Sophocles’ prolific Essay Example for Free

Sophocles’ prolific Essay Sophocles’ prolific writing has rarely produced a woman of such stern strength of character as â€Å"Antigone†. Inversely the comedy of Aristophanes â€Å"Lysistrat† was among the first to introduce a strong willed female protagonist, who is not a goddess. The treatment of both great writers differs in the fact that the backdrops and the moods are distinctly different. While Sophocles zeroed in on the sombre tragedy, Aristophanes chose to inject feminist revolt against domination through zestful comedy. From a gender perspective it is important to study the motives behind the actions of the lead characters in both the plays. There have been suicides and suicides in Greek tragedies (which almost define Greek tragedies). Sophocles’ Antigone commits suicide in the dark dungeon left to starve to death. But unlike the suicide of their mother Jocasta who decides to end her life when she learns that her marital relationship with Oedipus was incestuous, Antigone’s death is a defiant protest against the tyranny of her uncle Creon and an emphasis of her strongly held belief, that her brother should be accorded a proper burial. There have been few examples of valour from Greek women who defied the norms of either their contemporary society or their king for a symbolic gesture rather than a cause. In the case of Antigone it was the burial rights to one of her two dead brothers which drives her to go against the will of the ruler, Creon. â€Å"Antigone† begins after both the warring brothers have apparently killed each other and since Polynices revolted against the state and led an Argive army to overthrow his brother Eteocles, he is deemed to be a sinner against the state. Thus Creone, brother of Jocasta, who becomes the ruler decrees his body to be deprived of proper burial rites to ensure that his soul rots beyond redemption. Antigone, in the beginning of the play expresses her wish to accord her brother proper burial. It is a symbolic depiction of Antigone’s moral strength that she decides to go ahead in her chosen course though she is unable to enlist the support of her more timid sister Ismene. This is a marked deviation from the depiction of women in Greek literature of the time where women were always looked upon as dependent on others for the strength of their convictions. Antigone succeeds in her stated mission and when this becomes known to Creone, an argument rages on the choice between the natural law and man-made laws. In another daring drift from established norm, the chorus in Sophocles’ play have the moral courage to call the path of their emperor as the more evil. Creone’s son and Antigone’s fiance Haemon comes to her defence and the ensuing debate on the justice of natural laws which should supersede man made laws is a dramatist’s delight. Creone, however, decides to leave Antigone to starve to death in a sealed cave as her prison. The blind prophet Tiresias also advocates against punishment to Antigone and says he will pay â€Å"corpse for corpse, and flesh for flesh†. The declaration of Tiresias that Creon is causing moral pollution causes a change of heart in Creone. His moral dilemma leads him to conclude that Polynices should be buried and Antigone should be pardoned. But by this time, Hameon reaches Antigone’s cave with the intention of saving her only to find that she has committed suicide by hanging herself, much like her mother Jocasta before her. When Creon reaches the cave he finds Hameon grieving over Antigone and he takes his life by stabbing himself as Creon approaches him. This leads Eurydice, Creon’s wife to give up her life in the grief of her son’s untimely death. Thus Creon loses all his loved ones due to his one fatal erring conviction to hold the laws of the state above the natural law. The tragic flaw, is thus justified in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone†. It is easy to categorize the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes as a lewd comedy designed to entertain the Greek literature and drama lovers with a lampooning of the results if women begin to take an interest in affairs of national importance. It is also very convenient to visualize male actors playing all the important roles of the play and the â€Å"male† male characters wearing erect phalluses to depict their masculinity might have led to uproarious laughter. However, with passing time and the aid of retrospection help us to begin to understand that Aristophanes might have devoted considerable time and emotional energy in trying to decipher what goes through the hearts and heads of women of his time who were modelled to be subservient and detached from the affairs of the state. Lysistrata leads a domestic and non violent non-cooperation movement (though the medium of non cooperation seldom ventures beyond the conventional sexual subjugation) to convince the men of the time to end the long standing war (apparently the Peloponnesian war) and bring back peace. The play is an apparent comedy that it depicts women as sex crazed and spine less characters for whom rising beyond their daily chores is a daunting task. Except fro Lysistrata, no other woman comes across as strong willed enough to contribute in any way to the cause of the play. One can imagine the gusty laughter the scene involving the swearing of oath by drinking wine from a shield as it was a portrayal of women as being incapable of self restraint (from all good things in life, including wine and sex). Though Lysistrata as a play has a lot of titillate the viewers, it has been seen in modern light as a commentary on the plight of women who have no say in the affairs of the state entirely decide by the men but have to silently suffer the consequences. This has remained unchanged even after the liberation ages of the 20th century. Aristophanes does manage to draw a caricature of Greek women as incapable of with holding sex or thinking beyond sex as the only weapon in her armour to control or change society. It is possible though to excuse this caricature as Aristophanes’ attempt not to ruffle the feathers of his contemporary society while at the same time recording for future history that women did harbour different opinions on the approaches of the state to war and peace. The widowhood and martyrdom of a mother who loses her children to the ravages of war are not mentioned, perhaps because they would have added the much relegated sobriety to this deemed comedy. Gender domination is a visible thread in Lysistrata, but whether Aristophanes designed this play as a comic fiction based on improbable scenarios of liberated women questioning state policies, or as an underhanded attempt to depict female angst of his contemporary Greek society is debatable. However Lysistrata has remained current and meaningful to this date due to its universal themes of Peace being preferred over War and has helped several social commentators put across their point during the several un necessary wars that dot world history to date be it the Vietnam war or the latest invasion of Iraq. Whatever be the motivation, both Sophocles and Aristophanes manage to leave behind a piece of Literature which continues to engage readers and historians in a healthy debate on the premium placed on female equality by writers from the Greek age to the present day. Works Cited or used as reference Henderson, Jeffrey (contributor) Lysistrata by Aristophanes, London : Oxford University Press, 1990 Translated by Gibbons, Reginald and Segal, Charles Antigone by Sophocles, NewYork : Oxford University Press US, 2003

How The Media Influences Public And Political Opinions Media Essay

How The Media Influences Public And Political Opinions Media Essay This essay will draw on a range of scholars to show and explain how the media have influenced public and political opinion on controversial scientific and technical issues like biotechnology, nanotechnology, cloning and genetic modifications. This essay on the one hand will argue and show how the media exert influences on the perceptions of the public and policy-makers. On the other hand, it will object this notion by showing that the media do not ultimately determine public and political opinions. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn and ideas for further research in this field will be highlighted. Plein (1991) explains that biotechnology refers to the use of recombinant DNA techniques, cell fusion and bio-processing techniques to modify life forms for various research and commercial uses (ibid: 474). Biotechnology and other technical scientific issues have attracted intense media attention that it has become a fundamental aspect of an everlasting public and political debate. According to Hansen (2006), discourse and research about biotechnology began to gain prominence in the 1990s and as a result of the increasing public and political controversy surrounding biotechnology, a wealth of studies has examined the nature and evolution of public discourse on genetics/biotechnology representations in press, film and other media (ibid: 816). Durant et al (1998) describe biotechnology as the third strategic technology of the post-war period (ibid: 189). Durant et al (1998) describe biotechnology as strategic because it has been seen to carry the potential to transform our future (ibid: 189). Biotechnology is said to possess benefits like new diagnoses and therapies to eliminate diseases, new crop varieties to eliminate world hunger (Durant et al 1998: 189), whilst feared for its threats to biodiversity (see Durant et al, 1998). A controversial scientific issue like biotechnology was in its early stages surrounded by scepticism and disputes. According to Nelkin (1995), one of the earliest disputes over biotechnology applications focused on the field testing of ice minus, genetically altered microbes intended to inhibit water crystallisation and protect strawberries from frost injury (Nelkin, 1995: 58). Nelkin (1995) emphasised that environmental groups were worried over the health hazards that this novel technology posed. Nelkin (1995) explained further that news reports of the ice minus test presented images which were striking and provocative (ibid: 258). Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) point out that modern biotechnologys thirty-year old history has been inherently political (ibid: 360). The media are at the fore-front of this political controversy concerning biotechnology. Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) state that the mass media comprise the principal arena where policy relevant issues come to the attention of decision-makers, interest groups and the public (ibid: 360). This is perhaps why Nisbet and Huge (2006) noted that media coverage is likely to both reflect and shape policy debate (ibid: 14). In policy processes at first instance, the influence of the media comes in early as they determine what issues will be addressed by the policy-makers. These issues are usually generated by mass fear and scepticism created by the media. In the early stages of political policy processes, the influence of decision-makers can be direct when they manage to keep decision making behind closed doors from public or media attention (Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 361). However, the progress of such clandestine decision making often results in the mobilization of bias (Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 361). That is, decisions made only reflect the interest of certain members over others (see Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 361). Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) explain that if this interest succeeds in controlling media and public attention, then it has succeeded in controlling media and public agenda (Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 361). However, Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) point out that if such issues appear in the media and an interest can define their stand as well as alternatives available for discussions (ibid: 361), then they have succeeded in delimiting arguments that oppositions can make and screening them off from participation (Berkwitz, 1992, cited in Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 361). This therefore relates to controversial scientific issues where different media frames are created by conflicting groups in order for their voices to be heard by the public and policy-makers. Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) importantly note that policy-makers are aware of the importance of the media in influencing policy outcomes. Nisbet and Huge (2006) identify framing as a key mechanism used by the media to influence public and political opinions. Nisbet and Huge (2006) emphasise that frames are thought organisers, devices for packaging complex issues in a persuasive way by focusing on certain interpretations over others, suggesting what is relevant about an issue and what should be ignored (Ferree et al, 2002, cited in Nisbet and Huge, 2006: 11). Frames are hence the tools that the media use to successfully exert influences on political and public attitudes towards biotechnology and other controversial scientific issues. The frames help guide policy-makers and citizen evaluation about causes, consequences of an issue and what should be done (Ferree et al, 2002, cited in Nisbet and Huge, 2006: 11). In the case of biotechnology which attracted negative media coverage in the 1990s (see Nisbet and Huge, 2006); media frames could however be an antidote to suppress the negativity associated with it. These frames will act as an educative tool to reduce public scepticism and influence political opinion. Nisbet and Huge (2006) emphasise further that plant biotechnology has been ethically framed in a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦promotional light, emphasising the moral duty to pursue a gene revolution that could end world hunger (Nisbet and Huge, 2006: 11). Plein (1991) emphasised that biotechnology today is being associated with positive economic themes such as patent rights, international trade, research funding and regulatory policy (Plein, 1991: 475). This is as a result of the efforts of a well-organised coalition to define biotechnology in positive terms (ibid: 475). This has also been achieved by brilliant media-agenda setting techniques which have influenced public and political opinion positively. One will emphasise that this is because these well-organised agenda-setters present the beneficial aspects of this controversial technology to the media and the media in-turn influence positively the notions of biotechnology in political and public fronts. Plein (1991) importantly notes the reason for the decline in biotechnology scepticism was due to its application to the fields of agriculture, industry and medicine (Plein, 1991: 476). Marks et al (2007) however, pointed out that the news medias coverage on the medical features of biotechnology has been positive compared to that of the agricultural features. In fact, Marks et al (2007) stated that negative public opinion regarding agricultural biotechnology reflects the power of the news media. On the other hand, Plein (1991) pointed out that as a result of poor-organisation in the years of 1968 to 1980, the pro-biotechnology community were exposed to a hostile climate of opinionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Plein,1991: 475). This negative influence on public and political opinions concerning biotechnology was as a result of scientists being primarily interested in scientific freedom and protection from regulatory intrusion by government (ibid: 476), rather than use the media to educate citizens on the blessings of biotechnology which would hence influence positive political and public opinions. Nevertheless, the 1980s marked a turning point in biotechnology history (Plein, 1991: 476) as it turned from being a dangerous pursuit of another weapon in Americas competitive arsenal (ibid: 476) to being a technology deserving inexhaustible accolades. Biotechnology has been made to be seen by citizens as one of the biggest scientific successes through brilliant agenda-setting techniques. In fact, Nelkin (1987: 40) emphasised that in the media ,biotechnology underwent a metamorphosis from a runaway science of genetic engineering to a new technological frontier (cited in Plein, 1991: 476). In the political arena, the climate of opinion changed dramatically as biotechnology and its features began to dominate policy processes (see Plein, 1991). One can say therefore that well organised media campaigns can revolutionise an issue that was before deemed dangerous and harmful to the society. Plein (1991) further explains that the ability of biotechnology to be defined in positive terms was as a result of its alliance with well-established groups which provided an opportunity for mediation and therefore influenced public and political opinion. Plein (1991) noted that the cultivation of support with well-established groups and businesses provided a better atmosphere for policy considerations and media coverage which hence reduces public scepticism. This therefore reflects the influential power of the media. For instance, a well established group like the London biotechnology network, a network of over 800 organisations which began in year 2000 has further helped reduce biotechnology scepticism through mediation (londonbiotechnology.co.uk). Plein (1991) writes further that another reason for the positive media influence on public and political opinion was as a result biotechnology supporters to disassociate biotechnology from negative issues such as environmental risk and ethical ambiguity (Plein, 1991: 480). This further provided an opportunity for media coverage as scientific groups were able to frame biotechnology in terms of its benefits to economic growth and development. Plein (1991) explained that these groups were also able to use the media to increase political support as they predicted that biotechnology can play an important role in reversing Americas declining role in the global market place (ibid: 481). One will assert that such prediction makes biotechnology a topical issue for the media as its coverage on it will garner more support thereby pushing policy-makers to take biotechnology into important consideration. Biotechnology proponents have also been able to frame this technology in the media as not being novel or alien; rather it is a benign, incremental technology (Plein, 1991: 481). Therefore, it has been able to disassociate itself from common fears that it is a new form of technology fraught with dangers (ibid: 481). Biotechnology has also been seen to dominate media agenda because of its association with already media-worthy topics (a period where science reporting became on the increase); therefore it has been able to draw the media to its side thereby communicating to the public and policy-makers the blessings of this technology. Hence, it influences a positive public and political opinion. This technology according to Plein (1991) has been able to attract favourable media coverage because of its ability to undercut the positions of anti-biotechnology groups. The coverage of this conflict further boosts the confidence of citizens and policy-makers that biotechnology is indeed beneficial. However, Plein (1991) importantly notes that such well-organised coalition frames are never secure in its fortunes (ibid: 484). That is, the issues and events that attracted media coverage and gave biotechnology its stamp of legitimacy will likely pass (ibid: 484). This is because other questions will emerge which cannot be effectively answered and therefore the medias coverage of this debate will influence public and political scepticism. This might be due to the emergence of competition among proponents of biotechnology (ibid: 484) who have issues with differing priorities and agenda (ibid: 484). Hence, the controversy is re-built by the media as such scandals and conflicts add sensation and spice to their stories thereby creating and influencing public and political uncertainty. Scientists have even pointed out that their major reason for involving the media in biotechnology issues is for it to utilize its influential power in public education (Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 363). This is important as such education will reduce public and political fear. Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) also pointed out that scientists are not only the ones involved in capitalizing on the medias influence. Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) explain that in the early 1980s, media coverage was characterized by biotechnology promotion. Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) showed that even policy-makers after being influenced also attempted to shape biotechnology strategically to influence positive public opinion. This is because policy-makers after being educated and influenced considered biotechnology development critical to domestic economic growth, international competitiveness and global security (Krimsky, 1991, cited in Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002: 364). These considerations are therefore sounded-out more by the media, thereby exerting influences on public opinion. In fact Nisbet and Lewenstein (2002) point to a 1984 OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY (OTA) assessment report that uncritically characterized biotechnology as a possible solution to many of the worlds health problems including; malnutrition, disease, energy availability and pollution (cited in Nisbet and Lewenstein, 2002). These characteristics will be highly reflected in the medias report agenda and will hence influence positive public opinion. However, biotechnology opponents were also active in using the media to present it as being associated with environmental risks and hazards. This is perhaps why Nisbet and Huge (2006) stated that as a result of the agenda-setting techniques of biotechnology opponents in the 1990s, the media attention garnered by them increased the controversy and scepticism towards this technology. Nevertheless, as part of the power game of politics, advocates for biotechnology still aimed to frame biotechnology positively in order to gain favourable coverage and hence influencing public and political attitudes. Priest (2001) emphasises that journalists have been accused of only covering the controversies associated with biotechnology as this is reflected in public attitudes towards it. Since news serves as a primary source of risk communication (Marks et al, 2007: 184), it only goes to show that the coverage of the risks of biotechnology will influence the publics idea of it. Marks et al (2007) state that it is the media who spark up public concern about a potential hazard (ibid: 184). Biotechnology has been accorded media attention and such media dominance influences the priority accorded to it by the general public (McCombs and Ghanem, 2001: 67, cited in Marks et al, 2007: 184). Priest (2001) states further, that even institutions within the biotechnology industry seek to use the media to frame public perceptions of policy issues in ways they feel will be to their advantage as well (Plein, 1991, cited in Priest, 2001: 31). This further proves the influential power of the media. Priest (2001) importantly notes that the medias influence on the public will determine the influence on public officials. This is because public officials tend to respond in line with that of the public. In fact, Priest (2001) affirms this as she writes that when the U.S public responds with vigor to particular perceived threats to public safety, this often seems to come as a shock to stakeholder corporate interests and government officials alike (ibid: 52). Durant et al (1998) alike, explain that with the development of biotechnology, public debate and criticism increased and in response, policy processes became sensitive to public opinion. The generation of public debate towards this issue can be tied to the media who as a result of the news-worthiness of this technology, cover its merits and de-merits which influences public and political opinion. However in Lewenstein (2005)s account, the medias influence on policy-makers does not automatically lead to an influence in public attitudes. This could be seen in the attempt of policy makers and activists attempting to generate a positive consensus towards a G.M Nation. Contrary to what policy-makers might have hoped for, given the intense media coverage which it attracted, no consensus was reached. Nevertheless, Bauer (2002)s research from 1996 to 1999 confirmed that opinions of biotechnology became negative which was in line with the medias coverage of biotechnology during this period (see Bauer, 2002: 103). Nucci and Kubey (2007) in their account emphasise that the media play a vital role in the public awareness and understanding of new innovations in science in the genetic engineering of food products for human consumption (Nucci and Kubey, 2007: 149). Nucci and Kubey (2007) write that the experience that the majority of the public have with genetics and biotechnology means that news coverage has a strong influence on theses subjects (Nucci and Kubey, 2007: 149). In fact, Priest (1999) emphasises that the media possess the ability to influence public opinion on science and technology than other issues (cited in Nucci and Kubey, 2007: 149). In fact, Nucci and Kubey (2007) noted that the PEW foundation found that the U.S publics knowledge of G.M food tends to be driven mostly by the degree to which it is covered by the media (PEW INITIATIVE ON FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY, 2006 cited in Nucci and Kubey, 2007: 171). This further proves the argument that indeed the media is responsible for influencing public and political opinion on controversial scientific issues. A specific example of the media having an influence on political opinion was the period of the great G.M food debate (P.O.S.T, 2000). The publics suspicion about it drove the media to campaign against G.M foods which led to a heated public debate. However, it should be carefully noted that the power of the media influencing political processes should not be overstated as G.M food was already a major controversial issue in the British Parliament (P.O.S.T, 2000). In a specific case-study concerning G.M foods; Larry Bohlen in 2000 suspected that StarLink a genetically modified corn variety that had been approved for animal feed had began to mix with common food products such as corn dogs, taco shells and tortilla chips (cited in Nisbet and Huge, 2006: 4). Bohlen predicted that this mixture will lead to serious allergic reactions (cited in Nisbet and Huge, 2006: 5). Bohlen was able to capitalize on this media-worthy issue to influence public and political opinion. Despite attracting press attention, it did not gather the public and political attitudes it needed to disapprove G.M foods. On the other hand, recent news stories have shown that G.M foods are becoming acceptable and popular. Despite the scare for G.M food, the Royal Society has argued that G.M food research was needed to urgently avoid food crisis as this will help crops survive harsher climates as populations grow and global warming worsens (Guardian.co.uk, 21/10/09). G.M food is being developed further as meat is being laboratory grown from cells. Scientists at the University of Technology in Eindhoven confirmed that in a few years long strips of this artificially grown meat will become a part of our everyday frank-furter sausages. However it is agreed that this will only be achieved through super-human advertising before the world can accept to eat genetically modified meat (Guardian.co.uk, 1/12/09). In addition to biotechnology, other technologies like cloning and nanotechnology have become part of an increasing controversy. According to Lee et al (2005), media coverage on nanotechnology could have affective and cognitive influences on public opinion. Lee et al (2005) explain that the cognitive influences on public attitudes towards nanotechnology are based on the extent of the scientific literacy of the reader. Lee et al (2005) explain that those who have been influenced more affectively may be tied to media influences. This is perhaps why Lee et al (2005) in their research even confirmed that only science media use had direct influence on general support for nanotechnology (ibid: 253). However, Cobb (2005) pointed out that framing nanotechnology in terms of its benefits did not increase respondents trust in industry leaders (ibid: 233). The Wellcome Trust (1998) found that peoples negative attitudes towards cloning was drawn from examples expressed in popular media culture. Science fiction films were part of the major influences on peoples attitudes towards cloning. For example, Frankenstein, Brave new world and the boys from Brazil (Wellcome trust report, 1998). In conclusion, one would have to state that reading newspaper articles or any medium being consumed that ascribes all sorts of accolades to biotechnology, nanotechnology, and cloning does not necessarily determine a positive public attitude. As Lee et al (2005) found that people use their knowledge about science in general in order to evaluate possible risks and benefits (ibid: 260). Finally, one will suggest that studies of biotechnology should move past the western world into the third-world were food crisis are on the increase in order to show whether the scepticism towards artificially made food is a western ideology. Number of words: 3,285.

Nonverbal Communication A Universal Language English Language Essay

Nonverbal Communication A Universal Language English Language Essay Nonverbal communication is the way we talk, without talking, and whether it is realized or not, every human being in the world speaks this language. Non-verbal communication is an accent to the verbal part of language, and can be done in various ways. Although every person in the world expresses him/herself with nonverbal communication, it does not mean every person in the world speaks the same language. This paper will focus on several aspects of nonverbal communication that can be found throughout the world, and comparing those looks, gestures, body positioning and appearances with those typically found in North American. Appearance As previously mentioned, nonverbal communication is typically thought of as how an individual may look at others or gesture with their body, but generally speaking, the first form of non-verbal communication being projected, and subsequently translated, is that of an individuals overall appearance. Deciphering an individuals wardrobe is typically based upon previous experiences with individuals who have been dressed in a similar fashion. For example, while walking through a mall, one encounters a tall, lanky, high school teenage boy. His hair is black and brushed across his eyes. His complexion is pale, he is wearing very dark, baggy clothes in addition to dark eyeliner and heavy, metal face jewelry. Based upon someones previous experiences with this type of individual, they may immediately translate his appearance to mean, keep away from me; I dont want to talk with anyone and I am not your friend. However, another individual may have had different experiences with individuals dressed in this manner, and may be deciphering the non-verbal communication as, Im confused à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I dont know where I am going à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I need help. A persons previous experiences, may either cause an individual to avoid the teenager by either ducking into a random store or walk past quickly, while directing their to the floor, or contrariwise, look at the boy and smile, offering silent encouragement. It is unknown at this point whether or not this is an individual to be avoided or someone to be helped. Therefore, past experiences can have an impact on how one may perceive others, simply based upon how they are dressed. Understanding the different opinions that can arise from such a simple example as the boy in the mall, one might ask, Should we judge a book by its cover? The young man may actually have modified his appearance because he felt it made him look more attractive. He may have watched the Twilight movie series and felt this to be the way he should dress in order to attract the opposite sex. If this is the case, then we can expect to find similar appearance-altering practices in other cultures. Appearance-Altering Cultures As with the young man in the mall, there are many examples of appearance-altering behaviors in other cultures that may seem unusual or even bizarre to those in the United States (U.S.). Like the U.S., the appearance alterations performed within other cultures may be perceived as beautiful and possibly an indication of social status. A good example is that of foot binding in China, also known as Lotus Feet. Foot binding has been done for thousands of years in China, thought to be a means of keeping women from abandoning husbands and family. Binding begins with a baby girl, conforming her foot muscles and bones to be able to fit in very tiny shoes. Though the feet may appear small and delicate, the womans ability to walk is greatly inhibited and leads to medical complications later in life. This practice is still done in some parts of China today, and is thought to depict wealth and a delicate demeanor. Other examples of beauty include the Mangbettu women of Africa who have their heads very tightly wrapped during childhood, thereby elongating the skull; the Mayans who would strap boards on each side of childrens heads so that their skulls would be flattened; and finally, the Burmese women, whom put one-inch thick rings around their necks to make them longer. Based upon preconceived notions, cultural norms and possibly ignorance, it can be easy for individuals to misunderstand the non-verbal communication of appearance. It may not always be easy for people to remember that what may be foreign to those in the U.S. is another cultures normal. Gestures Almost everyone knows the story of President George H. W. Bush in Australia, in which he intended to make what is known as the peace sign in the U.S., toward people gathered to protest his visit. Unfortunately, he made the gesture the wrong way causing great furor in the Australian tabloids. Now this case was a simple mistake, but none-the-less a mistake. Gestures are not something to be taken lightly; the wrong signal at the wrong time, directed toward individuals of a different culture, could get you into some big trouble in a handful of countries. Gestures are the accent to verbal communication. Due to the fact that one wrong gesture could hurt you, I will give various examples of gestures from different cultures. I will describe their action and then their meaning compared to North American translation. In Ethiopia there are two gestures for silence. A woman will put one finger to her mouth when directing silence to a child, but will put four fingers to her mouth when directing silence to an adult. Four fingers are used towards adults because one finger is disrespectful. Another one-finger act is that of tapping the forefinger to the side of the nose. In some cultures, it signals secrecy or confidentiality. But in the United Kingdom, Holland, and Austria, if the tap is on the front of the nose it quite frankly means, Mind your own business. The OK gesture, it means okay right? In America and England, yes, but, in Japan it means money. In Latin American and France it is an insult, most commonly known as flipping the bird. In Australia it means Zero, and in Germany it may mean either a job well done or, an offensive insult, depending on which region you visit. In Turkey, if someone directs the OK sign at you, they are referring to you as a homosexual! The next gesture is one that is relatively familiar, the V for victory sign. In the U.S., the victory symbol was expressed by raising the index and middle finger in the form of V and bending the third and fourth finger to touch the tip of the thumb. This symbol was popularized by Richard Nixon in America. The V sign is considered rude in Italy and if you are showing the outside of your hand, then it is a form insult, which is established in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (Sengupta 2010). To beckon someone, is to signal them to come towards you. In America the beckoning signal is the palm up with all of the fingers together except the index finger. You then begin to make a curling motion with your index finger towards you. In China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and in the Philippines, that particular motion is used only for animals. In these countries, the beckoning signal is placing your palm downward and curls the fingers in a scratching motion towards your body. The crossed-finger gesture, (good luck in America) has several other meanings. In Turkey when the crossed fingers are directed to an individual it is the breaking of a friendship. In other cultures it is used to seal/swear an oath to someone. Each of these gestures we recognize and fully understand the gain, and consequences of their actions. But what we have learned is that little, to none of our gestures meant the same in any other cultures. Conclusion Nonverbal communication can be a tricky language to decipher. It is expressed in the way a person appears (dresses) and various body gestures. How this nonverbal communication is interpreted is generally based upon an individuals past experiences and cultural norms. Therefore, it is good advice for anyone seeking to make their livelihood as a communicator in a global marketplace, that they not only understand the nonverbal communication nuances of their own culture, but to educate themselves in the nonverbal forms of communication of other cultures.

Physics and the Olympics :: Sport Sports Olympic Competition

The Olympics are fabled to have originated from a Greek myth, in which Hercules won a race at Olympia, a plain in the small state of Elis, and then decreed that the race should be enacted every four years. The more likely story is that the Olympic festival was a local religious event until 884 BC, when Iphitus, the king of Elis, decided to turn it into a broader festival. To accomplish that, he entered into a temporary truce with other rulers, allowing athletes and others to travel peacefully to Olympia while the festival was going on. In 776 BC, the Greeks based their chronology on four-year periods, called Olympiads, and the Olympic festival marked the beginning of each Olympiad. Today, the Olympics are still held every four years, and advanced in technology and fitness training have enhanced world records to the absolute maximum. All Olympic sports have experienced major changes over the years, but here I will discuss a few of the more famous Olympic events; the 100-meter dash, the javelin throw, and the pole vault. The Greeks actually had a sprint of about 190 metres called the stadion in the ancient Olympics, which was a sprint down a straight track and back again. The technology of the day consisted of nothing more than a wooden post at one end to help the runner on his return back up the track. Races originally began with the athletes standing upright, with their toes resting in grooves in a stone starting sill - hence the expression "toe the line". False starts were punished by flogging from a judge standing behind the athletes. Later it seems that a starting gate (called the husplex) was used, much like that used in horse-racing today. In the modern Olympics, sprinters start from a crouching position, pushing against starting blocks to help them accelerate. Blocks were introduced in the late 1920s and were first used at the 1948 Olympic games in London. Instrumented starting blocks appeared in the early 1980s, and consisted of a spring plate and a microswitch. In the late 1980s units based on strain gauges emerged, although they were very sensitive to the push of the athlete against them and caused many wrong false starts in competitive races. An improved strain-gauge version that worked quite well was introduced in about 1993, and two years later an "intelligent" version was developed.

Non-conformity in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea, Medea, a

Non-conformity in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea, Medea, and The Stranger      Ã‚  Ã‚   We are constantly being affected our surroundings. As a result, our attitudes and personalities are a product of our experiences and the various environments in which they occurred . Furthermore, the society we live in presents to us a set of standards, values, and givens that we may or may not agree with. In literature, the society plays a major role in affecting the characters' thoughts and actions. In The Sailor who Fell From Grace with the Sea, The Stranger, and "Medea", the characters are affected by their society, and their actions reflect their conformity (or non-conformity) to it. Ultimately, non-conformity in these works create the conflicts that make the plots interesting.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea , the characters are presented with the relatively modern society of post World War 2 Japan. Since the war, as Japan underwent their "second" industrial revolution, it became more permeable to western culture(since it was a major contender of international business). Since Japan has always been a nation that stressed the importance of preserving its culture(imposing isolationism at one point), these changes did not go down so smoothly. Mishima expresses this discomfort by depicting two characters with opposite grounds of non-conformity. One being Fusako; a non-conformist in a traditional perspective, and the other Noboru, a non-conformist in a contemporary perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Albert Camus' The Stranger, society only affects the main character, Meursault, after he comes to a mid-story crisis. For all practical purposes, Meursault was living in a French society of the 30's, whereas Al... ...rent does not conform.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The authors' relations to us on the characters' places in society help us to relate to and comprehend their actions. If Meursault hadn't been so detached from society, Noboru so discontented with society, and Medea so vengeful toward society, we wouldn't have half of the justification needed to understand the murders that took place in the works. Given the presented material about conformity, I conclude that the stories' plots indeed grow around the unique attributes of the non-conformers, and as result, spark the reader's imagination to the fullest.    Works Cited    Euripedes "Medea", Greece 431 BC Camus, Albert (Translated by Matthew Ward) The Stranger , New York, Vintage International, 1988 Mishima, Yukio. (Translated by John Nathan) The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, New York, Vintage International, 1993.

Ray Charles Robinson Essays -- Soul Music Biography Musician Essays

Ray Charles Robinson Ray Charles Robinson, more commonly known as Ray Charles (to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), was born in the southern city of Albany, GA on September 23, 1930. He was a prolific, multi-talented singer, pianist, bandleader, and composer who, when on stage captivated his audience not only by his musical ability, but also because he was a blind, African American man. He was given the nickname â€Å"the Genius† for his capability of combining the music of gospel, jazz, pop, country and rhythm and blues (R&B), known as â€Å"soul music.† Charles began going blind at around age five, and had completely lost all eye sight by age seven. The cause of his blindness was never confirmed, but most believe it was due to glaucoma. By then, his family had moved to Greenville, FL, and Charles had already begun playing the piano. Charles’ mother never took pity on him, she began teaching him things even before he became completely blind. He never saw his being blind as a weakness, and that helped him out tremendously as a child and into adulthood. He soon began attending the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind, as a charity student, where he perfected his piano skills while learning how to play various other instruments. He also learned how to read and write music, type, and compose scores in Braille. Both of Charles parents were dead by the time he was fourteen, and at age fifteen he was orphaned and left St. Augustine to begin his professional music career. For almost two years, he played for local bands in Florida, but then he headed to Seattle, WA which has been said to be the turning point in Charles’ personal and professional career. During the ear... ...lobe Award nominations. Works Cited "Charles, Ray." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 22 Jan. 2005 < http://search.eb.com/eb/article?tocId=9022591&query=RAY%20CHARLES&ct= >. "Charles, Ray." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 22 Jan. 2005 < http://search.eb.com/ebi/article?tocId=9310645&query=RAY%20CHARLES&ct= >. Ray Charles: The Official Site. Comp. Chad Hanson, Ira Merrill, and Raenee Robinson. Mar. 2001. RCR Production, Inc. 22 Jan. 2005 < http://www.raycharles.com/ >. "Ray Charles." Ed. Larry Sanger, and Jimmy Wales. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Jan. 2001. Wikipedia Online. 22 Jan. 2005 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles >. The History of Rock 'n' Roll. Comp. D K. Peneny. Mar. 1998. 22 Jan. 2005 < http://www.history-of-rock.com/ray_charles.htm >.

Motivating Employees Case Study Essay

In order to be productive at work or at home an individual must be motivated to complete their task. There are two main forms of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do the task right out of the satisfaction of a job well done without any ‘rewards’. Extrinsic motivation comes from external sources such as incentives programs. Both can be equally effective in the right situation. SAS Institute has gained a high reputation for their ability to motivate its employees with a balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. How Does SAS motivate its employees? The SAS Institute has long since set the standards for the ideal workplace. Focusing on both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational methods, SAS strives to ensure its employees enjoy what do and continue to stay interested in their work. SAS also encourages their employees to occasionally switch areas of expertise, gaining additional training if it is required. Using this approach, SAS keeps their employees from getting bored and losing interest in their job. In addition, â€Å"The SAS Institute also cares about its employees and their families’ well-being both on and off the job.†(George, Jones 2012) At its headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, SAS Institute also offers employees and their families 200 acres of luxuries activities as well as on-site childcare, healthcare and many other fitness and recreational benefits. What factors are likely to contribute to intrinsic motivation at SAS? The intrinsic motivation at the SAS institute can be attributed to many work and pe rsonal related factors. As quoted in the text, Bev Brown from external communications states: â€Å"Some may think that because SAS is family-friendly and has great benefits that we don’t work hard†¦. But people do work hard here, because they’re motivated to take care of a company that takes care of them.†(George, Jones, 2012) The SAS institute works hard to  keep their employees happy and motivated with generous benefits such as unlimited sick days and flexible schedules. As mentioned earlier, SAS offers on-site healthcare, childcare and many other benefits that not only benefit the employees but their families as well. Another factor that may contribute to the intrinsic motivation at SAS is the option to change jobs within the company. SAS offers additional training, if necessary, to employees who wish to switch fields. This keeps their employees interested in their work and productivity at a maximum. What factors are likely to contribute to extrinsic motivation at SAS? The managers at the SAS Institute are of the firm belief that employees need to feel that the work they do is making a difference within the company. SAS offers many incentive bonuses that are based on work performance. Employees can also take advantage of services offered such as massages, dry cleaning, car detailing and many recreational activities that include swimming and golfing. How might SAS’s long-term focus affect employee motivation? James Goodnight, long time CEO and co-founder of the SAS Institute, has implemented a long-term focus comprised of developing their software from scratch and setting up a long line of research and development projects. Not only does this approach help SAS when the economy takes a downward turn, but it serves as purposeful motivation for its employees. Firstly, employees don’t have to worry about getting laid off based on an economic crisis. Creating software from scratch also helps employees get creative. They get to design every nook and cranny of the software from the brainstorming process to the completed project. Overall, the SAS institute has a long history of happy and productive employees. SAS’s turnover rate is at an incredible 2%, while the rest of the software industry holds around 22%. SAS has maintained its status on Fortune Magazines â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work for in America† for 13 years in a row, ranking first in 2010. This is only possible by motivating its employees intrinsically, extrinsically, and therefore giving them a reason to produce great work. Reference George, J. M., & Jones, G. R. (2012). Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior (6th ed.). Prentice Hall.