Assignment 3

No one can do everything - Do something!

The debate of Climate changes is a very pressing issue. Strangely it has been a pressing issue for several years, but still the problems aren´t solved. Every week we can read in newspapers, hear on the radio and TV about how we humans do to destroy the environment and how climate changes are ongoing. Still, the consumption is increasing, we travel more and so on. Why have people in general had such slow awakening regarding climate changes?

The orders must come from the top. I believe that the government and our world leaders must react and give orders to the countries, to the communities and to the people. Ordinary people hear parts of the debate regarding climate changes, but scientists say different things. A good citizen don´t know what to do, because lack of enough knowledge about the matter. I wouldn´t like to say people are ignorant, but when it comes to an issue of this size, I believe people in general need guidelines. However, I believe Sweden is one of the countries having climate changes on the political agenda.

In a stressed society it´s easy to not pay attention to things you can´t see the result of today. Even if you know a few things which can spare the environment, such as taking your bike to work instead of the car, using environmentally friendly colour when painting your house, perhaps you still choose to go to work by car, because it´s faster and painting with colour wich is harmful to the environment, because it lasts longer. You don´t have time or money to paint your house again in just a few years. I think you will agree with me when I write, we are time chasers. We often complain over lack of time, time flies and so on. What can help me now? How can I get this quickly done? Those are questions we often ask. Perhaps we also live in a stressed society with mobile phones and fast travel communications, so when we want to take time off, it isn´t enough to go to the countryside, because you can too easily be back at work or at home again within an hour or two. Many instead choose to travel far away, travelling by plane. We look at our essential needs for the moment; turn a blind eye to the consequences.

The world economy is depending on our consumption. Factories and their workers and owners, middle hands etc. Everyone is in some way or the other slaves under the consumption. Now when the world economy isn´t on top and affects the Swedish economy, our Swedish minister of finance says; Buy, change kitchen and so on. At the same time, most of us know how consumption affects our environment and in the long term led to climate changes. Questions we need to ask us, are for example; how is our new kitchen made, what do we do with our old kitchen?

The climate changes issue is far too complex to be summarized in the three categories above. It seems impossible to only look at one of the categories above, because the three categories are linked together in one way or the other. Of course there are a lot more factors affecting the climate changes and why people in general have acted slowly. However, I believe we as teachers have a big responsibility to help our pupils and prepare them for a life, where they can hopefully make choices on the basis of what is good out of an environmental perspective. I also believe it´s important to not feel guilt for how we act in this matter or to judge other people. The most important thing is, to be aware of the issue and do what we can and is possible for us. We can´t carry everything on our shoulders, but all of us can do something.

Assignment 2

Feel-good-feeling

What makes me love watching TV-series? And why do I love the series I follow?

When I was I child I had a friend who had moved with her family to Karlstad from Uppsala. You can call them an intellectual family. I experienced a cultural chock and I am sure of that they felt the same. My friend´s family had a little TV behind a sofa. They only took the TV out sometimes to look at the news. The family walked around bare foot reading Svenska dagbladet, while my family had both large TV and even a VCR with remote control. Our family gathered around the TV watching Dallas, Falcon Crest, Little house on the prairie and Fame.

I think you can´t see this difference as clear today as for over twenty years ago. All social groups have a lot of technique today, I think. It doesn’t matter if you are high educated, upper class or working class; you have at least one TV. The fortunate ones have a flat screen hanging like a piece of art to frame a kind of hotel-lobby feeling.

I do not have a flat screen hanging on my wall, but we do have two big and thick TVs. Mostly my husband and our children gather around just one TV. I like the feeling of watching TV together in our sofa. Even though conversation is out of focus, I still think it is pretty social sitting close together and getting body-contact. When my family is sitting together it is mostly entertainment shows such as Let´s dance we are watching. We talk about the dancer´s clothes and performances. That kind of shows gives us a happy feeling.

When I can choose TV-series by myself I choose Desperate housewives, Men in trees, Lipstick jungle. One of my favorites, which has ended, is American dreams. All of these series turns to a female audience, I think. Desperate housewives is in my opinion absolutely fantastic with very different female characters who all have their own problems and methods dealing with their issues. Desperate housewives fascionates me because sometimes I laugh watching it and in the same episode I can also get a little frightened or even burst into tears. The creators of the series have done a fantastic work finding all the right elements to create all of these moods and settings. As you may understand, Desperate housewives has really made an impact on me.

Men in trees is a feel-good-series with nice and warm characters. Lipstick jungle is more city-chic New York story. Even though American dreams isn’t broadcasted anymore I can´t leave that series out. It is a TV-series about the Pryor family living in Philadelphia in the nineteen sixties. The series contains a lot of American history such as Kennedy being shot, first moon-landing, racism and much more. The Pryor family is warm with high moral. It has been wonderful following this made up family through the nineteen sixties. I am dreadfully sorry I can´t see them anymore.

To summarize my thoughts; What makes me love these TV-series? I think these TV-series touch my heart and mostly leave me with a feel-good-feeling. I also believe I can identify with some of the characters while other characters are more chic and elegant which gives my structured life some glamour. In our stressed lifestyle I think it is important to not underestimate TVs ability to just step into another world while relaxing in a sofa irrespective of you are alone or with friends or family. Lean back, relax and enjoy!