Composition & Essay Writing . [ 35 ]

35- ] Composition & Essay Writing .

37-] Feasts & Festivals .

                 A festival is an event usually and ordinarily staged by a local community which centers on some unique aspect of that community . In religion a feast or festival is a set of celebrations in honor of God or gods [ especially in ancient times as in the case of ancient Egyptians ,Persians ,Romans and Greeks ].A feast and a festival are historically interchangeable . However , when the term “ feast “ is used in the meaning of a festival most often refers to a religious festival rather than for example , a film or art festival .

             There are numerous types of festivals in the world . Though many have religious origins , others involve seasonal change or have some cultural significance . Seasonal festivals are determined by the solar and the lunar calendars and by the cycle of seasons . The changing of season was celebrated because of its effect on food supply . Ancient Egyptians celebrated spring as a season of harvest . Now the feast of spring is called“ Sham El-Nasim “ and celebrated in Egypt every year with certain traditions . Egyptians spend the day in the open air .They go to parks     and to the banks of the River Nile and the sea resorts They sail in cruises across the Nile . They  eat certain foods such as salted fish , colored eggs and green onion .

In the Alps in autumn the return of the cattle from the mountain pastures to the stables in the valley is celebrated as “Almabtieb" . A recognized winter festival , the Chinese New Year is set by the lunar calendar and celebrated from the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice .

          In the Christian liturgical calendar there are two principal feasts – Christmas and Easter . In Islam there are two feasts – The Feast of Sacrifice [ Al-Adha ] and The Feast of Fast Breaking    [ El-Fitr ]. The Feast of Sacrifice occurs on the last day of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca .    Animals such as sheep cattle and camels are sacrificed to commemorate Prophet Abraham or Ibraheem in Arabic whose faithfulness to God prevented the sacrifice of his son Ismael . The joyous Feast of Fast Breaking is held on the first day after Ramadan .Muslims wear new clothes and pray in the open . They visit each others and give alms or Zakat to the poor and tips to children . They eat cakes and sweets . There is a kind of family reunion where all the family members gather to celebrate the feast together .

                 Feasts or festivals of many types serve to meet specific needs as well as to provide entertainment . These times of celebration offer a sense of belonging for religious , social or geographical groups . Modern festivals that focus on cultural of ethnic topics seek to inform members of their traditions . In past times festivals were times when the elderly shared stories   and transferred certain knowledge to the next generation .Historic feasts often provided a     means for unity among families and for people to find mates . Select anniversaries have annual festivals to commemorate previous significant occurrences .

 

38-] Mass Media .

           Mass media play a crucial role in forming and reflecting public opinion connecting the world to individuals and reproducing the self-image of society . The consequences and ramifications of the mass media relate not merely to the way newsworthy events are perceived    but also to a multitude of cultural influences that operate through the media .

                Although a sizable portion of mas media offerings particularly news , commentaries , documentaries and other informational programs deal with highly controversial subjects , the major portion of mass media offerings are designed to serve an entertainment function . These programs tend to avoid controversial issues and reflect beliefs and values sanctified by mass audience . This course is followed by television networks whose investment and production costs are high .

            In the 1960s Marshall McLuhan said that mas media were increasingly creating a global village . For example ,there is evidence that Western media influence in Asia is the driving force behind rapid social change “ it is as if the 1960s and the 1990s were compressed together . This raises questions of cultural imperialism –the de facto imposition through economic and political power and through the media of Western [ in particular US ] culture .

                 The media have a strong social and cultural impact upon society . This is predicated upon their ability to reach a wide audience with a strong and influential message .It is through    the persuasiveness of media such as television , radio and print media that messages reach their target audiences . These have been influential media as they have been Largely responsible for structuring people’s daily lives and routines .Television broadcasting has a large amount of   control over the content society watches and the times in which it is viewed .The internet      creates a space for more diverse political opinions , social and cultural view points and a heightened level of consumer participation .

            Supporters of effects theory contend that commercials , advertising and voter campaigns prove that media influence behavior .For example ,in the 20^th century aggressive media       attention and negative coverage of trials involving celebrities like Michael Jackson or Mike    Tyson have influenced the general public opinion before the rivals effectively started .

                 Critics of effects see no connection between exposure to media violence and real life violence because humans are not copycats and can realize what is wrong and what is right . Although some research claims that heavy exposure to media violence can lead to more    aggressive behavior , it has been suggested that exposure alone does not cause a child to commit crimes .

              Certain groups tend to argue for media effects in an effort to promote a political cause . They argue that certain obscene material had simple and identifiable effects on children and     thus should be banned or labeled . In a mass society leisure is  constantly used to include the appropriate values and motives in the public .The modern media train the young for    consumption .

              Theorists have emphasized the importance of mass media as instruments of social control. In the 21^st century with the rise of the internet , the two-way relationship between mass media  and public opinion is beginning to change with the advent of new technologies such as blogging .