“A Far Cry from Africa” by Derek Walcott Essay

A Far Cry from Africa: Derek Walcott – Summary and Critical Analysis A Far Cry from Africa by Derek Walcott deals with the theme of split identity and anxiety caused by it in the face of the struggle in which the poet could side with neither party. It is, in short, about the poet’s ambivalent feelings towards the Kenyan terrorists and the counter-terrorist white colonial government, both of which were ‘inhuman’, during the independence struggle of the country in the 1950s. The persona, probably the poet himself, can take favor of none of them since both bloods circulate along his veins. Derek Walcott He has been given an English tongue which he loves on the one hand, and on the other, he cannot tolerate the brutal slaughter of Africans with whom he shares blood and some traditions. His conscience forbids him to favour injustice. He is in the state of indecisiveness, troubled, wishing to see peace and harmony in the region. Beginning with a dramatic setting, the poem â€Å"A Far Cry from Africa† opens a horrible scene of bloodshed in African territory. ‘Bloodstreams’, ‘scattered corpses,’ ‘worm’ show ghastly sight of battle. Native blacks are being exterminated like Jews in holocaust following the killing of a white child in its bed by blacks. The title of the poem involves an idiom: â€Å"a far cry† means an impossible thing. But the poet seems to use the words in other senses also; the title suggests in one sense that the poet is writing about an African subject from a distance. Writing from the island of St. Lucia, he feels t hat he is at a vast distance- both literally and metaphorically from Africa. â€Å"A Far Cry† may also have another meaning that the real state of the African ‘paradise’ is a far cry from the Africa that we have read about in descriptions of gorgeous fauna and flora and interesting village customs. And a third level of meaning to the title is the idea of Walcott hearing the poem as a far cry coming all the way across thousands of miles of ocean. He hears the cry coming to him on the wind. The animal imagery is another important feature of the poem. Walcott regards as acceptable violence the nature or â€Å"natural law† of animals killing each other to eat and survive; but human beings have been turned even the unseemly animal behavior into worse and meaningless violence. Beasts come out better than â€Å"upright man† since animals do what  they must do, any do not seek divinity through inflicting pain. Walcott believes that human, unlike animals, have no excuse, no real rationale, for murdering non-combatants in the Kenyan conflict. Violence among them has turned into a nightmare of unacceptable atrocity based on color. So, we have the â€Å"Kikuyu† and violence in Kenya, violence in a â€Å"paradise†, and we have â€Å"statistics† that don’t mean anything and â€Å"scholar†, who tends to throw their weight behind the colonial policy: Walcott’s outrage is very just by the standards of the late 1960s, even restrained. More striking than the animal imagery is the image of the poet himself at the end of the poem. He is divided, and doesn’t have any escape. â€Å"I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein?† This sad ending illustrates a consequence of displacement and isolation. Walcott feels foreign in both cultures due to his mixed blood. An individual sense of identity arises from cultural influences, which define one’s character according to a particular society’s standards; the poet’s hybrid heritage prevents him from identifying directly with one culture. Thus creates a feeling of isolation. Walcott depicts Africa and Britain in the standard roles of the vanquished and the conqueror, although he portrays the cruel imperialistic exploits of the British without creating sympathy for the African tribesmen. This objectively allows Walcott to contemplate the faults of each culture without reverting to the bias created by attention to moral considerations. However, Walcott contradicts the savior image of the British through an unfavorable description in the ensuring line s. â€Å"Only the worm, colonel of carrion cries/ ‘waste no compassion on their separated dead’.† The word ‘colonel’ is a punning on ‘colonial’ also. The Africans associated with a primitive natural strength and the British portrayed as an artificially enhanced power remain equal in the contest for control over Africa and its people. Walcott’s divided loyalties engender a sense of guilt as he wants to adopt the â€Å"civilized† culture of the British but cannot excuse their immoral treatment of the Africans. The poem reveals the extent of Walcott’s consternation through the poet’s inability to resolve the paradox of his hybrid inheritance The introduction to Yasmine Gooneratne’s first collection of short stories begins with a 9th century poem translated from Gaelic and is littered with references to the author’s colonial education, post-colonial experience of exile and emigration (Sri Lanka to  Australia) and a revelation of a fervent dedication to the British literary canon (viva Ben Jonson, Alexander Pope, Jane Austen). If you are left, at this point, with a feeling that you are about to be force-fed traditional â€Å"between the lines†, â€Å"subaltern† South Asian diaspora narrative that will turn your brain into PoCo foie gras, don’t worry-you are not alone. You will first be greeted by a blizzard of kurakkhan, karipincha leaves and other italicised delicacies, but if you hold on for just a bit longer, you will find â€Å"How Barry Changed His Image† and will forgive all the 46 pages that preceded it. In this story, Bharat and Navaranjini Wickramsingha swap Sri Lanka for Australia and insist on setting themselves apart from Australia’s large Vietnamese population whom they refer to as â€Å"those Ching-Chongs slit-eyed slopeheads†. As Wickramsingha glows toxic in his emerging racial self-hatred, his wife listens to talk-back radio, happily absorbing some top Australian argot, and before long Bharat and Wickramsingha have effaced their opulent Otherness to become Barry and Jean Wicks – true blue fair dinkum Aussies. Good Onya Barry. Top 10 bestsellersClick here to EnlargeWritten between 1970 and 2001, many of the 17 stories are sopping with a deliciously tart zest, especially the ones set in Australia that are free of all the annoying echoes – explanations that often accompany stories of a linguistically hybrid reality for a â€Å"western† audience. Thematically disparate, the best stories are the ones like â€Å"A Post Colonial Love Story† , â€Å"His Neighbor’s Wife† and a few others that are both dark and funny and also lucid in their disclosure of the (mis)conceptions of identity and race and provide interesting cross-cultural commentary. The few stories that are set in Sri Lanka do not satisfyingly evoke the country, its people or its troubles and most distressing of all – almost all the stories are burdened with prescriptive â€Å"twists in the tale†, which can leave you feeling that you’re eight, in moral science class and have just been slapped on the wrist with Ms Austen’s Sri Lankan silkwood ruler. To provide interpretations of imperialism and the struggle for â€Å"decolonisation† from it requires a constant and self-conscious shedding of  the old, especially when it is clear that relics of the Raj reside so deep in our rhetoric that sometimes it is impossible to be certain they’re even there. There are always new stories of new ways in which post-colonial repression, impotence, diaspora and displacement raise their head, but if you’re coming to this collection looking for that kind of revelation, you might have to take it under the knife. Chances are you’ll find nothing that hasn’t been previously diagnosed; it’s all quite benign, and in the end, but for Barry and the Aussie angle, I fear The Masterpiece as a peep show of post-post-colonial psyche mostly beats around the bush. Chinua Achebe argues that writers, just as historians explore history or politicians deal with politics, have to fulfill their assigned duty: To educate and regenerate their people about their country’s view of themselves, their history, and the world. He openly and impregnably expresses his firm conviction about how Europe influenced Africa’s self-image, and his arguments are designed to announce this opinion. Assertively, he makes it clear that Africans would suffer from the belief that racial inferiority is acceptable. He wants to change this view and calls African writers to be responsible for – and dedicate themselves to – their society. Throughout the essay, he uses several tangible occasions as supportive examples for his claim. Achebe begins by clarifying that â€Å"the kind [of writing he does] is relatively new (40)† in Africa. By explaining that the Africans have been educated by the Europeans in terms of the common relationship between w riter and society, he shows that the European’s view has been injected into the African mind: According to the Europeans, an artist – in particular a writer – would be in â€Å"revolt against society (41).† Achebe, however, hints that his people should not â€Å"reproduce (40)† the Europeans . He is eager to explore what society expects of his writers instead of what writers expect of society. By doing so, he wants to concentrate on the situation at his homeland, stating that he â€Å"know[s] that  [he does not] have to [write for a foreign audience] (41).† This sentence is one of the examples for when his language reveals that he is very autonomous, even a little bit arrogant, and willing to express his opinion overtly. In the next segment, Achebe indicates that most of his readers are young, which implies that they still have a lot of capacity to get educated. Thus, hope on a better self-image of Africa arises. Achebe claims that many of his readers regard him as a teacher, a statement which is almost pretentious. In this part, he also includes a letter from a Northern Nigerian fan in order to show what a reader like him expects from the author, Achebe. Suggesting that â€Å"it is quite clear what this particular reader expects of [him] (42)† is a false dilemma because it seems like there is only one option of looking at the situation, which manipulatively guides the reader to view things like Achebe. Through an encounter with a young woman teacher who complained about the progress of the course of events in Achebe’s No Longer at Ease, the author realized that he needs to make his novels afford an â€Å"opportunity for education (42).† He does not think the woman’s opinion is right. In this part it becomes clear again that Achebe is very self-assured, as he points out that â€Å"no self-respecting writer will take dictation from his audience [and] must remain free to disagree.† However, he cleverly depicts himself as merciful because he comprehends that his European-influenced society needs to be efficiently educated. His concern comes into sharper relief in the next segment. Achebe sardonically illustrates one of the differences between Europeans and Africans by the example of â€Å"turning hygiene into a god (43),† a peculiar blasphemy in Achebe’s eyes. He admits, though, that Africans have their own respective sins, the most significant being their â€Å"acceptance of racial inferiority (43).† He confesses that not only others need to be blamed; African people, too, would have to â€Å"find out where [they] went wrong (43).† It follows a short anecdote of 1940’s C hristians who where shocked to see Nigerian dances on an anniversary, which exemplifies â€Å"the result of the disaster brought upon the African psyche in the period of subjection to alien race (43).† Achebe uses appeal to pity here and in other parts, as he only presents the picture of the pathetic African. In this way, he disregards the fact that the West does indeed know many educated, highly respected men, tales, and traditions from Africa. His next  example further describes the â€Å"traumatic effects of [Africa’s] first confrontation with Europe (44).† Achebe tells about a student who wrote ‘winter’ instead of the African trade wind ‘harmattan’ which occurs during wintertime – just because he was afraid to be called a bushman by his peers. Achebe does not want his people to be ashamed of their origin, he wants Africa to â€Å"regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of [†¦] denigration and self-abasement (44).† It seems like Achebe tries to rectify the sentiment that has been inflicted to his African people through post-colonialism. Achebe maintains that education needs to be advanced in order to â€Å" get on [their] own feet again (45).† Achebe’s theme becomes most clear in the next part when he requests his society to confront racism and rediscover themselves as people. In order to achieve these goals, he obliges writers to educate society with their works. He glorifies the writer as â€Å"the sensitive point of [†¦] community,† and brings up the argument that each job carries certain duties that need to be fulfilled as society expects them to be. Achebe himself almost seems to crave for these expectations, as he â€Å"would not wish to be excused (45).† The essay concludes with Achebe quoting a Hausa folk tale in order to show that art and education do not need to be mutually exclusive. He leads the reader onto a â€Å"slippery slope† here, as he claims that if one considers the tale’s ending â€Å"a naà ¯ve anticlimax (46)† then one would not know much about Africa. This expressive conclusion can make the reader feel like he would be uneducated and prejudiced. Achebe’s urge to make African society stand up for autonomy and to make them find self-confidence is approached in a very subjective manner. It is questionable whether he is too subjective at some points. Reading his essay raises the question: When is subjectivity proper? It depends whether Achebe’s claims and false dilemmas base on historical facts, common opinions, or his personal observations, which can not absolutely be detected through this essay. However, regardless of where his claims have their origin, he overgeneralizes too forceful; for example by demanding that each and every writer should take upon the task of education society. Achebe could as well just speak up for himself and announce that he proudly embraces the task that he himself has given to him. He could be satisfied with that and leave the rest alone, but his emotion come into play. Due to his troubled attitude towards African’s  self-perception and its history with Europe, Achebe’s views are inevitably colored with a sometimes direct, sometimes indirect call for change. He strives to present the world a different image than the self-conscious one he assumes exists persistently. By the time he wrote the essay, this assumption might have been true, but reading the essay today, it leaves an impression of an author who desperately tries to force the righteous image of Africa onto the public.

Dante Club

The Dante Club begins with the murder of fictional Chief Justice Judge Healey, who had avoided taking a position to stop or support the escaped slaves of the South. Found by his chambermaid near a white flag atop a short wooden staff, Healey had been hit in the head and then left in his garden to be eaten alive by strategically placed maggots and stung by hornets. Holmes, who examines the body for the police, recognizes the correlation between the murder and the punishments seen in Dante's Inferno.Then Reverend Talbot, who was paid by the Harvard Corporation to write against Dante, was found dead in an underground cemetery, buried up to his waist upside down, his feet burnt. Members of the Dante Club, a group of poets translating The Divine Comedy from Italian into English, notice the parallels between the murders and the punishments detailed in Dante's Inferno. The club, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. , and James Russell Lowell, sets out to solve th e murders, fearing that the truth will ruin Dante's burgeoning reputation in America, thus making their translation a failure.Then, Phineas Jennison, both a wealthy contributor to the Harvard Corporation and friend to the translators (a â€Å"schismatic†), is sliced open exactly down the middle—all killed in extreme fashion and undeniable resemblance to the punishments of people in Dante's Inferno. Eventually, the murderer is discovered to be a former Civil War Soldier Dan Teal, a man who worked at Ticknor and Fields. Driven partly mad by the trauma of his war experiences, Teal hears Dante Club member George Washington Greene giving sermons on Dante, and becomes convinced that Dante alone understood the need for perfect justice in the world.With protecting Dante as his sole motivation, Teal takes it upon himself to release Hell's punishments as indicated by Dante, in order to purify the city. Teal finds each of his victims when learning of their involvement in the stop ping of the translations, which become their respective sins. The club eventually tries to capture him, with the aid of Boston's first African-American policeman Nicholas Rey, the only other person who saw the connection, while attempting to punish Harvard Treasurer Dr. Manning and Pliny Mead (â€Å"the traitors†). Mead was a student of the Dante course who helped betray his eacher by cooperating with Manning. He later fled when the club attempted to punish him for his involvement in stopping the translation of the Inferno. They later encounter him as he tries to round up the translators, to punish them for not embracing his â€Å"work. † Dr. Manning—saved by Longfellow, Holmes, Rey, Lowell, and Fields—realizes the situation as he recovered from his attempted punishment of being buried naked in ice. He sees Teal on the street with a gun to Longfellow, and Manning ends the murderer's life, thus returning the city to normal.

Healing Hospital

Healing hospital paradigm is centered on the removal of stress and other health risks for the patients and their families in the hospital environment. Healing hospital paradigm is important because treating a patient’s illness is not the only intrinsic component when they are admitted to the hospital. A good example for this is stress. Stress can be brought about due to many things when a patient is in the hospital, for example painful treatments, financial problems due to being admitted, loss of social life etc.Reducing these sort of stressors may ensure that the patient’s wellbeing is being maintained and the comprehensive care Minimization of these stressors ensures that the patient’s well-being is maintained while the comprehensive care part of the treatment makes certain that the patient’s recovery process is done without breaking confidentiality. The healing hospital paradigm can also be looked as healing the whole patient rather than just curing the ailment (Young & Koopsen, 2006).According to Dr. Milstein, paradigm doesn’t only focus on healing the physical body but â€Å"it aims to enhance the overall well being by addressing the patient’s and their families’ cognitive, emotional and spiritual concerns† (Milstein, 2005). This paper will describe healing hospital paradigm, its impact on the process of care giving and its components expanding on it relationship with spirituality. Components of Healing HospitalBased on the paradigm of healing hospital, Caring for a patient is not limited to only medical interventions and medication but it also includes how the healthcare provider engages the patients and their families to the process of treatment. This theory is based on the notion that both spiritual and emotional wellbeing applies to physical wellbeing. The healing hospital comprise of three major components. The first component is the culture of radical loving care. This may include the kind of ca re the patient receives and the type of conditions he/she is exposed to in the hospital.This component focuses on making the patient comfortable and preparing the patient psychologically for the treatment they would receive. Caregivers most have compassion to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of a patient and not only their physical needs. They most be able to demonstrate loving care and show the patients that they are willing to go the extra mile for them. Being compassionate and showing love can help reduce the stress for the patients and their families, healthcare provides bring hope. The next component is the healing physical environment.The physical environment in which a patient is being treated is also very crucial in the treatment process (Samueli, 2010). Hospitals should be free of stressful disturbances for the patient and their families. This kind of disturbances may include dull settings, noise and disorganization. A good healing physical environment must be well or ganized and constructed. Evidence has shown that rest is an important part of a patient’s healing process, but many hospitals are noisy with pagers beeping here and there and lots of people talking along the hallways.A good healing physical environment should address these kinds of challenges. Other things such as lighting and temperature must be well regulated to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. The final component of healing hospital is the integration of technology with work design. Technology is intertwined into the healthcare field to help the healthcare team help their patients recover in a good environment. Technology allows the staff members to work efficiently and to work in a manner that maximizes the comfort of the patients.In a good healing environment, patients get more sleep which helps with their healing. Staff members are giving technological equipments such as cordless phones, vibrating pagers and dynamaps for blood pressure, and they are educated to use them efficiently to promote healing in a noise-free environment. These technological advancements help to create stress-free environment for the patients and helps reduce medical errors. The healing hospitals also use technology to provide satisfaction, security, decreased cost and privacy for the patients and their families.These are crucial in the psychological needs of the patient. Challenges of Creating a Healing Environment There are various challenges involved in implementing a good healing hospital environment. First and foremost, the advancement of technology (e. g. more tubes and more wires) has complicated healthcare and is dominating in that healthcare providers are forgetting the original essentials of healing such as the compassion and the loving care. If the balance between technology and compassion can bee implemented, the results of patient satisfaction will increase.Another challenge with technology advancement also focuses on the profits rather the compassi onate care of the patient. The next challenge is that there are a lot of similarities between prisons and hospitals. Patients’ clothing’s are replaced by gowns, their names with barcodes and identification numbers, there is no longer any intimacy and they share their living space with strangers. Even restriction in visiting hours can make an individual feel like a prisoner. This is all due to that fact that healthcare providers are suppose to their tasks with robotic precision.According to Chapman, the hospital system is a â€Å"bureaucracy† and it is â€Å"an organization that acts as machines and are difficult to work with† (Chapman, 2010). Another challenge is that some healthcare providers or even family members and patients could be cynics. Cynicism is damaging to the care of patients. Healthcare providers should not be skeptic to the fact that love is a vital part of a patient’s recovery. Finally, leadership is an important aspect of healing hospital paradigm. The leaders in a healthcare setting have the responsibility to make sure love and compassion is at the top of the list in their plan to care for a patient.Biblical Passage that Supports the Concept of Healing Hospital In psalm 107 verses 17-22, the message version, David wrote â€Å"then you called out to God in you desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time†. Here he describes how God heals the sick when they call on him. The sick in this passage have faith and are not cynics or skeptics which is and important part of healing. David explained the reality, living a bad life could get you sick and having faith that you would get better can heal you. It’s all about the positivity. David went on saying â€Å"So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves†.This goes on to show that God’s love brings healing. This passage supports the paradigm of healing hospital because it has to do with hea ling the overall person and God does that too. The healing hospital is gaining more popularity now because there are a lot of benefits to it. This care system helps to enhance the overall wellbeing of the patient and their relatives and not only their physical body. This paradigm focuses on compassionate care that helps patient with stress and coping mechanisms through spirituality. This will help the community at large and bring it solace and hope. ReferencesChapman, E. (2010). Radical loving care: building the healing hospital in America. Nashville, TN: Vaughn Printing. Milstein, J. (2005). A paradigm of integrative care: healing with curing throughout life, â€Å"being with† and â€Å"doing to†. Journal of Perinatology, 25, 563-568. doi: 10. 1038/sj. jp. 7211358 Samueli Institute (2010). Optimal Healing Environments. February 12, 2013. Retrieved from http://www. siib. org/news/280-SIIB/version/default/part/AttachmentData/data/OHE_final. pdf Young, C. , & Koopsen, C. (2006). Spirituality, health, and healing (1 ed. ). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

HOMEWORK 7 Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HOMEWORK 7 - Personal Statement Example Other appropriate ratios include return on equity and return on capital employed. Return on equity is the percentage of net profits in relation to equity. This ratio is much more influential in the determination of return that investors releases to the company. The potential to this ratio extends to the determination of investors investment decision point. Return on capital employed is the percentage of net profit in relation to net assets. Return on assets in relation to cash is another ratio used in the determination of return. This ratio is used in advanced profitability issues. The ratio is used to compare return on investment and cash comparison. The ratio is usually stated on an accruing basis. It is crucial to note the fact that these ratios are used for comparative analysis through the data given. Comparison of ratios should be compared with historical data that belong to the company and or industry. Is it wise for a company to lose money on one product if the product is vital to the sale of another extremely profitable product? It is vital to conduct a net benefit analysis. This will determine the profitability level. A number of approaches can determine which product is profitable for the company. It is wise to employ the best decision strategy in arriving at the best point. Approaches used involve the net benefit analysis or the use of net present value method. In this approach, analysis is done for both products and discounting done by employing the best discount policy. The product that yields the highest net present value should be

Paleozoic Fossils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paleozoic Fossils - Essay Example 3. The marine community which existed in the Cambrian age was mainly consisted of the brachiopod. Graptolite and sponge were also found in this age. 4. Relationship between climate and plate tectonics to Paleozoic life: The late Paleozoic movements were closely associated with the plate tectonics theory. These movements are also known as Appalachian Movements. 1) Invertebrate went under a huge change during this age. They changed from low diversity to high diversity. Class and families were soon formed within the community. North American continents show the changes found among the vertebrates in this age. Plants were found mainly in the wetlands which covered most of the world. Plants were the first sign of life in this era. 2) The Gulf of Mexico came into existence during this time in the Pangaea. On the other hand the Caribbean Sea was also formed. The Jurassic Age was the most important period for all these changes. 3) Greenstone Granite Belts: West Africa, Precambrian age. 5. Permian Period was the last time period in the Paleozoic Age. The time is about 290 million years ago from now. The formation of Pangea became complete by this age. The reptiles got a new life because of the climatic change. Changes favored the arrival of the mammals. Part 2 Paleozoic Era is one of the most interesting eras in prehistory of biological science. This is the age when some of the major climatic changes took place. So fossils are the main things which are to be displayed before the common people coming to the museum. There will be computer animations which will show the gradual changes among the vertebrate, invertebrate and the plant lives in this period. We should also concentrate on the evolving of the...Changes favored the arrival of the mammals. Paleozoic Era is one of the most interesting eras in prehistory of biological science. This is the age when some of the major climatic changes took place. So fossils are the main things which are to be displayed before the common people coming to the museum. There will be computer animations which will show the gradual changes among the vertebrate, invertebrate and the plant lives in this period. We should also concentrate on the evolving of the mammals in the Permian Age because common people will be interested in it. As for the children there must be large pictures of dinosaurs which lived in the Paleozoic Era. There will also be a Paleozoic global map which will show the existing lives in different parts of the world. The interactive exhibitions will have guides who will help the visitors to get what they try to know.

Neurosis as a Gendered Disease or a Female Disposition Essay

Neurosis as a Gendered Disease or a Female Disposition - Essay Example The text invites the readers to be its addressees by highlighting the oppressive conditions of married women through the case of a neurotic patient. It interpellates people to become addressees through using setting, symbolism, irony, and changes in language to help readers understand what it is like to be married, especially to a doctor. Projection pertains to how people see others based on how they view themselves. Gallop calls this as the â€Å"photographic negative of our image of the self† (15). The â€Å"controlling value† pertains to what the text seeks to tell the readers, readers who the author wants to â€Å"hold† so that they can â€Å"see eye to eye with the implied author† (Seitz 146). The â€Å"narrator† refers to the â€Å"implied author† with whom the readers are supposed to â€Å"connect† with (Seitz 141). The â€Å"addressee† pertains to the readers who the text wants to influence with its â€Å"controlling va lue.† The addressee is different from the â€Å"reader† who can participate in the â€Å"reading† of the text through â€Å"social engagement which consists of both reception and participation† (Seitz 143). Interpellation refers to how the text aims to engage and influence readers and turn them into â€Å"interested readers† who can â€Å"persuade themselves† that they also believe in the texts (Seitz 147). The â€Å"controlling value† of the text is to emphasize that married women get the worst deal; they become â€Å"women† under â€Å"men† and the protagonist of the text has the worse bargain because she is married to a male doctor, which means two patriarchal structures are combined to oppress her. The narrative works rhetorically by using a neurotic wifes conditions to underline the oppressive conditions of married women and the patriarchal structure of medicine.

Consider the functions of directors,company secretaries, auditors and Essay - 1

Consider the functions of directors,company secretaries, auditors and shareholders. In what ways do they contribute to the operation of both private and public limited companies - Essay Example Therefore the given essay analyses the role of all these four groups of actors (directors, company secretaries, auditors and shareholders) in order to demonstrate the importance of each of them in operation of both private and public companies. Firstly, directors are the key actors for the company’s performance on market. In general, they are important because they create the policy of the company (Osemeke, 2014). In the circumstances of either private or public limited company, this role changes only slightly. In fact, private company may have sole director, while public limited company needs two or more directors (Rosenfalck, 2013). In addition, Directors Board becomes the only significant representative, if there is no existing controlling stakeholder in the company (Davies, 2010). Frequently, this situation appears in private companies (Rosenfalck, 2013). Furthermore, the directors of the company are trained to act their instructions or directions. For example, when there is a serious loss in capital of public company, directors have to gather an extraordinary general meeting not later than 56 days from the day of half or less capital reduction (Rosenfalck, 2013). According to Osemeke, (2014), failures and bankr uptcies of the company are mostly to result an ineffective directors board. In this context, ineffective work of the board has been shown in a recent failures of big companies like Enron and HIH (Convill and Bagaric, 2004). Moreover, Davies (2010) said that directors should care and promote the company’s success and do independent actions. In fact, directors of public companies must be sure that they hire competent company secretary (Rosenfalck, 2013). Among the main flaws of directors that have a direct effect on the company’s performance, according to Osemeke (2014) â€Å"lack of training and induction

Application Exercise 2 (A-2) Due 7.17.13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Mind maps - Essay Example Most often the map involves images, words, and lines and elements are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts and they are organized into groupings, branches, or areas. As a twenty first century educator, mind- mapping is an important (if not essential) technique to help oneself in imparting quality education to students. Educators often wish that they could more organized and less occupied with petty problems. Some may feel dejected when forced to think on our feet. No educator can help their student learn better when they are often overwhelmed with tons of information. This results in failure to create meaning in the vast field of knowledge and aid students so they can internalize and understand better. Psychological synchronization of an educator with his student is essential to build up trust and confidence. Incorporating the Hierarchy of Needs helps a teacher to provide moral, emotional and academic help to students who might need them. Similarly the Systems Theory Framework and Myer - Brigg's Theory assist in personality identification, assessment and development respectively. The Holland's Theory of Career Choices aid in student counseling with respect to personality types, aptitudes and personal preferences. The complexities and chaos

Empiricism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Empiricism - Essay Example Recent philosophical knowledge has often argued that man’s senses can often fail to gain true knowledge. This is manifested in the film Matrix, when the story’s main character, Neo, realized that what he perceived to be real is actually not real. The world he has thought to live is actually a computer simulation program that has set to make an illusion of man’s existence. Hence, in this case, if we are to gain true knowledge through sensory experiences, yet our senses can fail us, then how are we to achieve true knowledge? According to Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (p. 728), our senses inform us of the color, weight, and consistence of bread. It is through these very senses that man have come to know the world around him, and all the things in it. This is the basic premise of empiricism, which states that: †¦a theory of knowledge, which emphasizes those aspects of scientific knowledge that are closely related to experience, especially formed through deliberate experimental arrangements (Wikipedia, 2006). Everything that man learns is the product of his experience. David Hume regarded lively and strong as experiences and perceptions. On the other hand, he defined less lively events as beliefs or thoughts. This could explain the fact that people have learned to define and appreciate the very essence of love, happiness, sadness, and loneliness. Love and happiness are often associated with events that thrill and excite people with someone very close of meaningful for them such as experiences related to one’s first kiss, marriage proposal, giving birth, and the like. On the other hand, sadness and loneliness are usually related to experiences such as unattained goals and aspirations, fight and arguments, sickness, and even death. It is no doubt that children would easily recognize the definition of sadness

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Consumer behaviour, hence, entails understanding different attitude and behaviour of the consumers along with exploring factors having impact on these attitude and behaviours (Peter and Olson, 2008). For the purpose, various theories and models have been derived to somewhat provide generalised guideline impact of these factors on consumer buying behaviour (Hawkins & Mothersbaugh, 2009). Businesses to influence the buying behaviour uses various tactics such as advertising, promotions and other market tactics that increases probabilities of consumer purchasing company’s product. Designing and devising these tactics are guided by the understanding of factors that are capable of influencing of consumer attitude and behaviour and direct purchase decision (Neal, Quester, & Hawkins, 2004). To develop insight about aforesaid mentioned factors, this paper develops research to explore activities an organisation undertakes in relation with different consumer behaviour models and theories . Organisation’s undertakes many activities to direct consumer behaviour. For instance, marketing mix used to generate favourable response include product, brand, advertisement, packaging, point of purchase display etc in an integrated manner (East, Wright, and Vanhuele, 2008). Since these entire stimulus generators carry complete information and extensive detail in itself, the scope of this research has been limited to case study based analysis of advertisement campaign of L’Oreal’s product ‘Elvive’. L’Oreal has been in operations since years with recognition of being global cosmetic provider. L’Oreal’s target market in general has been female and while specifying its market comprising of females with urge to look good and beautiful; an ultimate desire of every woman. For the purpose, L’Oreal has several product offerings within various ranges; however, every product campaign from all mediums communicates the same messag e. This research in order to analyse abovementioned advertisement has picked print advertisements, storyboards and/ or screenshots of the television advertisements to investigate if message from these medium are on same page as referred by different consumer behaviour models and theories to target consumer behaviour. STIMULUS GENERATORS IN L’OREAL’S ADVERTISMENT L’OREAL’s advertisement campaigns are mainly formed of the similar technique to develop customer attention. This technique is also the most common form of advertisement and has following components: 1. Celebrity endorsement 2. Beauty appeal 3. Benefit communication 4. Scientific support to claimed benefits 5. Iconography 1- CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT Message conveyed by celebrity usually has greater appeal; claim based on general perception and observation. Product endorsed by more popular or liked personality is able to gain more rating on the evaluation phase. In evaluation phase consumer analyses an d rates the quality and benefits of the product. This phase is known as surrogate indicator (Neal, Quester, & Hawkins, 2004). L’Oreal has been using celebrating endorsement in its advertisement campaigns to fetch higher rating and hence, influence the purchase decision. 2- BEAUTY APPEAL Beauty appeal has been well accepted to be one of the basic features of the product capable to attract women. L’Oreal targetting women has been using this appeal in almost its every adverstisemnet. Hence, L’Oreal advertisements to cater the social need strongly develops

Critical Lens for Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Critical Lens for Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men Essay Duff Brenna once said, All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason that motivates characters in literature. To me, this quote means that it is emotion that causes characters to make decisions, not reason. I agree with this quote because characters in literature do what they feel is right at the time, not what they feel is logically right. In William Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet and John Steinbecks novella Of mice and Men, the characters demonstrate how emotion can overpower reason. In Romeo and Juliet, this statement is proven right. As the characters make decisions based on emotion, many literary elements are intertwined by William Shakespeare. Conflict is not only a literary element but also is a theme that is used throughout the whole playwright. For example, the passion of hate causes the Capulets and Montagues to constantly fight and feud. This External conflict interferes with Romeo and Juliets love and causes them not to tell their parents about their marriage. They have to constantly meet in secret and them not being able to see each other causes more major conflicts. For example, they feel so deeply for each other that they feel that they cannot live without the other. These strong emotions lead to many misunderstandings and eventually the death of the two star crossed lovers. If Romeo and Juliet were thinking within reason, they would have told their parents about their love and possibly may not have committed suicide. The death of Mercutio also causes problems between the characters. When Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo feels vengeance and anger towards Tybalt. If Romeo would have been thinking realistically, he would have told Prince Escalus about the killing and Tybalt would have gotten in trouble. Instead, Romeo makes a rash decision and kills Tybalt and later faces the consequence; being banished from Verona. In Addition, Shakespeare also uses the literary element of Characterization in Romeo and Juliet. After Tybalt dies, Capulet feels that he has the responsibility to lift the spirits of his family. He quickly arranges to have Juliet to marry Paris, a man whom she does not wish to marry. When Capulet does this, he follows his own feelings and doesnt reason with Juliet. After his actions, Capulet is looked upon as harsh, ridiculous and insensitive. Additionally, when Romeo kills himself on impulse,  characterization is used. As soon as Romeo sees that Juliet, the woman that he is deeply in love with, he feels that he cannot live with out her and commits suicide. As a reader, I thought that he could have gone on with out her but he kills himself anyways. Romeo is looked characterized as immature, irrational, and impractical. Conflict is also an effect of characters acting based on feeling, not reason in the story Of Mice and Men. For example, although Lennie is not the brightest bulb in the box, he should have had enough reasoning skills and know not to touch a womans skirt. However, his feeling of desire and attraction to touch the red skirt causes the woman to tell the police on Lennie and Lennie and George are run outta weed. After they are run out, they face having to move to a new ranch, and hopefully having no one find out the real reason why they left weed. Another example of a conflict is Curleys wife. She has an internal conflict. She wanted to feel happy and content with her life and she rushed into the marriage with Curley. In the end, she was unhappy and lonely because she was often times left alone all day while Curley worked or at night when the men went into town. The literary element of characterization is also used in Of Mice and Men. For example, when Lennie is run out of weed, George decides to go with him because he really cares about Lennie. He disregarded anything that he had in Weed and left. In this case, it is good that George followed what his feeling said because Lennie would have not been able to survive with out the help of George. As the bond between Lennie and George strengthens, George is characterized as accepting and tolerant. George also acts on feeling when he decides to kill Lennie himself. George does not want to put Lennie through the pain of dealing with Curley. George cares so much for Lennie that he puts him out of his misery right away instead of taking the risk of trying run away or move on to a new ranch with Lennie. George is looked upon as mature and understanding after his actions. In conclusion, in literature, characters are driven by the power of emotion, not reason. In William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, many characters are shown as following their emotions  instead of reason. Sometimes the outcome was good, and other times, the outcome was not so good. In my opinion, when characters follow their emotions and do not reason, the author is trying to show the reader the good and bad consequences that can occur if there is no reason behind the actions that we make. Bibliography: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare- the book/playwrightOf mice and Men by John Steinbeck- the novellawww.sparknotes.com

Functionalist Concepts Of The Nuclear Family

Functionalist Concepts Of The Nuclear Family Murdock (1949) studied 250 different societies and concluded that the family is so functional to society, that it is unavoidable and universal since neither the individual nor society could survive without it. He argued that every nuclear family has these four essential functions without which society could not continue sexual, reproductive, and economic and education. All these four functions are essential according to Murdock without sexual and reproductive no member of society would be there, life would stop if there was no economic function that is family providing for its members and without education, socialisation would not be there hence absence of culture. Murdock has been criticised for not considering whether the functions of the family could be performed by other social institutions and he does not examine alternatives to the family. Parsons (1955) studied the modern American family in the 50s. He argued that there are two basic and irreducible functions of the family, these are, the primary socialisation of children which Parsons sees as a responsibility of the family to shape the childs personality to suite to the needs of society. The second function is the stabilisation of adult personalities, the family gives adults the emotional support necessary to cope with the stresses of everyday life. (Taylor and Richardson etl 2002). Parsons as with Murdock has been criticised for showing the picture of the family as attuned children and compassionate spouses caring for each others needs. There is a natural division of labour within the nuclear family, roles are segregated positively and everyone carry out different roles, for example the instrumental male, whose role is to provide for the family thus the bread winner and expressive female whose role is to provide warmth, love and care for children at home. Based on Biology the woman is the child bearer therefore has to look after the child, this role maintains social stability. Family patterns have changed with time such as cohabitation, rise of reconstituted families and increase in single or lone parent in western family life and changes in the law on divorce have made it easier to obtain. Functionalist theory has been criticised to have concentrated on the family being positive and gives little attention to its weaknesses while in feminism the nuclear family is oppressive to women due to gender distinctions in domestic duties. Functionalists argue that the family is of equal profit to everyone, however Marxists argue that society developed by the need of the capitalist economy. It is the bourgeoisie who benefits not the whole society. Functionalists focus too much on the significance that the family has for society and disregard the sense family life has for individual. Radical psychiatric argue against functionalism for ignoring the negative aspect of the family like domestic violence. Functionalists also ignore different types of families by focussing mainly on nuclear family. Interactionist David Clark (1991) identified four types of marriage arguing against functionalist, not all families are the same. Functionalist depicts everything as positive in the family while radical psychiatric looks at the negative side of the family. Feminism is a conflict theory that sees the family as patriarchal. Men gain more in a family than women. They view the family on a macro scale. Feminists shows how men dominate social relationships thus symmetrical conjugal roles is seen as an allegory. Feminist argues that Men oppress women through domestic violence, the economic involvement to society made by womens domestic labour within the family. Liberal feminist Wollstonecraft (1792) wanted equality for women in terms of rights, liberties and vote by the change of law and policy. Radical feminists like Millett (1970) argue that the organisation of society enables men to dominate women. They believed that gender distinctions are politically and socially constructed therefore wanted radical reforms and social change. Kate Millet invented the term The personal is political meaning everything in society is political. Radical Feminists think not just patriarchal men that benefit from family but all men. Sociolist feminists look at gender as the basis. Sociolist Marxists combine gender with class. They argue that there is a dual oppression for women that they have to go to work as well as work at home. Marxists feminist believe that the destruction of the capitalist society brings equality to everything. Lesbian feminists believe society forces them into heterosexuality so that men can oppress them. They challenge heterosexuality as a means of male supremacy. Humanist feminists argue that society only allows men to self-develop not women and that society distorts womens human potential. Marxist feminist Bentson (1972) argues that family responsibilities make male workers less likely to withdraw from labour, with wife and children to support. Ansley (1972) sees the emotional support in family, stabilises male workers thus making them less likely to take their frustration out on the system. Feeley (1972) sees the family as a dictatorial unit dominated by the husband and also the family values teach obedience. Children learn to accept hierarchy and their position in it. Greer (2000) is a radical feminist who believes that family life continues to disadvantage and oppress women. She points out Britain has very high divorce rate thus less stability in families. Marxist feminist like functionalist they tend to ignore the diversity of modern family life assuming everyone lives in heterosexual nuclear family. They paint a very negative picture of family life possibly exaggerated. Unlike functionalists who see male and female roles being different but equal, Marxist feminists believe that men dominate family relationships. Feminist theory discards functionalist view that society as a whole is benefited by socialisation in the family but rather men benefits more. Women are portrayed as passive victims of exploitation, it does not take into account women who abuse men by fighting back. Functionalist believes that norms and values benefits society while for feminist they benefit men more for example obedience, women being obedient to men. Feminists focus on nuclear family only and the negative aspect of it. Increase in awareness of womens rights has influenced the norms of society. Marxists views of family sees socialisation process results in the spread of a ruling class philosophy, whereby individuals are deceived into accepting the capitalist system and the supremacy of the capitalist class thus hegemony.Bourgoisie benefits by creating a labour force and proletariat continue to be exploited. Engel s (1972) argued that bourgeois nuclear family as an institution which oppressed women. They were seen mainly as children bearers, economically dependent to their husbands and remain faithful to them. According to Engels the family is designed to control women and protect property thus men needed to know their children in order to pass on their property. Marxists say the family serves capitalism in four ways. The family acts as a safety valves for the stress and frustration of working class men, the family as a unit of consumption buys the goods and services provided by capitalism. Women domestic work is unpaid which benefits capitalism and lastly the family socialises children thereby reproducing both labour power and acceptance of capitalism false consciousness. Zaretsky (1976) analysed that the family is one place where male workers can feel they have power and control. This helps them accept their oppression in wider society, furthermore Zaretsky sees the family as a main prop to the capitalist economy. Marxists view of divorce in families is seen by increased economic pressure from unemployment this may place added strain and also family members living longer could increase pressure on relationships. Marxists decline the functionalist view that society based on value consensus and thus benefits all. Instead they see the welfare of powerful groups influencing the way society is controlled. Marxist view ignores family diversity it sees the nuclear family as being simply determined by the economy. This theory reproduces conflict between classes bourgeoisie and proletariat while in factionalists family operates as united everything benefits society. Capitalist system is dominated both economically by rich at the expense of the poor but seen as a fair system by functionalists that works together in the interest of all members causing limited conflict in society. Anthropologists have suggested that the emergence of the nuclear family did not actually coincide with emergence of capitalism. Somerville (2000) argues that Zaretsky exaggerates the importance of the family as a protection from life in capitalist society. As with functionalism reproduce social stability, Marxism produces labo ur force and feminism produce patriarchy. Interactionism also known as interpretive humans are seen as symbolic creatures meaning we define what is around us through signs and language. They study families on a micro scale instead of generalising the whole population, they also look at what family live is actually like rather than how it should be or how it is assumed to be.Interactionists view families as different and unique thus there is no one way of family life, like other perspectives would suggest. The way a family behaves and interacts is based on interpretation of meanings and roles. We are products of our culture what we take as common sense or reality varies according to the culture we live in. Goffman (1969) compares life to drama, we are actors who take on roles and act them out as public performances. Each role has its own script which tells us how to act and what cues to expect from other members involved in our interaction. Bauman (1990) argues that roles and relationships learnt in the family are essential to shaping our future. Not all families are close and warm family metaphors are often used to represent closeness, for example using the term brother and sister amongst members of political organisations. Kellner (1964) looked at socially constructed roles in a marriage, argues that the reality of marriage is an ongoing construction which needs to be reaffirmed, negotiated and renegotiated. Clark (1991) conducted a study of how couples constructed a meaningful marriage. He identified four types of marriage. Drifting marriages where meanings and ideas of the future are unclear, surfacing marriages often made up of people who have been married before, establishing marriages newly wed couple for long term future and lastly struggling marriages financial problems often from unemployment causes tension and anxiety. The conjugal roles in interactionism show that the roles of husband and wife are constantly evolving. For example both husband and wife working and sharing domestic tasks. Interactionist view families on a micro scale so can discover how individuals make family life based on interactions with each other. They are not interested in generalisations about family life but seek to understand how families are unique. They go further than the common sense view of families that functionalism believes in and look at the meanings of what family life is actually like. Unlike functionalism, Marxism and feminism where there is a set function of the family, interactionism is different for there is no one set function of the family. Families can differ based on their interactions, meanings, roles and culture. The discovery of four different types of marriage offers an opposing argument to functionalism, not an ideal nuclear family. It has been criticised while concentrating on meanings, motives and action it ignores the wider structures in which families operate and are shaped. Sometimes generalisations of families are useful as they allow the development of political social policy. Interpretive approaches try to comprehend the family from the perspective of its members. This research should give you an insight on how the families have changed with time. From different views and approaches, understanding families from traditional way of views to modern familys ways of view.

Genesis And Rise Of Islamic Fundamentalism Religion Essay

Genesis And Rise Of Islamic Fundamentalism Religion Essay Introduction Religious fundamentalism is not a new term rather it is as old as the religions itself. The world has seen, felt and suffered due religious fundamentalism in some way or the other since time immemorial. The same is true for Islamic fundamentalism. Islam, however, has off late been more associated with fundamentalism than any other religion in the world. Fundamentalism in Islam is also referred as Islamofascism. The term Islamofascism is included in the New Oxford American Dictionary, defining it as a controversial term equating some modern Islamic movements with the European fascist movements of the early twentieth century. The term is used in this manner by writers like Stephen Schwartz and Christopher Hitchens, to describe Islamist extremists, including terrorist groups such as al Qaeda. William Safire makes particular note of Hitchens as a popularizer of the word, though Hitchens declines credit for coining it.  [1]   Susceptibility of Islam to Fundamentalism Islam is like any other religion; however, it is associated with fundamentalism than any other religion in the world. Fundamentalism in Islam is the result of its origin. It came into being in 500 AD when Christianity and Judaism were in its full blossom. Quran-The Holy Book of Islam is a philosophical yet one of the most exhaustive set of rule imposing strict guidelines for day to day functioning for its followers making Islam more susceptible to fundamentalism. The philosophical roots of Islamic fundamentalism are largely the result of a conscious attempt to revive and restate the theoretical relevance of Islam in the modern world. The word Islam means submission, or the total surrender of oneself to God. Therein lays its strength as well as weakness. Total surrender to God imparts spectacular potency to religious faith wherein no questions are asked regarding its convictions or statute. Equally, it leads to blind following in the interpretations of various diktats as pronounced by the Ulemas or Islamic scholars. The empowerment of Islam, which is believed to be Gods plan for mankind, is sacred and therefore may be (interpreted by some as must be) pursued by any means.  [2]   Reasons for Fundamentalism in Islam Colonialism and Western Dominance. Ever since Islam came into existence, it continued to flourish and was widely accepted in the Middle East, Africa, Central and East Asia. It reached its Zenith by 16th Century. However, in 17th and 18th Century Western Powers, started colonialism towards East resulting in Western cultural dominance over other religions and regions in all spheres of life. Islam too was greatly affected by the imperialistic rule of West and subtle but certain downfall of Islam commenced. The famous Indian poet Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) vividly expressed the commonly held view of the soulless multilayered Western civilization in its varied manifestations of capitalism, communism, secularism, and liberalism, draining Islam of its inherent vitality. This created a feeling of anti-Westernism and nostalgia for the glorious past; which is the major contributory factor for the contemporary fundamentalist movements. Response to Overpowering Pace of Modern Revolutionization. Mr Modernization and technology has been the biggest boon for the society. But with it also came the evils of cultural changes of nuclear family, materialism and degeneration of social values. In Mr Volls opinion Islamic fundamentalism is a direct response to rapid modernization and cultural changes that threaten to dilute Islamic identity by a syncretistic mix with un-Islamic elements. Urbanization, in addition to diminishing social and cultural value has also resulted in high unemployment, steep rise in poverty and sharp inequalities in wealth distribution. These overwhelmingly and rapid economic, social and cultural changes have resulted in an acute sense of dislocation, identity loss, alienation and anomie and are the social-psychological background to the Islamic resurgence. Reaction to Failed Islamic Liberalism. Islam is governed by stringent and strict laws as written in the Holy Koran and its followers are expected to adhere them in in their daily life in totality. It is this facet of Islam which makes it more radical than any other religion in the world. Likewise, Islamic radicalization in part is a reaction to the failure of Islamic liberalism in the late 19th and 20th centuries. While the radicalists fight both with the modernists, who recognize a broad elucidation of Scripture and assume Western ethics, and also the liberals who favor a democratic system of governance on the Western model. Radicalists disapprove these views and look for a come back to the original foundation of Islam, while reapplying them to the modern milieu. Crisis of Frail Authority of Secular Nations and Governments. Another cause is the persistent crisis expressed by the weak legitimacy of the very idea of the nation-state as well as of the existing secular regimes. This crisis is evident in the pervasiveness of autocratic regimes and in the continuing segmentation of society along tribal, ethnic, and religious lines. The political, social, and economic failures of the secular state is seen as an important contributor to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism as a mass-based response demanding radical change. Fundamentalists tend to blame the modern secular nation-state and its Westernized elites for all the ills of society. Defeat of Islamic States Post World War II. Creation of Israel, defeat of Arab nations in 1967 and 1973 in the Arab-Israel Wars, dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 acted as catalysts in the spreading of Islamic fundamentalism. It gave Muslim world a sense of disappointment, disgrace, helplessness, and loss of self-worth. It developed in animosity and hostility against the local administration that botched to react to the need of their societies. It also resulted in the hatred aginst the superpowers which too failed to support the cause of Islamic states and saw in them an oppressor and aggressor. Modern Socio-Political Regimens. Modernization provided access to global education and new socio political equations. Secularism was one such thought that spurred Islamic fundamentalism; one of the reasons for promoting an Islamic awakening. Rise of the religious fundamentalism across various religious cultures was according to Jurgensmeyer (2001), that the radical religious groups rejected the liberal values of secular institutions. This was particularly considered, by the Islamic religious hierarchy, as the main cause of societys decline and loss of religious inspiration. These radicals also, refused to accept boundaries of secular society which keeps religion a private observance and not the public sphere which they thought were contrary to basic Islamiic tenets. Equally, the conservatives sought to restore religion as central to social life. They also saw foreign domination as a symptom of Muslim weakness, and its elimination as the key to Muslim power. Such domination could be a ttacked directly by jihad against foreigners.  [3]   Failure of Modern Institutions. Modernization in many countries did not yield requisite outcome. Modernization in these countries failed for host of reasons to include lack of infrastructure and stable government, illiteracy and wide spread unemployment. The failure of modernization in such state gave enough reason to the conservatives to force the established governments and convince the people to revert back to the basics of Islam and shun secularism and liberalization. Also the western liberal strategists failed to contain the religious overtures in the Islamic states, further bolstering the radicalists to adopt and enforce the fundamentalist Islam in its present form. The failure of liberal governments to revitalize the states gave people the option of reverting back to the Islamic values which if nothing else gave them the false sense of superiority and gave hope to bring back the lost glory to the so believed superior religion. This drew marked religious responses resulting in a spate of Islamic fundamentalist movements. Moreover, the failure of democratic and secular state to deliver further strengthened the case of conservatives giving rise to fundamentalist forces.  [4]   Conclusion At the end of the 20th century Islamic fundamentalists have become active participators in mainstream Muslim society all over the world, led by a new class of modern-educated elites. For many Muslims Islamic revivalism is a social rather than a political movement aimed at implementing a more Islamically oriented society. For most fundamentalists, however, the establishment of an Islamic system does necessitate the creation of an Islamic state, and the mainstream Islamic fundamentalist movements have become major actors within the system while the violent radicals continue to confront the state. The moderates demand participation as equals in the democratic process, while the extremists threaten violence and revolution.

Children And The Internet Essay -- essays research papers

Children and the Internet Many children nowadays use, or at least have access to the internet. But most people are blinded by all the benefits of the internet, and fail to notice any of the problems that can come from overuse. Since the internet is a new technology, not many studies have been done to determine how beneficial or detrimental it can be to children. Although the internet may have many benefits to children, it can also be very harmful to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most obvious problems with children using the internet is the chance of getting addicted. Internet addiction is a serious thing, but hasn’t drawn much attention due to the fact that it is a newer problem in society. Children that have grown up using computers will naturally be more susceptible to getting hooked on the internet. Many children spend more time on the computer than they spend watching television. Most of the time children spend on the computer can be attributed to the internet. This computer overuse results in less time for children to study, do homework, read, exercise, or participate in any out of school organizations. Such a pattern will eventually affect the child’s grades, health, and social life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spending too much time on the internet isn’t the only problem that children can encounter. The content which children access on the internet can be harmful as well. There is no regulation of the content on the internet. Children can acces...

Use of Pathos in Writings on Torture Essay example -- Who Walk Away fr

Torture is a loaded word. It conjures images in a readers' mind of any number of horrors, physical and mental. Many writers rely on this reaction and use pathos in their articles to illicit a strong response in their audience. Pathos is an emotional appeal used to gain sympathy and trust from the audience and works for people of all intellectual levels. It often casts the author or characters in a story as an Everyman, easy to identify, and therefore see eye to eye, with. In my opinion, the more an author is able to create a personal connection to torture, the stronger their argument becomes. Strong emotions create a more appealing argument for an everyday audience. Michael Levin's â€Å"The Case for Torture† uses a few moments of pathos to convince the audience of the potential benefit of torture. He poses several scenarios of terrorists planning attacks on large numbers of innocent people and then asks, â€Å"If the only way to save those lives is to subject the terrorist to the most excruciating possible pain, what grounds can there be for not doing so?† Even if you don't agree with him, he urges the reader to â€Å"face the question with an open mind.† By doing this, Levin uses pathos as well as ethos to present himself as a nice guy who's not unreasonable. Though his argument is different from Levin's, Andrew Sullivan tries a similar approach in his article, â€Å"Bush's torturers follow where the Nazis led†. The article demonstrates a clear use of pathos from the beginning. Sullivan begins with some personal information about himself, showing that is is one of the regular people. His imagery is subtle but power ful. By implying that the government's behavior is in some way akin to the Nazis, he conjures up a powerful imagine in the readers min... ...Oct. 2008 . Ortiz, Sister Dianna. "Mr. President, stop the torture!" US Catholic Magazine Online. July 2004. 26 Sept 2008 news_iv_ctrl=1341&abbr=usc_&JServSessionIdr001=anotsvvjc1.app45a> Ortiz, Sister Dianna. "Speak Truth to Power Defender – Interview with Dianna Ortiz." Speak Truth to Power. 26 Sept 2008. . 26 Sept 2008. Sullivan, Andrew. "Bush's torturers follow where the Nazis led." Times Online. 7 October 2007. 23 Sept 2008 andrew_sullivan/article2602564.ece> Porter, Henry. "America's Dirty Torture Secret." The Guardian. 10 Sept 2003. 1 Oct 2008 .

Education Should No Longer Be Imparting of Knowledge Essay

â€Å"We must turn to the child as the key to the fate of our future life† (http://www. montessorisynergies. com/synergies/transformation/wisdom-of-montessori) [Accessed 5th May, 2013] The above quotation shall be explored & revealed in the further contents of this essay. To begin with, let us first start with a brief current scenario of education in our society. Current scenario of education â€Å"The school must mean something else than a place of instruction, where the one teaches the many, with pain on both sides, an effort carrying with it little success†. The schools today exist to transmit knowledge though teachers and the role of the students is to absorb this knowledge and get awarded as per their marks. The education today that we have in our society is primarily interested in defining the curriculum and establishing high standards. The focus on the needs of the individual learner is hardly seen. The issues such as how the children actually want to learn, how they need to be taught, what are they actually interested in learning about are considered irrelevant. Need of our society The need of our world today is a society that has peace, patience, tolerance, happiness, health, nonviolence, betterment of the mankind, safety, non-corruption, no poverty, and no racial discrimination. It needs a man who is active, attentive, confident, curious, expressive, helpful, honest, innovative, judgmental, observant, organized orientated, patient & socially active. Who is a human being? A human being is a unified personality who comes into being from a child through the years of infancy, toddlerhood, preschool & adolescence. Ultimately, child is the one who produces the man. The child before birth nside the mother’s womb grows only physically. After a child is born he starts developing mentally & completes his psychic growth outside the womb. When the birth of the child takes place; he has some hidden qualities in him which cannot be seen. As he continues to grow, he slowly starts revealing himself & starts showing these potentials/abilities. In order to have a society with attributes as mentioned earlier & which in turn needs a man with the required qualities, it is very important to focus ourselves on the development of the child to help him release his potentials since he is the maker of the man. Hence, there is an urgent need to focus on a new system of education based on the idea of freedom for the child within a carefully planned & structured environment. It is important to recognize the crucial importance of a child’s first years of development. It is during this time that a child’s power of absorption is the highest & permanent attitudes of learning are formed & which establish the person he will be in future. Dr. Maria Montessori, the great pioneering influential realized this need and developed the Montessori Education. As proposed by Dr Maria Montessori, it shall be now briefly discussed all the phases to be looked into to create this new system of education & how the focus on the right aids during each of these phases, help the child’s future development. The Absorbent Mind The child has a creative intelligence that exists in his unconscious mental stage. During the unconscious stage (0 to 3 years), he absorbs whatever is available in his environment. He learns to speak, to walk and gain control of his hands. Hence it is very much necessary to provide a carefully planned environment to the child since he will see and learn whatever is there in his environment. For e. g if we have an aggressive environment around him at home i. e. there is no calmness & peace, the child tends to develop as an aggressive personality since he absorbs that trait from his environment. After 3 years, the child enters into the period of conscious absorption. He starts applying now the functions that were created in the unconscious stage and has developed a will & memory. This helps him in developing his reasoning & concentration skills. He uses his hands & starts working and by means of work his ability develops to choose actions independently. He wants to do everything by himself. He starts developing an urge to become social & starts involving with peers as well which make him a good social being in the long run. Sensitive periods The child passes through a special time in which he is interested in one unique characteristic of his environment known as sensitive periods. He can easily develop this interest into ability if he is given the right environment & freedom. These periods are critical to a child’s self-development & interrupting a child while he is in the middle of a sensitive period can result in a powerful emotional response. He passes through the sensitive periods of order, movement, language, senses, small objects & social aspects. As we see further below, we realize that the right environment & freedom given to the child during each of these periods provide a strong base to lay the foundation of a well-developed human being. The child seeks order so he can adapt himself to his environment. For e. g. If a child who comes home from school, has a habit of seeing all the things at place & has his belongings are accessible to him & and one day the settings at home are changed completely, nothing is at the same place as earlier, the child starts showing a dislike. This disorder can be an obstacle to his development. The order helps him to orientate himself. He becomes organized & systematic which is a crucial requisite for his development. Another sensitive period that the child goes through is the sensitivity to five senses. The child is developing his senses & his attention is therefore directed towards the observation of the objects in his environment. In order to help him this development, Sensorial subject was introduced in the Montessori education to enable him to explore different attributes of the environment. By using all his basic five senses, the child is able to explore the qualities of the objects in his environment, with separate materials. For e. g. a child using his tactile(touch) & visual sense is able to explore the different dimensions of an object i. e. height, diameter etc. The usage of these materials develops in child the qualities of attention, experiment, observation, exploration, judgement & comparison. The sensitive period of movement is also very important for the child development. The child has started learning to crawl, walk, jump, climb, swing around & carry things and wants to perfect his movement. Hence it is important to provide the right environment & give freedom to develop his fine & gross motor skills for his life. He should be not stopped or provided help when he is able to do the activity himself. Foe e. g. if he is able to walk himself up till a point, we should not stop & pick him up just because we are not able to reach quickly to our destination. This makes the child frustrated & breaks his concentration. He does not gain the self-control & self-independence. The other sensitive period is to small objects. The child keeps observing all the small details around him. He focuses on the army of ants in the playground, the leaves, the flowers, everything around him which makes him to focus. He also wants to know the reason for all these activities which make him curious & intuitive. It is very important to answer his questions since discouraging his curiosity makes him less observant & lazy which will be followed till he becomes an adult. Sensitivity to language is another very important aspect. During this time the child is sensitive to the words around him & absorbs them. He takes in sounds, words to acquire language which is a pre requisite for the child to form into a man. The Montessori environment provides a rich vocabulary & right pronunciation to the child which helps him in refining his language. This makes him a good speaker, writer, reader & confident which develops his self-esteem. The Environment â€Å"Especially at the beginning of life must we, therefore, make the environment as interesting & attractive as we can† (The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 9, Page 103) Environment refers to the surroundings in which the child is growing. The environment needs to be very rich & it should provide all the things required for the child to develop since he has an absorbent mind & the sensitive periods. The Montessori environment includes the children, the teacher & the materials and offers the important elements for the optimal development of the child. Here is a brief discussion on these –  ·Beauty, order, reality & simplicity –The environment follows the concept of reality. The materials are real since the child has to ultimately face them in the real world later. Children are given freedom to work & speak with other children. This helps them to socialize. They are taught to respect the other children (should not disturb the other children), respect the material (should not destroy the material) and respect the the environment (should not hurt others and treat children/teachers with grace & courtesy).  ·The mixed age group children in a Montessori school encourage the social development & moral values of the children. The little ones learn from the older ones & the older ones learn by teaching the younger. I would like to state an example here from the observation I did for the child development. A younger child aged 2 1/2 years fell down from the swing in the play area. An older boy almost 4 years old quickly came to pick him up & consoled him not to cry. The mixed age group also removes competition. The Teacher The teacher is a growing person, always ready to learn new things & increase her self-knowledge. She should be mentally active & physically passive which means that she should have the capacity to observe that the child is in which state of development. The objects, not the teaching given by the mistress, form the principal agent, and it is the child who uses them, who is the active being, not the teacher† (The Discovery of the Child, Chapter 11, Page 179) Maria Montessori believed that the teacher’s duty is to let the child choose an activity himself by using the materials according to his own needs and interest. In this way, the materials become his object of development. She should not force the child to do a particular activity rather just act as a source of guidance & provide him the freedom to perform. Further to the above, a teacher must possess the following attributes in her – Respect for the child, should be able to channelize the potentials of the child in the right direction, clear all the obstacles in his development, social qualities such as friendly, understanding and tolerant. An addition, are the Laws of Development that are used by the child for revealing himself. These are described briefly as below – Law of work – Children start gaining all the qualities of patience, discipline & attention through the work with the materials. It is the magic of the work through the materials that enables them to use their energies in constructive development. Children keep on repeating the task till they achieve perfection. For e. g we can observe at home that if we give a small child a task of dusting a table, he will keep on doing it till he masters himself in cleaning the smallest particle of dust. Hence it is the work through the repetition & practice that he gains perfection. Law of independence – To be independent, a child should be allowed to work himself if he is able to, without the immediate help of others. The more he works himself, the more independent & self-confident he becomes. The independence can be given in the ways of – giving the opportunity to work with the materials (activities such as tie laces, button/unbutton, zip/unzip ), should be allowed to do things on his own for his personal care & hygiene like dressing, bathing, brushing hair & teeth and should be allowed to take decisions for himself for instance, for a club activity, we should let the child choose an activity as per his own interest rather than force him to choose something just for our own content. This will suppress the interest & affect the decision making ability of the child in the long run. Development of intelligence – Intelligence means application of knowledge. It is an ability to differentiate & make judgment. The sensorial materials are such that they help the child to focus on one quality. For e. g. the cubes in the pink tower are all of the same colors & concentrate only on the size. The focus of the child’s mind on one attribute leads him to make a comparison of the objects, thus helping him in developing his comparison & judgmental skills. Development of imagination & creativity –Imagination & creativity are inborn powers in the child that develop as he interacts with the environment. Imagination is based on something that we have experienced in the past. The cultural activities in a Montessori environment such as construction, technology, science, math, language, art & craft, music & imaginative play help to foster imaginative skills thus helping him in his future development. Development of emotional & spiritual life – A child needs a warm & loving environment to meet his emotional & spiritual needs. Through the daily life practical exercises in the Montessori environment, they are taught to be courteous & considerate. They learn how to share since there is only one single material for each activity & also develop patience since they need to wait for their turn once a child already working with the material finishes his activity. It was also observed that while working with the materials they undergo a stage where their physical & mental developments are both harmonized known as normalization. The prepared Montessori environment facilitates the process of normalization by offering materials. The normalised children have love of order, love of work, concentration, attachment to reality & nature, love of silence, obedience and self-discipline Dr. Maria Montessori was also able to identify the important tendencies (behavioral patterns) that compel the human beings to construct & refine themselves. These patterns are the ones that children isplay naturally and should be considered when preparing the environment – Exploration, order, communication, work, concentration, repetition, perfection, self-control, creativity & independence Children raised in environments prepared according to the basic human tendencies as above, tend to be secure, healthy, and happy children. The Parent â€Å"Parents have a very important mission. They are the only ones who can save their children by uniting & working together for the improvement of society† (The Secret of Childhood, Chapter 30, Page 215) Parenting is the most pleasurable & the most challenging job. Parents must protect their child & have a deep concern for him. They should take care of the below errors –  ·Showering with material goods – Should not equip their child with mobiles, videogames etc. as a substitute for the time & attention desired by him.  ·Unnecessary dependence on caretakers – Should not rely on caretakers since they themselves are too busy to devote time to their child.  ·Unrealistic praise – Should not offer unrealistic praise to their children in the form of compliments. When children fail to receive such compliments from the rest of the world, they become confused & lose their self-esteem. Paying more attention to negative behavior – Parents should not overlook their children’s good behavior & punish them for their bad behavior. Things such as not doing homework, poor marks, mess at home direct more attention of the parents. Thus children get more attention for being bad & hence try to keep on doing bad activities to get attention. This work will be an interest to parents, teachers & policy makers that attention to young children’s physical, emotional, social, moral development is very much important. A child is a mystery. He has the highest potentialities but we cannot make out that who he will be in future unless we help him in releasing these. He has his own natural powers to develop. His unknown energy within him can be utilized for the betterment of the mankind. Giving him the freedom and support to question, the child will become confident & enthusiastic. A method of schooling that will focus on personal development will produce more mature, creative and socially adept children. The verbal teaching as in today’s schools being substituted by Sensorial materials, which contain a control of error will permit the child o teach himself by his own effort. The actively & orderly prepared environment, sensorial materials and special ways of viewing & teaching the child in the Montessori education will help him to function independently. Children of different ages sharing the same classes will cooperate and help each other and learn how to live in a community and how to re-solve conflicts peacefully. Children will learn non-violence and conflict resolution. They will learn need to respect themselves, respect parents and respect other human beings . They will get a sense of their own ability to learn new things, master new skills & solve problems. This new way of education will provide a caring environment to the child’s learning & growing, focusing on his energy & understanding him, thereby enhancing his overall development. It will respect & honor the children. Through this nourishment of the new of education, he will become an adult with a commitment & strength to transform the society. This will help in providing peace & prosperity to the nation. This is a task of developing the inner potentials of a child in which everyone regardless of caste, creed & race must participate & share since it means bringing out a crucial element – the child, for the normal progress of mankind.

Assessment for Learning †the Case for Formative Assessment Essay

This paper provides findings on assessment for learning, It begins with analysis of the formative approach in exemplary practice carried out in secondary schools in eight education systems. The second half of the paper comprises key analyses on formative assessment in adult language, literacy, and numeracy provision, and a framework for strengthening policy and practice across the sector as well as for building the evidence base. Assessment is vital to the education process. In schools, the most visible assessments are summative. Summative assessments are used to measure what students have learnt at the end of a unit, to promote students, to ensure they have met required standards on the way to earning certification for school completion or to enter certain occupations, or as a method for selecting students for entry into further education. Ministries or departments of education may use summative assessments and evaluations as a way to hold publicly funded schools accountable for providing quality education. Increasingly, international summative assessments – such as OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – have been important for comparing national education systems to developments in other countries. But assessment may also serve a formative function. In classrooms, formative assessment refers to frequent, interactive assessments of student progress and understanding to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately. Teachers using formative assessment approaches and techniques are better prepared to meet diverse students’ needs – through differentiation and adaptation of teaching to raise levels of student achievement and to achieve a greater equity of student outcomes. But there are major barriers to wider practice, including perceived tensions between classroom-based formative assessments, and high visibility summative tests to hold schools accountable for student achievement, and a lack of connection between systemic, school and classroom approaches to assessment and evaluation. The principles of formative assessment may be applied at the school and policy levels, to identify areas for improvement and to promote effective and constructive cultures of evaluation throughout education systems. More consistent use of formative assessment throughout education systems may help stakeholders address the very barriers to its wider practice in classrooms. This overview shows how formative assessment promotes the goals of lifelong learning, including higher levels of student achievement, greater equity of student outcomes, and improved learning to learn skills. The chapter then discusses barriers to wider practice of formative assessment and ways in which those barriers can be addressed, and outlines the study scope and methodology. Meeting goals for lifelong learning Each of the national and regional governments participating in this study promotes formative.

Leadership Case Study Essay

Case Problem A: Frank Won’t Accept â€Å"We can’t† for an answer Key issues/summary: Frank is a business development manager in a firm charged with the mandate of providing the government with business improvement solutions. The company is currently faced with the challenge of acquiring more contracts from the government considering the expiry of the existing contracts. Frank refuses to accept the loss of contract and the inability of the company to acquire more contacts. Problem statement: The system of leadership style that Franks uses is ineffective in realizing the objectives of the company and he needs to develop a better strategy for the profitability of the firm. Root cause: Frank believes that the laxity of the project managers is the main contributor to loss of contacts in the company. Solutions: It is important for Frank to recognize the problem that the organization faces and develop an all inclusive approach on the best possible strategies that could help the company gain in terms of contracts and profit levels. Advantages: If Frank incorporates other managers in the decision making process, it is possible to realize effective solution to company problems Disadvantage: Failure to recognize the professional input of other managers may lead to the collapse of the company. Questions 1. What Based on limited evidence how would characterize Franks leadership style? Frank is autocratic in his style of leadership since he expects results by stating the course or action that his subordinated must embrace. 2. What leadership behavior and attitudes is Frank displaying? Frank is inconsiderate and controlling in terms of behavior and attitude. He expects his employees to generate results despite the difficulties that the company is experiencing. 3. How else can Frank  approach his project managers about developing a new business? Frank can introduce an all-inclusive approach that emphasizes on brainstorming on the best possible alternatives of acquiring contracts from other entities other than the government. Case Problem B: Time to Rebound at Willow Pond Key issues/Summary: Heather Osaka has been offered the position of director at Willow Pond; a medium-size assisted living home. The home experiences challenges related to effective management and the well-being of its clients. Problem statement: Heather Osaka needs to find techniques of leadership that will enable her solve the problems at Willow Pond. Root causes: Poor leadership and limited concern on employee wellbeing contributed to negligence and the provision of poser services at Willow Pond. Solutions: There is need for Heather to realize the relationship between her personal attributes and the best leadership style that can be used based on her previous experiences while working at two hospitals. These will help in determining the existing needs and the available facilities to provide lasting solutions. Answers to questions on Case Study B 1. This case is included in the chapter about charismatic and transformational leadership because the type of leader needed to revive Willow Pond should demonstrate to his subordinated his ability and belief in making positive changes despite the complications that may have characterized the an organization. 2. The transformational leadership techniques that Heather can apply while reforming Willow Pond include the introduction of motivational approaches for enhance the efficacy of employees. In addition, Heather can employee the use of better communication strategies and the involvement of the management in the decision making process. 3. Charismatic aspects of Heather’s personality may be instrumental in making changes within the organization considering that this approach to leadership generate the belief that a leader has the capacity to make meaningful changes. In addition, it is a way of convincing the management and the employees of her potential. 4. The job at Willow Pond is a wonderful career for Heather since it will enable her demonstrate her level of expertise from experience in ensuring the development of the organization. It will also be an opportunity of advancing her career  portfolio.