The two works of art chosen for this exercise are – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Pablo Picasso’s Seated Woman (Marie Therese). Both these works are masterpieces of visual art and exemplify the defining features of their respective movements. What is common between them is that they are both portraits of women. But the…
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A critical appraisal of a performance by Chanticleer: Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria
Chanticleer is a San Francisco based male classical vocal ensemble. The group has acquired an ardent fan following due to the fact that their music serves as a communion with God at a time when mainstream popular music is becoming more sexualized and violent. The group has been in existence since 1978 and have given…
The psychosocial changes incurred during adolescence
Adolescence is a key developmental stage in an individual’s life. It encompasses substantial changes physiologically, cognitively and socio-emotionally. Adolescence begins with the onset of puberty between 11-13 years and continues till the end of teenage years. Recent scientific evidence suggests that while physical growth stops in late teens, the cognitive development goes up to and…
How are radical transformations in perception and practice of homosexuality impacting Middle East society?
Introduction: Each of the four articles in question discusses an aspect of homosexuality in the Middle East. Despite the region being largely Islamic, with its attendant conservative sexual codes, queer sexuality is being expressed in unprecedented ways. Israel, Iran, Morocco and Lebanon are the focus of the four articles. Each of these countries has had…
Social Intelligence Research: Q & A
For the last several weeks, we have been studying the impact of professional presence. What are you learning about your own professional presence? What aspects of your own professional presence do you consider strengths? What aspects of your professional presence are developing through your course of study? What are your desired outcomes for further development…
Against Marx and Engels’ criticism of private ownership
One of the cornerstones of Marxist economic theory is the abolition of private property and in its stead have common communal rights. This is a noble and idealistic idea but one suffering from lack of applicability. It has been proven true on many occasions that people are motivated to work hard when they are offered…
Conflicts between the communities of Maycomb in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
To Kill a Mockingbird, first published in 1960, is an enduring masterpiece of American literature. Written by Harper Lee (for whom this was the first and last novel), the story speaks of a young girl’s (Scout Finch) love and support for her father and brother in the backdrop of the Great Depression. This was a…
Limits of Human Knowledge and Experience
The philosophical sub stream of epistemology concerns itself with questions surrounding the modes, methods and capacities of human knowledge acquisition. It is a very complicated subject with a lot of debate and disagreement among scholars. There are those like John Horgan, who envision the decline of scientific scrutiny into these questions. They contend that the…
The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
The poem The Lady of Shalott, arranged in four parts, talks about the inner dilemmas and conflicts that an artist faces constantly. The rewards of resolutely focusing on the artistic world are at times insufficient to compensate for the emptiness experienced in the artist’s personal life. Through the example of the Lady of Shalott and…
Defense Spending and the Military-Industrial Complex
Dwight Eisenhower’s warnings about the Military-Industrial Complex have proved prophetic in the years since. Addressing the nation on occasion of his tenure’s closure, he reminded Americans about the threat to democratic policy-making posed by this corrupt nexus. Levin-Waldman’s concept of the ‘iron triangle’ closely aligns with Eisenhower’s understanding. Indeed, the former President had to strike…