s Music

Folk Music in India While putting together the performance of â€Å"The Raja’s Secret† was fun, it also was a lot of hard work. Each member was vital in making our performance a success. Helena did not only organize the group paper, but she also played the lead role as the Raja. Both Laurie and Adrian were in charge of the props which allowed the play to come to life. They also were the woodcutter and guard respectively. Erin and Lauren served as the costume managers and as the tree and Manji respectively. Sarah was in charge of the songs for entry into the play as well as being the narrator. I was in charge of checking the group requirements to make sure nothing was missed as well as acting as the Royal Musician in the play. We all worked very well together and kept our group organized so that we could present our country, India, in the best fashion possible. By participating in this project, I learned a lot about the music of India and how to perform a play. I found out about the different instruments used and the attire they wear. I also realized that it isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be to perform in front of the class. I also now know that group projects aren’t as bad as they used to be in the past. Music in the villages is learned almost immediately. From childhood the music is heard. There are numerous public activities that allow the villagers to practice and polish their skills. These are the normal functions which match village life with the earth. The music is a fundamental component of functions such as weddings, engagements, and births. There is a surplus of songs for such occasions. There are also many songs associated with planting and harvesting. In these activities the villagers routinely sing of their hopes, fears and aspirations. The instruments in India are very important to the music. Folk instruments are commonly crafted by the musicians themselves. It is very common ... 's Music Free Essays on India And It\'s Music Folk Music in India While putting together the performance of â€Å"The Raja’s Secret† was fun, it also was a lot of hard work. Each member was vital in making our performance a success. Helena did not only organize the group paper, but she also played the lead role as the Raja. Both Laurie and Adrian were in charge of the props which allowed the play to come to life. They also were the woodcutter and guard respectively. Erin and Lauren served as the costume managers and as the tree and Manji respectively. Sarah was in charge of the songs for entry into the play as well as being the narrator. I was in charge of checking the group requirements to make sure nothing was missed as well as acting as the Royal Musician in the play. We all worked very well together and kept our group organized so that we could present our country, India, in the best fashion possible. By participating in this project, I learned a lot about the music of India and how to perform a play. I found out about the different instruments used and the attire they wear. I also realized that it isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be to perform in front of the class. I also now know that group projects aren’t as bad as they used to be in the past. Music in the villages is learned almost immediately. From childhood the music is heard. There are numerous public activities that allow the villagers to practice and polish their skills. These are the normal functions which match village life with the earth. The music is a fundamental component of functions such as weddings, engagements, and births. There is a surplus of songs for such occasions. There are also many songs associated with planting and harvesting. In these activities the villagers routinely sing of their hopes, fears and aspirations. The instruments in India are very important to the music. Folk instruments are commonly crafted by the musicians themselves. It is very common ...

The Lost Maya Village of Cern

The Lost Maya Village of Cern Cerà ©n, or Joya de Cerà ©n, is the name of a village in El Salvador that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Known as the North American Pompeii, because of its level of preservation, Ceren offers a fascinating glimpse into what life was like 1400 years ago. The Discovery ofCern Shortly after dinner started, one early evening in August about 595 AD, the Loma Caldera volcano of north-central El Salvador erupted, sending a fiery mass of ash and debris up to five meters thick for a distance of three kilometers. The inhabitants of the Classic period village now called Cerà ©n, a mere 600 meters from the volcanos center, scattered, leaving dinner on the table, and their homes and fields to the obliterating blanket. For 1400 years, Cerà ©n lay forgotten- until 1978, when a bulldozer inadvertently opened up a window into the perfectly preserved remains of this once thriving community. Although it is presently unclear how big the town was before it was destroyed, archaeological excavations conducted by the University of Colorado under the auspices of the El Salvadoran Ministry of Culture have revealed an astonishing amount of detail of the working lives of the people who lived at Cerà ©n. Components of the village excavated so far include four households, one sweat bath, a civic building, a sanctuary, and agriculture fields. Negative impressions of agricultural crops, saved by the same flash-heat that preserved images at Pompeii and Herculaneum, included 8-16 row corn (Nal-Tel, to be exact), beans, squash, manioc, cotton, agave. Orchards of avocado, guava, cacao grew outside the doorways. Artifacts and Daily Life Artifacts recovered from the site are just what archaeologists love to see; the everyday  utilitarian wares that people used to cook in, to store food in, to drink chocolate from. The evidence for ceremonial and civic functions of the sweat bath, sanctuary, and feast hall is fascinating to read and think about. But really, the most spectacular thing about the site is the everyday normality of the people who lived there. For example, walk with me into one of the residential households at Cerà ©n. Household 1, for instance, is a cluster of four buildings, a midden, and a garden. One of the buildings is a residence; two rooms made of wattle and daub construction with a thatched roof and adobe columns as roof supports at the corners. An interior room has a raised bench; two storage jars, one containing cotton fibers and seeds; a spindle whorl is close by, suggestive of a thread-spinning kit. Structures at Cern One of the structures is a ramada- a low adobe platform with a roof but no walls- one is a storehouse, still filled with large storage jars, metates, incensarios, hammerstones and other tools of life. One of the structures is a kitchen; complete with shelves, and stocked with beans and other foods and domestic items; chile peppers hang from the rafters. While the people of Cerà ©n are long gone and site long abandoned, the excellent inter-disciplinary research and scientific reporting by the excavators, coupled with computer-generated visuals on the website, make the archaeological site of Cerà ©n an indelible image of life as it was lived 1400 years ago, before the volcano erupted. Sources Sheets, Payson (editor). 2002. Before the Volcano Erupted. Before the Volcano Erupted: The Ancient Cerà ©n Village in Central America. University of Texas Press, Austin. Sheets P, Dixon C, Guerra M, and Blanford A. 2011. Manioc cultivation at Ceren, El Salvador: Occasional kitchen garden plant or staple crop? Ancient Mesoamerica 22(01):1-11.

5 Ways to Fend Off Difficult Coworkers

5 Ways to Fend Off Difficult Coworkers These aren’t the only strategies for dealing with difficult people- at work or anywhere else, but they’re a start. Make sure to keep in mind that difficult people are still people, and show them as much compassion as you can- within reason, of course. 1. Respect and ValidationIt’s what you would want, if the roles were reversed. No one is difficult on purpose. So give the pain-in-your-office the benefit of the doubt; you don’t need to agree with everything they say, but sometimes all a person needs is to be heard.2. SympathizeWalk a mile in their shoes. Just because they’re difficult doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a hand. If you can see the situation from their point of view, then maybe you can help steer them out of it. A little critical thinking, active listening, and a bit of compassion can go a long way.3. Don’t ArgueAn argument is easy, and almost always unproductive. Instead of anticipating what you’ll fire back wi th, try actually listening. Listening is easy and it will never escalate a situation out of your control.3. Counter with FactDon’t be argumentative, but you can help a difficult person reframe their more extreme statements with a little dose of reality. Turn hatred into frustration, â€Å"always† into â€Å"occasionally,† and desperate situations into constructive possibilities for change.4. Set a TimerNo matter how high your patience level, there are reasonable limits. Don’t let the difficult person hijack your entire day with their negativity. If you’ve tried all of the above and still can’t defuse the situation, it’s perfectly okay to set some boundaries. Say you have five minutes to chat, but then you both should really get back to work.5 Tips to Handle Difficult People

Does commercial ownership of the media encourage or inhibit democracy Essay

Does commercial ownership of the media encourage or inhibit democracy - Essay Example mercial ownership of media inhibits the social equality and freedom of people with latest development in the media industry coupled with the negative aspects of globalization. Commercial ownership of media tends to impact editorial decision of publications. The outcome of such interference on the editorial board is either to include or exclude communication which becomes the liberty of one person while it serves as a hindrance to another. Though proprietors or commercial giants are required to refrain from influencing media for economical and financial gain to maintain credibility, there are arguments that commercial influence is indispensable. The quality of communication determines the quality of the media and investigations are obstructed by political and commercial interference (McQuail, C. 1992. p.117). Transformation has been a continuous process since the beginning of civilizations. The beginning of civilization also marked the foundation for the exchange of information and content. From the age of signs and language till the current development of the information technology and the computer world, production, protection and distribution of information and images is core factor of social life. (Thompson, J.B. 1995 p.10) Media communications are produced in the social context and therefore comprise the symbolic content for the audience to perform an action. Thus when a word is spoken or communicated it becomes the basis for another person to undertake an action and set up relationship with others in the society (p.12). For example, television news channels are on the race to broadcast contemporary issues. However, in certain cases these news channels have a different stand point. Some news and reviews favor corporate by instilling the opinion that the survival of multinational companies is essential for the sustenance of a region or nation. This argument may be referred to the case of Coca Cola in India. Scientific results proved that the beverage

Growth as grotesque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Growth as grotesque - Essay Example There are many ways in which an object may be grotesque; however, all of these ways stem from the fact that the very thing that makes an object grotesque is the fact that there is something about the object that clashes with our perceived ideas of normality: â€Å"While consistency of grotesque forms is clearly not to be had, certain elements seem to appear more frequently than others† (462). Inherent in this is the idea that the grotesque’s existence is dependent upon the existence of so-called â€Å"normality.† In other words, the grotesque cannot exist without normalcy. In this way the grotesque can be viewed as an outgrowth or extension of that which is considered to be normal. All of the ensuing works present aspects that illustrate an augmentation of a pure form; that is, they contain subject matter that is anomalous to what is considered a normal state of existence of the given subject. All of the images initially appear as out of the ordinary, possibly even freakish in that they obviously lie outside any perceptions of normal aspects of their existence, yet upon a more scrutinized look, remain in a standard setting which would be part of our standard association with typical and conventional forms of our understanding of reality and the everyday. This feature catches us off guard and disturbs us in the same way any alteration of ones usual expectations does. An unexpected downpour of rain, the unpredictability of the stock market, even such a mundane situation as a friend showing up at your door unexpectedly, all cause us fear and anxiety in that they twist our usual expectations of the established convention of the flow of life. Equally important are the intricate details of what embodies such unassumed forms, bastard forms on a pure surface. It is this feeling, a certain ambivalent sense of push as well as pull. It is at times disturbing, yet simultaneously comforting. It is anxiety and serenity, like a sickness working its toils within the

“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell Essay Example for Free

â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† by Andrew Marvell Essay Andrew Marvell’s poem â€Å"to his coy mistress† is about a man trying to convince a mistress to love and enter a sexual relationship with him because life is too short. But the woman is being coy and playing coy games. The man says that her virginity or beauty will last forever so she needs to make use of it while she’s still young and alive otherwise nobody will be interested in or want her. The purpose of this poem is to show that some people will do or say anything just so they get what they want. The emotion this poem creates is a passion for love and what may happen if they don’t make love. This poem uses many craftsmanship techniques such as structure, language and sounds, imagery, and movement. The poem is structured into three stanzas or poetic paragraphs. These stanzas do not have regular lines but every stanza has paired lines that have the same rhythm and rhyme. The poem has language that is very vivid. It is also presented in a dramatic monologue with lots of exaggeration of time. The effect of language on the poem is that it makes the poem beautiful and provoking. There were three main techniques used. The first technique is Simile. Simile is used to give us a greater understanding and image of what is going on with the man and the woman. An example of a simile used is the line â€Å"and now, like â€Å"am’rous birds of prey†. The effect of simile in this poem is that we would now have a better understand of what the situation is like. Another technique used is allusion. Allusion is used to give a deeper meaning to a poem by referring to another work that has a similar theme. It can give the reader a better understanding of the poem. Two examples of allusion are the lines â€Å"love you ten years before the flood† and â€Å"Till the conversion of the Jews†. The effect allusion in this poem is that it is a way for the poet to emphasize the main point the poet is trying to make – which is that the man would love the woman ten years before the beginning of the world until the end of the world. The last technique used is symbolism. Symbolism is used to add a hidden layer of depth into the poem and it also lets the poet create images in the poem. An example of symbolism used is the line â€Å"my vegetable love should grow†. The word vegetable used in that line is to suggest the growing sense of the man’s love. The effect of symbolism in this poem is to show the man’s love for the woman and how it will never stop yet it will keep on growing. In conclusion, â€Å"to his coy mistress† has used many craftsmanship techniques to express the poet’s opinion and to convince the mistress. The poem is special as it includes a dramatic monologue as well as an argument and conclusion. This poem is just like a story.

Personal Narrative- Car Accident :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Car Accident Disappointment, disbelief and fear filled my mind as I lye on my side, sandwiched between the cold, soft dirt and the hot, slick metal of the car. The weight of the car pressed down on the lower half of my body with monster force. It did not hurt, my body was numb. All I could feel was the car hood's mass stamping my body father and farther into the ground. My lungs felt pinched shut and air would neither enter nor escape them. My mind was buzzing. What had just happened? In the distance, on that cursed road, I saw cars driving by completely unaware of what happened, how I felt. I tried to yell but my voice was unheard. All I could do was wait. Wait for someone to help me or wait to die. The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed to the shower. It was the start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my sister over which clothes she should wear for that day and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little longer than usual, not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek, white Thunderbird and made our way to school. With music blasting, voices singing and talking, it was another typical ride to school with my sister. Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our destination. This road is about three miles long and filled with little hills. As we broke the top of one of the small, blind hills in the middle of the right lane was a dead deer. Without any thought, purely by instinct I pulled the wheel of the car to the left and back over to the right. No big deal but I was going fast. The car swerved back to the left, to the right, to the left. Each time I could feel the car scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car swerved to the right for the last time. With my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off the seat of the car. I opened my eyes to see the black road in the distance above me.

Reaction Paper on the Film “A Beautiful Mind”

A Beautiful Mind is a movie about John Forbes Nash Jr. who is notable for his contributions in Economics and Mathematics. It was evident in the film that he has an outstanding talent and showed it by performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment. With a superior intelligence, I can say that Nash is truly a brilliant man.Despite the fact he is a genius, everything still wasn't perfect — he's suffering from a mental illness called schizophrenia without his awareness. While he has a beyond average aptitude in logical and mathematical aspects, he had problems with his interpersonal relationships. This affliction slowly eats up his mind, destroying his bond with the people around him. With this illness, he wasn't able to separate the imaginary world from the real world he is living in, with all the hallucinations and nonexistent friends he has.I strongly believe that these delusions are from the feelings and memories he repressed in his subconscious that liberates in the form of imaginary friends and such. Lucky for him that he has understanding wife, because if it wasn't for her love and support, he wouldn't be able to get through one of the hardest trials in his life. Although she nearly lost her faith, Alicia didn't give up the hope that Nash will someday overcome his disease. This quality of Alicia is something I admired: standing by and staying committed to the person she loves the most.Granted all the struggles, Nash didn't give up the passion to learn and share his learnings as well. He came out on top of this illness by declining therapy, living a normal life with Alicia and his child, and also by persisting in educating eager young minds.After watching this film, I am in stack of awe with the way Nash conquered everything that stood in the way for achieving his dreams. I guess, the learning we can take from his story is that we should see our disabilities not as hindrances rather, as challenges to make us strive for more. There  may be ti mes that we trip a little, we may even fall, but we must stand up and continue walking towards fulfilling our goals.

Canadian Contribution for World Peace

I have read Suresh Canagarajah's article ‘ The Fortunate Traveler: Shuttling between Communities and Literacies by Economy Class ‘. He is a good writer and he has many good idea about learning English to improve literacies. In Suresh Canagarajah's opinion, every English learners need to find a adaptive way, that will enhance their interests to learn English. Countries' tradition is influencing local people's aethestic standard, so many readers are hard to accept foreign writing style. As a entreprenant writer, when they faced to conflicting and competing in different communities, they will adjust their writing style.Suresh believes that â€Å"a curiosity towards the language, the ability to intuit languistic rules from observation of actual usage, a metalinguistic awareness of the system behind languages, and the ability to creatively negotiate meaning in text are the good strategy to improve literacy†. In my heart, Chinese is my mother language, and I always talk with my Chinese friends. I'm afraid of saying something to for English speaker. When I sit on the subway or bus, sometimes I will pay attention to somebody's conversation.At the beginning, I can catch a little information, but gradually I feel it's hard to follow them. At last, I feel depressed and give up. In Canada, English is used in everywhere. We can learn many grammar and syntactic from there as long as carefully observed. When we read a long article, we maybe feel it's difficult to finish and understand its meaning. I was accustomed to translate word by word, I know it's a bad reading habit. In fact, understand the meaning in context can accurately know what message author want to deliver to readers. I think these suggestions are useful.When Suresh Canagarajah come to western academic community, he hasn't get the expected praise. Suresh believes that â€Å"the exaggerated, passionate personalized style of writing wasn't universally appreciated in the academic community†. Because Western academic community prefer to restrained and rigid essay rather than personalized and passionate essay. Their tradition and culture influence the writing style, so they are hard to accept foreign writing style. For example , Chinese people think some Chinese author's opus is very nice, but none of Chinese author can obtain the Nobel Prize in Literature.Because Western audience can't adapt Chinese writing style and understand the meaning. According to Suresh (1986), the conflicts he has faced as he shuttled between his native community and Western academic community generated many useful insights into the ideological and rhetorical challenges in academic communication. He believes that † be humble when leaning knowledge, adopt a reflective learning attitude, critical questioning of dominant practices, and contextually grounded theorization are the good way to treat conflicts.As a entreprenant writer, when he faced to conflicting and competing in different comm unities, they will adjust their writing style. Thus, he can try some different kinds of writing style to adapt the audience all over the world . This is a constantly move forward success. I have learned some good strategy to improve lieracy from the article by Suresh Canagarajah, I will try these ideas in learning English. In addition, if I want to write some good essay to please audiences in Canada, I think I need to change my writing style. Suresh is a good model for me to improve lieracy.

Johnny Cash- Tragic Hero Essay Example

Johnny Cash Johnny Cash- Tragic Hero Paper Johnny Cash- Tragic Hero Paper The person starts by taking the drugs, but then the drugs start taking the person, thats what happened to me said Johnny Cash about his own addiction, in his autobiography Man In Black. Johnny Cash was born In a small town in Arkansas and used his musical talent and Incredible story-telling valuables to win the hearts of Americans during the sass Into the sass. But all that fame and fortune can take Its toll on a person and cause that person to resort to desperate measures In order to go on with their lives. Johnny Cashs decisions during his time of fame and the legalization of his faults give way to him being called a tragic hero. Johnny Cash was a child of the depression and was no better off than most families of the plane states during the sass. Born J. R. Cash, Johnny grew up picking cotton in the small town of Dyes, Arkansas. J. R. Wouldnt become the infamous Johnny Cash until July of 1950, when he signed up for the Air Force. The Air Force would not accept his initials of J. R. , so Cash quickly chose the name Johnny. Cash spent four years in the Air Force and was even transferred to Europe for almost 2 years. During this time, Cash kept a relined close to home named Vivian Liberty and they would be wed in June of 1954 when Cash returned home. Cashs free time In the Alarm Force led to his love of music and although the road to fame would be rough, In time Johnny Cash would become a country music legend. Cash auditioned for Sam Phillips at Sun Records on September 9, 1954. The audition went well, and although Phillips likes Cashs authentic voice, he warned that he would be pushing Cash to sound more mainstream. Cashs first single came out in March of 1955 however; it was not a hit with listeners. But Cash did not give up and his next single brought more and more anus to his music. Cashs fame continued to grow and in 1958 he welcomed a new record contract with Columbia Records. A few years later, in 1 962 Cash would make his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York and he would also begin his own show on BBC, The Cash Show. The following year, Cash would record his best selling single Ring of Fire. The hectic lifestyle off musician became too much for Cash to handle, and he began to look for help In all of the wrong places which would lead to his downfall. Once I knew how to drink beer and look for a girl, It was no big thing o drink the hard stuff and look for a fight said Cash in 1962 on his post performance tendencies (Turner 35). Cash also later spoke of graduating from beer to cognac and having wild times in which he would learn how well he could curse (Turner). Cash would wander town and drunk and high off of amphetamines and was becoming the city saddest Joke (Campbell 152). Cash would be arrested for the first time in November 1961 on the charges of Public Drunkenness, and his new habits and addictions would lead to four more arrests over the next 5 years. In 1967 Cash would be sued for $125. 00 for starting a forest fire in a wildlife refuge in California. For the last time, In 1967 Cash would be arrested for Public Drunkenness in Lafayette Georgia. But these addictions began to run his life and this was obvious to fans, friends and family. Even Cashs days off were Immensely In a haze of amphetamines and tranquilizer. Johnny Cash seemed to sink as low as a human get (Campbell After a long night in jail, Cash realized what he had let happen to his life, 149). Ana Immediately wanted to TAX every mistake en Ana ma e a . L dont ever want out AT this cell again. I Just want to stay here alone and pray that God will forgive me and then let die because Im too weak to face everyone that Ill have to face. Known that my family is heartbroken, known that my friends and fans are hurt and disappointed- its more that I can reconcile with them. Later that same month, Cash contacted DRP. Nat Winston, the Tennessee Commissioner of Mental Health, who told him to get ready for the fight of your life. Ill have to treat you as if you have no responsibilities, as if youre a child. But Cash agreed, and was willing to do whatever it took to himself up. To add to his struggles, in 1968 Cashs marriage to Vivian Liberty ended. Only a few weeks later, Cash married June Carter who had toured with him and stuck by his side through his hard times. June was already doing her best to stop his drug habits by checking his pockets, discussing his problems and even keeping bad influences away from their home. In Johnnys world of demons, June was his angel (Leopold). All of the hard work and support paid off, and Johnny Cash, became clean of drugs. Johnny Cash was also now willing to share the stories of his past mistakes with anyone who wanted to listen. The most remarkable aspect if Johnnys openness was that he was probably the first superstar to actually hold up his hands and admit what hed done wrong in the past(Campbell 199). Cash continued his music career and he acquired many awards that include: 10 Grammar Awards, A Grammar Lifetime Achievement Award, and an MET Video Award. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and was at the time, youngest living, and currently still is the youngest inductee into the the Country Music Hall of Fame. Johnny Cash continued his drug free life until 2003, when in May, he lost his wife June to complications from surgery. Less than 4 months later, Johnny too passed away from respiratory problems only to be reunited with his angel. it was a sad day in Memphis, but a beautiful day in heaven (Leopold). To this day, Cashs songs are still being put onto albums and sold on the top of the charts. Johnny Cash is considered a tragic hero not only because of the mistakes he made in his life, but also his ability to realize and overcome those mistakes. Johnny started as J. R. Cash a small cotton-picking boy from Arkansas and worked his way to become he most widely known name in country music. Cash realizes and holds himself accountable for the decisions he made during his music career and the consequences that followed. But more importantly he was also responsible for his recovery and his drug free life that followed him until his passing in 2003. He went from being as wild as Hank Williams to being almost as respected as one of the fathers of our country. (Craftsperson). It was Johnnys strong will and love that allowed him to overcome these obstacles that made him Cash, The Man in Black and the legend that he is today.

How to Identify a Pseudoscience

How to Identify a Pseudoscience A pseudoscience is a fake science that makes claims based on faulty or nonexistent scientific evidence. In most cases, these pseudosciences present claims in a way that makes them seem possible, but with little or no empirical support for these claims. Graphology, numerology, and astrology, are all examples of pseudosciences. In many cases, these pseudosciences rely on anecdotes and testimonials to back up their often outlandish claims. How to Identify Science vs. Pseudoscience If you are trying to determine if something is a pseudoscience, there are a few key things you can look for: Consider the purpose. Science is focused on helping people develop a deeper, richer and fuller understanding of the world. Pseudoscience often focuses on furthering some type of ideological agenda.Consider how challenges are dealt with. Science welcomes challenges and attempts to disprove or refute different ideas. Pseudoscience, on the other hand, tends to greet any challenges to its dogma with hostility.Look at the research. Science is supported by a deep and ever-growing body of knowledge and research. Ideas around the topic may have changed over time as new things are discovered and new research is performed. Pseudoscience tends to be fairly static. Little may have changed since the idea was first introduced and new research might not exist.Can it be proven false? Falsifiability is a key hallmark of science. This means that if something is false, researchers could prove that it was false. Many pseudoscientific claims are simply untestable, so there is no way for researchers to pr ove these claims false. Example Phrenology is a good example of how a pseudoscience can capture the public attention and become popular. According to the ideas behind phrenology, bumps on the head were thought to reveal aspects of an individuals personality and character. Physician Franz Gall first introduced the idea during the late 1700s and suggested that the bumps on a persons head corresponded to the physical features of the brains cortex. Gall studied the skulls of individuals in hospitals, prisons, and asylums and developed a system of diagnosing different characteristics based upon the bumps of a persons skull. His system included 27 faculties that he believed directly corresponded to certain parts of the head. Like other pseudosciences, Galls research methods lacked scientific rigor. Not only that, any contradictions to his claims were simply ignored. Galls ideas outlived him and grew wildly popular during the 1800s and 1900s, often as a form of popular entertainment. There were even phrenology machines that would be placed over a persons head. Spring-loaded probes would then provide a measurement of different parts of the skull and calculate the individuals characteristics. While phrenology was eventually dismissed as a pseudoscience, it did have an important influence on the development of modern neurology. Gall’s idea that certain capabilities were linked to certain parts of the brain led to a growing interest in the idea brain localization, or the notion that certain functions were linked to specific areas of the brain. Further research and observations helped researchers gain a greater understanding of how the brain is organized and the functions of different areas of the brain. Sources: Hothersall, D. (1995). History of Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Megendie, F. (1855). An elementary treatise on human physiology. Harper and Brothers. Sabbatini, R.M.E. (2002). Phrenology: The History of Brain Localization. Wixted, J. (2002). Methodology in experimental psychology. Capstone.

Introduce and critique Post-Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Introduce and critique Post-Modernism - Essay Example Most of the postmodernists assume that â€Å"reality is a social construct†. It means that right after communicating with one another; the members of a given society can somehow come up with their own collective ideas and convince more people to believe them until such point that it becomes part of their cultural beliefs. For this reason, the postmodernists assume that there is really â€Å"no absolute truth† about anything in this world and that the truth that most people believe in is actually â€Å"relative to the community† they live in . In other words, postmodernists simply believe that anything that people believe in this world can either be destroyed or broken down into pieces. The postmodernists are also known for their inability to accept the idea that the truth is an end-result of rational thinking nor is a creation or discovery made out of using scientific method. In fact, the phenomenon behind postmodernism accepts the idea that it is possible to fra cture or break down what people used to believe is real during the modernism era into something that is beyond what people during the modernism period would not even think of possible. For example, given that everything in this world is subject to change, one can easily notice that the songs we hear changes from the â€Å"classic rock† into a â€Å"modern rock†. In the case of postmodern architects, this group of professionals is after exploring the need to build buildings using different â€Å"styles, form, and texture†. One can actually say that postmodernism is all about liberating.