The representation of savagery and civilization Term Paper

The representation of savagery and civilization - Term Paper Example The American civilization for example, was a combination of European immigrant new technology in terms of superior weaponry farming and international trade technology. It therefore easily overpowered that native technology of bows, arrows and constant migration of Native American tribes. This paper sets out to distinguish between the concepts of savagery and civilization with reference to the contribution of a number of primary sources who have tackled this topic in the past. Perspectives of Primary Sources on Savagery and Civilization In the Descent of man, Darwin describes as native the communities that were to be found in the Western Frontier during the expansion of American rule. He makes the assertion that reproductive power is lower in barbarons or savages than in civilized people (Darwin 45). This was an attempt to compare a purely biological process [reproduction] in people who had attained different levels of civilization. It is clear from the argument in the paper that Darw in is actually talking about mortality rate or reproductive rate. This is because he goes further to argue that because of the poor living conditions, the barbarons have a lower rate of survival. However he goes further to allege that savages appear to be â€Å"less prolific that civilized people† (Darwin, 46). Among the reasons given for the low population levels among the savages are wars with neighbors, a tendency to wander from place to place that endangers the lives of infants, diseases, famine and lack of water. Darwin also states that infanticide is a major cause of depopulation since the savages would rather kill children, especially girls, in an attempt to keep down the population levels (Darwin, 46). Another great blight of colonialism was slavery. Arguments that some cultures were superior to others and civilized persons were much more superior to native savages fuelled the slave trade. This trade ensured that some people were subhuman as they had not undergone the full extent of development in the process of natural selection. According to Darwin certain humans were a sub species of the human species (Darwin 175). Humans therefore shamelessly traded in other humans like commodities. They owned them, made them work and then sold them up to other owners. However, Darwin’s allegations have since been challenged by later day scholars who termed some of Darwin’s assertions as inadequate, presumptive and not supported by irrefutable evidence. Among the scholars who disagree is Fredrick Jackson Turner who refers to the civilization of America as meeting of minds between the European settlers and the American native life (Turner, 3). He goes further to describe how the European had to adjust to the American life by planting corn, using the birch canoe to travel and even adopting the native Indian war cry in order to survive. He acknowledges that the European brought with him some superior technology including the gun and train, but the se alone were not enough for his survival as the environment proved too tough unless he adjusted (Turner, 4). According to him, therefore, it is the combination of cultures that brings about civilization rather than a single purist culture (Turner, 4). The contribution of these arguments towards colonialism was that colonists always argued that they were bringing forth a new

Marketing strategy of adidas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing strategy of adidas - Essay Example Adidas is guided by the three principles which were laid down by the founder, Adi Dassler – to aim for the production of the best possible foot wear to serve the requirement of sports, to aim for the protection of the athlete from any possible injury and produce a durable product (Step back in time, n.d.). They company operates out of Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America through a network comprising of more than 170 subsidiaries. The organisation is headquartered at Herzogenaurach, Germany, employing over 31,344 people worldwide (Adidas AG - Financial and Strategic Analysis Review, 2009). The journey for the company began in 1920, when Adi Dassler, with the aid of two shoemakers, produced homemade leather training shoes. A major milestone was achieved, resulting in superb promotion for the company, in 1932, when Arthur Jonath, a German athlete, won a bronze medal in the 1932 Olympics using shoes produced by the company. The company was on its upward spiral and soon the revenues of the company crossed 400,000 Reich mark in 1935. Sportsperson from 120nations used Adidas products in the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The company has seen many highs and undergone major structural changes in the way it has approached the market place. It has been quick to realize that marketing and customer orientation have become vital on the part of a modern company. The company has changed its entire outlook – which resulted in the creation of the three divisions - adidas Sport Performance, adidas Sport Heritage and adidas Sport Style from the existing Footwear and Clothing/Accessories . The company also decided to give its customers to option of customising the products they wanted to buy according to their own specifications – a business model which is now replicated all over the market space. The company went ahead with its aggressive marketing campaign and adopted a new tagline in 2003 -

Cash budjet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cash budjet - Essay Example The minimum line of credit is the amount of money that can be allocated and be made available whenever a client company needs it (Fabozzi & Peterson, 2003). BCM has shown that it needs $241,500 in the month of June. This should be the minimum line of credit from the spreadsheet. CBM’s cash position is quite strained especially in the first four months. CBM is forced to seek additional financing from outside. This is due to low cash receipts from debtors who have formed the main source of cash in the budget. The concern for the company is how to obtain extra external financing and what interest will be needed (Pineda, 2006). The cash budget also does not have a provision for repaying the short loan and interest. As a bank manager, I will not accept CBM as my client for some reasons. The first one is that CBM is a new venture which has not sold even one item and therefore the market is new. CBM needs a total of $415,250 just within the first four months. According to Bierck (2009) such an undertaking is risky since CBM does not have any historical figures which can give a clue of how much sales they can be able to generate The other point is that there is no reference for the sales forecast. I will only accept CBM once they have traded and have historical figures to rely in respect of the

Noise at workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Noise at workplace - Essay Example People play music in high volume and dance whether one is sitting at concerts or in a party or at homes. Most of the people are exposed to high pitch of music without any concern that it may cause detrimental effects to their hearing ability. Manufacturing unit is one of the worst places where usually one exposes to noise for quite a long period – mostly all eight hours of the shift. That noise is torturous and debilitating for the health of workers. Noise is measured in decibels and often it is found at a very high level exceeding 85 dBA– the threshold limit prescribed by OSHA. Manufacturing units particularly process and chemical industries where steam is used in the process has its own typical noise emanating without any break. Tools and tackles continue to throw varied and shrill noise that not only affects hearing but mental health too. Drivers who drive heavy trucks and huge trolleys to transport goods from one place to another are continuously exposed to the engine noise. That noise is often found to be at high levels and damages the hearing in the long run. At work places, it is recommended to use ear muffs or earplugs. Ear muffs cover entire outer ear blocking entire ear canal. Earplugs fit into the outer ear canal. They are easily available in variety of shapes and sizes at local pharmacies to fit into the ears of each

To what extent have feminist ideas influenced policy making since 1965 Essay

To what extent have feminist ideas influenced policy making since 1965 Critically discuss with reference to ONE of the followin - Essay Example While the first wave of feminism was primarily concerned with formal political rights, the second generation of feminist thinkers laid the emphasis on the issues of workplace and marital equality, as well as those of women’s representation in public agencies. This had an important impact on further policy making. National Organization of Women and the Struggle for Women’s Rights. While the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was founded in 1965 in order to combat the gender discriminatory practices in the sphere of employment, its activity was judged to be unsatisfactory by many activists of women’s movement. In 1966, liberal feminists led by Betty Friedan, a celebrated author of The Feminine Mystique, formed the National Organization for Women (NOW) that aimed at integrating women â€Å"into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, assuming all privileges and responsibilities...in truly equal partnership with men† (qtd . in Thornham 25). The foundation of NOW was caused by repeated refusal of the EEOC officials to seriously confront the prevalent discriminatory practices in the labour relations (Banks 212). ... Constitution (Harrison 198). The activities of NOW mainly concentrated on creating publicity for the organisation, which was expressed through pickets and other public demonstrations, and on lobbying political establishment, including the Presidency. Nevertheless, their actions eventually proved rather fruitful for the further development of women’s movement and the adoption of equality legislation. The first influence of feminist movement on equal opportunities policies in the USA after 1965 may be traced in the controversy surrounding the inclusion of provision on sex discrimination in Executive Order 11246, which aimed at creating affirmative action programmes for racial minorities. As the 1964 Civil Rights Act had already provided for prevention of sexual discrimination in employment, the omission of sex discrimination clause in that Executive Order was regarded as an expression of neglect for the needs of women. Consequently, the efforts of several women’s organisa tions, including the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs and Federal Women’s Award Study Group, led to the inclusion of the provision against sex discrimination in the text of Executive Order in October 1967, with the NOW leadership asserting that it was a victory for their ideas (Harrison 202). Later on, NOW repeatedly clashed with the EEOC apparatus with regard to protective labour legislation. In 1967 EEOC was forced to back away from its previous non-interventionist attitude on such issues as labour rights for female workers and age and marital status discrimination at the workplace, with air flight companies being the

Geographical Information System (GIS) in Qatar Essay

Geographical Information System (GIS) in Qatar - Essay Example Without a doubt, Qatar foresees hurdles and challenges it has to face during the course of implementing its plans, and designs the contingency plans as well. On the technological side however, the continually changing trend in modeling and concepts linked to GIS data heavily strains the resources. Moreover, software solutions that are comprehensive and are at per with other Information Technology fronts and address all the needs required by this unique model have not yet emerged. Such models are the country’s pressing GIS needs for cruising into the next millennium. Qatar, a country characterized by desert topography, experienced rapid growth over the past decades following the country’s discovery of oil. Consequently, a spurt in physical growth occurred, followed by infrastructure development at a large scale, a fete which had to be at per with the rapid growth. Inefficient resource management, inadequate coordination, and duplication of efforts among government agencies heavily strained the government in the face of shrinking budgets and the ever-growing demands. In utilizing resources optimally when the country faced such rapid growth, the availability of the correct information at the correct time, became apparent as the key and efficient system of management and decision-making. This perception, along with the realization that close to eight percent of this vast body of information was related to the country’s geography, prompted the government’s option for a nationwide fully implemented GIS program for Qatar. Towards this end, the Center for GIS (CGIS) and the National Steering Committee were formed in 1990. Currently, digitally common base maps are available online for access by all agencies using GIS in Qatar, via a fiber optic network of high speed. Data consistency and the control of duplication efforts

Medea and the Myth of Feminism Essay Example for Free

Medea and the Myth of Feminism Essay Medea the Myth of Feminism It is only males who are created directly by the gods and are given souls it is only men who are complete human beings and can hope for ultimate fulfillment; the best a woman can hope for is to become a man (Plato 90e). Euripides Medea was written in a time where even the word feminism did not exist and yet he gave Medea a role of substance and a stature of strength. It is a wonder whether or not Euripides knew Just how much power he put into the hands of this woman as well as many more in the creation of her character. Perhaps not in his time and perhaps not y intention, but since then Medea the play and Medea the woman have filled a symbolic role in the area of feminism, the debate being for or against it. In countless cultures and streams of media, the woman stands timeless. What this paper intends to explore is the levels of the performance and how they stack up to the idea of feminism by framing Euripides possible intent, understanding various audience response to various productions, and finally studying Medea herself to see whether her roots of vengeance are in feminism or rather immorality. At the beginning of our quest we find the author, alive at a time in which ancient Greece was overwhelmingly patriarchal, but where did Euripides find himself? Is it possible to suspect that he may have allied himself among other voices which held sympathy for the plight of women? Could he have been the model of a proto-feminist or was he a misogynist? In either case, Medea seems to be the place to look. While pursuing her ambition, Medea disregards many of the feminine characteristics of the patriarchal Greek society. She questions the inequality of women, contradicts Jasons chauvinist beliefs, challenges the stereotype that women are weak and passive and ltimately completely disregards the feminine role of motherhood. Euripides portrays a woman who completely subverts feminine norms, overcomes masculine bonds and, given that his depiction of Medea was highly influential and replicated to some extent by most later authors, the Medea viewed as a figure of feminine power in modernity is at least in part dependent on Euripides (Mastronarde 52). Honing in on the text, one might examine Medeas opening speech, a fine feminist harangue (Hadas 81), showing that, Medea has been treated unjustly by men, and her eloquent indictment of womens lot is never denied (Foley 265). This speech is the first introduction to Medea as a strong and independent woman, but the words are not hers alone. These lines have sometimes been seen as Euripides bitter reflections on his own isolation as an advanced and intellectual poet. There is much truth in this view, but the lines are also Medeas, the complaint of a woman of great intellectual capacity who finds herself excluded from the spheres of power and action (Knox 314). It is this exclusion that leads her to the inexcusable action of killing her children, or is it so inexcusable? When focusing on Euripides intent one might see that: Euripides made Medea herselt choose to murder ner chi Idren as the hurtful part of her revenge against Jason. It perhaps sounds at first as if this might tell in favor of the idea that Euripides was hostile to women. But in fact it turns out to have quite the opposite result, because of the way Euripides treats his material Euripides has created this new Medea who chooses to kill her own children. He condemnation the murderous deed: shows us with painful insight and utterly without mind of the woman who has the ability to do such a the torment before the final decision, the ultimate grief, and, here in he final scene, the inevitable results. Medea is now finally untouched, untouchable by human hands and by human emotions (March 35-36; 43). By this evidence it would appear that Euripides has molded a woman for women. Unfortunately, while the presentation of this piece could certainly cause a discomfort among male audience members, it equally might encourage greater suspicion and scorn by males of females. Euripides Medea questioned prevailing norms and beliefs, primarily those of the heroic masculine ethic, though perhaps at the expense of women, and not in their support. The meaning of Euripides words cannot be eciphered simply by picking and choosing sections of the play to analyze. To understand his intent there is the need to understand the totality of the narrative as well as the audience he wrote for. Playing to a primarily male audience, Euripides does not introduce Medea immediately but has the chorus and nurse tell of her first, giving the audience a misconception of Just how much power the woman holds. In fact supported by Medeas cries of anguish heard offstage she is first represented as emotional and submissive. By Euripides authorial intent, he lulls the audience into a state of pity here there should be fear. Skillfully contrived is the choral passage in which we first hear the agonized voice of Medea from offstage. If we had been prepared to see a woman of monstrous power and witchery, a being of preternatural passion and resource, we are deceived (Musurillo 54). Medea is first painted as nothing other than what you would expect of a woman, a merit of pity though not empathy, however when first seen she shifts to reasonable and calculating. Returning to analyis of her first speech, one can more deeply apply what she is saying to her situation. Her eloquent first speech on the wrongs of women deceptively applies only in part to herself. For Medea is far from the passive victim of marriage and masculine brutality that she claims to be (McDermott 259). Within the world of the play Medeas deception makes sense in winning the approval of the chorus, however to spectators the mismatch of her words to her situation carries a different meaning. It paints a new picture and a new woman who is willing to exaggerate and lie in order to achieve her goals. It becomes clearer as the play progresses that Euripides initial ortrayal of Medea serves as a baseboard for growth from helpless to dangerous, parallel to the audience reaction as it stems from pity to loathing. An ancient Athenian audience would have found little to no fault in Jasons actions, by a public standard, Jason satisfied his marital obligation toward Medea and returned favor for favor by bringing her to Greece (Walsh 295). This leaves it to Medeas character to be the cause of any unsettlement. Her ultimate action of killing her children, makes her most territying, tor sne is not a victim and not vulnerable†that is, not teminine†yet he has been identified as and with other women (Rabinowitz 132). With this information, only fear is struck by Medea in the name of women. Regardless of Euripides intent, proto-feminist, misogynist, or most likely of all neither, his audience rests at the wrathful hands of a powerful woman, but empathy is unlikely. It is important however, to take into account various audiences beyond simply that of Euripides time. A present audience interprets a performance of Medea much differently than ancient Greeks would have and there are countless Medea inspired adaptations which ancient Greeks never had the chance to experience. It is these productions and these audiences that are next to be studied on the road to feminism. To approach from another end of the spectrum, a drastically different style of performance than that of western culture may be studied. Carol Sorgenfrei provides this with her 1975 work, Medea: A Noh Cycle Based on the Greek Myth. Noh theatre, like many traditional Japanese theatre forms, prioritizes stylization above realism in performance, a practice that aligns well with a myth of murder and revenge. The stylization draws away from the brutal acts, allowing the audience a chance to accept Medea for her motives instead of unquestionably condemning her. By adhering to the structure of Noh, Sorgenfrei creates a world where time, place, and gender are transcended in favor of larger-than-life emotions and issues (Edelson 1). It is also worthy of note to state that Noh theatre is an all-male performance style (as it would have been in ancient Greece as well). One might take it upon themselves to understand by this knowledge that the theatre form is inherently sexist, yet, since the 1960 s, theater practitioners have drawn on these traditional forms to rediscover feminine and feminist messages (2). Furthermore the stylization and art that go into the intricacies of embodying a female are no Joke within the ritualistic practice. As denoted in the title, Sorgenfreis piece is a cycle play referring to the five different plays that would be performed in a traditional Noh performance. These plays are thematically based, in the order of God, Warrior, Woman, Frenzy, and Demon. Drawing inspiration from Noh style, Sorgenfreis Medea, develops the Medea myth through her plays five scenes, which progress through the different traditional categories despite the thematic linkage (2). As for the audience of this particular performance, it is no surprise that not only is it drastically different than that of Euripides and ancient Greece but also vastly different than that of Zeamis and the fifteenth century (the roots of Noh theatre). Sorgenfrei writes very consciously for a feminist audience in 1975. This retelling of the Medea myth from a female point of view in a beautifully feminine style of Japanese theatre, despite its male performance history, allocates the piece among cultural feminism, praising what is feminine while still acknowledging the differences among men and women. Feminine, however, is not the same as feminist. For that title we might analyze Medea in the fourth scene, the frenzy play, where Medea gives birth to herself as the Sun God. In one sense, the birth metaphor is emblematic of the mother/daughter bond, but its glorification of motherhood also implies that a womans self-fulfillment can best be attained by fulfilling her biological capabilities (Dolan 30). Seeing as Medea is a mother to herself though, it would appear that Sorgenfreis intent is that, birth is a metaphor tor revealing ones true selt, becoming oneselt, independent ot a partner or arents. Not only does Sorgenfreis Medea serve as the antithesis to the glorification of motherhood, but she also subverts the concept of birth as something that can be successfully and independently accomplished without the aid of man (Edelson 6). If this transformation is not convincing enough, then the transformation of Jasons character in the final demon play certainly thrusts the play into feminism. At this point in the cycle play Jason and the children reveal themselves as demons and, by displacing Medea and focusing solely on Jasons (and the childrens) transformation n Demon Play, Sorgenfrei forces the viewer to explore the cause of Medeas suffering instead of only investigating the effect of her actions (7). The audience, throughout Sorgenfreis production, due to the stylization of noh performance as well as the cycle transformations, is able to question Medeas past and her motives instead of assuming the worst from the start. Sorgenfreis as well as many other variations of Medeas tale open the doors to inquiry for viewers. As performances vary, so does the message of femininity, but it really comes down to the character herself and the motivation behind her actions. If her strength is solely for the sake of revenge then women lose merit, however if she acts in defiance to a patriarchal society she is a voice for feminism. In studying the woman we might discover hints as to whether or not she, as a character, is a feminist. The obvious first argument is that feminism is not an option for Medea as a character. The time period in which she is set in the play and in which her character was created do not allow such a term. However, for the sake of this paper and staying true to the idea that characters never die, it is now assumed that she is still alive oday and thus feminism exists. Now, to discover whether Medea is a feminist or not it seems vital to set aside any notions of her being simply a victim of patriarchy. To see her only as such is to exclude very important aspects of her character which tie her to humanity. It is her darkness that is relatable and takes her beyond a pitiable subject to be observed. It is the independence throughout her struggles that makes her more than two dimensions. Medea is a compelling character. Through plays, films, operas, paintings and novels, we have heard her story told again and again and e remain fascinated by her. Our fascination is not without reason, for Medea brings us face to face with darkness that lurks within anyone and catastrophe that can befall any marriage. We watch and listen to her because she speaks to us of ourselves (Fuller 3). Her story is not uncommon, the betrayal of a spouse and the desire for revenge. This theme can be found reinterpreted within films such as War of the Roses and The First Wives Club. Both embody the spirit of Medea, the story of a woman who gives up everything for a man only to be left for a younger woman. So it s seen that the character lives and changes as time passes. What these film adaptations lack is the darkness that individualizes Medea and the accumulation of this darkness to the point of murdering her children. However, this theme too may be found in literature such as La Llarona and even in history such as the Andrea Yates trial. Its clear that Medea, even in her darkness, is an influence to art and to life, but another question rises in this darkness. By throwing her maternal nature aside does she also discredit the female race or does the strength it takes to murder ones own hildren become commendable? Motive is the question at hand and Medea does nerselt no tavors at tirst glance . The decision to murder ner children in return tor the joy she will receive in witnessing Jasons anguish gives Medea little respectability. It is precisely at this point, where rage and pain and revenge come together, that Medea creates a problem for feminism (5). She flaunts her immorality, showing no remorse whatsoever for her actions. While it is admirable of a woman to overcome her situation, Medeas display of heartlessness after the fact of murdering her hildren leaves her alone, independent, and selfish. On the other hand it is so difficult to grasp the understanding of killing a child and the action is so inconsistent with Medeas prior feminism. Her original revenge was upon Creon, Jason, and his bride. It is reasonable to consider based off this knowledge that Medeas hand was moved by the authorial intent of Euripides rather than by her own will. Perhaps this was essential though, perhaps with a loss of darkness comes a loss of complexity and then what need would there be to discover why this troubled woman acted as she did. There would be no question of her feminist nature because there would be no care. A last note on Medea herself, she is not human, at least not fully. She is a mythical creature who by the end of the tale is taken into the sky by a chariot. So, take into account the action that takes place within other greek myths, birth from Zeus thigh, rape by Zeus in the form of a swan (among other animals). By these mythological standards is child murder something that can be Judged by mankind? By keeping in mind that Medea has a part of the divine within her, her actions become less of an atrocity and more of a symbol. Seen in this light, that Medeas are not the acts of a literal person but rather are symbolic, the child murders then become more understandable (11). Her children too then become a symbol of her marriage which is destroyed and thus the children must be destroyed. Seldom do women, let alone feminists, act out so much as to murder their children over the betrayal of their husbands, but divorces and custody battles do not stray too far from it. Medeas actions, when taken literally, may be unforgivable by a feminist society, but symbolically she hits right on target. Children become the battleground for the arents rage and disappointment and most often they are the collateral damage in the marital wars (13). Medea lives on, struggles on with a voice unafraid to speak out against the wrongs done to her. This is the voice that feminists cling to while they avoid acknowledgement of the rash action of murder. When it comes down to it though, Medea is studied because she is relatable, darkness and all. In order for a woman to know herself, she must come to terms with her own capacity for darkness, rage, and power and this is what Medea has to offer. There has yet to be an adaptation in hich she experiences the same pain and anger without the result of destruction, but maybe that is the standing lesson. Medea continues to struggle because women continue to struggle and as women evolve so shall she as she has before. In order to stand for women, it is not essential to be a model woman, only to continue on in the struggle, to continue fighting, and so she does.