Ba and Achebe A Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ba and Achebe A Comparative Analysis - Essay Example On the surface these two novels have precious little in common, but a deeper reading reveals that Ba and Achebe using broad strokes of their pen have traversed much of the same terrain with regard to themes like tradition, gender roles, oppression, religion and the like. Preceding a comparative analysis of the two, information about the authors, summary of the plots and an understanding of the recurring themes is called for. Mariama Ba was a Senegalese writer who wrote largely about the social injustices meted out to women. She belonged to a traditional Muslim family. Thanks to her father she received a good education at a prestigious French school despite prevailing tradition which did not encourage the education of women. Her talent as a writer manifested itself at an early age when she wrote bold and thought-provoking articles for journals and newspapers. So Long a Letter was her first novel and it won the Noma Prize. Following its success she wrote the Scarlet Song, her final contribution to literature. So Long a Letter is a novel told in epistolary style that is it... She recounts the twists and turns both their lives have taken. Finally she furnishes details about her new life even as an uncertain future beckons to her. Her unique style allows readers intimate glimpses into the life of the protagonist which transports them into the core of her existence. According to Pritchett, in this novel "Thoughts on constitutional politics, economic development, and international relations combine easily with thoughts on life, love, marriage, childrearing, duty to others and self" (50). About Achebe and Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe is a world- renowned Nigerian writer. He attended the Government College in Umuahia and University College in Ibadan. In the course of his readings he was appalled to note the way Africans were portrayed and set about trying to remove the stereotypical impressions created by such works. He had an impressive career as a writer and received prestigious awards. His works include Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah. Things Fall Apart tells the tale of the rise and fall of an Igbo man named Okonkwo. Starting of with few advantages Okonkwo drags himself to the uppermost realms of success and just when he begins to enjoy the trappings of success, circumstances lead to his taking an innocent life and this event marks the beginning of his decline. The tragic flaws in his character lead to his downfall and ultimate destruction. Thematic Concerns of Ba and Achebe The works of Ba and Achebe need to be viewed within the context of colonialism, which nearly annihilated the traditions, beliefs, value systems and culture of native Africa. The aftermath of colonialism, the

Approaches to obesity: Behavioural measures

Approaches to obesity: Behavioural measures Issue for reflection: Can obesity be controlled through behavioral measures? Content brief description One of the global concern that we are facing now is obesity, not only has it increase, the prevalence rate has also doubled since 1980 (Anderson, Quinn Glanz et al., 2009). Behavioral theories suggest the increase in obesity is link with decrease physical activity and unhealthy dietary behavior and thereby altering our behavior would help to decrease risk of obesity (Heather, 2004). However, despite enormous research and interventions, the prevalence rates are still on the climb. Thus, casting doubts on behavioral approaches. This paper shall reflect on the issues on controlling obesity and practical implication in workplace setting. (99 words) Inter-relationship between theory, research and practice Theory and research In the basis of behavioural approaches, it is assumed that there is two main reasons that results in obesity epidemic, firstly, there is an imbalance in energy intake (excess) and energy output (inadequate). Secondly, these actions that contributed to the energy imbalance are learned behaviour (Jeffery et al., 2000). For example, we observe the purchase of fast food from others or advertisement, it increases our chances of buying it. If it was a learned behaviour then in order to decrease obesity rates, we should be able to acquire new behaviour to make better decisions that promote our health and well-being. It is also argued that when we engage in physical activity we are using our energy from food, however, the improvements in transportation and technological advancement has greatly reduce our level of physical activity, accounting at least 30% of the worldwide population and half of the adults in United States did not meet the recommended level of physical activity (CDC, 2007;WHO, 2009). Studies have collected epidemiological data that compared activity levels and found two associated variables with increasing trend namely, car ownership, and time spend in television viewing with obesity (Prentice Jebb, 1995). Other than the drop in energy output, it can be seen that our energy intake has increased significantly together with obesity rates. Studies show that calorie intake of food increased from of 335 calories per day for females and 168 calories for males from 1971 to 2004 (Wright et al., 2004). Moreover, within this time frame it was the bloom of economics for processed food accompanied by the increase portion size and fast-food trends, which leads to excess calorie intake, resulting in rapid weight gain (Rolls, 2007). Thus, the extra calories input might be from food choices that consist of high energy density. Practice As of workplace environment, these research has helped in developing behavioural modification program in treating obesity. Reports show that companies that adopted obesity interventions have significant improvements for the employees, and also helped the employers in decreasing absenteeism rate, job stress experience, workplace injuries and increase in work productivity in workers (Jensen, 2011; Mhurchu, Aston Jebb, 2010). These health outcomes has been revealed to be commonly experienced with obese workers (Bungum et al., 2003; Nishitani Sakakibara, 2005; Poston et al., 2011). These behavioural programs often includes the combination of self-monitoring measures such as monitoring dietary intake (e.g. diary), cues and encouragement for appropriate behaviour (e.g. extrinsic incentives) (Stuart Davis, 1972), group exercise and providing healthy meal options, as well as, equipping workers with nutritional knowledge. Moreover, employees who had adhere to the program has considerably increase their daily intake of fruits and vegetables, and reduce their fat intake from food, along with improvements in mental and physical health (Maes, Cauwenberghe Lippevelde, 2012; Hutchinson, 2011). Therefore, with a better health profile, it could help in issue of absenteeism, productivity and benefited both employers and employees. (486 words) Personal reflection For: Behavioural theories could help in controlling Obesity The Contribution of extensive research Firstly, research on behavioural approaches could aid in implementation of interventions and modification of existed programs in the workplace environment. Perhaps, we could develop a framework that identify the contributing factors of obesity in the workplace setting. Then, analysing the trend between the contributing factors and workers through survey data and using statistical methods to samples different groups (e.g. normal weight, overweight and obese employees). Next, we could design the program making sure to modify the contributing work system parameters (e.g. providing healthy food options) to create behavioural changes (e.g. ordering healthy meal) that could improve health conditions. Most employers and employees acknowledge the impact of obesity Secondly, studies have found that both employers and employees has consider weight management program at work settings to be appropriate and effective in controlling obesity (Gabel et al., 2009). These shows that employers might be concern about the rising medical cost, expenses incurred due to the loss of productivity and an increase in work injuries. Employers understand the impact of obesity that imply health cost towards employees and indirectly affecting the company as well, as such they are more willing to provide cooperate health benefits to reduce obesity. However, the employees must also have personal responsibility and discipline to attend the welfares provided. Thus, when both parties work together the chances of reducing obesity would be possible in workplace. Against: Behavioural theories does not help in controlling Obesity Obesity is genetically inherited Firstly, in contrast to the behavioural theories, researchers have also investigate the genetic approaches towards obesity epidemic. Studies have explored the chances of inheriting obesity by looking at samples of first-degree relatives, which indicated moderate association (0.20 to 0.30). In addition, they looked into samples of monozygotic twins, which results in a higher heritability rate (0.60 to 0.70), indicating that genetics have contributed approximately 25% to 40% of the variance in BMI (Price, 2002). Furthermore, early research has also discovered that the distribution of fat in body parts and individual’s metabolic rate are also genetically predisposed (Levine, Eberhardt Jensen, 1999). This might support the notion that obesity could not be reduce. The complexity of contributing factors to obesity Secondly, with the vast variety of potential factors that could contribute to obesity, it would be challenging to target all factors. Workplace influencers include, high job demand, insufficient sleep, lack of physical activity, stress, low job control (Parhizi, Pasupathy Steege, 2012). Likewise, while considering the workplace effects, there are additional domain such as individual difference, psychosocial factors and genetics factors that could cause further complexity to provide solution to reduce obesity rate. Additionally, there may be multiple association between factors creating the difficulties in providing optimal levels of treatment for each individual. Inconsistent interventions results Thirdly, considering most of the research being done has a significant outcome improvement in health related issues (Hutchinson, 2012). Nonetheless, when evaluating the results of interventions that included promotion of physical activity and nutritional programs in accordance to the obesity measures of BMI, fat percentage and body weight, there were inconclusive evidence of the efficacy of reduction in these areas (Vuillemin, 2011). Similarly, such studies does not identify which of the interventions are effective for specific types of employee population. For example, is there a need for two different programs for office-based workers and retail-based workers? Additionally, most of the programs does not measure its long-term effects on weight maintenance which could provide overestimation of the positive outcomes from intervention and employees might actually gained weight in the long run. Thus, the inconsistency and methodological flaws of these studies might have an impact on its efficacy level. Conclusion Obesity is drawing massive attention and growing as a health problem that consisted undesirable consequences on individual’s health measures such as heart diseases, diabetes and cancers. To add on, obesity also greatly influences our workplace productivity, absenteeism, work injuries and job stress. These not only have negative effects on individual level but also pressures the employers with rising healthcare cost and expenses incurred from obese employees. As a result, vast majority of studies has examine the cause of obesity, in which, the most common approach was applying behavioural modification methods such as increasing physical activity and changing dietary intake. Yet, with great effort being place in weight management programs, obesity rate is still up-trending. This provides doubts and challenge to conventional methods in combating obesity. Such that, explanation of genetics, complexity of the contributing factors, flaws and inconsistent results of interventions from studies have come to doubt the effectiveness of these methods. Final Word Overall, obesity is a health problem that has variety of contribution factors that are complex and there is no definite model or program that cater to majority of the obese community. Nevertheless, it might be possible to be able to start from the workplace setting of individual and creating little changes that hopefully decrease obesity rate overtime. (818 words) References Anderson LM, Quinn TA, Glanz K et al. (2009). The effectiveness of worksite nutrition and physical activity interventions for controlling employee overweight and obesity: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 37:340.C357. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Prevalence of regular physical activity among adults. United States. MMWR 56:1209.C1212 Gabel, Jon R, Whitmore, Heidi,Pickreign, Jeremy Pickreign, Ferguson, Christine C, Anjall Jain, Hilary Scherer. (2009). Obesity and the Workplace: Current Programs and Attitudes among Employers and Employees. Health Affairs. 28, 1. ProQuest pp. 46 Heather O. Chambliss. Behavioral Approaches to Obesity Treatment. (2004) QUEST, 56. pp.142-149 Hutchinson AD, Wilson C. (2012). Improving nutrition and physical activity in the workplace: a meta-analysis of intervention studies. Health Promotion Inter 27:238Â ¨C249. Hutchinson AD, Wilson C.(2012).Improving nutrition and physical activity in the workplace: a meta-analysis of intervention studies. Health Promot Int 27:238Â ¨C249. Jensen JD. (2011). Can worksite nutritional interventions improve productivity and firm profitability? A literature review. Perspect Public Health 131:184Â ¨C192. Levine, J. A., Eberhardt, N. L., Jensen, M. D. (1999). Role of non-exercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans. Science, 283, 212Â ¨C214. Maes L, Van Cauwenberghe E, Van Lippevelde W et al..(2012).Effectiveness of workplace interventions in Europe promoting healthy eating: a systematic review. Eur J Public Health 22:677Â ¨C683. Ni Mhurchu C, Aston LM, Jebb SA. (2010). Effects of worksite health promotion interventions on employee diets: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 10:62. Price RA. (2002). Genetics and common obesities: Background, current status, strategies, and future prospects. Wadden TA,Stunkard AJ (eds) Handbook of obesity treatment. New York: The Guilford Press Rolls BJ. (2003). The Supersizing of America: portion size and the obesity epidemic. Nutr Today 38(2):42Â ¨C53 World Health Organization. (2009). WHO | Physical Inactivity: A Global Public Health Problem. Wright JD, Kennedy-Stephenson J, Wang CY, McDowell MA, Johnson CL. (2004). Trends in intake of energy and macronutrients. United States, 1971Â ¨C2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 53 (4): 80Â ¨C2. PMID 14762332 Vuillemin A, Rostami C, Maes L et al.. (2011). Worksite physical activity interventions and obesity: a review of European studies (the HOPE project). Obes Facts,4:479Â ¨C488.

A Common But Separate Goal For Power :: History Native Americans Essays

A Common But Separate Goal For Power missing works cited In the latter half of the 19th century, there were many cultures striving for control of the American Southwest, mainly the southern half of present-day Arizona, which was purchased by the United States in 1853. American Indian tribes, such as the Apaches, had original claims to the land that were overtaken by the Mexican invasion of missions at Tubac and Tucson, which were later overrun with American settlers and soldiers laying their claims to this new American territory. These struggles for power created tension between all of the peoples of southern Arizona, originally between the Apache tribes and Mexicans, and then morphing into a trifecta of clashes between all of the races for control of the land. When the Spanish began colonizing the northern area of Mexico, they were confronted with a problem-what were they to do with the native peoples? Jesuit priests attempted to reform some of the mesa tribes in present-day Arizona and New Mexico, but encountered a population uninterested in Christianity and comfortable with their nomadic ways. There were missions of this type in the towns of Tucson and Tubac, which were abandoned by the missionaries and taken over by the Hispanic population, which in its early days, numbered around five hundred. The Hispanic settlements were centralized around military establishments, mostly because of a fear of the native people, the Pinal Apaches, who were characterized by their raids for horses, food, and other staples. In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain, and the military outposts were completely under Hispanic control; they no longer were under Spanish rule and could make military decisions about the tribes on their own. With this newfound independence, the Mexicans began dealing in peace treaties with the local tribes. On March 5, 1837, the military government in Tucson signed a document with their "perennial enemies, the Pinal Apaches" (Officer, 137), which transported the tribe to the barren Arivaipa Creek, and contained a stipulation that the Apaches could only travel through the Tucson stronghold with the permission of the commander. Placing the Indians on reservations, which created land claims that were their own, seemed to have no reciprocal effect with the Mexicans. Although the tribes were not allowed to trespass on Mexican territory, the Mexicans did not care who trod on the newly claimed tribal lands. According to James E. Officer, in his book Hispanic Arizona, 1356-1856, ".

Mission Statement Essay

Microsoft â€Å"Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to each person’s needs. Accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with disabilities and it enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities.† —Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation Mission Statement The Microsoft mission regarding global diversity and inclusion is to create an environment that helps Microsoft capitalize on the diversity of its people and the inclusion of ideas and solutions to meet the needs of its increasingly global and diverse customer base. A Vision and Strategy for the Future Global Diversity and Inclusion are integral to the vision, strategy, and business success of Microsoft. Microsoft officially formed the Office of Diversity & Inclusion in recognition of the fact that leadership in the global marketplace requires a corporate culture and an inclusive business environment where the best and brightest diverse minds—employees with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences—work together to meet consumer demands. During the past few years, we have accomplished the following: * Developed a cohesive Global Diversity & Inclusion strategy linked to the company’s business and vision * Strengthened global perspective and integration of this diversity strategy across the company * Enhanced leadership engagement with the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive diversity sponsors * Improved overall quality and accuracy of diversity data in the U.S. and globally * Increased portfolio of diversity and inclusion training tools and courses Our results demonstrate that the collaboration of different cultures, ideas, and perspectives is an organizational asset and yields greater creativity and innovation. Global diversity and inclusion are business critical to the current and long-term success of Microsoft. Microsoft Accessibility Accessibility makes it easier for everyone to see, hear, and use a computer, and to personalize their computers to meet their own needs and preferences. For many people with impairments, accessibility is what makes computer use possible. Mission At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential. We consider our mission statement a promise to our customers. We deliver on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone—of all ages and abilities. Microsoft leads the industry in accessibility innovation and in building products that are safer and easier to use. Apple As a leader in innovation, the mission statement of the Apple company should be equally innovative, inspiring and somewhat lofty, but officially and unofficially Apple’s mission is barely a mission at all. (See the Apple, Inc. mission statement below.) The Mission Statement, Global Vision, and Values of Apple, Inc. It was widely reported that a famous quote from Steve Jobs in the 1980’s was the Apple company mission statement: â€Å"Man is the creator of change in this world. As such he should be above systems and structures, and not subordinate to them.† The â€Å"official† mission statement on the Apple corporation website, however, is not really a mission statement at all, but rather a list of products and past accomplishments. As stated, Apple’s â€Å"mission† is†¦ â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.† Apple ends its press releases with a statement that resembles what a traditional mission statement is expected to be†¦ â€Å"Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.† Coca Cola The world is changing all around us. To continue to thrive as a business over the next 10 years and beyond we must look ahead. Understanding the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and moving swiftly will prepare us for what’s to come. These are the declarations of our overall mission and goals, and the values that we are guided by as a company and as individuals. The CocaCola Company Mission Our mission is: * To refresh the world – in mind, body and spirit * To inspire moments of optimism – through our brands and actions * To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage The CocaCola Company Vision To achieve our mission, we have developed a set of goals, which we will work with our bottlers to deliver: Profit: Maximising return to shareholders, while being mindful of our overall responsibilities People: Being a great place to work, where people are inspired to be the best they can be Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people’s desires and needs Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organisation Our Winning Culture Our Winning Culture defines the attitudes and behaviors that will be required of us to make our 2020 Vision a reality. Live Our Values Our values serve as a compass for our actions and describe how we behave in the world. * Leadership: The courage to shape a better future * Collaboration: Leverage collective genius * Integrity: Be real * Accountability: If it is to be, it’s up to me * Passion: Committed in heart and mind * Diversity: As inclusive as our brands * Quality: What we do, we do well Focus on the Market * Focus on needs of our consumers, customers and franchise partners * Get out into the market and listen, observe and learn * Possess a world view * Focus on execution in the marketplace every day * Be insatiably curious Work Smart * Act with urgency * Remain responsive to change * Have the courage to change course when needed * Remain constructively discontent * Work efficiently Act Like Owners * Be accountable for our actions and inactions * Steward system assets and focus on building value * Reward our people for taking risks and finding better ways to solve problems * Learn from our outcomes — what worked and what didn’t Be the Brand * Inspire creativity, passion, optimism and fun Mc Donald’s Mission & Values McDonald’s brand mission is to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers’ experience. McDonald’s Values We place the customer experience at the core of all we do. Our customers are the reason for our existence. We demonstrate our appreciation by providing them with high quality food and superior service in a clean, welcoming environment, at a great value. Our goal is quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) for each and every customer, each and every time. We are committed to our people. We provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement. We believe that a team of well-trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement, is essential to our continued success. We believe in the McDonald’s System. McDonald’s business model, depicted by our â€Å"three-legged stool† of owner/operators, suppliers, and company employees, is our foundation, and balancing the interests of all three groups is key. We operate our business ethically. Sound ethics is good business. At McDonald’s, we hold ourselves and conduct our business to high standards of fairness, honesty, and integrity. We are individually accountable and collectively responsible. We give back to our communities. We take seriously the responsibilities that come with being a leader. We help our customers build better communities, support Ronald McDonald House Charities, and leverage our size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. We grow our business profitably. McDonald’s is a publicly traded company. As such, we work to provide sustained profitable growth for our shareholders. This requires a continuous focus on our customers and the health of our system. We strive continually to improve. We are a learning organization that aims to anticipate and respond to changing customer, employee and system needs through constant evolution and innovation.

Predominance of Goddesses in Minoan Religion Essay

The most obvious thing present in Minoan religion is its polytheistic and matriarchal features, thus it is always referred to as a goddess religion, wherein all deities are female and there had been no male divinity detected until later times. Added to that is the fact that male deities are uncommon and they are usually embodied on a lesser level in contrast to female deities. The predominance of goddesses in the Minoan religion is very apparent in its cults. The proof to this claim is that the majority of mainland palaces shows paintings of parades wherein the people give offerings to their goddesses. Clay statues of female deities were also located in Crete. The predominance of female gods is also indicated by the central task occupied by priestesses in religious rites and the attendance of women in ceremonies’ environment. The number of women also exceeded that of priests and male assistants, and this could be seen in the paintings on the Aghia Triadha Sarcophagus which would be further discussed later on this paper along with other evidences found which points to the predominance of goddesses in the said religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Minoans worships female gods, and even though there are several proof of male deities, portrayals of Minoan goddesses greatly outnumber representations of something which could be judged as a Minoan male deity. Whereas some of these portrayals of women are considered to be representations of worshippers and female priests overseeing religious rituals, as opposed to the goddess herself, there still appear to be numerous female deities such as Mother Goddess of fertility, and so on (Hooker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since ruins and remnants were the only thing left for us in understanding Minoan culture, one could only hypothesize and predict what the Minoans religious culture and practices had been. The Minoans left only some articles and pieces of their relics which only suggests at a prosperous and complicated religious practices and figurative method behind their cracked exteriors. As already mentioned earlier, the most evident attribute of this particular religion is that it is polytheistic and matriarchal in nature. Most of the Minoans gods are female and it was only after so many years that male gods had been identified and even then they hold inferior position in contrast to female gods. A majority of religious and cultural scholars now accept as true that almost every religion started out with a matriarchal characteristics and it was only after so many years that they decided to change this matriarchal existence into a patriarchal one. The sudden change from a matriarchal kind of religion into a patriarchal one is still a cause of great controversy up to this point in time. However, the espousal of an inactive way of life due to agriculture may have basically reoriented society in the direction of a patriarchal model of organization and the ensuing rethinking of religion comprised by female gods.   What is for sure is that urbanization radically hastened gender inequality as the lives of mankind unexpectedly took up a double magnitude, that of the public and the private life. The control of public life which is comprised of supervision, regulation, and military groups made up by the men definitely shaped a reorientation of religious principles. However, the Cretans apparently did not change their matriarchal way of life and religion into a patriarchal one. Up to this point in time, the heritage of the female oriented religion is still present in their lives. This is evident through the fact that in Crete men and women alike vow through the name of Virgin Mary. In Crete, the epithet Panagia is as popular as ever (Hooker, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ruler of the Minoan pantheon appears to have been omnipotent goddesses who governs and oversees everything in the world. This god is a mother deity, the label having come from her supposedly motherly attitude towards everything and everyone here on Earth. The relationship of a mother to a child is believed to be completely different from that of a father to his children. One may find this particular claim hard to understand however, such would not be the case if one thinks back and reflect that almost everyone holds the saying that â€Å"there is no greater love than that of a mother to a child† to be true, and even Sigmund Freud suggests the same notion on one of his works, â€Å"Moses and Monotheism†. According to him, the relationship between a mother and child is apparently more real than that of a child with his father especially if one would consider the fact that each and every one of us came from our mother’s womb. Although a relationship with a father is also a biological one, such is different and could only be supposed since the child did not come from the father, rather, as mentioned earlier, we all came from our mother’s womb. From here, one could deduct that one of the fundamental aspects of a matriarchal religion is a closer affiliation or connection, like kinship and the like to their goddesses. Religions dominated by male figures on the other hand, is liable to emphasize distance. However, all of these are mere suppositions and intelligent guesses from great thinkers, considering the fact that very little information regarding goddess religion were actually handed down to us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is basically owing to this reason that it is hard to weigh the nature of the mother-goddess of Minoans. There are several demonstrations of goddesses, which directs to the assumption that the Minoans were polytheistic. However there are also assertions that the many representations of female goddesses were nothing but just numerous manifestations of a single goddess.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are numerous goddesses which could be differentiated from one another in spite of the claims for a monotheistic religion. There is The Lady of the Beasts   or what others call the Huntress, this particular deity is epitomized as one which conquers and is efficient in mastering beasts or animals. In a later embodiment, Huntress became the Mountain Mother and was illustrated to be standing on a mountain and evidently defending the animals as well as the natural world. Snake Goddess, on the other hand is probably the most popular goddess of the Minoan religion. She has snakes interlinked on her body and since her sculptures are found only on houses or small shrines in palaces, there are suppositions that the Snake Goddess is some kind of a domestic deity. However, the household goddess also appears in the form of a tiny bird, this is assumed since there are several shrines which are leaning around a dove-like form. Majority of scholars thinks that major goddesses of Greek religion such as Hera, Artemis, and the like originated from Minoan goddesses (Marinatos, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world for the Cretans appears to be saturated with divinity, every object in the universe were all full of religious significance. This is evident on their worship of trees, pillars, and so on, the priesthood as it appears, is dominated by women, although there are minute proofs that palace kings also serves religious purposes (Marinatos, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are also proofs that the Minoans religion also holds belief on demons, which are constantly depicted as doing certain religious rites and the like, so their precise nature is hard to judge. They are also portrayed in human forms, with the hands and feet of a lion, and while they are definitely hideous, they could still be, considered as representations of religious worships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, as mentioned earlier, urbanization radically modifies social relations. Instead of genuine, natural, relationships founded on kinship and empathy, urbanized cultures managed themselves around more theoretical, less durable, and intrinsically uneven lines. For instance, urbanized society revolves around class or economic function instead of kinship, economic function creates a sort of social discrimination, as officials, priests, and so on comes to dwell in more significant roles than other people. /urbanization also creates a rip in human experience in that life is separated into public and private areas. Men were the ones who dominate public fields (Trustees of Dartmouth College, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crete, on the other hand avoided this sudden shift from matriarchal rule into a patriarchal one. Crete appears to be a society with no or very little class prejudices. Archaeological proofs imply that women did not stop from playing significant role in their society, especially on the public spheres. Women there operated as priests, as functionaries as well as officials, they also joined in the same sports male joins in. This is greatly admirable considering the fact that sports in Crete were extremely fierce and risky. Bull-jumping for one is a sport wherein those who are weak at heart could not possibly hope to join into. All the demonstrations of the said sports points out that even a woman join in this dangerous activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It also appears that females partake in every profession and employment accessible for the male of the specie. The speedy increase of commerce in Crete includes accomplished craftswomen and entrepreneurs, and even the great, system of government and priesthood is full of women. In spite of the fact that the palace kings are male, the society itself could not be considered a patriarchal one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact proofs which came from Cretan settlements proved that Cretan society and religion is a matrilineal one. This is evident in the fact that kinship ancestry was reckoned through the mother’s lineage. Although there is no way to be certain that the Crete society is indeed matrilineal one could not deny that it is a possible conclusion especially since their religion is goddess-based.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Places of worship could also be one determinant that the religion of Minoans is goddess based. Many caves located in Crete showed a great deal of information regarding the Minoan religion. Caves were 1st utilized in Crete as abodes or some kind of living areas in the Neolithic period. By the end of the Neolithic era, caves started to be used at length, as burial grounds, and this kind of custom carried on all throughout the Early Minoan age. Caves were also viewed as cult places in the Middle Minoan era, where they hold their worship to their deities. The predominance of female goddesses in Minoan religion is supported by the presence of these caves wherein the deities they revere there all proved to be females.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most prominent cult caves is the Cave of Eilethyia which could be located near Amnisos and whose name is linked to the goddess Eileithyia. The basis for this particular connection could be found in Homer’s Odyssey. Close to the center of the cave, one could find a cylindrical stalagmite and contained in the area and in front of the stalagmite is something which looks like a square stone, which some believes to be an altar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The presence of domestic shrines also points out to the matriarchal facet of the Minoan religion. The shrine at Myrthos is supposedly the place where the goddess Myrtos was found. This particular shrine could be dated back at the early Prepalatial period and it was known to endure all throughout Minoan prehistory. Four of the best well-known Minoan havens could also attest to the domineering feature of the said religion (Moss, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shrine of the Double Axes at Knossos is a small shrine which was deserted along with its religious furnishings in situ and is therefore very precious in terms of understanding the Minoan religion. The room’s ground region is separated into different levels. A number of big vases could be located in the front area, in the middle region a stand table of offerings is entrenched in the bottom, and on each side of the table groups of tiny jugs and cups could be seen. At the back of the room, one could see an elevated bench wherein two set stuccoes clay could be located. It is where one the horns of consecration are placed, and in each container, between the horns of consecration is a circular hole. This hole is supposedly used to hold a double axe. Amidst the two pairs of horns, they located a figurine of a woman which is shaped like a bell. There were also found a slighter statue of a woman. They also found a sculpture of a man holding out a dove as well as two other figurines of women (one of which have a bird atop its head). The last is frequently believed to be a goddess while the other statuettes are categorized as votaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Town Shrine at Gournia is a post-palatial bench asylum situated close to the utmost point of the neighborhood. This tiny shrine does not belong to a palace or to any huge structure in particular. Rather, the shrine is an independent architectural division close to a cobbled road. When the shrine was unearthed they saw that it is in a noticeable poor state of conservation. However, its floor is full of a huge quantity of cult belongings, some of which are similar to those of the Shrine of the Double Axes. The absence of associated pottery made it had to date the shrine; however, it is possible that it was last put into use in the LM IIIB era. A low bench is situated in the southern partition. The northeast corner, on the other hand, showed a public stand table of offerings about which were to be found four snake-tubes, the bottom of a 5th snake-tube hidden on the stand table of offerings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus is also one of the great sources of evidence if one wants to prove that Minoan religion is basically goddess-based. The said sarcophagus was discovered in a pillaged tomb in early fourteenth century B.C. It is located in Ayia Triadha, thus the name Ayia Triadha Sarcophagus. The front side of the sarcophagus depicted goddesses which were represented by the double axes, there are also birds located atop the axes which is believed to symbolize the arrival of a goddess. In the West end of the sarcophagus is an incomplete male processional scenario, it also shows a chariot pulled by two Agrimia, and the chariot also carries two women. Agrimia is believed to have religious implications in Minoan art. It is also probable that the two women on the chariot are goddesses. At the back side of the sarcophagus is a shrine with a tree in the middle. To the left of the said shrine is an altar, a woman stands in front of the altar and behind the woman is a sacrificial table where a bull is secured which indicates that it is to be sacrificed. The woman standing have her hands held high while at the other side of the scene one could see a parade of women with their palms down which signifies that the sacrifice is meant for the earth or to an underworld character which in turn, implies the possibility that the sacrifice is meant for a funeral of some sort. At the East Side of the sarcophagus are two females riding a chariot which is pulled by two winged griffins, and over them there is a flying bird. The two women are viewed as goddesses, which are implied by the mystical appearance of the griffins. These figures are also viewed to be guides for those who are heading towards the underworld (Minoan, 1988).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As could be seen, huge quantity of evidences points out that the Minoan religion is indeed dominated by females. It is also mainly because of this particular observation, which were derived mainly from archaeological relics, that it is conclude that the society of Crete is also matriarchal in nature. The presence of numerous goddesses depicted through relics such as paintings, vases, and place of worships and so on all points out that the religion of Minoans were indeed polytheistic and goddess-based in nature. Works Cited Hooker, R. (1999) â€Å"Minoan Religion.† Marinatos, N. (1993). Minoan religion: ritual, image, and symbol University of South Carolina Press. Moss, M. L. (2005). The Minoan Pantheon: towards an understanding of its nature and extent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John and Erica Hedges Ltd. Trustees of Dartmouth College (2000) â€Å"Minoan Religion.† Warren, P. (1988) Minoan religion as ritual action Gothenburg: P. Astroms.