RFTG - Practice Questions and Discussion (1 Viewer)

[Quietly]

I had my RFTG trial today, it was the absolute pits. The question was basically, paraphrased "Despite this whole global thing they make you study, write a panel discussion between 4 people representing each text, 2 prescribed and at least two self-selected, about how all tools, symbols and texts can be seen as local".

For starters, i HATE transcripts. You take up so much space with superfluous nonsense that makes it sound like a transcript and then get to say nothing worthwhile.

Secondly, WTF is with the question.

I was really sad, because I love RFTG.

The creative wasn't a good question either. Some quote about the 3 stages of a way of thinking, one of which was "the struggle between life and death".

 

[glitterfairy]

:/ That question doesn't sound too good... normally they ask you to look at both local and global...

I'm crossing my fingers here and hoping the question called for an anlysis of how and why the local communities were represented as they were in the texts covered. That would at least make sense to me (and be able to be tied to "we're doing this because of ____" reasons).

 

[louweesel]

CAn someone suggest any related material that could be suited for this question? There is a lot of RFTG material but some i cant get to relate to the question. Any help please?

Have a look at newspaper articles. I have a few feature articles and they are great to use. I am also using the 1st episode of SeaChange which would be an interesting one to look at in terms of varying circumstances and the will to survive. Goodluck!!!

 

[Dave2007]

Just got back from my trial exam...this is a rundown if anyone cares or wants to see what may be asked in their upcoming trial!

QUESTION 1

"The plasma screen TV seemed to mock me as I looked into its dark surface and saw a rustic table and several empty chairs. Nothing was as it seemed..."

Use this as an opening line and basis for a creative that explores the ways of thinking of your elective.

QUESTION 2

[There is a rectangular box. On the left hand side is location, in the middle in bold is culture, and on the right is tradition]

Discuss the ways of thinking in your elective as they relate to these concepts, focusing your discussion on culture.

You must refer two your two prescribed texts and two texts of your own choosing.
_____________________________

My creative had a crazy storyline, but I put in quite a lot of good motifs and it read well and there was lots of glob/loc dichotomy, even if this synopsis doesn't make it sound that way. I wrote that the TV was called "Sharpie" (As in, Sharp the TV-making company), and it showed him his deepest desires. Since his divorce these had been global symbols, such as fast cars and he fills his life by buying such things. He then notices a coke bottle appear on the image of the table and he realises that all the things he's brought can't bring his wife back to the table they once had shared. He goes on a retreat to talk to her, gets rebuffed, comes back to the apartment, realises he doesn't want any of this materialistic shit that has filled his life, hacks away at the TV with an unplayed guitar and ends up seeing his desire - himself and his ex-wife sitting at the table.

For the essay, that blew the shit out of my pre-prepared one, where I had like quotes from theorists about capitalism/commensalism paradigms, postcolonialism etc... I had to completely re-adapt for a more cultural focus, and link all my arguements into showing how the texts portray location + tradition, this makes a local culture that comes into conflict with global culture, and retreat is a way authors come to terms with it.

All in all.... very meh.

 

[jkugez]

"RFTG is a rather unusual module that is both blatantly easy (for the most part, Local = good and Global = bad) and at the same time, a bit tricky to digest easily."

RFTG is blatantly easy, however simply saying Local=Good, Global=Bad is not what this course is about... It is about realising how global and local forces can co-exist in an environment in which things are at once both global and local and can function harmoniously.

Simply creating a polarity between the global and the local is not what this course requires. It requires a more in depth analysis of the forces of the global and the local, and the way different valuing systems and ways of thinking, specifically through paradigmatic frames such as religious, philosophic, economic and scientific, creates situations in which things can be at once both global and local.

Of course some texts create situations that seem as though the global is bad and the local is good, such as Airlink's proposed acquisition of the Kerrigan household in The Castle, however if we look simply at the residents on Highview Cresent, such as Farouk, we see that already global forces are existing harmoniously with the local through multiculturalism re-affirmed through the marriage of Trace and Con. Also the global and local are brought together through Daryl's relationship with Lorry, who represents Daryl's local concerns in a global environment, the high court of Australia. Finally Airlink's hiring of a Thug to intimidate residents on Highview cresent suggests that Airlink is accessing the local through local forces (the thug) in order to harmoniously communicate global perspectives to the local, hence things are at once global and local.

Finding instances such as these within perscribed texts relate to the core ideas of retreat from the global, and extend beyond the simplicity of saying Global=Bad, Local=Good.....