'Literature is a part of cultural history - The study of it may well include relations between men and women as well as issues of class and race' Do you agree?
'Literature is a part of cultural history. The study of it may well include relations between men and women as well as issues of class and race.' Do you agree? Literature can be both an intentional product of an individual or a consciousness of society and it's ideology. According to Leavis, good literature is timeless, transcending the age and the place in which it was written. Human nature is unchanging, emotions, passions and worries are universal and continuous and these norms are reflected in literature. The writer surely cannot escape society and the effects of the cultural beliefs of the period when writing. Literature is shaped because authors are writing about what they see and experience in their era and environment, some looking ahead and prophesising. Raymond Williams (Macey p.398, 2000) states, 'it is not ideas that have a history; it is society.' A number of things inform reading, the way we are trained, gender, race, and class all aid the construction of the way we read a text and influence our responses. An early example of the effect of culture upon literature can be seen in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Chaucer's many activities in the fourteenth century as auditor, justice of the peace and knight of the shire brought him into association with the ruling classes. A member of King Edward's personal household, Chaucer would have been influenced on
Have developments in Information and Communication Technology led to a homogenisation or diversification of cultural styles and forms of association amongst young people?
Have developments in Information and Communication Technology led to a homogenisation or diversification of cultural styles and forms of association amongst young people? This aim of this essay is to focus upon young people around the world, in relation to their own specific cultural diversity or as part of a 'mass produced' society. By exploring the technological developments, it can be seen how these cultural styles have travelled very rapidly around the world. As many authors have offered their thoughts on Americanisation, are little villages in Africa currently having McDonalds, drinking Coca Cola, and watching MTV? American Products spread throughout the world, although as much as Information and Communication Technology helped, it cannot be fully because of this. The forces of globalisation are becoming more obvious throughout the world, the development of satellite which has worldwide coverage, and the Internet; impossible to know how many people worldwide are currently 'surfing' the net. Focusing upon the youth because this global society being created or already created will have long-term implications for them. As a large consumer group, are the young being exploited or catered for with all possible choices required for them? Where do the young people all over the world get their ideas for their own identity from, do the youth of today have their identities
Can one, and if so under what circumstances, distinguish the religious from the political? Answer, drawing on ethnographic material.
Tutorial essay II Claire McGregor 22/11/2002 tutor: Dr Mundy Can one, and if so under what circumstances, distinguish the religious from the political? Answer, drawing on ethnographic material. There is an underlying assumption in this title that the religious and the political are intimately linked, to the extent that one questions whether they can actually be distinguished. In a first stage, this assumption needs to be addressed, by showing the ethnographic basis for its presence in anthropological theory. The contentious question as to whether they can be distinguished stems from an introspection by the anthropologists of Western countries into their won political and religious scenes. They seem clearly distinguished, unlike what is found in the most of the anthropological material, suggesting that conditions do arise under which the religious and the political act separately. The heart of the matter therefore lies in an assessment of the extent to which modern politics actually are 'religion-free'. In the introduction to Political Anthropology, Myron Aronoff observes that "religion and politics have been inextricably interrelated since the dawn of human culture and civilization" (1984:1). There is indeed a potential for control over individuals inherent in religion which suggest certain affinities with power and the political sphere. There are obvious ways in which
For this assignment I will be looking atthe 1638 siege of Baghdad as accounted by Zarain Aga.
For this assignment I will be looking at the 1638 siege of Baghdad as accounted by Zarain Aga.1 Zarain Aga was a captain who took part in the siege and is writing to his brother in Istanbul to give him an account of what happened. The 1638 siege was the final from three sieges and was the most successful one as Baghdad finally fell to the Ottomans in the end. My aim will be to analyse this essay by picking out points that I think are significant in the text, and investigating them, which will allow greater understanding of the different factors in siege warfare. I will also use some secondary sources to further analyse some of the factors of siege warfare. The first factor I shall look at is technology. In the source, there is account of canons being used. Zarain talks about how large trenches were built to accommodate these large canons that were essential for this siege. The reason why the canons were of importance is because the Ottomans were facing a very strong fortification. Without them it would have been impossible to break down the walls as mentioned in the source. Although canons were used in this siege, they were not a prominent aspect of Ottoman military campaigns. The main reasons being that they were a hassle for the army to transport from one place to another and was very time consuming. At times they were more like liabilities than assets.2 There
Selection Of Expatriates: Adaptability to Cultural Change
Selection Of Expatriates: Adaptability to Cultural Change Introduction Adaptability to cultural change plays a crucial role in the selection of expatriates. This paper provides an overview of the impact of cultural environment on expatriates, how expatriates suffer from cultural distance, which results in cultural shock, the inability to adapt to new environment. It then further discusses the coping strategies characterized by socio-cultural and psychological adjustments and characteristics candidates should possess for foreign assignments, and finally some important criteria are given for the determination of candidates. Influence of cultural environment on expatriates The selection of an expatriate manager for a global assignment could be strongly influenced by the type of cultural environment to which the individual will be assigned (Harvey, 1996). Harvey & Novicevic (2001) state that the cultural distance between the home and host countries needs to be assessed in the expatriate selection process because it affects the nature of the expatriate task. They note that it is significantly more difficult for expatriates to contribute to the expertise of foreign operations if the cultures of the two countries are too dissimilar. As noted by Gomez-Mejita and Palich (1997), cultural distance is measured as a composite index of Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Cultural distance
THE ROLE OF KITSCH AND MEMORY IN SOVIET RUSSIA
THE ROLE OF KITSCH AND MEMORY IN SOVIET RUSSIA The term 'kitsch' is perhaps one of the oldest and most unclear terms used to describe the popular art of modern society, nonetheless it is a word which is almost universally understood. The origin of the term is uncertain: some attribute it to the Russian 'keetcheetsys', meaning 'to be haughty and puffed up', though a more widely held view, is that it originated in the Munich art markets of the 1860s, where it was used to describe cheap hotly marketable imitation pictures or 'sketches' taken from the German verb 'verkitschen', to 'make cheap' (Binkley, 2002). Kitsch is perhaps most easily demonstrated through examples: applying to ornamental statuary, chachkas of different kinds, manufactured sentimental knickknacks, souvenirs, posters and other decorative objects reflecting a childlike simplicity. What makes kitsch kitsch, however, is not simply the fact of its being decorative, but that it artificially inflates the comfort of decoration into a unique and fake aesthetic statement. By falsifying perceptions of reality, kitsch helps to evoke sentimental and nostalgic, prescribed, ready-made responses. Traditionally, Russian kitsch appealed to the tastes of the newly moneyed, though aesthetically naive bourgeoisie who, like most nouveaux riches, thought they could achieve the status they envied in the traditional class of
Anthropology - contributions to the understanding of human experience.
Anisa Mustafa Anthropology 114 Midterm, Summer 2002 Dr. Trencher Anthropology is quite literally defined as the study of humans: in Greek anthrops, meaning "humans", and logos, meaning "study of". More accurately, however, it is defined as the study of humankind, encompassing both cultural and evolutionary developments past and present. It is most commonly known as a social science, but it utilizes many of the tools and expertise of other sciences as well. Like the other social sciences, sociology and psychology, anthropology is interested in answering the many questions of human existence, but unlike them, anthropology is not as narrow in its focus. Interested in why humans behave in a particular fashion and how they interact with one another in social units or groups, anthropology does not focus on the individual in a particular place and time, but rather the whole of the species in the context of how they came to be in that particular place and time. Through this anthropologists are able to evaluate one social unit in relation to another in differing ways. To accomplish these and many other more complex and specific goals, anthropology as a discipline has many sub-fields. These sub-fields, though varying in both their goals and their practices, overlap and compliment one another frequently. Each relies on the other for vital answers, much the same way
And the Soul Shall Dance - a play by Wakako Yamauchi
And the Soul Shall Dance The inability to escape ones culture or the inability to embrace a new one is dealt with in a variety of ways throughout the selected readings. We see through a variety of different perspectives that to simply cast tradition and family values aside, is not the easiest thing to be able to accomplish. In some cases, the circumstance of being divorced from your culture is not your choice. We see to simply abandon ones heritage is something not easily done and ultimately, you carry on the legacy. In yet other instances, we question our ability to carry on the past; did we adequately prepare our next generation? Wakako Yamauchi's And the Soul Shall Dance, we find that it is not always our choice to leave behind our culture. Mrs. Okra seemed strange, almost to the point of acting insane. This was attributed to her sake drinking, but Masako felt something different. When the family would go to the Okra's house to bathe, they always felt uneasiness about her. Perhaps this was explained by Mrs. Okra no longer being in her homeland. When Mr. Okra's daughter comes to America, the situation becomes exacerbated. A young girl, who has never known her father and who has always lived in Japan, was now going to arrive and faced a different experience. In the end, when life becomes too much to bear, both for Kiyoko-San and Mrs. Okra - an extraordinary
Oranges an autobiographical novel? No not at all and yes of course
Oranges an autobiographical novel? No not at all and yes of course Oranges an autobiographical novel? No not at all and yes of course.1 In the mind of the modern reader the phrase `autobiographical writing` conveys a notion of an accurate retelling, in part or in whole, of the author's life. The Concise Oxford Dictionary definition of the term reinforces this preconception, `autobiography : a personal account of one's own life.`2 This idea of an `account` implies something factual, a recounting of events as they actually took place. The so-called `autobiographies` of Maxine Hong Kingston and Jeanette Winterson challenge these rather limiting definitions. When assessing these texts it is no longer acceptable to think of them as straightforward descriptions of the events in the lives of the authors. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and The Woman Warrior are both texts that go beyond the realm of the factual account. They blend history and myth, fact and fiction. Both texts fit more appropriately into Eakin's definition of autobiography, which sees the process as an `art of self-invention`.3 This notion of invention of the self is a theme that plays a major part in both books. The authors themselves view their works as texts that fit Eakin's definition rather than that offered by the dictionary. When asked whether The Woman Warrior was fact or fiction, Kingston responded `it's
Forensic Analysis
Janet Marie John 711965 ANT 101 Jackson 24 March 2010 Supreme Court of the United States v. O'Hara Prior to my selection, I had no hands on experience in dealing with criminal law. Upon receiving the letter informing me of my upcoming jury duty in the case of the Supreme Court of the United States v. O'Hara, I decided to familiarize myself with the legal and court systems, and purchased several informative books on topics such as the processes of the courtroom and standard legal jargon, so as not to feel uneducated on the topic. Considering I hold partial power in deciding the fate of the accused persons, I refused to take this experience lightly. Of all the topics in the articles I read, the phrase that impacted my prerogative the most was: "proof beyond a reasonable doubt." In layman's terms, this phrase means that the defendant or the prosecution, whichever I decide to side with, has provided me with enough proof to make a decision without hesitation. Forensic Case #356228 was a difficult one to decide upon. The skeletal remains of a man were found in the woods of a deer hunting area by two hunters unrelated to the case. The first possible victim, Robert Rutherford, is a 65 year-old African American man who had a history of conflict with the defendant, John O'Hara. The second possible victim is Stephen Morton, a 40 year-old Caucasian man who went missing six