Copyright (c) 2013 Roger Williams University All rights reserved. http://docs.rwu.edu/rr Recent documents in Reason and Respect en-us Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:01:32 PDT 3600 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/17 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/17 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:17:21 PDT As an institution committed to civil interchange about the important topics of our time, we believe that discourse, no matter how passionate, can and must be conducted with reason and respect because we also celebrate those values as inherently important to our community.

]]> Roy J. Nirschel http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/16 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/16 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:09:17 PDT Ahmed's book, which is based upon his travels with students throughout the Islamic world, discusses how globalization affects the already precarious relationship between the east and the west. Throughout the book, Ahmed outlines the progression of tensions between the two regions, attempts to shatter some of the misconceptions they have of one another, and analyzes the current situation of globalization to warn of the dubious future that awaits both regions if understanding is not reached.

]]> Britt Crossman http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/15 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/15 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:05:08 PDT None of us are just Christians or just Muslims or just Jews, Hindus or Buddhists. We are human beings—messy, mixed-up conglomerations of innumerable categories, every one of which offers an opportunity for commonality with others, for dialog instead of conflict. Our civilizational identity, Sen insists, is not our destiny.

]]> Michael Bowden http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/14 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/14 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:51:32 PDT McLuhan’s idea of a “global village” theory is idealistic. It assumes that the globe shares a single history, economy, and culture. Whereas a common history and economy are arguably present, a shared culture is less realistic. How can the world be a village when war, poverty, indifference, and ignorance have led to the ruin of so many people?

]]> Tessa Rickart http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/13 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/13 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:08:44 PDT Whether the world is shrinking, expanding, or remaining the same metaphorical size, it is clear that how we communicate across physical and cultural boundaries is changing at an accelerated rate. With these changes comes a responsibility, as humans, to consider the implications of our shifting realities. Without an objective and inclusive analysis of these issues, we will be unprepared for the rollercoaster of cultural mayhem that could inevitably ensue. If we are in fact becoming a global village, we will be able to reach some sort of consensus as a global village about how these issues should be addressed in order to benefit all members of our village equally.

]]> Violet Dixon http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/12 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/12 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:59:19 PDT When faced with social unrest and an inability to participate in the political sphere, conflict and rebellion blossom. When economics preside over politics, all interaction is divisive and will always be composed of varying layers of two groups: the oppressor and the oppressed. Rather than fighting economic systems then, we should be fighting for human rights. We should fight to become more informed citizens, understanding that if repression can be supported abroad, it can be supported domestically too.

]]> Brittany Krupski http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/11 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/11 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:38:32 PDT Religion has been woven into the fabric of societies past and present, and the human desire to reach out to the divine is a very important component of society. The preserved art and architecture from around the world bestows a comprehensive conceptual understanding of the human yearning to connect to the sky with religious intent.

]]> Joey Szczebak http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/10 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/10 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:25:13 PDT Civilizations express their cultural identity through art and architecture, much of which, in ancient civilizations, is of a religious nature. Focusing on religious depictions in art and architecture, one can see that early Christian art is much different from Islamic art and that Christian architecture evolved due to the clash between Christians and Muslims during the Crusades.

]]> Kelsie Lysen http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/9 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/9 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:16:53 PDT Although Judaism, Christianity, and Islamic religions all originated in the same geographic location and share similar beliefs, they differ in culture, tradition, and values. Christianity and Judaism both read from the Old Testament, but their interpretations differ. Judaism and Islam both believe that icons should not be represented but their art is different in various ways. All three religions have distinct places of worship, although when Muslims conquered Spain, much of their artwork was assimilated into Christian representations. These cultures have defined their own, distinct religions, and their artwork is a major characteristic of each unique religion.

]]> Samantha Kornblit http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/8 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/8 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:09:26 PDT Why war or conflicts are fought between civilizations is a subject that could be debated with no end. The complexity of how our species reacts with each other and generates conflict exceeds the limitations of a single concept. There is not one answer to the question, but often the combination of the need for economic and political authority along with the thrill of victory, power, and nationalism joining together to create the motivation to fight and conquer.

]]> Ross Pickett http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/7 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/7 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:04:21 PDT Whatever the culture or the time period, it is this humanitarian approach that I stress in the survey course in Art and Architectural History. The students are asked over the span of the semester to seek connections between times and places as we proceed week by week through our investigation of world arts. As the essays that follow indicate, the students become alert to the similarities and differences in cultural artifacts that stem from the fundamental values of the people who made and used them. Together, we ask questions about those people and their cultures, their ways of thinking and being.

]]> Rebecca Leuchak http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/6 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/6 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:04:20 PDT The traditional and ritual beliefs of the Kanaka Maoli are intimately connected to Hawaiian identity and the relationship between the person and the universe. Therefore any examination of these, by extension, is an examination of the Kanaka Maoli way of life. This essay examines pre-haole Hawaiian culture, the diminishing of women’s presence and authority during the missionary period through annexation, and the recent women activist voices that have emerged as part of the sovereignty discourse.

]]> Roxanne O'Connell http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/5 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/5 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:15:45 PDT This essay will not focus on my analyses of the poems that were the original impetus of my study, but instead on what I discovered when researching the rhetorical traditions within which the poems are situated. My argument hinges on this question: Why did no gross disparities between rhetorical traditions emerge in my initial research, and why is this absence significant? My analysis draws on the works of George A. Kennedy, Robert Oliver, and Edward Said, in addition to the post-colonial studies of Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin.

]]> Patrick James Putnam http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/4 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/4 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:37:55 PDT In as much as film can be considered a modern-day corollary to these forms of rhetoric, one could conclude that certain movies—advertently or inadvertently—perpetuate cultural identities and solidify national interests as well. One recent film in particular, though, presents an addendum to Kennedy’s theory: the Bollywood hit film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. Through the juxtaposition of Indian and British cultures during the British colonization of India, the filmmakers suggest that one can transcend cultural construction.

]]> Britt Crossman http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/3 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/3 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:33:52 PDT To conceive of Aeneas as anything but a hero is to perceive of the clash of two civilizations; the mind of the modern reader and that of a Roman epic poet ultimately require some form of reconciliation. The vehicle for this understanding is the consideration of historical and social contexts. These are useful not only in decoding ancient literature, but also in a world that is swiftly becoming increasingly more global. In the face of this trend, it is necessary to equip ourselves with the tools needed to interact with one another with mutual understanding—the same tools used everyday for something as simple as reading.

]]> Adrianne M. LaFrance http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/2 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/2 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:05:13 PDT This essay will illustrate how Lahiri utilizes her cultural underpinning to creatively juxtapose various elements within her short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies, in order to offer a balanced representation of her modern social group, the Indian diaspora within America. Interpreter of Maladies is used as an example of how cultural knowledge may be transmitted through literature-as-rhetoric whether or not an author is conscious of cultural influence.

]]> Taylor Shea http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/1 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol4/iss1/1 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:23:26 PDT This essay focuses on the three main characters in Tracks, who illustrate the confusion and dangers of the loss of cultural heritage. The first part of the essay provides an historical overview of the Ojibwe to familiarize readers with why cultural duality has become a pervasive component of their history. The second part of the essay is a character analysis that reveals the various manifestations of this duality.

]]> Lauren Cotham http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/11 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/11 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:33:25 PST The story was written in 1953 and first published in Vogue magazine in 1954 as “The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness”. This story is one of his most well known, having been translated into several languages and made into an Oscar-winning short animated film.

]]> Roxanne O’Connell http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/10 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/10 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:28:08 PST We can all do something more than we presently are, and perhaps Mr. Geldof’s greatest gift to this university was in his very loud and powerful message to commit ourselves to something greater than ourselves. That is, there should be no doubt what a university should be doing anyway, and we all should hope that Geldof’s visit to our campus reinforces a commitment to service and doubles and redoubles our collective and individual commitments to each other and to our world.

]]> Robert P. Engvall http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/9 http://docs.rwu.edu/rr/vol3/iss1/9 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:55:30 PST Imagine living a double life – being pulled in all different directions, between your past and your present, your family and your friends, your two different cultures. Jhumpa Lahiri knows that double existence and shows individuals living it in her book Interpreter of Maladies. Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories that focuses on Indian and American cultures and the people who get caught between the two.

]]> Cora Tetreault