Chinese Somatic Science Essay Example for Free

Chinese Somatic Science Essay In 1984 when the Japan-France symposium was held, scholars of religion, medicine and psychology were gathered from both sides, and they engaged in discussion in order to promote the movement of New Age Science. I included a suggestion, made from the Japanese side, presentations on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Parapsychology, Eastern martial arts and their demonstrations. In the martial arts demonstration there was included the performance of a technique in which a master martial artist, by emitting ki-energy (chi-energy), makes opponents, who are spatially distanced from him, fall down. This technique is called â€Å"distant hitting† [to-ate: é   Ã¥ ½â€œÃ£  ¦], and it became a conversation piece, attracting people’s attention. As a result, many q(g(ng (Chi-gong) masters came to visit me. I studied their techniques, and experienced ki-energy as a subject of their q(g(ng techniques. Afterwards, I went to China to learn about its actual situation. While I was staying in Beijing in 1997, the Chinese Society for Somatic Science (CSSS) was established. The leaders of this society came to see me with a request to make efforts to propagate q(g(ng in Japan. In the following year, I invited scholars and q(g(ng masters from China and held a symposium â€Å"Ki (Chi) and Human Science† in Tokyo.[i] At about this time, a q(g(ng boom was being generated. After this conference, I went to China many times to investigate and study q(g(ng. I will introduce its fundamental ideas, while incorporating my own opinion. Chinese Somatic Science focuses on the three fields of traditional Chinese medicine, q(g(ng and special abilities as its main objects of research. â€Å"Special abilities† refer to what parapsychology calls psi-ability (paranormal ability). A central focus in each of these fields is ki-energy as the object of research. Traditional Chinese Medicine understands the fundamentals of the human body’s organization by means of the network of meridians. Meridians are channels of energy which circulates in the interior of the human body. However, they are an invisible system which cannot be discovered by dissecting a corpse. In other words, they are a system unique to the body that is active while it is alive. I am taking this to mean, for now, like a system that organizes the subject-body (i.e. the lived body) of which Merleau-Ponty speaks. An important point, when it is seen from a theoretical point-of-view, is that the meridians are a system which does not agree with the mind-body dichotomization established since Descartes. That is to say, ki-energy is conceived to be a life-energy which has both physical and psychological characteristics. The fundamental principle of needle therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine lies in activating the circulation of ki-energy within the human body by infusing fresh ki-energy into the human body, while eliminating the stagnant and inferior flow of ki-energy. Next is q(g(ng. Q(g(ng teaches us that the activity of ki-energy can be heightened through a repeated training. Consequently, we can understand that q(g(ng, theoretically speaking, has a characteristic commensurate with the training in martial arts. It is a bodily technique with a tradition stretching from ancient times. In the case of medical therapy, a mature q(g(ng doctor guides patients to train themselves and practice q(g(ng on their own. Here we can discern a methodology different from the therapeutic method of modern medical science. While modern medical therapy leaves patients to assume a passive standpoint of simply receiving doctor’s treatment, q(g(ng lets them assume an active standpoint of training themselves. The point of this training lies in activating the natural healing power latent in the interior of one’s own body. Ki-energy is thought to be the energy that controls the foundations of life-activity. The training means to promote and purify the activity of ki-energy inside of one’s own body, and to transform it to the ki-energy of a better and higher quality. Therefore, it is a therapeutic method as well as a method of maintaining and promoting health. That is, it can become a method of maintaining health by continually training oneself daily, while it is not limited to a time of sickness. Q(g(ng is divided into internal and external q(g(ng for the purpose of convenience. The training which a patient performs after receiving guidance belongs to the inner q(g(ng, while the outer q(g(ng refers to cases in which a mature q(g(ng master performs therapy on a patient or subject. In these cases, the q(g(ng master usually touches the patient’s body with his hand, but there are cases in which a q(g(ng master, distancing himself from the patient, performs a therapeutic technique without making contact. It is probably safe to think that it is based on the same principle as the technique of therapeutic touch, which in recent years is beginning to spread in American. The third field that is called â€Å"special† ability in China, overlaps with the research of what is referred to in the West and Japan as parapsychology. On numerous occasions, I met with q(g(ng masters in China who have paranormal ability, and observed their technique, while engaging them in dialogue. I encountered people who can demonstrate a wonderful technique, not to mention clairvoyance and psycho-kinesis, which Rhine’s research problematized. Insofar as my research can confirm, there are cases of people who innately possess these abilities, and cases of people who have acquired them through training. If these abilities are used in the field of medicine, they can fulfill the same role as the external q(g(ng. Moreover, there are cases among master martial artists who can demonstrate this kind of ability, though its number is limited. One impression I have received when encountering these people is that there is a great difference between the East and the West in the foundational idea, when dealing with this kind of issue. While in the East this kind of issue has been dealt with as part of the issue related to self-cultivation, which traditionally has a cultural and religious background, there was no such historical and cultural background in the West. Consequently, parapsychological research in the West is preceded by an interest and concern from a theoretical point-of-view. This brings in the background of contemporary scholarly research where there is no concern for its relationship to daily activity. By contrast, in China’s case the practical purpose, as in the case of q(g(ng, looms in the purview of research. This kind of stance is based on the traditional ethos found in the history of science and technology in China. (Modern technology of the West emerged as an application of theory, where theoretical research does not take into account the relationship it has with the practical, daily activity of human beings.) When we examine it from a broader perspective, this kind of tendency is rooted in the philosophical tradition of the East which highly values the practical standpoint. However, there is a tradition in the East which admonishes people, as they are prone to fall into an ethically wrong tendency regarding paranormal phenomena. The tradition of East Asia such as that of China and Japan maintains that the bodily technique must conform to an ethical standpoint. Although I could hardly see such a spiritualistic stance in the contemporary situation in China and Japan, there were occasions where I met persons with such a stance, especially among the masters of martial arts, who are living among people, but not related to universities or academic institutions. In the tradition of Buddhism, this kind of â€Å"special† ability has been called â€Å"siddhi† [jints(riki; ç ¥Å¾Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¥Å â€º] and is considered a kind of a by-product that naturally emerges in the course of self-cultivation. Buddhism has persistently maintained that self-cultivation should not aim at acquiring this as its goal. For example, D(gen, a famous Japanese medieval Zen monk, teaches in the chapter of â€Å"Jints(† [Divine Power, i.e. paranormal power] in Sh(b(genz( that although Buddhism recognizes this kind of siddhi, it is a â€Å"small† siddhi, and the true â€Å"great† siddhi exists in the midst of such everyday activities as drinking tea and eating a meal. This reminds me of Yang Xin, a q(g(ng master, who is now actively promoting q(g(ng in America. When I saw him in Beijing some time ago, he told me that he was now studying â€Å"distant q(g(ng† [Chin. yu(g(q(g(ng; Jap., enkaku kik(, é   Ã©Å¡â€Ã¦ °â€"功]. He was accompanied by a twelve-year girl, who was his experimental subject. I asked him why he was conducting such an experiment. He replied: â€Å"I am not trying to become famous by showing off this kind of technique. As I read a description in a classic on the method of self-cultivation that one can perform this kind of technique, I just wanted to know if it is true or not.† Then he wrote on a piece of paper â€Å"Ã¥ ¤ §Ã© â€œÃ§â€ž ¡Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã¢â‚¬  [Chin., d(d(ow(y(n; Jap., daid(mugon] This phrase means that â€Å"The Great Dao remains silent and does not speak.† Herein lies, it would seem, a difference in the traditional ethos between the Eastern martial arts and Western sports. The historical origin of Western sports goes back to the Olympian events in ancient Greece. They emerged, based on the demands of a battlefield such as physical strength, stamina, running, throwing, and the handling technique of a house-drawn cart. We might say that the custom of the modern Olympics in which a record is valued more than anything else inherits this traditional idea. By contrast, in the tradition of the martial arts in the East runs an idea which emphasizes spirituality, even though the martial arts developed, like those of ancient Greece, through techniques used on the battlefield. The history of the Chinese and Japanese martial arts was nurtured through the influence of Buddhism and Shintoism. It came to develop the idea that training in martial arts has the meaning of enhancing one’s ethical personality. Consequently, the stance of respecting the opponent’s personality and capacity was sought in performing techniques. For example, Mr. Ueshiba Morihei, founder of Aikid(, states that â€Å"Martial art is love.† The ultimate goal of martial arts is not to win by defeating an opponent, but to harmonize with an opponent such that people can love each other under â€Å"that which is great† transcending humans. It would seem that â€Å"research on the prayer,† which has been recently initiated in America, incorporates this kind of spiritual idea. Incidentally, I came to realize in the course of investigating the Chinese Somatic Sciences that the standpoint of psychology was lacking. In modern China, which used Marxist materialism as its guiding principle for establishing the nation, psychology was not studied until the time of the Cultural Revolution, as anti-thetical to materialism. Even q(g(ng was an object of suppression. Today, however, the study of psychology is recognized to be legitimate, and the exchange with Japan is making an advance. I have practiced meditation since my youth, and have continued to research and study it. Meditation methods in the Chinese tradition were called â€Å"quiet q(g(ng† and stands a pairing relationship with the usual â€Å"moving q(g(ng† which mobilizes the body. However, almost no meditation methods are practiced in contemporary China. This is probably due to the fact that meditation methods such as those of Buddhism and Daoism were developed within the tradition of religious culture, and declined as a consequence of persecution after the modern period. When somatic science was established in Japan in 1991, we used for its English designation the Society for Mind-Body Science (SMBS), as I felt the importance of psychology. The fundamentals of meditation lie, after all, in promoting the circulation of ki-energy. When it is seen from the point-of-view of psychology, ki-energy designates libido. It is life-energy equipped in the unconscious and the body. The foundational idea that is placed in The Secret of the Golden Flower, a meditation text of Daoism, is to transform and sublimate ki-energy from the state of libido (Chin., j(ng; Jap., sei, ç ² ¾) to the state of â€Å"divine subtle energy† (Chin., sh(n; Jap., shin, ç ¥Å¾). Ki-energy changes into a spiritual energy, when the instinct and desire in one’s unconscious region are purified. Freud insisted that neurosis develops when conscience suppresses the activity of libido, while Jung claimed that libido is an energy related to religiosity. When one touches the activity from the dimension of primal origin, the love of others is transformed from the eros of flesh to spiritual love. To summarize the foregoing, ki-energy is an energy that controls the whole of psychology, medicine, and bodily technique, including the relationship between the environment and the human body. The philosophical guideline that comprehensively includes all of these fields is sought in the idea of the y(n-y(ng exchange of ki-energy which has its origin in the Yà ¬j(ng. According to its conceptual paradigm, nature as an environment is endowed with life, and is fostered to grow, by means of the activity of ki-energy issuing from the Dao that exists in the ultimate dimension. Human beings, along with other life activities, are receptive of this energy and are made to live. Purifying it to a sublime level brings about an enhancement of ethical personality.

Henry David Thoreau and Resistance to Civil Government Essay Example for Free

Henry David Thoreau and Resistance to Civil Government Essay Henry David Thoreau was the most active participant in the Transcendentalist movement. He was a student and mentee of Ralph Waldo Emerson. While Emerson had transcendental ideas, Thoreau would act on them and fully practice them. Hence, he felt that he and others should resist America’s Civil Government. I heartily accept the motto, That government is best which governs least; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. (Thoreau) Thoreau starts out his famous essay with the statement that government should be weak and the people strong. He was a strong advocate of the individual the rights of the individual. To him, a person should be self reliant, as Emerson taught. He felt that the more citizens relied on their government for their needs, then the stronger the government would become and that could be dangerous. He felt that being controlled by a government, or anything else for that matter, was a tragedy in a person’s life. The main reason that Thoreau wrote Resistance to Civil Government was because he was completely tired of a government that could allow slavery to exist. Slavery was an institution in the Southern states where people actually owned African Americans. He felt that if it was wrong for a government to have to much power over the individual and his/her rights, then surely it was wrong for another human to own another. In the institution of slavery, the slave has no rights at all. Slaves were made to work extremely hard. Thoreau had nothing against hard work for an individual’s own self-reliance, but the slave did not benefit from his/her work. The owner reaped all of the profit. They did not get to choose their profession, it was illegal to teach them to read or write, many owners beat them, and they could be sold away from their families at any time. The owner controlled everything about them even life and death. Slavery went against everything that Thoreau believed about government and the individual. If it was true that it government should have as little control as possible, then it was an abomination that this kind of power could control another. Thoreau was so appalled that a government that claimed in its constitution that all men were created equal, could turn a blind eye to the institution of slavery. He decided that since his tax dollars went to a government that supported such an institution, he would no longer pay his taxes. He hoped that he could inspire others who proclaimed abolitionist thoughts would do the same. However, they did not. In fact when Emerson came to the jail to post his bond, he asked Thoreau why he was in jail. Thoreau responded by asking Emerson why he was not in there with him. Thoreau’s idea of civil disobedience to a government that is not of the people has been successful for several generations after Thoreau’s death. He impacted the lives of such great men as Ghandi and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. King used Thoreau’s method and turned a nation around and forced it to recognize the civil rights of all people by Resistance to Civil Government. Thoreau and his idea of peaceful protest will remain an affective way to change governments for generations to come.

New Headway Intermediate Book Evaluation English Language Essay

New Headway Intermediate Book Evaluation English Language Essay The purpose of the second part of this essay is to evaluate New Headway intermediate students book, one of the course books used at many of the foreign language institutes around the world. The evaluation will be based on an external and an internal evaluation of the book. The external evaluation will give us a brief overview of the materials from the outside (also known as factual information) and the internal evaluation will give us a closer and more detailed look at Units 1 and 2. The new headway course book is meant to be suitable for adults undertaking a general English course. It is the third edition, which means that the book is very popular and published many times. Liz and John Soars are the authors of this book. There is a note at the back of the book which states: Liz and John Soares are internationally renowned authors and highly experienced teachers and teacher trainers. This statement indicates that the authors are recognised in an international basis. The publisher is the oxford university press; A widely known publisher which has published thousands of books. There is a website link in the front and in the back of the book which you can access it online. The one link contains exercises you can do online and the other one has different English Books it has published so far. This single course book costs  £22.00, without the supplementary materials. If you want to buy the whole package, you have to buy each material individually. However, the whole package includes: class CDS/cassettes, a workbook (with or without key), the students workbook CD/cassette and a DVD/Video with students activity book. There is also a teachers book in print and locally available. Thus, the student edition will not be difficult to work with. However, if you go online at Amazon, you will see that if you want to buy together the teachers book, the workbook and the class audio cds, costs  £68. It is very expensive for someone who cannot afford it economically and he will be dissuaded from selecting it. In my opinion I would not buy the single book for only  £22 pounds as I would definitely need a workbook for supplementary exercises. However, it is not included in the package and it costs  £12.50. Also the course book does not provide any audio material in the back as man y do. I think that it is essential to provide this extra material in order to use the textbook more successfully in self-time study. The front cover is colourful with nice pictures, but in my opinion it is not very inspiring and attractive for learners. If you would take off the title I will take it as a science or a maths book. When opening the contents page, language is presented and organised into teachable units. The contents page illustrates the general organisation of the material, which is based on topics. Under each unit there is an established topic. Meanwhile, the importance of form is also made obvious by the prominent placement of grammar in the second column. It is now clear that the content is sequenced on the basis of the grammar complexity. It starts from a more simple grammar form and then progress to a more complex grammar form. The contents are divided broadly into language input and skills development. Under language input there is grammar, vocabulary and everyday English. Under skills development there is: reading, speaking, listening and writing. We can now continue to the next stage of the evaluation by performing a more deep investigation into the materials. I am going to examine Unit 1 and 2 in order to perform an effective internal inspection of the materials. Both units start with a presentation of the grammar which will be the focus of the unit and provides an engaging start. Looking the units as a whole all the language skills including grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening and speaking are all covered. Usually after the test your grammar part which engages you into the main focus of the units, there is a text. It is good that the unit starts with this way because it is helping them to remember thing they have done previously but also is going to introduce them of what grammar is going to follow. In unit 1 the grammar is very simple. It starts with auxiliary verbs, naming the tenses, questions and negatives, and short answers. Tenses and auxiliary verbs are integrated into a quiz which they have to complete and then listen to it in order to check their answers. Then there is the grammar spot and then there is a practice section where they have to practice negatives and pronunciation. Then follows some exercises on short answers where they have to notice differences between the two conversations. This is followed again by a grammar spot and then a practice activity based on short answers. It is obvious that it gives more emphasis on grammar. However, then follows an information gap speaking activity. In the next page follows a reading and a speaking activity where the students have to read a passage on the wonders of the modern world and answer some questions based on the text and then discuss some other questions. Further down there is a freer listening and speaking section w hich consists of listening about wonders of the modern world and a discussion based on inventions. Then, follows a vocabulary section with different exercises based on what it is new in a word. This part includes some spelling and pronunciation exercises. Additionally there is a reference to page 159 where you can find all the phonetic symbols. At the end of the vocabulary section there is a writing exercise in page 103 based on correcting mistakes and finally there is the section every day English where students practice social expressions through exercises. Unit 2 starts with a short Test your grammar exercise which is to guide students into the focus of the unit and provide an engaging start. Following this is a picture presentation of different people having fun and here students have to talk about what makes them happy. Then there is a textual representation incorporating pictures and a written text on the theme of what makes people happy, which talks about Sidney fisk and below some comprehension questions focusing on conceptual aspects of the target language. The target language has been embedded in the written text .The object is that learners are given some exercises where they have to opportunity to practice how the present tense is used and why. These rules are reinforced in a grammar spot section under the passage and in the grammar reference in the back of the book where learners can look for help. This is followed by a listening and speaking controlled practice activities, the first two focusing on present tenses. Both of th ese exercises use information and examples from the presentation of grammar. Then students listen and read a conversation which is based on simple or continuous and they have to practice similar conversations with the one they have listened to including different jobs. This is followed by grammar practice activities, where in the first one they have to indicate whether the sentences are correct or not and in the second to complete the sentences with present simple or present continuous. Then, the reading and speaking section is about I am a clown doctor. The unit here includes some pre-reading activities; mainly questions which are said to motivate learners. Then learners have to read the text and answer some questions. Following this is a grammar spot exercise which focuses on present passive. Students have to complete sentences from the text and then if they want they can go and see the rules on how and when to use present passive on the grammar reference part. Some more exercise s follow. The one is related to the text and in the other one you have to format some questions in order to complete the interview. Then there is an activity where students have to discuss some questions in groups. Exercises on vocabulary and listening are in the next page, based on sports. There are pictures of different people doing different sports and a warm-up activity in which learners have to make a list of as many sports and leisure activities they can think of. They can use the pictures for help. When they finish, there is an exercise where they have to match some sports with the verbs do, play or go. Then follows an activity in which they have to complete a chart using activities from the list they have made before. Meanwhile they have the opportunity to use a dictionary to look up any words they need. Then they listen to different people talking about a sport activity they enjoy and take notes. In a freer activity they can ask their partners some questions based on sports . For writing they have to write letters and emails. The unit finishes by everyday English which is based on numbers. They will learn about money, fractions, decimals and percentages, dates and phone numbers. Then they will listen to some conversation and write the numbers they hear. In my opinion it would take me 18-20 hours to teach both units in this course book. New Headway Intermediate is attractively laid out, with glossy pages and plenty use of colour and photographs which inspires the student. The strong visual element is likely to attract students. However, the cover does not really remind you of an English book, but the inside is different. I think that the new headway intermediate book is well organised into units and sub-sections and it is easy to follow. There are headings or labels for each section and exercises and activities are always introduced with clear instructions. The book clearly arranges the contents, and cross references indicate where learners can find further grammatical information, typescripts, pair work activities, irregular verbs, verb patterns and phonetic symbols in the back. Still, it does not include any revision or recycling sections and this is a disadvantage because students will not have the opportunity for self study in order to check the skills they have learnt. I would provide them with some revision ac tivities with every 2 or 3 units so that they will do revisions and refresh their skills. However, I find the way that the materials are sequenced logical, because intermediate learners need to work their grammar. Some people may find this as a limitation but I believe that it is a good for intermediate learners that the content is based on the complexity of grammar. Moreover, there is a varied mix of activities, like grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, and functional English, but it lacks on pronunciation activities. Even if it provides phonetic symbols in the back of the book it does not include material for pronunciation work, and it is essential for this level of students to practice their pronunciation. The material for vocabulary is adequate in terms of quantity and range It offers a good balance of work on all skills and they are adequately covered .Also, there are some points where there are materials for integrated skills. I think that there are not enough activities associated to the text in each unit. In unit 1 and 2, they have to read the passage and then answer some comprehension questions. There are not exercises or suitable texts that will help students to improve their reading skills (scanning, skimming, intensive reading, and extensive reading). As homework I would give students extra reading exercises to do in order to practice their reading skills. The other skill that lacks in practice in the unit is the listening skill. I believe that again the book does not provide learners the opportunity to expand and practice their listening skills. The exercises provided for listening does not help students to expand their listening skills, and thus I would give them different listening activities to do within a lessons in order to practice their l istening. Grammar, writing and vocabulary are well covered. Speaking activities can equip them for real-life conversations. The topics are motivating for the adult learners and suitable for their language level. It covers a variety of interests and it gives them the opportunity to expand their awareness on some topics and enrich their experiences. Other groups of people are also presented in the topics. On the whole, New Headway Intermediate course book is perceived as a well designed and a well written book which supports English language learning. It is also used in many schools which teach English as a foreign language. It is suitable for learners, and regarding the disadvantages mentioned above they can become overcome through supplementary activities. .

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River "All of Egypt is the gift of the Nile." It was the Greek historian Herodotus who made that observation. The remarkable benefits of the Nile are clear to everyone, but through history he was the first to talk about it and consider its fascination. Through history, the Nile played a major role in the building of civilizations. The first civilizations to appear in history started on a river valley or in a place where resources are numerous and example of these are in India where Indus river is found and Tigris where Euphrates is found and many other places (cradles of civilization). The Nile is the longest river in the world, cuts a swath of green and life through the bareness of the giant Sahara desert in northern Africa. It is almost 4160 miles long from its remotest head stream, the Lavironza river in Burundi, in central Africa to its delta on the Mediterranean sea north east of Egypt. The river flows northward and drain 1100100 square miles, about tenth the size of Africa, passing through ten African countries. It has many tributaries but there are two main ones: the White Nile fed by lake Victoria and the Blue Nile coming from Ethiopian mountains. These two main branches join near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and they continue together as Nile proper until meeting the Mediterranean Sea and forming the Nile delta in northern Egypt. Around 5000 BC, one of the first great civilizations developed in the northern Nile river valley dependent on agriculture in a land called Egypt. Water; Fertile soil; and river's flow north while prevailing wind blows south made the Nile the best transportation way, were examples of the Nile gifts. Another gift is that every year the flood came bringing disaster and famine due to destroying the crops and their villages. The first forms of government appeared in Egypt when the Egyptians organized their efforts under one leadership to avoid the disasters of the yearly flood. On the other hand Nile flooding caused some problems in landmarks. Simple geometry had to be found to keep the boarder and a simple system metric (invention of the nilometer) to study the Nile flow and flood every year. As the state grew and more complex religious and political systems started to emerge, the need for a system to record events and rituals was growing too.

Illegal Immigration Essay -- Immigration History

Illegal immigration is a grave issue that affects everyone in the world. Illegal immigration is the process of an alien, or non-citizen, who has entered a country without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa (Free Online Law Dictionary). The flow of illegal immigrants is almost entirely from countries of lower socioeconomic levels to countries of higher socioeconomic levels. Basically, foreigners tend to migrate from undeveloped countries to developed countries. Many from Africa, an undeveloped continent, illegally migrate to Europe, a developed continent, in search of opportunities. Similarly, many Mexicans illegally cross the American border every month in search of the American dream (The Telegraph, 2004; White, n.d). Each person has his way in how to immigrate to their new homes. For instance, in Africa, few decide to bribe the cops to show a blind eye to their actions, others pay about 3000 euro to trafficking organizations, and others decide to secretly get on commercial trucks and into Europe. Regardless of how immigrants get to their new homes, they decide to take a huge risk and leave their old home in search for a better life (Cornelius, et al., 1994). As a result, many leave or lose loved ones and possessions. Some immigrants leave their home country due to political or economic reasons; generally, choosing to immigrate to countries that are more technologically advanced, have abundant resources, and that offer more opportunities. Others that have a more futuristic perspective migrate to give their children better lives. In a few countries, such as the United States, children of illegal immigrants are automatically given citizenship. Eventually, once in a foreign country, illegal immigr... ...the crime rate in countries that harbor illegal immigrants has increased. In the US, for one, about 30 percent of all inmates are illegal immigrants (Illegal Immigration, 2008). Overpopulation is another issue that has resulted from illegal immigration. Overpopulation is now a growing issue because of illegal immigration (Cendrowicz, 2011). Annually, many illegal immigrants are crossing borders into countries around the world; mainly into the US and Europe (considered developed nations). This is a rising issue that should be prevented because overpopulation will become â€Å"the plague of the 21st century† (Wooldridge, 2003). As Arun Gandhi said (2003), â€Å"If massive population is so good, why is India so poor?† As a society, we should try to bring a halt to this increasing issue of illegal immigration and help our citizens by providing the best services and all we can.

Essay --

Men and Women There is a misconception in society that has to be with the differences that exist between male and female. People think that women and men react and experiment the same changes as they go through the difference stages of life. That idea is completely wrong. A lot of phycological studies affirm that since childbirth, the social, emotional and developmental differences are inevitable. The differences between masculine and feminine appear very early in the human development.The differences when choosing toys are very obvious. While boys like to play with cars or balls, girls prefer Barbie and pink dresses. In the middle of childhood, we can appreciate those differences too, for example, at school. Boys like physical games while girls, tend to favor games that include talking and social communication. During those ages, parents encourage boys to explore fresh experiences and unknown things, while girls are more protected by their parents and relatives. Boys normally have large groups of friends, and they like to play together. The stronger boy in the group is considered â€Å"the leader." With girls, this aspect is very different; they focus on one or two "bestfriends." Friendship between girls consists on keeping secrets that no one else can discover. Trust is the main element. They avoid differences. Girls prefer an identical distribution of power.That is why, when girls go, for example, to the movies; they constantly try to walk in a perfect row, which means that they have "identical power†. In contrast, boys regularly walk in a triangular shape.The leader is supposed to be the first, and the rest of the group follow the leader. Those differences in characters and ideas that appear during childhood are re... ... get over the situation, men cannot understand those changes most of the times, and they prefer to end with their marriages or to look for new experiences with younger women during their marriages. According to Dr. Paul Cameron, a Maryland psychologist, reported to the Midwestern Psychological Association, based on his exhaustive research, â€Å"Men like sex a lot more than women do, we men are fools for beauty.† As we can see there are a lot of changes that both genders experiment during their life but women and men react and live each stage in a different manner. During adolescence and adulthood, the contrast that in childhood is reinforced and new hormonal changes appear. Alterations such as menstruation, maternity, breastfeeding or menopause make an enormous difference between opposite genders. The lifetime discrepancy between sexes is completely unavoidable.

Installation Art and Architecture Essay

Architecture has produced works that was revered, respected and something that captured the awe of the people for years. It was the source of something beautiful and even artistic. It was because of architecture that the likes of the Parthenon, as well as the other majestic palaces and cathedrals and other structures – things that people have considered as artistic and beautiful – was created and later enthroned in the annals of what is beautiful and what is artistic. Architecture has endured for years, but the growth of the practice of architecture also made it possible for the creation of other disciplines from which what is beautiful and artistic would be derived from. One of the things that were always placed side by side with architecture today, when it comes to the consideration of art and beauty inside space and location, is installation art. Over the years, installation art has become widespread and gained popularity. But the spread of installation art has one serious repercussion – its act of intrusion in the realm of architecture, an act of intrusion that is not harmoniously creative but is sometimes destructive too. There maybe instances wherein the collaboration and fusion of architecture and installation art can produce something that exudes harmonized beauty and reflect certain artistic values and content. What captures the attention of professionals is how installation art appears to be more inclined in attacking the space and the features of architecture, either as part of its overall artistic outlook or just because this is a necessary characteristic for installation art to fully manifest itself. This has been an important point of argument since installation art has emerged. There are those who believe that the two disciplines exist in harmony together while there are those who believe otherwise. Because of this, the paper will try to discuss and analyse what the relationship is between installation art and architecture, how art invades architectural space, when and how art and architecture intersect and what will be the result of the collaboration of art and architecture. The Evolution of Installation Art Installation art, as the name implies, is all about a work of art that was installed in a particular place. It maybe a simple object or a collection of objects, that occupies very little space. It can be something – a sight or visual cue that can make the audience feel as if they were transformed in another place because of the broadness of the reach, physically, of the installation art that a whole new environment was created because of installation art. There are many different components that may make up a work of art considered as installation art (since anything that can be installed in a place can be a part of installation art). From video presentations to exhibited photographs, sculpture and other artworks, these all contribute to make installation art what it is and to help installation art achieve its goal, and that is to transform a particular place in such a way that what was achieved was the experience and sensory cues that the artist(s) wanted or anticipated in the creation of installation art. Installation art, like any other art styles, genres and movements have beginnings in different countries and many places around the world proved amenable to the growth, patronage and continued development of installation art (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). Considered as a genre or art movement that is still under the contemporary art era, installation art was felt as early as the seventies. A very good example of some of the earliest installation art include the latrine turned fountain by Marcel Duchamp entitled â€Å"Fountain†, a work of art that was controversial and sensational largely because of what it presented and the social taboos and conventions that it challenged during its release. Joining Duchamp as some of the earliest proponents of installation art includes Kurt Schwitters, as well as the Gutai group, an art group that was situated outside of the US and in Japan, and the American Allan Kaprow. These individuals are just some of the prominent individuals in installation art – browsing intensively through the history of installation art. Research would reveal several other individuals who participated in the establishment and growth of installation art around the world (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). Kaprow was considered as one of the artists who helped guide the idea of installation art towards what it is today. He has postulated many different ideas that concretized the concept of installation art since its early years. Kaprow’s idea about environmental art contributed towards the development of installation art as how it is known today. By the start of the last two decades of the 20th century, installation art was already known in many parts of the world, including European countries (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). â€Å"The term installation art has been in common use since at least the mid-1980s and ‘installations’ have become familiar sights in British museums and galleries in the 1990s (Childs, Storry, p273). † Besides Kaprow, there is also the famous installation art pioneer, Ilya Kabakov, who was also instrumental in developing installation art. Together with Kaprow, Kabarov helped in bringing installation art closer to the people, as well as to the artists by using the academe and including installation art in what they teach in school so that students will understand installation art better and maybe even contribute to installation art in the future (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"Two of the key coiners of installation art are Allan Kaprow and Ilya Kabakov. Both artists not only made art installation but they also introduced the practice into academia (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). † Kabakov and Kaprow and their role in the introduction of installation art in the consciousness of art students learning in the academe is instrumental in the growth of installation art, which , in one way brought installation art and architecture closer together. The idea behind the creation of the discipline that would be known as installation art lies on the belief of the artists that there are other ways that can be explored. The viewing experience of the people who are trying to appreciate art is something that the audience can experience, detect and maximize (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). The physical attributes of the place contributes in making the artistic exhibition what it was, therefore, bringing the artworks and the experience closer to the people and helping them identify with their selves better while being immersed in the art they are witnessing in installation art exhibits. â€Å"Installation art attempts to reduce the boundaries between the viewer and the viewed and bring the artists’ ideas to a situation where they can be communicated more directly (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † From lifting from available materials, installation art experienced an important change when television and video recording was introduced. It allowed the artists more diversity in their works and allowed more ways and means for the artwork to be presented to the public. Because of this new technology, installation art was able to add a new dimension to itself. Today, video has been an integral part of installation art anywhere in the world. Artists, like Martin Firrell and Jenny Holzer, are some of the installation art specialists who are known to use the technologies, videos and digital presentation. Over time, the support for installation art, its ideas and the discipline, grew. Many entities like the Museum of Installation located in London, as well as the Mattress Factory in the United States, sounded their support for the growth of installation art as a separate and independent movement in the world of art. This is concretized by the growth of the artists immersed in this style. There are many installation art works to come out of England. One example is the work entitled Neon Rice Fields exhibited in 1993 by an artist from Vietnam who was already based in Great Britain named Vong Phaophanit (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). This also signifies the relevance of the countries, too, that supported installation art. For example, the British prides itself with several artists, some of them are not even born in that country. However, because of the artistic atmosphere in the country, even foreign born artists are now based there because of how the country creates a local artistic community that is amenable for the art and the artists. Part of the development and evolution of installation art is the introduction of this particular art form in the academe. By being introduced to the academic world and being studied and used by professionals, it was a way of awarding installation art a sense of legitimacy in the art world, like giving it its rightful place in the world of art. And an important point in the discussion of the intersection of installation art and architecture can be seen in the discussion of installation art in the academe, although historians are not quite sure when this began (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"It is difficult to trace the exact history and point of departure for using installations in architectural education (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å" Some observers believed that when installation art was introduced in the academe, it was placed inside the educational system for learning architecture, placing installation art as a part and not something greater than architecture. Notably, installation art was greatly embraced in the realm of architecture, even in the academic realm. â€Å"Installation practice in architecture schools is growing both in undergraduate and diploma studies as well as postgraduate research (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p, 117). † Role of Installation Art Installation art is here because of a particular reason; one of the reasons is the role which artists believe installation art has. Often, it is the role of message-sending, addressing issues that can be as broad as socio-political issues or even personal issues; the focus is on the individual and the realization of the individual/audience after being exposed to the installation art (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). â€Å"Some practice installation as urban interventions to question cultural or socio-political issues (Al-Qawasmi, De Velasco, 2006, p. 117). † Here is an example. If you would one day happen to see a sculpture of an image of a polar bear sitting under a very small pack of ice placed on the sidewalk, placed there by the artist, it may mean that the artist is trying to send a socio-cultural message that is environmental in nature (i. e. tackling the issue of global warming and how the work of art represents the effects and changes that will happen to the planet if global warming remains unchecked and unresolved, and that would include the loss of natural habitats of animals in the polar regions and the displacement of animals inside locales they are not known to thrive in the first place). Another good example is the work of British artist Michael Landy. Landy became more popular after his Breakdown installation art which he held at the C&A building located in London. He protested about consumerism through his art – composed of installation and performance art that saw Landy bringing in his possessions on sight and burning it in front of the audience (Walford, 2001). Installation Art: Rise and Recognition The emergence of installation art as a specific discipline in the world of art has gained notable rise and earned the recognition of the authorities in the field of art. Today, there are many reputable organizations, as well as award giving bodies, that acknowledge installation art and their significance. For example, â€Å"the Turner Prize shortlists have increasingly included such work (installation art) by British or British-based artists including Vong Phaophanit, Douglas Gordon and Rachel Whiteread (Childs, Storry, 1999, p. 273). † These award giving bodies and the recognition that they give to installation art and the artists of installation art, helped cement the place of installation art. It also helped the artists in the local and international community, contributing to the growth of installation art. This is important in the rise and recognition of installation art. How Installation Art Invades Architectural Space Architecture thrived because there were available spaces that were transformed through the use of construction and the implementation of design and creation policies and concepts exclusive to architecture. Because of that, architecture cannot be considered as creating physical outputs that are intrusive towards existing objects that occupied space to where they would encroach. Architecture did not encroach because the buildings were made atop a land previously featureless. If there were any buildings before architectural efforts were made, it was considered as an act of improvement for the previously placed structure, which is made by architecture. Regardless of how old the type of architecture would be, still, it is architecture. The case is different with installation art because installation art places itself inside the design of architecture – designs which did not accommodate such features, and sometimes, will not accommodate such features. And when this happens, installation art invades architectural space. For example, public parks where installation arts are in place can be considered as an act of destroying the concept of what is beautiful. This is because an alien thing was added to the park, a feature that was not planned to be there in the first place, ergo giving the people the chance to redefine what a beautiful park is– was it the one with the installation art or the one without it? Even if installation artists argue that installation art has aesthetic value, design is not a simple mathematics of putting one beautiful thing inside another beautiful thing and the automatic result is a beautiful and artistic thing. Sometimes, the combination of two separate, beautiful and artistic things may not be a harmonious endeavour. The characteristic of one of the two will be affected by how the other will minimize, alter or damage the original state of the half of the two, making the union sometimes just beneficial to one and disastrous to the other. Installation Art, Architecture and Purpose An important aspect in the analysis of architecture and installation art and the times the two are intersecting each other and invading each other’s space is hinged on purpose – the purpose of the artist and the purpose of the person who allowed the creation of the installation art or architecture (or both), which is usually the artist’s financier or benefactor. What is the purpose of the installation art and what is the purpose of architecture? This will take a long discussion starting with the origins of the two. Architecture was primarily created so that the creation of a functional structure (both permanent and temporary) can also feature aesthetics at the same time. However, the creation places more importance to functionality and usability than beauty and aesthetics. Installation art, on the other hand, is hinged strongly on artistic background. The focus of installation art is art itself and not functionality. Therefore, when the two collide in a single space, there is a fight between which should prevail in the space – is it architecture and its functionality or installation art and it’s more artistic and aesthetic purpose? For those who give installation art a space, their main reason is its humanistic impact on the viewer – art appreciation, and even detoxification from stress through the beauty in art. An ideal example is Spaceplace created by Maurice Agis and Peter Jones, which was created for its non-functional purpose and yet the artists believe that there is an important role of the installation art nonetheless. This is found in how the artwork impacts the audience, particularly in the personal level depending on how the artwork affects the audience/viewer (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). They are the first to admit that Spaceplace is more aesthetic than traditional functional; critics and observers believed that such was the case (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). â€Å"The aim of Spaceplace was to create a new environment based on aesthetically controlled considerations rather than conventional functional issues (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † This is a clear differentiation of installation art and architecture. Spaceplace was purely installation art. The sole functionality of this is to affect the audience/people and not to be something that should be used in a manner that architectural works are utilized for their functionality. It may not be functional based on what â€Å"functional† is often understood (i. e. something that has practical use or something that is useful) but its effect on the audience/people is nonetheless important. Spaceplace is â€Å"an installation that explored the relationship between simple rectangular forms in order to create abstract non-functional spaces that were†¦ related to the human body. The work was an attempt by the artists to provide a foil to the chaotic spaces of everyday human activity (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † The artists added that the other purpose of this particular installation art is to have the audience’s sensory activity stimulated in a positive way (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). Often, architecture and installation art does not cross each other’s path. The invasion of the space allotted for the two are often separate, especially when there are spaces that are allotted for art works and there are spaces allotted for strictly architectural endeavors and works. For one, practical and functional creations are often delegated to architectural works; while installation art is often given space only inside art galleries which allots space for art forms like installation art and not to architecture. Take for example, Maurice Agis’s Spaceplace – it is an installation art that required the use of a large space. The art gallery gave them this space, therefore, making it unnecessary for the installation art to invade architectural spaces because they have their own space wherein they can showcase themselves. â€Å"The installation therefore relied totally on the provision of a separate shelter environment in the form of gallery space (Kronenburg, 2003, p. 229). † But this situation was actually met with negativity especially by the artists because the artists like Agis himself believes that confining the installation art in gallery spaces actually pushes the artworks farther from the public and the public experience, which was the main goal of the installation art in the first place.