Popular Culture Essays

Popular Culture Essays Popular culture is always defined, implicitly or explicitly, in contrast to other conceptual categories: folk culture, mass culture, dominant culture John Storey, 2006, p.1 Before we look into more depth about the term popular culture we must first determine what it actually means. Firstly to break the term down, Raymond Williams says culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language (cited storey 2006). To understand what William means we will take a look at his definitions. William refers to culture in three ways, firstly he states culture could be seen as a general process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic development. The examples storey gives are great philosophers, great artists and great poets which noticeably the word great is used giving a sense of high culture. Secondly a particular way of life, whether a people, a period or a group (ibid). - Popular Culture Now we have determined what the terms popular and culture mean we can now look at the word as a whole. Storey states that Popular culture is the culture that is left over after we have decided what is high culture (Storey 2009, p. 6). Popular culture is therefore seen as inferior culture or low culture (ibid). When you think about popular culture in this way there comes a problem, who determines which category it falls into. Storey states to be real culture, it has to be difficult therefore creating a division to who can and who can not. Pierre Bourdieu argues that cultural distinctions of this kind are often used to support class distinctions. Taste is a deeply ideological category: it functions as a marker of class (Bourdieu 1984). Popular culture is often taken from culture, diluted and then distributed to the masses for personal gain. Sub cultures are created to help a group of people who feel left out from society, find there place. When looking at sub cultures, they are often associated with the youth of society. It could be argued that sub cultures are made possible because the youth within society have much more leisure time. (Lifestyle) The reason for this is said to be because of the generation gap. Some sub cultures create a moral panic because it challenges the norm and goes against how the people should think and what they should be doing. In doing so they create there ideology according to how they feel about society which is often opposed to the elite. If this is the case then it suggests a political dimension to what popular culture is so therefore it is not just about leisure or entertainment. Popular culture and the mass media go hand in hand because the media creates a distorted image of how the world is and the masses are said to passively consume it. Popular culture is also argued to divert people away from what is important which is said to be beneficiary for the elite, an example of this is capitalism. (Storey 2006) Ideology conceals the reality of domination from those in power: the dominant class dont see themselves as exploiter or oppressors. More importantly though it works in favour of the elite as Storey states Ideology conceals the reality of subordination from those who are powerless: the subordinate class dont see themselves as exploited or oppressed. One of the most significant ideological practices in recent years has been the categorical dividing of what is popular and what is classical. Storey states the division between high and popular cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is absolutely clearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and transhistorical-fixed for all time. Up until recent years the divions of the two were quite prominent but with groups like Escala (who were on Britains got talent) the divide becomes blurry. Groups like Escala play classical music in a different way to the norm but which is still classical and since they were on a popular show they made classical music popular. But that does not mean it will stay that way because if you look at some of the Cds they are bringing out for classical music now with such titles as Pure Classical which may seem innocent but could be argued that the elite are trying to police the boundaries. The real question what has been discussed is, value. As we have look in the first part of this essay, culture is not a fixed thing, it changes over time. A prime example of this would be opera. It started off for working class people but over time soon change and now is for the elite in society. If you were to look at the price it started off at it was only a few pennies but now the price of a ticket is quite high which therefore excludes people from taking part. Another example of this would be of you were to take a look at Pavarotti who had top selling albums and chart toppers, who then went to put on a performance in Hyde park for free and a woman attending give a comment to say I cant afford to go to the posh opera houses and folk out  £100 for a ticket. Yet again you could see some of the elite trying to police the boundaries by giving bad reviews saying the park is no place for opera. When you take that review and think about what they are really mean, they are saying it should stay in the opera house and keep its exclusiveness . Ideologies gain persuasive powers to either directly or indirectly influence the way people live, how they behave and how they relate to each other. Ideology can be understood by a set of values and ideas that a certain group shares.

Atmosphere of Terror and Suspense in Gothic Literature Essay -- essays

1764 saw the birth of Gothic literature with the novel 'The Castle of Otranto', written by Horace Walpole. Although, this novel was based on some much earlier literature it set the standard for all the gothic novels that followed. The 18th century was a time when political power was in the hands of a few rich men. Women did not have the vote, let alone any legal rights. The majority of the population lived in poverty. However things were changing ? the Church was no longer as powerful and the social structure was being questioned. For example, in 1789 the French monarchy was overthrown by the masses starting the French revolution. People were no longer so willing to accept their ?lot in life?. It was in this background that the genre of Gothic literature was first written. It was called gothic because it placed emphasis on emotions such as awe, terror, insignificance and vulnerability. Gothic novels were fascinated with the grotesque, horrible and supernatural. They were a reaction against realistic literature of the 18th century. Some saw it as a sub-genre of romantics but others argued it was a genre in its own right. Whatever its genre, gothic novels were typically characterized by their romanticism, melodrama and dark foreboding settings. They were critical of the society of the day and fiercely anti- catholic, disliking the church?s power and brutality. Some of the main gothic writers of the time included Edgar Alan Poe, Charles Dickens, H.G.Wells, Charlotte and Emily Bronte. By the end of the19th century Mary Shelley?s famous novel of Frankenstein had been published and later on Bram Stoker?s Dracula. Of all the stories written in the gothic era, they all contain many of the typical gothic ... ...ation and descriptive language. Also, with The Tell Tale Heart the tension and suspense has great effect, making the reader wanting to read on. The building of suspense through specific language and literary devices is so firm and efficient that ?The Tell-Tale Heart? has become one of the most famous Gothic short stories in English literature. Poe?s choice of words is known to be precise and concise, and so is his writing style: no devices are used without having certain effects. The Cask of Amontillado is the least representative of the genre because it does not contain so many gothic features and the narrator has a reason for killing: revenge. I believe gothic literature has remained so popular because people like to be thrilled by horror and ghost stories and the central themes never age. The reader can empathise with the story without having to believe it.

martin luther :: essays research papers

One of the world's best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King, Jr., synthesized ideas drawn from many different cultural traditions. Born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, King's roots were in the African-American Baptist church. He was the grandson of the Rev. A. D. Williams, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist church and a founder of Atlanta's NAACP chapter, and the son of Martin Luther King, Sr., who succeeded Williams as Ebenezer's pastor and also became a civil rights leader. Although, from an early age, King resented religious emotionalism and questioned literal interpretations of scripture, he nevertheless greatly admired black social gospel proponents such as his father who saw the church as a instrument for improving the lives of African Americans. Morehouse College president Benjamin Mays and other proponents of Christian social activism influenced King's decision after his junior year at Morehouse to become a minister and thereby serve society. His continued skepticism, however, shaped his subsequent theological studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, and at Boston University, where he received a doctorate in systematic theology in 1955. Rejecting offers for academic positions, King decided while completing his Ph. D. requirements to return to the South and accepted the pastorate of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. On December 5, 1955, five days after Montgomery civil rights activist Rosa Parks refused to obey the city's rules mandating segregation on buses, black residents launched a bus boycott and elected King as president of the newly-formed Montgomery Improvement Association. As the boycott continued during 1956, King gained national prominence as a result of his exceptional oratorical skills and personal courage. His house was bombed and he was convicted along with other boycott leaders on charges of conspiring to interfere with the bus company's operations. Despite these attempts to suppress the movement, Montgomery bus were desegregated in December, 1956, after the United States Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws unconstitutional. In 1957, seeking to build upon the success of the Montgomery boycott movement, King and other southern black ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). As SCLC's president, King emphasized the goal of black voting rights when he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom. During 1958, he published his first book, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. The following year, he toured India, increased his understanding of Gandhian non-violent strategies.

Attachment Report Bsc Hon Comp Science (Afrosoft Holdings Limited) Essay

This report serves to provide the reader with a summary of the third year industrial attachment showing the work and research done in the field of software engineering whilst at Afrosoft Holdings (Ltd. ). It also highlights the experience gained during this same time. This is a report on the one-year industrial attachment program held in the third -year of study as part of the 4-year Bachelor Of Science Honors degree in Computer Science program at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), starting 2nd of July 2012 at Afrosoft Corporation. In the first chapter of this report, an introduction to Afrosoft as a corporation is made, giving the organizational structure of the company, and the company’s product brand. The services provided by the company are also noted in this chapter. The second chapter focuses upon the methodologies settled upon by Afrosoft, and focus is made on the Microsoft Solutions framework which the company uses extensively. The following chapter then gives an insight on the three-tier software architecture that Afrosoft has concentrated upon. A brief discussion of other types of architectures is also given. Technologies used most at the company are discussed next in the fourth chapter. These include technologies used in the past, and technologies being used in newer projects. Following this chapter is one on data access components and Microsoft SQL server, which are used by Afrosoft in almost all of its products. After this is a chapter on the projects that the author participated in at the company, detailing the responsibilities assigned and the technologies learnt from each of them. Beyond that, the remaining chapters discuss what was learnt during the attachment period and an overall outlook on the experience gained. Acknowledgements Great thanks go to all the staff at Afrosoft Corporation, and especially to the Software Development Department. I wish to extend my sincerest gratitude to the noted persons, the Software Development immediate manager Mr. Movement Musasiwa, for your motivation, support, patience and mentoring. Software Developers in the department, Tanyaradzwa Chamarime, Brighton Chaparadza, Gerry Vhera, Edson Jengwa, Joseph Bodzo and Kurai Mombeshora. My learning from you will surely be a cornerstone for my success and achievement in the IT field and in all facets of life, your support and team spirit remains a debt to me . Indeed I owe you my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you team!!! .Also special thanks to my family who always showed their love and support through-out this period. Many thanks are also extended to all fellow students on attachment. I also express gratitude to Mr. K. Sibanda and Mrs. S. S. Dube, my industrial attachment co-ordinaters. Last but not least of all praise and thanks be to God the Almighty for his protection and loving guidance. Thank you all. List of Tables Table 2. 1:Models under Microsoft solutions Framework21 List of Figures Figure 1. 1: Organizational structure5 Figure 1. 2: Product Brand9 Figure 1. 3: Older AfroPACK Products11 Figure 1.

Shakespeare’s Othello

Iago’s character is manipulative and treacherous as can be read in the famous quote, â€Å"Iago is most honest† (Shakespeare II. iii. 7). He is fond of implanting malice in even the most mundane, casual encounters. For instance, Iago plans to make a mountain out of the molehill that Cassio was able to briefly, hold hands with Desdemona while on board the ship. Iago is also chauvinistic for the most part of the play and appears to have a dislike for women in general as revealed by his frequent barrages of insults towards Emilia and Desdemona. Iago’s general detest for women may come from the fact that he suspects Othello of having an affair with his wife. His thoughts are revealed in the play and there is constant revelation that he wants his revenge â€Å"wife for wife†. This reveals a concealed lust for Desdemona born out of his baseless jealousy. Iago continues his pursuit to ruin the relationship of Othello and Desdemona, as is witnessed in Iago’s speeches to Othello,Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee†¦Ã¢â‚¬â€œMy life upon her faith! Honest Iago† (Shakespeare I, iii 333-5). He also has a plan to lure Cassio into performing actions that would dishonor him and possibly cause Othello to rethink his promotion of Cassio, as Iago states of himself in this matter, â€Å"Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago: In following him, I follow but myself†¦ But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at: I am not what I am† (Shakespeare I, I 63-71). Iago succeeds in this endeavor by subtly causing a commotion which causes Cassio to lose his composure and accidentally stab Montano, the governor. This costs Cassio his position as lieutenant. While alone with Othello, Iago implies the possibility that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Iago manages to persuade Othello to doubt Desdemona’s loyalty and love for him. He tells Othello to closely examine his wife’s actions when she is with Cassio. These are just among the many webs of lies and deceit that he manages weave in his attempts to settle scores with Othello and Cassio. Othello’s first gift to Desdemona was a handkerchief. This supposedly trivial object later becomes the piece of evidence that Iago uses to destroy Othello’s marriage. One evening, as Desdemona and Emilia inform Othello that dinner is ready, Othello complains of a headache. Desdemona promptly offers her handkerchief to bind his head to relieve the pain. Othello comments that the handkerchief is too small and pushes it away. Desdemona unknowingly loses grip of the handkerchief as she and Othello walk out of the room. Emilia picks up the handkerchief, remembering that Iago had asked her a number of times to steal it, she is delighted at the prospect of surprising her husband. At the same time as Iago was to plant Desdemona’s handkerchief in Cassio’s room, Othello who discovers his plot is infuriated and exclaims that he’d rather witness deception first hand than assume infidelity without conclusive evidence. At this point, Iago, ever the manipulator, manages to get his way again by fabricating another story that Cassio once called out Desdemona’s name in his sleep and that Cassio acted as if he were kissing Desdemona. Iago reinforced his claim by claiming to have seen Cassio wipe his beard with the handkerchief. This enrages Othello and he vows to seek revenge on Cassio and Desdemona for the alleged infidelity. Once again, Iago succeeds and even manages to get promoted to lieutenant. In the play, Desdemona’s handkerchief is the symbol of faithfulness and later in the play the symbol of truth. All the speculations around Desdemona’s alleged relationship with Cassio has created a lot of trouble for Othello and Desdemona. Othello has become very unhappy and has begun mistreating Desdemona. One evening after dinner, Othello goes on a walk with Lodovico and sends Desdemona to bed. As Desdemona gets ready, she and Emilia contemplate on how different her life would be like if she had not met Othello. Desdemona sings the â€Å"Willow† song, a song that she learned from her mother’s maid who sang the same song when the man she love left her. The â€Å"Willow† song is the symbol of acceptance of her fate that the man whom she loved had left her. Before telling Emilia about the story behind the â€Å" Willow† song, she had remarked on the attractiveness of Lodovico. She also This suggests that after the bad things that have happened between Desdemona and her husband, committing adultery had somehow entered her mind. She saw adultery as an option to distract her from the pain that her husband is neglecting and mistreating her. Iago has persuaded Roderigo to go after Cassio with the web of lies that he had weaved about Cassio and Desdemona’s alleged affair. Iago had once again managed to convince Roderigo with his lies to the point that Roderigo longed to kill Cassio. Roderigo stabbed Cassio in a brothel. When Othello hears Cassio’s cries of murder, Othello thinks that it is Iago who stabbed Cassio. Othello is still unaware of Iago’s deception and he believed that Iago stabbed Cassio to carry out his revenge. This tragedy wrongly convinces Othello of the validity of Desdemona’s alleged unfaithfulness. He returns to the bedroom to kill her. Othello returns to the bedroom where Desdemona is sleeping soundly. He leans to give her one last kiss before he kills her. Desdemona awakens from the kiss and is frightened when Othello tells her to prepare to be killed. Othello tells her that he had discovered her affair with Cassio who had just been killed by Iago. Before she could explain her side of the story, she breaks down in tears to weep for Cassio. This angers Othello all the more and begins to smother his wife. Emilia rushes to inform Othello that Cassio has killed Roderigo. When Othello admits that he has killed his wife and that Emilia keep silent about it. Emilia, afraid and confused calls for help. Montano, Graziano and Iago arrive at the scene. Little by little, Emilia uncovers her husband’s deceitfulness. Iago sensing the impending exposure of his evil deeds makes an attempt to silence Emilia with his sword. Iago succeeds at stabbing his wife. Othello disbelievingly realizes his terrible mistake of not trusting his wife and killing her out of blind rage. Realizing that his life is now worthless without Desdemona, he takes his own life. Othello and Desdemona are the unfortunate victims of Iago’s irrational jealousy and treachery. Even Iago’s wife Emilia was not spared of the tragedy. Before Iago becomes conscious of the gravity of his actions, lives have been lost, too much harm has been done to the point that it is beyond repair.

Marble Female Figure

Marble Female Figure Cycladic Final Neolithic, ca. 4500-4000 BC Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971 (1972. 118. 104) â€Å"The figure represents a rare type known as steatopygous characterized by particularly full legs and buttocks, and is undoubtedly indicative of fertility. â€Å" RACHELLE DARDEN Rachelle Darden Art History 11 Short writing Assignment 2 The marble female figure is a sculpture selected from the Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan. It’s also known as the final Neolithical Cycladic marble.The figure, now missing its head is an example of an uncommon type known as steatopygous. This sculpture is a representation of the Human Body in which its described by its distinctive features. It has a thin torso or abdomen suggesting a slim like body however it can be defined by its abstract but round shape. This particular piece is non-realistic in which the form of the breasts are in the shapes of what look like rain drops however they don’t look like actual female breasts but because of their placement it’s obvious that’s what they’re supposed to be.The entire has a plump like nature to in which it suggests that it’s a larger female, not your average female from this era. The thighs on the sculpture are also suggestive because not only are they round but they have a bit of an outline suggesting that they are extra-large which coincides with the rest of the sculpture. The sculptor gave this piece some very distinct features. In fact the most significant piece to this particular sculpture would be the buttocks. The buttocks literally are the largest feature on the sculpture and protrude the rest of the body. The thin yet round abdominal like structure gives the idea of a hin female but definitely a thick one. In contrast, the figure's upper torso is flat in profile with the arms typically framing V-shaped, pendant breasts. The pudgy, evidently idealized thighs narrow to tiny, stu mp like feet. However on the feet there are no toes and they don’t stretch out like they would on a regular human body. The body proportions are accurate in which you can tell that this sculpture is a very developed female with a very mature body. Looking at the sculpture there’s also a lot of age because its proportioned so well and has a lot of femininity.

Law on School Prayer Essay

The issue on school prayer has been subject to constitutional debate since 1960’s. The Court ruled against school-sponsored prayer in the Engel vs. Vitale case in 1962. Such court decision is in line with the upholding of freedom of religion (and the expression of one’s faith and belief). The Court said that one could instead do his or her prayer privately and need not impose his or her prayer to anyone (Dierenfield, 2007). This is the very basis of the Court for implementing the non-school-sponsored prayer in every school in the United States. Such ruling was put into question when another case of school-sponsored prayer occurred in 2000. The case wherein the Santa Fe Independent School District permitted the non-private conduction of prayer (done in front of other students of the school) which is aim to declare support for the football athletes (Status of Current Law on School Prayer, 2007). Although, the Congress had tried to intervene with the issue, the Court still prevailed by saying that the school violated the law against school-sponsored worship or prayer. In order to uphold the ruling of the Court against school-sponsored worship or prayer, the House and the Senate passed the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education) in October 30 2001 (Status of Current Law on School Prayer, 2007). This act states that schools that would violate the law against school-sponsored prayer would be denied of federal funding. The Congress position was to uphold the right of students for voluntary prayer hence it disallowed the imposition of school on conducting a school prayer. The fear of losing the support of the government (for public schools) really held every school so that they became really careful about dealing with religious and faith-related issues of their students. They allowed their students to pray or not pray. They do not anymore try to make actions or sponsor events that would tend to patronize particulars faiths or religions. Legal Implications Truly, no one should interfere with other’s way of expressing himself or herself. Likewise, no one should impose his or her religion, belief or faith to anyone (Muir, 1985). Thus, the Court had a very good reason for declaring such decision concerning school prayer. By taking a closer examination on the issue, one would realize that the Court, as well as the Congress, just really wanted to protect the rights of the students for voluntary prayer. Hence, schools were ordered not to support any form or kind of religious and faith-related activities. This is due to the fact that public schools have a diverse population of students who belong to various religions. In effect, if the school would favor one student or a group of students in the school to conduct an event that would advertize their religion, there will really be a violation against the rights of other students on their religious belief (Muir, 1985). The Court provided a very plausible and rational suggestion to religious sectors and the parents of the students. It said that students can practice their own way of upholding their religious faith while not impeding other’s right of voluntary prayer. They can really do their prayers privately. By doing so, no one would complain about the imposition of school prayer. The Congress’s sponsorship and Court’s implementation of the ESEA could really help them monitoring and regulating schools in sponsoring and conducting activities. The schools, in return, would ensure that they would be hands-off regarding religious matters. They should really do that otherwise their federal funding would be denied by the government (Status of Current Law on School Prayer, 2007). To end, the issue on school prayer and the law regarding it intend to promote the rights of the students for voluntary prayer and against discrimination of religion. Schools primary duty is to ensure proper education for their students – and that should be their focus.