A Critique of the Western Notions of Progress from an Anthropological Essay

A Critique of the Western Notions of Progress from an Anthropological Perspective - Essay Example Western nations had colonized vast areas of the globe and had begun to exploit their resources in a systematic fashion. Old subsistence level work in agriculture was replaced by labor saving machinery, and mass production of all kinds of consumer goods. Goods became cheaper, and life, for those in the West at least, was made easier. This point of view treated all of the earth’s problems as matters which could be solved by mankind’s ingenuity. In recent years this notion that humans are moving in a positive direction, improving their lives as they move from caveman status, to hunter gathering, to farming and now to industrialization has been challenged. Jared Diamond (1994) reports these notions are widely assumed to be true but not proven. The theory that agriculture creates food surpluses, which allow people more leisure time, and thus the space to create cultural advances is just a theory, for example, and there are other possible interpretations of human history over the long term. Diamond cites the work of anthropologists with modern hunter-gatherer tribes as evidence that this lifestyle is precisely not inferior to the agricultural lifestyle: â€Å"these people (= Kalahari bushmen) †¦ have plenty of leisure time, sleep a good deal, and work less hard than their farming neihbors† (Diamond: 1994, 106)

Friendship or interpersonal relationship Essay Example for Free

Friendship or interpersonal relationship Essay The elderly in this study regarded friendship/interpersonal relationship differently and this difference was reflected in the data analysis. As suggested by the findings, many of them seemed not to be interested in getting closer or establishing friendship with others even with the co-residents of the home. Probably the theoretical reason behind this apparent ‘detachment’ could be found in the disengagement theory on aging. It postulates that as people age, they progressively withdraw from social, physical, and emotional interaction with the world. The long standing friendships from the past and the current friendship among the elderly in the home for the aged contributed much to the well-being/happiness of a little more than half of the total participants, the elderly. Friends appear to be most significant to older adults as a source of enjoyment, socializing, and talking about â€Å"good old times† which results in satisfaction with life (Campbell, 1976). The findings expounded that only half of the participants had this influence of friendship on their life whereas the other half did not. The following assertion of Pinquart, Sorensen (2000) would explain this situation: As friends are typically members of the same age group and often share personal characteristics, cohort experiences, life styles; higher similarity in values and experiences may promote a higher satisfaction with friendships and thus a larger influence of friendship on SWB in old age. Authority and Caregivers. The third meaningful relationship among the institutionalized elderly which gave satisfying results in their life was their relationhip with the people in responsibility or in other words the significant people in their present stage and situation of life. According to Carstensen et al. (1996, in Pinquart, Sorensen, 2000) close and long-term contacts are important and give individuals a sense of stability in their past and anticipated future, especially among elderly persons. The findings in the study showed there was a general consensus that the elderly maintained a positive relationship with the authority. It gave them a sense of importance, feeling of security and it affirmed their sense of worth. This friendly relationship seemed to be positively affecting the subjective experience of wellbeing of the institutionalized aged because as several studies have shown most elderly individuals expect emotional support from their children/family members (Ignersoll-Dayton Antonicci, 1988), and this â€Å"invisible providers† are being substituted by the authority and the caregivers in the institutional set up. Besides, positive relationships are helpful in dealing with stressors, which in turn enhance SWB (Sorensen Pinquart, 2000). Studies have also established that people supported by close relationships with family, friends, or other support groups are less vulnerable to ill health and premature death (Doress-Worters Siegel, 1994). Social Interest/Altruism The results reflected that social interest had considerable impact on the sense of wellbeing experienced by the elderly though not many in the home for the aged. The elderly’ interest in reaching out/altruism is supported by findings in the study done by Ryff (1989) on middle aged and older men and women. His study had proven that altruism is highly correlated to sense of well-being as it gave a sense of meaning and fulfillment in the lives of the respondents. According to Thomas Chambers (1989) empathy and altruism are manifestations of social interest and the greatest regret associated with decline of physical ability among the aged is the decreasing ability to engage in â€Å"social work. † The findings showed what Victor Frankl said to be true: a sense of life meaning ensues when we learn to transcend ourselves, when we have forgotten ourselves and become absorbed in someone or something outside of us (As cited in West, 2000). The findings also brought to light a reality that in general many of the elderly of the study were found to be more â€Å"self-oriented† than â€Å"other-oriented† and did not want to engage in any social activities notwithstanding the fact that many of them do reach out to others in their own limited capacity. This observation could be tied up with the disengagement theory that as people age they progressively withdraw from social, physical, and emotional interaction with the world. As they gradually disengage themselves, the society too withdraws from its engagement with the aging person. Interestingly, a few of the elderly felt that they have already done enough and it was their time for rest and didn’t want to be socially involved in any way. This behavioral pattern found in the nature of the elderly could one way be justified the light of the observation made by Warr, Miles Platts, (2001). Older people were found to be, for instance, more conscientious, traditional and careful in interaction with others, and less sociable, outgoing, change oriented and career oriented. Given this milieu, the question arises, as other studies have already indicated if social interest or altruism is one of the contributing factors toward experiencing a subjective sense of well-being among the elderly, how this finding could be explained in the context of the elderly of this study. It is also questionable whether the reason for this withdrawal is due to their status transition, the experience of ‘dethronement’: and the message conveyed to them that they are no longer useful or wanted by the family and the society. Butler et al. (1998) observed that ordinarily, elderly people regard institutionalization as a last resort as they perceive it is a kind of ‘abandonment. ’ This can result in a loss of self-esteem (Suh Suh, 1999) of the once independent, proud, revered persons when they are dispelled into an insignificant existence in a home which is not their home. This is yet to be explored whether the disengagement of theory on aging happen to be a self-fulfilling prophecy in the lives of the elderly.

Is Shopping Political?

Is Shopping Political? Is shopping political? This reports primary aim is to answer the question whether or not ‘is shopping political?’ In order to delve into this statement, this report will be split into sub-headings creating a commentary around the various political trends amongst the area of consumerism. These sub-headings will range from theories on false needs, to backlashes against the system such as Anti-branding, and ethical consumerism. This discussion will allow for the examination of how these actions transpire the arena of consumerism into a political environment. Whilst examining these political statements, the second aim is to apply the wide array of differing ideological paradigms that are amongst the ‘politics of the everyday’. Then using them in-conjunction with the previously mentioned areas, it will then conclude by answering the question at hand. Firstly, the statement is ‘shopping political?’ is in itself a hard question to define, as shoppers make their decisions based upon a wide category of ideas, which goes further than the confines of price or convenience (Petrocelli 2013). These next paragraphs will explore the wider dimensions of shopping. Temples of Consumerism – (False needs) (Apple 2012) This image depicts an Apple shop releasing a new upgrade of the iPhone, where hundreds of people are waiting to purchase it. This event to some is a seemingly normal occurrence in everyday life. However some theorists have looked deeper into these events with a more critical eye. Herbert Marcuse’s ‘one dimensional man’ argues that society today is distorted; and this so called ‘consumer society’ and the politics of corporate capitalism has created a second nature of man which ties him libidinally and aggressively to the commodity form (Marcuse 1964 p.11). This quote and picture generates an extremely valuable point for today’s society, as if we examine the constructs of our culture; every advisement, every commodity, generates an image that without these materials we will not achieve any form of freedom or happiness. Marcuse also points out that these false needs are nothing to do with our basic needs like; clothing, or shelter. They are posed upon us by elites to alienate and re-press society, making us blind to the true imperatives of this world. For example one does not need a million pound mansion. Yet, one will work 70hours a week putting them under constant stress or even to die prematurely for this so called ‘need’ (Chernus N.d p.7) instead of focusing issues such as poverty. Neo-Marxists are also sceptical of this dependency of commodity fetishism arguing it organises our lives in an exploitative way. Evidently, we don’t feel like victims in this controlled society, in fact we feel very much liberated. But, this system outlines that that possessing, consuming, handling and constantly renewing these gadgets (Marcuse 1964 p.11) is the true form of freedom. Bauman’s theory ‘Liquid life’ can also be used to comment on the oppressive nature of consumerism. To back up Marcuse’s argument, Bauman stressed that the very nature of liquid life creates a dependency on these gadgets. But he also acknowledges that those hot-headed or desperate enough to try and defy the odds stacked against them risk becoming outlaws and outcasts (Bauman 2005 p.6). Creating an assumption that liquid life not only controls an individual, but those who attempt to defy it risk being alienated, for example the phenomenon ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’, could be an example of liquid life as we feel compelled to better ourselves over others, otherwise we feel materially deprived. Marcuse’s thesis on false needs is an exceptionally good doctrine into the examination of how politics is embedded within the purchase of commodities. However, this kind of alienation and repressive nature of shopping, does not sit well with post-modernist theorist Roland Inglehart. Whom would argue that the idea of purchasing goods does not necessarily mean oppression. As Inglehart’s theory is very much embedded with Maslow’s ‘Theory of Human Motivation’, he argues that because we ‘no longer have a direct relationship to the imperatives of economic security’ (Inglehart, 1977p.991). Citizens will then ‘desire worldly goods as symbols of affluence’ (Inglehart 1971 p.991). This standpoint suggests that the idea of purchasing luxuries should be celebrated, due to the fact that we are now in a society that can afford to do so without fear of economic restraints. To conclude on this section the capitalist system has certainly created a high dependency on false needs. We are programmed to achieve personal needs not because we truly need them, but for pure gratification, driving many into debt. Anti-Branding: (Sony 2011) With the last sub-heading examining the oppressive nature of shopping, this section will examine a particular backlash that has emerged out of this critical thought. ‘Anti-branding’ is a growing resistance to transnational brands and corporate globalisation (Hollenbeck 2006 p.479). What seems important to note is that historically these kinds of backlashes are intertwined with Lefebvre’s social space theory, on the grounds that it tended to use an occupation of a physical space such as 1968 student protests. Yet, in this globalising age with the ease to obtain technology, protests are transpiring into virtual spaces. The internet is altering the balance of power between customers and companies, customers are using this as a tool to achieve louder voices (Pitta and Fowler, 2005 cited in Farshid et al p.1) without the constraints of time or location. The ideas of Bauman’s, and Marcuse’s arguments that capitalism corrupts, is being slowly eroded by Inglehart’s postmodern analysis that we are rationally informed political actors. As this new technology like the smart phones has paved way for the consumer to communicate, discuss and digest large amounts of information, which isn’t necessary from ruling elites or corporations. With theorists such as Naomi Klein in her book ‘No logo’ she commented upon the culture jamming phenomenon regarding it as ‘identity politics goes interactive’ (Klein 2000 P.289). With these points in mind it does suggest that politics is within these protests. Nonetheless, a counterargument that can be raised; is that it has become increasingly difficult to define a brand name, due to the fact it is now applied in all manner of products and even politics itself. Take Tony Blair’s ‘Cool Britannia’ campaign in ’97 this was a brand name linked to a political party, but was branded in such a way to represent a ‘cool’ rhetoric; that stood for Britain’s film and music scene etc. A large majority of individuals got behind this movement. However, using a Marcusian standpoint it could be used to suggest that this kind of branding is actually just a window dressing and the political undercurrent for oppression remains the same; it is just more sophisticated in its implementation. Ethical Consumerism: (Hempout 2013) Highlighting the various backlashes against consumerism in the previous heading, this subheading will explore how ‘new politics’ has emerged from these protests. Campaigns such as the ‘Nike Anti-Sweatshop campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the labour conditions in company owned factories in developing worlds, can be associated with the certain anti-branding campaigns. But these new movements could be argued to have laid the foundations to larger movements such as ‘consumer ethics’. The incorporation of ethics into consumerism has created a case for is ‘shopping political’, on the grounds that this ethical nature has led to changes in practises of companies and law itself. For example; ‘Canned tuna companies were pressured through consumer boycotts to end fishing practices that endangered dolphins before governmental legislation mandated such’ (Marzocca 2012). This kind of rationality can be connected again with Inglehart’s post-materialism thesis as certainly movements have relied upon communications between political actors like environmental, fair trade and Human right groups. The barriers in which we gathered information has ceased to exist creating an informed citizen. Continuing, the emergence of ethics it can be used as a critique to the so called ‘manipulated consumer’ standpoint of Marxists. As, evidently personal attitudes and purchases are now informed by ethical or political assessments of business’ and government practices, so when consumers deface or scrutinise their practises it is essentially a globalisation of individualism. This argument can be very much linked to the Feminist ideology who saw that the ‘person is political’. With that being said the consumer is therefore acting ‘politically’ and is less ‘brainwashed’ than we thought. The standpoints from the Chicago school of economics that protests are due to individuals being unable to conform to society are therefore misguided. On, the grounds that in today’s society there are agents who monitor public opinions (UKPOM) and trends, suggesting that it is no longer enough for corporations to focus on shareholders’ goals but, they are evaluated on their ethical and moral values (Takala 1991 cited in Uusitalo 2004 p.214). Thus, implying citizens do not possess cognitive inadequacies as proclaimed by this school. Conclusion: Concluding, on this report with a reà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ection on the whole debate of consumerism, just because this act of shopping does not necessarily follow the traditional rhetoric set by politics with a capital ‘P’, this does not mean the impact isn’t just as significant. Examining theorists of the everyday such as Inglehart, Marcuse and Lefebvre they clearly suggest that politics is among shopping on many different levels. In order to answer the question of this report, the most convincing form of politics in shopping is situated within the area of ethical consumerism. The idea of this phenomenon is not situated at one particular company or government; it is an extension of the larger political movements such as new social movements whom are also striving to achieve the same ends through more contemporary measures like lobbying or protests. These new social movements are the foundation to new political subjects, the creation of new political spaces (Lefebvre), a nd ultimately changing the perception on what we mean by society (Marcuse/Inglehart) (Carrol 1997 cited in Harter 2011 p.15). There is a sizeable power the shopper holds in relation to the purchasing of goods as if shoppers change the way they shop or perceives a business, it means that these institutions have to adapt to the new paradigms set, emphasising that shopping is political in both nature and in action. References: Apple. 2012.Queue for the Iphone5. [image online] Available at: http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M18273/1348218725.jpg [Accessed: 5 Mar 2014]. Bauman, Z. 2005.Liquid life. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Chernus, I. n.d. Herbert Marcuse: A Critique of Consumer Society. [e-book] Available through: colorado.edu http://www.colorado.edu/ReligiousStudies/chernus/sixties/Herbert Marcuse.pdf [Accessed: 3 Mar 2014]. Harter, J. 2011.New social movements, class, and the environment: a case study of Greenpeace Canada. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Pub. Hempout. 2013.Ethical Consumerism. [image online] Available at: http://hempcanadabulk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bilde.jpg [Accessed: 5 Mar 2014]. Hollenbeck, C. R. and Zinkhan, G. M. 2006.Consumer Activism on the Internet: The Role of Anti-brand Communities. [e-book] Available through: Acrwebsite.org http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/v33/v33_10337.pdf [Accessed: 25 Feb 2014]. Inglehart, R. 1971. The silent revolution in Europe: Intergenerational change in post-industrial societies.American political science review, 65 (04), pp. 9911017. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1953494 [Accessed: 28th November 2013]. Inglehart, R. 1997.Modernization and postmodernization. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Klein, N. 2000.No logo. London: Flamingo. Marcuse, H. 1973.An essay on liberation. Harmondsworth: Penguin books. Marzocca, K. 2012.Sustainable Speak: Voting and Shopping are Separate But Equal: A Response to Sami Grover. [online] Available at: http://sustainablespeak.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/voting-and-shopping-are-separate-but.html [Accessed: 25 Feb 2014]. Petrocelli, W. 2014. Shopping Is Political: A Lesson From 70s Feminists. [online] Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-petrocelli/shopping-is-political_b_3308222.html [Accessed: 25 Feb 2014]. Sony. 2011.Culture Jammed Sony Advertisement. [image online] Available at: http://jaberando.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/culture-jamming-adbusters/#jp-carousel-48 [Accessed: 5 Mar 2014]. Uusitalo, O. and Oksanen, R. 2014.Ethical consumerism: a view from Finland. [e-book] Available through: Wikispaces.com http://ycri.wikispaces.com/file/view/Ethical+Consumerism+-+A+view+from+Finland.pdf [Accessed: 25 Feb 2014]. 1 | Page N0365069

Gatsby :: essays papers

Gatsby Green Light in the Great Gatsby After the events of this story have unfolded, the narrator Nick, focuses on the man most like himself; Gatsby. Both Nick Carraway and Jay Gatz hail from the mid-west, where morals and the right way of getting ahead are instilled into them. They travel to New York, where the morals are paper-thin and everything seems turned upside down. The saps with morals stay in the ashheaps while the careless, foolhardy upper society do what they please. Nick stays true to the mid-west morals of an earnest, hardworking living while Gatsby tries to be just like the others on East Egg. Nick says this of him, â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further.....And one fine morning-†. A central theme of the novel I think, is the idea that people aren’t satisfied with what they have, they are always going further and further, never knowing when to stop, and always striving for that bright star that â€Å"seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.† To Gatsby the green light symbolizes Daisy, Daisy in a way represents her peers in the same social strata as her. Daisy is a fool, living vicariously and so are the characters in this book. The green light represents the wild and recklessness of the times. These were times when women for the first time were drinking and smoking alongside the guys, their war was over and so were their troubles. The green light for them means go, after most wars the economy experiences a boom, this was no different. They are cocksure, thinking that whatever they do is right, and they always push on. They don’t care what happens to others as long as they remain untouched and unrivaled. This selfishness is shown in nearly all characters except Nick, who accepts his life and is satisfied. He works hard and scrapes by, but he is living the life he wants, â€Å"I am one of the few honest men that I have ever known.†(64). He’s sensible and thinks out his actions. He doesn’t have the green gleam in his eye that everyone else seems to have. He is an observer to the situation, and when he talks of Gatsby believing in the Green Light, he sums up Gatsby’s philosophy and possibly what was written in the back of his most recent edition of â€Å"Hopalong Cassidy†; the way to live his life dedicated to Daisy.

Cloning :: Biology Cloning

For the last few decades, cloning was a fictitious idea that lay deep within the pages of some sci-fi novels. The very idea that cloning could one day become reality was thought to be a scientific impossibility by many experts but on one exhilarating day, what was thought to be "purely fiction" became reality. That fine day was February 22, 1997. A team from the Roslin Institute which was lead by Dr. Ian Wilmut changed the face of history forever by revealing what looked like an average sheep. That sheep was what was going to be one of the most famous if not the most famous sheep in modern day. Dolly was this seven month old Trojan lamb's name and Dolly was the first ever clone of a mammal. She was an exact biological carbon copy, a laboratory counterfeit of her mother. In essence, Dolly was her mother's biological twin. What surprised most thought, was not just the fact that Dolly was a clone but was that the trick to Wilmut and his team's success was a trick that was so ingenious yet so simple that any skilled laboratory technician could master it. Therein, lied a pathway towards a new future. This news shocked the world for Dolly was the key to many new and prosperous possibilities. But Dolly was not the first clone ever. Cloning of a more limited sort had been done before her. Creatures such as mice, frogs and salamanders had been cloned from as early as the 1950's. Then, a different procedure was used. This procedure included the destruction of the nucleus inside the egg cell. Then a new "donor" cell would be brought and injected into the egg cell as a replacement. The egg would then grow into an progeny of the same genetic make-up as the donor. Later on in the 1970's a new technique was developed. This technique included transferring the genes from one organism to another by combining the DNA from a plant or animal cell with the DNA in bacteria. When the bacteria divided the cells were now the clones of both plant/animal DNA as well as the DNA it had originally. This cloning technique allowed for the growth of many endocrine system treatments such as hormone, insulin and interferon. In 1993, researchers in the US began and successfully cloned a human embryo in order to develop new ways to treat human infertility.

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols :: essays research papers

A Separate Peace: Three Symbols The three dichotomous symbols in A Separate Peace by John Knowles reinforce the innocence and evil of the main characters, Finny and Gene. Beside the Devon School flow two rivers on opposite sides of the school, the Naguamsett and the Devon. The Devon provides entertainment and happiness for Gene and Finny as they jump from the tree into the river and hold initiations into the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. Finny, Gene, and their friends use the Devon's warm water to play in during the carefree summer session. The Devon brings out Finny's carefree character and personality when he jumps from the limbs of the tree. Not one Upper Middler in Devon has ever jumped from the tree; Finny becomes the first. After surfacing, Finny says that jumping from the tree causes the most fun he has had in weeks. However, the Naguamsett and the Devon completely contrast. When Gene and Finny emerge from the Devon, they feel clean and refreshed. However, Gene describes the Naguamsett as "ugly, saline, fringed with marsh, mud and seaweed" (68). When Gene starts a fight with Quackenbush and falls into the Naguamsett because Quackenbush calls Gene "a maimed son-of-a-bitch," Gene surfaces from the Naguamsett feeling grimy, dirty and in desperate need of a bath (71). Much like the clean, refreshing water of the Devon and the ugly saline water of the Naguamsett, Gene's carefree attitude of the summer session vastly differs from the angry, confused attitude of the winter session. Likewise, the two sessions, the summer and winter, give a different sense of feeling toward school and life at Devon School. The summer session allows Finny to use his creativity. Finny invents blitzball and founds the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. The students let their carefree attitudes flow during the summer. Finny and Gene willingly break the rules to have fun during the summer by skipping class and going to the beach. Finny also wears the school tie as a belt to the traditional term tea. Gene feels that Finny cannot leave the room without being disciplined, but Finny manages to talk his way out of the mess. However, the winter session causes a sense of strictness. The sermons now exhort the thought of "what we owe Devon," but in the summer the students think of "what Devon owes us" (65). The masters and class leaders try to enforce continuity, but Gene realizes that resurrecting the summer session becomes impossible. Finny is not in school, no longer shall the students have their carefree attitudes, and the class officials and masters now

Edgar Allan Poe and James Russell Lowell Essay

James Russell Lowell and John Greenleaf Whittier were poets during the Romantic era. In that time, poets often wrote about humans’ relationship with nature. Romantics considered contact with nature as almost a religious experience. Lowell’s â€Å"The First Snowfall† and Whittier’s â€Å"Snowbound† can be explored through theme, tone, and figurative language. â€Å"The First Snowfall† and â€Å"Snowbound† share the obvious, similar theme, snow. Lowell writes, â€Å"The snow had begun in the gloaming† (Line 1). This is the beginning of the poem where he’s introducing the subject of snow and describing the simple experience of the first snowfall. Whittier writes, â€Å"The coming of the snowstorm told† (14). He also writes about snow, but describes a frightful, winter snowstorm, rather than a simple snowfall. Lowell’s and Whittier’s poems differ in tones. James Russell Lowell has an optimistic point of view toward the natural event, but the tone he uses is gloomy. â€Å"Again I looked at the snowfall and thought of the leaden sky† (25-26). Lowell is comparing the falling of snow to the mourning process of his daughter. Whittier is more depressed by the storm. He describes the snow as, â€Å"A hard, dull bitterness of cold† (11). Later, Whittier learns to accept the storm and writes about sitting and laughing by the fireplace with his family. Both poets use a variety of figurative language in their poems. Lowell uses a simile to describe the birds he sees outside his window flying through the snowfall. â€Å"And the sudden flurries of snow-birds, like brown leaves whirling by† (15-16). Whittier also uses a simile to describe what he observes outside his window. â€Å"And through the glass the clothesline posts looked in like tall and sheeted ghosts† (39-40). As shown, these two poems can be compared and contrasted through theme, tone, and figurative language. In the way the poets write, we can see their reactions to the snow. Even though they both wrote about snow, they didn’t approach the topic in the same way. Lowell and Whittier both lived in the Romantic era but lived different lifestyles, which affected how they saw events and formed the style of their poetry.