Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The African Americans Throughout the History of Mass Communication Essay Example for Free

The African Americans Throughout the History of Mass Communication Essay Mass communication today has truly gained enormous advancements since it was first developed back then. The field continually grows and develops as more and more technological innovations are taking place nowadays. Indeed, mass communication has truly gone a long way. If its history would be traced back then, we will find out how the field changed throughout the ages. Moreover, tracing back the roots of mass communication would show how us how its forms also changed. From wired communication, mass media suddenly became a wireless one. In addition to this, history of mass communication would also allow us to see the reflection of the mass or the people. With this, history of mass communication would tell us about the humanity in general, including one of the greatest yet most controversial races from all around the globe—the African-Americans. How does the history of mass media reflect the African-Americans throughout the years? The African Americans is one race that holds a rich culture and history. Most of what the race has gone through were also reflected through various forms of mass media, including those of the radio, print, television, advertising, public relations, and film industries. Radio Industry Perhaps as a result of discrimination, it was not for some decades before African Americans began participating in the radio field. There were occasional African American singers in the radio. However, a dedicated African American radio station was founded much later than others. In today’s context, it is just ironic that African Americans are now the artists that are played much on the radio and there is a significant number of African Americans working with radio productions. Television Industry Television just shows the thinking of the present generation. In the earlier years of television, it is just understandable that there is only little participation of the African American community—some may not even had he chance to watch television. But in today’s world, there are many famous and influential African Americans shown in television like Oprah and Barrack Obama. This shows that this generation treats African Americans without discrimination. Film Industry Since the earliest times of the film industry, African American actors had shown tremendous talent in acting. Additionally, the world had learned how to laugh with African American humor. Interestingly, African American actors and actresses are present in almost all movie genres. One outstanding African American actress is Halle Berry, who is the first and still only African American woman to be awarded by the prestigious Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. With the changes with the way African Americans are portrayed nowadays, their history somehow also changes. Through the history of mass media, we are able to see how the African Americans rose from an oppressed race to one proud people.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Failure of a Marriage Depicted in Ibsens A Dolls House Essay

A House in Ruins In Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House", the subject most important to the story is marriage. "Until death do us part" well, not always. Everywhere one looks, divorce is plaguing society. The treasured marriage vows have become nothing but a promise made to be broken. A Doll's House is a prime example of a relationship that didn't work. To keep a marriage alive and well it must hold onto certain qualities: love, communication, trust and loyalty. With these qualities, any marriage is bound to work. Without love a relationship would never even begin. The basis for Nora and Torvald's relationship appears to be centered around love, but this was not exactly obtained. Torvald doesn't really love Nora in a mature way; he just looks at her as another child. He has many nicknames for his wife including "lark" and "squirrel" which are small animals and used as symbols of foreshadowing. By using these symbols, Torvald looks at his wife as being smaller than himself and therefore easy to control. He always refers to Nora as my something. "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" and "Is it my little squirrel bustling about?" (438) He emphasizes the ‘my' which makes him think that he owns his wife and he is in control of her. Calling his wife names such as ‘skylark', ‘squirrel', and ‘spendthrift', Torvald does not love his wife with the respect and sensitivity a man should. He gives Nora an allowance but thinks she spends it frivolously. "What are little people called that are always wasting money? It's a sweet little spendthrift. One would hardly believe how expensive such little persons are" (439) Here, Nora is referred to as a small subordinate creature once again. Torvald is so concerned about... ... for his wife. Nora and Torvald's marriage fails because they lack in all of the qualifications for a successful marriage and because of Torvald's control over his family. Before Nora leaves, she tells Torvald, "But our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa's doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald." (491) Nora wants change. Marriage is a two-way street and in order to ensure a wonderful and happy life together, any sort of doll house must be torn down. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll's House." Literature the Human Experience. Shorter 8th Ed. Eds. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. 2004. 437-495.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

Zen mind, Beginner’s Mind is a book created by Shunryu Suzuki in attempt to introduce the practice of Zen Buddhism in American culture. The study of Buddhism is essential for Suzuki believed that it can be applied to everyday mechanisms of life. The significance of acquiring and owning the Zen mind can help people to determine and therefore practice the right way of living, the right manners, postures and the beliefs which would hone the total personality of an individual. Zen Philosophy teaches that there is just a thin line marking the difference between the Zen mind and the Beginner’s mind. Both have the capacities to reach its nirvana or transcendental state of mind though they contain differences with their corresponding characteristics. At first, the book Zen mind, Beginners mind may be hard to understand. However, as you go along and read between the lines, Suzuki uncovers the truth of reaching â€Å"enlightenment† through simple knowledge and acceptance of oneself. The different procedures of the Zen were concisely summarized in this single comprehensive book. This book would help people realize the several options in life which would make people think objectively and not become rigid. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind Introduction Zen mind, Beginner’s Mind is a book created by Shunryu Suzuki in attempt to introduce the practice of Zen Buddhism in American culture. The study of Buddhism is essential for Suzuki believed that it can be applied to everyday mechanisms of life. The emphasis of the practice is to integrate the body and the mind through certain meaningful exercises which alleviate a person’s stress and even help a person overcome the vexation of negative energies. The focus of this paper is to impart the significance of learning the practice of a Zen mind by becoming the innocent beginner who is expected to be flexible to learn Zen. As the reader uncovers the secrets proper way of living and dealing with one’s mind and body, effective outcomes are expected to be attained. Mentors are also to guide their students to reach their desired state of being. Zen practice thus, is for the intention of imitating the exact exercises of the experts. They are to find their way towards becoming the Zen themselves and reach their own enlightenment without a point of comparison (Brussat, 2007). Body Zen Buddhism on Philosophy The significance of acquiring and owning the Zen mind can help people to determine and therefore practice the right way of living, the right manners, postures and the beliefs which would hone the total personality of an individual. Further, it is also beneficial for introspection and knowing oneself better. Upon knowledge of oneself, one could possibly avoid the harms of the unknown, and also it would enable the individual to be in control of one’s unconscious drives and distracting areas of one’s personality. Thus, one could alter or dispose the negative scenario like illness, negative thoughts, feelings and emotions, etc. Buddhism indeed, is a very substantial and significant course of practice which has to be learned by every individual. Moreover, it could be learned through self-study of the Zen practice so that readers could integrate the relationship of the mind and the matter, and the matter itself to the nature as one and dual entities. Zen presupposes that there is always two sides in every story as there were two sides in a coin (Suzuki, 2006). Zen Philosophy teaches that there is just a thin line marking the difference between the Zen mind and the Beginner’s mind. Both have the capacities to reach its nirvana or transcendental state of mind though they contain differences with their corresponding characteristics. In the text, it suggests that execution and application of the Zen Buddhism is what you call the â€Å"Beginner’s mind’. It is the state of mind where there are no preconceived notions, desires or hopes, opinions, and biases. Beginner’s mind tends to teach the significance of identifying situations in the â€Å"here and now†. It is characterized by humble acceptance of ignorance and complete innocence which is resolved by investigating on other potential possibilities with the use of querying and asking and later on defining who you are and where you are at present. Suzuki in his book, Zen mind, Beginner’s mind described this difference by implying that the beginner’s mind is more opt to think of many ifs and buts before carrying out a specific action, but for a Zen’s mind, there are only few factors to consider. Therefore, an individual for a Zen’s mind, need not get anxious and worried about several things at the same time, for the Zen’s mind has more expertise since it has tried on the various trials before being able to attain their goals in life (Zenkei & Hartman, 2001). Zen Buddhism on Psychology Psychologically speaking, with the use of one’s mind or one’s psyche, body would be in unison with the mind and so reach its transcendental feeling of freedom and thus, unite with the nature. The outcome could be interpreted always as both right and wrong depending on the consequences of the choice of action. In Zen Buddhism, proper posture, breathing exercises to gain control over one’s body and mind are taught to meditate and get in touch, to commune, and be in union with the â€Å"Buddha† which is residing in every individual. Moreover, this self-help book by Suzuki offers the instructions on how to accurately execute each proper way of meditation through body and breathing exercises. These plainly matters to teach individuals reach their â€Å"righteous state of mind†. Upon understanding cognition in terms of psychological analysis, if an individual thinks a certain way, one would certainly feel the same way and predicts the action that precedes the positive outlook. So, when one thinks positive, the individual invites more positive energy and therefore leads to desirable outcomes. The opposite thing happen when one is manipulated by negative thoughts and practices (Zenkei & Hartman, 2001). Generally, Suzuki emphasizes that the Zen Buddhism does not limit the human mind and human person into two choices or variations. Black and white does not exist yet black or white are possibilities that may or may not exist. Life and death for instance, is also both finite and infinite. The point is that no one holds the standards to determine what it is from what it is not so no people have to be anxious about what really is the fact. The most important thing is living in the present and cherishing the moment. Living in the here and now is being a human who maximizes and actualizes one’s full potential. Therefore, to be a fully functioning person, an individual should learn the practice of Zen to feel each part of your body and the body of nature, in order to believe and live the present as it plays a role in everybody’s being. Life is worth to be cherished and understood to reach transcendental nature and share the knowledge and experience gained to others (Suzuki, 2006). Steps on how to execute the Zen practice were enumerated and explained by Suzuki. The significance of the forms on the flow of energies from nature into the body and vice versa were primarily emphasized to explain the physical benefits of the exercise. To give a preview of how the posture should be, Suzuki teaches that the spine should be in upright position and not slouched, the ears and shoulders should be aligned and in a relaxed position and that the chin should be drawn inwards. Proper execution and frequent practice of the forms should make a person gain congruence over one’s body and mind and would hinder a person’s state of imbalance. In so doing, an individual could operate at best and think rational at all times instead of the useless idling, unwanted sleepiness, sluggishness, or laziness. Another example is Suzuki’s explanation of the proper way if sitting: people sitting should not slouch nor face the back or the sides. It is imperative to practice the right way of sitting because this holds the central focus of the Zen practice. Further, it is through the concentration of fulfilling the action that a person reaches the desired state of mind, and not by following any standards of expert executioners of the several exercises (Suzuki, 2006). In the aforementioned link of the Zen practice to cognitive psychology, it was implied that how a person thinks is how a person feels and predicts what a person will do. Stimulus produces a response and the conditioned stimulus in Zen practice is the attempt to internalize the feeling brought about by execution of the Zen exercises. On the other hand, the response after carrying out the exercises would lead a person to bring oneself into a specific state of mind in which the body also responded. Therefore, it is how a person performs the exercises that they define and express themselves or who they believe they are. Just like a dancer, every step in the dance conveys specific message, meanings and expression for the dancer’s part. In addition, unconscious gestures convey the counter meaning like lack of interest for those people who slouch in sitting while inside in a lecture session. This improper usage of the body produces an outcome of inattentiveness and divided attention. So, the thing that a person should do, is to become aware of such uncontrollable forces and be in control of them before they govern people (Suzuki, 2006). At first, the book Zen mind, Beginners mind may be hard to understand. However, as you go along and read between the lines, Suzuki uncovers the truth of reaching â€Å"enlightenment† through simple knowledge and acceptance of oneself. Furthermore, by going in the flow and carrying out the right procedures of the Zen exercise one would reach the transcendental nirvana. For beginners, it may be perplexing to understand the ironies of Suzuki’s language yet the simple thought of the context is simply not to interfere with the past nor the future but to dwell and cherish the present as it is the most practical and important aspect of a person’s life. By living the â€Å"here and now† an individual would not have to wander one’s thoughts and so the body would become one with the mind and integrate its mechanisms and functions. With knowledge and application of the Zen, life would be more pleasing and smooth flowing without the distractions and vexations to the soul, body, and mind. Zen mind, Beginner’s mind is indeed a fascinating masterpiece that shares the secret of a happy, good, and virtuous life. Having a copy of the book is recommended for it is very worthwhile (Suzuki, 2006). The different procedures of the Zen were concisely summarized in this single comprehensive book. This book would help people realize the several options in life which would make people think objectively and not become rigid. It opens the mind of its readers that there are always â€Å"two sides of the coin†. Thus, in life, people should avoid unnecessary worries and anxieties that vex the spirit and the flow of positive energy that reflects in the body and the gestures. According to the Zen, blocked energies usually cause sickness of the physique and imbalance in the body form. Upon acquiring the Zen’s mind by reading this book, one would be exhilarated with the astonishing outcome. However, put into account that outcome of desirable execution of exercises with standards performed by other people is not the goal of a Zen’s mind. The goal of a Zen’s mind is to free one’s mind and the body of extremes to settle for contentment and happiness by enjoying the present being; Moreover, remember that comparing oneself to others just cause vanity and bitterness (Russell, 2005). Conclusion Zen mind, Beginner’s Mind is a book created by Shunryu Suzuki in attempt to introduce the practice of Zen Buddhism in American culture. The study of Buddhism is essential for Suzuki believed that it can be applied to everyday mechanisms of life. The significance of acquiring and owning the Zen mind can help people to determine and therefore practice the right way of living, the right manners, postures and the beliefs which would hone the total personality of an individual. Zen Philosophy teaches that there is just a thin line marking the difference between the Zen mind and the Beginner’s mind. Both have the capacities to reach its nirvana or transcendental state of mind though they contain differences with their corresponding characteristics. At first, the book Zen mind, Beginners mind may be hard to understand. However, as you go along and read between the lines, Suzuki uncovers the truth of reaching â€Å"enlightenment† through simple knowledge and acceptance of oneself. The different procedures of the Zen were concisely summarized in this single comprehensive book. This book would help people realize the several options in life which would make people think objectively and not become rigid.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Animal Liberation Front (ALF) Background and Goals

Animal Liberation Front (ALF) has no firmly established date of origin. It was founded either in the late 1970s or early 1980s.  ALF maintains an association with PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In the mid-1980s, PETA often reported to the press when anonymous ALF activists took animals from U.S. laboratories. ALF activists have also been closely associated with Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty (SHAC), a movement aimed at shutting down Huntingdon Life Sciences, a European animal testing company. Actions against HLS have included bombing property. The Animal Liberation Press Offices, which operate on several continents, issue statements on behalf of not only ALF, but also more militant groups such as the Animal Rights Militia, which emerged into public view in 1982 when it claimed responsibility for a letter bomb sent to former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and several English legislators. Objective ALFs objective, in its own terms, is to end animal abuse. They do this by liberating animals from exploitative situations, such as in laboratories where they are used for experiments and causing financial damage to animal exploiters. According to the groups current website, ALFs mission is to effectively allocate resources (time and money) to end the property status of nonhuman animals. The objective of the mission is to abolish institutionalized animal exploitation because it assumes that animals are property. Tactics and  Organization According to the ALF, Because ALF actions may be against the law, activists work anonymously, either in small groups or individually, and do not have any centralized organization or coordination. Individuals or small groups take the initiative to act in the name of the ALF then report their activities to one of its national press offices. The organization has no leaders, nor can it truly be considered a network, since its various members/participants do not know each other, or even of each other. It calls itself a model of leaderless resistance. There is a certain amount of ambiguity about the role of violence for the group. ALF pledges its commitment to not harming either human or non-human animals, but its members have taken actions which can justifiably be considered as threatening violence against people. Origins and Context Concern for animal welfare has a history stretching back to the late 18th century. Historically, animal protectionists, as they were once known, focused on ensuring that animals were treated well, but from within a humanist framework that envisions humans as responsible for the earths other creatures. Beginning in the 1980s, there was a noticeable shift in this philosophy, toward an understanding that animals have autonomous rights. According to some, this movement was essentially an extension of the civil rights movement. Indeed, one of the participants in a 1984 break-in at the University of Pennsylvania to retrieve animals used in scientific experiments, said at the time that: We may seem like radicals to you. But we are like the abolitionists, who were regarded as radicals too. And we hope that 100 years from now people will look back on the way animals are treated now with the same horror as we do when we look back on the slave trade.(quoted in William Robbins Animal Rights: A Growing Movement in the U.S., New York Times, June 15, 1984). Animal rights activists have been becoming increasingly militant since the mid-1980s, and increasingly willing to threaten people, such s animal researchers and their families as well as corporate employees. The FBI named the ALF a domestic terrorist threat in 1991, and the Department of Homeland Security followed suit in January 2005. Notable Actions July 1984: ALF activists stole three cats, two dogs and eight pigeons from University of Pennsylvania laboratoriesThe ALF and the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) took responsibility for smashing Bank of New York windows and posting graffiti such as BNY Kills Puppies to protest the banks business with Huntingdon Life Sciences.2004: Construction of an Oxford University research lab intended to include animal experimentation was halted following repeated vandalizing at the construction site, and threats to shareholders, attributed to ALF2006: ALF claimed responsibility for leaving an incendiary device on UCLA researcher Lynn Fairbanks front porch for her work as a sadistic monkey killer.