Douglasian Cultural Model in Indian Context Essay

Introduction Today’s world is being dominated by daily innovations in technology and increasing globalization which helps organizations to spread and to operate globally in a successful way. Every organisation operating at a global level is trying to improve their financial profits. The success of such organizations greatly depends on their workforce and their decision-making capabilities. Many times the ethicality of such decisions have been questioned because of the profit driven strategies of these organizations. As Nobel Prize winner economist Milton Friedman quotes, â€Å"An executive’s responsibility generally will be to make as much money as possible while conforming to their basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical custom.† The decision-making process and hence ethicality of the decisions in such organisations is greatly influenced by the culture of the workforce. Bartels (1967) was one of the first to note the importance of the role of culture in ethical decision-making. There are different studies which discuss the diversity of ethical decision-making based on different perspective for example, Vitell, Nwachukwu and Barnes, 1993 discuss the effect of culture on ethical decision-making with the help of Hofsted’s typology while Patel and Schaefer, 2009 discuss the same with the help of Douglasian Cultural Theory (CT) perspective in the Indian context. Summary Patel and Schaefer’s article discusses the impact of culture on ethical decision-making from a Douglasian Cultural Theory (CT) perspective. It explains the dynamic ethical behaviour of the individual with four solidarities of CT. The Article also discusses the business ethics in the Indian context. Authors argue that applying static conception of culture to the process of ethical decision-making in business results in several problems. The Authors propose CT as an alternative model to these static conceptions to avoid these problems. The Article says that every social system is ethically plural because of the presence of all four solidarities together. An Individual from different solidarities may have a different perception of an issue’s moral intensity which may lead to different levels of moral awareness and hence to different moral judgements. The Article explores the dynamicity and diversity of ethical decision-making in business using the CT framework within the I ndian context with examples of Amul, SEWA, Tata Steel, ONGC and Reliance. Strengths This article offers an alternative approach of CT stating the impact of culture on ethical decision-making process in business. Authors argue that applying the static conception of culture to the business ethics results in different problems like national stereotyping, focus on only national cultural aspect ignoring the other aspects and broad generalisation of culture at national level. This article strongly supports the scholars who challenge the essentialist culture approach like Hofstedian framework. Singh (1990) and Bosland (1985a) have shown that it is possible to have different scores on the four Hofstedian dimensions within the same country. Hence there is possibility of difference in ethical behaviour within the same country. The Authors also talk about the same ethical dynamicity in behaviour. The article powerfully illustrates the diversity in business ethics within Indian context using CT model. The Article talks about the different cultural patterns existing in same corporation at same time. This article supports the argument by Sathe (1985) which says that although, the term â€Å"corporate culture† is used as if organisations have a monolithic culture, most companies have more than one set of beliefs influencing the behaviour of employees. The Article also supports the Thompson’s (1997 a-c) theory who argues that same individual could be a member of different solidarities in different contexts which explains the different ethical behaviour of an individual at a different social context. Also the article studies the ethical practices of different types of companies and business entities to understand the business ethics beyond large private corporations with respect to all the four solidarities of CT. The article debates about the dynamicity of ethical decision-making by citing the examples of all the solidarities existing in different Indian corporations. Also it talks over about the historical and philosophical background for the adoption of different ethical strategies by different corporations. Weaknesses The article explains the process of ethical decision-making in business from a ‘Douglasian Cultural Theory’ perspective only. The article does not identify many other factors beyond culture that may account for differences in work behaviour across nations. Scholars like Parboteeah and Cullen (2003) have suggested the need to include noncultural factors to isolate the influence of culture on ethical behaviour. Also many scholars have talked about the other personal characteristics like education, age, gender and religion that affect the ethical decision-making but they have not put any light on this part in the article. According to Kracher, Chatterjee and Lundquist, education plays an important and positive role in one’s ethical decision-making. Also Singhapakdi et al.: JBE (1996) talk about the relationship between ethical sensitivity and age being significantly positive. Ameen, et al., (1996) suggests that ethical judgments vary according to gender, where females have historically been more ethical compared to males. According to Singhapakdi et al :JBE (2000), there is a positive relationship between religion and perception of an ethical problem. The article has not mentioned all these perspectives while considering the process of ethical decision-making. Patel and Schaefer explained the ethical behaviour in Indian business context with the help of CT and argue that as CT is not limited in its scope of application, what is true for one country should also be true for other countries. This contradicts the findings of the researchers like Tsui which states â€Å"The major contexts that may separate one nation from another include the physical, historical, political, economic, social, and cultural.† This may cause an individual from another country to behave differently in the same context compare to individual in India. My standpoint The research article applies CT model to explain the ethical decision-making process in business within Indian context which allows us to look beyond static and limited conception of national culture. The authors have explained the ethical behaviours using examples of different Indian business entities. Since India is one of the largest growing economies, this research paper will be useful in providing the insights of the ethical practices in India. In my opinion, the authors have raised valid questions about the studies that link static conceptions of the culture to the business ethics. The authors have successfully associated dynamicity in ethical behaviours with the different cultural patterns as per CT which proves the existence of all the four solidarities in every social system. Paper also gives us insights about how all the solidarities co-exist and try to dominate each other. The Authors explain it in an Indian context citing examples for each solidarity. Moreover, authors have highlighted the important fact that managers operating under different cultural patterns may perceive and attend to information about moral issues differently which results in different ethical behaviours. The article considered the very important factors of history and politics that may have influenced while discussing dynamicity of ethical behaviours within Indian context. I am of the opinion that the Douglasian cultural theory is not sufficient to judge the ethical behaviour in business. There are many other factors like education, age, gender and religion which hold a significant role in the decision-making process. The authors have failed to consider these factors. I believe the consideration of the above mentioned factors would have made this research work more reliable. Also I disagree with the authors’ argument of what is true for India should also be true for other countries since every country has a different political, economical, cultural and physical background. Conclusion Taran Patel and Anja Schaefer have criticized the static and limited conception of culture to ethical decision-making in business. They have provided the alternative approach of Douglasian cultural theory to explain the dynamicity and diversity in ethical behaviours with the help of examples from business entities in India. The Authors advocate that the managers should be sensitive to the beliefs of all the four solidarities to be more effective. The Authors also agree that more empirical and theoretical work is needed to strengthen the relationship between the cultural patterns and business ethics. References Bartels, R.: 1967, ‘A Model for Ethics in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan., 1967), pp. 20-26 Vitell S, Nwachukwu S and Barnes J. : 1993, ‘The Effects of Culture on Ethical Decision-Making: An Application of Hofstede’s Typology’, Journal of Business Ethics,Vol. 12, No. 10 (Oct., 1993), pp. 753-760 Hofstede, G. 1980. (Revised in 1984). Culture’s Consequences – International Differences in Work-related Values. Sage Publications. Singh, J. 1990. Managing Culture and Work-related Values in India. Organization Studies, 11(1): 75-101 Bosland, N. 1985a.An evaluation of Replication Studies using the Values Survey Module.Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation, Rijks-universiteit Limburg Working Paper 85-2, Maastricht Sathe, V. (1985), Culture and Related Corporate Realities, Irwin, Homewood, IL. Thompson, M.: 1997a, ‘Rewriting the Precepts of PolicyAnalysis’, in M. Thompson and R. J. Ellis (eds.),Culture Matters: Essays in Honour of Aaron Wildavsky(Westview Press, Boulder, CO). Thompson, M.: 1997b, ‘Cultural Theory and TechnologyAssessment’, in F. Fischer and M. Hajer (eds.),Living with Nature: Environmental Discourse and Cultural Politics (Oxford University Press, Oxford). Thompson, M.: 1997c, ‘Cultural Theory and IntegratedAssessment’,Environmental Modelling and Assessment 2,139–150. Kracher, B., A. Chatterjee and A. R. Lundquist: 2002, ‘Factors Related to the Cognitive Moral Development of Business Students and Business Professionals in India and the United States: Nationality, Education, Sex and Gender’, Journal of Business Ethics 35(4), 255–268 Parboteeah, K. P., & Cullen, J. B. 2003. Social institutions and work centrality: Explorations beyond national culture. Organization Science, 14(2): 137-148. Patel, T.: 2005, Using Dynamic Cultural Theories to explain the Viability of International Strategic Alliances: A Focus on Indo-French Alliances. PhD Thesis, Open University. Milton Keynes, UK. Singhapakdi, A., S. J. Vitell and K. L Kraft: 1996, ‘Moral Intensity and Ethical Decision-Making of Marketing Professionals’, Journal of Business Research 36, 245–255. Ameen, E., Guffey, D. and J. McMillan. 1996. Gender Differences in Determining the Ethical Sensitivity of Future Accounting Professionals. Journal of Business Ethics 15: 591-597. Singhapakdi, Anusorn, Janet K. Marta, Kumar C. Rallapalli, and C.P. Rao (2000), â€Å"Toward an Understanding of Religiousness and Marketing Ethics: An Empirical Study,† Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 27, No. 4, 305-319.

Contagion Movie Essay

In the movie called â€Å"Contagion†, a strange virus is affecting the U.S. population. There have been cases of death among scientists who try to discover the origin of the acute disease that is spreading rapidly through population. Within their studies it is believed that the cause was an attack rate. The virus possible spread from person to person, and the person who contracted it transferred it to another person. These investigations were conducted through descriptive and observational studies. This virus spread and they will have to act swiftly to prevent more deaths. This strange virus is threatening the lives of many Americans. It begins with rare symptoms like dizziness, cough, fever, and the worst part is that this virus is contagious. This means that a person who has contact with the patient or any object that is touched by the disease may quickly acquire it. The virus spreads rapidly throughout the body and in matters of weeks the patient becomes unconscious and die s. Scientists are beginning to conduct research to find what caused this virus. They gather statistics of mortality and discovered that people who have died similar deaths were in the same place. That place is probably where they acquired the virus. According to the scientist, these people were in Hong Kong in a meeting and obtained the virus which they later transferred to others. This research was described in a study, but they had to investigate more because of lack of knowing where, who, and how the virus was transmitted. In order to establish how it originated, experimental studies were conducted. They studied the bodies of the dead and took samples to see how dangerous this virus was and how they could attack to prevent further deaths. Meanwhile, the virus was being transmitted and had destroyed much of the population. The community begun behaving in mad, as they wanted to save themselves and did not have any vaccines to help. They created a cure for the virus but the new problem was that there are only a few doses available and people started to fight for them. The only advise given to the public was to not have contact with other people and avoid all places where there are crowds. The number of victims quickly reduced and cases like smallpox and other diseases reduced because of the drug that can attack the virus from the start. Contagion from the beginning is a very confusing movie. Due to the spike in the numbers of deaths, they know there is a problem that is severely affecting the population. No one knows, however, for sure what is causing it. It is not until the end of the movie when you realize the virus began with a bat which infected bananas. Those bananas were eaten by a pig and the pork was then contaminated. The pig was taken to a restaurant for food to be prepared and the chef transmitted the virus to another person through greetings. This was the origin of the dangerous virus. Contagion is an interesting movie because at first it was not clear what kind of disease was affecting the people.

Factors influencing child development Essay

1.0 introduction In the study of development, nurture is defined as the environmental conditions that influence a child’s development (T. M McDevitt and J. E. Ormrod , 2010). A child’s home environment, friends with whom he spends time with, the food that he eats and the types of movies he watches — not to mention the content and or education background – are all the factors that influence his physical, social and cognitive development in both positive and negative perspective. In this paper, I will be focusing on nurture factors and how do these factors have influenced the development of the prominent figures that I have chosen which are Tun Dr. Mahathir, our very own 4th Prime Minister from Malaysia and Bill Gates, the billionaire, from United States of America. The development that I will be touching on is regarding the physical development, cognitive development as well as the language development. Read more:  Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay 2.0 Tun Dr. Mahathir Tun Dr. Mahathir was the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He is fondly known as the â€Å"Father of Modern Malaysia†. He was born on the 10th July 1925 in Seberang Perak, Alor Setar, Malaysia, but his father, Mr Mohamed B. Iskandar, only registered his date of birth on 20th December 1925. His mother’s name is Wan Mas Tempawan Bt Wan Hanafi. He is the youngest in the family and is very close to his five brothers and sisters. He got married with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Bt Haji Mohamed Ali on 5th August 1956 and were given seven children. After I went through Tun’s background, there are two nurture factors that contributed to his development. The nurture factors are as follow: 2 2.1 Nurture factors 2.1.1 Family Family has always become the priority in an individual’s life. In my humble opinion, every success of a man lies on their family supports and values. This statement is agreed by Tun Dr. Mahathir himself whereby he believes in  family values and close family relationship (Fam, Lee, Nawarmani Balakrishnan and R. Rajendran, 2006). During his childhood, Tun and his siblings were taught to behave with discipline in everything that they do (Mahathir, 2011). His father, Mr Mohamad B. Iskandar, is the first Malay Headmaster of the Government English School in Alor Setar. Whenever Tun Dr Mahathir and his siblings came back from school, their father would go through their homework with them. Even during the holidays, their father would sit down with them, patiently tutoring them and setting a timetable for them to do reading, school work etc. He would teach them the way that he taught his students in school. Apart from that, Tun and his siblings lived in awe of their father even though he never laid a hand on them. This is because the sound of their father’s cough was enough to send them scurrying back to their books and homework (Mahathir, 2011). They all studied at the big table in the front room and will only stop for dinner. It is such discipline that Tun Dr Mahathir grew up to be a well-mannered and educated man with good values. Thus, I would say that family plays a very important role to develop a child’s cognitive development. In fact, family is the biggest influence during childhood, as the children view their parents as their role models. 3 2.1.2 Education Besides family, education also plays a vital role in the development of Tun Dr. Mahathir. Despite the informal education that he got from his own family, he also went to school to get his early education. He started schooling when he was 5 years old in a Malay School in Jalan Seberang Perak. He has the determination of wanted to have a better education than what most Malays had at that time. For that, he went to English School and passed his examination. At school, the students were not allowed to speak any languages other than English language. So with such practice, Tun Dr Mahathir developed his language development and is able to converse English language fluently. All these happened during his primary school days. After he finished his primary school, he then went to Sultan Abdul Hamid College to do his secondary education. However, during that time, the Second World War started. As a result, it was difficult for him to study and he decided to  seek for a job. So, he started his business mind and thought of something to sell. Together with his two friends, he set up a stall selling coffee and ‘Kuih’ (Malaysian cakes). He made a good business with the stall and soon was able to sell the stall for a good sum of money. This matter showed he has a good acute business sense. After selling the stall, he moved to a better location at a small complex. He then thought of selling fried bananas. He made money selling the fried bananas and also made many friends. This incident proves that, at a very young age, he is able to think, strategize, and find solution for any problems that occur. 4 Indirectly saying, Tun was exposed to cognitive skills through his own experiences not only from education but also from the business perspective. In 1945, after the Second World War ended, Tun Dr Mahathir resumed his education at Sultan Abdul Hamid College where he sat for and passed his Cambridge Examination. He did a lot of reading on political issues in his father’s huge library in school. He gained a lot of information from his reading. From here, it is proven that Tun also developed his cognitive skills by reading books especially in political issues. In school, joining extra-curricular activities was part of the system. Therefore, Tun joined the rugby club although he was not very interested in games and sports but then he found out that he quite enjoyed playing rugby (Fam, Lee, Nawarmani Balakrishnan and R. Rajendran, 2006). From here, I would say that school activities play a significant role in shaping Tun physical development such as grass motor skills, which includes running. Finally, in the year 1947, after he had gone through much experience in working, he then continued his tertiary education in medical field at the King Edward VII Medical College, Singapore. With all the skills that he got from early of his primary school up to secondary school and working experiences, I do not think Tun will face a problem in his studies especially when it comes to speaking skills and finding solution to any problems. 5 3.0 Bill Gates The way Bill Gates was brought up is different from Tun Dr. Mahathir. Unlike  Tun, his education plays a significant role in shaping his development. In contrast, after I went through Bill Gates’s biography, I found out that it is his peers that have influenced his success. He and his partner, Paul Allen, built the world’s largest software business called Microsoft. In the process, Gates became one of the richest men in the world (The Biography Channel Website, 2004). There are two nurture factors that contributed to his development. The nurture factors are as follow: 6 3.1 Nurture Factors 3.1.1 Family Bill Gates was born on 28th October 1955, in Seattle, Washington, United States of America. His real name is William Henry Gates III. His father’s name is William Henry II who works as an attorney and his mother’s name is Mary Maxwell, who works as a teacher. Bill gates grew up in an upper middle-class family with two sisters: Kristianne and Lubby (The Biography Channel Website, 2004). The Gates family atmosphere was warm and close and all three children were encouraged to be competitive and strive for excellence. It is such discipline that made him a very competitive person. For example, Bill showed early signs of competitiveness when he coordinated family athletic games at their summer house on Puget Sound (The Biography Channel Website, 2004). Bill Gates was a voracious reader when he was a child (The Biography Channel Website, 2004). He would spend most of his time by looking for information in reference books such as encyclopaedia. Gates weird behaviour made his parents more concerned of his academic achievement. Thus, he was sent to Seattle’s Lakeside School. As a result, at age 13, he blossomed in nearly all the subjects and also doing very well in drama. At a very young age, his cognitive development was trained by his family. Thus, by that kind of environment – competitive among his siblings, excel in academic field – has made him become one of the most influential persons in the globe. 7 3.1.2 Peers As I mentioned earlier, Bill Gates and his business partner, Paul Allen, both shared the same interest over computers. It is through peers that Gates  slowly developed his cognitive skills in computer field. It all started when both of them eventually met in high school when their school offered computer class for the students. Although the two were very different in their personality – Bill was feisty and combative, in contrast, Allen was more reserved and shy (The Biography Channel Website, 2004). But all in all, I believe, with such differences that have made them a good companion. At the age of 15, Bill and Allen went into business by creating â€Å"Traf-o-Data†, a computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle. Believe it or not, their efforts had made a total profit of $20,000. Another big project that they had worked together was with Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS). Both of them worked days and nights until they got hired by the company. Until in the year 1975, Gates and Allen formed a partnership. This partnership was called Micro-Soft, a blend of â€Å"micro-computer† and â€Å"software†. In a child’s development, peers play a vital role in shaping any abilities or talents that a child has (Barnes. S, 2014). As for Bill Gates case, he enjoyed making friend with Paul Allen because both of them shared the same interest over computer. Plus, their interest does not even affect their achievement in academic. In fact, Bill Gates excelled in his studies. 8 4.0 Conclusion In brief, after I went through both the prominent figures’ biography, I found out that the nurture factors of a child comes hand in hand with physical development, cognitive development as well as language development . Due to the fact that both the prominent figures differ from the way they have been brought up, it is clearly evident that nurture factors do play a vital role in their development. One of the biggest nurture factors in a child’s development, I would say, is family. In social studies, family is one and the most important agents of socialization (Macionis, J.J., 2012). Through the teaching, support, surroundings and values that the family have, it will somehow and eventually determine a child development. If the family have a good background – despite the parents’ academic achievement, enough nutrition being given by the parents, etc – indirectly, a child will face zero problems in any aspects of their development. 9 REFERENCES Barnes. S. (2014). Peer Relationships, Protective Factors, and Social Skill Development in Low- Income Children. Retrieved from, http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/opus/issues/2013/fall/barnes, on April, 2014. Bill Gates (2014). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 06:35, Apr 1, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520. Joan Fam L. H, Lee, Nawarmani Balakrishnan & R. Rajendran (2006). Tun Dr. Mahathir’s legacy: An inspirational learning experience. Kuala Lumpur: Krista Education Sdn Bhd. Macionis. J. J. (2012). Sociology. United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc. Mahathir Bin Mohamad (2011). A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Mahathir Muhamad. Selangor : MPH Group Publishing Sdn.Bhd. T. M McDevitt &J. E. Ormrod (2010). Nature and nurture. Retrieved, April 3, 2014, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/nature-nurture/

The Nature of Tragedy in Antigone is Unique and Profound Essay

The Nature of Tragedy in Antigone is Unique and Profound - Essay Example It is hard to see how it could ever have been maintained, except by those whose minds were prejudiced by predetermined opinions regarding the proper functions of tragedy. The whole tone of the play is against it. Right from the beginning to the end the reader’s/spectator’s sympathies are enlisted on the side of Antigone and in favor of the belief that human law must give way to the divine promptings of the ethics. Midway through the play, the Chorus makes an appearance on the scene to announce that the tragedy has begun. His speech offers a meta-theatrical commentary on the nature of tragedy. Here, in an obvious reference to Jean Cocteau, tragedy emulates the workings of a machine in perfect order, blithe and automatic in function. The candid and desultory event sets it on its unalterable march: in some sense, it has been lying in wait for its medium. Tragedy belongs to an order outside human time and action. It will advocate itself in spite of its players’ agenda and their attempts at involvement. Many critics allude to the ambivalent nature of this suspense. As noted by the Chorus, in tragedy everything is in the past. The spectator has abdicated, masochistically, to an array of events it abhors to watch. Suspense, here, is the period before those events actual realization. Having compared tragedy to other media, the Chorus then sets it off circuitously, particularly in the mode of melodrama. The tragedy is manifest as docile, cogent and eminent, free of melodramatic stock characters, dialogues, and other confrontations. All these are exigencies and hence inevitable.

Business Cycles and Concepts Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Cycles and Concepts - Research Paper Example Hence, the rate of unemployment can be referred to as the number of people who are actively looking for work divided by the workforce. Changes in the rate of unemployment mostly depend on the inflows made up of unemployed persons who are beginning to look for jobs, of employed persons who lose their work and look for new ones and of people who stop looking for employment. Related terms are the labor force, the rate of participation as well as the rate of employment. The labor force is referred to as the number of persons employed plus the number of people unemployed, although looking for jobs. The non-labor force entails those who are not currently searching for jobs, people who are institutionalized like in psychiatric wards or prisons, children, stay-at home spouses, and those serving in the military. The rate of participation on the other hand is the number of people currently in the labor force divided by the population of working age group that are not institutionalized. Hence t he rate of employment referred to as the number of persons currently employed divided by the working age population (Timmons, 2008). The rate of unemployment is South Africa has increased in the third quarter of 2012 to 25.50 percent from 24.90 percent in the 2012 second quarter. The rate of unemployment in South Africa is reported by the Statistics South Africa. ... The graph of the trend of rate of unemployment in South Africa According to studies, the reason for high rates of unemployment is more of internal than external. This is what Hart, chief economist at Investment Solutions, said in Johannesburg while speaking at a Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry breakfast. Hart compared the rate of unemployment in South Africa to that of Brazil. Both the countries began decreasing in 2002, then the global financial crisis in 2008. Many jobs were created between 2008 and 2002. Although the rate of unemployment in Brazil decreased, the same could not be said for South Africa. Hart asserted that the rates of unemployment means that the country needs to look at it as a priority of the nation. This is because job creation appeared to be one of the lowest policy priorities. He continued to say that the countries who have the same unemployment levels with South Africa are Spain and Greece who at that time were in deep crisis. Small businesses ma de difference in these countries including Brazil. Therefore South African policies need to be changed and more than three million small businesses need to be created to cater for the ever increasing rates of unemployment (Timmons, 2008). References Timmons, J. (2008). Causes and Effects of Unemployment Rates. London:

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES - Essay Example This in turn led to a correction in the industry’s long-haul pricing structure where at times airlines were forced to offer prices lower that their costs. The deregulation of the airline industry in 1978 has been a failure and the airlines are more like public utilities than ordinary businesses (Roberts, 2008). SWA operated out of Texas and was doing much better than the regulated airlines because of fewer regulations in the state. The industry today is full of uncertainties with airlines merger becoming common. The greatest strength of SWA is its superior asset utilization. Its flight schedule structuring is such that its turnaround is 20 minutes. SWA flies its planes 20 to 30 percent more hours than other major airlines. They have fewer employees per aircraft, fly fewer passengers per employee and have more available seat miles per employee (Pfeffer, 2005). They do not use the standard hub-and-spoke model like most carriers but have the a point-to-point route network and is thus able to minimize the domino effect of flight delays thereby maximizing asset utilization (Kearney, 2008). Another major strength is highly motivated workforce. SWA achieved success not from economies of scale but the airline is known for its very productive, very motivated and unionized workforce (Bacon, 2001). They encourage individuality and they encourage leadership. The employees always come first with the company and the customers a respected second (Miles & Mangold, 2005). A failure is accepted as natural and pardonable at SWA (Bunz & Maes, 1998). They are encouraged to take responsibility for their acts and celebrate mistakes as well as triumphs. The culture of the firm and the dedication to the employees sees the airline through any obstacles and challenges (Singh, 2002). The recent soaring of fuel price has disturbed the airlines industry globally. Eight US airlines have gone out of business in less than a year, one is in bankruptcy and many others are

Fidel Castro of Cuba (1959-2008) Research Paper

Fidel Castro of Cuba (1959-2008) - Research Paper Example Fidel Castro is the former political leader of Cuba; he has served tenure of governance from 1959 to 2008. Fidel Castro is popularly known for the Cuban revolution which brought him to power largely by public support. As with all revolutions, two perceptions of Fidel Castro commonly exist in recollections – one portrays him as a heroic leader rescuing his people from the evils of social inequalities and another portrays him as a blood-thirsty lunatic hound shooting his people just to avenge the disagreement with or disobedience for his thoughts. â€Å"The seed of revolution is repression† (Wilson). When the public realizes that they are being oppressed by the laws formulated for their betterment, an uprising or rebellion is most sure to follow. However, more often revolutions are long drawn and tiring as governments refuse to let go of power and public refuses to be led into deterioration. â€Å"It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws† (Lenin). It is needless to say those in power consider the uprising as evil while those in oppression consider the powerful as evil. Fidel Castro was the son of an illiterate sugar plantation owner. His parents wanted him to get education and eventually enrolled him in a boarding school. His teachers soon realized that Castro was an intelligent student and all-rounder athlete. He graduated in Law and initiated his practice as a lawyer in Havana, the capital of Cuba (Simkin). The conditions that led to his rule stemmed from his inclination to uptake court cases of poor and oppressed individuals who could not afford to pay him adequately. Consequently, Castro was financially unstable. However, this instability and the increasing numbers of cases with poor people involved made Castro realize the injustice prevalent against the Cuban nationals (Simkin). At the time, United States had a large holding in Cuba lands in the form of business properties. Most of those benefitting from these economic activities were foreign people while the vast majority of Cuban people were forced to live in poverty or difficult conditions. Castro saw this as an abuse of Cuban resources and people and set off on his political journey to rectify this error (Simkin). Castro was able to gain control of the governance through his political and rebellious course of action. Initially, he joined Cuban People’s Party in 1947 to put in his efforts in the social revival of Cuba. The party’s motives largely attracted Castro as these were consistent with his own goals. The party pressed for reforms whereby the corruption and injustice would be rectified, unemployment and poverty catered to and obnoxiously low wages looked on for improvements. His patriotism and passion quickly brought him to the forefront of the team. His interpersonal skills made him a hero in the eyes of numerous Cuban people who supported him in his motives till the very end (Simkin). In 1952 when the elections were scheduled to be held, Castro was a member of Congress for the Cuban People’s Party. This party was the most liable to be selected for the formation of the upcoming government. However, General Fulgencio Batista intervened in the elections with the help of armed forces and took over the control of the country’s affairs. This infuriated Castro and his fellow members. He was soon seen plotting against Batista’s make-do governance. Within a year in 1953, Cas tro attacked the Moncada Army Barracks with the help of 123 other individuals, both men and women (Nosotro, 2010). With a compliance of only 123 individuals, Castro did not stand a chance against the organized armed forces of Batista. Soon the rebellion was suppressed with eight killings during the battle and numerous killings after that. Castro repeatedly got lucky when those individuals in charge of him continually disobeyed orders of assassinating him. The news quickly

Music-Culture Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music-Culture Questions - Essay Example Music has been a part of human civilization since the earliest times of human existence. The evolution of music over the centuries has made it an almost integral part of human life to the extent that music stars become heroes of a country and are immortalized in memory, stamps, or statues and by their very own work. From the classical producers of music like Beethoven and Bach, the rock stars of the 60s to the boy band fever of the 90s, music has been an essential aspect of art and culture for our society. With regard to my own experience, I find it very difficult to estimate how many hours per day I listen to music especially if I include the songs running in the background while I work on my computer or when I am sitting in a lab. However, on a conservative estimate I would guess that I listen to at least 2 hours of music on a daily basis. Often, I will leave the music playing while the TV is on and mute the TV while I work on my computer with the music playing in the background.

Critical inquiry about an aspect of visual culture, about the idea Essay

Critical inquiry about an aspect of visual culture, about the idea change on culture - Essay Example However, through many of the traditions of Mardi Gras exploitation of foreign manufacturing is taking place. The film Mardi Gras: Made in China is a documentary that shows how one of the most sexualized, but constant traditions of Mardi Gras is contributing to the exploitation of Chinese factory workers. The baggage that existed in approaching this topic consists of knowing that there are Chinese workers involved in creating the visual culture of Mardi Gras, creating bold and gaudy beads that are used for a consumer exchange of nudity for cheap products. However, the full understanding of what it means to be a Chinese factory worker was not known before doing research for this project. In watching the documentary Mardi Gras: Made in China the visual presentation of culture by contrasting the wasteful and hedonistic culture of Mardi Gras compared to the austere culture of the factory workers was startling. Young women in Mardi Gras debase themselves by showing their breasts to get che ap beads, a party atmosphere infectious and transforming them into performing this ritual. In China, the stark reality of the young women who work in these factories opens up the eyes of the viewer to what it means to create these beads that are used so carelessly. ... 11). The simple understanding of Mardi Gras is that it is a celebration that comes before the Catholic period of Lent. Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, which refers to the tradition of eating rich, fatty foods before Ash Wednesday which begins a period of fasting and reduced pleasure in food. While Mardi Gras itself is celebrated in many cultures and just on that specific Tuesday, in New Orleans it is celebrated for the two weeks before lent which falls in February. The tradition was brought to New Orleans by the French who settled the region. The official colors of the festival, introduced in 1872 by the Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, are purple which signifies justice, green which signifies faith, and gold which signifies power (Hale, 2007). Mardi Gras is ripe with tradition. Large scale parades are sponsored by ‘krewes’ which are racially and gender specific, making up the rich ethnically diverse history of New Orleasns. The parades are highly visual events with cheap beads , doubloons, and other items thrown each day from the floats. The air is filled with colorful items flying through the air and being caught by people in wild costumes that rival those on the people who populate the floats. Collecting these items during the celebration leads to disposing of them as trash at the end of the celebration. Mardi Gras is a time when sexual and social beliefs are suspended and people begin to behave in hedonistic ways. One of the traditions of Mardi Gras is that in exchange for showing their breasts and sometimes more, men will give women strings of beads. This commoditization of nudity in exchange for the collection of beads creates a

Prostitution as a Social Problem Research Paper

Prostitution as a Social Problem - Research Paper Example This discussion stresses that  there are three classes of prostitutes.   Those who belong to the top layer are the discreet call-girls for the affluent.   Those in the middle class are the prostitutes who work in strip clubs and massage parlors and who offer backroom services.   Those in the lowest layer are the street walkers which include the harlots, hookers and nightwalkers.   The prostitutes in the lowest layer are the ones beset by most problems.   Because they are not under any supervision, they are prone to violence and at a high healthcare risk due to unsafe sexual contact with unscreened clients.   These are the prostitutes who are in need of much help.This paper discusses that prostitution involves a lot of personalities.   Foremost among the group are the prostitutes.   In the U.S., the average age of entry into prostitution is 14 . This group which takes on the roles of prostitutes includes children or teens, or adults who entered into systems of prosti tution as children or teens.   A vast majority also includes the Third World women and children.   They are the ones who are often targets of traffickers.   These women and children are enslaved and coerced and brought to western nations for use in brothels and massage parlors, or as mail order brides.   In some Third World countries, â€Å"sex tourism† is very rampant because it offers cheap prostitution. The second group involved in prostitution are the pimps.   About 80-90% of prostitution involves a pimp.... Foremost among the group are the prostitutes. In the U.S., the average age of entry into prostitution is 14 (SAGE, n.d.). This group which takes on the roles of prostitutes includes children or teens, or adults who entered into systems of prostitution as children or teens. A vast majority also includes the Third World women and children. They are the ones who are often targets of traffickers. These women and children are enslaved and coerced and brought to western nations for use in brothels and massage parlors, or as mail order brides. In some Third World countries, â€Å"sex tourism† is very rampant because it offers cheap prostitution. The second group involved in prostitution are the pimps. About 80-90% of prostitution involves a pimp. They are either male or female with different ethnic backgrounds and social status. Pimps â€Å"control the people in prostitution through coercion, force, drug addiction, or the exploitation of economic, physical or emotional vulnerability † (SAGE, n.d.). A major group that is involved in the system of prostitution is the â€Å"demand† side, meaning the â€Å"johns†, â€Å"tricks†, customers and child sexual abusers. These are the people who are into pornography and who go to strip clubs. The other groups who are victims of the system of prostitution are the transgender, lesbian, bisexual and gay youth. Because of the discrimination that they experience from their families and communities, they are often the targets of pimps. Since some societies still find this group unacceptable, prostitution becomes their option for economic survival. Law enforcement agencies and legislators have a role to play too in prostitution. They are the group who can control, eradicate or contribute to the problem of prostitution in the

Anne Sexton Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anne Sexton - Research Paper Example The person responsible for Sexton picking up the pen is her psychiatrist Dr. Martin Orne. It was May 29, 1957 and at her second attempt at taking her own life when Dr. Orne came up to her and told her she has something to live for. Her poetry is something that people just like her may find emphatic. She was then 28 years old with two daughters when she was admitted to Glenside Hospital after another breakdown. It was barely a year since their doctor-patient relationship that lasted for a decade. Previously, Dr. Martha Brunner-Orne, Dr. Martin Orne’s mother was treating her. It was only because Orne left Boston for Philadelphia that their medical relationship stopped. Later, when Sexton died, her revered therapist even went so far as to condemn her two succeeding therapists. One was alleged to have had an unethical affair with Sexton while treating her while the second who forbade her to see Orne abruptly stopped treating her (Hughes, par.11-14). Her mental illness is so entwined with her poetry that despite reproach, Orne allowed biographer Diane Wood Middlebrook to listen to confidential tapes in Sexton’s psychotherapy sessions in 1991 (Hughes, par.6-10). Her personal demons are such an integral part of her writing that it cannot be dismissed as a focal point for a number of her works. â€Å"I checked out for the last time, on the first of May; graduate of the mental cases, with my analyst’s okay, my complete book of rhymes, my typewriter and my suitcases† (Sexton, â€Å"Double Image†). From one of her earlier works, â€Å"Double Image† carries a lot of ground and is forthright in her struggles with mental illness. It was also an account on how she got started with writing. Written as an open letter to her daughter, Joyce, Sexton winds back and forth between her childhood to her adult life to her motherhood. It was an account of the way she got started into poetry, determined to put

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others, (Winston Churchill). There are several different ways t be courageous. Harper Lee, in her 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, uses courage as a main theme. Harper Lee demonstrates that if one can tell the truth, change or remain rooted in their morals, they are a minority among people who lack the ability to do so. In To Kill a Mockingbird there are different characters that show it takes a certain amount of courage to tell the truth. When Dolphus Raymond said, You little folk wont tell on me now, will you? Itd ruin my reputation if you did, (Lee 227) after he showed the kids that is was Coke in his paper and not alcohol. It was to make the children feel better about the trial. He had the courage to tell the kids the truth, right when there was a whole lot of lying going on in the courtroom, and risked them spreading his story. Another great example is that Tom Robinson, during his trial, had the courage to tell the truth about why he regularly helped Mayella. When Mr. Gilmer asked Tom why he was so obliged to do Mayellas chores for free, Tom ruined any chance he had of winning the case by answering, I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try moren the rest of em, (224). Back in the 1930s in the southern hills of Maycomb County, Alabama, where this story takes place, how dare a black man feel sorry for a white woman. The white citizens of the south believed that blacks were the lowest of the low. Lower than trailer trash, like the Ewells. What Tom said contradicted the mindset of the time and he died because of it. Not many characters have the strength to tell the truth, however some do and the make a world of change. Harper Lee, in To Kill a Mockingbird, shows the readers that having the ability to change is quite significant. Not everyone can, and change can take your life, shake it a bit and when its put back down you dont know if it is for better or for worse. Scout always used to get into fights. One day, Atticus asked Scout to stop fighting. Scout loves her father very much and doesnt want to disappoint him so she listened, no matter how much she got chided for it. When I committed myself to a policy of cowardice. Word got around that Scout Finch wouldnt fight anymore, her daddy wouldnt let her, (92). It was courageous of her to change because fighting was a big part of her life and her peers were sure to tease her. Another character that exemplifies the courage to change is Mrs. Dubose. She was addicted to morphine but had the courage to change for the final hours of her life, even though she knew she would die soon no matter what. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Courage is when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what, (128). Mrs. Dubose had the courage to change and died content with herself. Its clear that you need to be courageous to change because not many characters change in this story. Maycomb was born in ignorance and Maycomb continued to live in ignorance. The most courageous acts in To Kill a Mockingbird occur when a character is alone in their morals and remain rooted in those morals no matter what. Atticus is a perfect example of someone sticking to their guns. The reason that he gives his children as to why he is defending the black man, Tom Robinson is, Before I can live with other folks, Ive got to live with myself, (120). A different example is at the end of the book, when Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell. Sherriff Tate sticks to his morals by reporting that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Sherriff Tate told Atticus that if Boo was charged with murder, the attention he would receive from the towns women would kill Boo. Another example of a character being steadfast in their morals is when Calpurnia, knowing that everyone is equal, takes Jem and Scout to the black peoples church. Some of the black folks werent very welcoming to the kids because they were white. Lula stopped, but she said, You aint got no business bringin white chillun here-they got their church, we got ourn. It is our church aint it Miss Cal? Calpurnia said, Its the same God aint it? (136). These characters truly are minorities. That is when they shine and are model citizens of Maycomb County. Seems like being alone, fighting for what they believe in, makes them stronger. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is the characters that have the courage to stand out against racism and break the status quo of Maycomb County that are a minority among the characters that dont. Courage is one of the biggest themes in To Kill a Mockingbird and only a special few are able to possess it. As Reggie White said, God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight.

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation

Barbarians and Roman Civilisation The debate surrounding the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD is one that has been contested throughout history. The arguments can be divided into two major schools of thought. Firstly, Henri Pirennes, Pirenne Thesis[1], which postulates the Barbarians did not facilitate for the disappearance of Roman civilisation and culture, with Roman society continuing after the breakdown of central authority. Pirenne asserts the Barbarians sought to benefit from the established Roman civilisation, and thus strove to preserve the Roman way of life. Conversely, the eminent Bryan Ward-Perkins -archaeologist and professor at Oxford University- hypothesises in his magnum opus, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization the argument: Germanic people instigated the end of civilisation for almost one thousand years, characterised by social, economic and technological regression.[2] I believe, its undeniable to determine that n umerous areas of the former Western Empire suffered detrimental changes to their quality of life at the hands of the Barbarian tribes. Nevertheless, evidence shows an abundance of continuity across the former Western Empire following the Germanic incursions, with society progressing in Barbarians cities such as Marseille[3]. Therefore, when assessing the extent to which the Barbarians facilitated for the disappearance of Roman Civilisation; one must determine on a case-by-case basis with no overarching answer conclusively possible. Although, it appears for the majority of the former Western Empire that society progressed, characteristically Roman, but slowly transformed into a Germanic-Romano society, reinforced prominent primary and contemporary sources. One example of the supposed regression that Ward-Perkins uses to develop the idea of the fall of Roman civilisation is the collapse of literary sophistication[4] which characterised the Empire. Ward-Perkins argues the literary record of the Dark Ages was not as comprehensive and sophisticated as the period of Roman authority that preceded it. When assessing whether Romanic literary culture survived, or in fact developed, the most utilitarian surviving material is the primary source of eight court charters from Lombardy and Merovingian France. These documents provide an unrivalled primary source for evaluating if Romanic literary culture survived. The Merovingian documents illuminate that of 138 subscribers 73.2% managed to sign the document themselves.[5] With only 37 not being able to sign and therefore assumed illiterate we can see an exceptionally high literacy rate. The documents also highlight the demographics of the signatories allowing us to see indisputably, 53 out of the lit erate 101 were traditional laymen.[6] Of course, this statistic cannot be conclusive of the entire former Western Empire, but is an indicator that decades after the sacking and formal Germanic occupation a culture of literacy did not irrefutably fall, and in places such as Merovingian France it undeniably developed. Subsequently, this primary source supports Henri Pirenne, who asserted, There was an extensive and mostly literate Merovingian lay culture [under Clovis I.][7] However, as much as these primary documents aid Pirennes argument, in equal regard, they retract, supporting the argument that one cannot provide an overarching answer, assisting Ward-Perkins overall regression claims. The first reason why the source is disputable in its substance is those called to sign attendance were innately from the higher echelons of society, even at upper lay level[8], where literacy was more common than across the general population spectrum. Analysing the equivalent primary documents of Lombard Italy, the number is nowhere near as impressive, considering that of 988 signatories only 326[9] could sign their name. Despite representing 633 of the signatures, only 14% of laymen managed to sign with 554 instead having to use the stamp. The value of this Pro-Pirenne source is retracted further when consider ing that Lombard women were excluded from signing, allowing us to assume immediately that 50% of the population was inherently illiterate. Subsequently, this primary source provides a clear level of understanding into the nature of post-Roman literacy. Nevertheless, it must be ascertained that the documents cant be treated overly conclusive due to their incomplete nature, and as they only show a localised picture.   Moreover, the documents suggest arguably the most conclusive argument, pockets of Romanic civilisation in the field of literacy continued to excel, whereas others regressed following the fall of Rome. It must be acknowledged since only a modicum of documents survived they cannot be wholly representative of the population, coupled with the fact, not everyone would have been called to sign a during their life. These people were the lowest on the social hierarchy; as a feudal society and due to the nature of the time its overwhelmingly likely that the majority of the population would remain illiterate. Overall, this primary source appears to be mostly useful as it mirrors the trends of many other facets of Roman life that can be proved more conclusively with France flourishing, culturally and economically whereas other regions, especially in Italy[10]. There is evidence, in line with the Pirenne Thesis suggesting society did not back track, seen in Merovingian France, with Gregory of Tours Historia Francorum,[11] allowing us to see literary sophistication surviving 108 years after the fall of Rome. Yet, concurrently supporting Ward-Perkins as there is evident disparity across the Empire, from written sophistication, down to technical regression, with the reduction of documents written on Papyrus paper; seen by the fact that 7th century Italy only has eight surviving Papyrus documents, only one originating from Rome.[12] Therefore, allowing us to see that even though the upper classes are still literate theyre producing less material of the prow ess that characterised the empire. Similarly, for the subordinate classes the lack of evidence makes it impossible to formulate a broad conclusion for large areas of the former Western Empire. On the surviving information, available the evidence would suggest the Pirenne Thesis as the most convincing argument when analysing literacy in the former Western Empire, as it appears broadly, a literary culture survived. Many contemporary historians promote the view of the Barbarian as, lacking refinement being primitive, ignorant, brutal, rapacious, destructive and cruel.[13] Emphasising the idea, Roman civilisation was extinguished suddenly and brutally: Roman civilization did not pass peacefully. It was assassinated.[14] Which I do not agree with; rather I align with Pirenne who affirms the Barbarians found it advantageous to embrace the culture.[15] The Primary source, Sidonius Apollinaris promotes in his letters[16] the civilised Barbarian, the Visigoth King, Theodoric II. Apollinaris presents Theodoric with a lengthy description describing him as a man of prestige and celestial reverence, with the masculine grandeur avowing If there is a miss through eithers error, your vision will mostly be at fault, and not the archers skill. Yet still possess a fair complexion often flush, but from modesty, and not from anger. From Apollinaris description, we see Theodoric as the ideal Tertullian[17] noblema n, an embodiment of Western Culture; which Theodoric II unequivocally strove to fit, a blend between the philosophically methodical and the compassionate.[18] We can see that Apollinaris epistle is a valuable source for analysing whether the Barbarians continued Roman ideals, due to contextual factors. Firstly, Theodoric strove to preserve Roman civilization like his father, as they saw Frankish culture as subordinate to Roman due to the admirable ideals Roman culture presented. Their determination to preserve roman culture can be seen at the Battle of Chà ¢lonswhere they fought alongside the Romans to force Attila out of North-Eastern France. Despite being the (illegitimate) grandson of Alaric I, under Theodoric I, Frankish-Barbarian culture became interconnected with the Romans. As they were pivotal to Roman victory upon Theodorics II succession he was engulfed into the higher strata of Romanic civilisation having gained acclamation defending Romanic culture against rival Barbari an empires. Therefore, when evaluating the source, we can see from Theodorics territories, despite the loss of a centralised government in 476AD, the region remained Roman in nearly every sense of the word, only through decades of gradual attrition long after the fall of Rome that the region itself stopped identifying as Roman, evolving into a Gallo-Romano society. Theodoric produced a myriad of geometric and stonework motifs[19] in Carcassonnea promoting continuity between Rome and the reign of Theodoric II, showing Roman civilisation surviving. Despite Apollinaris sheer idealisation of Theodoric, we can see that the description isnt just propaganda comparable with Tacitus Germania[20], but, rather an astute analysis of Theodorics character. We can see this as Apollinaris outlines Theodoric wanting to represent a Roman man but falling short, he embraced Christianity to preserve Roman civilisation; however, it was apparent his prayers were more in habit than in convicted assiduity. Subsequently, its undeniable to determine that despite the sources amplification, its credible in its material; a criticism suggesting Theodoric wasnt a convicted Christian would send him into a bout of rage. However, the suggestion he was almost so civilised as for him to be Roman should be taken lightly as despite his appreciation of culture and art, he obtained th e throne by the murdering elder brother Thorismund[21]. Gibbon stated: he justified this atrocious deed by the design which the heir-apparent formed of violating his alliance with the empire.[22] Therefore, regardless of the good nature to Theodorics crime, defending the Empire, he violated the principles of being Roman. In Theodorics Visigoth kingdom, its clear to see Romano culture surviving, only after gradual attrition, evolving. Therefore, we see both Pirenne and Ward-Perkins coming through; Pirenne could clearly assert that culture here did survive before transforming into a Gothic kingdom. This source validates the argument of Ward-Perkins, its clear despite the attempts made by Theodoric to maintain a level of Roman culture; it was incompatible with the average Barbarian who had little interesting in preserving Romanness dating back to the tribe of Theodorics grandfather sacking Rome in 410AD. Theodorics Roman ideals were not shared by the upper echelons of the Frank society , seen by the fact he was assassinated only a few years after taking the throne by brother Euric. Its possible to see the shift (or, perceived shift) in civilisation from Roman control to Barbarian through the primary source, the Bishop of Chaves, Hydatius. Hydatius The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana[23] provides the only extensive account of Spanish history through the fifth century. Hydatius states that post-Roman Gallaecia was, A wretched place to live, the inhabitants: cold, inhospitable and brutishà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Despite the mineral wealth, the place had a vile reputation for brigandage and ruinous tribal warfare.[24] Hydatius allows us to see the transition from peaceful times the emergence of a Germanic kingdom, following 411AD and, Vandal and Suevi invasions theres a drop in the variety of sources used by the Churchman. Hydatius was forced to live within an isolated Roman community constantly threatened by the barbarian presence[25], subsequently Germanising the region facilitating for a cultural revolution. The complexity of the Chronicle is replaced by uncertainty; Hydatius makes no secret of the fact that the Barbarians that facilitated for the loss of sophistication in his work. Following the death of John of Jerusalem in 417AD, all Hydatius could ascertain was that an elderly man took over the bishopric, despite it being well known outside Northern Spain that Praylius had been occupying the role for several years. Due to the Barbarian occupation, we see clear gaps in the information the source presents. Hydatius knows after the expulsion of Nestorius from Constantinople, Flavian became the Patriarch (447-449); but gives no indication that he knew of either man who occupied the role from 431-447AD, Maximian and Proclus[26]. Subsequently, we see an undeniable decline under Germanic occupation regressing from fluid streams of communication with Flavius Aetius to uncertainty; reinforcing the argument that Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman civilisation in the years 376AD to 496AD. However, akin to many characteristics of the period, the answer appears to be somewhere in the middle, which becomes apparent due to Hydatius source limitations. Hydatius is intrinsically anti-German due to their forceful occupation of his land and therefore he demonises them at every opportunity. Its perspicuous that the Chronicle was never intended for anyone outside Spaniards, potentially even Galicia.[27] Despite being a one-of-a-kind account of Barbarians in Spain, Hydatius is prone to exaggerating the occupations impacts. The barbarian entry in 409AD was undoubtable an event which made an impact, but not a resounding one, with chroniclers such as Count Marcellinus passing over it with silence, but to Hydatius it was an event of equal significance to the Sack of Rome. Delusion expected of a man who fully expected the world to end within fifteen years[28]. One of the reasons why Hydatius source is not conclusive of Germanic Spain is due the contrast between Hydatius meagre knowle dge of the world, compared with the other letters and sources coming out of Spain synchronously. We can see that during the period of 468-483AD, when the times were more tumultuous, encompassing the fall of Rome we can see that communication between the Rome and Mà ©rida was frequent and fast. This consequently, suggests the rest of Spain was not so cut off from civilisation and the Romanic world. There are many communiquà ©s addressed to Zeno, the Bishop of Mà ©rida from Pope Simplicius, with one reading We have learned from the report of many[29], about Zenos excellent administration. Therefore, it can be deduced that many travellers reported the ecclesiastical conditions in Southern Spain, Simplicius bears no hint of anticipating any difficulties in sending confidential letters outlining his ambitions to a distant land that Hydatius had marked as Barbaric. Correspondingly, the metropolitan bishop, and the Pope years prior to Hydatius, referred to North-Western Spain as the edge of the world and an extreme part of the earth[30], it is subsequently no surprise that Cape Finisterre was believed to the furthest west point on Earth. Therefore, the hypothesis that the Barbarians alone were responsible for the lack of communication is not a conclusive one, despite it being true that the reach of the sources decreased; there was a reason why for centuries the Greeks referred to the land as mountainous, cold and hard to reach. Subsequently, supporting the argument that despite what Hydatius said appearing mostly true, when considering the entire Western Empire, the account is microcosmic. Reinforcing the idea that in certain areas, life carried on as normal, whereas in other places, such as Galicia, the status-quo Romanic culture was replaced by the new Germanic one. For the majority of people in Spanish lands communication does not seem to be affected, referenced by the dozens of surviving letters between Tarragona and Rome (463-465AD) with, in the many qualms raised, communication never even being implied. When assessing whether Roman Civilisation disappeared or not, one of the most compelling arguments from both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is centred on the post-Roman economy. Henri Pirennes Thesis has spearheaded the argument suggesting continuity with the Roman economic model. The Thesis establishes that Mediterranean trade in 600AD was no different to that of 400AD taking the stance that the Germanic invasions did not destroy the unity that the ancient Mediterranean world had enjoyed[31]. This perception of continuity has stemmed debate, especially considering Pirennes Thesis is heavily reliant upon written evidence[32],   Looking at the archaeology along with the written sources is pivotal to comprehending the post-Roman economy and the role the barbarian invasions played; thus, Ward-Perkins provides a convincing argument. Extensive settlements such as Marseille are communities that had significant populations supported by excellent archaeological records, enabling the most ro unded view on the extent to which Barbarians facilitated the disappearance of Roman Civilisation. As preluded, one such case study mentioned by both Ward-Perkins and Pirenne is Marseille, a site which has been extensively excavated enabling for detailed accounts of Late Antique Marseille to be presented. Ward-Perkins incorporates the evidence of professor Simon Loseby, accredited for the most vigorous excavation and analysis of Marseille into his work, Ward-Perkins believes, Marseille may have been particularly well-placed to ride, even to turn back, a tide of events whichà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ was pushing ahead the process of urban and economic decline.[33] This conclusion is possible due to examination of both written and archaeological evidence; pinpointing the fact that Marseille continued as a trading centre centuries after 476AD through examination of the ceramic material available there.[34]   It appears Marseille was able to continue as a part of the pan-Mediterranean trading network until at least the end of the sixth century.   Its also noted that Marseille had i ts own mint, capable of producing copper and gold coinage, suggesting that Marseille had an economic hegemony on the surrounding area[35].   Thus, Marseilles image is not simply of a city that endured Barbarian rule, but rather one that progressed.   This view is emphasised in written sources too, seen from the Bishop of Tours, presenting a thriving cosmopolitan city, stimulated by the perpetual flow of merchants, diplomats and churchmen[36]. Conclusively, Marseille undoubtedly avoided economic decline under the rule of the barbarians and from the contextual evidence available the Roman way of life appear does not appear to vanish from the city; collateral to, neighbours Arles. However, Marseille is an isolated case study.   In this instance, the barbarians appear to have had a very small role in the end of the Roman world, Marseille is not representative of the situation many found themselves in after the barbarian invasions.   What it shows through archaeology was that the invasions were not universally detrimental as in some areas, Barbarians sought to use Roman institutions for profit, promoting continuity between the Romans and Barbarians. This is where the differentiation between Ward-Perkins and Pirenne comes in. Across the former Empire, evidence suggests a general decline in standards of living. Ward-Perkins actively pursues the idea that the period following 476AD was one of a dramatic move away from sophistication toward much greater simplicity.[37] He reinforces this stance by through an examination of pottery and coinage, seen through the existence of luxury, but a substantial middle and lower goods market.[38]   Ward-Perki ns also establishes a pattern of reduced pottery and coinage production, across the former Empire in from 476 until the fourteenth century[39].   Where the Pirenne Thesis falls short compared to Ward-Perkins is the fact that Ward-Perkins recognises cities such as London and Marseille flourished following the collapse of Imperial power, whilst other economic centres collapsed. Wherever the Barbarians didnt see profit, they laid siege destroying the societies civilisation, seen from the economic damage left to industries such as farmland, and the loss of citizens either through capture or violence.   Evidence of the Barbarian trail of destruction can be seen from the sack of Mainz all the way to Toulouse and into Spain.   It may be unfair to criticise Pirenne exceedingly, as Ward-Perkins had the best part of seventy years extra research available following Pirennes posthumously published Thesis. Considering the information Pirenne had in the 1920s he provides a de tailed, accurate analysis of Mediterranean trade and Roman Civilisation. But, when we add the years of development, with widespread archaeological analysis, predominantly a post-World War II development; in the Mediterranean and Central/Western European we see a new light. Thus, we are able to come to the conclusion that whilst areas of the former Western Empire fell into a state of economic devastation, other areas improved, rising to new heights under Barbarian occupation. In conclusion, whilst the Barbarians catalysed the ending of the most vast and complex institution in the ancient world, the notion they conclusively marked the end of civilisation in the west for a thousand years is a claim that does not stand true conclusively.   There is undoubtable evidence to suggest that after the occupation of the Empire by the barbarian peoples, the systems implemented by the Romans were still in place, and that both the administrative[40] and day to day status quo remained largely unchanged for over two hundred years. Archaeological and literary evidence suggests, after the Barbarian invasions individual provinces and communities continued to carry out daily life in much the same way that they had done in the later days of the Empire the early seventh century. Following the Barbarians penetration of the empire its undeniable that certain tribes sought to ruthlessly destroy, as can see be in Pesaro and Fano in Italy which had their walls destroyed and internal structures burnt to the ground.[41] Milan too, where the Milanese women and children were enslaved and the men all killed[42]. But, there were clear examples of the preservation of Roman culture as we can see through case studies such as Marseille, and Barbarian kingdoms originally characterised by their Roman way of life. Leading to the assertion that the extent to which Roman civilisation survived depended on where you happened to live. Predominantly, Romanic culture appears to continue for decades after the first crossing of the Danube by the Barbarians, the period of Germanic rule ushered a time of narrowing horizons, strengthening local roots, and consolidating old loyalties.[43] Bibliography [1] A series of papers published from 1922 to 1939. Each book or paper shall be referenced as the title of the book in the footnotes but referred to as the Pirenne Thesis in the document for ease of understanding. [2] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 104. [4] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 37. [5] Writers and Readers in Medieval Italy (Petrucci, 1995) p. 66. [6] Of the Literate: 53 Lay, 37 ecclesiastics, 2 women and 9 uncertain. [7] Mohammed and Charlemagne (Pirenne, 1939, reprint 2012 edition) p. 284.   Originally published as: De là ©tat de linstruction des laÃÆ' ¯ques à   là ©poque mà ©rovingienne(translation: Lay Education in the Merovingian Epoch) (Pirenne, 1934) [8] Traditional Yeoman for instance, as they would be classified as lay. [9] Writers and Readers in Medieval Italy (Petrucci, 1995) Book, Handwriting and School. [11] The Historia Francorum: Ten books recounting the worlds history from Creation to the Christianization of Gaul, as well as Frankish conquests and the Christianisation of Gaul. [13] Terry Jones Barbarians, Episode 4 End of the World (BBC Two, 2006) [14] The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation (Ward-Perkins, 2005) p. 220. [15] Key theme of all books in the Pirenne Thesis mentioned throughout Medieval Cities: Their Origins and the Revival of Trade [16] http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/halsall/source/sidonius2.html [17]  The father of Western Theology: Tertullian published the book De Pallio, which in part outlined what it meant to be an ideal Roman man, with special focus on those in higher society. [18] Apollinaris on Theodoric II: Silent at a good throw, he makes merry over a bad, annoyed by neither fortune, and always the philosopher. He is too proud to ask or to refuse a revenge; he disdanisn to avail himself of one if offered and if it is opposed will quietly go on playing.- Footnote 16 for the web address to the quote. [19] http://imgur.com/gallery/J41Jl [20] Tacitus Germania: a historical and ethnographic work on the Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire. The book outlines different characteristics and details of each tribe, describing them as a purer race compared to the decadent Romans, the antagonists of Tacitus polemic. [21] This is arguably very Roman. However, we are following the idealised Roman perspective as outlined by Tertullian.   [24] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana (Burgess, 1993) pp. 72-83. [25] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 4. [26] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 96. [27] Hydatius records events such as the eclipse of the sun on the 11th November 402AD which was a total eclipse where it was scarcely visible in Northern Spain, where he was, but almost total in Constantinople. [28] The Chronicle of Hydatius and the Consularia Constantinopolitana. (Burgess, 1993) p. 32. [29] Romans and Barbarians: The Decline of the Western Empire. (Thompson, 1982) p. 149. [30] The name Finisterre even directly translates to Latin as finis terrae, meaning end of the earth. [32] Mohammed, Charlemagne the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenn

Impact of Social and Sexual Changes on Art

Impact of Social and Sexual Changes on Art Hair has traditionally been cited as a discernibly female expression of sexuality and beauty, an aesthetic composition that exacerbates a womans ability to attract members of the opposite sex while acting as a visual demarcation line between the male female divides. Conversely, the fact that men often begin to lose their hair during the middle stages of their life adds further mystique to the power of female hair in popular western culture. Like her sexuality, a womans hair is unrelenting burning bright like the female passion that has so unsettled male artists for centuries. Symbolically, the difference between male and female hair has been ephemeral versus eternal; short lived as opposed to everlasting, a fantasy constructed entirely in tandem with a lack of knowledge or even interest in female sexuality within intellectual and artistic circles in the past. The notion of female hair working together with her sexuality as a tool to make a mockery of men was first cemented artistically during the ancient era, where Greek mythologys most famous exponent of the power of seduction of female hair, the Gorgon Medusa, stands as a warning to all men: to beware the hidden power of a beautiful woman. The punishment inflicted upon Medusa by the Goddess Athena because of her famous beauty and charm was to transform her sensual hair into a nest of snakes: for mortal man to even look at her would cast him, quite literally, into stone. With such a powerful, traditional starting point, it is little wonder that the issue of women, hair, art and society would continue along a broadly similar pattern for so many years, where stereotypically beautiful women were seen by men as constituting the front line of the ongoing cultural and sexual war – an object to be simultaneously admired and feared. However, according to James Kirwan (1999:73), it is not female sexuality which is destructive but rather male desire for that beauty. â€Å"The passion of the lover is not extinguished by the sight or touch of any body, for what he truly desires and unknowingly suffers is the splendour of God shining through the body. It is a desire like that of Narcissus that can never be satisfied.† Within the specifically subjective realms of art and visual art, female hair has a long history of conforming to the accepted image of the compliant, recipient woman due to the pervasive, dominant nature of men in art and society. Until the second half of the twentieth century women had become so accustomed to viewing their world through the eyes of men that they had lost sight of the individuality of women as a separate gender and as singular, autonomous human beings. Yet after the 1960s, visual art and aesthetics became increasingly interested in the views of the first wave of feminism, continuing along more radical, left wing lines with the introduction of the second wave during the 1970s. Women were embraced within the artistic community and encouraged to vent and express their sentiments regarding the suppression of the feminine in popular culture. As feminist critic Lucy Lippard (1980:352) details, the true power of feminist art was, logically, in the polar opposite image that it portrayed of modern societys creative achievements. â€Å"Feminist method and theories have instead offered a socially concerned alternative to the increasingly mechanised evolution of art about art. The 1970s might not have been pluralist at all if women had not emerged during the decade to introduce the multi coloured threads of female experience into the male fabric of modern art.† Moreover, women began to change their appearance for the first time in direct protest at the shackles of uniformity that male society had put upon them and hair was at the centre of the re moulding of the image of femininity in the West. The more radical, younger women changed their clothes, re adapted their attitudes and cut their hair in line with the more liberal males of the period who did likewise and grew their hair as a signal of their refusal to conform. The dissertation aims to examine how traditional social and sexual mores have changed in recent times in order to detail what this means for the visual artistic community, in particular the consequences for female artists in the wake of post modernity. In light of the obvious split in feminist art and culture that has been witnessed since the sixties, the dissertation will necessarily be divided into four main sections. The first chapter will provide an analysis and definition of the broader socio political framework of contemporary female sexuality so as to provide a better understanding of the power of feminine symbolism in a male dominated culture. The second chapter will look at the history of female hair and portrayals of female sexuality over the broader history of art; the third chapter examines modern visual art and culture paying particular attention to the use of hair as a medium for communicating with the spectator. The fourth chapter will analyse outsider arts views of female sexuality and hair, as defined by technology and race respectively. A conclusion will be sought only after taking into account each of the above headings as well as the necessary citations that must be employed to back up theory with example along the way. Contemporary Female Sexuality in Post Modern Society Female subversion in cultural affairs has led to womans alienation in the creative world with the result that her sexuality has only very recently been considered important enough to be the inspiration behind a growing body of academic literature. While feminism in the 1970s saw to it that gay women were represented in culture and art as much as heterosexual women, the movement of lesbians into the avant garde community only served to act as a dividing line between straight and gay women whereby many heterosexual female artists were seen as traitors to their own sex. Recent popular works of art and literature have sought to re introduce complexity into an area where theories about the nature of sexual liberty, manufactured largely by men, had become overtly simplistic. The most extreme exponent of the contemporary debate about female sexuality comes from Paris Curator for Conceptual Art, Catherine Millet and her 2002 memoirs, The Sexual Life of Catherine M. In an interview with The Observer (2002:13) newspaper, the French art critic notes that: â€Å"Sexual mores have evolved recently; nevertheless some sexual practices are only tolerated if they are kept hidden. I look forward to a democratisation of sexuality where anyone can reveal their true nature without suffering socially.† Women in Western society have become more independent, assertive and culturally aggressive during the past twenty five years so that female sexuality, in 2005, although still a topic in transition, is a force to be reckoned with inside of the male corridors of artistic influence. Yet contemporary feminist art is an amalgamation and result of the prejudices and taboos that went before it; it is, therefore a symptom of post modernity the culture that defines itself as the generation after the initial social liberation of the sixties implicitly and intrinsically linked to both gender and sexuality. As Christopher Reed (1997:276) implies, feminism was the catalyst for the widespread disassociation that is at the root of post modern radicals ground breaking view of sexuality. â€Å"From the outset, postmodernism dislodged the wedge that mainstream modernism had driven between art and life†¦ feminists, in particular, questioned the way the anti authoritarian rhetoric of postmodernism seemed to become itself a form of cultural authority.† However, although it is true that women play a far more integral role than they did barley two or three generations beforehand, modernity has not constituted a complete break with the past. Modern art, as a direct relation of post-modern society, remains a sphere still largely controlled by men. What it has done is to ask questions where previously only traditional lines of argument were sought. In this way it can viewed as a series of separate branches that emanated from the same initial tree – creating seedlings of avant garde, abstract art, conceptual art, minimalist art and pop art to name but the most famous few. The sum of the legacy of the schism that occurred in society after the residue of the minor cultural revolution of the sixties had settled was a general approval of art as inversion: that what was previously long was short, that what was previously deemed as beautiful was altered until it became ugly – until, paradoxically, it was ultimately seen as beautiful once again. According to Donald Kuspit (artnet.com; first viewed 13 September 2005), modern and post modern art is obsessed with perverse images of sexuality as a source of constantly finding ways to push the barriers of societys rigid attitude towards sexuality and the physical form. â€Å"The treatment of (the body) as the be all and end all of existence, and the only thing at stake in a relationship is the source of modern arts perversion. It extends to a preoccupation with the body of the work of the art itself, which also becomes the object of perverse formal acts.† Postmodernism, therefore, implies rapidly increasing parity between men and women in all spheres of western culture best viewed in the sense of a blurring of the traditional boundaries of sexuality as opposed to a complete merger. At this point it should be noted that, in the same way that it was white males that dominated western art, so the feminists who influenced the first stages of avant garde art were predominantly white, educated and middle to upper class. The issue of race and religion is equally as significant in the discussion of feminism as it is within an analysis of society at large; cliques and hierarchies are a necessary by product of modern civilisation and their presence (and influence) should come as no surprise to basic students of sociology. Hair, every bit as much as skin colour, is a visible dividing line between the races and in the West the image of the Caucasian variety of female hair as a symbol of womens sexuality has resulted in a womans movement that is f ractured and splintered, more so given the brevity of the ideology as a whole. The essential link between culture and art, as well as politics and art means that nothing created during the early years of feminism was out of the reach of politicisation and none of it would have been made were it not for the wider advent of post modern society. Or, as Gombrich (1986:11) puts it: â€Å"not all art is concerned with visual discovery †. With the backdrop to the arrival of feminist sexuality and art in place, an evaluation of how one of the most potent symbols of feminine sexuality was used as a tool of womans subordination in art in the past must now be attempted. Female Hair, Sexuality and Symbolism in the History of Visual Art As already outlined, the question of womens hair and artistic expression is deep rooted in all civilisations. As well as the Greek and Roman equations of hair with dormant female sexuality, the pre Raphaelite artists also promulgated the view of feminine hair as seductive conqueror of weak male spirits. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century paintings continued to expand on the association of the snakes or ringlets of the Gorgons Head with male fear of female genitalia; the reversal of roles whereby the sinuous hairs of Medusa were inverted to symbolise the male phallic icon of power of women and nature. These notions were underlined by Freuds analysis that saw the intricate waves of classical female hair as symbolic of female metamorphosis and change – characterised by the uniquely female ability to transcend gender. According to Meghan Edwards (victorianweb.org; first viewed 15 September 2005), the Classical and Romantic image of the female using her hair to devour male libido was a collective and conscious manifestation of fear in Victorian society, one that was transmitted from the ancient period through to the advent of modern visual art. â€Å"The myth of women who carry in their femininity a grotesque vagina with teeth or who have embedded in their being a serpent or snake with the power to castrate took root long before Rossettis Lady Lilith but became increasingly unambiguous, bizarrely personalized, and widespread among the Symbolist poets and painters by the end of the [nineteenth] century. Visual and psychoanalytic connections between hair and serpents become increasingly explicit in Fernand Khnopffs The Blood of the Medusa, Franz von Stucks Fatality, and Edvard Munchs Vampire, wherein we see the complexity and ambiguousness that infused the imagery of earlier artists like the Rossettis, Waterhouse, Tennyson, and many others give way to an unrestrained fear and indulgence in the grotesque.† Rossettis Regina Cordium (Queen of Hearts), which he painted in 1860, began a period of change in artistic perspective on female hair, where it was accented as a means to communicate a womans ultimate fragility and dependence on man: the first realisation of her sexuality as the embodiment of mans annihilation and self destruction. Pollock (1992:132) notes how, â€Å"her hair is loose, a decent and suggestive sign of allowed disorder, conventionally a sign of womans sexuality.† It is of course significant that almost all of the most artistic and visual instances of female hair in painting were created by men. Many male artists, such as Manet, whos Olympia (1863 5) stands as the most obvious popular example, were non apologetic in terms of their bourgeois fascination with lower class women who were able to fulfil the well to do gentlemans most liberal carnal desires. As the prism through which both men and women viewed societys accepted ideal of the female form, these works of art (especially significant in the days before photography and other twentieth century means of visual communication) constituted the only truth that women knew. Artists of the Enlightenment such as Jean Baptiste Greuze, whos Broken Mirror (1773) charts the social struggle of sexually experienced yet single young woman, as well as High Victorian painters like William Holman Hunt, whos The Awakening Conscience (1853) details the plight and unique dilemma of a kept woman, all converged to create the prevailing image of female sexuality that remained the staple diet of western art for much of the twentieth century: a smouldering power that could be easily sedated by the socio political power of man. As Judy Chicago and Edward Lucie Smith (1999:88) testify, the fallen woman was the most popular portrayal of female sexuality for many of the male artists who dominated the pre twentieth century artistic arena with creators highlighting her essential weakness with a minimal visual emotional connection. â€Å"She is the one who has no way out, and the painter contemplates her dilemma with a sort of repressed sadism. With each one of these works one feels a conflict of intention. The artist, will ostensibly sympathising with the plight of his female subjects, in fact enjoys their suffering, and expects the audience to do so as well.† Where hair was employed as a tool to reference female sexuality, it was used to derisory and derogatory effect, as witnessed in the 1934 sculpture by Renà © Magritte entitled, Le Viol (The Rape), which transforms a mould of a womans torso into a distorted image of her face; her breasts are made into eyes, the hair covering her genitals becomes the mouth, while locks of coarse wavy hair protrude from the neck, conforming to the male stereotype of female hair as an instantly recognisable feature of her fertile sexuality. Clearly, female artists, although very much in the minority were by no means obsolete and painters such as Louise Marie Elizabeth Vigà ©e Lebrun, Rosalba Carriera and Angela Kauffman are but three of a long history of richly talented women artists who showed the intellectual and artistic communities the muted side of female sexuality, beyond the narrow conceptual borders imposed by man. However, in relation to the issue of hair as a vehicle through which to transport female sexuality to the viewer, few of these artists, male or female, made substantial in roads into a deeper philosophical exploration. It is important to note the significant socio economic shift that beset Europe and the United States after the end of the Great War in 1918. Because of their contribution to the labour force, in addition to the nascent political bodies such as the Womens Institute (founded in 1915) and the Suffragette Movement, females in the West were for the first time able to exist, albeit nominally at first, outside of the control of a patriarch. Gradually at first, more completely after the end of the Second World War in 1945, women were able to embrace independency, which necessarily brought with it tremendous consequences for the artistic community. Whereas women artists previously had to pander to male taste in order to sell as well as fund their work, women artists of the second half of the twentieth century were more able to create for the sake of creation as opposed to as a means to fit into male structured society. As Anne Sheppard (1987:97) details, the significance of the release of the socio economic weights of expectation inherently means that essence of the artistic endeavour must change. â€Å"Among an audiences expectations of a work of art are expectations concerned with artistic forms and conventions. The Greeks of the fifth century BC would expect a chorus in a tragedy. Shakespeares contemporaries would expect a Fool in a comedy. Mozarts contemporaries would expect harpsichord music to be played with trills and grace notes. Giottos contemporaries would expect saints to be painted with haloes.† As a broad rule of all artistic behaviour, artists had traditionally been bound by the expectations of the paying audience. Thus, the revolution concerning female sexuality and the way in which she has been visually portrayed came via economic emancipation first. Attention must now be turned to instances of female hair as a means of expression of sexuality in modern visual culture after the creative liberation of women. Female Hair as a Medium in Modern Visual Culture The above background to the advent of the age of modernity, and of the arrival and acceptance of women within the upper echelons of the artistic community in the West, highlights the male dominated nature of notions of female sexuality. Hair was expressed as one of the most seductive of all of womans charms – an intricate part of the parcel that was created by God solely for mans destruction. Even when woman is portrayed as life giver in art, the act is more often than not displayed as ugly and confrontational, as Jonathan Wallers Mother No. 27 (1996) testifies. Indeed, the ongoing negative reaction of museums to child birth and maternity reveals more about the still dominant attitudes of females as sex objects as opposed to life enablers – as destructive rather than constructive, which is to the detriment of the art community as a whole. It naturally follows that while the majority of the (male) art community continued to associate flowing female hair with her ubiquitous sexuality, women artists tied to the first and second waves of the international feminists movement would wish to convey a hidden, alternative image. One of the most universally celebrated of twentieth century female artists was without doubt Frida Kahlo. She is famous not only for the wealth of talent and technique that was at her disposal but also for her independent, analytical and honest view of women, given added significance due to her prominent position in Mexican society. Her self portrait with cropped hair (1940), which is housed in New Yorks Museum of Modern Art constituted the first mainstream attempt to castrate the pervasive female sexuality as characterised by the iconography of ubiquitous long hair. It should be recalled that this painting was created at a time when uniformity of sexuality was the cultural norm: women were meant to hav e long hair, which meant that the subtle question Kahlo posed to women who viewed it was magnified all the more. Two decades later, at the dawn of the watershed decade of the 1960s, the impact of the famous Beatles haircut, first styled and professionally photographed by Astrid Kircherr (who exhibits the cropped blonde look in a self photograph in 1961) was universal within western culture and was noteworthy for its inversion of traditional sexual roles. As, during the sixties, young men grew their hair longer so young women were more inclined to cut their own, highlighting a deliberate cultural means of rebelling against the tired sexual mores of the time. Gay women, in particular, began to associate short hair with sexual freedom. Although contemporary Western society views the stereotypical butch woman with short hair as symptomatic of the lesbian underworld, it was indeed a bold move in the sixties and seventies for a woman to cut her hair in such a symbolic gesture. In this way, women such as the avant garde artist Harmony Hammond (who famously came out via cutting her previously long, feminine hair in New York in 1974) were using their own hair and body image as their art, to make a statement that, visually and aesthetically, woman was no longer the lens through which man peered at his own vision of beauty. As per all cultural de constructions of popular mythology, the actual look of a womans hair was the only the first building block of conformity to be removed in the first phase of feminist expression. Harmony Hammond, furthermore, was one of the most prominent users of hair as an artistic material. Whereby hair was previously used to express female sexuality via depicting or painting the length, texture and contours, Hammond and the burgeoning abstract sect of North American artists sought to incorporate hair into their work to bring attention to the social and sexual constraints by which we all live. She used her own hair in the construction of a hair blanket as well as utilising animal hair to make hair bags. Hammond used materials such as hemp, straw, thread and braids to reference the equation of feminine hair with sexuality throughout her body of work. As Paul Eli Ivey (queerculturalcenter.org; first viewed 21 September 2005) explains, Harmony Hammond exhibited the greatest abil ity to manoeuvre female hair away from its association with beautiful heterosexual objects of male desire, combining ideology and aesthetics in a discernibly feminist manner. â€Å"In the 1990s, Hammond combined latex rubber with her own hair and the hair of her daughter or friends, to suggest landscapes of gendered and sexualised bodies. The braid and the pony tail also took on a life of their own as personified characters: the braid relating to an integration of mind, body, and spirit; the stylised ponytail becoming a flirtatious, sexualised persona.† Her sculpture, Speaking Braids, plays on the difficulty in forming a singular feminine voice in such a diverse culture, where lesbian and bisexual women still feel cut off from the socially acceptable heterosexual females of the twenty first century. The head is disconnected from the body, mirroring societys view of woman as an object of passive desire. The most shocking element is the vomit of light brown braids that extend from the remorseless face of the head of the woman, designed to engage the audience in contemporary thought about the disembodied cries of women to whom marriage and conformity are not available. Hair was therefore used to point out essential moral and ideological divisions within female sexuality and, according to Joan Smith (1997:165), the failure of society to recognise the fundamental differences amongst the various sectors of the broader female sex has been to the detriment of feminism and, ultimately, western culture as a whole. â€Å"Women are expected to be different from men but the same as each other. While there is general agreement that women are unlike men in numerous ill defined ways, there is enormous reluctance to accept the idea that women might not be broadly similar to each other. The issue that exposes this distinction most sharply is motherhood, so that a woman who chooses not to give birth is characterised not just as unnatural but as a traitor to her sex.† Mille Wilson is another feminist artist who has used the symbolism of hair to state a valid view on female sexuality by employing it as the central theme of persuasion. In her ambitious visual art project, The Museum of Lesbian Dreams (1990 2), Wilson speaks to her audience through the fetish surrogates of the typical view of the female body in this instance using female hair in the form of a series of womens wigs to underline the essential similarity of heterosexual and homosexual womans dreams and deepest aesthetic desires, relying on the long, luxurious manes of the artificial hair to symbolise the traditional notion of hair as standard bearer of vivacious feminine sexuality. As Whitney Chadwick (2002:396) notes in her expansive study of women, art and society; â€Å"her work articulates the historical inaccuracy, often absurdity, of social constructions of lesbianism within dominant heterosexual discourses. Such discursive formations often to work to fix identity within, and o utside, normative paradigms.† It should be apparent that much of the artistic arguments pertaining to female hair and sexuality emanate from the perspective of the historical outsiders, namely gay and bisexual women. All great art is created from passion and in terms of damaging sexual stereotyping relating to female icons of beauty the avant garde art community has felt the greatest reason to voice concerns over the prevailing attitude of society towards womens sexuality. However, the real outsiders within the broader feminine artistic debate need to be analysed in order to underscore how hair is culturally understood as one of the most important foundations of mainstream notions of female sexuality. Female Hair and Visual Expressions of Sexuality from the Perspective of Outsider Art Beyond the set boundaries inherent within sculpture and painting, photography and performance art have been the most likely to make a physical statement pertaining to female sexuality. Whereas most other forms of modern visual art minimalism, conceptual art and pop art concentrate on extracting the content rather than moving towards a lifelike representation of the female body, photography recreates the human form as an artistic facsimile. It must be noted that photography and visual performance art highlight the issue of female sexuality via concentrating on the entirety of the hair on her body as opposed to detailing only the stereotypical view of female hair emanating from her head. Indeed, no examination of the subject of sexuality and hair can be complete without an analysis of the art worlds view of female body hair per se, which is culturally speaking – hidden, shaved and moulded in a far more stringent and severe way than any style of hair upon the head, a fact that Germaine Greer (1999:20) expands upon. â€Å"Women with too much (i.e. any) body hair are expected to struggle daily with depilatories of all kinds in order to appear hairless. Bleaching moustaches, waxing legs and plucking eyebrows absorb hundreds of woman hours.† Feminist adherents in the art world have inevitably challenged the claustrophobic views of society towards female body hair with pictures created to shock and induce academic debate about a needlessly taboo topic. Sally Mann made a series of explicit photographs of herself and her daughters during the 1990s, including Untitled (1997), a photograph that focuses the viewer upon the dense vaginal hair of the artist, whose legs are spread open in a bathtub with the subtext of highlighting how women enjoy exactly the same bodily functions as men, however much society shuts itself off to biological reality. Moreover, by making the camera concentrate on the nexus of pubic hair the spectator is likewise advised to consider the cultural reasons as to why women must shave every other part of their body where hair grows naturally. The most shocking and moving of all photographic imagery involving female hair tied to the notion of sexuality is Hannah Wilkes self image taken during her demise from cancer, the disease having robbed her of her hair though not of her female organs, as the naked photo in a wheelchair, selected from the Intra Venus collection (1992 3), graphically illustrates. The power of the visual focus is centred upon the artists wish to show how hair does not make a woman feminine – and that the human spirit is more powerful than any facet of the physical body. Visual art enactment reserves the greatest power of persuasion and audience manipulation. Post Porn Modernism, a performance art show that was exhibited in New York in the late 1980s, is the most obvious example of a visual exposition of contemporary female sexuality devised to shock the audience, concentrating in this instance, on the artists pubic hair and genitalia. Playing on the historical artistic obsession with the female whore, Rebecca Schneider (1996:161) declares that Post Porn Modernism was merely another way to de mystify the myth of female sexuality, in particular highlighting the fragile nature of consumer capitalism where the prostitute is both buyer and seller merged into one. â€Å"In theory, the real live Prostitute Annie Sprinkle lay at the threshold of the impasse between true and false, visible and invisible, nature and culture as if in the eye of a storm. As any whore is given to be in this culture she is a mistake, an aberration, a hoax: a show and a sham made of lipstick, mascara, fake beauty marks, hair and black lace.† However, the art most likely to capture the absurdity of the persistent link between granted notions of female hair personifying womans innate sexuality is that which is created by African women: artists who have to cross strict racial as well as gender and sexuality lines in order to portray women from their culture in an aesthetically acceptable light. These women are the true outsiders of Western artistic expression. Leslie Rabine (1998:127), for example, declares that: â€Å"western slave culture and economics invested the arena of skin, hair and make up with political struggle,† with the result that African women born in the West have had their body image dictated by colour and gender, which creates a kind of schizophrenic effect on the black women to the extent that the naturally curly, short African hair has been usurped in fashion by wigs, extensions and artificially straight hair. Typically, it has been left to the avant garde community to ignite the backlash against the marginalisation of black female sexuality. Alison Saar, daughter of African American feminist artist Betye Saar accented the widely accepted view of natural black female hair as the cultural antithesis to feminine sexuality in her sculpture entitled, Chaos in the Kitchen (1998). Saar used coarse iron wiring to mimic indigenous African hair, on top of a female face that has been deliberately denied eyes to highlight the cultural blind spot that black women have towards their own vision of female beauty. She means to state that, in attempting to copy white mans image of feminine beauty via hair, black women have only succeeded in hollowing out their historical selves. African American artist and photographer Renà ©e Cox made an even more challenging alternative to the prevailing paradigms pertaining to female sexuality and race when she made, Yo Mama (1993). The photograph places the artist standing up naked except for Western high heels the stereotypical twin symbol of hair as the autograph of heterosexual female sexuality. The hair on he