Why my family is important Essay Example for Free

Why my family is important Essay Together with family, household is considered one of the basic groups of social aggregation. Information on household numbers and composition aids in identifying groups within the population such as Indigenous households or the number of people living alone. For the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement (CSHA) data collections, the number of tenancy agreements is a practical proxy for calculating the number of households receiving housing assistance. The persons in the group may pool their incomes and have a common budget to a greater or lesser extent: they may be related or unrelated persons, or a combination of both. Only usual residents of the household are included as members of the household. Visitors to a household are, by definition, excluded from the household. Blood is always thicker than water. I learnt that phrase when I was much younger, but I never appreciated it until now. My brother was the only one who stood by me when I was being bullied in school at one time. He saw me cornered by a boy whom he knew to be a school bully and he did not wait a second more before stepping in to prevent me from being beaten by that boy. Once I quarrelled with my best friend, who was popular and everyone else was against me for quarrelling with him. My parents consoled me and encouraged me to be happier. They gave me the sound advice of believing in myself. I cannot thank them enough for the support that they have given me so far. My parents are also responsible for my love of learning in life. They make me feel intelligent and well-loved. I know that I am someone important to them. My family will always be there for me while friends are transient. After so many experiences with friends, I realise that I can always choose my friends. It also takes a long time to find a sincere and true friend. With family, it is different because my family cares for me no matter what happens. My brother and I may have our differences but we always manage to make matters work somehow.

Sikh struggles in India and U.S. Essay -- Culture Cultural Papers

Sikh struggles in India and U.S. John from the Sikh religion kills Peter, a government official. David, another government official, kills Paul for being a Sikh. John is convicted but David is not. What about when an Indian comes to the U.S.? Indians have changed their cultural traditions so that their family can be accepted and their kids are not made fun of for being "different." These fictional names and situation has occurred to the Sikh religion. It has gone through political issues in India and cultural problems in the U.S. Sikhism, a religion that originated in India, and especially in the state of Punjab which currently is 60% Sikhs and 36% Hindus. Two centuries have past and Sikhism has become the third major religion of India according to Edward A. Gargan in "Though Sikh Rebellion Is Quelled, India's Punjab State Still Seethes" (A8). According to Sikh Missionary Center in Sikh Religion, Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, which consists of ten Gurus (1469-1708). The last one proclaimed the Guru Granth Sahib is the Holy Scripture. The Sikh Missionary Center also describes the characteristics of this religion as the rebirth to a less important position is a punishment, to live is a blessing and salvation is achieved by meditating on Nam" (5). Guru Nanak or Baba Nanak can be considered the Jesus of the Sikh religion. According to Donald Lopez S. Jr. in Religious of India in Practice, Nanak was born in Punjab in 1469 and died in 1538 or 1539 (449). He was raised Hindu in a Muslim area of India and believed in a religion from within, not like Hindus and Muslim that believe in liberation: renouncing external features of the religion (Lopez 449). One tale about Nanak involves a time when he encountered some peopl... ... Edward A. "Though Sikh Rebellion Is Quelled, India’s Punjab State Still Seethes." New York Times 26 Oct. 1993: A1, A8. Goodstein, Laurie. "At camps, young U.S. Sikhs cling to heritage." New York Times 18 Jul. 1998: A1, A7. Juergensmeyer, Mark and Barrier. G. Sikh Studies. Berkeley: Graduate Theological Union, 1979. Lopez, Donald S. Jr.. Religions of India in Practice. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1995. Mansukhani, Late S. Gobind Singh. "Introduction to Sikhism." New Delhi: Hemkunt, 1977. Online. (12 Mar. 2000). <http://photon.bu.edu/~rajwi/sikhism/mansukh7.html#q125>. Perez-Pena, Richard. "Sink Temple Helps To Bind A Community In Mourning." New York Times 27 Nov. 1994: 53. Sikh Missionary Center. Sikh Religion. Arbor: Braum-Brumfield, 1990. Singh, Teja. Sikhism Its Ideals and Institutions. Bomby Calcutta Madias New Delhi :Orient Longmans, 1951.

Classical Sculpture of the Greeks: a Journal Review.

Article Review; â€Å"What is ‘Classical' Sculpture† by Walter R. Agard Jakob Mattern HUM 2220, prof. Warner Ph. D. Th, 6:00pm-8:45pm Word Count: 1102 The word ‘classic'; used to describe styles of music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and even manufactured consumer goods. If ever there was a period in art or manufacturing that stands out with even balance, subtle dignity, and general excellence, it will most likely be described as classical, which after all, is no easy feat, considering that anything to bear the â€Å"classical† name is decidedly, in some way or another, â€Å"The best of the best. According to Walter R. Agard however, the word has lost some of it's gusto. He states that it is so overused that it no longer describes whether or not something is in-fact excellent, but rather, if a piece fits into a time frame and location that suggests that it most likely is. Just as all cars produced between 1900 and 1972 in America are not necessarily classics, not every piece of art created in the broad history of Greeks should be considered a true classic.Rather, Agard places forth his guidelines and examples of what should classify ancient Greek art, sculpture in particular, as the best of it's time. The details of Agard's argument rest upon the structured guidelines he lays out in the beginning of his article; that to be classical, a Greek sculpture must have: The initial concept of a healthy human form. The synthesis of naturalism and clearly defined, relatively simple design. The amplification of essential planes.Refinement of detail. He also suggests that classical style sculpture took prominence between the years 500 BCE and 420 BCE, thus dismissing some of the earlier geometric style sculpture, as well as the later more expressionistic and complicated Hellenistic sculpture. He states that while some later sculptures may be more magnificent to behold, they are not embodying that which makes something a classic, and that t hey are not fulfilling the nature of the aterials or the monumental purpose of sculpture. Marble is not a soft substance, and thus, the shapes created out of it's dense composure must follow suit, according to Agard. While the presence of fine details are very necessary, he states that the overall action of the piece must be graceful, direct, noble, and strong; the sculpture must follow the ancient Greek adage, â€Å"Know thy self† to be a classic, it must appear just as powerful and eternal as the marble itself.This quality is found in the many sculptures that he analyzes in his article; the weight bearing Hermes, the tower-like Apollo, and the tensioned Heracles all display a living strength that compliment the nature of the marble. Agard also places a great deal of importance on the healthy human form, and the presence of subtle naturalism expressed through fine details. In every piece defined classic by Agard, we find a being that, while possessing a basic and strong geom etric base, is also defined by many smaller details that synthesize simple design with an idealistic human form.The curls in Hermes' beard and hair, the subtle veins and ligaments of the Charioteer's hands and feet, the calm and confident gaze of Apollo, and the bulging muscular details found on the statues of the bow wielding Heracles and the lightning lobbing Zeus all add a life-like element to the otherwise cold geometric shapes, and help to portray each character as a healthy and idealistic human being in both mind and body.For his closing statement, Agard mentions an encounter he once had with a tourist who was frustrated with how â€Å"sure of themselves† the classic Greek statues seem to be. He then refutes that they have the right to do so, simply because of the rich value and dignity confined in their strong and noble bodies, and that it was this spirit that make these statues honest and true classics of the ancient world. As a whole, I do agree with Agard in his vie wpoints and conclusions of what a true classic should consist of.Referring once more to automobiles, it is my view that for a car to be classic it must combine simple design with beautiful details while still fulfilling the function for which it was designed with full effect. With respect to Agard's definitions, the formula of classic sculpture should not be far from such ideals. I thought that Agard's affinity towards the nobility and strength of the designs was well founded, because although a statue is undoubtedly a work of art, it is also a permanent public speaker of a city's people.These strong and idealistic statues may very well have served as an ego-booster for the ancient Greeks; their solid forms and endless wisdom meant to personify the people dwelling in the polis itself. If anything however, it was this ego that catapulted these ancient people to such great heights in terms of sophistication and achievement, so while some later sculptures may have captured more emotion or better expressed the human condition, it was the dignified, strong, and direct sculptures from 500-420 BCE that best embodied the golden age of Greece.There were a few points with which I disagree however. The selection of the Statue of Hermes, firstly. Although it is a good combination of geometric driven balance and fine detail, I felt that over all it was simply not naturalistic enough to be considered a perfect synthesis of the human form and simple design. It is an impressive statue none-the-less, but it seemed a bit rudimentary compared with the other examples, a bit too two dimensional.Another idea with which I don't completely agree is the classification of two dimensional friezes with linear backdrops as the only true classical form of the frieze. Once again, It seemed to me that a frieze with a more shallow appearance did not coincide with some of the other mentioned sculptures bursting with depth and life. While the drapery of the frieze depicting Heracles and Athena was beyond impressive, the naturalism of the characters themselves did not seem to reach the same heights as some of the other pieces.In any matter however, I believe that Agard compiled an excellent definition of what a classic statue should be defined as, what it should personify, and what it's function should be, compared with the common ideal that nearly every statue from ancient Greece should be considered classical. His analysis of each sculpture was extremely thorough, and as a whole, his article gave some insight into what exactly these ancient artisans may have been thinking of when they shaped these masterpieces. Bibliography Agard, Walter R. â€Å"What Is â€Å"Classical† Sculpture? † The Classic Journal, Vol. 49, No. 8 (May, 1954): pp. 341-349. Print.

Was Nok Culture Sub-Saharan Africas earliest civilization

Nok Culture spanned the end of the Neolithic (Stone Age) and start of the Iron Age in sub-Saharan Africa, and may be the oldest organized society in sub-Saharan Africa; current research suggests it predated the founding of Rome by some 500 years. Nok was a complex society with permanent settlements and centers for farming and manufacturing, but we are still left guessing who the Nok were, how their culture developed, or what happened to it. The Discovery of Nok Culture In 1943, clay shards and a terracotta head were discovered during tin mining operations on the southern and western slopes of the Jos Plateau in Nigeria. The pieces were taken to archaeologist Bernard Fagg, who immediately suspected their importance.  He began collecting pieces and excavating, and when he dated the pieces using new techniques, discovered what colonial ideologies said wasnt possible: an ancient West African society dating back to at least 500 B.C.E. Fagg named this culture Nok, the name of the village near to which the first discovery was made. Fagg continued his studies, and subsequent research at two important sites, Taruga and Samun  Dukiya, provided more accurate information on Nok culture. More of Noks terracotta sculptures, domestic pottery, stone axes and other tools, and iron implements were discovered, but due to the colonial dismissal of ancient African societies, and, later, the problems facing the newly independent Nigeria, the region remained understudied. Looting carried out on behalf of Western collectors, compounded the difficulties entailed in learning about Nok culture. A Complex Society It was not until the 21st century that sustained, systematic research was carried out on Nok culture, and the results have been stunning.  The most recent finds, dated by thermo-luminescence testing and radio-carbon dating, indicate that Nok culture lasted from around 1200 B.C.E. to 400 C.E., yet we still do not know how it arose or what happened to it. The sheer volume, as well as artistic and technical skills seen in the terracotta sculptures, suggests that Nok culture was a complex society. This is further supported by the existence of iron working (a demanding skill carried out by experts whose other needs like food and clothing must be met by others), and archaeological digs have shown that the Nok had sedentary farming. Some experts have argued that the uniformity of the terracotta - which suggests a single source of the clay - is evidence of a centralized state, but it could also be evidence of a complex guild structure. Guilds imply a hierarchical society, but not necessarily an organized state. An Iron Age Without Copper By about 4-500 BCE, the Nok were also smelting iron and making iron tools.  Archaeologists disagree whether this was an independent development (methods of smelting may have derived from the use of kilns for firing terracotta) or whether the skill was brought south across the Sahara. The mixture of stone and iron tools found at some sites supports the theory that West African societies skipped the copper age. In parts of Europe, the Copper Age lasted for nearly a millennia, but in West Africa, societies seem to have transitioned from the Neolithic stone age straight into the Iron Age, possibly led by the Nok. The terracottas of Nok culture demonstrate the complexity of life and society in West Africa in ancient times, but what happened next? It is suggested that the Nok eventually evolved into the later Yoruba kingdom of Ife. The brass and terracotta sculptures of the Ife and Benin cultures show significant similarities with those found at Nok, but what happened artistically in the 700 years between the end of Nok and the rise of Ife is still a mystery. Revised by Angela Thompsell