The epic of gilgamesh by stephen mitchell Essay

The epic of gilgamesh by stephen mitchell - Essay Example The analysis also sheds light upon what perceptions Enkidu has of mankind and how he believes that his race has no hope of success against superior beings due to their fear. Enkidu tries to explain how defeating the Humbaba will be an impossible mission. He tries to explain the attributes of the beast with words like: â€Å"His jaws are death†, â€Å"his breath spews fire, etc (Mitchell, 93). Enkidu seems to be trying to convince Gilgamesh to let go of the idea of defeating the creature as it will be physically superior to any human, and its supernatural attributes will ensure a victory at his end and death at the side of men. The way he says: â€Å"But how can any man dare to enter the Cedar forest?† shows that Enkidu is unsure and afraid of going on this quest. Enkidu wants Gilgamesh to let go of the idea of defeating the beast (Mitchell, 93). Enkidu is constantly trying to explain how the Humbaba is terrifying and will overcome them. He explains various attributes of the beat with precise detail like the beast is fit for listening to the faintest sound in the woods. This helps to shed light upon Enkidu’s belief that they will not have the chance to achieve triumph in the adventure as the beast will overcome them and death will become their fate. Enkidu further indicates how the creature is startling and undefeatable by portraying its jaws, voice, and breath that he says transmits fire (Mitchell, 93). His nervousness can be assessed as he further expresses that no man or god can overcome the Humbaba. He, in any case, indicates that somehow it is conceivable to reach success against the beast if man can overcome his fear. When he says that, the animal is there to scare men and that the individuals who are apprehensive will be stuck down due to fear (Mitchell, 93). It demonstrates that men who manage to overcome thei r fear against the Humbaba may win the fight because of their gallant and brave nature. This statement presents a contradiction

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

Entrepreneural - Research Paper Example ea explains to the management the effect that the idea will have on the organization and how to implement the idea in the existing procedures (Christiansen, 2000). The organization has a culture that upholds change that arises. Management has ensured that it has induced a positive culture that encourages employees to welcome any change that will have a positive impact towards the organization’s performance. On the other hand, leaders are the implementers of the change. They ensure that they lead the rest of the organization towards changes the organization. The organization has also ensured that it provides a serene environment for the innovators. This is through providing psychological and financial support to those who have an idea that may change the organizational performance. Employees also give human capital inform of giving ideas towards refining the idea for it to become more effective for the whole organization. This has played a major role in encouraging potential innovators to come up with diverse ideas that has seen an increased competitiveness of the organization (Christiansen, 2000). For the management to increase creativity and innovation in the organization, they must create a good relationship with their subordinates. Many of the innovative ideas come from the low ranked employees. As a result, leaders should adopt open office policy to encourage employees t consult them when need arises concerning the idea (Christiansen, 2000). Second, the organization leaders should set aside funds that will help those with ideas to purchase all the necessary materials required to spearhead the idea(s). Funds have been the greatest setback towards innovation therefore; availability of the funds will encourage employees to come up with ideas that will improve the organizations status (Christiansen, 2000). The management can encourage innovation through giving out incentives. In case an employee comes up with an innovative idea and it brings change in the

Evolutionary Changes to Horses

Evolutionary Changes to Horses Enough horse fossils have been found so that archaeologists are able to trace the evolution of horses. The earliest fossil of a horse found was a dog sized Eohippus (Tyagi, 2009). This four toed Eohippus lived around 55 million years ago (Hall, 2010). The Equus mostly stayed the same with the exception of slight toe and teeth changes. During the Oligocene era about 34-34 million years ago the horse grew in size and 4 toes evolved into 3. Also in this time the horse had vanished from Europe, Africa and Asia and for the following million years the only place which was habitable for the horse was in the western part of North America (Rice, 2007). The Miocene era saw lush vegetation disappear and the land became a grassy plain. The horse was forced to adapt and evolve in order to survive in this new environment, for example its teeth needed to change so it was able to chew the new food, its toes changed into hooves which made it easier to get about the different landscapes. These horses are thought to have had a similar brain and molars to the modern horse of today (Kimball 2006). The only real wild horse, to compare to the domesticated horse is the Przewalskis horse, although this species is extinct in the wild, there are some captive in zoos which have saved the species from total extinction and are now being captive bred (Boyd 1994). The Fell pony originates from the England/Scotland border. They are only a small breed around 14h maximum but are capable of carrying an adult man (Davis, 2008). They are a hard and sturdy breed and also versatile. The Fell pony matures late and will not breed often until as late as 7 years old. Most of the native Fells are left to roam free until the age of 2 or 3 and they arent overfed. Mares shouldnt breed before the age of 3 or permanent damage could be done to the reproductive organs and the mares maturity and growth can be restricted (Fell pony society, 2006). Environmental Factors Survival of the fittest means that only the strongest most resourceful animals live to breed. In the bad winter of 1946-47 most of the pure bred native ponies survived, but cross-breeds died. This winter was so bad that all but one group of Fell ponies that were cut off by deep snow for 6 weeks also perished (Richardson, 2008) The environment influences a horses characters, for example weight and muscle, these all depend on nutrition and exercise. The athletic ability and temperament also changes with different environmental factors. The size of the pony was due to the quality of grazing, ponies that were bigger than 13hh could not have survived on the moorland as their food intake would need to be greater than the smaller ponies (Mills, 2005). Demographic profiling of horse domestication is hard. Mongol herds show the selective slaughter of stallions at 2 and half years old, leaving the mares to survive (Zeder, 2006). A horses breed typical behaviour is reflected on the combination of two forces- physical environment and humans. Temperament differences are often linked with blood temperature (Jensen, 2009) Human intervention In early history of the Fell Pony, their origins were from indigenous ponies of the region, and in the Roman period of Northern England the horses were cross-bred with horses which were introduced by foreign mercenaries. These horses from Friesland region have the pre-potency and characteristics still seen today in the Fell pony (Richardson, 2008) There was also a mixture of Galloway blood, also Welsh cob from the stallion Comet. Small amount of Andalusian blood and finally Yorkshire trotter, which explains the larger 14.2hh ponies when the breed limit is 14hh (Fell pony Society, 2009). During the industrial revolution the Fell pony was used as a pack pony. They carried up to 16 stone of lead, iron ore, slate and coal from the mines. These ponies travelled 240 miles a week. From Kendal 300 Fells left to go over the country carrying cargo such as fish, grain, chickens and dairy products (Hamlets house, n.d.) The Fell pony society was created in 1916 and has the Queen Elizabeth II as the patron (Fell pony society, 2003). During the depression of the 1930s along with mechanisation the Fell pony breed was threatened and in 1932 at a stallion show there was only 3 ponies that were shown. King George V saved the Fell pony breed with a large donation and also Beatrix Potter donated to save this breed (Richardson, 2008) Low breeding numbers can drastically reduce the gene pool in a breed, causing it to bottle neck. This happened to the Fell ponies. In 1914, 5 stallions were the direct descendant of the famous Blooming Heather. Homozygosity is 54% in British rare breed horses. (Richardson, 2008) In todays terms, nature is taking out of the equation; there is no longer survival of the fittest among these horses. We provide them food and shelter, there is no longer natural selection (Richardson, 2008). Humans took horses from their environment in which they had evolved, and managed them under convenient conditions for us (Waran, 2007) These days the Fell pony is used by man for showing, riding and driving. The Fell pony society regularly holds performance trials where the horse tackles different terrains such as boggy paths and water crossing. These horses are smart and need to be kept active (The Fell pony society, 2009). Gene flow and polygenic inheritance of traits Not all Fell ponies are black. There are also brown, bay and grey ponies. Black didnt become the main colour until the end of 20th century, before this time dark bay was just as common as the black ponies (Fell Pony Museum, 2010). The two subspecies of wild horses are the Tarpan and Przewalskis horse. During domestication mares were crossed with stallions that had more desirable characteristics. It is assumed that mares from different regions were varied in morphology because of the adaptation to their environmental conditions. Gene flow (migration) is the main reason for lack of phylogeographic structure. As horses are so active migration levels are high. Two wild horses were found to have identical haplotypes from the Pleistocene era, one from Germany and the other Siberia (Kavar, 2008) The colour of a horse is built on a base of two colours only, black- E and chestnut e. The colour of a horse is controlled by genes at 12 different loci (Thiruvenkadan, 2008). The two genetic loci: Extension and Agouti control the black or chestnut colour of a horse (Sponenberg, 2003). Black is dominant over chestnut, and chestnut is therefore recessive. A horse that carries 2 black genes EE will be homozygous- black, a horse that carries one black gene and one chestnut gene Ee will also be black however it will be heterozygous, and finally a horse that carries two chestnut genes ee will always be homozygous, chestnut. If two heterozygous black horses are bred together Ee+Ee there will be a 1 in 4 chance of producing a black homozygous EE , 2 out of 4 chances of a black heterozygous Ee and a 1 in 4 chance of a chestnut being produced (Wellman, 2009). See table 1. Polygenic inheritance is seen in a variety of colour patterns in horses, such a shade and mane and tail colour. These might be due to influence of multiple genes (Thiruvenkadan, 2008). Gene mapping has been used to assign numerous coat colour traits and disorders that are inherited to the horse chromosome. Molecular genetic studies for coat colour in horses have helped identify the genes and mutations which are responsible for coat colour variation. Microsatellite markers that linked to the trait were also found (Thiruvenkadan, 2008). Microsatellite loci tests across horse population showed that the highest observed heterozygosity of 0.0782 and highest diversity of 0.779 was the Fell pony, the lowest was in the Friesian horse (Luis, 2007). Microsatellites show high allelic diversity and are used to calculate genetic distance between the breeds (Mills, 2005). Any horse breed existing today is an expression of the history of genetic drift and selection. The genotype for a breed will contain genes and combinations which code for specific characteristics, (such as good temperament and intelligence in Fells (Simper, 2003)). Foal Pony Syndrome Mutations that occur in a gene make it defective or somewhat unusual (Guttman et al 2002). This is seen as a deleterious gene in the Fell pony. In the early 80s it became aware that new born foals were dying from an unknown disease which couldnt be cured by traditional medicines. After post-mortem examinations the conclusion came that is was most likely something of genetic origin (Brunt 2000). Fell pony foals get a condition called immunodeficiency disorder (Fell pony syndrome). Plate 1 shows a foal with the syndrome. It affects foals less than 3 years of age. Both sexes get it; the signs are diarrhoea, pneumonia, lymphopenia, ulcers on tongue, a curly coat which is unusually long and death (Higgins, 2006). Blood samples from the foals revealed that there is a low red blood cell count, low lymphocyte count and a high white cell count. A diagnosis can be made from a bone marrow sample taken from the breastbone. The syndrome causes severe anaemia, impaired immunity and is fatal with the foals usually being put down or dying by the age of 3-4 months. As the syndrome is only known in the Fell pony breed it is assumed that its of genetic origin (Thomas, 2000).Foals usually fall ill around 4 weeks of age. This condition is possibly caused by an autosomal recessive deleterious gene which is inherited (Higgins, 2006) Due to the Fells small gene pool this syndrome is increasing at an alarming rate, as it is estimated that only 5000-6000 ponies are left worldwide. Selective breeding is better than the elimination of carriers when breeding to avoid a syndrome foal. If the syndrome is proved to be of genetic cause and the carriers can be found then they shouldnt eliminate the carrier ponies from the breeding stock as narrowing the small gene pool any further would have a devastating effect to the breed (Thomas, 2000). The level of FPS in the Fell pony population may be due to the history of the breed as after the Second World War there was a huge fall in numbers. This resulted in genetic bottleneck (Horse Trust, 2008). It is likely that two- thirds of the Fell pony population is a carrier, and 10-20% of foals a year are syndrome foals. No affected foals have been known to survive (Thomas, 2000). The stem cells in bone marrow are generally missing in the syndrome foals. The bone marrow matrix might be failing to produce the stem cells and be deficient (Millard, 2000).The most likely cause of the syndrome beginning is thought to have been inbreeding/line breeding in the 1960s (Plate 2). The original carrier stallion isnt known but there is one heavily used stallion in the 1950s that is noticed in the pedigree of each known syndrome foal (Thomas, 2000) The only way of getting rid of this genetic problem is with carefully managed breeding. Genetic disorders are common and the management of breeding has been seen in other animal breeds which have worked successfully for them (Brunt, 2000). The Fell pony society is performing constant genetic tests to try and eliminate the syndrome from the breed. The breeders are working with the society to preserve the Fell pony breed. Carries can still be bred to a test clear pony; this will stop the loss of desirable breed traits. The foals can be DNA tested to see whether they are a carrier or not. A veterinarian can collect samples and have them sent to a genetic lab to determine whether they are a carrier of the deleterious gene or not (Animal health trust, N.D)

The invention of the Human Essay -- Shakespeare Literature Papers

The Invention of the Human In his recent book, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (1998), Harold Bloom argues that Shakespeare’s characters provide the full measure of his continuing legacy. Shakespeare, Bloom maintains, created self-conscious characters who breathe life. Shakespeare’s characters are so alive, possess such "interiority," that they catch themselves looking at themselves. This quality is the essence of becoming human—to know we know, to be aware we are aware, to sense our own presence on the stage of life. Prior to Shakespeare’s ascendancy on the English stage, Bloom argues, there was no concept of the individual self, just types. These types persist in Shakespeare’s plays as residual stock characters displaying humours, like Malvolio (melancholic) and Hotspur (choleric). In Shakespeare these crude concepts of personality give way to major and minor characters who evolve and grow almost within themselves. They possess a special energy that touches all other characters within the play. But it is Bloom’s provocative remark, "Shakespeare invented us," that stretches us beyond our conditioned response to the plays and invites us to define a new relationship with Shakespeare. Bloom argues that Shakespeare so interpenetrates our consciousness and our cultural existence that we do not know the boundary between him and us. One suspects that we are receptive to Bloom’s idea because of the mysterious ambivalence of Shakespeare himself. Shakespeare’s elusive self, the stuff of Keats’s Negative Capability, may indeed be found in his 100 major characters and hundreds of minor personages dispersed through his histories, comedies, and tragedies. Bloom, however, takes Shakespeare and his characters out of dramatic con... ...al world of Elizabethan England—essential to an understanding of Shakespeare’s history plays can easily be lost if we regard the characters as existing beyond their origins. We cannot neglect the social, intellectual, and historical context in which the histories derive their meaning. Bloom asserts that the plays’ characters transcend their origins and operate in a universe that is still being created. We can appreciate his thesis as it reverberates through our consciousness. Bloom has successfully helped us secure a new relationship with Shakespeare and his dramatic art. At the same time, we must wonder if we can separate Shakespeare—and his characters—from the plays. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997. The invention of the Human Essay -- Shakespeare Literature Papers The Invention of the Human In his recent book, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human (1998), Harold Bloom argues that Shakespeare’s characters provide the full measure of his continuing legacy. Shakespeare, Bloom maintains, created self-conscious characters who breathe life. Shakespeare’s characters are so alive, possess such "interiority," that they catch themselves looking at themselves. This quality is the essence of becoming human—to know we know, to be aware we are aware, to sense our own presence on the stage of life. Prior to Shakespeare’s ascendancy on the English stage, Bloom argues, there was no concept of the individual self, just types. These types persist in Shakespeare’s plays as residual stock characters displaying humours, like Malvolio (melancholic) and Hotspur (choleric). In Shakespeare these crude concepts of personality give way to major and minor characters who evolve and grow almost within themselves. They possess a special energy that touches all other characters within the play. But it is Bloom’s provocative remark, "Shakespeare invented us," that stretches us beyond our conditioned response to the plays and invites us to define a new relationship with Shakespeare. Bloom argues that Shakespeare so interpenetrates our consciousness and our cultural existence that we do not know the boundary between him and us. One suspects that we are receptive to Bloom’s idea because of the mysterious ambivalence of Shakespeare himself. Shakespeare’s elusive self, the stuff of Keats’s Negative Capability, may indeed be found in his 100 major characters and hundreds of minor personages dispersed through his histories, comedies, and tragedies. Bloom, however, takes Shakespeare and his characters out of dramatic con... ...al world of Elizabethan England—essential to an understanding of Shakespeare’s history plays can easily be lost if we regard the characters as existing beyond their origins. We cannot neglect the social, intellectual, and historical context in which the histories derive their meaning. Bloom asserts that the plays’ characters transcend their origins and operate in a universe that is still being created. We can appreciate his thesis as it reverberates through our consciousness. Bloom has successfully helped us secure a new relationship with Shakespeare and his dramatic art. At the same time, we must wonder if we can separate Shakespeare—and his characters—from the plays. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

Detroit Riots

DetroitApril Woodson 4 February 2013 Newspaper analysis Tara Saunders Race riot in Detroit (June 20, 1943) The Detroit Riots, an article from The Chicago daily tribune was published three days after the riots. It talks more about the aftermath of the riots, after troops were ordered in and how it portrays the United States to the international community. The tone the article takes on is almost shameful and gives the vibe that not only should Detroit be embarrassed by the United States as a whole because the riots did spark racial tension in other cities like Los Angelas as well.Though the article is short the intensions of the message are very clear as it reads, â€Å"†¦the race riots which had brought deep disgrace upon that community came to an abrupt end†¦an important lesson to be drawn by the American people from this ugly incident†¦relations between the races in America have improved but we still have far to go before the problem can be regarded as solved. The ad vocates of super governments are asking us to believe that what we have not yet succeeded in accomplishing in America can be achieved with the stroke of a pen on an international treaty† (pg 1).Though the article is on the front page of this particular tribune issue, the location of the article in the newspaper gives one the impression that the riots are now a thing of the past. We know this because the article was published three days after the event and its proceeded by an article about control of rabies. The second article titled â€Å"F. D. R. for Troops in Detroit† which was also published by the Chicago tribune was written two days after the riots and it seems as though its attacking Roosevelt’s decisions to call upon the militia to help stop the riots or explain the reasoning being doing so.He does give the crowd a chance to disperse before he sends out the troops, â€Å"Now, therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, do hereby c ommand all persons engaged in said unlawful and insurrectionary proceedings to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes immediately and here after abandon said combinations and submit themselves to the laws and constituted authorities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg 2). I think this is important to note because a lot of people think it was just an attack on innocent people.This article also seems like it was published at the height of the riots when everything was in complete and utter chaos. The author of this article isn’t necessarily analyzing the riots but rather the political reasoning behind how appropriate Militant intervention would be. This article is also brief but it is important as it covers a big milestone during the riots and ultimately one of the biggest courses of actions, which was the decision of F. D. R. to send in troops to Detroit.This shows just how bad the riots were at that point and in relation to the last article I think this article unknowingly gi ves the readers an insight into just how embarrassing the aforementioned â€Å"ugly incident† really is. The third article from the Chicago daily tribune was also published two days after the riots. However this article takes up the whole front page with the title Army Rules Detroit it gives the impression that these were the last big moment of the riots, like the city was a damsel in distress and the Army was the superhero that came to rescue it.The article almost points to sum up the riots in the title by making three things obvious under the Army Rules Detroit we see in little letter, 23 die: Homes fired, shops looted in race riots, 700 wounded in wild disorders. Unlike previous articles its obvious this one was probably written by a racist author. The author of this article refers to black people as â€Å"Negro’s† and â€Å"negresses†. His tone makes it seem like African Americans are animals that cannot be tamed and the only option was military inter vention it also attempts to walk the reader through the state of the Detroit during the riot.Throughout the article we see subtitles like Thirteen Schools Closed, Trolley lines Suspend and Ammunition seized all theses titles seem to explain how out of control the city was, it gives us the bad side of the situation gives one the impression that things don’t seem to look up until the army arrives. Its not coincidence that this is such an in-depth analysis seeing how Chicago is right next door to Detroit. However although its obvious that the riots are the result of racial tension whenever the author quotes a white person he makes them seem like a victim while it may true in some cases he never sheds the same light n African Americans. Newspaper articles from the New York times aren’t as harsh and tend to concentrate more on what caused the riots, what law officials are doing to keep if from happening again as well how they are trying to punish the people who played major roles in the riot. Even democratic Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi is quoted saying, â€Å" Detroit has suffered one of the most disastrous race riots in history† (pg 1). It says a lot when politician in the south could say such a thing when a lot of racism during that time is rooted in southern states.The New York Times focuses a lot on the aftermath of the riots and provides coverage on how the presence of the Army helped. One article from the Chicago tribune is titled in bold letters Army Rules Detroit and when one tries to tie the agenda of the two newspapers together it seems as if the New York tribune picks up where the Chicago tribune leaves off. The Army arrives and then we get to see what the Army does and the control measures implemented to keep such riots from happening again. These articles in general are trying to put the public at ease, to reassure them that once again Detroit is under control.From the Washington post we see feelings of shame and e mbarrassment resurface again. One-article titled Detroit Tragedy begins with, â€Å"No American can escape a feeling of shame as well as sorrow over the race riots†¦such an outbreak is at its ugliest when it stems from race hostility. † Just like the New York times, the Washington post also suggest that the main cause of the riots was â€Å"the inadequate living facilities of a community which has become desperately overcrowded as a result of the war. (pg 3) When reading through this article words like, ugly, disgrace, dangerous, shame and enemy really stick out, these are the words that best describe the riots and the impact it had on the people. Throughout newspapers across the united states the riots where regarded as ugly and I think the aforementioned quote â€Å"Such an outbreak is at its ugliest when it stems from race hostility†, best sums of the how the country viewed the riots.Though the riots only lasted twenty-four hours, during those hours the whole country was watching domestically and especially internationally with World War II also taking place. The Detroit Riots. † Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963): 12. Jun 23 1943. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune (1849-1989). Web. 4 Feb. 2013 . Detroit Tragedy. † The Washington Post (1923-1954) Jun 23 1943: 8. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1996). 4 Feb. 2013 Special to THE NEW,YORK TIMES. Kelly Acts to Ease Detroit Riot Curb. † New York Times (1923-Current file) Jun 24 1943: 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2009) with Index (1851-1993). 4 Feb. 2013 . Army Rules Detroit; 23 Die. † Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) Jun 22 1943: 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune (1849-1989). 4 Feb. 2013 . F. D. R. Order for Troops in Detroit. † Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) Jun 22 1943: ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune (1849-1989). 4 Feb. 2013 . By The, Associated P. Army P atrols End Detroit Rioting; Death Toll at New York Times (1923-Current file) Jun 23 1943: 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2009) with Index (1851-1993). 4 Feb. 2013 THE NEW,YORK TIMES. â€Å"Three Counties Under Curbs. † New York Times (1923-Current file) Jun 22 1943: 7. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2009) with Index (1851-1993). 4 Feb. 2013 . â€Å"Detroit Calmer; Troops on Guard. † The Washington Post (1923-1954) Jun 23 1943: 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Washington Post (1877-1996). 4 Feb. 2013 .

Outlaws and Violence of American West Essay

Many Americans consider the era of the Old West as one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. It’s an era that is uniquely American, and people around the world identify America with the era of the Old West. There is much legend surrounding American History of the Wild West when it comes to American outlaws lawmen and violence. But what is the real history about violence in the west? In this paper I will talk about outlaws and lawmen as well as the portrayal of violence of the west and try to identify the myths and legends versus fact from which the American mind as drawn up. So what is an outlaw? Well an outlaw is pretty much just what it sounds like. Somebody who has broken the law and is on the run from the law. The west was not a lawful place and most of the people in the west where on the fringes with the law to begin with. One of the most famous outlaws in American history is Billy the Kid. Billy the Kid has come down as a towering mythological figure, yet the history of the real Billy the Kid is something we don’t really know that much about. Other famous outlaws like ‘Jesse James and his gang, and the Wild Bunch with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had their exploits widely covered by the popular press of the time, and the American public seemed to take great interest in the tales of their exploits.† So could the media of the time period make a lot of stuff up about the law in the American West because that’s what sold? Or is it just the love for crime and fantasy telling stories is what drives the American mindset. In spite specific incidents of violence, the lawlessness of the Wild West has been blown out of proportion. Ironically, the myth of the lawless West began before the period was over. News articles and books written in the East exaggerated the west’s tales, or simply made up, stories about the crimes and criminals of the West. â€Å"Hollywood later fueled the myth, feeding the public’s desire for excitement and adventure with stories of gunfights in the street and stagecoach robberies.† The true story of the Old West is rather boring to most people. Because of the need to hunt for food or protect themselves from wild animals, many people did have guns. However, fans of Hollywood westerns may be surprised to learn that many western towns had strict gun ordinances, making it illegal to carry guns in town. People entering the town were required to surrender their firearms to the sheriff. In fact, a story that has come to epitomize the violence of the Wild West involved a conflict over such a law. When Virgil Earp, along with his brothers Morgan and Wyatt and their friend Doc Holliday, confronted five cowboys in the city of Tombstone over carrying firearms in town, violence erupted. This incident became known as the gunfight at the OK corral and only lasted about 30 seconds yet it’s forever immortalized in our history. We know this because of the countless movies and books written about the event. It’s interesting to note that even in this most famous gunfight of the violent West, only three people were killed. In any modern city today, such a minor incident would probably not even be front-page news. So, was there violence in the mountains, plains, and frontier towns of the old west? Yes. Most of the settlers moving west, whether they were farmers, cowboys, miners, or some other profession, were honest and hardworking. Just as today, outlaws existed, yet in most places and for most people, violent crime was not the daily norm that popular entertainment would have us believe. As un American as it may be, relatively few people in the Wild West were involved in the gunfights and stagecoach robberies that were immortalized by the movies. As I mentioned before there is no outlaw more legendary than Billy the Kid. Countless books, movies, and songs have been written about his life, but the reality was not quite as sensational. Often portrayed as a cold-blooded killer, â€Å"he entered a life of crime out of necessity, not malice.† People who knew him personally called him brave, resourceful honest, and full of laughter. Under different circumstances, he probably have been a successful person if it weren’t for his upbringing. The most famous myth about Billy the kid was that he killed 21 people, one for each year of his life. In reality this is just not the truth. He was probably only responsible for four killings in his lifetime. In reality a lot of Billy the Kid’s story has also been kind of blown out of proportion, although most of the events are true. Enraged from the murder of John Tunstall, Billy and his fellow companions were deputized and given the warrants to bring in the Murphy men who had killed him. They called themselves the Regulators. Due to the corruption of the day, the governor sided with Murphy, and the Regulators became the enemy. He was known to have killed four men as mentioned previously but because the media and the American love for action, it was out of proportion. After a daring escape from jail, and a few years on the run, he was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett while hiding out in a friend’s home. Over the years, several people have claimed to be Billy the Kid, but the chance that he survived and/or his body was misidentified are highly unlikely. Sticking to the topic of violence in the American West as being somewhat a myth we can look at the California gold rush. In three years, more than 200,000 people had migrated to California, most of them trying to get rich quick. If there were ever a recipe for chaos, this would seem to be one. One would think that these gold camps where home to tons of violence and outlaws. People of varied backgrounds and ethnicities, all armed and all seeking a valuable resource. But the mining camps quickly evolved rules for establishing mining claims and for judging disputes. The fact that each person carried a six-shooter meant that each had a relatively equal amount of power. That minimized violence. Dozens of movies have portrayed the nineteenth-century mining camps in the West as places of anarchy and violence, but according to Roaring Camp â€Å"beginning in 1848, the miners began forming contracts with one another to restrain their own behavior. There was no government authority in California at the time, apart from a few military posts. The miners’ contracts established property rights in land that the miners themselves enforced.† Even though there was some violence in these camps the miners more or less kept civilized. Gunfights never really broke out and violence was kept at bay because of the law. Though we don’t learn about this too much because of the movies and media once again. So what about gunfights with outlaws and lawmen? It is in everybody mind that two men meet a high noon in the middle of a busy street for everybody to watch and then when the clock strikes you draw your pistol and shoot. Though movies and television would like us to believe otherwise, it was very rare when gunfights occurred with the two gunfighters squarely facing each other from a distance in a dusty street. â€Å"This romanticized image of the Old West gunfight was born in the dime novels of the late 19th century and perpetuated in the film era, to such a point that this fictional version is what our mind’s eye quickly conjures up when we hear the word gunfight.† In actuality, the real gunfights of the Old West were rarely that â€Å"civilized.† In fact, there are several misconceptions about these gunfights. The first of which is that very rarely, did the gunfighters actually plan a gunfight to occur, calling out their enemy for dueling action in the street. Instead, most of these â€Å"fights took place in the heat of the moment when tempers flared, and more often than not, with the aide of a little bottled courage.† They also didn’t occur at a distance of 75 feet, with each gunfighter taking one shot, one falling dead to the ground, and the other standing as a â€Å"hero† before a dozen gathered onlookers. Instead, these fights were usually close-up and personal, with a number of shots blasted from pistols, often resulting in innocent bystanders hit by a bullet gone wild. Much of the time, it would be difficult to tell who had even won the gunfight for several minutes, as the black powder smoke from the pistols cleared the air. This is not to say that it never happened similar to the movies. One of the rare instances is the Wild Bill Hickok-David Tutt Shootout in Springfield, Missouri. Even then, it wasn’t a â€Å"planned† event, but rather, â€Å"it occurred when Wild Bill ran into Tutt in the street and was insulted.† Always shown bravely facing each other in the popular westerns movies with the like of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, in reality, the opponents were more often running around shooting wildly and ducking for cover. The gunfights were not usually clean either, as the â€Å"fighters were drinking and missing normally easy shots, continued to shoot until they had emptied their pistol.† This popular idea to the public mind that the frontier of the American West was an extremely violent place with little value placed on a human life is far from truth it seems. Small Western cow towns are thought to have witnessed hundreds of murders and killings. As well as, many outlaws and their gangs riding through the towns robbing banks, trains and stagecoaches. In fact, â€Å"there were only five killings in Dodge City during its most homicidal year of 1878. Deadwood, S.D., had five deaths in its worst year with Tombstone, Ariz., experiencing five killings in its most violent year.† So why do these towns claim these accounts? Well that’s easy to answer. The west was opening up and settlement was becoming vast in nature. A lot of people moving westward were already on the fringe with the law. So these cities saw this as a selling point for people to come to their towns. That the law didn’t exist in the towns. Once again we see the media using the myths and legends to there leverage. Some of the real violence and outlaws that happened during the expansion of the west we don’t often hear about. The homestead act of 1862 contributed to rapid settlement of western lands, and thus to conflict and violence, specifically with the cattle barons that were already there. Cattlemen often â€Å"claimed large areas of open range, using it for grazing and for driving their cattle to market.† Although in most cases they had no legal claim to the land, they had used it in this way for years, often fighting off Indians and other cattlemen in order to do so. Along with their wealth and the power provided by the men working for them, they â€Å"felt that having come first gave them the right to do whatever it took to drive the homesteaders out. This was especially true when homesteaders fenced off their land, limiting access to already scarce sources of water.† The most famous of the conflicts that resulted is the Johnson County War, which ended only after the cavalry was sent in by order of the President. The large cattle barons also fought among themselves for control of the open range and lucrative government supply contracts. The most infamous of these fights is the Lincoln County War of 1878, in which the outlaw Billy the Kid as who I mentioned earlier rose to fame. Of course, miners, homesteaders, and cattlemen alike also had to worry about the native tribes that they were displacing. These conflicts also led to violence. Many Americans consider the era of the Old West as one of the most fascinating chapters in our history. It’s an era that is uniquely American. There is much legend and myths about history of the Wild West when it comes to American outlaws lawmen and violence. As we have seen in this paper, a lot of the violence and outlaws were blown out of proportion for the most part due to the over romantic love of violence the American mind has come to love. This is due to the western movies and novels because that’s what sold the American heart. Although we do see that violence did exist in the west with the Johnson and Lincoln county wars and outlaws like Billy the Kid and Jesse James, most of the history of violence is was too dramatized. Why? Well I don’t know about you but John Wayne and Clint Eastwood seemed to be pretty big heroes in my mind, and well the movies are great way to feed our ego boosting American mindset of how the west was really won.

A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HUI) Essays

A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HUI) Essays A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HUI) Paper A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HUI) Paper A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HU) BY datsY27101989 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY OF STUDY PROJECT REPORT TITLE: A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HOI) Date of submission: 16/05/2013 Name: VO THI KIM COC Supervisors Name: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Hung Tien Tutors Name : Le Huong Hoa, M. A l certify that this work is entirely my own and has not been accepted as part of a submission to another purpose elsewhere. Signed: Word length: words ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study has been completed with the help and support of many people. Therefore, I am grateful to all of them. Most importantly, I wish to give my special acknowledgement to Mr. Le Hung Tien, my supervisor, who has made a significant contribution to the success of this research. He shaped me on the path toward being an independent researcher. I also would like to give my thanks for Ms. Le Huong Hoa, my tutor. Dear Ms. Hoa, thank you for your initial ideas of the research topic and your support during the time I was conducting the research. You have invested a lot of energy and valuable time counseling and correcting my study. Without your help and support, I would have been in much trouble completing my study. Working with you, I have learned a lot of valuable knowledge and experiences in doing research. Besides, I would like to Mrs. Dinh Thi Hoa, lecturer of Faculty of Foreign Languages at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry, who gave me advice on my study. Her advice and guidance helped me overcome difficulties while I was implementing the research. No acknowledgement would be completed without thanking my parents who always nspired me so much in finishing this research. I also want to give acknowledgement to my friends who spent their time to help me analyze my paper and provide insightful comments. TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPERVISORS REMARKS Grade: Supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Hung Tien ABSTRACT The research carried out under the title A study on the difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. The obstacles in teaching and learning speaking skill are surveyed in some selected classes and observed by the researcher. Interviews are also organized o get supplementary results for the questionnaires. All the quantitative and qualitative methods are conveyed to get data for the research. As the result, teachers and students have different difficulties in teaching and learning speaking skill. In classes, the teachers surveyed meet difficulties with the large size of classes, studentslow motivation, studentsinsuffcient English competence, and so on while students meet obstacles such as difficult lessons, teachers unsuitable teaching methods, and the worries of making mistakes. In summary, all the difficulties originate from objective and subjective reasons. The rationale of the study: Nowadays, English plays an important role in the society. The number of people English speaking is becoming popularly. Speaking skill is one of the inevitable skills in learning English. Penny Ur (1996:120) noted, Speaking seems intuitively the most important in four basic skills. In fact, through speaking, people can express their opinions, make social contact with others people, establish rapport. In some situation, we use English speaking to give instructions or to get things done. That is also a reason why today more and more people learn to speak English. Most of the learners of English agree that the ability to express themselves freely in communication is the great importance for their future career, especially in modern societies where contacting with foreigners often occurs. However, there still exist many difficulties in learning and teaching English in Vietnam in general and at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry (HOI) in particular. Many Vietnamese learners can write and read English quite well but they cannot speak it correctly and fluently in real-life communication. Surely, there are many reasons for this reality. After teaching the non-English major tudents especially freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry for some years, I have recognized some big obstacles which prevent English language teachers and learners in Vietnam from achieving their aims. These obstacles are: large and heterogeneous classes, students low level of English language proficiency, students low motivation and some others. Unfortunately, this is not only the situation in these universities but also the case for many other colleges and universities in Vietnam. This has given me the desire to conduct A study on the difficulties in teaching and of Industry 2. Aims of the study: The research investigates the reality of teaching and learning English speaking skill to non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. The main goal of the research is to identify the difficulties of teacher and students when they deal with speaking skill. 3. Research questions of the study: 1 . What are the difficulties of teacher at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry when teaching English speaking to non-English major freshmen? 2. What are the difficulties of non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry when learning the English speaking? 4. The scope of the study: Teaching and learning the English speaking skill is a wide field for research. In the scope of this study due to the limited time and knowledge, the study focuses on difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking to the first-year students of non-English major at HI-Jl. 5. Methods of the study: To fullflll the above aims, the investigator has chosen both qualitative and quantitative methods for the study. Data for analysis are gained through the following sources: Survey questionnaires: this method is used to find out the difficulties the teacher and first-year students of non-English major at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry when they learn and teach English speaking. The questionnaires are useful for getting data of the attitudes and behaviors of the teachers and learners when facing these difficulties. It is very convenient for the significant in getting more qualitative data by getting closer to the objects of the study. Moreover, observation done by the researcher is leading to more objective data and open new perspective of the study. 6. Design of the study: This minor study consists of two parts: Part A- INTRODUCTION: states the rationale, aims, research questions, the scope, ethod and design of the study. Part B- DEVELOPMENT: includes three chapters: Chapter I -LITERATURE REVIEW: provides theoretical background that is relevant to the purpose of the study. Chapter II -METHODOLOGY: presents the methodology of the study including the research context, methods of study, research design. Chapter Ill -FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: deals with the data analysis of two questionnaires designed for English teachers and non-English major freshmen to find out their difficulties in teaching and learning speaking skill. PART S: DEVELOPMENT 1. 1. Speaking Skill: 1. 1. 1 . Concepts of Speaking: Speaking is the productive, oral skill. Speaking consists of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning (utterances are simply things people say). According to Carter David Nunans book (2001 :19), speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information and it is often spontaneous, open-ended and evolving, but it is not completely unpredictable. Speaking is fundamental to human communication. Different linguistics has different concepts of speaking but they are all agreeing with this idea. Brown also defines in her book speaking as an process of constructing meaning that involves producing, receiving and processing information, (1994:241). In Brown and Yules opinions in teaching the Spoken Language book (1983:236), spoken language consists of short, fragmentary utterances in a range of pronunciation. Usually, there is a great deal of repetition and overlap between one speaker and another. Speaker usually uses non-specific references. They also add that spoken language is made by using the loosely organized syntax, and non-specific words, phrases and filters such as Oh, well, uhuh, etc. A comprehensive discussion of the nature of speaking is provided by Bygate (1991 59), who shows that in order to be able to speak a foreign language, it is obviously necessary to have micro-linguistic skills, that is, to understand some grammar, vocabulary and the rules governing how words are put together to form sentences. However, these motor-perceptive skills, as Bygate calls them, are not sufficient since while producing sentences, we often have to adapt them to the circumstances. He then presents the second set of speaking skills: the interaction skills, which involve using knowledge and basic motor- erception skills in deciding what to say and how to say it, while maintaining the intended relation with others. 1. 1. 2. The Role and Status of Speaking in Language Learning and Teaching: As it was implied in the introduction, the skill of speaking has been recently considered by many methodologists a priority in language teaching. Of all the four skills, Ur (1996: 120) concludes, speaking seems intuitively the most important. Most language learners, she adds, are primarily interested in learning to speak. Similar view is held by Nunan, who says that the ability to operate in a second anguage can be actually equated to the ability to speak that language. Hedge (2000:258) gives the evidence that speaking has recently obtained, at least from textbook writers, the attention it deserves: Learners need to develop at the same time the knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, functional language and communicative skills. Attention to the systems of language is crucial, but the development of fluency and contextual appropriate are equally important goals. The reasons for learning to speak competently are formulated as follows: Learners may need the skill to establish nd maintain relationships, to negotiate, to influence people. Speaking is the skill by which learners are assessed when the first impression is formed in Hedges book (2000: 261). 1. 2. Difficulties in Teaching and Learning to Speak English Skill: 1. 2. 1 . Difficulties from Teacher: There is no learning without teaching. So as a tool of implementing teaching plans learning. Quite a few researches have discussed the relationship between teacher talk and language learning. As Nunan (1991:203) points out: Teacher talk is of crucial importance, not only for the organization of the classroom but also for the processes f acquisition. It is important for the organization and management of the classroom because it is through language that teachers either succeed or fail in implementing their teaching plans. In terms of acquisition, teacher talk is important because it is probably the major source of comprehensible target language input the learner is likely to receive. The amount and type of teacher talk is even regarded as a decisive factor of success or failure in classroom teaching. Moreover, to make the process of teaching and learning effective, it is very essential to build a friendly, non-threatening lassroom atmosphere which is created on the basis of a close teacher-learner relationship. Therefore, inappropriate teacher pedagogical practices through not only classroom teacher talk but also classroom teacher-learner relationship have also been seen as a major contributor to the difficulties in teaching speaking skill. 1. 2. 2. Difficulties from Students: In speaking class, besides the active learners, some learners feel shy or afraid to speak or express their ideas, especially when students are being asked to give personal information or opinions. Maybe students fear to lose face in front of their lassmates. Referring to this problem, David Nunan noted in his book (1999:231), In the recent informal survey that I carried out with colleagues, reluctance to speak on the part of student was seen as their biggest challenge. In the speaking activities, pronunciation plays an important role; it is the way for students to produce clearer language when they speak. If they pronounce wrong, no one can understand what they want to say. Howatt talked about this problem in Ronald Carter and David Nunans book (2001: 14), it was essential that the learners pronunciation should be orrect before moving on to texts. Besides that, the local accent is also another reason so that they need to practice the right pronunciation. They must follow a standard accent to pronounce exactly. Another aspect of speaking that is particularly relevant for second language speakers concerns whether or not the speaking is planned or spontaneous (David Nunan, 2001:227). With speaking performance, students often have mistakes on grammatical points such as word using, tense and sentence structure because there are differences on structure, tenses, and word order between English and Vietnamese. Thus, to speak a language, one must know how the language is used in a social context Richards Renandya (2002:206). Being influenced by the mother tongue, learners sometime cannot use word appropriately and speak English like native speakers because each language has its own rules of usage. That is the main reason preventing students ability of English speaking. There are some situations happening in classroom. Teachers give students a topic to speak, but they cannot present the topic. The reason for this problem is that students do not have enough knowledge, vocabulary or they are not major in this topic. When students do not have idea to express the topic, it can be easy for students to feel boring in speaking class. Therefore, in order to improve the speaking skill, students not only understand the basic knowledge involving in many different fields but also have a large knowledge of vocabulary. As Canale and Swain proposed, competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence, which reflect the use of the linguistic system and the functional aspects of communication, respectively, Richards and Renandyas book (2002:206). CHAPTER II: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2. 1 . Method context: . 1. 1 . Description of the English course for non-English major freshmen and its objectives at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry: The study is conducted at Ho Chi Minh university of Industry. They must spend the first two years learning Basic English. They learn integrated skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) in a 12 credit course in three semesters. Students learn the textbooks American Headway 1B, American Headway 2A, American Headway 2B. The aim of this course for non-English major freshmen is to develop students communicative competence in English. After he course, students are expected to communicate in English at the intermediate level. Students will normally learn English to communicate with other people fluently after finishing their study at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. . 1. 2. Description of the non-English major freshmen at HOI: Most of non-English major freshmen at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry must learn English from the first semester (at the beginning of the first year) to the second or third semester (at the end of the first year). They start at different levels of English and learn different majors such as Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical, Chemical Engineering, Environment, Information T echnology, Business Administration, Finance and Banking. Students who have a certain competence of English forget a part what they learned after the long time they prepared for the university entrance examination. 2. 1. 3. Description of the English teachers at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry: Most of English teachers teach English for non-English major students are from Faculty of Foreign Languages at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. Most of them graduated from some institutions r universities of training teachers of English such as Ho Chi Minh University of Pedagogy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, or other universities in Australia, Canada and English. The qualification status of teaching contingent is that of the teachers are enthusiastic and active in teaching. The frequent meeting or discussions on how to improve the teaching and learning quality are held to get new ideas about changing teaching and learning methods as well as adapting materials appropriate to students. 2. 2. Methods of study: The study employs both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This is, according to WisJer. G (2001 :138) a common approach. Questionnaires are used as a kind of quantitative method of study to collect information from teachers and students. The questionnaires include both closed and open-ended questions which give teachers and students chance to express their opinions on the difficulties of teaching and learning English speaking skill. Besides that, interviews and group observation are used to get quantitative data for the study. Their in-dept thinking noted during the interview will help the researcher have more sights looks into the study issue. Moreover, observations give a condition for the researcher to check whether the teachers and students do what they say in the lessons. . 3. Research design: 2. 3. 1 . Sample and sampling: The data of the study is collected from two main sources: survey questionnaires and interviews. The survey questionnaire is conducted among 1 5 teachers who have from 3 to 10 years in teaching English to non-English major students at Ho Chi Minh University of Industry. The questionnaires for non-English major students are delivered to 150 students learning in three groups. They are first-year students who re taking part in a second semester of their English course. 2. 3. 2. Research Instruments: The data for the study comes from both a quantitative method called survey questionnaires, and two qualitative methods mainly interview and group observation. 2. 3. 3. Data analysis: Data analysis is not only the process of reading out the data collected but the process of interpreting data under the viewpoint and experience of the researcher. The analysis will bring a lot of suppositions in the research question into light. These results will be presented in forms of tables and chart that help to compare different iewpoints of teachers and students on the research problems. CHAPTER Ill: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION This part will deal with the data analysis of two questionnaires designed for English teachers and non-English major freshmen to find out their difficulties in teaching and learning English speaking skill. BOOKS: 1 . Brown, H. D. (1994). Teaching by Principles: an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. Prentice Hall. 2. Brown, G. Yule, G. (1983). Teaching the Spoken Language. Cambridge University Press. 3. Bygate. (1987). Speaking. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 4. David Nunan. 1999). Second Language Teaching Learning. Heinle Heinle Publishers. 5. Jack C. Richards and Willy A. Renandya. (2002). Methodology in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press. 6. Ronald Carter David Nunan (2001). The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages. Cambridge University Press. 7. Tricia Hedge. (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press. 8. Ur, P. (1996). A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press. 9. Wisker, G. (2001), The Postgraduate Research Handbook, Palgrave Study Guides

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Social And Economic Justice Theory - Essay Example The thesis gains importance because present day Governments and Judicial systems should adopt the best available social and economic justice theory in their efforts to ensure fairness in justice delivery. Justice in this context does not confine to justice delivered in courts alone but also concerns the justice a common man is entitled in his day to day life. Courts are concerned with rule of law alone. The courts are expected to delver judgments tempered with economic and social justice to iron out differences due to unjust inequalities among people. If a law is unfair, courts are sometimes unable to reverse it because of the supremacy of law making power of the elected body. Courts can still guide the law making body to ensure observing the principles of economic and social justice while enacting laws. It is the law makers who are more concerned about how far the rules are socially and economically justifiable. Seemingly perfect law may not be really so if it is deeply gone into for which exercise knowledge of theories of justice is necessary. Not only is the law maker should know but also the members of the society so that if they are affected in toto or a particular section of the society is affected by an unfair practice or law, they can voice their concern. The three theories of justice that one must be concerned with are Utilitarianism, Justice as fairness, and Libertarianism in one's effort to find answer to the questions raised here. That is whether an individual is entitled to justice in direct proportion to his individual efforts. Utilitarianism theory posits that a society should have laws and institutions aimed to bring about general satisfaction for its constituents. As there is no instrument to measure the satisfaction, the utilitarianism finds it indirectly through the propositions of what is good for the members and what are the means to achieve it. Firstly the basic needs of human being such as food, shelter, protection should be satisfied. Aristotle laid the foundation of this utilitarian concept by holding that human actions actions are driven by their rational choices in order to realize their basic needs. Hence basic needs realization is the reflection of the utilitarian theory which satisfies the above said conditions of human good for overall happiness of the society's members. John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham and Henry Sidgwick were the Utilitarians of the 19th century. John Stuart Mill held on the lines of Aristotle that human happiness depended upon liberties in speech and action as well as economic prosperity. He insisted wealth was indispensable to realize the human expectations. Utilitarians therefore wanted free education funded by public money through levy of taxes, both capitalist and mixed economy, protection of all kinds of liberties and a democratically elected form of Government. An objection to this was made by John Rawls in his A Theory of Justice 1971(pp.23-4) since institutions envisaged can turn out to be unjust. Because when the analogy of an individual's sacrificing for his future gains is applied to the society's sacrifice for the present for future benefits as can happen in the utilitarian way of

History and Culture of Medieval Italy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

History and Culture of Medieval Italy - Essay Example For more than four centuries Italians were struggling to preserve their identity. Italy cannot be referred to it as merely the geographic unity, it is the national identity shaped and modified by culture of Medieval Italy which evolved into the nation known as "Italians" to the world today. From the early medieval ages, Italians were different from their neighbours. They preferred to live on the tops of the hills, while the Romans lived in the valleys (Hodges 47). Based on the interpretation of the medieval monastic sources, hilltop villages evolved along with the Italian life out of the introduction of the monetary economy in the 9th century. This transformation has led to the process of incastellamento - the foundation of castelli on the top of the hills. Notably, Italian cities had the tendency not to grow, but to reduce as well. Unlike many other Italian urban centres, Florence's growth has declined in the 7th and 8th centuries, while Rome and Milan became the centres occupied only by aristocracy. Rural estates and houses of aristocracy were built in the distinct towns. Hodges continues that "the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 6th century led to the rural communities of the peasants reshaping the landscape and defining their own rules" (48). The economy activity in rural regions was insignificant and there is the evidence that town and country were truly separated in economic, social and political life. Even though Italy was the distinct community with common heritage, culture was embraced by only a handful of intellectuals – Dante, Petrarch, historian Guicciardini, and few others. ... Their works were the bonds of material and emotional importance which linked together the peninsular inhabitants and counterbalanced its fragmented structure. "While the Latin language had been replaced by a cluster of regional dialects, it remained the standard mode of discourse of university education and of the professions of law, medicine, and theology" (Brucker 1). In addition to common language, Italians shared the same administration of justice - it was based on the principles of Roman law and applied in every Italian court. The power of Roman papacy in Italy was due to its wealth, administrative structure, and regulation of religious practices and beliefs. Despite of the great influence of Roman Empire over the Italy, Italian cities and towns managed to retain the physical features of those ancient sites. A native of Naples could travel to any other city and feel at home: the buildings, the streets, the social structure and culture were all the same (Brucker 1). Traders were the most cosmopolitan segment of the medieval Italy and travelled along with the pilgrims, soldiers seeking employment and workers. Such unity with the citizens without permanent place of living and similarity of all towns, helped to create the feeling of belonging to the community larger than their native village. The Roman papacy was the only Italian institution that provided the focus on the Italian history in the early medieval ages. The papacy had the direct influence on the every region and medieval popes were so preoccupied with the concerns for their security as well as with the expanding authority over the whole society, that they unwillingly shaped the Italian national identity.

The cold war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The cold war - Essay Example oviet ideology with regards to the way in which a state must be ordered and the manner of economic interaction that must be practiced was diametrically opposed to the approach that the United States and its allies proposed. As the dust was settling over Europe after the Second World War, the issue of rebuilding the shattered remains of these nations was foremost on the minds of the Allied powers. As such, the United States was specifically interested in setting up governments that were like its own model; a democratic capitalist society. Yet, due to the fact that the Soviet Union believed that democracy was merely a mechanism through which the moneyed aristocracy could lord over the resources and effect an even greater level of capitalist robbery this approach was scorned. Instead, the Soviet Union attempted to set up puppet states that were directed by Moscow and practiced a very similar, if not identical, form of communism. This led the United States to feel that the Soviet Empire was gorwing and threaetneed the very existence of Western Europe; and indeed the rest of the world. As the Soviet Union began to espouse a more and more aggressive line of expansion, the United States felt as if they were e ntering a zero sum game in which the Soviet Empire would eventually control much of the globe. All of this culminated in a decision by Washington, and its allies, to promote a direct level of opposition to this and seek to engage third parties as a means of promoting them towards Washington and away from Moscow. Furthermore, ideology also plays a powerful role with respect to the fact that economic competition between the opposing theories of communism and capitalism extended far beyond Europe and soon encompassed the entire globe; where the Soviets sought to garner support for a revolution of the proletariat and the United States sought to spread seeds of capitalism - oftentimes by force. The proxy wars and the political and economic posturing of both

Parental Involvement (chapter 4) Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10750 words

Parental Involvement (chapter 4) - Dissertation Example Parenting may be considered as natural for everyone, as most people underwent parental care during childhood and adolescence. However, there are still programs in which the goal is to bring out the best in parenting, concerning students whose problems derail them from performing academically. Table 13a focuses on the number of respondents that were able to participate in Parental Involvement workshops. According to the survey, 58 respondents (35%) answered that there were workshops or courses for parent involvement offered by the school district. However, there are 108 respondents (64%) who answered that there were no workshops or courses that concern parent involvement. For those have had the privilege to attend and participate in Parent Involvement workshops, the number of workshops last year varied. There are 21 respondents (12%) that were able to participate in 1 workshop while there were 88 respondents (52%) who were active, attending 2-3 workshops for Parent Involvement.

The cold war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The cold war - Essay Example oviet ideology with regards to the way in which a state must be ordered and the manner of economic interaction that must be practiced was diametrically opposed to the approach that the United States and its allies proposed. As the dust was settling over Europe after the Second World War, the issue of rebuilding the shattered remains of these nations was foremost on the minds of the Allied powers. As such, the United States was specifically interested in setting up governments that were like its own model; a democratic capitalist society. Yet, due to the fact that the Soviet Union believed that democracy was merely a mechanism through which the moneyed aristocracy could lord over the resources and effect an even greater level of capitalist robbery this approach was scorned. Instead, the Soviet Union attempted to set up puppet states that were directed by Moscow and practiced a very similar, if not identical, form of communism. This led the United States to feel that the Soviet Empire was gorwing and threaetneed the very existence of Western Europe; and indeed the rest of the world. As the Soviet Union began to espouse a more and more aggressive line of expansion, the United States felt as if they were e ntering a zero sum game in which the Soviet Empire would eventually control much of the globe. All of this culminated in a decision by Washington, and its allies, to promote a direct level of opposition to this and seek to engage third parties as a means of promoting them towards Washington and away from Moscow. Furthermore, ideology also plays a powerful role with respect to the fact that economic competition between the opposing theories of communism and capitalism extended far beyond Europe and soon encompassed the entire globe; where the Soviets sought to garner support for a revolution of the proletariat and the United States sought to spread seeds of capitalism - oftentimes by force. The proxy wars and the political and economic posturing of both

Sleep and Rapid Eye Movement Essay Example for Free

Sleep and Rapid Eye Movement Essay Aw dreams that magical place that you drift off to in your sleep when everything goes just your way. Its that part of the day when everything is so pleasant and peaceful. Hello fellow classmates, and miss grubb today im here to talk about â€Å" Dreams† There are many things that make dreams happen. for example being in a good mood not being angry and getting a good nights sleep can make it happen. You can dream during(REM) rapid eye movement. What is rapid eye movement. Rapid eye movement (REM) is the stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes. REM sleep typically occupies 20–25% of total sleep, about 90–120 minutes of a nights sleep. REM sleep is considered the deepest stage of sleep, and normally occurs close to morning. During a night of sleep, one usually experiences about four or five periods of REM sleep; they are quite short at the beginning of the night and longer toward the end. Many animals and some people tend to wake, or experience a period of very light sleep, for a short time immediately after a bout of REM. The relative amount of REM sleep varies considerably with age. A newborn baby spends more than 80% of total sleep time in REM. now lets talk about dreams themself. The human brain is responsible for many complex creations, but it can’t invent the image of people. So the â€Å"strangers† that you meet in your dreams actually have the faces of people who you’ve once seen in your real life but forgotten, like your childhood mailman or that guy you bumped into on the sidewalk that one time. Chances are that you’ve laid your eyes on more than a few individuals, and so the brain now has a huge cast of characters to play with when you drift off to sleep. Except for, in the case of extreme psychological disorder, every human being dreams. In fact, in a recent study, students who were awakened at the beginning of each dream but still allowed 8 hours of sleep, all experienced difficulty concentrating, irritability, hallucinations, and signs of psychosis in a span of three days. When they were allowed their REM sleep, their brains compensated for the lost time by increasing the percentage of the sleep spent in the REM stage. Dreams are a window into the subconscious. Even though most of the time, they’re completely random, disorganized, and we forget 90% of them within 10 minutes of waking up; many people have drawn inspiration from their dreams.

Presentation of women in Antigone

Presentation of women in Antigone Sophocles play Antigone presents us with three different types of women: Antigone, the strong-willed protagonist; Ismene, the weak sister of Antigone; and Eurydice, wife of Creon. Each of these characters personalities, lifestyles, and choices directly affects the characters mortality. The women characters in Antigone show great contrast, the most prominent being life and death. By analyzing the female characters, it can be seen that those who die, Antigone and Eurydice, share certain aspects that the survivor, Ismene does not; they are opposites of each other in nearly every way. The first opposite found, strong versus weak, plays a prominent role in this play. Antigones role within the play is much stronger than Ismenes or Eurydices on various occasions. Antigone never fears Creon and his laws, and openly defies them, twice. Upon being caught in the act, Antigone does not hide from what shes done, she confesses to it, Yes, I confess; I will not deny my deed, (Greene 487 pp 198). Antigone has a stronger familial bond with her brother, whom she believes deserves a proper burial, than her sister, Ismene, who refuses all participation in the unlawful act. After Creon has caught Antigone, he calls on Ismene, falsely assuming her participation in the illegal burial, and asks if she did it, Ismene replies I did it, yes-if she will say I did it, (Greene 590 pp 202). Only when Ismene fears her sister has told on her, does she show that she has the potential to be a strong character, like Antigone. Eurydice, who is not as prominent in the play as many other characters, is also portrayed as weaker than Antigone. Eurydice, being Creons wife stands behind him in all that he does. She supports him in his decisions, until his actions lead to the suicide of their son, Haemon. This puts Eurydice over the edge, at which point she kills herself. Both Antigone and Eurydice share the mental and physical strength to kill themselves for their loved ones. Similar to strength, but just as important in this play, is bravery. Antigones show of bravery throughout this play defies gender roles of her time, and makes her death meaningful. Other characters in this play kill themselves because someone they love dies, but Antigones death, though by her own hand, was caused by Creon and his misguided laws. The Chorus in the play praises her choices by saying, Yes, you go to the place where the dead are hidden, but you go with distinction and praiseit was your own choice and alone among mankind you will descend, alive, to that world of death, (Greene 878-884 pp 213). Antigones choices show her strong will, and continuous love for those she has lost. Antigone willingly gives her life to ensure her brother gets to the underworld safely, and once she does that she kills herself to be with her family in the after life. The character of Ismene shows no sign of this bravery, and this conformity to Creons way of thinking preserves her life. She continuously takes on the common subordinate role women usually are portrayed in, saying such things as You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men (Greene 70-71 pp 183) and bury him in secret; I will be silent, too, (Greene 98 pp 184). Ismene does all she can to try to convince her sister to change her mind. The women in this play share a commonality in their love for their family, but Antigone is the only one who is not afraid to prove it. Family is, not only the leading cause of death of women within this play, but the basis for this entire play. It is Antigones lineage that began all of this chaos in the first place, as stated by Ismene, Consider sister how our father diedhow he himself struck out the sight of his two eyesThen, mother and wifedid shame violently on her lifeThird, our two brothersEach killed the other, (Greene 56-65 pp 183). Antigone proves her undying love to the dead members of her family by taking her own life, and in a way disowning Ismene for not doing the same. Ismene fears the punishment associated with burying her brother, and therefore refuses to do anything which would endanger her life. After Ismenes confession, Antigone refuses to let Ismene have any false glory, Justice will not allow you what you refused and I will have none of your partnership (Greene 592 pp 202). Similar to Antigone, Eurydice gives up her life for a loved one. The bond between mother and son is much stronger than that of husband and wife, and its this bond that leads Eurydice to take her own life once she hears that her son has taken his own life. A character known as Second Messenger recounts her death, The queen is dead. She was indeed true mother of the dead son. She died, poor lady, by recent violence upon herself, (Greene 1358-1360 pp 229). With whom these women align themselves seems to be a deciding factor in their life or death within the play. There are the women who, in the end, align themselves behind Creon and his rule, and those who believe in other forces. Antigone goes against Creons laws, believing that since Creon will eventually die, his proclamation (concerning her brothers burial) holds no power. She thinks only the Gods have enough power to declare who should be buried and who shouldnt saying, it was not Zeus that made the proclamation; nor did Justice, which lives with those below, enact such laws as that, for mankind, (Greene 494-496 pp 198). This belief eventually leads to the actions which cause Antigones death in the play. Her sister, however, believes Creon is right and shouldnt be defied, saying we are ruled, by those who are stronger, (Greene, 72 pp 183). By being obedient to the King of Thebes, Ismene preserves her life, but at what cost, if everyone she loves dies in the process? The exception to this is Eurydice, whose character isnt explored deep enough to discover her true feelings, but she did align herself with her son by the end of the play, killing herself to be with him. The two female characters who did not believe faithfully in Creon died, while the subordinate female survived. Being a woman in and of itself plays a big part in the morality of these female characters. According to the website Ancient Greek Civilizations: the Women of Athens, marriage is a right of passage for girls to become women, (The Women of Athens). Eurydice is the only married women within the play, leaving us to believe Antigone and Ismene are still girls. However, in death, Antigone says herself that her husband is to be the Lord of Death, (Greene, 877 pp 213). Jana Shopkorn, who created a website entitled Til Death Do Us Part: Marriage and Funeral Rites in Classical Athens, says that Death before marriage signifies a marriage with the underworld, (Shopkorn). Following this line of thinking, the only woman who survives was in fact a girl, and being married was a curse, of sorts, for Eurydice and Antigone. Through the analysis of the only 3 females in Sophocles play Antigone, we discover a wide array of contrasting characteristics. The dynamics between these characters provides insight into their mortality within the play. The two female characters that die in this play, Antigone and Eurydice, share many similarities that Ismene, the sole female survivor does not possess. Their opposing personalities, lifestyles, and choices throughout the play can be directly correlated to their death or survival in this play. Works Cited Greene, David Lattimore, Richmond (Ed.). (1991). Greek Tragedies. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Shopkorn, Jana. Til Death Do Us Part: Marriage and Funeral Rites in Classical Athens. 6 Oct 2008 < http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/classes/JSp.html>. The Women of Athens. Ancient Greek Civilizations. 8 Oct 2008 .

Disconnection Essay -- essays research papers

When people are feeling down or there is something wrong with them they tend to disconnect from the world and go into one of their own. In this place they find comfort and safety and it is somewhere that no one can bother them for the time being. I myself find comfort just lying in my bed staring at the ceiling and drifting off in thought. For artists though, they are able to find this comforting place in music. Blink 182, Linkin Park, and NAS are some of the famous artists that are able to disconnect from the world through their songs. They are able to get all of there thoughts out through music and the world has a chance to hear them. In NAS’ song "Hate me Now" he feels disconnected because there are people in the world that hate him for what he has and they are jealous. This must affect him in such a way that he has to express it. "Don't hate me, hate the money I see, clothes that I buy, ice that I wear, clothes that I try, close your eyes†¦". He expresses in this lyric that he doesn’t feel the need for people to hate him as a person. He feels that just because he has a lot of money people don’t like him, but they do not even know him at all, just that he has money. Because of all these people hating him he feels the need to disconnect in lyrical form and express it to the world. Linkin Park is a group that is able to disconnect from the world as one. "I tried so hard and got so far, but i...

Benefits of Cholesterol to Brain Development Essay -- Biology

What do you think of when you hear the word cholesterol? It's pretty common to think that it makes you gain weight, it is bad in large quantities, and it is generally unhealthy. But a recent experiment has shown that although it can be bad in some ways, it is good for you in other ways. One of the most important parts of your body is your central nervous system (CNS). It includes your spinal cord and your brain, and it is run by cells called neurons. These neurons, with the help of synapses, send electrical signals throughout the body. So what do neurons and synapses have to do with cholesterol? If you do not have cholesterol during certain parts of your life cycle, you actually do not develop many synapses. Even those that do form are destined to be inefficient at transmitting signals to the brain and body. Who cares if you have a lot of efficient synapses? An easy comparison is between the CNS and a computer. The brain thriving off of a lot of synapses, a computer running much better with more RAM. Your computer still works if it does not have a lot of RAM, and it will do what you ask it to; however, if it does have a lot of RAM, it will do what you ask more efficiently and faster. Likewise, if you do not have many synapses, your brain and CNS will still work at a much lower level. If you do have a lot of synapses, everything will work faster. Your brain will send signals to the rest of your body efficiently so you can react faster, think faster, etc. This leads us into the article that you should be able to understand completely by the end of this web page. Before this discovery was made, scientists had no idea that cholesterol was responsible for these events. Follow along with us to an explanation of the previous ... ...a viable solution. Now that you know that your brain is all you have, there are some considerations to be made. Do you really want to smoke marijuana when you consider that being high means killing off neurons? What about that kegger next weekend? That kills brain cells too. More specific than the ties to drug and alcohol abuse, this article talks about the gray areas of life. The human body is an amazing machine. It is extremely adaptive, and it requires a lot of fuel to run. Avoid entirely wiping out a common substance from your diet without doing the proper research. Who knows, perhaps cutting that food from your meal might put you in deeper trouble than you thought possible. References "CNS Synaptogenesis Promoted by Glia-Derived Cholesterol." Science Magazine. 9 Nov 2001: 1354-1357. 3 Nov 2003 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5545/1354. Benefits of Cholesterol to Brain Development Essay -- Biology What do you think of when you hear the word cholesterol? It's pretty common to think that it makes you gain weight, it is bad in large quantities, and it is generally unhealthy. But a recent experiment has shown that although it can be bad in some ways, it is good for you in other ways. One of the most important parts of your body is your central nervous system (CNS). It includes your spinal cord and your brain, and it is run by cells called neurons. These neurons, with the help of synapses, send electrical signals throughout the body. So what do neurons and synapses have to do with cholesterol? If you do not have cholesterol during certain parts of your life cycle, you actually do not develop many synapses. Even those that do form are destined to be inefficient at transmitting signals to the brain and body. Who cares if you have a lot of efficient synapses? An easy comparison is between the CNS and a computer. The brain thriving off of a lot of synapses, a computer running much better with more RAM. Your computer still works if it does not have a lot of RAM, and it will do what you ask it to; however, if it does have a lot of RAM, it will do what you ask more efficiently and faster. Likewise, if you do not have many synapses, your brain and CNS will still work at a much lower level. If you do have a lot of synapses, everything will work faster. Your brain will send signals to the rest of your body efficiently so you can react faster, think faster, etc. This leads us into the article that you should be able to understand completely by the end of this web page. Before this discovery was made, scientists had no idea that cholesterol was responsible for these events. Follow along with us to an explanation of the previous ... ...a viable solution. Now that you know that your brain is all you have, there are some considerations to be made. Do you really want to smoke marijuana when you consider that being high means killing off neurons? What about that kegger next weekend? That kills brain cells too. More specific than the ties to drug and alcohol abuse, this article talks about the gray areas of life. The human body is an amazing machine. It is extremely adaptive, and it requires a lot of fuel to run. Avoid entirely wiping out a common substance from your diet without doing the proper research. Who knows, perhaps cutting that food from your meal might put you in deeper trouble than you thought possible. References "CNS Synaptogenesis Promoted by Glia-Derived Cholesterol." Science Magazine. 9 Nov 2001: 1354-1357. 3 Nov 2003 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/294/5545/1354.