ENG2611 ASSIGNMENT 2 (ANSWERS) SEMESTER 1 2023

ENG2611 ASSIGNMENT 2 (ANSWERS) SEMESTER 1 2023 Question 1 Read the headlines below which were taken from different newspapers and answer the questions that follow: HEADLINES Headline A Cancel Culture: Have any two words become more weaponised? Headline B Conservatives claim to hate "cancel culture" - but it's the heart of the rightwing agenda Headline C Cancel culture looks a lot like old-fashioned church discipline Headline D Cancel culture falters in the shadows of SA's pop culture brutes 1.1) Explain what “cancel culture” is in reference to the headlines? (4) 1.2) What is the underlying meaning of the word `weaponised’ as used in headline A? (2) 1.3) Whose voices are represented in Headline B? (2) 1.4) Comment on the intended meaning of Headline C. (3) 1.5) Comment on the linguistic choices (diction) used in Headline D. (4) (Question 1 Total: 15 marks) Page 3 of 5 Question 2 READ THE FOLLOWING EXTRACTS CAREFULLY AND ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT FOLLOWS: EXTRACT A Twitter has become a powerful court of public opinion and "cancel culture" plays a role. But the strength of cancel culture can also ravage careers and lives. And there are cases where the people on Twitter don't have all the facts and perhaps took on the role of judge and jury without having an accurate picture of the story behind their ire. The cancel culture debate hit a high point this month when Harper’s Magazine published a letter proposing that successful writers and editors felt stifled by a growing public intolerance. On the flip side, professionals who specialize in social movements say cancel culture was birthed from groups of people growing tired of others abusing power by controlling the narrative of marginalized communities. Has Twitter's cancel culture gone too far? () EXTRACT B Most of the time, people are "cancelled" because they are a public figure with influence over a huge audience and what they’ve done or said is alleged to have caused harm to a particular person, group of people or community. For example, many of those who have been "cancelled" have received this public backlash following accusations of violent, sexist, racist, homophobic or transphobic activities or comments. Some see participating in cancel culture as the most effective way to hold public figures to account, especially if no other lawful way appears to be working. By bringing the grievance public, it forces the accused's employers and others to confront the situation and distance themselves from the perpetrator. In other words, it re-balances the power gap between those with huge audiences and the people or communities who could be negatively affected. However, others believe cancel culture is more of a "mob mentality" that’s gone out of control. "As cancel culture often leads to an individual being ostracised for something they have done or said, it can cause the person in question to feel rejected," our expert says, especially if it turns out the "cancelled" person in question has actually done nothing wrong. "Rejection can have a negative impact on self-esteem and self-worthiness which are known risk factors for depression and anxiety, potentially leading to a worsening of the patient mental health. Cancel culture is public shaming and social media has given rise to a particularly virulent form of mob justice that is negatively impacting our mental health." What is cancel culture - and who has been cancelled in 2021? | GoodTo Page 4 of 5 In a well-constructed paragraph write your own perspective in which you discuss whether cancel culture helps or harms society. Your paragraph should make close reference to the EXTRACTS. Your paragraph should have a suitable title and not be more than 150 words long. (10) (Question 2 Total: 10 marks) Question 3 3.1) In unit 3 of the Study Guide, you read about Multicultural Classrooms and the need for a curriculum that accommodates students’ diversity. We are currently in an era where multicultural classrooms are found in almost all parts of South Africa. Choose three of the four concerns listed below and use the knowledge that you have gained from unit three to write short paragraphs explaining your understanding of your three chosen concerns: i) Facilitation of understanding between students of different cultures and home languages ii) Racial diversity iii) The use/selection of good literature iv) The benefit of informed students in a classroom (15) 3.2) Provide an example of a well-selected literature setwork and justify how its themes or the characterisation therein would be appropriate for a multicultural classroom. (10) (Question 3 Total: 25 marks)