Reflective Essay on Music Education

Reflective Essay on Music Education Andrew Nguyen My name is Andrew Nguyen, and Im a sophomore at Golden West College. Im 19 years old, and my major is business administration. For my online class experience, this is my second time taking an online course. My first time was on this years intersession, and I took an American Government course, but it was not that easy. There was too much reading to do, and theres not enough time for studying since intersession classes last for 4 weeks. In the end, I earned a good grade for my effort, and Im hoping that Ill do the same for this class. It taught me about how I should manage my time effectively when Im not inside the classroom, and that I shouldnt procrastinate from doing any readings and assignments. To be honest, Im not exactly a music player. Im more of a listener than a player. I played an instrument before, but I wasnt playing a song. When I was little, I remember myself tapping the keyboards on an electronic piano, listening to random notes, but I didnt have a chance to properly l earn how to play an instrument. However, I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was in high school; unfortunately, I was unsuccessful. There was a lot of complicated information to know about playing music, such as chords and melody, and its overwhelming to memorize it all. Also, I couldnt properly play the instrument because I need to know about the parts of the guitar, so I can control playing better. The problem about playing an instrument is that I kept relying on being perfect, and I just give up easy. For now, I just listen to any songs for relaxation, and I noticed how the song works from beginning to end and the hidden rhythms of the song. Because of my lack of knowledge on music, I thought that taking this class would give me a head start to know about music theory. Ive been listening to popular songs for a long time, and I thought that I could apply my basic knowledge on songs to this class, so I can critically listen to how music works. There are two things I would know by the end of the course. The first one is to know how to read sheet music. It was hard to read because there were so many complex patterns on the sheet music, and its not easy for an average musician. If I took this class, maybe theres a section about understanding the melody or other parts of the sheet music, so I can use that knowledge to learn better on playing an instrument. The second one is to know about the music history. I want to know more about how they developed different methods on crafting the song, so I can use examples from my songs to know how it matches their methods. The song that sounds like a binary form would be Somnus, composed by Yoko Shimomura and sung by Aundrea L. Hopkins. It is the theme song from a best-selling video game, Final Fantasy XV. The title is Latin for sleep, and like the title, the lyrics are also Latin. A binary form has two sections, in the form AB or AABB, that each section repeats the melody, and this song happens to fit into this category. At first, the song opens with a piano melody in a minor pitch. Then, the vocalist sang the Latin lyrics, presenting a theme that could be recognized later. In the second stanza, the song repeats the same melody, but the lyrics changed and the violin and cello can be heard as a harmony. The statement for this song tells the story that the world plunged into darkness while the hero is in hibernation. After the second stanza, the variation occurs, changing the tempo to accelerando, which means to speed up. Within the variation, the piano plays solo, accompanied by the violin and cello. T he tempo starts to ritardando, which means slow down, and then it goes back to the fast tempo, introducing the third stanza, which is the departure of the form. The melody sounds different and the range of the songs tone is medium because of its fast tempo. Within the departure, there are some parts being used from the first section of the song. Two lines from the third stanza introduce a new melody, and then the last two lines repeat that melody, changing the lyrics and range. The departure lets us consider ourselves that if theres darkness, theres always a light to shine the way. In the end, the song goes back to its original theme, ending the song in a minor chord, but lasts for about a few seconds. There are many varieties of musical sounds possible from the human voice. One of the varieties is falsetto. Falsetto is the highest register of the human voice. Its been used as a vocal technique to make the voice unnaturally high-pitched. To use falsetto, the singers must control their vocal cords to get a high note. They do that by imitating someone with a higher voice to shorten their vocal cords and then the cords stretch it out, so it would produce a head voice, which is the high register of the voice in speaking or singing. When using this technique, it has limited octave range, which could lead to passaggio, a transition between the vocal registers. Its a difficult technique to control, but famous singers, such as Prince and Michael Jackson, have practiced this technique to sing their songs better. The origin of the term is unknown because of its vagueness to know what that term is. But during the Renaissance period, the term was common in Italy because thats where they named the term. The term Falsetto is Italian for false. This vocal technique is commonly used by male singers, and they have used it during the 16th century when women were restricted from performing, so the men could fill in their roles at church and on stage. Falsetto has been used in different regions, for they have their own style of this technique. For instance, Hawaii has their own falsetto style. Although its part of the U.S, Hawaii still maintained their traditional culture before they annexed to the U.S. Their falsetto music dates back a long time ago when a group of immigrants from different countries brought their music with them, combined with their Hawaiian music that created their falsetto. Their falsetto is called ka leo kiekie. Like the other cultures in the 16th century, women were forbidden to perform while the men sang in high pitch. Whats different from the western use of falsetto is that they would emphasize the tone between the vocal registers. They would also amplif y the tone through repetition. Theyve used this technique to sing stories about their state culture. There may be some female singers used falsetto, but theres barely any proof of that since most male singers have used this technique for a long time. Another variety of music sound from the human voice is yodeling. Yodeling occurs when the singer switch between their voice from normal to a high pitch. When yodel, the singers have control of their voice in the range by switching to different vocal registers, and they timed their yodeling for a few seconds in a high volume. They sang non-lexical syllables to help project their yodeling. The origin of this technique is unknown since theres no evidence indicating when and how it was created; however, historians believed that yodeling occurred in the Alpine mountains in Switzerland. In the Renaissance era, the early yodeling was used by the herders to help communicate their flock of cows, or they used the technique to communicate the villagers from a different village. For the communication on the villages, perhaps yodeling acted as an early development of making long-distance communication before the telephone was invented in the 19th century. Since that discovery in the Alps, it beca me an everlasting tradition in Europe, and then it became popular in the 1830s for entertainment. Other than the Swiss Alps, yodeling is common around different cultures from around the world. For example, Central Africa has used yodeling. An ethnic group called the pygmy people yodeled for their complex polyphonic singing. Another example is the United States. A group of German immigrants first introduced yodeling in the 1800s to the U.S. Yodeling was used for their minstrel shows, consists of skits, acts, dancing, and music, throughout the 19th century. But after the 1900s, yodeling became common when singers use it for their country music. Yodeling has been useful for a long time, for it provides a purpose for letting the people communicate with each other and give different formats to express music also. String: An example of a string instrument is a violin. It is the smallest and high-pitched instrument in the string family. A violin is a carved hollow wooden box, which consists of many parts. The top plate of the violin is the top plate, or the belly, that joins the back plate by the carved sides called the ribs. The neck of the violin is attached to the front side, and that flat wooden strip on top is called the fingerboard. It runs across the neck to the bridge, which is in the middle of the top plate. The four strings are attached to the tailpiece, located on the bottom of the top plate, and then it runs across the bridge and neck to be fastened to four pegs in the pegbox, located at the top of the neck. A scroll is attached on top of the pegbox to make it decorative. Between the bridge are two f-holes. The sound holes were carved to reduce the thickness of the top plate and act as a resonator to strengthen the sounds created by the strings. Finally, located at the bottom of the top plate is the chinrest. It helps the violinist to position their jaw or chin when playing the violin. To play the violin, the player must hold the violin with his left hand and the bow in his right hand. On the violinist left side, the fingers must be on the fingerboard, chin on the chinrest, and the body of the violin resting on the shoulder. Also, the strings must be tuned in the order, G, D, A, and E, from the left to right. When the violin is played, the violinist presses the strings to change the pitch, and he can also shift his left hand up and down to create a high or low set of tones. As for the bow, it is drawn onto the strings, causing the strings to vibrate to produce a high pitch. There are many techniques to play the violin and other bowed instruments, such as double-stopping, playing two strings at the same time to produce a chord, and open strings, without touching the string to produce the lowest note. Ever since the Baroque era, the violin is divided into two se ctions of the orchestra, the first and second. The first violinists play the melody while the second violinists play the harmony (or sometimes melody). Other than the orchestra, they also have the same role of being first and second in the string quartet, which consists two violins, one viola, and one cello. The violin plays a minor role in popular music, but in western culture, they called violin playing, fiddling. A fiddle is a second name for the violin, but its only known to bluegrass and country music. The fiddle and violin have the same shape, but their playing style is different. Fiddling would produce dancing rhythms, along with quick note changes, while the classical violin plays sustained notes. Overall, the most common uses for the violin is in classical music. Woodwind: A flute is an example of a woodwind instrument. Throughout history, the flute was the oldest instrument. They were made of wood, and it came in different forms depending on the culture. But now, most of the flutes constructed is now metal. In the metal version, there are three joints on the flute: the head, middle, and foot. In the head joint, it has a small piece at the end of the joint called the crown, and it keeps the head joint positioned at its usual depth. Near the crown is the embouchure hole, the center of the lip plate, resting place for the lower lip. The next joint is the middle joint, and its an important part of the instrument. The middle joint consists of flute keys. The original flute has open holes that would be covered with fingers; however, the modern flute replaced the original with a complex system of knitted keys and steel. Most modern flutes have closed-hole keys while some have open-hole keys. The closed-hole is common for beginners because it helps learn how to properly hold the flute, but the open-hole is an advanced flute because of its use for making special effects for contemporary music. The last joint of the flute is the foot joint. The foot joint is where the sound produces from the flute; however, the foot joint also has keys. There are two types of foot joint: C and B foot. The B foot joint has three keys while the C foot joint has two. Depending on what foot joint the flute has, it would produce a different tone and register. To play the flute, it must be held horizontally to the right, so the player is in a good stance. Then, the left hand must be in the first half of the middle joint while the right hand is on the second half. Once the flutist is in position, the flutist can blow through the lip plate to produce a soprano voice in a low register. There are no specific chords for the flute, but wherever they press the keys, it can produce a specific octave scale in a flat or sharp note. In the symphony orchestra, it has the minor role in playing the melody frequently because of its timbre being noticed in the orchestra. But the most common uses for the flutes occurs in concert and marching bands. In the concert band, the woodwind instruments are seated in front, like the string instruments in the orchestra. Theres no specific seating chart for the concert band, but the flute or another woodwind instrument can play either the melody or harmony in this ensemble. As for the marching band, the flute produces high-pitched tones for the band, but sometimes they play the melody of their musical piece. Brass: A trumpet is an example of the brass instrument. It produces the highest pitch from the brass family, declaring itself with a brilliant tone color. Like all brass instruments, it has a mouthpiece on the back. The mouthpiece leads a flow of air from the player to the trumpet to produce the sound. Connected to the mouthpiece is the lead pipe. This pipe leads the soundwave around and through the instrument. The next part is the tuning slide. Its in a c-shape, and it slides in and out to adjust tuning the trumpet, so the further its slide out, the lower the tone it would produce. On the tuning slide is the small lever called the water key. Whenever the player blows through the mouthpiece, theres a small amount of moisture coming inside the trumpet. To clear the moisture, they should press the key and then blow the mouthpiece to get the water out. Next is the valve slides. There are three different valve slides, each connected to the valve pistons. Its like the tuning slide, but th e valve slides tune the pitch of each valve pistons. The important feature of the trumpet is the valve pistons. The three pistons move up and down in the valve casings to produce different tones by different combinations of air pressure and finger movements from the player. However, each valve pistons are different, for they lower the tone of the chromatic scale. The fist piston lowers the tone by a half step while the second lowers the tone by a full step. Also, the third piston lowers the tone by a minor third, which is three half steps. At the end of the trumpet is the bell. This part is recognizable because its part of every brass instruments. It amplifies and creates the sound of the trumpet. To play the trumpet, the player must hold on to the valve slides on the left side while the right side is positioning the fingers to the pistons. And then, the player blows through the mouthpiece and uses the valves to start playing. When playing the trumpet, it plays an octave scale depen ding on what valves theyre pressing. The most common uses for trumpet is in classical and jazz ensemble. In an orchestra, the brass instruments are seated behind the string section because of its loud dynamics. For the trumpet, its mostly been used as a harmony to produce a brighter sound for the orchestra and sometimes plays the melody. In jazz music, the trumpet plays the lead role in an ensemble. The trumpet player carries the melody of most jazz songs because of its loud pitch. Along with the trumpet is the trombone that is part of a bass line and a counter melody to the trumpet. Percussion: The cymbals are an example of the percussion instrument. The cymbals are two circular plates, made of different types of alloy. Each cymbal has a leather strap in the middle, so the player can hold the cymbals. Theres no specific example on how to play this instrument. What the player needs to do is struck against another cymbal, creating an indefinite pitch. The cymbals have been used in many ensembles, ranging from orchestra to marching band. In the orchestra, the cymbals play a minor role there, for their role is to surprise the audience for drama and excitement, or its used to emphasize the rhythm. Also, the cymbals have a major role in the marching band. Along with the percussion instruments, theyre responsible for keeping the tempo going. Even when the brass and woodwind instruments are not playing, the percussion instruments keep on playing. The cymbals in the marching band follow the accented rhythms the drums are making, so they would keep the audience surprised. Last Friday, I watched How I Met Your Mother on TV, and I noticed their use of music. The show started with an opening scene, and then move on to the intro, which lasts around 10 seconds. Most of the scenes that I watched doesnt play a lot of music, but I heard some background music playing because of the locations the characters were at, such as bars, restaurants, and house parties. However, I heard some instruments playing when they switch to new scenes. Most of the instruments played at a soft dynamic, and the most common instrument I heard was an acoustic guitar. There are some instruments included, such as piano, violin, and harp. The show ends with credits, and it plays an extended intro song. With those instruments combined, I recognized a pattern for using music. Most of the instruments I heard on the show have been used as tools for storytelling. The show played the guitar and piano to show what the characters are doing right now. Also, they used the two instruments for movi ng ahead in the next days or weeks. It could be fast or short depending on how much tempo is used. But the most important use of the instruments is setting the mood. The characters can conflict with each other, and the instruments played a major or minor chord depending on what emotions theyre feeling right now. It helps attract the viewers to get their attention to see what happens next, and it lets the viewers feel sympathy towards the characters emotion because of the tonality of the scene. There were some minor uses for the instruments. For example, the harp was played to show the characters flashback or imagination of the future because the harps tone is mystical for any strange occurrence to happen in the future. As for the violin, it helps build suspense for the scene. It plays a low pitch, and as the low pitch ends, it plays a high pitch, bringing a surprise to the viewers. In this show, the suspense can affect the characters, but its funny to watch when something minor look s serious to them doesnt look serious to the viewers. As for the commercial breaks, theres so many random music playing. Theres no specific pattern about music playing in the commercials. But I noticed about how they choose their music. Depending on the advertisement, they used music that matches the companies theme to persuade their audience to buy or support the product. For example, I remember seeing a commercial about the charity group. Theyre persuading the audience to support the abused animals. They persuaded me with pictures of pets with sad eyes, and they used a piano music in a minor chord to get us emotionally attached to the pets. Overall, commercials used music to make us believed that the benefits they showed would work on us.

Power of Women in the Epic of Gilgamesh

Anthony Sales Ierfino The Power of Women Imagine a woman so beautiful she had the power to tame wild beasts with one look at her voluptuous body. In â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh†, Gilgamesh’s temple priestess has the power to do just that, she tames Enkidu. Ishtar, when denied by Gilgamesh, threatens to â€Å"let the dead go up and eat the living† (10). In this epic, women represent great power, wisdom and finally temptation and evil. In the epic, the woman symbolizes different things.One of these is how woman use the power of love (sex) and temptation to attain a certain goal or task. When the trapper’s son tells his father of Enkidu, his first and immediate instinct is to send for Gilgamesh’s temple priestess, Shamhat, so she can seduce him and â€Å"have her take off her robe and expose her sex† (3). Upon seeing Shamhat’s voluptuous body, Enkidu loses all his wild and animalistic instincts. He then makes love to her for six days and seven nights, as â€Å"she was not restrained, but took his energy† (4).Having had sex with the harlot, Enkidu is humanized and in turn is rejected by the animals he grew up with. Shamhat not only proves that sex and temptation are powerful tools (or weapons), but that the woman is even more powerful because she holds such â€Å"powers† (sex and temptation). Not only Are women powerful, but in the Epic, they are portrayed as evil. Ishtar, goddess of love and war, is portrayed as a selfish and uses her power of seduction for evil.Princess Ishtar asks Gilgamesh to marry her, telling Gilgamesh â€Å"Be you my husband, and I will be your wife†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (8). Gilgamesh replies by not only insulting the princess but by recounting her past lovers and how she has loved them only to turn on them, â€Å" You loved the colorful ‘little Sheperd’ [Tammuz] bird and then hit him, breaking his wing, so now he stands in the forest crying ‘My Wing’! † (9). He then, ends his reply by saying she loves him now, but she will only turn on him.Ishtar, embarrassed and deeply angered, goes up to the heavens going to her father Anu asking for him to let her unleash the Bull of Heaven so he go down and kill Gilgamesh. When Anu simply states that Gilgamesh did nothing wrong, Ishtar threatens that if she does not get what she wants she will â€Å"knock down the Gates of the Netherworld†¦and will let the dead go up to eat the living! † (10). Despite a warning from her father that no crops will grow for 7 years Ishtar is undeterred. This shows how, Ishtar, is selfish uses her power of seduction on Gilgamesh.But when rejected, she is blinded by her fury and willing to do anything to get revenge even if it means the deaths of innocent men. It is clear that women are portrayed in a certain way in the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is due to the position they held the social hierarchy of the day. They were portrayed as beings with the power of seduction whether they had good intentions or evil intentions were completely up to them. This is why they were treated as mere objects that must be controlled by man.The temple priestess, for example, held much power, she was the representative of God on earth, not only this but it is she who ensures there will be a good crop, whether or not the king will be successful in battle. In this instance the Temple Preistess, Shamhat, sent by Gilgamesh to tame and eliminate the threat that is Enkidu. Secondly how Ishtar, after attempts to seduce Gilgamesh and fails, blinded by rage and selfishness, wreaks havoc on the innocent people of Uruk as she attempts to get revenge on Gilgamesh.

Human Nature and Power Essay

During the Renaissance, many brilliant philosophers have explored the concept of human nature. The question, what motivates humanity has been taken into consideration in the composure of virtually every society. By establishing that premise, many went on to create an ideal society with the intention of developing that thought. Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas More are outstanding representatives among them. In both More’s Utopia and Machiavelli’s The Prince, perfect societies are constructed. However, More and Machiavelli have different opinions about the human nature in relation to the role of power and authority. Thomas More optimistically describes human nature. He depicts that man by nature is good-willed and conforming. He believes that human nature can be improved. Therefore, if the governing power is to be removed then man would be a less hostile force. Niccolo Machiavelli, on the other hand, describes human nature negatively. Man is untrustworthy, ungrateful, greedy and lying. Machiavelli suggests that man will never change and that one will always attempt to overcome the other. Power and authority is implied in the very essence of Machiavelli’s work. It is tied in with the greed and selfishness. More believed human nature to be good, created by God, and susceptible to great improvement if social, political, and economic conditions were reformed so that human misery were eliminated and that fundamental human virtue were thereby liberated and nurtured. More believed in socialism insofar as it would eliminate private property, which he saw as the root of evil. He believed that when private property exists, and when money dominates all other considerations, then â€Å"it is hardly ever possible for a commonwealth to be governed justly or happily. † More believes that justice simply cannot exist when the â€Å"worst citizens† own the â€Å"best things,† or â€Å"where property is limited to a few. † In such a situation, those who have so much are â€Å"always uneasy,† fearing they will have it taken, and those who have so little â€Å"are utterly wretched† (More 38). Where there is no justice, people will believe that there is no reward for virtue, which will result in people behaving according to their lowest standards, rather than according to their highest. In Utopia, Thomas More’ view of human nature is far more positive than negative. While he certainly shows an awareness of the flaws in human beings, he attributes those flaws more to the environment, and political and socioeconomic factors, than to the nature of humanity. In other words, More shows that human nature can be altered by altering the environment. If the environment is improved, meaning socially, politically and economically, then the behavior of human beings will be improved, bringing out the best in human nature. So in More’s view, if the governing power and authority is to be removed then man would be a less hostile force. Machiavelli expresses his view of the basic lack of goodness in human nature. He believes that in general, most people have a primary interest in themselves, and are motivated by their financial greed. Men are mainly concerned with their property and honor. â€Å"When neither their property nor their honor is touched, the majority of men live content†¦ † If he â€Å"wishes to profess goodness at all times† he â€Å"must fall to ruin among so many who are not good. † If he wishes to maintain his power, he must â€Å"learn how not to be good, and to use it or not according to necessity† (Machiavelli 127). Machiavelli, envisions society as one that turns to power and satisfaction of vices as seen through The Prince. Machiavelli advises that to keep power one must learn to be corrupt. This advice is given due to the idea that one who knows not corruption and believes in honesty is faced with those who use manipulation as part of the job. Machiavelli also sees pursuing virtue as an act that leads to ruin, while serving vice will fortify life. Human nature is one that tends to be drawn to pleasant, satisfactory things. If there is no benefit to the self for actions performed, motivation to perform such actions will be low or nonexistent. As seen throughout history, many actions have been taken in order for people to gain power, even if that action is genocide. Men are willing to step over men in order to have power and make an enjoyable life for hisself. Such occurrences can be seen multiple times, being unprompted and completely by choice of the power hungry. According to the different point of view of human nature from More and Machiavelli above, we can understand how More and Machiavelli view power and the role of power and authority. In the Prince, the authority is in either monarchy or dictatorship. Machiavelli focuses on the manipulation of the people to maintain power. The importance lies in the fact that in a monarchy or dictatorship, one person has the power in a society and all the rest serve only to obey him. Starkly different is More’s creation. His society is a true communist one and it could also beargued that it is also a democracy. Leaders are elected by the people, who make their owndecisions freely. Nothing, not even power, is owned in that society by an individual. The power is distributed, thus empowerment. The capitalism of Machiavelli’s world, the idea strongly ties in with this contrast. it was written for the use of one man to dominate over and control his kingdom, it was obviously not meant for lesser mortals. It in itself is a tool of power which could be used for only the good of the prince who uses it. Whether or not the people are empowered does not matter, it is irrelevant. It only matters that theprince uses it to maintain his own power. In contrast, Utopia is a fantasy written by More tosuggest an alternative way of life for the people. He focuses very little on the doings of the princein his ideal society; what matters in Utopia is the actions of the people. One might even say thatthe people are empowered, but the ideals that truly run the society, are empowered. More’s truefocus does not even lie in power, but in the seeking of ideals. The Utopian society highlights the unwritten laws of morality that humans possess if they are raised in a society that promotes honesty and virtue. However, Machiavelli argues that men are evil and inherent selfishness, no matter how pleasant a society raises them. People’s natural tendency to lie, cheat, and steal swells up without any restrictions, destroying not only their own community but also their government. It is implied that the treatment of criminals is harsh and strict. In Utopia, More describes how this ideal society punishes its’ criminals and it is obvious that they are mild and gentle. Since vice is not only destroyed, and men preserved, but they are treated in such a manner as to make them see the necessity of being honest (Utopia, 14). Although More and Machiavelli’s opinions differ greatly in their view of human nature, both works are unbelievably intriguing in that each of the societies would leave an incredible mark in history. The visual given through More’s Utopia portrays society an optimist’s view. More believes that when given all equal opportunities and provisions, people will lead a virtuous, unselfish life. People will work for the benefit of other people in order to create an equal and pleasant society. People only turn to corruption when faced with shortages or vanity in believing some deserve more than others. So in More’s Utopian world, the governing authority is removed and the power is distributed. However, in the Prince, People’s natural tendency to lie, cheat, and steal swells up without any restrictions, power and authority is implied in the very essence of Machiavelli’s work. It is tied in with the greed and selfishness. So Machiavelli focuses on the manipulation of the people to maintain power.

102 Intro to Causal Analysis Professor Ramos Blog

102 Intro to Causal Analysis Intro to Causal Analysis Intro to Causal Analysis Causality: the relationship of cause and effect Causal Analysis  systematically examines the causes and/or the effects of an event, situation, belief, or action. Cause asks: Why did it happen? Why does it happen? Why will it happen? Effect asks: What did it produce? What does it produce? What will it produce? By carefully analyzing  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ A Causal Analysis essay gives you a precise way to ask tough questions about the world you live in. Everyday the news is full of issues that raise  why  and  what if  questions. Instead of focusing on the whole of an issue, focus down on why something happens or what the effect is of something happening. For example: Instead of focusing on the death penalty which has a ton of information to sort through once you begin researching. The causal analysis assignment focuses the inquiry into causes and effects: Why was the death penalty reinstated in Texas in 1982? Or, what has the deterrent effect been since then? The causal analysis gives you a line of inquiry to pursue, that is central to understanding the argument and arguing well. In this way, the assignment asks you to develop rhetorical skills, in particular logical thinking, the supporting of explanations with evidence, and the ability to explain the â€Å"story† of cause and effect to an audience. For this assignment, you will pick a monster to investigate more in-depth. Psycho Here is the infamous shower scene from Psycho (1960) While this scene is iconic, the movie is based on a real person: Ed Gein.

Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Soci Essays - Gender

Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Soci Essays - Gender Double Standard Of Masculinity In Gender Role Socialization Double Standard of Masculinity in Gender Role Socialization Masculinity is a topic that has been debated in our society extensively, through research as well as in informal settings. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, and if we can really assign a definition to such a subjective term. After all, shouldn't one's own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity? This self-construction would be the ideal in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false belief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. In this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certain beliefs pertaining to it are perpetuated in our society. I will also uncover many of the contradictions between society's assigned definition of masculinity and the expectation that males will somehow learn how to act contrary to that assigned and learned meaning. Definition of Masculinity Men are primarily and secondarily socialized into believing certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity. These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to being and playing violently. The socialization of masculinity in our society begins as early as the first stages of infancy. A child's burgeoning sense of self or self-concept is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs to which he is exposed (Witt 1997). Later in this paper the question of whether there are genetic factors will be discussed. However, to further my argument at this point, I will discuss masculinity as it is socially defined. From the outset of a boy's life he is socialized into the belief that he should be 'tough'. Often when boys get hurt, 'scrape their knee', or come whimpering to their mother or father, the fated words, Little boys don't cry, issue forth. Children internalize parental messages regarding gender at an early age, with awareness of adult sex role differences being found in two-year-old children. One study found that children at two and a half years of age use gender stereotypes in negotiating their world and are likely to generalize gender stereotypes to a variety of activities, objects, and occupations (Witt 1997). This legitimization teaches males that boys and men are not allowed to cry. There also exists the belief that boys are often required to do 'men's work' outside of the home such as mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, etc., and not 'sissy women's work' such as cooking and cleaning, etc. Other factors help to perpetuate certain standards expected of men and boys (Stearns 1990). The violence boy's witness on television further legitimates this belief. Katz explains that advertising imagery equates masculinity with violence. For boys this means aggression is instrumental in that it enables them to establish their masculinity (Katz 1995). Lee Bowker researched the influence advertisements have on youth. He asserts that toy advertisements featuring only boys depict aggressive behavior. Strangely, the aggressive behavior generally results in positive consequences more often than negative. Bowker also looked at commercials with boys that contain references to domination. The results of all the commercials indicate that 68.6% of the commercials positioned toward boys contain incidents of verbal and physical aggression. There was no cross?gender display of aggressive behavior. Interestingly, not one single-sex commercial featuring girls shows any act of aggression (Bowker 1998). This research helps explain that it is not just the reinforcement of close caretakers t o the child that legitimate masculinity but society as a whole (using the television as a symbol of society and it's desires). Another example of how this can be reinforced even by women who may or may not be trying to promulgate such a belief is with an experience I had growing up: When I would get a cut or a bruise, I would muster up all the strength I had to not cry. I feared that if I cried I wouldn't be worthy of being a tough kid. On one occasion I had a severe cut in my knee that required several stitches. When I took a look at the wound after rolling up my pant leg, my first inclination was to break out crying. However, at that moment my teacher told me what a

Advocates of Human Rights and Champions of Countrys and Citizens Research Paper - 2

Advocates of Human Rights and Champions of Countrys and Citizens Safety - Research Paper Example Hence, people who are convicted in the lower courts, but have appealed successfully to higher courts could neither be removed from office, nor could be deprived of other citizens rights, like getting elected for an elected post, or exercising voting rights etc. So, indictment or formal charge against any person is not evidence of guilt because unless proved otherwise, the person is supposed to be innocent. It is the fundamental safeguard in the British system. â€Å"It is precisely in order to protect this presumption of innocence that defendants are not generally required to face evidence which, while it may be highly prejudicial, does not actually prove the particular case against them† Keeping this exclusive right of the defendant, he is excluded from ‘similar fact evidence’ meaning similar crimes committed by the accused in past will not have any bearing on the present case. Human Rights have become the most important principles of law today, in all civilised countries. The world is, at last, acknowledging that individual and his rights are greater than any other rights, as long as it does not encroach another’s individual rights. Hence, human rights come to the forefront while dealing with individuality as the core matter of it. â€Å"Throughout the world, in international relations and international law, discourse is increasingly being conducted in the language of human rights. This trend represents the significant inroads which are being made by the international community of nations on the notion of state sovereignty,† (Feldman, 2002, p.35).

The Ideal Classroom and School Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Ideal Classroom and School - Assignment Example This essay describes the role of education and how it can be assisted by the ideal classroom and school, ultimately concluding that such concepts are tied into present culture and needs and so should remain flexible. Ultimately, the construction of any ideal is dependent upon perspective and the ability to meet the needs of one's learners. It is therefore imperative that ideals are not copied from one place to another, but that each educator seeks their own answers. Many of the more pragmatic suggestions for creating an ideal classroom in research literature relate to secondary education, but interestingly the two projects currently attempting to construct an ideal classroom are focussing on the primary age range. With the practicalities of constructing an ideal classroom at an early stage in academic literature, a more philosophical approach is taken in this essay. From this perspective, practical ideas are discussed in terms of why they are thought to be ideal. As the notion of an ideal classroom is as much a theoretical as a practical concern, I do not judge the existing literature to be lacking as empirical research into an ideal classroom would be heavily dependent upon its culture and context, arguably suffering from a lack of generalisability from its very nature. The broader role of education discussed by Wragg in Moon et al. ... The broader role of education discussed by Wragg in Moon et al. (2002) includes flexibility, that the aim is simply to meet students' needs. While this slightly dodges a question by posing another question (e.g. who determines and limits the needs), the intent suggests that the concept of 'ideal' has to be a fluid one. An ideal classroom now may not be one in 20 years, nor is the ideal classroom for a London school necessarily ideal for a similar school in Hull. The concept of an ideal classroom and school may be culture bound as much as it is resource driven, so it is necessarily to strictly define for what purpose the classroom is 'ideal'. As with Moon et al. (ibid), this poses the question "ideal for what" To argue that education has changed so little over millennia suggests comparison to another field where little has changed, namely philosophy. Philosophy has value to society for its questions rather than its answers, and I would argue that education is very much the same. It is so much a part of our human and social condition that each generation must ask itself the same questions even if the answers are only temporary. If philosophy is the question of who we are, education represents who we want to be. In the thousands of years of human education, classrooms and schools are a relatively recent innovation. They arguably account for a small proportion of what is learnt through a lifetime, for example Moon argues that the challenge for formal teaching is how to transpose the extraordinary human capacity for learning, particularly in the young, to those artificial worlds we have created in schools and classrooms. (Moon et al., 2002 p.3) McIntyre illustrates this point by stressing that the "concept of teaching has no