2016, August

The Broken Window channeling Saki

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  1. Try to restructure the narrative of the story so that a different character undergoes the transformation.
    Re-structure the narrative of Saki’s story of “The Open Window”

Now “The Broken Window”
“My aunt will be most unhappy, Miss Nuttel,” said the somewhat rattled young man; “You must come down immediately”.
As she swung a final, large arc on the brightly-lit antique chandelier, the beautiful Framtona Nuttel knew she was behaving outrageously. Especially in front of another perfect, interesting other. His aunt’s arrival was imminent, so she smoothed down her long, shiny hair, re-arranged her long strands of pearls, and reluctantly acknowledged, to herself, it was vital she create a superb first impression with the oldies. Now was a time to showcase herself and her particular talents. She dropped lithely down onto the carpet.
“With your perverse sense of humour you will definitely have fun.” Her girlfriend was absolutely correct when she told Framtona of this hidden country village. “A group of the usual eccentric, odd English. There’s always somebody around our own age. Our whole family spends months at a time down there – doing boring, disgustingly healthy things. There’s often other young guests – I’ve stayed a few times. Everyone our age goes out of their minds – eating salad all day… only wheat-grass juice to wash it down…. Ughh! ” So, I’ve asked Mummy and she’s written you letters to introduce…. just go down for a few weeks, you will create havoc in that uptight society – I know it!”
“Come closer… I like you… what’s your name? And what do you do for fun down here? Are there any discos around here, or do you have a fast car – so we can escape – do somewhere exciting?” asked Framtona, as she reclined on the carpet, a seductive smile playing on her lips. The young man stayed where he was: “Fun? Here?… You must be mad, it’s so quiet. No discos. No cars here. Even the bus out only stops once every two weeks, as nothing ever happens here. We are so totally boring.” He regarded Framtona warily, almost as if he had found a wild beast on the loose in the house. “And, although I can’t imagine why you are asking me, my name’s Alex.”
Framtona said: “Oh, I like you, and, Alex, you have the wrong idea. That event before? … really, I’m absolutely harmless. I just want to have a bit of fun…. and I’ve never swung from a real chandelier. before…. just toooo tempting.” Framtona looked fondly up at the chandelier. Gorgeous.” “He’s rather good looking,” thought Framtona to herself, as she rose lithely, moved closer to Alex.
“You are trouble, I can tell!” said Alex, “and my mother’s not here now. My Aunt is extremely delicate and nervous – unlike my mother, she likes everything just so. She also has a very short fuse…. can I see your letter?” Framtona fished a crumpled envelope out of her skirt pocket and handed it over. Alex took the document, moved a little away and quickly read the contents. He looked up…. “Oh, oh, I see, the Osborne side of the family recommended you, to my mother. That explains a lot; Oliviana’s trouble, too.”
“Oh, that’s so unfair! I’m no trouble – although all this Nature frightens me quite a bit.” She shivered. “And, why on earth would you say that about Oliviana? She’s my very best friend, a darling, quiet as a mouse – most of the time!”
“You see that great big boarded-up part of this room? There was a marvellous window there. One you could walk through, straight out onto the terrace, the lawn. Until this time last year, when Oliviana set up a great big bucket of Supaglue on the top sill. She fixed it so it spilled all over some of the family who were just returning, with the dog, through that window. Coming back from a fox hunt. It’s been boarded up ever since, as the whole pane of glass had to be removed – along with all of them – dog included. They all instantly stuck to to the glass, and the ambulance had to come. Load them all in – together – and take them to the hospital. They weren’t hurt though it took days to remove the glue. Some didn’t come off. The glass was as ancient as the house and the glass panes were handblown. So there was a big conservation job to do, and that’s taking months. Oliviana’s an animal lover. Just so I know – what are you?”
As she closed in on Alex again, that last statement caught Framtona a little off-guard. Did it indicate Alex may have a few more brains than she had calculated, she wondered? “Oh, I’m Australian! Is that what you mean… or, I love animals too! Though I’m really, really scared – half to death – of some of the bigger ones” Framtona shivered, then smiled. “But, I’m good at cooking, too! But really what I love most, is fun. More than anything else! And, I want to avoid being bored – I want excitement… I want a bit of danger. And I love laughing!” She laughed as she put her arm through Alex’s. He gave her the letter, which she put back into her pocket. Swishing her skirts coquettishly, Framtona flashed Alex her winning, most seductive look.
“You are trouble, I can feel it.” growled Alex, looking down at her. Then he appeared to soften, moved, took her hand. Together they walked out through a set of French windows, onto a terrace. Alex smiled at her: ” No more playing about now. My mother is in London for a fortnight.” Framtona fluttered her eyelashes at him, and he smiled again. “Aunt Gywnndolina will welcome you properly as our guest. Come and sit next to me – in the summerhouse, for a bit. Calm down” The house stood in its lovely garden, quite a way from the road. In the late afternoon it was still, beautiful in the summerhouse, yet Framtona was puzzled by a shaking she felt through her feet. Through the beams of slanting English-summer sunlight, Framtona saw something approaching rapidly across the lawn. A rather large bear.
“Hellooo… Alex!” came a muffled hail. Alex waved a happy greeting, “Thought you were throwing your hurley again, today, Aunt Gywnndolina! How’d you go?” “The bear plonked down next to Alex. “Ah, no, Alex, no throwing, not today… just the regular ‘clash of the ash’ – Yes, a really good game. To celebrate we girls put our big fake fun-furs on. Then we went running around. Growling. Even went into the park for a bit! I love a good practical joke – all really good, clean fun – all above board, mostly! We scared a few nature-lovers, I think. Didn’t we all laugh, then! Aunt Gywnndolina took off the bear-head, smiled, showing a few gaps where teeth were missing.
“Who’s that? Pretty little thing…. did she go upstairs? Now..? I wonder why on earth… she’s staying? oh, I do hope so! She looks fit, and we’ve another game tomorrow! I’ve an extra hurley stick – she can have it. ” Alex said: “That’s Framtona, and yes, she is staying with us – for two weeks!” He smiled as his aunt became wildly excited: “Oh, there’s a slinky panther costume in the cupboards upstairs – it would fit her perfectly!” Alex nodded: “I know she is a wonderful climber.” “Perfect! – Will you come with us, Alex? After the game we can go out in the woods again. With her! we’ll run around, growling – and have some fun!”
Alex gave his Aunty Gywnndolina – a great big bear hug, and a kiss. “Purrfect” he said, smiling.

The Broken Window channeling Saki

Maximise your interview: good communication 16 May, 2016

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REPORT

Maximise your interview:
good communication

Date of submission: 16 May, 2016

for general readership

Susanne Lorraine Harford

INTRODUCTION

This report analyses one particular interview, it, as Grellier and Goerke (2010) say, “mak[es] meaning from that text” (p. 17). This interview with an individual was conducted during a specific period, and in a particular, though dynamic social environment of “global integration, modernity, risk, and progress” (Lull, p. 52).This report’s primary objective is to examine the positive effects of three groupings of interpersonal communication techniques, used by the interviewer throughout this assignment. The primary research showed a combination of interpersonal communication techniques have benefits: venue and tone; some types of non-verbal communication; question type and mix; all of which are added to pro-active listening and thinking (Jarvey, Week 9, S1, 2016) and strong management. This tiny report is in stages: introduction, preparation, interview, and report development and is made up of small steps as Bilefield (April, 2016) recommends in this digital age. Yet it is founded in, and straddles, an enormous subject. This report ends with a conclusion and eight recommendations.
1.0 PREPARATION

The interview was held in April, 2016, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The interviewer is: Australian, woman, 70s, Caucasian, educated, pro bono worker. The chosen interviewee is: James Smith, Australian, male, 30s, Caucasian, educated, employed professional. The parties occasionally work together in teams. Both appear to fit Hofestede’s (1997) description of the ability to deal with change. Each live and work in an established,
western-world global social environment (personal experience, 1980-2016).

Although that society operates globally, it’s “culture… or beliefs or values that give meaning to ways of life and produce” (Crang, 1998, p. 2) it changes. While now driving force remains economics (Bonnett, 2004), today this society’s “cultural geography” (Crang, 1998, p. 2) is the digital-information era, where democracy is foundering (Bonnett, 2004). In this environment, as Grellier and Goerke (2010) say, communication is “not a single process” (p. 17).

1.1 Initial meeting (refer also to Appendix 6.1)
As the objective of this report is to assess communication techniques, at the initial meeting the interviewer checked interpersonal compatibility (ECU RPS1100 Unit Plan, S1, 2016)
2.0 INTERVIEW
The interviewee is an expert on the crowd-fund sector. The interviewer’s first questions, or small steps (Bilefield, April, 2016) focussed on that specific digital subject (appendix 1). Those questions were deliberately chosen to relax the interviewee (appendix 6.1). These questions created comfortable entry into the more speculative questions about the internet (appendix 6.1.1).

2.1 Analysis: Communication factors’ positive impact

2.1.1 VENUE and TONE
pleasant surroundings and physical comfort
friendly communication and warm engagement
awareness of impact of age difference

Communications, as King says, are complicated because “psychological… relational… situational… environmental… cultural” factors all play their part (7 April, 2016). Those factors are kept in mind in this analysis of an interview whose subject is: “The internet: is it a force for good or evil?”

The positive effect of the venue could be seen. Crouch explains “understanding the culture that surrounds” is an essential component in the design of communications created to convey to others our “… ideas about [our culture] and [our] perceived place in it” (1999).

The interview was assisted by the tone, which was helped by the type and location of venue: a quiet, pleasant, room. Upon entry and warm welcome, the interviewee relaxed visibly. Comfortable, neutral-coloured chairs set at oblique angles ensured the parties faced outwards. This configuration allowed the interviewer to make subtle posture adjustments to match the interviewee.

2.1.2 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
interviewer-mirrored interviewee posture adjustments
active listening and verbal adjustments by interviewer
use of “chronemics”, or pause before replying (Oxford Reference, 2016)
regular eye contact, or “mutual gaze” (Oxford Reference, 2016)

Kinesics showed the interviewee relaxed back in the chair. There were thoughtful pauses to look at the pleasant view. This clearly gained time. The interviewer “negotiate[d] the relationship” (Hargie,2011) with mirrored
posture and gave respect to timing (figure 1).

Morris (1991, figure 1) demonstrates how a physical pause assists in
reasoning: perhaps this also occurs during interpersonal communication. Crouch (1991) says communicators “… work in a culture that conforms to certain ideological principles (sets of governing ideas) [these can] determine the way in which [ideas] are both presented and understood”. Relaxed body and non-verbal language, subtle face expressions, gentle yet animated voice, body configuration, choice of clothing show the interviewee
enjoyed this “face-to-face” (Oxford Reference, 2016) experience.
The age-related communication differences of the interviewer’s ” … task and mental abilit[y]” compromises … [and] reduction in everyday competence levels” Willis (1991) are taken into consideration (figure 2).

Figure 2: (Willis, 1991). Shows impact of age-related factors on competence.

The interviewee “… communicate[d] successfully … [and] underst[ood the audience’s] expectations” (Crouch, 1999). The body contact, or haptics
(Oxford Reference, 2016) occurred upon handshake at beginning and end of encounters.The interviewee made regular eye contact at key points.
2.1.3 QUESTION TYPE and MIX
a dynamic mix of structured and unstructured questions
“the power of words” (Bilefield, April, 2016) fully employed
helped refine the interview guide (appendix 6.1)

2.2 Writing the report
The preparation stage built the foundation for the single interview. There also the report stage began. The initial meeting was important, a window of primary research. Cultural similarities became mutually clear. The interview followed in a specific social and cultural mode, in time and place. It provided primary factual evidence in this report. Jarvey’s (9 May, 2016) advice applied thoroughout the assignment, (figure 3). It helped in the report-writing and editing stages.

Figure 3: Wise Words by Ali Jarvey (9 May, 2016).

Key initial information: essential, fundamental, social, cultural,
provided report background. As Bilefield (April, 2016), says of
investigations of the cultural: “the hardest part of a successful digital transformation… [is a] proverbial journey of a thousand miles”. Research was essential: to amplify the information gained at the early meeting and better understand the context.
This writer acknowledges the considerable level of relevant digital date available in this era, and this report deals with only a fraction.
3.0 CONCLUSION
This report met the objective and is a personal record of one interpersonal0communication, in a specific social, cultural context, in the digital era. A mix of primary research began at the first meeting. Secondary research had established the cultural and social theoretical base.Communication theory helped the interviewer understand how to create an integrated approach. Active listening and learning provided strength and refinement to a
prior-established communication base. The initial meeting displayed some
mutual social and cultural values. Non-verbal communications had an affect on questions planned for the interview. In the interview the choice of venue and a relaxed, friendly tone, and mirroring of behaviour further
enhanced the same positive results. Continued active listening, wide
research, and reflection, underpinned the analysis of the interview and its conversation. Analysis shows positive results came from choice of venue, meeting tone, watching and sometimes mirroring non-verbal
communications, reflections on and manipulation of question types.The key techniques are thus to listen and think, choose the optimum interview venue, present with a friendly tone, observe and consider all non-verbal communication clues. The careful structure of question types and preparation to work within a dynamic mix of these factors provides further benefits.

4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
These eight interpersonal communication techniques below recently proved successful in this era in western society. A major outcome was that the success of this interpersonal communication techniques, in this interview, appear to have relied strongly upon interviewer abilities: active observational powers, to quickly make valid decisions, to implement meaningful and relevant changes. In particular active-listening-with-learning appears to be the pivotal in-interview skill/s. This links with the ability to quickly analyse and make decisions to benefit the interpersonal communication, and thereafter subtly and successfully implement those changes into interview components in meaningful ways.

research and reflection: continual craft of communication tools
build a great interview guide: consider, adjust, and use
construct constant communication: for inter-party compatibility
plan, structure carefully and manage throughout: venue and tone:
listen actively about all: think about, act on incoming information
when/if to mirror: gain non-verbal communication compatibility
mix of flexible questions: monitor and change as needed
manage all potential communication benefits consciously

 

5.0 REFERENCE

Bilefield, Article. (April 2016). Digital transformation:
The three steps to success.
In McKinsey Digital and Marketing & Sales Practices. Barr Seitz.

Bonnett, A. (2004). The Idea of the West: Culture, Politics and History. Houndmills: Macmillan Palgrave.

Crang, M. (1998). Place or Space? Cultural Geography.
London, UK: Routledge.

ECU RPS1100 Unit Plan.(S1, 2016). Task 2. Analytical report

Grellier, J., and Goerke, V. (2010). Communication skills toolkit:
Unlocking the secrets of tertiary success.(3rd. Ed).
South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.

Hargie, (2011). Skilled Interpersonal Communication:
Research, theory and practice. (5th Ed). Hove, East Sussex, UK: Routledge.

Hofstede, G. (1997). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind.
New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill

Jarvey, A. (9 May, 2016). ECU BlackBoard. RPS1100,
Discussion Board. S1, 2016. Week 10.

Jarvey, A. (Week 9, S1,2016). ECU RPS1100. Slide 3, Lecture Notes.
King, D. (7 April, 2016). Three Classes of Vocalised Pause. Donn Kings’ Corner. from: http://donnellking.com/blog/2016/04/three-classes-of-vocalized-pause/#more-6054

Lull, J. (2007). Culture-on-demand: Communication in a crisis world.
Melbourne, Australia: Blackwell.

Oxford Reference. (2016). definition of Chronemics. from:
http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095611277

Oxford Reference. (2016). definition of Face-to-face. from:
http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001/acref-9780199568758-e-0942?rskey=j7AIEV&result=1879

Oxford Reference. (2016). definition of Haptics. from:
http://www.oxfordreference.com/searchq=haptics&searchBtn=Search&isQuickSearch=true

Oxford Reference. (2016). Eye contact. from:
http://www.oxfordreference.com/search?q=e+contact&searchBtn=Search&isQuickSearch=true

Willis, S. L. (1991). Cognition and everyday competence.
In K. W. Schaie, and M. P. Lawton (Eds.), (1991).
Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics. (80-109).
New York, NY, USA: Springer.

6.0 APPENDIX

6.1 Interview Guide:
6.1.1 Interview
INTERVIEW LENGTH: 20-30 minutes
NUMBER OF INTERVIEWER QUESTIONS: 11 questions
TYPE: 2 open (lead-in). 8 specific. 1 closing question

First Question (open)
“Please tell me about the role of crowd-fund. On the internet?”
Specific questions used in the interview
2. “Can you expand on that – about crowd-fund being a shop?”
3. “Shops are pretty familiar places: do you mean a crowd-fund is set up in a way most people already understand?”
4. “Does the understandable crowd-fund shop (people go for money) – have other benefits?”
5. “Why is crowd-fund a tool – what sort of tool?”

Sixth Question (open)
“Your overall view of the internet, it’s a force? Is it for good or evil?”
Further specific questions
7. “The internet is neither good or bad – It’s another tool – a good tool?”
8. “For the internet to be good for the user they must learn it?”
9. “You say the internet is no longer optional – is that good?”
10. “So, neither good or bad. Doesn’t that cut down individual’s options – isn’t that bad?”

Closing Question
11. Thank you. I appreciate your time. It’s been great. Talking with you has opened my eyes about the internet – there anything you’d like to know? OK to ring you next week – if I need to clarify any point? Thanks again.”
6.1 Interview Guide:
6.1.2 decisions and organisation
Initial Ideas on how to conduct the assessment.
Communication is a dynamic process. It is strongly affected by place, society and place (life-time personal experience, 1950-2016). Research, learn, think about and apply relevant theory.

spend effort and time on pre-preparation
identify social/cultural/era (digital eta)
psychology/relations/situation/environment/cultural
too much theory available (digital era)

Understand this dynamic process:
create plan
associated timesheet
maintain both right up to date

Apply current social, cultural conventions
Build and maintain premier communication environment:
record, watch and adjust personal performance
search for all levels of plan and performance
choose how to dress
be aware of any weaknesses
build on strengths
adjust for threats
take advantage of opportunities

Periods of reflection throughout entire campaign
Begin draft report early
read current, comparative interviews and reports
continually adjust plan and keep to deadline

  1. 1 Interview Guide:
    6.1.3 pre-preparation notes
    In the Week 9 set reading: Professional Communications:

“Do not take lightly… the “structured interaction… [which is the] Interview”.
Explain this “basic professional tool” may be developed into a strong vehicle for achieving success – in a number of unseen ways.

It is important to learn how to maximise the learning benefits inherent in the interview , as it is now a fully structured and regulated mode of gaining information not necessarily readily available in other ways, and, it “standarise[s]
information-gathering”.

A “more rigid pattern of rules” applies and the interview works to formalise relationships “by setting them on a professional level”.

To gain the maximum actual “information exchange” and to catch the desired data it is necessary to imagine, design and create an efficient communication structure well beforehand, and to reflect upon that structure before use.

All of which takes time, especially as there are “many extraneous factors” to know about, and to take into account – “Interviews are [not] straightforward, standardised speech events… [they are] complex”.

Thus “each interview task has to be analysed in relation to the particular situation at hand”

Some examples in interviews:
the “question-answer sequence plays a much larger role than most casual conversations”
the communication has “little to do with generating shared understandings”
“may not be in the interests of both parties”
“may inhibit as well as enable communication”
“unlikely… [both parties] will have the same idea of what should occur”
“different understandings of the purpose and nature of the interaction”
“can lead to considerable confusion”

  1. 1 Interview Guide:
    6.1.3 pre-preparation notes

Thus
Agree to:
1. share information
2. set some mutual goals
3. clarify problems as they arise
4. allow:
attitudes
beliefs of any/all kind
behaviours
persuasive behaviours
commitments
understand any problems and attempt to find
solutions – find information (take break)
probes
backtracks
reactions
In this interview I conduct what is the objective?
its “primary purpose”?
“the degree of structure” necessary?
the optimum “setting”?
“other significant variables”
Keep in mind, “information is generated out of interaction” and when the interview’s PRIMARY PURPOSE[S] are decided – these are never “simple gathering process[es]”. Listen closely.

PRIMARY PURPOSE[S]
information-gathering/evaluation/problem-solving

A. Information: needs more structure: i.e., date of interview, age, gender, background, occupation, location
less structure: personal experiences (who/what/when/why/how), discuss issues, provide expert comments

B. Evaluation: needs less structure: “new ideas/information not fully known or understood, but stimulating; any conflicts in thinking; things forgotten or discarded in the thought process; experiences where ideas are interpreted differently by others; non-judgemental facets”

C. Problem-solving: as with B, above.
6. 1 Interview Guide:
6.1.3 pre-preparation notes
ACTUAL QUESTIONS:
Structured composite: Questions group 1: date of interview, age, gender, background, occupation, location you are in (example: lounge in apartment, city, country)

Loose composite: Questions group 2: Use your unique voice to answer the following (2) questions – – (personal experiences (who/what/when/why/how), discuss issues, provide expert comments – long as you like.

VIP: remember no ‘ums’. “create rapport… goodwill… eye contact” (p. 127) and”setting, seating arrangements the way the interviewer structured the conversation” (p. 127).

draft a plan of action and timing
locate interviewee contact details
plan initial meeting: date/time/place/write first questions
phone to arrange initial meeting and confirm
decide interviewer dress style for initial meeting
identify several possible date/time/place interview
pre-meeting practice. Rehearse and watch in mirror. Record
playback/listen to self. Note when smile, eye contact, active listening, posture
refine questions. Eliminate “ums”, “buts”.
adjust physical presentation
(King, 7 April, 2016).

6.1.4 initial meeting
To decide at initial meeting:
Type: friendly or rigid – to decide at initial meeting
Venue: before initial meeting
identify several locations/types choose possible times/dates – for interview
Tone: informal or formal – seating, space between parties?
Initial meeting:introductory meeting to gain information
– for interview structure. take notes
– phone or coffee
– handshake
– eye contact

During initial meeting:
ask “age, gender, background, occupation”
decide on venue – informal or formal – confirm
offer dates/times – confirm place/date/time of interview
(Putnis & Petelin, 1999).
Focus Closely on Set Task

6.1.4.1 In the meeting
the interviewee wore formal clothes
the interviewee matched the identified social context
background, cultural similarity/dissimilarity of parties became clear
the parties understood each other
their discussion provided information for interview guide and timing
interviewer refined the interview structure

6.1.4.2 Interviewer was focussed
used specific, pre-set questions
actively listened and managed obvious age disparity factors
offered confidentiality and transparently discussed use of material
gained all necessary authorities from interviewee
gained interviewee age/location/background/occupation data
recorded interviewee answers
decided on interview venue as initial meeting progressed

6.1.4.3 interviewee relaxed
seemed suited to dynamic structure planned for interview
agreed with interview date/time/place/length as suggested

6.2 Analysis
The interviewer listened carefully, stayed flexible, made many minor changes during the meeting. These observations prepared the way for the interview .

6.1.4. 4 Task focus:
The April, 2016 meeting settled interview arrangements with the busy interviewee. Active listening led to active thinking (Jarvey, Week 9, S1, 2016).

6.1.4.5 Overall benefits:
– mutual understanding between interviewee and interviewer
– positive interviewee response

6.1.4.6 Positive results: information obtained in the meeting
– enriched the interview guide
– helped refine the interviewer’s approach, and interview operation

6.1.5 Task
TASK: This report focuses on a communication analysis of an interview conducted with another person of your choosing. The content of the report is an analysis of the interview itself and what you have learnt about inter personal communication. You can include some reflection on your in terviewee’s response to the topic under discussion. The report will examine aspects of the interview such as non-verbal communication, questioning techniques, active listening skills and other points highlighted in the lectures.
Discussion topic: The internet: is it a force for good or evil?
Monday, 16 May, 2016

Maximise your interview: good communication 16 May, 2016

Dream-scape is South-West Australia

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This essay is set in the cultural life, as it is lived in the current era, in the
landscape of the South-West of West Australia. This essay presents and briefly analyses three of this region’s in-landscape local artistic and community
practice cultural achievements. Some display the successful use of traditional methods, and all work to develop unique regional identity. This essay briefly
considers and analyses the particular ways these cultural creations bear
witness to change and contestation of landscape.

This essay describes three arts or community practice in the everyday
(Williams, 1958) cultural life of the South-West region of Western Australia. This essay describes only a tiny sliver of the society’s “cultural geography” (Crang, 1998, p. 2). This community and region are is diverse, increasingly so in this digital-information era (Bonnett, 2004).

In that region of Australian (as elsewhere now, in this modern world) ” … social and ritual” values emanate from a uniquely ” … heterogenous … ethnic, cultural and social mix” (Kaino, 1995,p. vii). In this region art locates itself and its audience visibly within its landscape. The first cultural landscape this essay describes is “Re-Discover Bunbury”.

This is the Bunbury Street Art project (SixTwoThreeZero, 2016). This fits the definition of the arts:

the expression or application of human creative skill and
imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting
or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily
for their beauty or emotional power
(Oxford Dictionaries, 2016).

Locals and visitors alike experience: “the new observations and meanings, which are offered and tested” (McKenzie, S1, 2016, Week 1) as they adore or detest the street art. They view, talk about and reflect on right there in Bunbury, in these South-West streets. A visitor-blog entry on “Life Images by Jill” (26 January, 2016), and associated Facebook website, provides an animated, personal experience of Re.Discover Bunbury, amplify this community practice.

Social activist group Six Two Zero Three (2016) run the project, and so contribute to the overall quality of Bunbury landscape. They maintain and use excellent statistics gathered from this project to peacefully support cohesive community,
They develop a regional arts dialogue and enliven regional landscape.

However, Wilson shows how projects like this may still be contested, due to:

insufficient interest… in progressing the artistic agenda…
exacerbated by a paucity of data and insufficient
community between arts, higher education and research
policy and the practitioner worlds that are governed by
them (cited by Hare & Lousieksien, 23 March, 2016).

Wilson, an academic researcher, who demonstrates this failure is not confined to universities, says: “artists need audiences, both critics and public, to hone their skills” (cited by Hare & Lousieksien, 23 March, 2016). This is a high level of contestation of landscape and Wilson is shown to be instigating a counter-movement.

The contestation begins by those who could communicate “the arts and learning —the special processes of discovery and creative effort.” (Williams, cited by McKenzie, Week 1, S1, 2016). Wilson states there may be some positive change to this situation (cited by Hare & Lousieksien, 23 March, 2016).

Change came through generations of community who have continued to lobby for the Busselton Jetty (Busselton Jetty Timeline, 2016). Here, generational
success is an example of: “Orr’s work, [1990] and later, Wave[‘s] and Lenger’s [1991, which] presents a key insight; namely, that knowledge, and therefore learning, [are] embedded in cultural practices” (Hoadley, 2012). The Busselton Jetty
communicates to its community as an excellent long-term example of often
continuous, harmonious landscape-building: positive power and people in work.

Now a cultural community installation, the jetty dexterously operates both “Lexus… [and] Olive Tree” (Lull, 2007, p. 52). The Busselton Jetty, and its story, display as almost-magical, historic theatre (Busselton Jetty Timeline, 2016). The beginnings of this working jetty were over a century ago; a working life, hard-wrought by community, endeavour, and entreaty. This month the jetty landscape will be enlivened with hot cups of tea and Arnott’s biscuits.

Jetty length will be activated as visitors stroll the long walk, view the mural and play arranged games at its end in the “Busselton Jetty Biggest Morning Tea” (2016). The jetty will, as it has now for generations, awaken, live, and work fruitfully – on many arts and community practice levels. Even while it delivers high community theatre – right there, onto its South-West landscape.

The gentle community practice-role of arts and crafts of the South-West
community is in the “Waroona Yarn Bombers’ Heartfelt Project”. (Trip Advisor (May, 2016), It lends thoughtful, creative, highly-visible support to community of the South-West and the landscape terribly affected by bushfire (Hondros, 15 January, 2016).

This community endeavour expresses solidarity for sad and awful loss in the
bushfires (Waroona Yarn Bombers, 2016). The wider West Australian community empathises strongly and actively with this project. This peaceful and spontaneous endeavour reflects the arts and crafts movement. Founded in the 19th century England, where:

decorative arts… sought to revive the ideal of craftsmanship
in an age of increasing mechanization and mass production
(Oxford Dictionaries, 2016).

This community response; authentic, cultural communication, employs
traditional Caucasian handicraft skills, like crochet. These products project
“… certain ideological principles (sets of governing ideas)… displayed,
perceived, [and] conform” (Crouch, 1999, page1). Their Facebook sites (2016) widely communicate this re-gain of burned landscape.

Facebook widely communicate this identification with landscape and event. The the artwork works how , as Hall (1959) explains, “culture is communication and communication is culture” (p. 169). Via this adornment of landscape, sadness and support are expressed, for the people’s wounds, and the landscape’s.

This swell of support is cultural community practice. It communicate messages to and about community (Brown, cited by Kaino, 1995, p. 115). These regional
practitioners, culturally innovative, “re-creat[e] more traditional and less alienating lifestyles” (Kaino, 1995, p. ix). The artistry on the burned trees use traditional modes.

This is a strong confirmation of craft as “cultural production” (Kaino, 1995, p. ix). In those communications are key factors, cultural: “psychological … relational …
situational … environmental… ” (King, 7 April, 2016). They operate within Australia’s diverse landscape of “culture… or beliefs or values” (Crang, 1998, p. 2).

They crochet mandalas, or “circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism” (Oxford Dictionary, 2016)”. These reflect the landscape, the region’s cultural diversity, and its inclusiveness. These regional cultural practices are:

(micro)movement[s] …. [not] grand-scale and calculable
transformations in society … [these are] tiny or almost
imperceptible actions … [with the] potential to produce
change (Harlot of Hearts, 2016).

Furthermore, the digital plunges these three real, regional cultural products, into the virtual, and into the “international”, (Brown, cited by Kaino, 1995, p. 115). There each communicates its unique “cultural geography” (Crang, 1998). There they
show and develop meaning for [many] people” (McKenzie, Week 1, S1, 2016, slide 10).

This essay is set in South-West of Western Australia, where three particular art, and community practices create identity and argument about that landscape. This essay describes how the region enjoys a rich in-landscape of local artistic and community practice. These cultural achievements arising from and continue the use of successful, traditional methods of peaceful cultural dispute. All work to develop unique regional identity. This essay considers and analyses the particular ways these cultural creations bear witness to change and contestation within the South-West landscape. These are places of cultural ideas, communicate and
respond to thoughts and ideas about landscape and place. These three places are good examples of how digital communication may extend, globally. knowledge of regional, novel cultural product, and of regional landscape and identity may extend far and wide. So these cultural communications activate their own
landscape globally. This essay thus communicates about a most complicated, culturally alive and well landscape. While economic support is critical and yet uncertain, art activates this South-West place, is disputed within that
landscape is vital and changing. Via community practice the people re-use,
re-engineer their environment. This landscape is supportive of the identity of the region and its people. The impact of the South-West on its artisans, and its landscape is, opportunity: places to practice, places to mount and exhibit art, to air their identity, to practice change and to grow.

Reference

Bonnett, A. (2004). The Idea of the West: Culture, Politics and History. Houndmills: Macmillan Palgrave.

Busselton Jetty Biggest Morning Tea. (2016).
from: http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/3056/

Busselton Jetty Timeline. (2016).
from: http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au/the-jetty/history-of-the-jetty/

Crang, M. (1998). Cultural geography. London: Routledge.

Crouch, C. (1999). Modernism in art, design & architecture. London, UK: Palgrave.

Hall, T. (1959). The Silent Language. New York, NY, USA: Anchor Books.

Hare, J., and Loussikian, K. (23 March, 2016).
University art collections fail to have impact on broad society. The Australian.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/university-art-collections-fail-to-have-impact-on-broad-society/news-story/caee4a15d1bf05d1633aa3e6a8e410fb

Harlot of Hearts. (2016).
from: http://harlotofthearts.org/index.php/harlot/article/view/340/192
Hoadley, C. (2012). What is a community of practice and how can we support it?
In D. H. Jonassen & S. M. Land (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of learning
environments (Second ed., pp. 287-300). New York: Routledge.

Hondros, N. (15 January, 2016). WA fires: heartbreaking aerial photos emerge of
Waroona,Yarloop bushfire damage. WA Today.
from: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-fires-stunning-aerial-photos-emerge-of-waroona-and-yarloop-bushfire-damage-20160115-gm73rx.html

Kiano, L. (Ed). (1995). The necessity of craft:
Development and women’s craft practices in the Asian-Pacific region. Perth, WA: University of WA Press.

King, D. (7 April, 2016). Three Classes of Vocalised Pause. Donn Kings’ Corner. from: http://donnellking.com/blog/2016/04/three-classes-of-vocalized-pause/#more-6054

Life Images by Jill. (May, 2016). blog and website.
from: http://lifeimagesbyjill.blogspot.it/2016/01/australia-day-re-discover-street-art.html

Life Images by Jill. (May, 2016). Facebook site. from:
https://www.facebook.com/Life-Images-by-Jill-854589601225869/
Lull, J. (2207). Culture-on-demand: Communication in a crisis world.
Melbourne, Australia: Blackwell.

McKenzie, V. (S1, 2016). ECU CCI1103. Lecture and Tutorial notes.

Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). definition of the arts.
from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/art

Oxford Dictionaries. (2016). definition of arts and crafts movement.
from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/arts-and-crafts-movement?q=arts+and+crafts+movement

Oxford Dictionary. (2016). definition of mandala.
from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/mandala

Re.Discover Bunbury. (2016). Bunbury Street Art Festival.
from: http://www.sixtwothreezero.com

Sixtwothreezero. (2016). website. from: http://www.sixtwothreezero.com

Waroona Heartfelt Project. (May, 2016).
from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g495084-d2457518-i185015962-Waroona_Visitor_Centre_and_Gallery-Waroona_Western_Australia.html

and

Waroona Heartfelt Project. (May, 2016). Facebook. from:

Waroona Yarn Bombers. (2016).

Waroona Mandalas Project. (2016).
from: https://rubyjaneslane.com/2016/03/11/waroona-community-lifting-the-spirits-of-recent-fire-victims-with-crochet-mandalas/
Williams, R. (1958). Culture is ordinary. In Gray, A. & McGuigan, J. (Eds.). (1993). Studying culture: An introductory reader. (pp. 5–14). Melbourne: Edward Arnold.

Dream-scape is South-West Australia

Louise Nevelson – a refugee inspiring

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Louise Nevelson, Sculptor

This essay briefly analyses the multi-faceted life of the sculptor-artist Louise Nevelson, 1899-1988. A leader in a discipline dominated by men, Nevelson maintained a high, l
ife-long commitment to sculpture, and this essay will show how, during the period when old and famous her endurance and talent, when combined with fame, impacted on her cultural output. Then, for the first time her opportunities expanded to include commissions to create “public sculptures [which] translated her earlier private symbolism and narratives into a grand scale” (The Arts Story Foundation, 2016).

Louise Nevelson is recorded as a great modern sculptor (The Arts Story Foundation, 2016). Born Leah Berliawsky, Nevelson”s diverse and colourful life is “the quintessential American success story” (Lisle, 2001). In Russia her family was part of a rich, deep and strong culture and religion, yet, there it was “unlucky to be born a Jew” (Lisle, 2001).

In 1905 her Jewish-Russian parents and their children fled the Tsarist-Russian violence and hopelessness. Nevelson was about six years old. The strength and foresight of her parents, their urgent and dramatic journey, and subsequent cross-cultural migration, all worked to provide Louise with leadership qualities (Lisle, 2001).

Puccio, Mance & Murdock say: “successful leadership relies heavily on an individual’s ability to effectively respond to and proactively drive change – in short, to be creative” (9 December, 2010). Nevelson’s successsful career as creative artist began with her nine-year old’s instant response to learning of sculpture (Lisle, 2001).

Later in her life an art dealer, and close friend Arnold Glimcher described Nevelson’s “life itself is her greatest work of art” (cited by Lisle, 2001). Nevelson honoured her early decision to become a sculptor throughout her life, and this led, finally, to great success.
Cowan’s analysis of historic, economic factors confirms Nevelson’s elevated status and leadership (21 January, 2016).

Nevelson’s cultural output transcended male-domination in the field of sculpture. (Cowan, 21 January, 1996). In Cowan’s paper “Why women succeed and fail in the Arts” he acknowledges “women traditionally have faced lower returns to investing their energies into art” (21 January, 2016). He concentrates on four major “cultural economic” factors which may affect the cultural production of artists who are not men.

His specific factors are: genes, artistic parity, maternal instinct. The one wide, general factor is discrimination (21 January, 1996).In Nevelson’s case, as shown in her family’s decision and flight to safety and subsequent success in their new society, and hers in her chosen cultural field, genes appear to have superbly equipped her for greatness. Genes created her “smarter, more artistically gifted, more driven” (Cowan, 21 January, 2016).

Smarter to make vital life choices, as will be shown below. Cowan says Nevelson is shown as artistically gifted and an artist leader in “Linda Nochlin’s famous 1971 essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”… [and] major influence on the new generation of women struggling to redefine femininity in art” (21 January, 2016). Nevelson inherited strong, smart genes, used them well and worked them hard, and so attained parity with men in her chosen field of art.

Her art practice cost Nevelson an agonisng marriage break-up (Lisle, 2001). When her close-knit, well-loved family did not support her in her chosen discipline (Lisle, 2001), Nevelson departed overseas to further her studies. She left her husband, and their son with him. Nevelson retained her married name upon the divorce that soon followed, and Nevelson’s actions here subsume Cowan’s third cultural economic factor, the maternal instinct (21 January, 1996).

This is even though Alba (April 7, 2016) says a recent study by MacEacheron, (date?) proposes women take actions about which they are not fully conscious, and these actions sometimes do not appear logical to the observer, wherby “marital surname change serves as part of a general strategy… for [women to] maximise the[ir] offspring’s fitness”.

These points may be re-considered under Cowan’s (21 January,1996) single external factor where “potential artists look at the ease of obtaining training, the social responsibilities, their alternative occupations, and the market for their work” (21 January, 2016). Sculpting is complicated as suitable materials are bulky, and generally expensive to obtain. Beginning her practice Nevelson choose wood, a familiar medium in her father’s lumber yard, and her inherent drive and creativity again assisted her to decide upon, locate, “scavenge” and then find ways to use unwanted or discarded wood (MoMa, 2016). This she re-cycled into her ground-breaking and unique cultural output (Lisle, 2001).

MoMa (2016) says Nevelson was a member of the Abstract Expressionist group. Her success appears to be “part of historic dominance breaking down, over time and over genres” (Cowan, 21 January, 2016). America, in particular, in that era relaxed many social conventions. Crouch describes this Modern Movement period, when Pevsner presented his important 1936 concept of “a strange contradictory set of ideas about the universal and the individual… in which powerful individuals create a rational universal style” (1999). Nevelson’s family’s trans-culture move to America made it possible for her to easily learn about these ideas, and to decide to sculpt (Lisle, 2001).

In her teens Nevelson briefly considered another career. Instead, her early decision to marry, and subsequent move to New York, with its extraordinary array of quality artistic support systems of all types gave her access to top-level training and superb channels to market her art (The Arts Story Foundation, 2016). Marriage is thus another decision which appears based upon her cultural output, as, whether conscious or unconscious, that decision located Nevelson in the city where she gained status as wife-socialite and provided her greatest chance of success as sculptor (Lisle, 2001).

Once in New York and thereafter over long periods Nevelson built up her political position with diverse artistic collaborations, exhibits with other important emerging artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenburg (Scott, 9 May, 2007), their families and in a strong artist-womens’ group. She made sincere life-long friends with a huge number of important galleries and dealers, strengthened control of her ouvre with important teachers and trained in other fine arts, and dance, music, voice. Nevelson wore clothes designed and made for her by Canadian designer Arnold Scaasi, another close friend (Jacobs, 4 August, 2015), and was regularly photographed (Lisle, 2001)

Nevelson, credited as “integral to the renaissance of American sculpture” (Lisle, 2001), rose to the challenge at about 68 years when apparently all “factors contingent on human belief or conduct” were satisfied (Cowan, 21 January, 2016):

in 1967, the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted
her first museum retrospective and exhibited over 100
of her works spanning her entire oeuvre. Two years later,
already in her 70s, she received her first commission for
a monumental outdoor sculpture from Princeton University,
which she fulfilled in 1971 (Lisle, 2001).
Nevelson had achieved her objective for her “private symbolism and narratives” (The Arts Story Foundation, 2016) – from the family’s early journey at an early age of life, throughout her unusual life, all her innovative, creative, cultural output led to this point.

Throughout her life, Louise Nevelson made internal cultural economic, and other important external decisions. These decisions aided her to develop and manage her life and her cultural output and she became a leader as a sculptor. To keep her internal childhood commitment Nevelson studied, travelled, experimented, made a new type of art and developed her enormous political base into an ever-evolving base comprised of: close friends, fraternities, joined-ventures with individuals and collaborative artist groups. Nevelson worked with these and developed her circle of knowledge via her strongest key friendships and work relationships with famous art teachers, art dealers, and galleries. She nurtured her artistic talent with other fine arts including voice, music and dance and key overseas studies. Her superb and yet light management skills ensured the manuscript of her biography was finished and she signed off the final document completely, bringing the work into actuality. Louise Nevelson is an important lesson for all aspirants to greatness.

Reference:

Cowan, (21 January, 1996). Why women succeed and fail in the arts.
Journal of Cultural Economics, 00: 1-21, 1996.

Crouch, C. (199). Modernism in art, design & architecture. London, UK: Palgrave.

Jacobs, A. (4 August, 2015).
Arnold Scaasi dies at 85: Dressed stars and socialites, his ‘Scaasi girls’. The New York Times, New York edition. from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/fashion/arnold-scaasi-a-designer-who-dressed- generations-of-scaasi-girls-dies-at-85.html?_r=0

MacEacheron, M. (15 March, 2016). North American Women’s Marital Surname Change:
Practices, law, and patrilineal descent reckoning. Evolutionary Psychological Science. DOI http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40806-016-0045-9
from: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40806-016-0045-9

Lisle, L. (1990). Louise Nevelson: A passionate life. Lincoln, NE, USA:
Author’s Guild backinprint.com Edition.

MoMa. (2016). website.Louise Nevelson.
from: http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/4278?locale=it

Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., and Murdock, M. C. (Dec 9, 2010).
Creative Leadership: Skills that drive change. Thousand Oaks, California, USA: SAGE Publications.

Scott, A. K. (May, 2007). A Life Made Out of Wood, Metal and Determination.
New York Times.
from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/arts/design/09neve.html?_r=0

The Arts Story Foundation. (2016).website. Louise Nevelson.
from: (http://www.theartstory.org/artist-nevelson-louise.htm)

Louise Nevelson – a refugee inspiring

2 Men in Johannesburg, 2016

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Horst Haase

Around 50 years ago, some young German specialist workers arrived in Southern Africa and not long after they began work in the gold mining industry, mainly in the Gauteng province around Johannesburg, South Africa. This is how tow of these men, Horst Haase, and Jochen Schweitzer, who are well-educated, clever, motivated and extremely hard workers, then stayed, lived and prospered in this region. As time went by, these German men noticed terrible, unjust situations operated in their adopted country. As both were extremely grateful for the success they achieved in South Africa they decided to find ways to contribute to their community. After they spent time, effort and considerable resources they identified a unique and valuable way to improve the existing unfair situation. This is the story of the major decision these two men made, what it was, how they did it, of the results they have achieved to date, and their further aims.

Today, Johannesburg is the “largest and fastest-growing city in South Africa” (Thalle, February 2016). The city is a place which has, for decades, been known as ” iGoli, or the City of Gold” (Maps of the World, 2016, Johannesburg Geography). This is because many Johannesburg fortunes have been made from this metal. Much of Johannesburg’s success is “built on the sweat equity of black migrant workers” (Beall, Crankshaw & Parnell, 14 October, 2014). This was the place Horst and Jochen started to work when Horst, an engineer, was in his mid-30s and Jochen, a geologist, about 25 years old. Now he is in his early 70s, most of Jochen’s time is occupied in running his substantial business (personal communication, Dr. J. Swcheitzer, Februrary, 2016).

Horst is now 83 years old and officially ‘retired’ from the workplace about 14 years ago, around 2002. One of the big local problems these men observed in South Africa was a high level of crime. They saw, and deplored, the way crime exploited and hurt other members of their adopted community. These two men strongly believe in the value of good education, so, in 2004, about 2 years after Horst retired, these men made their major decision: they decided to create an educational programme which they hoped and thought would improve this problem (private communication, H. Haase, March, 2016).
Commencing in 2004, Horst developed their own innovative learning structure, which is basically an 16-lesson educational tool, and Jochen assisted. He also provided the funding. With their stated primary motivation being:

The world is in a bad shape; there is excessive intolerance,
abuse, conflict, injustice, exploitation, and selfishness. This
has been festering for so long that many individuals have
given up hope for fundamental and lasting change and they
have therefore retreated into their private lives which
unwittingly causes the established structures and procedures
with their associated poor value systems to be maintained
(About Us: HALLS, 2015).

This was their first “life-skills program”. Having created their educational product, Horst then found the way to implement this “16 lesson life skills program… which teaches self-understanding and self-empowerment”. Horst was then permitted to “introduce [this initial tool] at the maximum [security section of the] prison of Leeuwkop Correctional Centre, Gauteng, South Africa, in 2004” (Seitlhamo, 3 February, 2016).

Within the prison Horst’s and Jochen’s teaching immediately “proved highly successful” and so they were soon allowed to expand, to deliver their life-skills to inmates in other areas of this prison (HALLS’ NewCo Business Plan, 21 November, 2014), and since 2004 training courses have run continuously at Leeuwkop. Delivering their life-skills education in this prison was the first great step towards their stated objective: “To teach Life Skills to the entire population in particular at schools, since the most promising and lasting change is from the bottom up” (personal communication, Dr. J. Schweitzer, March, 2016).

Since 2009 this teaching system has been known as “HALLS, or Humanity at Last – Life skills”. That year Horst and the other 25 founding members, all Leeuwkop prison inmates, drafted the Constitution and “formalised the teaching of life skills to prisoners”. HALLS was granted non-profit status on 5 March 2010 and tax exempt status on 13 July 2010 (HALLS’ NewCo Business Plan, 21 November, 2014). The training material is presented in English and Xhosa (HALLS Organizational Profile, 2015).

These important steps confirmed Horst and Jochen’s personal “vision”, namely:
Moral regeneration of South Africa is our vision. It is a sad fact
that the attitudes of many South Africans leave something to be
desired, which tends to be difficult to reverse if entrenched. However, the success of our activities makes us believe that if
teaching is spread throughout the country, moral regeneration
can be achieved. We therefore aim to provide teaching to all
prisons, all schools, and at any organization or company
which is willing to participate. We want to make South Africa a
shining example of what can be done.

After their first successful step in 2004, further classes are provided at other prisons. Since 2011, at Krugersdorp Correctional Services, and from 2012, at Vereeniging and Boksburg, and beginning in 2013, the HALLS course was granted permission to the Johannesburg Correctional Services. This included teaching female prisoners for the first time. Soon HALLS’ graduates began to train as (?) and today there are more than 90 life skills facilitators.

In addition, from 2010 and 2011 some local communities and services, such as crisis centres, have partnered with HALLS, as well as the City of Johannesburg’s Social Cohesion Unit, via their Gateway Project. HALLS’ courses began to be taught at four schools in 2011. HALLS also teaches its own teachers, and now has been approved to teach professional SACSSP social workers within the prison service (Seitlhamo, 3 February, 2016).

Today, though HALLS, primarily funded by Jochen, still has no buildings, no land, and no income apart from other small donors, there are now over 8,500 HALLS’ graduates. More than demand for HALLS to teach their life-skills programme exceeds the current capacity to provide.

2 Men in Johannesburg, 2016