Unilineal kinship units

Introduction As the basic unit of life, a family forms the basis of all societal relationships. Many anthropologists believe that a family allows the advancing of other relationships through strengthening of social bonds and associations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Unilineal kinship units specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The concept of kinship has been studied by anthropologists who have arguably noted it as the principle element of social bonding. Despite the fact that kingships are rooted in economic systems, their establishment usually plays a core role in influencing individuals’ behavior. In tracing human descent, kinship narrows down to specific segments, which define societal relationships[1]. One of these is the unilineal kinship whose membership is mainly determined at the time of birth. Of importance also is the fact that membership of outsiders to this kingship can be established through ot her set rules and guidelines by a given kinship. This essay discusses unilineal kinship units with reference to structure attributes, their interdiction, arrangements of personnel and potions of authority and the different terms anthropologist use to refer to them. Kinship As mentioned above, kinship forms the foundation of any group or relationship that is to be governed by kinship norms and ethics. Additionally, these groups get allied to others and assimilate them in their existing relationship as a way of expanding their relational domain. In other words, kinship is centered at advancing the responsibilities and rights of most of its members unlike the western world in which other factors like citizenship, politics, economics and work play a major role[2]. Nevertheless, this does not nullify the role of kinships in the Western world since nuclear families have a vital social institutional role especially when it comes to property inheritance along kinship identities. Besides pro perty inheritance, relatives are quite significant in ritual occasions and ceremonies. For instance, most people who celebrate thanksgiving functions believe that that it is more of a family affair than the involvement of other people from outside. It therefore suffices to mention that family relationships have more weight than kin relationship as the former focuses on blood relationships and issues of descent. Blood and marriage relationships Consanguineal and affinal are two common terms used to refer to different types of kinship relationships. Consanguineal refers to a kinship relationship that is principally defined by blood association among members whereas affinal relationships recognize marriage as a source of kinship bonding among group members. Of significance is the fact that formation and regulation of conduct is determined by the manner in which the group is tied to the kinship.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More From a general perspective, a kinship system encompasses all relationships that could be founded on marriage or blood, linking different people in a social web of rights and obligations and involved kinship terminologies[3]. Anthropologists therefore refer to a kinship as a system based on the fact that it has relationships, development of ideologies, includes people with varying behavior and recognition of the kinship terminology. Despite the fact that kinship systems have biological relationships, they are solely considered as cultural phenomena. In explaining this, most societies base their classification of a kin on a cultural ground as opposed to the inclusion of biological or scientific ties linking members of the society. It is also worth noting that there exists differences in social groups that are normally established by kinships and these variations dictate the behavior of kin towards each other[4]. Moreover, kinship bonds that a re culturally defined have two major functions, which are seen as fundamental in the continuation of any given society. Many anthropologists believe that the first and most important function of kinships revolves around their ability to guarantee continuation of various generations. Caring and educating of children is essential in every society in order to make them functioning members of the society in future. This is considered to be a key significance of the kinship unit based on the usefulness of such members in any given society. Another function of kinship is to allow for organized transmission of material wealth and social power from one generation to another. As such, inheritance and succession are commonly done within the kinship setup. Another important function of kinships is the fact that they define a domain for other people upon which one can receive aid from[5]. However, this domain varies broadly from one society to another. According to the Western societies, this d omain could be smaller compared to others from different societies. This is common in cases where a wide range of relationships for kin groups are included with beneficial obligations and rights. Notably most human societies have expanded kin groups, a condition which has been augmented by ability to adopt social groups that are bigger than nuclear families. Formation of descent groups What is descent? From an anthropological point of view, descent is used to refer to an affiliation that has been culturally established with single or both parents. Many societies consider descent as a crucial basis for the formation of any social group. For instance, the nuclear family can be referred to as a descent group especially when descent group is used to imply groups with consanguineal kin that are recognized to be lineal descendants belonging to the same ancestor, who are beyond two generations[6].Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Unilineal kinship units specifically f or you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In cases where these descent groups are present, they play an irreplaceable role in the organization of domestic life, culture propagation among children, inheritance and succession, performance of religious rituals, solving of disputes, warfare and political organization. In understanding kinship units, it is important to note that there are two types of basic rules, also known as kinship ideology. These rules are very important especially for the operation of kinships in the society. Cultural systems which follow the unilineal descent rule acknowledge group membership emanating from either maternal or paternal line, but not both links. Under this descent, two rules exist: patrilineal and matrilineal descent[7]. To be precise, societies with patrilineal descent argue that the descent group of an individual resembles that of his father. On the other hand, societies with matrilineal rule believe that a person’ s mother is the one who determines the descent group. Furthermore, bilateral descent reckons that, parents, mother and father are to be considered in determining the descent group of an individual and for the establishment of kinship rights and obligations. A side from these differences, the absence of nonoverlapping kinship groups in bilateral descent systems is regarded as a major defining characteristic for the two systems initially differentiated by parents[8]. In general, bilateral kinships are not common in most societies around the world despite the fact that they form the foundation of Western culture. Unilineal kinship What causes the occurrence of unilineal cultures? Anthropologists pose that unilineal systems are mainly caused by two factors, which are considered to be principal merits of the system[9]. The first advantage is the formation of nonoverlapping descent groups that allow their continuity over a given period of time even though there could be membership changes . Furthermore, corporate descent groups are permanent and their existence is not determined by the presence of individual members at any given time in life. Through birth, corporations admit new members to replace old and dead ones for this continuity to be realistic.Advertising Looking for essay on anthropology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nevertheless, these changes do not hinder the upholding of the corporation’s integrity. In such cases, the established groups can go ahead and own property around the world, equivalent to how current corporations operate today. Additionally, these rules provide membership that is unambiguous to every person in the society. In other words, it is easy to trace and define group membership in cases where descent is based on one line[10]. Knowledge of one’s descent and that for others helps in comprehending social roles, duties and ownership. It also permits a person to increase the number of those people a person relates or identifies with in the society, including known and unknown persons. An important factor in the understanding of unilineal kinship units is the fact these systems operate differently in every society around the world despite the fact that they share a host of similar properties. Additionally, the actual behavior of members may not necessarily correspond to known rules as outlined in the system ideology[11]. It can therefore be argued that systems of descent and kinship define means through which a society is able to interact with circumstances in the environment. In other words, kinship rules are likely to be bent and altered in order to suit changing times, a phenomenon common to several cultural ideas. Consequently, acceptable deviations from what the society recognizes as norms breeds flexibility for unilineal systems, which they would otherwise miss. This flexibility is extremely important for the purpose of human adaptation. Throughout human history, there are several explanations that have been given by anthropologists concerning the evolution of unilineal kinship units. Moreover, there are diverse reasons, which give people shared interests that allow them to merge and be justified by kin relations. The reasons may be economic in nature, defined by land or farm animals. They could also be religious, political, religious or warfare. These varied interests play a pivotal role in determining kinship ideologies even as they take their own life. As mentioned above, there is a possibility for the manipulation of kinship ideologies due to ever-changing historic and economic circumstances. Unilineal descent groups In analyzing unilineal kinship units, it is essential to understand the linearity of human relationships. Firstly, a lineage refers to a collection of kin, with members who have a common ancestor and can evidently display genealogical connections. Male-related lineages are called patrilineages while female-related are known as matrilineages[12]. Furthermore, lineages do not have same sizes but may vary with three generations being the lowest number for upward increment. In corporate groups, lineages own property like land and all members remain responsible for the behavior of colleagues. In cases where related lineages exist, they may be considered for the formation of clans, though they may not hav e a specific common ancestor. On the other hand, clans whose members may feel closely related normally come together to form a pharatry. Similarly, the functions of clans and lineages vary broadly in the world. For instance, lineages are considered local or domestic groups, which allow individual members to embrace the spirit of cooperation among themselves. Contrary, clans lack the domestic nature of lineages as they spread, covering several villages. As a result, clans are closely associated with religious and political functions compared to domestic ones observed among lineages. Another significant function of clans is the regulation of marriage[13]. While most clans are exogamous and do not allow inter-marriages among clan members, this ensures that their unilineal character remains intact and strong. This allows children who are born to identify their maternal and paternal relatives with a lot of ease. Lastly, clan exogamy promotes peaceful social coexistence within a given soc iety as clans get bound together through marriage relationships. Patrilineal descent groups As mentioned above, these types of lineages emphasize the dominance of fathers as they represent the adopted descent group. It involves closely related members including fathers’ children and sons’ too. Based on this arrangement, succession and inheritance are quite easy as leadership power allows. Membership for this descent group is considered as the most important fact of life as fathers, brothers and their children are recognized as the closest kin[14]. According to the rules of this group, its members have a right towards land, participation in ceremonies and have political and legal obligations especially during warfare. Matrilineal descent group In understanding this group of unilineal kinship, it is worth noting that societies around the world recognize two major ties within a family. These ties include the bond between a woman and her children and that which exists betw een siblings in the family. Whereas patrilineal societies put a lot of weight on male authority as the controller of the system, matrilineal system recognizes a woman’s brother than her husband. Although a man gains certain rights above his wife after marriage, this does not extend to the children[15]. Additionally, there are several responsibilities that do not belong to the husband but to the brothers of the woman. Since children within this system belong to the mother’s descent group, membership consists of the following: woman, her siblings, her children, her sisters’ children and her daughters’ children. This system has a close correlation with the matrilocal rule, which acknowledges the fact that men ought to live near the wife’s kin after marriage. This is to say that the man can be viewed as a stranger especially within the domestic group as the woman is being surrounded by her kin. Conclusion From the above analysis, it is evident that uni lineal kinship units have a significant and irreplaceable role in the society. It is fundamental in tracing of somebody’s descent group through patrilineal or matrilineal. Additionally, a unilineal group is seen as a collective group that survives lifetime situations and changes. While membership to unilineal group is determined at birth, there are rules have been designed to address the issue of outsiders who would wish to join the system. Above all, solidarity among members is highly emphasized as they see other as relatives. Among key functions of unilineal kinships include mutual aid, security and regulation of marriage. Age sets, interdependently, and marriage links are essential in uniting unilineal kinship units. Bibliography Chapter Nine. â€Å"Kinship.† Fasnafan. Web. Haviland et al. The Essence of Anthropology. Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009. Peoples, James, and Garrick Bailey. Humanity: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2011. Footnotes Chapter Nine, â€Å"Kinship,† Fasnafan. Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. James Peoples and Garrick Bailey, Humanity: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2011), 104-200. Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. Chapter Nine, â€Å"Kinship,† Fasnafan. Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. Chapter Nine, â€Å"Kinship,† Fasnafan. Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. James Peoples and Garrick Bailey, Humanity: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2011), 104-200. Chapter Nine, â€Å"Kinship,† Fasnafan. James Peoples and Garrick Ba iley, Humanity: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2011), 104-200 Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. Chapter Nine, â€Å"Kinship,† Fasnafan. Ibid. Haviland et al., The Essence of Anthropology (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S: Cengage Learning, 2009), 250-268. This essay on Unilineal kinship units was written and submitted by user Helena Acosta to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Steel

Have you ever wondered how skyscrapers came about? Before there were skyscrapers, there were towers. Made of heavy stone, towers had thick, sturdy walls, but the rooms were dark and cramped. The reason the towers were so dark was because having too many windows would weaken the structure. Soon Gothic cathedrals joined the quest for height. Long, stone arms, called flying buttresses, supported the cathedral’s heavy weight, allowing the walls to be filled with colorful glass windows. George A. Fuller was the first person to invent the sky scrapper. Fuller worked on solving the problems of â€Å"load bearing capacities† of tall buildings. Fuller built the Tacoma building in 1889, the first structure ever built where the outside walls did not carry the weight of the building. In order for Fuller’s idea to work he needed a material and enough of that material to make a steel cage that could support the weight. The Flatiron Building was one of New York City’s first skyscrapers, built in 1902 by Fuller’s building company. With an idea as valuable as Fuller’s someone had to step up to the plate and create a way to mass-produce steel inexpensively. That man was Henry Bessemer of England. In 1855, Bessemer developed the idea of â€Å"air blowing the carbon out of the pig iron†, which is still used today to make modern steel.... Free Essays on Steel Free Essays on Steel Have you ever wondered how skyscrapers came about? Before there were skyscrapers, there were towers. Made of heavy stone, towers had thick, sturdy walls, but the rooms were dark and cramped. The reason the towers were so dark was because having too many windows would weaken the structure. Soon Gothic cathedrals joined the quest for height. Long, stone arms, called flying buttresses, supported the cathedral’s heavy weight, allowing the walls to be filled with colorful glass windows. George A. Fuller was the first person to invent the sky scrapper. Fuller worked on solving the problems of â€Å"load bearing capacities† of tall buildings. Fuller built the Tacoma building in 1889, the first structure ever built where the outside walls did not carry the weight of the building. In order for Fuller’s idea to work he needed a material and enough of that material to make a steel cage that could support the weight. The Flatiron Building was one of New York City’s first skyscrapers, built in 1902 by Fuller’s building company. With an idea as valuable as Fuller’s someone had to step up to the plate and create a way to mass-produce steel inexpensively. That man was Henry Bessemer of England. In 1855, Bessemer developed the idea of â€Å"air blowing the carbon out of the pig iron†, which is still used today to make modern steel....

Owen Surname Meaning and Family History

Owen Surname Meaning and Family History Derived from the Welsh first name Owain, the surname Owen is generally thought to mean well born or noble, from the Latin eugenius. As a Scottish or Irish surname, Owen may be a shortened Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Eoghain (McEwan), meaning son of Eoghan. Surname Origin:  Welsh Alternate Surname Spellings:  OWENS, OWIN, OWINS, OEN, OWING, OWINGS, OWENSON, MACOWEN, HOWEN, OEN, OENE, ONN Famous People with the OWEN  Surname Daniel Owen  -  Welsh novelist; well-known for writing in the Welsh languageEvelyn Owen  -  Australian designer of the Owen machine gunJohn Owen  - early 19th century governor of North CarolinaWilliam Fitzwilliam Owen  - British naval officer and explorerRobert Owen - Welsh social reformer Where Is the OWEN  Surname Most Common? The Owen surname is most prevalent in the United States  according to  Forebears, ranking among the top 500 most common surnames in the country. Owen is found in the greatest density, however, in Wales, where it is the 16th most common surname.  Ã‚  It is also fairly common in England, where it ranks just outside of the 100 most common last names, and Australia (ranked 256th). WorldNames PublicProfiler  shows that the Owen surname in 1881 was found most frequently in Wales, especially in the area around Llandudno in northern Wales. According to Forebears, the Owen surname at that time ranked 5th in Anglesey and Montgomeryshire and 7th in  Caernarfonshire and  Merionethshire. Genealogy Resources for the Surname OWEN Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Owen  family crest or coat of arms for the Owen surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. The Owen/Owens/Owing  DNA Project: Individuals with the Owen  surname, and variants such as Owens or Owing, are invited to participate in this group DNA project in an attempt to learn more about Owen family origins. The website includes information on the project, the research done to date, and instructions on how to participate.OWEN  Family Genealogy Forum: This free message board is focused on descendants of Owen  ancestors around the world.FamilySearch - OWEN  Genealogy: Explore over 4.8  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Owen surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.GeneaNet - Owen  Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Owen  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. Resources and Further Reading Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Jonathan pollard Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jonathan pollard - Research Paper Example Having completed his high school and scored well, he joined Stanford University to study political science where he graduated with a degree, and later joined several graduate schools but did not finish a post graduate degree (Olive, 2006). During his high school years, he was a trouble maker and when he transitioned to the university he developed more interest in the Israel history and the Holocaust seemed to form art of his major interest, owing to the fact that his immediate family had been adversely affected by it. Pollard developed much interest in the intelligence career after his university studies, and he consequently applied for intelligence jobs both in the CIA and the US Navy, but the CIA turned down his application since he tested positive for drug use for the several past years (Goldenberg, 1993). However, the Navy Intelligence Command (NIC) found him suitable for intelligence gathering due to his interest in intelligence issues, thus was hired as an intelligence specialist in 1979 (Taylor, 2014). Pollard had indicated signs of inappropriateness for the intelligence career earlier in his employment, when his immediate supervisor had requested the termination of his employment after he was found to lie about issues related with the CIA involvement of his family. However, rather than terminating his employment, he was simply deployed to a different department of the NIC (Olive, 2006). Thus, he was recommended for termination or deployment to non-sensitive area of the intelligence service where he could not be involved in direct intelligence collection, but kept evading the arm of the recommending officers while transferring to different departments. In 1984, he applied for promotion to the position of naval intelligence analyst, and was subsequently accepted after the departmen t was reorganized (Shaw, 2001). John Pollard’s espionage started after he met an Israel Air force officer on leave, who was seeking to earn a

Key Military Strategic-leader Competencies Essay

Key Military Strategic-leader Competencies - Essay Example At different stages of one’s career, an individual has to exhibit certain set of skills and qualities, which make him, stand out like nobody else. He has to portray the best of his character and bring out what is not present in the rest of the populace. He has to lead by example, a thing which people of present times usually lack and which is not that easily found in our society. Similarly, at the top level within military it is very significant to have a clear mind whereby the person can think way beyond his understanding as well as ask of his army to carry out his commands with astuteness and wisdom. Needless to say, a leader at a senior position within the military has to understand that he is the ultimate boss and without his proper vision and goals, there can be no other person to fill the void which would be created if his thinking and mindset are just not there in the right place . There have been many a number of individuals who have had exceptional talents, both in the field of sports as well as a number of other arenas of life but here we will focus on the role of leaders within the military and that too on very strategic positions . These people have ascended on the ladder of success with sheer hard work and commitment, which in its essence, is the key to attain and achieve success and fame.

How Genders Are Represented In Video Games Media Essay

How Genders Are Represented In Video Games Media Essay This paper will discuss how genders are represented as well as perceived in todays video games. With reforming feminist and equality groups attacking every outlet of mainstream news, video games have now become the new mass media that remains the only real form of entertainment that truly represents modern day views and beliefs. Recent games have shifted the trend from the macho stereotypic male hero protagonist to a more feminine female protagonist with great success, judging by recent Portal 2 sales in which the main protagonist was a female. This also remains true with antagonists as well. Gender can be used either in a subversive or sexist way. Females are often objectified predominantly by using powerful visual dynamics. This includes their mannerisms, roles in games but most often, the clothes they wear. Sexism has often been a talking point from as early as the 90s. In Ann Cudd and Leslie Jones paper Sexism,  sexism is define as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a systematic, pervasive, but often subtle, force that maintains the oppression of women, and that this is at work through institutional structures in interpersonal interactions and the attitudes that are expressed in them, and in the cognitive, linguistic, and emotional processes of individual mindsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ our very experience of the world (105-6). Censorship also plays are significant role on how genders are represented in video games. This greatly relates to nudity and sexual references. This could be seen as a positive as this forces game developers/publishers to think harder on the necessity that sex plays in their games. Is it really necessary and/or practical to have females represented as whores? Why should they be represented like this? Why are males represented so differently to females? You dont see many games representing males as whores. This is a good way of nailing developers into thinking harder about the characters, plot and settings. In the end, it comes down to how profitable a game can be and games do have to be tailored in order to be released in certain countries. One could argue that this damages video games as they have to be watered down potentially harming the games story, but does it really? Considering that many games portray females as sex objects and have no place in todays society, I tend to agree. As adults, we do have the right to choose what we want to look at but we also have the moral responsibility to do what is right, and this should remain true in video games. The games that will be looked at in this paper are: The Witcher, Dragon Age 2, Portal 2, Bulletstorm; and Hydrophobia: Prophecy. This will compare and contrast two game titles of similar nature in which gender representation in both games will be thoroughly examined. Game 1: The Witcher The Witcher is a role playing game delevoped by CD Projeckt RED STUDIO and was released as a PC exclusive in 2007. The game is based on a series of books by the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The game is based on a mediaeval fantasy world of Temeria  and tells the story Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who was at some point killed or at the very least, near death but was later revived by his fellow witchers at their stronghold Kaer Morhen. Unfortunately, he loses his memory in the process. The player gains control of Geralt and lead him through a non-linear story in which the player makes moral choices that affect the overall outcome of the game. The game was censored at release in North America, Australia and the United Kingdom. This was later resolved through a patch known as the Enhanced Edition that failed to determine the users location (source), as well as improving on gameplay, graphics, loading times among other things. The main reason that this game was censored was how the game depicted women as well as receiving sex as a reward. Players were also rewarded what became to be known as sex cards, which depicted the women that you as Geralt slept with. There were also some modifications to the dialogue for what was said to be distasteful, for example, a scene where Geralt barges into a ladies house, Where the hell do you think youre going with all the dung on your boots?! Out with you! This was cut into Who are you? Get out! in the censored versions. One of the games focal aspects, apart from the immersive atmospheric world, story and gameplay, was on Geralts relationship with women. Witchers are generally perceived to be great sex machines but without the fantastic stereotypical looks (source). A good way to sum Geralt up is that hes an outsider, often referred to as a mutant in the game world and has many similarities, in terms of looks, to an albino. Relationships/sex does play an integral part of the game. Geralts choices in who he has relationships with, greatly affects the outcome, not only at the end but throughout the entire game. Women do have a dominant role in this game and this is evident with characters such as Shani, Abigail and Triss Merigold. All three are strong women and although highly sexualised, they do play a significant role in the game. Geralts relationships with all three, one as friends and the other two sexually, determines on how the game progresses in terms with the story. Prostitutes also play a significant role as the player can gain valuable information by both helping them on side quests and/or sleeping with them. A good example of this is Carmen, the madame at one of the brothels. She asks for your help on helping find a cure for a werewolf she loves in which you could either kill or save. At the end, you learn of the story on why she became a prostitute. A lady shunned by her father because she was raped and impregnated by the city guards. The game also implies, through dialogue, that she may have also been sexually abused by her father. What this shows is that the team at CD Projeckt put a lot of thought and meaning into the roles that gender plays in this game. While other games such as Grand Theft Auto put very little thought and reason into its ok to over sexualise women with rape, bashing and murder, The Witcher is one those few games that stands out in terms of both character and story development. It shows that in comparison to other games, women are strong, fierce and independent, and are able to stand up for their beliefs, ideas and ideologies. Game 2: Dragon Age 2 Dragon Age 2 follows the adventure of Hawke, a refugee from the nation of Ferelden who has fled to Kirkwall. The game itself is a series of flashbacks from the captured dwarve Varric, an old companion of Hawkes. The game was released on PC and Xbox 360 in 2011 by EA but developed in-house by Bioware. As with all traditional Bioware games, it features rich dialog, expansive worlds, deep meaningful storyline as well as strong willed women. In fact, Bioware put a lot of thought and emphasis in the roles women play in this games (as well as their other games) universe. Five of your companions in Dragon Age 2 are female. Females are represented to be strong, decisive, intellectual, cunning and possibly evil, and do play a significant role in the outcome of the game. At the beginning Dragon Age 2, Varric exaggerates and describes Hawkes companions with overly large bosoms which raises the question, why did the game developers choose to do this? This could be seen as a way of enticing male players (as well as females) into the game by over sexualising women in this fashion. It is a good marketing ploy by Bioware as it engages players, particularly males, to progress through the game. The game also introduces many relationships that the player may choose to pursue. It does contribute to the story in some way but it fails to play a significant part. Rather, players can choose to remain friends with their female companions instead of actively sleeping with them; it does not affect the progress of the game. Compared to the original, sex scenes are dumbed down. This is due to several reasons, specifically censorship. Many would say, judging by the complaints on user review site Metacritic, that this potentially damaged the game by ruining parts of the story where sex does play a role. Taking out true romanticising made the game seem unrealistic and gave the appearance that adding female companions did seem as an afterthought by the game developers. Are we to believe that there were no sexual tensions between Hawke and his female companions? Compared to The Witcher, getting interment with your female companions was a simple task of building your friendship bar by agreeing with your companions rather than taking decisive decisions, handing over gifts and teasing/flirting with them. The Witcher made romance seem an integral part of the game whereas Dragon Age 2 fails on this, adding romance seem as an afterthought and having no real consequences. Yes, females did play an overly important ro le in Dragon Age 2 but the romancing seemed unnecessary and could have been left out as it plays very little, if any, part of the story. Game 3: Portal 2 Perhaps one of the better titles to be released by Valve, its a highly entertaining emotional rollercoaster ride, one that will give you high hopes and later crush them. Portal 2 features a fantastic, engaging, hilarious plot (and soundtrack) with many twists and turns. Ironically, this game forces you to think with portals as many levels will leave you shaking your head is disbelief when a puzzle that should theoretically only take 5 minutes takes you more than 15. It certainly leaves a satisfying feeling when completing a complex puzzle.  Released in 2011, this game stands out from the usual crowd. Featuring a female protagonist by the name of Chell and a few helpful (or not so helpful) robot companions, GLaDOS and Wheatley, you attempt to transverse yourself out of the Aperture Science lab testing facility. Chell is portrayed as a strong willed and intelligent woman. The game steers away from hypersexualising Chell by avoiding somewhat traditional Lara Croft style clothing i.e. skintight latex, overly short shorts and/or a tight hugging bikini. Instead, Chell is represented wearing a plain orange jump suit which is an unobtrusive representation of the female protagonist. Most players progress through the game unaware that they are assuming the role of a female. Players only catch a glimpse of Chell when looking through portals as well as other reflective materials such water and glass. Both GLaDOS and Wheatley are treated in a similar fashion where gender plays very little significance, mainly because they are bots although this does change in the latter part of the game. We can differentiate between the two by both voices and attitudes, but not by outside looks. The writers at Valve provide a very interesting balance of power between the three characters. Choosing to represent female conflict by using emotional forms of abuse whilst avoiding any form of physical contact remains true with the stereotypes about women; they are cunning creatures. While in the latter half of the game, Valve took a feministic approach totally changing the dynamics of the game in which both Chell and GLaDOS form a working relationship and team against the common enemy, Wheatley. Wheatley is the only male character in the game. He transforms GLaDOS into a potato and attempts to murder Chell. This portrays both control and dominance that can be seen as subjectify women, either in reality or in the virtual world. From a feminist point of view, this form of behaviour is exactly what makes women put aside their differences (something which males cant do) and team up against the common enemy, proving once and for all that women are the stronger of the two sexes. Chell and GLaDOS are the two perfect examples of the two sides of femininity; Chell the domestic icon whereas GLaDOs represents the progressive, intelligent working woman. By killing GLaDOS, Chell can be seen as the dutiful safe woman conquering the dangerous feminist (http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218960/portal-s-glados-as-feminist-icon/) Game 4: Bulletstorm This is easily one of the most fun games Ive played in quite some time. The gameplay is just absolute effin amazing fun! Coupled with an engaging storyline and a hilarious script, this game is definitely a game that Ill be coming back to play just for pure entertainment. Although short, this game in no way becomes repetitive as your environment, enemies and weapons is ever changing. Get it for the singleplayer as multiplayer is completely consolised, meaning that, it uses a matchmaking system which takes forever to connect. The only positive I can take from it is that you can choose to play with friends. Its another game that Microsoft has again managed to ruin with their GFWL. Game 5: Hydrophobia: Prophecy Conclusion Sources http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/04/19/qa-with-portal-2-writers-erik-wolpaw-and-jay-pinkerton/ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/140585-her-name-is-caroline-naming-the-misbehaving-woman-in-portal-2/ http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218960/portal-s-glados-as-feminist-icon/

Floods in Malaysia

Improvement in weather conditions saw a drop in the number of flood victims at flood relief centres (FRC) in Pahang and Kelantan this morning but conditions remained unchanged in Terengganu. In Pahang, the number of flood victims at FRC dropped from 35,502 last night to 33,952 as of 9am this morning said a Pahang state police disaster operations room spokesman.The 33,952 flood victims from 10,328 families are currently housed in 141 FRC throughout the nine districts affected by floods, namely 27,700 in Kuantan, Pekan (3,180 at 34 FRC), Temerloh (1,132 at 23 FRC), Maran (920 at 17 FRC), Jerantut (570 at 11 FRC), Bera (217 at 7 FRC), Raub (137 at 7 FRC), Lipis (60 at 5 FRC) and Rompin (36 at 2 FRC). However, a number of main roads remained closed for traffic, especially Km14 Jalan Temerloh-Bahau, Km18 Jalan Triang-Temerloh and Jalan Jerantut-Kuala Lipis (Kampung Sepial), the spokesman told Bernama today.In Kota Baru, the number of flood victims in Pasir Mas and Tumpat dropped from 139 last night to 99 this morning said a state disaster operations room spokesman. Water level at Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang was recorded as 8. 68m at 8am this morning and remained at the warning level (Danger level 9m). In Terengganu, the number of flood victims at FRC remained at 22,617 from 5,582 families with Kemaman being the worst affected said the National Security Council (MKN) portal.Kemaman, which was worst hit, saw the highest number of flood victims at FRC with 19,869 from 4,901 families, followed by Dungun with 2,719 from 672 families, Kuala Terengganu six from a family and Marang 28 from eight families. The state Drainage and Irrigation Department reported that the water levels of major rivers in the state were below the danger point this morning. In Johor, 592 evacuees from 160 families remained at nine FRC in the state as the conditions improved significantly said the National Security Council portal. The portal said 484 were in Segamat, 55 in Pontian and 53 in Batu Pahat. Floods in Malaysia Improvement in weather conditions saw a drop in the number of flood victims at flood relief centres (FRC) in Pahang and Kelantan this morning but conditions remained unchanged in Terengganu. In Pahang, the number of flood victims at FRC dropped from 35,502 last night to 33,952 as of 9am this morning said a Pahang state police disaster operations room spokesman.The 33,952 flood victims from 10,328 families are currently housed in 141 FRC throughout the nine districts affected by floods, namely 27,700 in Kuantan, Pekan (3,180 at 34 FRC), Temerloh (1,132 at 23 FRC), Maran (920 at 17 FRC), Jerantut (570 at 11 FRC), Bera (217 at 7 FRC), Raub (137 at 7 FRC), Lipis (60 at 5 FRC) and Rompin (36 at 2 FRC).However, a number of main roads remained closed for traffic, especially Km14 Jalan Temerloh-Bahau, Km18 Jalan Triang-Temerloh and Jalan Jerantut-Kuala Lipis (Kampung Sepial), the spokesman told Bernama today. In Kota Baru, the number of flood victims in Pasir Mas and Tumpat dropped from 139 last night to 99 this morning said a state disaster operations room spokesman.Water level at Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang was recorded as 8.68m at 8am this morning and remained at the warning level (Danger level 9m). In Terengganu, the number of flood victims at FRC remained at 22,617 from 5,582 families with Kemaman being the worst affected said the National Security Council (MKN) portal. Kemaman, which was worst hit, saw the highest number of flood victims at FRC with 19,869 from 4,901 families, followed by Dungun with 2,719 from 672 families, Kuala Terengganu six from a family and Marang 28 from eight families.The state Drainage and Irrigation Department reported that the water levels of major rivers in the state were below the danger point this morning. In Johor, 592 evacuees from 160 families remained at nine FRC in the state as the conditions improved significantly said the National Security Council portal. The portal said 484 were in Segamat, 55 in Pontian and 53 in Batu Pa hat. – See more at: http://www. themalaymailonline. com/malaysia/article/flood-conditions-improve-in-pahang-kelantan-johor#sthash. G7kqR5LJ. dpuf