The Global Village Finally Arrives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Global Village Finally Arrives - Essay Example According to Lyer, the traditional metaphor for the changes globalization has made and is making to the world is that of a mosaic. The fragments that the world is composed of combine to make one big picture, and if you stand back to look at it from a good distance, it seems to be one image and those fragments are now part of a whole. As well as this, the mosaic itself is not static, and the fragments are constantly shifting this way and that to form new images. Using the mosaic as a metaphor illustrates how the lines of what constitutes national or country identity can begin to blur as cultures borrow heavily from one another. It also reinforces the idea that despite the love affair that many people have with all things American, it is definitely a give and take situation, where countries all over the world both give to and borrow from other cultures. â€Å"As fast as the world comes to America, America goes round the world†. (170) Globalization is driven by people – â€Å"defined†¦by an international youth culture that takes its cues from American pop culture.† (170) This may be true, but it is an America that is increasingly diverse, with the multitude of cultures in the country constantly borrowing ideas from each other, and from the world. Even as teens in Asia and Europe are wearing Levis jeans and watching American TV, Americans are eating sushi and watching Japanese anime cartoons. The America that sets the style for so many other countries is and always has been a melting pot for a host of different cultures and perhaps it is this that drives globalization now. American culture as a whole is surprisingly rich simply because it is a mix of so many different cultures. Interestingly, while globalization maybe more widespread than ever before, as Lyer points out, it is not a new thing. Cultural diversity has always existed, in Biblical times and before. Modern technology, however, has made a very significant contribution to the spread of globalization - in the age of phone, fax, internet, satellite television and rapid transit nothing is very far away anymore. As countries all over the world become increasingly modernized, they beam information all over the world, so that "the news is in Mandarin; today's baseball game is being broadcast in Korean". (169) Lyer's essay points out in no uncertain terms that globalization is a two-way street. The fascination of other countries with America has certainly been one of the driving forces. However, it is just as certain that America has always been a multi-cultural society, and borrows just as heavily from other cultures and nations as they do from

Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ralph Waldo Emerson - Essay Example Majority of Emerson’s works are in form of essays and poems. He published his first essay titled Nature in 1836 but he refrained from giving his name to the essay. The author of the essay was given as anonymous. In Nature, Emerson portrayed nature as a divine entity and its significance in the spiritual lives of human beings. He gave a meaning to the role played by nature in human lives. He describes the various facets of nature and its relation with wise man. â€Å"Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit.† (Emerson Nature). Emerson also states his own experiences when he is in company of the nature. When he amidst nature, he feels the presence of God around him and he perceives himself as a part of God. â€Å"Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egoti sm vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.† (Emerson Nature).The spiritual aspect of nature which was a new concept to the American society was put forth by Emerson in his essay. In another essay focusing on nature, Emerson writes about the influence of nature in aiding human beings to free themselves from the bindings of the Church and society.

Personal Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Personal Responsibility Essay Personal responsible is linked to college success. There are two reasons for practicing personal responsibility. First, setting aside study time, but most importantly, increase ability to focus in classroom. Informal Outline: When enrolling in college, students need to practice personal responsibility. First they must be able to define personal responsibility and what meaning it will have on them during their college semesters. Personal responsibility involves an individual being held accountable for their own actions upon themselves and others. Further, personal responsibility being when you can cease placing blame upon others for your mistakes and when you quit blaming yourself. By achieving this you become honest with yourself, thus allowing yourself to move forward with your education. To be successful in college a key element is personal responsibility. Personal responsibility can be viewed as a key element because there are moments during college where students are or believe themselves to be failing and by taking personal responsibility for their actions they will build their self-esteem and accountability for their actions. The connection with personal responsibility and college success is dependent upon accounting for your own choices and actions. To ensure success in college, students need to establish guidelines. You must be able to stay focused during class time. By allowing yourself enough sleep the night prior to class, your ability to remain focused during class remains intact. Sleeplessness leads to your being inattentive and this can cause you to miss issues of importance during class time. Another element that can affect being focused is eating habits. Lack of food can affect your ability to focus during class time. Being focused in class allows you to hone your listening skills and take good notes during class. Another guideline which would allow success in college is setting aside study time. An example would be allowing yourself 30 minute breaks throughout the day. The location of where you study is of importance also. An example would be if you study in a crowded area, there would be too much confusion and interference which would affect your ability to establish good study habits. It would be preferable to set up study in a quiet and isolated area, thus allowing you to concentrate and focus on your studies. The above guidelines will help increase a students level of personal responsibility. It will also increase the students ability to achieve success throughout their college years.

Differences of Truth in Mathematics, Ethics and Art

Differences of Truth in Mathematics, Ethics and Art The rational minds profound and abstract speculations since time immemorial has been the nature of truth, a deeply rooted philosophical conundrum[1], whose thought itself has revolutionized the realistic value possessed by the areas of knowledge. Truth itself preoccupies a substantial role in our daily conversations, but its multi-dimensional nature has perplexed even the most profound thinkers like Plato and Aristotle as well as recent philosophers who have failed in uncovering this mystery lying at the heart of human culture. Although the word truth is tagged with the purpose of a utilitarian role, we humans mould it into a form recognized by the conceptual framework of our human mind, otherwise known as a schema. Hence the question of the value of truth involved in any statement is believed to be a consequence of the social constructivism based on beliefs and our rearing. Over the past years, truth has been dealt with individually in terms of its approach towards an array of knowl edge areas. The extent is an underpinning of the diverse perspectives that truth holds in a variety of areas of knowledge. Thus, it indicates not only a difference in the form of truth but also a similarity involved in deciphering the existence of truth. My essay ventures to explain the extent to which truth has been given varied significance in three distinct areas of knowledge; mathematics, arts and ethics in terms of the characteristics which define them. Since the abstract nature of truth has posed to be a universal dilemma, various theories have been formulated to gauge the truth value of any statement. Mathematics is often considered the language of certainty[2]and well-known for its infallibility and abstract thought. What makes mathematicians and philosophers believe that mathematics is closest to the absolute truth is its logical structure of methodology and judgments, and its influence on solvability to achieve an absolutely correct or incorrect answer. The mathematical truth is bound by certain rules and barriers which encompass this area of knowledge, hence a more constrained approach built on pure logic, and deductive-reasoning influences the truth involved in a mathematical stand-point. In mathematics a statement must be true or false is a clichà ©d saying and reflects the overall understanding which defines the outcome. Most mathematicians agree the fact that the set theory forms the firm foundation upon which the complex structure of math has been erected. But what intrigues these mathematicians is that can such an abstract area have any real life applications? A glimpse into the history of mathematics would surely assert the above question. For example, a number of theories in the past were thought to be a mere theoretical phenomenon but today behold a firm position in the real world. The Non-Euclidian Geometry was first considered as an idealistic branch of mathematics, but today has carved its way into the theories of relativity. In the present global situation, the population of the world has crossed the six billion mark and threatens to exponentially make its way up through the population charts. For example in China, in order to curb the population rush in the country, the government has pressed upon having one baby per family. From the mathematical view-point, the objective truth lies in the fact that in order to restore the habitat around us it is vital to take such a step in the interest o f the future generations. From the ethical stance, their version of truth is completely antipodal because the basis of a truth-value in this statement is a reflection of ones emotional self rather than a projection of a logical mind. In ethics, hence, an argument is a rhetoric affair where people need to be persuaded what I believe rather than proving the trueness involved in my proposition. I feel that my observation into this example is a projection of the extent to which one event holds a different stance from the spectacle of the truth value supporting the claim. What defines a stark line of difference between math and ethics as deciphered from the above example is the conflicting nature of moral opinions and that there are no observable facts to base the truth value on in an ethical viewpoint. The difference in moral opinions amongst people may be lead by the cognitive apparatus of the individual. Since ethics is considered to be a matter of personal concern, influenced by prev ious knowledge and experiences of the individual, the moral differences would explain that in ethics, there is no underlying truth to be discovered. But what defines morality in ethics is the position of ethical relativism, the belief that ethical view-points are relative to one culture or another. One of the most indignant moral issues at hand is abortion. Every individual agrees the medical procedures which culminate into an abortion. But there seems to be an equally repulsive response when it comes to agreeing the morality of abortion. In short, the matter of abortion has its agreement on medical science but doesnt touch upon the area of medical ethics. So, at all points of time, the entire scenario is a relative representation of a statement and it is an appearance but not the reality. I have always observed myself making hollow as well as emotionally driven promises and always have the statement Promises ought to be kept at the back of my mind. This seems to be a moral principl e, but it cannot be categorized as a factual claim. But on close observation, the truth factor within the statement shows close relations between such a statement and a mathematical proposition. If the phenomenon of promise is known and the true essence of its obligation is understood, there exists a relation between ideas. Though relativism and subjectivism are parallel in certain terms, art as an area of knowledge has been considered as a representation of reality. Friedrich Nietzsche aphorism We have art in order not to die of the truth, self-consciously asserts the fact that this world has art in order to live the truth. Though the ways of knowing have paved the path for the route to attaining truth in these three areas of knowledge, where reasoning, emotion and perception have dominated the approach to the ultimate reality in math, ethics and arts respectively, the truth value in each of its statements has a certain similarity. The form of assumptions which are utilized in proving a certain statement to be true is a recurring observation in all three areas of knowledge. The kind of truth that art is striving to convey to us may be completely different from the ay an individual may perceive it. Hence how do we judge a piece of art if it holds completely different opinions in the minds of 2 people? When viewing a work of art, it may evoke an emotion, and the recognition of this emotion may be an indication of the truth. However, there is a common view-point amongst people that photography has revolutionized the way truth is perceived since it portrays a much more accurate picture of the entire scenari o. Since the photo is a mere observation and appearances are truly deceptive. It is established that the truth involved in a painting is not prejudiced but a projection of the individuals personal interpretation, hence speaks about the viewer. Truth in terms of art is a reflection of beauty and is completely devoid of any form of logic. Truth has been shaped in numerous ways pertaining to the satisfaction of the individual contesting the truth in his mind. There is one single truth in relation to a statement and through the exploration into three distinct areas of knowledge, I have understood that the method of approaching the subject is what defines the truth involved in it. Plato himself argued to a great extent that there is a definite answer for anything to be considered good or bad, if one exercises his deductive reasoning skills as opposed to what the Sophists believed that such statements are a matter of subjective truth and is totally based on human interpretation and his desire.

What do we learn about life in Americas in the 1930s from John Essay

What do we learn about life in Americas in the 1930's from John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men? John Steinbeck was born and raised in Salinas, in 1902. Steinbeck was of German and Irish ancestry. His father was the county treasurer and his mother was a teacher. Steinbeck attended Salinas High School and went on to study Marine Biology at Stanford University, but failed to finish his course. He travelled to New York and worked as a reporter, unfortunately he was fired. After he took on many different jobs and became an apprentice, a painter, a caretaker, a surveyor and a fruit picker. He married three times in 1930, in 1943 and in 1950. During the World War Two, Steinbeck became a War correspondent. In 1960 he toured 40 states of America and was awarded with a Noble Prize in the same year. Steinbeck later died in 1968, at the age of 64. In the 1920s share prices in the USA rapidly increased year after year. Many Americans believed that by investing money in the stocks they could make quick and easy money. The selling and buying of shares almost became uncontrollable, many people brought shares without realising that they could easily loose it. Some companies were totally false and others lied to their customers in order to take advantage of the money hungry people of the USA. On the 24th and 29th of October 1922, share prices on Wall Street fell dramatically. This fall became known as the Wall Street Crash. This crash became the main cause of the nationwide depression. The depression hit America first then spread to other countries around the world. People began to lose their confidence in the stock markets and embarked on saving as opposed to buying stock. Many banks collapsed as people withdrew th... ...or information on the 1930's. It helps us to understand what was happening in the 1930's. It gives us a clear idea of white people's attitude to black people and everyone's attitude towards The Great Depression. This story is a very good reference of oppression in the 1930's. Candy describes the bosses' behaviour to George and says; I guess the boss'll be out here in a minute. He was sure burned when you wasn't here this morning. Come right in when we was eatin' breakfast and says, 'Where the hell's them new men?' An' he give the stable buck hell, too." This shows how even though Crooks' work was good and that even though he was much liked around the ranch he did not seem to be much appreciated. The 1930's were a very hard period for black people and women of all colours. I think that "Of Mice and Men" is an excellent source for information on the 1930's.

Ted Bundy and Psychodynamic Theory Essay -- Psychology

Theodore Bundy was born on November 24th 1946. He was born to an unwed mother who was told that she was his sister. He was raised by his grandparents who portrayed themselves as his parents throughout his early childhood years. According to the article I read Ted’s grandfather was abusive towards Ted and his other siblings (Montaldo). Ted was shy and said to be sociably awkward, but during high school he developed into good looking guy and was liked by many. Ted met his first girlfriend in college and eventually falls in love. His girlfriend did not see Ted as someone who would be successful and eventually broke up with him and this broke his heart. This was about the time he learned the truth about his family too. He developed deep depression and this marked the time his killing ventures started. Ted’s breakup with his girlfriend was a huge deal to him. It seemed that his problems really came to surface after this point. He became quite dysfunctional at the time. The breakup could be marked under Axis III (Comer, 2011). This is a general medical condition that Ted suffers from as an adult. Ted Bundy’s style of killing describes sexual sadism. Sexual sadism is the intense sexually arousal by the thought or act of inflicting suffering on others by dominating, restraining, blindfolding, cutting, strangling, mutilating, or even killing the victim (Comer, 2011). This condition would fall under Axis I because it causes significant impairment. Ted Bundy had antisocial personality disorder which is on axis II of the DSM-IV-TR. He is characterized by the following: failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest, deceitfulness, ... ...articipate in therapy. They do not see that they need to change anything. While doing my research on Ted I do believe he was ready for change. I think that therapy sessions to uncover inner turmoil along with medication may have helped Ted. It would have been interesting to see if these treatments would have worked. Works Cited Comer, R. J. (2011). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, 6th edition. New York: Worth Publishers. Midwest Behavioral Health Network. (2009, September). Guidelines to use of Axis V: Global Assessment Functioning Scale. South Bend, IN, United States of America. Montaldo, C. (n.d.). About.com. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/tedbundy.htm Varcarolis, E. M., Carson, V. B., & Shoemaker, N. C. (2006). In Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (p. 283). St. Louis: Elsevier Inc.

Compare & Contrast: Homelessness is More Appealing

Many of us will never be homeless, and not everyone understands the benefit of having a wife, but after reading the essays’, Homeless (Quindlen, A. n. d. ) and I Want a Wife (Brady, J. 1971), one can gain a better understanding of both. I am a wife. Therefore, I can certainly connect with the narrator’s story of I Want a Wife. This is a narrative essay, in which the narrator reflects on why she too would like to have a wife after a visit with a recently divorced male friend, who is looking for a new wife.The narrator gives a list of duties and activities she will and will not do if she had a wife, and she can visualize the benefits a wife could afford her with less responsibilities and more time for school or friends. My other essay of choice is quite different in theme, but it is still relatable. Anne Quindlen’s essay, Homeless (n. d. ) is a short descriptive essay with the narrator retelling of an account when she met a woman, who she believes is homeless, at t he bus terminal. It is during the encounter that the narrator reflects on homeless people in general, the homeless individual and about herself.Both of these essays’ are well written, however, I feel that Homeless (Quindlen, A. n. d. ), is a more appealing essay than I Want a Wife (Brady, J. 1971), as it allows the reader to become more engaged in the descriptions and reflect on the details of the story. Whenever I first start reading any type of literature, the first thing I notice is the writing style of the author and the point of view (POV) of the narrator. Key elements of the writing style for me are POV, tone, pace, and conciseness when possible. The point of view is important to the reader as it may not be theirs.This should cause the reader to pay closer attention to details. How much credibility does the narrator offer. The tone of a story is set at the very beginning. The tone along with a good hook should grab the reader’s attention so they want to continue reading. For me, both essays Homeless and I Want a Wife captured my interest with the very first sentence. When the opening sentence of an essay starts with â€Å"I belong to that classification of people known as wives,† (I Want a Wife) that certainly can catch the attention of another wife. This opening drew me in because I wanted to know what she meant by this statement.The tone is set; wives are in a class of their own, and the narrator has my attention. Now, she will tell us from her point of view why she wants a wife, too. Homeless, is similar in that it also grabs the reader just by introducing a character, location, and time of year in its brief opening sentence. However, I do think that this opening is more appealing than I Want a Wife. The details the narrator gives the reader create a clear mental image of the scene. In addition, the second sentence reveals just enough to keep the reader interested in what the narrator has to say, â€Å"I was doing a story on home less people,† (Homeless, para 1).Again, the tone is set; it is January at the bus terminal where the narrator, who is doing research on homeless people, meets such a person, Ann. It is also in the first sentence we know it is the narrator’s story as she describes her experience and conversation with Ann. With the narrator sharing her experience and conversation with the reader, she has invited them into her story making it more personal. Another similarity between these two essays is the author’s use of appropriate language for the material, the audience, and the year of publication.I Want a Wife, written in 1971, was a period when the feminist movement was active. Women were looking for equality in the work place but also at home. The essay, published in the magazine Ms. , makes me believe the writer’s original target audience is that of other wives, future wives, and anyone else who reads Ms. Magazine. Her simple statements, or as I like to call it, her laundry list as to why it would be great if she had a wife, are easy to relate to as many of us perform these duties on a daily basis. In Homeless, the setting of the story, January at the bus terminal, leaves it to the reader’s imagination of the year.The topic of the essay, homeless people, is timeless as it is has been an ongoing problem for decades. The language the narrator uses is simplistic yet descriptively concise. It still gives enough detail to help you feel connected to what the narrator is saying. You can feel her emotions through her words. I believe her target audience is everyone. As the narrator states, â€Å"[We] walk around it when it is lying on the sidewalk or sitting in the bus terminal—the problem, that is. † She is playing upon the reader’s emotions by pointing out how many people ignore the problem even when we come face to face with it at times.I feel this essay can transcend time because of the specific descriptive words the aut hor uses to engage the reader. In addition, until homelessness becomes obsolete, this will be an issue society will continue to discuss. I do not believe the same can be said about I Want a Wife. Reading this essay now seems irrelevant in 2013, whereas in 1971, this was a reality for some wives. While I found both essays well written and share similar key elements in writing style and appropriate language, I found Homeless, to be a more appealing read.The topic of the essay, homeless people, is a current issue we continue to face in society today, which makes it more relatable to the reader. It causes the reader to use their imagination, critical thinking skills, and reflect on a somewhat sensitive topic. I think the topic of I want a Wife, is appropriate for the period it was written, but it does not really apply to today’s families. The structure of the family has changed dramatically in the last forty years. No longer is it the norm for the wife to be the one to shoulder a ll of the family responsibility.In more households than not, it is now a shared responsibility. Even though Judy Brady’s essay can cause the reader to reflect on how life was for wives during that era, it does not really fit our society today. Reading the essay now, it seems more of a farce than the feminist statement it was of 1971. Another appealing aspect of Homeless is the description and detail the narrator uses. She creates visual images with her words that capture and engage the reader. Some of the visual images that were memorable to me are the description of Ann, her photo, and the narrator’s own ferocity for the love of her own home.The narrator’s description of the grime that creases Ann’s bags and raincoat give you a clear picture of her appearance. The description of the yellow house in the photo, â€Å"with the aluminum siding and a chain-link fence, a narrow driveway running up to a one-car garage, and a patch of backyard,† (Homeless para 2) gives the reader a distinct image of the house. It is through these descriptions that I have a better understanding of both the characters and their perspective of homeless.I Want a Wife, while well written and entertaining, it did not appeal to my emotional side like Homeless. I felt as though the narrator was giving us her laundry list and doing so without any emotion. She does not invite the reader into the story, as the structure is very chaotic and unorganized. In addition, she often repeats herself throughout the essay, which makes it difficult to get a clear picture of any one thought as she moves quickly from one idea to the next. Each essay shares similar key elements of writing style and appropriate language.They both capture their targeted audience with creative introductions that pull the reader into the story. The authors’ use of simple statements and descriptions allow for easy reading and understanding of the topic, however I believe that Homeless was more successful in engaging the reader’s senses. Anna Quindlen used specific descriptions and details to bring the reader into her story. Her topic is one that everyone understands; as it is, still an issue society faces today. She appeals to our emotions and causes the reader to reflect on their own life and those affected by it.