the war. All of the progressions made before disappeared and order of the world changed yet again. 21th century is million times different than how it was in 20th century. While a hundred year ago world was trembling with wars, oppressive regimes, diseases and famine, now people (at least considerable amount of) live in better conditions. Education is not only secluded to high class, literacy is today’s norm, higher education can be obtained for people of every walks of life.. Pacts and agreements made for protecting countries rightful borders so the world doesn’t roll back to the mistakes made in the past. Technology led people to live longer, know how people from other countries live, also made them to travel with ease. Although human rights wise we didn’t make enough changes, it’s safe to say that people have much more freedom than how it was a hundred years ago. Today we are living in a world where illusions and realities are in purgatory. Maybe it’s easier to say that life got better than how it was before but also selfish individualism, rapidly increasing population and unprincipled capitalism where the idea of ‘might is right’ is dominant are making the world crawl into downfall. A hundred year ago conservative rulers made the world into war-zone and yet again, we are seeing same types of governments all over the world, whom are nullifying the concepts which made communities stand together, marginalizing the people from opposition, creating their own bourgeoisie and alianizing the rest with putting labels they design for their own benefit. Fear empires in which despair and ignorance roll the wheels. We cannot simplify and compare two different time periods in which realities were completely different, there are no black&white, only shades of gray. 2- If you were a soldier in this war, how do you think your experiences might have changed your attitudes toward military, political, or religious leaders? - - First World War was very unforgiving and brutal with the technology brought much more deadly weapons to be used. Machine guns with rapid fire capabilities and mortars which can destroy a trench full of soldiers brought down brigades of men to the dust, suffering horrible deaths or injuries. There was a build-up we cannot go without mentioning which is how regular people were affected by the propaganda leaders spread around, promises of glory and false sense of patriotism led millions of young men to join the campaign. Being unaware of harsh truths awating for them, all of them were confident and hopeful that they would win the war and go back home as heroes. We can never fully grasp how it was in the front lines of war but one can definetely imagine how a soldier would feel after being injected with hope, then finding only misery and suffering. While commanders and leaders ordered soldiers to charge at enemy lines, they were residing at their ivory towers surrounded with luxories levies could never imagine. Maybe in WW1 soldiers were much more informed than others in previous wars but in truth most of them were farmer boys or a member of poor family. British and French brought soldiers from their colonies who didn’t even know who they were fighting against, Russians recruited their foot soldiers from poor villages or forcibly taken young men from their Central Asian colonies as we can read from Chingiz Aitmatov’s ‘Mother Earth’. Religious leaders blessed the fighting men and their killing machines, even marked them as holy warriors whom are justified thus making them not fear death and blindly fight against ‘villains or infidels’. From these point of view, if I was a soldier who was fighting in the war, I would question the men who were giving me orders while me and my comrades putting our lives to jeopardy on the field and they are just thinking of their own glory. 3- Do you think the “Communist” October Revolution fulfilled the hopes of its supporters? - Russian people craved for equality and prosperity just like every other nation did. Result of WW1 was disastorous, millions have died in battle because of defeats, poor conditions and mutiny. It was clear that tsardom had to be changed, Lenin came to power with great promises which gave people hope that they wanted for so long. While it was not the perfect system, it changed people’s lives for better. Workers gained their rights, farmers and villagers had their own lands and illeterate learnt how to read&write. A humane and rightful system gave people a greater purpose, made communities cling to each other and also erased religious and racial differences which made people unite under one big tent. Supporters of Communism came not only from Soviet Union lands, people from all over the world joined the cause and sense of commitment was created. But one man regime roared it’s ugly head, with the death of Lenin all of the hopes fullfilled by the regime turned into nightmare by the new leader, Josef Stalin, a man who is poisoned by power and filled with hatred for his own kind. 4- What could be the reasons of the fact that ‘british producers of People’s Century’ paid less attention to the Turkish experience of the Great War in the episode ‘Lost Peace’ ? - The build-up into WW2 revolved around Western European countries mostly. While most of the population stood against the idea of another great war, fascist leaders led their people to war with the idea of retalliation. Newly founded eastern european countries didn’t have any say in this war and Turkey didn’t want to take any part in that too. After the fall of Ottoman Empire, Republic of Turkey experienced huge changes in every part of life. Under the principles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, foreign affairs centred around peace and experiences of WW1 taught Turkey to be hesitant about taking sides at the war which was bound to come. In another perspective, we can see that British culture in general revolved (and still revolving) around Eurocentralism, for them it was the war of Europeans not the war of ‘others’. It is also worth mentioning that in the previous episodes of ‘People’s Century’ Ottoman Empire and the newly builded Republic of Turkey took no spotlight even though we (Turkey) took active role in the war (WW1) and also Turkey’s independence war not even mentioned once. I can only interpret the reason of this as British mentality for Eurocentralism and snobberishness they possess as a trait. It is also evident that in this documentary only handful of countries outside of Europe have been mentioned which only strengthens my previous implications. 5- In addition to the automobile, what consumer goods were presented in the program segment? - American society changed their way of living with the mass production and consumerism. Automobile industry became the most lucrative sector and employer. Other countries also followed the trend and many other motor companies began to emerge. Following these major changes, mass production presented other products for the needs of common folks and others. Factories started making furniture, ready-make clothes. Inexperienced workers were recruited for manufacturing electric appliances, radio components and radio itself, with the emergence of radio also music was demanded and provided. From wireless components and assebling lines to batteries, vacuum cleaners and even biscuits were on the market in masses. 6- Why do you think the program is titled "Great Escape"? Why were movies popular in the early 1900s? Are movies popular today for the same reasons? If not, why not? Explain. - Movies which were shot in 1900’s reflected on what people wanted from their lives subconsciously. Monotony and dissatisfaction led people to desire an escape in which they could leave their realities behind and enjoy themselves for time being. Cinema was the escape, a thing that brightened their lives and make them glare with envy at actors and actresses about how they look, how they act and how their lives depicted in the pictures. When we look at how people lived in those times, we can see that life was much simpler. People didn’t have lots of spare time on their hands and they certainly didn’t have TV at their homes. Maybe this is why cinema got so popular, in another perspective, we can certainly say that it gave them a chance to live out their dreams and imaginations. Nowadays, more or less movies still bear the same purpose, it represents all kinds of people with their thoughts and wishes. Also advanced cinema techniques and technology offers much more realistic and artistic experiences where audience can be gratified immensely. 7- In the program, farmers throw away milk and destroy their crops while people are starving. Why was this done? What other necessary resources were wasted in the program? - United States and whole globe suffered a terrrible economic crisis first starting with the fall of Wall Street market. Unemployment sky rocketed and starvation came after it. While leaders like Herbert Clark Hoover tried various solutions to tackle this crisis, in his term farmers started dumping their products for both protesting the prices which was cut by half and selling it for higher prices by reducing the stocks available. Similar problem also happened in Belgium where coal miners couldn’t even use the coal for warming their own houses. After Hoover, the new leader, Roosevelt had a scheme where he made farmers to waste their products which they were selling for dirt cheap. This products were mainly cotton, by destroying them he planned raising the prices thus making landowner’s wallet thick and gaining ground in the next elections. Another fine example by utilitarian side of capitalism where decision makers create opportunities from others sufferings. 8- Why did people admire Joe Louis and Babe Ruth? How did these athletes reflect contemporary American values? - Sports became main entertainment for American people after cinema faze. People all around the nation loved baseball and boxing games more than anything. Babe Ruth adored by many because of his skills and also his relatable nature of being an orphan and having disposition to alcohol and food. Every poor kid watching his games saw a man that comes from nothing became a rich and succesful man who is in photos with most important figures of American society. Joe Louis on the other hand, became a symbol for American people because of tensions between US and Germany. After he defeated German boxer Max Schmeling, he didn’t only represent black people, he also represented Americans as a national hero who defeated the role model for imposing threat of supremacist Nazi Germany. 9- How did Nazis define the ideal German? What images did they use to create stereotypes of Jews? - - White supremacy for Nazi Germany defined ideal German people as genetically healthy, proportionately structured, blonde and tall individuals. Jewish people on the other hand, depicted as awry, ugly and weak. They were called ‘poisoneus mushrooms’ who are molester of children, perverts of aryan women, crooks who would rip off honest Germans, criminals who are pick-pocketing, whoremongering, drug-dealing, white slaving vermin. Also wealthy Jewish portrayed as international profiteers and slandering journalists. 10- Why did military strategists target civilian populations in World War II? WW2 took a sharp turn with the new element of assault, terror. After Japan bombed civilians in Shangai, Mussolini’s Italy followed this bloody method in Ethiopia. Nazi Germany used fast and relentless type of attacks called ‘blitzkrieg’ in which not only naval and land forces hit their targets but also air strikes targeted civilians and enclaves. This method was used for decreasing the morale of people about continuing the struggle, also made surviving civilians to relocate, which made their survival even more difficult. On the other hand, these bombings devestated economy of the enemy, livelihoods such as factories and farmlands have been destroyed in the process. Even though this immoral method shunned by US and some other targeted countries, it continued to be applied for obstucting the logistics, sabotaging provisions and terrorizing the subjects. P.S- Due to open-ended nature of some questions I took the liberty of extending the answers rather than chastening them for fitting into 2 pages.
