Foot Binding is Viewed Differently in Different Cultures

Body modification, which means to alter ones physical appearance, is a phrase that tends to bring up many negative implications and judgment from people who are not fully aware of all the things that can fall under that subject. Body modification can be something as simple as having ones ears pierced, or something to the extreme, such as pearling (inserting small beads underneath the skin of the genitals). However, the act of body modification is something that has been in nearly every culture since the beginning of time. Foot binding is now considered a very extreme and cruel form of body modification. It is almost near impossible to find information on the subject without it being shed in a negative light. The important thing to remember, however, is that body modification in different cultures is usually viewed as a right of passage and honor, not a form of torture. To be able to have your body altered to the definition of beauty in China’s society was a great privilege, and surpassed any pain that went along with the modification. Chinese foot binding is an ancient tradition, which was passed down from generation to generation of mother to daughter, which lasted for almost 1,000 years. Foot binding was viewed as a sign of beauty, virtue, femininity, wealth, identity, and eroticism. When a girl became of marriageable age, soon-to-be mother in laws would pick a wife for their son by whichever girl had the smallest feet. The act of foot binding was toShow MoreRelatedGender Identity And Its Effect On The Way People1783 Words   |  8 PagesSociety has a tremendous effect on the way people see themselves as well as the way they see others. When it comes to sex and gender, these two words are used interchangeably, even though they are different. 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Mcdonalds Service - 1417 Words

Marketing (Written Group Report) (MAR008-2) Dr Ioannis Kostopoulos Assignment 1 Bekir Araz 1109383 Executive Summary As in group per’s we have being required to analyse the overall performance of an international business restaurants or any kind of company, by inspection the company by going to company see by physical evidence. To see how the business runs and in what process runs. In many international chain companies I have choice Mc Donald’s rather then other big international chain company etc... Costa or Burger kind But I had some problems before I start doing this assignment because I was doing my assignment individual l because I couldn’t†¦show more content†¦No fried onions†¦. No cutlery even deposable out with the straws mainly with breakfast i.e. pancakes†¦ Without asking questions on my several occasions the McDonald’s from the physical evidence the stock levels of McDonald’s seemed noticeable as they always seemed to have enough fries and had more food ready prepared during certain times of the day like lunch times more staff will be working on the tills as ques are longer. High Quality service could lead to McDonald’s having high customer satisfaction, Customer Loyalty and positive word of mouth and increased profitability for the company. Fast Lane people can take your food Menu McDonald’s food is not Halal. Halal foods are foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic dietary guidelines. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. The foods addressed are mostly types of meat/animal tissue. McDonald’s could improve there menu by adding various halal meals which could target another market which could and enhance there profitability level. McDonald’s state that ‘With so many options, mornings have never been tastier. From wholesome choices like oatmeal and the Egg McMuffin to the savory Sausage Biscuit to the sweet McGriddles sandwich, you ll find exactly what you need to start your morning off just right.’ Breakfast starts at 6.30 am, the vast majority of our restaurantsShow MoreRelatedMcdonalds Is A Tangible Service1303 Words   |  6 PagesI visited McDonalds the other day, and since my friend and I did not have anything better to do, I took the opportunity to observe, and to see just how well McDonalds handles their business. McDonalds is a tangible service meaning the service they provide is able to be seen or touched. However even though their main priority is to provide food items, there are a few intangible services that are offered. 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Analysis Introduction/Overview McDonald’s has become the largest fast food service company in the world, with more than 35,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. Based out of the United States, McDonalds primarily operates from franchise restaurants offering not only hamburgers and fries as what they are known for, but many other menu items as well. A lot has changed from their days of 15 cent hamburgers in 1955, and they are an iconic fixture in our culture overRead MoreMcdonald s Is The World s Leading Global Food Service1082 Words   |  5 Pagesoperated by the company or by franchises that includes conventional franchises and foreign affiliates and development licensees (Bloomberg). â€Å"McDonald’s is the world’s leading global food service retailer with over 36,000 locations serving approximately 69 million customers in over 100 countries each day† (McDonalds). One of McDonald’s biggest competitors is Yum Brands that has about 41,000 restaurants in 125 countries. 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Vygotsky free essay sample

In his student days at the University of Moscow, he read widely in linguistics, sociology, psychology, philosophy and the arts. His systematic work in psychology did not begin until 1924. Ten years later he died of tuberculosis at the age of only 38. In that period, with the collaboration of Aleksandre Luria and A N Leontiev, he launched a series of investigations in developmental psychology, pedagogy and psychopathology. Vygotsky ran a medical practice in his native Byelorussia, actively participating in the development of the Revolution under atrocious conditions and almost total isolation from the West. His most famous work is  Ã¢â‚¬ËœThought and Language’, published shortly after his death, developed for the first time a theory of language development which both anticipated Piagets genetic psychology describing the development of language and logical thinking in young children in the course of their interactions with adults and the world around them. THEORY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND To understand Vygotsky? s theory, it is important to look at the political environment of that time. Vygotsky began to work in psychology shortly after the Russian revolution, where the Marxism replaced the rule of the zar. The new philosophy of the Marxist emphasized socialism and collectivism. Individuals were expected to sacrifice their personal goals and achievements for the improvement of the larger society. Sharing and co-operation was encouraged, and the success of any individual was seen as reflecting the success of the culture. Marxists also placed a heavy emphasis on history, believing that any culture could be understood only through examination of the ideas and events that had shaped it. Vygotsky incorporates these elements in his model of human development that has been termed as a socio-cultural approach. For him, the individual’s development is a result of his or her culture. Development, in Vygotsky? s theory, applies mainly to mental development, such as thought, language and reasoning process. These abilities were understood to develop through social interactions with others (especially parents) and therefore represented the shared knowledge of the culture. THE THEORY Vygotsky viewed cognitive developments as a result of a dialectical process, where the child learns through shared problem solving experiences with someone else, such as parents, teacher, siblings or a peer. Originally, the person interacting with the child undertakes most of the responsibility for guiding the problem solving, but gradually this responsibility transfers to the child. Although these interactions can take many forms, Vygotsky stresses language dialogue. It is primarily through their speech that adults are assumed to transmit to children the rich body of knowledge that exists in their culture. As learning processes, the child’s own language comes to help as his or her primary tool of intellectual transformation. Children can eventually use their own internal speech to direct their own behaviour in much the same way that their parents’ speech once directed it. This transition reflects the Vygotsky? s theme of development as a process of internalization. Bodies of knowledge and tools of thought at first exist outside the child, in the culture of the environment. Development consists of gradual internalization, primarily through language, to form cultural adaptation (Rogoff, 1990). LANGUAGE For Vygotsky, language has a particular role in learning and development  by acquiring a language, a child is provided the means to think in new ways and gains a new cognitive tool for making sense of the world. Language is used by children as an additional device in solving problems, to overcome impulsive action, to plan a solution before trying it out and to control their own behaviour (Jones, 1995). Nevertheless, the main purpose of language for children is social. They use the language to obtain the help of others and to solve problems. The child, in it process of development, begins to practice the same forms of behaviour that other formerly practice with respect to the child. The significance of such behaviour is only understood in a social context. The language is also crucial and interrelated with the action, providing an additional tool used both to reflect on and direct behaviour. Vygotsky’s work is therefore viewed as particularly relevant to those who are concerned with the use of language. When Piaget labelled the self directed behaviour as egocentric and believed it only minimum relevant to children’s cognitive growth, Vygotsky referred to it as a private speech. He argued that private speech grows out of the children’s interaction with parents and other adults and through such interactions; they begin to use their parent’s instructional comments to direct their own behaviour. Major themes: Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast to Jean Piaget’s understanding of child development (in which development necessarily precedes learning), Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development. He states: â€Å"Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (inter-psychological) and then inside the child (intra-psychological). † (Vygotsky, 1978). The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO): The more knowledgeable other (MKO) is somewhat self-explanatory; it refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although he implication is that the MKO is a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case. Many times, a childs peers or an adults children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience. For example, who is more likely to know more about the newest teen-age music groups, how to win at the most recent PlayStation game, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze a child or their parents? In fact, the  MKO  need not be a person at all. Some companies, to support employees in their learning process, are now using electronic performance support systems. Electronic tutors have also been used in educational settings to facilitate and guide students through the learning process. The key to MKOs is that they must have (or be programmed with) more knowledge about the topic being learned than the learner does. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The second aspect of Vygotsky? s theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development is limited to a certain time span which he calls the â€Å"zone of proximal development†. ZPD refers to the gap between what a given child can achieve alone, their ? otential development as determined by independent problem solving? , and what they can achieve ‘through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers’ (Wood, D. , Wood, H. , 1966). Vygotsky refers to what children can do on their own as the ‘level of actual development’. In his view, it is the level of actual development that a standard IQ test measure. Such a measure is undoubtedly important, but it is also incomplete. Two children might have the same level of actual development, in the sense of being able to solve the same number of problems on some standardized test. Given appropriate help from an adult, still, one child might be able to solve an additional dozen problems while the other child might be able to solve only two or three more. What the child can do with the help is referred to as the ‘level of potential development’ (Vasta, R. , Haith, M. M. , Miller, S. A. , 1995). The full development during the ZPD depends upon full social interaction and the more the child takes advantages of an adult’s assistance, the broader is its ‘Zone of Proximal Development’. The ZPD is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone. Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the socio-cultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996). According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills. SCAFFOLDING Scaffolding  is a concept closely related to the idea of ZPD, although Vygotsky never actually used the term. Scaffolding is changing the level of support to suit the cognitive potential of the child. Over the course of a teaching session, a more skilled person adjusts the amount of guidance to fit the child’s potential level of performance. More support is offered when a child is having difficulty with a particular task and, over time, less support is provided as the child makes gains on the task. Ideally, scaffolding works to maintain the child’s potential level of development in the ZPD. An essential element to the ZPD and scaffolding is the acquisition of language. According to Vygotsky, language (and in particular, speech) is fundamental to children’s cognitive growth because language provides purpose and intention so that behaviours can be better understood. Empirical research suggests that the benefits of scaffolding are not only useful during a task, but can extend beyond the immediate situation in order to influence future cognitive development. For instance, a recent study recorded verbal scaffolding between mothers and their 3- and 4-year-old children as they played together. Then, when the children were six years old, they underwent several measures of  executive function, such as working memory and goal-directed play. The study found that the children’s working memory and language skills at six years of age were related to the amount of verbal scaffolding provided by mothers at age three. In particular, scaffolding was most effective when mothers provided explicit conceptual links during play. Therefore, the results of this study not only suggest that verbal scaffolding aids children’s cognitive development, but that the quality of the scaffolding is also important for learning and development. Applications of the Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory If adults wish to provide learning opportunities, they must evaluate the child’s present developmental level and estimate the ‘length’ of the ZDP. But, the child must be able to make use of the help of others; it needs the competence to benefit from the give-and-take activities and conversations with others (Bruner, 1983). Vygotsky acknowledged the maturational limits of the ZPD, but most psychological research has emphasized the role of the environment: parents and other adults who are ‘expert’ models and guides for a young learner. Many schools have traditionally held a transmissionist or instructionist model in which a teacher or lecturer ‘transmits’ information to students. In contrast, Vygotsky’s theory promotes learning contexts in which students play an active role in learning. Roles of the teacher and student are therefore shifted, as a teacher should collaborate with his or her students in order to help facilitate meaning construction in students. Learning therefore becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and teacher. More recently, linguists and educationalists influenced by Piagets  Genetic Psychology have been drawn towards Vygotskys work, seeing in it a superior understanding of the relationship between the educator and the educated, in which the educator must negotiate with the child or student who is credited with an active role in the learning process.

Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism Essay Example

Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism Essay Absolute monarchy or absolutism means that the sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed to rule by divine right. Kangxi and Louis XIV were both shining examples for absolutist rule. Age of Absolutism  was between 1610 and 1789. Absolutism is a term used to depict a type of monarchical power that was not at all restrained by institutions, for example, legislatures, social elites, or churches. Both Kangxi and Louis X1V were absolute monarchs associated with the coming to power of professional bureaucracies, professional standing armies, and the coding of state laws. They possessed ideologies that justify the absolutist monarchy. As absolute monarchs they spent significant sums on flamboyant homes for themselves as well as their nobles. It is mandatory in an absolutist state, by the monarchs for nobles to live in the royal palace, although in their absence, state officials ruled the noble’s lands. This would effectively decrease the power of the nobility, thus causing nobles to become dependent upon the generosity of the monarch for their source of income. Emperor Kangxi became known as one of China’s greatest emperors. He suppressed the  Revolt of the Three Feudatories, forced the  Kingdom of Tungning in  Taiwan  to submit to Qing rule, blocked  Tzarist on Russia on the Amur River  and extended the empire to the northwest. The compilation of the  Kangxi Dictionary was just one primary example of the emperor’s many accomplishments pertaining to the subject of literature. We will write a custom essay sample on Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Kangxi vs. Louis Xiv- Absolutism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer During Kangxis reign his country experienced long-term stability and relative wealth after having suffered many years of turmoil and war. He was responsible for the initiation of the Prosperous Era of Kangxi and Qianlong era, which prolonged for generations after his own. As his reign ceased, the Qing Empire had full control over the entire  Chinese region, Manchuria, as well as part of the  Far East region of Russia and many other regions. Emperor Kangxi, whose father Emperor Shunzhi was the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper, was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty. As he reached age 8 years old on February 17, 1661, Kangxi succeeded imperial throne; twelve days after his fathers death. His rule consisted of at least 61 years from 1661 to 1722, making him the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history. When Kangxi was eight, he  ascended the throne. As a child, Kangxi was very talented in literature and he worked diligently. Since he was too young, his father hired four ministers to assist him with the administration of the country. Ao Bai was the name of one of them who furtively assigned his own henchmen to oppose the young emperor. As Kangxi became of age to rule the nation, he ingeniously voided Ao Bais plot. In 1643 Louis XIV became king at age four upon the loss of his father Louis XIII. Louis XIV, also recognized as the â€Å"Sun King†, was among the greatest of significant monarchs in history. He reigned for 72 years, from 1643 until his death in 1715. This made his time as King the longest known reign of any European monarch. He is responsible for taking France from savage medieval to one of the most appealing cultures in the world. He claimed total control of the French Government for 54 years out of the 72 years that he reigned for. The 17th century was labeled as the age of Louis XIV, due to his supreme reign of absolutism in government. Louis began independently governing France as of 1661 after his prime minister, the Italian  Cardinal Mazarin passed away. As an advocate of the theory of the  divine right of kings, Louis continued his predecessors work of creating a  Centralized Government,  governed from within the capital. He sought the elimination of the remnants of  Feudalist parts of France. Under his rule, France represented the mainstay of European power, involved in three major wars: the  Franco Dutch War, the  Nine Years War, the League of Augsburg War, and the  War of the Spanish Succession. A highly skilled politician and statesman Louis X1V supported and profited from the work of major political, military and cultural figures such as  Mazarin, Colbert, Turenneaud, Vauban, Moliere, Racine, Boileau, La Fontain, Lully and Le Notre to name just a few. Days before his seventy-seventh birthday after death, Louis was succeeded by his great-grandson who became  Louis XV at age 5. Both Kangxi and Louis XIV were shining examples for absolutist rule, and they both were effective absolutist who did a great job governing their kingdom. However, in my opinion Kangxi was the more effective Absolutist of the two. Whereas Louis XIV relied heavily on collaborating with other great men in order to achieve effectiveness, Kangxi relied on utilizing his supreme intellect and succeeded exerting his own true absolute power which was his intelligence. Kangxi ran a more organized society as opposed to Louis XIV, who had a volatile reign filled with wars. Kangxi’s reign consisted of education and prosperity. Bibliography Hearn, Maxwell K.. The Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors. Visual Media Center | Columbia University in the City of New York. http://www. learn. columbia. du/nanxuntu/html/emperors/ (accessed November 9, 2010). Steingrad, Elena. Louis XIV the Sun King: Louis XIV the Sun King. Louis XIV the Sun King: Louis XIV the Sun King. http://www. louis-xiv. de/ (accessed November 9, 2010). French Absolutism. Absolutism. www2. sunysuffolk. edu/westn/absolutism. html (accessed November 9, 2010). Briq. Versailles. Podibus. http://www. podibus. com/Versailles_VR/ (accessed November 9, 2010). Duiker, William J. , and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World history . 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2007.