Love and Marriage in Renaissance Literature - 1228 Words

In medieval Europe, the troubadours (poets of the southern part of France), like Guilhem IX, or Cercamon, first began to write poems about humble men falling in love with women who were admirer and adored by their lovers. Furthermore, intense love between men and women became a central subject in European literature, like between Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Aeneas and Dido. But it was not question of marriage. Actually, marriage and love did not match very well together but then Renaissance literature developed the concepts of love and marriage and recorded the evolution of the relation between them. In the Renaissance poetry, Donne, in The Good Morrow, celebrate love and sexuality in marriage. However, the aspects of†¦show more content†¦In Shakespeare s play entitled A Midsummer Nights Dream, in the couples, the mates were chosen on their own will. Theseus, at the beginning of the play, is talking with his wife, Hippolyta, about their upcoming marriage. He so, demonstrates that the marriage was not a forced duty but that he wants it and even Hippolyta shows her happiness to marry him. Shakespeare went against societal norms and showed love as the only desire of a couple. And this began his central and favourite theme: the lovers who cannot be together because that goes against their families will. Besides, the societal norms of the marriage were quite strict in regard to the church. Indeed, before a couple could officially be considered married by the church and common law, there were four basic requirements. First, the bride s family had to consent and a dowry had to be offered. Second, both parties had to be of equal social class. The third requirement was for the parties to publicly declare the wedding and to have witnesses. Finally, the couple had to consummate the marriage. In Shakespeare s Measure for Measure, Claudio and Juliet are, thus married by common law standards -- however, their marriage was secret and so, not consi dered as a legal marriage. Actually, it was very important that the marriage was witnessed. And in this play,Show MoreRelatedLove and Marriage in Renaissance Literature Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesLove and Marriage in Renaissance Literature In medieval Europe, the troubadours (poets of the southern part of France), like Guilhem IX, or Cercamon, first began to write poems about humble men falling in love with women who were admirer and adored by their lovers. Furthermore, intense love between men and women became a central subject in European literature, like between Tristan and Iseult, Lancelot and Guinevere, or Aeneas and Dido. But it was not question of marriageRead MoreThe Reflection of Life During the Renaissance in Literature1601 Words   |  7 PagesLife in the Renaissance has been greatly reflected through the literature of its time. Many authors from this time reflected life in the Renaissance through their works. Several authors who strongly demonstrated this reflection include William Shakespeare, Thomas Elyot, Christopher Marlowe, Walter Raleigh, and Christine de Pizan. They accomplished this by producing various literary works, such as Hamlet, â€Å"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,† â€Å"The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd,† Le Livre de laRead MoreEssay on Attitudes Toward Love in French literature838 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the centuries, literature has provided a way to express oneself, while at the same time, allowing the reader to experience a different kind of life through the stories. As a creation of humans, literature tends to reflect the ideals and though ts of its writer, while also providing a glimpse into the society, in which the writer penned the story. Perhaps one of the greatest and most intriguing human emotions is love and this theme is present in literature from its beginning to the presentRead MoreClass And Social Structures During The Medieval Period993 Words   |  4 PagesClass and social structures changed frequently throughout the medieval period, the renaissance, and the eighteenth century, and this change caused much anxiety in preserving the noble class. During the medieval period, the three classes were challenged by the emergence of the merchant class which rose to the same level as the nobles during the renaissance. Finally, in the eighteenth century, this noble class was pushed out of power and then returned, throwing the class into turmoil. These changesRead MoreHarlem Renaissance Essay1106 Words   |  5 PagesCollege in 1917 where she began her literary career. Hurston was closely associated with the Harle m Renaissance being one of the pre-eminent writers on the twentieth century in African American literature. Her famous novel â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God† was especially influential to the movement on racial equality at the time. Her Novel both reflects and departs from the ideas on the Harlem Renaissance in several ways. In order to understand the significance of Author Zora Neale Hurston’s novel â€Å"TheirRead More Comparing Love and Marriage in Canterbury Tales, Lanval, Faerie Queene, and Monsieurs Departure675 Words   |  3 PagesLove and Marriage in Canterbury Tales, Lanval, Faerie Queene, and Monsieurs Departure Medieval and Renaissance literature develops the concepts of love and marriage and records the evolution of the relation between them. In Chaucers Canterbury Tales, Christian love clashes with courtly love, as men and women grapple with such issues as which partner should rule in marriage, the proper, acceptable role of sex in marriage, and the importance of love as a basis for a successful marriage. WorksRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance1317 Words   |  6 Pagesis the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance is the cultural movement of the 1920’s. The movement essentially kindled a new black cultural identity through art, literature and intellect. The Harlem Renaissance started during the Roaring Twenties. It took place in Harlem, New York. It became most prominent in the mid to late 1920’s and it diminished toward the early 1930’s (Henderson). The Harlem Renaissance was initially called the New Negro Movement or the New Negro Renaissance. It was the resultRead MoreGender Equality During the Renaissance Essay1198 Words   |  5 PagesThe Renaissance was simply â€Å"the green end of one of civilizations hardest winters† (Robert 10). In other words, catastrophic events swept through Europe such as the black plague, warfare, and starvation causing a high population of death rates. After an era of destitution, the Renaissance was a period of â€Å"rebirth† where individuals could express their intellectual thought through art, science, literature, and education. It’s true that people during that time express humanist ideals of individualRead MoreThe Essay Of Groom Service And The Return 803 Wo rds   |  4 Pagesare two short story which have the common theme of â€Å"love† and the common situation of â€Å" the marriage†. Although the two stories have common themes and situation related to acceptance, acknowledgement, and recognition, the difference between the two story influence the meaning a lot. The common theme of story is â€Å"love†. The protagonist in â€Å"Groom Service†, Bernard, had the ability to survive with his hunting skill, but did not dare to seek his own love. He seeks acceptance from Marie and her family. OnRead MoreDifferences Of Shakespeare And Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare1668 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare is regarded as a very influential writer in British literature and has been an inspiration for literature beyond his time. This play has been recreated for the cinema in many versions of film. One version of film in particular is by the director Kenneth Branagh in 1993 (IMDb). Both the Much Ado About Nothing play and the Much Ado About Nothing film have differences, updates, and similarities that relates back to Renaissance time or to current 21st century culture. The original text that

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury Veldt Essay Example For Students

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury Veldt Essay The Veldt by Ray Bradbury The story of The Veldt, is a delving into the issue of how modern technology can destroy the nuclear family. The editor of the Encounters book, John A. Rothermich comments that This story is almost devoid of characterization., I agree with this statement and think it is key to the plot of the story. The story begins with the mother of the family, who has quite a generic name. We are given no information of the characters background and how they came to the point in time they are now. The lines Happylife Home and the familiar room settings like the parents bedroom and the nursery give you a sense that this is a typical suburban home of the time. The mother seems alarmed or confused about something, the nursery is different now than it was, this at first might lead you to believe the mother has true individual characteristics. However, when you read on, you see the stereotyped reactions to every situation that comes about, the parents then say nothings too good for our children. Later in the story the parents discuss the problems of the incredible house and nursery, The house is wife, mother, and nursemaid, Can I compete with it?, and the father has a generic answer But I thought thats why we bought this house. The parents in the story look upon their childrens needs as services instead of ways of expressing any love or care. In the story we never learn anything about the children except for their obsession with the nursery, I dont want to do anything but look and listen and smell; what else is there to do?. When the parents tell the children the idea of shutting down the computerized house for a vacation, the children react shocked and stay with their one, single characteristic given, they act shocked Who will fry my eggs for me, or darn my socks?. You see then the childrens primary relationship is to the house and not the parents, the children exclaim I wish you were dead!. And sure enough, by the end of the story the children act on their on characteristic. This short story was published in the early 1950s, Using a major issue of the time. Ray Bradbury was trying to make a specific point about the dangers of the new directions of our society, Television was becoming a baby sitter to children in many homes. Busy parents were replacing their own affection and time for their children, with the goggle box. The story concentrates on how this relationship can eventually destroy the family, even in a future society. In order to do this, Mr. Bradbury concentrates on his point and reduces the characters into universal generic people.

The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders

Normality is a concept that can be understood in different perspectives. Sociologically speaking, normality can be differentiated from the norm which refers to the acceptable behaviors in a society. Normality refers to the adherence to the acceptable standards set by a society. Normality is closely guarded by the social constructions of a particular society in the sense that what is considered normal is determined by the forces of the society.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that what is normal in one society may not be necessarily normal in another (Smolak, Levine Striegel-Moore, 1996). Therefore, issues of eating disorders can be understood from a social cultural perspective as the culture of a specific society determines its eating patterns, thus, influencing the possibility of either the existence or oth erwise of an eating disorders. This paper examines how the understanding of the concept of normality in the society affects conditions of the existence or otherwise of an eating disorder. The whole concept of eating disorders can be explained through the sociological understanding of the concept of normality. Among the dominant sociological understanding of normality that will be used to argue through the concept of eating disorders in this paper are the views such as; what is considered normal can be differentiated from the abnormal even if it may not be the norm, what is normal is a social construct that is imposed by the society, people struggle to fit to the ideals that are set by the society which may affect their eating patterns and lastly, how social change has contributed to the existence of eating disorders. Normality can be defined differently by different people since different things are normal in some communities and abnormal in others. However, different aspects of nor mal behavior can be used to indicate normality (Weiten 2010). However, this view is still directly regulated by the cultural belief of the society. The agents of socialization can be used to express the concept of normality in a number of ways. People grow in a structured society that determines what is normal against what is abnormal. The set standard influences the behavior of a person in all cultural facets as they determine what will be adopted against what will be transgressed. Eating patterns being a culturally controlled concept’s and directly affected by the cultures that exists in a specific society. According to Treasure, Schmidt and Furth, (2005), human beings evaluate their standards in the society based on specific societal standards. This means that a specific society has what it considers ideal as well as what it considers abnormal. These social standards run across a spectrum of measurements that affect all facets of culture. In such cases, there is what is co nsidered normal eating patterns. A good example of how societal ideals can influence the eating disorders can be the explanation of the importance that is placed on the concept of body size. According to Taylor and Muller, (1995), all members of the society should strive to ensure that they conform to the â€Å"normal† standards of their society.Advertising Looking for assessment on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the fact that bodies have genetic differences that determines their shape and size, the need to strive to conform to the ideal body size forces many members of the society, especially women to adopt to specific eating habits that may characterize certain disorders (Sheridan, 2007). Another issue that is of paramount importance in understanding the concept of normality in regard to eating disorders is that normality or abnormality is a social construct (Morgan Bhugra, 2010). There are no universal standard to define what is normal or abnormal. Each culture has its own conceptualization of normality and abnormality, which makes something to be normal in one culture and abnormal in another. Similarly, the conceptualization of eating disorders varies from one society to the other as there are no strict universal disorders that run across the spectrum of societies. It is also evident that there are disorders that are associated with specific cultural basis due to the regionalization of specific food to specific regions (Wonderlich, Walsh and Mitchell, 2011). Normality as a social construct can be used to explain some eating disorders, especially those associated with teenagers. As noted by Hales, Yudofsky and Gabbard, (2008), teenage girls have a misconceived concept of ideal body shape and size where being extremely thin regardless of the means towards this course is seen as fashionable and ideal. The notion held by these teenage girls has forced most of them to del iberately avoid eating or to induce vomiting (Bloomfield, 2006). This behavior has led many teenage girls to adopt risky health paths in pursuit of what they conceive to be normal. Beside the identified issue that deals with teenage girls, the other group that is greatly affected by the societal constructs is that of the entire female gender where women may be classified as overweight while their male counterparts may pass without acquiring the label of being overweight, even when they are overweight in the real sense. Thus, more women will strive to conform to the society’s ideal size, a fact that has contributed to various forms of eating disorders. This shows that the concept of what is seen as normal or abnormal towards eating disorders does not necessarily need to be actually healthy, but a construct of the society (Harper-Giuffre and MacKenzie, 1992). Media as an agent of socialization has a lot of influence to the menace of eating disorders. As noted by Sheridan, (2007 ), the media plays a significant role in determining what the ideal body size is especially for women. These ideas that are transferred to the masses through commercials and other programs in the media influences the perception of people towards certain body sizes where contemporary cultures have viewed the slim bodies as the ideal ones.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, when this issue is juxtaposed with the commercials of food known to have high fat content such as fast food products and ice creams, the perception of healthy eating among the members of a population get distorted which forces majority of the people to indulge in unhealthy eating habits as they are â€Å"normalized† by the media. Social change is another aspect that affects or understanding of normality. In most contemporary societies, co nsumption of fast food is considered normal today than it was considered five decades ago (Gentile, 2006). The changing social forces such as the rise of the consumerism culture have led to the rise of the number of people who consume fast foods as well as other readymade meals offered in fast food restaurant. Although many people may have the notion of how unhealthy the fast foods may be to their health, they continue consuming them as the consumption of these products is seen as â€Å"normal† in the society. This means that the society understands that eating fast food is a normal issue, a fact that contributes to the current eating disorders. In conclusion, it is evident that the sociological understanding of the concept of normality can be used to explain various eating disorders. The paper has managed to explain the views of eating disorders in three perspectives, which are the perception of what is normal versus what is abnormal, normality as a construct of the society and finally, personal understanding of normality and eating disorders and how this personal understanding affects people’s conceptualization of their conditions. Reference List Bloomfield, S. 2006. Eating Disorders: Helping Your Child Recover. Oklahoma. Beat Publishers. Gentile, K. 2006. Creating bodies: eating disorders as self-destructive survival New York: RoutledgeAdvertising Looking for assessment on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hales, R, E. Yudofsky S, C. Gabbard, G, O. 2008. The American Psychiatric Publishing textbook of psychiatry. New York: American Psychiatric Publications Harper-Giuffre, H. MacKenzie, K., R. 1992. Group psychotherapy for eating disorders Carlifornia: American Psychiatric Pubbications Morgan, C. and Bhugra, D. 2010. Principles of Social Psychiatry. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Sheridan, K., E. 2007. Eating disorders as a case study of cultural maladaptation. California: American Psychiatric Publications. Shils M. and Shike, M. 2006. Modern nutrition in health and disease. Chicago: Lippincott Williams Wilkins Smolak, L., P., Levine, M. and Striegel-Moore, R. 1996. The developmental psychopathology of eating disorders: implications for research, prevention, and treatment. New York: Routledge, Taylor, J., and Muller, D., J.1995. Nursing adolescents: research and psychological perspectives. London. Wiley-Blackwell. Treasure, J., Schmidt, U. and Furth, E. 2005. The essential handbook o f eating disorders New York: John Wiley and Sons. Weiten, W. 2010. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Upper Saddle River: Cengage Learning. Wonderlich, S. A., Walsh, T. and Mitchell, J. E. 2011. Developing an Evidence-Based Classification of Eating Disorders: Scientific Findings for DSM-5. California: American Psychiatric Publications. This assessment on The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders was written and submitted by user Derr1ck to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Trace Of Evidence

Trace of Evidence This article I chose was â€Å"Trace of Evidence† that was found on www.courttv.com. This article was about a serial killing taken place from 1979 to 1981 in Atlanta Georgia. Around the time of the killings, there had been found youths, more than 25 black men, some females and some as young as nine years old. They had all been strangled, bludgeoned, or asphyxiated. After police discovered these gruesome bodies they noticed that the only real clue the could notice was some kind of fiber threads and a few bore strands what seemed to be dog hair that were presence on several bodies and their clothing’s. Those specimens were all sent to the Georgia State Crime Laboratory for analysis, and technicians isolated two distinct types: a violet-colored acetate fiber and a coarse yellow-green nylon fiber with the type of trilobed qualities associated with carpets. The manufacture search was unsuccessful. The cases and discover of the fibers were showed on the news. The killer must have been watching every episode to keep up with what the police was finding out, shortly after police found bodies stripped and thrown into the river. Police thought that the killer must have thought that by throwing them into the water that it would wash away trace of evidence. The river killing was taken place at the Chatahoochee River. So police decided to do a steak out to see what they could find. On May 22, 1981, early morning hours, one of the police heard a loud splash. Leaving the river, police saw a white Chevrolet station wagon. When they pulled the car over, they learned that the driver’s name was Wayne Williams. He had indicated that he had thrown some old garbage into the water and the police let him go. After checking his story police found a 27-year-old man floating to the top. He had been dredged up about a mile from the bridge, and despite his murderer’s carefulness , a single yellow-green carpet fiber was foun... Free Essays on Trace Of Evidence Free Essays on Trace Of Evidence Trace of Evidence This article I chose was â€Å"Trace of Evidence† that was found on www.courttv.com. This article was about a serial killing taken place from 1979 to 1981 in Atlanta Georgia. Around the time of the killings, there had been found youths, more than 25 black men, some females and some as young as nine years old. They had all been strangled, bludgeoned, or asphyxiated. After police discovered these gruesome bodies they noticed that the only real clue the could notice was some kind of fiber threads and a few bore strands what seemed to be dog hair that were presence on several bodies and their clothing’s. Those specimens were all sent to the Georgia State Crime Laboratory for analysis, and technicians isolated two distinct types: a violet-colored acetate fiber and a coarse yellow-green nylon fiber with the type of trilobed qualities associated with carpets. The manufacture search was unsuccessful. The cases and discover of the fibers were showed on the news. The killer must have been watching every episode to keep up with what the police was finding out, shortly after police found bodies stripped and thrown into the river. Police thought that the killer must have thought that by throwing them into the water that it would wash away trace of evidence. The river killing was taken place at the Chatahoochee River. So police decided to do a steak out to see what they could find. On May 22, 1981, early morning hours, one of the police heard a loud splash. Leaving the river, police saw a white Chevrolet station wagon. When they pulled the car over, they learned that the driver’s name was Wayne Williams. He had indicated that he had thrown some old garbage into the water and the police let him go. After checking his story police found a 27-year-old man floating to the top. He had been dredged up about a mile from the bridge, and despite his murderer’s carefulness , a single yellow-green carpet fiber was foun...

Orientation Phase of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Orientation Phase of Nursing - Essay Example The stages of interpersonal relationships were initially four that include orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution phases. However, the steps later reduced to three after further studies and analysis. The second phase now combined both the identification and exploitation phases. These two aspects combined, therefore, became known collectively as the working phase. This paper, however, only discusses the orientation phase. This is the first phase of the interpersonal process as was explained by Peplau. It is at this stage where the patient first meets the nurse. At this point, the nurse and patient are still total strangers. This first meeting always brings with it a lot of anxieties, from both the nurse and the patient. It is the nurse’s responsibility to alleviate the anxiety that grips them before proceeding any further (Boyd, 2007). This is important in establishing a therapeutic environment. Mary Boyd states that this is the session where the nurse discusses the patient’s expectations and explains the purpose of their relationship. It gives a clear definition of the roles, goals, and limitations of the relationship. In short, the nurse sets limits that have to adhere to throughout the relationship. The boundaries are however subject to flexibility depending on the situation. In practical situations where the nurse has to draft a session attendance schedule for the patient, the nurse should also spell out the guidelines on how to handle cases of missed sessions and lateness.  Ã‚   The handling should be in such a way that it alienates the patient. The nurse should understand that this could be a means by which the patient tests the relationship (Boyd, 2007). It is important to gain the patient’s acceptance and develop trust. This is achieved by maintaining consistency and continually encouraging the patient, both verbally and non-verbally, to express themselves.

Strategic Planning of Amazon.com, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategic Planning of Amazon.com, Inc - Essay Example The paper gives detailed information about Amazon.com Inc. It conducts its business in various fields such as internet services, online retail, and the Kindle ecosystem. Amazon provides its services as Amazon Prime which has the facility of free of cost shipping within two days. It provides a free access to the kindle library (Johnson, et al., 2013). The other internet services provided by Amazon are referred to as Amazon Web Services and it is a side business as the company decided to lease out its services. Amazon is most commonly known as a low-cost retailer and provides its customers with wide range of products. The company started its online bookselling business and rapidly expanding the business to music as well as movies. It also offers online services in household goods as well as electronics (Johnson, et al., 2013). The retail strategy of Amazon also involves the company to act as a channel for the other retailers and earn a portion of revenue with the sale of the products. Amazon has also introduced the sale of used products in order to compete with the competitors such as eBay (Johnson, et al., 2013). The advertising strategies adopted by Amazon attract the customers in the global market and they are able to choose the products from their websites. The kindle ecosystem is part of their business model which is newly launched by Amazon as an electronic book reader and the company is confident that the customers will purchase enough electronic books (Johnson, et al., 2013).

Language and Culture Essay Example for Free

Language and Culture Essay Language and culture reciprocate a fluid relationship. They both interact and shape the structure through which individuals can mediate their lives within a social context. Language and culture are immanent forces that help to define and open up the way we understand various dimensions of our lives, whether through the mass media and advertising, science and technology, slang, diverse vocabulary, changes of meanings. This essay will aim to break down the specific forums through which language is useful to culture and how culture forms the mechanisms and strategies through which we use language. I will begin with a discussion of the relationship between language and culture and then move on to the different paradigms that contain specific uses of language. To begin, it will be helpful to lay a framework upon which to build a working definition of language. According to the University of Princeton’s online dictionary, language is â€Å"a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols† (Language). This is straightforward enough for us to understand that language acts as a medium for communicating. The key terms to highlight here are systematic as well symbols because they stretch the function of the definition to include the power that institutions have over language as well as the way that language can shift and change through semiotics. As a system, language relies upon a specific and formal set of rules in order to function. Grammar, syntax, slang, and meaning are all elicited from the rules of language. The institution of a particular language also varies greatly depending on socio-economic factors as well as through educational strategies. For example, with the rise of information technology and the internet as well as through global capitalism, the English language has taken center stage as a pseudo-global language due to its far reaching capacity and its prevalence in scientific and technological innovations. It will be interesting to see how the role of English changes as the world becomes smaller through interconnectivity and the rise of other global languages such as Chinese. Different cultures, through different languages, create different modes of expression and understanding that give rise to cultural diversity. Cultural diversity relies upon the comparing and contrasting mechanisms through which meaning is ingrained. Semiotics is the realm of language that is concerned with signs and signification. Language is the tool through which we identify particular signs and accord them a meaning, or a signification. This is important because through the sign, or symbol, a culture places specific connotations beyond the traditional denotative structure of language. Language both identifies and distinguishes. This is where varying mediums play a significant role on the way cultures digest and create their lives through language. To illustrate how this works, I will next discuss the role that the mass media has on both the language of culture and the culture of language. The dominance of mass media and advertising over the realms of cross cultural communication cannot be underestimated. Through advertisements, newspapers, television, radio, and the internet, people across the world have instant access to a constant stream of information that shapes the way we live our lives. This can have both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, mass media acts a vehicle for cross cultural dialogue. It provides people with a common language and a common set of terms through which to discuss the pressing issues of the day. The information presented is current and has a specific point of focus. Depending on a person’s cultural condition and through which avenue of mass media they travel on the information highway, the meaning of the information changes dramatically. In this way, two people from different cultures can watch the same news clip and come away from the experience with two completely different understandings from the same language and information. On the negative side of mass media we can point to what cultural theorists beginning with Antonio Gramsci have termed cultural hegemony. This names a dual process through which competing ideologies are struggled out on the stage of culture and through which subversive or outsider paradigms are brought into the dominant arena of culture in order to assimilate and therefore neutralize the conflict of interests (Chandler). This applies to our discussion of language and culture because it helps explain how the role of the media frames certain issues in order to parlay a particular point of view. For example, here in America hegemony can be witnessed through the way Fox News presents its conservative political agenda against the way that Comedy Central portrays its progressive politics through shows like the Daily Show. The language presented and used in media relies upon subtle ideological functioning in order to suggest at an agenda or viewpoint instead of simply communicating said purpose. As mentioned before, language both identifies and distinguishes. As in the previous example of news presentation, we can see how Fox News identifies its audience through its conservative ideology. By identifying as they do, they also distinguish themselves from the liberal-leaning Daily Show audience. It will be interesting to see how much, if any, influence Fox News can have during the Obama presidency and the rise of liberalism after relying so heavily upon Republican and conservative politics through the Bush administration. The shift in the power of balance in American politics will sway the tide of public opinion in the arena of culture that hegemony frames. We can also witness the way science and technologies rely upon specific uses of language in order to elucidate communication and meaning. Perhaps this arena of culture illustrates the example best. Science and technology create paradigms of knowledge. By this, we can see how biochemists almost literally speak another language than nuclear physicists in their professional lives. Again, this is not a positive or a negative situation; it is a cultural practice that plays itself out through particular frameworks of understanding the world. Another interesting example of how science and technology play out in the realm of language is to consider the macro level. As hinted at earlier, science and technology, with their innovations originating largely from the United States and Japan, have consisted and evolved through the language of not just professional jargon, but specifically and nearly exclusively through English. In his innovative essay, Translingual Travel: The Discourse Practice of Cultural Hegemony, Chinese cultural theorist Dai Xun writes of the impact this phenomenon has in China, â€Å"The primary premise in the rise of cultural hegemony is the advantages and control western countries enjoy over science, technology and information (Xun). This is another form of cultural hegemony that phases out periphery languages at the cost of integrating English into the global vocabulary as well as forming the unbalanced socio-economic relationships of our age. Language is utilized for specific purposes through systematic controls and symbolic gestures. That being said, language is not a monolithic and static entity. Although language relies on specific grammatical and syntactical rules, cultures have always innovated and bent the rules of grammar in an effort to assert their unique cultural conditions. The rise of slang is one of the most important and culturally reinforcing tactics that marginal groups use to coalesce and self-identify. Slang is a part of language, and it follows that it serves again to identify as well as to distinguish. One of the most striking examples of slang can be witnessed in hip-hop music. Hip-hop is rapidly becoming a global phenomena and it goes beyond just the music to include fashion, dancing, music making and lifestyle. In this way, the slang the hip-hop community uses separates them from other groups while also helping them to identify with like-minded people. Hegemony in the realm of hip-hop can help explain how power relations work themselves out through culture. In its infancy, hip-hop was a culture unique to African-Americans in inner-city America. With its popularity and rise through mass media, white, middle-class teenagers are adopting hip-hop into their lifestyles and trying to identify with the conditions that gave rise to it. This is how dominant culture integrates what was previously a subversive and politically threatening subculture into the mainstream. Now we see hip-hop artists in children’s cartoons, at suburban schools and in the malls. In conclusion, language and culture maintain mutually reinforcing relationship. Both dominant and subversive forms of communication are played out on the arena of cultural hegemony. This condition goes beyond the traditional positive/negative paradigm of culture. What is important to some cultures can have very little significance to others. Works Cited Chandler, Daniel. (2000). Gramsci and Hegemony. Marxist Media Theory. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism10. html Language. (2008). Wordnet. Princeton University. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from http://wordnetweb. princeton. edu/perl/webwn? s=language Xun, Dai. (2008). Translingual Travel: The Discourse Practice of Cultural Hegemony. Southwest Normal University. Retrieved December 22, 2008 from www. ln. edu. hk/eng/staff/eoyang/icla/Translingual%20Travel