America's Search for a Cultural Center
The average American child can not even comprehend what institutions provide cultural enhancement. Is that too bold a statement? I don't think so. Primarily because American culture probably doesn't exist in any real form. The closest we get to art is in our cinema. Art as a practiced form is lost. Literacy rates are abominable, museums are underfunded in response to the lack of public interest in viewing their wares, and art classes are practically non-existent as more and more schools have cut those programs in response to budgetary concerns. Art is a learned appreciation. And we are not teaching it. But good cinema can incite conversation, can entertain, and can act as an artistic base for our children. And even good cinema is disappearing . . . sacrificed to the gods of the commercial movie.
It is this commercial movie industry that the city leaders of San Jose seem most intent on protecting. Our city has experienced profound growing pains as we've made the transition from agricultural area, to bedroom community and finally to the bustling metropolis known as Silicon Valley. How cherry orchards birthed Pentium chips is a story for another day . . . but in the process they have brought disparate social classes together in a way that leaves everyone struggling for some sort of cultural base. In the 90's we've seen downtown San Jose develop into a thriving urban area. But in the twenty years of redevelopment San Jose has been forced to deal with urban decay that has jeopardized the city and many of its core institutions. Urban anthropologist, Bob Beauregard, paints a bleak picture of the American city in his book, Voices of Decline, saying America's cities, large and small, are sta...
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...ng the group's many far-reaching differences. The support of art venues can continue the tradition of culture in the downtown areas, and provide a voice for groups struggling for community in the United States. At home and across the country America has an obligation to celebrate her art-houses, by keeping the camera's rolling.
Works Cited
1. Beauregard, B. (1993). Voices of Decline. Blackwell Publishers: Cambridge, Massachusetts.
2. Feng, P. (Fall 1999). "The State of Asian American Cinema: In Search of Community". Cineaste, 24.
3. Kozol, J. (1991). Savage Inequalities. Crown Publishers: New York, NY.
4. Camera Cinemas (May 1993). "Questions And Answers Concerning The Proposed Downtown Theatre Complex And Its Impact On Camera Cinemas".
5. Schrag, P. (1998). Paradise Lost: California's Experience and America's Future. The New Press: New York, NY.
In Barbara Berlund’s Making San Francisco American: Cultural Frontiers in the Urban West, Berlund explains how San Francisco grew from a young settlement which grew rapidly thanks to in part of the California Gold Rush which took place in 1949. Of course with the growing of this small settlement came it’s conflicts and how it rised to where it stands present day. A primary factor which helped San Francisco flourish a ton was the influence from those who had power and chose what would happen throughout the city, for example the Big 4. Those who were wealthy did not make this city what it is today without the help of people who made up the middle class as well. Every establishment within this city set the social order as to how the inhabitants of San Francisco would go about their life in society.
Wilson introduced this theory on what he believed were successful measures in not only preventing Germany from beginning a war again, but to prevent all wars. After all World War One was the war to end all wars. These Fourteen Points included proposals such as freedom of the seas, general disarmament, the removal of international trade barriers, impartia...
Another powerful move for Wilson was the Fourteen Points. One aspect was a proposal to end secret treaties. Therefore, European couldn’t go behind each other’s backs in time of war. The second point was freedom of the seas. This was that no one could control the oceans.
“Until early in [the twentieth] century, the isolationist tendency prevailed in American foreign policy. Then, two factors projected America into world affairs: its rapidly expanding power, and the gradual collapse of the international system centered on Europe” . President Woodrow Wilson was the leader who would initiate the ideologies of American diplomacy in the twentieth century. Up until his Presidency, American foreign policy was simply to fulfill the course of manifest destiny, and to remain free of entanglements overseas. Although he could not convince his fellow politicians on Capitol Hill of the probable success of his ideas, he did persuade the fellow writers of the Treaty of Versailles to use his Fourteen Points. America’s role as a political global superpower was established during his Presidency, as well as the modern policy that peace depends on the spread of democracy, and that national interest consists of adhering to a global system of law.
Phillips, W. (2002). Thinking about film . In Film an introduction (pp. 403-438). Boston : Bedford/St.Martin's .
This paper will discuss the many unique aspects of Oakland, California. Divided into five major parts, Oakland is a very diverse city. The five major parts include: Downtown Oakland which is located in the heart of the city, East Oakland which consists of the majority of the city, West Oakland, North Oakland, and the Oakland hills where the terrain is quite different from other parts of the city. While many may perceive the population to mainly consist of African Americans and Whites, there is a significant growing population of Latinos, and Asians. The topics covered in this paper will shed light on the city of Oakland itself, and discuss the unique city that it is. I will also give my personal experience and perception on the city, after living there for 16 years of my life.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States, in office from 1913 to 1921. After being victorious in World War I, Wilson outlined his vision of world peace through his “Fourteen Points” speech delivered to Congress in January 1918. It called for a "new diplomacy". No more secret treaties, like the ones that had pulled the world into war. Also all territories occupied during the war must be evacuated. Wilson wanted to stop imperialism in many of the countries and declaring them to immediate independence. He also proposed a general disarmament after the war. Other points included freedom of the seas at all times and free trade all over the world. Wilson stressed that the seas were neutral passageways for international business such as trade and that it is meant to be peaceful and scarce from threats. But Wilson's most important proposal, the fourteenth point, called for a league of nations open to all democratic states. This new world body would be in charge of disarmament and the dismantling of colonial possessions. Most impo...
We have seen a constant change of our environment afflicted by the human, nature and nurture influence, creating and reinventing what we know of a culture, city and society. San Francisco, a city of multi-diverse neighborhoods of highly trending culture, commerce, fashion and finance, has been immensely affected by it; seeing a consistent development before and after the 1906 earthquake which destroyed over 80% of San Francisco. The earthquake and the subsequent fires, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States, took from the people of the Bay Area their houses and families, leaving roughly 3000 deaths and at least 270,000 people homeless. Nonetheless, this mayor disaster also gave the opportunity for a rebuild
On January 8, 1918, Woodrow Wilson went to Congress to announce his ideas regarding the war affairs of America. He created something known as the Fourteen Points, a plan that would determine the foreign affairs of the United States after World War I (Brower). When looking at the points, it is easy to identify how these were similar in nature, allowing them to be grouped. The first group deals with the points one, two, three, four, and five. These points dealt with the idea of how to maintain peace between nations and reduce the chance of imperialism and war. Instantly, the idea of peace is introduced, as the first point begins with “Open covenants of peace” proving the importance of maintaining peace (“Woodrow Wilson”). Moreover, Wilson aimed to unite the nations of the world peacefully by granting nations the “freedom” to navigate seas, removing “economic barriers” that hindered trade, reducing “national armaments” based on the threat a country faces, and allowing “ free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims” (“Woodrow Wilson”). These five points came together to guarantee the freedom of each nation, as no nation would have a stronger military or control over the seas. Plus, trade would be less expensive, allowing stronger relations between the countries.
One of Napoleon’s first areas of concern was in the strengthening of the French government. He created a strong centralized government and pretty much got rid of the hundreds of localized law codes that had existed during under the control of the monarchy. He also created an army of government officials. He had the entire country linked under a rational administration. He also was able to get an easy supply of taxes and soldiers under his new and improved French government. Before he could get very far, however, he had to gain public favor and shape the public opinion. To do this he used reforms of propaganda and thus caused people to think that they were getting the better end of the deal, but were actually, subconsciously giving Napoleon their approval for his actions. Among some of the methods he used for propaganda included getting all of the printers and book sellers to swear an oath to Napoleon and all newspapers fell under state control, so Napoleon gained access to almost everything that the citizens of France were able to read. Many of the gains from the French Revolution were kept, such as equality before the law, and careers open to talent. Some anti-revolution actions that Napoleon took included repressing liberty, restoring absolutism, and ending political liberty. He believed that allowing political freedom would end with a state of anarchy. He believed that he could solve these problems by acting in favor of the people’s interests as an enlightened desp...
Stanley, Robert H. The Movie Idiom: Film as a Popular Art Form. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. 2011. Print
Modernism is defined in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as "a self-conscious break with the past and a search for new forms of expression." While this explanation does relate what modernism means, the intricacies of the term go much deeper. Modernism began around 1890 and waned around 1922. Virginia Wolf once wrote, "In or about December, 1910, human character changed." (Hurt and Wilkie 1443). D.H. Lawrence wrote a similar statement about 1915: "It was 1915 the old world ended." (Hurt and Wilkie 1444). The importance of the exact dates of the Modernist period are not so relevant as the fact that new ideas were implemented in the era. Ideas that had never before been approached in the world of literature suddenly began emerging in the works of many great authors. Two of the pioneer Modernist writers were Joseph Conrad and T.S. Eliot. The tendencies to question the incontestable beliefs embedded in all thinking and to focus on the inner self dominated. Old viewpoints were tossed aside to make way for the discovery of modern man's personal spirituality. Two works that are considered important forbears in the Modern period are T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
California saw many changes very fast. Most of these play part in shaping it into what it is today. From Hollywood to San Francisco, today’s lifestyles in California have roots in the Gold Rush. Because the failure rate was so high, it became common to come out to California lookin...
The Importance of Arts Education Jane Alexander, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), once said, “Many children are missing out on something which gives their education context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce.” This “something” that she spoke of is music and art education. Unfortunately, she is entirely correct. We are currently seeing a dramatic cut in arts education curriculum in our public schools due to the limited amount of time and funding. In many cases, budget cutbacks mean arts education cutbacks.
Overall, Napoleon was a great war leader for the French. He got his power through books and military school. He was always learning and studying so he can be the best of the best. He wanted to win and be leader and that’s what he got because of his knowledge. Making that one mistake with the Continental System really ended his ruling but other than that he helped out France and a country a ton. Such as adding laws, getting a strong army, making the people be able to have free religion, and things like that. Napoleon was a great leader with great decisions, just that one mistake lead to the end of his reign.