Convergence – This word was very popular in our recent reading by Mark Deuze. It should have been part of the Key words that they had in the beginning of the chapter. It is also a word I can relate to a lot of the classes. In a way, convergence is a this idea of coming together or a fusion. In our Cultural Administration class we watched a video about the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. This organization is a convergence of the three performing art platforms brought together as one, in my opinion. They have the Dayton Opera, Dayton ballet, and Dayton Philharmonic.

 

Another class discussion relatable to this word and the reading is from the video in Art & Society. This idea of a Cultural Kitchen is similar to how Deuze is thinking of the converging culture and its relationship to media.

 

Connections – The first idea of what the word connection means is from a networking term. During the 20th year reunion there were many possible connections alumni and students could make between each other.  Another way of connections is from the internet.

 

Has anyone ever wondered what our world would be like if the internet was not free. I mean except the internet connection you buy to put in your household. The inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, believed that knowledge for the public should be free. Therefore, he created an internet service that

 

Could you imagine this access that we have and the connections we have made throughout our lives would have more exclusivity? Imagine going to the library and not having to pay to use the internet on the computer. It would have closed a lot of the connections that have been made over the years.

 

Making connections is very important to every individual. It is how people exist in this mixing pot of cultures. We always find some similarities with each other.  

 

Identity – This is one of the toughest words to define in just a short comment. There have been many statements, articles, art, and books about identity. It is palpable word in its meaning because it’s a notion. It can be individual perspective of one self or it can be the atmosphere of a company. It can be a trait that defines someone or something.  

I wanted to bring up the conversation we had in Art & Society. The activity we did from group 1 presentation. We defined ourselves on a piece of paper. Some chose to say ethnicities, titles, country, or their interests. Others decided to challenge their own meaning of identity. It made us re-think the question and challenged us to view ourselves and others differently.