Friday, October 18, 2019
Reaction response 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Reaction response 13 - Essay Example For instance, when students Face book in class instead of listening to the facilitator, there is a reduction on attentiveness and the focus is on the face book or social media. The ability to link with others in the society has been affected by the advent of social media. Therefore, the future of face-to-face communication is bleak and focus should be on communication improvement to ensure change in behavior. For example, in the speech Turkle discusses lady who lost his baby and was talking to a robot instead of being consoled by her friends and relatives. This scene indicates the challenge social media has brought to the society. The focus is on the new media which limits face-to-face communication and changes how we relate in the society have adverse effect on development of personal image (Macy and Thompson 93). Social media has been viewed as the best platform because it allows individuals to present themselves the way they want compared to real communication which allows the listener to develop a perspective about the presenter. Macy, Beverly and Teri Thompson. The Power of Real Time Social Media Marketing:How to Attract and Retain Customers and Grow the Bottom Line in the Globally Connected World. McGraw-Hill Professional.,
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Final - Essay Example This is of Italian origin and speaks about the intricacies that surround the human condition (Petsko 2). These works of the Italians tell something about their culture. They value relations between the human and the society with them. Together with it, there is an association of different cultures all packed in to the Divine comedy; something to be regarded as a hybrid that becomes a new level of critical analysis for the society (Papastergiadis 40). Cultures are diverse and they are very colourful since it speaks about identity of every individual. However, one thing to consider in modern world now, especially in America is that arts start to become a burden and its relevance is deteriorating in the context of the modern American society since universities now starts to do cost cutting on the arts and humanities (Petsko 1). This is now a sad situation that I really abhor. The world now becomes a business place and through globalization, America starts to be so hegemonic and homogene ous (Steger 82). This made art a commodity only for entertainment and art as an education becomes a burden (Petsko 1). America now starts to be so insensitive about the importance of arts and humanities for the development of an individual. ... Different priorities happen. Welfare over profit becomes the mode of most societies nowadays (Petsko 1). Cost cutting occurs and the irrelevant ones affected especially the arts. However, the American society now, due to globalization, has become so unappreciative of the arts and undermining its value (Nussbaum 8). Curriculums are changed to be so responsive to the profit driven world that constantly robs the people of the society their right to a decent living (Petsko 1 and Steger 75). Given this case, why did the Americans start to shun out other cultures and view them as not that relevant to the conditions of America now? Globalization is the answer. Globalization starts to exert a hegemonic in all forms especially culture especially in terms of the popular (Steger 81). Even if we say that culture is something intrinsic and relevant to one particular group or society, they have been undermines by these hegemonies. Hybrid then becomes a form of resistance (Papastergiadis 49). This becomes a strong that can at least sustain the field of arts and humanities in other countries present in the world though I always put into consideration that even if this resistance is indeed plausible, it still cannot exert a very strong condition for it to prevent the diminishing value that the arts and humanities, ultimately culture in its totality, cannot be regarded as strong enough. In the present wave of occurrence, I somehow detest the political moves of the America in the global arena since they are regarded to be one of the strongest forces that uphold globalization. This something that I do not really like at all because globalization then becomes a tool for America to be undemocratic and inconsiderate of other cultures which could be a reflection of
The nicotine's effect on daphnia Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The nicotine's effect on daphnia - Lab Report Example They are significant sources of food to different organism such as fish and frogs among others. Daphnia is common in laboratory experiments and have been used for years especially in drug tests among others. The most common test done using this organism is the Daphnia Heart Rate Test. Daphnia is ideal in Heart Rate Test because they are ectotherms, thus their body changes with changes in the environment. Following the fact that chemical reactions rateââ¬â¢s increases with an increase in temperature, it would of great use in establishing the temperature changes if Daphniasââ¬â¢ metabolism rate would be increased. Introduction This experiment aims at designing a hypothesis about the effect of nicotine on living organisms. The heart of Daphnia is clearly seen with the help of a low power microscope. In reference with research, which states the heart of a Daphnia beats 300 beats per minute, we can have a chance to monitor the change of the heartbeat, with change in different physio logical aspects such as chemical concentration, temperature, or changing the type of chemical or even the reaction when Daphnia are in pure water. It is necessary to note that the change in Daphnia heartbeat rate does note practically represent the humanââ¬â¢s case. However, the examination will give us learners a chance to evaluate the effects of nicotine on metabolic processes. This experiment is under the courtesy of British Pharmacology Society (Corotto, Ceballos and Vinson, 177). Hypothesis In this experiment, Daphnia magna, which is a transparent crustacean is used to establish the effect of nicotine on heart rate. There are different results expected from the experiment based on the concentrations of the nicotine. However, because nicotine is a stimulant, thus increase metabolic rates, there are high possibilities that the heart rate will increase with the increase in the concentration of nicotine. Ultimately, the Daphnia may die because of high heart rates, as this is a f atal condition (Fitzgerald 15). Problem: what effect will nicotine have on Daphnia? Ethical issues Students should be very careful because they are expected to handle these animals in a way that illustrates good ethical attitude towards experimental animals. High is regardless of the fact that they are animals with fewer capabilities thus may not suffer as much as higher animals; overall they deserve respect. All animals should be returned to their habitats after the experiment. This will support ethical approaches put in place by different biology organizations. Equipment 1. Tobacco solution 2. 2 depression slides 3. 2 cover slips (22 x 60 mm) 4. Kleenex 5. Water from Daphnia culture of different temperature 6. Piece of cotton wool 7. Microscope ââ¬â low power resolution 8. Daphnia Magna ââ¬â culture of water flea 9. Daphnia anatomy chart- for source 10. 3 droppers Preparation of Tobacco solution This solution can be made from cigarettes; approximately 20 of them can make a n ideal solution. After the extract is emptied in a cup of water, place it covered for about 12 hours. Sieve the solution into another container; solutions of differing concentration should then be made where the different shall be determined by the ratio between water and the solution. The study will begin using solution with lower concentration and later use those with higher concentration in references with the guidelines by Washington Association for Biomedical Research. It is significant to note that the level of
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Reaction response 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Reaction response 13 - Essay Example For instance, when students Face book in class instead of listening to the facilitator, there is a reduction on attentiveness and the focus is on the face book or social media. The ability to link with others in the society has been affected by the advent of social media. Therefore, the future of face-to-face communication is bleak and focus should be on communication improvement to ensure change in behavior. For example, in the speech Turkle discusses lady who lost his baby and was talking to a robot instead of being consoled by her friends and relatives. This scene indicates the challenge social media has brought to the society. The focus is on the new media which limits face-to-face communication and changes how we relate in the society have adverse effect on development of personal image (Macy and Thompson 93). Social media has been viewed as the best platform because it allows individuals to present themselves the way they want compared to real communication which allows the listener to develop a perspective about the presenter. Macy, Beverly and Teri Thompson. The Power of Real Time Social Media Marketing:How to Attract and Retain Customers and Grow the Bottom Line in the Globally Connected World. McGraw-Hill Professional.,
The nicotine's effect on daphnia Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
The nicotine's effect on daphnia - Lab Report Example They are significant sources of food to different organism such as fish and frogs among others. Daphnia is common in laboratory experiments and have been used for years especially in drug tests among others. The most common test done using this organism is the Daphnia Heart Rate Test. Daphnia is ideal in Heart Rate Test because they are ectotherms, thus their body changes with changes in the environment. Following the fact that chemical reactions rateââ¬â¢s increases with an increase in temperature, it would of great use in establishing the temperature changes if Daphniasââ¬â¢ metabolism rate would be increased. Introduction This experiment aims at designing a hypothesis about the effect of nicotine on living organisms. The heart of Daphnia is clearly seen with the help of a low power microscope. In reference with research, which states the heart of a Daphnia beats 300 beats per minute, we can have a chance to monitor the change of the heartbeat, with change in different physio logical aspects such as chemical concentration, temperature, or changing the type of chemical or even the reaction when Daphnia are in pure water. It is necessary to note that the change in Daphnia heartbeat rate does note practically represent the humanââ¬â¢s case. However, the examination will give us learners a chance to evaluate the effects of nicotine on metabolic processes. This experiment is under the courtesy of British Pharmacology Society (Corotto, Ceballos and Vinson, 177). Hypothesis In this experiment, Daphnia magna, which is a transparent crustacean is used to establish the effect of nicotine on heart rate. There are different results expected from the experiment based on the concentrations of the nicotine. However, because nicotine is a stimulant, thus increase metabolic rates, there are high possibilities that the heart rate will increase with the increase in the concentration of nicotine. Ultimately, the Daphnia may die because of high heart rates, as this is a f atal condition (Fitzgerald 15). Problem: what effect will nicotine have on Daphnia? Ethical issues Students should be very careful because they are expected to handle these animals in a way that illustrates good ethical attitude towards experimental animals. High is regardless of the fact that they are animals with fewer capabilities thus may not suffer as much as higher animals; overall they deserve respect. All animals should be returned to their habitats after the experiment. This will support ethical approaches put in place by different biology organizations. Equipment 1. Tobacco solution 2. 2 depression slides 3. 2 cover slips (22 x 60 mm) 4. Kleenex 5. Water from Daphnia culture of different temperature 6. Piece of cotton wool 7. Microscope ââ¬â low power resolution 8. Daphnia Magna ââ¬â culture of water flea 9. Daphnia anatomy chart- for source 10. 3 droppers Preparation of Tobacco solution This solution can be made from cigarettes; approximately 20 of them can make a n ideal solution. After the extract is emptied in a cup of water, place it covered for about 12 hours. Sieve the solution into another container; solutions of differing concentration should then be made where the different shall be determined by the ratio between water and the solution. The study will begin using solution with lower concentration and later use those with higher concentration in references with the guidelines by Washington Association for Biomedical Research. It is significant to note that the level of
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
France and the United States Essay Example for Free
France and the United States Essay This paper seeks to provide comparative analysis of early childhood education policy between France and the United States. The discussion will focus on the programs origin and what the programs were intended to achieve. The study will look at the focus, of the programs, the beneficiaries and the cost. In analyzing the early childhood policy outcome in the two countries, the paper assesses the successes as well as the shortcomings of the policy programs. The federal government has not developed a policy on early childhood education that is applicable in the nation. As opposed to the comprehensive early child education policy in France. The U. S. government has only been supporting specific preschool programs for those children from poor neighborhoods and low income families. This trend is also evident in the various states which have not been able to come up with early childhood policy that can be used uniformly by education stakeholders throughout the state. Earl childhood education program is largely left in the hands of private education providers through kindergartens. (Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , Chanana, N. , 1998, p. 24). The Early childhood education policy by the government is defined in its actions which in regulating the demand and supply of early childhood education services. In implementing early childhood policy, the government provides direct and indirect financial subsidies to private providers of these services in the form of grants, contracts and tax incentives. Provision of direct and indirect financial support to parents of children in early childhood program. This support may be in the form of cash benefits, tax benefits to offset the cost of this service and vouchers to pay for the service. The government also participates by regulating players in the field of early childhood education through legislation. Early childhood education program in the U. S are run on a full day of part time basis and they include pre-kindergartens, kindergartens, compensatory education programs and nursery schools. The other programs that support early childhood education include childcare centres, family support programs, before and after school programs, family type day care homes. Because there is no clear line between the government and private support in this sector. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 5) There is no clear data concerning the cost of early childhood education in United States. However, the federal spending on the program has been very minimal compared to grade k-12. Studies in the year 2002 reveals that the states spent 2. 5 billion dollars on early childhood education while the federal government spent 6. 5billion on early childhood program. This is in exclusion of funds spent on pre-primary education for special students. This is the contrary of the case in France where the government full funds its early childhood education program. Then enrolment in early childhood program for the year 2002 was estimated at 750,000 with 85% enrolled in private institutions. In the United States, the government has a policy that ensures quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Child Care Bureau administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist eligible families including low-income families. The childcare bureaus provide childcare for children when the parents work or participate in allowable education or training activities. Through the Child Care Bureau funds various Technical Assistance projects that promote quality, strengthen program administration are supported. The funds are also used to finance Good Start which is the presidentââ¬â¢s initiative towards early childhood education as well as carry out research to help policy makers. The child care programs in the United States involved the administrators, parents and other stakeholders than in the case of France that is more regulated from above. According to OECD report (2000, p. 21). Most children are enrolled in private institutions compared to those in public institutions with most parents taking their children for part time programs. This is illustrated in the table below showing enrolment in early childhood education programs in thousands. The only early childhood policy that received direct support by the federal government is the introduction of Head start program to take care of those children from low income families. This program is funded by the federal government of the U. S since it caters for the children of the financially deprived parents from poor neighbourhood. According to OECD report (2000, p. 18) The cost of funding this program has increased steadily, reaching almost $4. 7 billion in fiscal year 1999 and $5. 27 billion in fiscal year 2000. This program was started as a strategy to deal with problems associated with children from poor neighbourhood. Dealing with their emotional, cognitive, social and cognitive deficits ensured a well rounded individual who was prepared to adopt a life style that made them productive individuals from poor homes. The major aim is however to academically prepare students for their primary school studies. According to Mitchell, A. , Ripple, C. , Chanana, N. (1998, p. 34-50). Research shows that those students who had undergone early childhood programs like Head Start had fewer referrals for remedial classes or special education. These students were also more likely to remain in regular classes throughout their public school years. Fewer retentions rate as preschool graduates were less likely to repeat grades. The students maintained excellent scores very few of them had failing grades in their school years. The students were acknowledged by their teachers as having greater social and emotional maturity and had a high probability of completing their high school studies without dropping out. Due development of positive attitude about school at an early age, these students had greater academic motivation, on-task behavior, capacity for independent work, and time spent on homework. Lower incidence of absenteeism/detentions. Graduates had lower incidences of absenteeism and detentions. Preschool graduates had much higher scores on measures of attitude toward school and toward particular subject areas those who attended early childhood education are found to have better self-esteem, greater internal locus of control compared to those who never attend the program. Preschool education is believed to help in preventing unwanted pregnancies among young school girls. The program is also believed to reduce incidences of indiscipline like drug abuse and delinquent acts among students, this some researchers believe is due to the introduction of rules and regulations to students at an early age hence contributing to positive upbringing. Due to improved self esteem developed from an early age, preschool graduates are more likely to participate in social activities like sports and community work. As opposed to those who did not attend early education, the beneficiaries have a better meaning for education and develop high future aspirations. This also contributes to the likelihood of them enrolling and completing their secondary education. These benefits of early childhood education are extending to the society as beneficiaries have a higher possibility of securing better paying jobs hence reducing dependency in the society. There is high unlikelihood that these people will engage in antisocial behavior in the society. (Morgan, G. , Azer, S. , Costley, J. , Genser, A. , Goodman, I. , Lombardi, J. , and McGimsey, B. , 1993, p. 45, 78). The Head Start program is however accused of contributing to inequality in the education arena as those who are considered financially stable have been ignored. This is no longer a shortfall in France as their early childhood policy caters for all children despite their family backgrounds. The increasing number of mothers securing jobs is however increasing government participation in provision of early childhood programs especially in those kindergartens which are integrated in public primary schools. For instance, District of Columbia is made kindergarten attendance a legal requirement for children. (OECD Country report, 2000, p. 14) The diagram below illustrate the increasing number of working mothers with children under age six due U. S policy on Early childhood education and care between 1960 and 1999. Despite lack of comprehensive policy regarding early childhood education, a lot of expenditure has been incurred in supporting efforts towards achieving the same. The figures reported by OECD report( 2000, p. 23) is an illustration of cost of efforts employed by U. S to achieve ECEC as compared between 1992 and 1999 constant dollar reported in millions of dollars. As opposed to the United States, France has a clear government policy regarding earl childhood education. The program is publicly funded and caters for those children between the ages of 2-6 year olds known as Ecole Maternelle. The system has specific programs for those children under age three and it is administered under the Ministry of Education delivered under education auspices of the ministere de la Jeunesse, de lââ¬â¢Education nationale et de la Recherche. (Oberhuemer, P. , Ulich, M. , 1997, p. 27). These programs are freely provided by the government for eight hours during the day including breaks like lunchtime. Extension beyond these hours is optional and those parents who work for longer hours can pay for additional hours that their children are taken care of at early childhood education centres. Since these programs are meant to benefit children and their parents who earn poorly, the additional charges levied on parents take into consideration the parentââ¬â¢s income. Any child starting school has to go through ecole maternelle which is the preparatory level in the education system. (OECD Country report, 2004, p. 4-7). Early preschool education is divided into three sections namely: the little section, middle section and large section. The little section is meant for three year olds, the middle section is for four-year-olds and large section is for five-year-olds. Two year olds belong to very little section. France is also committed to empowering the low income parents just like Head Start in the United States hence the government organizes bridging activities for those who are about to start schooling in poor neighborhoods. Such a program is supposed to familiarize the learners with the academic in readiness for school system. The table below shows the trends in the percentage of children in the ecole maternelle by age as from the year 1960-2002 according to French background report in 2003.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Middle Class in India Sociology
Middle Class in India Sociology Is there something called the Indian Middle Class? How does this manifest in everyday India ? Illustrate this from Mother Pious Lady Reference? Indian middle class; is it a group or a phenomenon? Who are the people who form the Indian middle class, what are their culture? The Indian middle class has grown from a minority in pre-independence era to a vast majority taking the grip of the whole nation and playing a major role in driving it towards development. The book Mother Pious Lady by Mr Santosh Desai portrays the Indian middle class in vivid detail. The following writing takes the headings of the book and tries to explain Indian middle class with illustration from the book. I have tried covering the topics which I was able to connect to. Economic reform has provided the Indian middle class the most needed the liberation in terms of living life to the most. There has been a constant shift in the cultural sign and symbols adapted through ages. Disappearance of girls pig tail, freedom of mobility through scooterette, providing the elders their own space of living, telecommunication evolution, explosion in the passenger car segment , changing clothing pattern are few of the visible patterns in society. Girls pony tail were a symbol of desired feminine reserved nature which has seen a change both in length and its handling. The shortening of hair gives a girl a sense of personal control displayed metaphorically. The scooty revolution has helped the female to expand her boundaries without being dependent on any family member providing her a sense of independence. Even the car owned has seen a shift towards adapting more compact cars. The recent shift from petrol to electric and LPG based cars not only signifies the change in attitude towards efficiency but also the urge to keep up technologically. Dhoni has been one the true middle class iconic figures which has altered the way Indian see a small town boy. The can do attitude along with the lack of fear of failure and unmindfulness of hierarchy has been the reason behind success of Dhoni. Any Indian middle class can draw inspiration from him in the way towards dealing with pressure and performing without fear of failure. The increase in disposable income has led to the change in attitude towards life, attitude towards savings. The Indian middle class is not afraid to take risks in life to get a bigger return. He is in constant search of avenues of making money. An age where money has its own language, and the person in possession of money is in possession of power. It has become the source of energy which drives the entire economy, of which Indian middle class has played the most important role. Arranged marriage in a typical middle class families is still not openly accepted, reasons may be preference for same caste bride which may not be guaranteed in love marriage. It may also be due to unfamiliarity or not being comfortable to other caste customs being brought and practiced in one family. Arrange marriage is not seen as marriage of two individuals but two families as well. The idea of prospective bride and groom to know each other before marriage is not given preference as the custom of these individuals having the luxury of spending time together is quite rare in any joint family. Also, the societal pressure is also a big factor which forces one to look into same caste bride or groom. The priority of selection bride or groom also is quite typical in middle class family and exchange of dowry which comes as unsaid package plays a major role in this decision. The education qualification in higher of engineer or doctor may fetch enough dowry to groom family to cover almost all the family members lifetime expenditure. Its agreed that many a times this money only changes hand in case the same family has a girl to be married away. All these factors doesnt provide the luxury to place the freedom to choose the bride in the hand of the prospective groom himself. The power to choose the family needs to be closely guarded and the sense of freedom even need to be made to felt to the groom. Also, the custom of preparing and matching kundli of prospective bride and groom to formally accept marriage proposal also affects the decision. The decision to go against the familys belief of marrying someone who technically doesnt match on paper may lead to social seclusion. The present has become poor indicator of the future indicates that current reputation, societal status, family acceptance takes preference over the prospective future of those two individuals living together happily. The middle path of arranged love marriage seems to provide the best possible solution in the current middle class society. It comes with best of both the worlds. Even though, this may not be happening at an encouraging level provides enough encouragement to other families to try to adapt for the benefit of those two individuals in question. Other reason for further acceptance of this phenomenon is the trend of growing number of nuclear families. The tradition of newly wed bride to stay with the family is becoming less frequent, leading to providing both the individuals to start their life with their own rules. The importance given to the caste is also decreasing due to importance given to education qualification and economic status in the society. The essence of middle class can be truly experienced while travelling across country via any means be it train, bus, jugaad or be it airplane. Out of all these means Train definitely displays the middle class in true sense. Indian Railways carries millions of Indians mostly middle class people through length and breadth of this huge nation on a daily basis. A typical middle class passenger takes a train journey not just as travel but as ritual. He is worried about the co-passengers destination more than his own. The train coupe forms a perfect blend of many cultures and their practices. It is clearly visible during the meal time. Any Gujarati family travels in a group of min 4-5 members with a plethora of food varieties in their stock. The ritual of cutting and preparing salad, preparing for the meal by arranging the plates and laying out the pre made food contents. The daily routine of having daily meal is still maintained irrespective of the place they may be. After Gold, probably Stainless steel is the metal which places itself highly in the life of typical Indian middle class family. The metal is a reliable carrier of memories. It stands for pride, trust and assurance. Stainless steel makes its presence very eminent in daily life of middle class family through vessels, utensils. It is the true representation of aspirations of middle class family, to be able to shine even after being put to test on a daily basis. It serves to utility to max. But due to recent advent of polymer technology and post liberalization era, Stainless steel is being slowly being replaced by more cheaper and easily replaceable elements like plastics, aluminium. This trend not only displays the changing attitude of the middle class towards daily life approach. There has been a constant shift from need for longevity, durability to alternatives which would serve the utility at best price. This change is evident of the fact of the fast changing life, non belief in long standing commitment. Ease of manufacturing, handling, disposal, multi utility and economy of use Need for Communication places itself on a very high scale for any Indian, specially a middle class family. The urge to stay connected through any possible means forms a strong bond among geographically spread and settled of the community. Even Post card saw its evolution in the form of launch of competition postcards, travel postcards etc, which formed an important part of a typical middle class family. Post card, in pre telecommunication era, was the perfect carrier of messages which contained message not for individuals but for the whole family from another family as such. Post card was like the facebook wall for the whole family. After the advent to telecommunication era, the ease of message transmission was shifted to audio content from textual content. But the current shift to electronic mail or e-mail has detached the flavour of writing letter to near and dear ones. Its well acknowledged that it has made life simpler, but the shift from paper letter to e-mail has shifted the le tter only as intention. Middle class is best known for its ability to excel at the time of scarcity. The backbone of this feat comes from the culture of staying in joint families. Joint family is a true representation of Marxist institute where the fruits of toil of the family is equally shared among the members. The belief in sharing everyone materialistic property among the members gives it a strong sense of binding. Every member works for the family not for his self individual. But, there has been a constant erosion in the concept of living through sharing. This is clearly evident in the rising conflict in land claiming issues in joint families. The constant shift from joint to nuclear families, constant movement of families from rural areas to urban areas, rising living costs and at the base of all the changing attitude of middle class towards living through sharing has led to this crude change. Summer break was usually associated with long break from school, summer holidays and trip to either native place or to a holiday destination with the family. It was a time to spend quality time with our near and dear ones. It was a time to take up some hobby at leisure be it reading comics, take up painting or music classes. But the true essence of the break was that it provided an opportunity to connect to our real self, to our places and culture of origin. It was a time to experience the new, refuel with fresh change of much needed air. There has been a constant shift in the attitude of middle class towards the summer break as well. The shift from leisure spending to time to more serious way on engagement has been created due to constant peer pressure and to prove oneself distinct from the lot. The mushrooming of summer camps for children for sports, music and arts classes is not due to self interest of children as such but also to satisfy the aspiration of typical middle class par ents to see their children develop a multi faceted personality. Mothers role is universally given the top priority in any human being relationship pyramid. Indian Mother plays an even more important role in any middle class family. Gender Role of mother is very prominent in a middle class family. She is the person responsible for binding the family, its health and even for counselling. She plays multiple roles in a family with varied responsibilities. She is the one who is more bothered about her sons exams. She portrays the true values of middle class through her aspirations for the family at the cost of sacrificing her own life. The affinity of a typical middle class family with white cloth reflects its aspiration levels of getting noticed in the society. This portrays the notion of purity in the era of corruption. The analogue of usage of ultramarine on white cloth is clearly with thin film of elite culture which every middle class aspires to be a part of. Ultramarine actually doesnt help in whitening the cloth but only provides a blue coat to cover up the real patches of yellow dirt resting on the cloth. It signifies the constant urge of Indian middle class to stand apart, its constant urge to excel through continuous trial. The recent adaption of dye based cloth dye from ultramarine depicts a change in time. The spike in demand of English medium school for middle class and associating children education with English displays the attitude towards thin film culture to hide their true image. The obsession with order and discipline is a typical characteristic of Indian middle class. The sense of belonging is one of the implicit needs of the Indian middle class. Well creased and iron clothes are one of the symbols used to strengthen the need for order. It gives them the strength to fight against the chaos of nature. Straight Line represents their triumph of humanness. In the pre-liberalization era when people were not suffering from ADD(attention deficit disorder), people had vivid means of entertainment ranging from coffee house debating, fishing, travelling or be it sitting idle with friends with corner tea shops and having friendly chat. Even the perception of viewing something in motion could be termed as entertainment. Here the house window played an important role in opening. It was the theatre of our imagination which would let your creativity do the talking. The recent expansion in the media domain has increased the options of entertainment but also reduced the interest in the outside real world. The role of window has changed from taking interest in real world to secluding oneself from the society. The ritual of visiting our relatives and near and dear ones without pre-announcement and even without a purpose was a common habit among middle class families having geographically scattered members. Even the purpose of the visit was not important. But recently due changing relationship among people and with growing linearity among it, the visit is associated with a purpose. Even the acceptance of un announced visit are not welcomed. The reasons of the trend can be varying ranging from improving communication technology to shrinking of family size to engulfing oneself in their own word. One place where the true middle class can be found congregating is the 4 pages of weekly matrimonial ads in daily newspapers. The ads are structured as per the caste requirement. The place becomes the marketing platform where packaging the individual in the form of few highlighted well seeked off words becomes the success criteria of finding any mate through those ads. A typical middle class arranged marriage doesnt takes place between individuals but between the families and in turn their relatives. It doesnt remains an event affecting 2 individuals but goes far beyond. The typical middle class phenomenon of intra caste marriage even at the cost of not finding suitable bride/groom can have unwelcomed effect. It not only affects those individuals but also the society. This menace can only be dealt with if the priority of suitability for partner selection is shifted from caste to their personal attitude matching. Any vehicle which is typically associated with a middle class family has to be a scooter. A scooter is analogues to a mule; comparable in strength and obedience for load carriage. A vehicle providing mobility with multi utility and an aura of safety around it was the perfect companion of any Indian middle class family. Scooter portrays the middle class persona to perfection. The ability of carry person well above rated number and weight, the ability to transform from people carriage vehicle to goods carrier in both front compartment and side deck, never asking for maintenance and providing the security of spare wheel made it the most suitable vehicle on Indian roads for any middle class family. Auto rickshaw has been an integral part of our lives which provides personalised travelling mode at near affordable price. Auto rickshaw was a vehicle which provided freedom from wait for public transport and provided door to door connectivity. The vehicle was a true image of the growing aspirations of the Indian middle class providing them the much needed differentiation in terms of image perception. The vehicle itself was positioned between the affordable but not comfortable mode of transportation , ie 2 wheelers and un-affordable 4 wheelers for a typical middle class. Of late due to improving public transportation in cities and increasing fares of auto transport, there has been a shift towards other modes but auto rickshaw is here to stay to its USP. In the pre-liberalization era, buying of any household appliance was an occasion in itself. The long term association with the appliances bought made it even further a special occasion. The appliances ranged from TV, fridge, Tape recorder, scooter, cooker, sewing machine etc. The appliance almost became a part of the family itself with special handling care taken care by the head of the family. The TV remote was the power centre which needs to be wrapped in polythene and handled only under guided supervision. Of late with the advent of consumerism and even increasing appliances buying and replacement rate, the importance of any appliance has reduced drastically. The role of appliance has shifted from being centrally used by the family to personalized usage. The concept of personalized appliance for every member of the family be it mobile phones, music systems or even vehicles has reduced the emotional elements attached with the appliance. The behaviour has changed from repair mentali ty to exchange mentality. This has further reduced the need for caring for the appliance as the life cycle of the technology considered upto date has also reduced drastically with new models being churned out every few models with better and improved features. The medical service was and is still considered luxury for many strata of our society. The affordability and notions attached with medical service and doctor are still alien in many parts of the society where the sole responsibility of the family health either lies in the hands of god or local medicine practitioners. But in other well off places doctors are almost next to god. The typical Indian middle class finds itself stuck between the affordability factor and belief factor. Of late a typical Indian middle class tries to over smart the well trained doctor through primary research on internet. To him the advice given by an unknown on internet appeals to him with greater truth factor than the advice given to him by doctor. Radio was a very strong binding medium in pre TV era connecting people from across the geography, occupation etc. There has been a constant shift in the methodology of popularity calculation of songs. Not only radio but also TV has been affected by the consumerism. The method of popularity is not only based on artists performance but also on the no. of sms send during the event. The Indian middle class is an upfront participant in the era of consumerism. The power of voting for their favourite performer has engaged the middle class into ever longer participation and increased its loyalty for the event. A typical Indian middle class finds pleasure in seeing someone alike performing well and progressing in the event. Cinema is trying to woo the middle class by providing much demand exclusive comfort through various class in shows. Typical Indian street food is a moving map of Indian culture whether you eat paani poori or idli dosa or Chinese. Its a place where hygiene is typically overlooked and is subsided by taste. Its a place for any typical calorie conscious individual to indulge and forget about extra calories. Its also a place where people across religion, caste and race are binded without issues. Indians love their cinemas and Songs and heroes are an integral part of it. Of late, there has been a constant shift from emotion based poetic songs to meaningless songs which are getting more encouragement from the society. Society doesnt have the quest for meaning through songs anymore, reasons may be varied. May be the middle class doesnt come to cinema anymore as a issue solver but as a mere entertainer. Cinema provides them escape from daily life issues for a couple of hours. And thats the reason, people look up to todays heroes as mere epitome of excess.The need of the hour is to encourage the real heroes to bring change in the society. Middle class need to rise to true heroism, be it being entrepreneur; helping generate jobs, generate income for people, be it working for societal development. Indian middle class is obsessed with power which really comes hard and short lived at times. The phenomenon is clearly evident in political hierarchy, power associated with official cars, its red sirens, the issue associated with security frisking. The reasons may be in the cultures acceptance of power distance, the need to show power at hand to society to gain importance. PSUs were set with mind set of socialism, but apparently they are the power house of the Indian industries. This scenario has been constantly shifting due to increasing entry of MNCs in India who preach exactly the opposite with its flat office structure, its open door policy, its transparency, its priority to performance over age based seniority etc. Film, politics and corporate are biggest institutions providing transfer of legacy through free passage of the baton to their next generation. License raj period was a black era where ones ability to survive directly depended on the bureaucratic contacts he/she had. T he Indian middle class was a complete misfit in this zone. The scene is also changing fast due to increased concern over the companys performance even at the cost of baton going to an outsider fit for the role. We need to watch for similar happenings in politics as well. Indian middle class are the true carriers of ancient Indian culture in todays Indian culture. This is represented clearly in the food and our existence around it. The food acts as the centre of our existence and stomach the seat of our soul. Food may be the barometer of our lives. The reasons could be due to immigration of varied cultures in India through ages, providing an enriching mix of food culture. One of unique form of food serving can be found in Thali. It forms a unique contrast with the western food culture of serving food in linear courses. The food itself is arranged all a time providing the connoisseur the option of selecting his course order accordingly. The reason why we enjoy Thali may be due to our finding pleasure in chaos. Another, interesting food form ie Pickle forms a central part of a typical middle class diet. Pickle tries to preserve its ingredient in interesting form. It acts like the culture distillate. The availability of thali food in restaurant and pickl e available in jars in retail stores reflect the changes in society. The hectic and fast moving lifestyle in urban areas doesnt provide an opportunity to families in either engaging in pickle preparation at home, neither do they find time to have meals at a time with the whole family at once. Even the food habits have seen constant change from Indian food to western food. The need to have the food on the move has seen shift in food and catering culture. Indians have always felt fuzzy in declaring their love towards their loved ones and the concept of expressing oneself through words, day celebration etc was of alien in nature. With liberalization and adoption of western culture, there has a constant shift towards need for verbal and visual expression of love and care. The growth of cards culture in form of Archies, Hallmark etc., celebration of fathers day, mothers day, and even valentines day has come under accepted and much needed norms. The major reasons may be increasing spatial, cultural and generation gap among the family members. The middle class in the run to keep up with the society has replaced bhai dooj with brothers day, the daily expressed silent care with valentines day, the parental respect with fathers day. The reason could be the need to make every occasion big and reason to celebrate with public display. The love in some cases may also be weighed in terms of the value of the gift exchanged. The Indian middle class obsession with English is not a new phenomenon, whether in the form of English pet names, obsession with English medium schools, the urge to communicate in English. This market is very well served by the growing tutorial classes promising to teach English in 30 days. Even though the excessive obsession has led to corrosion of native Indian culture but it also has a silver lining along with it. The booming IT outsourcing industry has been successful majorly due to the proficiency achieved by Indian middle class to international acceptable standards which has led to opening of job horizons for many. The Indian middle class believes in sharing and living, but sometimes at the cost of others inconvenience. This is clearly evident in the missing mobile etiquettes, throwing garbage in public places, listening TV at home at full volume. The lack of need to respect others space may be the outcome of the feeling of one with the society. This seem an issue of little relevance but with times there arises the need to educate people about respecting for others feeling and space essential for peaceful coexistence. Few rituals find peculiar adaptation in typical Indian middle class society. The traffic system portrays a system of chaos working perfectly in harmony. Every driver has his own meaning of traffic rule, he drives focused only on his objective. The myopic objective getting ahead of others even at the cost of creating traffic jam later. Honking is used for power display with safety put to backseat. Indian traffic is a perfect smaller version of Indian middle class culture. Many cities operate with no traffic signal nor with traffic policemen, which display almost magically the understanding amongst motorist. Indians always find hard to follow rules carved by someone else but are always apt to form their own. The rules are there to be bent which is evident in the way drivers do when they jus hang the seat belt to escape fine only to release it at the first possible opportunity, two wheelers carry helmets in hand only to be worn when faced with a traffic policeman. The chalta hai proves to be major deterrent to arrive at a lasting solution. The lack of desire for quality may be due to lack of desire for lasting solution. The major beneficiary is Indian politics where criminals are forgotten and re-elected, where scams are forgone with time. India has come a long way from 64 crore bofors scam to 1.76 lakh crore 2G telecom scam of which Indian middle class was a mere spectator. Indian middle seem to be good at forgiving and even better at forgetting. Even sports remains untouched when come to the scandals like cricket and recent common wealth games. The reason may be the attitude of disinterest of people towards apt punishment. The need of the hour is to educate the mass about the importance and benefit of following traffic rules. The need of the hour is to make the Indian middle class realize the power they have in their hands to elect capable and apt people. Liquor was always looked up as a menace in the Indian middle class and its association with ability to take the human out of oneself. The elite and extreme lower class always some occasion or reason associated with liquor consumption. But the middle class always took it as an unwinding tool, as a medium to hang out with. Our trip to Hill stations have always been associated with family, as a place to escape the heat and noise of the city. Indians always have been worshiping Sun, but also has always been looked with harshness of its nature which is quite opposite to western culture where they tend to welcome sun. Amitabh Bacchan is one those iconic figures who has lived through Indians for almost four decades now. He has lived almost all his characters too real life like. He has given every Indian the sense of his own existence through his reel characters. He has been the icon of credibility for most if the Indian middle class. He is the one who can be trusted by any brand either for publicity or damage control, ranging from Gujarat tourism to Cadbury worm controversy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)