Violence and hatred

When referring to violence and hatred I have been surprised at how many different views there are to take on it. Before joining this module I tended to take the view that violence and hatred is bad. End of story. No other options explored. But after being in this module for a number of weeks now I have explored different views and opinions on the subject. Views that I myself do not neccessarily agree with but can accept and learn about other peoples cultures and experiences.

The lecture on cockfighting in Bali was one of the most prominent lectures for me as it touched upon a subject I feel strongly about which is animal cruelty. To me the idea of cockfighting is cruel and unnecessary but it was interesting to learn about the culture and the process of cockfighting and the social values it holds within Bali.

The fact that everyone is involved and it brings the community together is a positive factor which is a point I would not have considered before taking the module. I would have just seen the outer view without exploring other options. The module has been a real eye opener. I still do not agree with the act itself but am open minded enough to see both sides and it does have its positive factors.

When doing the first assignment I based my creative writing around the idea of cockfighting and its values. I wrote a piece based on the line "Before the fight". I used a website that helped me understand cockfighting a little more as there was an article written about all the different aspects such as religious aspects, preliminaries and gambling. For me it helped to break down the different views and aspects involved to understand from every point the process of cockfighting.

http://webhome.idirect.com/~boweevil/baliwasantara.html

Just a little opinionated blog there from me. Will add something with a little more substance in due course.

Sarah Broome.