Ethinicity And American Culture Essay Example for Free

Ethinicity And American Culture Essay The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1850 was signed between the American government and the interim government of the military occupied Mexico which resulted in the end of the Mexican-American War. This was intended to bring peace in the disputed territory and the end result was that Mexico ceded a large territory to the United States and its size was reduced by forty-five percent. The land Mexico ceded to the U. S. is now a number of states: Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. The military government in Mexico received fair compensation for the territory. The treaty of Guadalupe paved the way for the way for the immigration of Mexicans especially workers to the U. S. this was necessitated by the United States’ need for labor to develop the newly acquired territory. Immigration patterns have been determined by American manual labor needs. The Immigration Process The immigration of Mexicans to the U. S. began soon after the territory was surrendered, the U. S. government sought labor from Mexico to build the railroad which was to connect all the new territory to the other states. Between 1850 and 1880 the U. S. government brought in 55,000 migrant workers from Mexico into the former Mexican territories to work on the railroad. The government preferred Mexican laborers because they were not entitled to any constitutional protection and they could work for substandard wages in the harsh conditions. The process of immigration began to peak up speed in 1910 when the Mexican revolution took place. After the revolution, more then 50,000 Mexican workers immigrated to the U. S. in search of jobs which they felt were better than those available in their home country. Changes over Time Change in the immigration process began to take shape in 1929 when American citizens massively complained that the illegal workers were taking up their job. The government responded by launching major crackdown on immigrants who did not posses the relevant immigration documents. This resulted in the forceful deportation of over two million Mexican of which about one and a half million had been born in the U. S. this was harsh as those born in the U. S. were therefore citizens by birth. The U. S however found itself in a tight spot when it got in World War II in 1942 which elicited the need for Mexican workers. The U. S. acted quickly to remedy the situation by getting into an agreement with Mexican officials and this was known as the Bracero program. Under the program guest Mexican workers would be allowed to enter the U. S. and provide labor on a temporary basis though they would not be afforded the labor protections accorded to their U. S. counterparts. The program run through out the period of World War II and went on up to 1964 as major Corporations had pulled string to ensure that the laborers continued to work as they wanted to cash in on the cheap labor. Since 1964 there was what has been referred to as an unspoken agreement between the undocumented workers, Corporations and the government. The government has intentionally failed to implement border regulations after being lobbied by major corporations which benefit highly from the labor if the immigrants. Though the agreement has been said to benefit all the parties which is utterly false as the immigrant workers are subjected to poor living conditions, are paid substandard wages and do not enjoy the protection of labor unions or practices. In 1986 three million undocumented Mexican-American workers were granted amnesty by the Reagan administration and this consequently made them subject to human rights protections, (Borjas National Bureau of Economic Research, 2007). Effect on Chicano Movement The Chicano movement was vastly affected by the immigration of undocumented as they were not officially recognized by the U. S. government. This meant that they did not enjoy constitutional protection like other American citizen and the movement’s job was harder as attempts at demanding for rights resulted in deportation. Mexican workers therefore did not seek the help of the movement as they fear that its intervention would result of their deportation, (Rosales, 2000). Conclusion The immigration of Mexican to the U. S. began with the need by the U. S. government to have cheap labor for building of a railroad through the territory acquired from Mexico in 1850. The immigration pattern has however been tied only to the manual labor needs of the U. S. as the government allows entry of undocumented Mexican workers when they are in dire need of cheap manual labor like during World War II. The pattern is also evident from the push and pull debate that rages on the undocumented workers. Reference Borjas, G. J. National Bureau of Economic Research. (2007). Mexican Immigration to the United States. Chicago? : University of Chicago Press. Rosales, F. A. (2000). Testimonio: A Documentary History of the Mexican-American Struggle for Civil Rights. Houston: Arte Publico Press. ESSAY TWO Some historians describe the Civil Rights Movement as a two-phase process of a southern movement to guarantee basic human rights and a northern movement focused on economic and social inequalities. In an essay, which incorporates lecture, readings and class discussion analyze this process. Introduction The Civil Rights Movement sought reform in the way the American society treated African Americans and it sought to change the perception. The movement originated in the urban areas of the south after large numbers of African Americans migrated from the rural areas and this was after the abolishment of slavery. The American Civil Rights Movement faced a number of challenges in its quest for equal civil rights for African Americans and other minority groups. This came in the form of legislation which promoted the injustices committed against African Americans by white Americans. The movement was therefore forced to employ different strategies and tactics so as to have its voice and that of its people heard. The movement suffered major losses in the road to the eventual attainment of those rights. The Civil Rights Movement refers to a reform movement of African Americans which sought to attain equal civil rights under the law for all people. It sought to have the abolishment of both public and private acts of discrimination and segregation against African Americans. The movement is said to have originated in the southern urban areas when millions of African Americans migrated from rural areas to the urban centers of the south. The Civil Rights Movement employed various strategies which included: nonviolent strikes, civil disobedience, marches, boycotts, protests rallies and freedom rides. The movement therefore focused on disenfranchisement and the Jim Crow laws in the south. The Civil Rights Movement in the south can be said to have been the most intense as it was in the south that African Americans faced the greatest resistance to their attempts to struggle for equal rights. The south had become the most notorious when it came to the suppression of rights of African Americans. The laws in the south permitted or required four acts of discrimination against African Americans. They included voter suppression or disfranchisement, denial of economic opportunities, private acts and mass racial violence and racial segregation which was first upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court decision in 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. It was also in the south that most of the milestone events in the civil rights movement took place in the south which included the: Martin Luther king Jr. assassination, march on Selma, Alabama, Mississippi freedom summer and the Montgomery bus boycott. The south was also home of some of the most important literature to come out of the Civil Rights Movement like Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham jail. It also home to important Civil Rights Movement landmarks like the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site. The latter also house a museum which chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement. The challenges of the movement in south emanated from the legislature passing of the Jim Crow laws which legalized segregation in all public facilities. This law meant that African Americans and other non-white citizens were designated different facilities this includes: lavatories, buses, restaurants, housing establishments among others. These went on to be adopted by most local government across the country and this turned to be a major challenge to the Civil Rights Movement. It was the successes of the Civil Rights Movement in the south which made life better for African Americans all over the United States. The civil rights movement culminated in the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 but of which were a clear symbol of the success of the Civil Rights Movement, (Williams Bond, 1988). Conclusion Despite the major challenges the American civil Rights Movement faced, it managed to succeed in its cause because of its strategies, sacrifices and it resilience. Some of the sacrifices the movement had to contend with included the loss of one of its leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was assassinated. Though this was a major blow the movement managed to remain resilient and it was rewarded with the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965 respectively. The fact that most of the Civil Rights Movement events took place in the south does not mean that the northern part of the country was not involved as activities like the march on Washington took place in the north. The march was the venue for famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. The civil rights movement therefore came along way to achieve success. Reference Williams, J. , Bond, J. (INT) (1988). Eyes on the Prize: Americas Civil Rights Years, 1954- 1965. ISBN 0833514318, 9780833514318: Bt Bound

Philip Pearlstein Two Models with Blow-Up Chair & Salvador Dali Essay Example for Free

Philip Pearlstein Two Models with Blow-Up Chair Salvador Dali Essay Through the development of art, the fascination of the female body has been a main motif. It is Venus, Roman Goddess of love who has intrigued the artist, and held their attention for well over a few centuries. She has been not only Venus, but also Aphrodite (the Greek Goddess of Love), she has been Mary, mother of Christ in Gothic tradition and she had been found in the countless faces of women depicted by Picasso, Monet, Degas, Warhol (for isn’t Monroe a goddess? ). The link in these references is that this goddess, whomever she is, is holding the fascination of male artist. This is not to say that female artists have not taken up the trend which she invokes, but the purpose here is to discover how differently she is seen through their eyes in comparison with male visions of ‘love’. Pearlstein’s innovation in completing this project is one of Modernism, mixed with Realism. Pearlstein paints an oil painting of two females. They appear plastic wrapped within the canvas due to the severe highlights Pearlstein applies to both of their bodies. They lay beside each other, one on the chair the other next to the chair, and they both appear to be asleep. These two models or Venus’ are full frontal nude. The viewer is unable to see if they are ashamed or not from their faces because one of them is hiding her face and the other one’s head extends beyond the canvas (this is a trademark of Pearlstein). Though both Venus’ are or appear asleep they are active with the coloring and highlights which Pearlstein has seen fit to attribute to them. The line of light glares down the frontal figures body, highlighting the left breast, the stomach wrinkles and over the curves of both of the legs. This mimics the curves and highlights given to the plastic chair which she ‘sleeps’ upon. The other model fades into the background, yet still has that tiny shot of highlight upon the same appendages and other body parts which the first Venus had on her. The interesting item in this painting is that there are two female figures being painted. This is coupled with the fact that here too, like all the ones before it, Venus is apathetic, or at best the viewer is unable to tell what she (they) are feeling. Never mind the composition, Venus is still without a ‘voice’ in this painting. Through the very brief glimpse of feminine fecundity, and pulchritude, Venus remains elusive, and stoic. It has taken the art movement of the 20th century to see the full force of Venus. She has, with the help of female artists, broken her silence. In Dali’s oil on canvas The Persistence of Memory (1913) the theme of paranoia is persistent in this dreamscape. The distortion of the piece exudes a frightening use of spatial mobility and form. Surrealism is a way in which the expression of fantasy can be forthcoming in the world of Art. Dali exemplifies this notion in his use of foreground and background shapes and the pure psychic automatism which is symbolized in the clocks. Dali’s focus in this work is mainly about freedom; although the context of this work is based on paranoia and the weightiness of time the work is also free from previous constraints of other artistic movements in that it is not a painting dedicated to reason or moral purpose. Dali’s painting is that of a dream and reason becomes a series of disjointed objects in space; there is no rhyme in his work unless it is free verse; that is to say that there is no structure as prior to surrealism the viewer is used to seeing structure. Dali’s work often reflect what Virginia Woolf was so diligently experimenting with, which is unconscious writing or free narrative. Dali painted as though the conscious mind was sleeping, and that is why his paintings are so often reminiscent of dreams as Janson states, â€Å"The notion that adream can be transposed by ‘automatiatic handwriting; directly from the unconscious mind to the canvas, bypassing the conscious awareness of the artist, did not work in practice. Some degree of control was unavoidable. Nevertheless, Surrealism stimulated several novel techniques for soliciting and exploiting chance effects† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art 807) . Even the central figure in The Persistence of Memory is portrayed as though it were sleeping. The unfinished background is almost anachronistic with the foreground as it exhibits a cliff sliding off into a body of water. It seems as though Dali made the background on purpose to confuse the viewer since dreams are intended to be symbolic of personal meaning. The sky in the background also seems incomplete with no visible clouds but merely a color palette that drifts off into a sfumato haze. The background however is not what Dali wanted the viewer to be stricken with as a first impression. The central figure of the painting is unfinished as well. Dali painted an eyeball, and a nose and made no more attention to the rest of the figure. This feeling of incompleteness is unnerving and truly embodies the emotional state and perception of dreaming. The painting is purely inspired by that part of Dali’s unconscious mind. Although the painting exhibits that Dali used controlled in certain aspects of the work such as the use of diagonals, and linear shapes, but the overall impression of the painting lies within the angles, the objects and the general ambience of the piece. The clocks themselves prove to be unnerving both their positions and their lack of solid form, as though they are oozing across the plane in the foreground and the limb near the horizon of the painting, as well as across the half finished face. Another artistic ploy that Dali uses in The Persistence of Memory is his use of shadow; not merely darkness but the chiaroscuro so prevalent in the piece. This furthers the theory of this paper that Dali uses surrealism to tap into the unconscious and the dream world. Dali does the opposite in this painting of previous artists; he places the darkness in the foreground of the painting and the brightness in the background. This is symbolic because Dali wants to evoke to the audience that in the dream world the objects that are in front of the dreamer’s face are not always tangible but looming and undefined. In the background the objects are illuminated but this illumination does not add in defining the object because Dali here uses space to further illustrate his unconscious perspective; the objects in the background are too far away and cannot be seen. Thus, each part of the painting is uncomfortably defined. It is almost nonsensical; these objects of Dali’s in space without a coherent theme except for these persistence clocks. The clocks are the main meaning and focus of the painting and it is through these objects that the theory of this paper rests. The clocks present the theme of paranoia (as mentioned prior). Not only are they draped over the main objects in the foreground but their rendering is disconcerting. Each clock offers a different time, and one clock is closed so that the viewer cannot decipher its time. It is interesting that Dali did not distort the closed clock; it signifies a secret and further exemplifies the state of the dream world present in this painting; that is, the one clock that could offer a valid time is closed and unable to be seen by the painter, or the audience. The contention in the painting is that the central figure of the face is sleeping and is thus oblivious to the clocks, to time, to the unfinished landscape. That is the quintessential meaning of a dream; the sleeping figure is unaware to symbolism, to action, to time, and that is how Dali exudes incoherence in the dream world.

Party System in the US Analysis

Party System in the US Analysis NATURE OF THE PARTY SYSTEM This paper examines the nature of the party system in United States. This paper further identifies the reasons for the weaknesses of the American parties. The nature of the American party system is the two-party system. This is a party system whereby there are two dominant political parties that dominate the politics of a given state. Under the two party systems, one of the parties would hold a majority seat in the legislature. This party is referred to as the majority party (Wilkins Stark, 2011). On the other hand, the party that has fewer members in the legislature is normally referred to as the minority party. This concept of the two party systems has different meaning, depending on the type of the political system that a state has. For instance, under the presidential system of governance, it describes a situation whereby all elected officials belong to either one of the two dominant parties within the state. Third or more parties exist, but they rarely win an election (Hug, 2001). Because of these types of arrangements, a two party system normally leads to election rules such as a winner take all concepts. In a two party system, the chances of a candidate to win an elective post, for a major position are always difficult. However, these smaller parties have the capability of influencing the dominant parties that exists within the state. In contrast to a parliamentary system such as that of the United Kingdom, the two party system is an arrangement whereby two parties dominate an election, but there are the existence of other parties that win an election in their legislatures (Herrnson Green, 2002). The American politics is dominated by the Republicans, and the Democrats. Despite the dominance of these two parties, there is a third party referred to as the Tea Party. It is important to explain that the tea party does not dominate the American political system, and this is because its candidates have never won any American major political seat, such as the Presidency, or even a Governors position (Janiskee Masugi, 2007). The dominance of the Republicans and the Democrats in the American political system has existed for more than 100 years, where the Presidents are either elected from the Republican party, or from the Democrat Party. Currently, the American President is Barrack Obama, and he emanates from the Democrat Party. His predecessor was George Bush, who was elected from the Republican Party (Strangio Dyrenfurth, 2009). In as much as the Tea Party is not dominant, this party has the capability of influencing government policies, and the activities of the other two leading parties. On a specific note, the Tea Party has a considerable influence on the Republican Party. For instance, in 2013, the members of the Tea Party were able to collaborate with the Republicans for purposes of shutting down the government of President Obama. This is in their bid to oppose the health care policies that were being advocated by President Obama. Based on these facts therefore, we can denote that the nature of the American party system is the two party systems. The domination of the Republican Party and the Democrat Party, and the influence of a smaller party, the Tea Party, satisfies the definition of a two party system in a presidential system. A two party system has a number of advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of the American two party systems is the fact that they provide information that is easily understandable to the American voters. Through these actions, the two parties are able to create order in the political system, and this is through a representation of a wide political ideologies or philosophy of the party. For instance, in the 2012 elections, campaigns between Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, and the Democrat nominee, President Obama, the two candidates were able to present the ideologies and philosophies of their parties. The second advantage of the American party system, is that it gives a stable balance through the accommodation of various interests and opinions. The Republicans and the Democrats have different organs and interests groups within them, and therefore, these parties normally accommodate then interests of these groups. This is for purposes of receiving a wide support from them. Finally, the two party systems enable citizens of America to participate in the political process of the nation (Disch, 2002). This enables its citizens to take part in the process of governance, through the political system. This is unlike in China, where it is only the communist party that can take part in the governance process, and people cannot express their own opinion, rather than that of the party (Paulson, 2006). In a critique of the American two party systems, Baumgartner Jones (2009) explains that it plays a role in downplaying the emergence of alternative views, and it create the political competition to be less competitive. Furthermore, the American two party system manages to create a sense of voter apathy, and this is mainly because only two views are presented at the ballot box (Lye Hofmeister, 2011). This creates a perception that choices are limited, and hence it does not contribute to an extensive political debate within the country. Furthermore, the concepts of the winner takes it all, normally discourages other independent candidates from engaging in the political process. This is because if they lose elections, there is no way they would benefit. Bibby Maisel (2003) explains that because of the disadvantages of the two party system, there has been a weakening of the American political parties in the recent times. This is because power and money shifts from political organizations, to informal interest groups, and ad hoc committees. Furthermore, the emergence of grass root movements, and the decentralization of the structures of the party plays an influential role in the weakening of the parties (Lasser, 2012). Furthermore, the large amounts of money that are collected by candidates normally do not pass through the official structures of the party. This means that candidates are independent of the influences of the party, and this is because they are able to control their own campaign funds, instead of depending on the party for finances (Mckay, 2013). Furthermore, the American political system is populist, and this is because candidates are more concerned with their reputation with voters, as opposed to their reputation with the leadership of the party. Based on these facts, senators and congressmen normally vote against the interest of their parties, on most occasions. This is because most politicians normally seek to respond to the strong emotional feelings, of the public, in regard to particular or certain issues. Furthermore, American voters do not vote in blocks, and this means that they are likely to belong to the two dominant parties in the United States (Sartori Mair, 2005). Therefore, these voters are not easily influenced by powerful and influential political figures. However, candidates who have a strong grassroots support, and who have the capability of buying advertisement time, can play a significant role in influencing voters. Furthermore, money also plays a role in the weakening of the American political system. This is because candidates who have a lot of money can gain instant reputation, and make a name for them. Furthermore, a movement that has the capability of energizing the public, would manage to endorse its own for a political office. An example is the 2008 primaries between Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton, where Obama triumphed over the party establishment that were supporting Hillary Clinton (Valelly, 2013). Another example is the tea party victories in the senatorial primaries held by the Republican. This is an indication of the weakening of the Republican Party. Furthermore, the lack of a strong party structure is a factor that strongly contributes to the weakening of the American political parties (Welch, 2010). This is because parties have to look for donors to finance their campaigns, and this includes lobby groups, who can have a role in influencing the candidates to develop a policy that is advantageous to them. In conclusion, the nature of the American party system is the two party system. The political system is dominated by the Republicans and the Democrats. However, the current century has seen the weakening of the American parties. This is mainly because of the populist nature of the American political system, and a weak party structure that requires candidates to raise their own campaign money. This makes these candidates to be vulnerable to their donors, and mostly because they would be advocating for their interests. Furthermore, because of the populist nature of the American political system, candidates are not loyal to the party, but to the voters. This means that on most occasions, candidates would vote against the interests of their parties. This is because they want to gain a positive image that is attractive to their voters. The dominance of the Republicans and the Democrats parties has existed for more than 100 years, and this means that Presidents normally come from any of th e two parties identified. Bibliography: Top of Form BAUMGARTNER, F. R., JONES, B. D. (2009). Agendas and instability in American politics. Bottom of Form Top of Form BIBBY, J. F., MAISEL, L. S. (2003). Two parties-or more?: the American party system. Boulder, Colo, Westview Press. Top of Form DISCH, L. J. (2002). The tyranny of the two-party system. New York, Columbia University Press. Top of Form JANISKEE, B. P., MASUGI, K. (2007). Democracy in California: politics and government in the Golden State. Lanham, Md, Rowman Littlefield. Bottom of Form Top of Form HERRNSON, P. S., GREEN, J. C. (2002). Multiparty politics in America: prospects and performance. Lanham, MD, Rowman Littlefield. Top of Form HUG, S. (2001). Altering party systems: strategic behavior and the emergence of new political parties in Western democracies. Ann Arbor, Univ. of Michigan Press. Top of Form LASSER, W. (2012). Perspectives on American politics. Boston, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Bottom of Form Top of Form LYE, L. F., HOFMEISTER, W. (2011). Political parties, party systems, and democratization in East Asia. Singapore, World Scientific. Top of Form MCKAY, D. H. (2013). American politics and society. American Politics and Society. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form PAULSON, A. C. (2006). Electoral realignment and the outlook for American democracy. Hanover [u.a.], Univ. Press of New England. Top of Form SARTORI, G., MAIR, P. (2005). Parties and party systems: a framework for analysis. Colchester, ECPR. Bottom of Form Top of Form STRANGIO, P., DYRENFURTH, N. (2009). Confusion the making of the Australian two- party system. Carlton, Vic, Melbourne University Publishing. Top of Form VALELLY, R. M. (2013). American politics: a very short introduction. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form WELCH, S. (2010). Understanding American government. Boston, MA, Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Top of Form WILKINS, D. E., STARK, H. K. (2011). American Indian politics and the American political system. Lanham, Md, Rowman Littlefield. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form

Book Report on Wreck! :: essays research papers

First Entry – Suggestion Number 1 – Page 50 This fiction book is called â€Å"Wreck† and was written by Allan Bailie. The main characters are Ian Foster and Reene Thompson, they are two normal teenagers. Reene was told to baby-sit Ian while his parents are away. During this period a cyclone hits Albatross Beach and they barely survive it. Soon they seek shelter in a rusty old freighter on the beach. After, the cyclone erupts again and sets the boat out to sea. While on the boat they experience many strange happenings and realise they are not alone. Second Entry – Suggestion Number 6 – Page 80 I believe the writer was trying to keep suspense and did this by not giving any extra info and by putting in a few false alarms to keep you on your toes. The writer is also very descriptive which adds greats atmosphere and further suspense. I think the writer has a good imagination to be able to write in such a way. Another skill the author has is, he knows when and when not to be descriptive, that helps because a whole page description on something that has no relevance at all is not necessary Third Entry – Suggestion Number 5 – Page 100 Ian is shy and doesn’t seem very confident in the book; Ian explains it’s probably because of his dad who’s always putting him down because he can’t do something right. There isn’t mush about his interest in the book because the author keeps to the story line most of the time. Ian is afraid that he isn’t to his father’s expectations and that his father hates him. His experiences throughout the book make him a stronger person and I think he’s better for it. Reene also helps shape Ian into a better person. She is responsible, outspoken and strong-willed, Ian picks ups picks up a bit of it. Ian comes out to have a stronger mind, isn’t as reliant on others and isn’t afraid to voice his opinions. Fourth Entry – Suggestion Number 8 – Page 120 To me the ending wasn’t much of a surprise because they were on a boat with an unknown monster, they defeat the monster and are rescued which wasn’t much of an ending. This of course doesn’t mean the book is boring, just predictable. There are also many little things that happen along the way to keep this book interesting enough to keep reading.

Roman Architecture :: essays research papers

The Romans gained much of their engineering skill from the Etruscans and drew on Etruscan and Asian models for the semicircular arch. From them, the Romans learned the use of the keystone arch, which enabled them to build extremely strong and durable structures. Many of these engineering and architectural projects are still standing. Some are still in use after two thousand years like this bridge in Spain. Early Roman architects were influenced by Greek post-and-lintel construction. But the Greek design was limited in its capabilities to span large distances and being able to bear heavy loads while not falling down of its own weight. Post and lintel construction comprises a flat piece of stone bridging a space between two upright supports. Post and lintel supports have a flaw. When a heavy weight is placed on the middle of the span too much stress may be put on the stone and it can break in the middle. The Romans solved this problem by using a type of construction called voussoir arch with keystone. The engineering principle of the arch is quite simple. The circle is the strongest structural shape. The arch is just half of this perfect form. To create a voussoir arch, tapered stone blocks were cut then arranged like the diagram at the right. It was then stood up on its ends. The ends rested on piers made of stone blocks or bricks mortared together with pozzolana cement in the typical Roman arch bridge. The cement was named after a local mountain that the ingredients of the cement came from. The weight of the stone and concrete of the bridge itself compressed the tapered stones together, making the arch an extremely strong structure. During construction, the voussoir's were supported by a temporary wooden frame until the keystone was inserted. The Roman invention of the arch allowed architects to build larger structures than ever before. The extension of the arch idea lead to the development of domes, alcoves, and soffits. The arches and its derivatives were also employed in Triumphal Arches, aqueducts, bridges, houses, theaters, exedra, nynpheum, basilicas, thermal baths and temples.

Gillian Armstrong :: essays research papers

The first reason I chose Gillian Armstrong for my research paper is because I admire her dedication and ambition to become a director even though it was a male-dominated job at the time. She is an extremely ambitious and independent woman that didn’t let anything get in her way of pursuing her goal to become a director. The second reason I picked Gillian Armstrong is because she is the director of Little Women, which has been an all-time favorite film of mine since I was little.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Armstrong has explored several genres, including gangster, musical, and most frequently, period drama. The three films I am going to explore are My Brilliant Career, Mrs. Soffel and Little Women. These are all period drama films that evolve female characteristics and feature women in lead roles. These films demonstrate the stylistic pattern of story telling, (Carter, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gillian Armstrong produced My Brilliant Career in 1979. This film was the highlight of the period drama, which was popular in Australia at that time. Armstrong became the first woman to direct a feature length drama in Australia in 46 years, (Carter, 2002). The film is about Sybylla Melvyn, a sensitive, passionate young woman with high hopes for a writing career. When offered the opportunity to escape her outback station home to stay with relatives in New South Wales, she accepts willingly. In New South Wales, her cultural openness and writing career is encouraged. She eventually meets Harry Beecham who is wealthy and handsome. Sybylla struggles with the tough decisions between ambition and independence, and between love and marriage. She eventually sacrifices romance with Harry and takes a job as a governess in the McScwatt household while still pursuing her goal as becoming a writer. Sybylla eventually finds success as a writer and also as an independent woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Soffel was produced by Armstrong in 1984. This film was directed in Pittsburgh, and was her first American film, (Carter, 2002). This film is about a woman named Kate Soffel who is the wife of the warden of the Allegheny County jail. Her job is to distribute Bibles and read the scriptures to the prisoners. Kate is unhappy and unsatisfied with her lifestyle. She is tired of her husband constantly controlling what she can and cannot do. Kate eventually falls in love with Ed Biddle, who is a prisoner being wrongly sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of a grocer during a robbery.

Media Literacy Essay

Literacy gives us minorities the ability to read and write. Today, we get most our information through an interwoven system of media technologies. The ability to read many types of media has become an essential skill in the 21st Century. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. I came up with this topic because Media literate youth and adults all over America to better understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media.Media can present content that seems and is more or less real, however, it is our duty as the viewers to be able to distinguish, and differentiate between â€Å"reflections of reality, and constructions of reality†. The prime targets of the media are young people because they so unwittingly believe everything the media tells them, from â€Å"how to talk, how to dress, and how to relate to others†. Media literacy skills are included in the educational standards of every state in language arts, social studies, health, science, and other subjects. My potential strength is giving my audience various types of important effects of global media literacy such as education ,health related issues, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, body image, obesity, sex distractions , lack of knowledge and all types of sports that does and does not effects our globalization. I researched and found out many researchers have discovered that media literacy is an effective and engaging way to apply critical thinking skills to a wide range of issues. My main Importance I want my audience to know about media literacy, according to Edward Donnerstein who is a major research interests in mass-media violence, as well as mass media policy. He has published over 240 scientific articles in these general areas and serves on the editorial boards of a number of academic journals in both psychology and communication. Donnerstein States that in his book † Media literacy skills can help youth and adults by developing critical thinking skills, Understanding how media messages shape our culture and society ,recognize, bias, spin ,misinformation, lies and also evaluate media messages based on our own experiences, skills, beliefs, and values. † I learned from Donnerstein that this project with media literacy fit within the existing globalization because media literacy is a delicate issue that has some good and bad effects on everyone in today’s society. For example, Communication has become a major tool to connect if we want to travel to Africa or learn  about Australia information is at our fingertips .We can text someone instantly and get a response back from Russia immediately. We can call someone over Skype in India and talk for free on our computer for as long as we want. Not to mention Facebook and Twitter which have become the most popular social networking tools on the worl d. My study according to Cole VT 2006, an article on television and obesity talks about how the media has strong influence over public thought because of the universal demand of the media, because of the accessibility of media it becomes more influential to those who watch it and the viewers who believe the ideas and stereotypes portrayed through the media; nevertheless, they become the individuals who become influenced by the media. The media demonstrates the ability to create and influence those who watch television; however, one particular group that the media has targeted is children. Television and internet has allowed for the expansion of knowledge to expand globally, but also has the ability to corrupt the mind of the youth. Cole gives us audience a quote stating†The expansion of knowledge is spreading and so is the waist size of the American youth†. It has been established that television, internet and social medial allows for children to become educated through these conventional outlets; however children should be limited to a minimal amount of television because there is correlation between excessive television, internet and an increase in BMI, which has been linked towards the causes of obesity in children. Obesity effect children’s who consume a significant am out of television such as erratic behavior, less active in physical activity, deprivation of sleep, mood swings, Increase in laziness, and increase in weight again which consents of obesity. According to Kong JP, in 2010 his Journal of Society for development in new net environment in B&H. â€Å"children who watch up to three hours of television on average, watching up to at least 40,000 TV commercial per year and developing a favorite television show or program that retains their attention. Based on the fact these impacts can lead to a significant decline in health and overall performance of children. If these bad habits remain continuance this could lead to an unhealthy life and unhealthy habits, which can ultimately be fatal†. However, we parents need to set a good example, because they are role models for their child, and the behavior that children have is usually a replica of the parents. Some parents allow for children to be consumed by television, while they  gallivant in their own activities instead of spending time with their child. By allowing a child to consistently watch television instead of being active in a physical activity can result in the child becoming lazy. It is important to encourage your child to do other activities outside of watching television, so it’s good not to invest all your time on television and find an outside source for entertainment. For instance, if a child asks to play with their mom or dad and the mom tell their child I do not have time, go watch television. Ultimately, the child will begin to rely on the television as there daily activity. It is imperative as a parent that you find quality time to spend with your child and that quality time should be spent awa y from the television. My Methodology of data I collected throughout a quantitative and qualitative research study is that I gain from Elsevier Health Sciences that it is imperative to understand that childhood obesity is at all-time high, and as the years increase so does the sizes of the American children. If children are going to is watching a significant amount of television and internet daily there should be other alternatives and activities provided in place of the television. For instance, for every amount of television or technology being used will result in the same amount of time spent actively engaging in an activity that does not require you to sit in front of the television or , or iPad, Xbox 360 and etc. Also, it is recommended that a maximum of two hours should be spent watching these technologies. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2001), it is recommended in order to help reduce the amount of television and internet being consumed is to not watch television or use technologies while eating meals, remove all televisions from blatant/obvious places in the houses, such as the living room. There should be no television located in the children’s room because children will stay up all night with their eyes fixated at the television or technologies. Also, it’s good to implement days without television and to plan family activities that allow to children engage actively. By limiting the amount of hours spent on television and internet can help reduce the risk of children becoming obese and allow for them to find other activities that can be beneficial to their growth and allow for them to live a healthy life. Children’s greatest exposure to violence comes from television. TV shows, movies edited for television, and video games expose young children to a level of violence unimaginable just a  few years ago. According to Salmon J, Campbell KJ, Crawford DA states in their Journal of Society for development in new net environment in B&H that majority of teenagers and children today know the underlying themes of the media, and know that it is all scripted even the violence, however, the matter of fact is that teenagers can relate so much to the themes in the media that they slowly begin to believe it. Once they get introduced to the characters, they gradually start to consider them real and starts to partipate in bad behavior Cambell states in his journal that â€Å"our community in today’s society face many obstacles with our youth and the media that is destroying the foundation of family’s and juvenile delinquency. For example, social learning theory, strain theory and control theory, just to name a few, are typically postulated for being directly related our media juvenile delinquency. In dealing with all of these effects and how they play a role with delinquency the question still remains as to whether or not higher crime rates in juveniles are significantly increased when media plays a big factor†. The media has the ability to influence social constructed ideas and creating stratification amongst minorities and ethnic groups allowing for the uses of the television and social media outlets to become addicting. As a result of this addiction it enable individuals such as children to become or remain fixated on these primitive idea of life. And because of this strong addiction towards being entertained it is important to stay tuned to the media and the most up to date gossip or the newest television show. However, According to Tracy Marie Scull who is The National Association for Media Literacy Education’s Journal of Media Literacy Education talks about sex in her article she states,†During adolescence, young people are exposed to information about sex from a myriad of sources including mass media Adolescents frequently cite mass media as a primary source of information about sex (Sutton et al. 2002). Somewhat surprisingly, the media far outrank parents or schools as a source of information about birth control for 15-19-year-olds .In fact, young teens (ages 13-15) rank entertainment media as their top source for information about sexuality and sexual health. Unfortunately, while the media are communicating a plethora of sexual messages, many of those messages would not be considered accurate or healthy. For example, while the amount of sexual content on TV has nearly doubled since 1997 very few teen television shows mention any of the  responsibilities or risks (e.g., using contraception, pregnancy, STIs) associated with sex and almost none of the shows with sexual content include precaution, prevention, or negative outcomes as the primary theme†.