I’m not going to lie. I probably will not use this outside of English 110.  It’s fun to post things, but I would never take the time to actually post something.
Weblogs are great, don’t get me wrong, but I just don’t think it’s for me…but we’ll see…

As the quarter progressed, we had three major writing assignments and projects. We wrote an analytical research paper, an opinion editorial, and digital compositions, which means we posted blogs.
The analytical research paper required us to pick a topic, form an opinion and theory about it, and research if it is true or not. With the requirements of the paper, I chose to research the culture of Samoa, which allowed me to learn about the country in a unique way.

Being able to research a topic in which I was interested and posting weblogs with my opinion or personal views, allowed me to be able to express myself through writing which I had not really done previously.  My opinions have not really changed, but through having an objective perspective on topics, I have been able to learn about a topic more in depth.

Opinion editorials, also called op-eds, seem to be somewhat informal, but yet informative in some way.  Op-eds allow writers to express a persuasive opinion on a particular topic. 

There does not seem to be a set of rules a writer needs to follow.  An op-ed does not seem to be persuasive if the author does not convey he/she has a firm understanding of a topic, but in order for an author to have an opinion about something, he/she  should be well informed anyway. So realistically, being informative and forming a persuasive opinion goes hand in hand. 

The way op-eds are informative is it gives a point of view. Whether a reader agrees with it or not, it shows the open-minded reader where the authors are coming from and why they believe what they believe.

 An example of this can be found in the editorial I have found on a website.  He knows why we vote, the significane of voting, what it cost for the country, and he uses this information to convict an reader;s patriotism toward his/her country.

A picture I took..

 

            First of all, Samoa is a country located in the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii and New Zealand, and it is one of six Polynesian cultures.  The country is split into two territories; the Independent State of Samoa and American Samoa.  The Independent State of Samoa is its own country, run by the Samoan citizens while American Samoa is a U.S. territory.

 

 

     American Samoa is also run by the Samoan citizens, but the government has an American influence, and the Samoans have a representative in the U.S. government.  When the United States first gained this territory, it had a major influence and role in the developing government, but for many years, Samoa has been and is fully capable of running its own government.

 

     While the government is under American influence, the Samoan culture is still very much the same.  When boys become men, they receive a painful two month process of tattoos, which is an honor because it shows they can be strong both mentally and physically.  Girls learn how to make special ceremonial mats, and once they learn this trade, they are considered women. 

     

      Both of these significant processes represent the “coming of age” for both men and women.  Men and women are both equally important to the Samoan society.  Women are important domestic leaders within the family, while men are required to be more knowledgeable and skilled to work with the outside world and other issues which may regard politics or economics.  Because men and women are responsible for different aspects of the society, there is a mutual respect between them, even though the Samoan culture is male-dominated. 

 

     There has been a lot of Western influence on the country of Samoa throughout the years.  Fortunately, the amount of Western influence has not shaken the Samoan culture.  One reason for this is because their government and religion are not intertwined with each other, making it easy to change each aspect as necessary without really affecting how they live. 

  

     However, if the American government had ever decided to intervene with the Samoan way of life and forced the citizens to change and adopt the American lifestyle, the culture could be in danger. Although this does not seem to be a problem in the near future, it is important the U.S. government continues to support the Samoans and their way of life.

 

     Culture is a very important aspect to a country. It represents a sort of pride among the citizens who live in it.  Each country has a unique way of life or custom that is different from any other country.  The culture is almost the main reason why people visit a country.

 

      Having said this, does the United States seem to have a unique culture?  It is a “melting pot” of many cultures that have come together, but if one were to ask what is unique to the American culture, would there be an answer?  One can make the argument that all the cultures within the United States are what make the United States unique from other countries.

    

      However, if the American government were to interfere with the Samoan culture and “Americanize” the society, what would make American Samoa so unique from other countries if they no longer had a specific way of life?

 

     American Samoa would become just another country or territory, and over time, the Samoans who live there would have no connection to their unique history because they would have adopted the American lifestyle.  Although the Independent State of Samoa would still be its own country, the American lifestyle has the potential to spread through it, causing Americanization of all Samoans, eliminating the Samoan culture completely.

    

     It has the potential to influence the Independent State of Samoa greatly because American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa are basically the same country, just under different authority. Granted, this may be a little extreme, but, they are very similar in culture and are close enough to be influenced by the other.

           

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdopinion/2008/11/vote_its_a_right_a_duty_and_a.html

Unlike other political editorials, this author is focusing on convincing someone to just vote period. He is not worried about for whom you vote or the reasons.  The author explains what voting means to the country and targets a person’s personal pride in being a citizen of the country, in this case, the United States of America.

I believe the strategy he used in convicting someone’s personal pride and the respect for the country is very effective.  Citizens of the United States will most likely read this and want to enforce their freedom to vote as well as show their pride that they care about their country and the issues pertaining to each election.

Writing for an academic audience is different from writing for a popular audience.  
An academic audience means the topic is being discussed with people who know more than the average person and usually have a good understanding of where they stand with a particular issue. When focusing on an academic topic, credible sources are important and usually results in a study of other academic works about a certain subject.
Writing a paper for a popular audience is generally easier to do because it is a topic many are interested in, and it can range from basic to slightly more advanced information than an average person’s understanding.  Credible sources are not really needed, but it is helpful to be certain the information is correct. The average person, when reading something non-academic, may not worry about whether or not the information is valid.

I have done some research, and I am really interested in writing analytically about Samoa and American Samoa.  American Samoa is obviously a territory in which the US has had an interest for years.

After visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, I learned that the polynesian cultures are hard to maintain with all of the outside influence. One of the reasons why the Polynesian Cultural Center exists is because they do not want to let their culture disappear.

I would like to determine whether or not the culture of Samoa and American Samoa is becoming hard to preserve with all of the European and American influence in each of these countries. If so, what are the direct issues causing this?

• After completing some research on this topic. I have found that the Samoan culture is actually one of the very few cultures that are able to preserve their culture AND adapt Western influences.
  The religion of the Samoans was not the base of their government, so when the missionaries came over and were able to convert many to Christianity, the government and organization did not change.  When the United States took Samoa as its own territory, they were willing to help the Samoans keep their system of government while still giving them representation in the American Government.
  Many other third world cultures base their government on what they believe, so when missionaries came and converted members of these cultures, the government changed to that of a Western Influence.
  Samoa, for now, is not in danger of losing their culture, but if the United States or other Western influence wishes to change their form of government, their culture will deteriorate and will be in danger.
  

http://www.polynesia.com/islands.html