What is it?
In their critical thinking exercise that concludes the reading "Social Identity", Rogers and Zemach invite us to discuss questions that follow up ideas in the reading we have now read carefully, (2018). These questions invite us to reflect on the ideas in the reading and apply them to our own experience.
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The questions
- What are some benefits of rivalries? What are some problems? Give specific examples.
- When people meet for the first time, do you think they focus on similarities, or differences? Why, do you think?
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Writing
We will respond to the the questions separately, that is, in two comments.
For each question, you have 8:00 minutes to plan and write. I suggest:
- planning = 2:00 minutes
- writing = 5:00 minutes
- editing = 1:00 minute.
First, we will write our responses and replies to question 1 only.
Then we will discuss question 2 in a series of comments and replies.
A helpful strategy
Imagine you are writing for someone who has not read the question you are answering or the reading that the question follows up. Your job is to clearly communicate your response to that reader.
Because your writing should make sense independently of the question it might be answering, it is usually useful to give background. This can be achieved by paraphrasing the question into statements that begin your answer. This is also a useful strategy n exams such as IELTS and TOEFL.
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Reference
Rogers, L. & Zemach, D. E. (2018). Skillful 3: Reading & Writing, Student's Book Pack (2nd. ed.). London: Macmillan Education
Rivalries between groups are common in society. My friends and I disagree about which is the best smartphone: Apple or Samsung (my friends are wrong; Samsung is the best.) And Russia is in a strong rivalry with Ukraine about whose country some land belongs to.
ReplyDeleteRivalries can obviously be problems. War is bad thing. Except perhaps Russia, no one thinks that the rivalry for land between the social groups that are Russia and Ukraine is a good thing. It's an awful thing, and an example of how harmful rivalries between groups can be.
On the other hand, the rivalry between Samsung and Apple seems to me to be a very good thing. It is the reason my current Samsung phone is much, much better than the one I had a few years ago. The rivalry between Samsung and Apple is the reason phones get much better every year.
In my opinion "benefits of rivalries" is that makes our know real range of our skill. for example, if we need to win a football game. we have to practice and improve our skills more than we just play with our friends. The rivalries can be a motivation to win or succeed. And I think the problem of it is sometimes we focus on rivalries too much. we too much put pressure on ourselves. If it fails, you will be too disappointed and then you will give up on it forever.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kanoon. The football game is a strong example for your idea for benefits of rivalry. Could you make that example more specific? What are the names?
DeleteWhat would be a useful example for your idea about the problems?
Hi Peter, Actually I'm not a football fan at all but I know a bit about the team's names like Liverpool and Manchester. I heard about them for a long time. I think in this example (Liverpool Vs Manchester). benefits of rivalry are we have a topic to talk about with our friends. I have friends who are the fans of Liverpool and also have friends who are the fans of Manchester too. When they rivalries, my friend will meet and watch it together and tomorrow they will also talk about the match last night. But rivalries can obviously be problems in this case too if a team has an injury while playing the fans will be angry and railing against another team in too much rude. it can make the different team fans get disapprove and then they have an attack as we see on the news.
DeleteIt's really true that the rivalries make us to know the range of skill. Espicially, the rivalry in working society that the most people try to develop, practice so much and show their abilites in order to get the higher position. Therefore, it can make them to be serious and disappointment when it's not completely as they wish. In addition, it sometimes destroys the relationship between them.
DeleteIssues related to rivalralies are frequently discussed these days. It is widely discussed that varalies are beneficial or problematic.
ReplyDeleteI would like to start with the most important positive impact of rivalralies that consumers have various choices. What this means is that there are different industrial companies produce same products and sell in differrent prices. For instance, there are 3 main automobile companies whose prices are from cheap to expensive such as BMW, Honda, and MG.
Moving on to problems of rivalries, people normally have their own opinion on political situation in their countries. In case they fight and become more harmful to each others, this could lead to violent. It is illustrated by the fact that friends who support differrent political parties might not be loger friends after having argued.
In conclusion, I believed that rivalies could be both positive and negative depending on situation.
View, your examples of BMW, MG and Honda are great support for your main idea about a benefit of rivalry.
DeleteCan you think of similarly specific examples for your idea about a problem with rivalry? In what country are the different political groups fighting? Who are those groups?
In any situations which have the rivalries can be a positive and a negative effect. In my view, the benefit of rivalries can originate new ideas or develop new technology. For example, the competition between two smart watch brands might develop new function of gadget. On the other hand, the rivalries might cause a confliction such as the economy competition between the USA and China.
ReplyDeletePrang, which two smart watch brands? What new functions are they developing because of rivalry? Your idea of a benefit it strong, and it's a good example. If you make your example more specific and give us more details, I think it will be stronger.
DeleteI also like your example of the economic rivalry between China and America, but could you add a few more details on that? What is the problem it causes to Americans? To Chinese people? (Does that China-US rivalry also harm Thai people?)
As I know, two brands (Garmin and Suunto) are rivalry. They compete in health and activities watches which each models are similar functions, but its design are much different. For me, I am Garmin fan because it is more reputation and most of my friend also use Garmin. Moreover, it also have XiaoMi smart watch try to disrupt Western brands by price competition. In term of customers, I feel interesting in Xiaomi because of its price. I don't really mind about its function much as I can afford XiaoMi without much thinking. (Buying 3 XiaoMi watches price are equal only one Western watch)
DeleteConversely, buying without thinking increase a lot of electronic wastes. Furthermore, in term of producer's view that it is an extrema price war since the chipset in Western watches produce from China. So, I think the economic rivalry is cause pollution.
Ps. Peter, I can't answer your questions because I can't elaborate ideas about the economic rivalry between China and America, so I try to compare between smart watch brands.
Rivalries has some benefits. Firstly, it encourages you to develop yourself all the time in order to win the competition, for example if Disney Plus wants to beat Netflix, it should add more interesting movies into the application. Secondly, it helps strengthening teamwork and cooperation within group or team, for example if Liverpool aims to win a match with Manchester United, Liverpool's members have to learn how to collaborate with their teammates in the game.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Rivalries also result in some problems. Firstly, it can create serious conflict between groups or person, for example debate between representatives from opposite political party can become aggressive if each side allow their emotion to overcome their minds. Secondly, it can destroy happiness in our minds if we don't know how to let go the result of the competition.
Pluem, your example of the rivalry between Disney Plus and Netflix is excellent. So is your example of Manchester United and Liverpool. Those examples support the two benefits of rivalry you tell us about. And they are strong: your readers might not use them, but they know NetFlix and Disney Plus. We might not be football fans, but we know about Liverpool and Manchester United.
DeleteIf you could add a similarly specific example to show us your ideas about problems that come from rivalry, that might help readers to better see those ideas in your second paragraph.
when I think about benefits of rivalries I think about myself. It can be motivation to you when you see people have competition or have goal in their life but some problems of rivalries when you put too much pressure and result were not as you expect it can put you to depressed.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion when people meet for the first time I think they focus on similarities things because When you want to find some friends you will focus on the things you like.
Keet, you have two good ideas in your first paragraph. If you add a couple of examples, that will help your readers clearly understand your idea about a benefit of rivalry and your idea for a problem with rivalry. Since you are thinking about yourself, who is one person you were you in competition with that helped you, and perhaps also the other person, to be more motivated? You could give a new example, or perhaps give more details for the first one to show us your idea about the problem of pressure from rivalry leading to depression.
DeleteKeet, I feel like you that when I have the goal need to be succeed, I will focus and devote to it too much and sometimes make me to be serious. The rivalry motivates me to develop myself to be better. Finally, I think the rivalry is good for the people who need to develop themself because it can drive them to get the higher level in the future.
DeleteFinding similarities between people who meet each other for the first time is a good start to create relationship between them. I believe that when people have something in common, they become more opened to each other and feel more comfortable during conversation. People can share their stories related to things they have in common, for example people who come from the same university can share their experience of the final project or the club activities that they have attended.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that we can easily to open the topic which has same taste with other.
DeleteWhile people have a first met, similar issues are always rised for their conversation to make they feel more confortable. This is widely believed that the common circumstances they have experenced could smoothen their conversation. It is illustrated by the fact that when graduated becomes a new comer in company, most frequently asked questions are 'where did you graduated from?', 'where are you from?', and 'Do we have mutual friends'. If there are some similarities among them, it is easier to feel connencted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about this sentence "a newcomer in the company, most frequently asked questions are 'where did you graduate from?', 'where are you from?' " like people also look for someone who comes from the same place. It's easy to understand each other if you come from the same one. and if I see someone from the same university. I will ask about the teacher in a class just in case we have ever been in the same situation like This teacher orders many projects or The exam of this teacher is really hard.
DeleteHi View, The examples you gave here is very clear and I like that!. When I was a new staff in organization, those questions were among the first that were asked. I am wondering that if you meet new people, what are your favorite questions to ask in order to make you and them feel connected in the first meeting?.
DeleteWhen people meet for the first time I think people will focus on similarities like me. I will focus on similarities things. I will skim that person can be my friend or not. Because Friendship will be happen in Who have someting similar. I will look at the stlye of clothes or gestures. and also in my opion it is normally that people looking for someone who similar with such as If I'd to have a boyfriend, I will looking for someone who quite similar with me Because it's quite easy to understand each other like today I like to go hiking but he doesn't like it so that he won't understand why I like to go for a hiking? or benifits of it that I know but he doesn't know.
ReplyDeleteHi Kanoon, I totally agree with you that we should look for similarities from the stranger first because it's the way we can approach them naturally. By the way have you ever be friend with someone who is totally different from you ? .Your opinion about this topic also make me wonder that what kind of similarities you are looking for in someone to be your friend ?
DeleteIt would be great to know more about your opinion about getting to know someone.
I think the rivalries have both advantage and disadvantage. It's a good if you use it to develop yourself to be better and will get more new ideas. However, sometimes it makes someone to be serious more.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, when the people meet for the first time, I think they will focus on similarities because it's easy to continue the conversation.
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DeleteAfter I read your comment I think I need to agree with you. sometimes life has to be happy and sometimes life need to focus and be more serious about it and I think we don't have to have competition with others just try your best do just to develop myself , Thanks foe the advice!
DeleteIn my opinion. when people meet for the first time, I think they probably focus on similarities because when you talk to someone you will always looking for happiness in that conversation and some common things to talk to.
ReplyDeleteHi Keet, if you meet someone for the first time and you like to know more about that person. what question you will ask for the first? I mean after you already know about Name, Age of that person.
DeleteFor me, I will ask What's your favorite sport? or What do you do in your free time?
Hi Kanoon, If I meet someone for the first time I would ask he/she who's her favorite artist or maybe Do you have a pet? cat or dog? which one is her favorite?
DeleteIn my view, the first time when people normally meet a stranger, they will focus on the similar things rather than differences. This is because it is easier to start conversation and make a friend. For instance, when you are in the waiting room for a company interview, you might see someone also waits for interview same as you. So, the first conversation is easy to ask about he or she come to interview and after you know the identify that he/she are similar with you. You will feel free and want to continue taking with him/her.
ReplyDeleteDear, I'm glad to see that problem seems to be sorted out.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. We expect a few problems when we are learning a new technology. It's normal.
Hi Prang, I love this thought "when you are in the waiting room for a company interview, you might see someone also waiting for an interview the same as you". you look like a kind person and that is too much different from me. if I'm waiting for an interview and I see the other people I usually estimate each person like I will look at that person from head to toe and consider the clothes, gestures, and confidence. because I don't think another one is my friend at this moment. they are all rivals. I'm a bad girl. LOL
ReplyDeleteLOL, I used to think as they are my rival as you when I was young. After gain more experience, my view has changed like everyone have their style. Not only companies have a chance to choose you, but you can also pick a company where matches with your lifestyle.
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