Maori and Minangkabau

Maori Maori culture is one of the most fascinating indigenous cultures remaining at present. In the first place, it is necessary to note that New Zealand is the only place in the world where population of indigenous people is about 15% of the overall population. However, the fact that made me choose this very culture is that Maori society can be regarded as â€Å"a key critique of evolutionary theory† (qtd. in Walter et al. 275).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Maori and Minangkabau specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maori society developed in a very specific way, which can be regarded as reverse development. Thus, one of the most fascinating facts concerning Maori society is that it â€Å"passed from . hunting, gathering and fishing† to agricultural production and then returned to hunting, fishing, gathering (Walter et al. 275). Moreover, Maori managed to preserve their culture, which is very impo rtant as now people understand that wisdom of their ancestors is important to find solutions to contemporary issues. Thus, knowledge of Maori people can help contemporary people solve some environmental issues as Maori’s experience in agriculture is immense. Maori society became known to Europeans in the middle of the seventeenth century and there is quite a lot of information on these indigenous people. However, apart from considering specific traditions and lifestyles of Maori people, it can be interesting to trace the way they developed. It is especially interesting to understand how they managed to preserve their culture as lots of cultures and societies have disappeared throughout centuries. This understanding can help researchers work out specific strategies to help other indigenous people preserve their traditions. Minangkabau The history of development of Minangkabau people is quite conventional. The history of this society dates back to 1500. First, Minangkabau were involved in hunting, fishing and gathering. Agriculture developed a bit later and became one of the most important sectors of economy. The most important thing about this Minangkabau society is that they managed to preserve the culture. Sumatra â€Å"was integrated in international trade† for a long time (Colombijn 6). Minangkabau could have assimilated long time ago. Rapid development of economy could have contributed to people’s assimilation as they had to accept new ways. However, Minangkabau society still exists. These people managed to adjust their lives to the changing environment, but they also remained faithful to their cultural backgrounds. Minangkabau people have managed to combine their ancestors’ wisdom and new ways of development which were brought by colonialists. It can be interesting to trace the development of this society up to these days. It is important to understand how different Minangkabau people of the twenty-first century are from Minang kabau people who lived in the seventeenth or nineteenth centuries. It can be also interesting to consider relationships between Minangkabau people and colonialists. Notably, every century offered a lot of challenges to Minangkabau people.Advertising Looking for proposal on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the major challenges has been economic development. Therefore, the most interesting periods to consider are 19th and 20th centuries when Minangkabau people had to find their place in the new world of invaders and in the world of rapid technological development. This knowledge can help define major trends in indigenous people’s development. Works Cited Colombijn, Freek. â€Å"A Moving History of Middle Sumatra, 1600-1870.† Modern Asian Studies 39.1 (2005): 1-38. Print. Walter, Richard, Ian Smith and Chris Jacomb. â€Å"Sedentism, Subsistence and Socio-Political Organization in Prehistori c New Zealand.† World Archeology 38.2 (2006): 274-290. Print. This proposal on Maori and Minangkabau was written and submitted by user Kathleen Watts to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Political Theories of Locke and Hobbes essays

The Political Theories of Locke and Hobbes essays Political Theories of Locke and Hobbes John Locke influenced Western political thought immensely. He lived during the age of political upheaval, the Glorious Revolution. During this time, the Tories and the Whigs, Englands first two political parties, joined together to rid their country of the tyrannical James II and welcomed as their new co-rulers his daughter, Mary, and her Dutch husband, William. Locke witnessed these events from the Netherlands, where he had fled in 1683 because he foresaw the accession of the absolutist and Catholic-leaning James II. These events greatly influenced his political theories. Throughout his writings, Locke argued that people had the gift of reason. Locke thought they had the natural ability to govern themselves and to look after the well being of society. He wrote, The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which treats everyone equally. Reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind...that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health or possessions. Locke did not believe that God had chosen a group or family of people to rule countries. He rejected the Divine Right, which many kings and queens used to justify their right to rule. Instead, he argued that governments should only operate with the consent of the people they are governing. In this way, Locke supported democracy as a form of government. Locke wrote, We have learned from history we have reason to conclude that all peaceful beginnings of government have been laid in consent of the people. Governments were formed, according to Locke, to protect the right to life, the right to freedom, and the right to property. Their rights were absolute, belonging to all the people. Locke also believed that government power should be divided equally into three branches of government so that politicians will not face the ...

How to Distinguish Between a File and a Directory in Perl

How to Distinguish Between a File and a Directory in Perl Lets say youre building a Perl script to traverse a file system and record what it finds. As you open file handles, you need to know if youre dealing with an actual file or with a directory, which you treat differently. You want to glob a directory, so you can continue to recursively parse the filesystem. The quickest way to tell files from directories is to use Perls built-in ​File Test Operators.  Perl has operators you can use to test different aspects of a file. The -f operator is used to identify regular files rather than directories or other types of files. Using the -f File Test Operator #!/usr/bin/perl -w$filename /path/to/your/file.doc;$directoryname /path/to/your/directory;if (-f $filename) {print This is a file.;}if (-d $directoryname) {print This is a directory.; } First, you create two strings: one pointing at a file and one pointing at a directory. Next, test the $filename with the -f operator, which checks to see if something is a file. This will print This is a file. If you try the -f operator on the directory, it doesnt print. Then, do the opposite for the $directoryname and confirm that it is, in fact, a directory. Combine this with a directory glob  to sort out which elements are files and which are directories: #!/usr/bin/perl -wfiles *;foreach $file (files) {if (-f $file) {print This is a file: . $file;}if (-d $file) {print This is a directory: . $file;}}​ A complete list of Perl File Test Operators  is  available online.

Pop and rock music history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pop and rock music history - Essay Example Indeed, Appleseed cast is one of the most creative musical bands in the world. According to the Herald News, the album is described as unique in that, each song on this album induces emotion. The bass work and drum nicely complement the loud and thick guitars to maintain the rhythm of the songs. These are accompanied by true and raw vocals by the experienced singers. Screams are also included to the rich set of instruments, though occasionally some singing is thrown in when suitable. The art work and production of the album is the best ever. As mentioned, the album is also made unique by the emotion created. This makes this album to stand out among the rest. It is inspirational, heartfelt and an emotional music album. In comparison to other bands, The Appleseed Cast has no non-versatile descriptive words, bland choruses and excessive use of the words agony and pain. In simple words, it is a poetry of the young emotions of harsh losses and true love. Appleseed Cast perfectly blend the songs between simple tunes, sad and an emotional flurry of drums and guitars. However, this sometimes happens within the same song. In the song Marigold & Patchwork the lead singer’s voice is rattling yet, perfectly quiet. At the same time the voice is becomes abrasive and can send chills down a person’s spine. On the other hand, the song untitled half, is comprised of almost perfect crescendo of bass, jackhammer drumming, duel guitars and sax. Interestingly, the song Ring Wars deserves time to really understand comprehend the music. It is like Nirvana meets Radio Head. In this song, the lead singer Chris shows in and out voice that mumbles lyrics and also screeches. Their melodies are nice even though not pop. It has soothing instants where singing stops for about 2 minutes into the song. The drum work is amazing as heard the in the last instrumental track. Another song in the album is Marigold & Patchwork. This is an all-time amazing song. It has an

Human Geography Oxford City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Geography Oxford City - Essay Example Tourist and other visitors do their shopping at Covered Market; it is one among the several historic centers in Oxford. The tower has been locating in a strategic place in relation to the landscape of the land and the same applies to St. Mary's the Virgin University Church. The architectures of the time were very considerate in designing view points which are currently being used as centers of interest yet they were built hundred of years back. Below is an aerial view of High Street.Oxford City is ever green; the local government has worked hard to conserve the environment by designing nature walks and parks within the ring road. Nature reserves are over 28 in number both within the City and outside. Some of the major parks are South Parks, University Parks, Rock edge reserves, Shotover Reserve. These show how the citizens of the City together with the City governance have worked hard to maintain the natural environment. Any one tempting to tamper with the natural environment faces h igh charges to be a lesson to others. Here is a photo of the green City. In reference to human geography, Oxford city is a city that has considered it in a great way. The design of the City, as well as the activity that takes place within the City, are all admirable, it can critically be used by scholars to define the meaning of human geography because there are a couple of practical example to the subject. This branch of social science is complicated and without examples, it would be difficult for students to comprehend all it details.

Understanding crowd behaviour

Understanding crowd behaviour There are many vague definitions of the term a crowd one of which is defined as by the Oxford Dictionary() as a large number of people gathered together, usually without orderly arrangement and Le Bon (2006:15) defines a crowd as a gathering of individuals of whatever nationality, profession or sex and whatever be chances that have brought them together. The Oxford Dictionary() also defines behaviour as a manner of behaving or the response of an organism to a stimulus in regards to this literature the stimulus could be the emotions of others, or a shared experience within the crowd, or factors contributing to emotions within individuals in a crowd. Getz (2007:293) states that understanding crowd emotions and behaviour is essential for most events But Crowd management, however, is not simply achieved by attempting to control the audience, but by trying to understand their behaviour and the various factors which can affect this. (HSE, 2009:46) It is also noted in the HSE (2009) that the behaviour of crowds at events is determined by their own personal goals and motivations. This literature review will look at the frameworks behind three theories of crowd behaviour, as it is imperative to understand the psychological behaviour of crowds (Kendall 2008:545). The theories concerned are:- -Classic theories Contagion Theory Convergence Theory -Emergent- Norm Theory It will seek to identify key factors that can change behaviour within crowds and the impacts these can have on outdoor events. The literature underpinning research into crowd behaviour stems from disciplines such as psychology and sociology, with an apparent lack of recent research into crowd behaviours at large outdoor events. Crowd Behaviour Theories It is noted that the two classical theories that are reviewed, are the foundations of what has been formed today, they have evolved over time, but it is provided as an overview of crowd behaviour theories. Contagion Theory There are two key authors of the Group Mind theory, Le bon Freud It is important to recognise that the widely cited works of Gustave Le Bon, from his 1895 book, The Crowd was based on his observations of crowds during the French revolution, and are a long way from the crowds that are experienced today. Le Bon (2006) stated that crowds were protected by the anonymity of crowds and that individual responsibility was discarded, consequently forgetting their normal values and ability to think and to reason. He also assessed that ideas and emotions within the crowd became contagious and spread rapidly. However Reicher (2003:186) suggests that contagion theory is an affect of suggestibility, and that an individual sacrifices personal interest in favour of the collective interest of the crowd It is then understood that Individuals within crowds are more likely to involve themselves in antisocial behaviour as the anonymity provided makes them feel invulnerable, it is this collective behaviour that is understood to be irrational and that individuals will undertake actions within a crowd environment that they would normally resist. Freud believed that the crowd Unlocks the unconscious and that in normal daily situations moral standards are maintained because they are installed in the human psyche as the super ego. However in a crowd situation the leader of the group surpasses the super ego and now controls the unconscious, leading to uncivilised impulses (Hewstone Manstead, 1996:152) Criticisms My understanding of this theory is that it does not identify as to why some crowds become violent and other remain passive. 2. Convergence Theory Convergence theorists such as, Reicher (1984), and McPhail (1991), argue that individuals within a crowd do not loose personal identity, as stated in the contagion theory, but they communicate personal beliefs and values so that the crowds behaviour is that of similar feeling. It is understood that convergence theory is more rational as it focuses on the shared beliefs and emotions within a crowd. It is possible that individual can exploit the protection of being in a crowd to participate in behaviours that would normally be repressed. Criticisms However it does not give way to why individuals in this crowd, who share similar beliefs, behave differently. Emergent-Norm Theory Key Authors identified:- Turner and Killian Turner and Killian (1993) as cited in Kendall (2008:547) concede that crowds are understood to develop their own definition of a situation and therefore establish their own norms -social rules that specify appropriate and inappropriate behaviour in given situations (Sharpe, 2007:508 )that reflect the occasion and provide standards that allow decisions to be made about how people will interact with each other. (Sharpe,2007) Adang et al (2004) identifies that in every crowd you can spot individuals doing such things as initiating chats, shouting directions and in extreme cases initiating violence. FIND THEORY IN TURNER AND KILLIAN Emergent-Norm Theory argues that the appearance of unanimity among the participants in incidents of collective behaviour accompanies the emergence of dominant norms and according to this theory, once a dominant norm emerges group members disagreeing with it keep quiet out of fear of group censure (Aguire et al, 1998) rephrase Analysis of theories Factors of Crowd Behaviour Berlonghi (1995) argues that by simply saying a crowd is a large number of people gathered closely together is a mistake and that it essential to distinguish one individual from another. By being unable to make distinctions about the crowd it leaves crowd control and crowd management ineffective. He also recognises those events that are a success, that never become publicised are they the consequence of effective planning, or simply the result of good luck. Crowd Catalysts It would appear that there are a multitude of factors that can influence behaviours between individuals in a crowd. Berlonghi (1995) has identified factors that may contribute to, or trigger a crowd from being one that is managed to one that needs to be controlled. Operational Circumstances Lack of parking, sold out event, and no show of performers are all examples of factors that can modify a crowds behaviour, an example of how crowd behaviour changed can be identified by The Rage Factor a Rage Against The Machine gig, which took place in Finsbury Park in 2010. Tickets were available by Ballot to celebrate the campaign that got the band to number one the previous Christmas. 180,000 people had applied for tickets with only 40,000 being available. It is reported that several hundred fans scaled the fence. (Gittins, 2010) Reading Festival has been forced to apply for extension to the number of early bird tickets allowing 20,000 people to arrive before the stated start of the event; this was due to an ever-increasing amount of festival goers arriving at the festival entrance prior to the event over the last few years. (Reading Borough Council, 2010) Event Activities Fireworks, video replays, and lasers may provoke actions within the crowd. Performers Action Sexual or violent gestures towards the crowds, Latitude festival 2010 witnessed an attack on the crowd, with Crystal Castles front women appearing to lash out after allegedly being groped by a male fan as she was crowd surfing. The singer repeatedly threw punches into the crowd and subsequently she stormed off stage before the allotted time, with widespread booing from the back of the fields (NME, 2010) The HSE (1999) states that event organisers should be aware of the history of the performers and also the audience which they attract. Spectator factors Anti social behaviour can impact a crowd not just the individual, and is having an impact in how events are being delivered (Connell, 2009). Kemp et al (2007) as cited in Connell (2009) have identified that alcohol and drugs are a major factor in determining crowd behaviour. The Guardian (2010) reported that at T in the Park festival in Kinross-shire, Scotland, there were 2 rapes and an attempted murder. Some festival goers believe a major part of the problem is a changing demographic among those attending, with drinking and drug taking surpassing the music. Security or Police Use of excessive policing, arguments with attendees and abuse of authority can spark aggression within the crowd. It has become increasingly accepted that the outcome of crowd events cannot be explained solely on what crowd members do, but must also address police actions (Adang, 2004). It is usual to use police to control a crowd but this often then leads to confrontation with the police (Argyle, 1992). Man Made Disasters Structural failure can be problematic not just for those directly injured, but by crowd surges fleeing the event. Crowd surges are often reported at both small and large events, and can be catastrophic. Conclusion The primary focus of this review is to understand crowd behaviours and factors which can impact the outcome of a crowds behaviour. Once the variable factor has caused an impact, it is then the individuals within the crowd that will react to the stimulus, and form themselves into the parameters of crowd behaviour that have been outlined by theorists. It is evident that there are factors within all three theories that can be imparted into observations within crowds at music festivals it is possible to envisage actions at outdoor music events that can be explained by these theories, however much of the recent literature simply reiterated these theorists with an apparent lack of observation towards currents trends and attitudes in society. The effects of crowd behaviour within outdoor music events can be catastrophic should event managers not take into consideration the factors that can affect the behaviour of both small and large crowds. If event managers fail to understand individuals within a crowd, and the potential that they have to physically change the dynamics of the crowd around them, they face disastrous consequences. Recommendations In 2010 there were over 450 music festivals alone in the UK (Winterman, 2010) and there has been little research into Anti Social Behaviour at events including the motives of gatecrashers at events attendees attempting to enter events without a ticket and the consequences that such actions can have on crowd safety at events. None of the theories above draw attention to why some crowds are organised and others spontaneous, by looking at the motivations of individuals at music festivals we may begin to further understand anti social behaviour at these events.

A Refutation of the Descent of Man from Apes Essay

Perhaps even before the time of Darwin, man had already started asking himself where he had come from, and somehow the Theory of Divine Creation – that man was rather created as himself and has not descended from any other animal – proved to be rather insufficient as a means to explain his roots. Scientific studies later on proved that there are several homologies shared by man and apes and the question remains as to whether man has indeed descended from this group of primates called apes. However, despite the obvious similarities between the two species, the results of this investigation say otherwise. The Proofs against the Supposed Descent of Man from the Apes The Common Ancestor. It is claimed that â€Å"[humans] didn’t evolve from apes†¦[but that] humans share a common ancestor with modern African apes, like gorillas and chimpanzees† (â€Å"Where We Came From,† 2001). The reason therefore for the similarities and the homologous morphological and anatomical characteristics between humans and apes may not be exactly due to the fact that the first descended from the second but that they could just be of the same ancestor. In a similar way, when you see similarities between two people of different ages, you cannot immediately conclude that the older one has begotten the other but that they could be both siblings. In logic, one can say that just because A looks similar to B, it does not necessarily mean that A has descended or originated from B, although we cannot deny that indeed there is some connection. In short, the claim that humans descended from apes may just have been one speculation or assumption based on morphological evidence, which may prove to be weak. This common ancestor is believed to have â€Å"existed 5 to 8 million years ago [and] shortly thereafter, the species diverged into two separate lineages† (â€Å"Where We Came From,† 2001). There have been claims that â€Å"the [ape or] gorilla lineage branched off 1. 6 to 2. 2 million years earlier than did the human-chimpanzee divergence† (Chen & Li, 2001), making humans even closer to chimpanzees than apes. The term evolutionists have given to this so-called common ancestor of humans and apes is known as â€Å"‘Australopithecus,’ which means ‘South African ape’† (Hasnain, 2009). The theory of the common ancestor has been backed by several studies which stated that either â€Å"mitochondrial DNA† (Ferris, Wilson & Brown, 1983) or the â€Å"extremely close immunological resemblance between the serum albumins of apes and man. † (Sarich & Wilson, 1967) The problem, however, is that it could be that this theory is not that plausible after it was found that â€Å"the beings called Australopithecus in this imaginary scenario fabricated by evolutionists really are apes that became extinct† (Hasnain, 2009). If the Australopithecus had actually not existed, then it could be that man has really descended from apes owing to the homology in their physical structures. Convergent Evolution. The homology in the morphology of humans and apes is, however, not a strong guarantee that the first have descended from the second. It is said that â€Å"the resemblance in the skeleton structure of apes and humans has [always served as] strong evidence for common ancestry† (â€Å"Evolution of Man,† 2010). It is however a poor assumption that similarity means relatedness, which means that â€Å"two species can have homologous anatomy even though they are not related in any way† (â€Å"Evolution of Man,† 2010). This is known as â€Å"convergent evolution. † Convergent evolution teaches one that two species which are distinctly unrelated from each other could have just have developed separately and at times coincidentally produced similarities in morphology. In a similar way, based on pure simple logic, it does not necessarily mean that two people are related just simply because they look similar, even very similar. Menton (2002) states that these similarities may have just been due to â€Å"an incredible run of countless lucky mutational coincidences. † This simply means that it could have been that it is a mere coincidence that humans and apes look alike. Deductive Logic. Robinson (2005) argues that â€Å"If humans evolved from apes, then one would expect that there would be no apes left on earth; all would have evolved into humans. † This statement simply means that since evolution propels a species to change, and if it is true that apes have evolved into humans, then there simply seems no logical explanation as to why several apes nowadays have not evolved into humans. Nevertheless, this claim could be refuted by the theory that certain species of animals may not have evolved because of their ecological niche. This means that certain apes in the jungle may not have evolved into humans due to the fact that the former are arboreal. Conclusion Man has not descended from apes. This is proven by scientifically-based claims that have established the existence of a common ancestor. Another proof is that the evolution of both humans and apes was merely convergent. Lastly, deductive logic disproves it. At this point in time, scientific researches on the evolution of man and apes have not been able to completely shed light on the possibility or impossibility of man’s descent from their primate brothers. Further research is therefore highly recommended. References Chen, F. C. & Li, W. H. (Nov 1985). â€Å"Subliminal messages: Between the devil and the media. † The American Journal of Human Genetics, 6, 444-456. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from the Cell database: http://www. cell. com/AJHG/retrieve/pii/S0002929707640968 â€Å"Evolution of Man – What is it?. † Science. (2010). Retrieved May 18, 2010 from the AllAboutScience. org website: http://www. allaboutscience. org/evolution-of-man. htm Ferris, S. D. , Wilson, A. C. , & Brown, W. M. (Apr 1981). â€Å"Evolutionary Tree for Apes and Humans based on Cleavage Maps of Mitochondrial DNA. † Evolution, 78, 2432-2436. Retrieved May 19, 2010, from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America database: http://www. pnas. org/content/78/4/2432. full. pdf+html? sid=768efdca-ce15-463a-959d-dd9fbbf7e9d1 Hasnain. â€Å"Did Men and Apes Come from a Common Ancestor?. † Food for Thought: Thought Provoking Articles. (26 Jan 2009). Retrieved May 18, 2010 from the Hasnain’s Life website: http://hasnain. wordpress. com/2009/01/26/did-men-and-apes-come-from-a-common-ancestor/ Menton, D. N. , Ph. D. â€Å"If We Resemble Apes, Does That Mean We Evolved from Apes?. † Origin of Man. (2002). Retrieved May 18, 2010 from the Missouri Association for Creation website: http://www. gennet. org/facts/metro05. html