Affect of Culture and Religion on Curriculum Essay

It has been observed that the teenage period of a child has been given the most important position in the life of a human being. During this age, children go across various notions of life, and concepts and ideas are matured up by them, which is used and implement by them during their lives. Therefore, growth period of a child has to be provided with good quality and matured curriculum according to his/her age. In this regard, schools play an important and crucial role in the provision of a platform that can allow, as well as, encourage the intellectual, physical, as well as, spiritual growth of the children. In formal schooling, a set of courses, as well as, its related content has been referred as a curriculum, which is provided and utilized during the study at almost every school, college, and university around the world. Curriculum consists of a number of experiences, stories, and accounts of deeds that can guide the students to understand the basic and important phases of their lives. In this respect, designing of the curriculum should be given due importance, as they can nurture and cherish human lives, as well as, deteriorate the thinking power and understanding of the humans. (Taylor, 1999, p. 171). In this regard, a number of researches have been carried out by the professionals and experts that have put light on the importance of the curriculum. Different experts have described curriculum in diverse perceptions. Some have deemed it as a social engineering arena, whereas, unintentional and undirected experiences for the cultivation of a successful adult society are some of the definitions of the curriculum. (Philip, 1993, pp. 10-12) Different and various bodies have been formed for the determination of the curriculum in different countries around the world. An external or an authoritative body can perform the role of partial, as well as, entire determination of a curriculum. For instance, the National Curriculum for England has been established in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the curriculum that is provided to the students is established by school districts individually according to the regulations of their states and requirements of their students. However, the United States Department of Education plays an important parental role for the provision of guidelines that are important and necessary for the designing of curriculum. (Allport, 1979, pp. 23-29) As earlier mentioned in the paper, curriculum plays an important role in the nurturing of a human life. Thus, the designing of the curriculum to be taught at schools, colleges, and universities cannot be ignored at all. In this regard, a number of factors are responsible for the formulation of the school curriculum. In this paper, we will try to identify, define, and evaluate some of the cultural, as well as, religious factors that influence the designing of the curricula at various schools around the world. As all cultures are quite different from one another, different and diverse understanding is provided by every culture in different perceptions. A person’s culture is rooted in quite a lot of things as mentioned earlier; language, history, geography, religion, and race. The abovementioned things play a different part in cultures, and affect reasoning in a variety of ways and areas. Religion influences nearly everything in our daily lives: from the architecture of buildings, the food we eat, and the books we read, to the rituals of marriage and death, and the customs of courtroom and government. It has been observed that for thousands of years, religion has shaped the beliefs, moral codes, national identities of millions of people, and now it should help define other cultures in the classrooms. Every thing in life has been affected as greatly by other cultures, because of the environment and culture, which developed dwellings with three-dimensional right angles. Although there are many interpretations of what defines a religion, the Oxford Dictionary describes it as the trust in and devotion of a Herculean controlling power, especially a personal God or gods, or a particular system of faith and worship, and a pursuit or interest followed with devotion. All religions, no matter who believes in them or where they originated, are convinced that they are the primary source of all correct thought and righteous action. It is widely known that, no matter who is preaching to you, they are telling you that what they believe is the truth. The fact is that all religions began as word of mouth or a generalized belief. These have been put into writing, rewritten, translated, outdated and rewritten once again. It is not likely that everything in such scriptures should be taken as the absolute truth, with no room for compromise or alternative (Taylor, 1999, p. 184). Different countries have been established on different and diverse concepts and ideologies. For instance, Christianity can be the religion of a country in the American continent, whereas, another country would have been established on the bases of Islamic thoughts and teachings. Thus, a student in the United States would have been taught by a curriculum that has been formulated on the teachings of Bible, whereas, another student in an Islamic country would be provided with a curriculum based on the teachings of Quran. However, it has been observed and noted by almost every study and researcher that every religion has given the same teachings on this earth, but only the perceptions have been different due to the different modes of revelations of the sacred teachings. In this regard, different students around the world acquire the same knowledge and concepts, but in a number of variety of perceptions. In this regard, different people may act or react in different ways, which has been due to the diverse awareness by various curricula globally. In this aspect, a field of curriculum studies has been formed for the identification, as well as, evaluation of different issues and factors that are interrelated with each other, and that play a crucial and important role in influencing the components of the curriculum. It has been observed that educational programs are influenced by cultural factors also, and different and diverse influences have been observed in different countries, as every country has its different culture, norms and values, etc. A culture of a person can be known even in minutes of first sight of a person. For instance, a person with a different culture can be known by the clothing, jewelry, body language, as well as, hairstyle. Secondly, speech and unfamiliar beliefs can provide a deep understanding of the culture that is portrayed by every human being in different parts of the world. All these distinctiveness are denotative of culture – exemplar of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share. A people’s culture subsume of their beliefs, values, norms, language, style of dress, ways of cooking food, religion, jewelry, that are passed from one generation to the another. In this regard, it can be observed that curriculum is influenced greatly by the involvement of different people from different cultures around the world. (Smart, 1995, pp. 19-23) Each country has its own culture. For example, the popular culture in China has a big difference from the United States. The United States is a country full of immigrants. New York City is the capital of the world. No matter where we go, we can see people in all kinds of skin color. People came to this land to find their new life, establish families here, generation by generation. Unlike old days in China, when we saw a foreigner walk on the street, everybody will look at him. Because they are travelers, and we do not see them that often, better take a good look at them before they are gone. In the U. S, it is different; People never get excited when they see another person from different society, because we are so into a large global society. China and United States of America shares a number of cultural differences between each other, such as food, climate, religion, population, school and greeting. It has been believed by a number of people that food is very important to their culture when immigration is performed from one country to another. It has been an observation that people always try to keep their customs, norms and values in their lives. (Zhang, 2007, pp. 55-60) For instance, if an Asian person is immigrated to an American country, he/she may try to incorporate his/her practices, concepts, and habits in the American environment, which may sometimes be incompetent and not acceptable in the society. (Allport, 1979, pp. 51-55) In another example, if an educator emigrates from an Australian country to an Asian country, he may try to integrate Australian practices in the Asian curricula, which may not be appreciated or encouraged. Food is an important part of daily life for Chinese people. Chinese, not only enjoy eating, but also believe eating good food can bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships. Chinese used to have their dinner together with all the family members, sitting around a table. China’s regional differences create problems for a definition of Chinese food. The westerner always thinks of rice. But a third of china’s people are living in north and west are tend to eat wheat and maize, and Sweet Corn in Middle, Northern, Western China. There are so many traditional and special Chinese foods, according to the folk culture, district, religion, and festival. For example, Chinese New Year, most Chinese families will eat dumplings and rice cake at midnight to cerebrate a new year. Thus, the abovementioned factors play an important role in the designing of curricula of a particular country. For instance, nodding in the vertical direction represents an affirmation in a symbolic manner. On the other hand, disapproval is represented by the nodding in the vertical direction in another country. Thus, it may sometime create confusion in people from different countries. Therefore, a curriculum should be based on the universal beliefs and a universal culture should be considered during the designing of curriculum in different parts of the world. It has been observed that a person from an Asian country would present the teachings according to his beliefs, culture, and language. On the other hand, the same teaching and lesson would be represented in other form and different perception would be represented by a person from Australian continent. Thus, different curricula are affected and influenced by a number of significant factors that are dominant in their lives. (Carrette, 1999, pp. 82-83) As earlier mentioned in the paper, different cultures, norms and values have been observed in different parts of the world. In some countries, it is a common habit that believes is advertised in virtually everything. Cars are decorated with bumper stickers, clothes with quotes, and houses with lawn decoration, etc. These habits influence the curriculum also. In some curricula, it has been observed that the abovementioned habits are portrayed through pictures and interactive activities, in order to present a realistic view of the environment of that particular country. (McGrath, 1999, pp. 77-79) For instance, curriculum of the United States may portray high scrapers and busy streets in their books. On the other hand, an African country may sketch deserts and jungles in their curriculum books, in order to present a realistic picture of the environment that their children experience in their daily lives. In this regard, the physical features of a place influence the culture and ways of living of the people, which can be seen in the curricula of that particular place easily. The abovementioned are some of the ways that religion affects the curriculum, as well as, our lives. Many people’s daily routines change because of what they believe. For example, a person goes to church every Sunday, and make sure that nothing is scheduled over top of that. (Carrette, 1999, pp. 101-103) This is one way, a curriculum can teach a child to go to the Church every Sunday. On the other hand, curriculum of an Islamic country may teach the students to pray five times a day, which is quite different from the already mentioned curriculum. However, both the curricula have provided the religious teaching to pray to God. In this way, religion do influences the style of the curriculum. However, it would be wrong to say that these factors influence the basic meaning and principles of the society. (John B. , 1940, pp. 43-45) In Buddhism, the only way that a person is guaranteed to get to Nirvana, is by giving up their lives in the name of Buddha, or for their religion. Christians change their lives to please their Creator. In the Bible, it states that ‘in everything you do, do it as unto the Lord’. This affects someone from driving a car, doing chores. With all of the trouble in our world today, it is disconcerting to know that religion is a contributing factor, and thus, these concepts affect the designing of the curriculum in almost every part of the world. In addition, one can say that culture is more significant than its distinct seeable characteristics. In this regard, if one extends this to the inner self of an individual person, such as to member within a certain society, further to the all community, possibly he or she can be able to find some answers by determining how he or she is affected by culture. In fact, thorough out the human history, culture represents a whole community. However, in order to evaluate how culture changes one’s inner values and beliefs, he or she has to define some common beliefs, just like clothing that has some features that help distinguish its cultural background. People having the same cultural background, in general, are likely to behave in a similar way, because their education and religion background have also cultural elements. In this way, the culture, as well as, the religion of a place influences the formulation of basic elements that have to be included in the curricula of the schools around the world. In some countries, a person may not be allowed to dress unethically or very casually, especially the girls in eastern countries. On the other hand, western countries may not have any problem in casual dressing by the girls. Thus, you may not find a curriculum made by an eastern authoritative body with girls wearing casual dressing, and not covering their body in strict manner. However, the curricula of the English or American schools may have pictures of girls in jeans or t-shirts, which may not be accepted in the eastern world. Thus, this has shown that the culture of a country plays a very important and crucial role in the development of set of courses to be taught at formal schools. (Ernile, 1995, pp. 20-22) Needs of an individual should be met, and good teaching can be provided to the students by a set of courses, which can then be preferred as a well-designed curriculum. Instructions that are given in the curriculum are implemented and taught by an implementer, that is, a teacher. In this regard, the set of courses that are formulated by the curriculum designers should be included with a teaching guide that may instruct and teach the teachers according to their cultural norms and values, as well as, religious principles. (Mader, 1993, pp. 65-66) It has been observed that success of a student is greatly influenced by the cultural background, as well as, socioeconomic status of a child. Thus, process of curriculum designing is affected significantly by the cultural characteristics of a place. However, American schools have the largest number of cultural variations in their classes due to masses of immigrated people in the United States. Thus, it has become very difficult for the American curriculum designers to incorporate the characteristics of different cultures into one curriculum. One of the reasons of this difficulty is that sometimes, cultures diversify each other, and that results in the opposition with each other. In the last decades, cultural and ethnically diversification has been observed in the United States, and cultural diversity has become one of the most important factors to be integrated in their curricula. (Mader, 1993, pp. 60-61) In the result, continuity and diversity is the outcome of the cultural factor that has influenced the planning of the curriculum in a significant manner. In particular, curriculum of every country has been influenced by a number of cultural and diversity factors, such as, language, religion, socioeconomic status, race, physical characteristics, etc. In addition, social values, issues, and norms are some other factors that also influence the designing and planning of the curriculum to be taught at different schools around the world. As earlier mentioned in the paper, social issues and values are different and varied in different parts of the world. In the result, diversity in different parts of a group of people can be accommodated by this variation in the students. For instance, a country may have some specific goals regarding the education, which may be different from the United States. (Ernile, 1995, pp. 33-34) Thus, beliefs and freedoms that are provided to the human lives in different parts of the world play an important role in the designing of the curriculum, which has already been discussed in the paper. For instance, sex, drug education and related programs and seminars are incorporated in the curricula of American schools. However, this kind of programs and teachings are not encouraged in the eastern schools at all, and deemed as unethical for the students. Thus, the curricula of the American schools may be planned with quite free hand and freedom, and on the other hand, the eastern curricula may be designed with more short hand and less freedom in this aspect. Thus, a number of factors influence the designing and planning of the curricula to be taught at schools in different parts of the world. These factors may be cultural, social, economical, psychological, and even spiritual in their nature. In this paper, we have tried to define, evaluate, and discuss religious and cultural factors that influence the designing and planning of the school curricula around the world. It is hoped that this paper will help the professionals, educators, and students in understanding the role of abovementioned factors in the planning of the curriculum that is one of the basic pillars of the human society. References Allport, G. (1979) The Nature of Prejudice. Massachusetts: Adison Wesley Carrette, J. (1999) Religion and Culture. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Durkheim, Ernile. (1995) The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: Free Press. Hefner, Philip. (1993) The Human Factor, Evolution, Culture, and Religion. Minneapolis: Fortress. Holt, John. B. (1940) Holiness Religion: Cultural Shock and Social Organizations. American Sociological Review Vol. 5, no 3. Mader, T. E. (1993) Understanding One Another. Madison, Wisconsin: Brown & Benchmark Publishers. McGrath A. E. (1999). Science & Religion: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Smart, N. (1995) Worldviews: Cross-cultural Explorations of Human Beliefs. London: Prentice-Hall Taylor, S. (1999). Sociology Issues and Debates. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. Zhang, N. (2007). The Basic Features of Contemporary Chinese Culture. Cover feature: china today. World Literature Today.

Explore the ways in which writers present strong feelings to interest the reader or audience

Various techniques are used by writers to present strong feelings which evoke emotion from the reader or audience. Literary techniques are used in great lengths to both emphasise strong feelings in a literary piece and to also evoke strong feelings from an audience. The techniques embody language, structure and form. The experimentation of structure and poetic techniques used by writers create strong feelings within both the contemporary and present audience, ensuring audiences were and always will be interested in the literary piece.In the prologue of the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the audience learn that two dignified households in the city of Verona hold an ‘’ancient grudge’’ towards each other, which remains a source of the violent conflict which is central to the play. It can be suggested that hatred has grown stronger over a long period of time. Similarly, the structure of the poem undermined traditional Elizabethan sonnets which were tradit ionally love poems. Shakespeare’s, however, changed this form to show hatred, violence, conflict and death to foreshadow the ending of ‘Romeo and Juliet’.An Elizabethan audience would have recognised this, creating a feeling of excitement and curiosity within them. Likewise in ‘sonnet 43’ Browning has also undermined the traditional form of a sonnet to create religious imagery to describe her lover. Browning’s sonnet discusses and compares her strong feelings for her lover and as her description develops she illustrates that she loves him with the emotions of an entire life from childhood right through to death. ‘’I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!– And, if God choose, I shall love thee better after death’’. She worships her lover with all her heart and respects him much more than she does her religion. He touches all aspects of her life and gives meaning to her whole existence. The au dience would be shocked as during the Victorian era religion was paramount in the lives of the people. However, it is not just love for one person that is described but the feeling of love itself. Similarly, as Romeo and Juliet become innocent victims of an atrocious ‘‘strife’’ between their families when they ‘’take their lives’’.Considerably, the poet evokes strong feelings towards the emotion of love when Browning is describing the intensity of religion and the link between death and love, as Shakespeare does when he links the idea of love and death in the prologue, allowing both the audience and the reader to openly question the content without profanity. In the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ segregated from society is a dominant feeling and a reoccurring theme. Romeo and Juliet go to extreme lengths to preserve their love together.They did this as according to Elizabethan society it was nor their ‘Fate’ nor ‘Destiny’ to ever be together. Therefore by choosing to be together consequences to them both mocking society. Juliet was Romeos second love which is ironic and therefore mocks society because Elizabethans believed in fate and destiny and that you could only ever love one person. If you loved again you weren’t really in love or you previous relationship wasn’t love but lust. Romeo’s feelings power his actions contradicting the Elizabethan norm which would undoubtedly evoke strong feelings such as disgust and shock from the audience.Alternatively in the poem ‘My last duchess’ the writer evokes strong feelings from the reader by focusing on the dominance and control of the Duke towards his wife. The audience in this case is this the ambassador acting on behalf of Ferdinand referred to in the poem as ‘The Count, your master’ but in reality it is the reader. This makes the reader feel rebellious as they are ‘eavesdroppin g’ on an interesting conversation. This completely contrasts to Romeos relationship with Juliet. They respect and accept each other as equals whereas the Duke doesn’t respect his wife or even acknowledge her.The duke refers to his wife, not by her name, by ‘she’. A contemporary reader would accept this as men were the dominant spouse. ‘’Half flushed that dies along the throat’’. This is ironic as it is said that the duke killed or had his wife killed, we could interpret that he beheaded or had her beheaded. This would surprise the reader as the duke earlier in the poem he compliments his wife, calling her a ‘wonder’. Although his words and actions are brutal the duke would have been accepted by society as men were believed to be higher than women.Romeo and Juliet’s love was not accepted by an Elizabethan society but they choose to ignore their friends and family, therefore appalling their audiences and mocking their entire beliefs. In the play Romeo and Juliet confusion, doubt and uncertainty are common emotions. During the balcony scene Juliet is speaking her mind unaware that Romeo had been listening. ‘’Be sworn my love, and I shall no longer be a Capulet’’. She would disown her family to be with Romeo, someone whom she had just met. This would have stunned an Elizabethan audience as she came from a rich, well respected family.There is more confusion when Juliet’s feelings change, ‘’ it is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden’’. Shakespeare uses the ‘rule of three’ to emphasise on the word ‘too’. He does this to show how strong Juliet’s doubt towards Romeo is. An Elizabethan audience would be confused as to how she could change her mind as they believed in love at first sight and this was going against that belief. Shakespeare mocks his entire society though his characters by showing them that fate and destiny is not written in the stars but is decided by you.Equally, in the poem ‘The Laboratory’ there is a lot of confusion between the character and the reader. The woman in the poem is searching for the perfect poison to commit a murder. She cannot seem to decide what poison she would like and is distracted by the â€Å"exquisite blue† colours of the poisons. ‘’Yonder soft phial†¦ sure to taste sweetly, – is that poison too? ’’. Her actions are very child-like and due to her frequent change of mind the reader will begin to doubt her motive and seriousness.The reader feels confused at her motives and could assume the poem is comic and not serious. By using a question mark, the poet emphasises the protagonists confused mind. This confusion is further highlighted by the â€Å"-â€Å"which separates the question from the rest of the stanza and draws it to the attention of the reader. Clearly, Shakespeare and Mr and Mrs Browning all convey strong emotion to the audience and readers whether it is through language, structure or form. This is one of the main reasons why their literature has lasted and is greatly treasured.

People Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

People Communication - Essay Example Failure of communication meeting the intended purpose raises suspicion and reactance. Communication takes place due to the assistance of a variety of tools and equipments. Researchers and scholars have plated a vital role in enhancement of communication by development and invention of effective communication tools and strategies. This paper discusses in depth technological change, social construction theories, political economic analysis, and the ideology of technology neutrality (Atkin 3). Change is a remarkable event in everyone’s life. Rapid change in technology has brought diverse effects to individual’s lives. Change comes in succession and is bond to happen in everyone’s life. How an individual approaches the changes in life becomes a question at hand. Changes that arise in an individual’s life may either be social, economically, or politically allied (Chandler). Change may either have optimistic or pessimistic impacts in an individual’s life. Change in technology has diversely altered the way people converse and relay message. Different ways have come up where an individual can have a discussion with another who is miles away. Change in technology entails innovation, invention, and diffusion of technological processes. Technological change aims for better and more effective technology (Cellary and Iyengar 187). In the social world, technology has invented methods of enhancing effective communication.... Researchers argue that new electronic communication media has enabled people interact and collaborate in a contemporary manner. For instance, every kind of technological change requires a little communication and training (Atkin 4). An individual is supposed to change with the changing technology and effectively adapt to it. Researchers depict that the biggest technological change in the society, encompasses communication. Communication is an extensive procedure that involves not only two people but also the society at whole. Language use is a key factor to effective communication. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals to strategize on the kind of language to use when conveying message (Birkinbine). Change in technology has greatly influenced the way people converse. Communication devices have changed immensely over centuries thus leading to the invention of mobile technology. The mobile technology has over time varied from a simple pre-paid hand phone to a small thin laptop. Mo bile technology refers to various types of cellular communication technology devices. These devices include palmtop computers, net-book computers, smart phones, global positioning devices, and wireless debit or credit cards. Mobile technology has portrayed a wide range of first modern infrastructure in the society. The use of mobile technology has boomed over years. In most cases, the level of technology in any kind of communication devices, determines whether to purchase or buy the device. Arguably, mobile technology has been a force that clears away barriers, promotes inclusiveness, and opens opportunities to all those who would otherwise not partake in the digital cost-cutting measures (Chandler). As communication technologies

Buy USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Buy USA - Essay Example This Commercial Service Trade professional helps the US companies across the globe to increase sales or start exporting in new emerging global markets. The services of Commercial Service include trade counseling, business matchmaking, and market intelligence. Trade data helps the US organizations to identify the potential global markets in order to target exporting efforts. The organization can measure the size of business market for their goods and services. Moreover, it helps the organizations to develop an effective pricing strategy to survive in the competitive global market. Industry pages are regularly updated by several potential commercial specialists around the globe. It helps the organizations to check the industry updates. On the other hand, webinars help the exporters to understand export regulations of several countries. Before starting of new business, it is important for the organization to develop an effective market entry plan. They need to conduct an effective marke t research. It will help them to learn about the potentiality of the specific products and services in a given international market place. The organizations can access the United States Commercial Service Market Research Library. ... Several trade events include seminars and webinars while the fundamental principles of exporting helps the organizations to organize face to face meeting with their business partners and customers. The United States government provides several important resources to the exporters. It helps them to identify potential business leads. This Export.gov Trade Guide Database includes time sensitive leads, pre-screened leads and government tenders. The MCC is a government corporation of United States. This Millennium Challenge Corporation was designed to work collaboratively with some underdeveloped countries. This Millennium Challenge Corporation depends upon a key principle that helps to provide global aid in order to reinforce economic freedom, effective governance and public investments. However, it has been identified that the Export.gov is trying to help the exporters to increase their business competencies in global market place. Discuss how you would leverage two (2) resources in the short term and two (2) that could be used for long-term planning. Influence of the United State government, vast global network and effective business contact will help the exporters to leverage their knowledge. The organization can use international sales and marketing strategies and international financial strategies as their short term resources. The US organizations can access online resources. It will help them to get customized counseling. The organization can develop their international business plan and strategy. This short term resources will help the organizations to target potential international market. Moreover, through this resource the organization can

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The Game Theory and Long Run Marginal Cost in Microeconomics Term Paper

The Game Theory and Long Run Marginal Cost in Microeconomics - Term Paper Example The mathematical analysis of these situations is called game theory and was originally developed by Von Neumann and Morgenstern in 1944. As the subject develops, it has gained acceptance, particularly in business, politics and with the military. In 1994 the Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to Harsanyi, Nash, and Selten for their contributions to Game Theory. The second part of the paper involves the study of the long run marginal cost. The long-run marginal cost curve indicates the change in total cost resulting from a change in production when all inputs including capital and plant size are variable. This paper discusses the different cases of long-run cost curve with the categories of returns to scale. Here we only consider two person’s zero-sum games. These are games with two players normally called A and B wherein any play of the game the amount of As gain equals the amount of Bs loss (so the sum of both players gains is zero). We refer to As gain and Bs loss throughout the theory but naturally, B can win games so As "gain" is not always positive. Our object is to find the best strategy for each player. By a "best strategy" we mean that if A (say) deviates from this strategy then B can adapt Bs strategy to gain more than if A stuck to the best strategy. Pure Strategies: To solve the game we first of all look for a pure strategy. This occurs when the best strategy for each player is to choose the same option for all plays of the game. If there is a pure strategy, A plays i  and B play j (say), then the ijth element (the payoff to A per play) is called a saddle point. Mixed Strategies and Dominance: If there is no pure strategy then we look for a mixed strategy which means each player mixes their options in certain proportions. Solving the game means determining these proportions in this case.

The impact of the foreign intervention on the uprisings during the Essay

The impact of the foreign intervention on the uprisings during the Arab spring - Essay Example Foreign intervention has played significant role in accelerating the uprising and influencing their outcome. This paper examines the impact of foreign intervention on the Arab awakening. Origin of Arab uprising The extent of foreign intervention in Arab uprising varies across the different countries that experienced or are currently undergoing the upheavals. Before investigating the various foreign interventions, it is important to investigate the underlying social, economic and political factors in various Arab countries in North Africa and Middle East. According to Timo and Mika, protests in Tunisia and Egypt were driven by similar social, economic and political motives. Uprisings in both countries took an identical course of events that ultimately resulted to the fall of the existing governments. The dissatisfaction with the economic situation played a critical role in causing the uprising in Egypt and Tunisia. For several decades, both countries had initiated economic reforms to stimulate and enhance trade in the region in response to globalization. However, the reforms adversely affected the living standards of the majority middle and low-income groups creating resentment. Prior to the uprising in Tunisia and Egypt, majority of the citizens experienced decline in real wages, high inflation, and increasing levels of unemployment. The situation was worse among the youth, especially graduates, who experienced high levels of unemployment (Kitchen, 14). The â€Å"Jasmine Revolution† that was precursor to Arab spring in Tunisian was started by unemployed graduate Mohamed Bouazizi who set himself ablaze after he was denied authority to sell groceries in the streets of a Tunisian city(Kumaraswamy, 6) Although the economic reforms generated significant job opportunities, in these regions, most jobs were low skilled and of dismal wages. Moreover, the high population growth in these countries has not been accompanied by proportionate economic growth to absorb the citizens into the labor market. A combination of these factors left many unemployed and middle class youth disillusioned with countries’ political systems (Kumaraswamy, 6). The political structure in Egypt and Tunisia also played a critical role in causing the uprising. According to Timo and Mika, the political governance in these countries is dictatorial, where cronyism and nepotism reigned supreme. The poor, â€Å"unconnected† and educated individuals lacked access to employment opportunities while the crony capitalism amassed wealth and power in the country at the expense of meritocracy (5-6). The disenchanted but educated youth formed the core of the uprising in the affected countries. Political oppression is another major defining characteristic of the countries affected by the uprising. For long period, leadership in the affected Arabic countries has been autocratic, suppressing fundamental human rights and freedoms. In Egypt, the leadership of President Hosn i Mubarak was characterized by ruthless crackdown on public protests and other forms of expression. In addition, the government manipulated elections in favor of the incumbent, who had remained in power for over three decades. The government utilized state security agencies to

Competitive Strategy in Lighthouse Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Competitive Strategy in Lighthouse - Article Example The analyses highlighted that the hybrid competitive strategy was the most appropriate strategy to follow, and recommendations were made to work closely with other key players in the industry if it was to become a dominant force. Lighthouse is a mobile phone marketing company that seeks to address the needs of advertisers seeking to increase their response rates in the ever more lucrative yet increasingly more competitive task of customer acquisition and retention. Lighthouse will enable subscribers in the region to access government services, maps, directions, tourist attractions and tips, restaurants, museums, entertainment events, news and stock prices from their wireless devices. This enables the local population and tourists alike to utilize technology to enhance the service needs. This technology is also particularly beneficial to the local population, as ownership of devices such as personal computers is low but that of mobile devices is high. This means that the services which the internet offers to other parts of the world are not easily accessible or widely available in the UAE. By providing this service on a mobile device, Lighthouse is making the internet available in the first instance, and it i s removing the need to go to a fixed location to access this information. Lighthouse's target market is primarily based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is considered to have a customer base of 10-15% of the 4.5 million local mobile users. In addition to this, the UAE is a popular tourist destination with approximately 7 million tourists annually, who represent a potential market, especially for tourist related services (Business Plan - appendix I). Therefore the objectives of Lighthouse are to build a platform that enables better response rates to their marketing campaigns, to create a management system and secure funding to expand the business. It is clear that Lighthouse intend to be a dominant force in the market, but in order to do this, it is necessary to conduct a full environmental analysis, so as to determine their options for growth and expansion. External Analysis of Lighthouse An analysis of the external environment helps an organization to understand the environment they currently operate in and how it can change (Johnson and Scholes 1993). An understanding of the environment enables an organization to develop strategies that will ensure their survival within the market place. For instance, Lighthouse is going to clearly take advantage of the tourist numbers; however they also need to consider current external factors that will contribute to the reduction of tourist numbers and subscribers. Likewise, Lighthouse is also capitalizing on the low distribution of personal computers for internet access, another factor which could change in the near future. An analysis of the external environmental is known as a PESTLE analysis and this involves analyzing the political, economic and competitive, social and cultural, technological, legal and environmental/institutional factors that affect an organization (Johnson and Scho

PSY 365 Psychology of Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PSY 365 Psychology of Diversity - Essay Example The hypothesis was that there were significant differences in these two influences on prosocial behavior according to age, and that gender differences would also emerge. 682 families participated in the study by answering questionnaires both from the parents and the teachers of the children. The sample was divided into children under 11 and those over 11 years. The results showed no significant difference in effect of genetics and environment according to gender. Individual differences in prosocial behavior emerged as children became adolescents, with environmental effect decreasing and genetics effect increasing. Although this study gathered data from the teachers, this data was only used to compare the ratings of parents with teachers as a way to confirm the level of prosocial behavior of the child. It was not used to compare the effect of shared (home) environment with unshared (school) environment. Two years later Knafo and Plomin (2006) also examined the effect of the environment and genetics on prosocial behavior in young children. This was a longitudinal study at ages 2, 3, 4 and 7 of a sample of 9,424 pairs of twins in the UK. The main hypothesis was that genetics and environment do not continue to affect behavior and that new influences emerge in later years. The study measured the level of prosocial behavior, the shared environment, the unshared environment and the genetic influences. The results of the study indicated that the shared environment had less effect as the children aged, but the genetics had a greater effect. The results also showed that the genetic effects account for both change and continuity in prosocial behavior but the nonshared environments effects account mainly for the changes in prosocial behavior. Although Knafo and Plomin only carried out their study to age 7, both studies found that genetic effects on prosocial behavior increased with age and that the biological influence of genetics increased whereas

Water Conservation Essay Example for Free

Water Conservation Essay Water is an integral part of land/soil productivity. Its misuse can cause both degradation and erosion of soils. Management of water resource is considered to necessary for well being of human life as well as crop yields. There is a gap between the seasonal availability of water and its equitable supply throughout the year. Accordingly the storage of water and passage through soils is very important. It is well known that about 70% area in this country is subject to varying degree of water stress. There are areas with heavy rainfall but water problems become predominant during non-monsoon periods. It is thus a matter of concern to create a redistribution system and requirements as and when it is needed. Although there are many methods for water management, the two important methods are mentioned as follows. (I) Watershed management (II) Rainwater harvesting (I) Watershed Management : A watershed is an area bounded by the divide line of water flow so that a distinct drainage basin of any small or big water course or stream can be identified. The rain falling over this area will flow through only one point of the whole watershed. In other words, the entire area will be drained only by one stream or water course. In this way we will have definitive water resource which can be assessed and analyzed for planning for the optimum utilization through ground water, wells, tube wells, small ponds, bigger tanks or reservoirs. Watershed management is very important for rainfall and resultant run-off. More than 900 watersheds of the flood prone rivers have been identified and are at present in operation. The development of delayed through propagation of water harvesting technology is also based on the concept of micro watershed. Himalayas are one of the most critical watersheds in the world. The damage to reservoirs and irrigation systems and misused Himalayan slopes is mounting as are the costs for the control measures during the flood season every year. The vast hydroelectric power potential can be harnessed from the Himalayas watersheds on a sustainable basis. (II) Rain water Harvesting : Water harvesting technologies have established the economic and practical feasibility for inclusion in integrated watershed management plans. A number  of such structures in the Hirakud catchment have revealed that these are desirable for protection of land, restoration of degraded land for creation of micro irrigation potential of reuse of water. This would also help in increased production based productivity for generation of employment of opportunities. The concept of watershed management has been extended to agro-industrial watersheds which take care of agro-industrial development.

Heroes Journey Archetype Stories

Heroes Journey Archetype Stories There are few things that can stand the test of times, storytelling being one of these. Stories have been recorded and read for hundreds even thousands of years. Currently they are told through a variety of mediums, books, movies, play and a variety of other methods. With there being so many stories, there are bound to be reoccurring themes. These are often classified as archetypes or a model or pattern (Britannica). There is one that I find in the most common types of stories that captivate people the most, and that is the Heroes Journey Archetype. This archetype is a theme commonly found in old and new stories and develops the character through 12 steps into the ultimate being. In the words of Joseph Campbell A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. The best example I can think of a hero is Luke Skywalker, Master Jedi. Of course there are older more distinct heroes, such as the mighty Gilgamesh. I will explain the 12 steps of the hero archet ype and each of these heroes follow it perfectly. The Heroes Journey is often divided into the main group, and each one of those groups contains three to four of the 12 steps. The initial section for this archetype is called Separation. The first step in the journey is the ordinary world where the hero often finds them selves drudging though like on a day to day basis with nothing new or to exciting. For Gilgamesh this is when he does as he pleases as the king of Uruk. Luke Skywalker finds himself in the ordinary would as moisture farmer on the desert planet of Tatooine being raised as a moisture farmer by his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (Wikipedia). Both of these characters are going the same thing for numerous years and everything is ordinary for them. The next step is where things start to take a turn for our beloved hero, and this is the Call to Adventure. This sets the story rolling by disrupting the comfort of the Heros Ordinary World, presenting a challenge or quest that must be undertaken. In Star Wars this is easily identified , as Luke receives a message from Princess Leia as she needs to be rescued. Gilgamesh however is given a divine dream of his future mentor, Enkidu. A dream of this caliber is unusual for Gilgamesh and symbolized a great change for him. As you can see, both of these evens are throwing a kink into these heroes everyday lives, after doing something for so long though one is bound to become stubborn or obstinate and this leads to the third step, the Refusal of the Call. The Hero may not be willing to make changes, preferring the safe haven of the Ordinary World. This becomes an essential stage that communicates the risks involved in the Journey that lies ahead. Without risks and danger or the likelihood of failure, the audience will not be compelled to be a part of the Heros Journey. (Novak) Gilgamesh cannot understand his dreams and therefor is unable to being his process of change into the hero he is to become, but will soon find out. Luke on the other hand feels as if he must continu e to help his aunt and uncle, not wanting to abandon them to help another. These heroes need someone to guide them down the right patch, a mentor even. Meeting the Mentor is the fourth step and this is is the first real mark the of the approach to becoming something amazing. Gilgamesh encounter his hard opposite in Enkidu, and through the test of battle, they forge a friendship that will last a lifetime, ultimately leading the transformation of our hero. Skywalker meets Obi-Wan, his fathers old mentor that will guide him the same as he had done before, off of his home planet. One last push is needed for the hero to leave the ordinary world completely, and this is referred to as crossing the threshold. Here the Hero has finally committed to the Journey and is prepared to cross the gateway that separates the Ordinary World from the Special World. (Novak) Enkidu and Gilgamesh go off to fight Humbaba, which is the gateway that will rock both of there worlds. Luke escapes the planet from the stormtroopers and does not have much of a choice to leave his ordinary world. After this step, our heroes are fully separated. They do not have the luxury of returning from whence they came, and are becoming what they were meant to be. The second phase of the Heroes Journey Archetype is the Initiation and Transformation. Here is the meat of the story, and where the most action takes place, also known as the good stuff. After our beloved hero has crossed the big leap, he has many Tests, Allies, and Enemies. Here the hero learns the rules of this special world, finds out who can be trusted, allies learned, and prepares himself for what is to come. (Novak) For Gilgamesh, this is a very big stage. He and Enkidu, after defeating Humbaba, encounter the Bull of Heavens, which the consequences of defeating tests Gilgamesh to the core. His best friend Enkidu takes the fall for this event which leads him to question is own mortality. Gilgamesh says How can i rest, how can I be at peace? (Bedford Anthology 66) He goes into a daze for such a long time and has a long road ahead of him. Luke is tested by Obi-Wan and trains to become a Jedi. He also makes new allies in Han Solo and Chewbacca. They help him cross the threshold and end up saving him time and time again. His archenemy Darth Vader is also introduced, which leads to Luke losing a hand and learning who his father is. After these extraordinary events the hero knows what must be done and goes to face his final challenge, this is the Approach to the Inmost Cave. Attacks are planned, a reconnaissance launched, and possibly the enemies forces whittled down before the Hero can face his greatest fear, or the supreme danger lurking in the Special World. (Novak) After Gilgamesh questions his mortality he goes on a journey to find immortality and embarks on a long journey to get anywhere close to achieving this. Luke in Star Wars gets his planes ready and the rebel army gets into position to attack the Death Star. These events lead to the ultimate and final ordeal for the story, known as the Conflict. For Luke, this is the flight he must take to destroy the Death Star, and avoid his father to destroy what Vader has built. For Gilgamesh these are the tasks that Utnapishtim give him to obtain immortality. Although he gets close with the plant, he never achieves what he desires. After these Ordeal or Conflicts, the hero obtains a Reward for his task. The Reward comes in many forms: a magical sword, an elixir, greater knowledge or insight, reconciliation with a lover. Whatever the treasure, the Hero has earned the right to celebrate. (Novak) Greater knowledge or insight is definitely the reward for Luke, where he know the Rebel Alliance is able to go on the offensive and how to destroy the Sith Lords most powerful weapon. Gilgamesh also obtains this reward, although he did not achieve what he wanted, he is now able to be the king his kingdom needs him to be. This concludes the Initiation and Transformation section of the heroes journey archetype. The third and final section is the Return. In order for a hero to return from whence he came, he must take The Road Back. This could be hard due to the success in the Special World (Novak) and has become someone completely different. In the Story of Gilgamesh, the road back is simply the author telling us that he went back to Uruk. For Star Wars it is Luke returning to the Rebel Base and seeing all of his old friends. When the hero arrives back to the ordinary world he faces his Resurrection or cleansing and purification. Both Luke and Gilgamesh get out of there old worn out clothes and back into clothes that fit there role in the ordinary world again. The final step in this crazy journey is the Return with the Elixir where the elixir could be love, wisdom, or simply the experience of having survived the Special World. Gilgamesh loves his people and kingdom with a new found grace, while Luke Skywalker is lucky to even be alive but also receives the Rebel Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. With these final steps both stories come to an end, and neither could of had a better ending. Stories have been told through all of history, and even though they share different mediums than they did long ago, they share many of the same elements. As Technology develops stories will continue to be told in various new ways. I would love to live past my time and see how things develop. As for heroes, they will continue to be a part of stories for decades even centuries to come. Now the way that they are developed, well using a set standard for hundreds of years can get old, so hopefully someone comes up with something revolutionary to literature that changes heroes for the best, but for now the grandeur of heroes will continue to enthrall me.

Explain John Proctors Struggle with his Conscience :: Salem Witch Trials The Crucible Essays

Explain John Proctor's Struggle with his Conscience Conscience The conscience, the knowledge of right and wrong that affects actions and behaviour; the senses of guilt or virtue indeed by actions, behaviour etc. An innermost thought. (PH English dictionary) John Proctor has a terrible struggle with his conscience, particularly towards the end of the play. John proctors conscience is tell him that he shouldn't give into the pressure of the court, that he should stand proud and not tell the court lies. His conscience is telling him he shouldn't lie or defy the court and then his death, hanging from the noose, can be a proud one, accepted with honour after making his love and more importantly his peace with God. However his natural instinct, given to him upon his birth is telling him to lie. That he should lose his good name, confess to dealing with witchcraft. Telling him to lose some, perhaps all the respect people have for him but to keep his life. To lose his dignity but to keep his life. To live to see his children grow up, to see his unborn child be born, to watch his wife grow old with him. But most importantly to live, and to be free, and not to experience death till he is older. Live and lie, losing your dignity and all the respect you've earned, or die, but keep your good name, and let your children grow up with a good name. Leaving your life with an unblemished name. John chose death, although before he chose death he was prepared to choose life, he wanted to live, yet more than this he wanted an unblemished name. More importantly than this he wanted his children, and their children, and their children's children to have a name to be proud of. Proctor. He did not want them to be left with the name of a witch. Because it is my name (The Crucible, Act 4) John Proctor says the above quote, which simply reinforces everything I wrote earlier. John does not want to give up his name; he cannot have another in this life. Better to have one unblemished name. Than to have hundreds of names all tainted in one way or another. John does not want to give up his good name; he would rather give up his life, which we see in the rather gruesome and sudden ending of the play. This shows John Proctors personal struggle with himself. He wanted to live, yet he also wanted to keep his good name. He couldn't do both and in the end he chose his name. He was fighting with himself right

Opium Wars in China Essay -- Chinese Opium Research History Essays

Opium Wars in China The Opium Wars were a series of three wars between the Chinese and the British; primarily fought in regard to the illegal trade of opium in China during the 19th century. They manifested the conflicting natures of both nations and demonstrated China’s misconceptions of its own superiority. The Opium Wars resulted in the humiliating defeat of the Chinese to a country they considered to be â€Å"barbarians†. There were many problems with the system of trade in China; even before opium trading began. China, believing herself to be the most civilized and advanced country, did not feel the need to satisfy Britain, a â€Å"barbarian† country’s request for freer trade and were concerned the British wanted land. Britain however, had no desire for land and only wished to trade, believing it was their right to do so. These misunderstandings and differing opinions were only the start of more to come. They set the foundations to the British and Chinese hostilities. China’s monopolistic system of trade caused great frustration for the British. The incompatible British and Chinese views on trade resulted in the First Opium War. All trade in China was channeled through the city of Canton and was regulated by a group of Chinese merchants known as the â€Å"cohong† who imposed irregular taxes. No direct contact between the foreigners and Chinese were allowed. Such limitations and conditions caused dissatisfaction among the foreign merchants, in particular the British, who ...

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An attacker police suspected was a Palestinian woman detonated explosives in Jerusalem's main shopping street on Sunday, killing herself and an elderly Israeli and wounding dozens, Israeli police said. The blast on Jaffa Road was the third attack on an Israeli city center in less than a week and raised the specter of fresh Israeli retaliation. It was also likely to increase Israeli and U.S. pressure on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) to do more to rein in militants behind the mounting wave of bloodshed. Israeli police said the bomber and an 81-year-old Israeli man were killed, but the circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear. ``We are not calling her a suicide bomber, just a bomber. She is not an innocent bystander. There is a host of possibilities regarding how the bomb went off,'' police spokesman Gil Kleiman said. He said they suspected she was a Palestinian. It was the first time a female bomber has carried out a fatal bomb attack in Israel during the 16-month old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. ``We've had intelligence warnings on woman suicide attackers, albeit not recently,'' Deputy Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra told Reuters. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. CYCLE OF RETRIBUTION The Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) condemned the attack. In a statement, it called on the United States, which last week postponed a truce mission by its envoy Anthony Zinni, to send him back to the region without delay. Two days ago a Palestinian suicide bomber killed himself and wounded 25 people in Tel Aviv. Last Tuesday, a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli women on Jaffa Road, near the scene of Sunday's bombing. Police shot him dead. Voicing criticism of Arafat after Friday's blast, President Bush (news - web sites) told reporters: ``I am disappointed in Yasser Arafat. He must make a full effort to rout out terror in the Middle East.'' Sunday's explosion occurred near the Sbarro pizzeria where a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 16 in August. Photos Reuters Photo Asked about Israeli retaliation, Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites), said: ``The military will bring its recommendations for the approval of the political echelon.'' Israeli jets fired missiles on Friday at Palestinian security targets in the West Bank and Gaza, wounding two Palestinians in retaliation for Friday's suicide bombing attack. And an Israeli missile strike on Thursday followed the shooting attack that killed the two Israeli women.

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Methods in Education Research

All educational (and other) research falls into two broad methodological categories: qualitative and quantitative (Lincoln & Denzin, 1994; Charles, 1998; Merriam, 1998; Holliday, 2001). â€Å"Research that relies on verbal data is called qualitative research, while research that relies on numerical data is called quantitative research [emphasis original]† (Charles, p. 30). Various opinions exist, depending on one†s viewpoint, experience, or preference, about which of the two major approaches to education research, qualitative or quantitative, is better. In my own opinion, neither quantitative research in education nor qualitative research in education is inherently â€Å"better† or â€Å"worse†; one†s research method must spring from the design and content of the project itself. To decide on one research method or another, based on other reasons, seems to me both artificial and possibly harmful to the project. I believe that both of these methods are inherently, equally useful depending on how and why they are used, and on what is expected from the project by the researcher and others. According to Charles (1998), the original impetus for any educational research project, either qualitative or quantitative, springs from an initial recognition of a particular problem or concern, perhaps previously unidentified or insufficiently researched: A concern is identified for which there is no ready answer. The concern may have arisen because of a need, an interest, or a requirement, or a commissioned work, and may have been present for a long time or may have arisen unexpectedly. For example . . . ducators have identified a disturbing pattern of academic achievement in . . . schools-students from certain ethnic groups seem to progress more rapidly than others, despite the educators† efforts to provide equal educational opportunities for all. (p. 10). We would use qualitative research . . . to investigate and describe the after-school activities of . . . high school students newly arrived from El Salvador. We would try to document carefully who did what, and the data thus obtained would be mostly verbal, acquired through observation, otation, and recording. On the other hand, if we wished to assess the language and mathematics abilities of those same students, we would use quantitative research. . . . administer tests that yield numerical scores we could analyze statistically. (Charles) Qualitative research in education involves using research methods that might include observation; interviewing, or shadowing of research subjects, and/or interpretation of data, from an individual, non-empirical perspective. Quantitative research, on the other hand, uses methods like statistical surveys; questionnaires with results are broken down by percentages, and interpreted on that basis, and other empirical (rather than interpretative) methods. It is also possible, within some education research projects, to combine qualitative and quantitative research into one project, for example, by doing both statistical surveys of minority high school students on their feelings about access to college-preparatory and advanced placement courses, and personal observations of minority students within their high schools. I see considerable merit within both educational research methods, and have read a number of both qualitative and quantitative studies that I have found worthwhile and helpful. Therefore, I believe that it depends on one†s project design, and one†s goals for the project, whether one should select either a quantitative or a qualitative research method, or perhaps a combination of both methods, to best achieve one†s goals for an educational research project.

Virgin and Child with Saint Anne

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne Rebecca Townsend Hum2235 Dr. Hoover Edison College Fall 2012 Townsend 1 The painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne took more than a decade to complete. It was created in the 16th century, in Florence Italy. A young master artist declined the original commission for The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and suggested Leonardo da Vinci. The monks who commissioned the painting, an artifact of Christ’s family tree, gave Leonardo a workroom.The figures in the picture are of Saint Anne representing the grandmother, the Virgin as mother (Mary/Madonna), the Child as Christ, and the lamb as the future sacrifice of Jesus. They are closely intertwined in the painting showing their tight bond in Christian History. Da Vinci could not separate Christianity from his work. Leonardo in his painting as well as in his life seemed to cultivate a sense of mystery (Capra XIX). The monks of the Florentine Santissima Annunziata commissioned Leonardo to pa int The Virgin and Child with St. Anne as an altarpiece for their high altar. In his typical fashion, Leonardo did not complete the work on time.The monks, eager for their altarpiece had to commission another artist to complete the work. The monks approached Filippo Lippi to complete the work Leonardo had started. Filippo Lippi was the artist that painted Madonna and Child with Two Angels in 1465. Lippi was the artist who had initially rejected the commission suggesting the monks give the project to Leonardo. Lippi considered Leonardo to be a superior artist. Lippi agreed to finish the project but died before its completion. After Lippi died, the monks had a young Florence artist named Perugino finally complete the piece.At last, the monks of the Santissima Annuziata in Florence had their painting for their high altar. Some consider the painting to be a treasure of esoteric and occult wonders. Some are fascinated by the sight of St. Anne supporting her heavy daughter on her knee, wi th no visible means of support (Budny36). Townsend 2 It’s hard to find any evidence of Leonardo’s beliefs in his paintings, since there are no written records that have survived if they ever existed. Leonardo believed that a good artist must also be a good scientist in order to best understand and describe nature.The humanistic, naturalistic, and scientific aspects of Leonardo’s life and work are not always clear because he was an original Renaissance man [Leonardo’s art, scientific investigations, technological inventiveness, and humanistic philosophy were all bound] together. During the 16th century he made numerous drawings and sketches with different themes that eventually lead to this famous artifact The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. Various designs still exist of the version painted in 1510. Leonardo could not fuse the two qualities he desired: an abstract formula and the immediacy of life.The final painting now hangs in the Louvre in Paris. The painting is a complex and masterful synthesis of his previous variations (Capra 105). In some research it is stated that this artifact is unfinished, even though he had worked on this painting possibly for eight or nine years (Bramly 321). Leonardo had a habit of never finishing his work. Leonardo had drawn many different cartoons painting and sketches leading up to the final painting of The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. One of his cartoon sketches had St. John the Baptist kneeling next to Christ (Capra 105). Leonardo switched St.John to a lamb in the final painting. The lamb (sacrificial animal) represents passion suffering in Christ’s destiny. It is not known why Leonardo replaced St. John, who was Christ’s cousin, with a lamb. He painted the Christ child as being about a year old. It looks as if he is slipping out of his mother’s hands and trying to grab hold of his destiny, the lamb. The lamb, being embraced by Christ has his head bent, while its tail a nd hind legs are clearly indicated to be in a comfortable place (Johannes 86). Townsend 3 Leonardo put his thoughts to paper and painted through, light, shadow, and geometry, using three dimensions.Da Vinci declared, â€Å"There are three kinds of perspective. † The first is concerned with the reason for the diminution of things as they form from the eye. Second contains the way in which colors vary as they form the eye. The third and last declaration of how objects should appear less distinct the more distant they are. Examples, perspective of disappearance (Capra 219). Perspective in painting was his destiny. From the pyramidal construction to the fact that only three feet belonging to the figures are visible, everything in the picture seems to be threefold.In fact in this painting, Leonardo was pursuing a theological meditation on the destiny of Christ, which had begun in his early painting Virgin of the Rocks (Bramly 320). Most research indicates the rocks, mountain strea ms, and escarpments of his childhood made up his private landscape in his paintings (Bramly 86). Leonardo depicts the women as sister like in age even though they are indeed mother and daughter. Saint Anne, the mother of Virgin and Child, sits with her daughter on her lap. The Virgin is half rising from her sitting position and she appears to want to restrain her daughter from separating the Child and lamb (Kemp 273).It is unusual for Mary to be portrayed in her mother’s lap. The painting may have more meaning to it than the Passion of Christ. Saint Anne perhaps represents the Church in this painting. Art critics have admired the unity of the three figures, the freedom of movement, the sweet and melting quality of the faces, and the mountains in the background. The family figures almost blend into each other in their rhythmic balance, with Leonardo’s dreamy mountains, foreshadowing the landscape of the Madonna, in the background (Capra 105). What better way to describe the bond of maternal love uniting three generations?Leonardo had written in a short note in one of his journals, The Virgin and Child Townsend 4 with Saint Anne means â€Å"the glorification of motherhood†. The Virgin and Saint Anne in this masterpiece seem to be about the same age in the painting, with their two bodies merging almost into one. Leonardo gave the child two mothers both graced with the blessed smile of happiness. To the viewer’s eye, the painting may imply to evoke his thoughts on his childhood which the painter wanted our thought as childhood had been divided between his real mother and his stepmother.He may have united them in his mind as he did in his painting, a picture that no one could have painted except of Leonardo De Vinci (Bramly 318). Both women, Saint Anne and the Virgin, have dedicated their lives to God, which had touch Da Vinci. One research source stated that in the painting Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, the Virgin is designed first, as she is in so many of his drawing, and the landscape seems to flow from her. The Painting is designed by Da Vinci in a diagonal, where we formerly saw a pronounced swing down from top right at the crown of the tree, through St .Anne’s left arm and elbow, through the successive arm/knee/arm/knee configuration of the Virgin, down to the placement of St. Anne’s feet on the then more brightly â€Å"spotlighted† left section of the rocky foreground. Against that progression, we saw in the earlier state how Leonardo had orchestrated a countervailing upper left to the bottom right sweep through the principal heads and the arms of the Virgin and the Child, down to the rump and tail of the lamb. This movement was decisively echoed and enforced by the parallel diagonals of the Virgin’s right leg and St.Anne’s left leg (Johannes 3). It is stated that Saint Anne’s left arm was painted the same way in another Leonardo da Vinci painting. Townsend 5 Leo nardo’s composition of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is perhaps the one which, of all his designs, he contemplated the longest and in great depth. Perhaps, he felt attracted by the particular formal and iconographical problems presented by the subject. When we were asked to select an artifact to research and write about, the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne caught my eye.The love and compassion in the women’s eyes and their expressions towards the innocent child reminds me of the love I have for my own children. Although much research has been done to discover why Leonardo painted the picture the way he did, it is still unclear. It is unclear why the women appear to be the same age and why he substituted St. John with the lamb for the final painting. Research is still being done on his journals and notes. Leonardo, who was left handed, wrote all his notes in mirror writing, from right to left (Capra, 27).Perhaps further analysis of his notes and sketches will reveal more insight into the painting of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. [pic] Work Citied Bramly Serge. Leonardo the Artist and the Man. Penguin Group. Great Britain. 1994. Print. Budny Virginia. The Art Buletin. Vol. 65, No. 1 (Mar. , 1983), pp. 34-50. Print. Capra Fritjof. The Science of Leonardo. New York. Anchor. December 2008. Print Johannas Nathan. Miteilungen. 36. Bd. H. ? (1992), pp. 85-102. Article. Kemp Martin. Leonardo on Painting. Yale Nota Bene. Yale University. 2001. Print. Marani Pietro C. Leonardo Da Vinci. Abrams Harry N. New York: 2000. Print.

Mobile American Sign Language

Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Mobile American Sign Language by the University of Washington is about a recently develop cell phone software that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing people to use ASL through video calls. â€Å"The MobileASL team has been working to optimize compressed video signals for sign language. † This was a great article to read. I was excited when I was able to video chat on my cell phone, so I know deaf people are very excited to have a way of talking to each other over video chat. It is a much better way of communication for deaf and hard of hearing. Once MobileASL software is worked out it could possibly run on any mobile device. â€Å"Transmitting sign language as efficiently as possible increases affordability improves reliability on slower networks and extends battery life, even on devices that might have the capacity to deliver higher quality video. † Researchers have brought the data down to about 30 kilobytes per second while still relaying clear sign language. The participants in this study were pleased with MobileASL. Most deaf or hard-of-hearing people use text messages as a means to communicate on a cell phone. Text messaging is a good way to communicate but sometimes it is slow and the message might not be clear. Sometimes they don’t know if the person even receives the text message. I will have to find me sum deaf friends now because I love to video chat with others. Since I’m learning ASL they could help me study and still be at the house and me at mines. MobileASL can detect if you are the one signing or not. This detection helps save the battery life. If you are the one signing you use more of the battery. So I suggest you just â€Å"listen†, you will save your battery. Some phone companies need to find out how they do this so my phone battery could last longer. I would have thought that ASL signers could have video chat with an iPhone but that’s not the case. Yes they could use the iPhone but the prices are way too high. Some broadband companies have blocked the â€Å"bandwidth-hogging† video conferencing from their network. The iPhone uses 10 times more bandwidth than MobileASL. What’s the reason for them to block the bandwidth? They should be trying to help. I will read more about this because this is very interesting to me. It’s interesting that they haven’t come up with some kind of software already. Deaf and hard of hearing people do need another means of comminuting on the mobile phones besides text messaging because sometimes that just doesn’t work. The prefer talking face to face anyway. I still would like to know why they are blocking the bandwidth instead of trying to help improve the problem.

Self-confidence: Confidence and Self-assurance

Self-assurance In our life, there are two words between you and your success. Than if you reached to this words, I am sure you are successful person and you can make the success one after another in anywhere. In addition I am sure you will accept knowledge and experience more than others. In this essay I am going to define these two words which called self-assurance, which basis of the successful person. Everybody have abilities and decisions also have potentials, but all of this needs confidence to be prominent.In my assay I will discuss about concept of self-assurance, I will compare between it and vanity, and the positive effects of it†¦ For that reason we need to compare between them, with example from reality. First one _ self-assurance _ comes from several factors which are: repeat successes, has the ability to override the difficulties and embarrassing situations and wisdom in dealing. In addition self-assurance programmed the person to accept the result whatever. For tha t, I am like most people’s which think it is something positive. On another hand, the vanity means feeling of greatness and dust perfection.So, the different between them is the self-assurance is estimate of possibilities available. But, the second is loss or abuse of this estimate. For example: the vanity person doesn't listen to others except him and he always talking about himself. He cannot believe that he may makes mistakes. He believes that he can be in the right place rather than others. But, the achievements are talking about the confident person. Therefore, the one of the greatest common mistakes is to say that vanity is the same self-confidence or even confuse them. That is because vanity is demolition agent rights while confidence flying the rights. he very unfortunate to say that, the self-assurance can be grow to the point that see to its owner – in him self- he has ability on everything . Then, here turning to vanity. So, we can say there is one hair betw een self-assurance and vanity. So, the more human self-confidence whenever intensified that hair and approached the drop! In my opinion we can say the self-assurance is something such as motivation on the person to highlights of his abilities, decisions and potentials. Also, self-assurance almost means the esteem of self, and faith of this, can be reached this self to the success.Because of the person respect himself so, the others will respect him. Less an example of that, When I was in elementary school. I read in one publication in my school which was published weekly contest held for the speech. I was very eager to participate in the contest so I read many articles in order to gain a range of skills to enable me to participate in the competition and won in it . Therefore, I went to the teacher Responsible for the competition to ask him to add my name to the list of participants in the competition but he refuse to add my name. He said that my age didn’t allowed me to join the competition.But I was confident of my ability to participate in the contest. Finally, because of my insistence, my teacher agreed to join with the participants in the competition. And already I participated in the competition and managed to win in it within creative students. Finally ,self-confidence is gaining and evolve not generate self-confidence with when it appears to the human life, those people who know you they are confidence and the can control of the concern, and have no difficulties in dealing and coping at any time or in any place are people who have gained self-confidence.

Air pollutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Air pollutions - Essay Example Firstly, one cannot begin to consider the question of whether establishing a train system would benefit the greater good without coming to a broad understanding of the fact that trains are inherently more efficient means of transportation than cars. For instance, a train is capable of moving multiple tons of cargo or passengers for the equivalent of 1 gallon of fuel; conversely a car, even at the most efficient level, requires at least one gallon to move 1 person more than 25-40 miles. Given this efficiency based argument, it comes to the central question of why trains are not utilized as a means of both saving money and the environment. The first reason for this is of course the issue of cost. It has been estimated that building a train system across the United States that would mirror train systems in Japan, Europe, or other developed regions around the world would cost trillions of dollars (High Speed Rail Overview 99). Such a program could of course be started under the logic tha t like Eisenhower’s Interstate program, the economic benefits would ultimately be repaid to the government over time due to economic gains of more rapid and cheaper transportation; however, the fact remains that the initial price tag associated with such an endeavor is so staggering that few if any politicians are willing to take up such a cause during one of the most trying and difficult economic times within the nation’s history (Boyd 38). Moreover, another factor that ties directly into the issue of cost is the level of debt that such a project would necessarily entail. As such, due to the hesitancy of the political leaders and many of the citizens to add on to an already monumental national deficit, no such project has been suggested. A secondary issue that is keeping the train from being further developed within the United States has to do with the unique culture that has seen the car become a type of iconic American symbol of freedom. Seeking to categorize this l evel of iconoclasm would be futile in such a brief work; however, suffice it to say that the car itself has become intrinsically tied to the American understanding and expression of individualism and freedom. In such a way, being a passenger on a train diminishes this feeling of individualism as everyone on the train arrives at the given destination at the same time and via the same means (Frohardt 339). Although this can of course be seen as a bit of an over simplification, it is doubtful that such a cultural understanding of freedom and transportation is likely to change within our lifetime. Although the implementation a rail system within the United States and throughout much of the rest of the world would doubtless save tens of billions of gallons/liters of fossil fuels from being burned and sent into the atmosphere in the form of carbon, the fact of the matter is that many nations are unlikely to develop these resources due to a fundamental lack of available cash with which to do so. More importantly, as one looks at the examples of modern train systems that function efficiently and hold these up as an example, one fundamental fact is noticed concerning them; the fact that each and every one of these nations or regions has shared a

Audit Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Audit Planning - Coursework Example For the success of the planning process, an auditor has to observe several steps. They include risk assessment, conducting a survey, planning meeting and definition of scope and objectives of the audit. Risk assessment is purposed to determine the risks involved in the planned audit. These risks if any can be evaluated to determine their levels and whether or not to be included in the current review. It also helps in deciding the extent of involvement of professionals with the specialised skills during the review process. In most occasions, these assessments are discussed with the firm’s department to get their perspective on the risks identified and their views. A preliminary survey is conducted to allow an auditor get an overall understanding of the various departments within an organization and their operations. This helps in planning on time and resource allocation to the different audit areas. It also helps in identification of the direction, management and supervision of resources. This stage also enables auditors to design the strategy of the audit process for effective exercise and on time management. After completion of the survey, a meeting with the organization’s heads is usually convened. This usually is carried out to discuss the strategies for the audit, and ensure that the information gathered during the survey is accurate and reviewing the level of risk assessed. Discussion of the audit scope and objectives is done at this stage. Documentation of the overall audit strategy and plan is compiled, and then the review process is then rolled to the firm. An effective audit process can be executed if there exists a clear understanding of the client’s business operations. It is usually a challenge for many auditors to perform their operations without having knowledge of their client’s business. It is a requirement in the International Standards on Auditing for the auditor to have knowledge about the company and its

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

Community - Essay Example Attendance is described as good as the school district has partnered with a truancy solution company and as such has launched a campaign to encourage students to attend school regularly. As a result, school attendance has improved by 10%. The latest report reflects that daily attendance is at just over 94%. District Setting Administration For administrative purposes the school district is divided into four categories: elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and special schools. There are 68 elementary schools, 18 middle schools, 15 high schools and 8 special schools. Each school is run by a principal who reports to the Superintendent for the district. The superintendent is assisted by a deputy superintendent for administration, a deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction and a deputy superintendent for business and financial services. The superintendent and the various deputy superintendents coordinate all aspects of the administration of the school with the princ ipals. Student Data Enrolment for the 2010-2011 academic year is 94, 702. The district accepts students from the age of 4 for pre-kindergarten. Once students are registered at an elementary school, registration is no longer necessary. Students come from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. However, 67% of the student body is Hispanic. District Mission The school district’s mission is to provide an exemplary education with above average educators and an intensive extracurricular program. In addition the school district’s mission is to foster an environment that is family oriented. In other words, the school district encourages close community between the staff, teachers, administrators, the study body and the families. The school district readily admits that its wants to be the best place in the state for families. Thus its mission is to foster a connection between the schools and parents, business and members of the community generally. This is because the school dis trict takes the position that while the child’s education is significant for society’s future, the family provides the key to learning. As such, parents are not only obligated to be actively involved in the education of the child, but also have an inalienable right to be involved. The school district prides itself on its advanced technology, innovative facilities and highly qualified staff. These factors have made the school district appealing to both staff and families in terms of recruiting students and educators. The school district has a strategic plan which targets the enhancement of its students’ academic and social achievement. It also endeavors to provide a climate for learning that is safe. This is accomplished by emphasizing the recruitment and retention of exemplary staff, keeping up with modern technology and fostering communications with the external public and fortifying partnerships with the business community. Mission/Philosophy Public Relations The school district’s school/community relations mission is guided by the philosophy that the community is a stakeholder in its schools. As such, two-way lines of communication must be open so that the school district operates transparently and the community is therefore fully informed of all issues impacting the operation and success of the school. An informed community is in a more effective position to participate in the school distr

Globalization Questionnaire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization Questionnaire - Research Paper Example Because of globalization, international market or global market came into existence. International or global market then is composed of different countries trading products and services with each other. Companies have been going out of their home countries and starting to build their names in other countries. This is basically the reason why we see imported products being displayed in supermarkets and department stores such as wines from Italy, gadgets and cellular phones from Asia, and shoes from Germany. Some of the international trade theories that support globalization are mercantilism, free trade, comparative advantage, absolute advantage, Heckscher-Ohlin theory, the product life-cycle theory, new trade theory, and Porter’s theory or the national competitive advantage. Rugman (2009) argued that globalization has four major drivers: market, government, competition, and cost. Market globalization drivers are factors that usually affect the demand for a specific product or service such as consumers’ common preferences, increasing consumers from different countries, and global market distribution. Governments had taken the initiative to take off international trade and investment barriers and establish free trade. They also reduced trade tariffs and eliminated restrictions in the quantity of products and services to be imported or exported. Globalization is greatly influenced by competition. For instance, a company might consider establishing a satellite office in another country to deliver their products to foreign consumers. Because of this act, other competitors would also want to go global and promote their companies to diverse markets. Other examples of competitive drivers are increasing number of alliances between multinational companies and increasing globally-centered companies. Almost all companies would want to maximize profit thereby minimizing their costs. There are countries where production and

The Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean weekly Reflection Assignment

The Anthropology of Latin America and the Caribbean weekly Reflection - Assignment Example Mestizos in the Latin society gain their identity from their hard work and economic success while Mestizaje refers to those that are indigenous. Metrizos build racial discrimination to the African-origin people regardless of them gaining the originality from industrialization. Indigenous and black movements seek to minimize the politics of difference by sensitizing minimum native identification and equitable distribution of resources. (Sanabria Harry, 2007) On gender and sexuality, the Latin American women for a long time have been considered inferior in allocation of labor activities and distribution of resources for economic growth. High rates of illiteracy gaps between the male and female gender has been associated with the minimum number of females who are educated. Since colonialism, the Latin American gender parity has reduced and enabled more women get education and training. Gender in the Latin society is faced with a new identity that is considered a third sex in the society. This is neither man nor woman, transgender. The anatomic difference between proto-men and proto-women are not systematically cognized. (Sanabria Harry, 2007)To them sexual identity is less important in defining a person’s interpersonal bonds and self identity or recognition in the society. Heterosexuality and homosexuality is disregarded and the society does not teach any sexual disparity to the younger generation. Feminism has promoted empowerment of women in the general aspects to men. Women through their movements have been able to maintain their homesteads as single mothers who have been oppressed by masculine domination and left to fend for themselves. Behavioral experiences, drugs and gangs in the Latin American society degrade the fatherhood ability of the male gender leaving women to be the responsible homestead keepers. (Sanabria Harry, 2007)Gender violence is an issue that will require

Compare and Contrast Research Methods Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compare and Contrast Methods - Research Paper Example As there are various research methods for carrying out different types of research in all areas such as psychology, public affairs, marketing, business administration and etc., it is important to make wise decision among all available options so that the results can be used in a productive manner (Hopper et al., 2007; Lee, Benoit-Bryan & Johnson, 2010). Since questionnaire-based survey was discussed in detail in the last assignment, five other research methods will be compared with this method to understand their applicability in the real world. The following table is a brief snapshot of the similarities, differences and applications of questionnaire-based surveys after doing comparison with in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective techniques, experimental methods and observation: In-depth interviews and questionnaire-based surveys require the professionals to develop a questionnaire so that they can ask the questions to the respondents in a structured way and any queries regarding the questions can be clarified during the research (Brugger, 2010; Kotnik et al., 2010). As compared to the questionnaire-based surveys, in-depth interviews are time-consuming, interviewee might record the answer according to his/her perception and experts need to learn the skills of conducting the interviews (Milena, 2008; Yaoxiang, & Lihai, 2008). These interviews are ideal for gathering information about the perceptions, attitudes, preferences and behaviors of the consumers. In-depth interview method is frequently used in the fields of psychology, marketing and business administration (Harris & Brown, 2010). Focus groups comprise of eight to twelve respondents and it has a lot of similarity to the questionnaire-based survey such as a questionnaire is developed and tested before carrying out the research, respondents are provided leverage of answering