Compare and Contrast, from Cholos to Surfers and My Latino Heart

The connections in these two stories is that in Mr. Lopez story is that a young boy is troubled because he is not sure on what being a â€Å"Mexican† is all about, and that ties in with what is California image really trying to say. The next story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† is a depiction of a young boy also, but he is having trouble trying to break out of the tradition of being a normal â€Å"Mexican† and do what he is more comfortable doing. In the story of â€Å"My Latino Heart† it is about a young teenager who is having trouble finding what the Mexican culture is all about.He is not sure on how to fit in with his Mexican culture. The identity of his culture is hard for him to comprehend. He asked his mother â€Å" What am I†. His mother answered â€Å" You’re a Mexican American† He replied â€Å" But what does that mean†. He couldn’t didn’t know what his parents were trying to tell him. He did not think he wa s Mexican because he couldn’t speak the Spanish. He wanted to have a answer to his question. He went to his Aunt and asked her what it meant to be a Mexican American. His Aunt replied â€Å" You’re you†.Again he was not sure of what this meant? He didn’t get another opportunity to ask his Aunt again because she had died of alcoholism. When the family had a gathering he shied away from the younger parts of his family, and went to the adults to see what his Aunt was really like when she was alive and didn’t drink. He could get a sense of what being a Mexican meant. Remembering the people that had died and to never forget them. To think of the good things about the person and to credit them for their influence they had in his life.Also in the lives that she had contact with long enough to make a difference in their lives. In the story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† this teenage boy depicted by the author Jack Lopez, was a boy who lived in a Mexic an family in the Los Angeles area. His family was a family who kept their roots, and never forgot where they came from. Also there were two sides of the neighborhood were they grew up. You were either a cholo or a surfer. This young teenage boy had more of a interest in the surfer lifestyle. He wanted to be a surfer so bad that he wore clothes that the surfers would wear.His family would not allow to him to have his hair down to his ears. His friends in junior high where Sheldon Cohen and Tom Gheridelli. They were both surfers. He naturally became good friends with them because they had the same interest. He wanted to buy a surfer magazine that cost forty-five dollars. He would read Surfer Quarterly, and other surfer magazines with his friends at Sportsman Park under the bleachers. Him and his dad made an agreement that his dad would take him to get a magazine in Vermont.When he and his dad arrived in Vermont they got the magazine his father looked at him and said â€Å" Is that it ? †. He didn’t believe that his son was serious about getting the magazine. When his father got to the counter to pay for the magazine, the clerk and his dad were poking fun at the magazine in Spanish. In these stories starting with â€Å"My Latino Heart† and the California myth of a glamorous life is this; in this story, this young boy wants to know what it means to be a Latino/Mexican. He asks’ his Aunt, his father, and his mother on what it means to be Mexican.He has to go to through a journey and figure out on what this Mexican culture is all about. n the story â€Å" Of Cholos and Surfers† the similarities of this story to that of the California dream is this. This young boy wanted something more out of his life. He did not think that the life of a cholo was the right life for him. He wanted to do something that he thought would have purpose and that made sense to him, and something that would make him succeed. Even though his parents did not l ike the idea. He was willing to make that dream come true.

Discuss the role of Lady Macbeth in the play Essay

Lady Macbeth takes a leading role in the play. From the very first sighting, that we encounter her, her strong powerful character over powers us. I will be focusing on the role of Lady Macbeth, whom is married to the main character Macbeth. Lady Macbeth plays and important role in the play, as she influences events that take place to a large extent. As the play develops, we see Lady Macbeth displaying many aspects and qualities of her personality. Lady Macbeth by nature I believe is a manipulative woman; she has a goal in her sights and seems to use everything in her power to reach it. Her involvement in the murder of King Duncan is dominating; she formulates and directs the whole plan. Lady Macbeth is the person who gives the impetus to Macbeth to do what she believes he must do. The first time we come into contact with her is in Act 1 Scene 5 of the play. We see her performing a soliloquy. Here she makes an immediate impact, performing on her own centre stage, reading a letter from Macbeth. The letter informs her of Macbeth’s and Banqo’s meeting with the witches. It tells her of the witches prophecies to him – the prophecy that one day she and her husband would become King and queen of Scotland. This idea seems to kindle a fire in Lady Macbeth. Immediately she seems to be forming a scheme, putting plans together to fulfil the witch’s forecast of Macbeth’s life. This shows how determined and ambitious Lady Macbeth is. ‘Glamis thou art, and Cawdor: and shalt be what though art promise.’ She promises that what the witch’s predicted will be fulfilled. She indicates that she has immediately formulated the idea of a murder. This straight away creates a first impression on the audience – evil personified! â€Å"I fear thy nature, is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way†. Lady Macbeth knows he knows he is a man of honour and that she believes that he deserves the status of a king. Lady Macbeth realises it will be a hard decision or Macbeth, perhaps shocking idea that killing Duncan would be to ‘catch the nearest way’, to becoming a royalty himself. She knows it is an extremely tempting offer and he will suffer greatly over his final decision. She feels that he has a soft personality, and does not have it in him to fight for this position. He is too decent a man to take advantage of this opportunity. Lady Macbeth thinks he has the ambition but lacks the courage. She feels he is a kind, generous, noble man and cant go ahead with what she has in mind for him. Lady Macbeth feels as though only she can persuade Macbeth to Initially Lady Macbeth seems to have the stronger ambition of the two. She appears to be an individual who is totally devoid of moral conscience; she has the appearance of an unstoppable woman. She has strong beliefs that will power/courage are the only two things that should dominate Macbeth’s mind, ‘Screw your courage to the sticking place!’ – Someone who encapsulates evil. The audience comes to realise that Macbeth, who is very tempted by the notion of kingship, has no chance against this self-created monster. He is affect – damned. The witches’ prophecy is something that Lady Macbeth is obsessed by and is determined to will into fruition. Her second soliloquy now shows the igniting of this wicked plan. She realises that Duncan is actually coming to visit her at the castle. Her first few lines are probably spoken in total amazement. ‘He brings great news’; She would probably exclaim this quite joyfully. This works on two levels though. It is a great honour to have the king himself staying the night. It is also her big chance, in her mind, not to be missed! Lady Macbeth makes a decision that he will not be leaving alive. She is fully confident that she is making the right decisions and that the chance that she has awaited has arrived. Lady Macbeth decides to take the opportunity and make sure that Duncan is killed. This shows that Lady Macbeth has no pity what so ever. She isn’t going to let anyone come in her way. Lady Macbeth has clear ideas, and has planned exactly what has to be done. ‘The raven himself is coarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan’. Since her first soliloquy, the audience has established that she has more ambition, and craves more domination than a woman (particularly at that time) is thought rightly to have. The notions that she has conjured up do not seem to be likely of a particularly feminine personality. She shows very little compassion or worry. Now, she (by the power of magic) wants to get rid of any womanly nature at all, ‘Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here’. She would deliver these lines as if calling to a divine power. She calls to the ‘spirits that tend on mortal thoughts’ – these are the spirits that tend on any murderous thought or ambition. Lady Macbeth wants the sympathetic nature of a woman to be taken away from her so that any feelings that stop her from doing this deed are got rid of. She asks them to, ‘Stop th’access and passage to remorse’. She wants to be separate as possible from ‘the milk of human kindness’. She wants her breasts to be instead full of bitter poison. She probably desires to get rid of most human qualities, and, instead be on a par with these ‘magic murdering ministers’ – The spirits of evil and murder. Lady Macbeth becomes very impatient and wants time to pass quickly so that she can proceed with her plans. ‘You wait on nature’s mischief! Comes thick night.’ She wants the night to fall quickly so that it can hide the murder she is planning in the shadow of its darkness. ‘That my keen knife sees not the wound it makes.’ After she says this, it is clear to the audience that he is serious about killing Duncan and will go ahead with the deed. Lady Macbeth at this point has herself very excited. When her husband finally enters, we see him and her together for the first time. In her excitement Lady Macbeth addresses him as ‘ Great Glamis’, ‘Worthy Cawdor’ and then, ‘All hail thereafter’ – The king! This excitement would cause her, I believe, to change the way she speaks This excitement and more importantly the will power she derives from it seems to overtake her husband. This again reinforces the audiences’ suspicion that Lady Macbeth is pushing herself further than is appropriate. When she learns that Duncan will be coming the next day, she tells Macbeth that Duncan will not be seen on the face of the earth after tomorrow. ‘O, never Shall sun that ‘morrow see.’ She clearly states to Macbeth her feelings and what she believes needs to be done, in a straightforward manner. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that he needs to change his personality, and that he needs to put on an act. ‘To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.’ Lady Macbeth wants her husband to act innocent but have an evil soul. All of this shows how she enjoys dominating situations and people. Lady Macbeth likes to be in control of everything that happens. She is trying to persuade Macbeth to do the deed. Then also enjoy the end, which is becoming Queen herself. ‘The night’s great business into my dispatch.’ ‘Leave all the rest to me.’ Lady Macbeth believes that she can sort everything out herself, as she knows what needs to be done, and how she is going to do it. She likes taking control of things. This shows she is single minded. In Act 1 scene 6, Duncan finally arrives. Lady Macbeth now proves how deceptive and two faced she really can be. Duncan arrives with nothing but compliments for the castle and its hosts, ‘ This castle hath a pleasant seat’, ‘See our honoured hostess’. Lady Macbeth shows herself as the perfect hostess, ‘All service in every point twice done, and then done double’. Then she leads him triumphantly, almost as a trophy, into the castle and to his dreadful fate. In act 1 scene 7 Lady Macbeth has her work cut out for her. She constantly has to reinforce her husbands’ resolve, pushing him on. Macbeth’s resolve fails him, in his soliloquy, he is in agony with his doubts, and he decides against following through with the plot. We see her talking to Macbeth about killing Duncan. He thinks of all the reasons why he cannot kill his king. – He sees him as an honourable king, an honourable man. He is ‘His Kinsman’, And Macbeth was his ‘subject’. Macbeth had been honoured by Duncan, being made ‘Thane of Thife’. He also worries what will happen, ‘Tears shall drown the wind’. He reaches his final decision; the murder will not go ahead. Macbeth seems to wake up, he doesn’t ask his wives permission, and he seems to have regained control from her dominating influence. Lady Macbeth enters asking why Macbeth, as expected of a host, was present at the table, Macbeth asks ‘hath he asked for me?’ Lady Macbeth replies, ‘Know you not he has?’ I believe she would ask this question quite firmly; she wants Duncan to be oblivious to any negative feelings Macbeth may have. Macbeth goes straight to the point and out lines his reasons, ‘We will proceed no further in this business’; ‘He hath honoured me of late†¦Which would be worn in its newest gloss, not cast aside so soon’. Lady Macbeth is somewhat taken aback – staggered by her husbands’ decision. Here she thought she had the cat in the bag, her husband was prepared to take this amazing opportunity to grasp kingship. Her willpower had spurred him onto it. Now she saw she wasn’t as powerful and influential as she originally thought she was – She turns on Macbeth. In a moment she realises her willpower had not had its desired affect. Lady Macbeth changes, her tactics switch from ‘unsexed’ to using her feminine powers. As a woman, she will now humiliate and manipulates Macbeth as a man. Lady Macbeth knows that it will sting Macbeth if she taunts him. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth had been mentioned to be, ‘A worthy bridegroom for the goddess of war herself!’ He has been honoured for his great roles in battle by the king himself. Naturally, it will provoke Macbeth if his honour or ‘masculinity’ is challenged. She taunts him: ‘Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?’ Lady Macbeth I believe would utter this in mock disbelief. She would be sounding as if to be appalled at the lack of confidence in Macbeth’ conviction. It makes a fool of him, she asks, ‘Were the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself?’ She is saying, was your hope drunk? And now, wakes with a hangover – regretting what it had said? She uses the words, ‘pale and green’ to pictorially describe colours and shades that are normally associated with weak, and sickliness. She then continues, using her feminine power, to question his love for her, saying, ‘Such I account thy love’. Meaning his love to her is as one of his drunken promises. These are not words that Macbeth is accustomed to having directed at him. He is not used to having his courage mocked. He perfectly knows he is not a coward. He is one of the bravest men around. Lady Macbeth expects him to retort this way. He continues though, he puts his finger right on it, ‘Who dares do more is none’. Macbeth means whoever dares to do anything more daring, dangerous or maybe wicked, isn’t human; they are supernatural, probably monstrous. Macbeth is defending himself, he is suggesting that anything more brave wouldn’t make him a man, it would make him monster; and that is the truth. Macbeth knows it’s the truth, Lady Macbeth knows it is the truth, and importantly the audience realise this is the truth. He is prepared to do ‘all men can do’, but he draws the line at becoming a monster. Lady Macbeth would perhaps falter at this. Yet again though, she picks up the offensive, though in a slightly weaker position perhaps. She takes a risk by replying ‘What beast was’t then, that made you break this wicked enterprise to me?’ Lady Macbeth shifts the blame back onto Macbeth, claiming he was the one to hatch the plan, the crucial words being ‘you break this†¦to me’. The audience will pick up on this, realising that it was never Macbeth who ever originated the idea, it was in fact Lady Macbeth. Macbeth fails to see this though and she carries on. She reasons that when he (Macbeth) had proposed this ‘enterprise’ to her, then he ‘were a man’. Lady Macbeth tries to change Macbeth’s perception of what is manly. She tries to change what Macbeth perceives as man, being brave and daring to do ‘all that may become a man’, to a man being almost a killing machine. She does this by saying ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’. Lady Macbeth thinks that a man is someone who would do anything to make himself bigger, stronger or more powerful. Lady Macbeth then uses a slightly different tack; she uses shock tactics to demonstrate how she feels about following through with the murder. Lady Macbeth brings to mind the most grotesque image that she can think up. She says she would take a child, hers, and ‘while it was smiling in my face†¦and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done this’. By this, Lady Macbeth reveals a side to her to her audience. She is evil and she will stop at nothing. What she meant by killing her child like this was to show her strength of conviction and willingness to carry out her word ‘had I so sworn to you [Macbeth]’. It appears to work, and Macbeth falters saying (indicating a change of heart) ‘If we should fail?’ Lady Macbeth has now re-engaged him, and Macbeth is curious again. Again Lady Macbeth shows her strength of conviction and will, ‘Screw your courage to the sticking place – and we’ll not fail’, Lady Macbeth I think hits these words with a real sense of belief, urging Macbeth to think about it. Failing? – Lady Macbeth declares that this is impossible. She proceeds to outline her plan, believing she now has Macbeth back onboard. She will make Duncan’s guard’s drunk and she and Macbeth will commit the murder, leaving the guards to take the fall for it. The plan is ruthlessly simple and cowardly. The audience cannot help but realise this; Lady Macbeth has thought this through non-stop and has made her plan as efficient and as fool proof as possible. Lady Macbeth makes it so safe, and has reconfirmed Macbeth’s original intentions – but still Macbeth will know in the back of his mind, this is all wrong. Lady Macbeth has powerfully changed Macbeth, using his moral weaknesses exposed by his ambition, to change his mind. Macbeth has let his wife’s iron will destroy his conscience and his somewhat ‘sophisticated’ moral sense. Again though, the audiences are left with sub-conscience doubts about Lady Macbeth’s appearance of unshakeable strength. In Act 2-scene 2 there is more talking between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, about killing king Duncan. Here she displays he having controlled and authority over Macbeth’s mind and actions, but also how support she can be towards him. One of the things that particularly stood out was her inability to commit the murder herself. For all the boasting and the character she built up of herself, Lady Macbeth cannot do any of which she said she was so sure of. Lady Macbeth was supposed to commit the murder herself, but she goes in and comes straight back out again, being startled by a bird’s cry as she stands there. Macbeth comes up the stairwell and sees Lady Macbeth there; she seems to make some excuses for her being there saying, ‘I am afraid they have awaked’, then she admits, ‘ And ’tis done. Th’ attempt and not the deed’. Lady Macbeth has faltered, and she cannot bring herself to the deed she swore she would do even if she had to dash her own child’s brains out. She came into the chamber and almost I would imagine shouts the line, ‘Hark! I laid the daggers ready’. Lady Macbeth is angry I think with herself, as if she is ashamed. She makes the excuse that she entered, saw Duncan and saw he was like her father in his sleep – and could not kill him baring in mind she was prepared to kill her own child. Macbeth nevertheless has killed Duncan. Macbeth is almost immediately feeling the consequences; he recounts it as if he suffered immediate guilt whilst he was doing the murder. Macbeth has started to crack; he is breaking down, saying that he heard voices saying he would no longer be able to sleep. What Lady Macbeth now faces is what ultimately destroys her. She has now to bear up to Macbeth’s faltering conscience amidst her own despair. Lady Macbeth tries to silence Macbeth, trying to drive the thoughts of guilt out of her mind – trying to remain strong saying ‘A foolish thought to say a sorry sight’. A few lines on Lady Macbeth prophetically says, ‘These deeds must not be thought. After these ways; so, it will make us mad’. It is here that Lady Macbeth’s character has its biggest and final test. Lady Macbeth now reverts into a controlling wife, as she tries to distract her mind from what has happened by snapping into gear and sorting out what has happened. She is practical and tells her husband to go and wash himself of blood, and then she summons whatever courage she may have left to go and put the daggers with the guards to ensure that they have the blame. Again Lady Macbeth is practical, there is a knock at the door of the castle and she restrains her husband from answering it. Lady Macbeth’s mind is in full gear with this murder. She sees that it would be strange if they were to answer the door at this hour of the night saying, ‘Get on you’re night-gown†¦And show us to be watchers’. Lady Macbeth is in full control of her faculties at this point, whereas her husband is starting to really break down, already wishing he’d not done it ‘Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst’. Lady Macbeth is not the strong person she appears to be though. Following on in Act 2 scene 3, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth perform an amazing drama to dupe them, and prove their innocence. Macduff arrives at the gate and goes to see the king in his chamber, and returns with the news of his death. The blame obviously falls upon the guards and Macbeth convincingly puts up a show that he loved Duncan so much that he kill the guards on the spot, Thus, removing any ability for them to defend themselves. Now, this does temporarily shift suspicion towards Macbeth, but he gives such an intricate and heartfelt speech, that combined with Lady Macbeth swooning and starting to faint, â€Å"Help me hence, ho!† She draws the attention away from Macbeth, it is enough to convince the others of their innocence at least for the moment. The murder also frightens Duncan’s sons; they fear that they might be next; this is probably true, since in order for Macbeth to have a good chance to become King, both of them must be killed. Therefore, they flee, and this puts them under suspicion. It could be reasoned that they might have killed their father in order to quicken their ascension to the throne. Again, all of which are complete lies. Such harmonious co-operation when under pressure shows that Lady and Lord Macbeth do indeed work well together, and have an excellent relationship. In Act 3-scene 2 Macbeth is crowned King, one of the first things Macbeth does, is have Banquo assassinated. It is important to note that he does this independently of his wife; his coronation seems to have given him new courage. We see Lady Macbeth being impatient. Lady Macbeth is again telling Macbeth to put his past behind him, ‘What’s done is done’, Putting more strain on their relationship. Macbeth obviously however has taken over, he hints to Lady Macbeth that he has a plan in action and she should be, ‘Innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck’. Lady Macbeth knows something is going on, however see isn’t fully aware of it. She thinks this after a conversation with Macbeth as he means to be unsettled and sneaky. Lady Macbeth tried to lighten things with Macbeth by telling him not regret anything. â€Å"Things without all remedy â€Å" She is telling him not to think about something that can’t be corrected. Lady Macbeth is the opposite however; she is at heart a weaker woman than Macbeth is the stronger man. She does start to feel guilt and consequences for her actions; she cannot keep the ruthless monster image up. Lady Macbeth wants to know what Macbeth is planning behind her back, however he refuses to tell her that he is plotting to kill Banquo. â€Å"Whats to be done† Lady Macbeth shows that she is curious and dislikes being left out with Macbeth’s plans. Macbeth even teasingly knows this, saying in affect that she would prefer not to know the details of his plan. Lady Macbeth herself however, is doubtful in her new found power; she is troubled by their present state. However, she does tell Macbeth this, who is already worried, almost to the point of suicide by his speech. Instead, she comforts him again, advising him not to brood on the past. However, he is still deeply concerned. He tells his wife of his plan to kill Banquo, and for a change, she asks him what to do. He tells to do as she has told him; to put on a false face, and pretend nothing has happened. Macbeth does however, suggest his discontent about his deceitfulness, but recognises its necessity. This switching of roles due to Macbeth’s increased confidence and Lady Macbeth’s lack of is perhaps quite important. It shows that their relationship is changing. The Lady Macbeth of Act-1 has lost its initiative in evil. Act 3 Scene 4 Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly worn down by her husbands’ own mental deterioration. Macbeth makes quite a scene at his feast, holding a party to celebrate his title of king. It starts with him not sitting at the table and instead having a furious conversation with one of the murderers of Banquo. Lady Macbeth hurries in saying that ‘You do not give a cheer. The feast is sold’, Macbeth is acting strangely to his guests, but this is not the strangest thing to happen yet by far. Macbeth becomes hallucinated and colour drains from his face and he begins to shout because of seeing a ghost, only visible to himself – a ghost of Banquo. Lady Macbeth immediately covers for him, â€Å"Sit worthy friends† Lady Macbeth realises that Macbeth is about to give the whole game away and has to desperately rescue herself and her husband. She tells the guest that Macbeth is having a fit, but he will soon recover. She calms Macbeth down, by calling him out the room to ensure he doesn’t say anything he shouldn’t. You have displace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lady Macbeth is totally confused to why he is acting like this; she then goes on by asking the guests, with a complete lack of ceremony, to leave immediately. â€Å"Stand upon the order†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† Lady Macbeth is very rude in telling the guest to go, as she fears that Macbeth might say something he shouldn’t. This surely wears her down and worries her of what the guests may think. Lady Macbeth tries to pull Macbeth together, but it has no effect. She is undergoing along with her husband a state of intense mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. This is the last time the Macbeth’s are seen together as one working unit. Lady Macbeth says little at this point and cannot seem to match her husbands’ vigour. Macbeth says, ‘I am†¦o’er’ Meaning he admits that he is too far-gone, it is simpler to carry on his bloody ways than to turn back now. Lady Macbeth urges him to stop, telling him he lacks sleep and needs to go to bed. Macbeth’s range of evil has outstretched Lady Macbeth’s, she is beyond it all. This is the last time that Lady Macbeth is seen as sane. In fact, Lady Macbeth is not present in any of Act-4, not appearing until into Act-5. Scene I is where the most obvious change of Lady Macbeth unfolds. The long absence of Lady Macbeth until Act-5 reinforces her appearance as the mad, delusional woman in scene ii. Her mental stability reaches its terminal point and this once monster, becomes nothing but a nervous wreck. The human traits of guilt, conscience and common human feeling all catch up with Lady Macbeth. She could not run from them forever, and now they have reduced her to a pitiful state. Lady Macbeth walks around her bedroom, shuffling nervously, crying out when she cannot remove a figurative spot of blood – or guilt. Lady Macbeth recounts her guilty deeds but as a sign of her mental disarray, she cannot tell them in any chronological order. I would imagine an actor playing the part of Lady Macbeth telling each incident that she calls to mind, as if it cuts her mentally – breaking up her mind. The agony that Lady Macbeth passes through will eventually lead to the last part of her deterioration. Her agony will drive her to despair and ultimately, she is mentioned to have committed suicide. In act 5 scene 5, we learn that Lady Macbeth is dead. This is a bad end for Lady Macbeth; though, a woman of powerful ambition and driving force, and a person in an influential position – she dies pathetically. This end runs parallel to the events of the play and reflects on the outcome of the theme of evil throughout. Lady Macbeth thought she was as evil as she could wish to be, as unconnected from other womanly and human qualities as she might choose. She believed ambition and will power were everything – yet it was all these things that ultimately lead to her end. Lady Macbeth thought that her ambition and worldly success would justify any move she made. Lady Macbeth would not accept that evil is self-destructive. Her impressions of overpowering evil were in the end of a day – only an impression. Her conscience first shows its greater power when she is unable to kill Duncan herself. Her next step was when she had to come to terms with her and her husbands reality of evil. The mounting guilt becomes heavier and heavier on her, with the killing of Banquo and the guards. She has to continue to keep up her appearances and her husbands resolve, excusing his behaviour, supporting him, all whilst keeping on top of her own mental condition until he overtakes her in evil. This has its obvious end; she has no way of escape, which further tortures her mental condition. The only way out of her self-created downward spiral was her own death.

Beauty and the Beast Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Beauty and the Beast - Research Paper Example The focus in this paper is on ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as probably one of the most unforgettable theme songs in one of the greatest Disney classics of all time. The movie has been well loved and is, to put simply, an enchanting treat to audiences that have seen it. The movie has offered a potent combination of romance and enough wit to ensnare viewers young, old and the young at heart. The nomination for an Oscar nomination is indeed a testimony to this film’s quality. In a nutshell, the film is about a love story between a somewhat free-spirited country girl named Belle yearning to escape the humdrum provincial life. There she is constantly pursued by a good looking albeit ignorant suitor by the name of Gaston. However, as fate would have it and more so to put the love story in motion, Belle’s father got stuck in the woods and then captured by the feared Beast. Being the heroine of the story, she valiantly switched places with her father. Thus, the Beauty me ets the Beast and the romance started though initially with a bit of distrust and a pinch of fear as Belle becomes somewhat a cross between a prisoner and a guest in the mystical mansion of Beast. There, she met even more strange things as there are different furniture that can speak. Interestingly though, these talking teapot, clock and candelabra became some sort of a bridge that connected the would be lovers. Slowly, the romance blossomed and after an altercation that nearly cost the Beast’s life, Belle’s true love for the otherwise hideous and feared creature broke the spell and out came a dashing prince. And, as the adage goes, they lived happily ever after. Main Body Barely even friends As mentioned, the two main characters were barely even friends when they met. In fact, since the presence of Belle in the Beast’s mansion or castle was merely the result of a prisoner swap, these two were even enemies. However, as love stories and animated features would ha ve it, these two became lovers in the end. Technically though, that is quite a stretch which can be expected from such a feature. After all, it is s fairy tale. And where there’s fairy tale, there is magic. And, maybe, love do comes with a bit of magic. Also, love comes with a desire to change oneself though this can careen dangerously to the darker side or climb further up to be a better person for the one that you love. Minow (2007) recognizes the unique quality of this film which holds the distinction of being the first ever animated film to be nominated to the Oscars. It was a lovely movie and though the shift from enemies to friends seem predictable, the story still did justice to the viewers by portraying a changing and improving image of the characters that seemed to be the critical factor for their romance to become possible. The two characters, Belle and the Beast, were initially cast against each other though despite the presence of a persistent suitor, Belle was ge nuinely single and is therefore open to romance. Although the plot seemed obvious because of the title, the movie did its part in showing the development of the characters own selves before developing a love for each other. It would be prudent to note that the hideous form of the Beast was a punishment from an otherwise wayward prince. Also, it can be seen that the imprisonment of Belle was likewise a watershed event in her life that has opened up herself to be more caring and sensitive to other people. In fact, getting to know Beast in a deeper sense can only be the possible explanation for such a beauty to fall for the beast (Minow 2007). A Beastly Beauty in itself The film itself was a romance in the making. Berardinelli (1991) argues that it was the best animated movie that was ever made. However, he concedes that the Lion King was by far the highest grossing Disney film, the story and cinematography coupled with the astounding soundtrack and musical has pushed the movie to grea t heights.

Mystery story Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mystery story - Assignment Example They were fat and lazy and were always given waste fish by the fisherman when they came through. There were always at least five of the birds hanging around, usually more like 20 or 30. After telling his mom about the missing pole, she immediately went to work. From her perspective, it was property stolen from the store and something that would cost her an extra $150 to replace. After making sure of the last time Brian had seen his pole, as he helped Thomas unload Wide Load of his early morning catch of bait shrimp, she began listing off who might be the possible suspects. Thomas obviously wouldn’t have taken it as he was already down for his morning nap in the hammock underneath the shop. â€Å"Let’s see, the shop hasn’t been that busy today,† she said. â€Å"Old Peterson came in with a group who needed some bait. We had those teenagers from up north come in a while ago wanting to fish from the dock, but they were mad about the dock fee, so they left. Oh, yeah, and crazy Joe was here when I got here, I had to run him off again. I wish someone would take him in. One of them must have taken your pole.† At that point, Brian felt it was hopeless. How were they ever going to find a group of rowdy northern teenagers, a homeless man and a boat full of tourists floating somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico? But his mom was never one to give up. Old Eddy’s was a bait shop when it’s owner had been alive, but he’d died more than 10 years ago and no one had bothered opening up again. The pilings for the old docks were still there, and some of the docks were even still in place, but the building had blown down during the last hurricane season and all the locals knew the spot was dangerously unstable. Tourists, though, usually thought they’d found a way of outsmarting the paid docks around town. Even before they’d stopped the truck, Brian and his mom

E commerce. group project, MIS class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E commerce. group project, MIS class - Essay Example In the event that many people log into our site or share our advertisements and updates with their friends, we can safely conclude that the marketing aspect of the project is a success. Success would also be established by the increasing number of online donations or feedbacks. Social networks are bound to bring in plenty of feedback even those that are considerably impertinent. In an effort to isolate the effects of this kind of technology, the only thing that can really be done is actually ignore the irrelevant sort of feedback or response. The entire plan is to collect donations in the promotion of charity for the baseball team; any information pertaining to anything other than the main course is considered to be immaterial in all respects. There is always a chance of failure in every venture undertaken in business. In other words, there is no guarantee of success in this case. Therefore, in case of failure, the charity group will take to the streets and literally publicize our project to people by word of mouth. Needless to mention, it is much easier to persuade people on a personal level. All in all, we do hope that this project will work and that the reception will be worthwhile. It is a good thing what the baseball team is attempting to do for charity and we hope that the public perceives it as

Building Effective Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Building Effective Teams - Essay Example While age is protected to a limited degree from job discrimination, Ace needs to do more to reap the benefits from the experience that age can offer. With a diverse age group, we can gain from the energy and creativity of youth while also realizing the rewards of age and experience. Along with temperament and seasoned judgment, the older person can perform at above average levels. Robbins, 2003, dispels the common misperception of lowered output with age when he contends, "...[E]vidence demonstrates a positive relationship between seniority and job productivity" (p 40). The older staff can get new ideas from the younger members, while the younger can grow with the help of coaching by the more senior team members. People from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds are mandatory in today's global marketplace. Not only can they be knowledgeable about culture specific traditions and customs, they may prove invaluable in certain sales situations where trust may be an issue. Bahry, Kosolapov, Kozyreva, and Wilson, 2005, concluded that, "...such generalized trust is far more common in ethnically homogeneous than in more diverse societies".

Internet Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Marketing - Essay Example The internet is very effective in carrying out this exercise. One other advantage of this strategy is that it is captivating and it appeals to the interests of the targeted consumers. The marketer is also in a position to tailor the message in the desired way so that it can have a positive impact on the targeted consumers. Basically, the strategy of storytelling helps to increase a market share for the company. 2. In order to strike an emotional cord, there are different brand storytelling techniques that are effective. The technique of presenting the product as unique is very effective since it appeals to the emotions of the targeted people. People are compelled to think deep in a bid to establish the main reasons why the product is presented as unique compared to other similar market offerings. This marketing strategy is particularly designed to appeal to the emotions of the customers so that they can try the product. They tend to ask themselves this simple question: Why is the product better compared to other similar products found in the market? This is likely to compel customers to develop a positive perspective about the product. For instance, they will buy it on the basis of the emotional benefit they will gain from using it. In some cases, people are satisfied by the benefits they will derive from using a certain product. Therefore, the brand story should explain it all. 3. The other elements in the brand story that are effective in content strategies include things such as product feature and quality. In most cases, the consumers buy a product as a result of the information about that offering they have. Information about a product includes elements such as product features as well as quality. Customers are primarily interested in buying products that have value for their money. These products would satisfy the customers if they are comprised of quality features. This is the essence of marketing where the marketers seek to satisfy the

Should thin people have to pay Medicare and other health costs Research Paper

Should thin people have to pay Medicare and other health costs - Research Paper Example In this article, Bhattacharya and Sood address the economic costs of obesity to the society. Through various statistics the authors found out that the existing healthcare program caters for the problems of obese people through the use of funds from normal individuals which should not be the case. Regarding this , the authors suggest that the obese individuals should pay higher premiums to cater for their healthcare problems and to be more cautious with their dietary choices. The importance of this article to this bibliography is that it brings an economical analysis of the costs of obesity. Bhattacharya, Jay, et al. "Does Health Insurance Make You Fat?" July 2009 . Web. 17 April 2012. In this article, the authors critically analyze the concept of healthcare premiums. The authors argue that health insurance tend to make individuals less concerned about their health problems hence increasing cases of obesity. The authors have also indicated that programs such as Medicaid and Medicare fail to address the problem of obesity.... Regarding this , the authors suggest that the obese individuals should pay higher premiums to cater for their healthcare problems and to be more cautious with their dietary choices. The importance of this article to this bibliography is that it brings an economical analysis of the costs of obesity. Bhattacharya, Jay, et al. "Does Health Insurance Make You Fat?" July 2009 . Web. 17 April 2012. In this article, the authors critically analyze the concept of healthcare premiums. The authors argue that health insurance tend to make individuals less concerned about their health problems hence increasing cases of obesity. The authors have also indicated that programs such as Medicaid and Medicare fail to address the problem of obesity. Moreover, the authors have suggested that a difference in wages in which obese people are paid less will help them to take necessary measures regarding health. This article is important to this annotated bibliography as it addresses the concept of pooled insu rance in which obese people benefit unfairly from premiums paid by normal individuals. Bauer, Brad. â€Å"Higher Premiums for Obese Workers Growing.† News and Sentinel, 20 November 2011. Web. 17 April 2012. Bauer is a consultant in insurance-related matters, whose articles on healthcare insurance demonstrate his experience in the field of insurance. In this article, Bauer has highlighted that obese people benefit more from healthcare since they pay equal premiums with normal people. In this article, the author articulates that premiums are being internalized so that the obese individuals can bear the burden that results from costs of catering for their health

Constructivism and Post-Structuralism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Constructivism and Post-Structuralism - Essay Example Constructivism's 'importance and its added value for the study of International Relations lie mainly in its emphasis on the ontological reality of intersubjective knowledge and on the epistemological and methodological implications of this reality'. He devotes an entire section to elucidating intersubjectivity as collectively shared knowledge which both empowers and constrains actors and also defines social reality. The upshot of Adler's portrayal of constructivism is, as the title of his article suggests, that it has a justifiable claim to the 'middle ground', which he construes as situated between rationalism and poststructuralism. Adler identifies 'seizing the middle ground' as the key to the constructivist project. This assessment is echoed by other scholars. Hopf sees constructivism as situated in the middle ground between rational choice theory and postmodernism, whilst Ted Hopf locates it between the mainstream and critical theory. Thus in defining constructivism scholars make reference to recognising the material world as existing independently of, but interacting with, the social world, the central role of intersubjectivity and the significance of occupying a middle-ground position. Wendt's positioning in the middle ground, related to a particular notion of identity; Kratochwil's reliance on an unproblematic intersubjectivity, based on normative context; and Onuf's claim to an independently existing material world behind our constructions. The acknowledgement of materiality appear to be crucial.... (Katzenstein, 1998, 645-85) This takes us on to a second key element of constructivism, namely intersubjectivity. (Guzzini, 2000, 147-82). According to Adler, constructivism's 'importance and its added value for the study of International Relations lie mainly in its emphasis on the ontological reality of intersubjective knowledge and on the epistemological and methodological implications of this reality'. (Adler, 1997, 319-63) He devotes an entire section to elucidating intersubjectivity as collectively shared knowledge which both empowers and constrains actors and also defines social reality. (Adler, 1997, 319-63) The upshot of Adler's portrayal of constructivism is, as the title of his article suggests, that it has a justifiable claim to the 'middle ground', which he construes as situated between rationalism and poststructuralism. (Adler, 1997, 319-63)Adler identifies 'seizing the middle ground' as the key to the constructivist project. This assessment is echoed by other scholars. Hopf sees constructivism as situated in the middle ground between rational choice theory and postmodernism, whilst Ted Hopf locates it betw een the mainstream and critical theory. (Hopf, 1998, 171-200) Thus in defining constructivism scholars make reference to recognising the material world as existing independently of, but interacting with, the social world, the central role of intersubjectivity and the significance of occupying a middle-ground position. Wendt's positioning in the middle ground, related to a particular notion of identity; Kratochwil's reliance on an unproblematic intersubjectivity, based on normative context; and Onuf's claim to an independently existing material world behind our constructions. (Onuf, 1989, 45-50) The acknowledgement

Marketing Theory and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Theory and Practice - Essay Example Consumers make varied decisions due to the fact that they have different needs and they view issues differently. However, there is a generality in behavior especially when it comes to decision making purchasing. This is the reason that makes it possible to attract the attention of many consumers with a single marketing strategy such as advertisement or attractive packaging and display. However, consumers usually tend to be predisposed towards tangible offers. There are several models that are used by marketers to identify the aspects of decision making process. This essay is a critical analysis of the aspects of the consumer decision making process. It begins with consumers identifying their needs whereby they recognize that there is a gap that requires to be filled in regard to their desires. Need identification can either be gradual or swift which depends on necessity of the commodity in question and the personality of the consumer. At this point, consumers exhibit individual characteristics that are dependent on their standards of living, awareness, feelings and stimulus (Clarke, D.B. 2003). Customers usually focus on past experiences and memories of the utility derived from purchasing particular commodities. They compare the present situation with that in which they will be in possession of the commodity. Socio-economic and cultural factors are also part of the issues that influence need identification. Need identification is usually dependent on the availability of financial resources to acquire goods or services. This means that the need for a particular item in the market may be suppressed by financial difficulties. Cust omers are influenced by social factors whereby they compare the necessity of a certain commodity with another in a family setting. They tend to arrange their purchasing needs in order of importance in to the family (Batra & Kazmi 2004). For example the decision to purchase a computer in the house may be

Central Locking System Essay Example for Free

Central Locking System Essay Power door locks (also known as electric door locks or central locking) allow the driver or front passenger to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of an automobile or truck, by pressing a button or flipping a switch. Power door locks were introduced on the luxury Scripps-Booth in 1914, but were not common on luxury cars until Packard reintroduced them in 1956. Nearly every car model today offers this feature as at least optional equipment. Early systems locked and unlocked only the car doors. Many cars today also feature systems which can unlock such things as the luggage compartment or fuel filler cap door. It is also common on modern cars for the locks to activate automatically when the car is put into gear or reaches a certain speed. Remote and handsfree In 1980, Ford Motor Company introduced an external keypad-type keyless entry system, wherein the driver entered a numeric combination —either pre-programmed at the factory or one programmed by the owner— to unlock the car without the key. Early- to mid-1980s Nissan Maximas could also be installed with a keypad, which would also retract the windows and moonroof once the car was successfully unlocked by pushing a specific button on the keypad. During the 1990s the Subaru Legacy could also be opened by pulling the drivers external door handle a specific number of times to enter a passcode number that would unlock the drivers door only. Today, many cars with power door locks also have a radio frequency remote keyless system, which allows a person to press a button on a remote control key fob, the first being available on the French made Renault Fuego in 1982. [1] Currently, many luxury makers also allow the windows to be opened or closed by pressing and holding a button on the remote control key fob, or by inserting the ignition key and holding it in the lock or unlock osition in the external drivers door lock. The remote locking system confirms successful locking and unlocking through either a light or a horn signal, and usually offers an option to switch easily between these two variants. Both provide almost the same functionality, though light signals are more discreet while horn signals might create a nuisance in residential neighborhoods and other busy parking areas (e. g. short-term parking lots). Some manufacturers offer the ability to adjust the horn signal volume. Other cars have a proximity system that is triggered if a keylike transducer (Advanced Key or handsfree) is within a certain distance of the car. How Stuff Works Between the keypads, keyless entry systems and conventional locks, some cars today have four or five different ways to unlock the doors. How do cars keep track of all those different methods, and what exactly happens when the doors unlock? The mechanism that unlocks your car doors is actually quite interesting. It has to be very reliable because it is going to unlock your doors tens of thousands of times over the life of your car. In this edition of HowStuffWorks, well learn just whats inside your door that makes it unlock. Well take apart the actuator that does the work, and then well learn how the lock can be forced open. But first, lets see how the car keeps all its signals straight. Locking and Unlocking Here are some of the ways that you can unlock cardoors: †¢ With a key †¢ By pressing the unlock button inside the car †¢ By using the combination lock on the outside of the door †¢ By pulling up the knob on the inside of the door †¢ With a keyless-entry remote control †¢ By a signal from a control center In some cars that have power door locks, the lock/unlock switch actually sends power to the actuators that unlock the door. But in more complicated systems that have several ways to lock and unlock the doors, the body controller decides when to do the unlocking. The body controller is a computer in your car. It takes care of a lot of the little things that make your car friendlier for instance, it makes sure the interior lights stay on until you start the car, and it beeps at you if you leave your headlights on or leave the keys in the ignition. In the case of power door locks, the body controller monitors all of the possible sources of an unlock or lock signal. It monitors a door-mounted touchpad and unlocks the doors when the correct code is entered. It monitors a radio frequency and unlocks the doors when it receives the correct digital code from the radio transmitter in your key fob, and also monitors the switches inside the car. When it receives a signal from any of these sources, it provides power to the actuator that unlocks or locks the doors. Now, lets take a look inside an actual car door and see how everything is hooked up. Inside a Car Door In this car, the power-door-lock actuator is positioned below the latch. A rod connects the actuator to the latch, and another rod connects the latch to the knob that sticks up out of the top of the door. When the actuator moves the latch up, it connects the outside door handle to the opening mechanism. When the latch is down, the outside door handle is disconnected from the mechanism so that it cannot be opened. To unlock the door, the body controller supplies power to the door-lock actuator for a timed interval. Lets take a look inside the actuator. Inside the Actuator The power-door-lock actuator is a pretty straightforward device. [pic] Inside the power-door-lock actuator This system is quite simple. A smallelectric motor turns a series of spur gears that serve as a gear reduction. The last gear drives a rack-and-pinion gearset that is connected to the actuator rod. The rack converts therotational motion of the motor into the linear motion needed to move the lock. One interesting thing about this mechanism is that while the motor can turn the gears and move the latch, if you move the latch it will not turn the motor. This is accomplished by a neatcentrifugal clutch that is connected to the gear and engaged by the motor. [pic] Centrifugal clutch on the drive gear When the motor spins the gear, the clutch swings out and locks the small metal gear to the larger plastic gear, allowing the motor to drive the door latch. If you move the door latch yourself, all of the gears will turn except for the plastic gear with the clutch on it. Forcing the Lock If you have ever locked yourself out of your car and called the police or AAA to help you get back in, you know that the tool used is a thin metal strip with a flat hook on it. From this article you can now see how this strip works. A simple vertical motion from either the knob on the door or the power-lock actuator is all thats needed to turn the lock and open the door. What the officer is doing with the metal strip is fishing around until he or she hooks onto the point that the knob and actuator connect to. A quick pull on this point and the door is unlocked! For more information on power door locks and related topics, see the links on the next page.

Special Educational Needs Sen Education Essay

Special Educational Needs Sen Education Essay The term inclusion is difficult to define, with many professionals having their own theories on what inclusion is .One of the most controversial but perhaps true definitions of inclusion comes from the Salamanca Statement whereby educational accomplishment is perceived as being secondary to the development of the self through personal choice(Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).This statement and definition relates directly to the rights-based model and discourse(Dyson,2000) this reinforces the rights of a child and their entitlement to an education . To implement this type of inclusion both schools and society needs to recognise and disable the obstacles that constrain a childs choices and their capability to reach their full potential (Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). The term SEN was devised in the 1970s by the Warnock Report (DES, 1978, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). Lady Warnock states in her report that authorities should consider the idea of including all children into mainstream schooling if that is where they will learn successfully (Kent, 2005). The 1981 Education Act came after the Warnock report .This new piece of legislation affected the entire education system, and was seen to have a positive influence on the education of children with SEN (Potts, 1995). The Act prohibited any child from being deprived of an education, and effectively reinforced inclusion whenever it was possible (Kent, 2005). The Education Act describes a child with SEN as someone who has a learning barrier which appeals for special educational conditions to be made for them. This includes any child below the age of 19 who is a recorded pupil at an educational institute (DfEE, 1996 and SENDA, 2001, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). Frederickson and Cline (2007) suggest that many people misperceive special educational needs with special needs. They propose a child has a special need if they originate from a community whose conditions or upbringing is dissimilar from the majority of the school populace. Thus meaning that a special need does not necessarily manifest itself as SEN (Frederickson and Cline, 2002, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). The Education act calls for an official assessment of all alleged SEN children, a provision upheld by later legislations. A statement of Special Educational needs is formed and complied by educational authorities, who are accountable for outlining the extent of the childs needs and recommending educational strategies and resources to suit the child. The SEN statements are used to situate children into mainstream schools if; the childs requirements can be met, they do not restrict or hinder other childrens learning and is an efficient use of the authorities resources (Kentworthy and Whittaker, 2000). In 2003, within the UK there was anticipated to be over 1.7 million children with possible SEN and of these children around 250,000 of them had a formal statement (Russell, 2003). It could be argued that the statement process and the use of the term SEN is negatively associated to the medical model opinion of disability (Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). Frederickson and Cline (2007) maintain that the process of assessing a child with SEN is completed by scrutinising the individual child. It is expected that the foundation of the problem is within the child and that they must be afflicted with a disability or a learning impairment. The assessment process is thought to be comparable to a medical diagnosis by establishing what classification of disability the child suffers from. It has been advocated that this method of labelling, is disrespectful and distressing to the specific child and also has an impact on the way in which their learning is sustained (CSIE, 2005, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). Segregation, due to the labelling process is a normal experience for a child with SEN .Children may be excluded from mainstream schools and placed in a special school or within a mainstream classroom children may miss out on lessons to be educated by the special needs expert or more commonly the designated teaching assistant. The medical model has perhaps lowered anticipations of a child with SEN. Some consider handicapped children as abnormal, because they are constrained to what they can accomplish. Frederickson and Cline (2007) state that being handicap was defined by society in terms of defect, physical and emotional deficiencies were believed to inflict limitations on cognitive advancement. As a consequence obstructions to achievement and social development were forced upon children with SEN (Frederickson and Cline, 2007, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). Law (1993) suggests some parents of children with SEN would prefer a diagnosis, as they feel it helps them comprehend and prepare for the problems their child may be confronted with. Parents also feel that a statement can help to gain access to expert help and advice and secure a place in a special school. Hanson et al (2001) argues that the majority of parents welcome inclusive locations for their children with SEN, although parents did have apprehensions about the teachers level of training and experience. Corbett (2001) claims teachers are enthusiastic to support inclusion when dealing with children who have a mild disability. There is nevertheless the proposal that teachers do not have the similar inclusive idea in relation to those children who show severe behavioural problems (Wedell, 2005).Inclusion for certain children is being deferred because the educational system is not fit to include them because of the obstructions of lack of knowledge, lack of will, lack of vision, lack of resources and lack of morality (Clough and Garner 2003; 87 cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).Study in this topic establishes that for these children, teachers consider that exclusion is essential due to their experience within the classroom (Corbett,2001). The previous Government, encouraged teachers to improve personalised learning for all students (Milliband, 2004, cited in Wedell, 2005).This was intended to inspire a more receptive approach to teaching. While the majority of teachers no doubt aspire to do this, the difficulties within whole-class teaching stipulate how difficult this is to accomplish. Additionally, such targets require understanding and time to apply. David Hargreaves (2004) states traditional teachers are not educated adequately enough to deal with the varieties of responsibilities now outlined for them (Wedell, 2005). The quality of teaching for pupils with different needs has been an concern that has prevented the effective application of SEN and inclusion strategies .The Programme of Action(DfEE,1998)specified the need for teachers to undertake detailed training in special educational needs and the previous Government also agreed that effective practice is being obstructed by the same issue(DfES,2004).There seems to be a common opinion amongst educational professionals that the training they receive to prepare themselves for the teaching and accommodating of children with SEN is woefully inadequate'(Corbett,2001;22). To aid teachers, the process of grouping pupils is still commonly used in the classroom. This technique was introduced so that teachers could prioritise and plan differentiated lessons. The tensions this inflicts on children and the complications it creates for teachers have been extensively acknowledged. David Hargreaves stated; Pedagogy in schools is about mastering the art of controlling the behaviour of some thirty young persons of the same age, who are reluctantly enclosed in a room of modest size and who can be easily managed as thirty kittens can be herded. (Hargreaves, 2001:2 cited in Wedell, 2005) Hartley also mentions; If the government retains a bias towards whole- class, traditional pedagogy, then the costs may be reduced, teachers may be tamed, high-stakes scores will rise, and procedures may be standardised. But the economic benefits are likely to be few in the long term. (Hartley, 2003:91 cited in Wedell, 2005) These interpretations specify how features of the structure of schooling present difficulties for children with SEN in general. The government has introduced a mass deployment of teaching assistant(TAs)to aid teachers in these dilemmas , but class grouping still exists within a classroom .The provision of learning support assistants(LSAs)for pupils with special educational needs is perhaps a method of softening the blow for teachers who are in mainstream classes. It is recognised that the velcro-ing of LSAs to pupils occasionally becomes a system of within-class segregation (Wedell, 2005). The Pragmatic discourse states that for schools to achieve a more inclusive ethos, support will be needed to develop polices and practice(Dyson,2000) that not only allows all children to be supported but also convey the needs of the teachers as well (Hanko, 2003 cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).Frederickson and Cilne (2002) declare that for schools to develop inclusion they must scrutinise how they might encourage involvement of the diversity of pupils that they assist within the community (Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). The Political discourse discusses the struggle (Vlachou, 1997, cited in Dyson, 2000) between views of teachers, parents and MPs. These conflicting opinions cause national education policies and legislations to frequently aggravate each other in their execution. The Audit Commission (2002) noticed that the application of the Statement process proceeded to pull finance away from local education authorities(LEAs).Funding for pupils with a statements ran at ten times the funding available for children with mild to moderate SEN without a statement. The 2004,OFSTED report on progress in inclusion found that for some schools inflexible timetabling ,staffing and non-existence initiative were handicaps to successful progress. Whereas The Audit Commissions (2002)refer to the predicaments faced by schools ,as they are put under pressure to achieve better academic results and to become inclusive(Wedell, 2005). In England, educational requirements for children with SEN are administrated by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DFES, 2001a, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have similar Codes. The Code was launched in schools in 2002.The Code of Practice details the standards for the management of SEN provision (Soan, 2005, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009). The Codes key objectives are that a child with SEN: should have their needs met, their needs will ordinarily be met in mainstream schools, the views of the child should be considered and children with SEN should be offered a diverse and significant education. The principles within the Code work alongside the statement of inclusion that exists within the National Curriculum (Soan, 2005, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).The National Curriculums principles of inclusion maintain that teachers will: set appropriate learning tasks for all children, respond to childrens varied learning requirements and overcome possible barriers to learning. It is evident that these two statements, conflict with each other ,due to the fact that they link to different models. Within the Code the childs difficulties are perceived to be the focus which associates the Code to the medical model, .(Soan,2005, ,cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009).Whereas the statement of inclusion expresses links to the social model as it looks at improving factors such as the learning environment (Alcott,2002). If the hurdles of implementing inclusion are to be weakened it would seem obvious that †¦.. individual pupils†¦. must be at the core of all we do'(Coles and Hancock,2001, cited in Hodkinson and Vickerman, 2009:88). A common issue with implementing inclusion is that perhaps to much time is spent over concerns about inputs and settings when perhaps more time should be spent on developing experiences and outcomes for the pupils.

Ifugao Culture: Ethnographic Research

Ifugao Culture: Ethnographic Research Name of culture What is the name of your chosen culture? What is the meaning of the name in English? Do the people in your culture call themselves this name if not, what do they call themselves and what does it mean in English? Do neighboring groups call them something else? If so, what is that, and what does it say about relations between the two groups? Add your own ideas The name of the chosen culture is Ifugao. The origin of the Ifugao comes from the term Ipugo, which means from the hill. According to their mythology, their name is derived from Ipugo which refers to the rice grain given to them by their God, Matungulan. Also, others say that the name comes from the word I-pugaw which loosely translates to inhabitants of the earth. Neighboring people refer to the Ifugao people as Kiangianl. Today, the people who inhabit this province refer to themselves as the Ifugao, although the area contains people who are not. Where is your culture located? The Ifugao culture inhabits an area of roughly 750 to 970 square miles in northern Luzon, which is located in the Philippines. The culture resides in the most rugged and mountainous parts of the Philippines, which is high in the Gran Cordillera Central in northern Luzon. The Gran Cordillera Central of Northern Luzon is consumed with a wide variety of natural areas. According to Fowler, The Gran Cordillera Central of Northern Luzon is a jumbled mass of lofty peaks and plummeting ravines, of small fecund valleys cleaved by rainfed, boulder-strewn rivers, and of silent, mist-shrouded, moss-veiled forests wherein orchids in their deathlike beauty unfold like torpid butterflies. The mountainous peaks rise from 1,000 to 5,000 meters and are drained by the waters of the Magat River. According to Siangho, Their neighbors to the north are the Bontco; to the east Gaddang; to the west Kankanay and Ibaloy; and to the south the Ikalaham and Iwak. It is believed the Ifugao were likely inhabitants of the nearby fertile plains, which is greatly opposite of their current dwelling. It is also believed that they were driven out of these plains by Malaysians because of their superior weapons. This is why they currently reside in the mountain side. The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago of approximately 7,000 islands. The first people arrived about 100,000 years ago. These individuals were hunters and gatherers who survived off of the lands basic resources. Thousands of years later, people arrived from Asia and brough with them agricultural skills and social structure. From this cross-cultural intermingling, a culture was created and the Philippines was born. Language What language do people in your culture speak? Provide some details about the language specifically, the language family it belongs to, and an interesting fact or two about its structure. (Example: in Sinhalese, at the end of an interrogative, you have to add a special question mark word.) Add your own ideas The language name of the Ifugao people is Ifugao. The language family proceeds like this: Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian, Northern Luzon South-Central, Cordilleran Central, Cordilleran Nuclear, and then Cordilleran Ifugao. Therefore, the language family of the Ifugao language is Malayo-Polynesian. There are Four divergent dialects of the Ifugao language: Amganad, Batad, Mayoyao, Tuwali, each with distinct varieties: Amganad: Burnay Ifugao, Banaue Ifugao; Batad: Ayangan Ifugao, Batad Ifugao, Ducligan Ifugao; Tuwali: Apao Ifugao, Hungduan Ifugao, Lagawe Ifugao. As stated by The Ifugao native people, The Ifugao have a language that changes from village to village. Dialect and change of pronunciation can make it a real challenge to maintain a conversation between neighboring villagers. However, an official language dictionary has been produced. Settlements Population within Ifugao society in the twentieth century has varied anywhere from 60,000 to over 100,000. According to Malone, Population density in some areas approaches 400 per square mile. The only architectural structures noted for this group of people are the houses in which they reside and their extensive rice patties that extend from halfway up the mountain side all the way down to the bottom of the valley. The Ifugao people live in hamlets. These are like tiny communities that are located alongside the mountain near an owners rice patty. There are approximately 8 to 12 houses per hamlet. There are also building for the unmarried, which is discussed later in this assignment. Houses Describe the houses in your culture (straw huts, mud walled thatched roof dwellings, etc.). Be as detailed as possible, including size, layout, materials, colors, even prices if available. Who lives in a typical house? Women, men, children, elderly? Animals? Add your own ideas The houses of the Ifugao people are very small. The typical household consists of the nuclear family. A nuclear family is a family consisting of only a mother, father and their children. Once a child becomes a teenager and he or she is old enough to take care of his or herself, they go in live in either boy or girl homes. Typically the Ifugao house sits on four sturdy posts, with no windows. According to Fowler, Inside there is an open earth and stone fireplace for cooking and floor mats for sleeping and sitting. Family paraphernalia, such as baskets, bowls, clothing, skills (human and animal), and magic items, are hung from the walls or stacked on carved shelves. Although Ifugao houses vary little from this basic configuration, houses of nobility often feature differences, such as massive Hagabi lounging benches, decorated attic beams, kingposts and doorjambs carved with human effigies, and ornate exterior frezies portraying pigs, carabao and other animals. The adults and their smaller children (ones who can not take care of themselves) live together while children who can maintain their own lifestyle live in different houses. When the teenagers reach the age where they become interested in the opposite sex, the male teenagers leave their house during the day to meet females in other houses. From this intermingling, couples eventually form. Soon after a girl becomes pregnant, the couple will wed. After marriage, the couple will either build their own home, live in a home of someone who has died without kids, or live in a home left by one of their parents. After they settle in to their house, it is the moms duty to take care of the child and the dads duty to provide for the family. Student Response: Making a Living How do the people in your culture make a living? Describe what anthropologists call their adaptive strategy. (foragers, horticulturalists, pastoralists, agriculturalists, industrialists). Provide some details about their subsistence system (what game do they hunt, what crops do they grow, what animals do they herd, etc.). Add your own ideas People in the Ifugao culture live a very basic lifestyle to make a living. The usual lifestyle consists of agriculture and hunting, with anthropologists characterizing the adaptive strategy as agriculturists. According to Malone, Ifugao subsidence is derived principally from agriculture (84 percent) with an additional ten percent derived from the raising of aquatic fauna, such as minnows and snails, in flooded rice fields. The remaining six percent of subsistence involve fishing (fish, eels, frogs, snails and water clams); hunting (deer, wild buffalo, wild pigs, civet cats, wild cat, python, iguana, cobra, and fruitbat); and gathering of insects (locusts, crickets, and ants) as well as large variety of wild plants. As we can see, the main duties are tending to the rice patties. The men are usually the ones that participate in the hunting and fishing. When the men hunt after wild deer and pig, they usually use hunting dogs to assist them. The dogs are not raised to eventually eat (lik e some nearby cultures); the Ifugao people respect and admire dogs. Political System Describe your cultures political system. Use the anthropological terms we have learned in class (band, tribe, chiefdom, state). Provide some details about the cultures power/authority system how do individuals get into a position of power? What are traditional methods of social control and conflict management? Add your own ideas The Ifugao political system is better characterized as a sociopolitical organization. According to the article, Ifugao Sociopolitical Organization, Traditionally, social differentiation has been based on wealth, measured in terms of rice land, water buffalo and slaves. The wealthy aristocrats are known as kadangyan. The possession of hagabi, a large hardwood bench, occurs their status symbolically. The Ifugao have little by way of a formal political system; there are no chiefs or councils. There are, however, approximately 150 districts (himputonaan ), each comprised of several hamlets; in the center of each district is a defining ritual rice field (putonaan ), the owner (tomona ) of which makes all agricultural decisions for the district. Government is poorly established among the Ifugaos. According to Malone, The functions of government are (or were) accomplished by the operation of collective kinship obligations, including the threat of blood feud, together with common understanding of the adat or custom law given the people by ancestor heroes, in particular the inviolability of personal and property rights. Men earn respect according to their rice pattys. The bigger their patty is, the high status they have in the community. Also, within the Ifugao community, there is a rice chief. The rice chief is one of the leading priests and the people respect him for religious authority, but he does not have ultimate authority over the Ifugao people. For the most part, people are on their own when it comes to government control. Kinship System Use anthropological terms to describe your cultures kinship system (matrilineal, patrilineal, etc.). Provide a brief definition of that type of kinship, and then say why your culture fits that definition. Describe the kinship terminology, and provide examples. Add your own ideas According to Malone, Each sibling group is the center of an exogamous, bilateral kindred.: Essentially, this is descent traced and kinship groups assigned through both male and female lines with marriages being outbred instead of inbred relationships between families. Basically, people dont marry within their family, but outside of it. The adults and small children all live together. When the child comes of age, which is basically a teenager, they move out of their parents house and live on their own in a second house with other kids their age of the same sex. When the men begin to search for wives, they leave their houses during the day and the women stay in their homes to greet and welcome men. They start in a very cool and calm atmosphere, such as jokes and casual talk, but eventually relationships form. After a girl becomes pregnant, they will wed. At this point the couple will either build their house or inhabit a house left by their parents or someone who has passed away without children. When they are settled in, the mothers duty is to care for the child while the father hunts for food for the family. Marriage Describe your cultures marriage system. How do people choose a mate? Is there a particular category of person an individual is supposed to marry (example: in El Nahra, where Elizabeth Fernea lived, people were supposed to marry their cousins). Are marriages arranged, or do individuals get to pick their own spouses? Could you imagine yourself getting married the way people do in that culture? Add your own ideas Marriage within the Ifugao culture is quite simple. The normal form of marriage in the Ifugao society is monogamy. Monogamy is being married to only one person at a time. Although monogamy is widely practiced, polygyny is practiced occasionally by the wealthy. Even thought the defimition of polygyny is that either male or female may have multiple spouses, it is mailnly the males that have multiple wives. In these situations, the first wife has higher authority and status than her co-wives. According to Malone, Marriages are alliances between kindreds. First cousin marriages are forbidden in practice and theory, but marriages to more distant cousins can take place. These marriages can take place with a payment of fines in livestock. The men are able to choose their wives within this culture. There are no established or set marriages for the Ifugao people. When the men are interested in marriage, they begin meeting other women in their society. When they begin their relationship, it is a very casual environment. Eventually it become serious, and after the woman is pregnant, the man and wife get married. They will then move into their own place together to begin their family. This seems pretty similar to the American marriage system on the fact that we look for and choose our own mate. Some people get married before they are pregnant while others get pregnant before they are married (although some people may never marry). I think this is definitely a culture I could be a part of, in the sake of their marriage system that is. Sex and Gender How would you describe gender relations in your culture? Do men and women live completely separate lives, as in Guests of the Sheik, or do they mix it up? How much power do women have over their own lives and the lives of others? Do women have official political power? Is there a gender division of labor (there has to be every culture has one!)? Given your own gender, would you like to live in that culture? Add your own ideas Student Response: Ifugao society is much separated. Men and women live apart unless they are married and/or brother and sister, but even at a certain age of childhood; they go and live on their own, away from their parents. Men are the ones who hold political power, or lack thereof, in the Ifugao culture. Usually, the only powerful people in this society are men who are respected because of their wealth. The division of labor is set between the genders as well. Since this a very simplistic culture, the women tend to the children and house work while the men tend to the fields of rice and hunting food for the family. I would call it a classic, nomadic style of life. Another note that women are not as powerful or highly touted as men is the fact that, in the case that polygyny does exist, it is with multiple wives and usually not multiple husbands. This form of marriage is very rare and only among the elite and rich people in the culture. For me, I wouldnt like to live within this culture. I think it is good for men and women to mix and mingle within the workplace, home, and political power. Men and women bring different ideas and ways of life to the table, and I think a successful culture allows men and women to intermingle freely. Therefore, I would not want to live in the Ifugao society. Religion Describe the religion (or religions) found in your culture. Do people believe in a god or gods? Do people in your culture practice magic? If so, what kind? How has missionary activity affected people in your culture (if it has) Add your own ideas Religion is an essential part of the Ifugao culture and is significant in every phase of life. Their religion provides a means by with the unknown can be approached and understood. Ifugao religion is a very complex structure based on ancestor worship, animism, and magical power. According to Fowler The Ifugao pantheon consists of innumerable spiritual entities that represent natural elements, forces and phenomena in addition to ancestral and methphysical beings. The trust and confidence that the Ifugao have in these beings allow them to face what is often a complex and frightening world with a great deal of confidence and understanding. They believe that the gods and other beings are approachable and can be influenced by the proper rites and behavior to intercede on behalf of an individual or the entire community. Generally the gods are viewed as generous and benign beings who enjoy feasting, drinking wine and chewing betel nut, as do the Ifugao themselves. However, the gods are quic k to anger and if ignored or treated badly can quickly become ill-tempered, demanding tyrants capable of causing misfortune and injury. The Ifugao people have created ceremonies to honor and respect their deities, although some are rarely acknowledged or called upon. Others, who control daily life, such as agriculture and health, are constantly worshipped and called upon. The greatest importance to the Ifugao are rice or agricultural deities which have the power to ensure bountiful crops and actually increase the amount of rice already in storage. Interesting fact Provide one additional interesting fact about your culture. Do they have a fascinating set of ideas about illness, disease and curing? Describe it. Do they have an elaborate art style? Describe it. Do they engage in sexual practices that strike you as very different from that of Western Society? Talk about it. Do they have a particular type of body modification (scarification for example) or style of body adornment? What is it? You dont have to answer all of these questions pick one or one of your own choosing and provide as much information as you can find. Although the Ifugao have no knowledge in writing, they were capable of creating a literature that matches with some of the countrys finest in epic and folk tale. Their literature is passed orally. Their riddles serve to entertain the group as well as educate the young. One such example of an Ifugao riddle is, according to Siangio: Dapa-om ke nan balena ya mubuttikan nan kumbale. This translates to: Touch the house and the owner runs about. The answer is spider. When the Ifugao gather together, they use proverbs to give advice to the young. These proverbs are used to stress a points. The ones who have gone to formal school begin their lectures before large meetings or gatherings with proverbs. Here are a few Ifugao proverbs according to Sianghio: Hay mahlu ya adi maagangan :: The industrious will never go hungry. Hay uya-uy di puntupong hi kinadangyan di ohan tago. :: The feast is the yardstick of a persons wealth. Hay itanum mo, ya hidiyeh aniyom :: What you have planted is what you will reap. Ifugao myths usually are about hero ancestors, gods and other supernatural beings. They story lines usually have these heroes facing problems that they are currently facing. This allows the Ifugao people to provide hope and comfort to their homes. When these stories are recited, they are usually in barked-out, terse phrases followed by the tulud, which means pushing. The tulud aims to bring the magical powers that stand behind the myth. At the end, the clincher kalidi is chanted and the narrarator enumerates the benefits which should be obtained from the myth. The myths are usually concluded with the phrase, because thou art being mythed. They have myths that cover common cultural stories such as: creation of the world, creation of man, great battles and epic struggles. They also have stories that cover other worldly known events, such as the great flood or Noahs Arc to the Bible. According to Sianghio, Other Ifugao legends that have been recorded include, The Legend of the Ambuwaya Lake; The Origin of the Pitpit or The Bird of Omen; Why the Dead Come Back no More; and How Lagawe Got Its Name. Other such important tales are the magical stories, called abuwab. These tales are believed to possess mystical powers. According to Siangho, Examples are the poho-phod and chiloh tales, which are usually told in death and sickness rituals. The abuwab is usually about the legendary husband and wife, Bugan and Wigan. Also, Siangho says, The Ifugao epics are chanted romances telling of the origins of the people, the life and adventure of the Ifugao heroes, the valor of men and the beauty of women, as well as ancient customs and traditions. Sources: Fowler, John. The Ifugao: A Mountain People of the Philippines. Tribal Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2009. . Froiland, Andrew. Ifugao. Ifugao. Minnesota State University, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2009. . Ifugao Sociopolitical Organization. Countries and Their Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2009. . Malorie, Martin. Society Ifugao. The Center for Social Anthropology and Computing. University of Kent at Canterburry, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. . Sianghio, Christina. Ifugao. litera1no4.tripod.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2009. . The Ifugao native people. eSSORTMENT. N.p., 2002. Web. 4 Dec. 2009. .

Roman Religion In A Romans Everyday Life Vs. Religions Effects On Tod :: essays research papers fc

"We Romans", said Cicero, "owe our supremacy overall other peoples to our piety and religious observances and to our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything." Roman rites and observances took two main forms. One was the domestic reverence of the spirit or genius of the family. The other was the public attitude to the gods and goddesses by whom the destiny and welfare of the Roman people as a whole were supposed to be guided and controlled. During the Classical period, religious observance accompanied all important private and public events and transactions and, no successful outcome went without a vow of thanks or public dedication. Temples, priests and sacred rites were provided by the State. Nothing in the nature of religious services as we know them, in which the body of worshipers as a whole were able to participate, seems to have been celebrated in the temples. Any set forms of prayers, hymns or chants were performed sole ly by the official priests whose secrets they remained. The ordinary Roman man or woman had little personal part to play in such rites (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). While they were being undertaken and fulfilled it was the duty of the ordinary citizen not to interfere or make any disturbance and to refrain from any business affairs. When religiously minded Roman dropped in to a temple in order to worship the god or goddess whose house it was , they had some practical object in view : some personal favor or advantage. They came and perhaps burn incenses. When praying they stood with upturned palms. Sometimes they got as close to the image of the god as they could in order to whisper their pleas; the feet of some of the images were worn by the kisses of generations of worshipers. In addition to paying a fee for admission, the grateful petitioner for divine aid also brought sacrifices and thankful offerings to the temples. Enormous numbers of livestock and cattle went to augmen t the wealth of the temples, and to swell the incomes of the priests and attendants, many of whom became extremely wealthy. Temple worship was no essential part of Roman life. If it had been, it is difficult to understand why there were not more than about a hundred within the city confines, which is no large number in a city of some million inhabitants.

Folklore, Womens Issues, and Morals in Toni Morrisons Sula Essay

The Themes of Folklore, Women's Issues, and Morals in Sula    Toni Morrison has asserted that she likes to write the kind of books that she would like to read (Harris 52). By this we can assume she favors black folklore, women's issues, and discussions of accepted moral standards. These are some major themes in Sula. Folktales are a type of oral prose that is passed from one person to another. Listeners may chose to add or subtract from the main story lines, embellishing with experiences and wisdom from their own lives. It then takes on the collective morals, or conscienceness, of that culture. From those individuals who we normally would not consider cultured, great gems of knowledge and wisdom are passed down through folktales. This is done without the traditional use of written language or use of proper organizational style. Yet these oral traditions are not without power; they reach into the very heart of what it is to be human. Typically, folktales are set in believable surroundings with extraordinary people. We see the same in Sula. The setting is in a common Negro village called the "Bottom" where it is said that it is "the bottom of heaven" (Morrison 6). The wider historical settings are kept intact in the novel as the events of World War I swirl around and capture some of the residents of Bottom. It is people, however, that makes up the surreal in Sula. Eva is a tireless grandmother who controls her domain of a large boarding house; Shadrach is a war-shocked veteran who invents an amnesty day for people to kill each other; Hanna and her daughter Sula are shameless adulteresses. In this tale, Toni Morrison takes liberty to change the style of folklore (Harris 53). Instead of happy endings, violent ... ...net.10 September 2001. <<http://www.viconet.com/~ejb/bio.htm>> Harris, Trudier Fiction and Folklore: The Novels of Toni Morrison. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1991. Hedge, Holly.   "Toni Morrison."   Empire Zine <http://www.empirezine.com/spotlight/toni-morrison/toni-morrison.htm>   (accessed on September 6, 2001) Morrison, Toni Sula. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1973. "Morrison, Toni." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000.   <http://encarta.msn.com> 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. (accessed on September 26, 2001) O'Neill, Cynthia.   Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans.   New York: Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc., 1994. "Toni Morrison."   Contemporary Authors, Gale Research, 1993; abstracted at <http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~mmaynard/morrison/biograph.htm>   (accessed on September 26, 2001)   

Longer School Days Essay -- Education School Teaching Essays

Longer School Days Schools are so much a part of our society, so the accurate length of school days is extremely important. Public opinions on the length of the school days are different. There are a lot of parents and professors concerned that it is hard for children to go to school early in the morning and stay there the whole day. On the other side, some professors try to force students into a nine hour school day. Not so many years ago, school was a main part of my life, and the school days’ structure and length affected my social life and ability to study. From my own experience and some studies that I have seen, students benefit if school days are long. Lengthened school days help to create a supportive environment for studying. After school, it is difficult for children to concentrate on homework. Many children’s homes are too crowded, and they are usually distracted by parents, friends, TV, or games. There are many other interesting things that they can do out of school, so students forget about what their teachers told them to study. Also, parents cannot help too much with their homework and only waste children’s time or give incorrect answers. My father tried to help me with a math course. I could not understand his explanations, because he was not a professional tutor. Finally, he confused me even more, and I had to make an appointment with my math teacher. In contrast, if children do their homework in school, there are fewer people and objects that distract their attention. Teachers and other hardworking students offer encouragement. At school, children have access to tutors and teacher’s aids. There is always somebody who can help to complete their homework and answer questions. ... ...e adults get an opportunity to find full-time work. In this case, the tax base could increase, and welfare obligations could decrease. Most importantly, students would get better knowledge that they would be able to apply in the future. There are many opinions and studies about reforming school days. Some people are concerned that longer school days would bring more difficulties. However, there are numerous studies and practical examples that prove that we improve students’ performance by lengthening school days. Finally, the economy and our society will benefit from expanding school days. Works Cited Brett, Jennifer. â€Å"8 to 5 Some Educators Like Barnes’ Latest Plan to Improve Schools by Lengthening the Day.† The Atlanta Journal – Constitution 30 Nov 2000: F1+. Madison, Alta. â€Å"In School: Every Day, Year - Round?† New York Times 14 Jan 2001: 16.

Islam Essay

1. The word â€Å"Islam† is derived form the Arabic root â€Å"asalama† which literally means peace, purity and submission. Thus Islam means â€Å"surrender to the Almighty† and Muslim means â€Å"one who is in a state of submission†. It is understood that this submission is to the Will of God, as is laid down in the Quran. This tenet is unequivocally accepted by all sects of Islam be they Shia, Sunni or Sufis. 2. Islam is an unerringly monotheistic religion. It enjoins the existence of one God, his prophet Muhammad who is the Last Prophet (khatam-in-nabiyin) in a long line of prophets sent throughout time and to every civilization, and the Quran as the Word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibrael. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of life is to worship him and to adhere to his word, as laid down in the Quran, and in Sunnah (the normative practices of the Prophet), as closely as possible. They believe that Islam is the final, completed and universal version of a faith (Deen-e-Ibrahimi) revealed too many prophets before; most notably Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but whose message has now been distorted. 3. The practices of Islam are based on the ubiquitous â€Å"Five Pillars†. These are, in order of importance, Shahadah or acceptance of One-ness (Taw hid) of God, Salat or five daily Prayers, Saum or Fasting in the month of Ramadan, Zakat or obligatory Alms-giving, Hajj or Pilgrimage to the Kaabah (House of God) at least once in a lifetime, for those able to afford it. These five â€Å"Pillars of Faith† are incumbent upon every Muslim and form the basis for his belief. Some scholars say that the pillars in Shia Islam involve an additional four points in addition to the principal ones. Namely, Nabuwah or Prophet Hood of Muhammad, Jesus, Moses etc., Imamah or Leadership of the Tweleve Imams, Qiyamah or Day of Judgment and Adel or Justice. 4. The fundamental goals of Islam are a complete submission to God and adherence to the teachings of the Quran and the example of Sunnah. When a child is born he is â€Å"ordained† into Islam by reciting the Kalima (the verses outlining Tawhid) into his ear, and thereby giving Shahadah i.e. acknowledgement of the One-ness of God. Muslims must perform the ritual of prayer five times a day, fast and give alms in the month of Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the Kaabah if he is of sound mind and body and is able to afford it. The principles of the Promotion of Virtue (amr bil-maaroof) and Prevention of Vice (nahi an-al-munkar) are long-standing and Muslims are expected to inculcate them in their dealings with others. As Islam enjoins peace and harmony with mankind and with nature there is a great emphasis placed on community. Indeed, the Muslim brethren at large are considered one community (Ummah), irrespective of political, cultural or physical barriers. A Muslim is encouraged to perform good deeds for the community (masawaat) and to call people to worship the One God (Dawah). 5. Authority in Islam remains with God. His injunctions, as laid down in the Quran, and the practices and teachings of the Prophet, Sunnah are to be followed in establishing a political structure. Traditionally the concept of political leadership was embodied by the â€Å"Great Caliphs† (Khulfa-e-Rashiduun), who succeeded Muhammad in leadership of the nascent Islamic Empire. This political set-up personified adherence to the Shariah, duty of the rulers to seek consultation or Shura and of censuring unjust rulers. It is widely believed that the â€Å"Great Four†, the four to succeed Muhammad in succession, were the only ones in practice true to the cause of Islam and subsequent rulers fell victim to dynastic politics and greed. With the fall of the Ottoman Empire there was an abolition of the Caliphate, no matter how symbolic, and closure of the traditional Islamic political setup. Shia Islam has a theological concept of the Imamate. This term is often used interchangeably with the Caliphate but has very different connotations. The Shia believes that it is a divine institution succeeding the Last prophet and the Imams divinely chosen. The chosen Imams take up the mantle of religious, political, social etc. leader of all the Ummah. Traditionally Shia followers and scholars have shown political aloofness or activism against what was viewed as an increasingly corrupt caliphate. 6. The legal ideal in Islam resides with God. His injunctions form the basis for Islamic Law or Shariah. Shariah derives from two sources: divine revelations set forth in the Quran, and the normative practices of the Holy Prophet, Sunnah, as pertained to everyday matters. Fiqh or Jurisprudence extends on matters not directly touched upon in these primary sources. The foundations for Fiqh come from Ijma or consensus of learned scholars and qiyas, analogy from quran and Sunnah. Shia jurisprudence replaces this with aql or â€Å"reason†. Shariah law is not widespread, and even in Muslim countries there are often parallel justice systems. In countries where it enjoys official status Shariah is upheld by the qadis. Shariah has widespread implications; from matters of politics and economics to diet and personal hygiene. Shia scholars employ a different tack. According to them sources of law (usul-e-fiqh) are: Quran, Sunnah, the practices of the Twelve Imams and aql (reason). 7. Islamic philosophy and theology have more or less a harmonious perspective. Theology in Islam centers on six main articles of belief; Belief in One God (Tawhid), Belief in the Last Prophet (Nabi) and all the Messengers of God (Rasul), belief in Angels (Malaika), books sent by god (kutub), judgment (qiyamah) and predestination (qadar). Islamic philosophy as produced in an Islamic society is not exclusively concerned with religious matters nor is it wholly Islamic in origin; rather it has grounds in Hellenistic and Pre-Islamic Indian traditions. The golden age of Islamic philosophy is centered on the 8th to 12th centuries and exemplified Averroes and Avicenna. The first aspect of theology is Kalam which deals with theological questions and the other is Falsafa based on Aristotelianism. Kalam centers on ijtihad or using thought to investigate the doctrines of the Quran, while Falsafa was mainly concerned with the translation of Greek and Hindu texts and expounding them to the community at large. It is quite possible for a Muslim to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs; believing on the one hand in the Aristotelian principle that the existence of the world is not only a possibility but also a necessity, and also valuing the fact that existence of the world in due only to God. The Shia school of thought differs only in what it considers purely theological matters i.e. Roots of religion (Usul e-Din) and Branches of Faith (Furu-e-Din) 8. By the end of the 12th century, the Islamic Empire was a vast entity. Stretching from beyond the shores of the Mediterranean to much of India. Thus Islamic art and architecture shows wide and varied themes, each influenced by the culture and climate of the particular land. The principal Islamic architectural styles are the mosque, tomb, fort and palace and from these an idea of the recurring themes may be gleaned. Soon after Muhammad, a recognizable style of architecture emerged comprising interior vaulted spaces, a circular dome and decorative arabesques. The great mosque of Samarrah in Iraq, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Hagia Sofia in Turkey are prime examples. The conquest of the Persian Empire in the 7th century introduced large arcades and arches. Moorish architecture is perhaps the most familiar example in the western world. The Great Mosque (Mezquita) in Cordova, the Alhambra and the fort of Granada introduced wide breezy interiors and decorative foliage and Arabic inscription motifs. Mughal architecture has built a class of its own. Perhaps the most famous is the Taj Mahal, built in white marble entirely in symmetry with large minarets and cupola domes. The Mughals also introduced gardens as a relevant theme in their architecture, most famously the Shalimar Gardens. While theology does not have a very significant impact on Islamic architecture a recurring theme is the absence of human or animal imagery, widely considered to be forbidden by the Prophet. Instead calligraphic inscriptions of the Quran and geometric patterns replace as decorative influences.