Adaptation Activity
Read chapter 5 in The spirit catches you and you fall down, Watch a local forecast on television or online. In one Word document page, identify and describe the strategies used to adapt the message to the general audience. Does the story in chapter 5 of The spirit catches you and you fall down tell us anything about the dangers of medicine?

Also respond to my classmate post
here is his post:
Local Forecast:

The forecast I watched for this assignment was Houston’s “1 Minute Weather” segment dated today, August 29th 2016 on the ABC13 website. The host, Casey Curry, speaks directly to the camera in a general, conversational, yet succinct tone. It uses an ‘application appeal’ as the weather is presented in relation to the practical effects it will have on the viewer using direct phrasing such as “Get ready for more rain today…” and “If you’re headed out to lunch then…”. She adapts through example as she twice targets people in the “coastal regions” not getting any more specific than “close to Galveston Bay.” This example would be probably mid-way up the ladder of abstraction as it’s a broad enough area that the general audience has a rough idea of which part of greater Houston is effected, and yet specific enough to be relevant to people of that area. There’s no need to go into districts or counties as by that point you are alienating viewers who aren’t in that area. Additionally, the information is also adapted through graphics. As she begins to speak about weather trends for the rest of the week a detailed forecast comes up on screen where we are able to pull information such as the high/low temperature and chances of rain on specific days of the week. However, the anchor still talks very broadly about the weekly trends. She doesn’t go into the day to day breakdown that’s presented graphically in her narration in order to keep the information properly concentrated, brief, and understandable. The graphics are visually well organized, in addition to the temperatures there are pictures that accompany the rain forecast making the information as easy to understand even at a glance. Organizationally she repeats key points a few times with slight variation to reinforce the main idea- Rainy/Cloudy today but increasingly less so as the week carries on. The language itself is otherwise broad and direct.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down:

Chapter five above all else highlights the importance of communication in the medical field and how cultural environment shapes perception. Many of the treatments they attempt on Lia rely on prudence and meticulous adherence to the instructions. If misused, the medications that the doctors prescribe her will at best have no effect and at worst exacerbate her symptoms. Lia’s parents are so acclimated to the more personal, ritualistic forms of treatment they grew up with they are unable to understand how vital instructions are in western medicine and the long term power (or conversely, havoc) they can cause if not adhered to. They are entirely unable to accept anything that doesn’t provide immediate relief to Lia and the doctors have little success communicating it with them. Despite the hospitals best attempts through translators, stickers, and charts we see that the communication problem exists as more than just a language barrier. Culturally through a distrust of outsiders, their fierce need to deal with problems on their own terms, and their devotion to the traditions of their people they lack the necessary societal context to deal with Lia’s seizures in a western country. The two cultures clash here with great complication, both sides trying to do what is best for Lia to her ultimate detriment.

less than 50 words respond to my classmate post.
Use Houston, Texas as local forecast on television or online.