RiC Portfolio
RiC Portfolio
RiC Portfolio
Lucie Hoeberichts
She/her
7454295
Tatiana Bruni
Yosiane White
Ys
For my bilingual English class in French High School I had to write a research project but I'm not sure
what the type is. The title was "Taylor Swift is the music industry".
I am interested in many things so choosing a topic is not very complicated, however formulating a
question/title I find somewhat difficult because I need to capture the entire essay in a single sentence.
I love reading and have quite a bit of knowledge in French literature so I often have references at the
back of my mind. However, sorting out "good" and "bad" sources online I find complicated.
1
I only know how to write what we call in France dissertations and text commentaries.
I had to learn how to reference while I was writing my research paper so I think I have still have the
skillset.
It depends entirely on how passionate I am about the subject. I also get very nervous when presenting
to classmates but hope to become more confident!
Because I loved doing this in French I think I am okay at it however I'm not sure how it'll go in
English…
4
In France I had school everyday from 8 to 5-6 so I've become quite organized with my schedule.
Learning how to write in English and adapting my previous knowledge to new circumstances.
MIDTERM REFLECTION
When I started at UCU, my biggest fears regarding my academic skills were mostly concerning the transition
from studying in French to studying in English. I was worried I wouldn't find precise enough words or wouldn't
understand some of the vocabulary my professors and peers were using. So far this has not been as important an
issue as I expected. English is a second language to most people and everyone is very kind about accents and "I
don't know how to say this word in English" moments. The biggest challenge I faced regarding studying in
English was during the first couple of weeks in my calculus and linear algebra class. I was surprised to see how
different the words were in French and English to describe mathematical methods. I felt I was behind at the
beginning but now understand (almost) everything.
In regards to my writing and referencing skills, I have learnt much about how to write an academic paper and
have discovered many new tools. I hadn't realised before research in context that there were so many rules about
how to write and so many referencing styles. Looking back on my first essay which was not that long ago, I can
now see there is so much wrong with it regarding its format, language style, referencing style and choice of
references etc.
I have also learnt to use new ways to do research such as google scholar which I had never even heard of before
but now adore.
For the rest of the semester and ones to follow, I aim to develop new skills such as using a reference manager
and learning to read articles and papers in a quick and effective way. We have been working on this in class but I
have yet to master this skill. I feel I have grown much more confident in working in English and have been able
to apply the skills I developed during high school to my work here at UCU.
ESSAY A DRAFT
The End Of The World
The term “apocalypse” is defined in the Oxford language dictionary as an event involving destruction
or damage on a catastrophic scale.1 The end of the world has been a highly anticipated event due to infinite
myths and theories that have been surrounding it for centuries. The mystery of the future can cause certain
anxieties as worrying causes such as climate change grow. We are left to wonder “What would or will the end of
the world look like ?”. These concerns can be viewed in many different ways. This essay goes through 3 of these
conceptions to analyse in what ways they can relate to one another, the research question being “What would the
end of the world be like?”. The first opinion is the Biblical theory on how and why the world will end. This can
be considered the irrational perspective as it is not based on scientific belief but on religious theory. Then
follows the creation of atomic weapons and how it gave birth to new apocalyptic possibilities and fears. Finally
it will describe the predicted consequences of climate change that could make it impossible to live on earth.
1
Oxford languages https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
2
Webster Dictionnary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Armageddon#:~:text=%3A%20the%20site%20or%20time%20of,
vast%20decisive%20conflict%20or%20confrontation
3
Hieronymus Bosch (1515), The Garden of Earthly Delights
4
Ellie Lisitsa, The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling
https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-stonewall
ing/#:~:text=The%20Four%20Horsemen%20of%20the,the%20end%20of%20a%20relationship.
5
Nuclear Weapons
https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/nuclear/#:~:text=The%20dangers%20from%20such%20weapons,nuclear%
20tests%20conducted%20to%20date.
6
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings
https://www.icanw.org/hiroshima_and_nagasaki_bombings#:~:text=By%20the%20end%20of%201945,Each%2
0person%20had%20a%20name.
7
Daniel Wojcik (1997), The End of the World as We Know it: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in America
defined the term nuclear anxiety as the “fear of nuclear war and its consequences”.8 Nuclear anxiety began
during the Second World War and started rising again in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. This fear is
justified by the fact that atomic bombs have the ability to cause the end of the world. A full-scale atomic war
would lead to immediate destruction of the targeted places and cities. As the European commission explained in
their article “What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?” (2022),
it would also include potential firestorms and many health consequences due to radiation, billions would also die
from the global famine that would follow.9
Conclusion
All three of these points of view differentiate mostly in their origins. The Biblical point of view is
based on religious belief, it has no rational explanation and can be conceived as a random expectation. The idea
of an atomic war is based on historical fact and human experience. Finally, the predicted apocalypse born from
climate change is based on scientific research and observation leading to logical expectations. However, what is
interesting to observe is how similar the predictions of what the end of the world will look like are. They all
involve massive destruction, fires, disease, and end in death. All three of these perspectives are based on
different beliefs and yet they expect similar outcomes. In conclusion, if or when the end of the world occurs, it
will most likely be caused by natural disasters that will then cause diseases and eventually eradicate the
population.
Bibliography
8
Abanoub Riad, Anton Drobov, Muhammad Abdullatif Alkasaby,Aleš Peřina, Michal Koščík,Nuclear Anxiety
Amid the Russian-Ukrainian War 2022 (RUW-22): Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9962827/#:~:text=Nuclear%20anxiety%20can%20be%20defin
ed,for%20apocalyptic%20armament%20%5B2%5D
9
What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?
(2022)https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442055-what-would-the-world-look-like-after-a-nuclear-war-between-t
he-united-states-and-russia
10
Oliver Milman, Andrew Witherspoon, Rita Liu, and Alvin Chang (2015),The climate disaster is here Earth is
already becoming unlivable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-stats-gra
phs-maps-cop26
11
James E. Neumann, Gary Yohe, Robert Nicholls and Michelle Manion (2000), Sea-Level Rise & Global
Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts
https://www.c2es.org/document/sea-level-rise-global-climate-change-a-review-of-impacts-to-u-s-coasts/#:~:text
=The%20major%20physical%20impacts%20of,a%20result%20of%20saltwater%20intrusion.
● G. J. Kramer (2017), Challenges of a Green Future, in Kiesecker J.M., Naugle D.E. (eds), Energy
Sprawl Solutions, Island Press, Washington DC, pp 20-30
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.5822%2F978-1-61091-723-0_2
● Daniel Wojcik (1997), The End of the World as We Know it: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in
America
● Oxford languages https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
● Abanoub Riad, Anton Drobov, Muhammad Abdullatif Alkasaby,Aleš Peřina, Michal Koščík,Nuclear
Anxiety Amid the Russian-Ukrainian War 2022 (RUW-22): Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9962827/#:~:text=Nuclear%20anxiety%20can%20be
%20defined,for%20apocalyptic%20armament%20%5B2%5D
● What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?
(2022)https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442055-what-would-the-world-look-like-after-a-nuclear-war-b
etween-the-united-states-and-russia
● Tina Pippin(1999), Apocalyptic Bodies: The Biblical End of the World in Text and Image
● THE BIBLE’S VIEWPOINT, The End of the World
https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/g201511/bible-about-end-of-the-world/
● Webster Dictionnary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Armageddon#:~:text=%3A%20the%20site%20or%20tim
e%20of,vast%20decisive%20conflict%20or%20confrontation
● Hieronymus Bosch (1515), The Garden of Earthly Delights
● Ellie Lisitsa, The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling
https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-s
tonewalling/#:~:text=The%20Four%20Horsemen%20of%20the,the%20end%20of%20a%20relationshi
p.
● Stefan Skrimshire (2013), Climate change and apocalyptic faith
https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wcc.264
● The Routledge Handbook of Environment and Communication (2015)
● Wynne Parry (2013), How Much Longer Can Earth Support Life?
● https://www.livescience.com/39775-how-long-can-earth-support-life.html#:~:text=Earth%20could%20
continue%20to%20host,eventually%20render%20the%20planet%20uninhabitable.
● Oliver Milman, Andrew Witherspoon, Rita Liu, and Alvin Chang (2015),The climate disaster is here
Earth is already becoming unlivable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-
stats-graphs-maps-cop26
● James E. Neumann, Gary Yohe, Robert Nicholls and Michelle Manion (2000), Sea-Level Rise &
Global Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts
https://www.c2es.org/document/sea-level-rise-global-climate-change-a-review-of-impacts-to-u-s-coasts
/#:~:text=The%20major%20physical%20impacts%20of,a%20result%20of%20saltwater%20intrusion.
ESSAY A CORRECTED VERSION
The term “apocalypse” is defined in the Oxford language dictionary as an event involving destruction
or damage on a catastrophic scale.12 The end of the world has been a highly anticipated event due to infinite
myths and theories that have been surrounding it for centuries. The mystery of the future can cause certain
anxieties as worrying causes such as climate change grow. We are left to wonder “What would or will the end of
the world look like ?”. These concerns can be viewed in many different ways. This essay goes through 3 of these
conceptions to analyze in what ways they can relate to one another, the research question being “What are three
conceptions of the end of the world and how do they relate to one another?”. The first opinion is the Biblical
theory on how and why the world will end. This perspective is not based on scientific research but on religious
theory. Then follows the creation of atomic weapons and how it caused new apocalyptic possibilities and fears.
Finally I will describe the predicted consequences of climate change that some think could make it impossible
to live on earth.
12
Oxford languages https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
13
Webster Dictionnary
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Armageddon#:~:text=%3A%20the%20site%20or%20time%20of,
vast%20decisive%20conflict%20or%20confrontation
14
Hieronymus Bosch (1515), The Garden of Earthly Delights
15
Ellie Lisitsa, The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling
https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-stonewall
ing/#:~:text=The%20Four%20Horsemen%20of%20the,the%20end%20of%20a%20relationship.
16
Nuclear Weapons
https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/nuclear/#:~:text=The%20dangers%20from%20such%20weapons,nuclear%
20tests%20conducted%20to%20date.
17
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings
https://www.icanw.org/hiroshima_and_nagasaki_bombings#:~:text=By%20the%20end%20of%201945,Each%2
0person%20had%20a%20name.
39% of the sample batch representing the American population agree with the following sentence: “When the
Bible predicts that the earth will be destroyed by fire, it’s telling us that a nuclear war is inevitable”.18 This
statistic reveals how the idea of an apocalypse became suddenly real after the creation of atomic weapons. In the
1960s, the American anthropologist Margaret Mead defined the term nuclear anxiety as the “fear of nuclear war
and its consequences”.19 Nuclear anxiety started rising again in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. This fear is
justified by the fact that atomic bombs have the ability to cause immense damage. A full-scale atomic war
would lead to immediate destruction of the targeted places and cities. As the European commission explained in
their article “What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?” (2022),
it would also include potential firestorms and many health consequences due to radiation, billions would also die
from the global famine that would follow.20
18
Daniel Wojcik (1997), The End of the World as We Know it: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in America
19
Abanoub Riad, Anton Drobov, Muhammad Abdullatif Alkasaby,Aleš Peřina, Michal Koščík,Nuclear Anxiety
Amid the Russian-Ukrainian War 2022 (RUW-22): Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9962827/#:~:text=Nuclear%20anxiety%20can%20be%20defin
ed,for%20apocalyptic%20armament%20%5B2%5D
20
What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?
(2022)https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442055-what-would-the-world-look-like-after-a-nuclear-war-between-t
he-united-states-and-russia
21
Oliver Milman, Andrew Witherspoon, Rita Liu, and Alvin Chang (2015),The climate disaster is here Earth is
already becoming unlivable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-stats-gra
phs-maps-cop26
22
James E. Neumann, Gary Yohe, Robert Nicholls and Michelle Manion (2000), Sea-Level Rise & Global
Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts
https://www.c2es.org/document/sea-level-rise-global-climate-change-a-review-of-impacts-to-u-s-coasts/#:~:text
=The%20major%20physical%20impacts%20of,a%20result%20of%20saltwater%20intrusion.
Bibliography
● Daniel Wojcik (1997), The End of the World as We Know it: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalypse in
America
● Oxford languages https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
● Abanoub Riad, Anton Drobov, Muhammad Abdullatif Alkasaby,Aleš Peřina, Michal Koščík,Nuclear
Anxiety Amid the Russian-Ukrainian War 2022 (RUW-22): Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9962827/#:~:text=Nuclear%20anxiety%20can%20be
%20defined,for%20apocalyptic%20armament%20%5B2%5D
● What would the world look like after a nuclear war between the United States and Russia?
(2022)https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/442055-what-would-the-world-look-like-after-a-nuclear-war-b
etween-the-united-states-and-russia
● Hieronymus Bosch (1515), The Garden of Earthly Delights
● Ellie Lisitsa, The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling
https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-four-horsemen-recognizing-criticism-contempt-defensiveness-and-s
tonewalling/#:~:text=The%20Four%20Horsemen%20of%20the,the%20end%20of%20a%20relationshi
p.
● Oliver Milman, Andrew Witherspoon, Rita Liu, and Alvin Chang (2015),The climate disaster is here
Earth is already becoming unlivable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-
stats-graphs-maps-cop26
● James E. Neumann, Gary Yohe, Robert Nicholls and Michelle Manion (2000), Sea-Level Rise &
Global Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts
https://www.c2es.org/document/sea-level-rise-global-climate-change-a-review-of-impacts-to-u-s-coasts
/#:~:text=The%20major%20physical%20impacts%20of,a%20result%20of%20saltwater%20intrusion.
ESSAY A REFLECTIVE PARAGRAPH
Essay A was very confusing to write as it was the first essay I’ve written for University and I was used
to the very specific French writing techniques. My references were not academic papers and were therefore not
reliable and my referencing style was utterly uncorrect. Much of my vocabulary was opinionated and unclear.
Some of my sentences were too long and vague, making them uncomfortable to read and confusing. I mostly
used the feedback given by my professor to correct but as I re-read it, I could even spot mistakes that I would
not make now, only a few weeks later.
ESSAY B DRAFT
Ceramics in Ghana
Ceramic activity had been present in West Africa since 4000 BC (Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei,
2023). Before Westerners arrived in Ghana (then Gold Coast), the practice of clay was already very well
established in studios and households (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022). Long before their arrival and the
colonisation of Africa, ceramics had already been a prominent family practice (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022).
Historically, ceramics in Ghana have been a source of pleasure mostly, bringing joy and a source of creativity
(Nortey, 2022). In indigenous tradition, clay practice was a main participant in the crafts industry and was much
less considered in the household ware industry (Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). However, when
Westerners came to Ghana, they viewed their art as “primitive” or “less than” which had a negative effect on
Ghanaian but also African art in general (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022). Today, locations like the Nortey and
Bodjawah’s workshop work towards developing skill all while entertaining cultural heritage (Nortey, 2022). The
forms, decorations and uses assigned to the pieces serve to maintain the stability of society (Adjei, Kofi,
Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). Indigenous pottery practice is still practiced in traditional communities without
any use of machinery. (Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). The designs and shapes of ceramics are a
matriarchal heritage that is and has been associated with West Africans for thousands of years. (Nortey, 2022).
Techniques in ceramics
Many ceramists such as Renna Agyeman collect their clay from natural resources like riversides and
then season it themselves (Nortey, 2022). The clay choice is usually dependent on whatever natural resources
are available in the ceramist geographical region (Samuel, Bodjawah, 2022). In Ghana, there is an abundance of
clay in nearly every town which makes this part of the process simple (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022). These raw
materials extracted from naturally occurring clay sources are only processed by removing large, visible particles
before usage (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022).
The first ceramic pieces were made by techniques involving pinching or coiling the clay into desired
forms by hand (Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). Until the 1930s, Ghanaian ceramists did not know of
the existence of the potter’s wheel and therefore considered the hand and knowledge of past experience the best
tools (Nortey, 2022). Ghanaian women worked in groups to produce ceramics (Nortey, 2022). Later on, they
learnt how to use the potter’s wheel as well as other techniques such as the kiln (Nortey, 2022). The arrival of
the potter’s wheel and other advanced technologies developed both the tactical aspects of pottery and increased
aesthetic appreciation (Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). This transition in technique made Ghanaian
ceramists go from majoritarily female to majoritarily male as the new tools requested more physical strength
(Nortey, 2022). To this day, most of the created artefacts are sold on the roadside, very close to the artist’s place
of work (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022).
Conclusion
Although there is a chance that the Ghanaian tradition of pottery will die out, there is still much to
admire in this indigenous practice. It has persisted through time, constantly evolving all while maintaining its
traditional uses and looks. The risk of it disappearing from Ghanaian culture illustrates the need for more
research to be funded and led to shed light on ceramics in Ghana. Giving the cause visibility could help save it
and show appreciation to the struggling artists. Leading more research could help motivate the youth and give
hope for another generation carrying the ancestral tradition.
ESSAY B CORRECTED VERSION
Ceramics in Ghana
Introduction
Ceramics hold an important significance in Ghanaian culture and have been doing so for thousands of
years. They are an indigenous practice that has maintained a significant role in the daily lives of Ghanaians.
However, what the future holds for this practice is somewhat worrying as it seems to be a dying tradition.
This literature review goes over the research and ideas of three different academic papers that were
published between 2022 and 2023. It explains the indigenous origins of clay practice in Ghana and in West
Africa in general. It then goes through the main uses of the produced ceramics and explains what techniques are
employed to create them. Finally, it gives an idea of what is to come, and not to come for Ghanaian ceramic
production in the future.
Techniques in ceramics
Nortey used a survey questionnaire for 63 female ceramists and held focus group discussions with 10
female ceramists to learn that many ceramists such as Renna Agyeman collect their clay from natural resources
like riversides and then season it themselves (Nortey, 2022). The clay choice is usually dependent on whatever
natural resources are available in the ceramist geographical region (Samuel, Bodjawah, 2022). In Ghana, there is
an abundance of clay in nearly every town which makes this part of the process simple (Samuel and Bodjawah,
2022). These raw materials extracted from naturally occurring clay sources are only processed by removing
large, visible particles before usage (Samuel and Bodjawah, 2022).
Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, analysed Ghanaian art in 2023 to find that the first ceramic pieces
were made by techniques involving pinching or coiling the clay into desired forms by hand (Adjei, Kofi,
Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). Until the 1930s, Ghanaian ceramists did not know of the existence of the potter’s
wheel and therefore considered the hand and knowledge of past experience the best tools (Nortey, 2022).
Ghanaian women worked in groups to produce ceramics (Nortey, 2022). Later on, they learnt how to use the
potter’s wheel as well as other techniques such as the kiln (Nortey, 2022). The arrival of the potter’s wheel and
other advanced technologies developed both the tactical aspects of pottery and increased aesthetic appreciation
(Adjei, Kofi, Asubonteng and Agyei, 2023). This transition in technique made Ghanaian ceramists go from
majoritarily female to majoritarily male as the new tools requested more physical strength (Nortey, 2022). To
this day, most of the created artefacts are sold on the roadside, very close to the artist’s place of work (Samuel
and Bodjawah, 2022).
Conclusion
Although there is a chance that the Ghanaian tradition of pottery will die out, there is still much to
admire in this indigenous practice. It has persisted through time, constantly evolving all while maintaining its
traditional uses and looks. The risk of it disappearing from Ghanaian culture illustrates the need for more
research to be funded and led to shed light on ceramics in Ghana. Giving the cause visibility could help save it
and show appreciation to the struggling artists. Leading more research could help motivate the youth and give
hope for another generation carrying the ancestral tradition.
Bibliography
Nortey, Samuel. "Women and Ceramics in Ghana." Journal of Science and Technology (Ghana) 40.3 (2022):
94-112. : downloads
Nortey, Samuel, and Edwin K. Bodjawah. "Ghanaian Clay Practices: a Rethinking." JADECS (Journal of Art,
Design, Art Education & Cultural Studies) 7.1 (2022): 18-29.
Adjei, Kofi, Kwabena Asubonteng, and Isaac Kwabena Agyei. "Advancing Indigenous Pottery for Modern
Application: An Appraisal of a Ghanaian Modernist Ceramist-James Kwame Amoah." Journal of Science and
Technology (Ghana) 41.2 (2023): 102-113.
ESSAY B REFLECTIVE PARAGRAPH
The main issue with my essay B is that it is not a literature review. I thought I understood what a
literature review consisted of but I did not. What I wrote was a summary of the 3 articles I chose put together.
Although my corrected version is not entirely a literary review, it included the methods that were used to make it
more about that actual literature and included comparisons of different results.
ESSAY C DRAFT
Buddhism is defined by the English dictionary as a religion born in India by Buddha that focuses on the
origin of suffering. It holds that life is full of suffering due to our desires and that the way to end these sufferings
is through enlightenment. The Buddhist take on death is interesting because as Damien Keown puts it
“Buddhism is acknowledged as the religion that has most to say about death and the afterlife” (Keown, 2005,
pages 952-955). This shows that they differentiate themselves from other religions and have a very elaborate
opinion on what death is.
This literature review explains the buddhist approach and opinion on death by going over three major points.
Firstly, it explains how Buddhists anticipate death by preparing mentally for it to come at any moment. This
helps them achieve serenity of mind. Secondly, it goes through some of the ways buddhists wish to or do not
wish to die when they have a choice and explains some of the ceremonial traditions for funerals. Lastly it
describes the buddhist beliefs concerning what follows death.
The Afterlife
According to Werner, Buddhists do not consider death to be a moment when someone ceases to exist
(Werner, 2008, pages 19-39). They do not consider death as a form of end point which is one of the reasons
Buddhism has become popular in the West (Masel, 2012, pages 307-312). Throughout their lives, they believe
that one day, their physical existence as they are in that moment will end; however, they also believe that
spiritually, they will live on (Soyen, 1907). Therefore, they perceive death as a transition point from one state to
another during which their “garment” evolves, not as an end point (Werner, 2008, pages 19-39). Soyen argues
that Buddhists believe they will continue to reappear on Earth continuously until they have “gained the end”
which means that they have achieved their ideal of life (Soyen, 1907).
One of the reasons Buddhists try to prepare themselves for a calm and serene death is because it is thought that
it will help them lead a smoother transition and rebirth (Keown, 2005, pages 952-955).
Some of the funeral practices are even done in order to make this transition easiest possible for the deceased
(Heerboth, 1950, page 50-55). For example the money for the ferryman as mentioned previously or the rice that
is also placed in the coffin to serve as food in the hereafter (Heerboth, 1950, page 50-55). Werner believes that
the Buddhist take on death is one of the best rationally argued theories on what death is and what comes after it
(Heerboth, 1950, page 50-55).
In conclusion, Buddhists spend their lives trying to prepare for their deaths. They use meditation as a
way of finding mental stability and serenity. They do this in order as an attempt to reduce the suffering that
death will cause and to help themselves enter their next life smoothly. They consider death as a transition from
one form of living to another which is why certain funeral preparations are done in order to help them during
their transition. They believe this cycle of living followed by transitioning will keep going as long as they
haven’t found their ideal of life.
More research should be led on what the afterlife they believe in looks like and how they argue these beliefs.
Understanding the workings of meditation could help even non-religious people achieve mental peace and
improve mental health on a larger scale. Researching their arguments could also help to achieve intellectual
debates and lead to a better understanding of this religion on a global scale.
Bibliography
● Masel, Eva K., Sophie Schur, and Herbert H. Watzke. "Life is uncertain. Death is certain. Buddhism
and palliative care." Journal of pain and symptom management 44.2 (2012): 307-312.
● Keown, Damien. "End of life: The Buddhist view." The Lancet 366.9489 (2005): 952-955.
● Werner, Karel. "Death, rebirth and personal identity in Buddhism." International Journal 10 (2008):
19-39.
● Heerboth, Paul. "The Buddhist Concept of Death." Concordia Theological Monthly 21.1 (1950): 55.
● Soyen Shaku, The Buddhist conception of death, Oxford University Press, January, 1907
ESSAY C CORRECTED VERSION
Buddhism is defined by the English dictionary as a religion born in India by Buddha that focuses on the
origin of suffering. It holds that life is full of suffering due to our desires and that the way to end these sufferings
is through enlightenment. The Buddhist take on death is interesting because as Damien Keown puts it
“Buddhism is acknowledged as the religion that has most to say about death and the afterlife” (Keown, 2005).
This shows that they differentiate themselves from other religions and have a very elaborate opinion on what
death is. My motivation for this literature review is to discover a different perspective on death and see how
similarly or differently authors describe it.
This literature review explains the buddhist approach and opinion on death by going over three major points.
Firstly, it explains how Buddhists anticipate death by preparing mentally for it to come at any moment. This
helps them achieve serenity of mind. Secondly, it goes through some of the ways buddhists wish to or do not
wish to die when they have a choice and explains some of the ceremonial traditions for funerals. Lastly it
describes the buddhist beliefs concerning what follows death.
The Afterlife
According to Werner (2008), Buddhists do not consider death to be a moment when someone ceases to
exist . They do not consider death as a form of end point which is one of the reasons Buddhism has become
popular in the West (Masel, 2012). Throughout their lives, they believe that one day, their physical existence as
they are in that moment will end; however, they also believe that spiritually, they will live on (Soyen, 1907).
Therefore, they perceive death as a transition point from one state to another during which their “garment”
evolves, not as an end point (Werner, 2008). Soyen (1907) argues that Buddhists believe they will continue to
reappear on Earth continuously until they have “gained the end” which means that they have achieved their ideal
of life. One of the reasons Buddhists try to prepare themselves for a calm and serene death is because it is
thought that it will help them lead a smoother transition and rebirth (Keown, 2005).
Some of the funeral practices are even done in order to make this transition easiest possible for the deceased
(Heerboth, 1950). For example the money for the ferryman as mentioned previously or the rice that is also
placed in the coffin to serve as food in the hereafter (Heerboth, 1950). Werner (2008) believes that the Buddhist
take on death is one of the best rationally argued theories on what death is and what comes after it.
In conclusion, Buddhists spend their lives trying to prepare for their deaths. They use meditation as a
way of finding mental stability and serenity. They do this in order as an attempt to reduce the suffering that
death will cause and to help themselves enter their next life smoothly. They consider death as a transition from
one form of living to another which is why certain funeral preparations are done in order to help them during
their transition. They believe this cycle of living followed by transitioning will keep going as long as they
haven’t found their ideal of life.
More research should be led on what the afterlife they believe in looks like and how they argue these beliefs.
Understanding the workings of meditation could help even non-religious people achieve mental peace and
improve mental health on a larger scale. Researching their arguments could also help to achieve intellectual
debates and lead to a better understanding of this religion on a global scale.
Bibliography
● Heerboth, Paul. "The Buddhist Concept of Death." Concordia Theological Monthly 21.1 (1950): 55.
● Keown, Damien. "End of life: The Buddhist view." The Lancet 366.9489 (2005): 952-955.
● Masel, Eva K., Sophie Schur, and Herbert H. Watzke. "Life is uncertain. Death is certain. Buddhism
and palliative care." Journal of pain and symptom management 44.2 (2012): 307-312.
● Soyen Shaku, The Buddhist conception of death, Oxford University Press, January, 1907
● Werner, Karel. "Death, rebirth and personal identity in Buddhism." International Journal 10 (2008):
19-39.
ESSAY C REFLECTIVE PARAGRAPH
I still did not understand entirely what a literature review was when writing essay C. Therefore I did
not clearly compare the different authors' results and opinions. When re-writing it, I corrected my
referencing style to make that (hopefully) clearer. Overall my referencing was incorrect as I thought I
needed to put a reference with page numbers for each sentence even if I had already mentioned the
author in the sentence. My bibliography was also not in alphabetical order.
I added concluding sentences to paragraphs to make the transitions clearer and smoother. I am still
unsure what the motivation for a literature review is but added an attempt in the introduction.
Overall the feedback I received was very useful and a lot of the reference mistakes will be quite easy
to not recreate. I will keep working on making literature reviews not seem like informal essays.
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
REFLECTION ON PRESENTATION SKILLS
The first presentation was the news item which my group and I did about teen pornography and its
consequences. We worked very well together and I enjoyed the time we spent preparing the
presentation together. We were very efficient in distributing the work we had to do. When we
presented it to the class, I think it went quite well. However there were some mistakes I made such as
not preparing the pronunciation of the authors of the article we presented which I will make sure to do
in the future.
Making my poster for the conference I found quite difficult. It was hard to make it look good and
efficient in displaying the information at the same time. Summarizing all of the information into just a
few paragraphs was complicated but I was satisfied with my final result.
During the conference, I really enjoyed talking to various students and professors. Most of the people
that came to talk to me were sudoku enthusiasts so it was also a bonding moment. It felt quite natural
and casual to pitch my presentation as I really enjoyed doing the research. I got some useful feedback
and some ideas on how to further develop my topic.
Overall, I found presenting in the conference less stressful and more interesting as I could have more
interactions with my audience. I feel well prepared to present future research in my other classes.
FINAL REFLECTION
As I’m reaching the end of this course, I realize how much I’ve learnt and how my essay-writing
process has changed since high-school. I now know how to find the right sources online and at
libraries, I have learnt different referencing styles and different writing styles. My presenting skills
have also developed as I had never done a conference style presentation before.
I honestly really enjoyed Research in Context and am so glad that the time was taken to teach us all of
these new skills. I hadn’t realized how different it would be from high school and would not have
gotten the hang of it without a full course about it.
I am excited to use what I have learnt during the rest of my academic career at UCU and after.