Monday, January 27, 2020
Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony
Beijing 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony The Olympic Games are one of the most important international sporting events for most of the world. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was especially one of particular focus and attention. China has long wished to show the world its greatness and, in June 2001, it finally got that chance. The Opening Ceremony as an event was the primary opportunity for China, besides the sporting events themselves, to demonstrate its power, wealth, and prosperity to the world; through visual and artistic spectacle. It would also allow the world to observe and witness how far China has progressed, as a country, to becoming more open and willing to being a bigger part in the global community. Aspects of the Opening Ceremony may be divided into three main categories; the Political, the Historical and Cultural, and the Ideals and overall Message. The concept of Unity is one of the main historical political ideas, presented throughout the Ceremony; which may be first interpreted in the mass-scale performances. Syncopation was essential during the highly choreographed displays of drummers, martial artists, and actors and dancers; in large formations. The theme of Unity has always been significant throughout Chinese history, since the unification of China under the first Emperor in 221 BCE. With rise and fall of subsequent dynasties, the prosperity of the land depended on that unity. The idea of Unity in the new era may be more clearly displayed by the 56 children carrying the national flag, dressed in costume, representing the 56 ethnic groups of modern China; promoting China as a unified multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, nation. Chinas economic strength is implied by the ability to fund and organize the large-scale use of fireworks, lighting, and man power; in order to put on such a spectacular mega-event. The Opening Ceremony may also be considered to be a promotion of Chinese pride and nationalism. It not only promotes Beijing itself as a city, or as the Capital, but as the center of the great country of China; as a while. This event is not only for China to impress all the foreign visitors, but may also prove to their own citizens, and to Chinese communities worldwide, how far theyve come. They have the chance to make the best impression possible on the world; and to impress all with the speed and scope of Chinas development. The Historical and Cultural aspects played a major part in the Opening Ceremony through the presentation and celebration of ancient Chinese culture. Chinese director Zhang Yimou was the creative mind behind the Ceremony. He is perhaps known to Westerners for his films Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. There is a strong focus on spectacle and aesthetic beauty, and artistic tradition and history of China, with the central theme of the four great Chinese inventions; the first being fireworks. A brief film was shown during the ceremony, displaying the second of the four great inventions of paper making. The showing of the traditional ink brush making was shown to segue way into the next performance, as a giant L.E.D. paper scroll was rolled out in the middle of the stadium. At the centre lay a canvas upon which dancers in black, with a sleeve dipped in ink, left trail marking as they moved on the paper; creating a landscape of mountains, a river, and the sun. The look of it was in the style of traditional ink painting. Their dance was accompanied by the music of a Guqin, the ancient Chinese seven-stringed zither. It was a blending of brush painting, dance, and music, and the connection of all the fine arts as part of the same philosophical artistic process. In celebration of the Chinese language, of movable blocks were used in a large formation to present three variations of the character for harmony; another political ideal. The performance pays tribute to the third great invention of the movable type press. Meanwhile, hundreds of costumed Han Dynasty feather-capped scholars, holding bamboo scrolls, sang out key excerpts from Analects of Confucius. Confucius was one of the most significant ancient philosophers that helped shape Chinese society, who still retains importance and influence in East Asia today. Other presentations artistic traditions of Beijing Opera and Puppetry were performed. A grounded map of the Ancient Silk Road was a ccompanied by Tang Dynasty dancers. The last of the great Chinese inventions, the compass, was held by the central actor in a performance presenting the voyages of Zheng He; the Ming Dynasty eunuch who led seven great naval expeditions to explore the world from 1405 to 1433. All these represent Chinas glorious past. The following segment represented present day China, with a performance by pianist Lang Lang surrounded by luminescent performers; who arranged themselves into the Dove of Peace. The Doves wings took flight as the performers moved. A young girl, suspended by wire, ran in mid-air while flying a kite. 2,008 of male performers, in white, took formation to display a mass performance of Tai Chi in fluid unison; a martial art based on the principles of the Yin and Yang, and harmony with nature. The ink painted landscape returned for a group of schoolchildren to add their marks by colouring over it, while chanting poetry; suggesting an environmental and Green Olympics. The in t he landscape was filled in with a smiley face. The accompanying light presentation showed bright coloured birds, flying into the sky; possibly to further the thoughts of peace, or environmentalism. An astronaut, and a giant glowing ball representing Earth, came forth to represent modern, and possibly future, space exploration. The ball changed colour and glowed like a Chinese lantern, while acrobats tumbled rolled along its surface. Chinese and British singers, Li Huan and Sarah Brightman, stood on top of the ball which reverted back to showing the Earth, and sang the 2008 Olympic theme song You and Me; in both Mandarin and English. It was a song of friendship and peace. The 2,008 performers returned, with bearing parasols with images of the smiling children; and fireworks in the shape of smiley faces were ignited. The Opening Ceremony was the event for Beijing to welcome the world. They were able to introduce, or share more of, Chinese culture and heritage to the world. It also showed a new sense of China, more built on unity, peace, harmony, and openness with the global community. These ideals were made clear throughout the Ceremony as part of the themes for the 2008 Olympics; the slogan being One World, One Dream. China opening itself to the world is perceived in the Beijing Olympic Logo; a stylized representation of the character of Jing, meaning capital. The character resembles a dancing figure with arms wide open, and Chinas invitation and welcome to the world. The Red in the emblem is the Chinese colour of good luck and fortune. The Mascots for the 2008 Games, called Fuwa, have five members; Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Their designs were inspired by a fish, a giant panda, a flame, a Tibetan antelope, and a swallow; each also representing one of the five Olympic rings. Put together, their names for a pun on the phrase Beijing huanying ni, meaning, Beijing welcomes you. The Olympic Committee also chose three specific themes to promote for 2008. The first was technological Olympics, as high-tech media broadcasting and promotion was important to a successful Olympics; the 2008 Beijing Olympics being the first in history to be broadcasted in high-definition. The second theme was humanistic, and the original ideal that the Olympics is a cultural event; for all people. It not only refers back to the contributions by Ancient Greece, but is also gives the Chinese people the opportunity to share their own 5000 years of traditional and modern culture. Harmony of humanity also includes harmony with nature, which leads to the final theme of a green Olympics. China worked hard to tackle this issue in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, to accommodate the arrival of so many foreign spectators and athletes; to be able to attend and perform in an agreeable enviro nment. While pollution as one of the main criticisms China faces today, it remains a problem in many other countries; and was a question raised for many previous Olympic cities. The 2008 Games were used to continue to increase global awareness and the promotion of green consumption. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was the means for China to demonstrate its wealth and power to the world. It was through art and creativity, demonstrated by the Opening Ceremony, that China was able to celebrate and share its culture with the rest of the world; while also supporting current day ideals of peace, harmony, progress, and environmentalism. It was a promotion of a new image of China as willing and ready to open itself to all, and to be accepted as among the worlds top respectable countries. Bibliography: http://en.beijing2008.cn/ Gold, John R. And Margaret M. Gold, Olympic Cities: City Agendas, Planning and the Worlds Games, 1896-2012. London: Routledge, 2007 Fan, Hong, Duncan Mackay, and Karen Christensen. China Gold: Chinas Quest for Global Power and Olympic Glory. Great Barrington: Berkshire Publishing Group, 2008.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
How Media Actually Affects the Culture of the Human Society Today Essay
Introduction The contemporary problem of a society which has a democratic and liberal political setting alongside a free market economic system or any society which gears towards such characterizations remains to be one that involves what contemporary political thinkers and scholars refer to as the notion of the plurality of values. Isaiah Berlin, for instance, considers what he called values pluralism as an inevitable consequence of the processes of democratization and liberalization. For the sake of clarity, it is but proper to lay down at the onset, what the task of this paper is. This paper’s task remains two-fold; first it seeks to explicate Thomas Frank’s views in his essay entitled, Why Johnny Can’t Dissent from the book, Commodify Your Dissent, and second, it aims to give substantive criticisms to Frank’s views and comment on how media and advertising have caused business culture and counterculture to become, essentially, one and the same; primarily answering the question â€Å"in what sense may they be considered as one and the same?†Relating the Thoughts of Frank with the Theories of Selznick Understanding the business industries today, it should occur to everyone that the said field of concern actually notes the impact of business upon the culture of the society today. Good manners involve showing consideration for the feelings of others, according them respect, treating them as we would like for them to treat us. Many have noted, however, that manners themselves have undergone a breakdown. Indeed, courtesy becomes one of the most wanted character among people which proves that the society lacks so much manners an is still lacking some as the years pass by. Certainly the idea of being polite have been used by many personalities in the human community today to conceal the real score behind politics and its connection with selfishness, hence making the society more prone to demands of fine manner which even people in authority fail to show. Children as young as five years of age are increasingly belligerent, disrespectful of other children’s property, lacking in respect for adults, and using obscene language. Most teachers surveyed feel that parents are spoiling their children and that this is the root cause of the increase in unsocial behavior. At one point, it could be said that the issue of display of fine manners starts decaying within the four walls of the homes where individual characters are developed within a person. Many factors concerning a child’s development have been causing social chaos as the children of certain generation grow to take over the society. As result the characters once set in a child to be right and acceptable causes problems to the society as they grow older. True, in many cases, the homes which are supposed to be the modeling clay of a person’s being becomes highly incapable of doing its part in making a better society for the future. Instead, divorces and other family failures present in the society today drives the very idea of the mistaken identity of the ‘wrong’ to become accepted in the human community. The used to be ‘fine atmosphere’ of parks and playgrounds is now replaced with the view of groups of children ages nine to thirteen gathered in gangs and not by playmates. Even the children’s views of ‘fun’ have now changed to violence and authority. Certainly, world reports are mostly making much clear points on showing that the world’s moral belief and application is already falling off from the supposed needed application for the social development and peace to be highly implemented. Regarding these issues of moral-lack, Philip Selznick has produced a written repot on the needs of having moral standards back in the human society today. In the paragraphs to follow, the beliefs of the said author regarding the said issue shall be tackled and discussed for closer evaluation. Sociology and the Perfect Society            The present human condition is dealing with so much problems and issues involving human morality. The values of moral, which are obviously lacking on the present human society is quite an obvious dilemma in the present system of things in the human community. Hence, it is necessary for the present human generation to recognize the need of bringing back morals in the society to be able to save the present generation from perishing in a moral basis. According to Selznick, â€Å"Morality is made for humans and not humans for morality†(Selznick, 12), this means that morality is a provision for the human generation and not a responsibility. In this regard, it is important for all humans that everyone recognizes the value of morals at all times. However, this truth has never been totally effective with the human generations that passed the world history. In many points of history, the human civilization has posted so much violence and disrespect for life. This is the exact opposite of what is morally accepted in the society.            In this manner, it is indeed a factor of consideration that morals are also affected buy the different organizations that humans form in the society. Indeed, it is true, that by the existence of an influential environment, morals get so twisted and are thus mixed up with immoral beliefs. As Selznick says: â€Å"when it comes to bureaucracies, whatever their dysfunctions, hold open the possibility of overcoming local obligations in favor of more universalistic claims†(Selznick, 14). In this regard, it could be noticed that Selznick strongly points out that as an individual develops, the society goes with the development as well. However, since the individual population of today’s society seems to develop to a more negatively enhanced improvement, the society too becomes more negatively rooted as the years tend to pass. The Elements of a Perfect Community            According to Selznick, the real definition behind a society that is perfectly designed for living is based upon morals. He adds in his written work that â€Å"definitions in social theory should be weak, inclusive and relatively uncontroversial†, in this way, morals are preserved and the established by humans themselves do not intercept in the implication of what is morally accepted in the human community.            He also adds that to be able to attain a perfectly created society, there are seven essential elements that should be considered. The seven elements are as follows: Historicity This defines the strong foundation of any community based upon the past of a certain group of society. The foundation of morals, which are already accepted in the said society, would be the basis of what is morally right. However, since time changes, morals too either develop or in some ways decrease in its strength through the test of time. Identity A society is indeed known through its identity of moral difference against other social groups. The way they are accepting morals usually differs from how others tend to accept morality as a part of their daily living. In this regard, the different societies are considered different form each one because of their own carried identity. Mutuality It is very important that everyone accept the moral standards set up for their own community. This way the social standards of morality could be considered highly practical and effective for everyone. This means that everybody within a society has mutual understanding and acceptance of what is considered righteous. Plurality The majority that accepts the moral values that are standardized for social reference is very important. The more there are who accepts the values to be morally righteous, the more effective the said principles are for everyone. Autonomy Everybody is bound to do what is right; they are bound to do what is accordingly acceptable with the set principles of morals within the society they are living in. However, it should still be recognized that every person has their own will, their own capability of deciding. This means that to be able to do what is right, a person must also consult his own thoughts and beliefs regarding what should be considered moral, basing from their own individual foundation of knowing what is right and wrong. Participation As earlier said, participation of the majority with regards to the acceptance of moral principles in the entire population of the society is an important factor of making or creating a perfect society. Integration Being able to integrate with the acceptable moral principles of the society is indeed an important part of making a completely peacefully interconnected society. Certainly, this means that being socially integrated within the community through moral principles is a basis of a perfect community. (Source: Selznick, Philip. (1994). The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community (Centennial Books). University of California Press; Reprint edition.)            These factors of a community makes it possible for the entire population to realize their worth in the society. Being able to fully grasp the importance of being a part of the developments in a community indeed makes a person’s view of life and worth of living a more improved factor of his life.            It is evident that Selznick wants to point out the importance of one’s satisfaction with his life and his worth to the society. This moves an individual to fully grasp the importance of his presence and the worth of his life to others, thus making a positive move to be able to do so, helps that person to become more righteous and positively inclined when it comes to the display of his manners.  As an overall view, Selznick’s theory with regards to a perfect society is indeed an epitome of social utopia derived from individual developments. The fact that as the basic sector of the community, the individual’s growth determines the society’s growth as well, Selznick points out that to have a perfect community, a person must not only realize his worth as an individual but as a part of a big society which needs his presence to grow in becoming more developed and socially mannered.            Being a member of a community leaves a person certain responsibilities of being a continuous contributor towards the good of every one involved within the society as well. Constant observance of the moral values in the society is an important factor of creating a perfect kind of community, which makes it more livable for most of the population in the society.            For these moments, it is important to reconsider morals to bring back the peaceful situations of a utopian model of a society. Although the world today has a hard time implementing the social principles of what is morally acceptable, the theories and elements of a perfect community as mentioned by Selznick is still indeed an effective way of implementing peace in a certain society; and thus if implemented, a society borne to peace and security is not far from being developed. However hard to apply the changes may be, it could still be expected that with ample effort, the aims of a perfect community could be achieved. These views of the said theorist has been further enhanced and introduced for social understanding. Likely, the understanding of such balance that makes a clear connection between media and popular culture is the main feature of Thomas Frank’s views. Primarily, the focus of the discussion shall be centered upon the understanding of media and its implications with the social culture that is obviously one of the essential factors of a utopian society. Understanding Thomas Frank’s Views In this regard, with the aim of pursuing the understanding upon the views of Thomas Frank, the discussion in this paper shall then be stressed on the direct effects of the assumptions of the said expert with regards media and human culture. Adorno and Horkheimer, for instance, view commercialism, the weapon of capitalism in and through which it is possible to transform a society into a mediocre herd which prefers popular culture’s logic of style and false notions of values such as â€Å"individuality†over more pure expressions of truth, as the culprit for the erosion not only of societal values but also of culture. As they see it, commercialism made possible the existence of the â€Å"deceived masses†(133). The deception of the masses is a phenomenon that is worth the time to evaluate. How is this phenomenon possible? It is at this point that media and advertising steps into the scene. In Legal Philosophy, fundamental rights are those rights that are inalienable to human persons. An example of this kind of right is the right of free speech. The state’s recognition that free speech is a fundamental right that ought to be granted to individuals or citizens of a free democracy has crucial implications on the current problems of any state claiming to be â€Å"democratic†. For one, free speech, by virtue of being a fundamental right, paves the way for differing ideas, worldviews and values. In a liberal and democratic political setting, this is actually healthy. Ideally, it ensures that decisions are arrived at through proper deliberation. By proper deliberation, we refer to different ideas being examined critically through rational discourse. However, there had been considerably significant drawbacks to the recognition of free speech as a fundamental right and these drawbacks involve among many other things the core notions of social obligation and social responsibility that the press or the media ought to be mindful of in terms of proliferating false notions and values through the mechanism of advertising. Naturally, societies which adhere to the tenets of liberalism and democracy will be flooded by too many ideas, worldviews and values. This is an accurate characterization of current liberal and democratic societies. Capitalism, in itself, has a commercial mechanism which Barthes calls â€Å"censorship by repletion†(185). Commercialism thus, produces confusion and perhaps, intellectual anarchy, by flooding too many false notions as exemplified in the slogans that capitalists use to market their products. In a certain sense, the rise of commercialism endangers the very fabric of society; society’s cultural, historical and intellectual heritage. Eventually, marketing and advertising were able to replace political discourse. People, oftentimes readily accept the truthfulness of advertisements. They rarely take the time to think for themselves the truthfulness of slogans and advertisements on the television and the Internet. Such a setting of course, poses serious threats not only on the individual but more importantly, to the whole of society. We seem to forget that we have an important epistemic obligation, that is, not to accept the truth of a belief or a statement unless we have sufficient evidence for it. Undeniably, popular culture affects how the current generation thinks and reasons. To a certain extent, popular culture predisposes and moulds our children to behave and more importantly, to think in such and such ways. Culture, being a way of life, is a social phenomenon; it is the society which creates culture. It is the society which creates certain patterns of living, as argued by some social theorists. The idea is that it is ultimately, the people who draft their culture and their history. This idea is however, threatened by commercialism and capitalism. Vein Lasn adds up to this idea: â€Å"Culture isn’t created from the bottom up by the people anymore – it’s fed to us top-down by corporations†(189). What Van Lasn is pointing out is the fact that the market is too powerful a force that dictates culture. In Frank’s view, the corporate world feeds on the masses’ desire to individuality. The capitalists exploit this desire to be different, to be unique, or to stand out by linking the notion of individuality with a certain product that they sell on the market. The commercial mechanism of capitalism is, as stated earlier in the discussion, is the media through advertising. Businesses make extensive use of media and advertising to get the attention of the consumers. Capitalism, through media and advertising commodifies values such as individuality. By linking the false notion of individuality to a certain commodity, consumers think that they are unique, that they are different. A deeper analysis however reveals that the aforementioned claim to individuality is nothing but an illusion; a figment of the mind manufactured and institutionalized by capitalists. It is not only the case that it is manufactured and institutionalized; it is also sold to the consumers. Frank offers a metaphor: â€Å"The race track, the plane on which all individuals race for stardom, is run by those who create and instill conformity. The harder one tries to rebel, the deeper they play into the new consumer hip world, thus defeating their original goal entirely†. At this point, it would be discussed how media and advertising marketed the idea of rebellion and how the subversive youth counterculture became, in itself, an affirmation not of individuality but of conformity. The quoted statement above from the last paragraph of Frank’s essay raises considerably significant issues that need to be dealt with accordingly. As Frank sees it, the race for individuality is a race that can never be won. The problem, as he sees it, is the fact that the â€Å"race track†or the playing field is in itself, owned by those who create and instill conformity – the capitalists. In addition to this, the aforementioned race cannot be won simply because it is the capitalist who dictates the rules. As a matter of fact, they do so because they are the ones who create the rules. So, following Frank’s reasoning in his metaphor, it is indeed the case that no matter how one tries to rebel, one inevitably gets caught up, entangled with the webs of commercialism and capitalism. The goal to be non-conformists is in vain. Why is this so? As Frank sees it, the current youth counterculture and its attempt to rebel involves a contradiction at its very core. Frank argues that â€Å"consumerism is no longer about conforming but about difference†(113). How did this happen? In the preceding discussions, consumerism is associated with conformity but why is it that Frank now claims that it is about difference? For him, the answer is simple. The youth counterculture rebels through material means like fashion and clothing or cars. The idea of individuality, the idea of being unique or different is limited to the shallow definition that the youth appropriates for itself. Consumerism is no longer about conforming but about difference, as Frank claims, since individuals are desperately trying not to conform but by trying not to conform, they end up conforming. Indeed, conforming and not-conforming becomes one and the same since they all play by the rules of the game; and the rules of the game as stated earlier, are created and thereby, controlled by the capitalists. Frank also makes mention of how the television makes significant contributions to the deception of the masses. It makes them believe that they are in control of themselves and their lives. On a superficial level, one may think that one is free in choosing the kind of television shows that he or she may choose according to the dictates of his or her will. The problem is however, much more complex and to think in the way described above is an oversimplification of the problem. It simply misses the point, so to speak. For even the shows on the television are dictated by the â€Å"fad†, by what is considered hip during a particular point in time. As Frank states: â€Å"hip is their official ideology†(121). Conclusion            Certainly, manners have already become a lesser element that is concentrated upon by the society today. Likely, the aim of being industrially known throughout the world has made the present society lesser concerned about morals, for as long as they are able to persuade the society to take consideration in giving attention to their product offerings no matter what it takes. Confidently, many people are able to live their lives even though they are considering less focus upon the morals that they are implying upon in the growth of the entire society. In this manner, they are then having a hard time relating the present situation of the society with the idealism of a modern social utopia as per suggested by Selznick. Obviously, Thomas Frank actually explains that this particular factor in the society has already been lost by the human generation as they began embracing the trends of industrialization thus jumping into the band wagon of popular culture and modern commercialism along the way.            Obviously,  as the years has passed the human generations that are existing at present, the idealism of a modern social utopia has been lost to the aims of gaining much profit for a more economically progressive society. Understandably, the measure of the possibility of making a more socially moral community of humans in the world today becomes more and more involved with the influential factors that hold the key towards the believed progression that has been longed for by the human society. Through the use of media and advertising, the morals of the humanity actually begins to fade as it embraces the effects of globalization that also consequently subject major moral rules to jeopardy for the sake of continuing the advancements of the society that is highly wanted by the entire human generation today. References: Adorno and Horkheimer. The Dialectic of the Enlightenment. Herder and Herder, c. 1972. Barthes, R. Image, Music, Text. Hill, c. 1977. Frank, Thomas. â€Å"Why Johnny Can’t Dissent.†Commodify Your Dissent: Salvos from The Baffler. W. W. Norton & Company; 1st ed., c. 1997. The Conquest of Cool: Business Culture, Counterculture, and the Rise of Hip   Consumerism. University of Chicago Press, c. 1997. Lasn, K. Culture Jam: The Uncooling of America. Eagle Brook, c. 1999. Levinson, Sanford. Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong And                        How We the People Can Correct It. Oxford University Press, c. 2006. Sunstein, Cass. Why Societies Need Dissent. Harvard University Press, c. 2003. Selznick, Philip. (1994). The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community (Centennial Books). University of California Press; Reprint edition.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Behind Mud Walls Paper
Modern India Behind Mud Walls Paper In order to understand India, one needs to understand its villages. Behind Mud Walls does a great job in providing a detailed background of an ordinary village life in India. Since seventy percent of Indians live in villages, it is important to learn about village lifestyle and the changes that take place in it. Only then one can learn about the cities because one needs to understand the relationship between the two in India. Behind Mud Walls provides the opportunity to examine a north Indian village from a non-Indian point of view; in other words, a non-biased point of view.Since the book is broken up into parts by years, it gives the reader a great way to examine the changes that take place in this village; it shows how it was then and how it is now. Karimpur in 1930 was very different from Karimpur in the 80’s and 90’s. Many changes were observed by Wisers and Susan Wadley, who writes the later chapters in the book. These changes w ere social, economic, educational, technological, political and cultural but most significant of these were social, and educational. The social changes with an emphasis on role of women, the slowing down of the Jajmani system and the rise in education will be the focus of this paper.What was Karimpur like in 1930? Women in Karimpur in late 1920s were very traditional. They had a purdah (covering of the face) on at all times and were dependent on males (husbands, father or brothers). They were uneducated and illiterate. They had limited movement outside the house and were usually tied to raising children and doing household work. They worked almost entirely in mud enclosures. Their days were spent largely in menial labor, ensuring that their family could subside on a day-to-day basis. Their days began at dawn, when they gathered water for their family and their daily tasks of cooking, brushing, and cleaning.They ground flour for bread. They milked the family's cow or buffalo. They pr epared the ovens or chulas for the day's cooking. They swept. They collected dung for fuel. They gathered vegetables from the fields. It is safe to say that these women lived entirely behind â€Å"mud walls†. (144). They were also not allowed to go to the fields by themselves to relieve themselves. (46). Moreover, a system called Jajmani was widespread in Karimpur when the Wisers first visited. It was basically a system that bounded upper castes to lower castes in the villages.There was exchange of goods and services between landowning higher castes and landless service castes. The relationship was to be permanent, hereditary and lower castes generally received grains against rendered services. Dhobis (washers), chamars (tanners), faqirs (beggars) dhanuks (midwives), sudras (lower caste), and bhangis (sweepers) were all treated in a degrading manner. (47). The upper caste people, the Brahmins, would not like when the Wisers’ children played with those of bhangis. A tou ch of a bhangi would bring pollution to the upper caste Brahmins since they carry human waste and clean the courtyards.The Brahmins dominated the village. They owned most of the land and also took part in religious rituals due to their priest roots. Therefore, the caste system was a major social structure in Karimpur. Every individual had to stay within their caste boundaries; everyone had a hereditary job to do. Two different castes could not marry and an upper caste could eat or drink anything offered by the lower caste. Even when the Wisers offered peanuts to the children, their parents refused to let them eat. Only food offered by Brahmins would be acceptable for other upper castes.Therefore, caste system played a huge role in the lives of people in Karimpur. Furthermore, education was very low in Karimpur in 1925. Both males and females could barely read or write. As a result, there were no technological developments and therefore, agricultural production was low. Lower educati on rate also meant that people strictly followed the caste system to keep order in the society. Another observation made by the Wisers during their first was that most village houses were made of mud and were called â€Å"kaccha†houses. An interesting relationship noticed by the Wisers was that of newly wed girls and their mother-in-laws.Mother-in-laws would keep an eye on their daughter-in-laws or â€Å"bahus. †These bahus would have to please their mother-in-laws and take care of the household and everyone living in the family or in this case joint-family where brothers and their families live together with their parents under one roof. Therefore, one can see that Karimpur described by the Wisers in 1930 was quite backward and orthodox. The next half of the paper will be focused on the changes that took place over the decades in Karimpur. What were the changes in the second half of the century when Wisers and Susan Wadley visited Karimpur?Firstly, the role of women had changed a little bit. Secondly, education had increased and more and more villagers had B. A. degrees and moved to cities to find work. Thirdly, technological changes had brought enormous agricultural growth in the farms. The rigid caste system had slowed down a little bit and the mutual relationship of Jajmani system had declined as well. Finally, the younger generation was more in touch with the world through cities and education, the lower castes had more access to land ownership and most of the mud houses were transformed into brick houses or â€Å"pakka†houses.The roles of women had started to change in the 60s and later as observed by Susan Wadley. The purdah declined except during ritual occasions. The dress style also changed. Head was less covered. They started to show more head and face unlike before. When women went out in the fields to work still wore long sleeve blouses and had their head covered. The ones who worked in their own courtyards or left their ho use briefly started wearing dhotis which was something shorter than saris and other traditional long sleeve garments that they wore. (193).This was a radical change. It really showed that times had changed and people were becoming a little more open-minded. The younger generation of women was far more educated than their mothers or sisters and also wore baggy pants (Panjabi suits) by 90s. At times they would refuse to help their female figures in preparing and collecting cow dung, calling it â€Å"dirty. †They no longer had to collect water for their families since the introduction of hand pumps in their courtyards. This made their job a lot easier. Women also experienced change in their work.Due to the decline in the jajmani system and male employment in the farms, women no longer worked on the farms. The decline in the jajmani system meant more opportunities for women. Female servants were more acceptable as household servants. The decline in the purdah also helped women s ince now they could get their own water without males, carry their own messages and pick their own flowers from the fields. (289). They also took part in Hindu rituals. At the same time, one can argue that the voice of women in a household declined. Females were excluded from farm work since men had moved to the cities for work.They were replaced by machines and pumps on the fields and farms, and traditionally employed women in caste-based jobs through the jajmani system were no longer employed. Therefore, the changes in the lives of women were both negative and positive although the changes in the levels of education in Karimpur definitely helped women. Education was beneficial to both men and women. Better opportunities for jobs and marriage increased education rates among men and women. Women were expected to be educated to train their future generations. An educated girl was a likely girl for a marriage proposal.In 1984, three schools were set up for both boys and girls. An asto nishing forty nine percent of boys attended school. That is a big percentage for a backward village like Karimpur. (291). Fifty seven percent of girls attended primary schools. (291). All these numbers aside, education was still a luxury not a privilege in Karimpur. It was only accessible to upper castes that had money and the poor could not afford the cost of books and clothes. It is also important to note that it was extremely difficult to pass the sciences in schools without proper tutoring. As a result, the spread and benefit of education remained low.Still, it was a crucial change because it did make life better for some of the people. Many Brahmins obtained B. A. and M. A. degrees and most were literate including women. Increased education for men meant more opportunities in the cities for work which meant more money to provide for families back in village. Those who stayed in villages chose to be intermediates between the Brahmins and the government officials in matters of th e village. Another reason why education was an important change for Karimpur was because it changed caste relationships. Education loosened the bonds of Brahmin dominance.Education brought knowledge and knowledge brought changes in caste relationships. Different lower castes were no longer tied to their jajmans or patrons. They were able to deal with banks, lawyers, doctors and government officials. There was a decline in the traditional jajmani system due to abundance of labor. The farmers no longer needed to maintain their workers when they could hire labor for a cheaper price. Wealthy farmers in the 80s did not need that many laborers. They had machines that took care of their daily work. Hand pumps were a great tool for rich farmers. (285).There were two new tractors in the village. As a result the whole relationship between the jajmans and their servants declined due to abundance of cheap labor and new technology in the farms. The jajmani system no longer provided services, wag e labor was more focused and employment networks were more focused and laborers were in constant demand. (283). Some lower castes were also able to raise their status in the society by changing their caste names. Scheduled or backward castes like the chamars and telis became jatavs and rathors, both subcastes of the Kshatriya. (262).This type of upward mobility shows that progress did take place and this is the type of mobility is portrayed in the sacred Hindu texts like the Vedas. The system of hereditary caste system was never propagated by any texts. Rather, a system based on meritocracy was promoted in ancient Sanskrit texts and it was good to see such changed in a small north Indian village. Thus, one can see many social changes in Karimpur starting in the 60s and lasting till the 90s. Other important changes that took place were the transformation of the kuccha houses into pakka houses. Pakka houses were no longer limited to Brahmins.Even a sweeper had a pakka house. (248). Ec onomic growth enabled people to buy bricks and build these new types of houses. Payments are done in rupees rather than grains due to cash economy. Jajmani system no longer controlled the exchange of goods. Agricultural production was booming due to technological changes and introduction of necessary materials by the government to increase production. Better seeds, more fertilizer and more irrigation were provided by the government. One can credit increased education for more interaction between the villagers and the government officials. 252). Crops other than grains were produced and more number of farmers from all castes planted more crops and vegetables unlike only the Brahmins forty years ago. Green revolution also brought tremendous change in agriculture along with introduction of pumped irrigation water. Family incomes increased for many castes and access to land ownership also increased for middle and lower castes. The dominant Brahmin influence declined over the years but t hey still had a huge presence in the village. Overall, Karimpur in 1920s was different from Karimpur in the second half of the century.The reason why it was different was because of the changes in the roles of women over the years, the decline in the caste and jajmani system, and increased education. These changes were tied to each other and a change in one system brought a change in another. Finally, Karimpur serves as a model for modern India; it shows how a socially orthodox and economically backward place can experience changes at all levels in the society and improve the lives of its people. Works Cited Wiser, Charlotte, William Wiser. Behind Mud Walls. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California, 2000.
Friday, January 3, 2020
A River Runs Through It by Robert Redford Free Essay Example, 1250 words
As included in the original novel written by Norman MacLean back in 1976, the film claims to have been acted on the Blackfoot River in Montana, a geographical feature stretching from the continental divide in Lewis all the way to Clark Fork covering an average of 120 kilometers. Though this is not necessarily included in the movie, the river draws its waters from both springs and snow water further up in western Montana. The setting of the movie particularly the fly fishing scene displays one of the geographical features that are common with rivers: erosion (Robert). We see that most of the riverbank is covered with smoothened rocks ranging from small rocks to large ones. This can be attributed to the rivers erosive nature during transportation be it due to hydraulic action, abrasion or corrosion, corrosion or attrition. The production team in this movie was probably motivated by the fact that other than the information received from the cast, the environment would also be in a posi tion to show off and reveal a beautiful nature vested in our country. Moving on to yet another spectacular scene chosen by the production team, we find geographical features like river rapids being applied when the boys get a little naughty with the boat. We will write a custom essay sample on A River Runs Through It by Robert Redford or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page This geographical feature always embedded in the river is due to a sudden drop in the riverbed. They may be formed due to the erosion of soft rocks or even due to geographical fault lines. As we see in the film, the two boys row off the waterfall and into yet another feature that forms due to the existence of a waterfall: a plunge pool (Robert). This pool forms over time as the water falls down and eroding away its floor. In the original novel by Norman Maclean, he depicts the character of Paul as the naughty one.
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