Traditions of modern Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Traditions of modern Greece - Essay Example Some explanation of the key Greek customs and traditions are below: Usually the Greek’s name themselves on the names of the Gods and other pious personalities. According to the Greek traditions, it is essential for the Greek to celebrate his name derivation from the God when the church celebrates the name of that God on a specific day annually. On the â€Å"name day† of an individual, the acquaintances and relatives of that individual call or visit him with no prior notice to give him blessing and warm wishes. According to the â€Å"name day† tradition, the rich Greeks accompany gifts on the visits as well symbolizing there position in the society. The host of the house presents the guests with many sweet delicacies (Gruen, pp. 49-55). The Festivities on the name day are more than on the birthday and are more important to the Greeks. The Greeks also have strong and very differential customs and traditions on Weddings and Engagements. It is compulsory for all Greeks to tie into engagement before the marriage. The man has to propose first which is similar in all cultures but the difference in the Greek custom is that the Greek man has to ask the father of the woman for acceptance first then only he can propose. When the father and the woman agree, then priest sanctifies the rings and the rings are then can only be worn on the left ring finger. The most common blessing the guests offer are â€Å"kala stephana† and â€Å"I ora I kali†. The Greeks have strong customs of marriage as well. In most of the small cities and villages, the dowry system exists. In the Dowry system, the family of the bride gives the groom family with huge presents. The presents are usually hand made by the female members of the bride’s family to symbolize there intense love for their daughter. However, this custom is no longer valid in big cities. On the wedding day, it is mandatory for the bride and grooms not

Symbolic Interactionism in Police Murder Investigations Essay

Symbolic Interactionism in Police Murder Investigations - Essay Example In this sense, the communicative acts serve as "dramaturgical realizations" exemplifying the cultural identities of the police. (Innes 69) To appreciate Innes' premise, it is imperative to identify the basic constructs of the symbolic interactionist theory. Interactionism is best understood in terms of the existence of an "I" and a "Me" in a social actor2. The "I" manages the impression of the self to produce an identity known as a "Me". When a social actor interacts with another, the initial "Me" generates another "Me" by "imposing on the other a definition of the self". Consequently, the second actor's initial sense of "Me" is influenced by his interaction with the first actor. In this sense, each actor manages the image of the self being projected while at the same time imposing symbolic meanings on others. (Wilfrid Laurier University) Central to this paradigm is the social actor's concept of self. Hester and Eglin describe how the self is conceptualized - both as a process and as an object. As a process, the self is capable of communicating to itself from the standpoint of a "generalized other", producing situational and contextual responses to varying situations and environments. Through "self-interaction", the social actor produces self-indications by defining the context of the situation and then judging the course of action or response appropriate to the defined situation. Meanwhile, self as an object pertains to a social actor's self-image, his understanding of who and what he is. The social actor judges himself from the perspective of a "generalized other" and thus determines his roles and functions. (Hester and Eglin 92) In exploring the symbolic constructions of homicide investigations, Innes utilizes this interactionist perspective by examining how police officers create and interpret meanings through various communicative acts. Innes posits that the police officer as a social actor acts towards situations in terms of the meanings he interprets from them. These meanings are derived through social interaction and depend on a process of self interpretation. Innes sets this framework against the back drop of the "police occupational culture", which has been imposed by prevailing media and public perceptions about the nature of police work. In this context, the police officer, through his self-impressions combined with the labels imposed upon him by prevalent public views, sees himself as an agent of social order. The police officer is socialized into an "occupational role", and thus "develops an occupational identity based on the role's demands, and contributes to the maintenance or modification of this character." (Vincent 2) This "occupational role" is evidenced by organizational communications, which in turn serve to construct and maintain a symbolic representation of the organization's roles and functions. (Innes 71) A major component of this "occupational culture" is the "moral ambiguity" of policing. Interactionism asserts that