Before this course I never knew that the study of discourse really existed and had developed into different kind of analysis. The breakdown and ideas behind geosemiotics are out the ordinary and over looked for the initiatives of understanding signs around us. I personally enjoyed rhetoric analysis of ads and observing/analyzing body language in public as they closely relate to the work and detail “primary” research of an actor. During this semester, I’ve found this type of examination the most intriguing as it is also did not cross my mind as to how things like color scheme, the gaze and position of the characters in an ad, or the positioning of the words on an ad could affect its viewers and the message it brings across. I really find this work fascinating.
I feel like the idea of public space is a hoax. It was created to make everyone think that we have created a place in our society that would be open to everyone but in reality there is no such thing if everyone is so territorial about his or her space. Inclusion, exclusion and segregation are the primary reason for the disillusionment of public space. It is something that can’t be changed because of fear over dominance, greed, persuasion and manipulation of they way we live our lives; Also, the idea of freedom of speech becomes blurry with transgressive acts in public.
SO if this is the case, should public space be abolished? Will there ever be a solution to the never-ending cycle of inclusion/exclusion? How would this affect our country in terms of how we accept homeless people as equals or people of lower class rank as the same as upper class society? How would this also affect not only our country but other nations around the world as if to say that we all had to oblige to the same rules?
I would interested in observing people with their groups of friends and how they act in various locations, places, and surroundings. It would be fun to see how much their surroundings can greatly affect their behavior or if they are pretty much the same everywhere they go. Also, from our group projects, it was interesting to see people’s tolerance level on privacy and personal space in an open area. I would love to examine that more deeply as well.
