Living in the city VS. Living at the countryside free essay sample

A lot of people discuss if it is better to live in the city or to live in the countryside. Here are some arguments for living in the city and living in the countryside: When thinking of transportation it is better to live in a city. There you’ve got a lot of public transports. But also in regards to jobs it’s easier to live in the city. You have a bigger variety of different jobs and you usually don’t need so much time to work with your car or you can use taxis or public transports. Another positive thing is that you have a lot of more shops and facilities in a city. There are also more different kinds of schools and universities. The social life is also an important point. In the city you have got a lot more cinemas, restaurants, clubs and events where you can meet new people. We will write a custom essay sample on Living in the city VS. Living at the countryside or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the countryside live a lot of families with their children because the houses there are bigger and they usually have got gardens and houses in the countryside are cheaper. It is a fact that there isn’t so much traffic  and industries. This is why it is healthier to live in the countryside. There is also a lot of unspoiled nature where you can do outdoor sports like mountain biking, hiking or swimming. When thinking of schools you’ve got more individual teaching because the schools are smaller. But another important point is that you know the people better and so you have better relationships with doctors, waiters, neighbours, etc. But finally should everybody decide for themselves where it’s better to live.

Definition and Examples of Common Case in English

Definition and Examples of Common Case in English In English grammar, common case is the ordinary base form of a noun- such as a cat, moon, house. Nouns in English have only one case inflection: the possessive (or genitive). The case of nouns other than the possessive is regarded as the common case. (In English, the forms of the subjective [or nominative] case and the objective [or accusative] case are identical.) See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: CaseInflectionNotes on Nouns Examples and Observations The one thing that doesnt abide by majority rule is a persons conscience.(Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960)A mans character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.(Mark Twain)Peoples backyards are much more interesting than their front gardens, and houses that back on to railways are public benefactors.(John Betjeman)Common Case and Possessive CaseNouns such as man inflect not only for number but also for the distinction between genitive case and common case. The uninflected form man is in the common case. By contrast, in the mans hat, mans is said to be in the genitive (or possessive) case. The term case is a traditional term in the description of classical languages, where it is a topic of much greater complexity than it is in English. For instance, in Latin, there are as many as six different case distinctions for nouns. English nouns have very little variability of this kind; we must guard against attributing to English nouns as many ca ses as there are for Latin ones.(David J. Young, Introducing English Grammar. Hutchinson Education, 1984) The Vanished Case[A]ll nouns are said to be in the common case- the grammarians way of pronouncing them caseless. His common means that the one form serves every possible use- subject, object of verb, indirect object, object of preposition, predicate complement, appositive, vocative, and even interjection. The grammarian is in effect asserting that case, except as it survives vestigially in a few pronouns, has disappeared from English. . . .Common case describes nothing and analyzes nothing. But grammar is essentially analytic; it names things not for the fun of having a nomenclature but so as to understand the relations of working parts. One can analyze an English sentence without using the word case; what matters is to know that a given word is subject or object, and of what it is the one or the other.(Wilson Follett, Modern American Usage, revised by Erik Wensberg. Hill and Wang, 1998)

A Detailed Guide On Making Atole

A Detailed Guide On Making Atole How to make Atole It was a cold day during winter break, and I was trying to catch up on my favourite show Pretty Little Liars. I was sitting in the living room and then a hot milky scent wafting from the kitchen hit me. I remember thinking that there was nothing better than a hot drink for this cold weather. I was very excited and headed straight for the kitchen. Hands holding on the edge of the doorway, peeping my head into the room, I saw my host mother making a hot beverage, and she offered me some. At first, I only tried a little bit, but then I had another sip, another one, and another one, until everything was gone. At that moment, I realized how much I liked the drink and that I would definitely need it to survive the upcoming winter days. I later found out that it was a Mexican drink called Atole. Since I was only able to enjoy the drink if someone made it for me, I decided to learn how to make it myself, which turned out to be relatively easy. There are two main stages to make this drink; th ey are buying the ingredients and then combining them to make the beverage. Before going into the instructions, it might beneficial to learn some background information about Atole. Atole is a traditional Mexican drink originating from pre-Columbian time and usually served at Dias de los muertos celebrations, which is translated as â€Å"Day of the Dead†. In Mexico, the hot thickened drink is typically made with cornmeal, water, raw sugar cane, cinnamon, and vanilla. It can also be served for breakfast on regular days or as a drink in the afternoon and late evening in place of tea, hot chocolate or coffee. With different brands, there is a wide variety of Atole flavors to choose from such as walnut, coconut, strawberry, guava, and chocolate. The only brand I had was Klass, but then I like the drink so much that I tried all their flavors and found out that walnut Atole is my favourite, which I would highly recommend to anyone. To make Klass Atole, I have to buy a package of Atole powder. Klass Atole can be found easily in grocery stores in South Texas or Northern Mexico; however, since I do not live there anymore, I have to order them online and sometimes they do not even have walnut flavor. Other than the package, the main materials needed for the process are sugar, milk, a medium-size saucepan or stockpot, a ladle, a glass or a mug, a table spoon, and measuring cups. After gathering all the materials and ingredients, all I had to do was to follow the recipe and the drink would be ready in less than half an hour. First, I put five cups of milk into a saucepan or a stockpot. After, I put the saucepan of milk on the stove on medium-high heat until the milk started to boil, which often took ten minutes. Third, while waiting for the milk to boil, I put one cup of milk into a glass or a mug and poured the entire Atole package into the container and stirred the mixture. Next, when the milk started to boil, I turned down the fire to low heat, poured the mixture into the saucepan and stirred it for one minute. Soon, I stirred about five to eight table spoons of sugar into the drink. Finally, I turned off the stove and poured out the drink into a mug and it was ready to serve. I suggest enjoying the drink with a spoon to make it easier to drink when it is still hot and delicious. As an international student who has traveled and tried new things in different parts of the United States, I have come to love Atole. I have not mastered and tried new things with Atole yet, but I am hoping to get better and better at it. It will always be a pleasure for me to introduce this appetizing drink to people all around the world.

The Influence of Technology on Contemporary Photographic Media Essay

The Influence of Technology on Contemporary Photographic Media Practice - Essay Example The emergence of such technologies as laptops, cell phones and digital cameras transforms the nature of media practices and opens new possibilities for 'citizen journalism' (Gillmor 2006). An average citizen receives a chance to publish unique videos and photographs on line neglecting strict censorship rules and privacy concerns. The problem is that "the production values of the image are hardly professional. What does matter is the utter authenticity of the image, made so by the fact that the man was there at the right time with the right media-creation gear" (Gillmor 2006). Following Bowman and Willis, people are not passive consumers at the mercy of technological instruments but active users of different technologies and mediums. Just because the average television is switched on for several hours a day does not mean it is being avidly watched (Peterson 87). Gillmor (2006) and Bowman and Willis (2003) call this process 'we media' underlining an increasing role of citizens in news creations. "Everything from eyewitness accounts and photo galleries to commentary and personal storytelling emerged to help people collectively grasp the confusion, anger and loss felt in the wake of the tragedy" (Bowman and Willis 7-8). Individual sites and blogs tend to focus on what a person wants to tell the visitor rather than responding to the visitor's requirements. Typical of this category is a focus on the way in which the blog is structured, photographic facilities and details. Audience-centric sites reflect the fact that many types of visitor will use the site and that their needs may be very different. A brief visit to a site of this type will give a clear picture of why it was constructed and which audiences are being targeted. Rosenblum (1997) underlines that new technologies allow an average citizen to manipulation public opinion and produce fals e images of news and public figures. This can lead to negative perception of journalism and photography in general (Peterson 87). Technology such as the video machine can also allow audiences to take more control over their viewing practices and shared video-watching can be used as a social event in itself. It can also be a way of gaining access to cultural resources unavailable on mainstream programming (or only shown unsociably late at night). Following Bowman and Willis (2003) "From a participatory journalism perspective, P2P [person-to-person] has enormous potential to distribute the content created by digital amateurs. One example is the recent emergence of P2P photo-sharing software programs" (31). Thus, interest in the use of media technologies and the process of consumption also opens up new questions about power, not the power of the media per se, but the social power structures within which consumption is embedded (Rosenblum 569). Web blogs and web sites are designed to gain a tangible advantage. While the nature of the WWW site gives an insight into the way the audience intends to use the Internet i t is only a snapshot of how far the strategy has evolved. The visual attractiveness of the site will still be important but the main concentration is on the quality of the content and facilities it provides (Peterson 87). The other problem is many amateurs do not want to be paid sharing unique images and photos for

The religious aspect of young goodman brown Research Paper

The religious aspect of young goodman brown - Research Paper Example The story of Brown alerts one to the dangers that are inherent in the puritan life that stifles the creativity of man and the only recourse that his imagination has is to resurface in his dreams where they display an unhealthy tendency to distort the boundaries between reality and illusion. Much of the analysis of this short story has followed the contributions of psychoanalysis to our understanding of the nature of dreams and the repressed. They have helped in the understanding of the story as one that critiques the excessive control of religion over the life of an individual. Hawthorne’s critique is leveled against the religious fervor that the puritan establishments of New England, where the story is set, has displayed, since the migration of people from England to America in search of a new colony to create a land that would be a model to the rest of the planet in their adherence to Christian ideals. Hawthorne deals not only with Christian ideas but also with the prejudice s that Christian settlers had regarding Native American religion and rituals. Relegated to the margins of the white settlements, these original inhabitants of America are labeled as the friends of the devil. Hawthorne’s story of Goodman Brown manages to have some sympathy for the condition of the Native Americans but is guilty on many an occasion of referring to the devil and the powwow in the same breath. But then, the entire story revolves around a recognition of the fact that everybody is a sinner, at least in the mind. Hawthorne sets his story in the forest near the village of Salem. The forest, according to Reginald Cook, is set in opposition to the house which represents the outward appearance of the man and his spotless reputation. The forest on the other hand, abounds in â€Å"demonic presences† and â€Å"ancestral spirits† that represent elements of pagan religions that are set in opposition to the Christian atmosphere of the house and the village (Cook ). It is implicit that civilization is necessarily Christian and the absence of Christianity means an absence of a civilized ethos. This amounts to a rejection of extremely complex religious beliefs that other cultures, including Native American civilizations, had. This was a very important aspect of the puritan establishment which used religion as a cover for the imperial designs of Britain. By belittling the beliefs of a certain civilization and setting oneself as the person who needs to introduce civilization in a particular place, one fails to incorporate in one’s way of living, which is what religion essentially is, the beliefs of anther community that may serve to enhance the quality of one’s life. Brown, as well as critics of Young Goodman Brown is often guilty of mistaking appearance with reality, says David Levin in his essay, Shadows of Doubt: Specters of Evidence in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† (Levin). The appearance of the devil may be connected to the real devil, since there are enough indications to that effect. However, other characters can merely be a figment of the imagination of the character in the story. In any case, there is a great deal of ambiguity regarding the fact as to whether the events in the story are real or an illusion. The illusionary nature of the events may be interpreted as a dream or as an imagined

The Song of Roland Essay Example for Free

The Song of Roland Essay Count Roland was the epitome of everything a Carolingian knight should be. He was virtuous in every possible way. Bravery, piety, modesty, strength, and ability are all adjectives that aptly describe Sir Roland. In the work The Song of Roland a portrayal of 8th Century warfare and practices are given to the reader. We see a world were values such as loyalty, friendship, and piety co-exist with values such as ferocity in combat, eagerness to kill infidels, and lionizing of the sacking of cities and looting of the dead. What could bring about such opposing values into one moral code? Perhaps the system of values existing in 8th Century Frankish society is a combination of moral systems. Frankish knights of the Carolingian Era adhered to a strict moral code that drew many values from Christian doctrine, but also drew heavily from the moral system of a warlike barbarian people; such as the early Frankish tribes as portrayed in History of the Franks by Gregory the Bishop of Tours. During the time of Clovis I Christianity was just beginning as the state religion of the Franks. In Gregorys depiction of the Frankish people following the death of Clovis I, he shows a society were murder, incest and the killing of ones own son is perfectly acceptable. Treachery and ambush are expunged as virtues befitting a great ruler. The only mentions of Christianity in the text seem to be purposely placed there by Gregory. While the Franks claim to be Christian at this time they clearly do not understand the moral code that goes along with their Christian faith. Understanding of that Christian faith comes at a later time. Loyalty in particular seems to be a central virtue of Carolingian knights. Roland says once, It is fitting we should stay here for our king; a man should suffer hardships for his lord, and persevere in heat and cold; a man should lose if need be, hide and hair (Roland 83). This attitude of sacrifice for your lord, and loyalty unto death is very different from the attitude of the early Franks. In Gregorys account Frankish warriors care more for booty than loyalty. Theodoric knew that the men of Clermont-Ferrand were ready to betray him. Follow me, said he to his people, and I will lead you to a land where you will be able to lay your hands on so much gold and silver than even your desire for loot will be satisfied (Gregory 6). Roland and his twelve companions were ready to die for the honor of their king, while the men of Clermont-Ferrand fought only for the promise of booty. This ideal of loyalty and faithfulness can only have come from the influence of the Catholic Church. Piety is clearly very important to the Carolingian knight. Before their deaths many of the twelve companions seek penance and absolution so that they may enter Heaven. Roland begs Gods mercy as he dies saying, True Father, who hath never told a lie, Who resurrected Lazarus from the dead, and Who protected Daniel from the lions, protect the soul in me from every peril brought on by wrongs Ive done throughout my life! (Roland 124). This statement shows Rolands understanding of Christian doctrine. He comprehends the need for absolution in order to attain paradise, and he clearly has a thorough understanding and knowledge of scripture, as he quotes from the Bible in numerous places. During and following the time of Clovis I the Franks understanding of piety was simple. If you were pious, you won battles, if you werent, you lost. Gregory said in regard to successes, they have come to Christians who confess the blessed Trinity and ruin has come to heretics who have tried the same. (Gregory 1) So on the battlefield is were you proved your piousness, not in your life or during prayer. This is clearly a gross misunderstanding of Christian doctrine by the early Franks. Ferocity in combat is perhaps one of the most important characteristics of a Frankish knight. It co-exists with loyalty, friendship and piety, all Christian virtues. Roland who is the epitome of the Carolingian knight is the fiercest warrior of them all. His ability is thus described, the baron goes ands strikes with all his force upon the jewel-studded golden casque, cuts downward through the head, the trunk and the byrnie, the well-made saddle set with gems and gold, and deep into the backbone of the horse (Roland 100). This cleaving of a man in two is not deemed tragic or saddening as one would expect from a Christian society, instead it is raised up as an example of a good Christian activity. Killing infidels is never sinful. Indeed even the Archbishop himself engages in such activity, But Turpin strikes He spits his body (the Spaniards) through from side to side and throws him dead upon an open spot. (Roland 98) Even though many Christian ideals have sunk into Frankish society, the warlike nature of the Franks still endures during the Carolingian age. Sacking towns and acquiring plunder are not the chief motivation for warfare, as they were during early Frankish history, but these activities are still very central to warfare in the Carolingian age. Following the retreat of the Spanish Charles knights loot the bodies of the dead enemy knights even before pursuing the retreating enemy (Roland 126). Many mentions are made of the numerous towns that Roland had sacked prior to this story. The fact that Roland had killed thousands of innocents and burned hundreds of homes is not used to criticize Roland, instead it is used as an example of his prowess as a warrior. This attitude toward random slaughter and plunder is clearly not inline with Christian morals. Its origins must instead be from early Frankish society. When Christianity first entered Frankish society it was merely a new version of paganism for the Franks who practiced it. They viewed the Christian god as more powerful than other pagan deities, and so they converted to Christianity. At no point though did they embrace the moral code of Catholicism. However, later under Charlemagne the missionaries had mostly finished their work of educating the Franks. The knights portrayed in The Song of Roland clearly understand the morals of piety, honesty, loyalty and friendship. They also demonstrated a thorough knowledge of Christian doctrine and scripture. Even though the Carolingian knights were more Christian, certainly than the Franks of the 6th Century, they were still not totally inline with true Christian morals. Slaughter, plundering and mortal combat were still held in high esteem during the Carolingian era. These barbaric ideals still existed in Frankish society, despite the efforts of Christian missionaries. Clearly the moral code of the Carolingian knight was a combination of Christian values, and the value system of the early Frankish tribes.

The Lack Of Women in Arizona Politics, Specifically the United States Congress :: Essays Papers

The Lack Of Women in Arizona Politics, Specifically the United States Congress Arizona has been referred to as the "state of the woman" in recent literature. Last year, the state made history when it became the first to elect females to all top five executive positions of the state, see Jimena Valdes' essay. These elections indicate that women have gained much equality in Arizona politics based on their state success. However, if one is to study the representation of Arizona women in national politics, it is apparent that there is still a definite lack of woman in this area of politics. Currently, there are no women representing Arizona in the United States Congress, and there have only ever been two, Isabella Greenway and Karan English. This essay discusses the reasons behind this misrepresentation of woman in Arizona national politics; such as economic inequality, the lack of support from well-known male politicians, strong family bias, which has been a result of the powerful Republican political force that exists in Arizona, and the alienation of wome n when they are finally elected to the United States Congress. I: Isabella Selmes Greenway: Socialite and Businesswoman Isabella Greenway was the first Arizona congresswoman, and unlike many other woman of her time, she had strong political support from the first family, which was the main reason behind her nomination to Congress in 1933. Isabella Greenway first entered politics as a supporter of Franklin Roosevelt, who became a very close friend as a result of Greenway’s long relationship with his wife (Office 1). This of course was an extremely important step in her establishment of a political career. Because of her close friendship with the first family, Isabella Greenway had every opportunity to watch Franklin Roosevelt in his political career, and then use her acquired knowledge to move into a political career of her own, in the Democratic party. This was a unique opportunity, and there is no doubt that she would not have entered into politics if there had not been this friendship between her and the Roosevelts. In Greenway’s lifetime, female politicians were an extremely r are species, and it was only because of this strong political backing from the first family, that she became the first Arizona Congresswoman. Isabella Greenway’s nomination also came as a result of her wealth, which was also a unique property for a woman living in her time, and would not have come about if her two rich husband’s had not died.

Illinois and Audience Essay

In the start of President Obama’s speech, he starts out by using the term Anaphora†Hello, Colorado! (Applause.) Thank you! Are you fired up? Are you ready to go? (Applause.) Are you fired up?† This helps him to get the audience ready for his speech, and it creates a good atmosphere which also helps him to make a great speech In his speech Barak Obama uses a lot of pathos laden phrases to help him engage his audience and persuade them to agree with him. We see this in his speech when he introduces some good friends â€Å"We’ve got some good friends here today. You’ve got your outstanding governor, John Hickenlooper†¦And all of you are here, which makes me excited.†This is an example of pathos because, Barak Obama appeals to the audience emotions by referring to other important political people who is from Denver, and by finishing up his sentence by saying that the audience makes him exited. By evoking this sentiment in his audience, Obama manages to get the audience going, and ready to hear more of what Obama has to say. Which is a very important why to start off, because then he knows that the audience is listing to him. We also see this in his speech when he starts to talk about Romney’s politics† It turns out it’s not a five-point plan Governor Romney has got, it’s a one-point plan†¦ And we’ve been working for four years to clean up this mess that these policies left behind.†This is an example of pathos because, when Obama talks about Governor Romney’s politics he tries to connect to the audience emotion, and he also tries to convince them that his politics is the right one. Obama thereby achieves to get his audience to agree with him, when he criticizes Governor Romney’s politics. He succeeds in doing it, when he tells about that Romney has a five point plan, when it’s only a one which they already tr ied before Obama took office. And that plan took America into the worst economic crises since the Great Depression. In his speech Obama uses logos by appealing to the audience sense. We see this in his speech when he talks about voting† Don’t boo — vote. (Applause.) Vote. That’s the way to show your opinion, is to vote† This is a clear example of logos because he clearly appeals to the sense of the audience. By appealing to the sense of the audience, Obama succeeds in getting his message out; that it is important that you vote, instead of just complaining about the other parties view. He is telling that the only way you can get your opinion out, is to vote. A little later in Obama’s speech, he appeals to the audience sense again, we see this in his speech when he talks about the symptoms of romnesia, and tells what the cure is.†But, Denver, I want you to know this: If you feel any symptoms coming on†¦ There’s a cure, Colorado, as long as you vote. (Applaus e.) There’s a cure.† This is an example of logos because; Obama is again appealing to the audience sense that they need to vote for him. By appealing to the audience Obama achieves, to make sure that they know that he is the cure for Romnesia. By the word Romnesia, Obama uses the term pun; this helps him to create a negative feeling of the work, when you compare it to his own healthcare package â€Å"Obamacare†, with this term he also uses a pun just in a positive way, which creates a good feeling about the word. But the most important part of this quote is, that he makes sure that the audience, see him as the cure. You can say that he is using logos and pathos in this quote, because he is also trying to reach out after the audience emotions. During president Obama’s speech he uses a lot of different terms, the two I have concentrated about is pathos and logos. I find these two terms very important, because it helps him construct a good flowing speech, while he also gets the audience or the ones watching it in TV to agree with him, that’s how he uses pathos. For the once who isn’t sure of what they are going to vote or if they are going to vote, here he uses logos to reach out to the sense audience and tries to help them decide on voting for him.

Black Masculinity Essay

What is an ethnic group? An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry . These ethnic groups are usually united by shared cultural values, common fields of communication, or religious practices. So perhaps the theory of Black masculinity can be considered an ethnic group. There is the obvious factors of being ‘Black’ and ‘male’ that connects these members in this group; they have skin color and gender in common. Perhaps this cultural group has come together to be more then just a group who have race and gender in common. It goes beyond that and Black masculinity has members who are not ‘Black’. Perhaps this questions if history, ancestry, and genealogy are factored in when becoming a members of a group. But will these members be truly accepted in the cult of Black masculinity. Within the dominant culture African American men have developed their own sense of identity. These men have integrated themselves into American society creating a culture of their own. They have established a language, a sense of dress, and behaviors. These protocols help this group of men emphasize their ethnicity and gender. Members of this group who follow these traits are considered to be part of the cult of Black masculinity. What is happening is that white men, because of the influence of pop culture, are permeating the boundaries of the Black masculine cult. This is an experience of somewhat reverse assimilation. At first it was the assimilation of the Black man into the white man’s world and now it is as if roles are reversed. How the white men see the Black masculinity portrayed through the media and want to be part of it. Anthropologist Fredrik Barth specifies three conditions under which ethnic groups develop and define themselves: (a) a dominant culture is present with the power to maintain conditions whereby other groups of people, (b) are stereotyped, and (c) are constrained to certain roles that function complementarily in the general culture. Barth argues that ethnic distinctions are born out of conflict . The above conditions are necessary for the maintenance of ethnic distinctions. So, the maintenance of ethnic diversity requires domination by one group of the rest. Using Barth’s definition of what an ethnic group is and which boundaries are defined by these rules this paper will prove how Black masculinity conforms to these guidelines establishing them as an ethnic group within the dominant culture. This paper will also explore the difference that is expressed by black males in American culture through the use of language, dress and behavior. The cult of Black masculinity will prove that ethnic groups can create something of their own while inventing a new culture in which they can partake in and be control of. Black Masculinity â€Å"A particular type of black masculinity–one defined mainly by an urban aesthetic, a nihilistic attitude, and an aggressive posturing–has made its way into the cultural mainstream in the last two decades. † There are many contributing factors but the image of Black masculinity has come about due to the popularization of hip-hop culture and the prominence of rap music and the â€Å"videomercials† that sell it. More specifically, it is the result of the popularity of the urban â€Å"gangsta† and his embodiment in the â€Å"gangsta† rap of artists such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupak Shakur. Black masculinity is the attempt for black males to incorporate what the dominant culture believes to be masculine. Most studies have, however regarded Black Masculinity as an alternative to social status, rather than as an extension of it. ‘Black Macho’ has been portrayed, therefore, as differing in kind rather than degree from the wider gendered power relations within Society at large†¦ It is however; only within the context of wider power relations — and as an extension of them –that Black masculinity can be fully understood†¦ Black masculinity is then perhaps best understood as an articulated response to structural inequality, enacting and subverting dominant definitions of power and control, rather then substituting for them. Rather than a hostile and withdrawn entity [black masculinity] can be seen as a base for interaction and negotiation with wider society . These men have taken an idea which already exists according to society and incorporated what they believe is their definition of masculinity. This expression of masculinity, according to Mercer and Julien: â€Å"subjectively incorporates attributes associated with dominant definitions of manhood – such as being tough, in control, independent – in order to recuperate some degree of power or active influence over objective conditions of powerlessness created by racism. † Black masculinity embraces the stereotypical role of what a Black man typically resembles. What the dominant culture portrays: the tough guy, more body then mind. This is received as negative because they are not achieving what the ideal is, what â€Å"Whiteness† is. So would this group of men be considered an ethnic group within the American society? According to Barth an ethnic group embodies the following: â€Å"Largely biologically self-perpetuating, shares fundamental cultural values, realized in overt unity in cultural forms, makes up a field of communication and interaction, has a membership which identifies itself, and is identified by others, as constituting a category distinguishable from other categories of the same order. † Those who choose to conform to these norms of this group will reject or discriminate against others and this leads to the inclusion of this specific group. Behavior How one behaves will determine what group they will fit into. These behaviors include how one dresses, acts and talks. Black masculinity has their own sense of dress, actions and even language. Depicted through the media the Black masculine male will dress â€Å"gangster†. There stereotyped baggie jeans and big t-shirts with the jewelry and baseball caps. This reinforces the hyper-sexualized stereotyped male in society. Recently, Richard G. Major’s concept of the â€Å"cool pose† has proved an insightful term for understanding the dynamics of black masculinity as it has developed in response to unequal conditions in the modern urban environment. In a series of closely related works (listed at the end of this essay), Majors argues that black males have accepted the traditional values of masculinity but are so restricted by social and political factors that many of them have been deeply frustrated by their inability to enact these traditional masculine roles. â€Å"In brief,† Majors explains, â€Å"cool pose originated as a coping mechanism for the ‘invisibility,’ frustration, discrimination, and educational and employment inequities faced by Black males. In response to these obstacles, many of these individuals have channeled their creative talents and energies into the construction of masculine symbols and into the use of conspicuous nonverbal behaviors (e. g. , demeanors, gestures, clothing, hairstyles, walks, stances and handshakes)† . Majors includes in his examples of the cool pose such diverse behaviors as the use of humor, feigned emotional detachment, and specific stylistic expressions like the black athlete’s inventive basketball dunking, football spiking, and end zone dancing, as well as black musical performers’ aggressive posing and graceful yet strenuous dancing styles. A prime ingredient of the cool pose as a compensatory form of masculinity is an exaggerated style of toughness: â€Å"Symbolic displays of toughness defend his identity and gain him respect; they can also promote camaraderie and solidarity among black males† . Unfortunately, as Majors is careful to point out, the ritualized hyper masculinity performed by many black men as a cool pose, particularly the preoccupation with enacting a tough persona is rife with the negative potential to promote dangerous lifestyles (e. g. , gang bangers, tough guys, drug dealers, street hustlers, and pimps) and to reinforce harmful stereotypes. These images illuminate the figure of the menacing Black male. He embodies images of the black heterosexual rapper, athlete, and movie star which challenge the racist depictions of black masculinity as incompetent, oversexed and uncivil, in the end a threat to middle class notions of womanhood, family and nation . Perhaps with these embodiments this is why Black masculinity is its own ethnic group. They were unable to assimilate into the dominant culture because they were seen as a hyper sexualized threat to white women. This left these men to create something of their own, through dress, language and action. This group uses language as another expression of social difference. African American Vernacular English is the language that is used to communicate, it is also known as Black English, Black Vernacular, or Black English Vernacular. Black English is also known as Ebonics, a combination of â€Å"ebony† and â€Å"phonics†, this language is spoken by many Blacks in the United States and around the world. Black masculinity has accepted Ebonics as their language because it is something that is unique to the African American culture. The problem with this form of communication is that it is not widely accepted within the dominant society. The children who are raised by men who are part of this cult of Black masculinity are told to speak differently because the form of communication that they have learned is not acceptable. This is a miscommunication and some parties tried to get Ebonics recognized as a language and to be taught in the school systems. This law was not passed but it was interpreted and they are now teaching the children how to translate African American Vernacular English into American Standard English. Jackson sees language as â€Å"badges and emblems of identity can be seen as a kind of message, the successful transmission, reception, and decoding of which necessary to the interaction is taking place. † This is why Black masculinity is as strong as it is because it embraces their own language and through this they are able to maintain relationships with others in this group of men. Such as the word â€Å"Nigga†, if this word were used by someone outside of this cultural group then they would be considered racist but through music and use within the group it is considered to be a term used to identify each other. It would be seen as odd if someone who did not embody Black masculinity started speaking in African American Vernacular English because they may not have the ancestry which allows them to embody Black Masculinity and their language. Boundaries To form a cultural boundary it is presumed that the borders would be between different homelands, ethnicities, religions or language groups. In the case of Black masculinity the majority are situated all over North America and the rest of the world. With such a diverse spread it would be hard to place physical borders on this group. â€Å"Ethnic groups are not merely or necessarily based on the occupation of exclusive territories; and the different ways in which they are maintained, not only by once-and-for-all recruitment but by continual expression and validation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In saying this, those who partake in the cult of Black masculinity erect borders through communication such as language and body language. Those who do not respond to these actions are not considered to be part Black male society. There is certain protocol which will be followed within the group and if this is not followed then there is the identification of an outsider who is trying to break through the borders. The problem with Black masculinity and the exclusivity of this culture is that it is widely available in pop culture. It would be easy for someone who is not part of this ethnic group to study the mass media and learn the traits which define Black masculinity. Black masculinity is based on ascription how people identify their culture and how they identify themselves within this culture. Their boundaries are socially constructed. Ethnic groups share common culture which includes shared religion, language, style of dress, housing, shared customs; attitudes, beliefs and most have the same perception of a common past. As discussed earlier this group embraces a shared common culture which separates them from the dominant culture. They have created themselves due to a particular historical circumstance and in this case it is colonization and the invasion of the White man. The identity of Black masculinity is reliant on how individuals embrace it, constrained by it; act on it and through this Black masculinity will have a separate identity as an ethnic group. To separate themselves they have must be able to distinguish them from the dominant culture by â€Å"creating appearance of cultural discontinuity†. Black masculinity has done this by assuming roles such as the gangster rapper, the black athlete or movie star. By creating these identities they are constructing a boundary between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them†. Overtime groups tend to become culturally more homogenous. This endangers the boundary and makes it harder to maintain but in order to preserve its distinct identity these boundaries need to be maintained by the group. Boundary maintenance serves to isolate the group from alternative value systems (according to which its members may find themselves ranked differently), preserves the group’s existing internal power structure, and provides a potential source of political power for the group through solidarity and numbers . Black masculinity is a strong force in the media and to follow what their cultural beliefs are would be easy. They have familiarized their culture with the dominant culture allowing anyone to be able to participate in their beliefs. This weakens their borders and makes it harder to maintain a stronghold at their borders. The only thing that would not be broken within Black masculinity is in the name. To be a true part of this ethnic group one would have to be a Black male. This is the only thing that will hold true to maintain the borders of Black masculinity. Biologically Self Perpetuating Black masculinity has become such a widely known phenomenon and even those who do not share the same ancestry seem to be able to embody traits of this group. Traditionally an ethnic group would share a common background and kin. Through the use of mass media the cult of the Black male has become highly sexualized and those who see this machismo want to be part of it. Ethnic groups are primarily endogamous and this new assimilation into their group will cause problems with this. This is a problem because it takes away from the power of what this group stands for and what they embody as the macho man. â€Å"In a social order where white beliefs form fundamental explanations of how individuals should enact their color-sex positions and associated role expectations, black males do not, regardless of their economic status or intellectual capabilities, have the cultural prerogative to take the initiative. † This quote redefines that there is a dominant culture and allowing assimilation this group is allowing the power to be taken away. As these men are portrayed as hyper sexualized in the media it introduces them to something that the dominant culture views as the ideal, this goes back to colonization and the want of what the White man has, the unattainable. â€Å"A major reason for the initial encounter was the mystique attached to the hitherto unavailable ‘the white goddess’ † . This â€Å"white goddess†, the unavailable, is the difference between the dominant culture and the Black Masculinity. Black men move between majority and minority cultures and must negotiate the racism and discrimination that accompany caste-like minority status. Frazier suggests that Black masculinity and male role identity must be viewed in these varying social and cultural contexts . Specifically, Black men are expected to conform to dominant gender role expectations (e. g. , to be successful, competitive, aggressive), as well as meeting culturally specific requirements (e. g. , cooperation, promotion of group, and survival of group) of the Black community. â€Å"certain patriarchal values such as physical strength, sexual prowess and being in control as a means of survival against the repressive and violent system of subordination to which they were subjected† . The dehumanizing aspect of this myth, a myth that Mercer claims many black men do not want demystified because it in some ways (e. g. , strength, sexual prowess) raises them above the status of white men, is that, while an emphasis on the body as brute force is a marker of the difference between male and female, it is also a key symbol in the division between nature and culture. Perhaps this is why Black masculinity came to be. It is argued that the members of the Black Power movement defined the politics of race within â€Å"metaphoric of phallic power,† which developed out of male activists’ desires to counter cultural articulations of black male inferiority , and that this is readily seen in the writings of influential figures such as Malcolm X, Huey Newton, Eldridge Clever, and Amiri Baraka. Wiegman further claims that the phallocentric perspective was also articulated through the macho, hyper masculine characters appearing in the blaxploitation films of the early 1970s. It is through Wiegman’s phallic theories about Black males that this ethnic group created the term and culture of Black masculinity. Conclusion Through Barth this paper has been able to discuss the boundaries which the ethnic group Black masculinity was able to control. They were able to create their own ethnic group in response to the dominant culture. They defined themselves through being Black males. They embodied what it meant to be. They did this by dress and action. This is recently obvious through the media and ‘gangta’ rap and perhaps with this embodiment they are able to prove that they are able to exist as a powerful force within the dominant culture. Black masculinity members are able to have their own sense of language whether it be verbal, Ebonics, of physical, â€Å"cool pose†. This is how they established members of the group and were able to communicate with each other by these means. They reinforced that the â€Å"cool pose† displays toughness and it gains him respect and from this it promotes solidarity within the group of Black males. The â€Å"cool pose† is not always a good thing. In the media the dominant society does not see the athlete but the gangster and the stereotype which is created by the dominant culture. They are seen as a threat and to keep them safe Black masculinity was created in an attempt to create values and rules of their own in order to obtain status in a dominant culture. To keep this group exclusive these Black men created a language of their own and through this they communicate and they are able to maintain a strong bond through these means of communication. Through the use of language they create borders. The borders which they created allow them to maintain who they are without being assimilated into the dominant culture. They have embraced and emphasized who they are and what they stand for. To protect this they erected borders such as similar dress/style, language, sense of history and shared customs. These aspects are unique to them but as popular culture embraced these aspects such as language and dress the borders began to break. One thing that the dominant culture could not break is their gender and race. They were African American men and no matter what the dominant culture did to try and assimilate them they had this to celebrate. This is important to maintain the strength of your borders. Black masculinity is a group of Black males who have been able to preserve that they are part of an ethnic group and they have history which needs to be respected. They are trying to sustain a culture that is slowly being integrated into the dominant culture. If this group follows what Barth has laid out in order to maintain boundaries then Black masculinity will be able to be whomever they want within the dominant culture. REFERENCES Alexander, C. The Art of Being Black. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Barths, F. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries. Oslo: Universitesforlaget, 1969. Frazier, E. Franklin. The Negro Family in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939. Gray, H. â€Å"He Is a â€Å"Bad Mother*S%@! #†: Shaft and Contemporary Black Masculinity. American Quarterly. Vol. 50, No. 2, 1998. Gray, H. Cultural Politics. A Special Section:Black Masculinity and Visual Culture. Callaloo, Vol. 18, No. 2. (Spring, 1995). Jackson, J. Language Identity of The Colombian Vaupes Indians. In Baumand, R. ,Sherzer, J. , Exploration in the Ethnography of Speaking: Studies in the Socialand Cultural Foundations of Language. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Majors, R. , & Bilson, J. M. Cool Pose. New York: Lexington, 1989. Mercer, K. Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies. New York: Routledge, 1994. Mercer, K. & Julien, I. Race, Sexual Politics and Black Masculinity: A Dossier. London: Lawerence & Wishart, 1998. Smith, A. D. The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Oxford: Blackwell, 1987. Staples, R. Black Masculinity: The Black Male’s Role in American Society. San Francisco: The Black Scholar Press, 1982. Wiegman, R. Feminism, ‘The Boyz’ and Other Matters Regarding the Male: Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema. London: Routledge,1993. Wilikinson, D. Y. Expectations and Salience in White Female – African Male Self-Other Role Definitions. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1977.

Using Accents on French Capitals

Using Accents on French Capitals You may have heard that capital letters are not supposed to be accented. This may be good advice, but, really, whether to use  accents  on French capital letters is entirely up to you. Most of the time they are not essential, and so most French speakers do not add them. In publishing, they have not been added either ever since Vogue magazine decided about 20 years ago that they were too small to be read in print and detracted from clarity and good design; much of the publishing world agreed and followed suit. That said, there are actually two instances when you should always use accents on capital letters: Avoid Embarrassing Misunderstandings or Mistakes Look at what happens when  an advertisement for  biscuits salà ©s (salted crackers) is written in all caps:  BISCUITS SALES, a LOL-worthy mistake that means dirty crackers. Yum!  Its so much clearer to write BISCUITS SALÉS, nest-ce pas? There are plenty of  examples of French homographs like the case above, words that are spelled alike (or almost alike) but mean different things, where failing to add an accent or accents could lead  to embarrassing results. Consider haler (to haul in) versus hà ¢ler (to tan); arrià ©rà © (backward) versus arrià ¨re (backlog); and interne (internal) versus internà © (an inmate in a mental hospital), to name a few. Proper Nouns: The Name of a Company or a Person. Its important to show respect to organizations and people by spelling their names correctly, as well as to make sure that the person who reads the name knows how it should be spelled. If you dont write the accent when the name is in all caps, your reader may not realize that there is an accent when that individual sits down later to write a letter to the person or organization in question. What the  Acadà ©mie Franà §aise Says Some people argue that it just makes more sense  to always use  accents on capital letters in French. And the august  Acadà ©mie franà §aise  agrees: On ne peut que dà ©plorer que lusage des accents sur les majuscules soit flottant. On observe dans les textes manuscrits une tendance certaine lomission des accents. En typographie, parfois, certains suppriment tous les accents sur les capitales sous prà ©texte de modernisme, en fait pour rà ©duire les frais de composition. Il convient cependant dobserver quen franà §ais, laccent a pleine valeur orthographique. Son absence ralentit la lecture, fait hà ©siter sur la prononciation, et peut mà ªme induire en erreur. Il en va de mà ªme pour le trà ©ma et la cà ©dille. On veille donc, en bonne typographie, utiliser systà ©matiquement les capitales accentuà ©es, y compris la prà ©position  ,  comme le font bien sà »r tous les dictionnaires, commencer par le  Dictionnaire de lAcadà ©mie franà §aise, ou les grammaires, comme  Le  Bon Usage  de Grevisse, mais aussi lImprimerie nationale, la Bibliothà ¨que de la Plà ©iade, etc. Quant aux textes manuscrits ou dactylographià ©s, il est à ©vident que leurs auteurs, dans un souci de clartà © et de correction, auraient tout intà ©rà ªt suivre à ©galement cette rà ¨gle.

Experience MIS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experience MIS - Assignment Example b). Samantha has a competitive strategy which gives her an advantage over her rivals. During slow business times, she calls her former clients to remind them of the importance to trimming their trees on a daily basis. She reminded them of the services she provides to the members (O’Brien, James, Marakas & George, 2006). C). Knowledge of her competitive advantage would help her greatly in her sales and marketing efforts. Since during times when business is weak she calls her clients to remind them of her services, this gives her a competitive advantage over her rivals who do not do the same. The idea of reminding customers is a marketing tool that would retain customers thus increasing sales (O’Brien, James, Marakas & George, 2006). d). The information system that Samantha needs to use is the ABC model to lock in customers. According to Kroenke, Bunker, and Wilson, Samantha can use this model to make it expensive for her customers to switch to another service provider. Therefore, Samantha should make use of this system to keep customers (Kroenke, Bunker & Wilson,

Critical Thinking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Thinking - Research Paper Example When HP, Compaq, and Dell developed PCs and offered to the individuals at an affordable cost, the market grew at an exponential rate. It was too late for IBM then to grab a respectable share in PC market. A critical and creative thinking on part of the IBM to serve large small consumers at an affordable cost would have prevented others to grab the huge market that it culminated into within a decade or so. Free will is a philosophical term for which most philosophers believe that the free will is related with moral responsibility. Acting with free will means one is responsible for ones action. Free will, according to Rene Descartes, means freedom of choice to do or not to do something (Stanford encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010). Socrates rightly said that truth can be approached by complete ignorance and not by any preconceived notions and beliefs. When one questions all established belief system then one goes nearer to the truth. Usually, it is believed that knowledge is an observational phenomenon but according to ‘rationalists’, knowledge can also be gained purely by thinking. This contrasts the view point of ‘empiricists’ that all knowledge is gained through observations. In order to understand what knowledge is and how it will be available, one needs to ponder over what role knowing might play or what inherent value it may offer – if there is any (Internet Encyclopedia of philosophy (2012). Usually, opinions are formed before hand before going deeper into the details. Each one of us has preconceived beliefs and opinions about so many things and that come in our way in finding the truth. Opinions without any basis are great impediments to our free thinking. Egocentrism is hindrance to critical thinking because it revolves around self-centered thinking. It has two major forms known as self-serving and self-interested thinking. Egocentrism develops due to superiority feeling in