The Person Who Inspire Me

PART 2: Writing DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM -the person who inspire me- What does someone do to inspire you? To me, inspiration is the process of instilling faith in someone to motivate him or her to do something. Many people do things simply out of the kindness in their heart, and do not realize they are inspiring others around them. To me, a news paper boy who is became an Indian scientist and also administrator who served as the 11th President of India, inspires me the most. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as Dr. A. P. J.Abdul Kalam, is the most motivater to my study and life. He inspires me to do things by example. For example, in Dr. Kalam life, his father wasn't educated but he wanted Kalam to study. Dr. Kalam would get up at 4 am, bathed and then go for his mathematics class. After his morning class, Kalam along with his cousin Samsuddin went around town distributing the newspaper. As the town had no electricity, kerosene lamps were lit at his home between 7 pm and 9 pm. But because Kalam studied until 11, his mother would save some for him for later use.Dr. Kalam always said to students that to succeed in our mission, we must have single-minded devotion to our goal. We have to dream before our dreams can come true. When the whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work. These are the powerful quotes by Dr Abdul Kalam that help his success followed him. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and Bharat Ratna, and then he became the President of India. He is one of the few presidents who have touched the hearts of so many poor children in the country.Because he also came from a poor background, he knew that the power of education in changing our future. In my conclution, quotes of Dr Abdul Kalam are always make me more stronger to achieve my dreams comes true and I would not be the person I am today without him. PART 1: Planning |Topic |a news paper boy who is became an Indian scientist and also administrator who served as the| | |11th President of India, inspires me the most. | |Topic sentences |Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as Dr.A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is the | | |most motivater to my study and life. | |Body with supporting details |He inspires me to do things by example. | | |His father wasn't educated but he wanted Kalam to study. | | |After his morning class, Kalam along with his cousin Samsuddin went around town | | |distributing the newspaper. | |As the town had no electricity, kerosene lamps were lit at his home between 7 pm and 9 pm. | | |But because Kalam studied until 11, his mother would save some for him for later use. | | |Dr. Kalam always said to students that to succeed in our mission, we must have | | |single-minded devotion to our goal. We have to dream before our dreams can come true. | |He was awarded the Padma Bhushan and Bharat Ratna, and then he became the President of | | |India. | | |He also came from a poor background, he knew that the power of education in changing our | | |future. | |Concluding sentences |In conclution, quotes of Dr Abdul Kalam are always make me more stronger and I would not be| | |the person I am today without him. REFERENCES 1. http://www. wonderfulinfo. com/winfo/life_history_apj_abdul_kalam. php 2. http://www. caclubindia. com/forum/quotes-by-dr-abdul-kalam–104060. asp#. UJOnCpiT9Ic 3. http://changeminds. wordpress. com/ 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/A. _P. _J. _Abdul_Kalam To me, my husband Dave inspires me the most. He is a very loving and caring person. He gives me the strength in my heart to do whatever I put my mind to. He inspires me to do things by example. He inspires me most when I see how his generosity makes other people feel, and how good it makes him feel because of their reaction.From that example, it makes me want to do something so I can experience the same feeling. Dave always inspires me to make goals for myself, chase my dreams, and to do things t o help others. He volunteers whenever he can. A few of his favorites are Cub Scouts, Drug Awareness Programs, Children's Hospitals, Supporting our Veterans, Community Highway Clean-up, and Habitat for Society. He is also very dedicated to helping his country. He has been in the United States Navy for almost 20 years as a Senior Chief Builder in the Seabees.He will retire soon, but his desire to help our country and community will continue. It was one rainy evening in particular I will never forget. We were sitting in the living room discussing his plans for a motorcycle run to raise money for the Veterans Hospital in Hampton Virginia. The TV was playing in the background, and our son was sitting at the kitchen table working on his homework. In the middle of our conversation, his cell phone rang. He stepped outside to take the call, and I went to check our son's progress with his homework. When he came back into the house, he did not say a word.He just turned the volume on the TV up, and started to watch the coverage for the upcoming hurricane. He began to explain the phone call he had just received. It was from his boss in the military. He said if the hurricane were going to be as strong as they think it will be, he would have to leave right away to be there for the disaster recovery. This started to make me worry about what was going to happen to the motorcycle run. We had over 200 people already pre-registered, the t-shirts ordered, the food was being prepared, the permits were in hand, and the police escort had already been set up.I knew this was something Dave was passionate about, and it had to go on. Suddenly, on August 29, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast. There was severe damage mostly in the cities of Mobile, Alabama, Waveland, Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi, and New Orleans. At least 1,836 people lost their lives due to the severe storm surge damage. Dave was ready to go as soon as he heard the news, so he could provide help to those who lost every thing. More than 3,000 U. S. Navy Seabees from all over the United States aided in the hurricane Katrina relief efforts.Hurricane Katrina was so devastating; Dave and his crew volunteered to stay longer, and could not make it back in time for the motorcycle run for the veteran's hospital. His passion to help his community, and our country inspired me to take over the motorcycle run. I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives just as Dave would have done. He wanted to make life a little easier not only for our veterans in the hospital, but also the people who lost everything due to the hurricane.After a lot of hard work and dedication, it was a very rewarding feeling knowing I could help that day. The motorcycle run was a huge success, and we were able to present them with a check for over five thousand dollars. Without the inspiration from my husband, and continuing to do things out of the kindness of his heart, I would not have been motivated to do the things I have don e. He continues to inspire me to do things everyday, and I would not be the person I am today without him.

Duties of A Teacher Essay

BEFORE A STUDENT BECOMES A STUDENT TEACHER HE NEEDS TO PASS THE GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OF THE COLLEGE. THE COURSES IN EDUCATION ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE INSIGHTS INTO THE SOCIOLOGICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION, THE CURRICULUM, METHODS OF TEACHING, UTILIZATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES, TECHNIQUES OF EVALUATION AND THE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL. INDICATED BELOW ARE THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT TEACHER. 1. SET CLEAR PURPOSES — COMPETENT TEACHERS HAVE CLEAR PURPOSES IN MIND FOR EACH LEARNING EXPERIENCE. EACH DAILY LESSON PLAN, EACH UNIT OF STUDY, CONTRIBUTES TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF WORTHWHILE PURPOSES. 2. STUDY INDIVIDUAL AND CLASS NEEDS — HE FORMULATES PURPOSES AND BASES HIS PLANNING ON THE SPECIFIC NEEDS, ABILITIES, ACHIEVEMENT AND INTERESTS OF THE PUPILS WITH WHOM HE IS WORKING. 3. STUDY THE COMMUNITY — THIS IS DONE TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN AND THEIR HOME BACKGROUND. 4. PROVIDE A BALANCED PROGRAM — UTILIZE TEACHER’S GUIDES, TEACHER’S MANUALS, COURSES OF STUDY AND OTHER CURRICULUM MATERIALS. 5. MAKE EFFECTIVE PLANS —GOOD PLANNING INVOLVES BRINGING TOGETHER CLEAR PURPOSES,  KNOWLEDGE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE COMMUNITY AND SUGGESTIONS FROM CURRICULUM GUIDES AND TEACHER’S MANUAL. 6. MAKE CONTENT MEANINGFUL — A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER AND USE OF EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR DEVELOPING BOTH THE MEANING AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT IS TAUGHT. 7. PROVIDE FOR INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP WORK —INDIVIDUAL WORK IS PROVIDED TO ENSURE THAT THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EACH LEARNER ARE MET. GROUP WORK IS PROVIDED WHEN COMMON NEEDS AND PURPOSES OF THE ENTIRE CLASS, OR A GROUP WITHIN THE CLASS ARE TO BE MET. 8. PROVIDE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING — IT SHOULD BE A HEALTHFUL ENVIRONMENT WITH PROPER LIGHTING, VENTILATION AND TEMPERATURE. THE ROOM SHOULD BE INVITING AND CHAL- LENGING TO CHILDREN. 9. USE APPROPRIATE METHODS AND MATERIALS — EMPLOY SKILLS IN USING THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES. 10. EVALUATE FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END — APPRAISAL OF CHILDREN’S LEARNING AND VALUE OF VARIOUS METHODS AND MATERIALS SHOULD BE DONE. 11. MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP —RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE’S CO-WORKERS, PUPILS, PARENTS, THE COMMUNITY AND THE PROFESSION, ARE CLEARLY OUTLINED IN THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL. IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THE AFOREMENTIONED DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, THE FOLLOWING  EXPECTANCIES SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND. STUDENT TEACHING IS THE CULMINATION OF ANY TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND STUDENT TEACHERS REPORT THAT IT IS THE MOST CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THEIR PREPARATION. IT REPRESENTS THEIR BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR APPLYING THE RESEARCH, THEORY, AND BEST PRACTICES THEY HAVE LEARNED IN UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS; RECEIVING FREQUENT, EXPERT SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK; AND REFLECTING ON AND LEARNING FROM THEIR PRACTICE. IT IS DURING THIS TIME THAT STUDENT TEACHERS BEGIN TO DEVELOP THEIR PERSONAL TEACHING STYLES AS WELL AS THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SCHOOLS  OPERATE. WE LOOK TO YOU TO HELP THEM ALSO DEVELOP A SENSE OF PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY, A COMMITMENT TO HIGH STANDARDS FOR ALL STUDENTS, AND THE HABITS OF MIND OF A GOOD TEACHER, INCLUDING THE HABITS OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND LIFELONG LEARNING. The Role of the Cooperating Teacher THE COOPERATING TEACHER PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE AS THE STUDENT TEACHER’S MODEL AND MENTOR AND HAS GREAT INFLUENCE OVER THE STUDENT TEACHER’S LEARNING EXPERIENCE. STUDENT TEACHERS TEND TO ADOPT THE PRACTICES OF THEIR COOPERATING TEACHERS, SOMETIMES WITHOUT QUESTION,  ASSUMING THAT THEY HAVE NO CHOICE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU, HOWEVER, TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENT TEACHERS IN ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES, TO SHARE WHAT THEY OBSERVE ABOUT YOUR CLASSROOM AND PRACTICE WITH YOU, AND TO BE WILLING TO SUGGEST TO YOU AND TRY OUT STRATEGIES AND METHODS THEY HAVE LEARNED WITH WHICH YOU MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR. OVER TIME, AS STUDENT TEACHERS GET TO KNOW YOU, YOUR CLASSROOM, AND YOUR STUDENTS, WE ASK THAT YOU INCREASE THEIR CLASSROOM AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES UNTIL THEY CAN  BECOME PARTNERS WITH YOU IN TEACHING YOUR STUDENTS. YOU DO NOT NEED TO SURRENDER YOUR CLASSROOM TO YOUR STUDENT TEACHER (NOR SHOULD YOU). WE EXPECT YOU TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND PRODUCTIVELY TOGETHER TO OFFER ENRICHED INSTRUCTION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION TO YOUR STUDENTS. WHEN THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN COOPERATING TEACHER AND STUDENT TEACHER WORKS WELL, THE STUDENTS BENEFIT THE MOST. PLANNING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE STUDENT TEACHER 1. THE COOPERATING TEACHER WELCOMES THE STUDENT TEACHER THE INITIAL DAYS OF STUDENT TEACHING ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE STUDENT TEACHER. EACH  COOPERATING TEACHER SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE STUDENT TEACHER FEELS WELCOME. INTRODUCTIONS TO TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS, AS WELL AS OTHER PERSONNEL EMPLOYED IN THE SCHOOL, ARE IMPORTANT. THE STUDENT TEACHER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS, MATTERS OF SCHOOL ROUTINE, AND APPROPRIATE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL STAFF. 2. THE COOPERATING TEACHER INTRODUCES THE STUDENT TEACHER INTO THE CLASSROOM A DESK OR TABLE IS ALWAYS USEFUL FOR THE STUDENT TEACHER. THE STUDENT TEACHER SHOULD BE INTRODUCED TO THE STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO RESPOND TO THE  STUDENT TEACHER AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER. Importance of NCBTS AS A PRACTICE TEACHER, KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THE NCBTS IS VERY IMPORTANT. THE NCBTS DEFINES WHAT IS EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND WHO IS AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER. THIS MEANS THAT I SHOULD USE THE NCBTS AS MY GUIDE IN MY PRACTICE TEACHING. IF I USE THIS AS A GUIDE, IT WILL HELP ME IMPROVE HOW I MAKE MY LESSON PLANS AND TEACH MY PUPILS. ALSO, THE NCBTS CAN ALSO SERVE AS MY BASIS IF I AM DOING THE APPROPRIATE THINGS IN MY LESSONS AND FOR MY PUPILS. I MAKE USE OF THE NCBTS BY ANALYZING FIRST ON ITS CONTENTS THEN TRYING TO APPLY IT IN REAL TEACHING. FOR EXAMPLE, SHOWING COURTESY AND RESPECTING EVERYONE AT ALL TIMES. I DO THIS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CTS HAVE MORE EXPERIENCES IN HANDLING DIVERSE PUPILS AND LOOKING TO THEM AS MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT THEY DESERVE HIGH REVERENCE FOR THEIR WORK. ON THE OTHER HAND, I DO THIS TO MY PUPILS BY NOT HUMILIATING THEM IN CLASS. I RESPECT THEIR ANSWERS AND OPINIONS IN DISCUSSIONS AS NCBTS WAS A PART OF THE BENCHMARK OF PRACTICE TEACHING, I WILL ALSO USE IT AS MY BENCHMARK IN MY TEACHING FIELD. I WILL TRY MY BEST TO APPLY THE COMPETENCIES AND FOLLOW THE RULES OR TIPS STIPULATED IN IT. I WILL USE IT AS MY GUIDE IN TEACHING AND IN MANAGING THE CLASS. FOR THE PROBLEMS THAT I MAY ENCOUNTER, I WILL USE IT AS MY â€Å"KEY ANSWER† IN SOLVING MY PROBLEMS. NCBTS WILL HELP ME TO BE AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TEACHER. THESE WILL HELP ME TO TEACH HOW TO LEARN, PROBLEM SOLVE, AND SYNTHESIZE THE OLD WITH THE NEW. THESE WILL SERVE AS MY GUIDE AND MY BASIS. I MAKE USE THE NCBTS AS MY FRAMEWORK IN MY REMAINING PRACTICE TEACHING BY TAKING IN-DEPTH THE CONTENTS OF IT THEN PERFORM THE NECESSARY INDICATORS OF EACH DOMAIN. THE IMPORTANT CONCEPTS MUST BE IN MIND ALWAYS AND ABLE TO PORTRAY IT. FOR EXAMPLE, I DEMONSTRATE PUNCTUALITY IN ALL ASPECTS IN THE FIELD SUCH COMING TO SCHOOL BEFORE THE CALL TIME AND PASSING OF REQUIREMENTS; ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE INSIDE THE CLASSROOM DURING THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS AS WELL AS TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUPILS TO PUPILS, PUPILS TO TEACHERS AND TEACHERS TO TEACHERS BY BEING A GOOD ROLE MODEL TO EVERYONE AND ACT PROFESSIONALLY; AND TEACH EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY TO ATTAIN THE HIGHER LEARNING OF EACH PUPILS BY USING VARIED STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES WHICH CAN ASSESS, EVALUATE AND TEST THEIR HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS. I MAKE USE OF NCBTS AS: †¢ MY GUIDE FOR ME TO BE EFFECTIVE IN DELIVERING MY LESSONS †¢ MY BENCHMARK IN PLANNING, CREATING AND PUTTING INTO ACTIONS ACTIVITIES AND STRATEGIES THAT PROMOTES EQUALITY AMONG MY DIVERSE LEARNERS †¢ MY CHECKLIST OF THE THINGS I NEED TO DO FOR ME TO DEVELOP AND GROW AS A TEACHER †¢ MY DAILY REMINDER OF THE THINGS I SHOULD AND I SHOULDN’T DO AS A FUTURE TEACHER. IT REMINDS ME OF MY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS A PRACTICE TEACHER †¢ MY IMPROVEMENT/ DEVELOPMENT METER AS I VENTURE THE WORLD OF PRACTICE TEACHING How to Improve your Oral Communication Skills 1. BE SURE OF YOURSELF. YOU SHOULD BE CONFIDENT BEFORE YOU START TALKING. 2.. BE CONCISE AND CLEAR. DO NOT ADD IRRELEVANT STUFF IN YOUR SPEECH. 3.. READ A LOT. IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. 4.. MAKE SOME MENTAL NOTES FIRST. YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. THERE MUST BE A RELATION BETWEEN YOUR MIND AND YOUR WORDS. IT WOULD NOT LOOK GOOD IF YOU STOP BETWEEN A CONVERSATION AND START TO THINK. 5. TRY TO ADD HUMOR. BUT IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE MARK. VULGAR JOKES CAN BE A GREAT TURN OFF. 6. RELAX. YOUR BODY LANGUAGE SHOULD BE RELAXED. YOU SHOULD NOT STIFFEN UP. DO NOT SPEAK IN HURRY, AS IT WILL MAKE THE LISTENER THINK THAT YOU ARE CONFUSED OR YOU HAVE CRAMPED THE SPEECH. 7. MAKE EYE CONTACT. IT IS SO IMPORTANT. BUT IF YOU ARE FACING A CROWD YOU SHOULD NOT LOOK AT ONE FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS. ACTIVE LISTENING – THIS IS A KEY ELEMENT OF ORAL COMMUNICATION. ACTIVE LISTENING IS PROACTIVE RATHER THAN PASSIVE. IT INVOLVES LISTENING TO AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS BEING SAID – AND WHAT IS NOT BEING SAID. IT PICKS UP ON VERBAL COMMUNICATION, THE SPOKEN WORD, AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION SUCH AS BODY LANGUAGE. IT LISTENS TO THE STORY BEING TOLD  AND ALSO TO THE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS EXPRESSED; IT INVOLVES READING BETWEEN THE LINES, IDENTIFYING WHAT HASN’T BEEN SAID, AND ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND WHY. DEAF PEOPLE CAN BE EXCELLENT LISTENERS EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR; IN ADDITION TO LIP READING, THEY HAVE TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO BODY LANGUAGE, GESTURES AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO DETERMINE THE MEANING OF WHAT IS BEING SAID. PRESENTATIONS – TAKE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS DURING YOUR COURSES AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. THE ABILITY TO PERFORM IN PRESENTATIONS IS A SKILL HIGHLY VALUED BY MANY EMPLOYERS. DISCUSSIONS – DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY OF DISCUSSING IDEAS AND OPINIONS IN MEETINGS AND OTHER WORK SETTINGS. YOU CAN LEARN TO PUT FORWARD YOUR IDEAS IN A PERSUASIVE AND STRUCTURED FORMAT BY PARTICIPATING IN DEBATES AND BY JOINING COMMITTEES SUCH AS UNIVERSITY SOCIETIES. INTERVIEWS – YOU WILL HAVE TO DESCRIBE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IN JOB INTERVIEWS. TO DEVELOP INTERVIEW SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE, YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN MOCK INTERVIEWS AND SEEK GUIDANCE FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY CAREER SERVICE. ALWAYS SEEK FEEDBACK ON YOUR PERFORMANCE AFTER AN INTERVIEW – EVEN IF YOU ARE OFFERED THE JOB.

Crime Against Women Essay

Although, women may be victims of all kinds of crime, be it cheating, murder, robbery, etc., yet the crimes in which only women are victims and which are directed specifically against them are characterised as â€Å"crime against women†. Broadly, crimes against women are classified under two categories: (1) Crimes under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which include seven crimes: (i) rape, (ii) kidnapping and abduction, (iii) dowry deaths, (iv) torture physical and mental (including wife battering), (v) molestation, and (vi) sexual harassment, and (vii) importation of girls. (2) Crimes under Special and Local Laws (SLL), which include seventeen crimes, of which the important ones are: (i) immoral traffic (1956 and 1978 Act), (ii) dowry prohibition (1961 Act), (iii) committing Sati (1987 Act), and (iv) indecent representation of women (1986 Act). It is equally important to clarify the concept of ‘violence’ against women. If we take ‘violence’ as â€Å"conduct which incurs the formal pronouncements of the moral condemnation of the community,† or â€Å"deviation from conduct norms of the normative groups†, the scope of cases of ‘violence against women’ becomes too broad. Narrowly, the term ‘violence’ has been applied to â€Å"physically striking an individual and causing injury† (Kempe, 1982; Gil, 1970), to â€Å"the act of striking a person with the intent of causing harm or injury but not actually causing it† (Gelles and Strauss, 1979), to â€Å"acts where there is the high potential of causing injury† (Strauss, 1980), and to â€Å"acts which may not involve actual hitting but may involve verbal abuse or psychological stress and suffering†. Megargee (1982: 85) has defined violence as the â€Å"overtly threatened or overtly accomplished application of force which results in the injury or destruction of persons or their reputation.† While understanding the concept of ‘violence’ and distinguishing it from concepts like ‘aggression’, ‘force’, and ‘coercion’, is both necessary and desirable, there is always the fear of getting bogged down in controversies relating to these concepts raised by various scholars. As a result, one may miss the very purpose of understanding broader aspects of the problem of â€Å"crime and violence against women†. ‘Violence’ must be recognised as a human phenomenon inasmuch as it consists of an act of one person which encroaches upon the freedom of another (Domenach, 1981: 30). Here, we consider the operational definition of violence as â€Å"force, whether overt or covert, used to wrest from the individual (the woman) something that she does not want to give of her own free will and which causes her either physical injury or emotional trauma or both†. Thus, rape, abduction, kidnapping, murder (all cases of criminal violence), dowry death, wife battering, sexual abuse, maltreatment of a widow and/or an elderly woman (all cases of domestic violence) and eve-teasing, forcing wife/daughter-in-law to go for feticide, forcing a young widow to commit sati, etc. (all cases of social violence), are issues which affect a large section of society. In the analysis of the problem of ‘crime against women’, we may focus on important issues like nature and extent of female crime in India, on identifying women who are generally victims of crime and violence, on those who are the perpetrators of crime and violence, on what motivates criminals to commit crimes or victimisers to use violence, and on measures which could contain the depersonalisation trauma of the victims.

William Carey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

William Carey - Essay Example Indeed, as this essay hopes to establish, while William Carey's success emanated from his linguistic talents and his faith, it was, more significantly, the outcome of his rebellion against the Anglican faith and prevalent missionary model. The son of weavers, Carey's family could hardly afford to provide him with an education which extended beyond literacy and a rudimentary knowledge of history, geography, mathematics and science (George, 1991). His education certainly did not extend to either the classics or languages and, as a matter of fact, it was discontinued when, at the age of 14, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker. Nevertheless, his natural intellectual curiosity, compounded with his gift for languages, incited him to self-educate himself in both, successfully teaching himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Dutch, Italian and French (George, 1991). It was during his period of self-education and learning that Carey became increasingly discontented and disappointed with the Anglican Church. It was at this point, as George (1991) explains, that Carey increasingly found himself turning towards dissent against the Church of England and, eventually, the combined influence of his readings and an acquaintance, John Warr, motivated him to leave the church and join the Dissenters. His leaving of the Church of England and embrace of Dissent constitutes an important turning-point in Carey's life. As Parker (1914) explains, he did not leave the Church of England and the Anglicanism because he lacked faith but because his faith was not satisfied by that which the Church offered. Carey believed that the Anglican Church had, to a degree, lost its spiritual direction, had become too immersed in the material world and, as a direct result, was not fulfilling its duties towards God. That duty was the spreading of Christ's message to all parts of the world. It was with this in mind that not only did Carey become a Dissenter but joined with other Dissenters in the formation of a small Congregational Church (Parker, 1914). Although not even 18 at that time Carey had found his vocation and his life's work. From the Congregational Church, Carey joined the recently formed Particular Baptists and was baptized into the faith by Ryland, effectively declaring himself a committed Baptist (Mangalwadi, Magalwadi and Winter, 1999). In the Baptist faith, Carey found the spirituality which he had been searching for and which he had felt was lacking in the Church of England. This, however, did not mean that his period of rebellion had ended. It would not be an exaggeration to argue that it was during this period that his rebellion attained full expression and led him down a missionary's path. The spark which ignited Carey's most profound rebellion, a rebellion which was to inform and shape his life's work, was a Calvinist pamphlet which effectively stated that all men were not expected to, or responsible for, believing in the Gospels (Mangalwadi, Magalwadi and Winter, 1999). Carey wrote his disputation in The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation and, in a Church meeting, preached the responsibility of all Christians to spread the Gospels. Indeed, when ordered by J.R. Ryland not to presume his responsibility to preach God's word since "when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid or mine," Carey

Financial Crisis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Crisis Paper - Essay Example It is a result of improper policies implemented in the financial system which gives birth to numerous micro and macro economic problems. These reasons have varying severity and have affected the global economies of the world. The recent recession has webbed the entire global economies into its victimization and caused severe distress among both, developed and under-developed countries of the world. Recent economic crisis has paved way for inequality across many nations and has had a dampening impact upon their financial position. This crisis has led to other severe crises and it is matter of global concern. Economists believe that the deregulations of 1980s are the major root causes for the recent financial crisis which is likely to bring an end to free market economics. Reagan administration initiated liberalization, which brought about breakdowns in series due to which the government intervened and ultimately the structure destroyed the whole financial system. The Financial Crisis In 2008, the global market collapsed, The Bush administration figured out that only government intervention could save the companies whose failure could fetch destructive reactions. American Insurance Group (AIG) and Fannie Mae and Freddie Macare are those two giants which suffered from this crisis. The companies had come to this point of crisis because free market had allowed them to make investments due to which the institutions were posed to risks. Millions of people in America lost their jobs and had their savings bushed. A number of factors have been blamed for this crisis but economists believe that free market is the very basic factor amongst all. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz wrote in his book Freefall that market fundamentalists and deregulators are responsible for the mess. The situation showed that free-market economists failed and market fundamentalists were responsible for the economic crunch (Sorman 2010). The economy of United States of America witnessed only a few m inor recessions each for a short period of time. Those recessions did not stir the economy enough to cause economists to develop a well descriptive recession model. With no major recessions over a long time, the economists tend to believe that the crisis may not happen. The model derived by free market economists was running a healthy economy from 80s to 2008 making economists believe that the model may not turn the situation upside down (Sorman 2010). The free market economists argue that it is the recession that prompted the financial crisis and not the other way around. Economists believe that recession began in 2007 when consumer spending decreased, overdue borrowing increased and lack of interest of homeowners in their mortgaged houses increased. They claim that the failure of financial derivatives were not the cause of financial turmoil as they were helping in the stabilization of the economy. Economists assume that due to a sudden economic downfall government faced pressure f rom political and non political forces to take immediate steps. This led to government spending and its intervention in the scenario which seemed quite logical at that time. The situation worsened with new public debts and regulations which stumbled upon the recovery of the economy (Sorman 2010; Bordo et al 2010). The economy could be recoiled in a quicker way if government had allowed enterprises to

Demonstrate an understanding of financial statement analysis Essay

Demonstrate an understanding of financial statement analysis - Essay Example For instance, if a financial statement analysis is conducted and the results indicate profitability of the company then the shareholders are assured of a company’s prospective growth hence safety of investments. In the contrary, they may decide to sell their shares where financial statement analyses indicate a downfall in profitability. This group’s interest concerns the company’s wealth situation. Their major interest is security of the money they invested in the company and the ability of the company to refund both the accrued interest as well as principle amount within the designated repayment time. The creditors are interested in financial statement analysis for purposes of establishing the short-term liquidity status of a firm. Their main interest is to ascertain a firm’s capability to repay the amount they owe on time. â€Å"They do financial statement analysis from which they are informed on whether there is need to extend the lends and ask for advanced interest charges† (Sinha & Sinha, 2009). It is for this purpose that the information gathered from the financial statements is important. The management is charged with the responsibility of ensuring a smooth running of an organisation. They are responsible in formulation of future policies and plans as well as undertaking immediate decisions. It is for this reason that they should analyse financial statements in order to measure the effectiveness of the policies and the decisions they make in the day-to-day running of a firm. â€Å"In addition, the management’s interest is to ascertain both the short-term and long-tern creditworthiness of the company, productivity, liquidity and return on investment status of the business† (Shim, & Siegel, 2007). It is the duty of every government to ensure that firms conform to tax regulations. Therefore, the government examines financial statements with an aim of determining tax submission. In addition, the government

Management of International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management of International - Essay Example Malaysia is one of the prominent emerging countries in the South East Asia. Malaysian holds the third place in the South East Asia and twenty ninth place in the global economy as per the recent statistics. Malaysia is an Islamic state even though Malaysian Muslims are more civilized and educated compared to Muslims in other parts of the world. Coke needs no introduction in the international market. They are the biggest soft drink manufacturers in the world. Even though Coke was keener in protecting the environment and demonstrating their corporate social responsibility, some of their tactics were criticized heavily by the neutral observers. Injudicious underwater exploitation is the major criticism labelled against Coke from many countries. Coke is currently trying to expand their wings in Malaysia. They are facing severe challenges in Malaysian market because of the anti-American feelings developing across the Muslim community all over the world. Moreover, health concerns about the soft drinks are also growing everywhere and the increasing popularity of bottled water is another major threat for the ambitions of Coke. This report analyses the opportunities and threats waiting for Coca Cola in Malaysia. ... Organizational culture, climate, behaviour and theories have changed a lot as a result of internationalization of business. Outsourcing and offshoring like new business concepts entered the business world because of the growing cross cultural business activities. Corporate companies and other big organizations have already experienced saturation in their domestic countries and they were waiting for an opportunity to internationalise their business. Liberalized rules and regulations for the entry of foreign direct investments (FDI) by many of the countries made the path easy for the multinational companies to exploit the possibilities of Globalization. Even though, the popularity of international business is unquestionable, many of the big organizations are facing stiff challenges in doing international business because of the improper business strategies. Domestic business strategies are not suitable for international business because of the extreme diverse business environment in th e target country. Coca Cola is the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage company. â€Å"Coca Cola products are consumed at the rate of one billion per day† (Bellis, 2009). â€Å"Invented by Doctor John Pemberton in May, 1886, Coca Cola is currently operating in more than 200 countries with over 50,000 employees and more than 800 production and distribution centres and 300 worldwide bottling partners† (The Coca-Cola Company: Growth, Leadership, Sustainability, 2009). Innovative business strategies keeping in pace with the needs of the changing world made Coca Cola one of the all time great companies in the world at present. Coca Cola and its corporate social responsibility Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) is one of the major business term talked loudly in the

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example These end users regard companies who refuse to abide by the regulations as irresponsible and try to avoid them. This means that should all factors in the supply chain process be put in place but common actions on abiding by regulations that borders on the wellbeing of people and the environment be ignored, there is no way customers would accept or patronise products from such irresponsible companies (Bowman, 1997). This way, the core motifs of companies in going into production would totally be defeated. It is in light of this that corporate organisations and companies have always taken steps to be accepted in the face of customers and the general public as corporately responsible. To achieve such tags of corporate responsibility, companies take a number of corporate responses to address specific issues. In the following sections, three companies and how they have taken specific corporate responses to address certain issues that borders on the environment and the growing challenges o f global supply chain have been addressed. GlaxoSmithKline As a company, GlaxoSmithKline has taken a number of initiatives that are based on the principles and core values of supply chain management: particularly, supply chain business process integration to address a number of social and environmental issues (Lambert, 2008, p.15). Three of these and how the company facilitated change in the given directions have been discussed below. Environmental degradation As a pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline has been faced with several issues that concerns environmental degradation. Environmental degradation has been explained as an act that deliberately or unintentionally causes damage to the environment (Burgess, 1998). Such practices have bordered the company because it depends on some raw materials that are acquired directly from undertaking environmentally threatening acts like the cutting down of trees. In the course of manufacturing also, there is the release of large volumes of waste fumes into the environment. Through the supply chain management practice of manufacturing flow management, the company has been able to ensure that what could otherwise had been serious damage to the environment has been controlled. According to Goldsby (2003), manufacturing flow management â€Å"includes all activities necessary to move products through the plants and to obtain, implement, and manage manufacturing flexibility in the supply chain (p. 23)†. Specifically, the company has been engaged in the purchase of production plants that have been designed to internally recycle waste fumes for the generation of power. This way, waste fumes are not thrown into the open atmosphere. Rising energy and materials prices Recently global events including outbreak of wars and political uprising in major oil producing countries have led to rising price of crude on the world market. This has apparently led to increase in the cost of energy. Most commonly, increase in prices of e nergy leads to increase in prices of raw materials (Copacino, 1998, p.31). This is because of the high cost of transportation that increase in the prices of energy brings about. For GlaxoSmithKline as a company, steps have been taken with reference to the order demand

Electrification transforms city life. (1880) Research Paper

Electrification transforms city life. (1880) - Research Paper Example Electric powered street cars became developed, and electric trolleys in the 1880’s, made it possible for the rich and those in the middle class, to move smoothly in the newly constructed rail lines and trolleys. These trolleys allowed people to move smoothly from the business districts to their residential neighborhoods. This led to expanded and increased city limits and suburbs became developed. The developed suburbs allowed the wealthy families enjoy their privacy and ownership of their homes without sacrificing the excitement of the city.2 The introduction of the modern convenience and the vast technological marvels, such as indoor plumbing, telephone and the famous Brooklyn Bridge provided an appealing aura that attracted thousands of people to the city. Cities grew upwards and outwards. The tallest building in the US was the Trinity Church in New York before the invention of electricity. This got overtaken later by the New York World building, a 26 storey building. The growing size of the office buildings showed the healthy and vibrant growing economy. All businesses, steel mills and factories experienced an increase in their profits.3 The invention of electricity in turn saw the arrival of new technologies. These technologies enabled the constructions of buildings taller and bigger than before. The newly built sky scrapers needed elevators to transport people. In 1870’s, six storey buildings used steam powered elevators that became characterized by cables that got wound around a gigantic rotating drum. These elevators were not appropriate for taller buildings, because the drums would have to be abnormally large. During the 1880’s, with the invention of electricity, the invented electric elevator provided a more practical and suitable solution.1 The built tall buildings needed ventilation systems to cool them during the summer period and heat them during the winter. The ventilation systems adopted in the 1860’s, required steam powered

Criminal Justice System of Argentina Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Justice System of Argentina - Assignment Example Earlier, on 2nd September 2007, it had ratified the Second Optional procedure to the International Covenant targeting the suspension of the death penalty, which dealt with civil and political rights (adopted in 1989) which served to abolish the death penalty on ordinary crimes (Ebbe, 2013). With this, Argentina became the seventh nation to amend all human rights regulations in the Inter-American system. On 7th August 2007, a law that saw the removal of the 1951 Military Code of Justice was unanimously passed by the country’s Senate (Amnesty International, 2008). This meant that the death penalty had been removed from all crimes including those committed during military operations, hence removing the military Court (Amnesty International, 2008). In recent times, capital punishment has not been practiced in Argentina, the last one having been implemented in 1916. Given that the death penalty is unlawful in Argentina following a series of legislative amendments in recent times, the use of methods such as torture, hanging, flogging, lethal injection and others for execution no longer apply. Certain other methods have been adopted to deal with crimes that would otherwise warrant the death penalty. In some cases, sentences have been reduced to life imprisonment while in others sentences have been reduced to a jail term of several years, depending on the nature of the case. A few examples of how serious crimes have been punished recently follow hereunder. In the case of Mario Ferreiro who was accused of murdering his wife after a quarrel in 1998, the judge passed a life imprisonment on November 26th2007 (Ebbe, 2013). In another case, an ex-army officer accused of kidnapping, torturing, and killing four reformists before dumping their bodies in the streets to simulate death in a shootout in 1977 was also sentenced to life imprisonment.  

Foundations in human physiology- structure, function and permeability Assignment

Foundations in human physiology- structure, function and permeability of cells - Assignment Example One or more cells constitute all forms of life. Cells can only develop from pre-existent cells. The smallest form of life is cell. The human cell consists of an outer plasma membrane which encloses the minute organelles dispersed within the cytoplasm. These organelles include endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, ribosome, chromosomes, nucleus, lysosome, vacuoles and centrioles. A typical human cell (Carone, 2001) The outer cell membrane is made up of lipid molecules and provides the passage for interaction of cells with each other. Different kinds of human cells have distinct structures that aid in the functioning of their particular activity, such as the axons of nerve and brain cells which transmit signals out across distances to other cells via neurotransmitters. The neurons are specially adapted to perform this function as the axons are as long as one meter in length and the nerve impulse is transmitted from one neuron to another. The various functions performed by human cells include enzyme production, movement, transmission of electrical impulses and demolishing invaders. Among the various cells constituting the human body five main are: epithelial, nerve or neuron, connective, adipose and muscle cells. The four main selected to be explained in the given text include epithelial cells, neuron, connective and adipose cells (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). Nerve Cells Nerve cells or neurons are specialized cell often referred as the structural and functional unit of nervous system. A characteristic neuron consists of a cell body known as soma, an axon and dendrites. The thin structures arising from the cell body are dendrites that frequently extend for hundred micrometres and forming multiple branches thus forming a complex called "dendritic tree". An axon on the other hand is a peculiar cellular extension that originates from the axon hillock and travels as far as one meter (Chudler, 2012). A typical Neuron (Chudler, 2012) Synapse is a specialized c onnection of these neurons with other cells that facilitates chemical signal. Neurons communicate by electrical and chemical (via neurotransmitters like GABA, dopamine and glutamate) synapses in a process referred as synaptic transmission. Action potential is the basic process that activates synaptic transmission, a disseminating electrical signal that is produced by tapping the electrically impulsive membrane (the myelin sheath) that encloses the axon of the neuron. This is also known as a wave of depolarization. Neurons are the central part of the nervous system consisting of the spinal cord, the brain and peripheral ganglia. A great number of these specialized neurons exist and are classified on the basis of their function as sensory, motor and inter-neurons. The inter-neurons connect other neurons within the spinal cord or brain while the motor neurons transmit the response generated from brain and spinal cord to the organs. Sensory neurons respond to light, sound, touch, taste and legion other stimuli impacting the epithelial cells of the sensory organs (Levitan & Kaczmarek, 2001). Dorsal root ganglion The sensory neurons cell bodies are settled outside the spinal cord and brain in ganglia or in the sensory organs. Ganglia situated along specific cranial and spinal nerves accommodate the sensory neurons

The Current Status of Women in Middle East Countries Essay Example for Free

The Current Status of Women in Middle East Countries Essay Part I: Reasons why women are reaching a stagnant point in the Arab countries and how this could possibly change:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to feminists, the current status of women in Middle East countries is strongly attributed to state policies.   Scholarly information from studies conducted on the status of Middle East women have indicated that the changes that have taken place in the legal status of women and in their social placement in society have very much been determined by the changes taking place in political constitution of various states and regimes. The status of women and gender relations have also been equally determined by other factors like class structure, economic and demographic characteristic Religion can also not be ruled out as it has tremendous influence on the system of governance in many countries in this region.   Revolutionary projects carried out in Iran and Afghanistan but which did not yield good results act as a clear guideline on the status of women in Arab countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The societies in the Arab world are predominantly patriarchal.   The role of a woman as wife and mother is still held with a lot of esteem in these societies.   Women are reproducers, educators of children and socialisers whereby they are responsible for implementing societal and cultural values in the young ones. These societies are also predominantly Islamic, a religion that still holds the family as the most fundamental unit of society and places greet responsibility on women about raising devout Muslims as well as transmitting cultural values.   Child bearing is therefore the central labor activity for the females while the men are responsible for the general upkeep of the family.   The place of the woman in a Muslim society therefore remains the home and the activities surrounding it. Muslim family law also gives the male members of the society extensive control over key decisions affecting the life of the women under their control for example in issues concerning marriage, education, business and mobility. Women in the Arab countries are still subjected to some form of subordination to the males and restrictive codes of behavior that govern their lives. There is sex segregation towards women and family honor is closely associated with female virtue.   As a result any attempts to change family virtues or the family structure has often met with a lot of resistance in the Arab world especially from revolutionary groups that have been operating under the concept of defending Islam such as the Taliban in Afghanistan.   Tribal-Islamist opposition groups also play a major role in opposing any attempts to change the status of women in these societies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Arab countries, marriage is still predominantly an agreement between families rather than between two individuals who hold equal rights in society. A husband has absolute rights over his wife’s body and such issues as marital rape are not recognized. Women are therefore still under male control and any attempt to achieve in their social status is viewed as resistance to made dominance.   The community has tremendous influence over a woman’s life in Arab countries a factor that can be seen in the societies refusal to do away with the veil even at a time when civilization has advanced in these countries.   As a result, the veil has widely been viewed as a civilizational threat to the position of the modern woman in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wars that characterize several Arab nations have also been a threat to the status of women.   This is because even after their husbands have been recruited and probably died in war, women especially in the poor backgrounds cannot freely venture out to fed for their families and they still have to rely on male members of the family such as the older sons. This has subjected the women and their children to a lot of unnecessary suffering. There has also been a tendency in these nations to limit the political exposure of women, a factor that has resulted from the concept of male dominance in these societies.   In such a way, it has been difficult for women to push for change as society still holds views that their position should be in the house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A lot can be done to assist the women and improve their status in society.   Women for example should be given freedom in education.  Ã‚   This is because modernization demands more labor in high profile jobs. Wars should be a great lesson and women should be given a chance of being economically stable to avoid desperate situations in the event of the death of the family’s breadwinner during war.   Education will also give women better chances of employment and produce women who are able to strongly advocate for change in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because family law in Arab nations greatly determines state and legal policies relating to gender and family matters,   perhaps these laws should be reviewed to give the women more influence in the family and society.   Various Arab governments should also give attention to demands by women on the improvement of their political, civil and social rights. Part II: Authoritative governments and the rise of fundamental Muslim groups   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Arab world, the main religion is predominantly Islam, a religion that has played a major role in determining the political, social and civil structures in these nations. Religious and state matters are intertwined in such a way that it becomes difficult to make a clear distinction between the two. Islamic law applies to every aspect of life in the Arab nations ranging from matters related to everyday life, to state matters such as the system of governance and even foreign relations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With modernization, the Muslim world has come into contact with the Western world, an aspect that has led to mixed reactions in different Arab nations. This is as a result of the major economic, political and social-cultural developments that have resulted from this type of contact. In most of the Muslim countries the political systems are based on Islamic laws derived from the Quran and this has resulted in the concept of Islamic States through which Arab countries want to exert their influence and change the Western culture to conform to Islamic way of life. There has also been widespread resistance to Western influence and these factors have led to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. A strive has risen among the Arabs between those who feel that Islam should determine the political culture of the Arab nations and those who prefer secular governments that have institutions modeled on Western governments. Islamic fundamentalist feel that Arab governments have established state constitutions that are too compliant with other religions or doctrines. It is therefore the ultimate goal of Islamic political fundamentalists to overthrow these secular states in a bid to achieve national dominance in the political system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Islamic fundamentalist movements have been modeled upon the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt began in 1928 that provided such movements with directives on the way forward in achieving political dominance through the implementation of the Sharia law. Even though composed of a minority of Muslims, Islamic fundamentalists have had varied political achievements in various nations. Good examples of such groups are the Wahhabi in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban in Afghanistan where strict Islamic law has been used to eradicate any form of Western influence. In Sudan, the efforts by the Muslim brotherhood to uphold Sharia law since independence in that nation in 1956 has led to a long civil war between the Islamic North and the Christain south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood captures 20 percent of the seats in civic elections held in the later part of 2005. Turkey is ruled by an Islamist party that appears to accommodate democratic ideals. But since the September 11 attacks in the United States, growing concern has risen within the international community over the current situation in the Arab countries regarding religious reform and the prospect of Islamist fundamentalists having a share in political power. This is because of extremist groups that have resulted to terrorism as a means of achieving their goals. A good number of the countries in the Middle East are governed by autocratic regimes opposed to these Islamist movements. An attempt by such groups to gain political power has often been suppressed by denying them a popular vote in the governments and by exercising brutality against their leaders and followers. This is because of the tendency by these groups to result to violence as a means of airing their grievances and achieving their goals. Such violence has led to abduction of Western hostages, bomb attacks on the US Embassies in countries like Kenya and Tanzania and the September 11 attack in the US.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Islamic fundamentalists   originally aimed at achieving political goals through peaceful means but the refusal of Islamic governments to recognize their existence and the attempt to suppress these movements is what may have led to the emergence of extremist groups. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has however maintained peaceful means in dealing with the government an aspect that has helped the movement to rise into a political party with a strong following. The future of such groups is however threatened by the fight against terrorism and whether they will achieve in maintaining strict Muslim states is yet to be determined by the course that political events in the Arab world will take and the relations between these Arab nations and the West. Part III The lack of unification between the Arab countries has its benefits in regards to Preservation of culture but it is a hindrance to their potential political force Culture in any community plays a role of utmost importance particularly in preserving the identity of any community. Like everywhere else in the world, the movement of people in and out of the Muslim world has increased cultural integration. Colonial occupation in the Arab countries served to expand these cultural influences bringing in the process of westernization. However the Arab countries have more than any other group of nations succeeded in keeping both external and internal influences at minimal levels. These countries have thus managed to retain their individual cultures to large extent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From Egypt to Syria, the rise of Arabism was largely as a result of resistance to the colonial occupation mainly the British occupation. This growing force promised to unite Arab nations on the principles of nationalism as well as religion of Islam. This resulted in the expansion of state, missionary and private education (Moaddel, M., 53). However the cultural distance between the components of the Arab world would not allow for significant integration. This has to this day served to retain the cultural composition of the member countries. The lack of unity in the Arab countries has therefore served to preserve culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The biggest loss that is as a result of this disunity is however the loss of political forces that would have defined the Arab countries as a force to be reckoned with. The leadership’s radical difference in ideologies has made any meaningful integration difficult. A phenomenon akin to divide and rule has therefore been employed repeatedly by the western powers to further influence the political direction in the Arab World. This has worked against the region since it still remains on the shadows when political force is called for in order to change direction of the world.       Works Cited: Are Knusden. Political Islam in the Middle East R 2003:3 Chr. Michelsen Institute Development Studies and Human Rights Moaddel, Mansoor. Islamic Modernism, Nationalism and Fundamentalism. Chicago. University of Chicago Press.

Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky | Comparison

Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky | Comparison Discuss and compare how Caryl Churchills Top Girls and David Eldridges Under the Blue Sky deploy the conventions of Dialogue and Objectives/Obstacles, and asses the connection between these formal choices and the meaning and impact of the play. The conventions of dialogue and objectives and obstacles are intertwined through the playwrights portrayal of character and in the process of creating dramatic conflict. Dialogue is a revelatory device, where action is conveyed through speech to communicate character objectives; it is the chief means by which the premise is proved, the characters revealed, and the conflict carried out.[1] Dialogue reveals subtext as well as character and motive, and communicates the internal dimension of the plot[through] psychological, or inner action'[2] within each character, whose objectives become apparent through the translation of thought into speech and its function in drama. Character objectives are defined as goals or desires for individual characters, often in opposition to each other. For David Edgar [W]hat characters do is pursue objectives [but they] are not necessarily or even often pursued directly.[3] Objectives alter according to the nature of changing conversation and character revelations, thus transforming its intensity, pace, and meaning. The motivation behind a line of dialogue informs what the character wants to achieve by them saying a particular thing. Edgar refers to Stanislavskys theory of Actioning, where actors place an intention behind each individual line. This is a rehearsal technique utilised by the director Max Stafford Clark: Max Stafford Clarkand his actors action individual lines with transitive verbs: in pursuit of the objectives, say, of seduction, a character may befriend, please, intrigue and flatter in as many lines, to which the other character, in pursuit of the objective of remaining unseduced, may respond by warning, snubbing, and challenging before finally spurning.[4] This technique highlights obstacles to these intentions. Obstacles are defined as factors working against a characters objective, often taking the form of another character in the scene, ensuring a more emotional undercurrent between characters to create conflict, particularly as [A]nother important function of the dialogue is the expression of emotion. Characters dont just state facts; they express their feelings toward conditions they feel strongly about. The most highly emotional dialogue is often a free release of feelings stemming from an open clash of wills.[5] In order to evaluate how playwrights have deployed these conventions within their writing, Top Girls by Caryl Churchill and Under the Blue Sky by David Eldridge will be used as examples to explore how these dramatic practices create meaning. Top Girls was directed by Max Stafford Clark and premiered at The Royal Court Theatre, returning early in 1983 following its transfer to New York. The play emerged as a socialist comment on Thatcherite regimes and the championing of the Individual. This has led to debate over whether it is first and foremost a feminist or a socialist play. It is not only the political content of the play which is so significant, but the structure of its content and Churchills use of unconventional dialogue: The play is informed by a pivotal moment in the early 1980s, when social and economic change had liberated women but also fostered ruthless individualism. The subject finds expressive form in the plays hybrid structure, reverse chronology and verbal technique Churchills precise notation for interrupted, overlapping and non-consecutive dialogue that specifies rhythm and discontinuity for the actors in performance.[6] The overlapping dialogue echoes the flow of real conversation or argument, thereby having an impact on the pace of a scene, making any silences more significant. The opening act is well known because it represents five historical or fictional characters, all talking over each other in an effort to become principal storyteller. However, I will focus on the argument between Marlene and her sister Joyce in the final act of the play, where the dialogue is heavy with personal history and both characters objectives reflect the issues of the play in a more pertinent and grim reflection of Churchills intention to demonstrate the prices of success. David Eldridges Under the Blue sky was first performed in 2000 at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, an appropriately intimate space for three volatile acts of two-handers. Its revival in the summer of 2008 transported the play to the Duke of Yorks theatre, where Eldridge reflected on the differences between a small theatre space and a West End theatre production, and on what he terms a cult of virginity in contemporary British theatre: As one critic has noted, a revival is something that normally only happens to the dead. Theatre in this country is currently preoccupied with a cult of virginity, with new plays premiered and discarded in rapid succession; far more than it is nurturing a contemporary repertoire that will sustain modern playwriting long-term.[7] The motivations behind the play derive from Eldridges reaction to how teachers are portrayed in drama, but also his interest in the question of unrequited love. Eldridge says of his intention that I did very much want to meditate on the nature of unrequited love with three couples in different relationships and at different stages of their life.[8] These couples have an act each to deliberate on their individual relationships. Eldridge shows that such temperamental subject matter obstructs character desires to express themselves, resulting in the unnerving proof that the body of a teacher is at least as fallible as the mind of a child'[9], until the final act of the play which ends on a note of possibility.[10] I will focus on the opening act of the play, between Nick and Helen which explores the impact of direct conflict of desires in the exploration of unrequited love. In the translation from thought to speech, what do characters really mean and what do they really say in relation to their objectives. Even if characters are attempting to conceal information, it is revealed, either through subtext or through an emotional outburst, thus heightening or pacing the drama. The relationship between thinking and speaking becomes a complication for the characters, in the conflict between want and need, rational and emotional, or truth and security. Dialogue is used in exposition. Different devices reveal past events, including the conflicting objectives behind the dialogue which move the scene forward. In both scenes the past is very much in the present, an obstacle to it, affecting the characters now. As a result, the process of communication may be compromised, by a character trying to conceal or even change the past in an attempt to protect themselves. In both Top Girls and Under the Blue Sky the character driven dialogue is stichomythic, organised into alternate lines. The dialogue technique employed throughout Top Girls makes the characters overlap and interrupt each other. In the act between Joyce and Marlene the conversation is emotionally loaded with their history, so the dialogue must function to illuminate how important their clashing wills are to substantiate the overlapping, and convey their inner action. In contrast Under the Blue Sky delineates alternate lines to Nick and Helen, amid frequent pauses, and strained laughter. Each playwright employs the relationship between thinking and speaking differently. Joyce and Marlene speak as they think, as they react to the others words to avoid the obstacles put up by their contestations, whereas much of what Nick and Helen say is deliberated, to conceal or protect. Each playwright has defined opposing objectives within the scene, to create conflict and achieve a dramatic situati on. So dialogue grows from the character and the conflict, and, in its turn, reveals the character and carries the action.[11] Eldridge has structured his scene so that both characters wants are in opposition, so they must change as they clash with obstacles put up by the other. Helens primary goal is for Nick to reveal his desire to be the same as hers, but she discovers it is in direct contrast. So her objectives alter to overcome this and change his mind; first she attempts to make him stay, then to find ways to maintain her presence in his life. In the rest of the play we learn what happens to them through what other characters say because they are not seen again. From information gained through others, Eldridge provides suggestions of their continuing objectives following on from Act One and indicates whether they are achieved, as they become obstacles to the plays new characters in the continuation of the story. Although they are described with verbs, objectives are not actually done; they are something the characters aim at doing in the future.[12] Therefore, the process of actioning is key to the dialogue, despite it being an actor exercise. Max Stafford Clark used this technique during rehearsals for Top Girls and its television adaptation in 1991. In such a fast-paced, non-consecutive dialogue that stems from rapid and unrestrained thoughts this technique illuminates intention behind each line and explores which character is in control at a particular point. In this final scene, the status of both sisters is relatively equal in their objective, even if not in their social position, meaning that when one exerts more control over the other it is even more significant. Joyces control is demonstrated through her resistance to Marlenes attempts to appease: Marlene I didnt really mean all that Joyce I did. Marlene But were friends anyway. Joyce I dont think so, no.[13] Here, Joyce asserts the finality of her decision to be distanced from her sister. The dynamics of this argument in Top Girls reflects the nature of a conversation which has opened up old hostilities between two sisters who are almost strangers. So the dialogue has become the means of communicating their opposing wants and needs, resulting in a heated, almost uncommunicative emotional exchange demonstrating a clash of wills and their shared history: Dialogue can narrate and explain ideas. Characters under stress, however, rarely stop to describe and analyse their thoughts and feelings. Such dialogue is seldom a cool academic debate. Instead it must reveal the strong emotions the characters feel for the practical outcome of their ideas.[14] The dialogue is raw and emotional in its argument, conveying both character and he stress they are under to prove their objectives. It reveals truth, not just about Angie, and illustrates characters who are bound together but clash so irrevocably. Dominic Droomgoole described the final act of Top Girls as a big, old-fashioned, stichomythic fistfight, a ball of love and rage, a classic scrap where two political philosophies and two sisters rehearse how much they loath, and how much they need each other. The play is a journey from high style to high naturalistic emotion.[15] Churchills techniques when drafting dialogue has an explicit effect on the exchange of conversation between characters and each line is carefully structured into its position within the organization of the dialogue as a whole; her slash and asterisk notation for interruptions and overlaps speeds up the dialogue by compressing it: the slash indicates a point of interruption, the asterisk indicates a common starting point between two speeches.[16] These indications of interruption also highlight the immediacy of one characters reaction to what the other has said before, expressing how conversation is complicated, that people interrupt and do not listen to one another. So Churchills dialogue is very truthful in its delineation of interruptions and reactions and has a particular intensity to it which echoes the unpredictable, complicated nature of conversation filled with such vehemence. The argument is not based solely on Marlenes unwelcome visit, but is burdened with their relationship as sisters. Thus they can dig into the roots of an argument which has been constrained for six years, and more. This relationship, and the history stemming from their connection, is all but shattered, rendered secondary to the issues which mount between them and is perhaps the tragedy of the scene; ultimately this bond cannot be repaired by one or both of them because they have each chosen something more important in its place. Throughout the scene, Marlenes main objective to pacify her guilt is continually evaded by her sister. This, as an obstacle put up by Joyce, stems from her own desire for things to remain the same, even to protect against the possible threats of Marlenes visit. So Churchill promises dramatic conflict by making them enter the scene with opposing goals. Following the first heated exchange about gynaecology[17] and the revelation that Marlene is in fact Angies biological mother, Marlene breaks down: Marlene I was afraid of this. I only came because I thought you wanted I just came Marlene cries Joyce Dont grizzle Marlene, for Gods sake. Marly? Come on, pet. Love you really. Fucking stop it, will you? Marlene No, let me cry. I like it.[18] Churchill demonstrates that there is still some feeling between them, before we witness the further collapse of their relationship which follows this. In using this moment where the dialogue breaks down and the objective is to soothe, Churchill appeals to our sense of hope, but as the conversation builds once more, as Marlene and Joyce question each other to fill the gap of time and of affection whilst slipping in comments about Angie, I dont see why you couldnt take my money,[19] the distance between them is widened: [In the last scene], in an extraordinarily effective piece of dialogue, the characters seem to change places before our eyes; Marlene shouts, weeps, pleads for sympathy and it is Joyce who gains stature by rejecting her sisters wheedling attempts at eliciting a compromise.[20] Here, Churchills intention is to create possibility, then shatter it, so the play offers a glimpse of affectionate relations between the sisters, before their political differences drive a wedge between them once and for all.[21] This is also the moment where Marlenes vulnerability is shown, as she seemingly finds her femininity again in the private company of her sister, liking that she is finally able to express it. Despite comforting Marlene, Joyce continues to snub her attempts to compromise: Marlene Youve been wonderful looking after Angie. Joyce Dont get carried away. Marlene I cant write letters but I do think of you. Joyce Youre getting drunk. Im going to make some tea. Marlene Love you. Joyce gets up to make tea. Joyce I can see why youd want to leave. Its a dump here.[22] Immediately, Joyce starts distancing once more, making it clear that these words are not enough, subsequently proving her as an obstacle to Marlenes desire in that moment to be comforted. In Joyces reluctance to repair the relationship with her sister, the promise of resolution is threatened once more; and is exacerbated by the political stance of each character, as they finally establish a permanent gulf between them: During the final scene, Churchill repeatedly gestures toward reconciliation as a possibility that remains unrealized. In the final moments of the play, the sisters recognize that a chasm has opened up between them-though they come from the same family background, their present socioeconomic and political differences place them on opposite sides of the divide between us and them. Churchill keeps these positions in dialectical opposition, resisting synthesis or resolution, through Joyces repeated rejections of Marlenes attempts to gloss over their differencesThe expectation of reconciliation remains frustrated right through the sisters final exchange.[23] Throughout the scene, the sisters constantly challenge each others personal and political views. The threat of change is something that scares Joyce, which Marlene takes as jealousy because she was able to leave, but at great cost to her family, gender and future relationships. In this final act, Churchill shows that things do run deeper than blood, that a persons beliefs can be an obstacle to comfort they seek, and intensifies the plays meaning that Marlene has sacrificed more than a daughter for the sake of the Individual. The main objective informing the dialogue between Joyce and Marlene is to tell the other what their life has been like, to justify their choices. However, these claims are complicated by the obstacle of memory and its discrepancies, or deliberate blocking of certain facts. Furthermore, both sisters have something to say, in a heightened situation, where both claims are valid, but there is nothing to allow for polite, uninterrupted conversation. Churchill uses dialogue to open up old arguments, demonstrating how the past affects their choices, through exposition within the debate which reveals much about why and how they have reached their current beliefs and situation. For example, Marlene mentions visiting their mother earlier and comments on how she had a wasted life, and Joyce reacts, undermines Marlenes opinion when she feels that her own choices and way of life have come under attack: Joyce You say mother had a wasted life. Marlene Yes I do. Married to that bastard. Joyce What sort of life did he have? / Working in the fields like Marlene Violent life? Joyce an animal. / Why wouldnt he want a drink? Marlene Come off it. Joyce You want a drink. He couldnt afford whisky. Marlene I dont want to talk about him. Joyce You started, I was talking about her. She had a rotten life because she had nothing. She went hungry. Marlene She went hungry because he drank the money. / He used to hit her. Joyce Its not all down to him. / Their lives were rubbish. They Marlene She didnt hit him. Joyce were treated like rubbish. Hes dead and shell die soon and what sort of life / did they have? Marlene I saw him one night. I came downI had to get out, Joyce Jealous? Marlene I knew when I was thirteen, out of their house, out of them, never let that happen to me, / never let him, make my own way, out.[24] This highlights a number of important details. Firstly, Churchill has illustrated the family life Marlene and Joyce lived as children through their clashing memories of it, and the impact of their disagreement on the standard of life alters the possibility of them finding a common ground. Their opinions, particularly of their father, inform the later debate about their separate political beliefs; showing that the personal does influence these politics. Furthermore, this dialogue demonstrates how these two realities clash, even though these characters share the same past. Churchill also reveals here how Marlene knew she needed to escape this life and the impetus which led her to where she is now; and not even her illegitimate daughter would stop her. In contrast, Joyces ability to relate to her parents lives and her desire to keep things the same means that Marlene cannot properly understand why Joyce could not leave. Marlene has become a separate individual, outside this life, this f amily. Because Churchills dialogue moves at the speed of thought and there is so much to say, there is no reprieve. Instead the argument is a drunken one between two angry sisters, not a considered political assessment, and is exaggerated and oversimplified on both sides,[25] so the dialogue gives substance to these character as flawed people, in the heat of the moment, revealing exposition in their attempts to justify themselves and the origins of their clashing objectives, to ensure an emotional intensity. In contrast to the overlapping exchange in Top Girls, the scene between Nick and Helen in Under the Blue Sky relies on dialogue which is predominantly thought through. The thought processes of the characters inform the pace of the dialogue, which is symbolized in the methodical preparing and cooking of the chilli and acts as something to return to in the awkward silences, and as ingredients are added and it gets hotter, the conversation escalates. The mechanical actions of cooking contrasted with emotional dialogue creates intensity which is emphasized by the moment it is ignored: When [the water] boils neither of them takes any notice.[26] In her review of the 2008 revival, Deborah Orr concluded that the situation of this first act is that Helen loves Nick, and Nick loves being loved by her. There, if hes honest, his interest ends.[27] This is where the clash of objectives lies in the scene. Helen hopes that Nicks invitation to dinner will be a further invitation to advance their relationship. She enters the scene expecting this will happen. Nicks revelation that he is leaving to improve his career, also a cover for his desire to minimise any chance of furthering their relationship, becomes Helens main obstacle. Nicks primary objective is to delay revealing this information, until Helen asks the inevitable question: A long pause. Helen So whats this thing you wanted to talk to me about? Nick looks at Helen and thinks. Nick Lets wait until after dinner. Yeah? Ok, darling Nick smiles. Helen drinks.[28] Nicks reply to the question is very considered, he thinks and he delays. What is communicated in these given objectives is that these characters enter a scene where the process will be harmful and complicated. The impact of Nicks pauses and careful discourse is enhanced when the scene becomes, inevitably, more emotional, Helen takes the news badly, and Nick fails to cope well with her reaction. Once Nick admits he is leaving, he then has to overcome the obstacle of Helens desire to understand why, without admitting the real reason. So he projects his guilt onto Helen, thereby obstructing his ability to be honest with her. Nick It isnt my duty to be unhappy. I owe it to myself to be happy in my work and Im not. Why are you trying to put me on this huge guilt trip? Helen Im not making you feel guilty. You feel guilty. If youre feeling guilty dont blame your guilt on me. Nick Helen, youre being so hard on me. Helen Am I? Nick I thought I could talk to you about this.[29] Both characters want to know what the other is thinking before they speak, but neither is willing to go first. Both postpone their admissions in fear of the reactions they will receive as a result. At this point, Helens desire moves from convincing Nick to stay, assuring him that the situation in their school will change, before appealing on a more personal level. Helen acts as Nicks obstacle, This is like talking to a brick wall'[30]. Both of them are thrown, because control is slipping away as their objectives are challenged, and Eldridge shows efficiently how rarely conversation goes according to plan, particularly prevalent in this scene because these characters are trying to conceal what they came to say. Eventually though, they are forced to articulate these thoughts, braving embarrassment, disappointment, or as Helen says, I feel like Im shrinking in front of you'[31]. The use of alcohol in the scene also allows the dialogue to escalate, and enables them to discuss the past between them, which is dramatically affecting the present and revealing important details about their relationship. The past is an obstacle because it confuses things presently, and memory is subjective or unremembered. Helen is taken back to this time through a negative association and subsequently becomes emotionally exposed. Once Nick suddenly reveals that they slept together and that he thinks it was a mistake, his attempt at explaining himself backfires, shocking Helen into reacting to this truth. Helen No, you were drunk and you wanted itThe things you said to me. Nick When Helen That time. Then. Nick I was drunk. A slight pause I didnt know what I was saying. Helen You were heavy and pissed and you moved me around the bed like I was a prone body. But your words? The things you said. Your promisesYour memory of it is that we were both drunk but I was sober. I remember every clumsy movement and every word you said like its shot through my memory. A slight pause I thought tonight would be my turn. You know that? To fall on you. Half cut.[32] The use of the word promises is repeated throughout the scene and has a connotative impact on the dialogue; implying hope and expectation. Consequently, the idea of broken or unremembered promises heightens the emotional content of the scene. Eldridge uses this repetition to warn his characters, essentially, about the danger of making promises to escape a difficult situation. Throughout this scene, the conversation goes round in circles as the issue is avoided but forever at the centre. The characters fail to communicate in a way in that they can achieve their primary objectives, so they must alter as the conversation continues. However, Eldridge uses a dramatic gesture to communicate a strong objective. When Helen first picks up the knife to show her experience of being attacked, there is no danger, but it does foreshadow what comes later in the scene. As much as she is appalled by this event, Helen uses the knife to react in a way that she has been reacted against to make her point. Choosing to place a knife in the scene may appear melodramatic, but in fact Eldridge gives Helen a very significant way of communicating her objective, which heightens the tension and reveals more about this character, an essential technique as she never appears physically after this scene. At this point, Helen is communicating, where words are not enough. With this device i n her hand, she is able to say certain things: Youre not goingIm not going to let you leave'[33] and we understand that Helen has been driven to distraction'[34] by this situation. In his exploration of unrequited love, Eldridge has shown the brutality of his theme and how it has affected both characters when their situation is based on clashing personal objectives, portraying the pain that they both feel when confronted with a love that one of them will not admit and the other can no longer keep within bounds'[35] The characters are unable to communicate successfully, failing to achieve these goals. Of course, this creates the tension and the drama in the scene. The play is a fine exploration of the cruel inequality of love, and of the violence passion can stir in even the gentlest souls. [Lisa Dillons (Helen)] vulnerable, breathless intensity powerfully captures the pain of unrequited love.[36] The ebb and flow of the conversation, keeps the pace and lures both characters and audience into false security when the dialogue returns to the cooking chilli before reverting back to the central issue, implying that this is a safe place for both characters to return to, just for a brief reprieve in the heavy dialogue. In many ways, this device is quite aggravating because the characters need to address what is between them, but still are unable to communicate with each other. Nick keeps telling Helen to talk to him, but neither will admit before the other, which is why the conversation continually rises and falls. Nick Why cant you say what you feel? Helen Say what? A pause Nick Im confused. Youre clearly not. But you only ever meet me halfway emotionally. And I dont know if thats good. I dont know how I feel about it. Us. I feel really confused. Helen So am I. Nick I dont think you are. I amOf course I wanted you to talk about your personal feelings. Helen Personal feelings. She cant believe it. A slight pause So I can put my heart and guts on the floor in front of you? Sob and wail like a widow and hope it might change your mind? And in the process confirm your gut feeling it might be good for us to see less of each other. Good for you to see less of me. While you create a new life for yourself in Essex. Is that what you want? Well, you can get stuffed. Helen tries to leave. Nick stands in her way.[37] This, along with frequent pauses, paces the argument and ensures the portrayal of the awkward cruelty of Eldridges theme of unrequited love. Contrary to Top Girls where there is so much to be said and it is being said, for Nick and Helen, what needs to be said is punctuated by silences and tension which intensifies the weight that hangs in the air between them. Are either of these scenes about successful communication, and are any of the characters able to overcome the obstacles to achieve their objectives? In Under the Blue Sky, Nick communicates his real reason for leaving through what is left out of the dialogue, until finally confessing. Helens objective becomes centred on her protection from exposure, which she is unable in the end to suppress. In Top Girls, the sisters are talking, but they are also competing to be heard. The competition they are playing out involves proving who has sacrificed the most. Churchill used this argument to show how their personal experiences informed the progression into a political debate. At the end of both Acts, the issues between the characters are not resolved and the dialogue has traced the thoughts they have been trying to conceal or not. Issues are left hanging in the air. For Marlene and Joyce, this encompasses the idea of solidarity, of sisterhood which has been usurped by their political ideals. Nicks suggestion to put the last half-hour behind us'[38] ensures that it will be hanging over them even if they agree not to voice it, just it has always been; it even prevails throughout the other two acts of the play. Despite the process of dialogue in the scene and the clashes of wants and needs, things have changed but nothing has been resolved. In both plays we know what happens afterwards; Under the Blue Sky communicates these events through the dialogue of others; and in Top Girls it has already happened in the play. The meanings that stem from these decisions ensure that we never reach any resolution in either situation. Although we are told that Nick and Hel en continue to be friends, we know that the issue from Act One has not been addressed again, which becomes the downfall of both of them: Helen dies and Nick is left to feel guilty about why. The placing of the final scene in Top Girls changes the essence of the story and its meaning in relation to Marlenes success, which defies the ideals of individualism and the positives of Marlenes success in a seemingly male-dominated world. It also means that in hindsight the impact of this scene on the rest of the play takes on a new emotional force. Because both playwrights have written these scenes between two characters, the action is scaled down and therefore emerges through the dialogue. It becomes the most direct way of communicating character wants, conflicts and obstacles, particularly effective as the other characters prove to be the obstacle. These characters use dialogue to persuade, appease, appeal to, insult, instruct, upset, challenge, dissuade, anger, judge, apologise, be honest , lie, conceal, explain and reveal, to convey character inner action in an exploration of the dramatic conflict of wills, utilising varying levels of tension and presenting back-story through speech which is now living in each present situation. By the end of both plays, the relationships have been ended in some significant

Hispanic Cultural Views And Traditional Values

Hispanic Cultural Views And Traditional Values Hispanics are the largest minority population in the United States. Projections suggest that the estimated 46.9 million Hispanics who currently reside in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau 2009) will grow to over 62 million by 2020 and to more than 133 million by the year 2050 (Bean, 2001). Research is crucial in learning how this population functions, assimilates and understanding the societal trends that have the strongest impact on Hispanics. Hispanics display an exceptional resilience to assimilating into mainstream American cultural patterns while maintaining their traditional cultural norms, beliefs and customs (Acevedo, 2009). Research that examines the underlying factors which facilitate Hispanic assimilation gives insight into understanding Hispanic culture. It can serve as the foundation for developing a guideline in studying cultural assimilation and aiding other cultures in achieving it. An individuals beliefs, motivation, and actions are defined and influenced by conn ections and investments with groups they consider themselves to be a part of. In the realm of behaviors and attitudes, groups are exceedingly significant (Acevedo, 2009). Therefore, studying Hispanics as a group supplies researchers a unique advantage in gaining relevant insight. One of the most prominent values of Hispanic culture is familismo, the emphasis on family relationships, which includes gender roles, childbearing, familial hierarchy, etc (Raffaeilli Ontai, 2004). It is a cultural value that highlights the priority of family connections, participation in larger family networks and harmony within relationships. In traditional Latino families, it is generally believed cultural values reflect traditional hierarchical gender roles. Women are supposed to be virginal until marriage. In essence this means they are expected to remain virgins until they marry and be ignorant in sexual manners because the husband is responsible for educating his wife in this arena (Quadagno, Sly, Harrison, Eberstein Soler, 1998). The womans most important roles are as wife and mother being the caretaker for the children, her husband, and home life in general. Traditional male roles are defined as machismo, in which males maintain dominant and aggressive attitudes and are r esponsible for working to support the family (Saez, Casado Wade, 2009). Men are considered to be the head of the household and possess the most power in making decisions. The traditional definition of these gender roles also implies that women are the more subservient sex and men being not only more powerful but also domineering, macho, and potentially excessively controlling and abusive. The relationship between gender-role socialization and hypermasculinity suggests that the home environment is a powerful source of messages regarding male gender role norms (Saez, Casado Wade, 2009) as well as female gender role norms. Scholarly research has criticized this depiction of traditional gender roles as stereotypical and invalid (Amaro, 1988). In the Latino world, machismo is defined as the expectation that a man will be honorable, responsible and loving towards his family (Parra-Cardona Busby 2006). Hispanic partners are also very likely to be influenced by cultural values that empha size personalismo, which refers to a high level of emotional resonance in interpersonal encounters (Parra-Cardona Busby, 2006). Therefore, communication and connection between partners and within the family carry significant weight, promoting familial harmony, strength and growth. Clinicians are responsible for understanding the familial gender roles as defined by different ethnicities in order to maintain cultural competence to work with those populations. Multicultural competence is generally characterized as involving three main areas: clinicians awareness of the culture they identify with, clinicians knowledge of the clients perception of society, and clinicians knowledge and implementation of culturally appropriate treatment strategies and interventions (Bean, 2001). Since the Hispanic population continues to grow, the demand for therapists who are trained to work with Hispanics will also rise. Therefore, research will supply information that can be applied toward developing and implementing treatment plans that will best serve Hispanics. There exists an overwhelming amount of research concerning gender roles amongst the Hispanic population. However, research concerning roles as defined by the elderly Hispanic population is quite scarce, creating a significant gap in understanding the populace. The population of U.S. Hispanics older than 64 years is one of the fastest growing segments of elderly Americans (Beyene, Becker Mayen, 2002). Respeto, or respect, is a traditional value in the Hispanic culture. All members of the family are expected to be respected and give it in return. Traditionally, Hispanic elderly were highly valued for their role and function as well as their ability to contribute their knowledge and experience to their family. They have served as repositories of history, tradition and values (Beyene, Becker Mayen, 2002). They are addressed as Don or Doà ±a, titles of reverence and respect. Children are socially and morally obligated to support their elderly parents, which typically translates to pare nts moving in with their childrens family once their condition limits their independence and inhibits their ability to care for themselves. However, the Hispanic elderly that have emigrated from their native country live in a different society that possesses values that differ greatly from the society they were raised in. In the modern Hispanic culture it remains common practice to seek out the elderly for advice concerning childrearing and family relations, but young Hispanics who were raised in the United States are more likely to align their values with those based on the U.S. culture, which emphasizes youthfulness and personal independence (Beyene, Becker Mayen, 2002). Research shows a significant connection between emotional well being and family support for the elderly Hispanic population. Elderly Hispanics deem emotional support, understanding, compassion and love from their adult children as the most important form of assistance. Thus emphasis is given to social relationships and emotional connection. An exchange of attention and affection with grandchildren also has a significant influence on the sense of well-being for Hispanic elderly (Beyene, Becker Mayen, 2002). The elderly Hispanic population tends to have a strong connection to religion and religious tradition. This is believed to aid in helping with the stresses of old age. Religious beliefs help people make life bearable, and determine their relationship to the supernatural, to the environment, to time, to activity, and enhance their self-worth (Beyene, Becker Mayen, 2002). Religious beliefs are aligned closely with the conservative sphere, which indicates the possibility that elderly Hispanic whom are less assimilated into American culture and feel a more powerful connection to their culture are more likely to possess conservative views and ideals than young Hispanics or Hispanics who are more assimilated into U.S. culture. Most Hispanics in the United States identify with Catholicism or evangelical Protestantism which are traditions that have a tendency to embrace conservative theological and social values, such as opposing abortion and contraception (Ellison, Echevarrà ­a Smith, 20 05). Ultimately, conservative views call for more traditional gender roles in the family, embracing old-fashioned practices which become scarcer as the United States continues to embrace and incorporate a more modern way of life Methods The literature suggests that within Hispanic cultures, there are strong traditional moral ties connecting younger and older generations, including traditions like adult children caring for elderly parents and women remaining celibate until marriage. However, these relationships may be different from generation to generation, particularly as some generations become more acculturated to American life. The question we will attempt to answer is exploratory in nature and serves to ask whether or not there is a relationship between age and traditional beliefs within the Hispanic population in the United States. In order to test this question, we will utilize data taken from the Pew Hispanic Center in 2002. The Pew Hispanic Center conducted the National Survey of Latinos in 2002 among 2929 Latinos and 1284 non-Latinos. This was a broad survey that asked a number of socially relevant questions related to culture, experience and relationship to the United States. These were telephone surveys conducted in both English and Spanish among a randomly selected sample of adults. The respondents were selected using a four-stage stratification system to identify areas more densely populated with Hispanic people and computer assisted calls were made to random phone numbers within these areas. The data received was proportioned to match expected area population values based on country of origin. We will use the data collected from only the Hispanic population in the sample, as this is the target population relevant to our research question. In order to test our question, we will look at two variables: age and level of agreement with the statement, It is better for children to live in their parents home until they get married (Pew Hispanic Center, 2002). This question is valid for our study due to its relationship to traditional Hispanic family values regarding child and parent roles. The answers were coded in the survey using possible responses of four levels of agreement, from strongly agree to strongly disagree and additionally allowed respondents to state dont know. For our purposes, we will recode the data received from this question to include just the four levels of response and encode the dont know responses as missing data, because these responses give us little insight within our exploratory analysis. We will begin our analysis by conducting descriptive frequencies analysis of our two variables, utilizing the datasets included recoded age data, which grouped age responses into five age groups, and the responses to the survey question. We will then run a crosstabulation of the two variables and conduct a Pearson chi-square test using SPSS software. The chi-square test will allow us to see if there is a significant relationship between the two variables. It will measure the significance of the difference between the expected and observed frequencies when comparing categories of the two responses within a crosstabulation. The crosstabulation will allow us to identify specific frequencies of each response divided by age group. The null hypothesis is that there is no significant relationship between the two variables and that the frequencies of responses will be distributed equally. We will use a two-tailed test in order to be fully able to observe if a relationship exists, either positively or negatively. Based on the literature, our hypothesis is that there is a positive relationship between age and the belief among Hispanics in the U.S. that children should remain at home until marriage. The usefulness of this exploratory analysis is that a relationship between these variables may be indicators of greater trends or differences in beliefs among generations and may serve as a basis for additional exploration. The limitation of this study occurs due to its exploratory nature in that we are looking at only one variable as an indicator for the relationship of tradition and age. Although limited in terms of general relationship, discovering a relationship with these variables specifically may help clinicians to better picture and predict generational belief differences within families regarding child and parent roles. Results By running descriptive frequencies on the recoded age variable, we were able to visualize an unequal distribution among our five age groups. The data (see Table 1) shows that of the 2929 respondents, the largest group were 18-29 years old, representing 32.0% of the total sample. The next two age groups, 30-39 and 40-54, reported in similar numbers, with 748 (26.0%) and 721 (25.1%) respectively. The largest drop then occurred, with only 8.5% reporting each for the next two groups, 55-64 and 65 or older. Descriptive frequencies run on our question variable (see Table 2 and Chart 1) shows heavily skewed responses, with 1779 (61.5%) of the 2929 respondents answering that they agree strongly that children should live in their parents home until they get married. 512 (17.7%) responded agree somewhat. Disagreement comprised of only 20.4% of the respondents, with 11.9% disagreeing somewhat and 8.9% disagreeing strongly. Of the total sample, 38 responses equally 1.3% of the total were counted as missing data. Running a crosstabulation on these two variables found 85 (2.9%) missing cases (see Table 3), which leaves 2844 (97.1%) cases that are valid for comparison. Within the frequency table generated by the crosstabulation (see Table 4,) we can see the degree to which each age group agrees or disagrees with the survey question. Although 61.4% of the total population strongly agrees with the question, the 65+ age group gave this response most frequently, with 78.0% of that age group strongly agreeing and 14.5% agreeing somewhat. The three middle age groups responded similarly in nearly equal numbers when proportioned for their age groups, representing 64.8% to 65.8% of each age group strongly agreeing and 16.7% to 17.8% of each age group agreeing somewhat. Although a lower proportion of the youngest age group responded with strongly agree, it is important to note that 49.4% of this age group still gave this response and 19.8% agreed somewhat. Disagreement with the question displayed fewer responses among the sample population, but skewed toward the younger age group, with 18.0% of that age group disagreeing somewhat and 12.8% disagreeing strongly. The numbers decrease with each age group, with 4.1% of the oldest age group disagreeing somewhat and 3.3% disagreeing strongly. From the crosstabulation results, there appears to be a relationship wherein older respondents respond more frequently in agreement with this question. Although younger respondents strongly agree in large numbers with the question, they also report disagreement more frequently. The results of the Pearson chi-square test (see Table 5) indicate that the relationship between these two variables is significant, with a p-value below the .0005 level, based on a chi-square value of 117.985 with 12 degrees of freedom. The results of our analysis thus reject the null hypothesis that there is an equal distribution of frequencies and no relationship. The results show a higher frequency of general agreement with our study question among the oldest group of respondents and a higher rate of general disagreement among the youngest respondents. The middle three age groups responded slightly more conservatively than the oldest group, however, they still responded more frequently with agreement to the survey question. The results of our analysis show a somewhat positive relationship between age and level of agreement with the survey question, thus confirming our initial hypothesis. Discussion and Conclusion The data collected shows that there is a relationship between age and traditional beliefs of people of Hispanic origin in the United States. The findings, as explained in the results section, indicate that there is a positive correlation between age and the belief that children should remain home until marriage. The older the individual surveyed is, the more likely he/she is to strongly agree with this belief. This finding assists social workers in understanding the importance of familial relationships as well as the effects of assimilation across generations within the Hispanic culture. Understanding the impact of these two factors helps to inform therapeutic work with members of this population by assisting clinicians in becoming culturally competent. Cultural competence is an important quality that all social workers ought to possess when working with individuals from a culture different from ones own. Cultural competence is then aspirational at best and requires the continuous de velopment of practitioners cultural sensitivity, awareness, knowledge, and skills (Furman et al, 2009) learning is an ongoing process and it is imperative that social workers keep this in mind in order to be able to serve clients from different backgrounds. By engaging in cultural competent practices clinicians will be able to better understand and empathize with his/her clients. Through the clinicians personal awareness and cultural sensitivity, client and clinician can build a trusting relationship. Without cultural awareness, social workers contribute to oppression when working with clients from other cultures. This is unethical practice and can cause clients great harm (Sue et al., 1992). This understanding amongst the clinician and client will serve to build a therapeutic rapport between the two, which is the foundation for successful work with a client. The effect of assimilation and acculturation across generations is another important factor that clinicians should be aware of. Though attitudes dont dramatically differ across age groups, it is important to recognize that traditional beliefs within the Hispanic population are slowly changing as many Hispanics assimilate into the American culture. Generally, acculturation has been measured in terms of behavior, cultural identity, knowledge, language, and values. These aspects, then, are critical components in understanding and addressing factors that cause intercultural conflict and distress related to adapting to a new culture (Furman et al, 2009). As social workers, it is important for us to realize the potential effects that this assimilation may have. For example, one noticeable difference between the American culture and the Hispanic culture is our value system. The American culture values independence and individualism while the Hispanic culture values interdependence and colle ctivism. Anderson Sabatelli point out this fact; they explain that, Workers need to recognize that a behavior or coping mechanism is not dysfunctional simply because it does not match dominant culture patterns (1999). This is very important for practitioners to realize when working with cultures that are different from their own. By becoming aware of potential differences in interpretations and problems practitioners will be able to better understand and relate to his/her clinics. Even problem identification itself is a part of this awareness process. What may be interpreted as a problem to the client may not be a viewed as a problem to the clinician and the same is true the other way around. For example, in terms of the survey that was conducted, it was found that older Hispanic people strongly believed that children should remain home until married. If a client came to seek counseling because his/her son/daughter moved out of the home to pursue a single lifestyle, a clinician wit hout cultural competency may shrug this problem off. He/she may attempt to convince the individual that this is not a pressing problem because every day, people move out of their parents homes in order to live on their own. This is an example of the practitioner not placing the clients values high in regard. This blatant disregard may make the client not want to participate in services. Researcher Tina Hancock further describes the interdependence of the Hispanic culture as it relates to family, the family generally is regarded as the survival net for its members, who internalize a strong sense of duty to one another and across generations. The foundation of this cultural orientation is the value of la familia and the principle of familismo (2005). We must look at the effects that such a change in traditionally held beliefs may have on the family unit and culture as a whole. Using a systems perspective to analyze the interactions between an individual and his/her family, social workers can better understand conflict and potential interventions, by acknowledging that the individual, family, and cultural systems all interrelated. Conclusion The Hispanic population in United States is growing faster than all other minority populations combined, The Hispanic, population is projected to swell from 28 million from 1990s to about 100 million in 2050( pewhispanic.org). With this increase in diversity in the population it is necessary for social workers to be able to work with a variety of cultures in their work with the American population. By using the information gathered on the issues of assimilation and familial relationships clinicians can develop better and more effective interventions in their work with this particular population. Developing cultural competency is one way of achieving this task. In this study we were limited by the variety of responses that we were able to obtain, as the questions that were asked were very broad in nature. For future research it would be beneficial for researchers to delve deeper into the topic of assimilation upon cultural attitudes. Additionally, further study the effects of cultural competency as it relates to client-clinician relationships would also be effective in shaping social work practice. By becoming more aware of the different values and traditions, practitioners work with varied populations will become more informed and effective.