Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism on Shanghai Research Paper

Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism on Shanghai - Research Paper Example Shanghai is the most industrialized metropolis in China and is counted as one of the major metropolitan cities of the world. Shanghai has more than 5,800 square kilometers. Most tourists visiting Shanghai are usually advised to travel with maps in order not to get lost. The metropolis is not only identified as a financial, economic, and trade center, but is also admired for its cultural as well as historical heritage. The capital city, Beijing, is approximately 1460 km away from Shanghai. Most tourists in China, who wish to visit Shanghai, usually take the two hour flight from the capital to Shanghai, or take a 17 hour train journey that allows them to enjoy the scenery. Shanghai tourist attractions are easy to get to from its main center. Some of these include the Yuyuan Gardens, the Bund, which is the embodiment of Shanghai's history in prominent architectural structures, the lake Dianshan Hu, and the Four Cornered Pagoda, which is locally referred to as the Fang Ta. Shanghai, which is China's business and financial headquarters, has in the recent past benefitted from a double-digit growth. The city got over 80 million foreign and domestic tourists in 2001, alone. No town in China has fully embraced modernity and technology in the same way as Shanghai has. When in Shanghai, a tourist may get the illusion that he or she is in Europe or America and not Communist China. Shanghai radiates a cosmopolitan quality that is characterized by the contemporary lifestyles of its citizens, busy industrial and financial districts, skyscrapers, one of the busiest harbors in the area and ultra-chic business centers like museums, hotels, and shopping malls. While Be ijing is recognized as the center of the political government of China, which sponsors the Chinese academic institutions, Shanghai is known worldwide as China’s economic center and an incredibly enterprising city. Once a tiny and sleepy fishing rural community in the 1800s, Shanghai has been turned into a most enchanting, decadent and refined Chinese city. According to (Moscardo 3), â€Å"Shanghai has been dubbed as the "Paris of the East." International tourism takes place when citizens from different nations travel across intercontinental borders outside their normal homes as well as places of work, and stay for more than 24 hours in their places of visitation. The motivations for such trips are diverse, but usually recognized as being largely influenced by health, recreation, friendship and family visits, education, business, sports, and religion. As one of the most significant sources of foreign exchange revenue, and an investment catalyst, knowledge disseminator, and em ployment generator, international tourism has grown to be one of Shanghai’s most significant industries. Tourism has developed swiftly in Shanghai. At present, China is investing a lot of capital in promoting tourism and revising laws that govern its tourist industry. In the coming years, China expects to experience even more growth in this area, with the lion share of this development taking place in Shanghai. China’s tourism industry was somewhat affected by SARS scare but recovered swiftly. China is projected to be the world’s most fashionable tourist destination in the next decade. According to (Pike and Ryan 333), â€Å"tourism in Shanghai is a colossal labor intensive business that

The Recent History and Dynamics of Culture Essay

The Recent History and Dynamics of Culture - Essay Example Spoken communication gave rise to stories, poetry and music in order to make remembering easier and communicating more entertaining. Written language changed the way we use our brains, and the printing press made knowledge available to all who could learn to read. This led to the rise of the middle classes, and to the development of the idea of a separation between the cultured and the masses. Public education was one result of technology and the rising middle class, as society needed to train its best and brightest in order to maintain productivity and growth. The Internet has now eliminated the need for physical books and made this knowledge available to literally anyone in the world with a connection. The common thread here is language, art and communication. Most parts of any culture fall under one of these categories. Law and government seem to be part of culture, but these are simply formal governance of the cultural values society. So culture is, essentially, everything involving more than one person in a society. This includes literature, music, art, value systems, behavioural norms, institutions, and the interpretation and dissemination of each of these. Food, a major part of culture, is both ritual and art. Music and visual arts are products, and also mirrors, of the culture. However, more than anything else, a society’s language and its texts represent it s culture.... (Most Canadians or Australians did not make the cut either.) British and Western Europeans were the sole providers of â€Å"literature†. Cultured people were â€Å"elite†, so anything readily accessible by the masses was not a part of culture. This meant that even though cultured texts, music and art were available to everyone, only the most cultured could truly understand them, if they even read them. It required a great deal of education to read Homer in the original language, or to appreciate Opera without subtitles, or ballet, or to read works of learned men and discuss the myriad values of each. Theoretically, culture includes modern discourses that bridge the various disciplines which include culture as part of their inquiries. Certain critical practices for cultural analysis are used to create that discourse concerning cultural activities, products, and institutions (Jere Paul Surber). It has expanded to this from the very narrow beginnings in Great Britain in th e 18 century. Certain British universities instituted cultural studies in the 1950s. With this kind of base, cultural studies aims for a practical critique of concrete and measurable factors that effect economic and political power. In its beginnings, culture was the pursuit of improvement of person among the aristocracy by virtue of education and practice. One of the first developments of any culture is the appearance of its critics. Critics always try to define what they criticise in order to be able to define its value. This sets them up to be the experts and that attracts people who need to feed their egos. In the late nineteenth century, people like Matthew Arnold saw culture more as a product than an aspect of society. It was something to aspire to as it represented knowledge of the best

Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay Example for Free

Pioneer Square Observation Report Essay In Pioneer square there are many places to sit and observe the people whom pass by, but perhaps one of the most interesting places to go is the food court inside the pioneer square mall. I found that the best time to observe all the micro cultures was at lunch time, when people take a break from their busy lives to come and enjoy a lunch from a variety of choices. The environment is one of the other things that I was able to notice right away, not only the setting but also how the environment affects the people at the food court, and the one thing that stood out the most while I observing the food court was the authority within the court. One of the first things I was set out to find while doing the observation in the food court of the Pioneer Square mall was to find the micro cultures. I was able to observe three major micro cultures. There were people who passed by in a hurry, it seemed like they had somewhere to be. They seemed to go by so fast with a phone in their ear, or in their hands to even notice the other people surrounding them. The second micro culture I was able study was the people ordering from various places in the food court. The most common thing I noticed within this micro culture was the way they each stood still for a while as if they were weighing their options of all the food choices they had, then once they ordered their food would sit; whether it was in the lower part or on the stage of the food court, and after that they all seemed to do the same thing. They talked among themselves, and when done they cleaned their space and left. The last and the most obvious micro culture within the food court were the employees working in their little space of a restaurant. Within this micro culture the people seemed very quiet as the food court was empty but as lunch time came around and people started to appear, they seemed to cheer up. When people started coming around the food court into their restaurant, they interacted with the people in a very enthusiastic way, and some would start a conversation or offer free samples all in order to pull people into their restaurant. I was also able to notice that the environment had a lot to do with the actions of people. The environment in the food court was the first thing that stood out as I entered. The environment was serene and very unique from most food courts. They were playing jazz music in the background, which to me made it seem like it kept the food court peaceful and enjoyable. While I was sitting there I was able to notice that the food court was designed to complement the calmness of the environment with its hanging lights, wooden chairs, and what seemed like black granite tables, with a large fountain running in the middle of the food court, where many people eating liked to stare at its beauty. The fountain was something incapable of missing. Another thing that was hard to miss in the food court while eating, was the authority with the mall cops who were passing by every now and then. Surprisingly I was able to find was that they were very friendly to everyone, and in return the public was very respectful and friendly back. I believe that the respect and friendliness that comes from the public comes mainly because of the fact that the mall cops have power, and they have the authority to take you out of the mall, so the public obeys by their rules. To do this observation at its fullest I had to put my ethnocentrism away and be very open minded about the observations I was to do. Doing this was what made it possible for me to get all these observations of the micro cultures, environment, and the authority within a food court at Pioneer Square mall.

Amado V Hernandez Works

Amado V Hernandez Works Amado V. Hernandez lived in a nationalist milieu that witnessed a range of Filipinos that were determined to prove to colonizers that they were capable of governing themselves. Hernandez was born on September 13, 1903, Ka Amado as he is called, together with the nationalist leaders and intellectuals in government, the academe, and among the Filipino masses perceived in the postwar agrarian problems in Central Luzon the powerful roots of social alienation that would lead to discriminating pressures.  [1]  He was married to zarzuela actress and queen of kundiman Honorata Atang dela Rama and began his writing career as a journalist, and later, editor of several pre-World War II Tagalog news papers.  [2]   Moreover, Ka Amado was known for his active participation in the socio-political realm through his literature and his political involvement. During WWII, he served as intelligence officer for the resistance.  [3]  The discussion of his involvement and participation pre, during and post war will be traced through an account of his life and works, his writings, the Congress of Labor Organization, his wife Atang dela Rama, and the essence of Philippine and Hernandezs literature. Life and Works From 1926 to 1932, Amado V. Hernandez wrote Sariling Hardin a column in verse which was a calendar of happenings and observations on human weaknesses and social background. Meanwhile in 1928, he had a running balagtasan in his column Pagkakaisa against Jose Corazon de Jesus, Huseng Batute in Taliba. Ka Amado defended independence movement and Huseng Batute called him the poet of the administration and was included by Julian Cruz Balmaseda among the poets of the heart.  [4]   Instead of serving under the Japanese administration, Hernandez chose to leave for the hills. He was a major when the American forces returned in October 1944. He was appointed by President Osmeà ±a as councilor of the City of Manila and in 1947, he ran for councilor in the first post-war local elections and won in all four districts of the city. At this time, he was popular for being a pre-war poet laureate and journalist as well as an organizer of the Philippine Newspaper Guild of which he became vice-president. He also helped organize and later on became acting national chairman of the progressive Congress of Labor Organizations or CLO which he said the objective was to help the worker achieve economic security and to help in his cultural uplift.  [5]   In 1955, Hernandez wrote prison and detention center poems when he was transferred to Muntinlupa from Camp Murphy while waiting for the final ruling of the Supreme Court in his pursuit of the Lower Court decision of lifetime imprisonment due to rebellion complexed with other crimes. His appeal lasted for thirteen years before he was totally acquitted.  [6]  Even before he was acquitted, Ka Amado was already writing for the vernacular magazines, particularly Liwayway. He wrote Bayang Malaya which is a historical poem that he started and finished inside the little detention room in jail which is commonly called bartolina. It is a historical account of defending the nation and the ordinary citizens against the dominance of the Imperial Japanese Army. When the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was overpowered in Bataan and Corregidor and were compelled to surrender, guerrillas emerged from the country and continued the strife and defense (Hernandez). USAFFE broke into several minor commands and waged guerrilla war against the invaders.  [7]  The main characters of this poem although not real personas, were symbols of real constructs of the war that created a history in its time.  [8]   Ka Amado was imprisoned for five years and six months in Muntinlupa and five other military camps namely: Camp Murphy, Camp Crame, Fort McKinley, Panopio Compound and another camp which he did not know due to a forcible arrest at midnight while he was blindfolded with shackled hands. He has several reasons as to his in-jail poetry and literature. One, he writes to exclaim the greatness of the Filipino guerrillas which were the glory of World War II (MSB) for he believes that if this splendor would soon be long forgotten by the contemporary heroes, history wont. Another reason that he posited as to why he pursued his literature is that he wanted to prove that the real essence of a poet cannot be incarcerated. Hernandez has a body of literature that stretches nearly three generations of Philippine literature  [9]  . He wrote in the introduction Isang Dipang Langit that he was able to write over 170 poems in different periods and in different situations. Some he wrote before 1930, others during his life as a journalist and some he wrote after the war where he was in the middle of different movements in politics and labor. Writing about Hernandez in 1947, journalist Jose A. Lansang, observed that Hernandez had fine speaking styles in Tagalog which developed during his pre-war poet laureate days which goes over with working class audiences. Lansang notes that Hernandez had aptness in anecdote and fire of delivery which shows Hernandezs being well-read in the English language especially in progressive literature and had developed knowledge of the labor mobilizations in various nations through intensive reading. The novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit which was first written by Hernandez while in prison is the first socio-political novel that, like Jose Rizals Noli Me Tangere, exposes the grave social cancer achieved in society post-war to the early open conflicts in Central Luzon in the 1950s.  [10]   The Congress of Labor Organization Amado V. Hernandez sponsored ordinances aimed at promoting workers rights and freedom. As he immersed himself in the labor movement in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Hernandezs compassion for the working class grew into a strong empathy for their struggle for social justice and liberation. He represented the Newspaper Guild of the Philippines in the countrys largest and most militant labor federation, the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) and in 1947, he was elected president of CLO.  [11]   In 1948, Labor Day witnessed one of its largest rallies of workers under CLO, the Peoples United Peasant and Labor Organizations held at Plaza Sta. Cruz. The mobilization was said to have been attended by 15,000 workers. Conversely, a rally that was held on the same day was attended by only 10,000 government workers in Rizal Stadium addressed by President Quirino.  [12]   CLO kept organizing workers in the years that followed and at the same time, opened up health clinics and nurseries in Manila as a social action project. As councilor, Hernandez retained the regard for him by the workers but at the same time, as the acting national chairman of the CLO, he gained the distrust and doubt of the political authorities faced with the problems of insurgency in Central Luzon.  [13]   The CLO headquarters was raided by the military authorities on the 20th of January 1951 and Ka Amado was held incommunicado in Camp Murphy on charges of rebellion complicated by several other charges such as arson, robbery and murder.  [14]   The Literature There have been a good number of discussions about Filipino poetry and literature, it has made for itself a good reputation but have received as well criticisms. Hernandez writes about literature always as a rising up or revolt from a generation put behind except for fanatic conformist.  [15]   Julian Cruz Balmaseda, poet, researcher and editor of the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa who considered Hernandez as among the poets of the heart divided the Tagalog poetry into three: Panahon ng Dalit, Panahon ng mga Pagbabago and Panahon ng Pagpapalaganap. He used not just the ages and personalities of poets in these divisions but as well as the kind, topic and outline of their poems.  [16]   Balmaseda acknowledged that there was a significant development of the Filipino poetry during the third period. This was caused by the manner by which Filipinos were more or less capable of mention and we will not be embarrassed to say that our poems could be at par with other remarkable poems in different languages.  [17]   During the period of conquest (1942-1945) up to this particular moment, poetry has been accessed by the paralysis caused by its weakening. Amado V. Hernandez is questioning why is it that when we now have reached the fulfillment of a lifelong objective which is to have our language, the Filipino poetry started declining?  [18]   One of the major problems that Philippine literature has according to Hernandez (especially poetry) is sentimentalism and he recognizes that not even the famous Balagtas was able to avoid it. He quotes and agrees with a critic who said that [sentimentalism] is the greatest fault of art. The straightforwardness of expressing ones feelings is not just a bygone phenomenon but is also vulgar and rough as it is.  [19]   Meanwhile, the historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo described the prison (where Hernandezs poetry flourished) as crucible of the new Filipino poetry. He was imprisoned for five years and six months and he was able to write 40 poems, one long narrative poem Bayang Malaya and the draft of the novel Mga Ibong Mandaragit within that period.  [20]  All of these have contributed to the social consciousness that Amado V. Hernandez was pushing for through his works as noted by Agoncillo himself: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ngunit gayon may dapat tanggapin na mabibilang sa daliri ng isang kamay ang mga manunulat na may budhing talusaling o nag-aangkin ng tinatawag na social consciousness (we should accept that the number of authors who own what we call social consciousness can only be counted by the fingers of one hand).  [21]   Agoncillo remarks the war that made the world succumb and set long-standing stagnant minds in motion werent even sufficient for our authors to be moved even after the 1941-1945 tragedy. Even after this, they remained complacent and trusting in their own hopeful motherlands. This land for Agoncillo is a sterile land and Hernandezs literature particularly his Bayang Malaya is likened by the former as a surprising growth and emergence of a strong-willed kind of literature with sturdy branches that sprouted out of these barren soils.  [22]   Amado V. Hernandezs literature, whether poem or prose, in a few ways deliberately presents themes that are socio-political in nature or that which are capable of raising social consciousness. Some of the titles of his poems that clearly represents this are as follows: Sariling Hardin (My Own Garden), Isang Dipang Langit (A Stretch of Sky), Panata sa Kalayaan (Oath to Freedom), Bartolina (Solitary Confinement), Ang Dalaw (The Visit), Kung Tuyo Na ang Luha Mo Aking Bayan (When Your Tears Dry Up, My Country). His Short Stories include: Wala ng Lunas (No More Remedy), Kulang sa Dilig (Needs Watering), Langaw sa Isang Basing Gatas (Fly in a Glass of Milk), Dalawang Metro sa Lupang Di-Malipad ng Uwak (Two Meters in Land That Stretches Forever), Ipinanganak ang Isang Kaaway sa Sosyedad (An Enemy of the Society is Born), Isang Ulo ng Litson (Head of a Roast Pig), Kislap ng Utak,Pawis ng Noo (Sparkle of Brain, Sweat on the Forehead).  [23]   His experiences as a guerrilla, labor leader, and a political detainee were shaped into the novels Mga Ibong Mandaraggit (Birds of Prey), 1969, and Luha ng Buwaya (Crocodiles Tears), 1972 Bayang Malaya One of the major works of Amado V. Hernandez was the epic Bayang Malaya and he wrote the said piece while he was behind bars. It is a historical poem which, according to the historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo, is a strong piece of art that sprouted out of the barren soils that is our literature and it opened the blinds that were blocking the beauty of the East. Ka Amado was painting a picture not just of a single town but of the Philippines.  [24]   The main characters of this piece although as mentioned are not real personas, they were symbols of real constructs of the war that created history. Some of the main characters were Tala and Magtanggol among others. It narrated the news about the emerging World War and the Japan-U.S. conflict that was surfacing as well as the start of the war itself when Japanese forces started entering Manila which caused the entire nation to be enveloped in fear. A concept like the Co-Prosperity Sphere was tackled in Bayang Malaya although those engaging were mere fictional characters. The epic also tackled the different oppression mechanisms being employed by the Japanese as well as the punishments that one receives in the event of revolting.  [25]   Issues like the emergence of guerrillas were also described in Bayang Malaya. Attempted rapture of Tala for example led to her taking of the hills and joining of guerrilla groups.  [26]  Amado V. Hernandez was indeed changed by his imprisonment and in Agoncillos words, the poet of hopes in Hernandez died in prison but the same prison gave birth to the critical poet and author who was just and was for workers rights.  [27]   Atang dela Rama The wife of Ka Amado; this queen of Kundiman and zarzuela in the same way as her husband, used her craft in promoting nationalism through the art that was performing. Honorata Atang dela Rama did not perform only for a living or for the good pay she received for her talent. She held a strong belief that the zarzuela and the kundiman expressed the Filipino identity and she did her best to popularize these among her fellow Filipinos.  [28]   She believed that kundiman contained the heart and soul of the Filipino especially if she gets to introduce the art to foreign audiences. Atangs enduring faith in the Filipino heritage and the sariling atin was intensified and deepened when Amado V. Hernandez became part of her life. The columnist and poet who was to become a labor leader in the future, pursued the actress for three years. They were married in 1932 and the actress was integrated into a whole new world with Ka Amado.  [29]   Because of Ka Amados involvement in the guerrilla movement during the Japanese occupation, his generous support of the labor movements in his writings and organizing of activities, and his unjust detention for five years and six months for the alleged rebellion complex, Atang developed a social consciousness that opened her eyes to the reality of the oppression in society.  [30]   Later on in her life, she remained to show that her real purpose is not yet over. She hoped that young artists and intellectuals will wake up and realize the necessity of having a culture that is genuinely Filipino which colonial regimes had made us abandon. Furthermore, she gave lectures to young actors and groups that wish to study the past in order to shape Filipino drama that would mean more in the contemporary period. She has also been invited many times by militant organizations of youth, women, writers and workers to speak and help promote the nationalist cause and strife that not even Ka Amados death in 1970 could put into an end.  [31]   Conclusion Amado V. Hernandez is an important figure in the Philippine literature. He wasnt just simply a writer but also, he was a work leader and a freedom fighter. He used the literary art as a means to fight for social consciousness and liberation. His master pieces are encircled in the different socio-political beliefs which were considered to be due to brought about by his experiences as an intelligence officer during the Japanese regime in the Philippines.  [32]   He was not just a guerrilla who chose to take it to the hills, but he was as well a labor leader who exerted his energies towards the betterment of the Philippine work force after the war. He was a significant icon who fought for freedom and social equality and a poet and a writer who used his craft in increasing awareness and social involvement in the country.  [33]  He wrote based on prison experiences and just like how his wife emulated his principles, in these works, he uncovered what he perceived to be the neocolonial nature of Philippine Society and pushed for nationalist and progressive agenda to end the long history of the workers and peoples oppression.  [34]  He was able to expose the social cancer that was taking over the Philippines during his time and both his and his wifes craft helped transform literature and performing arts respectively. Sources: Abinales, Patricio N. and Donna J. Amoroso. State and Society in the Philippines. Anvil Publishing, 2005. Amado V. Hernandez: A National Artist, http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/1762958-amado-hernandez-national-artist/ (accessed 15 February 2010) Amado V. Hernandez, Bayang Malaya: Tulang Kasaysayan/ Paunang Salita ni Teodoro Agoncillo (Ateneo de Manila University, 1969) Amado V. Hernandez, Isang Dipang Langit (Tamaraw Pub., 1961) Commemorative folio on national artist : Fernando Amorsolo, Francisca Reyes Aquino, Carlos V. Francisco, Amado V. Hernandez, Antonio J. Molina, Juan F. Nakpil, Guillermo E. Tolentino, Jose Garcia Villa and internatioal artist Van Cliburn Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, 1974 Nicanor G. Tiongson, Atang dela Rama: Unat Huling Bituin (Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1987) The National Artists for Literature. http://nationalartists.panitikan.com.ph/avhernandez.htm/ (accessed 15 February 2010)

Religion Essay -- The Catholic Church

Long believed relationships between society’s culture and the ability to sustain a democratic form; have been evaluated over the years. Other cultures or religions have been proven to exhibit more conduciveness of democracy than others. Persistence of democracy within a religion falls under choice of assumptions, actions and costs toward others. As a religious institution, democracy applies also to cultural perspectives. The American Catholic Church could analyze democracy with ongoing tensions as social competitors of power or resources. Seeking the related aspects of Catholicism and democracy, the actions and words of the clergy directly influence political outcomes. The circumstances of the life of modern man have been so profoundly changed in their social and cultural aspects that we can speak of a new age of human history (Gaudiam ET Spes). Linking democracy and Catholicism, accounts for many elements of valued tensions within its religious system. â€Å"By and large. Catholic cultures have not been leaders in discovering and designing the institution of democracy or the protection of human rights but have come rather late to these traditions. Further, Catholic cultures seem on the whole rather more vulnerable to the traditional style of a single person leadership, as in the monarchies of old and in the dictatorships of today. † Churches deal with different states, but more importantly the churches address the potential shape of public opinion on political matters. Networks such as schools, religious orders, trade unions, political parties have made a force in the world of Catholic democracy. The spirit of democracy unleashed by the revolution inspired individuals to become involved. Emerging from this revolution brought forth a ... ...rch as a big ship on the sea, or a toolbox, continuity with Catholics all over, proves within this paradox, you are never alone. Today, the human race is involved in a new stage of history. Profound and rapid changes are spreading by degrees around the whole world. Triggered by the intelligence and creative energies of man, these changes recoil upon him, upon his decisions and desires, both individual and collective, and upon his manner of thinking and acting with respect to things and to people. Hence we can already speak of a true cultural and social transformation, one which has repercussions on man's religious life as well (Gaudium ET Spes). Look at the change over time, what all has happened and the evolution of the church. Reapplied to new situations, it can be said that the church does not change; the church is just refined through changes in the world.

In Search of Virtue in Honors Essays -- Aristotle Friendship Philosoph

In Search of Virtue in Honors Of the three forms of friendship discussed by Aristotle—the useful, the pleasant, and the good—the ideal seminar most resembles the perfectly good friendship between â€Å"good men who are alike in excellence or virtue† (Aristotle 1156b). A seminar, the Swarthmore website reads, unites faculty with â€Å"small groups of dedicated and accomplished students† committed to â€Å"independent learning† and â€Å"dialogue with peers, teachers, and examiners.† In light of Aristotelian and neo-Aristotelian thought on friendship, virtue and practical wisdom, this discussion will first examine how an ideal seminar promotes student virtues and then proceed to evaluate an e-mail I wrote in response to an imperfect seminar. Aristotle contends that friendship is instrumental for acquiring and maintaining moral excellence: †¦the friendship of good men is good, and it increases with their meetings. Also, it seems, they become better as they are active together and correct one another: from the mould of the other each takes the imprint of the trait he likes, whence the saying: ‘Noble things from noble people.’ (1172a) Similarly, a seminar composed of individuals with student virtues—including diligence, intelligence, curiosity, patience, and humility—can best maintain and encourage virtue. Rosemary Volbrecht’s â€Å"Mutual Apprenticeship in moral development,† Nancy Sherman’s â€Å"Making a Necessity of Virtue,† Laurence Thomas’ Living Morally and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics outline the means by which friendship encourages moral virtue. An extrapolation from moral virtues to student virtues frames their discussion in the context of an honors seminar at Swarthmore. Volbrecht highlights the importance of role models in experie... ..., but I erred in the delivery. A wiser, more amenable route may have included individualized messages. The real problem, however, was imperfect information and my lack of familiarity with the nuances of my classmates’ personalities. Aristotle writes, â€Å"[e]ach man can judge competently the things he knows† (Aristotle 1095a). His counsel offers little comfort when combined with rigorous epistemological standards. If flawless practical wisdom requires perfect information, then any decision by imperfect moral agents requires a search not for truth, but for the lesser evil. In my case, I hope the damage done was not too great. Works Cited Aristotle. Ethics. Sherman, Nancy. Making a Necessity of Virtue. Thomas, Laurence. Living Morally. Volbrecht, Mary Rose. â€Å"Friendship: Mutual Apprenticeship in Moral Development.† Journal of Value Inquiry, vol. 24 (1990).

Sex Education at School level

To subjugate a nation or a country destroy its literature, its history and above all its culture. This is what the English men do to tighten the bonds of slavery on India. And we Indians are making merry over the ruins of our ancient culture and civilization.Our Rishis who were scholars, thinkers, preachers, philosophers and warriors as well had divided human life into four periods. According to them average expectance of life in India was 100 years. First twenty five years period was meant for physical, literary and spiritual education, second thirty five years i.e. up to the age of sixty years were meant for family life then Vanprasth and finally sanyas. For the first twenty five years one and the foremost and compulsory principle was â€Å"Brhamcharya† meaning self restraint over sexual feelings.A Brahmchari who was primarily a student, a vidyarthi and a pupil of the Guru would never think in terms of sex. He was taught not to distinguish between male and female. To him all females were either mothers or sisters. He was forced to believe that breasts of a lady are but a loath of flesh and fat, a sort of deformity not a center for attraction. And with this type of education we have the proud privilege of having great personalities like Swami Ram Kishna Paramhans, Swami Vivekanda, Swami Ram Terth, Subhash Chand Bose, Swami Dayanand, Jagat guru Shankracharya not in distant past while great men like Bhishma Pitamah of prehistoric days.Even today we have a number of leaders both male and female who have followed the sacred path of Brahamcharya and are outstanding personalities in every field of life. The names of our president A. P. T. Abdul Kalam and Atal Behari Vajpayee ex. Prime minister may be cited as examples. Now under the influence of western civilization there is a talk of imparting sex education at school level. A simple question to the advocates of sex education?Sex in not a characteristic of human beings only. It is found practically in all liv ing animals, birds, insects and even in plant kingdom. Who teaches sex to cow or a buffalo or a donkey or a bird or an insect. Sex is a natural instinct and needs no lesion, no teaching and no demonstration. Sex in animal and plant kingdom is not rampant. It is controlled by nature. But sex in human has to be controlled by self restrain, by teachings and creating an atmosphere adverse to the feelings of sex i.e. following the path of Brahmcharya.Premarital  sex is a crime. Bigamy is prohibited by law as well as by society and also by religion. After all what is the purpose of sex education? Under guise of AIDS the advocates of sex education plead for its necessity. But when sex is prohibited no doubt but if you at all indulge then there are safety measures therefore. It is just like telling a thief that committing theft is illegal but in case you do it, adopt safe ways. One thing more. There is growing trend of co-education at school level. Just imagine a female unmarried teacher teaching lesion on sex to a class consisting of boys and girls or a male teacher doing the same job in his class. How would the advocates of sex education face such a situation? Is it at all advisable or practicable? Hence we should stick to our cultural traditions and should provide such education as would arouse in them a feeling of an urge for moral traditions of India culture.Lessons highlighting the importance of morality should be including in text books of English and Hindi literature as also in curriculum of subjects like History and Civics. An independent discipline of moral ethics may be given to the students in the prayer meetings and the students must be given & chances express their feelings and expose their learning. Physical training must also be introduced as compulsory subject and fruitful training of YOGA may be imparted to the students. YOGA may also be made compulsory for scouts and N.CC. Cadets. It is a time that we arise to the occasion and save our children fr om the malicious feelings of sex and infuse in them the sprit of self restraint so that the idea of sex may not enter into their mind’s horizon. Therein lies the salvation of our society and the country at large.