Ethnocentrism Essay examples -- ethnocentric culture essays research p

Are we limited in knowledge, in imagination, and in understanding by the culture we grow up in? In other words, are we ethnocentric, and if so is it a bad thing? To answer that, one must understand what ethnocentrism is. According to Macionis (2004), ethnocentrism is â€Å"the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture†. We are not born with culture; culture is a socially learned behavior, or set of values that a given groups holds as a norm and are considered to be true and right. It is these cultural norms that connect the individuals of the group, which make up a society. No society can exist without culture and no culture can exist without a society (Giddens, Duneier, & Applebaum, 2002). The two are intrinsically intertwined. It is hard to see past one’s own culture and reach into another for understanding; we find it hard to comprehend the fact that our truths and values, that are so innate to us, do not represent universal truth. So what is universal truth; who is right and who is wrong culturally? Here in lays the importance of understanding ‘cultural relativism’, or â€Å"the practice of evaluating a culture by its own standards† (Macionis, 2004), making the previous question irrelevant since culture itself is present in every society, it is therefore, universal; ha ving no right or wrong. Like culture, ethnocentrism is unavoidable and like culture, ethnocentrism is universal to all cultures to some degree. To claim no ethnocentricity would be to separate oneself from one’s own culture. It is only human nature to be grounded in and reflective of the culture that you have been immersed in since birth, as it is your connection to your heritage. In this sense, ethnocentrism is not all bad, and can be beneficial in promoting cultural diversity (Rosaldo, 2000). It becomes bad when we do not acknowledge other cultures or we expect others to adopt our cultural norms because we believe their cultural norms are wrong. This behavior stems mainly from the troublesome nature of not understanding the basis for their beliefs and values, and from intimidation due to the mere existence of a different view of norms within a culture, leading to a threatening atmosphere when our cultural validity is challenged. Crossing the lines between cultures has become more common with technological advances. What was once a world where cultures rarely c... ...ion cooking show relative to the cultural values present in the show itself and in the chefs, it is very apparent that these differences are what defines a culture and makes one so very different than the other. Learning to accept these differences and appreciating them for the ways they are engrained in society can lead to an appreciation for that culture. Works Cited Giddens, A., Duneier, M., & Appelbaum, R.P. (n.d.) Welcome to Sociology. Chapter 3: Culture & Society. http://www.wwnorton.com/giddens4/chapters/chapter3/welcome.htm Iron Chef. (n.d.) The World News. http://www.sbs.com.au/ironchef/ Macionis, J. J. (2004). Sociology, Tenth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. Manon, Louis R. III (1999, November). Multiculturalism: Walking the Walk. http://astro.ocis.temple.edu/~wgreason/sampaadana8.html Rosaldo, R. (2000, Winter). Issues in Ethics. Of headhunters and Soldiers: Separating Cultural and Ethical Relativism. http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v11n1/relativism.html Shotokai. (n.d.) http://www.shotokai.cl/filosofia/06_ee_.html Wikipedia. (2004, March). Iron Chef. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Chef

Prince vs Warner Brothers: Artist feud with Label

In today society different companies go through various contracts on a day to day basis; however, it is solely up to both companies or parties to ensure that the contract upon entering is in good standing and there after remains in good binding, As in the case of Prince Vs Warner Brothers. In the beginning it seems as though the contract was acceptable for both parties, however as the discrepancies unfold, it became clear that the contract was no longer valid. This created a huge problem for both parties. It has been observed that the dispute between Prince and Warner Brothers was about money and how often albums can be released. Prince felt that the record label had too much control over his creativity. According to BET, The contract between Warner Brothers and Prince stated that Prince would receive a 10 million dollar advance with each album, however Warner Brothers reserve the right to pick which albums were released and on what time frame (BET). According to Orwall (1995), â€Å"In a nutshell: Prince has been frustrated that the company won't release his records more regularly. He produces the equivalent of three or four albums a year; the record company would rather have just one and milk it† (orwall, 1995). As a method of retaliation, Prince took action by legally changing his name to the symbol 0{+;; as such, the legally given name prince remained under the control of Warner Brothers, therefore he was branded as the artist formally known as prince. After changing his name, the artist formally known as Prince released the most beautiful girl in the world on his own record label called NPG Records, therefore ignoring his contract with Warner Brothers. The feud continued as Prince publicly defied the contract between him and Warner Brothers. As a result Warner Brothers then took legal action by taking prince to court and forcing him to release the previously recorded black album. At that time Prince was obligated to do four more albums for Warner Brothers; Prince went into his catalog of unreleased music to complete the four albums he owed Warner Brothers. All his new material that he created after he changed his name, was under his NPG record label. While he carried out his remaining obligation to Warner Brothers, at every public appearance, Prince continued to retaliate by writing the word â€Å"slave† on his cheek (Orwall, 1995). For a period of time prince did not play his own music. Benny Medina, VP of A;R for Warner Brothers at the time, believed that this was apart of his protest against the record label. â€Å"Prince was a really unique person who was not going to be very productive if he was not in a healthy place with the people he had to deal with. We got it; if you want to go, go! Lets just figure it out†, said Benny Medina in a BET documentary video (BET). In 1997 Prince ended his contract with Warner Brothers. In that same year he released his last album with the Label entitled Emancipation. In the year 2000, after the publishing contract with Warner Brothers has ended he legally changed his name back to Prince (BET). Parties Interest It has always been a tradition for record labels to own the masters of the artist sign to the roster; after all, they are the ones spending millions of dollars to promote and market, as well as distribute the artist’s music. Evidently, Prince disagreed with this notion. Prince did not like the fact that the labels were able to decide when his album should be released, and which one of his albums they are going to release. He also did not like the fact that they owned all his masters. â€Å"He had made a deal with the label, and he had been compensated incredibly well with millions upon millions of dollars,† said Michael Austin, Sr. VP of A;R for Warner Brothers (BET). Prince also did not like the fact that he had to comply with the regulations of the contract he had signed with the record label. Position of Parties During the dispute between Warner Brothers, Prince won the support of his fans as well as other artists. He had several successful tours; the musicology tour is one of the most successful tours up to date. Clearly, Prince has become an icon and he was in a position where he did not need the record label to make money. He proved that he had the ability to sale records and the ability to promote tours without the help of Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers may have played apart in his success, but as Prince’s career blossomed, he realized that Warner Brothers were no longer necessary. So his actions were attempts to end the relationship between himself and Warner Brothers. What went well?  Fortunately for Prince, the label recognized his desire to end the contract and that he was no longer going to cooperate with the company until the term of the contract has expired. As a result, Warner Brothers executives felt that it was time to put an end to this on going feud. Prince was then free from all restraints of the record label. It was until the publishing contract between Prince and Warner Brothers ended, he started performing his old songs again. What went wrong? Unfortunately Warner Brothers and Prince could not renegotiate a contract that could have a mutual benefit outcome. Prince could not own any of his masters he created during his term with Warner Brothers. As reiterated prince wanted more control of his creativity but Warner Brothers refused to give him such leverage over his work; prince then retaliated. In conclusion, a contract is only valid when both parties agree. If both parties disagree, it not only creates a conflict but also a huge problem between the individuals involved; therefore, it should be in the interest of both individual to ensure that before they enter into the contract, they must discuss all the fine prints in order to reach an amicable and mutual benefit.References http://princetext.tripod.com/i_emancipation96.html http://princetext.tripod.com/n_1995.html

What is Author’s Claim

What is Author’s Claim? Author’s claim is honorable presentation of an author that he makes in his writing – to some person or his memory, group of people, establishment or even abstract idea. As it is seen from one epigram of Martialis, such statements were known back in Roman times. Dedication can take a form of an official statement or may be written in a verse form. Author’s claim is called a lyric preamble of large works written in verse with address to certain person or without it. Usually, it is limited by one general claim with short directive to internal foundation of dedication, but it was accepted also to expound dedication in form of a whole message in prose or verses earlier. It is often verbose, grandiloquent and flattering. Author’s claim was direct result of the humiliated status of writers who were forced to search powerful protectors among noble and rich people. Dedications were seldom a result of real respect and devotion; they were usually written for money reward. For example, claim’s cost was from 20 to 40 pounds in England in the XVII century. How to write author’s claim? Title of the author’s claim is not in direct dependence from theme, except for reflection of work content. It can be a starting point of the author’s thoughts. Free writing of author’s claim is subordinated to its internal logic, and it is necessary to search the main point in the â€Å"pied lace† of the author’s thoughts. The problem under question will be considered from different sides in this case. It is known that in writing on literary themes rational combination of analysis of artistic composition and author’s own reasoning must prevail, but it is not a case with author’s claim. In there, author’s position must be brightly expressed. If individual features of author’s style and language are welcomed in traditional writing, in author’s claim they are the necessary requirement.