Theories of Feminist Geography

Theories of Feminist Geography Does a feminist geography need be primarily concerned with the lives of women? In relation to the essay title, according to Dias et al (2008), Hesse- Biber (2012) and McDowell (1992), there are significant diversity and heterogeneity among feminist geography and its research, with no single methodology or epistemology. Therefore, instead of viewing feminist geography as a static sub-discipline, feminist geography should be examined by looking at a wide range of work produced by feminist geographers addressing the issues found in different contexts, with varying research aims. By examining existing studies, this essay aims to demonstrate the fact that some aspects of feminist geography have, in fact, been primarily concerned with lives of women in a socio- spatial context. Subsequently, this essay also aims to demonstrate that feminist geography did not engage exclusively with the lives of women; by examining practices within the geography discipline, associated with the discipline’s exclusion of female, feminist geographer have offered important insights for geographers in understanding gender bias embedded in geography, and has facilitated the re-evaluation of geographic knowledge and practices among scholars. According to Dixon et al (2014), feminist geography is primarily concerned with improving women’s lives by identifying, and to develop an understanding of the sources of women’s oppression, as well as the dynamics and spatiality of the oppression. This description of feminist geography is mirrored by work produced by feminist geographers that has adapted Marxist theory in examining the relations among economic development, space and gender under capitalism (Pratt, 1994). These feminist geographers were focusing on the social- spatial exclusion of suburban households’ female members from paid employment, which was an important element in reproduction of labour power, and has provided insights to how traditional gender relations in capitalistic societies are continued and preserved (Pratt, 1994; Mackenzie et al, 1983; Hawkesworth 2006; Seccombe 1974; Beechey 1977; Eisenstein 1979; Nelson, 1986; Massey, 1984; Chant et al, 1995; Hanson et al, 1995; Gerstein, 1973). F eminist geographers have argued that the isolation of women from employment a strategy that is vital to manage the effects of capitalist economy; it reproduces the dominant- subordinate that is essential to the operations of capitalist production (Hawkesworth 2006; Eisenstein 1979; Beechey 1977; Pratt, 1994). The isolation also facilitates daily and generational reproduction of labour power, plus it leads to the creation of a labour force, which consists of women who are willing to be working for less than substantive wages (Mackenzie et al, 1983; Pratt, 1994; Seccombe 1974; Hawkesworth 2006; Beechey 1977; Nelson 1986; Eisenstein 1979; Massey, 1984; Chant et al, 1995; Hanson et al, 1995; Pearson, 1986). This was demonstrated in Nelson’s (1986) and Hawkesworth’s (2006) study, as he mentioned that in 1970s, capitalist in the United States had relocated to suburban locations in aiming to employ, or further exploit, according to Marxist perspectives, housewives who are mor e inclined to work despite the less than substantive wages. It has also been revealed that governmental policies, working-class household strategies, as well as traditional male power exercised in both families and trade unions are interplaying factors facilitate the isolation of women as housewives to inhibit or minimize employment opportunities available to women (Mackenzie et al, 1983; Hawkesworth 2006; Seccombe 1974; Eisenstein 1979; Nelson 1986; Pratt, 1994; Massey, 1984; Hanson et al, 1995; Gerstein, 1973). These literatures by feminist geographers are fundamentally linked to the lives of women (Johnson, 2007; Pratt, 1994; Hanson et al, 1995; Seccombe, 1974). By using women’s lives as point of departure, they have identify the consequences of the exclusion of women from employment; creation of female labour that are more prone to be subjected to capitalistic exploitation, enabled by traditional gender and social relations which constitute capitalism, in conjunction with patriarchal gender relations, which have contributed to the redefining of the spatial distribution of women’s social and economic activities in urban areas. However, feminist geographers did not engage exclusively with the lives of women. Feminist geographers are also concerned with development of geography, in relation to the exclusion and isolation of female scholars from the discipline, and how this has affected geographic research and thought. As Morin (1995: 1) has described, the theme of these studies is ‘â€Å"gender of geography† rather that the â€Å"geography of gender† ’. Under this theme, feminist geographers have highlighted the fact that geography is a male- dominated discipline (Rose, 1993; Dixon et al, 2006; LeVasseur, 1993). As suggested by Dixon et al (2006), women have been excluded from higher education from late nineteenth to early twentieth century; early universities mainly consists of upper- class white men. During that period of time, female are mainly found in the field of teaching and helping professions, and are mostly absent in the disciplines and institutions that have contributed to the establishment of modern geography, such as geology and â€Å"expert† societies, such as Royal Geographical Society (Rose, 1993; Dixon et al, 2006). These â€Å"expert† societies were heavily involved with the establishment of geography as a discrete academic discipline, by defining geography’s investigation agenda and methodologies, as well as establishing programs in university (Dixon et al, 2006). Since these societies had entry requirements based on peer nomination and work assessment, it was difficult for women to join such societies, as their works are often dismissed as non- scholarly (Dixon et al, 2006). As a result, these institutions had a disproportionately large numbers of male members (Rose, 1993; Dixon et al, 2006). As female are not able to negotiate in this field of study due to institutional discrimination , white men were able to almost exclusively define what constitute as the norm in the discipline, which has allowed masculinist thinkin g to thrive and flourish in geography (Rose, 1993; Dixon et al, 2006). A number of scholars have pointed out as men have associated themselves with attributes or descriptions in their studies on landscape, such as culture, intellectualism, practicality and mobility (Rose, 1993; Pile, 1994; Berg, 1994). The adaptation of dualistic worldview that was assumed to be objective and scientifically sound has meant that women are therefore associated with nature, body and emotionalism (Rose, 1993; Berg, 1994; Lloyd, 1984). Further, masculinist thinking believes that men are capable of rational thought, whereas women are not, as â€Å"female-ness† was thought of as the lack of â€Å"maleness† (Jay, 1981; Massey, 1998; Longhurst, 2000; Lloyd, 1984; Bordo, 1986; Berg, 1994). Together, these beliefs have helped to establish a hierarchical, binary opposition between mind and body; culture and nature; men and women, with the latter assumed to be inferior and less important (Pile, 1994; Rose, 1993; Berg, 1994; Lloyd, 1984). Dualistic world views have also meant that, according to masculinist thinking, men are traditionally associated with public spaces, due to their association with waged work, which requires mobility and intelligence (Dixon et al, 2006; Rose, 1993; Longhurst, 2000; Berg, 1994). Therefore in contrast, women are typically associated with private spaces due to their traditionally assigned role as care- taker at home (Dixon et al, 2006; Rose, 1993; Longhurst, 2000; Bordo, 1986). Men self- proclaimed attributes, facilitated by dualistic world views have facilitated the formation of a hierarchy in geography in relation to gender (Rose, 1993). The hierarchical opposition signifies that spaces that are typically associated with female, reproduction activities are deemed as less important and less valued when comparing to spaces that are associated with men and their waged production activities (Dixon et al, 2006). Dixon et al (2006) has demonstrated that geographer has thus focus their studies on male productive activities , such as steel manufacturing, rather than investigating reproductive activities that are traditionally associated with women, such as day care for example. As stated by Dixon et al (2006), this bias is reproduced in the discipline across multiple research area. This argument demonstrates the problems underlying geography; the focus on production relative to reproduction within geography signifies the existence of a knowledge gap within the discipline, in regard to areas associated with female economic and social activities. Furthermore, this can discourage scholars, who aim to examine or carry out research in fields associated with female activities, to engage with geography due to concerns over the research prioritization mentioned above, and turn to other disciplines that they feel their research will be valued (Dixon et al, 2006). Together, these diminish the scope of geographic investigation, further reducing any potential knowledge that would have been produced and incorporate d within the discipline of geography, which lead to the diminishing of the academic significance of geography, and this urges the re-thinking of geographic practices, in order to minimize bias due to the discipline’s masculinist legacy (Dixon et al, 2006; Pile, 1994; Monk et al, 1982). In conclusion, the works of feminist geographers examined in this essay have all shared a common theme- the exclusion of women and the consequences, in different contexts or settings. In some aspects of feminist geography, feminist geographers have directly engaged with the lives of women; studies have attempt to undercover ways in which women are oppressed under capitalism, and to demonstrate how women’s lives, in regards to their economic opportunities, are limited as a result of the exclusion from employment. However, this essay has also demonstrated that there are existing studies in which the primary concern is the development of discipline, under the influence of limited female participation. They have highlighted that the discipline’s lack of female involvement, which has facilitated the flourishing of traditional masculine thinking as dominant discourse in geography, has in turn lead to the production of biased knowledge and skewed research approaches that const itute geography- this remained to be an internal, innate problem that results in the narrowing of the scope of study, and has imposed limits on the production of geographic knowledge. The problems highlight above, by feminist geographers, can perhaps urge geographers to rethink their research priorities and focuses, to avoid the induction, or reproduction of masculine- orientated bias in geography, to overcome the legacy of male- domination in order to facilitate wider, more depth understanding of space/ place and social relations and activities. Together, these studies have confirmed that there is significant diversity among feminist geography; feminist geographers have addressed a range of issue or concerns that relate to gender bias or inequality in different contexts. Thus it can be said that the â€Å"primary concern† cannot therefore be generalized into one subject of concern. Reference Karen Dias Jennifer Blecha (2007) Feminism and Social Theory in Geography: An Introduction , The Professional Geographer, 59(1): 1-9 LeVasseur, M (1993) Finding a Way: Encouraging Underrepresented Groups in Geography: An Annotated Bibliography. Indiana, PA: National Council for Geographic Education Rose, G. (1993) Feminism and geography: the limits of geographical knowledge. Cambridge: Polity Press. Massey, D. (1998) Blurring the binaries? High tech in Cambridge. In Ainley, R. (ed.) New frontiers of space, bodies and gender, London: Routledge Morin, K (1995) The Gender of Geography. Postmodern Culture. [Online] 3:2 Available at: http://pmc.iath.virginia.edu/text-only/issue.195/review-3.195[Accessed: 19 February 2015] MacKenzie, S; Rose, D (1983) Industrial change, the domestic economy and home life. In Anderson J; Ducan, S; Hudson, R (eds.) Redundant Spaces in Cities and Regions? Social Geography and Industrial Change. London: Achedemic Press Dixon, D.P.; Jones III, J.P. (2006) Feminist Geographies of Difference, Relation, and Construction. In Aitken, S; Valentine, G (eds.) Approaches to Human Geography. International: SAGE Linda McDowell (1992) Doing Gender: Feminism, Feminists and Research Methods in Human Geography. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers New Series, 17(4): 399-416 Beechey, V. (1977) Some notes on female wage labour in capitalist production. Capital and Class, 3, Autumn : 45-66 Eisenstein, Z. (1979) Developing a theory of capitalist patriarchy and socialist feminism. In, Eisenstein, Z. (ed.) Capitalist Patriarchy and the Case for Socialist Feminism. New York: Monthly Review Nelson, K. (1986) Female labour supply characteristics and the suburbanization of low-wage office work. In Scott, A; Storper, M (eds) Production, work, territory: the geographical anatomy of industrial capitalism. Boston and London: Allen and Unwin Pearson, R. (1986) Latin American women and the new international division of labour: a reassessment. Bulletin of Latin American Research, 5(2): 67-79 Chant, S.; McIlwaine, C. (1995) Gender and export manufacturing in the Philippines: continuity and change in female employment? The case of the Mactan Export Processing Zone. Gender Place and Culture 2(2): 147-76 Nelson, K. (1986) Female labour supply characteristics and the suburbanization of low-wage office work. In Scott, A; Storper, M (eds) Production, work, territory: the geographical anatomy of industrial capitalism. Boston and London: Allen and Unwin Massey, D. (1984) Spatial divisions of labour. London: Macmillan Hawkesworth, M.E. (2006) Feminist Inquiry: From Political Conviction to Methodological Innovation. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Unversity Press McDowell, L (1992) Doing Gender: Feminism, Feminists and Research Methods in Human Geography. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers New Series, 17 (4): 399-416 Seccombe, W (1974) The Housewife and Her Labour under Capitalism. New Left Review, 83: 3-24 Pratt, G (1994) Feminist geographies. In Johnston, R; Gregory, D; Smith D (eds) The Dictionary of Human Geography (3rd edn) Oxford: Blackwell Hanson, S; Pratt, G (1995) Gender, Work, and Space. New York: Routledge Pile, S (1994) Masculinism, the use of dualistic epistemologies and third spaces. Antipod 26(3) : 255-277 Johnson, L. C. (1994) What future for feminist geography? Gender, Place Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 1(1): 103-113 Gerstein, Ira 1973 Domestic Work and Capitalism, Radical America , 7 (45)101-128. Longhurst, R (2000) Geography and gender: masculinities, male identity and men. Progress in Huma Geography 25(3) :439-444 Berg, L. D. (1994) Masculinity, place and a binary discourse of ‘theory’ and ‘empirical investigation’ in the human geography of Aotearoa/New Zealand, Gender, Place Culture. A Journal of Feminist Geography 1(2): 245-260 Bordo, S.(1986) The Cartesian masculinization of thought. Signs 11 (3): 439–456 Jay, N. (1981) Gender and dichotomy. Feminist Studies 7(1): 38-56 Lloyd, G. (1984) The Man of Reason: male and female in Western philosophy. London: Methuen Janice, M; Hanson, S (1982) On not excluding half of the human in human geography. The Professional Geographer 34(1): 11-23 Hesse-Biber, S.N. (2012) Feminist Research: Exploring, Interrogating, and Transforming the Interconnections of Epistemology, Methodology, and Method. In Hesse- Biber, S.N. (ed.) Handbook of Feminist Research: Theory and Praxis (2nd edn) International: SAGE

Power Corrupts Essay -- History, Hitler, Napoleon

Power is a very dangerous obsession because it corrupts many individuals. The idea of power corrupting individuals has been present since the time of Hitler, and Napoleon but it has gotten worst in the present time because of the advance technology and individuals ambition for money. A perfect example of an individual that is corrupted by power is Muammar Gaddafi. Muammar Gaddafi, tyrant of Libya, shocked the world by his use of power. Another great example of how power corrupts an individual is shown in the play, Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. The protagonist, Macbeth, shows how he is corrupted by the use of power. Unfortunately, power corrupts an individual to an extent that it affects people surrounding them and it can eventually turn the individual into a tyrant. To begin with, individuals who are corrupted by power all exhibit similar character traits. Gaddafi is the current Libyan leader who has abused his power. Gaddafi displays a very courageous type of attitude, which is clearly made known of when he says, â€Å"[he] have not yet [order] the use of force†¦when [he] do, everything will burn† (Ghosh 2). Gaddafi can also be seen as a tyrant, when he says, â€Å"[he] am not going to leave this land, and [he] will die here as a martyr† (2). One can conclude how ambitious Gaddafi has gotten to remain in power. Moreover, Macbeth also displays similar character traits in the play Macbeth. As Macbeth starts getting power in his hands, he wanted more. He too showed a very fearless and daring attitude like Gaddafi which is shown when Macbeth says â€Å"The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand† ( Shakespeare 4.1.166-167). Here, Macbeth is trying to emphasize that he is willing to commit any felon y to remain ... ...land’s citizens thought that Macbeth was crazy and hate him because he killed many innocent people; the citizens want Macbeth to leave, just like how Gaddafi’s men hate him and want him to leave. Before showing any violent actions a tyrant must think over the reactions to prevent future conflicts. In conclusion, one can say that when an individual abuses the use of power it causes negative impacts on a nation. Power has very dangerous uses and it corrupts people, which not only affects the individual but it affects the people surrounding them and turns them into a tyrant. One can learn that power can be beneficial to an entire nation and help stop issues in the world only if it is used correctly. Gaddafi and Macbeth both exhibit how power corrupts which results in a downfall in both of their nations. Power is very dangerous when one tries to take advantage of it.

Kudler Fine Foods Case Study: Personal Values Essay -- Business Case

Aristotle, the famous Greek Philosopher, believed ethics is common knowledge. In fact, he taught and practiced virtues and ethics, and strongly believed that ethics is the behavior learned through practice. According to Aristotle, "The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival† (Irwin, 1988, p.702). To be clear, there are many descriptions used to analyze a person’s ethical behavior. The description used to analyze my behavior is the ethical perspectives of the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory (EAI). The EAI identifies four CORE ethical perspectives to determine the effect of one’s decision-making. However, this paper will focus on the ethical perspective, Character. Likewise, the paper will compare and contrast my personal values related to the core perspective, Character, with that of Kudler Fine Foods. It is worth noting that sound judgment enables a person to build character and make the right decision in their personal or professional life. In fact, according to the Williams Institute, â€Å"Character is a key factor in the workplace because integrity is highly regarded. Also, sound judgment applied in a business strategy within an organization, is relevant to the character profile.† (The Williams Institute of Ethical Management, 2003). The Author’s Values: Developing positive Character traits are essential to the success of any organization and the EAI results provided valuable insight to my management style. After personally completing the self-assessment test, the following details are the results: The ethical perspective most likely aligned with is Character; and the ethical perspective least likely aligned with is Equity. Character by d... ...ate the ethical standards set. Therefore, resolving any potential problems by displaying leadership, effective communication, and positive ethical behavior. Works Cited Character. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved February 28, 2010, from http://merriamwebster.com/dictionary/character Hunte, S. (2009, December 9). Character Quotes - Do You Have the Best Character? Retrieved February 28, 2010, from ezinearticles.com/? Character- Quotes- - - Do- You- Have- the- Best- Character?&id=3401750 Irwin, Terence. Aristotle’s First Principles. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. p.702 University of Phoenix. (2003). Williams Institute Ethical awareness [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, MGT521 website.

Essay --

Previously it has suggested from studies that rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy varies between Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian women mainly due to the presence of risk factors that are associated with chronic hypertension. Furthermore, Hispanic ethnicity and multiple gestations are an independent risk factor for preeclampsia. Therefore, in Hispanic women if hypertension is diagnosed early in pregnancy there is an increased likelihood of presence of early preeclampsia. In this study, Wolf et al. examined the relative risk rates of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Therefore the objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension by conducting a prospective cohort study of normotensive, nulliparous Hispanic (n = 863) and non-Hispanic Caucasian women (n = 2,381). It was determined that in comparison with non-Hispanic Caucasian women, Hispanic women have significantly decreased incidence of gestational hypertension (1.6% versu s 8.5%; P ...om the review that infants born to mothers with gestational diabetes and HDP are more likely to have hypertension and diabetes as these diseases have their origin in fetal life. Based on review there is a minutely increased risk of preeclampsia in nulliparous Black women than nulliparous White women however opposite is true for parous Black and White women. Hispanic women are more likely to present with preeclampsia than gestational hypertension as Hispanic race is independent risk factor developing preeclampsia. It is suggested that pregnancy may provide an opportunity to recognize the opportunity to detect women who either have subclinical symptoms of CVD or at heightened risk for CVD later in life thus making lifestyle changes are necessary and if other clinical interventions such as frequent monitoring should needed be implemented before the onset of disease.

Ethical Behavior and Machiavellianism Essay

The term ethical behavior is considered to be that behavior which is morally accepted. It is laid on the foundations of doing the right thing which is morally accepted. Machiavellianism is considered to be the behavior which is adopted to mislead and swindle others for personal benefits and profit. This paper seeks to analyze and evaluate the relationship between ethical behavior and Machiavellianism. Machiavellianism Machiavellianism is considered to be a widespread stereotype of ethical behavior. It is expected to be a supplementary construct that influences ethical behavior and ethical reasoning procedures. The concept was introduced by Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote ‘The Prince’ which is a guide for acquiring power and using it. The main method for attaining power which he suggested was using manipulation. Hence, Machiavellianism is tendency and inclination of an individual to do whatever he or she wants in order to get his or her way. Machiavellian Principles and Ethical Conduct According to Machiavellian principles, there is clear and well-defined difference between reality and ideas. For example, equality and equity are idealistic values but partiality and bias is found every where. Ethics can direct and manage the private sector but expediency governs the public life. Consequently, an individual can be good at home but has to survive in professional life (Nelson & Gilbertson, 2002). Furthermore, Machiavellian principles dictate individuals to understand that there are no absolutes in workplace but only restrictive constraints which are applied based on the situation. It also states that success is the factor which can determine right and wrong. Virtue which is a type of ethical behavior is equal to power and competence in reaching goals. It also states that a virtuous man should think about himself when it is essential. Literature Review Experiential work also indicates that Machiavellianism influences ethical behavior. Cable and Dangello have recognized and acknowledged Machiavellianism as a qualities and characteristics which were found in graduate business student’s ethics research. They also conducted a second research in Lebanon which indicated that Lebanese consumers who are residing in political turmoil and war are more Machiavellian and less humanistic (Cable and Dangello, 2000). Another research which was conducted by Christie and Geis demonstrated the relation between Machiavellianism and ethical behavior which suggested that individuals who are skeptical and doubting towards others are prone to behave unprofessionally. Machiavellianism is often associated with unconstructive and unhelpful behavior (Christie & Geis, 2002). According to Christie and Geis, Machiavellianism is considered to an unconstructive appellation which promotes an unprincipled and unethical method of influencing and controlling others in order to achieve one’s goals. Gable and Topol demonstrated in their studies that Machiavellian individuals exhibit calm and unruffled lack of involvement and indifference which makes them less emotionally concerned and occupied with others. Machiavellianism and ethical behavior were investigated in ethic studies which were conducted by Nelson and Gilbertson. It was found out that Machiavellianism and ethical behavior of an individual is the key towards ethical decision making(Gable & Topol, 2004). Similar studies conducted by Christie and Geis examined that ethical behavior and Machiavellianism are important and significant factors for determining ethical conduct (Christie & Geis, 2002). Machiavellianism and ethical behavior studies by Nelson and Gilbertson suggested that Machiavellian individuals take no notice of ethics and enhance their own individual self. In simple words, the pressure to win and achieve specific targeted goals can cause unethical behavior to manifest itself (Nelson & Gilbertson, 2002) Relationship between Ethical Behavior and Machiavellianism Machiavellianism is a factor which plays an essential and significant role in influencing ethical behavior and decision making because it is associated with proclivity to influence others for the sake of personal benefits and achievements. For example, most researchers associate entrepreneurship with Machiavellian propensities which can lead to straightforward manipulation of others and ethical compromise (Cable and Dangello, 2000). In other words, entrepreneurs can follow Machiavellianism properties by acting master manipulators who can take immediate advantage of others. Studies indicate that individuals who follow the principles of Machiavellianism are often to be deceptive and indifferent towards ethical needs. Machiavellianism is believed to be a widespread and frequent behavior and it is found in ethical decision making scenarios. It is often associated with sex, age, ethnic origin and birth order. Conclusion Ethical behavior is defined as the action taken in accordance to what is morally accepted. On the other hand, Machiavellianism is defined as the action which an individual takes in order to gain his or her own benefit with the help of manipulative behavior. Studies have shown that Machiavellian principles promote negative behavior in individuals. It plays a vital role in influencing perceptions because it has a relationship with the tendency to influence others. Machiavellian individuals are known to show calm and indifferent attitudes and are not affected by emotions.It can be concluded that Machiavellianism is a negative concept which does not go with ethical conduct. References Cable, M. & Dangello, F. (2000). Job Involvement, Machiavellianism and Job Performance, Journal of Business and Psychology (9:2). Christie, R. & Geis,F. L. (2002). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press. Gable, M. & Topol, M. (2004). Machiavellianism and Job Satisfaction of Retailing Executive in a Specialty Store Chain, Psychological Reports Nelson, G. & Gilbertson, D. (2002). Machiavellianism Revisited, Journal of Business Ethics.

People and Civilizations of the Americas

People and Civilizations of the Americas An ancient civilization called Mesoamerican of the Maya developed a written language which enabled scribes to record the important actions of rulers and military events. One of the scribes was called the Mayan Scribe. The Mayan Scribe used a complex writing system to record religious concepts and memorializes the actions of their kings. Lady WacChanil-Ahau, the Maya princess, mounted a litter decorated with rich textiles and animal skins. The Mayans had a urban center called Dos Pilas. Lady Wac-Chanil-Ahau’s destination was the Maya city of Naranjo, where she married a powerful nobleman. Her marriage was eliminated when the regions major military power Caracol, had defeated Naranjo. K’ ak Tiliw Chan Chaak, the son of Lady Wac-Chanil-Ahau, ascended the throne of Naranjo as a five-year-old in 693 C. E . Chaak was a prodigious builder, leaving behind an expanded and beautified capital as part of his legacy. He erected numerous carved stone monuments called stelae celebrated her life. The defeat of the city-states of Tikal and Naranjo by Caracol undermined long-standing commercial and political relations in much of southern Mesoamerica and led to more than a centaury of conflict. Caracol was challenged by the dynasty created at Dos Pilas by the heirs of Lady Wac-Chanil-Ahau. The two shared culture and religion, the great Maya cities stayed divided by the dynastic ambitions of their rulers and by the competition for resources. The people of the Americas were in constant competition for resources as the story of Lady Wac-Chanil-Ahau’s marriage and her role in the development of the Maya dynasty suggested them. Member’s elites organized their societies to meet these challenges, even as their ambition for greater power predictably ignited new conflicts. No single set of political institutions or technologies worked in every environment, and enormous cultural diversity existed in the ancient Americas. Mesoamerica, which is Mexico and northern Central America and the Andean region extraordinarily productive and diversified agriculture. Cities were built that rivaled the capital of the Chinese and Roman Empire in size and beauty. The rest of the hemisphere, indigenous peoples adapted combinations of hunting and agriculture to maintain a wide variety of settlement patters, political forms, and cultural traditions. All cultures and civilizations of America experienced cycles of expansion and contraction as they struggled with the challenges of environmental changes, population growth, social conflicts and war.

Attitudes Towards Technology in the Han and Roman Empires

Attitudes Towards Technology in the Han and Roman Empires DBQ 2 Technology is always changing. New ideas are being introduced, and innovations to current technologies are always taking place. Some may see changes in technology as a vital and helpful thing, while others may oppose. Upperclassmen’s attitudes toward technology, especially advancements within technology, in the Han Empire, were very approving and encouraging. In the Roman Empire, the majority of upperclassmen’s attitudes toward technology were very supportive, as long as the technology or advancement was invented by someone of a highly philosophical mind.Roman upperclassmen in general had positive attitudes towards technology, as well as innovations in technology. Some higher classmen, however, looked highly upon themselves, and felt like anything not originating from their minds or hands was below them. Some philosophers had the attitude that anything they did not invent was only mediocre and sufficient, i nstead of excellent and great. (Doc. 7) Along with that, some upper class political leaders believed that it was vulgar and degrading of any man to be employed in any field of labor. Doc. 5) I placed these documents in a group together because of the fact that both of the authors of the documents had extremely opinionated outlooks on technology formed by lower classmen. Both authors stated in their documents that anything created by a lower classman was only mediocre in comparison to improvements in technology created by a higher classman like a philosopher. Therefore, their attitudes toward technology was positive†¦ as long as it was created by a man higher up in society.In Document 7, an upper-class Roman philosopher and adviser to Emperor Nero named Seneca expresses that any tools created by men who are not philosophers are mediocre and insignificant. His point of view is that he feels that the minds that did create the current technological advances in tools were nimble and sharp, but not great nor elevated. His attitude towards these breakthroughs in technology are this way because of his role in society. He is a philosopher, so it his is of his role to think with an abstract mind, imagining things from an â€Å"outside of the box† type of erspective. Because philosophers are trained to think this way, they would be able to create tools and new innovations in technology that could completely change how technology was viewed, leading their empires to greater and greater heights. But because of the lack of training and experience in abstract thought, he felt that normal men would tend to come up with good tools that were well built and could assist them in their day-to-day lives, but nothing groundbreaking that could have everyone captivated and amazed like â€Å"great and elevated minds† like his could invent.While some Roman upper class members liked only the technology invented and improved by elevated minds, that wasn’t the cas e for all of Rome. A Roman political leader named Gaius Gracchus set up a new system of road building, paying equal attention to the functionality and the appearance of the roads. He helped travelers keep track of distance by measuring out every mile and placing a column there. As well as the columns, Gracchus placed large stones on either sides of the road at lesser intervals, so it would be easier for those who road horses to mount them. (Doc. 6) Another brilliant advancement in technology was the aqueducts.Six of the aqueducts flowed into covered containers. Then, the volume was measured by means of calibrated scales. The use of the water was not only used for what was needed, but the water was also utilized for pleasure purposes. (Doc. 8) I grouped these two documents together since they both displayed advancements in technology without being discriminatory against those who were in lower classes. Because they both show the advancements in technology, it is evident that the atti tude toward technology was extremely positive. (Doc. 7) members of the Han Empire accepted and embraced new technologies.In fact, many government officials often implemented new ideas in their societies. For example, Tu Shih, who was the governor of Nanyang, invented a water-powered blowing-engine for the casting of iron agricultural implements that allowed people to enjoy great benefit for little labor. Not only has his invention been widely used, but it has also been adopted and innovated by those who use it. (Doc. 4) Fuxi, though only a mythological emperor, was said to have invented the pestle and the mortar. Throughout the years, his invention was cleverly improved in such a way that the ending benefit was increased a hundredfold. (Doc. ) There were times, as well, when government officials wrote to local officials describing exactly what needed to be done to assist in current problems. Though the government officials came up with such an in-depth plan and strategy, the local o fficials ultimately made the final call, tailoring the governmental plan to fit the individuality of each town. (Doc. 1) I grouped these documents together because they all involve a leader inventing something, with lower classmen innovating the invention. This proves that the Han Empire had a positive attitude about technology, and were still completely open to the aspects of change and advancements.In Document 3, an upper-class Han philosopher named Huan Tan expresses, with great enthusiasm, his point of view of the evolution of the pestle and the mortar throughout the years. In the document, it goes in depth describing all of the innovations and advancements the pestle and the mortar have gone through. This exemplifies the fact that Huan Tan’s attitude towards innovations in technology was devoutly positive. In Document 3, Huan Tan conveys the story of how Fuxi, who, though mythological, was an emperor, created something, which was improved by regular commoners.This shows that unlike the Roman philosopher in Document 7, Huan Tan shows no discrimination against the lower classes. He does not feel that in order for truly excellent work, you must have a philosopher title. He understands that ordinary people can be the most brilliant at times, and finds the entire concept of advancement in technology astounding. An additional document I feel would be beneficial in helping to convey my thesis would be a journal entry from the point of view of a Han Peasant, depicting their attitude towards the new advancements in technology.This is needed because every document we were given was written from the perspective of an upperclassmen. In order to more accurately answer the question, I feel like we should have an understanding of every socioeconomic class. I also think that in order to more efficiently analyze Document 2, we need a comparison with the journal entry from a Han Peasant. Because Document 2 talks about how individual family’s tools were better than the government-made ones were, I think that a journal entry explaining their thoughts on family-made tools versus the government-made tools would help give a better understanding of the document.