Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1 Essay Example for Free
Two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1 Essay I have studied two versions of Macbeth act 5 scene 1, otherwise known as the sleepwalking scene. They are the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the BBC productions. I have watched several productions but I am going to focus on these two versions in particular. I want to examine the significance of the scene and analyse how it has been produced and directed. This scene is extremely important because it occurs just after Macduff has swore to avenge the killing of his family and just before we see Malcolms army getting ready to fight against Macbeth. The scene is situated in an important part of the play also, because Shakespeare traditionally places the finale of the play in act 5. It is the first time we have seen Lady Macbeth since the banquet and the scene is used to tell us what has been happening to her in the meantime. It is there to allow the viewer to enter the mind of Lady Macbeth and to realise the nightmare she is living in. It is there to show how she is coping with recent events and it will be the last time we ever see her. She is not alone in this scene; a doctor and a gentlewoman are also there. Their roles are to observe Lady Macbeth discreetly and to comment on what she is saying and doing. We find out about her insecurity and that she is afraid of the dark. We also learn that guilt has taken over and that she is extremely unhappy. As one of the major characters in the play, Lady Macbeth has been involved in some of the main events. For example, she was in alliance with her husband in Duncans murder, and even persuaded Macbeth to go through with the murder after he had decided to leave things to chance (Act 1 Scene 7). She organised the whole murder by laying out the daggers and she drugged the possets of the grooms. She also helps Macbeth after the murder by distracting others when she fainted so her involvement was very significant. At that stage she is the dominant partner in the marriage. She has seen a chance to make her husband king and is determined not to let it slip away. She asked evil spirits to unsex me here and for any natural feelings to disappear so she would not hesitate in carrying out the murder. This seems to have worked because when she is persuading her husband her language is very forceful and she conjures up images of horror. Her wish for the evil spirits to fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty has been granted. Manhood is a frequent theme in this early scene. Lady Macbeth sees it simply as a man should have courage to act and to face danger but Macbeth says that he dares to do anything that is suitable to a man; to do more would be unmanly. She knows how to manipulate her husband and this is clearly shown when Macbeth gives in to his wifes demands and decides to go ahead with the murder after the questioning of his manhood. Her ruthless determination has made Macbeth overcome his doubts. These early characteristics have all but disappeared by the sleepwalking scene. She is no longer the ambitious, determined, moral blackmailer. Instead she is a broken woman, emotionally drained and a shadow of her former self. The banquet scene has fully taxed her resources and resulted in her total collapse. She is now guilt-ridden as her soliloquy discloses. She knows about the other murders and this has taken its toll on her mentally and physically too. The significance of sleepwalking is that her guilt is depriving her of any comfort, even sleeping. The gentlewoman and the doctor open the scene. The doctor is questioning the gentlewoman about lady Macbeths condition. She responds by telling the doctor about her sleepwalking but when he asks the gentlewoman what Lady Macbeth has said, she replies that sir, which I will not report after her, explaining that she has no witness to confirm her speech. This suggests that knowing what Lady Macbeth has said could be dangerous for her. While the doctor is trying to persuade her, Lady Macbeth appears whilst holding a candle, this is interesting because it symbolises the good that is still inside her. In both productions she is lit in a way to imply that she is possessed by the supernatural. The mist and darkness reminds us of Banquo and Macbeth before they met the witches on the moor. It also brings back memories of the witches (act 1 scene 1) when they talked about the fog and filthy air. Lady Macbeth is seen to be rubbing her hands frantically and talks about the blood on them. She mentions a spot that she cannot remove; this could be the mark of the devil or maybe it is symbolising the guilt within her. She cannot wash away her murderous deeds. She goes through a roller coaster of emotions as she receives flashbacks from when she and her husband were plotting to kill Duncan. She says one; two: why, then tis time to dot. This is her remembering the ringing of the bell when Duncan was about to be murdered. She continues, Hell is murky! She has said this because she knows what her fate will be and understands the consequences of her actions. She is in complete despair at this stage. She also reveals that she knows about Macduffs family when she says the thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? She is no longer innocent of this knowledge. She constantly rubs her hands and states will these hands neer be clean? and heres the smell of blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. This is quite ironic because it is her who says to Macbeth after the murder of King Duncan, that a little water will clear us of this deed (act 2 scene 2). The contrast is no more evident than here, this is where Lady Macbeth takes charge of the situation after Macbeth had forgot to plant the daggers on the grooms. She takes the daggers to do it herself and reassures Macbeth. If you compare this to the sleepwalking scene you can see the difference. Not only has she got the guilt of Duncan, Banquo and Macduffs family but also she has now realised that Macbeth does not need her and doesnt confide in her anymore. This once strong woman is now worthless. Near the end of the scene the doctor recognises that she needs a priest more than a physician. Compare the state of their relation at these two points as well. What once was a strong solid relationship is now left in tatters. The two productions differ in certain ways. In the BBC version, the stage is misty and it is set inside a castle. Archways and stonewalls are clearly visible. There are steps leading to Lady Macbeths bedroom and the scene starts with the doctor and gentlewoman talking to each other in the middle of a large room. Jean Lapotaire is playing Lady Macbeth and she tends to over act her part. She moves about a lot more than Judi Dench in the RSC production. She appears almost as a ghost figure. She is illuminated and I think the director does this to make us aware of a supernatural presence. The camera focuses in on her and she is lit from the back which I believe adds to the effect. Both actresses walk by the doctor and gentlewoman, which suggests that Lady Macbeth is completely oblivious to what is going on around her, this quote supports that theory, aye, but their sense is shut. Lady Macbeth is constantly changing the tone of her voice and facial expressions from being joyful to afraid. This helps illustrate the utter despair she is feeling and contributes to the dramatic effect. Her delivery is breathy and exaggerated, I believe that her performance is over dramatised but on the other hand she is trying to convey the state of mind that Lady Macbeth is in. The doctor is quite old and is convincing. He is startled and shocked at what he hears. The gentlewoman is emotional and her tone of voice varies to help express her emotion In the RSC production, the most obvious difference is the lack of props. It is a very dark stage and there is only a table and chair. The director has created the illusion that a candle is lighting up Lady Macbeths face but it is more likely due to the lighting department. This helps to create a sense of evilness. Judi Dench acts very differently to Jean Lapotaire. When she enters her eyes are swollen to give the effect of her crying. The Gentlewomans delivery is monotonous and the Doctor is quite young. The delivery of the words and facial expressions are very important in this production due to the lack of visual effects. Judi Dench does not move very much and opts to sit down at the table instead. The camera remains focused on Lady Macbeths face. The candle/lighting helps the audience to see her facial expressions more clearly. She is very convincing and her tears seem to be genuine. When the death of Banquo is mentioned the camera looks at the Doctor to show his shock. Neither the Doctor nor the Gentlewoman are dressed in clothing from that period. Judi Dench lets out a huge cry, this cry is heavily exaggerated but I think it helps to convey the pent up emotion that she has been feeling. The light of the candle can be seen fading away as Lady Macbeth leaves, this is the last time we will see her. All in all, I preferred the RSC production I thought Judi Denchs performance was excellent. Jean Lapotaire was sometimes slightly comical because of her over exaggeration but this may be more appealing to people who are not familiar with Macbeth. Jean Lapotaires delivery was interesting. She almost sang the line the thane of fife had a wife: where is she now? like a nursery rhyme, this is somewhat ironic considering that it was tragic. I think the RSC caught the real significance and emotion of the scene well. I think an older Doctor could improve it and I believe the Gentlewomans delivery could be more passionate.
Monday, August 5, 2019
History Of The Higgs Boson Particle Philosophy Essay
History Of The Higgs Boson Particle Philosophy Essay From a distance, the Higgs Boson particle may seem completely irrelevant and disconnected from the real world, but its actually more integral to life and everything around you, than you may think. Have you ever contemplated why you weigh what you do? Im not alluding to the second doughnut you had this morning, or the ill advised chips on the way home, but rather the fundamental reason as to why the atoms that make up your body and everything else in the world, have a certain mass-If you havent youre not alone-until recently, scientists havent thought about it much either. Before the standard model of particle physics came along, the origin of mass was not even considered a problem; that an object had mass was simply assumed. But when scientists began probing objects at smaller and smaller scales, they discovered that it was not quite as simple as that: according to the standard model, fundamental particles should weigh nothing at all. The standard model describes the behavior and interactions of all of the most fundamental particles we have seen and one other particularly elusive one that, physicists hope, we will see in the near future. The model was developed throughout the 20th century and finalized when the existence of quarks, the particles that make up protons and neutrons, was confirmed in the 1970s. At the time many of the particles predicted by the standard model were yet to be seen. Over the years since then, physicists have ticked these particles off, one by one, like items on a shopping list. Now they are left with just one remaining unfound particle the Higgs boson. The Higgs requires a leap of faith, because so far it is entirely hypothetical. Some physicists are counting on it to help solve the most intractable riddles in their profession. It might, for instance, explain the preponderance of matter over antimatter in the cosmos. Or it might yield a formula that would unite gravity with the three other fundamental forces into a long-sought theory of everything. Above all, the Higgs could be the emissary of a ubiquitous force field that confers mass on matter. It could answer a huge question: Why does matter weigh something instead of nothing? The Higgs was born of wishful thinking. British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs of the University of Edinburgh came up with the idea of the Higgs field and its associated particle the Higgs boson in 1964. The field he proposed extends throughout the universe, and interacts with matter particles in such a way as to give them mass. After an interaction the field leaves behind a telltale sign the Higgs boson. Finding a Higgs boson would prove that the Higgs field exists. The Higgs Field and the Large Electron Positron Physicist Steven Weiberg of the University of Texas and Pakistani theorist Abdus Salam used the higgs concept to bring the theory in line with reality. Weinberg (along with Ian Samples explanation of the Higgs Boson) describes the higgs field like a sea of molasses (or think of it as a massive plate completely filled with sugar grains) that fills all of space. It resists the movement of particles moving at light speed (and constantly crashing against each other), which in turn slows them down and creates a drag-the more a particle interacts with the field the heavier (and slower) it gets- which in turn causes the symmetry of the standard model to be restored because mass is no longer seen as an intrinsic property of matter,i.e all elementary particles weigh nothing until they interact with the higgs field. The reason why the higgs field is such a solid theory is because the variations in the higgs field interactions are the only explanation physicist have for the fact that the heaviest known particle weighs 200,000 times as much as the lightest one, while protons weigh nothing at all. Nobel laureate Leon Lederman wrote in his book (The God Particle, 1993) that The Higgs field, the standard model and our picture of how God made the universe, all depends on finding the Higgs Boson. His book paved the way for the Superconducting Supercollider, the $10 billion accelerator he designed to get the Higgs-due to it being thought of the most massive of all elementary particles the Higgs Boson would show up in only ultrahigh energy collisions-it was to be built, but after the book released the US congress pulled the plug on the project, of course this was the several heartbreaks for Higgs seekers. They came at the Large Electron Positron, or LEP, collider, a 17-mile-long particle smasher on the Franco-Swiss border at the European Center for Nuclear Research, called CERN for short. In August 2000, after a decade of collisions at gradually escalating energies, the collider team saw data that hinted at the presence of the Higgs. We were sure we were going to find the Higgs part icle, says experimental physicist Christopher Tully of Princeton University, who heads the CERN search. It was a very dramatic moment. Unfortunately, the LEP collider was shut down for good in November 2000 to make way for the $2.5 billion Large Hadron Collider. The Large Hadron Collider and 4th of July 2012. The LHC will be supported by 5,000 physicists and 500 research institutes around the world. It will hurl particles with seven times the energy of the Tevatron. The LHC discovery of the Higgs is guaranteed-if it exists, says experimental physicist Suyong Choi of Fermilab. As a recap, we know that the origin of mass occurs at LHC energies. We know this because two fundamental forces, electromagnetism and the weak nuclear force, unify at these energies (see the second heading and the picture here). The reason these forces look different to us in everyday, low-energy, life is that the force-carrying-particles for the weak force (the W and Z) have mass. In the Standard Model of particle physics, this mass can only happen if a certain kind of quantum field fills the universe, and sort of sticks to some particles to give them mass. Inventing a whole-universe-filling-field just to make your maths work is quite extreme. The only way of proving whether youve done the right thing or not, whether the field is real or not, is to make a wave in the field. This wave is, or would be, the Higgs boson. And it has to show up at the LHC or the field is either not there, or very different from what we expected. Nowhere to hide. Anyway, as you heard in Fabiolas talk today, ATLAS has found something. And as you and I heard today, CMS have found the same thing. Now, it looks like the Higgs boson. Or a Higgs boson. But it might not be. It has the right electric charge (i.e. none). It seems to appear about as often as it should in some decay modes. It is definitely a boson. But it is supposed to give mass to all fundamental particles, and we havent seen it do anything with fermions (quarks and leptons) yet, just bosons. What does this all mean for ordinary people? And why should they care? 1) It is the most important scientific discovery of the 21st Century, and on par with Copernicuss discovery that the sun is the center of our solar system. 2) Its likely to have some practical uses that we cant fathom right now, in much the same way as the discovery of the electron enabled every electronic device you use today. 3) We were right. Scientists theorized that a particle like the Higgs boson has to exist. They built a remarkable machine, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to find it. And they found it. Which not only allows us to feel good about ourselves as humans, it allows scientists to continue using a model of the universe that theyve been working on for more almost 50 years. In short, scientists dont have to start from scratch. And, this model and the LHC will allow us to explore even more nebulous ideas, such as dark matter. Many people, including Peter Higgs himself, subscribe to the view that science for the sake of understanding the world around us is inherently valuable. If however, you need a more concrete reason to care about the Higgs, allow me to borrow some words from Carl Sagan: everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives on the pale blue dot we know as Earth and none of it would have ever existed without the Higgs boson.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Kandinskys Art :: Wassily Kandinsky Artists Painters Essays
Since my first encounter with Kandinsky's art I was amazed by their complexity and always wondered about the creative and intellectual mind, which was responsible for them. The few books I managed to find on Kandinsky were extremely useful as they outlined his entire career and had a substantial amount of illustrations. There were also a number of websites available on the Internet, which contained critiques from other art historians, critics and fellow artists from around the world. But there is not a large number of his paintings available in Britain therefore could only experience his art at first hand on three occasions. If I were to attempt this coursework again I would perhaps try to widen my research by travelling outside of the U.K. and experiencing at first hand some of Kandinsky's more grand pieces, in order to fully feel their effects. Introduction Upon my first encounter with Kandinsky's painting, my eyes and indeed my mind were overcome with a sense of puzzlement, as it seemed impossible to decipher what lay beneath his passionate use of colour and distorted forms. Kandinsky hoped by freeing colour from its representational restrictions, it, like music could conjure up a series of emotions in the soul of viewer, reinforced by corresponding forms. Throughout this essay, I will follow Kandinsky's quest for a pure, abstract art and attempt to determine whether his passionate belief in this spiritual art and his theories on its effects on the soul, can truly be felt and appreciated by the average viewer, who at first glance would most likely view Kandinsky's paintings as simply abstract. Kandinsky was indeed a visionary, an artist who through his theoretical ideas of creating a new pictorial language sought to revolutionize the art of the twentieth-century. Regarded as the founder of abstract painting, he broke free from arts traditional limitations and invented the first painting for paintings sake, whereby the dissolution of the object and subsequent promotion of colour and form became means of expression in their own right. This theory stemmed from his fundamental belief of the importance of a "spiritual" art, which could be extracted only from the "inner voice" of the artist. Kandinsky believed that this spiritual domain was indestructible and therefore had the utmost authoritative power to create artistic messages that were as alive and pure as nature. His preoccupation with music and the freedom of expression that it provided, fascinated Kandinsky and inspired his observations on the "sounds" of colours, a theory based on an idea that these colours had a psychological effect on the viewer similar to the emotional effect created by a musical composition. Kandinsky the Russian Born in Moscow in 1866, Wassily Kandinsky would spend the majority of
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Rochester Business Plan Essay -- essays research papers fc
A Marketing Plan to Retain Rochesterââ¬â¢s Youth à à à à à Rochesterââ¬â¢s 18-28 year old population has been leaving this city in mass amounts. This is common knowledge, and our plan is targeted towards the target audience in efforts to keep them here for a longer duration of time. à à à à à We feel that there are several beautiful attractions that make up the Greater Rochester Area of which this target audience is unaware. This marketing plan aims to get this market out into the suburbs and city of Rochester to see the diversity and unique options that our area provides. This will alleviate the negative stigma held by the 18-28 demographic by bringing to their attention the ample business and recreational opportunities available. We seek to build a stronger sense of community through interactions with businesses, local marketing campaigns, and more effective communication with this demographic. à à à à à With our creative and influential ideas we intend to retain Rochesterââ¬â¢s young adults so that the city will flourish with a new generation of hope. 1. Current Situationà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à page 2 2. Target Audienceà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 3 3. SWOT 5 4. Trendsà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 6 5. Benchmark Citiesà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 7 6. Evidence à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 9à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à 7. Marketing Objectives and Goalsà à à à à à à à à à à à à à &... ...nbsp;à $97,470à à à à à $126,080à à à à à $146,102 Mass Transità à à à à 10.50%à à à à à 36.70%à à à à à 3.30%à à à à à 1.80%à à à à à 2.80% Bike/Walkà à à à à 9.00%à à à à à 11.10%à à à à à 4.10%à à à à à 4.60%à à à à à 5.70% Sunny Daysà à à à à 170à à à à à 207à à à à à 171à à à à à 217à à à à à 213 Source: www.bestplaces.netà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à Works Cited www.bestplaces.net www.cincinnati.com www.ci.rochester.com www.detnews.com www.dol.gov www.Menshealth.com NYSDOL-http://64.106.160.140:8080/lmi/index.html www.pittsburghlive.com http://www.rbj.net/PDF_Files/AnnualEst.pdf www.retainthebrains.com Mills, James Edward. ââ¬Å"Magnet Aims To Keep Young Professionals In Madison.â⬠Wisconsin State Journal, July 2004. http://www.madison.com
How Can Illegal Drugs Be Prevented From Entering Prison? Essay
How Can Illegal Drugs Be Prevented From Entering Prison? The American prison system has many different interpretations. Some people think it is a place for rehabilitation. Others may feel it is solely a punishment for making bad decisions, and there are those who see it as a method of revenge. Regardless of how the prison system is viewed, one element that may be a shock to everyone is the use of illegal drugs by the inmates. There are also a surprising number of unpublicized deaths among the inmate population due to drug overdoses that could have been prevented. The public deserves answers to the following questions: 1. How are illegal drugs infiltrating the prisons? 2. How are inmates creating their own substances? 3. What is being done to prevent drugs from coming in to prisons? Answering these questions will provide a bigger picture of the ongoing and growing problem of substance abuse within the prison system, and the knowledge to discuss potential solutions. Although inmates are housed in prisons for crimes against society, it is law enforcementââ¬â¢s responsibility to ensure their safety and that the illegal temptations of the outside world do not breach the prison walls. How Are Illegal Drugs Infiltrating the Prisons? Prisons are designed primarily to keep people inside, and less focus is placed on what is coming in. Regardless of the emphasis, the expectation of a facility that has full control over the population should be a drug free environment. However, drugs and other illegal contraband find their way inside undetected. There are many ways illegal drugs are introduced into the prison population. The article (How Common Are Drugs in Prison?, 2011) refers to friends or relatives of an inmate who bring in drugs a... ...far gone that they are beyond hope? In the current turbulent state of the world, and the anemic economy, there is no relief in sight for our crumbling prison system. It is important to understand that degrading prison conditions, combined with gang drug activity, overcrowding and violance go hand in hand. The worse the conditions, the greater the violance. Bill Arrigo notes, ââ¬Å"Measures of poor conditions, such as inadequate prison management and lack of prison programs due to overcrowding, are associated with hight levels of prison violenceâ⬠(Arrigo, 2006, p.116) . In conclusion, it is going to take a firm commitment and a lot of money to exercise the demons out of our prison system. However, more than that, it is going to take a commitment to the inmates, and the realization that the way we treat our prisoners is a direct reflection on our society as a whole.
Friday, August 2, 2019
Dr.George Borg Olivier
Dr. George Borg Olivier (1950-1955, 1962-1971) | | Notary Giorgio Borg Olivier, was born in Valletta on the 5th July, 1911. He was educated at the Lyceum, Malta, and the Royal university of Malta. He graduated Doctor of Laws in 1937. In 1939 he was elected to the Council of Government. With the return of responsible Government in 1947 Dr. Borg Olivier was elected to the Legislative Assembly. In 1950 he held the post of Minister of Works and Reconstruction and the post of Minister of Education in the Government led by Dr Enrico Mizzi.He succeeded Dr Mizzi as Prime Minster and Minister of Justice on the latter's death in December 1950. After the general elections held in May 1951, Borg Olivier formed a coalition Government with the Malta Works Party. He was Head of the new Government, he retained the Ministry of Works and Reconstruction. He was again returned to office in 1953 and was Head of a Coalition Government with the Malta Worker's Party until he was defeated in 1955. From 1955 to 1958 Dr Borg Olivier was leader of Opposition.He led the delegations in June and September 1955 for the Malta Round Table Conference and in November 1958 he led a delegation for talks in London about the restoration of self-government. Following the February 1962 election, Giorgio Borg Olivier accepted to form a Government after obtaining important amendments to the Constitution. In addition to being Prime Minister, he assumed the portfolio of Minister of Economic Planning and Finance. In June he made a formal request for independence and in September of the same year he attended the Commonwealth Prime Minister's Meeting.On the 13th July, 1963, Borg Olivier headed a Government delegation for the Malta Independence Conference at the end of which it was announced that Malta would become independent. After having had a series of talks with the British Government and after preparing a Constitution for and independent Malta, which was endorsed by Parliament and approved by the people in a referendum held in February 1964, and the 21st September was set as Malta's Independence Day.On Independence Day the degree of Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) was conferred on Borg Olivier by the Royal University of Malta. On 25th January, 1964, Borg Olivier was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sylvester, Pope, by His Holiness Pope Paul VI. In November 1964, he was received by His Holiness Pope Paul VI and made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX. In March 1965, he became Minister of commonwealth and Foreign Affairs in addition to his duties as Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Planning and Finance.In the General Elections held in March 1966, the Nationalist Party was again returned to power with Borg Olivier as Prime Minister and Minister of Commonwealth and Foreign Affairs. On the 14th June, 1968, Dr Borg Olivier was decorated with the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Malta by the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitallier Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. Giorgio Borg Olivier married Alexandra Mattei in 1943. They have one daughter: Angela, and two sons: Alexander and Peter. Died on 29th October, 1980.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
American vs. Chinese Culture Essay
Psychological anthropology is the study of individuals and their personalities and identities, within particular cultural contexts (Miller, 2007). Although American and Chinese people are raised in different cultures, their cultures are somewhat similar. Even though individuals are raised thousands of miles apart, is it possible to possess some of the same personality traits? In the American culture, baby showers are held to celebrate the impending birth of a baby. Family and friends bring many necessities needed for the new baby, such as, clothes, money, bottles, stroller, car seat, and or diapers. Once the baby is born it is the American culture to separate babies by gender. It is customary for boys to be dressed in blue and girls to be dressed in pink. As they grow, boys are encouraged to play with trucks, action figures and guns to promote strength and power. Whereas, girls are encouraged to play with dolls, cook with toy stoves, and play house to promote nurturing. As the child grows into adolescence, this is reinforced in the chores delegated to them. Boys are expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, and help out with any other ââ¬Å"handymanâ⬠jobs. Girls are expected to wash dishes, do the laundry, sweep and mop floors. Hence, the stereotyping begins. This stereotyping is evident in adulthood. Men are labeled as providers, protectors, and head of the household. Men are expected to work to support their families. Men are often pressured to assert their masculinity and strength within there jobs and at home. Today, men are beginning to take on more responsibilities within the home. Women are labeled as mothers, housekeepers, and nursemaids, to name a few. Many years ago, women were not respected in the workforce. Their job selection was very slim, mainly secretaries. However, during World War II women took the place of men in the workforce showing they could perform the jobs just as well as the men. Today, women are highly accepted in the workforce and hold high powered positions within companies and even own their own businesses. Once men and women reach their senior years, they have achieved their social status. They are afforded the opportunity to retire from the workforce. In doing so, they are able to travel or just enjoy life at their leisure. They no longer have to pay taxes and receive their social security benefits as their compensation for working. Unlike the American culture where there is no animosity over the gender of babies, Chinese culture is different. Boys are considered treasured, so much so that years ago infant girls were killed. In doing this China has created an imbalance in the male to female ratio. In the Chinese culture, a babyââ¬â¢s birth is not celebrated until the infant is one month old. The family holds a ââ¬Å"red egg and gingerâ⬠party. This is the time when the parents introduce their baby to friends and family, who bring gifts for the baby: boys receive ââ¬Å"luckyâ⬠money and girls receive expensive jewelry. Parents present each guest with a dyed red egg to symbolize happiness and the renewal of life. Traditionally, gender roles in China are similar to the ones in the United States. The man goes to work, the woman is a housewife. This is changing, especially with the ââ¬Ëone child policyââ¬â¢ in China. Women are not needed at home as much to take care of children since families are only allowed to have one child. In some cases, a family is allowed to have two children. For example, if the first born is a daughter, they may be permitted to have another child. There is a lot less social distance among Chinese people compared to Americans. It is a collectivist culture ââ¬â people depend on each other and take care of each other. Chinese people spend a lot less time alone than Americans do. One example of this is the family unit is very close in Chinese culture. It is very common for three or more generations to live together because a lot of people still live with their parents when they have established their own families. Chinese people are more reserved when it comes to physical contact or showing public display of affection, especially in romantic relationships. Chinese people initiate physical contact very gradually compared to Americans. Premarital sex is a lot less common in China than in the United States. Both cultures show traits of openness by allowing individuals to explore their curiosity of the world and show their emotions. They also allow for individuals to be conscientious of their actions, to be self-disciplined, and to be cooperative towards others. Although two cultures are different it is possible for individuals to share the same traits. ? REFERENCES Chinese Culture. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from English in Taiwan. com: http://www. englishintaiwan. com/foreigners/chinese_culture. php Gender: Gender Roles and Stereotypes. (2010). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from Marriage and Family Encyclopedia: http://family. jrank. org/pages/686/Gender-Gender-Roles- Stereotypes. html Miller, B. D. (2007). Cultural Anthropology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Olsen, A. (2009, April 10). Chinaââ¬â¢s Population Laws Threaten Baby Girls, Favor Boys. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2009/04/10/chinas-population-laws-th_n_185626. html Therese Hesketh, P. , Li Lu, M. , & and Zhu Wei Xing, M. (2005, September 15). The Effect of Chinaââ¬â¢s One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from The New England Journal of Medicine: http://content. nejm. org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171.
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