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Cultural Studies Paper
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Cultural Studies Paper
There exists different versions and elements of the Biblical prophetic tradition, from the patriarchal stories of Abraham and Moses to the exilic and post-exilic prophecies (like prophecies by Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel), to New Testament appropriations. Biblical prophesies in today’s world have become more important as things in the world start to go in a way that is destructive. For instance, with the increase in the cases of wars, earthquakes, famines and drought is the fulfillment of the prophesies in the bible on the last days. Research has proven that there is only a small percentage of born-again Christians that have prophesies that are based on the bible.
There are many groups of people that claim to have prophesies currently. This has led to the rise of a lot of controversy between people. This is because as they argue there are high numbers of prophets who are false. These false prophets use specific verses within the bible to come up with prophesies that will help them benefit in a certain way from the audience. For instance, there has been the emergence of a large number of street preachers.
As much as this argument could be valid, there are prophets who use the bible as the foundation of their prophesies. As stated above, there have been several reasons for the born again Christians to believe that the end of the world is coming. The prophesies of today focus on the events of that occur in the last days as described by the bible. The traditional form of prophecy used by the street prophets is a form whereby they make the audience aware of the illnesses that are ongoing in the society and relate them to the bible. This is only done by a few numbers of street preachers. They often remind people that God is a forgiving God and that if they turn away from the evil deeds, he will not use punishment to destroy them.
There are street preachers today whom their main aim is to con people and to steal from them. The shocking thing is that this was prophesied in the New Testament; that there will be the rising of false prophets. Most of these false prophets make use of threats as they prophesy. For instance, they are quick to judge people, to condemn them, and to frighten them. They do this without convincing people to change their ways to be righteous, and to follow the teachings of the Almighty. These false prophets hurry to complete their false prophesy and do not allow room for discussion with the audience on the implications of their prophesies. Rather, they are out to obtain money from their audience. Some even do this as their source of money.
Mikhail Bakhtin’s essay “Epic and the Novel,” argues that since the novel, all forms of literary expression have changed to become more heteroglossic, intimate, and realistic – that is literature has become less “epic.” He uses the epic genre to compare it with the novel. From this comparison, Bakhtin discovered that the novel is very flexible. He argues this is so due to the fact that epic genres have the flexibility that helps them to adapt to any changes. This is because the novel lacks the lyric poetry that is found in epics. He also discovered that the novel has the capability to attain what other literature forms cannot attain. For an instant, the novel has the ability to present-day authenticity.
His argument has led to the influence of the adaptation of the epic forms. This is because; according to him, the modern day literary expressions have become more intimate, realistic and heteroglossic. A good example of these literary expressions that lacks the epic genre is the films. The contemporary films are created in such a way that they contain a lot of intimacies just as Bakhtin had suggested. There has even been the emergence of pornographic films, which the only component in them is intimacy.
The Ramayana is one of the epics that were present during the same period of the novel. The Ramayana is a collection of many editions of the Indian epic poem. R.K. Narayan has come up with a shortened version of The Ramayana following the comments made by Bakhtin in regards to contemporary literature forms of expression. Narayan comes up with this short form of the Indian epics, which turned out to show modern feelings, and his piece had been greatly influenced by his ideas. Though his interpretation of the epics into prose forms, he made them loose part of their epic genre. In addition, he removed some of the information that was in these Indian epics. With this, Narayan got rid of the lyric poetry that is contained in epics. The original Vamilki Ramayana contained no influence from the writers and did not display any feelings. The original version had the lyric poetry found in literature containing the epic genre.
From Narayan’s edition, it is clear that he novelizes the epics, making them lose their epic nature. Loss of the epic genre in contemporary literature is very common. This is because as observed in Narayan’s edition, modern literature has a lot of emotions and feelings. Moreover, modern literature contains information that represents the feelings of the author. For all these reasons, the contemporary literature expression forms do not have the epic genre in them.
Through art and literature, there are elements that are presented. These are the cry and the vision. The cry refers to the expression of pain, alarm or despair in a non-verbal way that may be individual or collective and which it adds seemingly exceptional dramatic power to a narrative or demonstration. This appears both in the literature and in the art. On the other hand, the vision refers to the internal moment where one is able to see things in an effort that is alienated from the outward appearance of seeing that take place within it. This could take the form of a dream, an actual vision or contemplation of a work of art.
The cry can be demonstrated either as a singular event or as a repeated trope or expressive element. This discussion will focus on the element of the cry as a repeated or expressive element.in the Achilles/Athena’s cry in The Iliad, Archilles and Myrmidons mourn the death of Patroclus. Patroclus had been killed in a battle causing hi friends to mourn his death. Even after Patroclus is buried, still continues to mourn. This shows the pain and lamentation of the gods due to the death of their friend. In this cry by Archilles, there is a lot of poetry but less flexibility compared to the epic.
In the bible, many paragraphs and texts are written on depression and pain. Many people in the bible are said to be lamenting, either for their own afflictions or for the afflictions of others. There are quite a number of people that are mentioned in the bible who are said to be depressed and in pain. This includes King Saul, Jonah, Abraham, Job, Elijah and David. Pain in the bible was also as a result of guilt after sinning against the Lord.
For instance, King David says; “I am troubled I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all day long. …I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” ( HYPERLINK “http://christiananswers.net/bible/psa38.html” l “6” Psalm 38:6, 8). This expressed the depression he was suffering from. Job was also in pain after everything was taken away from him. Abraham also expresses his depression when he cannot bear a child with his wife Sara. Abraham expresses his pain by saying; “And HYPERLINK “http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/abram.html” t “_blank” Abram said, LORD HYPERLINK “http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/god.html” t “_blank” God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this HYPERLINK “http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/eliezer.html” t “_blank” Eliezer of HYPERLINK “http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/damascus.html” t “_blank” Damascus?”
The expression of the cry in the bible resembles the epic. This is because the bible is written in a way that is so close to lyric poetry. Nonetheless, the bible is not as flexible as the epic. For this reason, the biblical prophesies differ to some extent from epics but are similar in other instances. In these two sources of the cry, the authors have used a language that is very convincing to the reader. This makes the reader feel the woes of the characters, just as good writing should be, according to Longinus’s “On the Sublime”.
In conclusion, literature can be analyzed based on whether it contains epic genres or not. Ancient literature from was said to be epic due to the flexibility it had and its ability to achieve factors that other forms of literature cannot manage to obtain. It is also evident that modern literature lacks the lyric poetry that is found in epics. It is also clear that contemporary literature has a lot of emotions and feelings, is more intimate, realistic and heteroglossic.
Strengths and Weaknesses
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Strengths and Weaknesses of Body Positivity
Introduction
Is body positivity open to everyone? According to statistics, nearly 92% of women are not happy with their body appearance, leading them to diet to attain their preferred body shape. This shows that society has a long way to go as far as the body positivity battle is concerned. Body positivity is the assertion that everyone is deserving of a positive body image regardless of how popular culture and society view ideal size, shape, and appearance. It is a movement that refers to a physical and mental state which shifts focus from physical looks and emphasizes personal strengths. The term body positivity was first coined in 1996 when a patient and psychotherapist developed thebodypositive.org website when they were going through treatment for eating disorders. Some of the objective of body positivity movement is to address impractical body standards, challenge the way society sees the body and promote recognition of all body types. Further, the movement also aims at assisting individuals in building confidence in their bodies. Body positivity stretches beyond challenging society’s view of physical shape and size. It also recognizes that society makes judgments of people based on sexuality, race, disability, and gender. This essay highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the body positivity movement.
Strengths of the Body Positivity Movement
Body Positivity Movement Challenges the Beauty Standards Set by Social Media
One of the strengths of the body positivity movement is that it has helped challenge the standards of beauty that have been set by social media. Nowadays, when one scrolls through applications like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter, it has become a norm to see people with perfectly crafted bodies (Gibson, 32). Particularly on Instragram, the bodies of Instagram models tend to be unrealistically perfect. These images have now become standards of measuring beauty. Social media users should be careful as they go about their business online. They should know that the images they see online are always real. Today, lots of photographers and even social media users use photoshop and filters to modify their features and tune their photos to appear more slim and young. Consequently, many men and women end up succumbing to the pressure and modifying their bodies by undergoing dangerous surgeries hoping to be accepted in society. Luckily, body positivity advocates have made immense strides in retaliating against body-shaming culture. Additionally, they are using social media as a tool to create positive change. These advocates do this by posting positive content about all body types and challenging the narrow ideals that people have about beauty. In essence, the body positivity movement has proved helpful in promoting appreciation and acceptance of all body types.
The Body Positivity Movement Fosters Self-love
Secondly, body positivity is beneficial as it helps foster radical self-love. We live in a society that is obsessed with body culture, which thrives on ideals of what a perfect body what ought to look like. As such, it is not a surprise that many people end up feeling that their body is something to be ashamed of. Rather than learning to accept and love themselves as God created them, they choose to go on a mission to fix themselves. No wonder we see some women going for surgery after surgery in a desperate attempt to rectify a mistake that the previous surgeon missed. Accepting one’s body type is the ultimate act of radical self-love. Self-love stretches beyond what other people see on the outside. One should never feel the need to change a certain aspect about themselves just for the sake of fitting in. Fully accepting oneself and the God-given body type means fully embracing and honoring all aspects of who one is. It does not happen overnight, but once a person starts growing into themselves and accepting themselves, then one cannot be phased by other people’s definition of beauty. The body positivity movement emphasizes that a person’s body and choices are not anybody else’s business. Body positivity stresses self-confidence and living in one’s truth.
Body Positivity Boosts Mental Health
The third strength of the body positivity movement is that it contributes to mental health. How a person feels about their body can affect their self-esteem which by extension impacts mental health. The main challenge with negative thoughts is that once one starts ruminating on one aspect of their life, it gets easier for the individual to start doubting other areas of their life too. Research found that individuals with body dysmorphic disorders or weight preoccupations often demonstrate higher anxiety and depression symptoms. Additionally, they are at more risk of suicidal thoughts than other people. The body positivity movement stresses that the next time a person has negative and unkind thoughts about their bodies, they ought to check their emotional and mental state. Under such circumstances, some of the questions that people should ask themselves are if they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed and what aspects of their life makes them feel so and why. Additionally, when anxious it would be advisable to employ mindful-based practices as they are a great avenue for connecting to body intelligence. The practices also help a person tune into what they need to feel more grounded. One should be more kind to themselves and talk about their body in loving manner and give it the compassion, love and grace it deserves.
Weakness of the Body Positivity Movement
Certain Aspects of the Body Positivity Movement are Misleading
Although the body positivity movement is beneficial, it is not without criticism. One of the weaknesses of the movement is that it implies that it is okay for people to do what they think is right to make them feel better about their appearances. It is unfortunate that people are bombarded with popular messages that include the idea that fitter and thinner people are more beautiful, healthier, and happy. The idea of being thin leads people to take part in unhealthy practices such as extreme diets and work outs, all in the guise of body positivity.
The Body Positivity Movement in Non-inclusive
Another weakness of the body positivity movement is that it is non-inclusive. This is because the movement depicts messages that exclude minority groups, including people of color, the disabled, non binary, and lesbians gays bisexuals transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. Jameela Jamil, an actress that stars in The Good Place series is deemed as one of the phases of the movement. Jamil talks about miscategorization and says that body positivity is important for people that are abused on streets, not believed by doctors, and can barely find clothing that fits (Frazier and Nadia, 18). She notes that the body positivity movement is not for everyone and that the body positivity conversation tends to shut out people. Actress Jamil instead advocates for body neutrality and body liberation. This approach entails removing a person’s body from the aspect of self-image. She insists that the only reason she takes such a stance is that she cannot be picked on because of her size. Worth noting the other people, particularly those that the body positivity movement targets, do not have the same luxury.
Body Positivity is based on Physical Appearance
Another criticism of the body positivity movement is that it concentrates on a person’s appearance as the most significant aspect of an individual’s self-perception. In so doing, the movement neglects all other aspects of identity in a person which are more important than the looks. In this regard Jamil’s position that suggests that individuals should refrain from using the body to determine self-perception and self-worth is a more inclusive and healthier approach.
Conclusion
In closing, body positivity is not open to everybody. While some individuals are in total support of the body positivity movement, other individuals criticize the movement to the core. Some of the strengths of the body positivity movement is that it helps people foster radical self-love and boost mental health. Additionally, body positivity is significant as it challenges the standards of beauty that have been set by social media. The body positivity movement is weak because it is misleading. It implies that it is okay for people to do what they think is right to make them feel better about their appearances. The movement also depicts messages that exclude minority groups including people of color, the disabled, non binary, and lesbians gays bisexual transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. Another weakness of the body positivity movement is that it concentrates on a person’s appearance as the most significant aspect of an individual’s self-perception. The body positivity movement should foster appearance and love for one’s body and appearance. The main contribution of the movement to gender studies is that people need to change the way they feel about their bodies. Telling people to be resilient and accept their bombardment can be damaging. All in all, in future, people should try health-focused self-care and adopt body neutrality to build body positivity.
Works Cited
Gibson, Gemma Lucy. Body Positive Babes: An Exploration of the Contemporary Body Positivity Movement and the’Acceptable’Fat Woman’s Body. Diss. University of York, 2020.
Frazier, Cheryl, and Nadia Mehdi. “Forgetting Fatness: The Violent Co-Optation of the Body Positivity Movement.” Debates in Aesthetics 16.1 (2021).
Cultural Studies Demographics and Culture
Cultural Studies: Demographics and Culture
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1.What are the demographics of your country
Based on the current statistics by the World Bank, Haiti’s 2008 population stand at about 9.8 million, up from and estimation of 9.7 million in the year 2007. The population growth rate averages around 1.6%. the 2010 July estimates put the population size at 9,035,536 (Haiti, 2010).2.How many people are there per square mile?
Population density in the year 2008 stood about 27,800 persons per square kilometers. given that the population is about 9.8 million while the size of the country is 10,714 sq miles, impliedly , the population density per square miles would be 9.8milioion/10,714 sq miles which translates into 915 persons per miles.
3 population 20 years ago? 40 years ago?
20 years ago in 1990, Hiati’s population was 6.473 million, while 40 years ago, the population was about 4.5 million 4. Culture Haiti
Summarily, the Haitian culture is not homogenous, but gives a reflection of a mixer of African, French and Indian practices. Linguistically, French is the most common foreign language used as mode of communication in the country, and as one of the official language. The most popular native language is Kreyol. The language became the main official language from 1987, as French became the secondary one. As such, the Kreyol is the national language which is used in communication and other functions of national importance. The influence of migrations into and out of US has made English to become very popular to the level of overtaking French. There is a strong attachment to Catholicism in the country, with more than 80% of the population’s followers. Significantly, “religion is a powerful force in Haitian culture’ (Institute for Disaster Mental Health, 2010). However, the catholic faith has been enriched with local traditions that are African in nature. For example, there is vodoun practice that is more of a belief in magic. According to Jacobson (2003), voodoo “exists side by side with Christian faiths”, with the very ritualistic Catholic adapting itself to the local rituals. Significantly, the traditional believes are still respected and practiced in many parts of the country though a huge size of the Haitian population profess Christianity. Christian marriages and customs are very common with parties being held to mark baptism and wedding ceremonies. During such ceremonies, the parties are spiced with local foods. The drum serves as the widely used music instrument in such occasions. These foods include local cola, cakes and rum, which are locally made.
The issue of women empowerment and stereotyping is very common more so in the rural areas. The women in the rural areas are expected to be subordinate to their husbands in major domestic and family affairs. In the urban centers equality has taken centre stage though female domestic workers are lowly paid. The society believes that the ancestors have the power and capability to sway things and the lives of those who are live. Finally, The Haitians respect visitors, and they are treated with courtesy and well as reverence. Greeting is given great attachment; they are required not to leave a home without eating or drinking anything. Staple food is rice and beans. A visitor is equally expected to be respectful, accepts the host’s lifestyle and not to be rude, like lives without notifying the hosts.
References
Jacobson, E. (2003). Introduction to Haitian Culture
For Rehabilitation Service Providers. Retrieved August 25, 2010, from HYPERLINK “http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/monographs/haiti.pdf” http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/monographs/haiti.pdf.
Haiti (2010). Haiti Population Retrieved August 25, 2010, from
HYPERLINK “http://www.indexmundi.com/haiti/population.html” http://www.indexmundi.com/haiti/population.html
Institute for Disaster Mental Health (2010). Tip Sheet on Haitian Culture Retrieved
August 25, 2010, from http://www.rhin.org/UPLOAD/Hatian%20Culture%20tip%20sheet-IDMH.pdf.