Sounds Analyses in a Sports Event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sounds Analyses in a Sports Event - Essay Example Sounds Analyses in a Sports Event It is said that one way music can be interpreted is through the listener’s â€Å"interaction† with it. Sound can be similarly interpreted this way, as sound is also perceived through the auditory sense . This idea can be linked some points in the field notes during the women’s tennis game between Duke University and Virginia Tech. For example, before the start of the game, the crowd could be heard chatting non-stop on probably every topic possible in casual conversations. As an observer, the sounds can be interpreted depending on the personal viewpoint of the listener or the â€Å"intention†. These sounds can be seen as sounds of excitement, of nervousness, or of indifference. To explain further, these three interpretations will be dissected. Sounds from the crowd can be interpreted as excitement due to the consistent rising and falling of the intonation of the overall chatter. They can also be interpreted as nervousness due to the listener’s percep tion of the circumstances where the sounds are happening. Rival fans can easily be perceived as nervous for the game results. Additionally, indifference may also be another interpretation due to the casual setting where the sounds are happening. However, this is just one aspect of interpretation. Another interpretation of sound can be based on â€Å"intentionality.† According to Tia De Nora, â€Å"users configure themselves as agents in and through the ways they relate to objects while they also configure objects in and through the ways they, as agents, behave towards those objects† ... De Nora, â€Å"users configure themselves as agents in and through the ways they relate to objects while they also configure objects in and through the ways they, as agents, behave towards those objects† (Guck 195). It happens, for instance, when the listener uses the music as a catalyst to what the listener wants to feel. For example, during the event, if the listener wants to feel excitement, they can easily use the sounds around them as a catalyst to feel excitement. The endless, mixed sound of voices can easily be used as an accomplice to get this feeling. On the other hand, if the listener wants to feel that their preferred team or player is at an advantage, they could choose to interpret the sounds from rival fans as nervousness (Guck 195-7). Semantics and Pragmatics In communication, aside from phonetics, lexicon, grammar, and syntax, pragmatics, and semantics are also necessary (Feld 206-7). Similarly, rules beyond how a music or sound is made are considered in interpr eting music or sound. Meanings and conceptions of self are equally important in interpreting the objects a listener hears. This could mean that sounds cannot be interpreted solely on the basis of its structure while isolating the context where it is heard. While not absolutely similar, it is reasonable to point out that some issue in linguistics may be applied in ethnomusicology (Feld 207). For example, in the same sports event, if a listener focuses on the social structure where sounds are produced, any listener will interpret the sounds in similar fashion. However, if the pragmatic and semantic theories are applied, a simple sound of laughter from a group of people may present different meanings to the listener. This does not discuss yet the â€Å"intentional† meaning that the producers of the

The Hands of Poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Hands of Poverty - Essay Example While it is true that the economy has improved the lives of many people, poverty still exists. Many networks attempts to provide the basic needs of the poor – clothing, food, shelter – but the number of people who needs assistance is still higher compared to those who are being serviced. This paper critically analyzes the essay written by Jane Addams entitled â€Å"The Hands of Poverty†. Written in 1910, during the height of industrialization, the essay provides valuable insights on the lamentable situation of many citizens of East London. In this essay, Addams talks about her first experience in East London when she became eyewitness to the poverty afflicting Londoners. Here, she describes how everyone had to fend for themselves: how the â€Å"submerged tenth† (Addams 258) were forced to eat decaying fruits and vegetables while auctioneers had to endure the suffering of their countrymen in order to bring food to their own tables. Addams is making a point about how poverty serves to diminish humanity, because it makes people act more like animals than men. Addams’ essay had a referential purpose. Written objectively, Addams talks about the two faces of East London, one which is seen by tourists like herself, and the other one which is experienced by the city’s residents. ... The secondary purpose for this essay was expressive. The writer hoped to show how much the scene has affected her. Perhaps, it was also a way for her to explain why she did what she did in later life. Addams went on to become a social activist (Knight) and has often referred back to this experience in her other works (Bettis). Addams went on to describe her experience in the city and how it created an impact on her life. Her use of first person pronouns made the essay more personal. This essay was also used an evaluation pattern. She related her own judgement of the scene she wrote about. Though she did not explicitly say that she â€Å"hated† what she saw, she used words like â€Å"wretchedness of East London† to depict her disdain at the scene unfolding before her. This pattern combined with the secondary pattern described below gave information to the reader, and at the same time allowed the reader to experience the same emotions and convictions as the writer. Moreov er, the essay also had descriptive pattern because of her choices for words she used the word â€Å"clamoring† to describe how these bidders were shouting just to get their hands on a cheap piece of vegetable or fruit which is the only thing they could purchase with the money they had. To show how hungry these people were she described a winner of a bid who â€Å"tore [the cabbage] with his teeth, and hastily devoured it, unwashed and uncooked† (Addams 257). Addams used strong words to describe the scene, and in effect, she transported the reader to the same instant that she witnessed, giving the reader the same feeling of contempt for the prevailing system of poverty and hunger. In the latter part of