The Power Struggle at the Occidental Child Development Essay -- Ethnog

The Power Struggle at the Occidental Child Development I have conducted ethnographic research at the Occidental Child Development Center where I have spent many hours participating and observing with the children of the center. I am not an outsider to this center, because I have been working with this particular bunch of children for a year, so I am well accepted when I asked to join in the games with the children. The center has a total 45 preschool students aging from 2-5 years old and seven staff members and five student workers. Throughout my research the director, teachers, and my fellow student workers accompanied me at all times, however I have not included all 45 children and all eight staff members. I have narrowed my research and included observations where children practice more power over other children, an example of personal agency, and an example of the family oriented atmosphere. To protect the anonymity of the children I have observed I have labeled the children according to their classroom and sex. In the following ethnography I refer to the Hungry Caterpillars, the Busy Bees, and the Terrific Tigers. The school is broken down into three classrooms according to the child’s age and skills. The two year-olds are the Hungry Caterpillars (HC), the three year-olds are the Busy Bees (BB), and the four year-olds are the Terrific Tigers (TT). The children are aware of their classroom names and often refer to them when addressing others or themselves. I must make a note that some of the children are held back because they lack certain skills they need before they can move onto the next classroom so I have also included the age of the children to clarify for the reader. One might think that this affe... ...ing to the Western notion that marks children as incompetent adults. I believe it would be valuable for ethnographers to use feminist methodologies to help redefine this Western notion of childhood, and give the children a chance to speak for themselves. References Chin, Elizabeth. Feminist Theory and the Ethnography of Children’s Worlds: Barbie in New Haven, Connecticut. Gailey, Christine Ward. â€Å"Feminist Methods† Ch. 6 in Bernard, H. Russell Ed. Handbook of Methods In Cultural Anthropology. London: A Division of Sage Pub, Inc. Leavitt, Robin. Power and Emotion in Toddler-Infant Day Care. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1994. Rosaldo, Michelle Zimbalist, â€Å"Woman, Culture, and Society: A Theoretical Overview†, in Lamphere, Louise & Rosaldo, Michelle Zimbalist, Ed. Woman, Culture, and Society. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press. 1974.

Musical Style and Innovations of Beethoven Essay

Musical Style and Innovations Beethoven is viewed as a transitional figure between the Classical and Romantic eras of musical history. Above all, his works distinguish themselves from those of any prior composer through his creation of large, extended architectonic structures characterized by the extensive development of musical material, themes, and motifs, usually by means of â€Å"modulation†, that is, a change in the feeling of the home key, through a variety of keys or harmonic regions. Although Haydn’s later works often showed a greater fluidity between distant keys, Beethoven’s innovation was the ability to rapidly establish a solidity in juxtaposing different keys and unexpected notes to join them. This expanded harmonic realm creates a sense of a vast musical and experiential space through which the music moves, and the development of musical material creates a sense of unfolding drama in this space. In this way Beethoven’s music parallels the simultaneous development of the novel in literature, a literary form focused on the life drama and development of one or more individuals through complex life circumstances, and of contemporaneous German idealism’s philosophical notion of self, mind, or spirit that unfolds through a complex process of contradictions and tensions between the subjective and objective until a resolution or synthesis occurs in which all of these contradictions and developmental phases have been resolved or encompass ed in a higher unity. Beethoven continued to expand the â€Å"development† section of works, extending a trend in the works of Haydn and Mozart, who had dramatically expanded both the length and substance of instrumental music. As Beethoven’s major immediate predecessors and influences, he looked to their harmonic and formal models for his own works. However, both Mozart and Haydn placed the great weight of a musical movement in the statement of ideas called the exposition, for Beethoven the development section of a sonata form became the heart of the work. Beethoven was able to do this by making the development section not merely longer, but also more structured. The very long development section of the Eroica Symphony, for example, is divided into four roughly equal sections, making it, in effect, a sonata form within a sonata form. The first movement alone of this symphony is as long as an entire typical Italian-style Mozart symphony from the 1770s. His focus on the development would, like others of his innovations, set a trend that later composers would follow. Although Beethoven wrote many beautiful and lyrical melodies, another radical innovation of his music, compared especially to that of Mozart and Haydn, is his extensive use of forceful, marked, and even stark rhythmic patterns throughout his compositions and, in particular, in his themes and motifs, some of which are primarily rhythmic rather than melodic. Some of his most famous themes, such as those of the first movements of the Third, Fifth, and Ninth symphonies, are primarily non-melodic rhythmic figures consisting of notes of a single chord, and the themes of the last movements of the Third and Seventh symphonies could more accurately be described as rhythms rather than as melodies. This use of rhythm was particularly well suited to the primacy of development in Beethoven’s music, since a single rhythmic pattern can more easily than a melody be taken through a succession of different, even remote, keys and harmonic regions while retaining and conveying an underlying unity. This allowed him to combine different features of his themes in a wide variety of ways, extending the techniques of Haydn in development (see Sonata Form). He also continued another trend – towards larger orchestras – that went on until the first decade of the 20th century, and moved the center of the sound downwards in the orchestra, to the violas and the lower register of the violins and cellos, giving his music a heavier and darker feel than Haydn or Mozart. Gustav Mahler modified the orchestration of some of Beethoven’s music — most notably the 3d and 9th symphonies — with the idea of more accurately expressing Beethoven’s intent in an orchestra that had grown so much larger than the one Beethoven used: for example, doubling woodwind parts to compensate for the fact that a modern orchestra has so many more strings than Beethoven’s orchestra did. Needless to say, these efforts remain controversial. In his Fifth Symphony Beethoven introduced a striking motif, drawn from a late Haydn symphony, in the very opening bar, which he echoed in various forms in all four movements of the symphony . This is the first important occurrence of cyclic form. He was also fond of making usual what had previously been unusual: in the Fifth Symphony, instead of  using a stately minuet, as had been the norm for the â€Å"dance† movement of a four-movement work, he created a dark march, which he used as the third movement and ran into the fourth without interruption. While one can point to previous works which had one or more of these individual features, his music, combined with the use of operatic scoring that he learned from Mehul and Cherubini, created a work which was altogether novel in effect – too novel, in fact, for some critics of the time. On the other hand, his contemporary Spohr found the finale â€Å"too baroque†, though he praised the second movement as being in â€Å"good Romantic style†. His Ninth Symphony included a chorus and solo voices in the 4th movement for the first time, and made extensive use of fugues, which were generally considered to be a different form of music, and again unusual in symphonies. He wrote one opera, Fidelio. It has been said that he wrote beautiful vocal music without regard for the limitations of human singers, treating the voice as if it were a symphonic instrument – even though his conversation books note his desire to make his music singable and include references that indicate that he had remembered his father’s singing lessons. Beethoven’s development and works are typically divided into three periods: an early period in which his works show especially the influence of Mozart and Haydn; a middle, mature period in which he developed his distinctive individual style, sometimes characterized as â€Å"heroic†; and a late period, in which he wrote works of a highly evolved, individuated, sometimes fragmented and unorthodox style sometimes characterized as â€Å"transcendent† and â€Å"sublime†, where he tried to combine the baroque ideas of Handel and Bach with his icons Mozart and Haydn. In his late years he called Handel â€Å"my grand master†. In contrast to Mozart, he labored heavily over his work, leaving intermediate drafts that provide considerable insight into his creative process. Early drafts of his Ninth Symphony used rough vertical marks on the score in place of actual notes, to indicate the structure he had in mind for the melody. Studies of his sketch books show the working out of dozens of variations on a particular theme, changing themes to fit with an overall structure that evolved over time, and extensive sketching of counter-melodies.

A Look At Greek Lyric Poetry And John Cage Essay

Music goes beyond language barriers; it speaks no language but that of the heart. However, like all art forms it has tenets and principles as to what is good music and what is simply noise. How about when artists claim that their works are music when it seems that these are perceived to be avant garde, not the kind of music that dominates the cultural period and worse, does not come from tradition? This paper seeks to take a look at the music in Hellenistic Greece, in particular a lyric by one of its known muses, Sappho, with her only surviving complete work, Ode to Aphrodite, and compare it with what is considered to be experimental composition from John Cage, his 4’33†. Both pieces were meant to be performed – although how these are performed also raised questions. Ancient Greece is revered to be a center of learning, where arts and culture flourished. It was one of the places where the earliest treatises on the different art forms were written, and they were keen to what constituted good and bad art, giving raise even to debates as to what is the function of art. Plato was known to promote the arts that will inspire people’s thinking, not their emotions, for he considered human emotions a weakness, and also because during that time musical scales developed from the study of the harmony in the universe, the mathematical equations used by the Pythagoreans (Henderson, 1957). It was because of this that he did not approve of the poets’ lyrics, because it deviated from the musical modes they were used to and relied on what sounded good to the ear, making music became accessible to the people (Anderson, 1966). Sappho was one of those poets whose lyric poetry when sung communicated the love and sensuality it contained, as with her work Ode to Aphrodite, deviating from their traditionally highly mathematically composed melodies where people were supposed to be quiet and listen to rigidly, for her lyric love poems were made to be felt and inspire emotion. In this way, Sappho, and her contemporary poets at the time helped create a turn for Greek music. Like Sappho, John Cage contributed to music with his compositions, characterized as avant-garde especially his chance pieces. However, his work that challenged perceptions and definition of music is his notorious 4’33†, a piece where for four minutes and thirty-three seconds the orchestra plays nothing. John Cage wrote this piece when he realized that there will always be sound, and deliberately wrote â€Å"Tacet†, to instruct the musician not to play. What Cage wanted for the audience to hear was the different sounds that occur during the interval the piece is played – all the various sounds that one does not pay attention to because they listen to something else. This is different from silence, unless the figuratively the sound of silence, since Cage’s point was that there is always sound if one listens intently (Cage, 1973). Both Sappho and Cage’s music differed from one another in that Sappho was expressing herself through her poetry, while Cage was making the listener turn to his environment. Although created in different environment and cultures, both musical pieces can be interpreted in a personal way, making it a unique experience. Sappho’s Ode to Aphrodite can mean something else to a modern listener than it used to in ancient Greece, and of course Cage’s 4’33† would always conjure something unique for each individual. What this shows us is that although music is made in a certain era, it can transcend the boundaries of time as long as it resonates with what is human and universal, as an appreciation for the sounds around us and those that speak of love, and that although music is governed by principles of what makes it good, it will always be a matter of personal experience. SOURCES: Anderson, W. (1966). Ethos and Education in Greek Music. Cambridge, HUP. Cage, John. (1973). Silence: Lectures and Writings, Wesleyan Paperback. Henderson, Isobel (1957). â€Å"Ancient Greek Music† in The New Oxford History of Music, vol. 1: Ancient and Oriental Music,† Oxford, Oxford University Press. http://homoecumenicus. com/ioannidis_ancient_greek_texts. htm, Accessed on June, 15, 2009. http://www. greylodge. org/occultreview/glor_013/433. htm , Accessed on June 15, 2009.

America’s First Black President

America’s First Black President Years of terror and war brought Americans of all ethnicities to believed that a time for change had come; change came in the form of two minorities who had the ability and desire to revitalize a country that had been burdened with doubt and financial frailty. Times have changed, race is still controversy topic, but due to programs like Affirmative Action and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, minorities are stepping up to take places of power in our country. African Americans are no longer the disadvantaged citizens they once were considered to be, the media, internet and entertainment industries have evolved the thinking of Americans leading to the social acceptance of African Americans and other minority groups. Americans’ have elected their first minority President and he won’t be the last. After 43 Presidential elections Americans made history by elected their 44th President, in 2008 Barack Obama, an African American man, was nominated and elected President of the United States. Obama was not the first African American to run for the honored position as United States President, the honor of the first African American who ran for this position belongs to a woman. In 1968, as a Democratic Party nomination for Presidency, Shirley Chisholm of New York made history by running not only being the first African American woman to run for President. She was followed by Jesse Jackson who ran for President in 1984 and 1988 and Lenora Fulani who also ran in 1988. In 2004, Carol Mosely Braun and Minister Al Sharpton also ran as Democratic Party candidates for United States President. The only African American Republican to run for President has been Alan Keys, he ran in 1996 and 2000. Obama faces criticism for not being ‘black enough' even though anyone with even a small percentage of African American blood is considered, mixed blood has never before kept a man from being considered ‘black’ until the chance of a ‘black man’ being elected President became probable. For example, historical evidence has shown that Warren G. Harding the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 1923 was an ‘octoroon' passing as white, with one African-American great-grandparent. Evidence of his mixed ancestry and the efforts to cover it up by his family because in the 1920’s even a hint of African American ancestry would have ruined his political career. Obviously even an individual with a smaller percentage of African American blood than President Barack Obama have been deemed ‘black enough’ for it to ruin their careers so claims that President Obama isn’t black enough are unfounded and just another attempt to belittle and criticize a black man for attempting to be great. African American have desired to lead their country for half a century, their country however, wasn’t ready for a minority leader until the state affairs became a mockery that was questioned by both it’s citizens and foreign allies. Some say that President Obama was the least qualified of all major candidates in both parties and the farthest to the left; with absolutely no military experience and no foreign policy experience. If this is true, then the question that begs to be answered is what prompted Americans to elect him as their President. Is the war on terror the only contributing factor that resulted in the election of an African American man as President of a country who historically only elected married Christian white middle aged males as their President or did the power of the media and youth lead to this victory? No, the war on terror is not what determined the 44th President of the United States. President Obama’s landmark victory was due, in part, to a groundswell of support among young Americans; he won nearly 70% of the vote among young Americans under 25. Unlike the African American who ran in the past President Obama had the media in his corner; the internet with social networking sites like Facebook and Youtube had significant impact on each candidate’s ability to garner voters support. With 2 million American supporters on Facebook and over 1500 video’s on YouTube about Barack Obama, it’s no wonder that his name and face was recognizable by so many. When Barack Obama first announced his candidacy, many said that America was not ready to elect a black president and that he could not garner the votes necessary to defeat first the Democratic favorite, Hillary Clinton, and later John McCain in a nationwide election. Understanding the power of the media and influence American youth who are taking more active roles in politics is how President Barack Obama and his team managed to accomplish the difficult task of getting an African American elected as President. Debaters still argue whether that American’s first African American President is qualified for his role or not; the fact remains that whether he is ready or not his is President and has a duty to do his best just as the Presidents before him have done. Race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation should not have any bearings on the qualification of a presidential candidate; the fact that these characteristic do have influence the perception of a person’s ability proves that America hasn’t come as far as many minorities would hope for. Shunryu Suzuki says â€Å"Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. † A change has been made, it’s up to American citizens to accept that minorities are no longer minorities; men and women of every race, religion and sexual orientation know that in electing an African American as President we are one step closer to genuine equality in all Americans.

Business Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law - Research Paper Example The best answer for this question is found in the Massachusetts Constitution, which states that all people must have equal dignity, and rights, which means that it does not allow development of second-class citizens. However, the Commonwealth and the Department of Public Health denies civil marriage of same-sex couples. Therefore, the ultimate aim of this context is to outline the case that was held at Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts concerning same-sex marriage (Kiritsy 12). The paper also argues and supports the majority opinion, which represents judicial activism. Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Suffolk, November 18, 2003 On November 18 2003, there was a case filed by same-sex couples who alleged that they were deprived their rights to acquire a marriage license by the department and Commissioner of Public Health. The couple claimed that the department policy and observation refused to give them the marriage license, which was violation of several stipulations of State Constitution. The case was very complicated and to make judgment was a big dilemma (Vermont Public Radio 43). The superior court department had a cross-motion for judgment and eventually Thomas E. Connolly, J., summarized the case for Department but the plaintiffs appealed. The Supreme Court granted the requests of the parties for direct appellate evaluation and the ultimate opinion by Marshall, C.J, was that: The decree of marriage license were not vulnerable of interpretation therefore, same sex couples qualified to obtain marriage license As a matter of initial reaction, snagging of benefits, protections and compulsion of opposite sexes needed rational foundation and infringed state constitutional equal protection rights. The judgment by the Supreme Court was controversial in a way that some prominent people concurred with it while others differed. Greaney, J., was one of the few people who concurred with it while majority differed. For instance, Spina, J. disagreed with th e judgment and was joined by Cordy, JJ. Sosman also opposed it and was joined by Cordy and Spina while Cordy disputed against the issue of marriage in the case (Foderaro 161). Therefore, since the people who dissented with the judgment represented the judicial activism, it is clear that the activism were the majority in the case. In other words, majority of the people were against the issue of same-sex marriage licensing among them being the Commonwealth and Department of Public Health. In order to understand why majority of opinion represented judicial activism, it is important to understand the aspect of marriage. The Marriage Issue The decree of marriage licensing is both a public records and gatekeeping decree, which lays down minimum requirements for acquiring a marriage license and guides town and city clerks, the department of public health and the registrar to remain and maintain some crucial records of civil marriages. M.G.L.A. c. 207,  §Ã‚ § 19, 20. If the Department of Public Health and Commonwealth were against same-sex marriage and they are the same people who are issued with the qualifications of marriage license, then it means that the judgment was indeed wrong (Katie 111). The judgment was based on the Massachusetts constitution, which supports same-sex marriage, but it

Advanced strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advanced strategic management - Essay Example This essay is a critical evaluation of an organization facing a problem associated with a strategic issue. It focuses on Woolworths Group Plc. which is a renowned organization dealing with entertainment and media in the United Kingdom. The risks associated with focusing and directing most of the resources on improvement of operational effectiveness. Potential avenues for addressing this problem have been discussed focusing on the various techniques and models available, including the regression and the time series models. The organization expanded rapidly since its establishment in 1909, leading to expansion in foreign markets for its entertainment products. It began going global in its operations, initially establishing in Liverpool and later expanding in the whole of the UK. By 2001, the company entered the London stock exchange after it broke off from its merger with Kingfisher Plc. The organization had been doing well in its recovery strategies, mainly focused on doing away with the huge amounts of stock that was in excess as well as offsetting the debts acquired while it was in a merger with Kingfisher. The management had to be strengthened. The organizational performance rose considerably since 2001 (Johnson et al 2004 p 66). The organization was focused on improving its operational effectiveness through approaches aimed on reinforcement of infrastructure, whereby there were improvements in managing stocks, and the supply chain. Other aspects of operational effectiveness included reduction of suppliers and improvements in branding. More offices were bought in order to bring better services to customers in foreign markets such as Hong Kong (Johnson et al 2004 p 67). The organization also focused on product improvement, a factor that improved its competitive advantage in the short run. It established two operation lines, whereby according to Johnson et al, it had a woolies arm for retail while on the other

International Business Management UNIT4DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Business Management UNIT4DB - Essay Example If companies like Boeing and Volkswagen would go along with China's terms it brings benefits for both China and international companies. Globalization of trade opens new opportunities for MNEs to compete on the global market. In this case, the international organization must be responsive to change through people employed by it and new environment it operates. Without cooperation and information interchange, many foreign companies will fail to perform successfully in China. On the other hand, International Business Studies and International Human Resource Management are the main fields of research which make information available for a wide target audience. Contemporary developments in the field of IHRM suggest that if Chinese companies learn modern management skills from non-Chinese companies and acquire technology it create great opportunities for both parties and help them to overcome national differences and cultural diversity. The main problem is that modern management skills is truly international and used by many companies around the world. On the one hand, contemporary developments in the field of IHRM "incor porate the broader contextual reality" (Schuler et al 2002:.43).