Time And Culture Essays (444 words) - Anthropology, Circadian Rhythm

Time And Culture In The Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time (Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1983), anthropologist Edward T. Hall entitles his first chapter Time as Culture. An extreme stance perhaps, especially given the potency of nature's rhythms, but it is instructive of the extent to which experiences and conceptualizations of time and space are culturally determined. Unlike the rest of nature's animals, our environment is primarily man-made and symbolic in quality. As Bronowski observed in The Ascent of Man, instead of being figures of the landscape, like antelopes upon the African savanna, we humans are the shapers of it. Geographical space and natural time are transformed into social space and social time, around whose definitions human beings orient their behaviors. For instance, instead of being governed by the natural rhythms of the sun and seasons, our behaviors are governed by such cultural temporalities as work schedules, age norms, and by the open hours of shopping malls. Culture is a shared system of ideas about the nature of the world and how (and when) people should behave in it. Cultural theorists argue that culture creates minds, selves and emotions in a society as reliably as DNA creates the various tissues of a living body. Culture also creates the rhythms of a society that echo within the very biology of its members. Observes Irving Hallowell (Temporal Orientation in Western Civilization and in a Pre-Literate Society, American Anthropologist 36, 1955), It is impossible to assume that man is born with any innate `temporal sense.' His temporal concepts are always culturally constituted (pp. 216-7). A 1974 study by William Condon and Louis Sander showed that within a few days, infants flex their limbs and move their heads in rhythms matching the human speech around them. By the time a child is three months old he has already been temporally enculturated, having internalized the external rhythms (called Zeitgeber, meaning time giver in German) of his culture. These rhythms underlie a people's language, music, religious ritual (the Buddhist mantra, for instance, is not only one's personal prayer but one's personal rhythm), beliefs about post-mortem fate, and their poetry and dance. These rhythms also serve as a basis of solidarity: humans are universally attracted to rhythm and to those who share their cadences of talk, movement, music, and sport. Thus socio-cultural systems can be likened to massive musical scores: change the rhythm-- such as putting a funeral dirge to a calypso beat--and you change the meaning of the piece. Cultures differ temporally, for example, in the temporal precision with which they program everyday events (ask any American businessman trying to schedule a meeting in the Middle East) and in the ways various social rhythms are allowed to mesh. Anthropology

Free Essays on Top Girls

Caryl Churchill uses an interesting method of role assignments in her play Top Girls. She often assigns a particular role to a character in the first scene and then reassigns that same actor one or more roles in the remainder of the play. These sets of characters may initially seem arbitrary, but when examined closely are perfectly logical. Churchill systematically assigns the characters in each group to have uniting characteristics and backgrounds. The first character group is comprised of the waitress, Jeannie, and Win. The waitress remains nameless and speechless during the play. Marlene constantly orders her about and never thinks to use the social niceties of â€Å"please† or â€Å"thank you†. For example, in the first scene, Marlene commands, â€Å"I want some coffee. Six coffees. Six brandies. Double brandies. Straightaway.† (Churchill 36). The waitress uncomplainingly allows herself to be a sort of automaton devoid of personality and feeling. Jeannie also allows herself to be dehumanized in a similar sort of way. She is a secretary in pursuit of a new job. When asked to explain her position, Jeannie says she is a secretary and typist. Marlene then questions her as to who she works for. Jeannie answers, â€Å"Three of them, really, they share me† (Churchill 42). Jeannie speaks of herself as if she were an inanimate object, rather than a competent woman. Win also exhib its this type of nature. She is engaged in an adulterous relationship in which she is amused. Win brags to Marlene and Nell, â€Å"I had to lie down in the back of the car so the neighbors wouldn’t see me go in† (Churchill 60). Win acts as if she were a robot, not worrying about the emotional and moral implications of her relationship. The next category of women consists of Isabella, Joyce, and Nell. Isabella is a worldly traveler and adventurer whom feels as if she has â€Å"spent years in self-gratification† (Churchill 89). S... Free Essays on Top Girls Free Essays on Top Girls Caryl Churchill uses an interesting method of role assignments in her play Top Girls. She often assigns a particular role to a character in the first scene and then reassigns that same actor one or more roles in the remainder of the play. These sets of characters may initially seem arbitrary, but when examined closely are perfectly logical. Churchill systematically assigns the characters in each group to have uniting characteristics and backgrounds. The first character group is comprised of the waitress, Jeannie, and Win. The waitress remains nameless and speechless during the play. Marlene constantly orders her about and never thinks to use the social niceties of â€Å"please† or â€Å"thank you†. For example, in the first scene, Marlene commands, â€Å"I want some coffee. Six coffees. Six brandies. Double brandies. Straightaway.† (Churchill 36). The waitress uncomplainingly allows herself to be a sort of automaton devoid of personality and feeling. Jeannie also allows herself to be dehumanized in a similar sort of way. She is a secretary in pursuit of a new job. When asked to explain her position, Jeannie says she is a secretary and typist. Marlene then questions her as to who she works for. Jeannie answers, â€Å"Three of them, really, they share me† (Churchill 42). Jeannie speaks of herself as if she were an inanimate object, rather than a competent woman. Win also exhib its this type of nature. She is engaged in an adulterous relationship in which she is amused. Win brags to Marlene and Nell, â€Å"I had to lie down in the back of the car so the neighbors wouldn’t see me go in† (Churchill 60). Win acts as if she were a robot, not worrying about the emotional and moral implications of her relationship. The next category of women consists of Isabella, Joyce, and Nell. Isabella is a worldly traveler and adventurer whom feels as if she has â€Å"spent years in self-gratification† (Churchill 89). S...

Attendance Policy for Colleges in the South

I think that schools should apply rules and policies most clearly to those who do not have classes. On most courses, you must always be there. It is possible to learn to test or even to speak comfortably about this topic. Those who have never passed the course have obviously got notes from those who are allowed to take notes from their classmates home and endanger their learning. My research interest in this topic arises from my own personal experience. I was born and brought up in Korea, and received a university education. I planned to return to Korea completely when I go to the United States to study at the graduate school, but I am still here. I am a case of Korean brain drainage? From a traditional point of view, the answer is yes. However, from the viewpoint of improving globalization and mobility, if you look at this problem from another point of view, the answer may not be so clear. High school and university are very different. There is a big difference, and the difference i s not so obvious. These differences include homework, relationship between teacher and student, and attendance policy. In this article I will explain the main differences and secondary differences between high school and university. I will also explain why responsibility is a very important factor in high school or university. In high school, most teachers will late your homework if you make excuses such as Forget at home or I am in my locker. At college, if you give such an excuse to your professor, they will say too bad. There are also many exams in high school. Tests are usually done weekly or biweekly. There are more tests, but that work is not too difficult. In most cases, you will read and review all the points of the assignment aloud in the class so you do not have to worry about what you need to do. Participation in the classroom is essential. This is the policy of the university. If the student is absent beyond weekly classes, or if there is an abnormal attendance or absenc e mode, the teacher has sufficient reason to resign the student. For example, if the course is three hours a week, students can take a leave of up to three times a week. Students who join the course after the official start time will be marked as absent on that particular day. According to the policy of the Ministry of Communications, it is necessary to keep electronic communication equipment closed during class hours. Teacher counseling (ie family emergencies) can account for exceptions. The first crime may be that students are forbidden to participate in the conference. If the crime is repeated, classes may be suspended for up to two days before meeting with the Vice President for Student Services.

The Case for Reparations Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

The Case for Reparations Article - Essay Example The Mississippi region had many cases of lynching colored Americans, unnecessary arrests, slavery, discriminatory learning, and discrimination against access to resources, among other issues, (p.2, 3, 6). The article was written to expose the trauma experienced by colored Americans to diverse Americans race but the African Americans, in particular. Perhaps, AP published this article to address the American government and other legal authorities to seek justice for the atrocities carried out on the black American race. Overly, the target audience might be the global populace since racial discrimination, slavery, and reparations affect international the society. When reading through this article, a variety of evidences is showed to explain the central themes of the story. However, this paper only focuses on a few indications outlined in the article. For instance, the AP reported that Mississippi involved lynching black populace (p.2) and whoever resisted legal arrangements was gravely injured or killed (p.3). There was the lack of legal protection for the black people (p.5), and land currently developed as a country club in Virginia was forcefully acquired from blacks (p.6). In addition, Ross explains that there was meager support for educating the black race that resided in Mississippi (p.7) and that he failed to receive a legitimate mortgage just because there was no financing for black people (p.18).

Genre report on road movies Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Genre report on road movies - Movie Review Example The movie was written by a female which is why their characters are shown as strong and powerful. The movie shows a bold and courageous road journey completed by the two women showing their friendship and hardships that they had to face because they were women. Many of the audience agreed that this film showed the bravery and power of women that had not been exposed so openly before. The reason why it was shocking and pleasing for the audience to watch is because the road genre movies were mainly shot with male characters in accordance to their position in the society. Society at that time had the concept of male dominance and males being more powerful than females. Road trips require high energy and courage to be fulfilled as they cover long distances on roads without proper sleep or food. In this movie the female characters were shown in a new position where they set off on a road trip all alone and faced the several problems boldly. In fact the film shows how these females were at tacked on the most sensitive issue related to women which is rape. The film shows that one of the characters was about to be raped when the other shot the person who was attempting to rape. The two friends then escape to Mexico but later find out that the American police are searching for them. The film shows a new face of the road movie genre that the audience had not seen before. This movie clearly shows the bold and powerful perception about women of the writer and director. Little Miss Sunshine is another movie that was released in 2006 and shows a family road trip. The movie is comedy and it contains humour from the start till the end. A family comedy on a road movie is a unique combination as all the movies about road trips are usually focusing on young men travelling across any country or in the case of Thelma & Louise two women travelling. The history of the road movie genre shows that the genre shows a particular culture where a small group of young friends usually set off to explore places or their lives. Little Miss Sunshine was a surprising movie which shook the audience with its unique combination. The movie broke all the stereotypes for road movies which were the themes of bachelor’s party, or vacations or any other leisure purpose. This movie had a different theme which was based on a beauty pageant competition in which the 7 year old girl was selected. The competition was west to California where they had to drive to reach in time. The journey took place in a VW bus with all the members of the dysfunctional family. All the members of the family were facing some problem or the other because of which the mother did not want to leave any one behind. The road trip disclosed many of the emotional aspects such as life and death, rejection, loneliness and the feeling of belonging; all with the never stopping punches of humour. The expectations that the audience and critics have from the road movies are the themes of the development of the journ ey, characters and purpose. The most important aspect is the development of the journey since the journey is what directly connects to the purpose of the road trip. The audience is most interested to connect the characters, their purpose and their journey till they reach their destination. The journey shown in the road movie shows various events taking place on the way which can change the characters

The Sino-Soviet Split Essay Example for Free

The Sino-Soviet Split Essay 1. The significance of the communist revolution in china 1949 The Chinese Revolution was among the first hot conflicts of the Cold War, and its ramifications were certainly among the most far-reaching. The most important long-term effect was to create a Communist state with the size and power to stand as a rival to the Soviet Union within the Communist world. The Soviets and Chinese were initially allies, but eventually split apart, and fought bloody border conflicts in the 1960s. The Sino-Soviet split forced many Communist states to choose sides, with China even invading pro-Soviet Vietnam in 1979. 2. Early Sino Soviet cooperation in the 1950’s The Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance or Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance for short, is the treaty of alliance concluded between the Peoples Republic of China and the Soviet Union on February 14, 1950. It was based to a considerable extent on the prior Treaty of the same name that had been arranged between the Soviet Union and the Nationalist government in 1945 and it was the product of extended negotiations between Liu Shaoqi and Stalin. Mao travelled to the Soviet Union in order to sign the Treaty after its details had been concluded and this was the only time that he travelled outside China for the duration of his life. The Treaty dealt with a range of issues such as Soviet privileges in Xinjiang and Manchuria and one of its most important points was the provision of a $300 million loan from the Soviet Union to the Peoples Republic, which had suffered economically and logistically from over a decade of intense warfare. The treaty did not prevent relations between Beijing and Moscow from drastic deterioration in the late 1950s early 1960s, at the time of the Sino-Soviet split. In light of opening up China to the international market and the expiration of the Treaty, Deng Xiaoping wanted China not to negotiate with the Soviets unless they agreed to Chinas demands. Those were that the Soviets retreated from Afghanistan, removed their troops from Mongolia and Sino-Soviet borders and stopped supporting Vietnams invasion of Cambodia.[1] The treaty expired in 1979, which allowed China to attack Vietnam, a Soviet ally, in the Third Indochina War as a response to Vietnams invasion of Cambodia, as the treaty had prevented China from attacking Soviet allies. 3. Reasons for deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations from 1958 to 69 The Sino-Soviet split (1960–1969) was the worsening of political and ideological relations between the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War. In the 1960s, China and the Soviet Union were the two largest Communist states in the world. The doctrinal divergence derived from Chinese and Russian national interests, and from the rà ©gimes respective interpretations of Marxism: Maoism and Marxism–Leninism. In the 1950s and the 1960s, ideological debate between the Communist parties of Russia and China also concerned the possibility of peaceful coexistence with the capitalist West. Yet, to the Chinese public, Mao Zedong proposed a belligerent attitude towards capitalist countries, an initial rejection of peaceful coexistence, which he perceived as Marxist revisionism from the Soviet Union. Moreover, since 1956, China and the USSR had progressively diverged about Marxist ideology, and, by 1961, when the doctrinal differences proved intractable, the Communist Party of China formally denounced the Soviet variety of Communism as a product of Revisionist Traitors, i.e., the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, headed by Nikita Krushchev. The divide fractured the international Communist movement at the time and opened the way for the warming of relations between the United States and China in 1971. Relations between China and the Soviet Union remained tense well into the 1980s, and were not considered normalized until the visit of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Beijing in 1989.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Arthurian Legends English Literature Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight An anonymous contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the 14th century. It was written in a Northern dialect and uses alliteration similar to the Anglo-Saxon form of poetry. Alliteration is characterized by the repetition of consonants and a sharp rhyme at the end of each section. The story begins as King Arthur's court celebrates the New Year for fifteen days. The lords and ladies of the court are having a great time dancing and feasting. The story describes the lavishly served feast with all the trimmings. Each guest is free to partake in the royal meal. However, King Arthur will not eat on such a high holiday until someone tells a fascinating or adventurous tale. LINK TO A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THIS SEGMENT Suddenly, a giant man on a horse rides into the hall. Both the imposing man and his horse are entirely green. He is, of course, the Green Knight. Even his clothing is described in detail as entirely green. In one hand he holds a large ax and in the other he holds a holly bob. The Green Knight asks to see the leader of the crowd. King Arthur stands up and speaks to the Green Knight, obviously excited by the thought of the tales that this stranger will tell. The Knight offers a challenge to anyone brave enough to accept it. The Green Knight will allow his opponent to strike his neck with the large ax that he holds. The opponent must travel to the Green Knight's castle in one year to accept a similar blow in return. When none of the knights volunteer, Arthur rises to accept the Green Knight's challenge. Sir Gawain, the youngest of King Arthur's knights, asks to be allowed to stand in for his king. The Green Knight doesn't move or flinch as he offers his bare neck to Gawain. Gawain grabs the Green Knight's ax firmly and chops off his head. The head falls to the ground and rolls past the feet of many of the people in the court. To the shock of everyone, the Green Knight gets up, grabs the head by the hair, and mounts his horse.