Body Art and Ornamentation Essays - 1569 Words

Running head: BODY ART AND ORNAMENTATION Body Art and Ornamentation in Different Cultures Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ANT101 July 28, 2013 There is no culture in which people do not, or did not paint, pierce, tattoo, reshape, or simply adorn their bodies (Schildkrout, 2001). Throughout history, body art and ornamentation has become a worldwide phenomenon and has played a key role in our lives, yet there is a social stigma which we cannot seem to rid ourselves of. It is most commonly misunderstood and misinterpreted which can be attributed to the fact that the symbolism and significance of the body art and/or ornamentation doesn’t always translate the same among the cultures. Although Western culture views body art†¦show more content†¦Looking from another culture’s perspective, the various forms of African body art and ornamentation are seen as being weird, out of the ordinary, and we don’t understand the importance they hold within these African cultures. On the other hand, there are other cultures such as the Japanese, who instead of outwardly portraying their body art and ornamentation w ill instead conceal it so it won’t be visible at all. The first signs of body art and ornamentation which appear in the Japanese culture were first noted as originating all the way back to AD 297 (Rapp, 2010). Back then, tattoos would signify which occupational group certain men belonged to and men, both young and old, would get tattoos all over their bodies including their faces. Men would even go as far as getting full body tattoos which could be found on laborers, firemen, and gangsters (Hopkins-Tanne, 2000). The Chinese considered all Japanese tattoos an act of barbarism and was perceived as being extremely negative. The body art and ornamentation that exists and has existed within the Japanese culture spreads beyond just tattooing and there are a few other methods that they used. First, many married Japanese women or courtesan in the 10th through 19th centuries would apply a paste to their teeth which would blacken them (Schildkrout, 2001). This was considered as being beautiful as well as sexually appealing to where asShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Cultural Art of Body Art1084 Words   |  5 PagesFor a long time now body art and decoration has been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we have learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and nonpermanent tattooing, scarification, and piercings. These forms of body art and ornamentation are done for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. â€Å"Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaboratedRead MoreMarjane Satrapi s Persepolis 1501 Words   |  7 Pageswell as the importance of clothing and body ornamentation after the Islamic revolution. To show thi s, she makes use of characters like her mother, Taji Satrapi, who is strongly against the Islamic Revolution in Iran and herself, who disagrees with the Iranian regime and is more modern like her mother. Throughout Persepolis, Satrapi uses imagery and symbolism to express the impact of the Iranian government on Iranians. She uses clothing and body ornamentation to reveal the conflict between the IranianRead MorePeter Paul Rubens: St. George and the Dragon2895 Words   |  12 Pagesoverdone – too many notes in music, too much color in painting, and too grand in architecture. Eventually, Baroque has come to become characterized by elaborate ornamentation, the aim to create a dramatic effect, the appealing of the spirit through the senses, enlarged space, heightened sensuality and spirituality, and highly ornate. Baroque art started in the Catholic countries as a reaction to the Protestant reformation as a way to bring people back into the Catholic Church. For this reason, Rube nsRead More Ideas of the Parthenon Essay1416 Words   |  6 Pages The Greek people of the 5th century BC created a culture that was deeply rooted in philosophy and the arts. Their endless search for their place in the grand scheme of the universe and in nature around them influenced everything in their lives especially their love of the arts. Their drama, sculpture, and even architecture are all shining examples of the ideas that were so dominant in the minds of the Greek people. What could be considered the crown jewel of Greek architecture, the Parthenon, isRead MoreThe Origins Of Behavioral Modernity905 Words   |  4 Pagesthinking, planning, symbolic behavior (e.g. art and ornamentation), use of stone and blade technologies and many others. The use of abstract thought and symbolic representation is one of the defining characteristics of humans. Creating art is a shared trait among all human populations, and the ubiquity of art translates the value that all human cultures and groups place on the creation of symbolic representation. Earliest archeological findings for hominid art seems to be during the Upper PaleolithicRead MoreEssay On Colosseum1588 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"disguise usage norms†, the form of the Colosseum (and modern stadiums) emerges from function (Maguire 2014, 127). Module 3: Heavenly Pursuits (Gothic – Affirmative) The intricate carvings, stained-glass windows, statues, jewelled ornamentation and elaborate paintwork of the Gothic cathedral augments the architectural form. A theological shift during the 12th century triggered an architectural transition from the dark, heavy Romanesque church to the illuminated, soaring and delicate GothicRead More Old Kingdom of Egypt: The Reliefs of Ankh-Neb-Ef941 Words   |  4 Pagesinstitution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24). The priest wears a shortRead MorePortrait of Augustus as General1323 Words   |  6 PagesPortrait of Augustus as General Roman portraiture was one of the most significant periods in the development of portrait art. The characteristics of Roman portraitures are more modest, realistic, idealized, and natural. Also, the body compositions, muscles and facial expressions of portraits and sculptures are more advanced. Many roman portraits are directly linked to specific individuals, such as gods and emperors. They were often used for propaganda purposes and included ideological messagesRead MoreAustralian Aboriginal Culture - Essay1076 Words   |  5 PagesDreamtime is linked with many aspects of Aboriginal practise, including rituals, storytelling and Aboriginal lore. Artwork Traditional Aboriginal art was inspired by religious ceremonies or rituals. Modern Aboriginal art is a vital part of the worlds oldest continuous cultural tradition. It is also one of the most brilliant and exciting areas of modern art. It is based on animals or patterns. All the designs, painted or drawn, have a story behind them. Many of the Dreamtime stories are told using artworkRead MoreArt And Its Impact On Art Essay1023 Words   |  5 Pagestime is spent studying the various arts. Art is often viewed by the people of our world as â€Å"a waste of time† or â€Å"pointless†, as it does not have any constructive application in most of their lives needs. But art is the exact opposite. It allows us to expand our minds and learn more about ourselves and the world around us. People express their creative skills and imagination through art, and others appreciate their artwork for its beauty or emotional power. Art defines what it means to be human

The Movie Crash - 1178 Words

Introduction In this society we are all interconnected: family, work, and culture; all of these systems help to shape our beliefs and world views. One s bias, one s values, one s stereotypes and assumptions is the direct result of one s culture. The movie Crash was a very fascinating movie. I never knew what was going to happen in the movie it portrays prejudice by one member of a group or culture against another member of a group or culture. Crash was like a melting pot of ethnicities, and they were all defined by racism. The movie reinforced those peoples’ assumptions about a person or group prevents them from seeing the true person, in addition to Crash being a movie about progressing. I, myself, have been a victim of intentional micro aggression. I can relate to Terrence Howard and his wife, Thandi Newton, as they were pulled over by a white police officer, Matt Dillon, for no justifiable reason. On one occasion I was in front of my home moving my car, and as I got out a w hite police officer pulled behind me in his car. He got out, and came toward me pushing me against my car. The officer then asked me for some identification; he told me that he thought that I came out of a drug house. Was it the officer’s belief that every black person is selling or buying drugs that caused his assumption? And if so, the officer, then, acted upon his assumptions and prejudice beliefs about African Americans. Cultural Identity Terrence Howard, Thandi Newton, Don Cheadle, JohnShow MoreRelatedThe Movie Crash Essay1568 Words   |  7 PagesKC Libecki Professor Eisenberg SOC1101 The movie, Crash, demonstrates the lives of various individuals from divergent socio-economic classes, who have life changing experiences in between their conflicting prejudices and stereotypes. The theme of multiculturalism has also made its influence on the major characters of the movie: a white American district attorney and his wife who is constantly scared of the other; two African American thieves who steal their car, a racist police officer who offendsRead MoreThe Movie Crash 875 Words   |  4 PagesThe movie, Crash is a 3-time Academy Award Winner with an all-star cast consisting of Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle and many others. However the one character that spoke most to me is the Persian man named Farhad who is acted by Shaun Toub. The movie introduced Farhad in the beginning of the movie as a Persian man with his adult daughter buying a gun at a gun shop but having difficulty due to racism. Throughout the movie we see Farhad struggling with racism directed towards him and howRead MoreThe Movie Crash 1074 Words   |  5 Pages The movie â€Å"Crash† is a very thought provoking movie about the underlying racial tensions in our society. It represented black, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern ethnicities and the stereotypes associated with each. The character I will be analyzing is Officer Ryan who is played by Matt Dillon. Ryan is a middle-aged police officer in Las Angeles, California who has been with the force for 17 years. He appears to be extremely racist in his multiple encounters with African Americans. Although officer RyanRead MoreThe Movie Crash Essay1122 Words   |  5 Pages The movie â€Å"Crash† illustrates the reality of the society in which we live. Race, stereotypes, oppression, and marginalization played a major part in the reaction of the individuals in the movie, as it still exists today. Many will say that times have changed and things have become better since the days of slavery, but I cannot agree that this statement is true. This learner was yet young during this era; however, my ancestors endured much agony and pain for no particular reason. Today, minoritiesRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Movie Crash 1662 Words   |  7 Pagesenvironment during the film. You have to pay attention to the race in the film, the themes throughout the film and the gender roles played in the film. In the movie Crash we see many pairs where they each have their own different points of views on things and often bump heads due to their different opinions. When watching the film Crash you see the complete opposite of what you are used to and see that the film starts off in the middle of the plot and later on starts revealing the events thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Crash 963 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual, for instance the way they perceive others and also the way they perceive themselves. Paul Haggis’s movie â€Å"Crash† conceptualize on this idea and interpret it in an in entirely different way; so that we can see that there are reasons and motives to why our society is separated this type of way. The movie is full of many sociological issues, such as gender, race, and social class. The movie is centralize around racism, and wants to give its own interpretation on racism, the reasons why it happensRead MoreMovie Analysis : The Movie Crash1926 Words   |  8 PagesThe Movie Crash takes place in Los Angeles, California in the winter time. Throughout this movie, all of the stories connect in one way or anoth er. This movie shows the lives of a diverse population of people, they have different race and social classes. In one of the first parts of the movie, they show a racist pawn shop owner that refuses to sell a gun to a man, simply because he is speaking to his daughter in another language, he generalizes all people of that race and accuses the man of â€Å"killingRead MoreThe Movie Crash Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesWriter-director Paul Haggis Movie â€Å"Crash† written in 2004, tells an interconnecting story of what Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Iranians, cops and criminals. Regardless of their Social Economic Academic or Political background, they are all defined in one way or another by racism. Crash represents the modern condition as a violent bumper car ride (Variety) which connects stories based on coincidences serendipity, and luck as the lives of the characters crash against one another. The movie presumes that most peopleRead MoreMovie Analysis : Crash 1055 Words   |  5 Pages1108 23 November 2015 Movie Analysis Although the movie Crash aired in 2004, the movie does a phenomenal job at depicting social conflicts that are still evident in 2015. Crash, also deals with wide range of controversies and offers multiple narratives. And since narrative is always a two-way street, the movie does a great job of showing two perspectives of everything. More specifically, it challenges our ethical and moral beliefs in a sense that many of the scenes in the movie reside in the grey areaRead MoreMovie Analysis : Crash 1362 Words   |  6 Pagescalled â€Å"Crash†, this movie basically talks about racism and the impact it has on the lives of people in Los Angeles. This movie got a good response from the viewers, as it concentrated on some real harsh realities of racism and asked some hard questions which are generally avoided in movies. This movie clearly promotes the a very delicate issue, and hence requires some detailed assessment. I personally feel the movie was good and it portrayed some very common events of racism, I think â€Å"Crash† shows

What Came Before Free Essays

Looking back on history is a great way to learn how to improve the future. America is built on The Declaration of Independence which is a solid foundation for establishing how we should look forward. As we progress, we can use the values and principles of the past in addition to the mistakes they may have occurred and create a better future. We will write a custom essay sample on What Came Before or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lesson 2: The Best of Intentions When looking back over our historical roots, we need to consider both the good and the bad. This is how we learn. We can look at how some groups of people were mistreated. We can see how we can be a better human race. We can see the consequences of past choices. We can evaluate successes and find ways to make them even better in the future. History is a great model for us on how to prepare for the future. Lesson 3: The Devil’s in the Details All historical events are significantly impacted by emotions and attitudes at that time. The same is true today. People’s perceptions, biases, opinions, reactions, emotions, and attitudes influence the entire culture. These details shape the entire environment of America. Lesson 4: Pivot Points Pivot Points occur in everyone’s lives. It is a time when we are faced with a critical decision and we are required to use a great deal of courage or effort to move in a new direction. This year I am attending a new high school for my senior year. I am very nervous about this since I really don’t know anyone at the new high school and i feel like I will be completely lost. But I also feel like it is the best option for me and that I need to try my best to be successful in doing this. Lesson 5: Illusion vs. Reality I think Hollywood has distorted people’s reality. We see in movies and on TV that every story has a happy ending. We learn from video games that is something is in our way we can just fire bomb it. This is not how reality works. Sometimes we have bad days. Maybe even bad years. There isn’t always a perfect solution. Not everyone can win every time. We just have to learn to not give up and to keep trying. Even if today is bad, we can try for a better day tomorrow. Lesson 6: Integrity of the Mind Part of life is learning how to trust yourself and the decisions that you make. As we start life we are told how to do most new things by our parents or a teacher. But they are not always there to give us step by step instructions. So at some point we need to start trusting our instincts and intuition to determine how to best solve problems and complete tasks. Our mind is constantly learning and growing. Through experience, we can trust the decisions we make as we become more mature. Lesson 7: Modern American Transcendentalism I actually watched the movie So I Married An Axe Murdered with my dad. He loves this movie and thinks it is very funny. I thought it was pretty weird but I laughed in it as well. The poetry was reallyn strange to me. It didn’t seem to have a point. And the coffee bar where they did the poetry reading was very strange as well. I liked part of the movie. But I dont’ really see how that style of poem writing is very influential on the literary world. Lesson 8: The Origins of Fear in Literature Half my family really likes scary stuff. Me, my dad, and my sister love scary movies. My mom and two brothers absolutley hate scary movies. Its funny to watch scary movies with all of us and see how scared half my family gets. I think it’s really funny actually. Lesson 9: Fear of the Unknown I asked my parents if they remember September 11, 2001 and what they were doing. They both knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. They then talked about other significant historical events in their lives, like when President Reagan was shot and when the Space Shuttle crashed. I think these are defining moments for the country and people truly unite in times of tragedy. I’m not sure what events during my lifetime are like this. Maybe when Trump surprisingly won. Lesson 10: The Great American Novel I have an uncle that always says he’s going to retire and write the next great American novel. I never really knew what he meant by this. I think he is just bored with his life. It does seem like all the great, award winning novels were written a long time ago. I wonder if someone I know or go to school with will end up being the author of the next great American novel. Lesson 11: Examples of Courage At church someone said that the trials and challenges we face today as teenagers are more difficult than the challenges the pioneers faced when crossing the plains. This really made me think because I always thought I would totally hate to be a pioneer with no home and wondering where we would get food each day. But then I thought about the challenges I face each day with school, friends, temptations to do bad things, etc. I think it is very challenging to be a teenager right now. Lesson 12: No Run-of-the-Mill Man I remember reading To Kill A Mocking Bird and how Aticus FInch never waivered on how he stood for what he believed in. I’ve had friends like this. They are not tempted to do bad things. They always do what is right. I think these kinds of people are very admirable. I hope I can be more like that in my lifetime. Lesson 13: Most People Are Nice I think my generation is much better about seeing the good in all people and being less judgemental about others. My grandparents generation and even my parents generation seem to have many more biases and prejudices against different races, sexual orientation, opposing political beliefs, etc. I think my generation is much more accepting of differences in people. I think this is a very positive thing and I hope that it makes the world a better place as my generation gets older. English – 2nd Semester Lesson 1: Small Towns – Big Dreams I have never lived in a small town. But my grandparents came from small towns. I have visited where they grew up and I don’t think I could survive. My grandpa was born in a log cabin in Elmo, Utah. He didn’t even have running water. I like all of the luxuries of growing up near a Walmart and McDonalds. I feel like it makes it easier to focus on â€Å"big dreams† if I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to get water to survive. Living in a civilized community allows me to dream bigger. Lesson 2: The Harlem Renaissance and Beyond Black writers have had a great influence on literature and arts. I think it is very valuable to learn from their challenges and struggles. I am happy that even though they have had a lot of adversity, they are now becoming very successful. SOme of the greatest musicians, athletes, politicians and business leaders are blacks. They have overcome many obstacles. Lesson 3: Wars and Wars and Wars Great lessons can be learned from wars. Wars have lead to us being able to enjoy most of our freedoms. Wars have created more equlality. Some wars stem from selfishness. Some wars are fought to overthrow evil dictators. Some wars have good and bad people on both sides. People fight wars because they are passionate about their belief so much so that they are willing to risk their lives. Lesson 4: Personal Challenges and Choices I have had many challenges in my life. When I was four years old I nearly died from Kawasaki’s Desease. I lived at Primary Children’s Hospital for several weeks until they were able to diagnose my illness. I have had family challenges like my parents getting divorced. I think these things have made me stronger but they were very difficult at the time. Lesson 5: Who Are We†¦And Who Should We Be? These are some of life’s biggest questions. I often wonder what my purpose in life is supposed to be. I think all I can do today is try to be the best person I can with values that can shape the person I want to be. Things like honesty and loyalty are attributes that can benefit me today and for the rest of my life. No matter what I become, these values will make me a better person. Lesson 6: And Where Are We Going? Life is a journey and there are many times that I may vere off course. I think each time I get off course, my goal is to try and learn from the experience. Where did I go wrong? What could I have done better? This will help me to navigate better in the future. I can grow from each experience and learn how to be a better person. How to cite What Came Before, Papers