Cartography of Africa History of Maps

Cartography of Africa History of Maps Youngmoo Kim Under the Western Eyes One of the most popular and decorative map of all early maps of Africa, Africae nova descriptio allows us to picture Africa through the eyes of Europeans in the early 1600s, the golden age of Dutch mapmaking. Unlike many historical maps that remain as mysteries, the origins of this map are identified. Published in his 1630 Atlas Novus, this cornerstone map of Africa was produced by Willem Janszoon Blaeu, a well-regarded Dutch cartographer. Blaeu was an astronomer, an instrument maker, an engraver, and a globe manufacturer. Like many map-makers of his time, he was not an explorer himself: his maps were based from narratives of sailors, traders, travelers, and explorers. In addition to the accounts, he used earlier maps as a basic template for his own as much of geographical information is still based on the Ptolemaic maps. Influences of Ptolemys Geographia, a manual on construction and drawings of maps written around 160, continued to appear in maps across Europe until 1730, apparent in Blaeus map as Ptolemaic lakes of Zaire and Zaflan are shown as the sources of the Nile (Jones). Even if the origin of this map was unknown, one could easily determine the map as Africa perceived by an outsider. The expanses of oceans, constituting a good portion of the entire map, and the prominence of the ships bearing Dutch flags on the oceans, suggest that this is a view of Africa from a maritime perspective. The majority of these ships are drawn sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, and indeed, the European interest in Africa was largely spurred initially by a quest of finding an alternative route to Asia. Written primarily in Latin, the names of places on the map are quite interesting as they are small individual puzzles that can serve as historical markers or hints that help contextualize the map. For example, Barbaria would be familiar to 17th century Europeans as the pirates and slave traders of the Barbary coast were widely feared throughout southern Europe and northern Africa. On the other hand, Nubia, labeled in the region along the Nile located in what is today sout hern Egypt, alludes to more of a historical and anthropological picture: a reference to one of the earliest civilizations of ancient Africa. The majority of the names represented on this map are closer approximations of indigenous names rather than names on maps that were made a century or so later. Because this 1630 map predates the full force of European colonial rule in Africa, the names are also precolonial. For instance, Libya is the precolonial name included in this map. When this territory was broadly incorporated into one huge territory under Italian colonial rule, it was simply called Italian North Africa. It was not until 1934 that the country name Libya- its current name was reintroduced (Libya Profile Timeline). And so forth, the name Libya chronicles the struggle of Libyans indigenous notions of place and space: resembling a situation in Raymond Craibs Cartographic Mexico, where officials of Veracruz attempted to redefine and codify fugitive landscapes with their own conceptions of history and territory (Craib). One of the most interesting features of the map is the cartographers way of labeling the places on the map. The names of the coastal towns and features of the map are printed inward towards the continent giving an illusion of fullness and thorough charting to the map. On closer examination, the densest areas portrayed on the map are the perimeter of the continent. In fact, several regions of interior Africa are unidentified, many of which are decorated with indigenous animals such as elephants, lions, and ostriches. Only coastal towns are named on the Cape, with the printing covering much of unknown territories. The map seems to focus on much more geographic detail in eastern Africa and the Mediterranean coast than the west or the south, a sure sign of European exploration bias. Nevertheless, the blank spaces do not accurately reflect the reality, as Africa was a thoroughly populated continent in the 1600s. Rather, they reflect the limitations of European knowledge and interests and the significance of Africa from a Eurocentric view. The sketches of towns and the illustrations showing various indigenous costumes along the border of the map further imply the coastal perspective of the continent. The side panels, depicting ten different views of costumed natives from areas which Europeans presumably had contact with, take place in coastal towns. The oval views of major cities on the top border include Alexandria, Alger, Tunis, and Mozambique. These nine city and town plans above might have been major trading ports for the Dutch, or they might have been significant places known to Blaeu through the accounts of his various sources. Another captivating cartographic feature is the identification of African territories and kingdoms outlined in color. However, these regions seem to reflect the nationhood of Africa through the eyes of Europeans. Contrary to Europe, Africa was not a place that can be easily presumed and projected onto an unexplored area. In Siam Mapped, Thongchai examines the territorial entity of Thailand by exploring its conception of nationhood. Before the late 19th century, established boundaries were nonexistent in Siamese understanding of a territory. Overlapping or multiple sovereignties were common, while areas without any jurisdiction also existed (Thongchai). Consequently, it is apparent that 17th century explorers and sailors in Africa misconstrued boundary delineations and the struggled to comprehend indigenous conceptions of boundary that may have very well existed in Africa. However, these identifications of territories would continue to be more accurate during the next few hundred year s as more traders and explorers report on hundreds of ethnic territories and tribes. In terms of the maps technical cartographic elements, this map is particularly striking in several ways. Surprisingly, the geographical representation is quite accurate- Africa portrayed on the map is a close depiction to the actual scale and the shape of the continent. Some of the key topographical elements of Africa, such as the Nile river and the lakes in eastern Africa, are present, though they are fairly inaccurate. The compass, sitting on top of the equator, is elaborately detailed, with a fleur-de-lis pointing the north- Europe. This is not much of a surprise as it signifies perfection, light, and life. Although the longitude and the latitude adds more specificity to the directional aspect, a scale or a distance measure is not present on the map. Common to maps of this era, the artistic elements of the map are, indeed, clearly out of scale. It is impossible to tell how large or small the nine towns are or their sizes relative to one another, and the animals and the ships on th e oceans are drawn at a size that wildly distorts the scale. Nonetheless, the artistry of this map is absolutely stunning. The rich colors, the elaborately drawn artwork around the border, and the whimsical creatures scattered over land and sea suggest that this was as much a work of art as a map. It is very likely that this map was a costly and valuable possession and would not be accessible to many. It certainly was not a seafaring map nor a navigational map due to its lack of details or practicality. Most likely, Blaeus readers included upper-class collectors, elites, and, perhaps, the emerging class of intellectuals who were simply curious about exotic places and took part in the expanding worldview of the Dutch in the following era. Works Cited Craib, Raymond B. Cartographic Mexico: A History of State Fixations and Fugitive Landscapes. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004. Jones, Alexander. Ptolemy. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. February 22, 2016. Accessed February 12, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy. Libya Profile Timeline. BBC News. November 21, 2016. Accessed February 16, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13755445. Thongchai, Winichakul. Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-body of a Nation. Honolulu: Univ. of Hawaii Press, 2009.

Analysis of taobaos business strategies

Analysis of taobaos business strategies Taobao is the most famous online shopping website in China. It was launched in 2003 and within two years it became the leader of Chinas online shopping market. In order to keep the leadership position in increasingly intense competition and sustain its development, Taobao needs to modify and better its strategies for future development. Furthermore, its marketing strategies can also provide a good example for other online shopping companies. This essay is going to make an overall analysis on Taobaos business strategies by SWOT. Key words: Taobao; marketing strategies; SWOT analysis Taobao operates a website, Taobao.com which is the largest Internet retail website in China. According to its website the transaction volume on Taobao (gross merchandise volume or GMV) exceeded RMB200 billion (US$29 billion) in 2009. Taobao launched in 2003, is owned by Alibaba Group, which is a family of Internet-based businesses. (Taobao, n.d.) Taobao provides not only online platforms but also third-party online payment services (Alipay) and instant messaging services (Aliwangwang) Platforms within Taobao include Alimama (alimama.com), an online advertising exchange and affiliate network for publishers in China. In addition, there is also a classified listing website Koubei.com. (ibid.) SWOT analysis, according to Philip Kolter, is an overall evaluation of a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. (Kolter, 2003) As the competition in the online shopping market is becoming increasingly fierce, Taobao faces some problems as well. The purpose of this SWOT analysis is to provide a critical review of key factors that may slow down Taobaos future development. 2. Strengths 2.1 Leading position in Chinas online shopping market Taobao is an acknowledged leader in both B2C (business to consumer) and C2C (consumer to consumer) online shopping market in China. Taobao has (should be: had) more than 190 million registered users by (could use: at) the end of April, 2010. (Taobao, n.d.) It has built a strong brand and is recognised by more Netizen (which is defined as the Chinese population who have accessed the Internet in the past 6 months by China Internet Network Information Centre) (CNNIC. 2008, January 15th). The company is well-thought-of by customers which gives Taobao more advantages in competition. 2.2 Effective combination of diversified offerings Taobao combines its three segment businesses effectively to enlarge its customer base. Take Alipay as an example, it is a third-party online payment platform, provides a simpler, efficient and safe payment service for both customers and sellers. This service not only ensure (should be: ensures) the transaction security but also reduces the transaction risk for online consumers, as it enables buyers to confirm the quality of goods before releasing funds to sellers. For example, if goods are found (to be) broken or fake, customers can request Alipay to postpone the release of funds to sellers. (Taobao, n.d.) This service help (should be: helps) Taobao (to) attract more customers. In addition, an instant message (could use: messaging) service called Aliwangwang make (should be: makes) the communication between (the) buyer and seller easier. Moreover, this service enables (the) buyer and seller (to) have a directly private bargain during the transactions, which is the preference of Chinese customers. 2.3 Precise market positioning Taobao analyzed Chinas online shopping market at the beginning of its business. Different from other online shopping websites which prefer older white-collar worker(s) with higher salaries or people who like collecting and sharing, Taobao chose fashionable younger females as the target customer. This market positioning proved more suitable for Chinas market compared to other websites (apostrophe not needed) . This is one of the reasons that the growth rate of Taobao is much higher than other competitors. 3. Weaknesses 3.1 Limiting itself to local market The design of Taobao website and other supporting services were based on Chinas local market. This localisation strategy made Taobao grew (should be: grow) fast at the beginning. However, with the development of the website, this strategy limits Taobao to the Chinese market and (, therefore resulting in a) lack of presence in (the) global market. 3.2 Insufficient screen process to control counterfeit products Although Taobao has taken some measures to control the sale of fake goods, such as rating the sellers by credit value, the result was not as expected. Because of the free strategy that Taobao used, individuals can establish an online shop easily without charge and requirement. This makes it even hard to monitor and select sellers that commit fraud. Lack of effective screening processes to control the sale of counterfeit products has had a negative influence on customers confidence in Taobao. It could also affect Taobaos brand image and sales. 4. Opportunities 4.1 Growing demand for online shopping in China According to CNNIC, the number of online buyers reached 87.9 million by June 2009, increasing from 74 million in 2008 and 46 million in 2007. The online shopping penetration rate achieved 24.8% by June 2009. (CNNIC. 2010, January 15th; 2010, July 15th) As the data above shows, more people in China prefer to buy products online. Convenience and various choices could be two main reasons. This increasingly growing demand for online shopping contributed to the growth of Taobao. 4.2 Government support After the global financial crisis, (the) Chinese government provided a RMB 4 trillion stimulus package in order to boost the domestic economic growth through 2010. (the) IT industry received around 0.5% to 1% of the cash injection. (Xinhua, 2008). This gave online shopping companies strong support for future developments. 4.3 Safer payment systems for online transactions The improved online payment systems play an important role in the growth of Chinese online shopping markets. There are more flexible payment systems for customers to choose. For example, a third-party online payment system ensures the security of transaction(s) and enables customers to get their refunds easily. A simpler and safer payment for online transaction(s) attracts (should be: attract) more customers. 5. Threats 5.1 Low entry barrier leads to fierce competition Because of the low entry barrier and fast growing market, Taobao meets many challenges, particularly in the face of increased competition from new market entrants. In addition, without many technical difficulties, it is easy for other competitors to copy Taobaos business pattern. Therefore, Taobao will be forced to increase investments on advertising or technological innovation. 5.2 Strict policy for third parties payment license Recently, Peoples Bank of China issued an Administrative Measures for the Payment Services Provided by Non-financial Institutions which has raised the entry standard for third payment party. In order to get (could use: obtain) and keep the license, Taobao has to increase its expenditure on online payment. 5.3 Higher logistics costs Taobao will give customers suggestions about the logistic companies which are mostly local third party logistics providers and customers usually take the suggestions because of the lower delivery prices these companies offered, compared to other international express companies, such as DHL and UPS. However, local third party logistics recently announced that they would raise the price. As most online customers are highly prices sensitive, this will have a negative effect on Taobaos sale. 6 Conclusions According to the SWOT analysis, although there are some drawbacks which have negative effects on Taobaos future development, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages. In addition, there are many opportunities for Taobaos further growth. This conclusion will give some suggestions for Taobaos future business expansion. First of all, in order to keep the leadership position, technological innovation is crucial for Taobao. Taobao may focus on continuous improvement of its online payment system, which is also one of its strengths, particularly in the aspect of transactions (should be transactions, without apostrophe) reliability and security. Moreover, website functions, Internet stability and high-speed access to websites are also important in providing a better user experience, which may help to attract more customers. Secondly, as Taobao has the advantage of large scale consumers and sellers, Taobao may segment its market to provide more specialized services based on different demands so that it can meet customers requirements more effectively. To sum up, it is undeniable that the future of (the) online shopping market in China is promising. Based on the statistics by CNNIC, It is in a steadily (should be: steady) development stage. In this attractive online shopping market, more complete logistics providers and payment systems will appear. These will provide Taobao more opportunities to develop in the future.

Music Therapy :: essays research papers

rynjulf Stige is the first Coordinator of the music therapy education program at Sogn og Fjordane University in Sandane, Norway, where he is an associate professor. With diverse experiences as a music therapist using a community based approach, Stige has written numerous articles and books on music therapy and music education. He is editor-in-chief of the Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, and co-editor (with Carolyn Kenny) of Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. He is one of the most insightful thinkers working within the music therapy profession. He believes that humans cannot escape culture. Through culture, we are provided the tools we need to deal with challenges of everyday life. Stige believes that culture has not been focused on enough and in his book, Culture-Centered Music Therapy, he brought the culture to the music therapy world. His book is divided into four main parts excluding the introduction, preface, etc. Part One of the book, outlines premises for the argument, examining basic concepts such as culture, humankind, meaning, "musicking," and the nature-nurture debate. Part Two highlights how culture-centered music therapy may be practiced. The scope varies from community music therapy (aimed in part on cultural change in the community), to ecological music therapy (focusing on communication at micro- and mesosystem levels), to individual music psychotherapy (considering the individual in cultural context). In Part Three, implications for describing and understanding music therapy are discussed, including a chapter on how to define music therapy as a practice, discipline, and profession. A culture-inclusive model of the music therapy process is also proposed. Part Four suggests approaches to music therapy research within a culture-centered context. A call for increased reflexivity, the ability to reflect upon one's social and cultural position, is at the heart of the discussion, along with a continuing theme of this book: the relations and tensions between local and more general perspectives on music therapy. Focusing more on Part I, the first three chapters that make up that section educate the reader on key premises that arise throughout the rest of the text.. The first chapter explores an integration of themes from biology, history and culture. It opens with a concise and scholarly history of the concept of culture, discussing etymological roots and noting different uses and misuses throughout history. Reference is made to the disciplines of anthropology and ethnography, the latter playing a significant part throughout the text.

School Reforms Speech on Island of Wight :: Education

School Reforms Ladies and gentlemen of the council, As a parent of an island child, I think that we are missing out on a higher level of education. The mainland children get a good education and we are getting a second class education, which we do not deserve. We should fight to improve the quality of our schools, 89% of parents agree that we should go ahead with option three, but with one adjustment, we should let medina high school keep its sixth form, and international baccalaureate. The ages of children moving schools is going to alter from 9 and 13, to just 11, this will decrease the amount of stress that school children go under changing schools. Option three will also mean that pupils who are 14 and over will be able to study a wider range of subjects, both academic and vocational in line with changing national requirements. Also if children only have to cope with one change instead of two they will be able to concentrate on school work rather than trying to make new friends, and trying to learn what you can and can’t do in their new school. The school changes were at ages 9 and 13, this would disrupt the learning of students because of the reasons I have just stated, and as they are in the middle of a critical test time i.e. the year nine SAT’s at 14 years old. Also at 9 years old the brain is geared up for learning and grasping new things not sudden changes and disruptions like moving schools. Mainland students change schools at 11 which is just before students start key stage three, this is the build up time for the year nine SAT’s and the only prime time to change schools. We are disrupting the students twice in their school life they are achieving lower results, and there for going to get worse jobs than those mainland students, who have more GCSE’s. Do you want your children to grow up and get one maybe two GCSE’s? My guess is no. I certainly don’t want my children growing up and having fewer opportunities than that of a mainland child. I want my child to have a great job that the y enjoy, not one they have to be satisfied with because they do not have enough qualifications. I ask you ladies and gentlemen of the council do you want your child to grow up like that?

publicity :: essays research papers

What is Publicity? Well publicity is the Art of Attracting FREE public exposure making One’s self visible to the public eye now this may be a newspaper article mention in a magazine on radio or television interview or item it’s all free exposure none paid visibility that can illustrate a positive or negative image to the â€Å"general public†. Now I’m sure your saying to your self publicity sounds a lot like advertising, and you’re wondering, what’s the difference between Advertising and publicity? Well ladies and gentlemen advertising is the activity of attracting public attention to a product or business or â€Å"a band†, as by PAID announcements in the form of print, broadcast, or electronic media such as the internet, what can Publicity do for you? To really hit the nail on the head I would say Publicity provides important visibility. An article in newspaper or a story on radio or television will attract public attention and stimulate public interest and create awareness and build creditability for the cause you’re promoting, then you and your organization can profit from this most important visibility Why attract publicity? One of the main reasons P.R professionals seek publicity and not advertising the significant word here is Creditability, publicity is regarded as more credible th en advertising; to attract positive publicity requires establishing a good working relationship with the media. This is of course easier said then done, your job as public relations professional is to provide the media with none biases information about your organization whether it is electronic or print with and you do this by furnishing them with a press release. Its what editors and reporters receive and read each day to make up there paper and decide what Stories to use. Never attempt to lie to the media always be truthful it is imperative to be honest and open all it takes is one lie one cover up and your creditability is destroyed and in order for your creditability to be eradicated all that is needed is one nosey reporter trying to make a name for his or her self. Weather the mass media has lost relative influence to other proliferating alternative communications vehicles or not the fact remains that securing positive publicity through the media still lies at the heart of public relations practice. Despite the growth of the internet and electronic media, print still stands as the number one medium among public relations professionals.

Philosophical Perspectives on Music Education Essay

Music is one subject that is very rarely given attention in the academe. The most controversial issue that is attached to this is whether or not music should be taught in schools, or why music should be taught, for that matter. Contrary to what most people believe, music education is an imperative part of student growth (Davidson, 1932). This issue has resulted to the perceived need to change public opinion. Several â€Å"music advocacies† which come in many forms were established, seeking to change this mindset that people have about music education. Most music advocacies are based on legitimate findings and scientific arguments, although many others rely on unconvincing and rather controversial data. It should be noted that students should be exposed to music so that they are able to communicate and understand their own feelings (Zbikowski, 2002). Arts, whether it be visual or audio allows us to have an insight to our emotional self and cultivates the growth of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. In colleges, music education is usually one of the densest subjects. Although some schools and organizations encourage incorporation of arts in classes, such as music with other subjects such as Math, Science, or English, people still fail to see the importance of arts in the academics (Zbikowski, 2002). For many people, academic subjects should go beyond what is best for the students to learn. It should also incorporate things that will help students cultivate the need to learn. Music has taken the biggest cut on the academe—it has not been given importance as it should be. In this paper, the philosophical perspectives of three authors will explain why music is among the most important subjects that should be taught in schools and why there is a need to do so. Charles Fowler Charles Fowler believes that through artistic representations such as music, people are able to share, at some point, a common humanity. In the same manner, life would be meaningless without shared expressions which make people understand one another. He also very firmly believes that Science is not the only conveyor of what we may consider true. Science may be able to explain how flowers bloom or how humans are conceived, but it fails to convey its emotive meaning and impact, as the Arts does. He emphasizes that both are important, and that both should be given importance (Fowler, 1996). He considers Arts such as music as an act of intelligence and should be treated no less compared to other subjects as it is a form of thought that is every bit as important as science and mathematics when it comes to what these subjects convey. Inasmuch as the pyramids of Egypt, the Statue of Liberty, and the Hanging Garden of Babylon can be mathematically or scientifically explained as to how they were built, a musical piece can also show people many other evenly important aspects of its existence. Arts allow us to create our own representation to concepts, ideas and feelings as perceived by people. In the same manner, music was created for us to be able to react to the world in the form of music, to record our impressions and to analyze things and share them with other people. Like science and mathematics, music needs to be studied before being fully understood (Fowler, 1996). Because today’s schools are understood to be concerned as they should be to teaching literacy, it should be noted that literacy also includes understanding of music. This is because music allows us to fully express, represent, and communicate the full scale of human life, which is a pre-requisite to understanding the real essence of language, mathematics, science, economics, philosophy, and the list could go on and on. If one is asked, â€Å"What constitutes a good education? † one is expected to hear an answer which would mention about a full knowledge about Sciences and Math. True enough, this is very critical in a person’s life if he aims to have a place in the work force. Very few would also argue with that. However, this idea should not and never make us overlook how important music is and what it can do for the mind and spirit of people (Fowler, 1996). Fowler believes that school administrators, teachers, professors and educators should be reminded that one obligation that a school has for their students is to inspire them, in whatever way, and ignite their minds for them to be better individuals. Music often ignites that goal and serves as the fuel. It is one way to apply one’s imaginations, thoughts and feelings. In relation to the reform movement of America which focuses on improving the quality of education by inspiring them, introducing self discipline, discovering the joys of learning, the uniqueness of one’s being, the possibilities and wonders of life and the achievement and satisfaction, Fowler believes that arts can be used to attain these goals (Henry, 1958). He also emphasizes that the world does not need better and more arts education simply because the world needs more artists. He believes that there are far better reasons for schools to provide a healthy and in-depth education in Arts. Quite simply, this is one way people communicate with each other, although not generally verbally, but emotionally. Music is the language of the world which helps people express fear, anger, anxiety, curiosity, hunger, hopes, dreams and so on. Music is the universal language by which the world is able to express itself to its constituents; the world speaks through music. Music is not just important—Fowler believes that it is a center force of human existence. Arts in school should never be isolated from any other subjects in the academe. It should be included in the framework of general education and should be part of the curriculum of all American schools, or all schools in the world for that matter. Arts should at all times be related to general education because it is essential in establishing a strong curriculum. Every person should then be given the opportunity to learn as much as they can about arts (Fowler, 1996). Charles Leonhard  Leonhard believes that although it is an easy task for educators to make their students love music, they should still consider finding ways to make music education more effective and enjoyable. He discussed that there is a raising concern for higher standards of music education. For instance, students nowadays are more informed about music, which is why educators should also adapt to this by teaching higher standards of musical literature and musical performances, and using better musical instruments that will best fit the taste of students and will thus inspire them to learn more about music. By doing so, he stresses out that school administrators all over the world will be inspired to make music education as an equal part of the general education (Elliot, 1995). He was also concerned about music being part of everyone’s lives. As the motto of music educators has for years been â€Å"Music for every child and every child for music†, this applies that every child and youth should be taught to love music, regardless the degree of understanding or talent in music they have. Just as this is important, he also believes that the music teaching should be on the same footing to that of the regular academic subjects and should be made functional, instead of treating it like a fad. Leonhard feels that now is the time to firmly establish music in the school curriculum, to gain increased acceptance of the idea that music should be an essential part of general education for everyone. Achievement of this ambition requires an expanded range of communication between music educators and all other educators, plus the interested public. It is only by a wider sharing of ideas that changes can occur. To achieve this, a very sensible approach has been used. This approach is placing ideas about the values of music education in a broader context of ideas about education in general and of building relationships between the intellectual resources of music educators. This is surely advisable, even necessary. Nevertheless there are difficulties in this kind of operation. Estelle Jorgensen Estelle Jorgensen contested many philosophers who treated music as a â€Å"difficulty†, and who considered music not to be part of the general education. Jorgensen sees the importance of having people be aware of the need to understand, appreciate and use music for one to apply it in his or her everyday life. The arts then have a potential contribution to the general education, as it has in general life. While school subjects often included music, arts were not always present. She believes that most people fail to see the importance of arts in the reality of life, and what difference it does to the world. For instance, love in itself is art; the human body is an art; everything around us is an art, yet many fails to understand and realize this fact. In American schools where there is willingness on the part of the authorities to accord a reasonable amount of time to music, she believes that work in appreciation is sometimes undertaken. But to accomplish anything systematic and lasting, teachers would have to be content to attack the problem in a less spectacular manner than commonly maintains in our schools. In view of the experience which precedes this work, the study of music appreciation in the high school should begin at the beginning and be satisfied to cover comparatively little ground. There are, moreover, three requisites without which any course of this kind would be practically worthless. First, the teacher must be a reasonably well-educated musician, possessing knowledge of the subject far more extensive than that required by his immediate work, and an acquaintance with other branches of education such as would enable him to draw parallels between music and other fields of learning. He should have, too, a highly cultivated taste, and a faith in the capacity of youth to perceive and enjoy beauty without the aid of sugar-coated musical palliatives or sensational devices which are calculated to enhance interest, but which, in reality, distract attention from the music itself. And last, the illustrations should offer as nearly as possible a true presentation of the work under discussion. She believes that music should be thought in an ideal way for it to be appreciated (Rogers, 1998). Conclusion Like other subjects in the curriculum of American schools, the arts provide an opportunity for children to realize certain talents and potentials. Particularly in their creative modes, the arts ask students to reach inside themselves to explore their own fascinations and perceptions and to give them suitable and precise representation. In the process of translating their inner discernments and revelations into a symbolic form, children discover and develop their capabilities and uncover some of their human possibilities. Because they are so personal in what they require of each would-be artist, the arts can disclose important insights and impart crucial–and practical-habits of thought that are generally not taught as well through other subjects (Swanwick, 1996). Among the three philosophers, Charles Fowler had much to say about Arts being an essential part of a school’s curriculum. It is precisely because the creative act flows from the inside out rather than the outside in that it helps youngsters discover their own resources, develop their own attributes, and realize their own personal potential. Education generally does not do this. That is, usually students are told, â€Å"Here is the way the world is,† rather than asked, â€Å"What do you think the world is or might be? † Through the process of refining their own personal visions, students discover and develop their own intellectual resources. Because the arts ask students to determine their own abilities, they are self motivating. They propel and stimulate, fascinate and captivate because they engage students personally with their true inner selves, not some concept of self imposed from outside. All human beings want to know what they can do. By having to draw on their own ideas, students discover and explore their own cognitive capacities (Swanwick, 1988). All three authors, Fowler, Leonhard and Jorgensen had similar views on music education. The three agreed that music should be treated as a vital part of student education. Just who is responsible for educating the next generation in the arts –the schools, other agencies, or a combination of both? Each community is responsible for providing opportunities to its youth to ensure that they will be adequately educated in the arts. How those responsibilities are carried out differs from one community to the next. In those communities with few cultural resources, the schools must assume the primary responsibility. In urban and suburban communities that have access to museums, arts centers, and living artists of all kinds, the responsibility can and should be shared between the schools and the community.

How does Shakespeare demonstrate the power of the mind in Macbeth? Essay

Macbeth is a play famous for murder and its references to blood. It is usually associated with bad luck and evil; however, there is one main issue that appears time and time again throughout the play – what is it that drives the characters to do the things that they do? Shakespeare explores and presents the power of the mind in many interesting ways. These include soliloquies and slight changes in characters such as the way they talk, act or present themselves. The main character affected by the power of his mind is, of course, Macbeth. What happens in his mind basically provides the plot for the whole play. Once the witches have told Macbeth that he will be king he can either choose to ignore this piece of information or do something about it to make it come around faster. Macbeth chooses to do the latter and he kills the current king, Duncan. Lady Macbeth becomes so caught up in the series of events and excited at the prospect of being Queen that she urges Macbeth on, encouraging him to fulfil his apparent destiny and become King. In the end, the way that Macbeth presents himself and talks is completely different to the character we are introduced to at the beginning of the play. This is all due to the effect his mind power has over him. We also see changes in Lady Macbeth’s character such as paranoia and slight changes in the way she talks and thinks. The first evidence we see of mind power is in Act 1, Scene 3 where Macbeth meets the witches. Why do the witches’ prophecies in this scene have such power over Macbeth? Although Macbeth and Banquo hear the same thing, Macbeth is much more moved by the words, and I think the main reason for this is that the witches’ are speaking Macbeth’s innermost, dangerous thoughts. Once the witches say ‘Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!’ (Macbeth’s current title) it becomes apparent to Macbeth that the witches are knowledgeable and are capable of predicting the future. Shakespeare constructs the plot cleverly here. The dramatic irony of the audience knowing he has been crowned Thane of Cawdor ensures that the audience are already aware of what the witches can do before Macbeth realises. The tragedy is often blamed on the witches because they torment Macbeth by speaking his thoughts in riddles and they make Macbeth think that his greatest prize is near. However, the witches could only have so much power over Macbeth if he already had these thoughts in his head. Therefore, Macbeth himself could be blamed for the tragedy of the play. If he had already thought about killing Banquo, but thought nothing of it until the witches had confirmed the idea, you could blame him entirely for the murder. The witches know what to say and exactly how to say it, which implies that they know what Macbeth is thinking. Another line in this scene which suggests that Macbeth had already thought about becoming King or killing Duncan is when he pleads with the witches to ‘Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.’ The fact that he was willing to listen to more of what the witches had to say suggests that he had thought of becoming King before and was reassured by the idea that it could really happen. Once the witches have vanished, Macbeth and Banquo visit Duncan at a room in his palace. Here, Duncan appoints Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. It is here that Macbeth begins to fully realise the impact the witches’ words are having on him. He also sees that they knew what was going to happen to him because they had said, ‘All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor’ in the previous scene. In a powerful soliloquy, Macbeth reveals his thoughts to the audience: ‘†¦Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires;’ With ‘let not light see my black and deep desires’ Macbeth confirms that he has thought of becoming King before, but does not want to show it. When he was speaking with the witches he wasn’t sure whether to believe what they were seeing and although he did think about the idea of becoming King, he never really pursued it. Once the prophecy of Macbeth becoming Thane Of Cawdor comes true, Macbeth realises that he will be king. In Act 1, scene 7 Macbeth is considering murdering Duncan but says there are many arguments against it. Some of the lines in this scene make me wonder whose initial idea the murder was and whether Macbeth really wanted to kill Duncan. Macbeth says he is enjoying the feeling of being famous and powerful but Lady Macbeth’s persuasion quickly works on him: ‘I am settled and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat.’ In the second act when Macbeth decides he is against the idea, the more persuasive Lady Macbeth is towards him, the more Macbeth submits to her taunting – ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.’ By the end of the scene, Macbeth has been made to feel so inferior by Lady Macbeth that he has taken over the planning himself. Macbeth plans to blame the murder on the two guards in Duncan’s chamber: ‘Will it not be receiv’d, When we have mark’d with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us’d their very daggers, That they have done’t?’ Temporarily, Macbeth has lost his doubt and fear in the excitement of planning the murder. Perhaps the most famous act of mind power in this play, is the dagger Macbeth sees in Act 2, Scene 1. It is late at night in the castle and Macbeth meets Banquo and Banquo’s son Fleance. Banquo wants to talk about the witches’ prophecies to Macbeth. Banquo says that he has dreamt of the sisters and seems to be annoyed because they have ‘showed [Macbeth] some truth.’ Just as the three Weird Sisters predicted, Macbeth’s wishes and secret dreams of power have all come true. But along with these, so have his darkest fears. Throughout the play Macbeth continues to struggle against the images his mind conjures up against his own conscious will. Although technically, he has won the crown and been successful, he cannot enjoy himself because of the immense guilt he feels over how his mind has been poisoned by the Weird Sisters. The dagger scene is an extremely powerful example of mind power. Shakespeare uses metaphors, imagery and other dramatic cues to express Macbeth’s emotions and fear. Probably the most well known line in the play, upon seeing the dagger Macbeth says to himself, ‘Is this a dagger I see before me, The handle toward my hand?’ Macbeth realises that the dagger is only a vision created by his mind, in this question he is questioning his mind – asking himself whether what he is seeing is real or a figment of his imagination. He continues, ‘†¦art thou but A dagger of the mind,’ The way Shakespeare has written Macbeth’s speech make it seem so much more realistic. Because this play would first have been performed in a Jacobean theatre, there would have been no special effects in the theatre to emphasise the visions Macbeth’s mind were creating throughout the play. The actors would of course had to have been talented to pull off such acting without props, but the choice of words Shakespeare uses it what makes it so much more believable. Act 2 Scene 3 is the morning after the murder. In this scene Macbeth shows a variety of different emotions so it is difficult to tell what he is feeling about the murder. Also, what Macbeth says in this scene is quite ambiguous so it is quite hard to figure out what he means. When Macbeth says ‘Twas a rough night’ it could either mean that he is shocked by the night’s events or that he fears being found out. And when Macbeth says ‘Had I but died an hour before this chance I had lived a blessed time’ it is relatively easy to see that he feels guilty and regrets the murder. Another change in Macbeth’s speech is that his statements seem to be shorter and more formal. This suggests that he is on edge and is worried about being found out. In this scene, Macbeth also decides to start acting secretly, and does not communicate his plans with Lady Macbeth – ‘Be innocent of the knowledge †¦ ’till though applaud the deed’. Another major demonstration of mind power in the play is when Macbeth conjures up the image of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet in Act 3, Scene 4. Thinking about why Macbeth is so tense and anxious when he enters the room helps you to understand how his mind could have conjured up the terrible image of the ghost. Macbeth is obviously worried and guilt-ridden about Banquo’s murder, he says ‘I had else been perfect †¦ but now, I am bound in to saucy doubts and fears.’ Banquo was Macbeth’s best friend, and Macbeth had ordered him to be killed. He needed both Banquo and Fleance to be killed, but Fleance escaped. Macbeth excluding his wife from the plans is putting extra pressure on him, not to mention the relationship between the two. The banquet is the first function that Macbeth organises when he is appointed King. Therefore, he needs his guests to feel that he is a good King and is control of the banquet. When Macbeth sees the ghost and everything starts to go wrong, Macbeth is desperate to calm his important guests so that they do not think of him as not being a fitting King. The ghost in Act 3, scene 4 has an extremely powerful effect on Macbeth. He goes through different stages of acceptance, first cowering from it, then challenging it and finally, confronting it. ‘†¦the time has been, That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end; but now they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns and push us from our stools†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Macbeth’s fear of the ghost is completely natural. He cannot understand how Banquo could have reappeared, especially after having just been informed of his death. He challenges the ghost, ‘Hence, horrible shadow! Unreal mockery, hence!’ Macbeth confronts the ghost, ‘Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes, Which thou dost glare with.’ The ghost disappears at these words and Macbeth seems to have won by confrontation. Macbeth returns to his guests. Macbeth doesn’t realise that no one else in the room can see the things he is imagining – he assumes that they saw the ghost and is surprised by their apparent failure to react to it, ‘†¦now I think you can behold such sights, ands keep the natural ruby of your cheeks, when mine is blanched with fear.’ The sleepwalking scene is one in which Shakespeare demonstrates mind power through actions very well. Lady Macbeth is subconsciously ridden with guilt over the deaths. When she sleepwalks we see her vigorously washing her hands to scrub Duncan’s blood from her hands and asking no one in particular ‘†¦who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?’ Of course, Lady Macbeth does not still have Duncan’s blood on her hands; it is only her imagination making her think she needs to scrub her hands clean – ‘†¦all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’ Lady Macbeth is usually seen as dominant over Macbeth, she tries to seem stronger than Macbeth and hides her fear, guilt and shame as much as possible. The way that Lady Macbeth weakens when asleep creates a very powerful image of mind power. By scrubbing her hands over and over again we can guess that, rather than trying to rid her hands of blood, she is actually trying to rid her mind of the memories of the night of Duncan’s murder. The doctor who has been called to help Lady Macbeth says that the disease is ‘beyond his practice’ and that ‘more needs she the divine than the physician.’ meaning that she has more need for a priest than a doctor to rid her of her ‘evil disease’. Lady Macbeth leaves the room soon after muttering that ‘what’s done cannot be undone’ and repeating that she must go to bed. The doctor continues trying to analyse Lady Macbeth’s disease and confides in her gentlewoman, telling her that ‘Foul whisp’rings are abroad†¦ †¦infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.’ The doctor knows Lady Macbeth is hiding something – when he says ‘deaf pillows’ it suggests that people reveal their secrets to pillows because they are deaf and therefore cannot hear or repeat what they have done. Shakespeare’s use of language is just as important as the actions of the characters in showing how powerful their minds are. Macbeth seems weary when he is told of Lady Macbeth’s death – ‘She should have died hereafter: There would have been a time for such a word.’ It is a strange reaction – he is suddenly quiet, thoughtful and almost subdued. His drive and motivation disappear. Macbeth no longer sees any point in trying to hold on to the kingship, and does not understand why he ever wanted it. †¦[life] is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing’ Macbeth also thinks that his time is coming to an end and he will die soon. He says that his actions in the past have ‘lighted the fools way to dusty death’. It seems as though, no matter what happens from this point on in the play, Macbeth can no longer return to being the person he was before the Witches poisoned and taunted him with ambition. On the battlefield, Act 5, Scene 8 Macbeth dares each man on the battlefield to kill him in the face of his seemingly infallible prophecy. ‘Why should I play the Roman fool, and die On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives, the gashes Do better upon them.’ Roman generals in defeat would commit suicide to avoid the disgrace of capture, but, in this speech Macbeth says that while he can see living enemies, he will do his best to kill them. He continues taunting his enemies until Macduff kills him. Macbeth finds out that Macduff was from his mother’s womb untimely ripped’ which is what the Witches told Macbeth earlier in the play. At this point, Macbeth realises his life has come to an end and knows that he will not survive the fight with Macduff, however he is brave enough to fight on to the end. An interesting idea is to think about who was truly responsible for the tragedy in Macbeth, other than the witches. Macbeth himself had already thought about the kingship before being told by the Witches that he could achieve it and listens willingly to what the Witches tell him. However, when the plan has been hatched, Macbeth begins to back off until Lady Macbeth taunts him enough to convince him to take over the planning again, which he eventually does. Also, many of Macbeth’s speeches are filled with threats, evil and darkness. Mind power plays a large part in Macbeth’s character – having already thought of the kingship, he was really only waiting for confirmation from someone else before acting on his thoughts. Lady Macbeth also plays a major role in the tragedy. She becomes obsessed with the news she is sent by Macbeth, and immediately hatches a plan to achieve the goal. Her speeches, not dissimilar to Macbeth’s, are also full of darkness and double meanings. When Macbeth backs down and is not so sure about the plan, she taunts him until she finally persuades him to continue. It is also Lady Macbeth who takes the knives back down to the servants after the murder and tried to make everything normal again. Lady Macbeth is greatly affected by her mind, which we see particularly in the sleepwalking scene where she continually washes and rubs her hands in an attempt to scrub away what she believes to be Banquo’s blood. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a great man. After meeting the Weird Sisters he begins to make bad choices and gets everything wrong. The effect the three Witches have on Macbeth’s subconscious mind is astonishing – they make him see things, hear things and do things he doesn’t really want to do. Along with Lady Macbeth, the Witches’ taunting and riddles possess Macbeth and turn him into a power-obsessed, ambition-crazed ‘fiend’. However, Macbeth redeems himself at the end of his life and does not die as the villain of the play. Macbeth is a tragic hero – possessed by evil thoughts, but able to redeem himself by being brave enough to fight on to the end, even though he knows he cannot win back his sanity and/or peace of mind.