Friday, December 27, 2019

Welcome to the Monkey House, Harrison Bergeron, and...

Kurt Vonnegut was a man of disjointed ideas, as is expressed through the eccentric protagonists that dominate his works. Part cynic and part genius, Kurt Vonnegut’s brilliance as a satirist derives from the deranged nature of the atrocities he had witnessed in his life. The reason Vonnegut’s satire is so popular and works so well is because Vonnegut had personal ties to all the elements that he lambasted in his works. Vonnegut’s experience as a soldier in WWII during firebombing of Dresden corrupted his mind and enabled him to express the chaotic reality of war, violence, obsession, sex and government in a raw and personal manner. Through three works specifically, â€Å"Welcome to the Monkey House,† â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† and Slaughterhouse-five,†¦show more content†¦Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.† (Harrison Bergeron, 1.) The idea behind this opening paragraph is to show how ridiculous government powers have become, as well as warn people that governments are increasingly taking over the freedom and personal attributes of the individual. The same argument and ridicule can be found expressed in the short story â€Å"Welcome to the Monkey House.† Vonnegut introduces the absurd control the government has over the individual in the fictitious society by stating â€Å"So the world government was making a two-pronged attack on overpopulation. One pronging was the encouragement of ethical suicide, which consisted of going to the nearest Suicide Parlor and asking the Hostess to kill you painlessly while you lay on a Barcalounger. The other pronging was compulsory ethical birth control.† (Welcome to the Monkey House, 30.) As a satirist, Vonnegut goes where others don’t dare; he satirizes the future in a cauti onary manner to express concern for the possibility of future government power. Sex is another element Vonnegut satirizes. Perhaps not to caution, but to reveal the twisted ways in which our current society treats sex. No doubt seen in every form of media and in every war, this theme can be found in Slaughterhouse-five andShow MoreRelated`` Harrison Bergeron `` By Kurt Vonnegut1875 Words   |  8 Pagesequal in every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else† (Vonnegut 864). In the futuristic short story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. illustrates a government implemented law of equality forced upon a society. Vonnegut a social commentator utilizes satirical events in the story to illustrate irrational thoughts and ideas from society. Satire is a special form of literature that

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Criminal Court A Look At Prosecutorial Waivers - 846 Words

Transfer of Juveniles to Criminal Court: A Look at Prosecutorial Waivers The purpose of this review is to provide an informative summary of the already existing literature that examines prosecutorial waivers within the juvenile justice system and the controversy surrounding its exclusive use by prosecutors. A brief history of how the waiver came about and an overview of the waiver process in its various forms are provided. As well as a study conducted in Michigan pertaining to the use of prosecutorial waiver statutes. The aim of this paper is to review the facts surrounding prosecutorial waivers and examine past and present reform methods for juvenile offenders. In addition, an examination of the intended goals of waiving juveniles to adult criminal court is important to note because these goals should be in agreeance with the founding notions of the juvenile justice system. The necessity for development of a separate court system designed for punishing juvenile offenders came about with the idea that juveniles are â€Å"less culpable† than adult o ffenders, and therefore more adaptable to rehabilitation from their delinquent misbehavior. Building on this idea, juvenile court was established to offer intervention, rehabilitation, and protective supervision for young offenders, unlike the general idea of criminal courts aimed at punishing, incapacitating, and generating retribution. (Bishop Frazier, 1991) However, from the beginning, provisions were made to exclude someShow MoreRelatedTrying Juveniles as Adults Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pagesit is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions when necessary such as incarceration. According to Griffin (2008) in some cases juveniles may be required to be â€Å"transferred† to adult court. In this paper I am going to discuss the three primary mechanisms of waiver to adult court: judicial waiver laws, statutory exclusion laws, and prosecutorial discretion or concurrent jurisdiction laws. Furthermore, I willRead MorePlea Bargaining And Prosecutorial Discretion1112 Words   |  5 PagesPlea bargaining and prosecutorial discretion are two crucial components in criminal procedure. The prosecution has leverage over which charges they wish to pursue against a defendant, while the defendant has the choice of adjudication of guilt. Being that time is a critical factor, each party has to weigh the pros and cons before making any decisions. The prosecution aims to enforce the harsher punishment where more time is served, whereas the defendant intends on serving the least time possibleRead MoreThe Decision For Transfer A Youth3437 Words   |  14 Pages The decision to transfer a youth to criminal court is a very sensitive subject to every individual who care about the young ones in society, because it pertains to our youths who are considered to be â€Å"the future.† Many will ask under what circumstances transfer should be allowed. Some believe that the bes t course of action regarding juvenile offenders is not transferring them to criminal court but rehabilitation – these individuals view punishment as a failed strategy for changing behavior, teachingRead MoreThe Decision For Transfer A Youth3815 Words   |  16 Pages The Decision to Transfer a Youth to Criminal Court Barrington Buchanan University of Central Florida The issue of juvenile transfer to criminal court is a very sensitive subject to every individual who care about the young ones in society, because it pertains to our youths who are considered to be â€Å"the future.† Many will ask if it is right for us to allow juveniles to be transferred to adult criminal court, and if so under what circumstances. Some believe that the bestRead MoreThe Issue Of Adult Criminal Justice System Essay2069 Words   |  9 Pagesrt There is no doubt that a juvenile offender who commits a crime should be held accountable for their actions. What the question is should that juvenile face the same crime as if committed by an adult? Should the court consider them equal? Are they just children that are nor fully mature to understand the consequences of their actions or are they young adults that do know right from wrong? The answers to these questions are all over the board with some saying no they shouldn’t be treated like anRead MoreJuvenile Crime Issues in Today’s Criminal Justice System18893 Words   |  76 Pagesconstitutional, statutory, and humanitarian rights that may be threatened by technological advances and other developments:  ©  ©  ©  © chapter 15 Juvenile Justice chapter 16 Drugs and Crime chapter 17 Terrorism and Multinational Criminal Justice chapter 18 The Future of Criminal Justice These individual rights must be effectively balanced against these present and emerging community concerns: Widespread drug abuse among youth The threat of juvenile crime Urban gang violence High-technology, computerRead MoreNational Security Outline Essay40741 Words   |  163 PagesControl in the Nuclear Age 36 Chapter 14: Measures to Reduce Tensions and Prevent War 41 CHAPTER 16: The Law of the Sea 43 CHAPTER 17: The Constitutional Framework for the Division of Nat’l Security Powers Between Congress, the President and the Court 48 The 1973 War Powers Resolution 49 II. The War Powers Resolution: A Debate between JNM and Frederick Tipson 50 CHAPTER 18: The National Security Process 60 CHAPTER 19: intelligence and Counterintelligence 63 CHAPTER 20: Access to InformationRead MoreBurning Down the House: Mortgage Fraud and the Destruction of Residential Neighborhoods11800 Words   |  48 Pagesfrequently, neophyte property investors. 20 In the federal courts, mortgage schemes are charged as bank fraud, 21 mail fraud, 22 and wire fraud 23 and, depending on the specific structure of the scheme, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 24 money laundering, 25 aggravated identity theft, 26 bankruptcy fraud, 27 and/or false statements. 28 A handful of states have statutes that address mortgage fraud as a specific crime, 29 but in most state courts it is charged, if at all, as theft or grand larceny. Although

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Communication Process and Limited Budget †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Communication Process and Limited Budget. Answer: Introduction: Joe is being faced with a challenge since as time goes, his span of control also seems to be increasing. However, Joe should refer to the five functions of management, and he will manage to achieve the goal of accomplishing more with a limited budget. These functions are as follows; Planning, planning involves defining the goal and establishing the most effective course of action that is to be taken to achieve the goal. For this to take place, the Joe must be flexible to be able to coordinate all the departments. Also planning will involve having knowledge of all the institution's resources. Organizing, organizing will involve putting in place a structure that incorporates the all the departments that Joe controls. This will be made possible through an organization structure that shares a common value for all the departments. This will help Joe to communicate his goal and influence the staff to work together. Staffing" this function is very crucial to take note as the recent layoff has reduced the number of workforces. The function involves controlling all the management needs for the departments through assigning the right people the right tasks. This function will also involve training and development of employees. Coordinating, coordinating is that function of a manager to ensure that all the functions of management are working by aims of the institution. Joe can better exercise this function in meetings and in planning where he communicates the agendas of the institution. Moreover, coordination takes place through supervision and giving direction Controlling, controlling ensures that there are performance standards that have been established for the institution and trickles down to the departments. Joe needs to ensure control by measuring the activities of the departments agonist the key performance indicators as well as appraisal the staff under his span of control. Once Joe manages through incorporating the five functions all the departments will work together for a common goal of the institution and manage to accomplish more. The ideas above can be applied to our organization through taking the staff through training. The five functions of management is not a new concept. However, it requires that the staff revisit the area so that they can get much better understanding and as well get to learn the new ideas that have been introduced based on these functions of management. The main issue with Jennifer is that she is poor at communicating and getting along. To reach out and address the issue there is a need as the CEO to follow the five steps of communication. The first step will be to create the message that I aim to convey to Jennifer. This step will also require that I use the most appropriate medium possible, which will allow the message to be clear and concise to avoid ambiguity and manage to influence a positive reaction on Jennifer. The next step is the transmission of the created message. This step has various ways in which I can transmit the message to Jennifer. I can call her to my office and tell her the message, write an E-mail and send it to her or deliberate the issue with the Chief Accounting Officer who will then talk to Jennifer since she reports directly to him/her. The reception this step will solely rely on the recipient of the message whom in this case is Jennifer. The transmitted message through the chosen medium, either orally or written will depend on how Jennifer will receive it. However, as the CEO I will make sure that I cover all the areas adequately. The fourth step is the translation, which also falls on the recipient's side. Jennifer will translate the message conveyed and depended on how clear the information has been laid down; she will be able to make her judgment depending on how she understands the message. The translation will involve turning the possibly complex content in the message to important and manageable components. The final step is the response step; this step can also be referred to as feedback. Jennifer will conclude the communication process by taking this step. The response may occur in various ways, including, a change in behavior, oral communication to the CFO or Me the (CEO), or a written message through a letter or E-mail (Smallbusiness.chron.com, 2017). The issues with Jennifer require that she work on her personality. Besides her great talent in accounting, she also needs to improve her personality. The following areas should help to improve her personality if properly addressed: She should strive to remain happy and enlightened this will involve seeing the world in a joyful way. This will help attract her peers Jennifer should stay calm in tense situations; the calmness will instill confidence on the team that she is leading as well as portray a good personality. Through this, she should be able to control the team. Keeping an open mind is also another thing that Jennifer should consider. This will involve being flexible and being able to accommodate other peoples views without judging them. This will allow her to make many new friends and live a much more interesting life. Jennifer should consider being modest, although she has a great talent in accounting, managing to balance it in a way that her peers do view it as ego are very important area to address. Addressing this area will not only make her more attractive but also e able to mentor her team to reach the same level. All the addressed areas above are intrinsic meaning they depend on the individuals effort in trying to improve them. However, as the CEO, I can hear by appreciating her efforts and showing her that she is a valuable member of our organizational team to improve her self-confidence. Moreover, I can convince the rest of the team to support her and approach her. From this point I will occasionally ask her who she how many people, she has managed to make friends with within the organization, as well as how many pressing situations she has managed to handle calmly. Pascal is aiming to merge two departments in the insurance company. This process is not as simple as it sounds as it causes chaos. To better merge these departments and form a strong and unified team he should do the following: The first step for Pascal should to first assess where the two departments are currently positioned regarding the circumstances to be developed as a result of the merger. Pascal should carefully plan the merger and manage the integration to tap the opportunity to strengthen the abilities of the combined departments. The next step will involve the two departments on the changes that are about to take place so that they can be prepared. Moreover, this step will involve consulting with the two departments so that time can be set for the merger. The third step is assessing the human impact since whenever departments are merged, a few employees must leave. Therefore, it is good to identify who is leaving and how to inform them. The final step is to establish a common ground and common values, which the merged department will be sharing to enable them to focus on achieving the company goal. Once Pascal follows these steps in merging the departments, he will manage to reduce conflicts and ensure the merge takes place smoothly (Jane, 2017). References Smallbusiness.chron.com. (2017).5 Steps to the Communication Process in the Workplace. [online] Available at: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-steps-communication-process-workplace-16735.html [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017]. Jane, K. (2017).EMCVoice: 3 Ways To Successfully Combine IT Departments In A Merger. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emc/2014/07/14/3-ways-to-successfully-combine-it-departments-in-a-merger/#7a2bee7c4e41 [Accessed 28 Apr. 2017].

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Napster Wars Essays - Metallica, Intellectual Property Law, Napster

Napster Wars Fifth Amendment ?A young Shaun Fanning, attending school in high school in Harwich, Massachusetts had two loves: 1) Sports ( baseball, basketball, and tennis ) and 2) computers. As his curiosity grew for computers, he decided to stop his sport playing, and spend most of his time working with computers. He primarily focused on two aspects of the computer, programming and the Internet. His computer fascination grew into an obsession throughout high school. His freshman year at Northeast University in 1998 was spent trying to enter computer science classes higher than the entry level. Not finding anything challenging about the courses, he decided to start writing a Windows based program in his spare time. He started spending time in IRC chat rooms with experienced programmers who knew the tricks of the trade. Shaun's roommate loved MP3's, but disliked the unreliability of old sites, and having to search endlessly for songs that were usually not even available. With this in mind, and his developing skills as a programmer and his curiosity for the internet, Shaun decided to write the Beta for Napster. He used the idea of all users being connected to one central computer server, yet all having access to each other's music files. He wanted a continually updated list of songs to choose from. He wrote a small version and distributed it to friends and family. The results were all positive. He had fellow programmers detect bugs, and perfect the program. Napster got its' big break, when it was featured as Download.com's featured download. The system would be revolutionary, he thought. A sharp contrast to the traditional search engines, this community would be user powered, based only on what t he users want to share with other users. After the advertisement on Download.com, Napsters' user count sky-rocketed. Shaun was on the right path. How creative! This creativeness would soon turn to turmoil (Fanning p.1).? ?On May 8, 2000, the Recording Industry Association of America sued Napster and its' founders for music piracy(Borland p.1).? It is really a battle of individual rights and ingenuity, as opposed to copyrights. It has quickly moved its' way up to the US Supreme Court and has the media as well as the public hungry for the latest reports. Napster can be downloaded and installed for free on your computer. When setup, Napster serves as an online music community, where you can conduct a search through all of the other users songs that are currently online. ?There are consistently 800,000 people using the Napster service, limited only by their resources?(Fanning). This should give you an idea of the large music variety you have to choose from. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has decided to take it upon themselves to sue Napster and its founder's for promoting the illegal reproduction of copyrighted music, and not giving any royalties to the owners of the songs. ?Napster argues that it is not directly responsible for the distribution of songs, because it doesn't provide the songs for the users to download (Borland p1)?. The users download songs off of each others computers, thus they cannot control copyright matters. They also argued they should have the same leeway as Internet Service Providers (ISP) do, when it comes to copyright issues. ISP's are not held liable for copyright infringements if they do something about it. If they do not do anything about it, then they can be held liable. I have chosen to view this issue in perspective of the Fifth Amendment. In order to better understand what is going to be talked about, I will explain exactly what the Fifth Amendment entitles American citizens to. ?A concern struck people in early America of a strong central government. Too strong. To ease concerns like this, a Bill of Rights was proposed, which gave individuals certain rights, which was understood by the government not to infringe upon. Basically it gave humans some rights that the government could not touch. The Fifth Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights and it holds that individuals cannot be required to give the government information which may be used against them in criminal cases. Subsequent case law has applied the Fifth Amendment in civil cases, too, when there

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Social Science Theory and How it relates to Social Phenomena

Social Science Theory and How it relates to Social Phenomena The social sciences have adopted the scientific principles of natural or physical sciences such as mathematics for a long time. Social science perspectives rely on the scientific methods of natural sciences such as sampling, observation and other means in data analysis, data interpretation and chiefly, data collection.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Science Theory and How it relates to Social Phenomena specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Social scientists use a social scientific perspective and social theories to hypothesize about the world around them and how it has an impact on society at large (Jones, 2003). It is therefore in the light of this that the topic of gender and mass media must be examined in detail to determine that it is of social importance to individuals, communities and society. The question therefore is how does the mass media influence gender perceptions? How has the mass media influenced ge nder perceptions? The question above has been a sociological issue for a long time. TV, newspapers and mostly the internet have various depictions of different genders and their social roles (gender stereotyping). The mass media also portray the female gender as sexual objects or as the weaker sex in general because it has become widely believed that it is so. From music videos to epic movies, women have been portrayed as the helpless weaklings who can only serve the purpose of catering to the whims of their male counterparts to the dancers who dance half-naked and in erotic manners as the men look on in bewildered amusement. For example, the Video Phone music video by Lady Gaga and Beyonce’ This is fast changing in this dynamic world where feminism, rights for women and emancipation of women is a common aspect of most of the modern world ( that is the First World Countries and the some developing countries).’ According to a research paper by McConnell (2008), the medi a also has a significant role in stereotyping along the lines of gender. She postulates that the media is a tool for perpetuating gender stereotypes that mostly target females. These ideas become so prevalent that they go without question and even force some people to adopt these characteristics that they believe are the required norm.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Movie characters, celebrities and sports personality have become the models of what the physical appearance of most women should be. It has even been extended to what they wear and how they wear it. Their works out regimes and diets have been splashed all over tabloids and reality shows as the â€Å"holy book† in weight loss programs or â€Å"having the perfect body. This can have such a negative impact on the feeble and malleable minds of most teens such that they begin to doubt themselves and ess entially starve themselves so that they can look like Angelina Jolie. This may have the disastrous effects of eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia and in the worst-case scenario, death. Men are not spared either. The ideal man should have the ideal body that is tan, tall, muscular or athletic and possess the ‘non-balding gene’. If a man does not achieve these requirements then he feels he may be doomed to loneliness as no one finds him attractive. The statistics of men having eating disorders and going for plastic surgery sessions is on the rise (McConnell, 2008). Our society is losing a sense of social perspective in this narrow view of physical measures of attractiveness. â€Å"By focusing too intensely on the physical, our society risks losing sight of the fuller sense of what people are, and what makes us truly beautiful† (McConnell, 2008). Social scientific methods in social sciences entail testing and proving hypothesis. â€Å"The basic technique of this method is called scientific observation, which is a precise systematic collection of data under controlled conditions by trained observers† (Perry Perry, 2003, p. 4) This question of media and gender can be analyzed scientifically through 3 research method problems: What data can be used to quantify the influence of media on gender especially in the portrayal of ideal types of physical attractiveness? The methods that can be adopted to provide data include sampling and experimentation on a group of impressionable youth. However, when it comes to distinguishing the applicable data, social scientists can opt to look at medical reports and statistics on the cases of eating disorders, plastic surgery and fitness regimes and work out plans as well as the dieting programs that are popular. The scientific analysis entails defining the problem as physical attractiveness in the media.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Science Theory and How it re lates to Social Phenomena specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Next, the hypothesis that these two are correlated is tested to be proven true by analyzing the collected data available on the topic. This is followed by drawing conclusions and recommendations based on the data through logical deductions of the the future holds for people with eating disorders and how media can change or elevate the numbers, and finally performing experimental tests on the medical data to affirm findings, predictions and conclusion (Moulton Schiferres, 1960). What is the reason for mass media perpetuating gender stereotypes and sexually objectifying women? The media usually perpetuates these views because when it comes down to it, â€Å"what the audience wants, the audience gets.† The media operates on what the audience wants to see because it generates rating which translate into money in advertising. The social scientific analysis involves defining how th e media thinks and its role of perpetuating stereotypes to achieve ratings. It can therefore be hypothesized that gender stereotypes are only prevalent because we indirectly allow it to permeate societal views by boosting ratings of stereotypical shows. The conclusion and recommendations based on the findings by logical reasoning can be made as to whether this will end if society stops glorifying these stereotypes as well. Lastly, an external researcher should retest the hypothesis through a series of experiments to determine the likelihood of this scenario (Scientific Method, n.d.). Why are men not targeted as much in the media or why are the perspectives towards them mostly positive? We mostly live in a patriarchal society. Most of the mass media do not sexually parade men on screens or magazines as objects. So why is media so imbalanced when it comes to the views of males? The researcher will identify the topic of media and gender bias. The next step is to formulate a hypothesis of the role of generational cultural beliefs on influencing perceptions of gender, which is verified through data analysis and collection. The researcher will use this hypothesis to make conclusions and recommendations about the how this could change in the future with the rise of feminism and lastly, the social scientific analysis will involve retesting of these hypothesis and predictions to ascertain that these facts are empirically true and are applicable to society (Zeiger, n.d.). Comparison of the research methods to those in the natural sciences In the natural sciences, the scientific method involves these four steps: Observing and describing the phenomenon or group of phenomena that encompass the subject matter. Formulating a hypothesis to explain the phenomena identified in step one. For example† in physics, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation† (Wolfs, n.d.). Using the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena that relate to the subject, or to predict the results of new observations from a quantitative aspect. (McComas, 1998). Performing tests and retests of the phenomena observed through experiments. This is usually done by several independent experimenters and involves setting up proper experiments in a controlled environment (Wolfs, n.d.). According to Barrow (1991), the main aim of scientific analysis is the predictive power of the subsequent theory, which is the â€Å"ability to get more out of the theory than you put in.†Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the natural sciences, the aim is to provide empirical evidence of phenomena based on these methods also adopted in social scientific perspectives with the difference being in the subject of study (Godfrey-Smith, 2003). In the formulated questions above, the research methods include the scientific methods generally applied to the natural sciences. The four steps of identification of topic, hypothesis formulation and subsequent studies in form of sampling, conclusions and recommendations and finally availing research for testing is all an aspect of social scientific analysis. A social science method does not fully rely on the natural science method as it incorporates data that may not have been found to be empirically true such as interviews on the perspectives of sexual objectifying of women. The idea that rationality can be used in verification of the topic also shows that natural science scientific methods tend to rely on consensus on how to solve grey matters in the research su bject (Meyer, 1999). Reference List Barrow, J. D. (1991). Theories of Everything. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. Godfrey-Smith, P. (2003), Theory and Reality: An introduction to the philosophy of science, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Jones, P. (2003). Introducing Social Theory. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Blackwell. McComas, W. (Ed.). (1998). The Principal Elements of the Nature of Science:  Dispelling the Myths, The Nature of Science in Science Education (pp. 53–70). Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. McConell, M. (2008). Media and Gender Stereotyping. Retrieved from https://serendipstudio.org/local/scisoc/sports03/papers/mmcconnell.html Meyer, P. (1999). An Essay in Philosophy of Social Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.hermetic.ch/compsci/pss1.htm Moulton F.R. Schiferres J.J. (1960). (Eds.). The Autobiography of Science (2nd ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Perry, J.A. Perry, E. (2008). Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science. Boston, MA : Allyn and Bacon. Scientific Method in Social Sciences. (n.d.). Web. Wolfs, F. (n.d.). Introduction to Scientific Method. Retrieved from http://teacher.pas.rochester.edu/PHY_LABS/AppendixE/AppendixE.html Zeiger, P. (n.d.). Scientific Method in Social Sciences. Retrieved from sdp.org/sdp/spirit/SocSci.htm

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Willy Russell’s Popular Play Educating Rita Essays

Willy Russell’s Popular Play Educating Rita Essays Willy Russell’s Popular Play Educating Rita Essay Willy Russell’s Popular Play Educating Rita Essay No, So-so Macbeth brings it on himself? Ritas short sentences show her growing intrigue, but also reinforce her ignorance due to her social upbringing. All the way through prior to Frank speaking, he seems to be extremely hesitant when hes about to speak to Rita. Almost as if he doesnt want to patronise her with the technical language he uses, I. e. Well-erm look; Towards the end of the scene, Rita realises her own ignorance towards these ertain aspects of language. Frank says, Its quite easy really, Rita. And Rita replies, It is for you. I just thought it was just a dead exciting story. But the way you tell it, you make me see all sorts of things in it. Its fun, tragedy isnt it? All them out there, they know all about this sort of thing dont they? . Rita thinking tragedy is fun is most certainly unintentionally ironic. In addition I think Rita is impressed with Franks knowledge, although Frank is more in admiration for Rita, as he rarely comes across people that equal her calibre of intelligence. What he doesnt realise is that whilst hes appy teaching Rita now, he is slowly changing Rita in to the person she dreams of being. Frank likes Rita as she is, and admires her because shes different, So if Frank had the benefit of hindsight, perhaps he wouldnt of put so much effort into teaching Rita. Shortly after the above scene, Rita and Frank are again alone and in one of their lessons. Rita is daydreaming, she likes the idea of being a proper student. She looks down onto the lawn below Franks office as she says, I love that lawn down there. In the summer do they sit on it? Here we can see Rita is becoming very envious of the students. She admires their lifestyle and her need to become one of them is slowly becoming clearer. Frank however sees the students as nothing but mislead inhabitants of a rich snobbish culture, and he barely shows any respect for them. But as the scene unfolds, Rita starts to describe her school life to Frank, and we can he that he starts to realise that not many people have access to an education, for many different reasons. Nah, just normal, y know; borin, ripped up books, broken glass everywhere. Knives an fights. An that was just the staff room. Nah, they tried their best I suppose, always telling us we stood a better chance if we studied. But studying was for the wimps, wasnt it? See if Id started takin school seriously Id a been different from my mates, and thats not allowed. Here the audience get a vivid picture of what Ritas school life was actually like. The peer pressure was obviously immense, and so now is the only time in Ritas life, she has had the chance to admit her true feelings and ambitions. She is again using humour as a vehicle for serious issues, always trying to make light of her dismal past. There was clearly no work ethos in Ritas school, and so now she desperately wants to regain that opportunity of having an education. In Ritas last speech of the scene, she reveals that despite her poor and uneducated background, she would always question life. She says that there was always something tappin away, telling me I might have got it all wrong. So in other words Rita would think philosophically about life. She was reluctant to be in the position and lifestyle she was in. Therefore we understand that she had the definite potential to become what she wanted, to find her play in life. Despite these rattling questions inside her head, she didnt believe she was capable of breaking out of her current situation. And so shed hide away her eeling by telling herself lifes great or by going out shopping to take her mind off things. It was these things that kept Rita going, they stopped her putting life into perspective. Towards the end of the play Frank seems to have had enough. With himself, with Ritas ever growing education, and with his routine life. His drinking habit has reached its climax, and Rita cant bear him any longer. Rita appreciates what hes done for her, although she doesnt like his constant self pitying and the way he seems to exploit his god given gift. At the beginning he liked Rita because she was fresh, now shes educated like ll his other students and he doesnt like that. Rita accuses Frank of taking for granted the things in which she has worked so hard for. Its little to you who squanders every opportunity and mocks and takes for granted. But of course for Frank every lesson was simply an escape, and now Rita has changed into the very person she destined to be. And Frank has been stripped of that luxury weekly lesson. What seems more interesting is that Frank has come away with nothing and Rita has come away with an education. The irony here is that Rita is the only one who really understands and has insight into Franks character. He is just unaware of how he squanders every opportunity and mocks and takes for granted. All the way through this scene Frank is drunk, and so we assume the insults which toll of his tongue are spontaneous and perhaps a little rash. I think hes just annoyed that she is such a changed character. He was so found of the fresh an innocent woman who first walked through his door. She stimulated him, made him look forward to the next lesson. His life was definitely much better when Rita was around, and he depended on her for company and perhaps arousal. At this point in the play Rita just doesnt understand why Frank is acting the ay he is. She doesnt know how he relied on her for certain things, those things which he couldnt find anywhere else. Another speech by Frank which is so cleverly written by Willy Russell and is most certainly for me a very moving part of the play. Comes after the accusation by Rita when Frank says. Found a culture have you, Rita? Found a better song to sing have you? No-youve found a different song, thats all-and on your lips its shrill and hollow and tuneless. Frank is absolutely right in what hes saying. The fact that Rita is now educated doesnt mean she has found a better song to sing at all. She has just most definitely found a different song. For some people, like Rita, who are brought up on a poor inner city estate. The life which Frank is living will most certainly be seen as better. But for people like Frank, well off intelligent people, who come from the same descriptive background, they may well, as Frank is, be in admiration for the lifestyle in which Rita came from. The final point in which I am going to talk about, brings us to the lesson after Rita has been to Franks party, but couldnt bring herself round to going inside. She walks into Franks office and we get the impression shes very fed up with erself. She feels as though shes the odd one out. Well you wouldnt take sweet sparkling wine, would y? She starts to make excuses and tells him that she brought the wrong wine. We can sense very clearly Ritas frustration. Additionally we know that Rita felt very uncomfortable around Franks other guests, the well educated guests wearing the correct attire. She clearly feels she cant fit in and we again see the contrast in social background. She says, But I dont want to be myself. Me? Whats me? Some stupid little woman who gives us all a laugh because she thinks she can learn, because she hinks that one day shell be like the rest of them, talking seriously, confidently, with knowledge, livin a civilized life. The above quote reveals many things about Rita, fairly early on in the play. Rita is feeling down after seeing the contrast in characters between her and Franks other guests. She perhaps feels as though shes fighting a lost cause in life. Frank tells her to be herself although this is the exact opposite person Rita wants to be. Shes becoming educated in order to change who she is. However this reinforces how Frank just wants Rita as she is, and cant understand the eed for her to change. This point of Frank being perhaps unaware of how Rita is changing, is brought up many times throughout the play. Which tells us that perhaps theres a hint of dramatic irony in that he just doesnt catch on. And towards the end Rita changes and leaves Frank behind. To dwell on where it all changed so suddenly without him realising. So we can finally appreciate the both sides of a very cleverly and wittily written play. Willy Russell tells almost two stories in unison, and the audience can digest both of them, with utter intrigue and admiration.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Hiring Police Academy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hiring Police Academy - Essay Example Here, it is the danger that creates a bond among all the officers alike because there are no barriers of race or class. At the Academy, they live as one great community by overcoming racial and caste differences while sharing rich experiences. The job of police personnel in the Academy is unique because it gives them an identity of great importance. Training at the Police Academy though strenuous, does give one the impression that it is a very well – disciplined organization that transforms its recruits into highly trained professionals. Trainees learn the different military commands and violations are strictly punished while efficiency is well rewarded. Trainees do not possess police powers nor are they allowed possession of a gun, but after their training they are allowed to do these things. Ethics (chap.5) by Crank and Caldero (2004) is one of the most important and popular subjects in the criminal justice system which goes to prove that ethical values have to be inculcated into police officers regime for more favorable and respectable outcomes. Screening recruits on the basis of knowledge and values has become a priority when choosing people before imparting training. Pre- hiring procedures include Knowledge testing, physical fitness and agility, background, psychological testing besides a polygraph and oral interview.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Gregory Hines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gregory Hines - Research Paper Example Born on 14th February, 1946 in a family of music and dance, Hinge had rhythms in his blood (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 7). Ora Hines, his grandmother worked at a performer at Cotton Club, (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 8) at Washington Heights, New York. It was to the north of â€Å"Manhattan’s Upper West Side†, and had Harlem at its South. Maurice Hines Sr., though worked in a grocery shop, and later on as a bouncer for â€Å"Audubon Theatre and Ballroom† in Harlem, later on formed a trio with George and his brother Maurice Jr. as â€Å"Hines, Hines and Dad† (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 14). They made their first family performance at the Apollo Theater, Harlem. Their dancing excellences were aired on highly popular shows- â€Å"Ed Sullivan Show† and â€Å"The Tonight Show†. Gradually with time, they travelled and performed all across the globe. They were also seen in the television show- â€Å"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson†. Gregory Hines got introduced to dance at his very childhood. He took his first dance lesson at an age of two and a half (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 8). His mother Alma Hines Kilfoyl recalls of him grasping tightly his elder brother by one hand and putting the other hand’s thumb in his mouth. But even at that tender age, Hines’s eagerness and determination to learn tap dance overjoyed his mother. Thus was the childhood of Gregory Hines, struggling to match steps with his elder brother Maurice’s and other boys in group classes at a local tap- dance school (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 9). Later on, in the able hands of Henry LeTang, himself a legend in tap, Hines and his elder brother Maurice Jr. transformed into dancers in the truest sense of the term. Alongside his brother who was either at that time, he professionally performed since the age of six. They were called the Hinge Kids. His journey to become an iconic tap dancer had begun since then. He made candid confessions in National Public Radio, 1989

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Aproaches to learning - Theories of learning styles and learning strategies Essay Example for Free

Aproaches to learning Theories of learning styles and learning strategies Essay Kolb (1984), in introducing the idea of the experiential learning cycle and of learning styles, defines learning as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of expertise. He suggests that ideas are not fixed but are formed and modified through current and past experiences. His learning cycle consists of four stages; completing each stage is important to improve learning in the next stage : Active Experimentation (The learner actively uses the theories formed and also tries them in new situations. The latter takes him back to the start of the cycle. ) Concrete Experience (The learner is encouraged to become involved in new experiences. ) Reflective Observation (The learner reflect on his experience from different perspective. Enough time and supportive feedback is helpful in this stage. ) Abstract Conceptualisation (The learner forms ideas and logical theories. ) Of course, not everyone acts in the same way, some prefer considering all possible alternatives whilst others like trying out as much as possible. Hence, Kolb associated four learning styles with his learning cycle: the Converger, who applies ideas in a practical way, the Accommodator, who carries out plans and tasks involving him in new experiences, the Diverger, who has good imagination and ideas, and finally the Assimilator, who creates theoretical models. Kolb also points out that learning styles are not fixed personality traits but relatively stable patterns of behaviour. Based on Kolbs model Honey and Mumford (1992) developed a similar model with new terms for Kolbs learning preferences (Honey and Mumford terms in brackets): Active Experimentation (Activist) Concrete Experience (Pragmatist) Reflective Observation (Reflector) Abstract Conceptualisation (Theorist) According to Honey and Mumford four learning styles can be distinguished: the Activist, the Pragmatist, the Reflector, and the Theorist: Activists strengths: Acting quickly; interested in actually doing things Putting ideas into action Activists weaknesses Lack of planning and attention to detail Unlikely to consider many alternatives Pragmatists strengths Integrating theory and practice. Testing things out to get correct solutions Pragmatists weaknesses Lack of imagination Impatient Not interested in concepts and theories Reflectors strengths: Collecting data from variety of sources Reflecting on experiences Reflectors weaknesses: Needs a lot of time before he is able to start Dislike precise instructions Theorists strengths Creating theoretical models Paying attention to detail and systematic analysis Theorists weaknesses Overcautious Relies on logic and usually does not trust feelings Needs a stated purpose. Honey and Mumford developed a Learning Styles Questionnaire to be used as a checklist to identify ones learning preference. Kolb states the combination of all four learning forms produces the highest level of learning by allowing more powerful and adaptive forms of learning to emerge. But still, there is the danger of labelling people as theorists or pragmatists although most people exhibit more than one strong preference. To overcome this problem other theorists, e. g. Schmeck (1988) and Entwistle (1998), use the expression learning strategy which also includes personal traits. According to them people can not be labelled because they usually react flexibly on learning, depending on the expected outcome: A student may read a book about the British history because he is actually interested in or because he needs to read it to pass an exam. Either way involves learning, but in the second case the student is unlikely to take notes about facts he is interested in but those the tutor may ask. Bibliography: Bendrey, M. et al (1996), Accounting and Finance in Business. London: Continuum. Cottrell, S. (2003) The Study Skills Handbook. New York: Palgrave Macmillian. Entwistle, N. (1998) Styles of Learning and Teaching. London: David Fulton Publishers. Brown, R. and Hawksley, B. (1996) Learning skills, studying styles and profiling. Dinton: Mark Allen Publishing. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1992) The manual of learning styles, Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (2000) The learning styles helpers guide. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd. Kolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Use of Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes, The House of the Seven G

The Use of Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The House of the Seven Gables In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The House of the Seven Gables, the present is haunted by events of the past; the past actually becomes a curse upon present individuals in this narrative, because it influences their lives. Through the symbols, the actual House of the Seven Gables and the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon, Nathaniel Hawthorne provides sufficient detail to prove his theme - past events, frequently influence the lives of present individuals. The transformed characters, in the end, abandon the symbols of ages long past and effectively abandon the curse of the past in their lives. The actual House of the Seven Gables symbolizes the weight of the past, firstly because the house is actually cursed by an ancient plebeian accused of witchcraft. From the very beginning, neighbors say Colonel Pyncheon builds the house "on an unquite grave" and it indeed has a "bad air" (14). The Colonel constructs his house upon the very spot of the small hut of Matthew Maule, the one accused of sorcery; actively contributing to the ruin of the wizard, the society in which the Colonel lives regards him as less than impeccable. Maule addresses Colonel Pyncheon as he dies on the scaffold to iterate the curse that would haunt his lineage for generations: "God. . . God will give him blood to drink!" (14). The house becomes a symbol of the curse, and the Colonel, by building where he did, seems to give Maule "the privilege to haunt . . . the chambers into which future bridegrooms were to lead their brides, and where future children of the Pyncheon blood were to be born" (14). The curse o f the past affects all members of the present Pyncheon household, and the Maules keep th... ...s to rest. The present Pyncheons and Maules quit the house and the portrait to take up residence in the country home of Judge Pyncheon, thus signifying an escape from the bondage of the past. The house, with its reminiscent decorations, architecture, memories, and dreams is put behind the present Pyncheons along with the portrait of the "evil genius" of the family that suggests secret wealth and his eternal presence (101). The good Pyncheons abandon the embodiment of the past that has curse their lives for so long; they leave the past for life in the present, and this abandonment proposes new life, prosperity, and future, things unthinkable under the influence of the embodied past which is the curse of the House of the Seven Gables and of the Portrait of Colonel Pyncheon. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of Seven Gables. New York: Penguin, 1961. The Use of Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The House of the Seven G The Use of Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The House of the Seven Gables In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The House of the Seven Gables, the present is haunted by events of the past; the past actually becomes a curse upon present individuals in this narrative, because it influences their lives. Through the symbols, the actual House of the Seven Gables and the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon, Nathaniel Hawthorne provides sufficient detail to prove his theme - past events, frequently influence the lives of present individuals. The transformed characters, in the end, abandon the symbols of ages long past and effectively abandon the curse of the past in their lives. The actual House of the Seven Gables symbolizes the weight of the past, firstly because the house is actually cursed by an ancient plebeian accused of witchcraft. From the very beginning, neighbors say Colonel Pyncheon builds the house "on an unquite grave" and it indeed has a "bad air" (14). The Colonel constructs his house upon the very spot of the small hut of Matthew Maule, the one accused of sorcery; actively contributing to the ruin of the wizard, the society in which the Colonel lives regards him as less than impeccable. Maule addresses Colonel Pyncheon as he dies on the scaffold to iterate the curse that would haunt his lineage for generations: "God. . . God will give him blood to drink!" (14). The house becomes a symbol of the curse, and the Colonel, by building where he did, seems to give Maule "the privilege to haunt . . . the chambers into which future bridegrooms were to lead their brides, and where future children of the Pyncheon blood were to be born" (14). The curse o f the past affects all members of the present Pyncheon household, and the Maules keep th... ...s to rest. The present Pyncheons and Maules quit the house and the portrait to take up residence in the country home of Judge Pyncheon, thus signifying an escape from the bondage of the past. The house, with its reminiscent decorations, architecture, memories, and dreams is put behind the present Pyncheons along with the portrait of the "evil genius" of the family that suggests secret wealth and his eternal presence (101). The good Pyncheons abandon the embodiment of the past that has curse their lives for so long; they leave the past for life in the present, and this abandonment proposes new life, prosperity, and future, things unthinkable under the influence of the embodied past which is the curse of the House of the Seven Gables and of the Portrait of Colonel Pyncheon. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of Seven Gables. New York: Penguin, 1961.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Counter-Terrorism Strategies Reveal the Limits of Human Rights as a Cosmopolitan Discourse in the Age of Global Terror

Since the start of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights were introduced as a system that exceeded any boundaries, such as religion, gender, ethnicity and nationality, in order to protect each individual. It was an attempt to universalize human standards of decency, morality and dignity, by way of constructing a global human community. It is through this that human rights were able to be changed and recognised as a standard for global order, regulated through international law. The act of terrorism is not a new concept, and has been responsible for many innocent lives over many years, however not until the attacks on the United States, known as 9/11, has terrorism become such a globalized issue. It was through the symbolic destruction of capitalism, coupled with the vast media outlets to create witnesses that allowed for Western society to face a new threat of vulnerability. The mass production of human rights violations aimed at such a seemingly powerful Western country induced a culture of fear, specifically regarding the weaknesses in national security. Terrorism, national security, and war became the dominant dialogue throughout international politics, and governments began to develop counter-terrorism legislation in order to enhance feelings of safety and security, but also to seek retribution against terrorist groups. It is through this introduction of new counter-terrorism legislation that allows the expectations of human rights protection to become confused, as state security becomes the prime concern. This new legislation becomes a shield to hide behind when human rights violations are committed, allowing the state to use the premise of counter terrorism as a justification for neglecting what was previously an internationally standardized notion of human rights protection. It then becomes a paradoxical debate of violation and protection, where policies designed to protect society from these human rights violations, not only affect the terrorists whom they are aimed at, but start to affect the people who’s rights they aim to protect. Where the notion of human rights is concerned in protecting the individual, counter-terrorism in the age of global terror re-employs these boundaries between the individual in the interest of the state, and disregards human rights. Pojman (2006) states that terrorism is a type of violence employed to deliberately target non-combatants in a ruthlessly destructive and often random manner in order to support concrete political or religious objectives. Because of its random ature, the act of terrorism destabilizes any notion of a human rights system by allowing each individual to be susceptible to its effects. Denying one their right to life is depriving them of their most fundamental human right. According to Anthony Giddens (in Pojman), the difference between what he labels as â€Å"old-terrorism† and â€Å"new-terrorism† lies in its locality in geographical terms, where the first is concerned with nationalist ideology and remained local, and the latter is focused on its global implementation (2006). September 11th became the poster for this â€Å"new-terrorism†, bringing with it the stark realisation that Western Society was not impervious to terrorist regimes. The vulnerability of the United States seemed not to have been considered previously, and the mass murder evoked an intense culture of fear amongst the people, only to be further manipulated by the media, causing governments to strike with new legislation. The notion of prevention was a strong instigator for new strategies, where the state intended to seek out terrorist activity before it happened. Terrorism uncovers the limits of the human rights system in achieving universal consensus. However the authority of rights is more so undermined when counter-terrorist acts violate these moral principles in the constant pursuit of their re-avouchment. Under the title of counter-terrorism, democratically defined countries are deserting fundamental principles of human rights that were once upheld, such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression and the right to seek asylum (McCulloch, 2003). The entire premise behind having a universal declaration of human rights was to maintain a society in which people could have access to a global mechanism of protection and support. However counter-terrorism has dismantled these ideals and replaced them with suspect and presumed guilt. The position of human rights in the international community has been seen as dispensary to the higher priority of achieving security through counter-terrorism. Faced with the exposure of the weakness to its homeland, the US opted for a military based counter-terrorism approach, resulting in the deployment of military forces into the Middle East and Central Asia, initiating what was known as the War on Terror (Schorlemer, 2003). The invasion of Afghanistan was designed to strengthen state borders from afar by defeating terrorists at their source. However, in order to do so, the US strategy was to utilize violence to secure their human rights. In using violence, they contradicted exactly what they were fighting for. The state of emergency that was declared following 9/11 and the climate of fear fostered by terrorist activity destabilized the notion that all individuals are entitled to rights protection. In a state of war, honouring human rights is neither practically possible nor theoretically required (Luban, 2002). It becomes intrinsic in the system of war that constitutional rights and civil liberties of populations can be brought to a halt under the pretence of enhancing state security, all the while allowing for the deterioration of basic human rights under circumstances of organised violence. The US disregard for abiding to the universal human rights of global citizens can strongly be seen in the military intervention in Afghanistan, and further in the counter-terrorism strategies of rendition, torture and detainment practiced by the US and their allies in pursuit of security. Under the model of war, the lethal use of force on enemy troops is permissible, and the accidental maiming and killing of civilians is seen as collateral damage rather than victims of atrocities (Luban, 2002). Therefore, by declaration of war, George W. Bush implemented a counter-terrorism strategy, that by virtue of its nature undermines the system of human rights as an internationally enforceable system available to all individuals. This is reinforced by highlighting its illegitimacy in instances of war. As terrorism is not an enemy in the conventional war sense, as it is not a visible and tangible body with a defined territory, the US forces in Afghanistan have relied on using air strikes to atta ck insurgents, according to Garlasco (reference). Usual requirement of evidence or proof before a conviction becomes less regulated or required when at war, with plausible intelligence and insufficient evidence adequate as the foundation for action (Luban, 2002). In situations of flawed or limited intelligence, it has not been terrorists but civilians that have become victims of air strike assaults, thus having their right to life stolen from them (Garlasco). An example of this kind of fatal mistake occurred in the Afghani town of Uruzgan in 2002, where faulty intelligence concerning the location of Al-Qaeda fighters led to the execution of a lethal air strike, killing 21 civilians. This problematic endeavour to protect our rights is therefore legitimizing civilian casualties as collateral damage of war. Counter-terrorism strategies have justified the illegal detainment, torture and rendition of suspected terrorists as a necessary process in achieving security and paradoxically reasserting the human rights of moral citizens. The aftermath of September 11th brought about the legitimization of human rights violations through new counter-terrorism laws, whereby these violations can most distinctly be witnessed through the treatment of prisoners in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Democratic rights such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and freedom from torture were all eradicated in the operations that took place at the base, denying them these basic civil liberties in an unrelenting pursuit of truth and justice for the violence inflicted on American citizens on September 11th. Common practice has been the illegal detention of suspected terrorists, where the rights to due process and a fair trial are not upheld. Recently, the evidence against the military has been growing, including official Pentagon documents, indicating that interrogators consistently employed hard line counter-resistance measures in absolution to induce prisoner co-operation. Such measures include sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation, painful body positions, feigned suffocation, beatings, sexual provocation and displays of contempt for Islamic symbols (Bloche and Marks, 2005). Under the 1984 United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT), an event is considered torture if it satisfies three constitutive elements; the infliction of severe mental or physical suffering, for the recipient to be perpetrated for a purpose, and for this to occur by way of an official (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). The operation of torture in counter-terrorist tactics echoes the breakdown of moral consensus on the use of torture, with the US disrespect for this international human right setting a negative global standard (Wilson, 2005). Therefore, when another State executes this act of torture, the US and their Western Allies seek their services for interrogating their own suspected terrorists, rather than condemning the act. The US, since September 11th, has engaged in transferring their suspects to other countries, where the torture and interrogation can be carried out. This instance of rendition mirrors the practices undertaken by the Swedish Government, where they abducted extremist Islamic suspects and transferred them to Egypt, where torture under interrogation is considered legal custom (Bloche and Marks, 2005). Counter-terrorism has allowed for the undermining of the adoption of human rights globally. Where western democratic states were formerly viewed as human rights advocates, they now deny this role of leadership in aid of suppressing this culture of fear induced by global terrorism. Counter-terrorism strategies have both enhanced the degradation of human rights in regards to the moral basis for international relations, and allowed for the threat of terrorism to be used by state governments to increasingly militarize the protocol of law enforcement and increase the surveillance of civilians (McCulloch, 2003). The war on terror has perpetuated a permanent state of emergency with no foreseeable end. Thus in many western countries, the prolonged war against terror is being used politically rather than legally, to justify the permanent restriction of civilian human rights (Zizek). Shielded by the counter-terrorism legislation, states have put into practice new national security laws whilst pre-existing emergency legislation has achieved legitimacy, claiming to be an essential response to the threat of terrorism (Wilson, 2005). In support of their counter-terrorism strategies employed abroad, states such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the US have relied upon internal strategies to curtail the threat of terrorism. Such measures include the indefinite detention of suspected terrorists without trial or judicial review, the increased surveillance and reduced privacy protections, the dramatic increase in the powers afforded to domestic spy agencies, the right to silence and choice of legal representation eradicated completely, and the vastly expanded resources afforded to military and police engaged in homeland security (McCulloch, 2003). The civil and political liberties that were considered so important during the devising of the UDHR, are now ironically being violated by the very people who them in place. The power to detain people will increase state security organizations power to suppress dissent by adding detention to the potential adverse consequences of political opinions that challenge the political status quo (McCulloch, 2003). In times of global terror, the implementation of increased surveillance does not invoke a feeling of security amongst society, but conversely, further extends the culture of fear that occurs through constant intimidation and increasingly inhibited freedoms. The dispensability of human rights in times of state emergency is revealed when our global principles can be undermined by counter-terrorist strategies so immediately. The principle of counter-terrorism, to enhance state security, has reinforced the rigidity of national borders, by entrenching foreigners and citizenship as acceptable bases for distinction and discrimination and the rejection of humanitarian concerns for individual needs (Mertus and Helsing, 2006). The figure of the refugee as the individual, deprived of citizenship and reliant on the goodwill of other states, illustrates this collision between the protection of individual versus the protection of the state (Humphrey, 2002). After the Second World War, the refugee acquired a measure of political significance as victims of persecution. However the contemporary threat of terrorism has redefined refugees as victims of an international system of nation states founded on a hierarchy of exclusion (Humphrey, 2002). Rather than generously extending protection to individuals seeking asylum from persecution, torture and war, counter-terrorism strategies have increased the conditionality in the acceptance of refugees. ‘Boat people’ arriving on remote areas of the northwest shoreline of Australia constitute the manifestation of the international refugee crisis in this country. Recent asylum seekers are confined in remote detention centres in economically poor island communities to the north of Australia. This criminalization of refugees by the Australian government reflects a rejection of their moral responsibility as human rights guarantors whilst ironically committing human rights violations of their own. The detainment of asylum seekers inflicts a greater degree of suffering on these individuals with detention providing a re-traumatizing environment that may contribute to the development of mental health problems (Stout, 2002). The political discourse employed by the government in relation to ‘boat people’ stripped the refugee of compassion and their human rights by referring to them as ‘illegal’s’ that pay ‘people smugglers’ (Humphrey, 2002). Thus rather than alleviate the suffering imposed on refugees by virtue of their situation, various States are going to extreme lengths to undermine the legitimacy of their asylum claims by making invalid character judgments. Similar to human rights, the category of refugee is non-racial; in theory a state is obliged to extend support and assistance to a refugee without racial selectivity. Australia has a history of denying asylum based on race, such as the exclusion of Chinese immigrants during the 1880s, and now this racial exclusion is being inflicted on individuals of Middle Eastern descent based upon them sharing the same ethnicity as Al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist groups. The racial assumptions that acquaint the Afghani or Iraqi race with terrorism have falsely led to the prolonged detainment and refused asylum of Middle Eastern individuals. Thus terrorism has accelerated the shift in global attitudes toward refugees from one of state moral responsibility to the prioritization of state security over accepting claims for asylum. Whilst viewed as a strategy of counter-terrorism, enhanced border security and the increased conditionality required for refugees to gain asylum disqualifies human rights as a unifying discourse without qualification. The implementation of counter-terrorism strategies by Western nations in reaction to the 9/11 attacks were largely reactionary and centred on enhanced state security to reduce the likelihood of terrorist activity infiltrating national borders. The contemporary manifestation of terrorism represents a clash of civilizations, pitting the culture of Islamic fundamentalism against a Western culture composed of modernity, secularity and democracy (Pojman, 2006). In this clash human rights rests precariously in the middle. On the one hand, terrorism denies victims their rights, yet the enactment of counter-terrorism strategies to address these violations paradoxically impedes on the rights of global citizens. The way in which western countries have responded to the threat of terrorism has not only violated principles of human rights and international law but has also proved to be ineffective in combating terrorism. Almost eight years after the proclamation of the ‘global war on terror’ terrorists are still striking with alarming frequency and ease in our cities: Madrid, London, Sharm el Sheikh, Bali and Mumbai represent the more recent and appalling acts. If our world is in a state of war, why is it that western forces have not been as successful as past governments in achieving victory in similar time periods as in past wars (Hocking and Lewis, 2007)? The First World War was won in five years and the Japanese Empire in World War II was defeated in four years following their attack on Pearl Harbour. Despite all the energies and resources deployed to strengthen the West’s ‘War on Terror’, global terrorism has not lost its power to recruit combatants and inflict destruction on unsuspecting communities (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). In the context of terrorism, war has proven to be ineffective as it fails to address the environment with which terrorism has evolved. Terrorist organizations flourish in societies that have been marginalized by globalization and where there are unresolved conflicts and few accountability mechanisms for addressing political grievances (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). The feeling of despair and sense of hopelessness rooted in oppression, ignorance, poverty and perceived injustice have been identified as causal factors in the development of terrorism. Just as the benefits of globalization and modernity have been unequally distributed so have the capabilities of marginalized populations to gain access to their human rights. Thus to combat terrorism, the implementation of social and economic policy can help to mitigate exclusion and the impact of rapid socio-economic change which foster the grievances which terrorists exploit to gain legitimacy (Hocking and Lewis, 2007). Greater emphasis on counter-terrorism strategies, which address the causal factors of terrorism, will thus increase individual access to human rights and diminish their marginalization and global inequality. Terrorism is a political and criminal activity that undermines the foundation of the contemporary human rights system. It rejects the notion that by virtue of every individual’s humanness they should have access to a host of civil, political and socio-economic rights. The attack of 9/11 exposed security weaknesses of the US, subsequently inducing fear in all western states that they could too be easily targeted by religious extremist factions. Counter-terrorism has aimed to heighten state security often to the detriment of upholding universal principles of human rights. Just as terrorism views all enemy citizens with the same contempt that is there is no distinction between the president and an average citizen, in many regards counter terrorism makes no distinction between terrorists and civilians in that human rights restrictions are imposed on all individuals in states of emergency. Once relied upon as states of human rights advocacy and leadership, western states have legitimized the rejection of human rights under the banner of counter-terrorism. The ‘War on Terror’, increasing surveillance of citizens, restriction of their constitutional rights and the abandonment of state’s moral duty toward asylum seekers symbolizes the dispensability and conditionality of universal human rights. The abrogation of human rights underlying contemporary counter-terrorism practices reflects the limits of the human rights system to neglect in times of emergency, fear and vulnerability.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Poverty in America Essay

Poverty is an epidemic that has swept the American nation many times over. Whether it be quietly lingering under the surface, or blatantly staring us in the face as it is in this current recession, it affects people across America on individual, community and national levels alike. While there are many causes and effects of poverty, it is important to view the issue of poverty and its causes from all angles when one seeks to tackle the problem. These factors include socio-economic status, mental illness, family values and work ethics, to name a few. In this essay, I will be examining these factors as they are discussed in the book, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (referred to as Glass Castle throughout essay), as well as in the article Poverty in America from the Congressional Digest, December 2010 (referred to as Census throughout the essay). When children are born into poverty, it is the only life they know. They often grow up to either see life from the viewpoint of, â€Å"that’s just the way it is,† or become determined to better their status when they are old enough to do so. Children don’t often realize they live in poverty until they are told by their peers, such as when they are called poor and see people taking pity on them or make fun of them. They may also realize they are different when they are exposed to what other people have and realize that they have much less. As noted in Poverty in America, poverty level, in itself, is merely based on an income deficit, whereas one’s household receives less money than another; it also relates to the standard of living (Census, pg. 300). When one has less income, less things are afforded, however living within those means will often create or hide the barrier that is poverty. While one family may learn to utilize their resources effectively and appropriate funds where they belong, another will attempt to make fast money such as through crime or gambling. As in the story of the Glass Castle, the father spends the money the family has on gambling, sometimes paying off and spending the money on lavish dinners out and treats; other times they are deeper in poverty since gambling funds are not the most stable income (Glass Castle, p. Living in Las Vegas). Addictions and mental illness have impacted the nation and led many families into poverty. While not directly discussed in the article, it may be  presumed that these issues play a role in keeping people from holding jobs, working full time and gain the skills necessary to find gainful employment. The article cites work experience and less-than-full-time workers as being affected by increased poverty rates, especially in this recent economic downturn. Additionally, whereas it was normal for a single mother to stay home and care for her children in the 1950’s when the poverty census was first started, it is expected now for single parents to work and better their economic status for the well-being of their family. With the costs of daycare and living skyrocketing since the 50’s, women sometimes seek easier means of making money and still staying at home, including prostitution and drug dealing. Many of these women were also sexually abused and preyed upon because of th eir economic status and other issues affecting their childhood, which may lead to substance abuse in adolescence and early adulthood. Sexual abuse was a prominent theme in the Glass Castle, as the parents were very hands-off and flighty, leaving the children exposed to predators and even victim to family members. While Jeanette’s parents felt that the children will only become stronger by facing hardship, these factors will often cause self-esteem, trauma, depression and anxiety in children who grow up into alcohol and drug abusing adults; this may also begin the poverty cycle for generations to come. The cycle of poverty being exacerbated by drug and alcohol use is first noted in the Glass Castle with insight into Rex’s drinking problems. While he has attempts at periods of sobriety, he always returns to the bottle. It is apparent that he has dreams of grandeur, always telling the children that they will one day live in a glass castle, going so far as to build blueprints. He is a self-proclaimed inventor and thinks very highly of his skills and self, but is constantly losing jobs and sweeping the family away to avoid the law. While he has the emotional support of his family, he is battling his own demons of feeling like a failure, leading him to steal his wife’s money, gamble profusely and even takes steps toward selling his own daughter for a quick buck (Glass Castle, pg. rex takes to bar to play pool, win money back). He also seeks the comfort of a prostitute, probably to have the company of someone who makes him feel better about himself (Glass Castle, pg. Brian tells Jeanette about reading comic while Rex/Ginger were  in hotel). It’s also interesting to examine the impact of the sexual abuse Rex may have been exposed to as a child by his mother, which could have been the start to his cycle of living in a dream-world, using alcohol and low self-esteem (pg. when they tell Rex Erma tried to molest Brian and wonder if he was abused). Beyond addiction issues, mental health problems were also a focus of the Glass Castle, as it appears that Mary was, deep inside, a solid person with a good family upbringing, an education and was probably capable of being a good mother. Unfortunately, she was an â€Å"excitement addict† (Glass Castle, pg. inherited house in phoenix) and even gave up her teaching job to be an artist (Glass Castle, p. Mary returns from Bluefield), even though her children were starving. She also followed her husband through all of these adventures, partaking in all the excitement and neglect/abuse of the children, seemingly oblivious to any wrongdoing. Following the periods of excitement addiction, she would have depressed moods, staying in bed and complaining of the burden of raising a family and missing out on her chance to be an artist (Glass Castle, p. when they find diamond ring). It would appear to me that, while Mary has her times of trying to do what’s best for her family, she may be suffering from a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, making choices that are mostly selfish to fulfill her fun and excitement; she also makes very poor financial choices for her family, such as not selling the million-dollar property to feed her family (Glass Castle, pg. Mary wants to borrow money from Eric to buy adjacent land) and not using money from work to stick with a budget so that food and indoor plumbing and coal can be bought (Glass Castle, pg. Mary is teaching and Lori and Jeanette make a budget and ask to hold money). In addition, mental illness is often thought to be genetic, with some syndromes passing through generations. While most of the children in the Walls family eventually become successful adults with seemingly normal lives, Maureen adapts some of the characteristics of her parents, ultimately ending up living a bizarre life of chasing cults a nd getting locked up in a state hospital (Glass Castle, p. Maureen stabs Mary). Family values play a large role in bringing, and keeping, people in poverty; especially families. Although there have been separate social classes throughout history, values and work ethics are two factors that can change over time and create a different outcome of values and ethics. Through the article, the reader learns that recessions have caused disparities at different levels since the census began recording this material in 1959 (Census, p. 298). While each recession has differed slightly, the length and severity of increased poverty has happened in different extents, leading one to believe that the values/ethics of the time may be affecting how people handle changes in their economic situations; how families handle ongoing poverty over generations will also determine the overall success of that family coming out of poverty or remaining in it. The work ethics and values were definitely confused throughout the Glass Castle, with Rex having a history of serving in the Air Force and Mary being educated in teaching and falling back on that from time to time, barely keeping the metaphoric family head above water. There is also question about the values that are being taught to the children; where one parent proclaims to be a devout catholic that doesn’t attend church or follow the commandments and another parent despises and puts down the religion. Other family values that the children are exposed to include shoplifting (Glass Castle, p. where they steal dresses and get caught) and stealing from the bank (Glass Castle, p. where dad and mom are stealing money), as well as stealing lunches at school and dumpster diving; all of this yet Mary refuses to even consider government aid when the idea is mentioned, presenting herself as better than that. Also, family traditions that the children see other people participating are often ruined (Glass Castle, p. where dad lights tree on fire) and the family learns to deal with it by just understanding there is nothing they can do. Hope still remains for those in poverty. We know that, economically, everything that goes up must come down, and when it comes to the economy, the opposite is likely to occur as well. As the Census shows us on p. 298, while poverty levels have dropped and risen over the past five decades, they do resume along with the economy and each person in poverty still has a chance at changing their situation if they work hard enough. The coping  skills that people learn when they live a life of poverty to effectively live within their means prioritize can make or break the future options they have before them. As the Walls children show us, one can change their future when they put their mind to it. The children lived through so many experiences of suffering and neglect, and were always trying to help their parents get it together so they could have a better life. While the children learned to cope with their parent’s ways, they also were intelligent and ambitious, and having been taught to dream, they were able to imagine a better future and a higher standard of living. While poverty has been an ongoing issue, there are many causes and facto s associated with this social construct, and many ways to overcome it. In this essay, which combined poverty information from the 2010 Census and the book, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, the effects of mental illness, addiction, family values and work ethics on poverty were discussed and examined. The overall conclusion of this writer would be that poverty can be overcome as long as individuals are willing to help themselves and their dep endents and overcome the obstacles that they face in order to create a better outcome. References 1.Congressional Digest (December, 2010). Poverty in America: Census Population Report. Retrieved April 1, 2011 from www.congressionaldigestdebates.com. 2.Walls, J. (2005) The Glass Castle: A Memoir. New York, Simon & Schuster.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Analysis For The Picture Example

Analysis For The Picture Example Analysis For The Picture – Coursework Example Analysis for the picture Speaking of formal visual elements of the painting, one might point out that it features soft lines with no sharp angles, dark colors dominate the canvas, the texture is perceived as elastic; the shapes of the objects depicted are primarily round. As for the way each of the elements is connected to another, one might argue that the painting is certainly balanced. On the one hand, there is an easily observed symmetry: face, eyes, nose, mouth and torso can be easily divided in two by a vertical line. On the other hand, there are objects which are placed chaotically; however, they are aligned and balance each other.I believe that the most essential component of the painting is the goggles that are worn by the main character. The reason why it is so important is that it contributes to the formation of a particular meaning of the painting and can be interpreted more or less in one way while any other element is quite ambiguous. There is no doubt that one can obser ve a working visual system in general: the colors are dark, a character is shown wearing protective elements such as goggles or a suit. All this results in a particular meaning: this person lives in a hostile environment. In addition to that, some parts of the meaning are conveyed through formal language. For example, his nose is painted red which is a bright color that reflect danger or pain; the background is dark which makes is dangerous as well.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Become a Shot Essay Guru

How to Become a Shot Essay Guru How to Become a Short Essay Guru It doesn’t matter what subject you have: eventually you will be asked to complete a written assignment to show professor how easily you master the topic. While homework and coursework are quite brief and straight to the point, it may be quite confusing to write an essay. When a student gets an assignment to complete a short essay, he becomes quite happy but ‘short’ doesn’t mean ‘simple’ and often becomes a bigger problem. This article aims to help you to avoid all the underwater stones and complete a short essay you can be proud of. The main challenge of a short essay is that you need to limit your ideas and arguments to a certain number of words, remaining thoughtful and deep at the same time. Below is a list of requirements, which you need to follow not depending on a type of a short essay you have to complete. Create an outline When you receive a task for the first time, especially if you need to choose a topic on your own, it is easy to get lost in a huge amount of information you have to process. In such a case, it is useful to create an outline and write down all the thoughts and ideas, which you want to include to your text. When you already know what to write about and are ready to start, don’t forget to divide your thoughts into corresponding paragraphs and parts, which will make the whole text smooth and understandable. Your short essay should consist of a one-paragraph long introduction, body of three paragraphs and a one-paragraph conclusion. Introduction When it comes to a short essay, introduction section becomes even more important, as it is usually not more than a couple of sentences long. You need to make them clear and catchy, persuading the reader to continue. The first sentence should include the main ideas of the whole paper and encourage the audience to go on reading. The last sentence should contain your thesis statement. It reflects the problem for the whole essay, which should be arguable and thought evoking. Body The main three paragraphs of your whole short essay should be devoted to the body. It contains main information on the topic, supported by evidence, various facts and credible information. Every paragraph should start with an argument or a statement, following with its supportive facts. Remember to use various constructions to make your language fluent and smooth. In addition, never forget about the formatting style, as it will significantly increase your grades. It is useful to include quotes and facts but don’t forget to properly cite them and provide credible sources. The body paragraphs should contain all the necessary facts but still be readable and smooth, not overwhelming the reader with excessive information. Conclusions The final paragraph is your chance to present the obtained results, so you need to provide all the information in a couple brief sentences, summing up your whole work. First, you need to show how the body paragraphs correspond with your thesis statement, and then make a conclusion to close the raised question. It doesn’t mean that your conclusions should represent the same thoughts. Try to offer a new outlook on the topic and promote fresh ideas. If your introduction aims to stir the interest, your conclusions should satisfy the reader and close the topic. Proofreading It doesn’t matter how great your short essay is: if it contains mistakes, you are doomed to obtain low grades and redo it all over again. Make sure you edit and proofread your essay after competing it to eliminate lexical, grammatical and orthographical mistakes. Correcting all the errors will make your essay flawless and won’t distract the reader from your thoughts and ideas.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Leadership Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership - Thesis Proposal Example Research on P-O fit now considers the fit between employees and their jobs, their co-workers and their supervisors, and is no longer focused on only their fit with the organisation. A number of theories, such as Schneider’s (1987) attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) theory, suggest that employees choose employment with a company they perceive as a good fit; management employees with minimal P-O fit however will choose to leave their company of employment. Others like Chatman, Wong & Joyce (2008) claim that even though a management employee may have a low P-O fit with an organisation they still seek and gain employment with that organisation and may stay for a number of reasons connected with entrenchment (Harman, Lee, Mitchell, Felps & Owen, 2007). In such cases they often stay with the organisation but operate in less prominent or powerful positions of leadership (Meyerson & Scully, 1995). The implication from these theories is that an organisation is a single, constant and homogenous culture if employees are able to determine their fit within them.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Organisational Transformation in Practice Assignment

Organisational Transformation in Practice - Assignment Example The task requirement was to attempt the project in the light of the lectures and seminars attended on the subject matter within a period of 2 months. The project was to be done in groups that were made by random selection of people; meaning they were made by the instructor and not according to our will in order to ensure an even distribution so that all individuals of the same calibre do not form a single group. In my case, a group of six members were formed; two of which were friends already, while the rest of us barely knew each other. Moreover, the team leader assigned was a female. The main challenge was to cope and keep pace with the team members and complete the assigned task within time. Performing projects within the given time constraint had never been an issue for me, but what really served as a challenge for me while working on this particular project was the aspect of working with a team that were I was not entirely familiar with. And this aspect of learning how to deal w ith people I don’t know, which is especially crucial when it comes to team tasks, is precisely the most valuable thing that I take away from this experience. Self-Awareness Despite being a fairly social person, it has always been hard for me to adjust to new people. I always need some time to get comfortable while interacting with people I don’t know. So, during the first few weeks I felt very uncomfortable working with new team. Although, I have a friendly personality, but still I needed some time and space to get along with the new members. The group kicked off the work with small tasks such as role plays and brainstorming exercises; which encouraged us to speak up and to share our view points. These exercise helped us understand and get to know each other. But still the major task was yet to be done. Later, in third week we were directed to start thinking about a Multinational Company that we, as a group would choose for the project. This proved to be quite a diffic ult stage for all the team members as this is where conflicts started to arise because everyone had his separate opinions. I noticed that some of my team members were reluctant to share their viewpoint, while some members kept on bombarding their ideas. The most enthusiastic of the lot in giving their inputs were the two members that were friends already and who were of the view that the group should consider Red Cross for the study at hand. At that stage, I personally felt that those two friends were quite strong in our group due to their affiliation as the rest of us had still not opened up to each other and were therefore, a little hesitant at these initial stages of work. So, my leader asked every member to give their best shot regarding the company, which they thought was the best. Although, I did not like the company that was chosen for our study, but still I had to accept it as I was working in a team, the aspect of which can be related to the term referred to as â€Å"Chang e Management Iceberg† by Wilfred Kruger (Kruger, n.d.). Moreover, the most difficult tasks for me were: group working, and practical implication of applying knowledge and theories to the assigned task. I was able to deal with these two aspects only through talking myself into believing that it’s never too late to learn new skills be it human or technical, and by taking every aspect of that whole project

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

American Revolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Revolution - Research Paper Example Rousseau and Montesquieu effectively promoted republicanism, liberal thought, democratic principles and religious tolerance and therefore, served as a major predecessor to the American Revolution (Ray, 24). In addition to significant political basis for the American Revolution, economic relations formed inside American Colonies were more advanced than those in Britain, thus further escalating the movement towards independence. Political movement towards American independence started with the first Continental Congress, occurred in 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Practically, it represented a convention of delegates from twelve American colonies but the Province of Georgia. The First Continental Congress made two major political decisions with first being boycott announcement of British goods and the second - announcement of Second Continental Congress (Schecter, 39). During the latter, the United States Declaration of Independence has been declared, a major political step to the sovereignty of a young state. Furthermore, this political action triggered the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, which occurred after a year of political discussions. During the American Revolution, political progress has been continuously accompanied with military action, occurring not only on the North America territory but internationally (Higginbotham, 19). British military campaign established against the Revolutionaries has been largely concentrated in Massachusetts. According to historical opinion, the battles of Lexington and Concord are considered the official beginning of the American Revolutionary War (Higginbotham, 22). The so called Boston campaign resulted in two notable events: one of the bloodiest battles of the war - the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) and unification of colonist militia into coherent regular army by George Washington. From the critical perspective, the early British military strategy in the North American has been recognized as ineffective due in part to the Secretary of State for Colonies Lord George Germain's incompetent leadership. The lack of effective coordination for the total war effort allowed the two main British armies in North America - General Howe in New York and General John Burgoyne in Canada - to act almost as independent forces, rather than a synchronized team (Black, 117-121). In 1777, Burgoyne attempted to sever New England from the middle states by driving south along the Richelieu River, through Lake Champlain, and down the Hudson River (Banes and Charles Royster, 94-99). To resist Burgoyne's movement, George Washington with newly formed Continental Army rushed reinforcements north to Philip Schuyler and Horatio Gates, while keeping his remaining force in New Jersey where he could defend

Monday, October 28, 2019

Age of Revolutions Essay Example for Free

Age of Revolutions Essay The age of revoltion was a historical time frame that took place between 1775 to 1848 which encompassed numerous social, cultural and political shifts that harboured significant implications on the growth of the development of the novel as a genre. Through the social mechanics of increased living standards, the creation of the middle class, elevated literacy levels and wider book distribution and publication, the novel genre saw indespensible changes which have persisted throughout time. Prior to the age of revolution, novels were written and centered upon themes pertaining to, imagination, philosophy, realism which coincided with what peoples interest were. Throughout the 18th century with the works of Rousseau’s, Laclos, Goethe and Shelley, novels began to adopt a epistolary structure, which garnered wide spread popularity. Previously, chapters of stories were written in newspapers and letters and produced daily. With the emergence of the epistolary form, a greater realism and depth was added towards stories through the differing points of view that would be explored through first person character perspective. Thus, chapters that used to be produced daily were then transformed into books. Moreover the novels pertained interest in middle class values, shared a distinct correlation with the growth of the middle class during the 18th century. Within the industrial revolution of the eighteenth century, the invention of the printing press further diminished the status quo of the medieval age. With the ascension of the enlightment ideals, the greater public were exposed to a greater range of accessible information, relative to the medieval period where, people were required to contact copyist, so the individual could have access to the book. This era hindered the promulgation of enlightenment ideals, such that the hoi polloi (masses) were denied proper access to sources of knowledge and wisdom. This can be seen through the burgeoning of printed items produced from, 1740 to 1800 with 2000 increasing to 6500 printed items. Additonally from the 1700 to 1750, there was a 60% literacy increase for men, and a corresponding 40% for women. The French revolution, which involved social and political revolutionary characteristics, influenced the development of the novel as a genre by providing a means from which the status quo could be replaced and new ideals, cultural values, habits and customs could be permeated throughout the masses. French authors were subtle and played no part in the French public domain prior to the revolution. However authors such as, Stà ©phanie-Fà ©licità © Ducrest de Genlis used the novel genre to dispel ideas for the public benefit and to create the foundation from which the people would re shape the institutional and societal barriers of France. Through the novel genre, the discontent that authors and literalists had with politics and engrained traditions and their opposition to social rules and conventions was expressed. The writers of the revolution predicated their compositions on the necessity of liberation. This was propagated throughout the third estate, consisting of peasants and low wage workers, with most of their money being paid to the king and the first estate and the control of the church, engendering the rejection of the monarch and the prohibition of the church. By the end of the decade, approximately thirty thousand priests had been forced to leave France, and others who did not leave were executed. The formation of the middle class was precipitated by individuals, understanding and valueing the men and women that worked for them, as well as the importance of raising living standards, so that employees could generate consumption towards household items as well as books. Such visionaries as, Rockefeller, Carnegie and Ford laid the foundation upon which the middle class was expanded. Providing, heightened wages and employment benefits, the middle class were able to experience a newly found leisure time from which they could participate in recreational activities. In conjunction with the social change that was triggered, the middle class argued for better treatment, and the economy prices fell, inducing more household income. The dissemination of a new mantra and class, augmented the social importance of having an education, which involved reading and understanding books. Taking into account these various factors, the novel as a genre, simultaneously grew and developed in what has become the primary genre of contemporary books. These social, economic and political changes, treated separately were not enough to induce, the development of the novel. Rather it was the presence of circumstances and factors together that inundated the transition of the novel, illuminating its purpose as a social tool as well as a recreational utility.