Canterbury Tales - A View Of The Medieval Christian Church Essays

Canterbury Tales - A view of the Medieval Christian Church In discussing Chaucer's collection of stories called The Canterbury Tales, an interesting picture or illustration of the Medieval Christian Church is presented. However, while people demanded more voice in the affairs of government, the church became corrupt -- this corruption also led to a more crooked society. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as just church history; This is because the church can never be studied in isolation, simply because it has always related to the social, economic and political context of the day. In history then, there is a two way process where the church has an influence on the rest of society and of course, society influences the church. This is naturally because it is the people from a society who make up the church....and those same people became the personalities that created these tales of a pilgrimmage to Canterbury. The Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England was to take place in a relatively short period of time, but this was not because of the success of the Augustinian effort. Indeed, the early years of this mission had an ambivalence which shows in the number of people who hedged their bets by practicing both Christian and Pagan rites at the same time, and in the number of people who promptly apostatized when a Christian king died. There is certainly no evidence for a large-scale conversion of the common people to Christianity at this time. Augustine was not the most diplomatic of men, and managed to antagonize many people of power and influence in Britain, not least among them the native British churchmen, who had never been particularly eager to save the souls of the Anglo-Saxons who had brought such bitter times to their people. In their isolation, the British Church had maintained older ways of celebrated the major festivals of Christianity, and Augustine's effort to compel them to confo rm to modern Roman usage only angered them. When Augustine died (some time between 604 and 609 AD), then, Christianity had only a precarious hold on Anglo-Saxon England, a hold which was limited largely to a few in the aristocracy. Christianity was to become firmly established only as a result of Irish efforts, who from centers in Scotland and Northumbria made the common people Christian, and established on a firm basis the English Church. At all levels of society, belief in a god or gods was not a matter of choice, it was a matter of fact. Atheism was an alien concept (and one dating from the eighteenth century). Living in the middle ages, one would come into contact with the Church in a number of ways. First, there were the routine church services, held daily and attended at least once a week, and the special festivals of Christmas, Easter, baptisms, marriages, etc.. In that respect the medieval Church was no different to the modern one. Second, there were the tithes that the Church collected, usually once a year. Tithes were used to feed the parish priest, maintain the fabric of the church, and to help the poor. Third, the Church fulfilled the functions of a 'civil service' and an education system. Schools did not exist (and were unnecessary to a largely peasant society), but the Church and the government needed men who could read and write in English and Latin. The Church trained its own men, and these went to help in the government: writing letters, keeping accounts and so on. The words 'cleric' and 'clerk' have the same origin, and every nobleman would have at least one priest to act as a secretary. The power of the Church is often over-emphasized. Certainly, the later medieval Church was rich and powerful, and that power was often misused - especially in Europe. Bishops and archbishops were appointed without any training or clerical background, church offices changed hands for cash, and so on. The authority of the early medieval Church in England was no different to that of any other landowner. So, the question that haunted medieval man was that of his own salvation. The existence of God was never questioned and the heart-cry of medieval society was a desire to know God and achieve intimacy with the

us vs eu essays

us vs eu essays What does a coherent and unified European community (now known as the European Union) mean to the United States? Is it a threat, a competitor, or a partner? Or is it the three combined together? I think it is the three combined together. Depending on the situation, whether economically, politically, or military, the European Union has acted as a threat, competitor or a partner to the United States. This could be demonstrated using different economic, political and military examples. First, lets look at the role and involvement of the United States in the Formation of the European Union. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with the European Union since 1953, when the first US Observers to the European Defense Community and the European Coal and Steel Community were nominated. In 1961, the US Mission to the European Communities - now the European Union - was established. The European Commission is represented in the United States by a Delegation in Washington, which was established in 1954. In 1971 the Washington office became a Delegation with full diplomatic privileges and immunities. The Delegation represents the European Commission in its dealings with the US government. It reports on US developments to headquarters in Brussels and acts as a liaison with other international institutions in Washington, DC. The European Union and the United States hold twice-yearly presidential summits to assess and develop transatlantic cooperation. The EU-US summits bring together the President of the United States and the President of the European Commission. The EU-US Presidential Summits started as a result of the November 1990 Transatlantic Declaration. In December 1995, a step forward in the relations was taken at the EU-US Summit in Madrid, when the European Union and the United States adopted the New Transatlantic Agenda. Both sides pledged to work together to promote peace, democracy and stability, foster economic growth a ...

Improving School Lunches in Philadelphia Schools Research Paper

Improving School Lunches in Philadelphia Schools - Research Paper Example Philly has been compelled to campaign against the distribution of pre-plated lunches predispose students tasteless and bad food toxic for their health (Dalton 134). Alternatively, as this paper will demonstrate, it is essential to improve lunches in Philadelphia schools through feasible methodologies that favor all stakeholders. Improvement of lunch programs, for instance, in other states lies both on (NSLA) and (NSLP) in terms of initiating a progressive school feeding plan. In Boston, stakeholders supplied hot lunches to students under the guidance of the Boston School Committee. This central kitchen system was formerly started as an experimental program supported by extensive federal aid. On that account, while Philly schools have incorporated such goals and objectives in serving most of its learners, it has failed to provide certain items. For example, milk and sandwiches are usually missing in school lunches because of reduced funding from the state (Dunn 122). Similarly, the number of learners supersedes the local farms that supply the materials for producing the essential items mentioned above. This demonstrates that only a few areas are served with adequate lunch program. According to the Philadelphia Urban Food and Fitness Alliance (PUFFA), school districts found in Philly enjoy the monopoly of dist ributing school lunch offerings. These include baby carrots, blended fruit juice, and Tuna salad. Others entail nacho chips, beef patty and 1 per cent milk. Overall, like other states such as Massachusetts, Boston, and New York school districts in Philly need to establish local committees that oversee student welfare in lunch programs. Another important element entails Commodity Donation Program that continues to thrive in form of a nutritional standpoint. It is a phenomenon evident in Boston, especially when infused with the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation.  

Austerity Measures Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Austerity Measures Summary - Assignment Example At first the author perceived that she can easily cope up with such a diet. The author stated that living on the food items provided and cooking them was very difficult for her as she had stopped cooking food on her own. She states that the food she was consuming never satisfied her or the other participants and only fulfilled the need of having food. Two days later the challenge required the participants to eat at St. Anthony’s where they were provided with food comprising of heavy quantity of calories. The author states that she was quite happy having that food. The author states that an official of the Hunger Challenge told her that poverty was a major issue in San Francisco and people were actually facing poverty due to expensive cost of living. The author states that the entire experience made her realized how difficult it was to live in poverty. She concludes that organizations that are out there to help the poor are very essential and they need to be heavily supported b y the common

How the Arab spring affects the economy in the countries facing extrem Scholarship Essay

How the Arab spring affects the economy in the countries facing extrem changes Egypt , Yemen , Tunisia , Syria Libya - Scholarship Essay Example hus in Egypt risks related to external financing have shot up significantly, with dwindling direct foreign investment and negativity of net portfolio flows. The resuscitation interventions initiated by the Egyptian Central Bank to rescue the Egyptian pound from the increasing inflation and capital outflows have resulted in shocking decline in net international reserves. Libya, on the other hand, appears to be the worst hit as the escalation of the conflict grounded all the principal economic activities such as oil sales. It has been estimated that total costs in regard to the fiscal balance have been in excess of $6.5 billion. A sharp decrease in oil production, decline in local consumption as well as decrease in buying power have led to decline in the economy (Long-Term Ratings On Egypt Lowered To B On Weaker Sovereign Policy Flexibility; Outlook Negative, 10 February 2012). According to the Arab Spring Economic Report (October 24th, 2011), in Syria the economic situation is expected to be worse as protests are still going on in the face of brutal crackdown. It is expected that the GDP of the country will fall nose dive by two percent as a result of foreign direct investments, decline in tourism, dwindling public investment as well as effects of trade embargos. Looking at the economic situation in Yemen, the picture is not rosy as people living below the poverty index are expected to hit the 15 percent mark. This is due to devaluation of the currency and increase in prices of essential commodities. It is also projected that public expenditure will also drop by about $600 million as a result of weak and poor governance. The Tunisian revolution has also hit the economy of the country very hard as the most important sectors of the economy are barely surviving, thus mining; tourism and fishing are not bringing

Gender Representation in Film

Gender Representation in Film Gender is a significant reflection in development. Through it we can analyze how social norms and power structures influence on the lives and opportunities accessible to different groups of men and women. Gender analysis explores the way power is distributed between women and men, how it function, who uses it and for what reasons.In contrast to men, women control less both economical and political resources, such as property, employment and traditional positions of authority. This uneven distribution of gender relation of power is also represented in the media. Media, as a framework for interpretation and a message in the contemporary society, can have an imperative role in promoting or even obstructing gender equality, both within the working environment and in the representation of women and men. Women and men are often stereotyped and depicted unevenly by the media. Women and girls are positioned in underprivileged situations, for instance in passive and submissive roles whereas men and boys are portrayed to be more possessive in their occupations and more probable to thrive. According to Ferguson, the majority of female characters in the mass media â€Å"holds and uses private power as wives, mothers, partners† (Ferguson, 1990). Accordingly, traditional gender roles and power relations have been profoundly internalized in public’s sub consciousness through the mass media which limit the progress of both human personalities and social equality. Visual images especially, are arranged in a way that have the power to stir beyo nd the entertainment and evoke emotional responses by having a immense influence on our state of mind (Alcolaea -Bangas, 2008). As Berger (1992) pointed out â€Å"‘Like fish, we â€Å"swim† in a sea of images, and these images help shape our perceptions of the world and of ourselves†. An essential derivate of visual images are films which are adhered images together in order to create a story that transmit certain ideologies or ideas and has an impact in peoples lives. As Gerald Mast, a film scholar, affirmed, â€Å"there are fewer cultural products more influential in contemporary life than films†. Thus, those ideologies also shape our everyday perception of women. According to Dutt, Hollywood films’ portrayal of women sticked to the patriarchal structures, but later on, have veiled these messages under the faà §ade of female empowerment and independence (Dutt, 2014). According to many criticism power is at the central of a patriarchial society. Foss describes patriarchy as â€Å" a system of power relations in which men dominate women so that women’s interest are subordinates to those of man and they view themselves as inferior to men† (Foss, 1989). The portray of women can be seen in the way of how a film is constructed. Male charac ters play an active role and are shown as mentally and physically powerful. They are dominant guardians looking to â€Å"gaze† at women. On the other hand women are passive, dependent and in need for support. Furthermore a major criticism from feminist perspective has been towards the â€Å"male gaze†. Laura Mulvey used this concept to show the gender power assymety in film. Mulvey states that female are objectified in film because heterosexual men are in control of the camera. Thus, the man becomes as the dominant power inside the created film fantasy. The woman is submissive to the active gaze from the man. The use scopophylia, sexual satisfaction through viewing, to communicate adds an element of patriarchal system and it is regularly viewed in iIIusionistic narrative film (Mulvey, 1989). A very controversial representation of women can be traced in the early beginning of Hollywood era. Film Noir, is a term which is used to describe Hollywood crime dramas in 40’s and 50’s with cynical attidues and sexual motivations. During these era the concept of femme fatale flourished. The archetypal femme fatale of film noir use her sexual attractiveness and merciless manipulation to trick men in order to achieve power, money, or independence, or all of them at the same time (filmnoirstudies, 2008). Femme fatale refuses the conventional roles of devoted wife and cautious mother that mainstream society set down for women, and in the end her disobedience of social norms leads to her own distruction and the destruction of the men who are attracted to her (filmnoirstudies, 2008). Film noirs depiction of the femme fatale, according to film noir studies, aims to sustain the actual social order and especially its strictly defined gender roles by creating the powerful, inde pendent woman, only in the end to penalize her. Later during the period of 70’s and 80’s, in Hollywood, we had the muscle obsession. Blockbusters such as Rambo, Terminator, Leathal Weapon were produced where masculinity was over displayed. A dominant ideology of that time were the masculinist figure of gender that characterizes masculinity regarding the male warriorwith the attributes of great strenght, effective use of force, and military bravery as the main expressions. As Susan Bordo articulated ‘†¦muscles have mainly symbolized and maintain to symbolize masculine power as physical potency, regularly operating as a means of coding the naturalness of sexual difference. (Bordo, n.d). Genres as well assist in preserving stereotypes in cinema (Gledhill, 2012). For example, war, action, spy films are considered male film genres, and romantic, comedy film are female genres with a female protagonist. However, in the 90’s we saw the surfacing of some female actions heroes defined by a quality of â€Å"m asculinity†. Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, confronted those cultural norms. She was putted as Judith Butler would call a â€Å"gender performance† where she was required to perform the stereotypical â€Å"masculinity† as a strong and dominant warrior. Tasker (1998) articulates this â€Å"as an enactment of a muscular masculinity involving a display of power and strength over the body of the female performer† (Tasker, 1998). Nowadays, referring to Dutt, in most of the films women are obliged to incorporate everything. They must be tough and aggressive but also beautiful and sexy. This is the â€Å"empowered† woman of corporate consumer society’ (Dutt, 2014). For example in the film â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada†, women and power are main themes throughout the film. Female power relationships examined in the film shows how women exercise power effectively to race in the world of business. The film is a good illustration which shows how a women shatter through traditional gender stereo-types and exercise a leadership type associated with masculinity. The protagonist Miranda Priestley, is depicted as a powerful women often associated as the â€Å"devil† boss who is ruthless, demanding and very hard hard to please. The film prehending the way gender relations with leadership is practiced in the work-place. On the other hand, Juno, an independent non-Hollywood film gives a more realistic representation of women’s. The film is about a young girl who becomes pregnant during the high-school by his teen boy-friend. According to Dutt her character signify an rising cultural formulation of girl hood that have as a attribute independence and strength (Dutt, 2014). Juno is someone who is unconventional and indifferent with her appearance. She doesn’t care what others think of her and takes the decisions for herself. For instance, she doesn’t listen to her mother and boyfriend and decides to keep the baby. As Dutt points out, her agency marks a considerable progression for female portrayals in films. She embodies the ‘visual characterization of newly emerging constructions of girls that fuse particular aspects of traditional â€Å"femininity† and â€Å"masculinity†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Dutt, 2014). References Alcolea-Banegas, J. (2008). Visual Arguments in Film.Argumentation, 23(2), pp.259-275. Berger, A. (1991). Seeing Is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication.The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 49(1), p.101. Bordo, S. (1999).The male body. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Dutt, R. (2014).Behind the curtain: women’s representations in contemporary Hollywood. MSC. London School of Economics. Ferguson, M. (1990). Images of power and the feminist fallacy.Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 7(3), pp.215-230. Filmnoirstudies.com, (2008).Film Noir’s Progressive Portrayal of Women – A Film Noir Studies Essay. [online] Available at: http://www.filmnoirstudies.com/essays/progressive.asp [Accessed 12 Mar. 2015]. Foss, S. (1989).Rhetorical criticism. Prospect Heights, Ill.: Waveland Press. Mast, G. (n.d.).How to watch movies intellegently. [online] Bluffton.edu. Available at: http://www.bluffton.edu/~mastg/Watchingmovies.htm [Accessed 10 Mar. 2015]. Mulvey, L. (1989).Visual and other pleasures. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Tasker, Y. (2002).Working girls. London: Routledge.

Cormyr :: Essays Papers

Cormyr I chose this particular book mainly because of the authors. I have read previous books written by them and I liked their works. Another thing that caught my attention was the size of the book. I have never read anything larger than 300 pages. The name of this book is called Cormyr, the book was called this because it is the entire the history and present happenings of Cormyr. Cormyr sticks to a general plot that highlights many problems that eventually â€Å"spell the end of Cormyr†. The book tells a story in the present and at the same time constantly reflects the history that got them there. I would not suggest a different title, the title reflects accurately what the book is about. In the story of Cormyr, the author conveys over and over how history always seems to repeats itself. I believe the authors’ purpose in writing this book was to explain a theory in an entertaining fashion. I do not know much more about the author except that my brother told me that Ed Greenwood writes good stories. The story takes place between –400 DR and 1369 DR. I know this because the heading of all the chapters have a date included. For reference –400 DR could be compared to our Bronze age and 1369 DR would be compared to our Medieval era. The story of Cormyr takes place on a magical continent called Toril. Cormyr is located towards the center of the land near a fairly large body of water called the Sea of Swords. I know this because many battles take place along the Sea of Swords. The story setting is very effective for those who read this kind of material. Cormyr is a magical land based on a system of kingdoms, fiefdoms, and ancient battles. The feeling that the author creates would not be the same if the setting had been anywhere else. For example, if her had tried a oriental setting, the same system of government would not apply and many of the characters would not be able to act the same without changing the atmosphere of the story. The main characters in Cormyr are Baureble, King Azoun IV, Vangerdahast, Princess Tanalasta, Aunadar Bleth. Baureble is the founding wizard of Cormyr, he is the first to settle the land and the first to make peace with the elves.