Friday, March 14, 2008
Week 10 Write Up
I visited the University of Oregon Museum and examined the work of Jamini Roy. In one painting, titled “Flight into Egypt”, Jamini depicts a man leading a women and child on a horse. The man in front appears to be the husband and father of the family but he may also be a servant because the women and child are both wearing crowns. He carries a large walking stick, which insinuates the notion that he is powerful and strong. This is a common portrayal of a male figure. By just viewing this painting I would assume that Jamini Roy lived during a time that men were depicted much stronger than women. Also he may have been from a culture that celebrated the strength of men primarily. Jamini Roy was an Indian artist who was alive from 1887 to 1972. He was born in bengal in 1887 into a middle-class family of land owners. In his biography online it said that he drew much of his inspiration from his own culture. He looked to the living fold and tribal art for inspiration. I also realized that this painting was biblical and many of his other art works were representing some kind of religious experience. After researching Jamini Roy I went back to view this picture again. This painting was very true to common life in the time that Jamini Roy was alive. To him, this was a symbol of his belief in his religion. His paintings conveyed many kinds of gender roles as well. In the time that he lived, gender roles were very important to his way of life. Not only does this painting portray the strength of a man and the weakness of women, it also depicts the woman as the primary care taker of the child. The women is riding on the horse holding the child, keeping it safe while the male is leading the horse. He painted what appeared to be royalty but in many of his other paintings he showed more traditional middle class families like the one that he originated from.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
VIDEO GAMES
Are Video Games Dangerous?
Reading Quote : "Perhaps the purest, most elemental videogame pleasure is the heathen joy of destruction......Your task is simple: fire at will and wipe them out" (Poole 21)
In this statement it would appear that people enjoy video games for the simple satisfaction of violence. This may be true in some cases, however I do not believe that that is the primary objective for all people who partake in video games who may be considered violent. The online blog that I read addressed the notion that violent video games are leading to violent actions among people in society. The blog attempts to solve myths about violent video games by stating, “According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population.” (pbs.org). Another issue that is brought up about the violence of video games is that it desensitizes the players to violence in the real world. Classic studies may have determined that video game players may be more inclined to think that violence is a typical day-to-day life. This is bad because it is more likely to make them act out in a violent way as They have a misconstrued conception of what should constitute violent activity.
Jenkins, Henry. "Impact of Gaming." PBS. 2 Mar. 2008.
Simulation Games
Reading Quote: "Oh Yes, the computer can make us devine." Steven Poole
This is his interpretation of why people may enjoy God games. I chose to focus on this type of game analysis because these are the games that I enjoy. I really enjoyed the "SIMS" games. I owned 3 or 4 additions when I was in middle school and my friends and I would spend hours designing and building houses. He profiled the people that enjoy these "God" games as liking to control scenarios. I would say that I fall into this profile. In this article, he truly shows that there is a video game for almost everyone. In the website blog that I found online, the author discussed how he believes that some simulation games may be positive for the future of our society. He stated that games such as “The Sims”, may be positive because these games force the player to look at their actions and how they are effecting the individual character in the video game. This knowledge may make the player more inclined to be more responsive to future issues in their own lives as well. His hope is that video games may inspire a new generation of children to be more aware of the effects of decisions they intend to make.
Wright, Will. "Why I Think Toys Can Change the World." Wonderlandblog. 2 Mar. 2008.
Reading Quote : "Perhaps the purest, most elemental videogame pleasure is the heathen joy of destruction......Your task is simple: fire at will and wipe them out" (Poole 21)
In this statement it would appear that people enjoy video games for the simple satisfaction of violence. This may be true in some cases, however I do not believe that that is the primary objective for all people who partake in video games who may be considered violent. The online blog that I read addressed the notion that violent video games are leading to violent actions among people in society. The blog attempts to solve myths about violent video games by stating, “According to federal crime statistics, the rate of juvenile violent crime in the United States is at a 30-year low. Researchers find that people serving time for violent crimes typically consume less media before committing their crimes than the average person in the general population.” (pbs.org). Another issue that is brought up about the violence of video games is that it desensitizes the players to violence in the real world. Classic studies may have determined that video game players may be more inclined to think that violence is a typical day-to-day life. This is bad because it is more likely to make them act out in a violent way as They have a misconstrued conception of what should constitute violent activity.
Jenkins, Henry. "Impact of Gaming." PBS. 2 Mar. 2008
Simulation Games
Reading Quote: "Oh Yes, the computer can make us devine." Steven Poole
This is his interpretation of why people may enjoy God games. I chose to focus on this type of game analysis because these are the games that I enjoy. I really enjoyed the "SIMS" games. I owned 3 or 4 additions when I was in middle school and my friends and I would spend hours designing and building houses. He profiled the people that enjoy these "God" games as liking to control scenarios. I would say that I fall into this profile. In this article, he truly shows that there is a video game for almost everyone. In the website blog that I found online, the author discussed how he believes that some simulation games may be positive for the future of our society. He stated that games such as “The Sims”, may be positive because these games force the player to look at their actions and how they are effecting the individual character in the video game. This knowledge may make the player more inclined to be more responsive to future issues in their own lives as well. His hope is that video games may inspire a new generation of children to be more aware of the effects of decisions they intend to make.
Wright, Will. "Why I Think Toys Can Change the World." Wonderlandblog. 2 Mar. 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Creative Spirituality
Defining Spirituality: To me spirtuality is any kind of beleif in a higher power that can influence your decisions or lifestyle. Spirituality is beleiving in something that may not be considered tangible. It is beleiving in a higher power with no solid proof or evidence and having faith that the higher power exists without a doubt. This is something that people may look to in a time of need when they need some source of support in thier life.
Spirituality Differs from Religion: I think of religion as much more organized then actual spirituality. Spirituality can be beleiving in something that no one else thinks exists. Religion tends to be a lot more organized and consists of more traditional ways of worshipping. Such as going to church and practicing religion through prayer or daily activities. Spirituality is feeling a connection to a higher power, and the obligations may be much less than those felt by people who practice religion.
Creativity: I would define creativity as an internal originatlity that can be expressed in many different ways to demonstrate your internal skills and deeper thoughts. Creativity can vary from person to person and may be at different levels depending on time and circumstances. Creativity can be expressed in art or through other forms such as marketing campaigns or crafts. Creativity is something that you may develop. Creativity is the uniqueness of an individual and how they express it through what they make or show to outsiders.
Source of creativity: The source of creativity is the mind and experiences of each individual. My creativity comes from my mind and my experiences. My mother has always been extremely creative and I feel I have learned a lot from her. She is really interested in decorating and doing arts and crafts as well. I enjoy also doing those things. Although my mother may be older than me, I can still teach her my creativity or I have original ideas to share with her because I have had different experiences in my life and I was born with different ideas as well.
Spirituality Differs from Religion: I think of religion as much more organized then actual spirituality. Spirituality can be beleiving in something that no one else thinks exists. Religion tends to be a lot more organized and consists of more traditional ways of worshipping. Such as going to church and practicing religion through prayer or daily activities. Spirituality is feeling a connection to a higher power, and the obligations may be much less than those felt by people who practice religion.
Creativity: I would define creativity as an internal originatlity that can be expressed in many different ways to demonstrate your internal skills and deeper thoughts. Creativity can vary from person to person and may be at different levels depending on time and circumstances. Creativity can be expressed in art or through other forms such as marketing campaigns or crafts. Creativity is something that you may develop. Creativity is the uniqueness of an individual and how they express it through what they make or show to outsiders.
Source of creativity: The source of creativity is the mind and experiences of each individual. My creativity comes from my mind and my experiences. My mother has always been extremely creative and I feel I have learned a lot from her. She is really interested in decorating and doing arts and crafts as well. I enjoy also doing those things. Although my mother may be older than me, I can still teach her my creativity or I have original ideas to share with her because I have had different experiences in my life and I was born with different ideas as well.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Horror Theories Tested
I found a reading online that also exhibited the reasons that we enjoy horror movies. The author Susan Burggraf had two major theories that she investigated to determine reasons that people view and enjoy scary movies. The first theory was one she titled, the “relief theory”. This is the theory that people are attracted to the feeling they receive after a scary part in a movie or TV show has occurred. This relief is also associated with the safety of the main character. This feeling comes from knowing that the character prevailed and may be free from harm.
Another theory that Burggraf has is called the continuous reward theory. This is the theory that horror movies may cause pleasure in ways that occur during and after the movie such as excitement. Also this theory includes the idea that people feel connected when they experience fear together. They may bond over the fact that they were afraid during the exact same moment, and relieved in the next.
Burggraff tested both of her theories by showing her subjects clips from the X files and Friday the 13th Part III. Her responses made most of her theoretical ideas to be true. When testing the relief theory she found that her subjects did report a higher enjoyment level after the clip as opposed to during. Also, when she tested the continuous reward theory, she found that subjects only reported a higher excitement level but viewing did not provide them much else.
Burggraf, Susan. "Susan Burggraf Explores the Appeal of Horror Movies." Bowdoin. 14 May 2000. 17 Feb. 2008
Another theory that Burggraf has is called the continuous reward theory. This is the theory that horror movies may cause pleasure in ways that occur during and after the movie such as excitement. Also this theory includes the idea that people feel connected when they experience fear together. They may bond over the fact that they were afraid during the exact same moment, and relieved in the next.
Burggraff tested both of her theories by showing her subjects clips from the X files and Friday the 13th Part III. Her responses made most of her theoretical ideas to be true. When testing the relief theory she found that her subjects did report a higher enjoyment level after the clip as opposed to during. Also, when she tested the continuous reward theory, she found that subjects only reported a higher excitement level but viewing did not provide them much else.
Burggraf, Susan. "Susan Burggraf Explores the Appeal of Horror Movies." Bowdoin. 14 May 2000. 17 Feb. 2008
Why Horror?
1. Why do we enjoyr horror movies?
I found an online post by someone titled “Why do we enjoy Horror movies?”, many of the points made in this posting were similar to the beliefs in our reading for class “Why Horror?”. In the online post, the author mentioned Noel Carrolls theories and contrasted them to another theorist. The author of the post had two main thoughts that attempt to explain our interested in horror movies. One idea he has is an integrationist theory that states our pleasure comes directly from pain and disgust. Another idea he has is a co-existentialist theory that we enjoy horror movies because the positive feelings we gain from viewing outweigh the negative. These contrasting theories are examined closely through out the post, however it is never determined which one is correct. This is subject to person opinion.
In my opinion, I am not excited to be disgusting or grossed out. I would follow the theory that states we are motivated to see horror movies because the positive feelings we gain outweigh the negative. I would consider this theory to be true because I enjoy scary movies for the excitement and rush that I feel. To me I enjoy watching the characters outsmart and run from whatever monster or murderer that may be chasing them.
In the end, the main character usually prevails which offers satisfaction to viewers. This is commonly universal. That alone depicts that people do not go to horror movies to be disgusted and gain pleasure by watching others endure pain. “All narratives might be thought to involve the desire to know-the desire to know at least the outcome of the interaction of the forces made salient through the plot (Noel Carroll).” This helps to explain the reason that I view horror films, I am curious of the outcome and experience all of the excitement in between.
"Why Do We Enjoy Horror Films?" Philisophy Forums. 10 Jan. 2008. 17 Feb. 2008.
I found an online post by someone titled “Why do we enjoy Horror movies?”, many of the points made in this posting were similar to the beliefs in our reading for class “Why Horror?”. In the online post, the author mentioned Noel Carrolls theories and contrasted them to another theorist. The author of the post had two main thoughts that attempt to explain our interested in horror movies. One idea he has is an integrationist theory that states our pleasure comes directly from pain and disgust. Another idea he has is a co-existentialist theory that we enjoy horror movies because the positive feelings we gain from viewing outweigh the negative. These contrasting theories are examined closely through out the post, however it is never determined which one is correct. This is subject to person opinion.
In my opinion, I am not excited to be disgusting or grossed out. I would follow the theory that states we are motivated to see horror movies because the positive feelings we gain outweigh the negative. I would consider this theory to be true because I enjoy scary movies for the excitement and rush that I feel. To me I enjoy watching the characters outsmart and run from whatever monster or murderer that may be chasing them.
In the end, the main character usually prevails which offers satisfaction to viewers. This is commonly universal. That alone depicts that people do not go to horror movies to be disgusted and gain pleasure by watching others endure pain. “All narratives might be thought to involve the desire to know-the desire to know at least the outcome of the interaction of the forces made salient through the plot (Noel Carroll).” This helps to explain the reason that I view horror films, I am curious of the outcome and experience all of the excitement in between.
"Why Do We Enjoy Horror Films?" Philisophy Forums. 10 Jan. 2008. 17 Feb. 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Personal Adornment
The clothing that I choose for myself is a reflection on my beliefs, standards, and personal lifestyle. These beliefs and standards have been formed from my family, peers and life experiences. If I were to classify how I typically dress, I would consider my style to be simple, practical, and functional. I dress simply because I do not use too many accessories such as jewelry or hair accessories. I wear my grandmothers ring everyday and usually just studded earrings. I only have one hole in each of my ears and I have never intended on getting more. My make up is simple as I only use natural colors to bring out my features. I would say practical because I dress for the weather. If it is raining I will wear rain boots and a rain jacket for walking to class. I also wear a lot of warm clothing in the winter. And finally I would consider my clothing functional because I am an active person and I wear active clothing for a portion or the entire day. I go to the gym almost every day so I own a lot of athletic clothing and shoes. Sometimes I wear my gym clothes on campus or to class if I have a busy day and I do not have enough time to go home between classes.
My clothing is a reflection of my personal beliefs. My clothing tends to be somewhat conservative and stylish. I do not like to wear clothing that is revealing because I am not as comfortable in clothing that is revealing. I feel that I am more focused and comfortable in clothing that is conservative and practical. I do enjoy shopping and spending money on clothing for myself. Style is something that I like to show when I am warm and still comfortable. I am not so concerned with style and trends that I would ever sacrifice my personal comfort. I have a large collection of jeans and stylish designer zip ups in a variety of colors. I like to wear this because they are trendy, popular, and still comfortable. I feel that my style is pretty safe and I never wear anything too “out of the box”. This may be considered a flaw, but it allows me to be less distracted by what I am wearing so that I can focus on the things going on around me.
My desire to be conservative and comfortable may have evolved from shopping trips as a young girl with my Grandma. On my birthday my Grandma and I used to go on our annual shopping trips to my favorite clothing store at the time. In elementary school, she took me to the Kids Gap and then I graduated to the infamous Abercrombie and Fitch. My Grandma used to complain about the mini skirts or spaghetti strap tank tops that I would try on and would intervene by saying, “Are you going to wear another shirt under that” or “maybe we should get you a larger size or a longer style.” Either way, she would win and I come home with knee length skirts and high cut blouses. Although I would pout about the choices that she made for me then, I realize now that these are choices I find to be more attractive today. My Grandmother was an exceptional woman with an exceptional sense of style and I look up to her a great deal. When I am making conservative choices, I like to think of my clothing as classy. In a sense, my style has evolved as I used to be the girl who would plead for the mini skirt, now I may opt for one that is the more classic knee length.
My clothing is a reflection of my personal beliefs. My clothing tends to be somewhat conservative and stylish. I do not like to wear clothing that is revealing because I am not as comfortable in clothing that is revealing. I feel that I am more focused and comfortable in clothing that is conservative and practical. I do enjoy shopping and spending money on clothing for myself. Style is something that I like to show when I am warm and still comfortable. I am not so concerned with style and trends that I would ever sacrifice my personal comfort. I have a large collection of jeans and stylish designer zip ups in a variety of colors. I like to wear this because they are trendy, popular, and still comfortable. I feel that my style is pretty safe and I never wear anything too “out of the box”. This may be considered a flaw, but it allows me to be less distracted by what I am wearing so that I can focus on the things going on around me.
My desire to be conservative and comfortable may have evolved from shopping trips as a young girl with my Grandma. On my birthday my Grandma and I used to go on our annual shopping trips to my favorite clothing store at the time. In elementary school, she took me to the Kids Gap and then I graduated to the infamous Abercrombie and Fitch. My Grandma used to complain about the mini skirts or spaghetti strap tank tops that I would try on and would intervene by saying, “Are you going to wear another shirt under that” or “maybe we should get you a larger size or a longer style.” Either way, she would win and I come home with knee length skirts and high cut blouses. Although I would pout about the choices that she made for me then, I realize now that these are choices I find to be more attractive today. My Grandmother was an exceptional woman with an exceptional sense of style and I look up to her a great deal. When I am making conservative choices, I like to think of my clothing as classy. In a sense, my style has evolved as I used to be the girl who would plead for the mini skirt, now I may opt for one that is the more classic knee length.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ordered List
Integrity
Family
Friendship
Personal Accomplishment
Personal Development
Loyalty
Enjoyment
Security
Wealth
Leadership
Power
Wisdom
Community
Prestige
Independence
Service
Health
Creativity
Expertness
Location
Family
Friendship
Personal Accomplishment
Personal Development
Loyalty
Enjoyment
Security
Wealth
Leadership
Power
Wisdom
Community
Prestige
Independence
Service
Health
Creativity
Expertness
Location
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