A Summary About Pandas In This Artical Example

A Summary About Pandas In This Artical Example A Summary About Pandas In This Artical – Article Example Anthropology: Summary (Pandas) The article â€Å"Early Hominid Feeding Mechanisms† (Du Brul, 1976) considers the taxonomy of differen skulls from the Cenozoic era. There is a particular focus on hominid and Ursidae fossils, and especially Australopithecine skulls which appear to fall into two distinct lineages, one gracile (Australopithecus africanus) and the other robust (Australopithecus boisei). The main hypothesis is that the difference between the two is due to derived trait relating to differences in feeding habits rather than to bipedal locomotion, with its more upright stance, or increased brain size, which affects the form of cranium. The authors identify carnivorous behavior as being connected with the gracile form and herbivorous behaviour as connected with the robust form in these two different Australopithecine fossils. They note that modern man retains certain features of both Australopithecene types, and that this relates to modern man’s omnivorous habits . Further evidence for this hypothesis is drawn from the Ursidae family. Most bears are omnivorous, but the giant panda (Ailuropoda) is highly specialized and represents an extreme of herbivorous adaptation because it only eats bamboo. The grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis), on the other hand, represents the other extreme, of a bear which has more carnivorous tendencies. There is a broadening of the skull and change in teeth and musculature in to allow grinding rather than tearing in the panda skull, and this parallels the developments in robust Australopithecine skulls and provides support for the hypothesis relating skull form and feeding behavior.ReferenceDu Brul, E. L. â€Å"Early Hominid Feeding Mechanisms.† American Journal of Physical Anthropology 47 (1976), pp. 305-320.

The Evolution of Greek Tragedy

The Evolution of Greek Tragedy Today, a trip to the theater is still a special event, but in Ancient  Athens, it wasnt just a time for cultural enrichment or entertainment. It was a religious, competitive, and civic festival event, part of the annual City (or Greater) Dionysia: We might want to imagine the atmosphere of the ancient drama festivals as a combination of Mardi Gras, the gathering of the faithful in St Peters Square on Easter Day, the crowds that throng the Mall on the Fourth of July, and the hype of Oscars night.- Ian C. Storey When Cleisthenes reformed Athens to make it more democratic, it is thought that he included competition between the groups of citizens in the form of dramatic, performing dithyrambic choruses. Be that as it may, Tragedy- as also Comedy- was at first mere improvisation. The one originated with the authors of the  Dithyramb, the other with those of the phallic songs, which are still in use in many of our cities. Tragedy advanced by slow degrees; each new element that showed itself was in turn developed. Having passed through many changes, it found its natural form, and there it stopped.- Aristotle Poetics Taxes,  A Civic Obligation Well in advance of the Elaphebolion (an Athenian month that ran from late March to early April) event, the city magistrate selected 3 patrons of the arts (choregoi) to finance the performances. It was an onerous form of taxation (liturgy) the wealthy were required to perform- but not every year. And the wealthy had a choice: they could supply Athens with a performance or a battleship. This  obligation included: Housing and feeding the chorus and actors.Selecting chorus members (young men about to enter the military).Hiring a chorus director (didaskalos) who trained the 12-15 non-professional dancers (choreuts), for a year, to perform, sing, and dance in the chorus.Providing a place to train.Paying for a dedication to Dionysus if he won. Professionals and Amateur Actors While the chorus was composed of (well-trained) non-professionals, the playwright and actors had, as Didaskalia puts it, leisure with a passion for the theater. Some of the actors became such polished celebrities their participation would give an unfair advantage, so the lead actor, protagonist, was assigned by lot to a playwright who was expected to compose a tetralogy, direct, choreograph, and act in his own plays. A tetralogy consisted of three tragedies and a satyr play- like a dessert at the end of the heavy, serious drama. Partly humorous or farcical, satyr-plays featured the half human, half animal creatures known as satyrs. Visual Aids for the Audience By convention, the actors in tragedy appeared larger than life. Since there were about 17,000 open-air seats in the theater of Dionysus (on the south slope of the Acropolis), going more than halfway around the circular dance floor (orchestra), this exaggeration must have made the actors more recognizable. They wore long, colorful robes, high headdresses, cothurnoi (shoes), and masks with largemouth holes to facilitate ease of speech. Men played all the parts. One actor might play more than one role, since there were only 3 actors, even by Euripides (c. 484-407/406) day. A century earlier, in the 6th century, when the first dramatic competition was held, there was only one  actor whose role was to interact with the chorus. The semi-legendary playwright of the first play with an actor was Thespis (from whose name comes the word thespian). Stage Effects In addition to the actors accouterments, there were elaborate devices for special effects. For instance, cranes could whisk gods or people on and off stage. These cranes were called mechane or machina in Latin; hence, our term deus ex machina. The skene (from which, scene) a building or tent at the back of the stage that was used from the time of Aeschylus (c. 525-456), could be painted to provide scenery. The skene was at the edge of the circular orchestra (dance floor of the chorus). The skene also provided a flat roof for action, a backstage for the actors preparation, and a door. The ekkyklema was a contraption for rolling scenes or people onto the stage. Dionysia and the Theater At the City Dionysia, the tragedians each presented a tetralogy- four plays, consisting of three tragedies and a satyr play. The theater was in the temenos (sacred precinct) of Dionysus Eleuthereus. The priest was seated in the center of the first row of the theatron. It may be that there were originally 10 wedges (kekrides) of seats to correspond with the 10 tribes of Attica, but the number was 13 by the 4th century B.C. Tragedy Terms Tragic Irony  happens when the audience knows what is going to happen but the actor is still ignorant. Hamartia:  The downfall of the tragic hero is caused by hamartia. This isnt a willful act in violation of the laws of the gods, but a mistake or excess.Hubris:  Excessive pride can lead to the downfall of the tragic hero.Peripeteia:  A  sudden reversal of fortune.Catharsis:  Ritual cleansing and emotional cleansing by the end of the tragedy. Sources Roger Dunkles Introduction to Tragedy The Entrances and Exits of Actors and Chorus in Greek Plays, by Margarete Bieber.  American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 58, No. 4. (Oct. , 1954), pp. 277-284.

Strategic and Financial Analysis of P&G Research Paper

Strategic and Financial Analysis of P&G - Research Paper Example P&G offers more than 250 brands to its customers. The net sales of the company were recorded to be more than $1 billion in 2011. The product portfolio of P&G can be segregated into divisions based on the usage of the products. It offers washing or laundry products, hair care and grooming products, health care products, and personal care products. In the hair care product category, P&G holds the maximum market share of 34.6 percent, as can be seen in Figure 1. The competitors such as L’Oreal, Unilever, Alberto Culvert, and John Frieda are some of the popular market players in the hair care segment holding lesser market share than P&G. The top hair care brands of P&G are Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Aussie and Silvikrin.   In the washing and laundry category too, P&G is the market leader. As can be seen in Figure 3, P&G rules on 46 percent of, the detergent market. The most famous laundry brands of P&G are Ariel, Tide, Bold, Fairy, Lenor, etc. In the household cleaning category, P&G has 11.6 percent market share. The best brands of P&G in this segment is Flash. Lastly, in the personal care, skin care or grooming segment, P&G has around 1.4 percent market share among the other companies. The Product Life Cycle determines the position of the products or brands of a company in the market. In case of P&G, most of the brands sold under its product portfolio are in their maturity and growth stage, as P&G’s products are generating huge profits for the company in most of the segments and are among the market leaders (P&G, 2012d). In order to validate the position of most of the P&G’s products in the PLC, the revenue and profit figures for the last 5 years have been considered.

Steps and methods to becoming a good skilled teacher. A critical Essay

Steps and methods to becoming a good skilled teacher. A critical analysis - Essay Example Some states also require at least Master’s degree to become a teacher. Although acquiring a higher degree is just the first step towards teaching. It is not the skill of the teacher but a necessity of the profession. In the same way, it is necessary to have complete knowledge about the subject a teacher is teaching, but just attaining knowledge does not make an outstanding teacher. There is a need to get the idea and the tact to convey that idea (Capel, Leask, & Turner, 2005). For Example, if a teacher, while teaching about printers, uses the terms Dot-Matrix and Ink-jet without telling the difference between them, the student would learn these terms rather than understanding the basic idea. The concept to grasp here is, a qualified teacher does not give importance to the basic concepts, and however an undergraduate needs explanation about each and every part of the topic. Hence, it is not just qualification which makes you a wonderful teacher but it is the level of understand ing about the difficulties and problems of the students. The strict and harsh behavior of teachers is a negative point for their career development. The duty of a teacher is to develop love and interest in students regarding their studies rather than making it a panic and fearful part of their life. Strict and harsh behaviors lock up their questions and views in their minds. Such behaviors start killing their abilities and creativity. However, there is a need of professional distance between the educators and learners. Teacher’s training programs are helpful because it provides the inexperienced with helpful strategies about teaching along with a certificate which would help them in getting a job in some reputable institute. Teacher’s training programs provide knowledge about teaching techniques which distinct them from those teachers who have not engaged in such teaching

Capital Punishment is Wrong Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment is Wrong Essay â€Å" For hundreds of years people have considered capital punishment a deterrence of crime. Seven hundred and five individuals have died since 1976, by means of capital punishment; twenty-two of these executions have already occurred this year at Death Penalty Information Center†, exclaims Tara Volpe in her article, Capital Punishment: Does Death Equal Justice? In another article written by Coretta King, the author states that, â€Å"In recent years, an increase of violence in America, both individual and political, has prompted a backlash of public opinion on capital punishment†. Capital punishment is a tremendous issue that faces the criminal justice system. Some people think that capital punishment is a good idea for those who commit capital or very serious crimes; on the other hand, some people believe that capital punishment is wrong. In reality, capital punishment is wrong for several reasons. According to the free online dictionary, â€Å"capital punishment† is defined as the penalty of death for the commission of a crime. There are several words, which are the same as capital punishments are execution, death sentence, judicial murder and death warrant. To begin with, capital punishment is wrong because it is immoral and unfair. Some people are subjected to capital punishment even when there is speculation as to whether they actually committed the specified crime. A known case of this kind was the one involving David Spense who was given the death penalty even though there was no substantial, concrete evidence to pin the crimes he was being charged. The homicide detective responsible for conducting the investigation clearly said â€Å"there was no physical evidence connecting David Spense to the crime† (Volpe). According to the article â€Å"Capital Punishment: Does Death Equal Justice,† those who testify against these criminals maybe bribed or coerce d into doing the act. More to it the article reiterates that there have been quite a number of cases in which people that were nearly given capital punishment were save by â€Å"last minute presentation of evidence. This is construed to mean capital punishment is bad practice. It ends up killing people who don’t deserve to die. The worst part of the matter is that capital punishment is irreversible. Secondly, capital punishment is not even worth it because it does not stop or reduce criminal acts. Michael Meltsner points out that â€Å"capital punishment is done in privacy and infrequently† hence capital punishment as a deterrent does not work at all (Volpe). In other words, capital punishment is done in itself and not to prevent anything. The statistics in the article shows that death penalty prove the lack of deterrence. For instance, the average of murder rates per 100,000 population in 1999 among death penalty states was 5.5, whereas the average of murder rates among death penalty was o nly 3.6. NEED SUPPORT or ENOUGH SUPPORT Lastly, capital punishment is a bad option because it is very expensive. The statistics in the article shows that California had spent approximately about nine millions dollars annually on execution itself. It is a waste of millions of dollars for death sentence. It would be better for capital criminals be used for community services such as land conservation projects, and road construction. By doing this, there are less expenses and what is at best for the criminal is made to contribute to society progress. The criminal can also be rehabilitated especially if the culprit has mental or psychological issues. Volpe states that life imprisonment costs less than execution. These criminals should go for rehabilitation for treatments and mental diagnosis. They can change their ways and become productive citizens for the society. In contrast to opponents’ views mentioned above, the supporters of capital punishment oppose that, the practice should still be protected in the justice system. They completely ignore the benefits of saving cost, eliminating inhuman conduct of the practice and saving the innocents from being killed wrongly. In conclusion, some people believe that capital punishment is wrong. It is such as waste of money on execution only. Capital punishment have no deterrent the crimes. Capital punishment is immoral and unfair.

Baroque Era :: essays research papers

In every way Baroque music is like a teen-ager. Ok, maybe not in the pimply-faced-criticize-everything-even-though-you-don’t-pay-for-it kind of way we have come to expect from our modern teen-agers. But what is a teen-ager anyway? Simply put; a teen-ager is no longer a child and not yet an adult. It is that awkward in-between stage when all the rules get broken, nothing ever seems to fit, and emotions fluctuate wildly. This is exactly how it was with the Baroque Era of Music. To put this into perspective, try and remember that the Renaissance was a "re-birth" of good art and music and the Classical era was that birth coming into its maturity. The Baroque Era—which happened to come directly after the Renaissance and before the Classical Era—coincided nicely with those awkward and highly emotional teenage years that everyone goes through on the pathway called growing up. When Was the Baroque Era? The official company line on when the Baroque Era started, which you will find in every book, encyclopedia, or bubble-gum wrapper on the subject, was the year 1600. The event which earned 1600 this enviable distinction, as far as I can tell, was the simple fact that it has two zeros stuck on the end of it, thus making it fairly easy to remember. In contrast, the end of the Baroque Era was definitively set by Johann Sebastian Bach, the Grand-Poobah of Baroque music, who had the good foresight to die in a year also ending with a zero, thus giving historians another easy to remember date; 1750. For some Baroque zealots Bach’s death was truly the day that music died†¦ at least it gave good closure. The Origins of Baroque Music In the spirit of rebellious teenagers everywhere, I’m going to throw caution (and facts) to the wind and talk about eunuchs. As you may know, eunuchs are guys who--for lack of a better term--are missing an organ. (Bach was a master organ player, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this) Medieval doctors had learned that if the--men, brace yourself--"family jewels" were cut off of boys at an early age, none of the traditional biological changes of puberty would occur. There would be no facial or body hair, their voices would not change, and all their acne problems would be virtually solved. Now, in my mind, that in NO WAY could compensate for the loss of everything that makes life worth living, but apparently back at the turn of the century (the 15th Century, I mean) being a eunuch was not as uncommon as one might think.

Employee Recognition Programs Essay

All business entities, big or small, have human resource. Commonly known as employees, these people are an organization’s most valuable asset. These are individuals within the firm who serve as the organization’s human capital and work toward achieving the goals of the company. Without human workforce, establishments will not be able to perform its day-to-day operations. Even if an organization is not labor intensive, it is incontestable that a firm still needs human resource to manage and look over its undertakings, and continuously thrust the company towards proper administration, profitability and success. The improvements and changes in the industry and economy besides increased awareness of employees as a valuable resource has changed the focus from controlling to managing this resource† (Purdy, 2007). As more and more organizations rely on human workforce, there is now the need to manage the most dynamic resource of a company, who are its employees. Recruiting the right kind of employees and training them to become productive are not only the seeming obligation of a company. But more importantly, keeping these employees motivated will not only enhance them personally but will encourage high performance, which will benefit the organization as well. â€Å"Employee morale within an organization has a direct impact on the satisfaction level of its customers and the company’s ultimate success† (Fretwell, 2002, p. 1). For that reason, companies perform different kinds of employee recognition programs that will significantly improve employee morale. One very important detail to remember is that the leader of the organization must have the ability to identify and recognize decline in employee morale, factors causing such, and acceptance of this condition. After which, there are many feasible areas to work on to be able to work out and tidy up the problem. It is very crucial to start with the management. One of the most important steps is to correspond. Communication is always important in maintaining a smooth professional relationship between employees and the management. Encourage the employees to come forward with issues, suggestions, conflicts, complaints, and feedbacks. Listen carefully; do not leave the employees hanging. This way, management will be able to know clearly what factors are causing the employees to perform in such a way that disintegrates their work. Also, they will be able to know the multiple viewpoints of the employees, which if properly attended to, may have the effect of high morale. This method has always been simple and costs nothing at all! Plus it provides a powerful solution to morale problems. Once the leaders know the problem, it is easier to find probable solutions and ways of improving the esteem of the employees. Make sure the employees have a clear understanding of their professional goals within the organization. Keep them up to date about the business, making them feel more involved. Encourage creativity and be consistent in the administration of rules and policies. This way, the employees will not feel they are being treated with prejudice once they get penalized for mistakes. Make them understand what they are going through. However, sometimes, letting the employees do they own work is what they need. They want to feel they are trusted to get their work done. Teambuilding can also help eliminate negative feelings and actions by fostering respect among employees. The power to make decisions help employees realize their importance to the company, and this increases the esteem of the employees. Also, in order to get work done, and done right, the leaders of the organization need to give the employees the skills and tools for them to complete their tasks. This includes giving them support and the training that they need in order to improve or hone their abilities. Management must also identify and nurture those people who perform well and must groom them for leadership roles. At the same time, it has to identify and help the average performers to improve themselves and their productivity. Acknowledging the work of the employees always gives them a reason to work harder and become recognized, making them even more enhanced and productive. Simple awards may do, like what establishments often offer, like â€Å"Employee of the Month† awards may be a step towards recognizing the employees’ hard work. Moreover, giving promotions to excellent and highly improved workers enable them to boost their confidence in terms of their work and push them to work even harder. Provide a better working environment by assuring the safety of the employees while at the workplace. This gives them the guarantee that they are well taken care of by the management. Higher financial remunerations, bonuses and benefits promote the value of loyalty from the employees to the organization. With better compensation, employees are able to give high regard for their work and tend to become satisfied of what they are doing and whom they are working for. Develop incentive programs that improve both employee attitude and attendance rates. Most often, lack of incentive is the reason why employees do not get motivated to work. Examples of this programs include â€Å"the ability to cash-in unused sick days at the end of a specific period, allowing employees to leave early one Friday per month of perfect attendance, bonus pay for periods of perfect attendance, and gifts such as savings bonds or gift cards for periods of perfect attendance† (Bushman, 2007, p. 4). Most importantly, beyond putting into primary importance the achievement of success and profitability is the need to take care of the organization’s people. If the employees believe that their bosses do not care either about the task or them, then they will not care either. And naturally, the company and its operations will suffer. Building morale in an organization may not be as hard as one thinks The key to motivating employees is having them feel valued and appreciated by their superiors and within the company that they working hard for. It requires for each and every employee to feel a sense of achievement in career, a sense of belonging at the workplace, a sense of contribution to the organization, and a sense of appreciation for their involvement in the pursuance of the organization’s goals to achieve high employee morale, and eventually higher productivity and overall success.

Exteriority and reliable Essay

Emotions are plucked but there is an almost neurotic and compulsive intentionality behind Tristan which seeks out order in some area of spacious mystery and an almost awesome integrity. As juries have long known that beliefs derived from feelings or sentiment do not in many instances align with what is best supported on rational or scientific foundations of consensus. One’s epistemology of truth and falsehood becomes very much confused and ambiguously mixed that a dazed submission often results which is eminently forgetful as it satisfies promptings of a Freudian libido. Instead of being so concerned with exteriority and reliable or even useful reference modern compositions like Wagner’s Tristan advance possibilities of shielding the ego from the sadistic damage it does to itself by acknowledging the strong and permanent tendency of the ego to seek out satisfying ends and products whenever possible. Even if such things may be mere scatterings of imagined delusions and derived fantasies. Wagner is involved very much with refashioning the world through his conceptual and audible art. Instead of adhering to the World he attempts to exert artistic agency in changing such a world. There is a Marxian spirit behind Wagner as it resolves the problem presented by the issue of construction by thoroughly embracing dilemmas of construction and seeking to master it so that a sense of adequacy can be sustained in a way that is far too perfect. As it is far too perfect is far from simply adequate but is at times quite sublimely pristine in its ability to deliver a kind of pleasurable release and warm gratification that exhibits much to be desired. Nature becomes a warm, maternal figure that pleases infinitely and conjures up procedural joys and swift absolutions of intoxication. The unity once ascribed to the natural is exploited by Wagner’s romantic sensibility as his art achieves a kind of sanctioned sacredness so much so that Coleridge thoroughly condemned attempts to betray such art by dividing it. When Robert Morgan writes of Tristan he points out that â€Å"the Prelude is in constant transformation-always evolving, as if reaching after some unattainable goal, striving at every moment to become something other than it is. Conventional formal analysis appears to be of little value. Focused upon thematic and tonal correspondences, its aim to articulate musical events into discrete segments, distinguishing them by content and function (expository, developmental, etc. ) and organizing them into larger, balanced architectonic patterns, seems antithetical to the very nature of the score. †(69) As the score seems to constantly evolving as it is constantly compromising its layered developments with enticements of harmony and resolution, it’s dangerous to classify Tristan as a case of perpetual striving. Although Morgan asserts that â€Å"Tristan,† does little to offer anything â€Å"in the way of confirmation, reconciliation, or balance,† and instead â€Å"appears to chart a unique and seemingly wayward course,† because he does engage formal analysis as an explanatory instrument quite well it is evidently not true that â€Å"Tristan† is really so individuated or idiosyncratic that it resists formalizations or even more modest theorizations. (69) As Morgan notes in his formal analysis, there is a centripetal aspect to Wagner’s â€Å"Tristan† where, retaining â€Å"the circular image, cycle 1 traces the circle’s complete circumference, while cycles 2-7 loop back and retrace continuous portions of it. Especially notable is the highly self-reflexive nature of the process: this is music that feeds upon itself, reusing the same structural units again and again. †(76) Consequently, there are potentially rewarding and influential interpretation possibilities that can be formalized in a sociological sense, on interconnections between yielding and possessing structural units that are spatially bound and engaged only so much as they are formulated in a kind of imposed fixity. What formalism is grounded on it is a firm belief in universals, not in the mechanics that exist as conventions but are so only because people believe enough to follow by them to create a technical and adequate language within a language for the task at hand. Morgan, by insisting on relatively narrow avenues of evaluation and fixing his acceptance or dismissal on the conventional rather than the essential is really being unfair to the very tendency towards taking tradition serious and believing very much in universals that allow for stimulating simultaneous dialogue between time, space, class, and culture.

Prison Writings Essay

Prison Writings Essay Prison Writings Essay Charlie Fabian Prof. Hubble Eng B50/10:30 September 6, 2013 Learning Can Be Frightening Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the toughest things I have ever accomplished was learning how to surf. Because of sharks, I had a fear to get in the water, but I believed this new skill would help me get over the fear of the ocean. It would also help me impress my friends and not make them believe i'm a coward. It was eight thirty in a hot summer morning and I called Alfonso, a tall, clumsy, and skinny friend of mine. I told him if we were still headed to the beach and replied, â€Å"yeah man, just let me get ready and ill head to your house.† The day before, my friends and I were talking about going to the beach and hanging out. They also mentioned surfing, which in my mind I was not going to try. My friend came, I could hear his old rusty car from my room. I walked ungainly to his car, I was still somewhat tired. I glanced at the back seat and saw my two other friends (Alexandra and Enrique). I also saw the surf boards tied on the rooftop of his car, my heart start beating rapidly, at that moment I knew we were actually going to surf. We greeted each other and we were off. As we arrived to Huntington beach, I could smell the the saltness and freshness of the ocean. It was a bright sunny day as we expected. My friend Alfonso was untangling the surfboards from his roof, and my other friends were taking a view of the beach from a far. I walked towards Alfonso and asked him if he really wanted to surf, he said, â€Å"Heck yeah man! I haven't surfed in the longest!† I helped him get the boards off and in my mind I was thinking that maybe I should have stayed home. We got the jammed seats out of the trunk and headed calmly to the shore. It was still early in the morning and we were all hungry, so we headed toward a small food shack, it looked like it was an abandoned house, but it was near our spot. The food smelled amazing (don't judge a book by it's cover I thought) but it didn 't get the thought of surfing out of my mind. As I was playing with my shrimp and poking them with my fork, my friend Enrique, also a skinny and clumsy friend, blurted out, â€Å"Do you think the waves will be at our favor today?† I didn't even know what he meant by that. My friend Alfonso replied, â€Å"I think so, every time I come the waves are pretty high.† My tummy gave me a strange feeling, I didn't know why this was so hard for me. Sharks were my first concern, however, I also heard of rip currents, currents that pull people away from shore. We finished eating and walked leisurely to the beach. We finally arrived to the beach and my two friends didn't bother to waste time and went to grab their boards, however my friend Alexandra (a beautiful, funny, and athletic girl) stayed with me. I told her I did not want to surf and told her my problem. She told me, â€Å"don't be afraid, you got to face your fear some day.† She grabbed her board and ran off. I sat their thinking, digging my feet in the sand, â€Å"Damn shes hot.† I laughed a little bit because first of all I didn't even know how to surf, moreoverI told my friends I did so I wouldn't be the only one who didn't know how to surf and ruin it for them. I sat there, observing my friends cruising, jaunting the waves. I saw them stumble and get wiped out by the waves, looked as if they

History of Romance Dating Customs

History of Romance Dating Customs Where would we be without romance? What was courtship and marriage like for our distant ancestors? Beginning with the ancient Greeks recognition of the need to describe more than one kind of love, inventing the word eros to describe carnal love, and agape to mean a spiritual love, take a stroll back through romantic heritage with this timeline of romantic customs, dating rituals, and tokens of love. Ancient Courtship In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice - when there was a scarcity of nubile women, men raided other villages for wives. Frequently the tribe from which a warrior stole a bride would come looking for her, and it was necessary for the warrior and his new wife to go into hiding to avoid being discovered. According to an old French custom, as the moon went through all its phases the couple drank a brew called metheglin, which was made from honey. Hence, we get the word, honeymoon. Arranged marriages were the norm, primarily business relationships born out of the desire and/or need for property, monetary or political alliances. Medieval Chivalry From buying a woman dinner to opening a door for her, many of todays courting rituals are rooted in medieval chivalry. During medieval times, the importance of love in a relationship emerged as a reaction to arranged marriages but was still not considered a prerequisite in matrimonial decisions. Suitors wooed their intended with serenades and flowery poetry, following the lead of lovelorn characters on stage and in verse. Chastity and honor were highly regarded virtues. In 1228, it is said by many that women first gained the right to propose marriage in Scotland, a legal right that then slowly spread through Europe. However, a number of historians have pointed out that this supposed leap year proposal statute never occurred, and instead gained its legs as a romantic notion spread in the press.   Victorian Formality During the Victorian Era (1837-1901), romantic love became viewed as the primary requirement for marriage and courting became even more formal - almost an art form among the upper classes. An interested gentleman could not simply walk up to a young lady and begin a conversation. Even after being introduced, it was still some time before it was considered appropriate for a man to speak to a lady or for a couple to be seen together. Once they had been formally introduced, if the gentleman wished to escort the lady home he would present his card to her. At the end of the evening, the lady would look over her options and choose who would be her escort. She would notify the lucky gentleman by giving him her own card requesting that he escort her home. Almost all courting took place in the girls home, under the eye of watchful parents. If the courting progressed, the couple might advance to the front porch. Smitten couples rarely saw each other without the presence of a chaperone, and mar riage proposals were frequently written. Courtship  Customs Tokens of Love Some of the Nordic countries have courtship customs involving knives. For example, in Finland when a girl came of age, her father let it be known that she was available for marriage. The girl would wear an empty sheath attached to her girdle. If a suitor liked the girl, he would put a puukko knife in the sheath, which the girl would keep if she was interested in him.The custom of bundling, found in many parts of 16th and 17th century Europe and America, allowed courting couples to share a bed, fully clothed, and often with a bundling board between them or bolster cover tied over the girls legs. The idea was to allow the couple to talk and get to know each other but in the safe (and warm) confines of the girls house.Dating back to 17th century Wales, ornately carved spoons, known as lovespoons, were traditionally made from a single piece of wood by a suitor to show his affection to his loved one. The decorative carvings have various meanings - from an anchor meaning I desire to settl e down to an intricate vine meaning love grows. Chivalrous gentlemen in England often sent a pair of gloves to their true loves. If the woman wore the gloves to church on Sunday it signaled her acceptance of the proposal.In some parts of 18th-century Europe, a biscuit or small loaf of bread was broken over the head of the bride as she emerged from the church. Unmarried guests scrambled for the pieces, which they then placed under their pillows to bring dreams of the one they would someday marry. This custom is believed to be the precursor of the wedding cake.Many cultures throughout the world recognize the idea of matrimony as the ties that bind. In some African cultures, long grasses are braided together and used to tie the hands of the groom and bride together to symbolize their union. Delicate twine is used in the Hindu Vedic wedding ceremony to bind one of the brides hands to one of the hands of the groom. In Mexico the practice of having a ceremonial rope loosely place around both of the necks of the bride and groom to bind t hem together is common.

The Efficaciousness of the Proposed Socio-Educational Student Support Research Paper

The Efficaciousness of the Proposed Socio-Educational Student Support System - Research Paper Example The distance education enterprise, or online learning system, does not deviate from the traditional learning model, although some aspects of it are redefined. As Anderson (2004) explains, within the context of online learning, the learning occurs through the same teacher-student model. The teacher delivers the information, guides and instructs the student and the learner is expected to assimilate, reflect upon and learn the information in question. The primary difference between the two models, as may be inferred from both Ally (2004) and Anderson (2004) lies in delivery strategy and environment, rather than in the general theory regarding learning and teaching. In other words, online learning is not founded on an alternate learning theory but is grounded in the same one, or the same set of theories as is traditional learning, with the primary difference being in the format of the student to student and student to instructor/tutor interaction. Both figures indicate that there are hig h levels of interaction in the e-learning system, whether between student and content, teacher and content, teacher and student and, to a lesser degree, student and student. This means that the e-learning paradigm is based on the traditional learning model although it unfolds within a different context and delivery strategy/environment. It is the difference in context and environment which gives e-learners the impression that they do not have the requisite support systems and which, accordingly, contribute to non-completion rates.