Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the topic of the Tokugawa period in Japanese history. Specifically, the paper examines life as a member of the craftsman class during this period and answers some questions regarding life and the culture of the time. The paper explains that the craftsmen of the Tokugawa period were certainly not the highest caste in Japanese society, but they enjoyed some respect, especially those who were skilled craftsmen, such as carpenters or blacksmiths.
From the Paper "My life as a craftsman in Japan during the Tokugawa period is difficult, but certainly much better than some of the other citizens of Japan during the time. We are seen as the third and forth levels of Japanese society, with the fourth level being the merchants, but we are often quite similar to the merchants, and some people might find it difficult to tell us apart in our lives and works. One reason for this is because many craftsmen, in order to ply their trades, actually begin working for merchant houses, rather than working for themselves, and so, the merchant and the craftsman often blend. However, I instead ply my trade for myself, I do not work for a merchant directly. I am a blacksmith, and I make fine, sharp swords. Much of my work goes to the castle of my feudal lord the "daimyo," but much also goes to the rich residents of my town, for my swords are popular and well made."
Abstract This paper discusses the pros and cons of vocational education training in the U.S. and how it can be seriously jeopardized by state and local cut-backs.
From the Paper "Vocational education is most often part of state and local cut-backs. "It is also worth noting that in 1965 the voters in St. Louis County passed a tax levy to provide 10 cents per $100 in assessed valuation for vocational education. Today, almost 30 years later, the district still uses only about 11 cents of its levy to provide vocational education" (Wolfrum, 1995). The decline of student enrollments in vocational education over the last 10 years is not limited to the St. Louis area. It seems to be a national trend due largely in part to the perception that a college education is necessary and that vocational students do not need further education (Wolfrum 1995). "
Tags: college, craftsmen, community, colleges, technical, institute
Abstract This paper looks at the impact of the Black Death and subsequent epidemics on the conditions of labourers, craftsmen and other peasants in late 14th century England. It examines how the Black Death meant a great deal of change for the peasant and labourer populations of England. It discusses how as well as increasing existing trends such as the leasing off of lords' lands. The plague had many effects in which the labourers and peasantry challenged the existing elites through issues such as increased wage demands and a widespread questioning of the power held by the Church.
From the Paper "Trends among the conditions of the peasantry that are often attributed to the plague include an increase in the cost of labour that resulted in many landlords renting out their land for others to cultivate it rather than employing peasants to work on the land. Although, after the Plague it is clear that the number of peasants renting land from their lords increased, Myers suggests that Lords had began leasing demesnes before the black death because of an economic depression. Before the Black Death the growth of the population put a strain on resources and there was a slump in the economy. The Landlords increased the labour obligations of peasants in an effort to increase production."
Tags: disease, medieval, plague, lords, church, land
Abstract In this paper the author examines the four conditions that brought about the Renaissance in Italy: geographic location; the rise of Christianity and humanism; the existence of artisan and craftsmen's guilds; the patronage of wealthy nobles and the Papacy. The paper concludes with the idea that the Renaissance began in Italy because at that time and in that place there existed an assortment of conditions that fostered creative thinking, valued the output of genius and rewarded it with money, fame and opportunity.
From the Paper "One element of the Renaissance is the individual genius of the individual. Great thinkers produced vigorous debate on philosophical issues. The advances made during the period in the fields of science and mathematics were on a par with the most visual artistic achievements of the time. The works of Michelangelo and da Vinci and others remain unmatched by anything in the field of art today. Although the existence of genius may be circumstantial, the existence of so many creative geniuses in one place at one time must be linked to factors that were common to all of them."
Abstract In the twenty-first century, Luddism is most often interpreted as the opposition to technology. However, during the time of the Industrial Revolution, the Luddites were a select group of craftsmen who opposed the approach of the modern era through the destruction of the new textile machinery being developed at the time. This paper looks at what kind of impact the Luddites had during the Industrial Revolution and whether their beliefs had any effect on the way that technology manifested itself. Additionally, the paper considers whether Luddism has any effect today. The paper suggests that a review of the literature indicates that Luddites did indeed have an effect at the time and that this influence continues today.
Abstract This paper is based around characters that are featured in Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The paper first relates that, amid this complicated play, there is the tale of the six mechanicals or craftsmen. The paper then explains how Shakespeare differentiates between them and the other members of his play by use of different language and style.
From the Paper "The mechanics have retreated to the woods outside Athens to rehearse the play that they intend to present at the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. The play is the classical story of Pyramus and Thisbe. These were two young lovers, living in houses that shared a common wall, whose parents had forbidden them to marry. Their only means of communication was through a crack in the wall of their adjoining houses. Eventually, they were unable to stand separation any longer, and agreed to elope, meeting in the nearby woods. On the appointed night, and taking advantage of the darkness, they slipped out of their respective houses. Thisbe arrived first at the appointed place by a mulberry tree, to find a lioness, her mouth bloody from a recent kill. Terrified, Thisbe fled, dropping her veil as she ran. The lioness then mauled the veil, leaving it torn and covered with blood. Coming on the scene and finding only the torn bloody veil, Pyramus assumed that the lioness had killed Thisbe. In his wild grief, he stabbed himself. Thisbe, emerging safe from her hiding place, and finding Pyramus dead, killed herself. In commemoration of this tragedy, the mulberry tree beside which the lovers took their lives now bears purple berries, instead of the white it had originally grown. (Rivers)"
Abstract The paper identifies some of the various occupational guilds that formed a part of Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century English world. The paper shows how occupational guilds were a pervasive part of fourteenth century English life and a significant, if not all-encompassing, part of the lives of their members.
From the Paper "In Chaucer's The Prologue to "The Canterbury Tales," the reader is introduced to a haberdasher, a carpenter, carpet-maker, weaver and to a dyer. These were presumably all very important trades during Chaucer's time, but they were also only a few of the occupations that had guilds during the period. For instance, merchant guilds were quite common in Chaucer's England. By all accounts, these guilds were predominantly organizations comprised of merchants involved in long-distance commerce as well as in local wholesale trade. As well, Gary Richardson of the University of California at Irvine reports that there is at least the suggestion that many of these merchants were also businessmen engaged in the retail selling of commodity goods in their home cities as well as in the distant, exotic locales wherein they were permitted the right to set up shop. Interestingly, it appears as though the merchant guilds of pre-modern England were mostly devoted to trade. However, the most powerful among them could actually establish colonies in foreign cities and even become inextricably involved in local politics - at least in their home towns (Richardson, para.5)."
Abstract The paper states that the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk, or "total integrated work of art," was developed by Richard Wagner to describe what he was trying to do with his opera - that is, to blend all of the arts together into a single, unified whole. The paper comments that artists belonging to the Wiener Werkstatte, inspired by the concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk, took this concept as their ultimate artistic goal. While in the end, due largely to funding problems, the Wiener Werkstatte failed, it nonetheless left an indelible mark on the artistic accomplishments of the Weimar era in Central Europe. Following on, the paper discusses the accomplishments, and shortcomings, of the artists and craftsmen of the Wiener Werkstatte to determine to what extent they were associated with this movement in order to attain the heights of the Gesamtkunstwerk.
Outline:
The Beginnings of the Wiener Werkstatte
Aesthetic Tendencies within the Werkstatte
Major Architectural Achievements of the Wiener Werkstatte
Purkersdorf Sanatorium
Palais Stoclet
Villa Ast
Villa Skywa-Primavesi
Sonja Knips House
Fashion and Product Design
Politics and Aesthetics: The Wiener Werkstatte in the Weimar Republic
Decline and fall of the Wiener Werkstatte
From the Paper "Founded by Josef Hoffman, Koloman Moser and Fritz Warndorfer, the concept of the Wiener Werkstatte is said to have originated in coffeehouse discussions amongst the three protagonists. As early as 1899, a groundwork or blueprint had been laid. The foundation of the Wiener Werkstatte called for a unity between art and craftsmanship, suggesting a series of workshops in which artists and craftsmen alike can work as well as learn from each other; thus the original idea of the Wiener Werkstatte was artistic as well as pedagogical."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that Greek art and its relationship with the modern world cannot be stressed enough, for it could be said that ancient Greece and even the modern Greek nation would be unrecognizable if it was not for Greek art, which over the last two thousand years has come to symbolize Greek culture. The writer points out that several examples stand out like the Jefferson Memorial and the US Capital, both designed by adopting the architectural styles of the ancient Greeks. The writer notes that the role of the city of Athens is also highly important, especially related to the Parthenon, as is the literature created by a number of Greek writers. The writer maintains that in essence, without the genius of the ancient Greeks, the physicality of our modern world would not be the same.
Outline:
Abstract
Greek Art: Historical and Cultural Influences
From the Paper "Of course, the history of ancient Greek art is inseparable from the city of Athens, where our modern principles of democracy emerged around 400 B.C.E. and which has become the penultimate symbol of Greek culture, especially related to the Parthenon atop the Acropolis which still stands today as the quintessential icon of ancient Greek architecture. It was here in Athens that some of the finest products of Greek civilization were created by Athenians, such as Phidias, one of the greatest sculptors of all time and responsible for the creation and overall design of the Parthenon.
"Also, modern-day Western society and the nation of Greece owe much to the writers who created the great Greek tragic plays, such as Aeschylus and Sophocles whose plays were ... "
Abstract This paper examines how "A Midsummer Night's Dream" brings together four stories, each of which skillfully intertwines with and reflects the others. It discusses how although the play is mainly concerned with the Athenian lovers, it is obvious that the subplot of the fairies has the most important role in the play. The paper looks at how each plot affects the other in a way and how it is a play of doubles with the fairies drawn as a contrast with the young lovers and the craftsmen. The paper also analyzes Shakespeare's "play within a play" technique and how it gives an approach to the dreamy nature of the play as well as providing an analysis of the main characters.
From the Paper "As with most of Shakespeare's plays, Act II of A Midsummer Night's Dream brings further plot complications, this time in the woods outside of Athens - where Hermia and Lysander and the mechanicals are scheduled to meet. The first scene portrays the problems of the fairy world ruled by Titania and Oberon. Thus, the intertwining of the subplots of the fairies and that of authority - Theseus and Hippolyta - initially occurs when the audiences learn that Oberon, the king of the fairies, is jealous of Titania, the queen of the fairies, since he thinks his wife is in love with the duke of Athens, and that the same situation is with Titania who is jealous of Oberon since she thinks he is in love with Hippolyta. Moreover, when Titania insists that she has the page, Oberon gets angry. "
