Cultural evolution Essay Example for Free

Cultural evolution Essay In his article â€Å"Where Do Social Relations Come From? †, Michael Grossetti discusses the ways that human relationships are studied by sociologists, citing that often the methodology begins by starting with the relationship ad working backward to define it (Grossetti,p. 289). The most lasting relationships are the ones that come from organizations, he concludes, especially those related to family and friends. When we related this conclusion back to cultural evolution theory, we can argue that the lasting relationships of this generation because at this point in time most relationships are forged out of organizations or via our families. However, we can clearly argue that once this may not have been true as people had longer term relationships with people in their neighborhoods and those with whom they had a physical proximity. Grossetti argues that neighborhoods do not provide a basis for lasting relationships as they do not necessarily share life values or interests which draw people together (p. 292). When discussing this assertion in relation to cultural evolution, we can argue that in the recent past, neighborhoods did share a commonality that is now missing – immigrants would tend to settle in neighborhoods, neighborhoods would be divided by racial or religious lines, or at the most tangential neighborhoods would be reflective of a certain socio-economic status. Now, according to Grossetti’s study, relationships have evolved to the point that people develop relationships based primarily on organizations which they belong to –church groups, work groups, or interest organizations. When this is combined with the use of social networks, it can be observed that people are then creating a new means to segregate themselves via their interests. People have developed a new means to identify people with like interests and create new association groups. The interesting aspect of this evolving form of meeting may be that it creates relationships among people who in previous generations may never even have met. Because social networking allows people with common interests to meet without the traditional introduction of a mutual friend, they may completely change the way relationship develop in the future, dovetailing nicely with the theory of cultural evolution.

1980 African American Education :: essays research papers

1980s African American Education Amount of Blacks in college 1980: Impressive 718,000 1987: Growing more slowly, 855,000 *1988: Sliding back down to 785,000 *In 1988, the enrollment of black men declined, while it increased for women. There were 179,000 black women in college, then black men. Percentage of highs school graduates going to college 1960-1970: Males exceeded women 1980’s: women overtake men and never lost the lead Popular concentration in education in the 1980’s 1981: business and management were the most popular of all black bachelor’s degree recipients. 13,325 blacks earned a bachelor’s degree in business and management (40% earned in historically black colleges). The Black and White Gap "The average scores of black students have remained well below those of whites, and at age 17, the reading achievement of black students was lower last year than it was in 1988—a depressing reversal of the gains made over the previous two decades," Michael T. Nettles, the vice chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, said at a press conference held here late last month to release the results. The independent panel oversees National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) In just about every age group and in every subject, the test-score gap between white and African-American students has grown since 1986, reversing a trend in which the discrepancies decreased from the time the exams were first given in 1969, 1971, and 1973. Since the mid-1980s, gaps in several subjects and age groups have grown by statistically significant amounts. Resegregation occurring again â€Å"Studies finds the causes for resegregation stemming from a number of social and political factors: a series of court rulings beginning in the late 1980s that reversed many of the desegregation orders, the growing isolation of whites in suburban schools, and the increasing segregation of blacks and Hispanics in suburban schools.

Hero’s in Greek Literature Essay

In modern times the word hero can be used to describe many different people. For example, a scientist that develops a cure for AIDs would be thought of to be heroic. Or perhaps one might deem teachers heroic for shaping the youth of tomorrow. Although these jobs are noble, they would not be deemed heroic by the Greeks. Today’s definition of a hero is comparatively broad to that of which the Greek’s would have considered the term of hero to describe. More accurately, a hero is someone who puts themselves in a position of death in order to obtain a morally just cause. This idea of self sacrifice is what makes a hero. In Greek literature, especially in poetry, there are several examples of heroes and heroines. I will specifically discuss Achilles of Homer’s Iliad, as well as Antigone in Sophocles Antigone, and why their character is of heroic stature. In early Greek literature, such as Homer’s Iliad, a hero was more parallel to the concept of a warrior. In book I of The Iliad, Achilles is not just portrayed as a warrior, but is in fact introduced as â€Å"godlike† (Homer, 107). Achilles is an exemplum of one of the defining characteristics of epic poems in that he possesses godlike qualities, such as superhuman strength. In epic poems, the intervention and presence of the Greek gods is a persisting trait. Achilles is born of both mortal and immortal persons, his father a militant mortal Peleus and his mother the sea nymph Thetis. Due to these qualities and over the course of the poem, Achilles proves himself to be the most capable warrior of all. Moreover, Achilles also proves himself a hero by surmising to the idea of self sacrifice. It has always been known that if Achilles kills Hector during the Greek and Trojan War, he will at some point be put to death by the gods. As described in book IX, â€Å"My mother Thetis, a moving silver grace, tells me two fates sweep me on my death. If I stay here and fight, I’ll never return home, but my glory will be undying forever. If I return home†¦ my glory is lost but my life will be long,† (Homer, 141). Therefore Achilles does have the option of going home and living a long life. However, it is the death of Patroclus, Achilles best friend, that sways him to fight even though a sure death will come. This choice is namely why Achilles is a hero. Another central theme to a Greek hero is that he is unable to be destroyed by any other man and therefore a central theme of self- destructiveness exists (Whitman).

Guy De Maupassant Is Known As One Of The Most Famous Short...

Guy de Maupassant is known as one of the most famous short story writers of France whose works were known for their hard truths about life. His realistic point of view and objective technique were inserted into a majority of his writing, especially those of the horror genre. Maupassant used these, plus his deteriorating mental health later in life to produce raw, uncut stories that were shocking in nature. The commonalities in all of his stories relate back to these ideas and techniques. The commonalities are found in the character traits, the type of narration, and the setting in which these stories take place. Maupassant considered himself to be a realist, constantly criticizing the romantic writers for what he described as â€Å"their deliberate attempt to give a false presentation of observable reality, depicting life not as it is, but as they would like to see it.† (Sullivan, Pg. 17) Maupassant whole-heartedly agreed that in order to be a good writer, one needed to write the facts, not about utopian societies. His definition of being a realist was that they must show life in its truest form. To be a great writer, one must be â€Å"sincere but without illusions,† and must â€Å"take hold of the reader and drag him out of his illusory tranquility and make him face life as it is.† (Sullivan, Pgs. 20-21) His other writing style was in how he portrayed his characters. To Maupassant, the character’s inner self was shown through their actions on the outside, rather than explicitly statingShow MoreRelatedGuy De Maupassant s Life1179 Words   |  5 PagesGuy De Maupassant was born August 5, 1850, in Chà ¢teau de Miromesnil, France (The Famous People, Guy de Maupassant), when he was young his parents got divorced and after that, his father left, denying him a chance to develop a relationship with his son. He started school with a religious education but, after getting expelled on purpose he pursued a bachelor s degree at Lycà ©e at Le Havre (World History: The Modern Era, Guy de Maupassant). One of his most well known stories is The Necklace. In thisRead More`` The Jewelry `` By Guy De Maupassant892 Words   |  4 Pagesdoubtful.† (Guy de Maupassant). Guy de Maupassant, also known as Henri Renà © Albert Guy de Maupassant, was one of the most famed French novelists in the world. He is one of the fathers of the modern short story and a writer who was successful in his own time, immensely popular, prosperous and feted by society. He left an immerse impact on literature, including six novels and three hundred short stories. Guy de Maupassant lived a short but highly productive life and his short stories and novels areRead MoreA Wasteful Fashion in The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1149 Words   |  5 Pagesit worth it? Guy de Maupassant was a popular French writer who is known as one of the fathers of modern short stories. Many of Maupassant’s stories are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870’s. Maupassant ended up writing about three hundred short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. In his short story, ‘The Necklace’, the main character, Mathilde Loisel, feels as if s he should have been born rich but instead was born into a life of poverty. One day her husbandRead MoreEssay about Biography and Work of Guy de Maupassant4591 Words   |  19 PagesWork of Guy de Maupassant Guy de Maupassant is acknowledged through the world as one of the masters of the short story; Guy de Maupassant was also the author of a collection of poetry, a volume of plays, three travel journals, six novels, and many chronicles. He produced some three hundred short stories in the single decade from 1880 to 1890; a period during which he produced most of his other works. Five of his six novels were published during the second half of the decade. â€Å"His short fictionRead Moreâ€Å"Irony in Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Jewelry†Ã¢â‚¬ 3124 Words   |  13 PagesJewelry† by Guy de Maupassant ii.i Plot summary ii.ii Analysis of the story ii.iii Irony in â€Å"The Jewelry† Conclusion to Chapter II Conclusion Bibliography Introduction â€Å"Expect the unexpected,† is something that I heard many times. We should follow this rule while reading different genres of writing, because writers use irony to keep readers’ attention, and make their works more interesting. This research paper deals with one of Guy de Maupassant’s short story â€Å"The Jewelry†Read MoreEssay on The Necklace1342 Words   |  6 Pagestheir parents, but as they grow up they will understand that the well known adage holds true to its meaning. Almost everybody has experienced this feeling, whether it is as young children or as wise adults. Examples of this noted proverb is evident both in print and on screen. Now, since this is the case with most people around the world, it is not difficult to see how this byword applies to Guy de Maupassants short story The Necklace. Its protagonist, Mathilde Loisel, longing for a lavishRead More The Necklace1898 Words   |  8 Pagesbeen dominant in World Literature from ancient times to the present. One such theme greed and generosity, which is explored in the French short story â€Å"The Necklace† by Guy de Maupassant. On August 5, 1850, Maupassant was born near Normandy, France, where he lived for the majority of his childhood. He was the first son of Laure Le Poittevin and Gustave de Maupassant, who were both from prestigious bourgeois families. When Maupassant was eleven years old, his parents were legally divorced and both heRead MoreAnalysis Of Guy De Maupassant s `` The Necklace `` Essay1463 Words   |  6 Pages Guy de Maupassant, a French writer, was born in August 1850 and died in July 1893, during which the Franco-Prussian war took place. Subsequently, many of his narrations were set during this war to describe its meaningless and disastrous aftermath to countless innocent people whose experiences were changed forever. He was known as a master of short stories and belonged to naturalist school of writers, in which he described human lives, along with society, in disillusioned and often pessimistic termsRead MoreEssay about Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism2493 Words   |  10 Pagespro gram on television will make their own assumptions. I know I do. Most of us will ask, â€Å"Why did the main character make that decision?† Or â€Å"What were they thinking?† Could it be that the author of the story is protruding their own subconscious thoughts and beliefs through their characters? Absolutely, most critics have adapted psychoanalytic literary criticism theory based upon the works of psychoanalysis by famous psychologists Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Jacques Lacan to literaryRead MoreFiction in Henry James Paste2797 Words   |  12 PagesHenry James and his short story Paste. Firstly, I will focus on the time he wrote the story and than I will describe his life and his three major writing phrases. Next, I will go on with giving the most important of the story touching the most important point of its sources and who influenced James to such a work. The next section in the term paper is one of the most important ones because it touches all the most important things connected with fiction in James`s short story which will be a guide