“The Decline of Western Civilization” is a documentary film by Penelope Spheeris that was first released in 1981. The documentary consists of three parts; the first part was released in 1981 while the second part debuted in 1988. The third and last part of the film was released in 1998. “The Decline of Western Civilization” is a documentary film that focuses on the evolution of the punk rock music genre as it changes from punk to heavy metal and then to gutter punk culture.
The documentary film explores the accompanying punk rock lifestyle as revealed by musicians, fans, and other music stakeholders. When “The Decline of Western Civilization” was first released in 1981, the then Los Angeles chief of police issued a directive that the film should not be screened within the city. The film was also blamed for promoting an unhealthy lifestyle among the youth.
Critics have praised the film for presenting a near-accurate biography of punk rock and rock stars. The generational impact of the documentary series is also well represented in the film. Nevertheless, “The Decline of Western Civilization” is a valuable source of historical accounts of punk rock, and it depicts the negative influence of this music genre on the youth in the 1980s and 1990s in Los Angeles.
The first part of the documentary features scenes with some of the most famous rock bands of the time. In most of these scenes, the filmmaker conducts interviews with renowned Los Angeles punk rock bands, the ‘punks’ or the fans of this genre, and the publishers of a popular punk rock magazine. One of the musicians who were featured in the film later died from a heroin overdose. The second part of the documentary depicted a period when heavy metal took precedence over the original punk rock.
The list of the musicians who are featured in this second part includes such names as Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Alice Cooper. The filmmaker also compares the musical situation of known bands with that of unknown ones. Also, the documentary ventures into the vanity and mediocrity that had become part of the music business.
The history of the Los Angeles Punk movement is well highlighted in Spheeris’ film. The film was first considered a ‘bad influence’ but gained an almost-cult-status later. According to Spheeris, her documentary intended to show the role that the punk movement was playing in both Los Angeles and the United States as a whole (MacLeod 132).
During the 1970s, punk rock had already been banned in most parts of Los Angeles. The antagonists of this music genre included administrative units, nightclubs, and music performance venues. However, by the time Spheeris was filming her documentary, the punk rock genre had only been a recognized music faction for approximately two years (The Decline of the Western Empire). The fast-rising punk rock movement had been becoming America’s unwanted addiction by the 1980s.
Consequently, the punk rock institution was considered in the same light as the war on drugs. In the 1970s and 1980s, the consumption of narcotics was high in most of the main entertainment capitals of the United States. Therefore, the contempt that accompanied the debut of punk rock was understandable.
Punk rock is one of the few music genres that have had a negative association with violence. Before punk rock, rock’n’roll was arguably the most popular music genre. Although rock’n’roll was associated with activist tendencies and rampant drug use, the genre was never fully associated with violence. In “The Decline of Western Civilization,” punk rock is depicted as a genre of music that is closely associated with violence and pointless riots. Some of the concerts that are featured in the film end up being riotous for no reason.
For instance, some concerts by the groups Catholic Discipline, Germs, X, and Fear are portrayed in the film as being riotous (The Decline of the Western Empire). The dominance of violence in any music genre came to a climax with the help of punk rock. Later on, the hip-hop genre was to adopt a similar violence-tag, albeit in the form of gun violence.
In subsequent years, the violence that was a characteristic of punk rock subsided mostly because the genre became ‘too commercial.’ For example, the first part of “The Decline of Western Civilization” features several riotous and violent scenes.
However, the second part of the documentary features excesses of drug use and degenerate lifestyles for both artists and fans. The shift from heavy violence to excesses in lifestyle as portrayed by the filmmaker is not specific to punk rock. Later on, the hip-hop genre underwent a similar transformation where violence was only used as a tool of popularizing the genre.
When “The Decline of Western Civilization” premiered in Los Angeles, the police department deployed a sizeable contingent of anti-riot police in anticipation of violence. The local and business communities within the Hollywood Boulevard Theatre were also in a panic mode during the premiere of this film (MacLeod 127).
In spite of all these measures, the premiere of the documentary film still caused some violent actions. Commercialization has been known to precipitate the tension surrounding some music genres as exemplified in this documentary. Commercialization requires mass markets and violent music concerts. Moreover, the ones depicted in Spheeris’ documentary might act as obstacles of this agenda.
The historical impacts of punk rock on the young generation are adequately brought to the fore in this documentary. In the second of the documentary, the ‘liveliness’ of the fans who attend punk rock concerts has changed completely. The filmmaker takes her time to explore the ‘new’ practices that are consequently associated with punk rock. Some of these practices are depicted through the scenes where rock stars are indulging in alcohol and drug abuse. Also, fans and artists engage in various forms of sexual exploitation actively.
These forms of lifestyles were the source of major concern for various Los Angeles stakeholders during the 1980s and 1990s. Feminists were particularly concerned with the genre’s treatment of women. For instance, in one scene a musician is quoted saying that “chicks don’t get in the (their) house unless they have a sack of groceries with them” (The Decline of the Western Empire). The scenario in which women were willing to be exploited by self-destructive men presented a new angle of exploitation to the feminists of the time.
“The Decline of Western Civilization” is a film with a rich historical significance. The film witnessed the birth and the ‘death’ of punk rock. However, the unpopular nature of the genre during its inception is a common phenomenon as it has happened to other music genres. The effect of the genre on the young generation of the time has also been identified as weak and short-lived when it is compared to other popular music genres.
Works Cited
MacLeod, Dewar. “Social Distortion: The Rise of Suburban Punk Rock in Los Angeles.” America Under Construction: Boundaries and Identities in Popular Culture 34.4 (1997): 123-148. Print.
The Decline of the Western Empire. Dir. Penelope Spheeris. Perf. Aerosmith, Kiss, and Ozzy Osbourne. New Line Cinema, 1981, Film.
Throughout the human race, education had done a lot to the decency and civilization of the people. The human phase is changing to perceive a high and more improved status into rationality from the conceptual image of education. A rational analyst can say that, education has pulled out humanity from a state of darkness to a plane of dignified success. The impact of China as spearheaded by education should never be overlooked. The same did much to the historical change in the Chinese lives. Broadly, education can be termed as the pivot element towards the current state of China. Through spheres of educational sovereignty, Chinese social structures have changed to embrace new standards in methods of undertaking livelihood activities.
The Chinese education history is dated back before the 16th century. Since those ages, the Asian continent above the global scenery as a whole has had various developments on education. At one point, education can be ratified as the backbone into the frontiers of civilization. Through education, man has embraced the changing social structures and revolutions which have brought man to a more logical and beneficial content of live. Broadly therefore, education can be attributed as the major contributor of the changing global imagery which has even taken man to a more functional scenario (Wood, p. 83). The global history of education can be ratified to have its roots in the basis of the ancient philosophers who brought out various compliments of philosophical thinking and theories that took man to more rational grounds. Currently, the global population embraces high scale of rationality into human contemporaries which has been provided for by role of education. Education has continued to exploit various frontiers and dimensions of the human understanding which have even found human being to a more fountain understanding.
Above all, the impact of education on civilization perhaps occupies the central point in this discussion. Basically, education has been the foundation in which the society gets its development. Throughout the history of the society, it has been the main tool for the advancement of ones status above that of the society (Wood, p. 71). Through education, an individual derives a corporate set of benefits. Perhaps, the philosophy of Aristotle can be stated as the providing a support of the impacts of education of the society and the individual person. Accordingly, morality and the concept of education are not too separate terms. However, education has determined the context of personal and societal, morality. Elsewhere, the school of rationality is waged highly by the realm of education. Through rationality, man’s thinking is directed to spheres of moral uprightness (Levathes, p. 54). At one point, man’s actions should be virtuous, whose aim should in attaining the conceptional material goods. Elsewhere, rationality complements the improvement in a person’s civil root. From a narrower argument, the broad society and actions by man cannot be too separate. Educated people are the strictest disciples of the law. Through education we tend to get knowledge which is either used in exploiting the productive resources of the society. (Levathes, p. 104) Education is a pillar and cornerstone in promoting intellectualism. Either, a person is more liked by the society through the good personality that is provided by educational authority. Through education, the aspect of character cannot be overlooked, in which case it develops consistently through education.
Perhaps therefore, the biggest contribution of education can be allied to the aspect of civilization. Civilization can be described as phenomena with which the cultural and societal antecedents rooted on dogmatic parameters is shuttered away by rules that does not compromise rational thinking and the positive attitude towards life (Levathes, p. 77). Elsewhere, civilization can be described as the driving force that has driven man to the current state of exaggerated phenomena about context of life that are far away from grounds that does not provide rules of happiness via utilitarian articulations. Consequently, through education, man has moved from the former epochs of dogmatic cultural thinking to a brightened image where rules of scientific naturalism spin the global activities. During the traditional times of the ancient and mediaeval society, the human race was guided by culturally anticipated rules of authorities, which only worked to foster no sympathy to a happy and objective thinking (Wood, p. 87). Consequently, people were ascribed to various requirements of their cultural and religious dimensions which only provided an articulation of acting within substantial spheres of thinking. They were governed by various illogical authorities which required them to persuade the livelihood into various standards synchronized by dogmatic illogic.
However, education came to free them from bondage of cultural dogmatism to a more open modality of appreciating their live. Through education, cultural imagery is no longer an object of dictating the kind of life to partake but rather a tool for modeling ones morals and ethics. Consequently, great interventions to the rationality in education are rooted in globalization and civilization (Wood, p. 74). These two parameters have spearheaded the aspect of human life to grounds of more foundations of happiness through advanced modalities of life. Consequently, the human population is now changing its image from the former bondage of cultural traditionalism to that of westernization. Civilization is compounded by various variables which are the key aspects which has brought happiness to the modern man (Wood, p. 57).
Apparently, man is never tied to the wrangles and bondage of cultural and religious authorities which dictated provisions that never brought total happiness to man. However with education, the deep set of the formality and requirement of the religious and cultural requirements have been formulated to encapsulate to a more rational thinking which not only provides ultimate happiness to man but also subject him into a more fountain ground of promoting societal coexistence. The current state of civilization has taken the human population to a better level through a more intended mode of providing collaboration in the society. Indeed, values, ethics and moral concepts of the societal structures have been provided with a better methodology of their understanding. The society has become more virtuous. Educational has acted as a pivot tool through which the societal structure of law can be more rationalized. The contexts of society norms, ethics and roles of morality have been more and better defined via the highly state of societal development. Elsewhere, the literate society have been more fountain in formulating laws which seek to provide better standards of mutual activity in the set of societal laws (Levathes, p. 48).
Through the same thought of Aristotle on law, education and civilization has promoted the state of man’s thinking about the law. Man has been more rational in committing himself to structures of the society. Peace and tranquility has therefore existed more in the different organizations of the society. Summarily therefore, the inadequacies of the traditional, cultural and religious thinking where rationed by education. Currently, the society is at no conflict where diversity in people’s thoughts is accepted.
Elsewhere, the world is where it is via the logics of technology. Technology has made the society to move to frontiers of more rationed way of doing activities. Consequently, the society is now able to undertake activities through various versions of technological pursuits (Wood, 97).
Generally, intellectual and educational pursuits have provided the refuge to driving the world to a better place for living. Across the globe, societal structures have become integrated with changes that provide the content of doing issues to be more technical and advanced sought to provide higher chances of benefit to man. Down the history of educational pursuit, the entity of human knowledge has been compounded by a higher scale of research and development. Through research, various knowledge packages have been developed in line with different areas of humanity. Various areas of specialization are no longer a problem of concern since scientific technology has brought an articulated way of performing jobs. Intellectual pursuit has been the cornerstone of providing scientific technologies and techniques into the science, medicine, education, environment, business, agriculture, anatomy, physiology above many contemporaries. (Levathes, 69) Currently, man is never at slumber to pursue more in technological research. Consequently, various technological researches have brought the world to a more fountain state of thinking where rationality is applied to solving various issues of concern in the society (Levathes, 124). Through foundation of technology, human population has been provided with a better suit for handling issues of that partial humanity. Various methodologies of high technology have been sought as foundations with which the comprehensive outlay of properties operating with the human spheres can be evaluated. Broadly therefore, technology has done a lot for the world. Man is now undertaking issues in a more rational way with compliments of efficiency and adequacy. High technological research through education has helped to unveil various areas of concern that are objective to man. Either, the expanding contemporaries of education has been vital for formulating various methodologies and strategies that pursue human happiness.
Generally, education can summarily be described as the discipline that has dispersed a live of foundations of norms. Education can be thus said to be normative and bringing essence of justice to humanity. The broad portfolio of humanity has been more fountain on the roots of education. (Levathes, 106) The society has been more virtuous and founded on grounds of law with low attitude of conflict within the human population. The society is at a better place with a good portfolio of education. The society is founded on roots of extensive integration into facets of humanity. The global scenario embraces a broader margin of evaluations into better understanding of spheres of mankind (Wood, 79). If rationality is to be promoted, education should be founded and better developed to bring the society to even more roots of inclination. The global integration into various contexts of relations is also founded on education. Through education pursuit, the global population is at a better relation through legal parameters which are formulated through facets of education.
Summarily therefore, education has done a lot to the global population. Various forms of integration have its roots on the intellectual pursuit. The world and societal structures have changed and will change. The society has become a more normative one with the compliment of intellectual pursuit. The future of the society is perhaps to be a brighter one. Various social conflicts born of the education will cause revolutions and social changes. The global outlook has changed considerably and the people can now embrace the end results of education.
Work cited
Levathes, L. When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996
Wood, F. The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia. New York, University of California Press
Eastside Heritage Center (“Bellevue History” para. 1)
The image in question can be interpreted as a hint at the possibility of the sustainable use of natural resources by the residents of the city. The image, clearly made in the first half of the previous century, incorporates the hopes for urbanization that would, later on, turn into threats for the sustainability of cities and the appropriate use of natural resources.
Depicting women working in the field, the picture in question can be considered an encouragement for agricultural development and, therefore, sustainable use of resources as opposed to the consumerist attitudes of the urban dwellers. Moreover, the artifact in question allows for tracing the history of the city from the point where it only started developing to the present days, when it has become a large and technologically advanced community.
A graffiti image on the wall of one of the Bellevue buildings (Bennett para. 1)
The significance of graffiti as an art form may be doubted, yet the very phenomenon will never go away. Whether it is a fierce protest against the social and cultural norms or a naively blatant manifestation of one’s artistic abilities, graffiti will always be a part of the urban artifacts treasure trove. The opportunities that graffiti opens in terms of rendering a specific idea are truly ample, which makes the subject matter one of the most powerful, though often administratively punishable, elements of the urban culture.
The graffiti depicted above was drawn under 405 North overpass roughly in 2008. It has a very peculiar structure, with the elements of various nature and colors of different intensity intertwined in a single artwork. The floral patterns that can be noticed in the center and the upper left corner of the picture display the tendency to rejuvenate the sustainability concept popular in the 2000s.
A picture from the Bellevue Festival of the Art (“Bellevue Festival of the Arts” para. 2)
The first page of the booklet for the Bellevue Festival of the Arts is a graphic example of the key urban concepts of industry and progress mix with the ones that represent nature. Thus, rather witty commentary on the need for urban sustainability is represented. The choice of colors also hints at the significance of the nature-vs.-nurture conflict in the present-day urban setting.
The designing choices made to create the image on the left side of the picture send a very clear message to the audience, hinting at the need to establish a deeper connection between nature and the city. The artifact, therefore, can be viewed as an attempt for reconciliation between the proponents of urbanization and those supporting the return to nature.
Urbanization rates in 2013 (“Urban Development” para. 2)
The statistical data provided above shows the increasing pace of the city urbanization process in a rather graphic way. As the information offered in the graph below displays, there is an obvious tendency for cities all over the world to develop technologically, which can be viewed as a rather positive change. The lack of emphasis on the effects that this technological progress has on the environment and the use of exhaustible resources, however, are beyond deplorable.
According to the graph, the urbanization process has swept even small towns are nowadays striving to develop into urban areas. Consequently, the emphasis on sustainability as the key to reasonable use of the city resources has become quite tangible in the urban area. The statistical data provided above represents both the threats and opportunities of the increasingly strong emphasis on technology and industry as opposed to agriculture.
A poem concerning the farmers market (“Bellevue Farmers Market Schenectady” para. 1)
Though the city background with the silhouettes of down-to-earth office buildings can hardly spark any poetic thought, poems devoted to cities and their inhabitants exist; moreover, these poems take a special niche in the realm of urban literature. As a rule, these poems are related to a certain hot-button social, economic, or political issue and have a comparatively short shelf life, becoming long-forgotten after the issue in question is resolved.
The poem under analysis can hardly be viewed as an exception; it represents the spirit of commercialism, which every large community in the United States is shot through with. The poem, therefore, while being full, represents the direction in which most cities tend to go nowadays, i.e., the attempt at expanding through the enhancement of their private entrepreneurship sector.
Crossroads Bible Church (Crossroads Bible Church para. 1)
Religion is an admittedly big part of many peoples’ lives, which is why ignoring some of the artifacts of the city that are related to religion is barely possible. Therefore, the church, as an essential element of the urban community development, must be considered as well. The Crossroads Bible Church is one of the places that allow for the spiritual analysis of the progress that the city has made over the years.
While the specified institution cannot technically be viewed as a part of either the urbanization process or the environmental concern, it helps shed some light on human nature and, therefore, understand the problem from both the individualist perspective and the standpoint of the community. The specified institution adds a moral dimension to the problem.
“Promised Land” (Berry para. 1–27)
Being one of the most powerful means of expressing emotions, songs are often devoted to cities as the places where dreams are born and may come true. Chuck Berry’s famous “Promised Land” is no exception to this rule; exploring the idea of another wayward son searching for the Promised Land, where dreams come true, it takes the lead character to the big city.
It helps the audience realize the charm of small towns, such as Norfolk, VA, that used not to be affected by the urbanization process greatly. Though the theme of the song can be considered somewhat corny, the timeless feeling that it renders, as well as its ability to get the charm of a small city across, makes the song a part of the urban classics.
A doll from the Bellevue Museum of Doll Art (Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art 2)
Though dolls are universally considered charming, some of the exhibits of the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art will inevitably make the audience cringe. Even though the museum was shut down in 2014, the dolls are still available for sale.
The artifacts might not be the kind of toys that loving parents would buy for their children, yet they display the progression of the city’s history in a rather detailed way. For example, the dresses that the figures and dolls wear, help locate the stages in the urbanization process of the city. For example, while some of the dolls feature pastoral designs, others are dressed in the clothes that can be described as the attributes of an average industrial city dweller.
Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (“A Day in Seattle” para. 1)
Although a bridge cannot be technically defined as an artifact, the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge falls under the latter category. The reasons for this are that the bridge is not only a technological advance that allowed creating a connection between Seattle and Mercer Island (“A Day in Seattle” para. 2), but also the remnant of the U.S. history. Indeed, the creation of the bridge contributed to the industrialization of the city and its further development.
In other words, by building the artifact in question, the residents of Washington, DC, predetermined the premises for the further urbanization of the city. Magnificent and beautiful, the construction adds an unforgettable touch to the scenery, though clearly defining the boundaries between the artificial world created by the human civilization and the realm of nature.
Artifact Brewery (Steigerwald para. 1–15)
Liquor might not be considered the highlight of the modern art of food production, yet the history of breweries that survived years after they had been founded deserve closer attention. The Jackson Brewery previously located in Northside and recently being moved to a different venue may not be the most valuable artifact, yet is one of the most peculiar ones.
The age of the brewery determines its uniqueness – the artifact dates back to the middle of the 17th century. The evolution of the brewery is nonetheless interesting. The fact that the place used to be a church and a gymnasium may spark some controversies, though. In some way, the progress that the building has undergone can be viewed through the lens of progress as the victory of business over the traditions and values that seem to belong to a different community.
The Car, the Cinema and the Blues Brother (“Hollywood Boulevard” para. 1)
Perhaps, one of the most bizarre and at the same time, unique artifacts, the one created by fans of the classic movie, is also the most memorable. Though the specified artifact does not belong to a different era (in fact, it was built in the second half of the previous century) and does not feature any fantastic art, it is still beyond impressive.
Whereas the artifact in question is not related to the subject matter directly, it displays the significance of one of the most powerful tools for promoting urbanization, which is media. The latter affects people greatly. It shapes their mind frame, helps them transfer information faster, and reinforces progress; therefore, exploring the significance of media of various genres is essential to the analysis of the pace at which present-day urbanization occurs.
The Space Needle (“Space Needle” para. 1)
Another unique attempt at capturing the charm of the urbanization process, the creation of the so-called Space Needle, triggered an unceasing flow of tourists in Bellevue, WA. Seeing that the architectural artifact is comparatively young, it does not embrace the uniqueness of the city culture, unlike other artifacts.
Instead, it provides an opportunity of taking a glance at the future of the urbanization process. The Space Needle is an interesting metaphor for reaching out to the heights that used to be unattainable several decades prior, yet are part and parcel of the near future.
Chicago (“The City as Artifact” para. 1)
One of the fascinating things about artifacts is that their scale often goes entirely out of proportions. While a work of art has certain limitations in terms of size, artifacts often happen to take a rather impressive amount of space. It is not merely a house or a block thereof that is being talked about; the focus of the study concerns an entire city this time.
Chicago is no stranger to tourists and major attention. Here is a tourist attraction basically around every corner of the city. As a result, Chicago is often considered the artifact of the United States (“The City as Artifact” para. 1). Having gone a long way from a small transportation hub to a major city, Chicago includes both the remnants of its past and the references to its modern days.
Urban Forests (UW Botanic Garden News para. 1)
Though the term “artifact” is traditionally applied to the elements of the urban design that have been manufactured, the artificial forest grown in Bellevue, WA, can also be viewed as a specimen of urban artifacts. Created by people, urban forests are supposed to play the role of delicate support for nature in the hostile environment of big cities.
Because the process of urbanization affects biodiversity and the overall natural evolution heavily, the urban artifacts under analysis are of huge essence to the residents of the area. To the concern of the local dwellers, though, urban forests are quite hard to maintain; moreover, the restoration of a completely natural setting is barely possible. Still, the concept of urban forests is one of the few ideas that may work as a tool for restoring the balance between nature and nurture.
Lake Washington (“Photo of Mt. Rainier and Lake Washington”) para. 1
Much like urban forests, urban lakes fall under the category of artifacts, as they are created by people, and Lake Washington is one of those. The lake represents an endeavor of restoring the balance between the rapid urbanization process and the need for sustainability. Despite being artificial and suffering several instances of industrial pollution, the lake has improved local ecology impressively.
“Bunny Man” (“The Legend of the Bunny Man” para. 1)
Talking about urban artifacts is impossible without touching upon urban folklore. Though the creepy story of Bunny Man originates from Virginia, it has spread quickly across the Washington, DC area and is still used as a local horror story. The myth about the Bunny Man shows that, while being technologically advanced, city residents may succumb to a common fear of the supernatural.
The Mysterious Disappearance of the Letter “J” (“No Way, No Jay” para. 1)
Rumors say that there is no street name starting with “J” in entire Washington, DC, since Pierre L’Enfant, the architect, was at odds with the local chief justice, John Jay. However, a closer look at the records of the city will reveal that the story has nothing to do with the truth. Nevertheless, tourists still flock to the area, threatening the sustainability of the district.
Bellevue Downtown Park (“Bellevue Downtown Park” para. 1)
Placed in the heart of the city’s downtown, the park serves its purpose of providing residents and tourists with an opportunity of having some rest. The park can be viewed as the perfect response to the urbanization concern, which has been brewing in Washington, DC, for decades. A solution to a range of environmental issues, the park is a major step in the right direction.
Bellevue’s Downtown War Memorial (“Bellevue’s Downtown War Memorial” para. 1)
Despite being an artifact in itself, the Bellevue’s Downtown Park has a range of artistic elements to offer to its viewers, and the Bellevue’s Downtown War Memorial is one of them. Honoring the memory of the people, who died in battles for the greater justice, and promoting their qualities to the present-day dwellers of the city, the monument links the past of Washington and its future, therefore, teaching an essential lesson about the significance of fending for one’s rights.
Wilburton Hill Park (“Wilburton Hill Park” para. 1)
The image of a tree stump, which has been stubbed out of its natural environment, is a far more obvious, in-your-face message concerning the need for sustainability in the city than any other artifact that has ever been produced. While the message could have been delivered in a much more subtle way, it is still quite impressive and serves its purpose.
Unfortunately, while it was designed to be the big wakeup call, it is viewed nowadays merely as an original representation of a rather worn-out idea. Nevertheless, as an urban artifact, it works perfectly and conveys the key message concerning the need to preserve the environment in a very efficient manner.
Artifacts and Their Significance
The phenomenon of urbanization is traditionally viewed as a positive one, which is quite understandable – urbanization promoted further progress, making it possible for numerous industries to evolve, not to mention the fact that it encourages companies to expand and, therefore, creates new job opportunities.
However, the cost that urbanization comes at is not to be forgotten, either; because of the emphasis on the economic and financial benefit that follows the urbanization process and the subsequent lack of concern for the environment, the latter suffers greatly.
The environmental concern has been raised several times, with enthusiasm concerning the improvement of the situation gradually fading away. Because of their ability to incorporate personal and social issues, numerous city artifacts embrace the variety of ideas regarding the problem, a range of the artifacts in question suggesting rather unusual solutions.
As it is rather easy to spot, the artifacts described above, though very diverse, concern the process of urbanization and the transfer from the agricultural stage to the urbanized one. Claiming that technological progress should not be encouraged would be hardly reasonable; indeed, it is the promotion of IT that helps improve the functioning of a range of services, therefore, making people’s lives better all over the world.
However, people seem to disregard the fact that continuous urbanization without a thorough analysis of the consequences comes at a price. Unless a sustainable path for city development and the urbanization of the nearby areas is introduced, the people living in these areas may face a serious crisis concerning the lack of natural resources and biodiversity.
Much to the credit of the people living in the areas that are subjected to rapid changes and evolve from agricultural to urban ones, they attempt at making the progression not as rapid and challenging to nature as it might be. Claiming that people fail to understand the adverse effects of urbanization would be unfair to the progress of the civilization; more to the point, there have been numerous attempts at raising awareness regarding the issue, as well as shed some light on the subject matter, artifacts being only a part of the campaign.
It can be assumed that people are trying to locate the solution that will allow for each party of the conflict to benefit, which numerous artifacts mentioned above display rather graphically. The specimens of street art described above, perhaps, are the most sincere, though not the most elaborate, examples of a gradual realization of the problem.
The graffiti artworks discussed above may seemingly contain little to no sense, as they are most likely to have little to no connection with the setting in which they have been painted. Being the brainchild of an unknown author, the artifact contains the themes and references that a side viewer will fail to guess. Nevertheless, one can track down the ideas that have influenced the author rather clearly.
First and most obvious, floral patterns hint at the tendency to incorporate the elements of a pastoral in the artwork. Herein the reference to the nature-vs.-nurture theme lies; whether consciously or not, the creator of the graffiti under analysis tries to reference the notorious environmental conflict.
Even the artifacts that do not seem to suggest a reasonable solution to the problem of cities expansion at the cost of biodiversity and natural resources abuse, some elements of the design still hint at the possibility of a change. For example, the bridge mentioned above (i.e., the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge) can be considered a metaphor in itself, i.e., a reminder about the possibility of establishing a connection between nature and the civilization.
The subtle touches that certain design choices add to the development of the problem-solution cannot but be appreciated. It should be noted, though, that the metaphorical environmental significance, which the bridge in question bears, cannot possibly match the negative effects, which it has had on the environment of the area. Specifically, the fact that its creation has disrupted the ocean flora and fauna deserve to be mentioned.
Nevertheless, some elements of the urban design can be viewed as a major compromise between the need to evolve and the necessity to retain the connection to nature. The picture from the Bellevue Festival of the Arts (“Bellevue Festival of the Arts” para. 1) can be considered one of the most subtle endeavors at pointing at the obvious significance of the sustainability policy. It is quite remarkable that, unlike other artworks carrying a similar message, the bulletin from the Bellevue Festival of the Art is entirely deprived of any obnoxiously obvious messages showing the dread of the refusal to sustain nature.
Instead of portraying the supposedly terrible outcomes of people’s unwillingness to reconcile with nature and accept the idea of sustainable use, the bulletin shows that people are, in fact, an integral part of nature. This idea has much more dignity and worth to it, as it credits the viewers of the artifact as being intelligent enough to understand a specific message without being scared into believing it.
The last, but not the least, the sculpture of a stump that has been taken out of the ground, deserves to be mentioned among the most powerful artifacts that serve their purpose in conveying the necessity to shift to the more sustainable use of natural resources and to make the process of industrialization less painful.
While admittedly less subtle than the picture from the Bellevue Festival of the Arts announcement, the given artifact can be deemed as essential due to its expressivity. Unlike the rest of the artifacts mentioned previously, it makes people think.
The thought-provoking artwork was intended to have no double meaning; otherwise, it would have been viewed as another elegant argument in favor of sustainability and, therefore, would have failed as a piece of art.
Although the artifact does not serve as the warning of a specific danger that the unrestrained process of urbanization will lead to, it still carries enough weight to impress the viewers and convey the intended message clearly and concisely. A perfect example of form following the function and enhancing expressivity, the given artifact has an exemplary impact on the audience.
One could argue that the Crossroads Bible Church should have been viewed as the focus of the analysis and the most significant element of the list. Indeed, apart from containing a range of artifacts that are both spiritual and essential to the evolution of human culture, the Church itself is, in fact, a large artifact that serves to prove the connection between the present-day society that is concerned with the evolution of technology, and the society of the past, which viewed the nature as a part and parcel of the divine and, therefore, having a special place for nature in its set of values.
Therefore, though it might be considered a rather far stretch, the Crossroads Bible Church, incorporates the elements that belong to both the modern, technologically advanced era and the society that considered the connection to nature the top priority. Therefore, the specified artifact – or, to be more specific, the collection of artifacts – can be considered the symbolic representation of the opportunities for people to locate the compromise between the urbanization process and the environmental policies.
Each of the elements mentioned above, therefore, represents a step in the process of urbanization. One must not delude oneself by thinking that urbanization is something to be avoided, though; as most of the artifacts listed above show, the process is the graphic representation of the progress that the civilization has made so far. More importantly, the artifacts listed above display the complex path of understanding the relationships between civilization and nature.
The timid attempts at copying nature and its creations were replaced with the endeavors of building something even more grandeur, and finally approached the rejection of the harmonic principles suggested by nature.
However, as soon as the urbanization process took its toll and the environmental concern appeared on the agenda of the global community, urban artifacts started reflecting the related concerns, rendering the timeless nature-vs.-nurture conflict. At present, some of the artifacts hint at the possibility of the conflict resolution. Yet, the vagueness of these solutions shows that more time and effort must be put into addressing the issue.
The representation of culture in modern society has been seen to extend several social vices across the globe. Instead of upholding the moral norms of a perfect culture advancement, the current definition of social growth is retrogressively built along the lines of the socio-economic and political agenda of major influential powers. These authorities expose the entire society to several undesired practices of individuality, class division, and labor specialization. These factors are commonly used to influence the ideologies of members of the larger community into accepting a misrepresented cultural development. The contemporary generation does not question the consequence of their actions and is prone to social manipulations falsely branded as a cultural success. As such, adopting Theodore’s article What We Have to lose is crucial in explaining the misrepresentation of modern civilization as a perfect development in the current society.
Theodore’s main argument is the idea that contemporary society represents a culture which lacks authenticity and development because of the influence of dominant powers. He questions several social thoughts that misrepresent the definition of community advancements to disrupt a society’s social order (Dalrymple). He exposes how those acts can be detrimental to a given culture and render its progressive nature a total failure. Theodore identifies several societal issues, such as the dominative power or influential groups and the inappropriate use of communication systems, as factors undermining the society’s view of a natural environment as an ideal civilization. He criticizes the common notions that define civilization on the basis of socio-economic and political achievements. For instance, he refers to the current centralization of power, the ideas of superman ship, individual progress, and labor specialization as dominative to the illiterates. The author emphasizes that considering societal growth along these lines is demeaning, barbaric, and a total failure of the ideal community’s development.
While supporting his arguments, Theodore criticizes modern civilization as a primitive culture founded on the wrong precepts of development. For instance, this progress is merely defined along lines of intellectuality. As such, the unlearned are subjected to a feeling of shame when engaged in communal acts. Throughout his arguments, the author maintains a corrective tone to certain members of society. For example, he corrects the ideas of individuality common with most members of the current generation. He further argues that justice and protectionism is an integral element of civilization ‘I choose my countries with unconscious care and thereby received many object lessons in the fragility of the human order, especially when it is undermined in the abstract name of justice’ (Dalrymple 4). As such, social progress lacking togetherness is fragile and must be handled with care.
I agree with Theodore’s ideas depicting modern civilization as fragile to the disruptive nature of individualistic and superman ship ideas. Modern society relies on the personal ideologies of prominent persons in dictating their behaviors. Modern generation is, therefore, unconscious of the discourse created by group mentality. Individuals fail to articulate their social constructs, instead, the manipulative powers introduce a perfect substitute to limit their ability to question their daily choices and behavior. Such human beings are, therefore, used as robots in fulfilling the interests of prominent members of society. As a result, modern society is more vulnerable to the disruptive nature of the current civilization.
W. Raymond’s arguments of Culture as a Sense of Life are also similar to Theodore’s assertions of cultural misrepresentation. The philosopher argues that the current social progression extends several social inequalities to ordinary members of a community. Raymond asserts that such disparities are common vices of society’s growth (Fuchs 744). As such, they undermine an individual’s freedom and beliefs in judging good or evil. Raymond recommends a good cultural representation as the absolute remedy to addressing the social vices associated with the 21st-century generation. The philosopher recommends that it is necessary to deconstruct the current definition of life in identifying the merits and demerits of the misguided interpretation of modern civilization. Raymond’s insights are relevant to the provided analysis mainly because they share the same ideas as the beliefs of Dalrymple. Raymond contributes to the analysis because he provides solutions to the problems that currently exist. In addition, I decided to combine these two articles because I personally enjoyed reading them and found a lot of interesting information.
To summarize, Theodore’s article What We Have to Lose is playing a crucial role in explaining the misrepresentation of modern civilization as a perfect development. The study presents several societal issues ranging from the dominative influential group as well as the inappropriate use of communication systems as core factors undermining the society’s view of what an ideal civilization is in supporting the desired cultural development. These ideas define civilization along the lines of socio-economic and political opinions of certain influential groups. Instead of enhancing peace, security, and protection of the larger public, these ideas have been used to create a new form of social ranking and superman ship within the larger community. Thus, the presented response analyzed the article of Dalrymple in detail by discussing the philosopher’s arguments and relating his ideas to Raymond.
References
Dalrymple, Theodore. “What We Have to Lose Our Civilization is More Precious, and More Fragile, Than Most People Suppose.” City Journal, vol. 11, no. 4, 2001, pp. 74-83.
Fuchs, Christian. “Raymond Williams’ Communicative Materialism.” European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 20, no. 6, 2017, pp. 744–762. Web.