Papers by Aiko O Z Alvarez-Gibson
As a form of propaganda, architecture has propagated the terms “primitive” and “modern” to define... more As a form of propaganda, architecture has propagated the terms “primitive” and “modern” to define a new identity “savage” that has been superimposed upon eastern cultures and people of color. As an aftereffect, the desire to escape the “savage”, a glorification of western aesthetics, and a globalization of aesthetics, has homogenized the world. This paper approaches the concepts of architecture, propaganda, and the emergence of the use of the word savage. It will briefly examine residential architecture from cultures that historically have been associated with the identity of savage, and open a discussion for the interrogation of this superimposed identity in relation to architecture.
American Prison Architecture: A Lack of Consideration, Priority, and Effectiveness In the United ... more American Prison Architecture: A Lack of Consideration, Priority, and Effectiveness In the United States, we have been placing people convicted of crime in prisons since the end of the 18th century. The general rule in this nation, as presented by the federal government, has been abide by our rules, and we won't bother you; disobey our rules, and we punish you. For a while many Americans confided that the "punish" meant "in hopes of making you better suit for society", and that therefore the role that prisons played was a rehabilitative one, but given the state at which our prisons are designed and maintained in, this "punish for the better" follows a "scared straight" ideology that just does not work. This flawed belief is visible in many aspects of society, be that in legislation, the old "Scared Straight" trips elementary students used to take in the 20th century, or the architectural design of the prisons themselves. The problem with this approach is that it is ineffective, as crime rates still are at a high, and the approach to prison architecture, as a means of psychological torture, is ineffective as recidivism rates are still on the rise. If the prison system wants to make any real progress in decreasing recidivism rates and having a positive effect on the people subject to its environment, a serious analysis of prison architecture and its shortcomings must be conducted, and revisions to the prison design model are to be carried out in order to rework the psychological impact these structures have on the human mind once inside.
When we think about the term propaganda, when we use the term propaganda, we habitually associate... more When we think about the term propaganda, when we use the term propaganda, we habitually associate it with evil political aims. Perhaps this is born out of our learned desire to not be influenced. This brief essay explores how logically one my conclude all art as a form of propaganda and the neutral role propaganda plays in society, breaking down the negative façade society built for the term.
An essay addressed to the American people: Identity, belief, and opinion are aspects of a persona... more An essay addressed to the American people: Identity, belief, and opinion are aspects of a personality that one each holds close to his/her own. It is expected and common that beliefs and opinions may differ and it is expected or common for someone to become defensive over their truth. However when people are persuaded to believe that suddenly because Joe believes different from Jim that Joe and Jim are now enemies, and furthermore, that Joe and Jim are inherently different through and through, dangerous conflict arises. This is to say that differences and similarities cannot exist together, that one divergence translates to polar entities. This polarity does not exist naturally, however it is common. Its prevalence is a by-product of the media and propaganda, and after decades of this rhetoric being echoed in outlets we commonly look to to seek information, the " Us vs Them " mentality becomes an instinct. There are copious historical examples that provide the opportunity of learning from the disaster that the " us vs them " mentality brought them to. This essay evaluates a couple of such events and parallels them to our current American situation.
Much of our universe is left unknown, and although we have come far in the advancement in our sci... more Much of our universe is left unknown, and although we have come far in the advancement in our science and understanding of the laws of our earth, we have yet to be able to apply these understandings to existence outside of this planet beyond plausible theory. The discovery of the laws of nature could ultimately be what prohibits us from further analysis of the universe because we can not conjecture or imagine a world that operates on a completely different set of structures.
The United States of America was founded on the philosophy of keeping society bound to its unspok... more The United States of America was founded on the philosophy of keeping society bound to its unspoken hierarchy. Americans of African descent face several hurdles in trying to not only live life, enjoy liberty and the pursuit, but to support themselves and their families. Facing racial prejudices since the beginning, race being the product of the fear of losing power, prejudice the tool to use race as a means of keeping particular peoples down, getting a job and raising a family, safely, can be near impossible, making life for the posterity of minority families seemingly perpetually doomed. The stand for human equality appears to be infinite, with no determined beginning and no apparent end. The American Negro Exhibit was an attempt at taking a stand for human equality.
To define the word self: “the evaluation by oneself of one’s worth as an individual . . . ” and t... more To define the word self: “the evaluation by oneself of one’s worth as an individual . . . ” and the dictionary provides the word self with synonyms such as individual and private. Merriam-Webster describes the definition of identity as “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual”. In disagreement with the laws of logic, when you put the words together, suddenly the definition is no longer personal. Self and identity together don’t mean solely the distinguishing character of oneself by one’s self; however, the distinguishing character of oneself “ . . . in relation to social context.” To say this, then, is to say that one can not make accurate descriptions of themselves without societal influence.
Scientifically, it is proven that teenagers require a minimum of eight to ten hours of sleep and ... more Scientifically, it is proven that teenagers require a minimum of eight to ten hours of sleep and adults require about seven to nine hours of sleep. To make things simple, one can say that a person 14 or older needs an average of eight and a half hours of sleep.¹ Recently, as the demand for higher scoring and courses requiring more involvement have been brought to the attention of educators, so has the demand for adequate hours for sleep and the recognition of the lack thereof. Scientifically, the hours of sleep are those which the body prepares its physical condition for the following day. The body repairs muscles, releases growth hormones, etc.² When the required minimum of sleep hours are not achieved, the body's preparation process is cut short and therefore incomplete. Logically, the inability to complete the necessary bodily tasks leads to consequential health disaster, plainly. Lack of sleep leads to lack of attentiveness, lack of enthusiasm and an increase in stress. A consistency in lack of sleep can lead to long term health concerns such as early age obesity, diabetes and chronic heart issues.³ Considering the benefits sleep is guaranteed to provide, one may say that " Sleep is a wonderful thing ". What sleep doesn't allow for on the other hand is success. School and work is not a balancing act, it is a pick and choose situation. If you choose sleep, then you choose health over success; conversely, if you choose late nights and hard work, you choose success over health. Sleep is not a wonderful thing; sleep is negligible and perhaps even detrimental to the possibility of success.
In Alan Paton's novel "Cry, the Beloved Country", the reader is introduced to John Kumalo. He is ... more In Alan Paton's novel "Cry, the Beloved Country", the reader is introduced to John Kumalo. He is a powerful man, or at least he has the potential to be such. He can influence a whole nation, but greed and a fear of losing what he has gained remains a constant road block for him. While perhaps every character in the novel develops and by the end has changed, John Kumalo remains the same.
It was permissible for children to be sent to school, in which they began training for life past ... more It was permissible for children to be sent to school, in which they began training for life past adolescence. In these buildings called schools, young people are taught information and techniques necessary in order to achieve a life of leisure, to obtain success and become happily employed. This was the intention, for the word school derives from the greek word 'scholē', meaning " that in which leisure is employed " (1). It was permissible even after the meaning of the word changed to contrastingly mean " a group to whom lectures were given " (1).
Mientras las elecciones primarias se acercan, el tema de la legalización de los inmigrantes indoc... more Mientras las elecciones primarias se acercan, el tema de la legalización de los inmigrantes indocumentados y que es necesario para nosotros como país ha sido el punto focal de la atención de todos en los Estados Unidos. Algunos están a favor de la legalización porque creen en los derechos humanos y entienden los esfuerzos de los que quieren venir aquí. Otros están en contra de la idea porque creen que todos los otros países, especialmente los países en desarrollo, son criminales, traen drogas y toman nuestros trabajos. Otra vez, la nación está separada y dependiendo de los votos de la gente y el próximo presidente, cosas podrían cambiar por lo mejor o lo peor.
Revenge, the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone, is a concept as old as the human race... more Revenge, the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone, is a concept as old as the human race itself. As humans have evolved, the abstraction of revenge has altered as well. To the human mind, revenge is the reward of the retaliation for lost pride. In Emily Brontë’s nineteenth century novel, Wuthering Heights, the use of multiple perspectives and the development of external and internal struggles assists in illustrating how childhood struggles can lead to a lifelong desire for vengeance. The elements also allow for the exploration of the possible benefits and detriments of revenge.
Humans are naturally born with the desire to explore and to learn; however, through trying to imp... more Humans are naturally born with the desire to explore and to learn; however, through trying to improve our society, we have left little room for the mind to wander and have made it hard to keep the motive to learn alive for the youth. There are multitudinous aspects of our society that have been reformed for the greater good that have proven to be counterproductive. One of which is the principle of grading and providing a quantitative value to the work and studies children complete in school. The scoring of student work eliminates room for creative and intellectual exploration, promotes a fear of failure, and terminates the desire to learn. Student evaluation can be compared to how the effects of the instant judgment and prejudice of humans affected Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s creation in Mary Shelley's eighteenth century novel, Frankenstein.
“Everything is not what it seems.” One of many lessons ingrained in us as developing teenagers. ... more “Everything is not what it seems.” One of many lessons ingrained in us as developing teenagers. In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the importance of the echoing “life tip” is deeply stressed and Mr. Henry, a character we are slowly starting to see more of, is one way Morrison emphasizes this point. Character development and foreshadowing are two techniques used to portray this point through Mr. Henry.
A small two-page paper about Plutarch's involvement with the creation of the Julius Caesar play b... more A small two-page paper about Plutarch's involvement with the creation of the Julius Caesar play by William Shakespeare.
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Papers by Aiko O Z Alvarez-Gibson