Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation

Introduction In architecture and decorative art, ornamentation is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Monumental sculpture and their equivalent in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornaments do not include human figures, and if present, they are small compared to the overall scale. The most common types of architectural ornaments even with the advancement of technology since civilization remain the imitative ornament, applied ornament, and the organic ornament.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The imitative ornament as the name suggest, is a decoration embedded on the structure imitating a form of definite meaning and with a symbolic significant. The applied ornament generally adds decorative beauty in the structure and forms bearing with them. The organic ornaments on the other ha nd are the inherent decorations of the art representing the piece of art in its organic form. Of these three major categories of architectural ornaments, the applied architectural ornament remains the most common and widely used form of architectural ornamentation. Different cultural societies have continued to use the applied ornament symbolically to express their cultures and poster their communities globally through their fine arts and decorations. Architectural ornament can be carved from stone, wood or precious metals, formed with plaster or clay, or painted or impressed onto a surface as applied ornament creating the impression of beauty as aforementioned. Wide varieties of decorative styles and motifs have developed for architecture and the applied arts including pottery, furniture, metal works. In textiles, wallpaper and other objects where the decoration maybe the main justification for its existence, the term pattern or design are more likely to be used. Textile, especiall y decoration and design, play an important role because different cultures and communities prefer specific fabric decoration and designs with specific colors and patterns. These specifications for communities over time have led to easy identification of these communities from the mode of their dressing particularly the traditional attire. For wallpapers, solemnly made for decoration, their designing determines their attractiveness to the target group and therefore expanded demand in the market. Textile and wallpaper decoration designs and patterns have changed with time since civilization as it has been with the architectural decorations due to the changes in technology. In a 1941 essay, the architectural historian, Sir John Summerson, called it â€Å"surface modulation†. This particularly meant that, the application of the common form of architectural ornamentation on the surfaces of structures led to the modulation or modification of the same surfaces creating attractivenes s.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Decoration and ornament has been evident in civilization since the beginning of recorded history, ranging from Ancient Egyptian architecture to the apparent lack of ornament of the 20th century modernist architecture. Style of ornamentation clearly comes out in studying the cultures of different communities that developed the decorations and ornaments from their preceding cultures or modified unique decoration forms from other cultures. Architectural decoration started in ancient Egypt, where civilization started. The first decorations on the walls of buildings with pure natural theme dominated with figures of animals and plants. Not all welcomed this advancement of decoration and ornamentation. Some critics of the then architectural technological advancement did not imagine that decoration was necessary. Adolf Loos wrote his famous essay, â€Å" ornament and crime† in 1908, dismissing embellished ornaments as merely unnecessary decoration. According to Adolf, there was nothing important in decorating buildings and to him; anyone doing decoration was a criminal and a degenerate in the society. Furthermore, Adolf compared decorating a building to a person doing tattoo in their faces, which was crime; at least to him. Decorating objects created by people were like tossing them from sides until they ruined and wracked. The ban proclaimed against this extremely harmonious formal language this intersection between high art and folklore, prevailed for almost a century. Only since the return of the millennium, ornament has reestablished itself as decorative and yet subversive and allusive elements, abstract, and floral patterns adorn and dominate works in the contemporary visual arts. Bespeak beauty and seduction and they also always refer to society and gender – the way reality is constructed. Culture is looked upon a s living ways of various groups of individuals, which may consist of aspects like interaction, social activity, spirituality, thought, Sciences, and arts (Smyth, 2001, p.56). These may be explained as follows: Interaction refers to human contact and social aspects, which include give-and-take, regarding conversations, protocol, negotiations, and socialization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These are useful aspects regarding living ways because individuals are usually dynamic and social in nature; therefore, they have to involve themselves in various interaction types with each other within their environments (Low, 2005, p.15). During these interactions of cultures, people copied decorative and ornamental forms which they modified coming up with better-decorated ornaments. Social activity is shared pursuits and experi ences in cultural communities, which are usually demonstrated, by various life-celebrating and festivity events. These social activities including the celebrations and festivities provide an opportunity for different cultures to interact, exchange ideas, and learn from each other in terms of ornamentation and decoration among other things. Spirituality refers to belief systems, which help to build moral codes that are usually passed on through generations, which promotes human beings’ well-being. In addition, spirituality is usually highlighted through actions and languages. Thoughts are expressed ways through which people understand, interpret, and perceive the world around. Sciences and arts are looked upon as the most refined and advanced human expression forms (Smyth, 2001, p.48). Science and art promoted the expression of the skills that different cultures had in their possession and those learned from others during their regular interactions and festivities. Language re fers to the earliest human institution or expression medium which is usually sophisticated. These aspects indicate that culture is usually very important within society because it makes it possible for people to understand the various living ways, which exist among individuals. Cultural studies may be perceived as an area of great importance because of its ability to offer appropriate principles for understanding and explaining human behavior. It is usually among the unique elements regarding contemporary social thought and it is very essential in contemporary social science research and specifically for the study of anthropology in particular. Ornaments can be conceived in many ways; they appear in different places, colors, scales, and patterns depending on the culture from where the ornaments originate for cultures have distinct and unique colors and patterns symbolizing different themes. In most cases, these ornaments are worn on specific times for a meaning and by a particular c lass of people. Various are also the reasons to use ornaments, sometimes they are planned, sometimes they occur unintentionally – certainly, however, they are part of the local culture. Ornamentation on the other hand is usually looked upon as the process or act of embellishing, adorning, or decorating (Low, 2005). Especially where a combination of both color and pattern decoration are applied, the patterns on the form or structure or figure adds interest in form of beauty more so where the image intended is solely imagination.Advertising Looking for essay on architecture? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These decorations and ornaments differ from culture to another and from one community to the other. This brings to our attention that cultural ornamentation is the aspect, which makes it possible for various cultural aspects to be embellished, adorned, or decorated. This implies that cultural ornamentation involves processes, which make it possible for cultural aspects to be attractive or appear as midpoints of interest (Winch, 1997). It therefore becomes apparent that, different cultures bear different decorative forms, which consequently express different cultural aspects. From the aspects brought to light above, it is apparent that space according to cultural ornamentation is usually perceived as the various cultural differences, which are experienced amid various cultures (Low, 2005). It is apparent that culture or living ways vary from place to place and these variations are the ones, which are typically perceived as cultural spaces. The variations in this case are experienced in interaction, social activity, spirituality, thought, Sciences and arts as well as language. These may be put to light as follows. For instance, interaction modes have been perceived as main cultural aspects because individuals have been found to be dynamic and social in nature and they end up involving themselves in various interaction types. These interactions among different people of different cultures involve also interaction and copying of cultures themselves between the people interacting. These interactions have been found to vary from area to another and therefore cultural spaces exist between various areas. Secondly, social activities also vary from place to another and therefore justify cultural space existence amid communities (Smyth, 2001). These social activities give a platform or a better forum for the different cultural societies gathering to express fully their arts. It is apparent that various societies have varying social activities and the felt differences in this case are cultural spaces. Living ways of various communities are highly influenced by factors like surrounding environment and interaction with other communities. Research has highlighted that, communities that highly interact with other communities end up incorporating their living ways and therefore the cultural spaces between them may end up being trimmed down. However, minimum interaction among cultures brings about limited learning regarding other individuals’ cultures and therefore they end up bringing about increased cultural spaces among them (Low, 2005). Increased cultural space makes it difficult for individuals to understand cultures exhibited by other individuals due to the limited interactions between them whereas reduced cultural space brings about situations whereby easier understanding regarding various cultures is experienced across cultures. This insight becomes clear in that the more the societies and cultures interact, the less the space between them reduce. The differences in sophistication of the arts from the two or more interacting societies show the space between the societies. The regularly the cultures interact; the great the understanding between the two cultures exist. This is usually very essential due to its ability to sustain successfully the respect from other cultures because of the understanding, which is experienced among various cultures or individuals with varying living ways. Spirituality varies from one culture to another; therefore, it may be used to express cultural space meaning. In spirituality, different people from different cultural backgrounds have different ways of carrying out their spiritual activities and the different forms of arts in their places of worship. Spirituality in this case is value systems, which are usually passed on through generations (Winch, 1997). These value systems highly determine aspects, which are considered bad or good. Individuals from varying cultures may end up perceivin g cultural spaces among them because they hold varying value systems. African art, for example constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize â€Å"traditional† African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African, such as the art of  African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the  visual culture  from the continent of Africa. The human figure has always been the primary subject matter for most African art, and this emphasis even influenced certain European traditions. Most Europeans admired the cultures portrayed by the beautiful pieces of arts of African human figures and opted to adopt them, because the theme portrayed by these figures shows a rich African culture. In most cases, these figures in their making signify a parti cular important cultural aspect for the community from which the piece of art comes from. The human figure may symbolize the living or the dead, may reference chiefs, dancers, or various trades such as drummers or hunters, or even may be an anthropomorphic representation of a god or have other votive function. Another common theme is the inter-morphosis of human and animal. African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks generalize stylistic norms. Ancient Egyptian art, also usually thought of as naturalistically depictive, makes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual canons, especially in painting, as well as the use of different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted. African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over two-dimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paint ings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture. Distinct from the static form of traditional Western sculpture African art displays animation, a readiness to move. An extension of the utilitarianism and three-dimensionality of traditional African art is the fact that much of it is crafted for use in performance contexts, rather than in static one. For example, masks and costumes very often are used in communal, ceremonial contexts, where they are â€Å"danced.† Most societies in Africa have names for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the sculpture, but also the meanings of the mask, the dance associated with it, and the spirits that reside within. In African thought, the three cannot be differentiated. Often a small part of an African design will look s imilar to a larger part, such as the diamonds at different scales in the Kasai pattern at right. Louis Senghor, Senegal’s first president, referred to this as â€Å"dynamic symmetry.† William Fagg, the British art historian, compared it to the logarithmic mapping of natural growth by biologist D’Arcy Thompson. More recently, it has been described in terms of  fractal  geometry. The origins of African art lie long before recorded history. African rock art in the  Sahara  in  Niger  preserves 6000-year-old carvings. The earliest known sculptures are from the  Nok culture  of  Nigeria, made around 500 BC. Along with sub-Saharan Africa, the cultural arts of the western tribes,  ancient Egyptian  paintings and artifacts, and indigenous southern crafts also contributed greatly to African art. Often depicting the abundance of surrounding nature, the art was often abstract interpretations of animals, plant life, or natural designs and shapes. In Is lamic art, unless space is infinite, whatever goes on in that space will have to end at some point. Many have commented on what is taken to be a horror vacuity in Islamic ornamentation. A dislike of the empty, and this accounts for the ways in which space is filled up so comprehensively in Islamic art. Yet space cannot be filled up entirely, for if it were, there would be no ornamentation. Geometric patterns are often said to be empty of content, and so to stimulate the mind to think of a deity existing without companions. However, it could also get the mind to think all sorts of thing. How geometric shapes are infinite? There is nothing infinite about a square or a triangle; on the contrary, such a specific shape is precisely finite, with recognizable and visible limits that define it. That is not to suggest that in Islamic art these forms of ornamentation are not used effectively to produce beautiful designs and consequently objects, but whether they are really supposed to produce particular ideas in us, their viewer, is questionable. There is no reason to think that we have to see geometrical design as having any religious meaning whatsoever. There is a saying in Arabic, ‘al-fann ihsas’ (‘art is feeling’). In addition, thought expresses cultural space because individuals from varying communities express varying views regarding various aspects (Winch, 1997). Thought refers to expressed ways through which people understand, interpret and perceive would which surrounds them. It is apparent that individuals within varying localities and cultures have varying understanding, interpretation, and perception regarding various aspects. Sciences and arts are looked upon as the most refined and advanced human expression forms. Human expressions differ from community to community, location to location, and among individual groups (Smyth, 2001). These variations are called cultural spaces among the various communities or groups. Human expression forms are usually influenced by various factors including environment and interactions with other individuals holding varying cultures. It is apparent that substantial interactions among individuals brings about trimmed down cultural spaces whereas minimum interactions yield increased cultural spaces. Language refers to the earliest human institution or expression medium which is usually sophisticated (Low, 2005). This expresses cultural space because various communities have various opinions regarding varying cultural aspects and they hold varying importance to them. The experienced variations are therefore expressed as cultural spaces among the various communities. Conclusion From the various aspects exposed above, it is apparent that space according to cultural ornamentation is the variations experienced regarding cultural aspects from one culture to another. The cultural ornamentation aspects, which determine cultural variations, include interaction, social activity, spirituali ty, thought, Sciences and arts as well as language. Various individual groups experience varying cultural aspects and therefore the variations demonstrate cultural variations. Cultural space may be either narrow or wide depending on experienced interactions among individuals. Extended interactions regarding individuals from various cultures have the capacity to trim down cultural space whereas minimum interactions yield wider economic spaces. This phenomenon happens for the obvious reasons that the more people stay together, the more they tend to understand each other; therefore, in the wake of different cultures associating, the cultural space melts down and vanishes without anyone noticing. Culture can define art by determining the type of art produced, by genre or the medium. In the light of this acknowledgement, it suffices to concur that different cultures will have different types of art, genre and medium and because culture defines all these elements, then it (culture) become s a determinant and a defining element of art. Art and culture are intertwined. References Blackmun, M. (2001) A history of Art in Africa, visiona et al. Prentice Hall, New York Low, S. (2005). Rethinking Urban Parks: Public Space and Cultural Diversity. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. Piotrovsky, M. J. Vrieze (1999) Art of Islam: Heavenly Art, Earthly Art, ed. London, Lund Humpries Smyth, G. (2001). Space and the Irish Cultural Imagination. New York: Palgrave. Winch, S. (1997). Mapping the Cultural Space of Journalism: How Journalists Distinguish News From Entertainment. Westport, CT: Praeger. This essay on Ways through which space is defined by cultural ornamentation was written and submitted by user Rihanna Nelson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Solomons Temple essays

Solomons Temple essays Solomon's temple was constructed around 966 BC, at Mount Moria, out of the finest wood and metals. The temple remained there for almost four hundred years when it was destroyed by the army of Nabuchodonozor in 586 BC. In Hebrew, it is called Bet Yehovah, meaning "house of Jehovah", the New Testament calls it oikos, meaning "the house", and in Latin it was called cella, meaning "the most holy place of the temple". The temple was constructed on the highest point in the land, surrounded by courts and royal palaces. The story of the temple begins with King Solomon's father, King David. He commanded that all of his people should be counted. One day, he saw an angel, sent by God, to strike down all of the people as a punishment for David's pride. King David repented and bought the land where he saw the angel. He gathered treasures from foreign lands and his people to build a great temple to God, but his son Solomon did the actual construction. He went to Hiram, King Tyre in Phoenicia to hire workers since the Jews were not skilled in the arts. He hired experts in masonry, brass working and carpentry. The measurement used to construct the temple was the cubit. Even though there are many different translations of exactly how long a cubit is, my research shows that it was roughly one foot, five and three fourth inches. Construction of the temple was finally completed seven and a half years after it started with a dedication from King Solomon. The interior of the temple had two chambers, which were not equal in length. The height of both chambers was twenty cubits, however the first chamber was longer by twenty cubits. The first one was called the hekal, which means "Holy Place". Inside this room was a golden table that priests would place the loaves of proposition on every Sunday. There were also five candles on both sides of the room. These candles were made of pure gold and were each fueled by seven oil lamps. To the E...

CIS 333 Week 10Technical Project Paper Coursework

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HR Training and Development #4 deadline Nov 8 Essay

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Consumer Behaviour and Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer Behaviour and Research - Essay Example The theory presents a model that states the factors stimulating individual, group or corporate purchases, the intervening variables that may influence the purchase decisions, and the likely outcome of such purchase decisions. The factors influencing the purchase decision, according to this theory, is the sensitivity to information, perception bias and the active search for information, which ends-up indicating the favorable purchases to be done, based on the buyer preferences (Howard, 1965 p84). This is a progressive development from the earlier utility and Herbert Simon's satisficing life theories, which based the consumer behavior solely on the needs of the individual, ignoring all the intervening factors that could alter the purchase decision (Loudon, 1988 p 48). Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) This theory was developed in 1975, postulating that the buyer decision is fully influenced by beliefs and attitudes (Foxall, 2005 p16). Thus, the process of buyer behavior is preceded by at titude formation, where the buyer evaluates the alternative products and services that are available to satisfy their needs, while gauging each product and services upon its effectiveness and attractiveness. The theory further advanced, to not only look at the attitudes, but also interrogate the behavior depicted by the buyer throughout the purchase decision and execution process (Engel, Kollat & Blackwell, 1968 p10). This advanced the development of the consumer behavior theories further, from a mere focus on the needs and satisfaction process, to the actual involvement of the buyer, in information evaluation and arriving at informed decisions (Massy, Montgomery, & Morrison 1970 p16). The Theory of Planned Behavior This is a buyer intention and prediction analysis... The researcher of this essay aims to analyze the consumer behavior, that usually depicts the processes by which individuals or groups of people secure, utilize and dispose products or services, in a bid to satisfy their needs. Today, there are various theories that have been put across to explain the consumer behavior. Notably, theories of consumer behavior have been widely developed since 1800 to present day, with subsequent theories improving and expanding the previous ones. The development in the theories of buyer behavior took an upward trend starting 1950, with many researchers keenly engaging in the evaluation of the factors that influences the consumption behavior in individuals. The consumer behavior theories that have been subsequently developed include: Herbert Simon's satisficing life theory, the Theory of Buyer Behavior, Theory of Reasoned Action, The Theory of Planned Behavior. These theories were analyzed in details in this essay. The researcher also described the onlin e buying, that has become a norm for many people, owing to the recent technological developments that allow individuals to purchase products and have them delivered, in the comfort of the houses. While traditionally people used to visit stores and premises to inspect the products on sale, they are currently viewing the products online, while assessing their features and usability from the seller’s website, so that straight-to-the-point description of the products are needed for the implementation of the successful strategy.

Genting Groups Corporate Social Responsibility Practices

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They included the Malaysian Liver Foundation, OrphanCare Baby Hatch Programme, and Malaysia Diabetes Association so on and so forth. They also undertook the Roti 1Malaysia Charity Project, a joint collaboration with 20 hotels in the Klang Valley, which involved the distribution of bread orphanages and homes.  (Sustainability report 2011, annual report 2009) (ii) Underprivileged and Disability Groups In their continuous effort to support the underprivileged community, 71 homes and charitable organisations were contributed during the various festivals 2011 celebrations. This is in addition to their year-long contributions to the various charitable homes and organisations as well as the underprivileged and marginalised communities. 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Journey to the Midwest: The German Immigration :: essays research papers fc

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The American Health Care System’s Limited Access

Identify and discuss the factors that limit access to health care services for many people in America. According to a published Guidebook for providers entitled â€Å"Achieving Cultural Competence: A Guidebook for Providers of Services to Older Americans and Their Families (January 2001)†, there are two general and primary factors that limit certain groups of the American population in their access to appropriate health care.   These are the structural barriers and the cultural barriers.Structural barriers are further categorized into two sub-factors. These are the   External barrier factors such as lack of health insurance coverage and out of pocket costs and the Logistical difficulty factors such as lack of transportation, language difficulty (or comprehension) and illiteracy (CC Guidebook, 2001).Meanwhile, Cultural barriers are also categorized into internal and external factors.   Internal factors are those caused by traditional practices among certain ethnic groups like Asians – particularly the older Chinese generation – who refuse to reveal details about their affliction or disease because they regard these matters as purely personal and should be kept within tight family circles only.   Particularities of these traditional beliefs usually affect the provision of a more thorough health scanning and diagnosis, thus resulting to usual misdiagnoses or prognoses (CC Guidebook, 2001).Cultural external factors include a lack of comprehensive background data or earlier studies about the cultural nuances and statistics for these underserved minority groups (CC Guidebook, 2001).   As a direct result, the lack of available research data affects the decision of policy makers and federal level planners to incorporate cultural nuances into intervention programs that could break the trend of a â€Å"cultural block† or absence of data.Furthermore, policy makers tend to group together certain ethnic groups as those â€Å"not needin g† specific care like nursing home services or elder care because of the assumption or misconception that all elderly people from a specific ethnic group like the Hispanics who have close personal ties and the Asian groups, that they will take care of their elderly.   Research did confirm this fact (CC Guidebook, 2001, p10) but this shouldn’t be the norm or primary continuing assumption in the future.   To quote from the Guidebook (CC Guidebook, 2001, p10):â€Å"Research does confirm that a significant proportion of minority elders live with their family. Unmarried older African Americans are twice as likely to live with family  members as whites, Hispanic American and Asian American elders are three times as  likely, and half of urban Native American elders live with family members (controlling for income, health status, and other characteristics)†.2. Identify the specific populations and groups that face difficulties with access to health care services. According to the Fact Sheet published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, two predominant ethnic minority groups lack the basic access to primary and preventive care in the US.   These groups are the African-Americand and the Hispanic population in the US (AHRQ, February 2000). To quote:â€Å"About 30 percent of Hispanic and 20 percent of black Americans lack a usual source of health care compared with less than 16 percent of whites.Hispanic children are nearly three times as likely as non-Hispanic white children to have no usual source of health care.African Americans and Hispanic Americans are far more likely to rely on hospitals or clinics for their usual source of care than are white Americans (16 and 13 percent, respectively, v. 8 percent)†.These data from AHRQ and other agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services formed the (HHS) formed the basic tenets and foundation for the 18 out of 28 focal areas for their Ten year Plan entitled â⠂¬Å"Healthy People 2010†.   Six out of these 18 focal areas are geared toward eliminating factors to health barriers and disparities such as: gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation.   According to the OMH, there is â€Å"Compelling evidence indicates that race and ethnicity correlate with persistent, and often increasing, health disparities among U.S. populations in all these categories and demands national attention’ (Fact Sheet, AHRQ, 2000).References:Achieving Cultural Competence: A Guidebook for Providers of Services to Older Americans and Their Families (January 2001). (Chapter 10 and 11). Retrieved on February 28, 2007. From: https://aoa.acl.gov/#search=`Achieving%20Cultural%20CompetenceAddressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Fact Sheet, February 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AHRQ Publication No. 00-PO41. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,    Rockville, MD. Retrieved on F ebruary 28, 2007. From:                   https://www.ahrq.gov/research/disparit.htmCover the Uninsured Week 2007 (April 23 to 29).   Retrieved from the homepage on February 28, 2007.   From: http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/articles-and-news/2011/06/looking-back-on-cover-the-uninsured-week.html?cid=xdr_ccs_001Keppel, K. et. al. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Trends in Racial and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ethnic-Specific Rates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   for the Health Status Indicators: United States, 1990-98.    Retrieved on February 28, 2007.   From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/statnt/statnt23.pdfNational Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Midcourse Assessment of Healthy People   Ã‚  Ã‚   2010 Goal II (PPT). (2006). Retrieved on February   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   28, 2007.   From:http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/176/PatientversionFINAL.pdfOffice o f Minority Health website. â€Å"Eliminating Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities†.Retrieved on February 28, 2007. From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AboutUs/disparities.htmâ€Å"What Healthcare Consumers need to know about Racial and Ethnic disparities in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Healthcare†. (March 2002). Institute of Medicine. Retrieved on February 28,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2007. From:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/4/176/PatientversionFINAL.pdf

a stranger is watching essays

a stranger is watching essays A Stranger is Watching is a terrific book. I enjoyed reading this book very much. The non-stop action kept me reading for hours. This was my first Mary Higgins Clark book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story is interesting and thank God it moves fast. One of the best features of the book is how it was written. The point of view changes every chapter.For example Chapter 1 is written in the point of view of the infamous Foxy character. Chapter 2 is written in the point if view of our protagonist, Steve; and so on. I also liked how the author built the relationship of the characters up,so you care about what happens to them and feel like you're going through what they are going through. For instance, the author tells us of Steve's wife's death. We find out that Steve's son, Neil was never the same after this tragedy. When a new women, Sharon comes into Steve's life, Neil rejects her. Neil thinks that if Sharon and his father get married , his father will send him away. When Neil and Sharon are held hostage together, Neil's feelings for Sharon change; he begins to see her as a nice person and a motherlike figure.I felt the author built this relationship up well so that the story would have a I also like how the author made the character traits of the protagonist completely conflict with the antagonist. The protagonist, Steve is a successful man with a family and no problems; at least in the mind of the antagonist. The antagonist has problems with females, a career he feels is going nowhere, and a lack of good friends. Throughout the story we find out that the antagonist is very jealous of the protagonist's lifeand that's why he indirectly targets him. This contrast was an addition to the already excitng plot of the In my opinion the best part of "A Stranger is Watching"is the end,chapter 52. This chapter contains ...

Free Essays on Homosexuality Is Not A Sin According To The Bible

â€Å"What’s Love Got To Do With It?† By Renaldo Brown French is only a language to those who speak it. For most Americans, French is not a part of who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, or a culture they can identify with. They were born Americans. The similarities of the American culture and the French culture boil down to french fries and good wine. However, on the other side of the world, from a French perspective, the American culture is not a part of who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, or a culture they can identify with. How can two dynamically different groups of people co-exist in the world and respect each other’s cultures and lifestyles? The answer to the question is easy: the French are over there and the Americans are over here. Another group of people that are dynamically different in who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, and cultures that they can identify with, are not so lucky. Homosexuals, who have been intertwined into every culture since they beginning of time, have constantly been the receptor of violence, discrimination, and condemnation by conservative Christians, gay bashers, the media, mainstream evangelists, and, surprisingly, people who are gay (but are insecure in their sexuality). Instead of being embraced for their differences and respected as human beings, homosexuals have been, time and time again, condemned to hell, killed, or discriminated against. Many people use the Holy Bible as their basis of condemning gays, stating that it is not themselves who condemn gays, but God – or rather, the Word. However, one should take a closer look at the Word and take it at face value. The Word of God says what It means and means what It says. Many people rely on the interpretations of men versus the true, factual, and holy Word of God. The Word urges, â€Å"Study to shew thyself approved unto God [. . .] .† (Hebrew-G... Free Essays on Homosexuality Is Not A Sin According To The Bible Free Essays on Homosexuality Is Not A Sin According To The Bible â€Å"What’s Love Got To Do With It?† By Renaldo Brown French is only a language to those who speak it. For most Americans, French is not a part of who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, or a culture they can identify with. They were born Americans. The similarities of the American culture and the French culture boil down to french fries and good wine. However, on the other side of the world, from a French perspective, the American culture is not a part of who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, or a culture they can identify with. How can two dynamically different groups of people co-exist in the world and respect each other’s cultures and lifestyles? The answer to the question is easy: the French are over there and the Americans are over here. Another group of people that are dynamically different in who they are, the lifestyle they live, the language they speak, and cultures that they can identify with, are not so lucky. Homosexuals, who have been intertwined into every culture since they beginning of time, have constantly been the receptor of violence, discrimination, and condemnation by conservative Christians, gay bashers, the media, mainstream evangelists, and, surprisingly, people who are gay (but are insecure in their sexuality). Instead of being embraced for their differences and respected as human beings, homosexuals have been, time and time again, condemned to hell, killed, or discriminated against. Many people use the Holy Bible as their basis of condemning gays, stating that it is not themselves who condemn gays, but God – or rather, the Word. However, one should take a closer look at the Word and take it at face value. The Word of God says what It means and means what It says. Many people rely on the interpretations of men versus the true, factual, and holy Word of God. The Word urges, â€Å"Study to shew thyself approved unto God [. . .] .† (Hebrew-G...

Cultural Awareness, Understanding, and Acceptance Research Paper - 2

Cultural Awareness, Understanding, and Acceptance - Research Paper Example This will help educators and students to detect bias in books, in the media and other reading materials. It is high time publishers and writers became objective and try not to undermine the beliefs of others. Most educative materials are bias and do not have a global perspective. It is, therefore, time there is a change to the approach of doing things. The society is not equal since some are advantage unlike some. Educational opportunities are not available for all. Equity pedagogy aims at providing equal opportunities to all in the society. Transforming of the schools will help in promoting national unity and harmony. Multicultural competency helps an individual to improve his or her way of perceiving, believing, evaluating and problem solving. The fact is people are self-centered and do not care about others. Cross cultural interaction and exchange is slowly making people understand the significance of cohesion. There is inequality in the society because of stereotypes and tendenci es of prejudice. There are many myths about other people’s culture and this has a negative effect on how communities relate. Some communities make others feel inferior causing hatred and animosity. Lack of cultural interaction is the main cause to the problem. It is hence vital for stakeholders to embrace multicultural education system since it will provide solid solutions that are long term. Answers to part B and C Culture refers t the knowledge, values, experience, attitudes, religion, concepts of the universe and spatial relationships developed by a group of individuals through both group and individual striving. Culture also entails the patterns of behavior developed and transmitted from one generation to another. Various cultural groups think act and feel differently depending on their beliefs. There are no scientific standards to determine which group is superior or inferior (Knight 2004). Multi cultural education refers to inter discipline and cross-curricular educatio n that prepares students to work and live in a diverse environment. Respect and appreciation of cross-culture is increasing gaining momentum throughout the world. It is encouraging and impressive that students are learning cultures outside those of their own. This helps them interact well with people of different cultures. Multicultural education provides an opportunity for learning institutions to create cultural awareness among students though the various students’ organization. This equips students with the skills they need to interact with other people having different cultures and beliefs. As globalization is taking shape and businesses expanding, cross-cultural interaction is on the rise. As more people from different cultures interact, they exchange the cultures and learn to compromise with what other people think and feel (Johanna, 2000). Multicultural education is principal in addressing cultural differences and cultural bias because it encourages respect and appreci ations of other people’s beliefs. In an educational setting, students become aware on the cultures of other people, reasons as to why they behave the way they do and why it is crucial to respect other people believes (Knight, 2004).Multicultural educa

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gun Control - Essay Example There are strict measures to control the use of guns. This paper will analyze gun control among the Americans in relation to the rights of the individual to own a gun. 2. Gun Control Winkler (16) mentions that, the rights to own a gun became integral in the American population when the white settlers required protection to guard self from attacks from unknown armies, animals and Native Americans. The justification was that Americans has a responsibility to protect themselves. Moreover, guns were used for hunting which is a sport culture in the country. Firearms are categorized into handguns, long guns and automated guns. Handguns include pistols and weapons that can be used with one hand. Long guns are specially manufactured for hunters to engage in sport. Automated guns and semi automated guns are perceived to be a preserve of the military. Automatic and semi automatic guns as well as rifles are registered by those possessing them. Dealers of the automatic guns must be licensed. The purchase of machine guns is a preserve of the military and is costly since they are scarce. The long guns are not considered as weapons for crime but for sport. However, reports show that the long guns have been used for suicide in some instances. Handguns are commonly used to commit crime. Proponents of use of guns argue that groups conducting gun control describe the different types of firearms with a motive to discriminate certain guns as unsafe for the public. Gun control activists are tent to discourage and disapprove the use of automatic guns for personal defense. Citizens in some states are allowed to own semi automatic guns. Some citizens have gone to the extent of improving the semi automatic machines so that they may resemble the automatic gun. The manufacturers of firearms claim that over a third of the guns are hand guns. The number of casualties resulting from use of fire arm for crime is very high in the United States. Many citizens believe that the guns act as securi ty for them if they show it for defense when there is a possible attack. Many citizens claim that they have used handguns for self defense for self defense especially at their residence and at work. The guns can be used to scare away trespassers in the home place. Thieves breaking into homes can be chased away with hand guns (McClurg et al, 101). Guns are also used to capture criminals by wounding them if they are armed. Criminals who are aware that that those they attack is armed fail to proceed if they learn that they are armed as Kleck (34) mentions. Studies conducted reveal that population with access to firearms is likely to commit homicide that populations without crime. The high number of murders recorded in the United Sates is blamed on the large number of civilians owning guns. Consequently, Americans who witness an attempted or completed armed attack is very large. Prisoners serving a jail term confess having an armed firearm when they were conducting the crime (Lott 78). Kleck (39) mentions that several states in America recommend that guns be kept without loading. When selling guns, dealers ensure that the citizen has the correct reasons for obtaining a gun. The guns should not be given to people who pose a threat to the public population. The certificate and license for ownership of arms dictates the number of ammunitions and firearms that citizens are