Chinese Elements Embodied In Hollywood Films Cultural Studies Essay

Chinese Elements Embodied In Hollywood Films Cultural Studies Essay Abstract: Under the circumstance of the cultural globalization1; the movie ,as a way of media , has become the quick-launched bridge between the two sides in international cultural communication. The Hollywood cartoon movie-Kung Fu Panda2 ,a action comedy movie entitled with Chinese Kung Fu , shows the world the charm of Chinese culture. In the angle of cultural globalization, this essay forms a conclusion of the revelations people can get by demonstrating the details of Chinese elements and culture embodied in the film Kung Fu Panda. Key words: cultural globalization, Chinese culture and elements , Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda is another cartoon film based upon the Chinese culture after the movie Mu Lan that draws people s attention to the Chinese traditional culture . Of course ,people can see the Chinese elements obviously from the name of this movie-Kung Fu Panda. Kung Fu and panda, the two words are too meaningful although they are simple enough nearly known by everybody. At first , Kung Fu is the quintessence of Chinese culture; and the panda is the national precious treasure of China . When they are combined together as Kung Fu Panda is already attractive enough to draw the peoples curiosity. During the live show of this movie in the world , it has stirred a strong trend of learning Chinese culture in the whole world. The movie tells a story of a fat lazy giant panda that transforms himself into a great a great Kung Fu master a Dragon Warrior. This dragon warrior was raised by a duck , and coached by a great Kung Fu master , WuGui ( a turtle). Although he lives a ordinary peoples life , he has achieved a great dream by saving the Peace Valley from the evil villainous snow leopard-Tai Lung. In the ancient China , a normal panda , Po, ultimately becomes a hero with his strong will and unwavering faith-A real warrior never quits. In this film , we can see lot of Chinese cultural elements everywhere. At first , what draws peoples attention tightly is that the distinctive animal panda .Although the panda , Po , in this film is a clumsy, naÃÆ' ¯ve and fat a animal .But beyond that, we can see the determined and faithful qualities as well .The film maker makes the panda , Po, a Kung Fu lover who is always dreaming to be a warrior. The idea of letting a giant panda become a Dragon Warrior allows audience to give free rein to their imagination ,which tightly hold audiences attention. As a ambassador , the panda make s people in other countries more interested in China and Chinese cultures. Like the movie which is called Kung Fu Dream , the Chinese Kung Fu in this film is also a typical symbol of Chinese culture .The Chinese Kung Fu is said to be the most great point that push so many people at home and abroad to see Kung Fu Panda in cinemas. Undoubtedly, since Li Xiaolong, the first person who introduced the Chinese Kung Fu to the people in the world on screen many years ago , more and more people have been keen on the magic Wu Shu . In the movie , we can see all kings of Kung Fu , such as Tai Chi, the five elements boxing, 12-shaped boxing, etc. Although it is a cartoon movie , the scenes in the cartoon film also show the Chinese Elements. All the props , sceneries and architectures in the film are designed carefully in Chinese style. Firstly , the scenes in the cartoon film visually look like the Chinese Monochromes. Besides, the mountains ,rivers , ancient temples and houses altogether with all the other beautiful natural sceneries somehow remind the audience of the image of ancient China. There is no doubt that the music is the Chinese element that go through the whole movie. What comes first is the opening song -Hero, and then comes the sound of gongs played by Qiang Di and wooden flute with graceful and restrained voice, all these things send out a strong feeling of Oriental charm. The lively sound of Gu qin and XianZi , connected by a small section of the solo sound of the Duduk , makes people feel like listening to the Chinese classical music. Although all these songs are sung in English , yet people can also sense the Chinese style in the music. In spite of the whole story of the panda and how he defeat the evil, the Chinese philosophical thinking is also embodied in some sentences. In this film, the directors implicate Chinese philosophical thoughts in some simple lines . For instance, the master Wu Gui in the film is a wise man. One of the most famous words given by master Wu Gui is that Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; but today is a gift. That is why we call it the present. The word present has two meanings-gift and at present. Here, the words are wisely used to tell a smart truth. In the movie , enlightened by the dragon scroll, the panda -Po also finally understand that he has to be his own hero. Once someone is empowered to achieve anything he wants, he has to set his mind on it so as to achieve his goals. Also, there are still many other Chinese cultural elements which are embodied in the film. For example, the Chinese relationships between the apprentices and masters in the Kung Fu Panda. Above all , Kung Fu Panda is embodied with the typical Chinese culture which is made up of a lot of things such as Chinese peoples diets , Chinese peoples lifestyles ,Chinese traditional medicines and so on .What people can learn from this phenomenon? And why the Kung Fu Panda isnt made in China ? Cultural globalization is happening in todays world. As the cultural globalization spreads all over the world inevitably fast, nations are confronted with the clashes. When you are walking in the streets ,you can find the KFC and the McDonalds restaurants at almost every corner of the street in most of the modern cities in China. You can also see the Starbuck located at the bottom of many office buildings in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing in China. We can find some of foreign movie actresses wearing the Chinese-style dress and actors wearing Chinese Tang suit to attend the important meetings. To some extent , the Chinese festivals, food, music and art are also affecting the world. Therefore, it is not surprised at all for us to find a Hollywood Kung Fu Panda .Through the Kung Fu Panda, the Hollywood DreamWorks successfully opened the biggest market with endless business opportunity. Today ,cultural globalization provides people a stage to present our Chinese culture to the whol e world. As we all know, there are so many Confucius Institutes in many countries where foreigners are learning Chinese culture, Chinese language and Chinese custom well. From this point of view , it can be seen that the cultural globalization is an inevitable trend. Acting rationally towards intercultural communication is the only correct attitude towards cultural globalization. In the era of the rapid spread of cultural globalization, the development of national culture more and more relies on other countries and the promotion of the other countries cultures .Thus we Chinese people should not only inherit our ancestors valuable fortune-Chinese culture, but also make it known to the people in the world. Notes: Cultural Globalization  refers to the transmission of ideas, meanings and values across national borders. Through the process of sharing the ideas and values of one culture to another ultimately leads to an interconnectedness between various populations from diverse cultures. Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Wayne Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb. Set in a version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic talking animals, the plot revolves around a bumbling panda named Po who aspires to be a kung fu master. When an evil kung fu warrior is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to bring peace to the land, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors.

Reflection on Beauty Practices

Beauty has been defined in many ways. In some cultures beauty is everything, its what makes them who they are and in some cases represents where they come from. For example in America white teeth and pink gums are desired to fulfill a beautiful smile; however the women of Senegal and the Philippines believe this is not true. To beautify their smiles, Senegalese tattoos their gums black, and the women of the B’laan tribe file and blacken their teeth. These women also convinced themselves that they are not only beautifying their smiles, however they are also maintaining dental hygiene.Some cultures are willing to go through pain to fulfill their idea of beauty. For example the women of china bound their feet to be more desirable to men. This process was extremely painful, their toenails were cut very short and their toes were curled under the sole of their feet until they were broken. This procedure limited women in their daily tasks. Tattooing of the gums in Senegal is also an extremely painful procedure. In order to achieve black gums one must go through excruciating pain, needles are repeatedly inserted in a rapid pace with black ink.About seven layers are ideal to achieve this desired look. Viewing these videos has giving me a better understanding of beauty in different cultures, and even though beauty is mostly shown on the outside it can also have a huge mental affect on people. I have also learned that cultural beauty tactics that has been passed down from generation to generation can also come to an end at times. It can be rather upsetting to the older generation, however it cannot be avoided, for generation can also change with time.

Interpersonal and Effective Communication Essay

P.1 – Produce a guidance document explaining the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in a health and social care context for a new member of staff (using a hospital or care home setting) to include: Communication: text messaging, written, oral, signing, technology. Interpersonal interaction: language, non-verbal (choose 2 issues under each heading from unit specification page 3). Effective communication The role of effective communication is important in any work setting especially in any health care setting. Effective communication is when someone is getting a message across or explaining a topic fully with using the least information possible it is when information is transmitted accurately and simply such as in a hospital or care home information that any staff needs to know will be given to them in the easiest and simplest form possible. Communication although is not effective if the person you are giving the information to is not listening. Effective communication can be between colleagues or professionals and people using the services. There are many different forms of communication these include; †¢text messaging †¢written †¢Oral/verbal †¢ signing †¢ symbols †¢ touch †¢ music and drama †¢ arts and crafts †¢ Technology Text messaging This is done on an everyday basis this is done on devices such as mobile phones and computers. The messages are sent through a large ariel in space. Such as in a care home or nursery school the staff would sometimes keep in contact through text messages this is good for when they are out of work and can’t speak to each other. Written There are many different forms of written communication. Most of our communication is in written form. We have newspapers that tell us what’s happening round the world daily, also we have books about everything under the sun and we have magazines and leaflets that give information on health topics such as pregnancy, diabetes, care etc. Within in any health care setting this is important and comes into play in recording medical treatments or medicines, instructions on treatment and medication and also agreements between two people. Signing This is a way of communicating for those who are deaf they use their hands to speak. There is an official British sign language. This would come into health care frequently and in hospitals and care homes there should always be someone that knows this in case of a patient who is deaf. There are different contexts of communication these include; One to one this is one individual communicating to another individual such as in a conversation or email or instant messaging. This can occur on an everyday basis in any health care setting such as one nurse speaking to another nurse about a patient. Group This is when more than two people are communicating with each other this can range from 3 to any number such as a class lecture consisting of about 60 people. Group communication is effective as it sends the same information to the entire group at the same time. This can happen in a health care setting such as a care home when they have staff meetings. Formal This is when people use rules of language in either written or verbal communication such as in a letter from your doctor or either when you have an interview for a job. Formal communication comes into every health and social care setting such as when you’re in hospital and the doctor comes around to see you he would use formal language. Informal This is a more laid back type of communication such as if you were talking to your family or friends you don’t have to use rule of language and this can be present in some health and social care settings such as a social worker or key worker that you have known for perhaps a long time you would then be more comfortable with them and your language would be more laidback rather than formal. There are a few factors and skill that help in effective communication these include; †¢eye contact and visible mouth †¢body language †¢asking some questions †¢checking for understanding †¢silence †¢encouragement to continue †¢smiling face †¢summarising what has been said Interpersonal interaction Interpersonal interaction is the way in which we communicate and interact with each other. To have efficient communication skill in a health and social care setting is vital in helping building relationships with clients, to provide and receive information, understand and meet the needs of clients and to report on work done with clients. There are two type of interpersonal interaction these are language and non-verbal. Language Language consists of every day communication we use this on a day to day basis. There are many different types of language such as Spanish French German etc. and everybody has a first language even if they know a few our first language would be English. In a hospital there can be many people that come in on a day to day basis that don’t speak English but this can prove a barrier to communicating with that person. In most hospitals and care settings there would be a few nurses and doctors that would speak more than one language and if not an interpreter may have to be brought in. Dialect also comes under language this is the way certain people from certain places or cities speak such as wales would have a welsh dialect and England has an English dialect. This can happen in any care setting such as a care home when residents could be from different places and speak different ways the carers may not understand them as much but after a period of time they may get to know their dialect. Jargon would also come under language this is basically just a manner of talking that is very difficult to understand or even sometimes senseless. And slang would be another form of language this is very similar to dialect and is based on word people say that are not in the dictionary but a lot may know the meaning certain towns and places would have their own slang such as Derry city is well known for its slang. In a hospital if someone came in that was injured and they only talk in slang it can be very hard for the person treating them to understand although he person doing it may not even realise. We use speech everyday although some people cannot do this there are alternative ways for them to communicate with others such as picture cards for the deaf these would be cards that contain pictures on them of everyday things so that someone who cannot speak tell someone what they want or need or for someone who cannot hear so that the person communicating with them can tell them what they’re saying this would come into health care settings such as therapy like speech therapy there would be picture cards for children who cannot talk to communicate also there is electronic devices such as Light writers are small, robust, portable voice output communication aids (VOCA) specially designed to meet the particular and changing needs of people with speech loss resulting from a wide range of acquired, progressive and congenital conditions. Non-verbal Non-verbal is the way in which we interact and communicate with each other without speaking this can be in many different ways and we can do this without even knowing. These include posture that can portray to someone if you are interested of not if someone is talking to you and you’re sitting slouched and sloppy they may believe you’re not interested in what you’re saying. Facial expression can tell a person a lot such as if someone tells you something that is very surprising you would open your mouth and maybe gasp this shows the person that you are shocked without having to speak there are a number of different facial expressions for many different feelings such as happy sad angry scared etc. Reflective listening is another form such as if someone was telling you something and you are listening intensively then they know that you have got the message and that you are interested without having to ask you. Proximities is different things people need when communicating with someone such as your own personal space The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, situational factors, personality characteristics and level of familiarity. For example, the amount of personal space needed when having a casual conversation with another person usually varies between 18 inches to four feet. All these non-verbal methods communication are used in any health and social care settings on an everyday basis such as I a hospital when a consultant has to talk to someone they would use their non-verbal communication along with verbal by having good posture when talking to the person having a low voice if giving the person bad news and would also use facial expressions when the patient is talking to them to maybe let them know they understand what they’re saying.

The Cuban Missile Crisis Essay - 1292 Words

In 1962 nuclear war seemed inevitable to the world, it was the first time nuclear war was hanging on a thread. The Cuban Missile Crisis presented a threat to the world, in which the USSR planted nuclear missiles on Cuba. America’s response was to threaten launching nuclear missiles at the Russians. This incident launched the world into a new time, which presented nuclear weapons as a source of power. The incident of the Cuban Missile Crisis still connects with us today because the power nuclear weapons present, which provides incentives for countries to want them. Although nuclear technology was around prior to this incident, the power they represented didn’t fully develop till this time. Since the crisis five new countries have†¦show more content†¦The reason this stance can and is sometimes taken is because the entire crisis began with nuclear weapons and nearly ended everything with them as well. America placed Jupiter Missiles with nuclear capabilities in Turkey and Italy, as part of NATO’s cold war deterrent against the soviets. This is what many people say started the tensions, we placed Nukes at their doorstep, thusly Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier feared the imbalance of power would prompt America to strike first. While this psychological fear of Khrushchevs is a piece to the puzzle, many other things factor into the eventual crisis. The economic dealings between the Soviets and Cuba, already gave Khrushchev a footing near America in which he could fix the imbalance of power. But the only reason the USSR and Cuba began dealing with each other is because America cut off 80% of its exports, creating economic tensions in Cuba. While those are 2 places people point the blame for the start of the crisis, a final nail in the coffin could also be blamed. The political ideology John F. Kennedy which feared the spreading of nuclear technology to new nations; he did claim that the U.S. lagged behind the Soviets in nuclear capabilities during his campaign. JFK knew as well as Khrushchev did that this was false, but the general thought could only procure more reason for Khrushchev to plant missiles near America. If America believed they lagged behindShow MoreRelatedThe Cuban Missile Crisis1149 Words   |  5 Pagescausing a civil war. Both the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War illustrate the United States atte mpt to combat communism. The Cuban Missile Crisis in the prevention of a nuclear war. Whereas the Vietnam War ultimately curtailed the spread of communism. (CMC) During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S was trying to prevent a nuclear war, and attempting to contain the hostility between the U.S and the Soviet Union. In 1962, an American U2 plane spotted a Russian missile site being built with shortRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis1188 Words   |  5 Pageseven know. Topic Sentence: The Cuban missile was a crazy time. It happened some fifty years ago when John F. Kennedy was president. It was when one of U.S. spy plane caught Soviet Union trying to sneak some nuclear missiles into Cuba that was ninety miles off the United States’ coast. Soon enough president Kennedy had to talk to one of their leaders about what are they doing with the missiles and if they do not remove it there will be a war. The Cuban missile crisis happened during the Cold War betweenRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis1495 Words   |  6 PagesKennedy was made aware of Soviet missiles in Cuba. This was the testing ground, the closest the world has ever been to nuclear war, the Cuban Missile Crisis, 16-28 October, 1962. The future for millions of lives depended upon the ability of United States President John F. Kennedy and Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev to reach an agreement in which both did not lose face, and more importantly, the world survived. The events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, as explained by Sheldon M. SternRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis Essay2455 Words   |  10 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis bought the world closer to extinction than ever before. It was through the decisive actions of newly elected president John F Kennedy and then premier of the USSR Nikita Khrushchev that the confrontation did not escalate into all out nuclear war. The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for 13 days, it was predicated on the fact that the Soviet Union was placing intercontinental ballistic missiles on the island country of Cuba which is just off the coast of the United States nearRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis1016 Words   |  4 Pages Events leading up to this potential catastrophic war was the Cuban Revolution, the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, US anti-communism, insecurity of the Soviet Union, and Cubas fear of invasion. Thankfully, the conflict was avoided due to great cooperation from both President J ohn F. Kennedy of the United States and Soviet Union leader, Nikita Khrushchev. Each decision made by each leader was vital in the outcome of The Crisis. Kennedys choice to take action by methods of quarantine insteadRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis2013 Words   |  9 PagesInvestigation The purpose of this investigation is to establish the extent to which there was a victor at the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. This investigation will evaluate the position of both Khrushchev and Kennedy after the crisis in order to draw the victor. Looking into the intentions and goals of USA and the USSR leading up to, during, and recently after the crisis to determine the true victor, in between the years 1959 and 1979. Sources that will be used in this investigation includeRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis2100 Words   |  9 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban missile crisis was the most dangerous of the Cold War, but it still involves the two main superpower enemies; Russia and America, only this time Cuba got involved too. The Cold War happened because Read MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis5937 Words   |  24 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis The world was at the edge of a third world war. This was the result of a variety of things: the Cuban Revolution, the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, US anti-communism, insecurity of the Soviet Union, and Cubas fear of invasion all made causes for war. However, war was not the result due to great cooperation from both President Kennedy and President Khrushchev and each of the decisions made by the leaders was crucial in the outcome of The Crisis. Kennedys choiceRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis Essay3251 Words   |  14 Pageswar. Looking back now, I realize the Cuban Missile Crisis was an extreme pivotal moment in the Cold War. 6 months ago my own country, the United States of America, had never been so close to Armageddon with the Soviet Union. On October 16th, 1962 I was informed that the CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Centre had reviewed findings from U-2 aircraft photographs and had identified objects that were soon to be interpreted as medium range ballistic missiles. The U-2 flight, piloted by MajorRead MoreCuban Missile Crisis Essay1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day political and military deadlock in 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union. It appeared that the Soviet Union was installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, and it was the closest the United States has ever came to a nuclear war. Using the movie, 13 Days, the Cuban Missile Crisis is explained and compared to the actual event. The crisis was led to by the Cold War. The Cold War was a period between 1947 and 1991 of geopolitical tension between the corrupted