Nature Special: Learning in a digital age

Nature Special: Learning in a digital age:

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Nature Special: Learning in a digital age

Nature Special: Learning in a digital age:

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Things by which you judge a poem

A few days ago, when I was trying to speak about psychoanalysis and writing, the topic moved towards art, and what makes it greater or lesser, and if there was a scientific basis on which one could arrive at such conclusions. Like a typical American academician, as my professor claimed, I deigned that I had no exacting basis on which to say that one could determine something as good or bad poetry since I had only been in fiction workshops at Columbia. A few days later, however, I realized that as the assistant poetry editor, it was my responsibility to read slush that came in to the Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art, and determine if it was worthy of a second glance by a senior editor. Following this, I did arrive at some conclusions as to decipher whether a poem was written well, and was consequently, a piece of good art or not. Here, in short, are my conclusions.

1. Does the poem hold my attention till the last verse whilst I'm reading hundreds of poems along side it? Have I already lost track of what is happening in the poem in the second line?

2. Is the poem clear? We think that the matter of clarity applies only to prose but its a valid question with poetry as well. A poem can find many ways to be unclear. It can have too many characters or be filled with irrelevant details which don't contribute to the core of the poem.

4. The most common, and sometimes, distressing aspect of a poem are line breaks that don't make sense logically or poetically. Form and Content have to synchronize with even greater ease in a poem than in prose. While one can't break a line whenever one wants to, simply to bestow the poem with a rhythmic quality, it is also not aesthetically justified if the poem doesn't present itself as aesthetically appealing. To achieve poetic justice is a difficult and rewarding route, and requires reworking at an idea until one feels it can't be said any better.

5. What is the language of a poem? As someone who has worked through different stages of one's own poetry without formal training, I can understand, to some extent, how much work has gone into a poem. I can understand what level they're writing from, and if they have a clear vision, and if that vision is lost in translation, or if it isn't there in the first place to begin with.Is the poem trying to tell me a story or convey emotion? Is it attempting to get at something larger; perhaps some universal meaning or logic that I wasn't previously aware of and am now enlightened of? Is it stating something deep within me that I didn't know how to express?

6. Does the poem create magic for me when I read it for the first time? Does it make me feel like this could have been written no other way? One can argue that this is subjective, but I'd like to differ. There are cases when one can sit with works by great poets: Frost, Hughes, Neruda, and can then discuss if they create magic for each individual person or not, but I know when I've written a bad poem.

‘Anyone can create an e-book’ - The Hindu

‘Anyone can create an e-book’ - The Hindu:

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Critical Theory and Creative Writing: The Spectrum of Writing in the Arts

As hard as writing is, it is has become an invigorating and inevitable part of my life, and I have relearnt, as I knew before, that I cannot live without it. I'd like to list here, some of my experiences as a student of literature working through the processes of being a poet, fiction writer, and as someone who's dappled a little in critical writing as well.

I feel like I have had the great opportunity of working with different genres of writing, ranging from academic critical theory, poetry, and recently, now at the MFA program at Columbia University, fiction. I believe that I am a writer in the making, drawing from bits and pieces of experience from professors and fellow writers in workshop, as well as the writers I read for pleasure outside of the school. I will not call myself a critical theorist, or a critical writer, because I could never mince myself out of a text enough to be truly critically articulate. I was bad at it, and it wasn't a consequence of my lack of trying. Well, actually, let me correct that. It was. But it was backed by this genuine feeling that critical writing did not allow my hyper-creative, over-imaginative, happy self to come alive, and breathe. I remember feeling stifled, crushed and missing literature. I remember missing Shobhana's lectures on meaning, intention, style, and tone, and obsessively rambling about Neruda; I remember thinking how lost I was without literature—a myriad of feelings, narrative arcs and psychological progressions that grounded me in concrete human experiences.

Critical writing is the extreme test of writing. It takes all your faculty of thought to construct an argument that you must first find proof of in the world. It takes everything out of you to be able to articulate an observation based in fact, but also takes nothing away from you, because the experiences you're writing about are not individual, or metaphoric but sensible, cultural, meaning making processes in society that you are bringing to light. If you can do critical writing, or even think you can do it, you have come a long way, as long as it isn't what you really want to do. If you're not sure that that's what you want, then its best to take a step back, and another one, and another, and start running in the opposite direction... towards. Creative. Writing.

Prose is tough. I know. I transitioned from poetry. It isn't the easiest deal. Then again, neither is poetry. Poetry is like smiling and traipsing down one thought and putting it fully on the page. You have a page to say everything you want to. Its fast. It hurts less. It's over, and everyone has something beautiful to enjoy. But prose? Padma Kumar once told me Plato's Republic was so brilliant because he rewrote the first page 70 times. How he came to know of this, I am not sure, but I see his point. I was at Mary Karr's Non-fiction dialogue today, and she was saying that she doesn't write. She only revises. Prose is all about revision. You write something, change a word, then change a phrase, then change a sentence, then a paragraph, then a character. You fashion it, construct it, cuddle with it, console it, and hold it from all angles so you have a fully built world at the end. No loose ends. No strings left unexplored.

But creative non-fiction is truly joyful. I recently wrote a piece on Grand Central, and its thematic position in Edith Wharton's House of Mirth, and submitted it thinking it wasn't my best writing. I was very unconscious when I was writing it. I never allowed myself to fully gleam the meaning of the words. I was just not in the mood. All I had was an idea. I had compiled it into sentences, enhanced it with evidences from the Station by visiting, and standing around in different spots, observing the windows, clock, arrival and departure boards etc. But it came well together, I suppose. That is the beauty of creative non-fiction. One can combine the solace of the imagination with the solace of truth, and something beautiful is churned out: an opinion, an idea, a thought, fully enunciated, of what someone thought of the world. It's scary that it's easier than I think it is. Writing always has to be hard. That's the only time you're getting it right. So maybe, non-fiction isn't my forte after all.

A toast
To building worlds with words

Kanasu, the fiction writer

Jesuit Commons

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Taking the aggression out of masculinity - The Hindu

Taking the aggression out of masculinity - The Hindu:

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UGC Sponsored One Day International Seminar on Defamiliarizing Identities Iin Post-Colonial Literature

Organised by Department of English Madras Christian College (Autonomous), Tambaram, Chennai

12 July 2013

         

This conference is an attempt to distil dilemmas, to reclaim and re-create indigenous experiences. Restoration of human self and transformation would, therefore, deal with the question and perception of identity.  Presenters are welcome to concentrate on the following themes also.

Multi-Culturalism

Non-canonical literatures

Oriental Studies 

Resistance Studies

Commonwealth literature

LGBT Literature 

Oral Literature

Cultural Studies & Migration Studies

Dalit literature

Diasporic literature

Points to remember:

Presenters are requested to avoid plagiarism. Effective software will be used to find out plagiarism.

Manuscript of the full paper in MS-Word should not exceed 10 pages including cited works. The paper should have Times New Roman, font size 12’, A4 (8.27”x11.69”) paper size, with 1.5 line spacing, justified, and 1 inch margin on all sides. Abstracts will be selected by the selection committee that consists of eminent professors from various International Universities. 

Acclaimed Writers, Academicians and Professors have consented to take part in this one day event. A Book with ISBN Number on the outcome of the Seminar is planned.

DD must be drawn from any nationalized bank in favor of “The Bursar, Madras Christian College” Payable at Tambaram.

Address for Communication

Dr. S. Franklin Daniel

Convener

Department of English

Madras Christian College (Autonomous) Tambaram, Chennai, India- 600059

Email: mccenglishseminar AT gmail.com

Website: mccenglish.hpage.com

UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Literature and Environment

The Department of English, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala  is organizing a UGC sponsored National Seminar on the topic Literature and Environment on 25, 26 and 27 March, 2013.

Students, research scholars and academicians are invited to participate in the three-day National Seminar and to present papers related to the topic. The presented papers will be further screened and published as a book.  

The possible areas of focus are:

·       Ecofeminism

·       Ecolinguistics

·       Environmental Journalism

·       Religion and Environment

·       Ecology and Bionomics

·       Environmental Law

·       Environmental Literature (Nature writing, Science writing, Writing the Environment)

·       Ecology and Cinema

·       Children's Literature and Environment

·       Ecospirituality

·       Climate and Environment.

         

The last date for submission of abstracts is 11th March, 2013 

Full papers : 19th March 2013.  

The papers may be sent to: jjean960 AT gmail.com

Regards

Seminar Co-ordinator :

Dr N. Jenny Rappai

 Associate Professor

Department of English 

Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit

Kalady. 

50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out - Getting Smart by Guest Author -

50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out - Getting Smart by Guest Author -:

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National Conference on Tribal Literature

Please click here for details on the National Conference on Tribal Literature. It's organised by the VO Chidambaram College Toothukudi on 7 and 8 March 2013

Addictive Relationships

The following might seem like a very general article on addictive relatiosnhips, something that many of us have seen/ been a part of. It may be an interesting read in terms of identifying whether you are in one currently. As counselors, one of the main issues that most clients come with is 'being stuck' in an unhealthy relationship and not being able to come out. This article from a popular psychology source might help you better understand this vicious cycle.

Addictive Relationships

It is often very hard to end a love relationship even when you know it is bad for you. A “bad” relationship is not the kind that is going through the usual periods of disagreement and disenchantment that are inevitable when two separate people come together. A bad relationship is one that involves continual frustration; the relationship seems to have potential but that potential is always just out of reach. In fact, the attachment in such relationships is to someone who is “unattainable” in the sense that he or she is committed to someone else, doesn’t want a committed relationship, or is incapable of one. Bad relationships are chronically lacking in what one or both partners need. Such relationships can destroy self-esteem and prevent those involved from moving on in their careers or personal lives. They are often fertile breeding grounds for loneliness, rage, and despair. In bad relationships the two partners are often on such different wave-lengths that there is little common ground, little significant communication, and little enjoyment of each other.Remaining in a bad relationship not only causes continual stress but may even be physically harmful. An obvious harm is the physical abuse that is often a part of such relationships. In a less obvious way, however, the tensions and chemical changes caused by the constant stress can drain energy and lower resistance to physical illness. Continuing in such bad relationships can lead to unhealthy escapes such as alcohol or drug abuse and can even lead to suicide attempts.

In such relationships, individuals are robbed of several essential freedoms; the freedom to be their best selves in the relationship, the freedom to love the other person through choice rather than through dependency, and the freedom to leave a situation that is destructive.

Despite the pain of these relationships, many rational and practical people find that they are unable to leave, even though they know the relationship is bad for them. One part of them wants out but a seemingly stronger part refuses or feels helpless to take any action. It is in this sense that the relationships are “addictive.”

Are You Addicted?

Listed below are several signs of addiction. Consider whether they apply to you:

1. Even though you know the relationship is bad for you (and perhaps others have told you this), you take no effective steps to end it.
2. You give yourself reasons for staying in the relationship that are not really accurate or that are not strong enough to counteract the harmful aspects of the relationship.
3. When you think about ending the relationship, you feel terrible anxiety and fear which make you cling to it even more.
4. When you take steps to end the relationship, you suffer painful withdrawal symptoms, including physical discomfort, that is only relieved by reestablishing contact.

If most of these signs apply to you, you are probably in an addictive relationship and have lost the capacity to direct your own life. To move toward recovery, your first steps must be to recognize that you are “hooked” and then try to understand the basis of your addiction. In this way, you gain the perspective to determine whether, in reality, the relationship can be improved or whether you need to leave it.

The Basis of the Addiction

There are several factors that can influence your decision to remainin a bad relationship. At the most superficial level are practical considerations such as financial entanglement, shared living quarters, potential impact on children, feared disapproval from others, and possible disruption in academic performance or career plans.

At a deeper level are the beliefs you hold about relationships in general, about this specific relationship, and about yourself. These beliefs may take the form of learned societal messages such as “Love is forever,” “You are a failure if you end a relationship,” “Being alone is terrible,” and “You should never hurt anyone.” Also relevant are beliefs about yourself such as “I’ll never find anyone else,” “I’m not attractive or interesting enough,” or “If I work hard enough I should be able to save this relationship.”

At the deepest level are unconscious feelings which can keep you stuck. These feelings develop early in childhood, often operate without your awareness, and can exert considerable influence on your life. Children need to be loved, nurtured, and encouraged in their independence. To the extent that parents are successful in doing this, their children will be able to feel secure as adults in moving in and out of relationships. To the extent that these needs are not met their children may be left feeling “needy” as adults and may thus be more vulnerable to dependent relationships.

Strategies for Overcoming Relationship Addictions

Robin Norwood, in her excellent book “Women Who Love Too Much” outlines a ten step plan for overcoming relationship addiction. While this book is directed toward women, its principles are equally valid for men. Stated here (reordered and sometimes paraphrased), Norwood suggests the following:

1. Make your “recovery” the first priority in your life.
2. Become “selfish,” i.e., focus on getting your own needs met more effectively.
3. Courageously face your own problems and shortcomings.
4. Cultivate whatever needs to be developed in yourself, i.e., fill in gaps that have made you feel undeserving or bad about yourself.
5. Learn to stop managing and controlling others; by being more focused on your own needs, you will no longer need to seek security by trying to make others change.
6. Develop your “spiritual” side, i.e., find out what brings you peace and serenity and commit some time, at least half an hour daily, to that endeavor.
7. Learn not to get “hooked” into the games of relationships; avoid dangerous roles you tend to fall into, e.g., “rescuer” (helper), “persecutor” (blamer), “victim” (helpless one).
8. Find a support group of friends who understand.
9. Share with others what you have experienced and learned.
10. Consider getting professional help.

When to Seek Professional Help

Some counseling may be called for when any of these four circumstances exist:

1. When you are very unhappy in a relationship but are unsure of whether you should accept it as it is, make further efforts to improve it, or get out of it.
2. When you have concluded that you should end a relationship, have tried to make yourself end it, but remain stuck.
3. When you suspect that you are staying in a relationship for the wrong reasons, such as feelings of guilt or fear of being alone, and you have been unable to overcome the paralyzing effects of such feelings.
4. When you recognize that you have a pattern of staying in bad relationships and that you have not been able to change that pattern by yourself.

 

In light of the recent rape incident that shook the country, I was asked to write an article trying to better understand Pedophilia as one of the sexual deviancies/ sexual disorders. I wanted to share it in the forum in case it was useful to anyone.

Write back if you have any queries :).

 

PEDOPHILIA

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder that is used to describe an individual 16 years or older who has a primary sexual interest in prepubescent children, 11 years or younger.

According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), in order to make a diagnosis of pedophilia, the person initiating the sexual relationship must be at least five years older than the prepubescent child. The ICD- 10 describes it as a ‘disorder of adult personality and behavior’.

          The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV TR) describes it as a paraphilia- a sexual attraction to something out of the norm.

Pedophilia as a practice is a punishable offense in most parts of the world. In the light of the current story that’s making the news- the story of Nirbhaya- the girl in Delhi that lost her life recently; we pause this New Year to ask ourselves- how much do we know about sexual offenses and sexual disorders. Further, how prepared are we to handle something like this?

          In order to better understand a concept like pedophilia, that seems so bizarre and unacceptable to all of us, a metanalysis conducted by Finkelhor and Araji proposed a four factor model to explain why adults get attracted sexually to young children. The first explanation they propose is called Emotional Congruence Theory developing from the psychoanalytical school of thought. This model proposes that people with pedophilia have arrested psychological development. Thus Pedophiles experience themselves as children with child like needs and thus wish to relate to other children.

A theory of symbolic mastery suggests that a relationship with a child helps the pedophile have a sense of mastery of shame, humiliation and guilt encountered as a child at the hands of an adult. Thus one of the ways in which the pedophile combats the childhood sense of powerlessness is by reversing the roles in adulthood and overpowering another child.

          A second model called sexual arousal to children comes from the point of view that the act is not sexual in nature at all. Like rape is a crime of violence, pedophilia is a crime of power and dominance.   

          A third group of theories called the blockage theories try to understand why pedophiles cannot get the same amount of sexual stimulation or satisfaction from heterosexual adults. Individual psychology theories claim that the individuals have an extremely high sense of castration anxiety that makes it impossible for them to function normally with adult women and have sexual relations with them. A more practical explanation from the same theoretical orientation claims that pedophilia is a reaction or an outcome to earlier experiences with failed sexual attempts- like impotency, abandonment by the first lover etc.

          A final explanation of this disorder is a group of theories called disinhibition theories. A number of studies conducted along these lines discovered that pedophiles generally have lower impulse control, neurological deficits, alcohol abuse or senility contributing to this behavior. Similar studies have also found pedophiles to have lower intelligence levels than normal people.

Further, they may have situational factors like unemployment, losses etc that are major stressors for them. This leads to another related factor that in the diathesis stress model, pedophiles have a lower threshold of stress tolerance making even small triggers very difficult to handle. A study also showed that early incidence of child molestation led to a cycle reaction inducing pedophilic behavior later on.

          A study conducted in 2008 identified a neural imbalance or a deficient mechanism in the amygdala of the brain which is responsible for arousal and emotional valuation. The normal regulating mechanism is absent in pedophiles thus reversing the mechanism and resulting in deviant sexual behavior.

          Clinical psychologists and researchers primarily use three methods to diagnose pedophilia- sexual behavior (history), self reports and psycho physiological behavior responses. Some of the tests used to measure psycho physiological behavior responses include polygraph tests and viewing time. In crime related questions, polygraph tests show an elevated rate of heartbeat, skin conductance, respiration etc. Further in viewing tests, pedophiles ‘linger’ on images of children longer than normal people.

          One of the surer predictors of pedophilic behavior include possession of child pornography. Further, a phallometric measure of sexual arousal to children is positively correlated to later sexual offense. Similarly, there is also a positive correlation between antisocial personality disorder and later sexually deviant behavior.

          With the above studies, we can see how pedophilia is a disorder and needs treatment and help. In terms of research conducted on how best to work with such a problem, studies show that there may be a few ways to develop insight in such individuals as they are often in denial.

          One way is to treat pedophile as an addiction and assign individuals to a de- addiction group. Another method suggests using insight oriented therapy to discuss in depth emotional and childhood concepts. Another way to work with this issue could be aversion therapy by associating the pedophilic urge/fantasy to something repulsive like an electric shock/nausea etc. Covert sensitization in which the person imagines the consequences of engaging in the activity like imprisonment may also prove to be beneficial in management of the tendencies.

          Finally, victim empathy training in which the individual is exposed to materials like audio and print material in which victims describe the horror and their experiences may help the perpetrator empathize with his victims better and check his impulses.

          With respect to medication, anti androgen medicines that reduce the sexual urges and desire are the only effectively researched drugs.

          It is important as parents and others working with such individuals that we work with the trauma of the victims first in a sensitive way. It is best to work with it like a post traumatic disorder in order to prevent uninhibited sexual promiscuity in later years or the extreme guilt and isolation (the other extreme).

          When working with such individuals, it’s important to always put the safety of the child first even if it means shifting the child away from its primary home if that is best for them at that time. The counselor or social worker is advised to work with caution and kindness but firmness to help the child understand that it is not their fault in any way.

What do we do as citizens, as social workers and counselors, as parents and people sensitizing the community? How would we ‘prevent rather than cure’ and protect our children from this evil?

          Some practical tips include,

1.    Never disclose personal information, such as your address, to strangers online.

2.    Never meet privately in person with anyone you have met online.

3.    Never get close to a car if a stranger stops and asks for directions.

4.    Never accept a ride from, or go anywhere alone with, an adult you don’t know.

5.    No adult should touch you or ask you to touch him in any way that is confusing or frightening. If this happens, refuse and tell your parent immediately.

6.    No adult should ever ask you to keep a touch or a kiss secret. If this happens, tell your parent immediately.

7.    If any of these things happens, you will not be punished even if you have broken a rule.

 

Teaching the children the difference between good and bad touch, having frank discussions about sex when appropriate and value based classes that constantly ingrain good values in children may help them to be better prepared for unforeseen events. They may be better equipped to say no if the situation is fishy or inappropriate. Finally, self defense must be incorporated in the school curriculum so that children are prepared to protect themselves at least early on by calling for help, stalling or buying more time. Basic things like keeping to a group, sticking to a curfew, avoiding peer pressure and substance abuse may also reduce the risk of being in a vulnerable position.

Finally, a healthy bond of trust should exist between parent and child so that in the event of any regrettable incident, the child feels comfortable sharing it with their parents without the fear of being blamed, condemned or worse yet, ignored.

 

 

REFERENCES

Finkelhor, D. (1986). Explanations of Pedophilia: A Four Factor Model. Journal Of Sex Research, 22(2), 145.

Sartorius, A. (2008). Abnormal amygdala activation profile in pedophilia. European Archives Of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 258(5), 271-277.

Abel GG, et al. “Pedophilia,” in Gabbard GO, ed. Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, Third Edition.

American Psychiatric Press, 2001.

 

Briken P, et al. “Pharmacotherapy of Paraphilias with Long-Acting Agonists of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing

Hormone: A Systematic Review,” Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (August

2003): Vol. 64, No. 8, pp. 890–97.

 

Fagan PJ, et al. “Pedophilia,” JAMA (November 20, 2002): Vol. 288, No. 19, pp. 2458–65.

 

Green R. “Is Pedophilia a Mental Disorder?” Archives of Sexual Behavior (December 2002): Vol. 31, No. 6, pp. 467–71. Commentaries and rejoinders, pp. 479–510.

 

McConaghy N. “Unresolved Issues in Scientific Sexology,” Archives of Sexual Behavior (August 1999): Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 285–318.

 

Quinsey VL. “The Etiology of Anomalous Sexual Preferences in Men,” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (July 2003): Vol. 989, pp. 105–17.

An exploratory Study on Body Art- People With It and Perceptions Towards It

Dear Readers,
I am a final year MSc Psychology (Counseling) student at Christ University.
My dissertation is about studying personality differences in people with and without body art- tattoos in specific.
While that may be the topic of my primary research, I would also be interested in doing a qualitative analysis of certain related topics. Hence, I am taking a shot and posting a few questions on this forum. Please feel free to answer them as you like and pass it on to friends or people you think might be interested.
Your replies will go a long way in making this research possible.

Thank You,
Vani S

P.S. Please mail all responses to vani.univ@gmail.com. Your responses will be kept private and confidential and used only for the purpose of this research.


Body Art-
Definition as per this study- People with a tattoo(s) and a maximum of one ear lobe piercing on each ear to allow for a cultural sanction.

Questions-
Answer the following if you have a tattoo. You may also answer this on behalf of someone you know who has a tattoo (mention the same). Please feel free to express as much as you want for any of the questions and back them with personal experience, anecdotes or academic studies. Thank You.

Demographic Data-
Name-
Age-
Sex-
Religion-
Socio Economic Status-
Education-
Occupation-
Email Id-
Telephone Number-

1. What is your perception about the personality of a person that decides to ink themslves? (Eg: They might be reckless/ extroverted)

2. Why do you think people decide to get tattooed/ Why did you decide to get tattooed?

3. What are some of the factors that helped you go ahead with the decision of getting inked even though it is a permanent mark on your body?

4. Do you think people who get tattooes are significantly different (personality traits and behavior wise) from people without tattoos?

5. Have you ever suffered discrimination or stigma from your workplace/ elsewhere because you have a tattoo?

6. Do you think the Indian cultural and value system has a significant impact on getting a tattoo? (Eg: increased resistance from family)

7. Do you have a tattoo (s)? If yes, can you list the details? (Where, Colour, Size, Number of tattoos etc)

8. Do you think people often regret getting inked years later? If yes, what may some of the reasons be for the same?

9. What are some of the questions you are commonly asked by people post getting the tattoo and how do you respond to the same?

10. Would you get more tattoos inspite of the number of practical challenges, restrictions, the cost, the discouragement from family and other similar factors? If yes, why? If No, why?

Other remarks-
 

Literary Criticism, Critical Theory & Criticism around Creative Writing

I've studied criticism in many forms. During my under-graduation at Christ College, I studied the different schools of literary criticism—new criticism, formalism, structuralism, etc. It was extremely interesting—like observing a thought manifest into words, and then into a complete theory. Even though what these theories enabled was to be able to critique literature and understand it from different perspectives, what soon became clear was that the theories could stand on their own, and be understood as independent working systems of thought in progress. Although we were talking about literature, I felt that we could as easily be talking about anything else—about completely different meaning making processin in society. It became, instead of a way to understand and study literature, a way to understand and make sense of society.

The second form of criticism I studied was during my Masters, which was Critical Theory. I was studying Criticism of society here—looking at Lacan, and Derrida, and Barthes. There was a purpose to the criticism; in some cases, as when we were studying Post-colonialism, if it was to study the impact of the West on nations that had been colonised, understand our own (Indian) relationship to Colonialism, and our efforts to unconsciously Decolonize the West; in other cases, it was a theory of understanding and building piece, where we spoke of reconciliation of countries which had been torn apart by racism, apartheid, or genocide. This form of criticism also lent itself to allow one to look at objects and the relationships we share with them, and how this contributes to our understanding of materials. In all these cases, there was a purpose to the criticism. We were moving towards a goal—to achieve something. To gain, for lack of a better word, some kind of closure in argument of pros and cons that led nowhere.

Now that I'm "studying" MFA Creative Writing, the approach to Criticism is entirely different. We are looking at Criticism not to give us answers of what has already been created, but to help us work towards creating more literature. We work around discussions of craft, and plot; character, and setting, and we do this not to achieve a deeper understanding of what already is, but what can be. It is like drawing blueprints from something that exists, and then, using those blueprints to create new buildings, and new models of architecture. There is much more freedom; to make of it, what we will, and to use it how we please. This is, a criticism that begins in theory, but ends in creation. Criticism that begins without the aim of solving a problem, or getting closer to it, but as a catalyst, and enabler to help a practioner of the craft of writing. It is, might I add, my favorite version of criticism.