Modern Marine Management Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Modern Marine Management Practice - Essay Example In the study conducted, the main focus is the comparative analysis of the application of the McGregor theory and the Maslow hierarchy of needs. These theories as considered as two of the main theories that comprise the foundation of organizational behaviour and practices. In addition, the main objective is to be able to present the application of these theories in the modern management of marine practice. Specifically, to be able to achieve the results of the study it is important to the able to define the theories first and determine the methods for which they can be utilized in a system or organization. Upon the determination of the modes of action of the McGregor and the Maslow Theories, the subsequent objective is the possibility of application and even the effects of utilization in the marine practice. Thus, through the course of the study, the development of the concept related to the application and the achievement of the niche of the organizational behaviour theories in the practical field such as modern marine management can be determined and presented. To be able to achieve the set objectives of the study, it is important to define and determine the possible means of application of the organizational theories under study, specifically the McGregor Theory and the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Theory. The theory which w... The main components of the theory are theory X and theory Y. The main perspective the theory projects are the ways that a leader can lead and manage the people through motivation. Theory X revolves around a single motivation which is money and compensation. The worker can then be described selfish for own compensation and monetary value; can even lack the responsibility and the drive to work. When the leader recognizes the said type of people, it is important to consider that such subordinates are in need of guidance and close direction (Leonard, 2002; Miner, 2002) Theory Y, on the other hand, is composed of people and workers that are motivated by various types of factors. These factors are exclusive of monetary compensation. In cases in fact, the actions of the people can be considered as a result for their dedication and love for the job and the task at hand. In terms of motivation, commonly, they are self motivated, thus responsibilities are readily taken. In addition, decision making can also be an initiative. A leader with the said subordinates is at best provides guidance while making them independent (Leonard, 2002; Miner, 2002). Through the said components of the theory of McGregor, the leader can determine the type of leadership and the effective ways of motivation that can be undertaken. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Another important organizational and behavioural principle is the theory established by Abraham Maslow. The said theory can be applied to different field of behavioural aspect and organization. Thus, the utilization of the said theory in specific fields can be considered as one of the most important

Types Of TV Watchers Essay Example for Free

Types Of TV Watchers Essay Television has evolved – we are now seeing more of special effects, fantasy elements, hard-core drama in specialized environments like hospitals or public schools compared to the traditional soap opera with assembled set backdrops. In this globalizing world, television has to compete not only in their own countries for market share, but across the globe. Their efforts are not for naught, because it had spawned a generation of TV watchers of all ages. Briefly, a TV watcher is a person who watches TV for any of the following reasons: for information, entertainment, or out of habit. Generally following this guideline, there are three kinds of TV watchers: the information-driven TV watcher, the entertainment-freak, and the TV-phile.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Information-driven TV watchers turn on their television sets to watch the news. At what end of the spectrum, conservative information-driven TV watchers tune in to local news to have an idea of current events, and at other extreme they tune in to CNN and BBC to keep abreast of the latest developments in the political and economic aspects of the world, or to National Geographic and Discovery Channel if they are into Nature than Politics. The key is they watch TV for the sole purpose of acquiring information in the areas that are relevant to their lives. In contrast, the entertainment-freak TV watchers sit in front of their TVs for the sole purpose of accruing pleasure from the activity. These TV watchers want to be entertained – generally they do not want to be bothered with the universal existential questions that have plagued humanity from the beginning of time, they just want to plop down the couch and relax after a day’s work. These are people who watch soaps like Desperate Housewives and House, fantasy-action like Heroes and Lost, and comedies like Ugly Betty. Entertainment-freak TV watchers watch TV for the leisure of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, TV-philes are people who turn on the TV because it gives them a different sense of comfort. They function well with the sound of TV in the background as they go about their chores, occasionally glancing to keep up with what is being aired. They watch TV even when there is nothing good on, because they do not have anything else to do. They stay up late for the late night movie specials, they know the program schedules by heart, and they can give lectures on the new trends in television programming. These are the people who tune in to MTV 24/7, or to HBO the whole day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of course, this is only a rough guide of TV watchers, and there are hybrids and types in between. An important thing to remember is that a real TV watcher knows when to open the TV and for what purpose.

How does the length of Magnesium affect the rate of reaction? Essay

How does the length of Magnesium affect the rate of reaction? Input Variables – Magnesium strip Hydrochloric acid Outcome Variable - Release of hydrogen I have chosen to investigate whether the difference in length of a Magnesium ribbon, would change the speed in which the reaction between Hydrochloric acid and Magnesium takes. We will measure this by timing how long until the magnesium strip vanishes and there is no release of Hydrogen. Aim: I am trying to find out whether the length of Magnesium causes any alterations in the rate of reaction between Hydrochloric acid and Magnesium. I will be measuring this by timing how long it takes for the magnesium to be no longer visible and there is no hydrogen released. Prediction: I think that when Hydrochloric acid of the same volume come in to contact with Magnesium of different lengths of ribbon,, the rate if reaction for the longer strip would be far slower than the shorter one. I believe that this as the collision theory tells us that molecules collide which cause to react and merge to create a compound. This reaction varies in speed depending on the amount of molecules in the mixture and how much energy the molecules possess, which is why heated molecules react faster than normal ones. So with the amount of Hydrochloric acid staying relatively the same yet the number of Magnesium molecules increasing, the reaction will only take longer as the molecules have to collide even more for the reaction to be complete. Hypothesis: If my prediction is to be proven correct, then the time taken to react to the longest strip of Magnesium would take the longest and the short strip would take the least amount of time. We should also see from repeated attempts at this experiment, that the averages would also increase depending on the length of the Magnesium ribbon. Control Variables: I have chosen not change the volume of hydrochloric acid, and the width of acid will alter the amount and effectiveness of the acid, which will make the rate of reaction speed up and cause an unfair experiment. I have also kept the magnesium strip the same ribbon, as if the width if the magnesium strip is changed, the surface area would become larger and more molecules would be able to collide at one time, which would mean that the rate of reaction would be faster. Preliminary Work: I have... ...unt of time taken to perform the experiment and would give me the opportunity for more tests to be taken and more data to be retrieved. However, the tests that were performed were a fair test as the method used was very simple, so error wasn’t a large factor. This meant that the solution could react without being tampered with. Although, on performing the second attempt for the 5cm strip, the tube was accidentally split by passers – by, so we had to stop the time and record the time thus far. This could be the cause for the anomalies within the results and if I were to do it again, I would expect the results to be greatly different. Due to the amount of stopwatches used in the experiment, we were able to get the exact time for each test tube, which was easier for recording than just using one, which I did during the preliminary experiment. Conclusion: In conclusion, I found out that my prediction was right and that the longer strip took a comparatively longer reaction time than the short two centimetre strip. This can be seen from the evidence gathered, which I believed to be accurate and would appear again if this experiment were to be performed once more.

Bursitis :: essays research papers fc

Bursitis Does it hurt to move your arm? Is it tender and radiating pain to your neck and finger tips? Do you have a fever? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions then you may have typical joint injury called bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa that is easily prevented, detected and treated. Bursitis is a common condition that can cause much pain and swelling around an affected bursa. A bursa is a sac between body tissues that move against each other. They are filled with a lubricating liquid to minimize the fiction between the tissues. The bursa are found mostly in joints between skin and bone or bone and tendons. When you irritate these lubricating sacs, the bursae fill with fluid and become irritated and inflamed. This inflammation causes severe pain with movement of the joint, often limiting the movement of the affected area. Bursitis commonly strikes in the shoulders, elbows, knees, pelvis, hips or Achilles tendons. Bursitis can affect nearly anyone for any number of reasons. It affects mainly adults both male and female. The individuals most at risk are people who engage in excessive and improper stretching and people who are involved heavily in athletic training. Bursitis can be caused by many things. For one, it can be caused by injury or overuse of a joint. Strenuous unfamiliar exercise also can cause Bursitis. Plus, such diseases as gout, arthritis, and chronic infection of a joint can be likely causes. But frequently the cause of Bursitis can not be determined. The only ways to prevent getting it are to wear protective gear when exorcising, practice appropriate warm ups and cool downs during exercise and to maintain a high fitness level. Bursitis is an easily treatable disease. If you suspect that you have bursitis, you will probably seek the advice of a doctor. Most likely the doctor will look at your medical history and take some x-rays. If you are diagnosed with bursitis the doctor may prescribe some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or pain relievers and may make some cortisone injections into the bursa to relieve inflammation. Once at home you are expected rest the affected area as much as possible and to apply RICE ( rest, ice, compression and elevation of the inflamed joint). Also to prevent the joint from freezing you should begin moving and exercising the affected area as soon as possible. Most likely the problem will subside in 7 to

To What Extent Would It Be Fair to Say That Mass Media Had No Choice but to Report What the Government Wanted It to Report During the Falklands War?

Page 103 To what extent would it be fair to say that mass media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to report during the Falklands war? Using evidence from sources 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, it can be seen that there is indication which shows that the government did in fact control what was reported in the Falklands war. It can be seen that the government did make it difficult to report events from the war, which is presented in the fact that there was no photos in the first 55 days.com/government-regulation-on-media-in-america/">Government Regulation on Media in AmericaThis long delay in media involvement was controlled by the government, clearly expressing the influence they had. This idea is further backed up in source 3c, which compared the Falklands war (1982) to the ‘Crimean War’ (1853) while concerning the topic of media involvement. However, even though it is clear to say the government controlled the media involving the Falklands war, did it result in the mass media only reporting what the government wanted it to, or not?There is clear evidence which suggests that mass media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to, but to what extent was this? As can be seen in source 3d, the government clearly, and to a heavy extent wanted to control what was reported in the media involving the Falklands war, this can be seen in ‘the remoteness of this war†¦ facilitated media management’. This suggests that the location enabled the government to easily control what was being portrayed in the media.This idea in source 3d is backed up through my own knowledge which proposes that the location made it difficult to report events of the war, as the geographical location and technological collimations disadvantaged reporters. It strongly suggests that the media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to in the concluding sentence, which states ‘the British government†¦ practised de ception and media manipulation’. Also, it must be accounted that source 3d contains strong credibility. Written in 2009, it allows the writers to have a clear overview of the whole war.Also, being established historians, the writer would possess objectiveness, which results in a more reliable judgement. Using source 3c in conjunction with source 3d brings a strong extent to the idea mass media was controlled by the government. This is because source 3c, written by Julian Barnes explicitly suggests that the government hid the truth from the public, meaning they controlled what was seen in the media, this idea is seen frequently in source 3c. The live reporting of ITV, of the deportation of the British navy was ‘the last sunny, honest, unspun images’ seen in the public eye.Also, as seen in source 3c, information was frequently leaked from the government- whether good or bad. This can be supported by my own knowledge, which showed that the information of the reposit ion of south Georgia wasn’t received by the British audience suggests that both good and bad news was hidden from the public, or leaked via the government, still showing their involvement. However, it must be remembered, that the source was written in 2002, the 20th anniversary of the Falklands war, in The Guardian.The guardian is a left wing newspaper, meaning they will support the labour government. Seeing as Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister in office during the Falklands War was conservative, it would seem that he would be subjective towards the labour government, and be critical of the conservative role. Using source 3b along with 3d and 3c brings significant strength to the idea, that the government controlled the media. This can be seen in the idea only 16 reporters were taken on the Taskforce vessel to make it easier for the government to manipulate their reporting.However, the reporters are also described as ‘gung ho’ in source 3b, this would suggest they were involved in the spirit of war, and were reporting the war through a patriotic view, which wasn’t inflicted by the government, suggesting maybe the media wasn’t wholly controlled by the government. There is evidence which does in fact suggest that the Media could report what it wanted to during the Falklands war presented in the sources. In source 3a there is a slight disagreement to the fact that media could report what it wanted to.It can be seen that even though the original headlines of, ‘gotcha’ seem to show chauvinistic views, towards Argentine death, the headlines were then quickly changed to ‘Did 1200 Argies drown’? From my own knowledge I can add that the use of tabloid language, such as ‘Argies’ would have dehumanised the War, which would have been welcomed by the government, but not inflicted by them. This suggests that the Media did have a choice in what to report, but may have reported certain things to plea se the government.The idea that the Sun soon changed the original cover implies that the media was able to self-censor its own exuberance, contrasting the suggested governmental influence regarding the report of the War. Source 3b also suggests that the media could report what it wanted. This is shown in the way Patrick Bishop, a newspaper reporter from the Falklands War suggests how they weren’t influenced by any ‘stimulus from the military’. This implies that the reporters could infact report what they want.However, it does suggest in the source, that if a reporter wasn’t feeling ‘patriotic or positive’, the military would have to ‘lean on them’. I can add with my own knowledge that all media representatives were controlled by the armed forces that censored reports, and were keen for no negative broadcasting. This idea suggests that maybe there were some pressures faced by the reporters to report patriotic and celebrative views from the war. It must be remembered that the source has high credibility, as it was published in 1982 it has the positive of hindsight and can weight up information from the whole of the war.Also, being from the journalist Patrick Bishop, who was there at the time, he is more likely to be representative of the whole truth. In conclusion, to question how extensive the government was in regulating the reporting of the Falklwands war, it can be seen, by using the sources that the government had a high controllability involving the mass media coverage. This idea is commonly presented in the sources. However, it must be remembered, that in some circumstances the government had a limited control on what the mass media published about the Falklands War and what was reported from there.

Kafkas The Metamorphosis as an existential exercise.

Kafkas The Metamorphosis as an existential exercise. Sisyphus Shrugged:Symbolic Alienation in The MetamorphosisThe grotesque world is and is not our own world. The ambiguous way in which we are affected by it results from our awareness that the familiar and apparently harmonious world is alienated under the impact of abysmal forces, which break it up and shatter its coherence. Wolfgang KayserModernity has added irony to injury. The study of the humanities is intended to bridge something inescapable in the human condition: the fundamental alienation of the individual. The keen reader of literature will gradually grow familiar with the unifying substance that binds peoples of all times and cultures. Joseph Campbell, quite famous for his work in mythology, says that storytelling is "the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation" (3). Apparently, it is through our (that is, mankind's) use of symbols that we tap our humanity, and our universal experience.Gregor Robertson, Founder of Happy PlanetWhen symbolic imagery is used, whether or not it is used consciously, it is an appeal to dream, and thus an appeal to the psychological fabric that we all share. Of course, that's the way it's supposed to be. Existentialism, nihilism, and Marxism are all viable alternative philosophies that celebrate, if a nihilist can be said to celebrate anything at all, in man's alienation. These darker, strikingly modern philosophies are well applied to The Metamorphosis, though a formalistic approach to the book's symbols does in fact help illustrate their themes.Gregor Samsa does not fit conveniently fit Campbell's archetype of the hero. The reason for this should be clear: Gregor is not a typical hero. He is rather the unwilling, perhaps unwitting antihero in an absurd circus that is the modern world. Gregor's world, as well as the world of many existentialists, exists...

Free Essays on How The North Won The Civil War

Why the North Won the Civil War "You are bound to fail," Union officer William Tecumseh Sherman to a Southern friend: "In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists ever made successful war against a nation of mechanics†¦ You are bound to fail" (Catton, Glory Road, 241). The American antebellum South, though steeped in pride and raised in military tradition, was to be no match for the growing superiority of the rapidly developing North in the coming Civil War. The lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest, stemming from the Southern desire to preserve their traditional agrarian society, surrendered to the North their ability to function independently, much less to wage war. It was neither Northern troops nor generals that won the Civil War, rather Northern guns and industry. From the onset of war, the Union had obvious advantages. Quite simply, the North had large amounts of just about everything that the South did not, including resources that the Confederacy had even no means of attaining. Sheer manpower ratios were extremely one-sided, with only 9 of the nations 31 million inhabitants residing in the seceding states (Angle, 7). The Union also had large amounts of land available for growing food crops, which served the dual purpose of providing food for its hungry soldiers and money for its ever-growing industries. The South, on the other hand, devoted most of what usable land it had exclusively to its main cash crop: cotton (Catton, The Coming Fury, 38). Raw materials were almost entirely concentrated in Northern mines and refining industries. Railroads and telegraph lines, the lifelines of any army at the time, traced paths all across the Northern countryside but left the South isolated, outdated, developed in the form of economic colonialism. The final blow to the Confederacy was a modern South that was all too willing to sell what little raw materials they possessed to Northern industry for any ... Free Essays on How The North Won The Civil War Free Essays on How The North Won The Civil War Why the North Won the Civil War "You are bound to fail," Union officer William Tecumseh Sherman to a Southern friend: "In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists ever made successful war against a nation of mechanics†¦ You are bound to fail" (Catton, Glory Road, 241). The American antebellum South, though steeped in pride and raised in military tradition, was to be no match for the growing superiority of the rapidly developing North in the coming Civil War. The lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest, stemming from the Southern desire to preserve their traditional agrarian society, surrendered to the North their ability to function independently, much less to wage war. It was neither Northern troops nor generals that won the Civil War, rather Northern guns and industry. From the onset of war, the Union had obvious advantages. Quite simply, the North had large amounts of just about everything that the South did not, including resources that the Confederacy had even no means of attaining. Sheer manpower ratios were extremely one-sided, with only 9 of the nations 31 million inhabitants residing in the seceding states (Angle, 7). The Union also had large amounts of land available for growing food crops, which served the dual purpose of providing food for its hungry soldiers and money for its ever-growing industries. The South, on the other hand, devoted most of what usable land it had exclusively to its main cash crop: cotton (Catton, The Coming Fury, 38). Raw materials were almost entirely concentrated in Northern mines and refining industries. Railroads and telegraph lines, the lifelines of any army at the time, traced paths all across the Northern countryside but left the South isolated, outdated, developed in the form of economic colonialism. The final blow to the Confederacy was a modern South that was all too willing to sell what little raw materials they possessed to Northern industry for any ...

buy custom Revenge in Gimpel the Fool and Hamlet essay

buy custom Revenge in Gimpel the Fool and Hamlet essay Introduction The two stories, Hamlet and Gimpel the fool portrays the code of revenge as the major theme. However, the play portrays revenge in some diverse ways with minimal similarities. For instance, Hamlet vows to avenge his fathers death while Gimpel endeavors to revenge to his dead wife and the town dwellers. The circumstances that lead to harboring of the revenge are also different. For instance, Gimpel the fool feels that the town dwellers and his wife, Elke, had tricked and deceived him. His wife was being unfaithful to him, something that she confessed to him before her death. On the other hand, Hamlet attempts to revenge on Claudius who allegedly killed his father to attain power. One similarity that accrues from the two is in the conviction for revenge. The devil appears to Gimpel in a dream and deceives him to avenge on all those who deceived and tricked him. Similarly, a ghost of Hamlets father appears to him and tells him what happened for his death while persuading for revenge aga inst the murderer. The two plays portray revenge in other diverse ways as discussed in this paper. The Status of Revenge in Gimpel the fool and Hamlet In "Gimpel the Fool," the circumstances that surround the central character, Gimpel, changes him from an immature man affixed to his society to one who respects a profound truth by outdoing the dominion of society. The circumstances that trigger this change are two dreams, one that informs him and one that misleads him. Moreover, the characters that surround him dictate his growth as an individual and his change (Brown, 1). For the issue of revenge, one of the dreams deceives him to revenge against his town dwellers for labeling him as a fool. On the other hand, the push for revenge by Hamlet is very critical and serious. The circumstances that surround him are visions of a ghost who triggers him to revenge by showing him the actual occurrences that took place. In this play, Hamlet starts with memories of the deaths of two father-kings. The death of his father pushes him to revenge but it is not out of his own will. The ghost of his assassinated father stirs up the contemplations of revenge in Hamlet by the end of the act. Just before Hamlet renders himself to the deceit of Claudis and Laertes, his extended struggle with the same idea of revenge appears to end. In this regard, there is continued abortion, deflection, or neutralization of revenge as a way of mourning (Cole, 42). On the other hand, Glimpel starts by rejecting a dream of revenge. Gimpel harbors the thoughts of revenge after the death of his wife. His wife, Elka, confessed her sins before her death. After this incidence, an evil spirit appears to him in a dream to tempt him. The evil spirit makes him this proposal: The whole world deceives you and you ought to deceive the world in your turn, you might accumulate a bucket of urine every day and at night pour it in to the dough. Let the sages of Frampol eat filth. Consequently, thoughts of revenge fill his mind and he decides to act according to the proposal by the evil spirit. However, prior to selling a smutty batch of bread he had made, a contrasting dream of Elka appears to him and tells him, you fool! Because I was false, is everything false too. These two incidences reveal disparities and similarities in the development of revenge. The two, protagonists do not harbor the thought or revenge out of their own will. Rather, it is evident that some kinds of ghosts appeared to them and convinced them of the importance of revenge. The difference in the two characters is that Gimpel wanted to avenge against deception and tricking by the town folks while Hamlet wanted to avenge for the death of his father. Interpretation of Revenge in Gimpel the fool and Hamlet In Hamlet, the play portrays private revenge as a way of justifying rights and upholding public order as having negative implications. However, the play further presents core justification of the deeds of Hamlet and asserts that he had no alternative but to attempt to avenge his father (108). In the play, there is the likelihood of connecting private revenge to Gods revenge equally as public revenge links to it, when Hamlet refers to himself as heavens scourge and minister. Hamlet feels that Claudius, who allegedly killed his father to rise in power deserves. This is because Claudius is not only a murderer, but also an adulterate beast and thus a dishonest leader (Posner, 109). Bloom indicates that Hamlet mentions heaven and hell as the major trigger towards his revenge. Moreover, his constant procrastination raises several questions to critics, who feel that Hamlet condemned the revenge by delaying it in many times. The play demonstrates that the reason for the delay by Hamlet is that he linkd the ghost with hell. There if further contradiction on his intended revenge. This is because he doubts that it is really an evil spirit intention on deceiving him into an unfair regicide of Claudius, an act by which Hamlet would damn himself (26). On the other hand, in the case of Gimpel the fool, the feeling of love changed his disbelief. The play clearly demonstrates that Gimpel does not harbor revenge when his wife treats him in a weird way. It is also very evident that Elke beats him so much, yet he is able to tolerate her simply because he loves her. Conversely, his belief and love for her wife comes to a halt after he finds his wife in bed with another man. At this time, Glimpel decides not to believe any longer due to the incidence. Consequently, the rabbi commands Gimpel to separate with Elke for her infidelity. Nevertheless, Gimpel desires to get back to his family even after this self-consciousne ss and the command. This clearly indicates that because of loving her wife so much, he downsizes his wifes disloyalty (Janik, 216). Skulsky asserts that there is constantly the likelihood of harboring revenge, not due to lawless hatred, but because of trustworthiness to a code of respect coolly apathetic to the expressive excesses of the afflicted party. If such unconcern did not broaden to the nature of the accusation itself, it would be particularly more coherent. For instance in the play, Laertes, finds no humiliation at all in asserting to be uncertain whether Hamlet's claim (79) of incorruptibility may still be undesirable to credit, although applicable in nature (80). In the case of Glimpel, the revenge takes a different direction from that of Hamlet. For instance, Gimpel finally encounters the deception that has occurred on him after the death of his wife. Consequently, this leads him to the two consecutive dreams that change him into a man bounded only by genuineness. The first dream is of deception where the deceiver is the devil and leads to his transformation. Initially, Gimpel tolerated his wife since he loved her and did not harbor revenge. After this dream however, he starts contemplating revenge mostly to his fellow city dwellers after the conviction from the Devil. In the dream, the devil convinces him that there is no afterlife and there is no God. He triggers him to have vengeance on all those that wronged and deceived him. Consequently, this dream surprises Gimpel very much since he is a person who is very sincere and ethical even though the Dream revealed the level of deception by Elke and the town folks. At this point, Gimpel still felt that the society had deceived him. This prompted him to internalize the revenge and act upon it after his own thoughts and rationalization yet deceives him. The play demonstrates Gimpel subconsciously doubting the eternal life that he so devotedly believed in after the devil tells him that there is no God. Since Gimpel followed the orders of the devil, it is evident that he no longer cared about the society due to harboring revenge (Brown, 4). According to Hamlet, revenge is an indulgence of the fallen will and the honor that professes to control it while on the other hand it gets its will once more through legalism. It is evident that Hamlet was not entirely satisfied despite accepting revenge in its extreme but with honor: it is "a fantasy and trick of fame." There is a sense of ambiguity about ghost's origin, which compounds the difficulty. The irregularity of Hamlet's position is due to different factors, which includes the thought that revenge is a counsel of the devil in the form of faith and that the ghost is a spirit of health, as the concluded by Prince (Skulsky, 84). Hamlet presents his toughest case against personal revenge on the practical instead of the ethical level. In addition, the typical revenge mistake Hamlet made was allowing the control of emotions before they cooled down. It is evident that emotion had taken control of him when he sacrifices the chance to kill Claudius at prayer to ascertain that his punishment is everlasting. There lacks textual foundation for the opinion that Hamlet might not be so cruel as to wish to damn Claudius for perpetuity and that consequently the reason he provides for sparing him ought to be an excuse (109). Hamlet feared that the ghost could be a devil making him holdup his revenge until he ascertained that Claudius was guilty. However, his reservation about the ghosts validity could also be an excuse for delay (Posner, 110). On the other hand, after twenty years of marriage Elke and Gimpel had six children. However, Elke admits that Gimpel had not fathered any of her children before she died. Gimpel avoids losing eternal life when he accepts Elkes warning in a dream that he should not be as false as she was and he consequently buries the dirty dough. It was after this that he decided to believe in God rather than the devil (Janik, 217). According to Claudius, it was unmanly and abnormal for Hamlet to continue grieving. It was a rather threatening occurrence when Claudius made it clear that he did not hope that Hamlet would go back to school in Wittenberg. Instead, he wanted Hamlet to stay at Elsinore. In addition, it was a deep displeasure for Hamlet about his mothers hasty marriage to Claudius (7). It was in Scene 5 that the ghost directs him to seek revenge against the king after disclosing to him the details of the death of his father. The ghost claims that his brother Claudius poured poison in his ear as he slept in his garden. However, the ghost forbids Hamlet from taking revenge on his mother, who was to remain to heaven and her own guilt. Although there are clues that he may not be the most suitable avenger, Hamlet takes the ghosts charge seriously. For example, he agrees to seek revenge with wings and swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, a weird comparison (Bloom, 8). It was through Gimpel's second dream that there was initiation of another change, which notably transforms his character. After this second dream, Gimpel was no longer nave but was free from the resentment and revenge he had after the first dream. He found a balance that he was neither tricked by falsehoods, nor clutched too tight to society and all its lies but he adopted truth and believed truly in life. Gimpel decided after this dream to leave his town lastly ready to travel around the world (Brown, 5). Glimpel regarded his former tormentor, Elka, with gentleness and respect to the end, following this encounter. In his dreams, he saw her as beautiful and full of consolation. However, Gimpels fictions could not give him the sweetness of an enemy re- appearing as a friend, and hence a life without foes (105). Glimpel has come to the realization that life on earth is a life of entire literature, and the mere promise of conviction is in the afterlife. Consequently, he affirms that whe n death comes, he will go joyfully because he is not afraid of death. He also deemed that whatever will be there would be genuine, without ridicule, without deception and without complication (George, 103). This assertion means that the contemplation of revenge by Gimpel was not very strong and did not last for a long time. It also means that Gimpel clearly and wholly transformed after the incidence. Hamlet ratifies his ambivalence toward the beloved dead through his inclusion of his fathers spirit. Tabooed hostility was apparent through Hamlets impersonation of his deceased father. It is in the last act that he reclaimed the name, which he first spoke to the ghost. The conditions denied Hamlet the performance of ambivalence openly as a mourning heir (43). In his mind, Hamlet made a luminal journey. However, he became haunted whenever he tried to remember what he wished to remember. Hamlet allowed his former self to die when he took up the character of the deceased with revenge (47). Since Hamlet is dramatizing and observing, two killers rather than one, Revenge becomes his signal for action. Concurrently, Hamlet is killing his father and avenging his fathers death (Cole, 50). Hamlet is indignant, and obviously so. On the other hand, the play portrays Claudius as a hypocrite tippler, a weakling a creep, and a commoner that disinherited a very greater man of his wife, position and life. Moreover, the play portrays him as one who has disposed another greater man of his expectation of the kingship, in inheriting his father (116). Due to the occurrences that happened, Hamlet hates himself, women and certainly the whole of humanity (Posner, 116). It is vital to make out that Hamlet, in spite of the fresh backing of his ethics, his new tranquility and his generous and irregular concern for blameless onlookers, has not disavowed his objective to exterminate the soul of his adversary. Certainly, the wellbeing of his sufferers' souls has come to concern him so little that he even sends Guildenstern and Rosencrantz "to abrupt death (Skulsky, 86). Conclusion The theme of revenge emanates very strongly in Hamlets case and somehow narrows in the case of Gimpel. In the case of Hamlet, revenge demonstrates the act of mourning. In this case, Hamlet is mourning his dead father hence contemplates to revenge against the killer by murdering him. The murderer, Claudius on the other hand believes that the action that Hamlet is about to make does not have any justification. The issue of revenge for Hamlet also raises critical questions due to his procrastination. On the other hand, Gimpel contemplates revenge because the people around him deem him as a fool. First, his own wife fools him by making him believe that the children they had were his. She then discloses her betrayal to him, before she dies. Due to this, Gimpel feels very much betrayed and hence attempts to revenge. The only difference from that of Hamlet in this case is that he does not revenge on his wife, but rather on the town dwellers, who deems him a fool. Buy custom Revenge in Gimpel the Fool and Hamlet essay

Northern Ireland Conflict Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Northern Ireland Conflict - Case Study Example Carmichael and Knox (2004) suggest that the peace process could only happen due to the associated power sharing, elected assembly and reformed system of public administration and civic engagement. Carmiuchae and Knox suggest that the implementation of the peace process was only an attempt to institutionalise stability through a political agreement. Along with changes in the peace agreement, there has also been changes in governance and practices in public sector and civil administration. Following the peace agreement there is a more complex and multilayered governance structure along with participation of local authorities and public bodies that seem to control the administration. Issues of territorial management exposes problems of constitutional loopholes and controversies that still seem to afflict the governance process and it is important to highlight on the importance of an agreed system of governance for proper implementation of the peace process. This would obviously bring us to the question as to why the peace process in Northern Ireland was particularly so difficult to achieve and what were the barriers to a successful resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict. As we have suggested, the loss of a balance of power and governance could be one of the reasons for which the peace process was being delayed and was proving to be difficult. ... rocess focused on improving the Anglo-Irish relations and deterioration of this relation during the conflict was again one of the main obstacles to the peace process. O'Kane (2004) point out to the apparent shifts in policy between the British and Irish governments and suggest that policy variations have been a major barrier to the successful resolution of the Ireland conflict. Mnookin (2003) highlights on the strategic barriers to dispute resolution and peace process and uses the case of Northern Ireland to illustrate his study. He suggests that in two party negotiations, the parties try to maximise their own individual returns and that a requirement for unanimity creates strategic barriers that may delay the political process of negotiation. Although certain decisions may be taken even without unanimity, the importance of the sufficient consensus standard as used for the Northern Ireland peace process would show that that not all peace agreements could have a complete political support from all parties concerned. The changing patterns of violence and the role of paramilitary groups which would be reasons of obstacle of the peace process have been considered by Jarman (2004). Jarman discusses on the changing patters of violence and paramilitary forces in Northern Ireland highlighting instances of violent crime, domestic violence, punishment' attacks, racist, homophobic violence, public disorder and rioting. Jarman highlights the role of the young people and paramilitary organisations and the subsequent police reform program that seems to have made important contributions in the pre peace stage and after the conflict resolution stage ad could have even acted as barriers to peace within a culture of violence. Within the context of barriers to the peace process,

Islamic Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Islamic Spirituality - Essay Example As the study declares that on his part, Imam ‘Ali held the view that spirituality is a higher value that should be possessed by all believers. To him, it is not a simple thing to obtain by everyone because it requires a lot of commitments and devotion. One of the best ways of achieving spirituality is to gain knowledge because it can provide a true understanding which is of course required for a proper understanding and acceptance of Allah. And at the core of all these is human heart, which, according to Imam, can help in protecting Muslims from committing sins and block them from acquiring the right knowledge and spirituality.From this research it is clear that  Rumi, though not a prophet, presents insightful teachings on the role of spirituality in the life of a Muslim. Through a wise use of music, poems and dances, he explains how the knowledge of truth provides a good path to spiritual fulfillment. According to his philosophy, spirituality can be gotten through the acquis ition of right knowledge. Religion is a personal experience which requires unconditional surrender to a divine power.  Imam ‘Ali held a strong view on the concept of faith. In his teachings, he emphasized that faith is a necessary requirement for spirituality.  He said that for one to be closer to God, one needs to be a strong believer who not only believes in God, but submits to His will and does everything required by Him.'

Two Concept on Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Two Concept on Liberty - Essay Example Similarly, positive liberty may entail what a person would do in order to withdraw from the world around him or her and the injustices of the tyranny of the many and tyrant. This paper therefore seeks to explain how the concern for positive freedom and autonomy can lead to tyranny ultimately according to Isaiah Berlin and also evaluate his arguments critically. The notion of the positive liberty is derived from an aspiration on the side of a person to his or her own master. It is actually the freedom to live as one sees fit and not freedom from the same. The freedoms may seem not to be apart, but according to Berlin, the ideas of freedom are historically developed in the different directions which ended up getting into direct conflict with each other. This may be illustrated by analyzing the question of what it is to be your own master. In his view, Berlin asserts that we can be spiritual slaves or slaves to the nature as well as we can be physical slaves. He also says we can justify coercion through claiming that we act in the interest of those we are coercing, and if only they could have self awareness, they would realize the probity of those our actions. Isaiah Berlin states that the conceptions of the freedom and liberty are directly derived from the conceptions that constitute a person. If one manipulates the definition of a man, the definition of freedom as one deems fit. These give one authorities which might lead to tyranny in the end. Due to the fact that positive liberty is the freedom to realize the best good in history, Berlin was indomitable to apply political power to set human beings free to realize some end of history. That determination that Berlin argued led to repression inevitably. This could possibly result into tyranny as individuals would do what they deem fit in their own eyes. It is the same positive liberty according to Berlin that brings a notion that any enslaved man cannot be able to make decisions that encompass his freedom. This i s due to the loss of ability to choose as a wish; hence one cannot say rightly that he or she can choose to make a decision if that particular decision has intrinsic weight on it from the authoritarian slaveholder. Isaiah Berlin derived positive liberty from the theories that focused on the capacity of an individual to rule himself or herself, autonomy of the agent. In his account, he realized that Rousseau equated freedom to self rule and obedience to self rule which he considered dangerous. With this equation, he alleged that Rousseau meant that a public or common interest, that which is best for all citizens. The general will of people would be at odds with the individual’s selfish wills. This would ultimately lead to tyranny if critically looked into as everyone would be doing only what interest them. Other theorists of the positive freedom gnaw the bullet and assert that the satisfied slave is free indeed and that in order to gain freedom, an individual must first learn not to dominate so much certain empirical desires and get rid of them, in other words, one must remove as many of his or her desires as possible in order to be free. As Berlin states it, if I got a wounded leg â€Å"there are two ways of freeing myself from pain. One is to heal the wound. Another is to get rid of the wound by cutting off my leg†

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 39

Case study - Essay Example It must be noted that at the present moment my career as well as family life are in harmony. On the one hand, I am able to pay sufficient amount of attention towards matter that contribute to my development as a professional. On the other hand, I feel that I always have to spend with my family and I can hardly recall any instances when I had to experience any difficulties because of work in terms of my work life balance. Nevertheless, if I think about the issue in question in the long run, I might point out that the mindset of corporate America does not really suit me when it comes to harmonizing work and family. I see that the government has taken a rather radical position with regard to maternity leave. I do acknowledge the fact that capitalism and free market by far constitute the fundamental beliefs of the American way of life; however, similar to many people, I am strongly convinced that the government is able to do better when it comes to caring after its citizens. If 160 other countries in the world were able to adopt a similar practice and did not collapse, then the United States might follow the suit as well (Shaw & Barry, 2015, 451). The question whether the United States should require companies to provide paid maternity leave is extremely controversial. On the one hand, this is exactly what people want it to. In spite of the fact that there are numerous generations of families who raised their children without paid maternity leave, the majority of the public feels that this might be a valuable contribution to their welfare. On the other hand, there is a considerable number of people who dislike socialism and would oppose to any elements of it being introduced into the capitalistic American society. That is why the government should not require companies to provide paid maternity leave as it would distort the economic environment within the country. In addition to that, if a company

Influencing Individuals and Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Influencing Individuals and Groups - Essay Example Readers can be influenced and informed very powerfully by using different tools in written communication and generate the desired results. According to experts, by simply avoiding some common grammatical errors, written communication can be made highly effective (School Press H, 2006). Task sheets and employee bulletin boards are one of the common examples of the written communication which is used when the purpose is to inform the lower level employees about the goals and expectations. Emails are used by the employees of Wal-Mart and especially the managers for sharing information, and conveying their concerns. At Wal-Mart e mail is a frequently used medium and is preferred because of the low cost and eases of use (Jonathan Scott, 2005). In his book titled 21: Written Business Communication, Jonathan Scott a memo is a piece of written communication employed to convey information to the employees. The documentation evidence of memos serves in maintaining a record of communication as well (Jonathan Scott, 2005). An example of the use of memos in Wal-Mart was in 2005 when the executive vice president, Susan Chambers suggested used a memo to float a suggestion that health workers should be hired to keep employee costs low (John Hollon, 2005). This memo was used as evidence by the labor union and published in The New York Times when the company announced that it would adopt a new health plan for employees (Julie Appleby, 2005). Annual or monthly progress reports are prepared at Wal-Mart for example the 2009 Global Sustainability Report was issued and it stated that the company had been able to come close to its goals that it had established in 2005. These three goals were rely on renewable energy, no waste and selling sustainable products. The company also donated towards social causes as well (Mike Duke, 2009). In Wal-Mart, employees are also provided Instruction manuals that contain rules, policies and procedures for issues related to work (Gregory

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 39

Case study - Essay Example It must be noted that at the present moment my career as well as family life are in harmony. On the one hand, I am able to pay sufficient amount of attention towards matter that contribute to my development as a professional. On the other hand, I feel that I always have to spend with my family and I can hardly recall any instances when I had to experience any difficulties because of work in terms of my work life balance. Nevertheless, if I think about the issue in question in the long run, I might point out that the mindset of corporate America does not really suit me when it comes to harmonizing work and family. I see that the government has taken a rather radical position with regard to maternity leave. I do acknowledge the fact that capitalism and free market by far constitute the fundamental beliefs of the American way of life; however, similar to many people, I am strongly convinced that the government is able to do better when it comes to caring after its citizens. If 160 other countries in the world were able to adopt a similar practice and did not collapse, then the United States might follow the suit as well (Shaw & Barry, 2015, 451). The question whether the United States should require companies to provide paid maternity leave is extremely controversial. On the one hand, this is exactly what people want it to. In spite of the fact that there are numerous generations of families who raised their children without paid maternity leave, the majority of the public feels that this might be a valuable contribution to their welfare. On the other hand, there is a considerable number of people who dislike socialism and would oppose to any elements of it being introduced into the capitalistic American society. That is why the government should not require companies to provide paid maternity leave as it would distort the economic environment within the country. In addition to that, if a company

Wrongfully Convicted Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wrongfully Convicted - Assignment Example The opponents of capital punishment have therefore cited wrongful executions as their arguments since it does not result into justice if indeed the convicted or executed person is later found to be innocent (Huff & Killias, 62). However, with the advancements in technology, there is relief to this problem as the crimes and criminals are being identified in a more accurate manner in which even those who had been convicted in the past have been released from the prisons and escaped the death sentences. Research has shown that in the United States of America, the use of DNA technology has resulted into the exoneration and the setting free of up to 15 inmates who were serving death penalty since the year 1992 (Zedeck, 27). It is however important to note that a number of individuals have also been released due to weak cases or innocent individuals convicted and the people who are supposed to be convicted set free (Huff & Killias, 65). The death penalty information center has also publish ed certain names of individuals who have been executed but are likely to be innocent if thorough investigations are done to authenticate their involvement in the crimes that they are alleged to have committed. This is not different from the other nations in Europe and other parts of the world. For example, in the United Kingdom, criminal cases review commission has reported that there are several individuals who have actually been pardoned and other several exonerations for individuals who had been executed during the time between 1950s and 1960s. It is therefore important to note that there is need to standardize the DNA evidence so as to serve as the basis for exonerations of individuals who have been wrongfully convicted as a process to deliver justice to them. One example of those who were wrongfully convicted and executed in the United States of America is Jesse Tafero. Jesse was convicted in Florida in the year 1976 for the alleged killing of police officer (Ciolino, 28). He w as convicted together witch another person known as Jacobs Sonia. The two were convicted with the murder case alongside drug trafficking. It was alleged that they killed police officers as they escaped the police arrest because of the drugs that they had. The two individuals were then sentenced to death on the basis of the testimonies by a third party prisoner who pleaded for the les entice if he testified in the case. In the year 1981, the death sentence for Jacob was commuted. However, a year later, Rhodes who testified against the pair asserted that he actually bears the full responsibility of the murder. Tafero on the other hand was executed in the year 1990 despite all these clams by Rhodes. Two years later, the charges against Jacob were squashed which later resulted into her serving imprisonment and not being executed like Tafero. It is important to note that Tafero might have been executed wrongfully and in case the same evidence used in Jacob’s case could have been u sed in his case, he could have been alive as well. Others who are believed to have been wrongfully executed include; Wayne Felker, Cameroon Willingham, Meeks Griffins and Thomas among others who were wrongfully convicted but not executed (Ciolino, 22). In the view of the above, it is clear that the cases of wrongful executions are evident and there is need to look for ways by which these executions can be right executions. With this regard, it is not possible to deliver justice to individuals who have been killed. It is therefore important for the various legislative bodies to consider doing away with the death sentences and replace it with amore elaborate and a system that can be reversed. This is because even then DNA test and the biological processes

Cultural Manifestation Via A Game Of Street Basketball Essay Example for Free

Cultural Manifestation Via A Game Of Street Basketball Essay Two hoops, ten players, one basketball court and one leather ball to dribble, pass, shoot and score points with. The other aspects of basketball – the rules, the technicalities – are all fluid and bent by the whims and preferences of the existing culture, even the existing playing teams. Street basketball may not be the roots of the sport, but through the years, it has becoming both the foundation of professional basketball as well as the avenue for the exercise of the growing subculture in street basketball. Ballard (2004) elaborates: Within the caged confines amidst the bohemian community of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan can be found the essence of street basketball: all the grit, showmanship, competition, and spectacle that make the game great (pg 35). To those who are not indoctrinated in the culture of street basketball, it is easy to say that what they see being played on the street and what they see flashing on their television monitors are both the same game of basketball; that they share so many similar attributes and that the only thing different in street basketball compared to collegiate or professional basketball is the level of popularity. But that is far from the truth – because those who know and understand street basketball, those who lived and breathed street basketball, those who bled and literally died in the cement floors of the street basketball courts know that what they do where they do it is so much different from what high salaried pro basketball players do in the NBA. They have different stages where they play; they have different rules as well as different ways of enforcing it; they have different cultures and different reasons why they play basketball. The only thing they have in common is that they all want that leather and rubber spheroid up in the air and then inside the rim, swooshing the net that makes a catcall for such a sexy swing. Professional basketball is all about winning the coveted ‘ring’, about being able to parade around town like rockstars and hoist that championship trophy alongside guys who you might be elbowing the following season. In professional basketball, there is a certain convenience for players and team owners to just move from one team to another because it is just a job for them, but on the street, one’s alliance to a basketball team is a binding oath; jumping to another team is never about the job of getting the Ws and finishing the season with the ‘ring’, and most players who see a former teammate desert them always take it personal, because street basketball is never a job. It is a brotherhood where loyalty is the most expensive and most important aspect of a player, and those who sell it cheap will always have a ‘low market value’. Street basketball and professional basketball have different set of ethos – in street basketball, they play for their team’s pride and for the wager while in professional basketball, they play for their own personal pride and for their own personal salary, especially in today’s era when even the best of players are traded to other teams in exchange for the chance of the team’s long term vision to take shape. In street basketball, it is always here and now, every game feels like the last game, and it is hard to go home with a monkey on your back because when you lost, you did not just part with some of your money, you also parted with some ounces of self respect and the respect of the people in the neighborhood about you, your team and your game. Observing and analyzing human behavior – Like every cultural vestige and like every subculture type, included in the consideration for the analysis of certain cultural practices is the assessment of human behavior. In street basketball, there are also a set of prevailing human behavior and the dictating factors on why such patterns exist, appear and persist. The manifestation of these sets and patterns of human behavior inside street basketball is two-pronged; those which the average eyes can see and those which only the trained eyes can detect happen simultaneously. It is both reflected and hidden in the way they dress, in the way they talk and in the way they play the game. The human behavior patterns in street basketball depict that of the prehistoric tribes – it requires that only the fittest with the toughest set of behaviors survive. And what are these behaviors? The behavior in fighting, in negotiating, in people management and control of power all of these behaviors are essential for a person to survive the culture of street basketball. Without some of these behaviors, the individual is forced outside the circle of street basketball. Players fight for their place to be among those who are considered as respected basketball players in the street. Outside the five-on-five, there are those who wield similar power, clout and influence – those who fix wagers, those who tap, harness and control budding talents and those who are present in the circuit for their own socio-political reasons. One needs only to sit down by the bleachers and take a good look around to see the abundance of a diverse set of human behavior present inside one confined yet open spaced rectangular domain of street basketball. African American guys play with white guys and vice versa, and so does the relationship of those who have different ethnic descent, and this reflects the behavior of the individuals inside street basketball when it comes to ethnic sensitivity. Other easily discernable behaviors found in street basketball include the penchant of most basketball players for gambling, their obvious disregard for socially accepted behavior while in public like going topless for most of the time, spitting, cursing and the prevalence of foul and derogatory terms hurled at each other, the integration of gang related separatist attitude and the resorting to physical assault as a way to settle differences of avenge any feeling of indignation. Looking at street basketball players, the universal behavior noticeable is their take on street basketball as the end all and be all of their lives – they gamble every paper bill they have on the pockets of their pants, sometimes, even money that they don’t have, on a round of street basketball without serious regard for what will happen in the future in the event that they lose their bet; most of them would rather spend their days playing ball and cementing their hold among their peers and their social cliques, which sometimes result in the creation of strong bonds of brotherhood between two persons or among members of a group or the creation of intensive animosity as well; school is never an equally important priority, and the preference for the type of work they would engage on is similar on how they battle, win and lost in street basketball – exciting, thrilling and promises the yield of a quick buck.. Street basketball is a religion, while professional basketball is a mere day job for night shift dribblers, and the rituals that are involved in the daily exercise of their faith exists in different aspects – there are rituals of battle, rituals of praise, rituals done to ask for intercession and divine intercession as well as the rituals for both the victorious and the defeated. At some point, the ‘real’ and the ‘sports-based’ religion meets in the middle, when religion is infused in the practice of a competitive sport, because there is one ultimate human behavior that is manifested greatly in street basketball – and that is the desire to win, because winning is always more than the scorebook statistics; it is about winning wagers and bets, winning the respect of the crowd as well as the opponents and winning your own sense of self respect towards yourself. A sports activity is a particular cultural event, and like any other cultural event, st reet basketball is unique in different places. But despite these differences, this cultural event shares the same characteristic – and that is this: that it is the showcasing of the most primitive instinct that is present among humans inside the society; it is a display of skill, grace, strength and the set of values to which a person will be remembered for; it is a reminder of how fiercely competitive the world is, how one should earn everything with his bare hands standing on his own two feet alone. Street basketball speaks a lot about a place’s culture; pro basketball is plain entertainment. Works Cited: Ballard, Chris. â€Å"Hoops Nation: A Guide to Americas Best Pickup Basketball. † University of Nebraska Press, October 2004.

What Is The Pre Modern Society?

What Is The Pre Modern Society? Human history can be divided into three phases: pre-modern, modern and post modern. There is no definite beginning or end to each of these phases; rather they merge into one another, as not all societies moved forward at the same time. Sociology and modernity have been described as closely intertwined, but it has also been argued that sociology is a product of modernity. Sociology came out of something described by Polanyi (1973) as the Great Transformation, a term which refers to social, economic, political and cultural changes, which were the cause of new forms of social life. During this piece I will discuss pre- modern society, the impact industrialisation had on society and why the study of this era is important for sociology. What is Pre- modern Society? In pre-modern society, work was not highly specialised and the number of roles necessary to produce things were relatively small, therefore the division of labour was simple when compared to modern societies. Most of the labour forces engaged in agricultural activity and produced food through subsistence farming. The majority of pre-industrial groups had standards of living not much above survival, meaning most of the population were focused on producing only enough goods for means of survival. The term pre- modern, covers a number of different societal forms: hunter-gatherer, agrarian, horticultural, pastoral and non-industrial. Pre-modern social forms have now virtually disappeared, although they are still in existence in some of todays societies. An example of a hunter- gatherer society that exists today is the Inuit people, who inhabit northern Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Due to the lack of vegetation in these areas of the world, most Inuit people live on a diet of meat. Many Arctic people are extremely mobile like the feudal societies of pre- modern times, and travel around the land, often moving with the seasons, in pursuit of migratory animals. Hunting and gathering societies hunt animals and gather vegetation in order to survive. All humans were hunters and gatherers up until around 12,000 years ago, and although, these societies still exist today in some parts of the world, they are in fast decline as they are being taken over by the advance of industrial society (Macionis J. Plummer K, 2005, p.75). Hunting and gathering societies began to turn into horticultural and pastoral societies after new technology was introduced. People began to use hand tools to help them to farm the land and to work the soil in order to sow seeds. Societies living in mountainous or parched regions turned to pastoralism which is based on the domestication of animals. Some societies combined the two technologies so they could produce a variety of foods. Agrarian societies came about with the discovery of large scale farming, which involved using ploughs which were harnessed to animals. Farmers could work larger plots of land unlike the horticulturists who worked garden sized plots of land. Agrarian societies began to permanently settle and created large food surplus, which they could now transport using animal powered wagons. Increased food production provided societies with surplus materials, which meant the build up of storable produce. This represented a cultural advance for civilisation. With the development of storage, in some rare cases came some social unrest, as what could be stored could also be stolen, although is thought that in pre- modern times there was very little deviance, as communities were extremely close knit and everybody knew each other. This new technology could have also created social inequality as some families produced more goods than others. The families producing more food may have assumed positions of a uthority and privilege. Industrialisation and the making of Modern Society: In order to understand why the study of pre- modern times is vital to sociology, it is important to look to the Industrial Revolution, as this was a time of great change for European society, and the crossing over from pre- modern to modern society. Industrialisation is the process whereby social and economic change transforms a pre- industrial society into an industrial one. Until industrialism the main source of energy was humans and animals, where as mills and factories now used water, and later steam, to power machinery. Industrialism is technology that powers sophisticated machinery with advanced sources of energy (Macionis J. Plummer K, 2005, p.79). During the Industrial revolution, an economy based on manual labour was replaced by one taken over by industry and the manufacture of machinery. Rapid industrialisation cost many craft workers their jobs and scores of weavers also found themselves unemployed as they could not compete with machinery. Many unemployed workers turned their anger towards the machines that had taken their jobs and began destroying factories and machinery. These activists became known as Luddites and became extremely popular. The British government took drastic measures against the Luddites using the army to protect the factories. The Industrial Revolution also saw the emergence of class, urbanisation and the bad conditions in which people had to live and work. Marxism essentially began as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution. As the Industrial Revolution progressed so did the gap between class structures. According to Karl Marx, industrialisation polarised society into the bourgeoisie, and the much larger proletariat. Ordinary working people found increased opportunity for employment in the mills and factories and in some cases had no choice but to move to the towns and cities in search of work. By the early 1900s up to eighty per cent of the population of Britain lived in urban centres (Kumar, 1978, cited in Bilton et al, p.28). Using the clock to time ones self, as a basis of social organisation, was an indicator of the emergence of a modern society. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries both agricultural and manufacturing labour became set by the clock in a way that was very different to pre-modern production. In pre-modern times factors such as hours of daylight set work rhythms, whereas the factories were regulated by the clock, labour was synchronised and took place for a certain number of hours each day and on particular days of the week. For the factory owners and their employees, time now equalled money. The working conditions were often strict with long working hours and a pace that was set by machinery and production. With the Industrial Revolution came an increase in population. Education was still limited and therefore children were expected to work. Child labour was appealing to employers as it was cheaper than employing an adult yet productivity was similar. The machines did not require strength to operate and there were no experienced adult labourers as the system was completely new. The majority of ordinary people were greatly affected by capitalism and industrial production. By the late 1900s Englands Black Country was one of the most industrialised parts of the United Kingdom and in the 1830s was described in the following way; The earth seems to have turned inside out. The coal. is blazing on the surface by day and by night the country is flowing with fire, and the smoke of the ironworks hangs over it. There is a rumbling and clanking of iron forges and rolling mills. Workmen covered in smut, and with fierce white eyes, are seen moving amongst the glowing iron and dull thud of the forge-hammers. (Jennings,1985 p.165) Societies were changing faster than they had ever done before and industrial societies had transformed themselves more in a century than societies had for thousands of years before. In the 19th century the invention of the railway and steamships revolutionised transport and made the world feel much smaller than it had previously. The invention of Sociology was created out of concern for a rapidly changing industrial world (Macionis J. Plummer K, 2005). Conclusion: The transition from pre- modernity into modernity was important for sociology as people began to see that society was something important to study. Some argue that this was when sociology began as the emergence of modern societies created a new intellectual world aware of its surroundings and concerned with acquisition of knowledge. As modernity came about, changes in social attitudes within society occurred making society itself interesting to others. Unlike the static pre- modern society, modern societies appear to have created many different groups, causing new and interesting communications and interactions between people. In the pre- modern era, relationships between people in society were extremely similar and perhaps uneventful and society had been static, therefore sociology was not required.

Our Value of Art Essay -- Art Philosophy Essays

Our Value of Art Art is a thoughtful, emotional expression. It has many forms, such as painting, sculpture, architecture and the written word. Rousseau proposes, "Instead of thinking of life as something to which signs and texts are added to represent it, we should conceive of itself as suffused with signs (Culler 12)." For these purposes the signs which Rousseau identifies are works of art. This statement speaks to the inseparable quality of life and art. Since life and art are connected they invariably affect one another. Life is inherently chaotic. This prompts the creation of art, which consequently promotes the stasis of chaos. Art's effect on society demands that we decide whether we value art enough to risk our own undoing. Human beings are psychologically driven creatures. As a result their endeavors are similarly psychologically driven. The compulsion to create is one of our most basic, primitive drives. From a psychological perspective this is known as sublimation, or the channeling of one's energy into a healthy, socially acceptable behavior. This behavior alludes to the idea that the act of creating something of significance makes up for life's troubles. This cognitive negotiation is known as rationalization. It would seem that productively acting in response to chaos would restore the good. However, this energy is misdirected. Channeling all of one's energy into art neglects the problems that truly need attention. In this way art is like putting a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling old home. Consider the Beat Generation. This was a passionate group of painters and poets who produced a massive body of work during the mid twentieth century. It is not a coincidence that they indulged heavily in promi scuous sex, h... ...sso wrote, "Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given to us to understand (Picasso 321)." In regard to the relationship between art and chaos art is only a lie as long as its purpose remains unexamined. For some of us, regardless of the negative ties that art has to life, nonexistence is favorable to a life without it. Art teaches us that all wonderful things have ramifications. I would argue that the greatness of a masterpiece exponentially surpasses the harm it causes because it captures its chaotic origins and builds from them. It is as if life's troubles have changed form and evolved into a worthwhile, undying entity. Works Cited: 1. Burroughs, William S., Naked Lunch, New York: 1959. 2. Culler, Jonathan, Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, New York: 1997. 3. Picasso, Pablo, "Statement to Marvis de Zayas," 1923.

Essay --

Marxism and Christianity are two influential doctrines which have shaped our world in profound ways. While they differ on certain fronts, one cannot help but wonder that if there were some way that the two could coexist, that their synthesis could change the course of humanity inevitably. This discussion will be divided into two sections. The first one will be a brief summary and critique of Karl Marx’s rejection of religion, Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. By dissecting this piece, it is hoped that we may cast doubt on its effectiveness; in the process of rejecting religion, Marx may have excluded many potential supporters from his revolutionary cause. As well, an attempt will be made to propose that atheism should no longer be a necessary central tenet of Marxism. The second section will be concerned with providing evidence of both early and contemporary Christian teachings which mirror Marxist principles. Finally, our discussion will turn briefly to Liberation Theology to confirm that Marxist and Christian schools can, and do converge. By pursuing these ends, this analysis will show that, at a fundamental level, Christianity shares many core principles with Marxism, and as such, Marxists are misguided in their dogmati c and mechanical rejection of religion and more specifically, of Christianity. For Marxists to realise their goal of a classless society that is based upon equality and justice, they must be more inclusive and allow those who practice religion, especially Christians who share similar aims, into their revolutionary dialogue. In his criticism of Hegel’s Idealism, Marx asserts that religious devotion represents a, â€Å"reversed world consciousness† , the result of wh... ... that both Marxists and Christians are concerned with the perils of human alienation and that each doctrine’s prescription to cure its causes is similar. Finally, Liberation Theology proves that Marxist and Christian ideals can synthesise and that their intercourse has created a new and possibly revolutionary stage of human existence. Christianity and Marxism both seem to have become detached from their original aims, which were to provide a method by which humanity may achieve the best possible life; for both, this will be realised through the practice of mutual aid, equality and love. All other points of contention between them seem polemical and counter revolutionary. One 20th century Christian revolutionary wrote that, â€Å"solidarity, in spite of all divergences, is absolutely essential if a revolutionary project is to be successful.† That is indeed the case.

Food and Culture: a Cross Cultural Look at Eating Habits Essay

No matter where we are from, eating is one of the most personal experiences of life. Everyone finds enjoyment and comfort in eating foods associated with their early days and heritage, but personal sensations and perceptions on eating are merely a fraction of the global picture. Learning about other cultures, their values, and what they seek will enhance relationships between individuals throughout communities and the nation. Eating habits provide a very conducive way for promoting mutual understanding between everyone. According to dictionary.com, food is any nourishing substance ingested in the body to provide energy and sustain life and growth. â€Å"Food habits refer to the way people use food, including from how it is selected, obtained, and distributed to who prepares it, serves it, and eats it† (Kittler, 2008, p. 2). Early food habits derived strictly from what was available in the immediate environment (McWilliams, 2003, p. 5). â€Å"The country where a person is born and resides shapes the food patterns of the individual and families† (McWilliams, 2003, p. 15). Food helps to establish specific cultures, and has diverse influences on the ways of life of people around the world. Spain, China, and the United States are three societies with vastly different backgrounds and eating customs that contribute to their unique culture and national identity. Food possesses meaning within different cultures beyond simply that of providing nutrients. People often question, why food? If food is thought about solely as the avenue of obtaining the necessary nutrients to live, people will miss the influence and pleasure food has on the rich multitude of cultural landscapes. Food is full of meaning and has become a major form of social exchange. Everyone has heard the acclaimed saying â€Å"you are what you eat,† and many traditional civilizations believe that what they ingest will impact their personal character. But, the saying alone does not move the social world into eating. However, corresponding with the law of Contagion, which states that â€Å"once in contact, always in contact,† when two objects touch, their properties are transferred into the touched object (Rozin, 1996, p. 83). We can view this as those who have prepared, gathered, and served food, are expected to have passed their own characteristics into that food (Rozin, 1996, p.84). Thus, now back to â€Å"you are what you eat,† these elements have become part of the consumer. Every nibble of food involves social integration. Food is a system of communication that constitutes knowledge and information. â€Å"Substances, techniques of preparation, habits are all part of a system of differences in signification† (Counihan, 2008, p. 30). All facts pertaining to food are organized similarly to that of other modes of communication. Food symbolizes and signifies the importance of economic, social, political, religious, and ethnic values among different societies (Montanari, 2006, p.133). Food habits convey the culture of whom it has touched. Food is the warehouse of â€Å"traditions and collective identity† (Montanari, 2006, p. 133). It allows people to partake in their national past. â€Å"Food and cultural identities are the product of history† (Montanari, 2006, p. 135). The historical background of preparation and cooking is rooted deep within traditional ritualization, and permits people to experience the memory of their ancestors in their contemporary life. Food gives people commonality, serving as a means for a way of life. Food, security, and love are our three basic needs. They are intertwined, so we cannot think of any one without the others. These three needs compose our life, and our life can be understood through these needs. Food is a central figure throughout society. It is the â€Å"foundation of every economy† (Counihan, 1997, p. 1). Food assists in interpreting social differences, gender differences, and family and community relationships. It links everything that is significant to people and strengthens social ties. Food is something so common to all, yet it denotes incredibly different ideals from table to table. Food habits are culturally consistent modes of behavior relating to food that have been established by individuals reared in a given cultural tradition (Counihan, 2008, p. 18). The specific behaviors towards food are interrelated with other culture-specific behaviors in the same community. â€Å"Humans do not nourish themselves from natural nutrients, nor from pure dietary principles, but from cultured food-stuffs, chosen and prepared according to laws of compatibility and rules of propriety unique to each cultural area† (Counihan, 2008, p. 76). Food is essential to ethnic, religious, and regional identity. Before delving into the implications of food in the diverse cultural contexts of Spain, China, and the United States, it is important to first understand the background elements of food and how it serves to establish specific cultures. There are four ways to understanding and categorize the food habits and the role of food in different cultures. They include â€Å"frequency of food consumption; ways a culture traditionally prepares and seasons food; daily, weekly, and yearly use of food; and changes in food functions that emerge during structural growth in a culture† (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). The core and complementary foods model groups food together based on their rate of consumption. According to this framework, core foods are those regularly consumed in a person’s diet, most likely on a daily basis, at the heart of food habits (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). Complementary foods are important in making the core balanced. They add the familiar flavors associated with the core foods (Kittler, 2008, p. 8). Secondary foods are widely but less frequently consumed, often eaten at least once a week or more, but not daily (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). Last, are the peripheral foods, which are consumed irregularly. Changes in food behaviors happen most in peripheral, where individual food choices are more characteristic than cultural group habit, and least in core (Kittler, 2008, p. 8). Foods demonstrate a great deal variability according to distinctive regional locations. What defines a meal differs throughout cultures, and unique, local variations are especially prevalent among different regional identities. â€Å"The structural analysis of meal patterns and meal cycles reveals clues about complex social relations and the significance of certain events in a society† (Kittler, 2008, p.9). Every culture establishes which foods are needed to comprise a meal, and what someone eats defines his or her identity within the certain cultural contexts. Specific foods are served for different meals depending on your particular societal customs. Other elements that can define a meal include who prepares it, the type of preparation used, who eats it, and the portion size. Beyond the meal itself is the sequence in which the individual meals take place. The meal cycle is a routine of how many meals are eaten a day and when they are eaten (Kittler, 2008, p. 10). Meal patterns generally follow what is culturally customary and acceptable, but food selection is primarily motivated by taste. Taste is a cultural element, and differing tastes occur among different peoples and regions throughout the globe. Food preference is based on specific locations where â€Å"definitions of taste belong to the cultural heritage† (Montanari, 2006, p. 61) of that society. Local ecological circumstances also influence what a culture will eat and individual food habits. It requires a collective adaptation to their explicit environmental surroundings. A person can only eat what is available and can be obtained, and the cultural group will determine whether certain foods are edible or inedible. Eating choices are largely impacted by the cultural values, beliefs, and practices ingrained by society. Spain is a country of much diversity. Its cuisines are historically rooted and geographically preserved. Spain is composed of distinctive territories of cultures, each with its own unique social customs and culinary traditions. Every region holds certain characteristics of Spain’s diverse terrain, and continues to have its own local variations of Spanish cuisine. Cooking is divided by the different regional preparation methods. Stewing is common in the North, roasting is common in the Central region, and deep-fried foods are very popular in the South (Kittler, 2008, p. 164). Although each region differs in culinary traditions and origins, this paper will look beyond the strong regional ties and explore Spain’s gastronomic heritage as a whole. The Spanish passion for quality cooking is shared throughout the nation. After the oppression of the Franco regime, Spaniards hold a lot of pride in their cultural identities. Food ranks high among their cultural values, shaping the lives of many Spaniards, who are deeply rooted in their regional heritages. Spain’s meal cycle is one way in which their food habits show cultural-specificity and vary drastically from those found in China and the United States. Their traditional meal pattern consists of four meals and some snacks spread throughout day (Kittler, 2008, p. 165). Spaniards eat a light breakfast (desayuno) at around 8:00 a. m. consisting of coffee or chocolate accompanied by bread, churros, or another pastry. Sometimes, a midmorning breakfast of either sausage, fried squid, bread with tomato, or an omelet is eaten at 11:00 a. m. A light snack, tapas, is consumed close to 1:00 p. m. to prelude their three-course lunch starting at 2:00 p. m. (Kittler, 2008, p. 165) Keeping consistent with the rest of its European counterparts, Spain’s largest fare is lunch (almuerzo). Lunch is the main meal, and is typically eaten at home. The first course is the lighter portion, consisting of a soup or salad, while the second course is your classic fish or meat dish. Dessert follows, and can be some simple fruit or cheese, a traditional Spanish flan, or a different sweet pastry or cake. (Spanish eating customs) Many businesses close during the hours between 2:00-5:00 p. m. in order to accommodate lunch and maybe a nap, known as siesta. After being well rested, a Spaniard can enjoy tea and pastries (merienda) eaten between 5:00 and 6:00 p. m. (Kittler, 2008, p. 165). More tapas are eaten at 8:00 or 9:00 p. m. to fill time before dinner. Dinner (cena) is finally served between 9:00 and 11:00 p. m. It includes three light courses like soup, salad, sandwiches or omelets and fruit (Kittler, 2008, p.165). Spain has a large variety of eating customs that one would generally only find in a Spanish kitchen. The most well known eating habit is that of tapas. Tapas are small plates of food to share with a group of friends before a meal. In Spain, eating tapas is an entirely separate dining experience that does not replace an actual meal (Barrenechea, 2005, p. 53). Tapas are not to be eaten at home. Its literal meaning implies going out: â€Å"de tapeo means barhopping, or the art of eating while standing† (Barrenechea, 2005, p. 53). There are many varieties offered, and they are generally finger foods. Another culture-specific custom is that of sobremesa. The word sobremesa translates to â€Å"over the table,† referring to the long-lasting conversations after meals. Instead of finishing the last bite and leaving, Spaniards often stay seated at the table conversing, savoring the company of friends, and sometimes even sharing another drink. (Spanish eating customs) The infamous siesta, already mentioned above, is deeply rooted in Spanish heritage, dating back to agrarian society when farmers needed to rest and digest after the large lunch. Now, it is a time for people to return to their home and families to eat. Family nourishment is a value taken very seriously among Spanirds. Some specialty food items found in Spain include, aceite de oliva (olive oil), jamones de Espana (Spanish cured hams), Chorizo (national sausage of Spain), bacalao (salt Cod), tortilla Espanola (potato and onion omelet), croquetas, gazpacho, paella, flan, and sangria (Barrenechea, 2005, p. 39). All of the aforementioned eating traditions carry a lot of historical significance, and come to symbolize Spain’s cultural identity. The ways in which Spain treats and prepares some of its food also differs from the food habits of China or the United States. Wine and coffee are beverages that seem to be universal to the world as they can literally be found anywhere. However, looking at the two from the cultural context of Spain, one will find that wine and coffee actually have distinct meanings based on regional variations. Whether out at a restaurant or home with family, wine is typical to drink at just about any meal in Spain (Spanish eating customs). It is so common in Spain, that it is often cheaper than water. Coffee is a Spanish phenomenon, and many Spaniards drink several cups throughout the course of one day. Coffee also traditionally follows meals, served after the dessert (Spanish eating customs). It is customary to sit down when sipping on coffee, as to-go (para llevar) cups are very uncommon. The Spanish take pride in enjoying all kinds of food, even a simple cup of coffee. China has a strong national identity deeply rooted in its history. A civilizational standard emerged long ago, and its foods are primarily regional and ethnic, not having to do with social class. China has four distinctive styles of cooking largely influenced by geography and availability. The South is home of Cantonese food, with many elegant dishes. The East relies heavily on seafood and paper-wrapped foods. The North is famous for Peking duck, sweet and sour sauces, wheat noodles, and Mongolian influence. The final region is the West with the Szechwan style cooking of hot spices and use of oils. China’s vast size has influenced the need for collective adaptation within the different regional environments. While these local ecological circumstances influence the certain available foods of each territory, China’s strong beliefs in their tradition and ancestors have demonstrated a large commonality among the Chinese identity. China’s cultural heritage has largely impacted the collective expression of standardized values and food habits. As a non-western nation, China will vary dramatically from the westernized countries of Spain and the United States in its ethnic beliefs and identity. The eating habits of the Chinese play an important role in the patterns of their meals and are very culture-specific. The Chinese eat three meals a day along with additional snacks. Breakfast is typically composed of hot rice or millet porridge, and congee. Lunch is a smaller version of dinner serving soup, a rice or wheat dish, vegetables, and fish or meat. Sliced fruit can be offered when finished eating. (Kittler, 2008, p. 327) The two most important components of a typical Chinese meal are the soup and a large fish cooked and presented whole to end the meal (McWilliams, 2003). The Chinese have two customary rules dating back to ancestral traditions that are needed for every meal. There must be a balance between yin and yang foods to ensure physical and emotional harmony and to protect the body from illness, and there also has to be proper amounts of fan and cai (Kittler, 2008, p. 327). Fan is the foods made from grains and served in a separate bowl to each diner. Cai is the cooked meats and vegetables to add flavor that are shared from bowls in center of table. Fan is the primary item in a meal, and a meal is not complete without it; but it does not need cai. (Kittler, 2008, p. 327) The rules for consumption in China are very different from what is customary in Spain and the United States. Etiquette is a large form of group association in China. There are many specific customs to be aware of when eating a Chinese meal. Proper behavior was determined over 4,000 years ago and many practices continue to be used today (Kittler, 2008, p. 328). The traditional eating utensils include chopsticks and a porcelain, flat-bottomed spoon for soup. Teacups and rice bowls are also made of porcelain. Very few foods are eaten with hands. All of the serving bowls are traditionally served at the same time on a lazy Susan in the center of the table. Each place setting has a bowl of rice or noodles, and each person takes some of the closest item from the communal plate, which is rotated until all items have reached all the people at the table. All diners should take the same amount of cai. Younger diners cannot eat until the elders have begun, and it is seen as rude to reject food. Serve beverages to others before self. Both hands should be used to offer and take a cup of tea. Wine and other alcoholic drinks should not be consumed alone. It is bad manners to eat rice or noodles with the bowl on the table, so it should be raised to the mouth. It is also bad luck to lay chopsticks on the top of the rice bowl or drop them. Do not stick chopsticks straight up in the rice bowl for it symbolizes an offering to the dead. More specific rules beyond that of proper etiquette include not making any noise while eating (except slurping soup), not grabbing food, not eating too fast, not putting food back on the communal plate after tasting it, and not picking one’s teeth. It is considered very polite to compliment the host during the meal on deliciousness of food and on their good taste and wisdom. (Kittler, 2008, p. 328) The Chinese diet is another expression of group association. What is eaten in China’s specific cultural contexts differs from foods Spaniards and Americans would find in their typical diets. The Chinese eat a large mix of food and avoid very little. Rice is the backbone of all Chinese meals. Wheat made as wontons are also widely used. Dairy products are not found in the Chinese diet, but extensive use of soy products serves as a substitute for calcium and protein. Pork is the most common meat, but religion and cost limit how much meat is consumed. Many Chinese are actually vegetarians, making extensive use of the available vegetables. (McWilliams, 2003) Distinctively Chinese vegetables are snow peas, bamboo shoots, chrysanthemum greens, water chestnuts, bitter melon, and lotus root. Noodles are very popular, and often take the form in soup or pan-fried and topped with vegetables. Eggs are also frequently eaten. (Kittler, 2008, p. 325) Foods that would seem unfamiliar and strange to western societies are actually ranked with high value in the Chinese culture. Foods such as snakes, frogs, turtles, sea cucumbers (sea slugs), seahorses, as well as insects like scorpions are all consumed regularly. Hot soup or tea is the beverage of choice. (Kittler, 2008, p. 325) Although environmental constraints influence the Chinese culture, the people do not let it affect their lifestyle. They use cooking methods, such as stir-frying, steaming, deep-fat frying, simmering, and roasting, that all make best use of the limited available fuel. The Chinese also work to find fresh ingredients, which is why many markets sell live animals. (Kittler, 2008, p. 325) Despite the ecological situations, the Chinese people will not sacrifice the importance of their food habits within their cultural identity. The United States is composed of many diverse cultures, and is very unique among countries in the world. It has one of the largest immigrant populations in the world, which has widely influenced diets and available food. Founded by immigrants, the U. S. is home to many different ethnic, religious, and regional groups, each with its own culture-specific eating behaviors. The U. S. has often been considered a â€Å"melting pot,† blending all the different ethnic, religious and regional backgrounds together. While it might be difficult to find a universal, national identity in the U. S. , the broadening of cultural awareness has led to a greater understanding of new food patterns. Changes in the choices of food and habits have occurred throughout the years. â€Å"It is the intricate interplay between food habits of the past and the present, the old and the new, and the traditional and the innovative that is the hallmark of the American diet† (Kittler, 2008, p. 1). American cuisine is far from homogeneous. The diversity of cultures within the United States incorporates the cuisines of numerous communities throughout the world. Eating habits found in the Spanish and Chinese cultures have had some influence among the regional variations in America. Local food preferences are key to the American regional identity (Kittler, 2008, p. 473). Regional food habits are prepared based on the territory’s available local ingredients, which depend on the agricultural environment and seasonal accessibility. The strong relations between place and food suggest the significance on the quality of local food items (Kittler, 2008, p. 474). There are three defining factors of regional fare. The first is that local foods have a strong impact on the development of a specific regional cuisine. The second aspect is ethnic and religious practices, especially when it comes to specialty foods. The third factor is local history, which is related to particular dishes (Kittler, 2008, p.474). The variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds will only keep enriching the regional foods of America and expand our cultural awareness. Culinary trends can be observed in the four regions of the United States: Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. Geography and the immediate environment, Native Americans, and immigrants have all influenced the culinary identities of each region. Within the Northeast are New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Each region shared similar Native American societies, followed by European settlements, and now more immigrants from all over world (Kittler, 2008, p. 476). The traditional foods come from the Atlantic Ocean, the native and new produce, and the many freshwater rivers and lakes. In New England, seafood is prominent, especially cod. Indigenous game already existed and beef was brought over by early immigrants. Corn was the foundation of the diet, and beans also had high importance. Root vegetables were common, and wild berries, grapes, and plums were the common fruits, until immigrants planted apple orchards. Maple syrup was the preferred sweetener. (Kittler, 2008, p. 477) The warmer climate and fertile lands in the Mid-Atlantic made for a greater abundance of native foods. Coastal waters provided crustaceans, while estuaries provided birds, and the freshwater had a variety of fish. New foods thrived throughout the region. (Kittler, 2008, p. 477) The Midwest marks the Great Plains region in the center of America. The regional food is typical homestead and farm food (Kittler, 2008, p. 486). The food is known as typical American cuisine. It involved simple preparation of prime meat or poultry, accompanied with vegetables, potatoes, and fresh bread. A meal consists of a filling breakfast for a good start to the day, robust soups and stews to re-energize the body, and a tasty homemade dessert at the end. (Kittler, 2008, p. 486) Food traditions in the Midwest have been maintained from generation to generation. Southern food reflects the times of plantation farms. Corn dishes, pork, sweet potatoes, and greens were the foundation of this regional cuisine (Kittler, 2008, p. 495). The southern lifestyle created a culture of politeness and friendliness. It was also a region of many fruits, nuts, game, fish, and seafood. The South has access to the coast, the gulf, rivers, and woodlands. The people learned culinary cuisines from the Indians, the Settlers, and the African slaves. (Kittler, 2008, p. 495) The final region of the West is the largest region in the U. S. with a large diversity of terrain from the icy tundra of Alaska to volcanic islands of Hawaii (Kittler, 2008, p. 508). The West is home to the tallest mountains, vast fertile valleys and coastal plains, a scenic desert, and a temperate rainforest. The people were able to inherit the diverse food habits from the natives on the variety of lands. Immigrants came from all directions to occupy the West. Its vast size was largely unknown so most inhabitants survived on dried meat, pork, beans, and corn. Growth increased the available food supply, and expensive goods were offered. (Kittler, 2008, p. 509) Depending on the specific region of the West, different foods prospered. Immigrants from a plethora of countries all came to the United States and added their culture-specific complementary foods, which enhanced the existing core foods in America. Although the national identity of the United States is comprised of diverse regional identities from all around the globe, distinctive meal patterns have been established. Meals start much earlier than in Spain, and the rules are not as strict as in China. Meals primarily consist of a large breakfast, small lunch, and large dinner, with the occasional distinctive brunch. The traditional American breakfast offers a range of foods such as pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, toast, and cereal. Lunch is served between 12:00 p. m. and 2:00 p. m. , and consists of nothing big, solely a sandwich or salad. Brunch represents a distinct American cultural eating habit. It is a combination of breakfast and lunch, mostly eaten on weekends and ranges from 11:00 a. m. to 2:30 p. m. Dinner is served between 6:00 p. m. and 8 p. m. It typically begins with appetizers, then a larger hot meal, and finally a sweet dessert. In the U. S. , appetizers are served before the soup or salad, which is then followed by the main course, and lastly by dessert. Americans also tend to value food more for its nutritional content and health effects than for any symbolic use (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). Every different cultural group creates standards reflective of their priorities. The dining etiquette of the U. S. is highly associated with social values. Social influences have a strong impact on eating cultures. Immediately upon sitting down at the table one should put their napkin on their lap. Another rule is the positioning of knife and fork when finished eating. Crossing the knife and fork means that you are still working on your food, but placing them parallel on plate signifies that you have finished eating. It is also acceptable to refuse specific foods or drinks without an explanation. Opposite of the traditional meals in China, in the U. S. , it is very popular to socialize in homes, backyards, restaurants, or other public places. It is not unusual to have a backyard barbeque or picnic in the park. (USA: Language, culture, customs and etiquette). As, an individualistic nation, the sociocultural contexts that influence food intake and choice most in the United States are related more to personal factors. As the world and its food become further explored, new desires about the world of food will emerge. However, according to the development perspective of food culture, structural changes in society can lead to changes in the functions of food and its habits within that culture (Kittler, 2008, p. 7). Is the rising trend towards consumerism and the desire to earn a lot of money ruining the traditional meanings of food? Globalization is the structural change from local and regional organizations to a universal worldwide organization. Globalization is coupled with the food culture change of consumerization, the transition of a society from indigenous producers to consumers of mass-produced foods. (Kittler, 2008, p. 11) Seasonal foods are now available any time of year and specialty products can now be bought presliced, precooked, and prepackaged for immediate consumption. Modernization encompasses the socioeconomic shift from new technologies replacing muscle power and its parallel food change is commoditization from homemade to manufactured foods. Fresh foods are now processed and marketed commodities. (Kittler, 2008, p. 11) Urbanization from rural to urban residence leads to delocalization of producers to consumers only, where the connections between harvesting, cooking, and eating are lost for meals purchased in convenience markets or fast-food joints. (Kittler, 2008, p.11). Lastly, migration from original home to new settings is shared by acculturation to new culture and new foods and diminishing traditional food habits (Kittler, 2008, p. 12). Further research should be conducted on the impact the changes resulting from development have on traditional food cultures and identity as well as quality of food. The Slow Food movement is one effort to reverse the structural and food culture changes (Kittler, 2008, p. 12). To take this research even further is to examine the role of advertising, which is related to globalization and the structural changes in society. Advertising is correlated with food preference (Kittler, 2008, p. 16). Advertising unconsciously transforms our views of food into an entirely new meaning (Counihan, 2008, p. 32). Foods are no longer viewed as a product or substance, but as an experience and situation. Consumer/brand loyalty is now the emotional appeal to foods. Food is seen as entertainment, and the enjoyment of eating is through reading or seeing on TV, instead of physically tasting (Kittler, 2008, p. 16). Food is slowly but surely losing in its substance and rising in function (Counihan, 2008, p.34). Beyond the meanings of food, the effects of eating and food choice can also be examined in relation to how the physiological characteristics of age, gender, and body image are now portrayed in different cultures. The cultural contexts of foods are transitioning along with its influences on food habits. Food establishes cultures in many different ways, and the diverse food habits can tell a lot about a specific cultural identity. There are many different ways in which sociocultural contexts influence eating and food choice. Spain, China, and the United States are three countries each with unique culture-specific values and beliefs, and they are each drastically different from one another. Western society versus eastern society coupled with individualistic or collectivistic nations can strongly impact the eating habits of a culture. Spain is a western-collectivist nation with much technological advancement coupled with the commonality of strong national pride. Spain is deeply rooted in its traditional food habits, and geography has been a large contributor to the regional variations of Spanish cuisines. However, the collective enjoyment of all food elements is a defining feature among Spanish culture. China is an eastern-collectivist nation, which means it is not as developed technologically, but share many commonalities that are more spiritually based within their national identity. Etiquette and diets are a major form of group association within China, and the consumption rules have been historically planted since the times of their ancestors. Eating a certain way establishes association or membership within a group. Environmental limitations affects which foods will be available in each region, but food customs have established a standard collectivism among the Chinese people. The United States is a western-individualistic nation. The cultural identity of the United States has been founded by immigrants, and therefore contains diverse ethnical, religious, and religious beliefs. Social values have had a strong influence on American food culture based on the desire interact with the diverse population. Social class plays an important role of what food is available in the U. S. The individualistic mindset to satisfy the individual self has established consumerism to be prevalent among the American culture. Food offers diverse perspectives about other cultures. Examining food habits is a means for understanding the varying beliefs and behaviors found in other cultures. Humans are omnivores, which provides them with the opportunity to have a choice of what they want to eat, so how they incorporate food into their lives serves high importance. Each cultural group has a different and unique attitude towards life, built upon a universal understanding and ranking of values (Kittler, 2008, p. 37). These values form a collective standard of preferences and priorities contained by certain beliefs. Eating a particular way establishes association or membership within a group. Food habits among each cultural group are linked to their specific beliefs or ethnic behaviors. The development of food habits shows that food means more than just providing nutritional value (Kittler, 2008, p. 3).