Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Postmodern Critique of Anthropological Epistemology

The postmodernist critique argues that the anthropologist’s epistemology and view of society is often shown to be Western provincialism—a Western ethnocentric approach applied to the rest of the world. Ethnographies, at best, distort reality and carry significant political implications.

The Crisis of Anthropological Objectivity

Critiques of postmodernism arise when anthropology, which assumed it was an objective scientific truth, is revealed instead to be a product of power.

What is Left of Anthropology?

If all writing is nothing more than interpretations of interpretations, then ethnography risks being viewed as fiction. The conclusion drawn by some is that Anthropology is merely a representational

1. Grice’s Cooperative Principle: Flouting Maxims

Dialogue:

• A: Do you know where Mike is?
• B: There is a yellow BMW (Pragmatic presupposition: Mike owns a yellow BMW) outside Sue’s house. (Implicature: Mike is at Sue’s house).

This dialogue exemplifies the flouting of maxims. Flouting occurs when a speaker intends to communicate despite an apparent lack of cooperation. The speaker assumes the listener will use context to grasp the additional information intended beyond the literal utterance.

2. Analyzing Misunderstandings

Dialogue:

• A: I’d have some coffee, Daphne... Daphne?
• B: Er, Daph, this is Joe de Carlo. Joe, this is Daphne, she helps me here.
• C: Smells great. Colombian?
• D: (Laughs) No, English. (Realizes). The coffee is Costa Rican.
• C: Thanks.

Introduction

In the early 2000s, the mantra of the television future was"whatever show you want, whenever you want, on whatever screen you want" However, the predicted death of television never came to pass. Instead, the industry has undergone a profound transformation, driven by new technologies and changing consumer habits.

The Rise of Digital Video

The advent of digital video recorders (DVRs) and streaming services has given viewers more control over their viewing experience. They can now circumvent scheduling constraints and commercials, and watch their favorite shows on demand.

The Fragmentation of Audiences

As a result of these changes, television has become increasingly individualized. Viewers are no longer bound to the same schedules and... Continue reading "The Evolution of Television: From Mass Medium to Fragmented Audiences" »

Representations of Social Groups in Media

Constructing Meaning Through Visual and Technical Codes

Representations in media involve how producers portray social groups using visual and technical codes. These codes reveal the producer's intended ideology. Stuart Hall suggests that representations are formed through the repetition and remixing of media trends. Ethnic representation, in particular, manifests diversely in media, influenced by social, cultural, and historical contexts. This essay explores how producers represent ethnic minorities in Beyoncé's 2016 music video "Formation" and the 2017 Guinness television advertisement "Compton Cowboys," highlighting the contrasting ideologies presented.

Beyoncé's "Formation": Subverting the "Black"

Understanding Realism in Literature

The novel is distinguished by its formal realism: it is stocked with people and places that seem real or evoke the real world.

The Role of Unrealistic Elements

Parody and satire are often unrealistic, but they can cause us to see our everyday world very differently. Sometimes, that which distorts what the real world is like may actually lead us to see it more accurately.

Key Perspectives on Realism

• Georg Lukács: He argued that the classic realistic novel of the 19th century was the pinnacle of the novel's artistic achievement, and a decline took place from that point on.
• Bertolt Brecht: The German dramatist believed we must not derive realism from particular existing works. For him, realism is not a question of

Querying Database Metadata

To begin, we search for existing tables and columns within the database schema using the following queries:

SELECT * FROM all_tables WHERE table_name LIKE 'ALUMNO%';
SELECT * FROM ALL_TAB_COLUMNS WHERE table_name = 'ALUMNOS4';

Creating and Describing the Ejemplo Table

We drop the existing table and recreate it with specific data types, default values, and a primary key:

DROP TABLE ejemplo;

CREATE TABLE ejemplo (
  col1 NUMBER(6) DEFAULT '0',
  col2 DATE,
  col3 CHAR(1) CHECK (col3 IN ('H','M')),
  PRIMARY KEY (col1)
);

To verify the structure, we can use the following commands:

SELECT * FROM all_tables WHERE table_name = 'EJEMPLO';
SELECT * FROM All_tab_COLUMNS WHERE table_name = 'EJEMPLO';
DESCRIBE EJEMPLO;
DESCRIBE ejemplo;

School Uniforms

Description of an Advert

Book Review

Hobby

Indigenous Art and Architecture of Pre-Hispanic Venezuela

Beginnings

Before the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous peoples in Venezuela possessed complex social organizations. Their development spanned from the Neolithic period to the Age of Metals, characterized by distinct property maintenance and traditional customs.

Plastic Expressions

Petroglyphs, cave paintings, and ceramics reveal that pre-Hispanic Venezuelan art was primarily functional, serving religious or funerary purposes rather than purely aesthetic goals.

Ceramics

The ceramics of our ancestors display extraordinary beauty and imagination. Archaeological findings are categorized into series based on stylistic similarities:

Valencoide Series

Found in the Lake Valencia watershed, these figures... Continue reading "Indigenous Art and Architecture of Pre-Hispanic Venezuela" »

Understanding Aestheticism: Origins and Core Message

The term "Aestheticism" derives from the Greek word aisthesis, meaning "perception through the senses." This focus on sensory experience was also central to Romantic culture. Indeed, the movement has its roots in Romanticism, but it also signifies a distinct turn. Now, the artist, or more specifically the aesthete, must not only feel sensations but actively live them in their own life. The core message of Aestheticism is often summarized as "Living for beauty!"

The Aesthete and the Poète Maudit: Rebels Against Society

The figure of the aesthete presents some correspondences with the French figure of the "poète maudit" (cursed poet), who rejects all societal values and conventions. The poète... Continue reading "Aestheticism: Art for Art's Sake, Rebellion, and Dandyism" »