A Wisdom Archive on Culture

The phrase "culture jamming" comes from the idea of radio jamming: that public frequencies can be pirated and subverted for independent communication, or to disrupt dominant frequencies. The Situationist International first made the comparison to radio jamming in 1968, when it proposed the use of guerrilla communication within mass media to sow confusion within the dominant culture. (Kalle Lasn, the founder of AdBusters magazine, wrote a book entitled Culture Jam, but the term predates his title.) It is also thought that the ph ...

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Since the 2nd millennium BC, there has been important construction in the area where Portugal is situated today. Before the arrival of the Romans, Citânia de Briteiros in Guimarães is a good example of native architecture, influenced by the Moors. The houses were round, built with granite without mortar. They were built in settlements (castros) in the mountains, and were surrounded by protecting walls. Portuguese architecture really developed with the arrival of the Romans (since 2nd Century BC), and Portuguese architecture e ...

Read more here: » Culture of Portugal: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Portugal - Architecture

Canadian authors Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in 2004 released a book called The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can't be Jammed, criticizing culture jamming as not only ineffective, but encouraging the very consumerism it seeks to quell. (The U.S. release of the book is called Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture). In a wider critique of the underlying theory of counterculture largely inspired by the writing of Thomas Frank, Heath and Potter note that the capitalist system thrives not on conformity -- as ...

Read more here: » Culture jamming: Encyclopedia II - Culture jamming - Critique of culture jamming

Portuguese art was very restricted in the early years of nationality, during the reconquista, to a few paintings in churches, convents and palaces. It is after the 15th century, with the national borders established and with the discoveries, that the Portuguese art expanded. Some kings, like John I already had royal paintors. It is during this century that the Gothic art is replaced by a more humanistic and Italian-like art. In the reing of King Alfonso V, an important Portuguese artist Nuno Gonçalves shaped the Portuguese art ...

Read more here: » Culture of Portugal: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Portugal - Painting

Portugal is sometimes known as "a country of poets". In fact, Portuguese poetry has a bigger influence in the country's literature than prose. In the dawn of nationality, poetry in Portuguese-Galician was widely popular in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. There are excellent works, in lyrical as in epic poetry. Without a doubt, the most worldwide known Portuguese poets are Luís de Camões and Fernando Pessoa, but we should also state the modern Portuguese poetry (since the 19th century) has its roots in a handful of ...

Read more here: » Culture of Portugal: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Portugal - Literature

Football (soccer) is the most known, loved and practiced sport in Portugal. Luís Figo is one of the world's top players, but the legendary Eusébio, Rui Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo are also noteworthy. Between several other great names in the European scene, we can find Futre, Vitor Baia, and Paulo Sousa. The Portuguese national team, or Selecção Nacional, has won two FIFA World Youth Championships and several other UEFA youth championships. Recently, they finished second i ...

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Fado (fate in Portuguese) is a form of melancholic music. The music is linked to the Portuguese word saudade which means you miss someone, something, or have a strong and mixed feeling of nostalgy and love. Fado's origins come from a mixture of African rhythms with the traditional music of Portuguese sailors, it also is influenced alot by Arabic music. There are two varieties of Fado: Lisbon and Coimbra. The Lisbon style is more traditional (for the people), while Coimbra's style is more refined (linked with university s ...

Read more here: » Culture of Portugal: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Portugal - Music