Abstract The paper begins by analyzing the meaning of gods and sacredness in the Hindu tradition, then it introduces the character of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It discusses his use of flute music to seduce gopis (lit., "herds-women"), and analyzes the character of gopis (Krishna's female devotees) for what they say about women's sexuality in the Hindu tradition. The paper presents various stories from Hindu literature many focusing on Krishna and his favorite gopi Radha, and analyzes the different states of emotion and sensuality described in that literature, defining and explaining Hindi terms. The paper briefly reviews modern Krishna worship, too. In conclusion, the paper finds that this loving side of Krishna was merely one more extension of his warlike nature - a means to destroy the wicked.
From the Paper "Over the past twenty years, Hindu Gods have become something of a cottage industry in the West. Ranging from detailed anthropological treatments of regional traditions, to critical translations of fundamental sources on the Goddess, to text-based overviews of the history of Goddess cults, these studies have done much to compensate for a prior penury of scholarship concerning the distaff side of the Hindu pantheon.
"Maria Powers (1980) has argued, the contemporary analysis of the rites, rituals, and beliefs of a non-Western society often has a Western cultural bias. However, an explanation based on Western presuppositions does not provide us with a correct analysis. The conceptual framework, social constructs, necessitating interpersonal relations, and roads for spiritual fulfillment of a non-Western society differ strikingly from those of a Western society."
Abstract The Internet is one of the fastest growing methods of communications, used for a variety of reasons. The paper shows that wiith the increased growth of internet communication, people find that the Internet is also a way to meet and socialize with new people. This is often done through chat rooms which have many advantages and disadvantages. The paper examines this new type of social interaction by exploring the pros and cons. It shows that people are attracted to this form of communication as it allows them to play with power, anonymity and different identities. The flip side, however, is that this behavior can become addictive.
From the Paper "Because people can remain anonymous in a virtual world they can also feel free to explore with different types of their identity. You can alter your style of being just slightly different or indulge in wild experiments with your identity by changing your age, history, personality, physical appearance, and even your gender. According to the Nua Internet Surveys (2002), the number of women on the Internet is growing fast. However, the majority of the people that participate in virtual worlds such as The Palace are men. When you go through the rooms in The Palace you will notice a lot of feminine dolls. This could be because many men feel free (because of anonymity) to be female.
Gender swapping appears to be commonplace in the virtual world (Suler, 2002). In The Palace, I found more males switching gender than females. This may be because it may be difficult for some men to explore within themselves what society labels as "feminine" characteristics. These males may rely on the anonymity of the Internet to express their "feminine" side, which they feel they must otherwise hide."
