Question

Read the passages carefully. Explain how modality, medium, and format in the articles as well as in the museum itself have affected your understanding of modern slavery.

passage 1
"The museum has made it possible to lay out our argument about slavery from A to Z, in a sort of irrefutable package of completely documented and totally unimpeachable facts,” says CIW staff member Greg Asbed. "And when you can see the whole history and evolution of 400 years of forced labor in Florida’s fields assembled in one place, then all the false assumptions about what drives modern-day slavery just fall away. It’s not workers’ immigration status today, or a few rogue bosses, but the fact that farmworkers have always been Florida’s poorest, most powerless workers. Poverty and powerlessness is the one constant that runs like a thread through all the history. In short, you see, it’s not about who’s on the job today. It’s about the job itself. –"Modern Slavery,” Katrina vanden Heuvel

passage 2
Today, the CIW's focus is no longer uncovering cases of slavery. Instead, its aim is preventing them from happening in the first place through an initiative it calls the Fair Food Program. Participants in the program, which include 90% of tomato growers in Florida, allow CIW staff to come onto their properties and hold mandatory education sessions for all employees. The workers receive booklets that outline their rights and a hotline to call if they experience violations. The growers also agree to regular third-party inspections of their farms. When they visit, a team of auditors speaks confidentially with at least 50% of workers to ensure their rights are being respected. –"How America's ‘Ground-Zero’ for Modern Slavery Was Cleaned Up by Workers' Group,” Lisa Cohen

Answer 1

The first article is presented in a more academic way, showing that there are historical, irrefutable documents that buy that slavery, in fact, happened, besides showing how long it was, lasting hundreds of years. The article also shows that slavery evolved together with society and that it can still be seen today among rural workers with little access to information and who do not know how to fight for their rights.

The second article, has a less academic aspect, it does not show historical evidence about slavery, but more directly it states that it exists today and that we must fight it, for this, there is an organization that takes information to producers rural areas, who are the biggest victims of modern slavery, and make sure they are informed about their labor rights so that they are not exploited.

Answer 2

Sample Response:

Both articles are written, allowing me to read and reread the text to gain understanding of the ideas. The quotations in the articles give me deeper insight by providing a window into the topic. The museum itself contains hands-on exhibits. I can picture myself in that hot trailer and imagine conditions that some people experience. All together, the use of various modalities, media, and formats help me gain a deep understanding of the topic.