The Culture And Cricket Media Essay

The Culture And Cricket Media Essay Sports play an important role in the life of millions across the globe. Not only are the social and political identities shaped through them, but it also mobilizes the emotions and channels the conflicts rooted in the society. Just like the soccer world cup can unite a divided Spanish society, a cricket match can rouse the passions of the thousands of Indian fans thus uniting them across religions. Sports form a part of the worldwide entertainment industry. The corporates have millions riding on the different tournaments and cups in the games and to increase their marketability they hire sports stars to be the brand ambassadors of their products, investing in the saleability of the game and its icon. Distinct social meanings can be constructed and deconstructed through the sports and their interplay with the society. A few sports have now developed into social forces of unprecedented importance. Andrei Markovits has talked about the evolution of the hegemonic sports culture in which only a few sports become a part of the popular culture. It is defined by watching, following, worrying, debating, living, and speaking a sport rather than merely playing it. This is demonstrated in the following that the sports nowdays have huge following, fans live, eat and breathe their favourite sports. Cricket is one of the sports that have been elevated to being a part of the popular culture and it influences the cultural and social milieu and the life of people. Cricket has acquired an unimaginable power over the daily habits of people and as a sport has crossed the immediate consumer-producer relationship. The game of cricket has evolved over a period of time and our focus will be on its development from a gentlemans game to the game of sledging and to the game of gamesmanship behaviour. Cricket has its cultura l and historical roots in Victorian England. The Victorian tradition of the sport defines it as a predominantly male game and its image as a gentlemans game is drawn from it. Cricket was the game associated with aristocracy while soccer has been the game associated with masses. The mark of the game has been the fairplay and the sportsmanship. The values of courtesy and chivalry were seeked to be imbibed in the game. Rules were to be followed on-field and decorum was to be maintained both on and off-field. There are not rules in cricket but laws which have to be followed keeping in spirit with the nature of the game. Britains imperialism and its bourgeoisie capitalistic culture, codified the language of the game and the rules and regulations were universally accepted. As Steve Readhead had put it that it was time to take law and cricket seriously and there is nothing as important as Cricket. A strict application of laws was expected and a spirit of chivalry inundated the game. The 18 th century was important in the spread of the game due to English imperialism. The game was transported to the colonies of the British Commonwealth and the tradition of the game was fully adhered to. Sanskritization was a theory propounded by M.N. Srinivas which postulates that the lower strata of the society seeks upward mobility in the social ladder by emulating the habits and practices of the upper strata. But what followed in cricket was its reverse sanskritization. Initially cricket in the Indian subcontinent was an elitist game patronized by the royalty and played by the upper strata of the society who appreciated the elitist culture of the game. The doyens of cricket included Maharajas of Jamnagar, Maharaja Viji of Vijaynagar, Maharaja of Patiala who belonged to the royal families while the prominent players like Lala Amarnath, Vijay Merchant belonged to the upper social class. Till the 1930s Cricket remained the gentlemans game and fairplay was of paramount importance. But slowly changes could be observed in the way the game was played. In the era following the first world war chauvinistic sentiments were on the rise. Feelings of nationalism increased in the people which were visible in every domain of life including the sports culture. To win the game became the number one priority of the sportsperson and this change was visible in the game of cricket too. Now winning involved the nations prestige. Cricket is a game worth taking trouble over and playing well, wrote Douglas Jardine, the former England cricket captain, in Cricket: How to Succeed (1936), but like all other games there is a right and a wrong way of playing it (Jardine 1936: 3). The changing times reflected the changing sentiments in the way cricket was played. In 1930 Australia had scored an easy victory over England with the emergence of the legendary batsman Donald Bradman. His brilliant performance in the test series had made the English fearful. In the 1932 test series between England and Australia, the priority of the English bowlers was to contain Bradmans score. Under captain Douglas Jardine, and employed by the England fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce a new technique of bowling was developed whereby a batsman could be contained by limiting the range of his strokes and by encouraging error. This was called the bodyline or fast-leg theory. The bowlers targeted the body of the Australian batsman. The deliveries used to be led provoked the batsman which would then end in a catch to one of the six or more fielders stationed on the leg side. Thus the Australian Board of Cricket lodged a formally protested against the unsportsmanlike behavior by the English players. This test series was controversial as it engendered ill-feeling between the two countries and it also raised among the English and the Australians, questions about the interpretations that codes of cricket mean and could mean. Questions were also raised about the right and wrong way to play and these included the cultural and social interface and their relation with the game. Systems of meanings were explored in the game by both sides that had previously been left implicit. Post the Bodyline series The Australian journalist and cricketer Arthur Mailey pointed that something modern was happening to cricket. Argus newspaper explained bodyline as a portrayal of a new set of values which was a result of the modern age (Mailey 1933: 12; Stoddart 1979: 136). C. L. R. James also read the series in these terms, though he saw Jardines strategy as an escalation of cricketing tendencies already established by Bradman himself. It was the violence and ferocity of our age expressing itself in cricket, he writes in Beyond a Boundary (James 1963: 186). The reverse sanskritization of cricket was palpable, the upper strata of society had adopted the social mores of the lower strata. Aggression became a part of the play and victory became the aim of the players which was to be attained at all costs. As Jardine had put it the right and the wrong way of playing described the ambiguity between the moral and the technical semantics, which defined the aftermath of victories in Australia. Jardine resigned as the English captain after the series, but the game lost its sense of fairplay and sportsmanship. The elitist culture was giving way to mass culture. Sportsmanship slowly gave way to gamesmanship. The spirit of the cricket laws was replaced by the letters. Vinoo Mankad Mankaded Bill Brown. It occurred during Indias tour of Australia on 13 December 1947 in the second test match at Sydney. Mankading is a method of dismissal in which the bowler runs a batsman out in his delivery stride. While it is a statistically rare occurrence in cricket in general, and even rarer in Test cricket, it is the clearest and starkest example of the conflict between legal formalism in cricket and an ideal of the game based on higher or more important ethical norms. Sledging has become a part of contemporary cricket added by the problems of match fixing. The game shifted from being an elitist culture to a game of the masses. The commercialization resulted in the real essence of cricket being lost. Due to commercialization there has been an increase in level of competition between the teams. Though big bucks are being made by people involved yet the quality of the game is being compromised. The gentlemans game became the game of the masses. It is evident that there are two dominant trains of thought, one that believes in the higher order of the game, which was practised in the days gone by. Fairplay was the code of the game and the laws which were to be applied to the game reinforced the higher and truer order of the game. The hegemonic sports culture represents frozen spaces. These spaces are like the ones presented by political parties and political systems which are resistant to any innovation in the system. Changes are resisted by the social and cultural forces. Sports spaces create emotional attachments and collective identifications. Tradition defines these spaces at local, national and regional level. Globalization exerts pressures on the localized sports cultures which they resist. Sports like politics remains local, the love that people have for their sport and their institutions associated with it like the myths, legends, colours and the pubs and bars. Thus change is always resisted due to the fear of losing t hese attachments and the sense of identity. But the post industrial globalization is exerting unprecedented pressure on the sports spaces. The cultural and social spaces are being challenged by the globalization. The identities and allegiances which constitute the differences in the landscape of sports and politics began to blur round the edges. Hegemonic sports cultures are becoming prolific across the globe, at pace with the development of media and pop culture which are interdependent. An example here can be given of the IPL 20-20 which in origin is Indian but has a universal following. The foreign and the Indian players are given equal respect and are admired by all. In the present age sports like cricket present a cosmopolitan culture which cannot be found in the society which is deeply divided on basis of borders and religion. Cricket provides attachments and allegiances and a new form of cosmopolitan identity. This cosmopolitan nature of the sport facilitates an acknowledgeme nt of the best talents and it transforms the collective identities. Like Ronaldinho and Zidane, the greatest and the best known of the soccer players, Sachin Tendulkar too is adored and worshipped by millions of cricket fans across the globe. He too has attained a celebrity status and is a cultural icon. He is a superstar in his own right and is a truly global player. He has a cultural production beyond the playing field. Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God. Is one of the sayings which can describe the mania associated with Tendulkar. Youth not only adore and worship a Tendulkar or a Lara, they try to adopt their aggression, composure, warmth into their personality. Cricketers shape and mould the youth behaviour. They follow their slangs, dress, hairstyle and attitude. Players are globally admired and they are representatives of cultural understandings of the worlds diverse societies. Often the sports spaces are the first through which migrants gain social acceptance and recognition. Hence cricket in a way is a medium of cultural exchange. An other example that can be given is of the infamous Monkeygate Scandal involving the Autralian cricketer Andrew Symonds and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. Singh was accused to racially abusing Symonds. This had led to rigorous protests by the Indian fans and there was resentment against Symonds in the Indian cricket followers. But he was accepted and adored by the fans nce he joined the IPL as a member of the Mumbai Indians. Maarten Van Bottenburg and Johan Heilbron have shown in their research on Ultimate fighting and other No Holds Barred Events that these sports had developed in opposition to the overly cosmopolitan and sportized venues. Men wanted a fight without rules without being overly regulated. They wanted to find out who the best was and who would be the last man standing without being hassled any authority and bureaucratic system. They were not there to find out who the best wrestler or the best boxer was, but they wanted to know who the best fighter was. This transformation was visible in cricket too. Cricket has always had a strong male bias among its followers and the masculine idea of the patriarchal Victorian England formed the opinions about cricket being essentially a male game. The effeminate and technical Test cricket slowly lost its sheen to limited 50 over cricket and finally to 20-20. The shorter form of game were considered virile, no hold barred power display and excited the mas ses. From the leisurely gentlemans game cricket became an aggressive sport whose priority was to please the spectators. The contests used to be localized earlier but due to the quick channels of communication, these attained global dimensions by acquiring rules and regulations and television contracts. When Bill Shankly had been asked to explain the importance of soccer, the Liverpool manager had exclaimed: Some people think football is a matter of life or death. I dont like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more important than that. Cricket can easily be substituted for soccer in the context of the Indian subcontinent. The games can vary from country to country yet the social and cultural phenomena associated with each game are the same everywhere.

The Mormons :: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Mormons Mormonism is a way of life that is practiced by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over two-thirds of the church's membership is in the United States. However, members are also located in many other countries around the world. Mormons use the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and two other books or revelations to Joseph Smith, founder of the church. These other two revelations are the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The Mormon organization consists of a three member First Presidency and a twelve man Council of Apostles who make up the major policy-making body of the church. Mormonism's founding doctrine was based on the assumption that Christianity was corrupt and that it was necessary to restore the "true" Christian gospel. The Mormon church sees only itself as recognized by God. Joseph Smith founded the church in New York in 1830. He said that he had visions of God and other heavenly beings that told him to establish the restored Christian Church. He was "directed" to some thin metal plates that he translated into what is now called the book of Mormons. This book describes the history, wars, and religious beliefs of a group of people who migrated from Jerusalem to America. Smith attracted a small group of followers who settled in Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri. Because of persecution, the church moved to northern Missouri, then to Nauvoo, Illinois. The people of Illinois welcomed the persecuted Mormons, and Smith began to construct a temple and a hotel there. In 1843, Smith secretly instituted the practice of plural marriage among a group of his followers. This could be because he himself had 50 wives. The Mormons lived in relative peace until 1844 when a group became mad about Smith's practices. They started a newspaper called the "Nauvoo Expositor" and attacked him, accusing him of practicing polygamy. Smith denied this charge but was killed anyway. Brigham Young took over as their new leader. In 1852 , polygamy was officially announced at the Mormon conference. Points of Debate What was so wrong with their views? * Belief in the Bible and Book of Mormon ==> How? The Mormons believe the Bible and The Book of Mormon to be the Word of God. However, the Bible states that it is the only Word of God. ==> Mormonism believes that God has a physical body. The Bible contradicts this belief * Belief in Polygamy ==> Teach that Jesus Christ himself is a polygamist. * Mormonism and Blacks ==> Mormonism teaches that African Americans have dark skin because they are cursed by God, and are an inferior race. The Mormons :: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Mormons Mormonism is a way of life that is practiced by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over two-thirds of the church's membership is in the United States. However, members are also located in many other countries around the world. Mormons use the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and two other books or revelations to Joseph Smith, founder of the church. These other two revelations are the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. The Mormon organization consists of a three member First Presidency and a twelve man Council of Apostles who make up the major policy-making body of the church. Mormonism's founding doctrine was based on the assumption that Christianity was corrupt and that it was necessary to restore the "true" Christian gospel. The Mormon church sees only itself as recognized by God. Joseph Smith founded the church in New York in 1830. He said that he had visions of God and other heavenly beings that told him to establish the restored Christian Church. He was "directed" to some thin metal plates that he translated into what is now called the book of Mormons. This book describes the history, wars, and religious beliefs of a group of people who migrated from Jerusalem to America. Smith attracted a small group of followers who settled in Kirtland, Ohio, and Jackson County, Missouri. Because of persecution, the church moved to northern Missouri, then to Nauvoo, Illinois. The people of Illinois welcomed the persecuted Mormons, and Smith began to construct a temple and a hotel there. In 1843, Smith secretly instituted the practice of plural marriage among a group of his followers. This could be because he himself had 50 wives. The Mormons lived in relative peace until 1844 when a group became mad about Smith's practices. They started a newspaper called the "Nauvoo Expositor" and attacked him, accusing him of practicing polygamy. Smith denied this charge but was killed anyway. Brigham Young took over as their new leader. In 1852 , polygamy was officially announced at the Mormon conference. Points of Debate What was so wrong with their views? * Belief in the Bible and Book of Mormon ==> How? The Mormons believe the Bible and The Book of Mormon to be the Word of God. However, the Bible states that it is the only Word of God. ==> Mormonism believes that God has a physical body. The Bible contradicts this belief * Belief in Polygamy ==> Teach that Jesus Christ himself is a polygamist. * Mormonism and Blacks ==> Mormonism teaches that African Americans have dark skin because they are cursed by God, and are an inferior race.

Local, State, and Federal Laws and Policie Essay

One of the most important aspects of teaching is providing a safe environment where student learning can be achieved. The only way this can be achieved is by staying up-to-date on all laws and polices in place to help schools and teachers provide a safe environment. There are many documents provided for teachers and students to help them get familiar with all the local, state, and federal laws and polices. This essay will focus on a â€Å"Student/Parent Guide†, â€Å"Faculty Handbook†, and a â€Å"Comprehensive School Safety Plan.† The first artifact is a â€Å"Student/Parent Guide.† This book is considered both a rule book and an information booklet to help in all aspects of student life. It contains a multitude of information regarding the rules governing students, student activities, school curriculum, and general information about the school and it’s procedures. The first pages describe in detail two Acts dealing with a students’ enrollment, attendance at school, and the right to retain a driver’s license. It also describes the state law relating to the â€Å"Quiet Reflection Time† that public schools are required to uphold. The next section deals with general school information. This section has policies ranging from absences and truancy to first aid and emergency procedures. The next part in the book is the rules governing students section. This section includes the policies dealing with fighting, dress code, drugs, cheating, and many other rules and their consequences. The third section is titled Instructional Program and deals with the school’s curriculum. This section begins by stating the school’s accreditation and also states that it meets and exceeds â€Å"Section 504† in it’s special  education program. It also stats the policies on parent conferences, graduation requirements, and summer school. The last section is the school’s policies on student actives and assemblies such as pep rallies. Overall, this booklet contains a massive amount of information containing all levels of polices and procedures aimed for student and parent usage. The next artifact is a â€Å"Faculty Handbook.† This handbook is designed as reference book for teachers. It is the centralized book containing all school policies. It beginnings by describing the faculty absentee policy and how to prepare for a substitute teacher. The book details many types of leave such as professional, sick, and personal, and what to do for each situation. The next section of the handbook covers many policies on posting attendance, lesson plans, and grade posting. Classroom procedures, which include discipline, structure, and monetary collections is discussed in the next section. The last section in the handbook explains the policies on field trips, purchase orders, report cards, summer school, and the school’s philosophy of education. With all the policy and procedural information contained in this handbook, a teacher can be better prepared for any situation. The last artifact for discussion is a school’s â€Å"Comprehensive School Safety Plan.† The school system devised this 100 page plan to ensure the â€Å"highest degree of safety and security in the school environment†. In the first section, a detailed description is given on emergency contacts, school crisis teams, and a list of emergency supplies in school. The second part deals with teacher training for emergencies. It describes how communications should be handled, securing the grounds, student supervision. The last section in the safety plan details a multitude of security risks and their procedures. Some examples include bomb threats, hostage situations, sexual assault, fights, and severe weather. The first is to always be prepared for whatever situation may arise, and with this document, teachers are better prepared to deal with almost all safety situations. In conclusion, with all these documents, students, teachers, and parents can be up to date on all policies that affect them in and around the school  environment.

List Essay Example

List Essay Example List Essay List Essay This is a new leadership programmer for young active change makers from selected countries in South Asia, which aims to build a foundation for dialogue, mutual understanding and knowledge sharing. The programmer combines intercultural leadership training with theory and practice in the fields of transparency, democracy and human rights, connecting people from different sectors of society from civil society to political and entrepreneurial sectors. The programmer has the ambition of building a dynamic network of young leaders and connectors of the future. In the questions below, please motivate your participation in the programmer. Dont elaborate on the driving forces in your life and what inspires you. Questions 1 . ) Please describe the platform (e. G. Experiences, engagements, skills, drives, goals) from which you have the ambition to contribute to the development of your local/ regional society. [1 50 words maximum]. People like nelson Mandela and mother Teresa has always been an model of inspiration for me to do something for the society. I have been an active member volunteering social activities in the past like electing funds for the flood victims in 2010 participated in awareness and distributing polio vaccination to children . Also Joined different Mangos like UNDO to learn more professionalism and get a platform to perform my services on much larger scales. My positive attitude and determination has been greatest motivation to engage my self in social activity and even a tiny positive added by me in the society will be an achievement to me . Our country Pakistan is in dilemma facing a lot of problems its a high time for me to serve my nation and aware others members to puts and in hand and start doing philanthropic act and propel our nation towards prosperity. 2. ) Give one example of challenges or possibilities important for your country today. [1 50 words maximum]. My country Pakistan facing adverse conditions like economic issues law and order and many more. Illiteracy among the people which is more than 50% a alarming situation for any country is a root cause of all the problems currently occurred people are UN aware of their roles and responsibility . The only way to aware people is to provide them education in 2012 the total money spend on education was 1 . 7% of GAP the spending on budget is far less than many of the developing nations . More than 10 million children in our country have not even seen the face of colleges . Education among people is pivotal for bringing revolution in the country . 2. B) Describe how your participation in the leadership programmer Young Connectors of the Future could contribute to addressing this challenge/possibility. [1 50 words maximum]. I am determined and focused to mitigate the current adverse condition by taking the responsibility of many people of surrounding and providing them education to escalate their awareness level for that scenario its essential for me to posses all the qualities to be a leader of tomorrow . His conference provides me platform meeting with the competent people of the country facing same problems which our country is this conference will allow me to exchange ideas and gain more knowledge about how we can address the surrounding problem more professionally it will help me to establish a network with professionals of different country which will most likely to pursue their carrier in same field . He last and but not the least his conference will provide me more expose and boast my self confidence which will help me to face the challenges with more efficiency rights and democratic development

Explain the extent to which Ge essays

Explain the extent to which Ge essays Explain the extent to which Germany was transformed into a totalitarian state between 1933-1945. The rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and their eventual accession to power marked the beginnings of a totalitarian state from 1933 to 1945. Under the rule of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, Germany was transformed from one of the most democratic nations in the world to a state with one man at the helm. This radical and continual change, and the realisation and formation of a totalitarian state were not complete for many years after 1933. The Nazi Party under Hitlers directive authority cemented into Germany an ideology that accepted the actions of their leader as if it was the very will of a supreme being. The period of change, and its continuity is attributed to a number of factors. By looking at how Hitler created the new Nazi State, and by understanding how it was maintained helps to evaluate the extent to which a totalitarian state was established. Certain events that further established and cemented the Nazi rule, and also show the extent of their total power include the passing of specific legislation, the Night of Long knives, and the Night of Broken glass. The reasons for these events, the fact that they were staged and the effects they had gives a view of how extreme the Totalitarian regime was. Also to supplement this passage of research, it is essential to target the prominent groups that existed in Germany, before Nazi rule and during Nazi rule. These include the different class groups, the army, the treatment of Jews and the structure, actions, aims and plans of the actual Nazi Party (including the SA and SS). When these core elements are combined the explanation for the transformation of Germany during the period 1933 to 1945 can be obtained. Total Nazi power was established in Germany between 1933-1945. However this does not automatically earn Nazi Germany the branding of a totalitarian state. To what ext...

Presentation about my classmate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Presentation about my classmate - Essay Example His wife is a social worker and somehow, her job has a great influence on him as well that strengthens the effects of his son’s situation to him as a father and a person. He dreams to build a support structure where he could be a part of a bigger objective and influence to adults with disabilities. He plans to do this by creating a non-profit organization for adults with disabilities so that a positive environment can be created for them where they can still become functional and fulfilled individuals. For this person who loves the outside, making connections to it by biking and hiking, he wants to share the simple joys of the outside world with the disabled who often are put in institutions. The support structure that he dreams for them would somehow enable them to become functional human beings, able to maximize their capabilities through the help of knowledgeable people. This is what drives and inspires him to get a degree that would propel him to achieve his dreams. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Justin

The Gattaca and Brave New World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Gattaca and Brave New World - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that both the movie Gattaca and book â€Å"The Brave New World† have a character who share similarity and at some points expressing different opinions. The main characters in these artworks are similar in the sense that they are portrayed as strong characters that readily rebel against their own societies. After the encounter with DNA in a black market, Vincent decides to change his identity to a famous astronaut making everyone view him as an â€Å"invalid†. This character accomplished this transformation only after realizing that he has more strength than his brother is, particularly after defeating him in their swimming game. John and Bernand also rebel against their society form reading and thinking people. The writing by John Stuart Mill that â€Å"it is better being a human being who is dissatisfied than a pig who is satisfied† may be qualitatively analyzed to satisfy the status of humanity to t hat of a pig or better describe the dissatisfying nature of humans. The book The Brave New World and movie Gattaca artistically create fictional places that satisfy the needs and the desire of humanity; nonetheless, with prices to pay. These stories reveal the achievement in the field of science, especially in biology and genetics. However, the social progress within their storylines presents the sense of individualism, discrimination, and the loss of personal freedom, particularly among those who are not biological elites. Both stories are dealing with the potential imperfections of utopia; therefore, they are entirely referred to dystopias. Moreover, they as well real the optimistic visions by which societies are striving to achieve, but they never tend to achieve the same desires or goals.