Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Is Gawain and Epitome?

Every group has its idols, those people who serve as the epitome of the group’s values. Cowboys look up to Lane Frost, basketball players look up to Michael Jordan, and Arthurian knights look up to King Arthur. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the greatest Arthurian romances written in England, Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes on a challenge to exchange â€Å"one strike for another† with the Green Knight (line 287).Despite all of the bad experiences and temptations he fights along the way, after the battle with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is definitely still admirable as the epitome of the Arthurian Knight as he wears a green girdle in remembrance of his mistakes(Sir Gawain). Gawain believes in a chivalric code, in which is very admirable. Gawain is a young knight who knows the chivalric code well, and knows that he is supposed to exhibit, as the Duke of Burgundy say’s â€Å"faith, charity, justice, sagacity, prudence, temperance, resolution , truth, liberality, diligence, hope, and valor†(Knight’s code of Chivalry).These can be summed up to the most admirable rules of the chivalric code: honor, loyalty and Christianity. Gawain is admirable for these qualities in which he possesses. He shows loyalty to both his earthly kings and heavenly king. The knights are â€Å"renowned after the name of Christ† and â€Å"their king [is] most high in pride (Sir Gawain, 52). He must honor his uncle, King Arthur, his host, and God, in everything he does. Gawain shows his loyalty towards King Arthur by taking the challenge made by the Green Knight.Gawain tells Author that he will take the battle because, â€Å"[he] [is] the weakest [†¦] and the least loss, if [he] live[s] not† (Sir Gawain, lines 354-55). He is so loyal toward the king that he is willing to sacrifice his own life for his uncle, because his uncle would be a much bigger loss. Gawain honors his uncle by not giving up; this would have disapp ointed his uncle tremendously because as a part of the chivalric code, it is a knight’s duty to be truthful.He shows loyalty to both his uncle and the Green Knight when he honors the Green Knights wish for him to meet him at the â€Å"Green Chapel† on New Year’s morning for â€Å"a nimble knock in return† (Sir Gawain,lines451-453). Gawain’s loyalty to King Arthur also extends to his behavior toward his host. Everyday Gawain is to exchange with the host whatever he received from that day. When Gawain tells the host, â€Å"while I remain in your mansion, your command I will obey,† he shows extreme honor towards the host (Sir Gawain, line 1093).Along with his loyalty to his host and earthly lord, he puts his faith in God as he prays to the Virgin Mary. â€Å"When Gawain sets out on his journey to find the Green Chapel, he finds himself lost, and only after praying to the Virgin Mary does he find his way† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). By pr aying during hard times such as when he needed lodging, and when â€Å"†¦he doffed his helm, and with honor he thanked Jesus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  for giving him lodging, he shows his honor and faithfulness to God (Sir Gawain, line 773). Every choice Gawain makes exemplifies his effort in staying true to the code of chivalry.Gawain is admirable for never giving up. He succeeds at passing the trials that test his devotion and faith in Christianity. One critic of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight characterizes nature as â€Å"rough and indifferent† and states that, nature invades and disrupts order in the major events of the narrative† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). This nature includes both the nature such as wildlife and nature such as Mother Nature. Along the way to his appointment with the Green knight, Gawain encountered many harsh occasions where he could have just given up.He faces harsh conditions such as, wars with worms, wolves, wood- trolls, bulls, bears, boars, and o gres (Sir Gawain, lines 720-23). It later goes on to mention that â€Å"death had met often† (Sir Gawain, line 725). Things will get a lot worse before they get better for Gawain, in this situation. Gawain is in a constant battle, but he refuses to give in, knowing that even after all of these cruel catastrophes, he still has to meet with the Green Knight. This is extreme loyalty, for him to keep going without lodging, all by himself, and in the cold weather (Sir Gawain, lines 712-735). Nature! (â€Å"Sir Gawain†).In this case Mother Nature causes the problems that Gawain must face. Even after all of the mishaps invented by nature along the way, Gawain still must take on more mishaps as he is overcome by Bertilak’s wife and her seductiveness. It is only nature for a guy, especially a single guy, to lust for a seductive woman when she is constantly â€Å"tempting him often, so as to allure him to love-making. † (Sir Gawain, lines 1550-51). Each day when th e host’s wife comes in his bed room and kisses him, Gawain remains loyal to the host by giving him the kisses in return for what the host had killed that day (â€Å"Sir Gawain†).By pushing through the nature, bad weather, lonely trip, and temptations of the host’s wife, Gawain is admirable for never giving up as well as remaining loyal to his host. Gawain’s response to all of the mishaps along the way to meet the Green Knight and when he does meet with him is incredibly admirable. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain struggle’s â€Å"to meet the appointment and his adventures along the way demonstrate [his] spirit of chivalry and loyalty. † (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). Consequently, he fails this test of loyalty, honesty, Christianity, and chivalry as a whole, when he takes the girdle and doesn’t give it to the host.He â€Å"values survival over virtue† (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). The knight tells Gawain, â€Å"As a pearl than white pease is prized more highly, / so is Gawain, in good faith, than other gallant knights,/ but in this you lacked, sir, a little, and of loyalty came short†(Sir Gawain lines 2365-67). Gawain has made this long trip to meet the Green Knight, been through many near death experiences, has been kissing his host’s wife, and when he is offered a girdle that will prevent him from being killed, nature kicks in again; this time causing him to fail the test of his loyalty to his host or Green Knight.He takes the girdle like any man would do and does not give it to the host. By doing this he values survival over being an honest and loyal knight. He is also placing his faith in a girdle â€Å"instead of praying to Mary†. (â€Å"Sir Gawain†) As a critic says, â€Å"he employs reason to do something less than courageous—evade death in a dishonest way. † (â€Å"Sir Gawain†) Not only is Gawain failing at being honest, but also at being loyal to both the Green Knight and King Arthur. As a knight, cheating and lying are not acceptable, â€Å"but because [he] loved [his] own life: the less [the Green Knight] blame[d] [him]. (Sir Gawain lines, 2369) As the Green Knight explains to Gawain how everything he had encountered since he had stayed in Bertilak was a test, Gawain adds humility to the chivalric code. He confesses to the knight and returns to him, his wife’s’ girdle. As Kevin Gustavon says, â€Å"Like the Green Knight’s accusation, Gawain’s subsequent confession draws on penitential language way that rede? nes chivalric masculinity, so that it includes imperfection and fear, as well as a sense of humility that arises from recognition of one’s own weakness rather than from mere politeness. (Gustavon, 628) The Knight forgives Gawain by saying, â€Å"Thou hast confessed thee so clean and acknowledged thine errors, / [†¦] and I give thee, sir, the girdle with gold at its hems/â € ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢twill be a plain reminder of the chance of the Green Chapel between chivalrous knights. †(Sir Gawain, lines 2394-2400) By confessing, Gawain recognized his weakness and tried to make it right; this helps to exemplify Gawain’s honesty, and adds humility to the chivalric code. Gawain says of the girdle, â€Å"but as a token of my trespass I shall turn to it often†¦ruefully recalling the failure and the frailty of the flesh so perverse. (Sir Gawain lines, 2434-2436) Gawain chooses to wear the girdle in remembrance of his sins, making him even more admirable for his simplicity, at no point does he try to deny or overlook his mistake; he is very straightforward once the Green Knight tells him of the tests. Gawain is admirable not only to the reader of this story, but also to his brotherhood and everyone at the round table. (Sir Gawain, lines 2517-2518) The people of the round table can now honor Gawain as a knight who has risen to be just as big of an infl uence as King Arthur.When Gawain returns home to King Arthur, they all decide to wear green girdles like Gawain. Even though Gawain fails, his family, brotherhood, and the ladies of the Round Table still look upon Gawain as the ideal knight. They respect him and honor him, â€Å"and this for love of that knight as a livery [they] wear [a green girdle]:† (Sir Gawain, line 2520). For Gawain to confess and want to wear the girdle for his â€Å"grief and disgrace†, he has made himself an admirable epitome, so that others honor him (â€Å"Sir Gawain†). †¦ Every knight of Brotherhood a baldric should have, / a band of bright green obliquely about him:† (Sir Gawain, lines 2518-2519). After the all of the hardships and meeting with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is seen as equal to King Arthur by the round table. Gawain is still admirable for: the code he believes in, the code he follows, his ability to never give up on his code, and the way he responds to all of his misfortunes. But, he is admired even more for learning humility.Cowboys continue to look up to Lane Frost even though he might not have always rode 8 seconds, and basketball players look up to Michael Jordan regardless of how many missed shots he had, because each bull ride or basketball game taught them something. Arthurian knights see King Arthur and Sir Gawain as admirable epitomes for the humility that Gawain has learned to carry with him. Works Cited Baswell, Christopher and Schotter, Anne. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. Master of British Literature. Vol. A. Eds. David Damrosch and Kevin J. H. Dettmar.New York: Longman- Pearson, 2008. 144-202. Print. Gustavon, Kevin. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. A companion to medieval English Literature and Culture 1350-1500 . Eds. Peter Brown. (2007): 628. Web. 10 October 2012. < http://www. scribd. com/doc/47311463/29/Sir-Gawain-and-the-Green-Knight> â€Å"Knights code of Chivalry. † middle-age s. n. p. n. d. Web. 9 October 2012. < http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/747/08/>. â€Å"Sir Gawain. † Arthurian Adventure. n. p. 2004. Web. 9 October 2012. < http://arthurianadventure. com/sir_gawain. htm>.

Bj;db; fjhk

The biggest reason is the fact that direct democracy is the fairest and purest way of making decisions as it is entirely up to the people to decide. Whilst you would not regularly use referendums to deal with every issue that parliament would have to deal with, they are a very good way of dealing with a single, Important Issue.Referendums are also good for the electorate. Many people believe that voting In mineral elections is pointless, largely because they believe that their vote doesn't really count In the grand scheme of things, especially If you live In an area where your party Is always voted In second. However with referendums, every vote counts, and the electorate recognize this and as a result turn out In massive numbers. This also strengthens the support of the political system In the people.It encourages people to become better educated In politics, whilst providing politicians with an insight into the electorate's opinions. However there are also a large amount of disadva ntages when it comes to referendums. The most obvious is that it blatantly undermines the representative democracy system used in this country, which generally works quite well. Many of the disadvantages with regards to referendums are evident in the current Scottish independence referendum. For example, if the result Is close, countries will often feel divided over the issue.This is the case in Scotland, where the polls indicate that the result is going to be very close, and there re definite tensions on the streets between the supporters of the two campaigns, with many no voters saying that they get abuse in the street if they biblically show their choice. There are problems with letting the public make such large decisions, as they will often be the wrong ones. People in this country tend to have ignorance towards politics, and so when these people are allowed to make such big decisions, they will often vote using their emotions, rather than choosing what is best. Ethan Mullet

My Future Essay

In my second year of college there are a number of things I have learned about myself. I have learned about my likes and dislikes as well as my strength and weaknesses. I have had to make goals and start planning my future. Through out planning, my choices have been influenced by people and issues. I have had to take in numerous considerations in making my decisions. I have chosen a career field, a major, and laid out a plan for my future in visual communications. My first two years of college have been not only an exploration of knowledge but also of myself. The one pattern I have noticed is that I change my mind A LOT! My tastes are changing as I am getting older and not as influenced by family. I am becoming my own person. Things I once enjoyed I no longer find interesting and things I despised in the past are now appealing. I long for an evening alone to clean house and painting my toe nails. In high school this would be a long boring evening but now sounds luxurious. Time is so important being a student and working so any free time is a treat. I have also learned to despise certain things that at one point did not bother me. For example, in grade school if there was something I may have known a little bit about but did not understands it did not bother me. I just simply did not care enough to want to learn the subject thoroughly. But know as soon as I learn something I want to know all parts of it and fully understand. This semester I made an effort to learn as much about our political system and the presidential candidates as I could prior to the election. This to me, now, is fulfilling. Overall, my first few semesters of college enabled me to learn more about myself. I have also begun mapping out my intentions in college. I have researched a number of careers and spoken with people in related fields to get an idea of what I would like to do. My fiancà ©, a senior at UTPB, has given advice to consider based on his experiences. I have also spoken with college graduates to hear about their experiences and what they would have changed or done different. I have taken many things into consideration in planning my college pathway. One consideration is that after this summer I will be married, and the following fall my husband will graduate. Depending on where he gets a job, I may have to transfer school. Because of this, I need to  make sure the classes I take will transfer to another university. I also have tried to start with general classes since I am prone to changing my mind, I may want to change majors. Another consideration I have perplexed is the demand for jobs in my chosen major. I have considered the type of work environment I want to work in, the hours I want to work, and how much traveling I want to do. Altogether, I have a well round idea of where I am headed in college. In planning my college career, I have considered numerous careers. The careers I am considering require a minimum of four years higher education and are computer related. My first pick for a career is that of a webmaster. This type of work would include designing and maintenance of web sites. My second career choice would be that of advertising. I would want to designer logos, banners, or flyers for companies. My third chose for a career would be design. I could design anything from magazine or book covers to animated characters or movie scenes. I would be qualified to work for a school, TV station; any type of movie or animation design company, and a long term goal would be that of working for myself. In my research and mapping out my college career, I have decided to major in fine arts to get a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications. There are a number of career pathways I could take with this degree. I would not be limited to just doing one job. I will have a number of options in a career field that is steadily growing. If for some reason I transferred to a school that does not offer this program, I would more than likely major in mass communications. I would be content doing anything with computers, less technical maintenance and more of a visual exchange of ideas. If anything else education would be a consideration for a career. Concisely, my chosen major is that of Visual Communications. In summary, my college pathway is that of this; I plan to take general education classes until I know where I will be more permanently going to school. I will than begin working towards a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Visual Communication. I would like to build, design, and maintain websites for numerous companies and businesses. I would also be interested in jobs  related to advertising and design. If all else fails it would be rewarding and a privilege to teach in either a public school or state university. Overall, I have a well thought plan for my future and am looking forward to being a contributing member of society. Bibliography The University of Texas. The University of Texas.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Research Paper Example For the purposes of this study, McMurphy code of behavior while in the correctional facility is closely investigated. McMurphy suffers from dissociative disorder. McMurphy as the main character displays a set of behaviors that strongly suggest that he is suffering from dissociative disorders. Primarily, dissociative disorders refer to irregular disruption of memory functions, personal identity, or personality. Dissociative disorder is a skewed psychological reaction in response to previous traumatic or distressful conditions. Simply put, dissociative disorder can be said to be a defense mechanism against previous bad or traumatic experiences. It is claimed that most of the cases of dissociative disorders occur among persons who have gone through traumatic experiences. According to Butler as quoted by Sharhram and Stephen; the most important feature of the dissociative experience is absorption and in all dissociative experiences, pathological and non-pathological, self-reflective mech anisms are terminated and because of that, in any dissociative experience the sense of self is lost and the experience of body and world is changed--which is described as depersonalization and derealization (Sharhram and Stephen, 2011, p. 3) What happens is that the person experiences spasms of impartiality from self when a traumatic or a similar phenomenon. It can be claimed that McMurphy’s dissociative disorder stemmed from the fact that he used to serve in military. Although the movie does not depict clearly the primary cause of McMurphy’s dissociative disorder, he must have developed the problem while serving in the Korean War. In the movie, McMurphy displays many symptoms of dissociative disorder albeit implicitly. Firstly, he is always in brawls with Nurse Ratched. For instance, he uses card games to win over all the cigarettes from the rest of the patients. However, Nurse Ratched confiscates the cigarettes and Murphy gets on her by demanding that the hospital po licies need reevaluation. At this point, Murphy is oblivious of his status as a mental patient and goes ahead to experience a moment of alienation from the reality (Tasman, Kay, Lieberman, First &  Maj, 2011). Possibly, Nurse Ratched reminds him of a painful past in the military whereby he underwent a humiliating experience. In another spectacular scene, Murphy uses the hospital bus without the permission and knowledge of the hospital staff. Interestingly, he carries his fellow patients and takes them to a fishing site whereby they use a fishing boat for deep-sea fishing. Arguably, the events at the fishing site clearly depict that indeed, Murphy is suffering from dissociative disorder. Notably, he tells the colleagues that they should not be afraid since they are fishermen and not mad as the nurses tell them in the hospital. At this moment, it can be posited that Murphy is experiencing a dissociative disorder since he is simply trying to change his personal identity and the ident ity of the colleagues in response to the harsh and unpleasant experience that he undergoes while in hospital. In yet another scene, Murphy takes on Nurse Ratched after she warns Billy that she will tell his mother what they had done in the hospital. Murphy shows yet more severe symptoms of dissociative disorder by experiencing a moment of irregular mental functions (Frederick  & McNeal, 1999; Tasman, Kay, Liebe

Gilgamesh, Socrates, and Malcolm X can be thought of as on quests, a Essay - 1

Gilgamesh, Socrates, and Malcolm X can be thought of as on quests, a search for something. What was each one's quest and what did each discover - Essay Example d that â€Å"Socrates was in search for the meaning of life†¦Socrates spent his life searching for questions more than for answers† (The Ontario Curriculum 89). Finally, Malcolm X was in quest for freedom from bondage, prejudice and discrimination of African Americans through Islam (Siddiqui). Gilgamesh discovered that there is no permanence; life ends in death. Socrates discovered that â€Å"he does not know anything except that he does not know anything† and that â€Å"there is no truth except that there is no truth† (The Ontario Curriculum 90). Malcolm X, finally discovered through his pilgrimage to Mecca, the true Islam. According to Tristam, Malcolm X rediscovered brotherhood and equality through abandoning racial separatism (Tristam). Their discoveries freed them from a life full of queries and ultimately led them to enlightenment and what life has in store for each of

Survey of Healthcare Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Survey of Healthcare Management - Essay Example This can also mean that the service delivery becomes slow or there are resources which might fall short of the expected count. This can result in many other service related failures which shall have a direct effect on the lives of the people who come to this healthcare organization and seek help. The need is to understand where the healthcare organization is going wrong and what corrective measures are required on its part to achieve success in the long run (Haines 1993). The service strategy should be such that any issues or concerns are directly addressed by the people who are at the helm of affairs. This would mean that there is a concerted effort to look after the customers so that the customer service can be made better and any issues that might seem failing are addressed at the earliest. This is the need of the hour as far as ensuring that a culture of customer service is developed within a healthcare organization. The service strategy at the healthcare organization creates an environment for employees by detailing each and every policy and standards to them. It has chalked out a plan under which the employees are acutely aware of what is expected of them and what they need to do in order to deliver at the facility. This keeps each and every action of theirs under a check and allows them to be vigilant no matter what happens. Also the healthcare organization is quite aware of the signed rules which have been done by all the employees so that there are no ambiguities which might result from time to time. The need is to understand where the employees might go wrong and what corrective steps shall be required on their part. This is the reason why the service strategy is more focused towards the tasks of the employees than anything which is different from the same. Hence the healthcare organization does not have any issue in understanding where employees might go wrong or what steps would be neede d in the wake of difficult

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pedestrian and bicycle facilities - Essay Example Both regional and local authorities have the responsibility of planning, and implementi8ng cycling policies. National level commitment is essential for putting right the legal, regulatory, and financial framework that lead to successful implementation of cycling initiatives. This is the city in the region with a well advanced form of League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community where bicycling is an important means of transport and recreational activity. According to the 2007-2011 American Community Survey, 4% of Newark households engage in bicycling for recreation (Delaware Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Survey). It is a normal phenomenon that all cyclists at one time have felt to be invisible to motorists. Bike Delaware has provided the â€Å"intentional blindness† that addresses this phenomenon. Another issue of safety is the question as to why cyclists’ and pedestrians’ safety is termed as invisible to traffic engineers. Most traffic engineers pay close attention to road safety and traffic congestion. Despite this safety, little is realized on the ped/bike safety projects. The federal program called the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is responsible for funding Road Safety in Delaware. According to the data collected from the research, Delaware has spent more than $8 million HSIP dollars every year on road safety improvement projects but none focused on reducing pedestrian or cyclist fatalities. As a result, motor vehicle occupant fatalities have reduced while pedestrians’ fatalities have not. Cycling around Delaware University and Newark area is a favored means of transport to students, staff, faculty, and locals living in the area. Cyclists are assisted by the Newark Traffic Relief Committee (NTRC) that has prepared a Newark City Bicycle Map. The map shows cycling and pedestrian routes in the city and provides

Marketing assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing - Assignment Example This maintains consistency and keeps the message straightforward to all customers. Furthermore, the integration also allows for Best Buy to communicate to all purchasing markets, no matter how large or small. This helps position Best Buy as a household name, not to be viewed as a corporate monster. This shows people that Best Buy provides products to all people and its products and prices do not discriminate, which is a beneficial component to implementing a successful integrated multi-channel marketing campaign. We promote differently because our organization uses social networking much more effectively and primarily than Best Buy would. Best Buy uses the internet for mostly on-site advertising; however, our organization concentrates on using social media to allow purchasers to share the word about our products and specials. This is helpful especially considering that anyone who uses our social networking channels will be able to receive special coupons and discounts that can only be received through mobile or social media

Recognizing Contract Risk and Opportunities Essay - 2

Recognizing Contract Risk and Opportunities - Essay Example In contract management process compliance is the most difficult part because the capacity to implement conformity internally (employees) and externally (suppliers) is rigid in the overall management process. In the highly expanding economic world, businesses are frequently under pressure to conform to internal and external aspects. They require negotiating for contracts instead of going to courts to ensure the execution of contracts since they are expensive and involve long process. All the companies are responsible to fulfilling the contracts as failure to comply contributes to the breach of contract in terms of poor performance and organizational alterations. Hence, it is important for organizations to bargain for prevention measures to do away with contract disputes with emphasis on delivery schedule, technical performance and scope of the organization which in the long run will set the organization free from contractual responsibilities. However, most of these businesses lack the critical concepts to monitor and manage the contracts. Hence, the establishment of Upside contract to impose the contractual agreements such as the operational compliance which guarantees that all the enterprise employees adhere to the policies and standards concerning the contract obligations and negotiations. Supplier compliance ensures that the suppliers conform to the terms of the contract including maintenance program and discounts on quantities purchased. Regulatory compliance aims at ensuring that all set out legislations are complied all the business enterprise entering into a contract. In any business traction a contract is a milestone as it depicts the association between the constricting entities state the stipulations and conditions for goods and services. It’s important to note that contracts have many difficulties for a given business including loss of savings, opportunities and liability as result of

The Efficacy of the Ghanaian Democratic Experiment Essay Example for Free

The Efficacy of the Ghanaian Democratic Experiment Essay The hackneyed, yet apt and succinct, definition of Democracy by Abraham Lincoln as contained in the concluding part of his famous Gettysburg Address as ‘’†¦government of the people, by the people, for the people†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ remains today as the most quoted statement on Democracy. However, a careful examination of our democratic experiment leaves one to wonder if this definition perfectly encapsulates our experience. Our government is, granted, elected by the ordinary people, which bears testimony to the fact that we practise a form of democracy which is ‘’of the people’’. However, I contend that our form of government is not a government whose workings have, wholly, over the years, proven to be in the interest of the people. We are constantly saddled with the unfortunate and despicably capricious abrupt abrogation of government’s contracts shortly after a change from one democratically-elected head of state to another of different political persuasions. Our constitution, under The Directive Principles of State Policy, explicitly, states in Article 35, Clause (7) that, ‘’As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Governments.’’ When a successive Government arbitrarily abrogates a contract, most of the time for political expediency, those who bear the brunt of this ill-advised action have always been the ordinary tax payer. Classic cases in point are the payments of judgment debts by the current and previous Governments, which were shrouded in some amount of secrecy until recent revelations. Governments engage in this reprehensible act in a sophomoric attempt to make their predecessors unpopular. Such a practice does not engender development, which democracy seeks to attain for all. Democracy must result in meaningful development for the populace, otherwise it is of no significance; we do not practise democracy just for the sake of it. It is to afford every single citizen a say in the way the country is governed, and, eventually, respond to their needs. I strongly believe this problem is, partly, caused by the lack of a common national development policy to guide our governments. The deep partisan nature of our politics makes it impossible for government and opposition parties to agree on a common development objectives. Our politics is characterised by the continual applause by Government for doing better than any government of the opposition and the continual representation of Government by the opposition parties for having done nothing. Sadly enough, this happens to be the case in most Western countries,too, and it always raises the question if we cannot adapt our democracy to our peculiar circumstances? For instance, I was surprised to hear that Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate of the Republican Party in the United States of America, who incidentally happened to be the person I was rooting for in last year’s American Presidential Election, imprudently, chose to attack the Obama Administration over the deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and some American officials who were working at the embassy. I thought that in such a solemn moment, Romney would exercise some political maturity and join President Obama to issue a statement to the friends and family of those who died. But this is how far political opposition can take us! And it is no different from what we, sometimes, witness in our homeland. Political parties in and out of government oppose each other for no tangible reasons. Looking at the development deficits of our nation, it is imperative that we adapt our democracy to be more responsive to the developmental needs of the ordinary people. Another reason that makes me doubt if our democracy is really ‘’for the people’’ is the unfortunate level of participation of the Ghanaian in our democratic experiment. Again, under the aforementioned Directive Principles of State Policy, the Constitution states, inter alia, in Article 35, Clause (6), paragraph (d) that the State shall afford all possible opportunities to the people in decision-making at ever y level in national life and in government. This, to me, sounds pretty laudable in print, but in practice, the story is completely different: The only moment the Ghanaian really takes any decision in our national life is when it is time to elect Members of Parliament and the President. Beyond that time, the Ghanaian becomes merely a passive participant in the governance of the country. We usually hear refrains of ‘’Participatory Democracy’’ in the media being trumpeted by some state institutions, but, unfortunately, our Democracy does not have any real elements to showcase for that. I believe that our Democracy would be more participatory if we create more educated people, who understand the actual essence and imperatives of democratic governance. This, I suspect, would enable the greatest masses of the people to get actively engaged in the entire governance process of the country, and not merely always wait for every four years to queue up to vote. To this end, I fervently pray that Government and all other stakeholders would invest heavily in the education of our people since it is an open secret that true democracy can only thrive on an informed citizenry. And for one to be informed, one needs to have the ability to appreciate the national issues of concern; one must possess the ability of separating useless propaganda from issues which present all sides in an objective manner. This can only be achieved if the citizenry have some appreciable level of education. Another issue that worries me greatly is how our democratic practice is becoming more and more expensive. Most political parties in opposition always promise to have slimmer Government when voted into power, but we all know what happens after they win power. It costs a lot to maintain just one minister of state. Lately, we see more people working at the Presidency, some even without any official designation. It has become common to see lots of Government functionaries who describe themselves as being part of Government Communication Team. All these people are paid with the Tax Payer’s money! It is important that, as a nation, we do something drastic about our size of Government. Let us, however, not for once, delude ourselves into thinking that this problem is peculiar to the executive arm of Government. The most nauseating development, lately, in our national politics is the ritual increase of the number of constituencies by the Electoral Commission almost every four years on the basis of its constitutional mandate given to it by Article 47, clause (5) of our constitution. The foregoing article states clearly that, ‘’The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals of not less than seven years, or within twelve months after the publication of the enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.’’ This constitutional provision is so clear and simple to understand. I am quite worried because the approach of the Commission to this constitutional duty is making it seem as though review of division into constituencies and altering of constituencies automatically mean an increase in their number. Review and alter are not synonymous with increase in any dictionary! When you do your calculations, you can be assured that within the next forty years the country cannot find a place to accommodate our Members of Parliament to conduct Government business if the commission does not stop this practice of increasing the constituencies regularly. Maybe the best way to deal with this problem is to set a ceiling for the number of Members of Parliament in the Constitution since from all indications, the Commission’s understanding of that provision is simply to increase the number of constituencies every eight years. Without doubt, the size of the legislative arm of Government is getting too large, and we must, without any delay, start taking measures to reduce it. Ghanaians deserve quality representation, not quantity. Some Members of Parliament do not make any contribution to parliamentary debates in the chamber of the House, and some, I understand, do not make any meaningful contribution at the committees’ level. The strong brouhaha over the creation of the forty-five new constituencies last year was quite expected. As much as the argument about the unfavourableness of the time, was, sincerely, perfectly in order, the popular belief that a country of twenty-four million is not too huge to warrant more than two hundred legislative representatives is just the point. In the first place, the Commission should not have even created the thirty constituencies in 2004. It is not a matter of legalities; it is a matter of common sense. Anytime any person opposes the creation of the new constituencies, the Commission quickly rebuts that it is its constitutional mandate. Well, the constitution talks of review, not necessarily an increase. Our democratic experiment may be fraught with some difficulties, but my most fervent prayer is that we should never allow any malcontent(s) to truncate this political system. I would hope that we invest in education and strengthening state institutions. These two exercises are critical to deepening democratic culture in our country. I pray that all Ghanaians would get their hands on deck so that we can move forward collectively to truly build a better Ghana.

Characteristics of Competition and Price

Characteristics of Competition and Price MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION Monopolistic competition is the market structure in which there is keen competition, but neither perfect nor pure, among large number producer or supplier. Monopolistic competition is the mixture of perfect competition and a certain degree of monopoly. Monopolistic competition lies between two extreme points perfect competition and monopoly. Characteristics of monopolistic competition: large no of seller Product differentiation: it is the distinguish feature of monopolistic competition, that product of each seller is branded and identified. A firm has limited degree of control over the market as relatively small percentage of total market is shared by the individual firm. large number of buyers there is free entry of firms two dimensional competition price competition non- price competition negative sloping demand curve: firms demand curve (or AR curve) slopes downward to right Price competition: Price competition occurs when firms compete by selling identical or similar product. Seller compete each other on the basis of lowering the price. Price competition happens mainly in three types of market monopolistic, duopoly oligopoly. The other two types of market does not compete with price because in monopoly the firm is equal to industry hence it decides the price of product where as in perfect competition the price is decided by the market and an individual cannot affect the price of the product. Price elasticity of demand in different market with respect to market Monopolistic market: the demand elasticity in monopolistic competition is highly elastic in long run. Because a slight change in price may change the demand of product in long run. Oligopoly: there are only few sellers in the market which does not affect the market. Therefore the elasticity of demand is relative elastic in this type of market. Duopoly: there are only two sellers in the market which does not affect much of demand therefore the demand is relative elastic. CROSS PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND: Cross price elasticity measure the responsiveness in the quantity demanded of one good to change in the price of another good. Substitute has positive cross price elasticity. It exist in monopoly, duopoly and oligopoly as the product are close substitute to each other in the market and there is slight change in the price of the product will increase the price for another product. NON PRICE COMPETITION: non-price competition depends on making a product different from those of competitors and by giving it distinctive qualities that are valued by the target HE market. These might include branding, styling, special features or higher levels of customer service. Such factors can allow a premium price to be charged while still offering target customers Competitive value-for-money.the firms are engage in non price competition, the most prominent form being advertising. The market which is affected by non price factors is monopolistic competition and oligopoly. This happens because most firms are engaged in non price competition in spite of the additional cost involved, because non price factors usually more profitable than selling for a lower price and avoid the risk of a price war. NON PRICE FACTOR AFFECTING DEMAND Income of the consumer Price of related goods Change in taste of consumer The expectation of buyer may change Change in the number of buyer. NON PRICE FACTOR AFFECTING SUPPLY Change in the input cost Change in the technology Change in expectation of consumer Change in the number of seller. NON PRICE COMPETITION AND ITS EXISTANCE PERFECT COMPETITION: all the products are homogenous in nature there is no point of non-price competition as it will not make a difference. MONOPOLY: there is only one producer in monopolistic competition thus the concept of non-price competition does not apply. In Monopolistic competition oligopoly non-price competition is applicable. Product differentiation: a situation where a producer or firm tries to win over the market or increase its market share by adding certain features to the product so that it becomes different form the other products. Features of product differentiation. Technical standards-this refer to the aspect s to how advance is the product in terms of the current state of technology. For example if youre purchasing PC then this point would play a very vital role in the consideration. Quality standards- this refers to the quality of raw material used in the product whether it be related to the manufacturing r the assembling if the product, as this directly effects the durability if the product and therefore its usefulness and life. Therefore the quality of the product plays a very important role in non-price competition. Design standards-it refers to the overall structure of the product that is provided in the market by a customer. This can play a vital role in attracting the customers. As the product provided has to be aesthetically good. Thus the producers can try and make a better design standard of their product. Service standards-this point generally refers to the after services given to the customers after the purchase has been made them and thus if the after sales provided to a customer is good by any company then the level of satisfaction also will be high. Advantages of non-price competition The quality of the product is in focus which helps companies to become unique and diffentiate from other rival companies. The design and distinguishing features of goods and services offered in the marketplace matches the demand and needs of the people in that area. The location of distribution for targeted customers is given importance. Goods reach buyers matching their own convenience and needs. Offers innovation like on-line shopping. Good for people that just stop during meals and sleep Marketers think out of the box in order to attract customers to be interested in what they are offering instead of their competitor. Types of product differentiation: Vertical product differentiation- this can be defined as where a product differs from the product that its rival firm produces in terms of quality. Horizontal product differentiation- this can be defined as when a product differs from the rivals products, although the quality of the product seems to be of the similar nature.

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay Brazilian anthropologist Viveiros de Castro has been an essential force in new strands of anthropology within the last decade, and his foremost contribution has been the development of Amerindian perspectivism. Viveiros de Castros objectives were to produce a more generalised framework of Amazonian cosmologies and shamanistic practices, with an aim to dispose of the nature versus culture dichotomy that had always prevailed within the discipline of anthropology. By rediscovering the notion of animism, Viveiros de Castro was able to formulate new modes of relation between humans and non-humans, and perspectivism may be seen as simply a potent rendering of animism. This essay will explore the comparisons that have been made in recent ethnography between Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism and the application of perspectivism to other parts of the world. This will ultimately result in the questioning of whether perspectivism can, in reality, be labelled a theory. Initially an ex amination of Viveiros de Castros analysis of Amerindian perspectivism is crucial in an attempt to draw comparisons with the deployment of perspectivism in ethnography within northern Asia, in particular Mongolia and Siberia. Viveiros de Castro purports that his development of the notion of perspectivism forms a vital component of most Amerindian cosmologies, and is founded upon spiritual unity and corporeal identity. In opposition with the distinction between nature and culture, Viveiros de Castro illuminates a contrastive feature between Western and Amerindian cosmologies. Anthropology itself centres on the multiculturalist notion to the nature vs. culture dichotomy; the idea that there is one universal nature and many cultures, as building blocks structured upon that which is pure and unifying; nature. This approach implies the universality of the body, and the subjective distinctiveness of spirit and meaning. The concept of multiculturalism has consistently been applied to the demographic constitutions of a particular place with multiple ethnicities and religious groups, and to notions of identity (Visweswaran, 1998). Viveiros de Castro proposes that for Amerindian cosmologies however, an inversion of the multiculturalist notion, that is multinaturalism. Multinaturalism is the conception of spiritual unity and corporeal diversity, the unifying and objective being culture and the subjective distinctiveness of nature; bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian cosmologies share mythology and the notion of a creation myth that there was once an original state of undifferentiation between humans and animals, and this serves to unfold Amerindian perspectivism. This is the shared mythological belief that animals are ex humans, and that the original common condition that both humans and animals shared was humanity rather than animality (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). This origin myth can be employed to explain the general meaning of perspectivism. Viveiros de Castro states that animals and spirits see themselves as humans: they perceive themselves as anthropomorphic beings. their social system as organized in the same way as human institutions are (1998:470). This is the principal idea of perspectivism; that nonhumans see the world as humans do, but what they see differs from what humans see because of the distinct medium through which they see things differs from the medium through which humans see things (Pedersen, 2001). Every being t hat has a soul is capable of having a point of view, and it is the point of view that creates the subject. The point of view is located within the body, and differences between viewpoints concern the differentiation between bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). What Viveiros de Castro refers to as the body is an assemblage of affects or ways of being that constitutes a habitus (1998:478). The concept of habitus has most recently been elaborated by Bourdieu (1972) as a system of dispositions in response to determinate structures and other fields that are neither wholly voluntary nor involuntary. Acquired dispositions or ways of being include taste, communication and habitation. To tie this in with multinaturalism, every subject creates their own conception of nature. Viveiros de Castro refers to the form of a being as like a piece of clothing which masks an internal human form that is only visible to those within the same species or trans-specific beings such as shamans. It is not so much that the body is a clothing but rather that clothing is a body (1998:482). An animals clothing (their body) is not simply manipulated as a disguise, but rather their equipment that differentiates them from one another, and provides them with their habitus. The internal human form is the beings soul or spirit (1998). By undergoing metamorphosis, the being sheds its clothing and, through a process of transformation, adopts the point of view of another being. The shaman is the only being that is capable of assuming the point of view of the Other; the extra-human animal, and returning back to its original state of being unharmed (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies bear striking similarities with the notion of animism, initially proposed by Tylor in the nineteenth century. Tylor attributed animism to the almost universally held beliefs of primitive people that certain objects and persons were animated by something incorporeal called spirit' (Kraus, 1971:487). Descola (1992) developed this idea of animism that all spiritual entities are similar in that they share spiritual features, with the difference being the body that they are endowed with (Latour, 2009). Thus, animism would appear in accordance with Castros proposition of multinaturalism within Amerindian cosmologies. In contrast with the multiculturalist notion of the nature vs. culture dichotomy, animism holds society as the unmarked pole, as the unifying dimension, rather than nature. Totemism, on the other hand, is the conception that individuals and clans share kinship with other forms of non-human being. Levi-Strauss (1962) discusses totemic classifications as a form of organisation which emphasises discontinuities between species to confer a conceptual order on society. The totem is a non-human being which is normally accompanied by a totemic myth, and they are manipulated to make the social world a more coherent classificatory system. Therefore, there is a very striking difference between animism and perspectivism, and totemism; in totemic societies the non-human being is regarded as a sign, and in animic and perspectivist societies, the non-human being is regarded in terms of the relationship it makes available (Pedersen, 2001). It will be brought up later on with an analysis of northern Asian cosmologies, that some ontologies in northern Asia are predominantly animistic, and some predominantly totemistic. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism is wholly an animistic concept. His analysis of Amerindian perspectivism has been supported by Pelusos research undertaken in Peru. Peluso critically discusses her ethnography on dream narratives amongst the Ese Eja, an Amazonian community, and acknowledges that multinatural perspectivism is present within the ontology of dream narratives (2004). Naming dreams are common for the Ese Eja, and reflect multiple overlapping realities of time and space, acting as a reminder for its subjects that transformations are possible between multiple worlds. Eshawa, for the Ese Eja is the concept of personhood that connects the self with all species and the spirit world (Peluso, 2004:2). The dreams always involve an interaction between the animal and the dreamer, and involve the animal transforming itself into a child and addressing the dreamer by the appropriate kin term. This action eludes the mother/father/grandparen t dreamer to the childs dream name, and they must use this name for everyday life (Peluso, 2004). Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism in Amazonia is quite clearly at work here. People validate the links between dream names and their namesake animals through perceived shared physical and character traits, relating to Viveiros de Castros corporeal affects that form the distinctive viewpoints of subjects. Similarly, multinatural perspectivism such as the dream world, implies that all subjects (human or not) share personhood and interact socially as enacted in dream narratives. (Peluso, 2004:9). The dream world allows the capacity for carrying over the same viewpoint into different cross-realities, and dreams are sources of knowledge and channels of communication between multiple worlds, unhindered by physical or ontological distance (Peluso, 2004). Pelusos ethnography based on the Ese Eja community in Peru is a fine example of Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology in practice, but the question still remains as to whether perspectivism can be applied to another part of the world other than Amazonia. The vast majority of the rest of this essay will attempt to apply perspectivism and its deployments through ethnography, to two very different regions of northern Asia; Mongolia and Siberia. Pedersen (2007) has written extensive ethnography concerning the Darhads of Mongolia, and their relationship with perspectivism. It is clear that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is prevalent within Darhad animist cosmology, but at the same time there are several distinctions that must not be overlooked. A stark contrast between Darhad and Amerindian cosmology is that the Darhads do not share the conception of a creation myth; an original state of undifferentiation (Pedersen, 2007). Viveiros de Castro suggests that mythology is a precondition for perspectivism, in that the period from whence everything was undifferentiated and humanity, is crucial for spiritual unity and the universality of beings (1998). Nevertheless, Darhad cosmology is amythological yet animist and comprises multiple points of view; different perspectives unchanging over time. The majority of the Darhad animist cosmos is perceived as an unmarked territory, and that it is along specific paths where the social lives of beings occurs. Therefore Darhad cosmology itself is not one unified whole, but rather many parallel worlds, with each parallel world containing the totality of relations enacted through a given point of view (Pedersen, 2007). Similarities can be drawn here with Amerindian perspectivism in that exchanges of perspectives between different kinds of beings are being experienced by the Darhad people, however there appear profound differences. The Darhads nomadic landscape is organised according to the constellation of centres within it, with the nomadic households as physically moving entities, and sacred stone cairns such as those on the top of mountains as fixed components. All nomadic movements centre around these gravitation points, for the rest of the nomadic landscape is void (Pedersen, 2007). The Darhad conception of the landscape appears mo re of a totemic reality than an animist one in this sense. Rather, as a discontinuous grid that places beings in relationships of homologous differentiation (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007:331). Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology amounts to a boundless whole, a continuous universe where all beings relate to one another, whereas Darhad perspectivist cosmology lacks this perception. The narrative of the Badagshin that Pedersen (2007) recollects however, can be seen as the representation of a distinct form of Mongolian perspectivism that draws parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. The Badagshin are half-people non-human beings that appear most frequently to Darhad hunters. Similarly with Amerindian perspectivism, the shaman is the only being capable of undergoing complete metamorphosis and returning back to their original state of being unharmed. Therefore for Darhad hunters, adopting the point of view of a nonhuman being is something that should be avoided at all costs. Pedersen recalls an account of a Darhad hunter and his friend encountering a Badagshin whilst traversing the nomadic landscape. For the hunter, the Badagshin appears before him as half a deer, yet for his friend it appears before him as half an old woman. Within a few weeks the friend is dead. This phenomenon may be explained in terms of the Darhad perspectivist cosmology i tself, for the friend has undergone transformation from human being to non-human being through the complete adoption of the Badagshins point of view and crossed through to the other side, resulting in death. It is not the hunter himself comprising two perspectives, but rather the cosmology itself, and by being seen only in the form of halves, they reveal in the form of their virtual, invisible halves an occult vicinity between the human and the non-human (Pedersen, 2007:323). Exchanges of perspectives for the Darhad appear essentially abrupt, as one leaps from one form of being to another, with the nomadic void playing the role of a trampoline, as one jumps between finite worlds (Pedersen, 2007). A key difference between Darhad perspectivism and Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is that the Darhads encounters with spiritual beings are always incomplete, as the Badagshin example illustrates. Humphrey (1996) also reveals that encounters with spiritual beings amongst the Daur of Mongolia tend to always be incomplete and intermitted. Amerindian perspectivism appears more symmetrical and horizontal, whereas Darhad perspectivism appears asymmetrical and transcendent (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007). The Mongolian shamans ability to undergo various metamorphoses and gain the perspectives of another being can be directly linked to the evasion of the hierarchy within a society that is highly rigid (Pedersen, 2001). As a consequence of this spiritual hierarchy, exchanges of perspectives are vertical rather than horizontal, a direct contrast to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Holbraad and Pedersen (2007) suggest that in Inner Asia, beings can become other not because they are themselves already other (as in Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism), but rather because the perspectives that they can occupy remain other to them (p.331). These are transcendental perspectives and reflect more of a totemic reality than an animistic reality apparent in Amerindian perspectivism. It would appear that Mongolian perspectivist cosmology is very different to that of Amerindian perspectivism. Much ethnography in Siberia has revealed a more animistic cosmological perspectivism, and yields more similarities to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Stepanoff (2009) studied cannibal shamans in Siberia and adopts a perspectivist approach to elucidate that the shamans become cannibals because they see humans as prey animals. Similarly, Bogorazs (1904-1910) ancient ethnography on the Chuckchee can be seen to draw parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism in that others, in this case the kely spirits, see themselves as humans and humans see themselves as others. Kely spirits live like humans in villages and hunt humans which they call little seals. Social relations in Siberia appear horizontal rather than vertical, which, as a condition for animism appears to align them with Amerindian perspectivism rather more than their Mongolian neighbours. Likewise, the space constituted by human beings and non-human beings amounts to a boundless whole rather than a discontinuous grid (Pedersen, 2001). Pedersen (2001) puts forward the notion of animist analogous identification in Siberian cosmology, which holds the viewpoint that one has the ability to imagine oneself in someone elses position, and the ability to imagine someone else in ones own position. This correlates with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Thus, I would argue that Siberian perspectivist cosmologies are much more similar to Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies than their Mongolian neighbours. However, it is challenging in itself to stretch Viveiros de Castros concepts that fit Amerindian cosmology to other parts of the world due to the fact that there is so much differentiation. The question ultimately comes down to whether Viveiros de Castros perspectivism can be seen as a theory or not, and whether it should be applied to other parts of the world. Holbraad and Willserlev (2007) suggest that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism may be regarded as a theory due to the fact that it is an essentially intellectual artefact: theory is born of the anthropologists mental effort (p.330). However, this particular theory appears somewhat constrained by its ethnographic material of which the theory was conceived of, and the context from which it derived from cannot necessarily be applied to other ethnographic contexts. This does not detract from the fact that Viveiros de Castro has put forward an Amerindian perspectivist theory, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

Gender Equity Essay -- Essays Papers

Gender Equity Are male students and female student’s receiving the same opportunities when it comes to Math and Science in the schools? I don’t believe they are. This is why gender equity is a major problem facing our schools today. Many girls are having very negative attitudes towards Math and Science. Through doing research on this topic I found out why. In the article How Research Helps Address Gender Equity, a very shocking and eye opening thing was written. I learned that children as young as kindergarten already have formed set stereotypes about Science and Math. The boys in the class wanted to and believed that they could be Scientist while the girls in the class did not. They perceived being a Scientist as a mans job. As children get older and move up in their grades things don’t seem to be getting any better, only worse. A three year study was done in fourth, sixth, and eighth grade classrooms in four states and they discovered that teachers actually call on and give more feedback to boys. The teachers answer to this study was that boys were more demanding and they called out more then girls. However it was found that if girls act this way they were penalized for it (Sadker D, Sadker M, and Stulber L, 1993). Teachers also challenge boys if they give the wrong answer, and if girls give the wrong answer they are more apt to call on another person. I was surprised by this research because I hadn’t actually noticed these things occurring while I was in school, but now that I look back at it I realize that it did. As I got into course three Math, a lot of girls had dropped out including myself. One of the major reasons I dropped out was the fact that my Math t... ...on since I will be going into teaching shortly. I know that it will be my job as a teacher to promote equality in my classroom. Works Cited Bailey,S., & Campbell, P(1999). The Gender Wars in Education. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18,2001: http://www.trac.net.users.ckassoc.gender_wars.htm. Baker Dale(2001). Teaching for Gender Difference. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18,2001: http://narst.org/research/gender.htm. Beyond Title IX:Gender Equity Issues in School (2001). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18, 2001: http://www.maec.org/beyond.html#intro. Damnjanovic, A., & Kahle, J. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18, 2001: http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm. Sadker, D., Sadker, M., & Stulberg, L (1993). Fair and Square. Instructor Gender Equity Essay -- Essays Papers Gender Equity Are male students and female student’s receiving the same opportunities when it comes to Math and Science in the schools? I don’t believe they are. This is why gender equity is a major problem facing our schools today. Many girls are having very negative attitudes towards Math and Science. Through doing research on this topic I found out why. In the article How Research Helps Address Gender Equity, a very shocking and eye opening thing was written. I learned that children as young as kindergarten already have formed set stereotypes about Science and Math. The boys in the class wanted to and believed that they could be Scientist while the girls in the class did not. They perceived being a Scientist as a mans job. As children get older and move up in their grades things don’t seem to be getting any better, only worse. A three year study was done in fourth, sixth, and eighth grade classrooms in four states and they discovered that teachers actually call on and give more feedback to boys. The teachers answer to this study was that boys were more demanding and they called out more then girls. However it was found that if girls act this way they were penalized for it (Sadker D, Sadker M, and Stulber L, 1993). Teachers also challenge boys if they give the wrong answer, and if girls give the wrong answer they are more apt to call on another person. I was surprised by this research because I hadn’t actually noticed these things occurring while I was in school, but now that I look back at it I realize that it did. As I got into course three Math, a lot of girls had dropped out including myself. One of the major reasons I dropped out was the fact that my Math t... ...on since I will be going into teaching shortly. I know that it will be my job as a teacher to promote equality in my classroom. Works Cited Bailey,S., & Campbell, P(1999). The Gender Wars in Education. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18,2001: http://www.trac.net.users.ckassoc.gender_wars.htm. Baker Dale(2001). Teaching for Gender Difference. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18,2001: http://narst.org/research/gender.htm. Beyond Title IX:Gender Equity Issues in School (2001). Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18, 2001: http://www.maec.org/beyond.html#intro. Damnjanovic, A., & Kahle, J. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on March 18, 2001: http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm. Sadker, D., Sadker, M., & Stulberg, L (1993). Fair and Square. Instructor

The Genius of Stanley Kubrick :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Genius of Stanley Kubrick Many movie directors have mastered a genre or two. Wes Craven and John Carpenter are two of the horror film legends. Alfred Hitchcock is probably one of the five greatest directors of all time, with thrillers being his primary claim to fame. George Lucas has been the reigning king of science fiction ever since the release of Star Wars. John Ford is arguably the premier director of westerns. In my opinion, however, Stanley Kubrick may be the person who mastered more genres than any other director. Kubrick was a movie-making genius, much like Steven Spielberg. Anyone you meet on the street can probably name five Spielberg movies. Not many people, however, are aware that Stanley Kubrick was the director of The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, and eleven other movies. For my money, The Shining is the greatest horror film ever made. The setting is a real hotel in an isolated area of Colorado. The movie starred Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall. The hotel is completely abandoned except for a man, his wife, and their young son. The movie is a master-piece. Under Kubrick's direction, Jack Nicholson gives the greatest performance of his career. The Shining will scare the hell out of anyone. In one scene the boy discovers the word "murder" written on a wall. He, however, views the word on a mirror, and thus reads it in reverse as "redrum". He then proceeds to mutter the word "redrum" in an eerie manner at various times throughout the movie. The crazed character played by Nicholson chases his son through a maze of tall shrub hedges during a blizzard. The scene is incredible and so is the entire movie. Any fan of horror and/or Jack Nicholson, who has not seen this movie, should rent it immediately. Amazingly, The Shining is the only horror film that Stanley Kubrick made during his forty-nine year career. In my opinion, it is the best of its genre, even better than Hitchcock's Psycho. Among the ten greatest war movies of all time, I would include Saving Private Ryan, The Bridge on The River Kwai, Platoon, and Apocalypse Now. Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket also belongs on this list. No other movie has depicted boot camp the way Kubrick did in this 1987 film. The hair on my arm was literally standing up by the time the movie had completed the segment dealing with boot camp.

Modernism and the Visual Arts Essay

Originally titled as Le Bain, means the bath; Luncheon on the Grass was exhibited at the Salon de Refuses in 1863. It is painted with oil on a large canvas by Édouard Manet created in between 1862 and 1863. The painting represents the contrast between a female nude with fully clothed men in a rural setting. By that time, normally woman in paintings didn’t look at viewers straight, especially with nudes. Traditionally, nude models mostly looked away from the view. But however, Manet’s naked female model straightly stares at the viewer. This was shocking, but also challenging at the same time. The Luncheon on the Grass, received a great attention by causing public scandal with nude female and painting was success through setting, color, technique, composition and light. Luncheon on the Grass brought in much argument at its reveal. From this painting, the viewer is provoked by a naked female directly looking at the audience. By this time, this naked woman was obviously politically improper and especially, woman looking at the viewer as unashamed was totally unbelievable and offensive in a male-controlled, conquered society. This was the main reasons why it was forbidden and got teased from the public. Not only because picture of the naked female, but it was a commentary, and arguable as well. Painting it makes seem usual, and normal, besides something with sexualized. However, the two fully clothed men are not looking directly; it is only the naked female who grabs attention to be focus of the painting. Once again, the setting is very unusual, and it is unique. It seems like the models are just posing instead of having lunch together. The picnic basket lies on its side in the corner without any attention, and also the naked female has been completely left out along. The woman in far back in lake also seems left out from the lunching group too. None of these people seems gathered in the nature. However, some critics have inferred the painting as oddness with compositional sense, but it is delightful with the thought of the illusory. Manet’s use of color was influenced by the Impressionist movement, and it led the painting successful. Manet’s color use is combined with a very practical theme. He used mostly dark colors for the foreground such like dark greens, orange-browns and blacks for outlines. He also broke up of the movement of figure to add reality. Manet also inserted element of still life which is picnic basket in the bottom left corner of the painting. It subsidizes an added level of color. What is interesting in this painting is that he limited to use warm colors. And instead of having soft brush strokes and color mix, he uses vivid outlines around the figure. This concept lets the figure pop out of the landscape. Looking at the female figure, Manet painted in a flat tone with very little shading to capture the moment. The painting contains flat areas of color, and even in some places, Manet left it as a bare canvas. With limited of shading and contrast using of cool and warm colors prevent the tradition of depth and volume; also cause viewer’s attention to the surface of the painting. Manet’s light source through the painting was also interesting. This impression era is covered by the use of broad and detailed light source, which limits almost no shadows. However, the lightning in this scene of painting is unreliable and unusual. Compare to the two clothed men, the nude female takes the spotted light. She almost has no shadows besides strong outlines. Also because the two clothed men are wearing dark clothes, the nude female obviously pops out from the background and grabs viewers’ attention. I can see where the light hits in different areas, but the nude female takes the main light source, and therefore, the landscape background smoothed out the light. Tradition to this time era, Manet’s techniques were extraordinary and brush strokes become much less developed. Most of his brush strokes have been done in free handed. Focusing on the nude female, her skin is not smoothed out with value of color and brush techniques. Also the background is containing a rough brush strokes. During this time period, most of the artists are hiding brush strokes for their technique, but Manet did the opposites. It is obvious to see each brush stroke in nude female giving a rough complexion. In the background, also this style of rough brush strokes are made noticeable, and this even seems unfinished. Manet was free with technique. He did not try to hide or to follow the trends; indeed, some scenes in the painting seem unfinished. Through the composition, the figures are positioned in central. The interesting thing is that through this composition, I can draw myself a direct pyramid from. From the foreground nude female figure rises up to the lady in the water. With this compositional sense, attention falls between the two men. Men seem very odd and just stuck to be posing because compare to the women two men seems very dull and not interested in. They were not paying attention to the woman, and also not gathered at all. None of the figures seems relaxed. Rather than posing natural in the nature, these figures give tightness look. However, Manet successfully balanced the light against dark, use of cool color background and well blends the nude figure with warm tone, covers up the oddness and conveyed as successful painting. To sum up, Manet’s Luncheon on the grass is with mystery, oddness and wonder. He detailed his idea to the work, and all the elements he included in this painting lead great result follow in 1863. As an impressionist, Manet earned great media attention by causing public scandal and painting was success through setting, color, technique, composition and light. Artist: Édouard Manet Title: The Luncheon on the Grass Date: 1862 and 1863 Medium: Oil paint

“Trash” by Andy Mulligan Essay

Rat, is a small but clever boy who really does live up to his name. He is fast but sneaky, dirty but charming and is friendly. Rat is always getting things from the mission school as he appears to be sweet and useless. He saves the money that he is giving so, surprisingly is one of the riches people on the dump. Quotes about/by Rat: â€Å"Rat is a boy- three or four years younger than me. His real name is Jun-Jun. Nobody calls him that, though, because he lived with the rats and has come to look like one. He was the only kid in Behala that I knew of who had no family at all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  P.19 â€Å"The kid was sitting up, just in his shorts, gazing at me with frightened eyes and his big broken teeth sticking out of his mouth.† P.22 â€Å"I am the best hearer, the best jumper, the best runner-they think I brag, but they know it’s true!† P.159 â€Å"Rat saw a once we had to dive back in among them†¦ It was the smarted thing he ever did.† P.163 Trash (2010), a novel by Andy Mulligan, ends with the protagonists Raphael, Gardo and Rat starting their new life together. In the course of the novel, they faced many challenges and their friendships grows. Each character has qualities which helped build this friendship. Raphael shows the qualities of friendliness, kindness, caring and self less. Gardo shows the qualities of empathy, cleverness and leadership. Rat shows the qualities of trustfulness, sneakiness and thoughtful. The boy’s friendship holds the key to their survival, helping them to leave the dumpsite and find a better life. Raphael’s key qualities are friendliness, selfless and clever. Raphael shows the quality of friendly in the scene where he listen to Rat when nobody knows what he is doing. A quote which gives evidence of this quality is â€Å"and I’d listen to his chit chat singing† (Mulligan,2011, p.23). Another important quality that Raphael shows is selfless. He demonstrates this quality in the scene where he wants to give Rat some food for him to eat. A quote which gives evidence of this quality is â€Å"I thought, I should have brought him a bit of food† (Mulligan, 2011, pg.22). Finally, Raphael’s quality of clever is shown in the scene where he trying to figure out the code for the words. A quote which gives evidence of this quality is â€Å" go to the map ref where we lay look for the brightest my child.† (Mulligan, 2011 , pg.152). All of these qualities help Raphael to overcome his hardships and  be a good friend to Gardo and Raphael†¦.

The Basic Principles of Reganomics

The election of the Regan-Bush Republican ticket of 1984 brought many unprecedented and controversial policies to the US economy. Many of these policies,including Reganomics still affect our economy as a whole and are still major points of debates today. Reganomics was not solely based on economics, but rather the included a sense of having moral foundations. Government intervention and regulation of the economy were seen as economically harmful and furthermore morally wrong. It was believed that economic affairs should be left to the wisdom of God and his guidance would produce a The moral obligation together with extreme Kenseyan theories were the guide to the basic principles of Reganomics. Their objective was to follow a laissez faire attitude,or a hands off government policy. They also wanted to rely on the wisdom of the of the market, meaning that the market is smart enough to take care of and troubleshoot itself,and they tried to use a policy of deregulation which would allow companies to make their own economic decisions with out the government limiting their choices. The administration was also weary of anti-trust laws which did not allow for monopolies in The â€Å"deregulation of businesses† mentality was simple and encompassed two major points. The points were to lower taxes and allow businesses to make their own decisions without fear of government intervention. Their idea was that if you lowered taxes in general, business would have more money to produce more, to more they would hire more workers, and consequently due to the surplus of money, their would be more spending, investing, and saving. This proves that individuals would gain along with the business. Ronald Regan said, â€Å"Lower takes would spur business to invest, and send Americans rushing to stores to spend† (Regan). In the short run deregulation produced greater competition and lower prices for consumers. The long term effects were that the savings and loan industry collapsed due to fraud and mis-management. Regan knew that deregulation could possibly have adverse effects if there was no degree of regulation at all, so preventative measures were set in place. One such preventative measure was the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (O. I. R. A) which insured that deregulation dhered to cost benefit principles to the maximum extent possible. â€Å"If government is the problem, not the solution, you do not solve problems by applying a bigger problem to them† (Regan). Another notion behind Reganomics was the Laffer Curve, which conveyed the idea that tax cuts would increase tax revenue. The Laffer Curve is based on the ideology that government should provide a climate in which the incentives for individuals to pursue their own economic progress wouldn†t be hindered by governmental taxing, spending, regulations, and/or monetary policies. It is also based on supply side economics. Supply side economics was an economic policy designed to stimulate output and lower unemployment by increasing production in the economy. It allowed the free market to play a greater role in the economy while the government took on a lesser role. â€Å"If government is the problem, not the solution, you do not solve problems by applying a bigger problem to them† (Regan). The Regan administration believed tax and spend policies led to a weak economy. Accordingly, they passed the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86) which reduced individual income tax liabilities and raised corporate income tax liabilities. They also passed ERTS. ERTA gave a 25% cut in individual marginal tax rates over a three year period. It set an indexing of individual brackets, personal exemptions, and standard reductions; it reduced all individual taxpayers taxes, and gave percentage reductions for lower and middle class incomes exceeding those given for the rich. Bill Clinton said, â€Å"For 12 years the driving dea behind American economic policy has been cutting takes on the richest individuals and corporations†¦ â€Å". This is true, with the exception of ERTA, all the tax changes during the eight years of Reagan†s administration were unmistakably pro-business and When Reagan cut the taxes for wealthy individuals and business† he believed that it would contribute to a stronger base economy, in turn the benefits of a strong base economy would â€Å"trickle down† to reach everyone, even the poorest Americans. Ronald Reagan said, â€Å"Lower taxes would spur business to invest, and send Americans rushing to stores to spend† (Regan). The Reagan Administration believed lower taxes were beneficiary in this manor and high tax rates only further darkened the lines on how our society was typecast, rather than break down those barriers. Furthermore high tax rates inhibited social mobility into the upper class. â€Å"The real losers from soak the rich tax are not the rich, but the would be rich. † This is true because there would be no trickle down Major elements in the initial Regan policies were spending slow downs aimed at eliminating budget deficits in 1984 and producing budget surpluses thereafter. As well it was aimed to slow down the growth of federal outlays and change their composition. However the initial policies of the Reagan administration coupled with stock market changes were so bold and dramatic that it caused the 1981 – 1982 recession. After be in a state of recession, things did get better. Within 18 months of Reagans term, poverty began to decrease. The U. S also experienced an unprecedented export boom in the 1980†³s which turned out to be the longest economic boom in U. S history. Along with this came 20 million new jobs and it was the first time the electorate ad an intensely satisfied voting majority. † Reagan was the only U. S. president since WWII to reduce both inflation and unemployment while expanding the total number of jobs for all Americans† (Dunn) However when this great prosperity was acquired in such a short period of time, people got nervous and began to make false accusations against the Reagan administration which were called myths. Myths were created by economists that either did not look at all the statistics or made assumptions before they had all of the statistics. Some of the myths that came from these economists were that Reaganomics caused Americans to divest and de-industrialize. There were also presumptions that every dollar of taxes that were cut would lose a dollar of revenue. They also offered that record deficits were caused by the reduction in marginal tax rates. There is no basis for insisting that tax policy developments were responsible for the budget deficits of the Reagan years. (Ture 35) Some myths created even went so far as to say that the deficits were deliberate in order to reduce social spending while increasing defense spending. In fact the contrary is true. Transfer payment spending for social services rose 19. 7%, from $344. 3 billion to $412 billion, on programs that provided income, food, healthcare, housing, education and training, and social services to poor families. (Ture 39) This is proving that social programs were not hurt under Reagan. Economists also gave the impression that Reagan policies favored the rich at the expense of the poor and that the rich only paid a larger shave of taxes because they had a larger share of income. This is not entirely true. Even though the rich may not have seemed to have paid more taxes they actually did buy investing in more taxable securities and fewer tax exempt securities. This produced more tax revenue. Rather than being a tax and spend economy, the Reagan administration lended itself to a borrow and spend economy that produced many deficits. What was the cause of these enormous debts? Many factors added to the accumulation of the debts. Buying and thus building up the U. S. dollar to an artificiallyhigh level made U. S exports more expensive, U. S imports cheaper and it added to the rade deficit and the foreign debt. This was also known as â€Å"Mexicanization† of the economy. (Galbraith 3) Large budget deficits from the loss of tax revenue, was brought about by the loss of real output during the 1981 – 1982 recession, and unanticipated disinflation. That fiscal year (after adjusting for inflation, tax collections did not increase) brought high interest rates which attracted foreign money. This pushed up the dollar and caused the trade deficit. The deficit was also caused by large defense and The Reagan administration had little responsibility for the budget deficits. The bills for spending that the Reagan administration originally proposed were altered by congress. The deficit was therefore caused by congress† permitted spending excess and not excess tax cuts. It seems that through supply-side economics savings didn†t increase but allowed for a huge growing debt that nearly tripled during Reagans administration. On the good side of things, deficit spending helped to stimulate demand and trigger economic recovery. It also stimulated a growth of employment in non-investment grade firms by 17. 3 million which was due to junk bonds. (Zycher,43) On the down side, the U. S is presently the worlds largest debtor. Public and Private debts carrying over from the past decade weigh heavily on the government,business†, household†s and financial institutions† well being. Reganomics could have been greatly successful if government spending would have been checked. â€Å"If government had borrowed in order to fund public capital, rather than military spending and tax breaks for the wealthy, the debt burden would be greatly reduced† (Sawicki). Looking back now we can truly understanding the full effects of Reganomics on our economy.

Busy Busy Barcelona

It is said that Barcelona is one of the most exciting cities in the world. On first arrival there were only hints of this, but as the coach further into the city its true colours were shining gloriously. I couldn't be sure if it was the fast street entertainment or the immense amount of shoppers and traffic, but either way my pulse was pumping because of this electrifying city. My excuse for being in this exhilarating environment is a day trip to the big city everyone talks about. My accommodation was situated in a coastal town named Salou, roughly one hours drive from Barcelona. My hotel was called hotel â€Å"Cleopatra†, a nice but relatively insignificant next to this manic metropolis. As my accommodation was over an hour away I was anticipating a good day out and so far things looked set to be going that way. Approaching the city centre now, I notice two extremes of Barcelona's busy life. The first are apparent to be the wealthy, designer labelled snobs who frown upon and grace no pity towards the other forgotten race that that are the remorseful tramps. It seemed that the rest of the city was moving forward so blindingly fast that that these endless vagabonds are left in a sea of no hope. However, in an action so hypocritical to whom I just accused, we deliberately admire a crumbling sculpture to move on swiftly past the swarm of homeless Spaniards. Our first objective of the trip is to get a topless bus around the city. We vaguely made out the attempt at English from the operator, which did seem to be a recurrence throughout the day, demanding of us, â€Å"four people, 68 Euros!† You've got to be joking!! However at this point we didn't really have much choice as this was the only real way we could ever get a good old gander at the sites of the city. So despite the outrage, me, my Girlfriend, her Mum and her Dad decide to give it a go. The bus was certainly filled with most British, yet the navigator on the microphone never thought to attempt a spot of English, no, strictly Spanish. Nevertheless we could still view the sites and scenery, if of course we hadn't of taken poor advice in which we asked for the route which takes us past the illustrious Barcelona Cathedral, but never did we actually see the magnificent building. At least, not from closer than half a mile away viewed on a hilltop. The one truly satisfying thing about this exhilarating experience was that from inside the topless bus the sun came beaming down on us in which I believe I turned about 5 different shades from white to brown within a matter of two and half hours. On departure of our trip that proved a somewhat anti climax situation, I felt a large overpowering sigh of relief come across me, and a look around made an impact and my original feelings of the day that was the anticipation of the new city ahead of me. Fresh air? No block buildings? No traffic and insane amounts of shoppers We had reached a completely different part of Barcelona which we had looped around the city to get to it in the bus, but we had ended up perhaps ten minutes from the city centre. We couldn't even feel that it was Barcelona, it felt like Spain, which seemed like so much different. This was certainly more the family side of the city as it had many more family shops and attractions, and not to mention families. Yes, this part of the city was giving me the holiday feeling that the closed up, claustrophobic busy mainstream of the city wasn't. This new side of Barcelona creates a new feeling of ease and I finally find why this so highly rated city gets the praise that it does, and is so renowned worldwide as a hotspot for any age or type. It was almost as if there were two separate cities mixed in together to make the ultimate holiday destination, with a family attraction to the city being just a 10 minute drive from a busy and unpredictable centre, its bound to be that. Such a huge variation in tourist attraction is no doubt how this city rakes in millions upon millions of pounds through the tourism industry, making it Barcelona's key and its largest impact on the cities economy. My favourite attraction from the whole experience was stumbled upon at about mid afternoon and was a stones throw away from where we departed with the bus. I stared at first, mesmerised at the colossal once used Olympic Stadium. From the outside I witnessed it to be a enormous display of architectural genius used subtlety to emphasise the home of the flame once held within. As I leave the magnificent Stadium in which we were not allowed to enter, I felt like I could spend all afternoon with the satisfaction that I am butterflied with at the moment. No sooner said than done we ended up in that very place where we started off originally, but somehow I managed to appreciate it a lot more than I did as a first impression. It now occurs to me that these two parts of the cities are maybe simply complimenting the other to combine creating a worldwide holiday destination. However there are many reasons I would tell a holiday maker contemplating where to go to not travel to this big city, but there are so many reasons more why I would tell them to book it for Barcelona. After a hectic day we made it back to Salou at around nine thirty when I came to my conclusion on my day. I felt that as busy and difficult as Barcelona was, it was worth every minute and is not a day to miss out on, whoever you are.

Sati & Sutee Tradition in India - History of Sati Tradition Research Paper

Sati & Sutee Tradition in India - History of Sati Tradition - Research Paper Example Hinduism contains a collection of scriptures written for over four thousand years. Among these writing, discrepancies on widow burning led many to exalt the act while others condemned it in the name of religion. During Vishnusmriti, widows were provided with two options: celibacy or immolation. The Ninayasindu later declared sati as a widow’s essential duty; so did the Puritans of the 6th century. These texts went further to elaborate on how the act was to be performed. In the years that followed, religious leaders and followers deified women who sacrificed themselves and became sites. Regardless of the religious interpretation of the act, the practice became deeply embedded in Indian culture. This presented new challenges to people trying to eradicate it. In addition, the social value accorded to widows who sacrificed themselves presented more barriers. Widows were perceived as worthless, with very low social status making a life for them unbearable. Widows who did not want to go ahead with the practice were coerced, physically forced or threatened onto the pyre. In many cases, the male relatives played a significant role in a widow’s decision to pursue sati. The demise of sati is attributed to British ruling during the 19th century. The British colonialist had refrained from interfering with Indian tradition, culture, and practices. The British rarely tried to enforce change in Muslim or Hindu practices. The governor general to India, however, in the 19th century wondered whether the British government should take measures to eliminate static.

Diffusion in aluminium alloys, Hot deformation (rolling) of aluminium Dissertation

Diffusion in aluminium alloys, Hot deformation (rolling) of aluminium alloys and its dynamic recovery, dynamic recrystallisation - Dissertation Example The activation energy and diffusion constants are calculated using a variety of factors like the solid solubility, alloying content and the state of the matrix microstructure in terms of grain boundary size, dislocation density and vacancy concentration [PAPM]. The mean distance travelled by the atom during diffusion in turn is dependent on the rate of diffusion D as follows: L = (Dt)? Where L = the mean distance travelled by the atom. t = time (s) All atoms above absolute zero (-273oC) vibrate and the frequency of vibrations acts as the driving force for the movement of the atoms or for their diffusion. The frequency of vibration and diffusion increases with the rise in temperature. However, for atoms to be able to move from one lattice point to the other, the atoms need to overcome the activation energy. This activation energy is low around the metal surface and at the grain boundaries, and this is the reason for the high concentration of the precipitating solute at the grain bound aries. ... Also, temperature has a greater effect on the diffusion distance compared to time as increasing the temperature increases both the number of vacancies in a metal as well as the energy of the diffusing atoms (Wolverton, 2007). Thus, in an increased temperature, atoms are able to diffuse faster and farther. The rate of diffusion differs for atoms of different alloys and hence the reduction of micro-segregation with homogenization differs for different alloys due to the difference in their compositions. As seen from the diffusion equations presented above, the distance that atoms need to travel (which depends on the dendrite arm spacing, the relative abundance of atoms) impact on the time and temperature needed to attain the desired level of diffusion for reduction of micro-segregation. Figure1: Relative homogenization times for given dendrite cell sizes and temperatures in common aluminum alloys. (Source: Chakrabarti, 2001) According to Verlinden et al [1990] found that the dissolution of theta and S particles in an as-cast 2024 billet during a homogenization at 460oC was not possible even after 24 hours. The volume fraction was found to decrease with time but with an associated coarsening of the remaining S and theta particles resulting in coarser particles than when in the as-cast condition. A homogenization temperature of 500oC was found to completely eliminate both the S and theta particles. Due to the distances that diffusing solute atoms travel during practical homogenization treatments, these treatments are effective at removing microsegregation effects but may have little impact on macrosegregation. 2.2 Theory related to Hot Deformation Hot rolling is the

Think about the five key media studies concepts and choose one of Essay

Think about the five key media studies concepts and choose one of them. Outline the main characteristics of, and theories and de - Essay Example Media presentations seek to alter or reinforce the opinion of the audience on specific topics (Abercrombie, 2006). The creator of a presentation first establishes the audiences she wishes to communicate to and then determines the best way to present the message. Upon establishing his target audience, the creator considers the best type of media presentation to relay his sentiments. The audience provides guidelines for establishing the genre of presentation and approaches to be used when narrating the intended message. Mass media does not rely only on initial presentation when conveying a particular message. It relies on representation as well. Primary bearers of the message relay the message to other people who did not witness the initial presentation. It is paramount to affirm that the audience is a factor that motivates mass media presentation. Audience Media would not exist in the absence of an audience (Cruz & Lewi, 2004). Media groups are formulated with a basic goal of making p rofit. Therefore, various media entities employ various measures to attract audience and make their audience base bigger. The creator or producer of a mass media message uses existing media channels to convey their message to the intended listener or observer. They are likely to pick a media team that has a big audience base. According to Hart (2006), technology improves ease of reaching audiences. In addition, technology has led to an increase in media houses that result in fragmentation of audience. Early media houses enjoyed the privilege of large audiences. The current technology age, competition and advancement of mass media industry has reduced the large audiences to smaller groups because of time factor. The audience can only engage in one specific activity at a time. However, representation relays information and generates fame for a particular media house resulting in enlargement of the house’s audience network. The audience is divisible into several entities includi ng adults, children, communities and vulnerable groups. Individual persons make up an audience but exist as several independent entries (O'Sullivan, Dutton, & Rayner, 2004). This implies that each individual in the audience perceives the message, internalizes and interprets it differently. Representation of the initial message may not achieve the intended purpose or undergo distortions that misrepresent the initial message. Similarly, a text that does not impress primary listeners may fade from their thoughts making representation minimal. The creator must ensure he generates interest and excitement among his primary listeners. There are two types of mass media audience, niche and general (Nightingale, 2008). The general audience includes all or several categories of community classes that relay messages on large scale. A niche audience is a small group that is capable of influencing major changes in the community. The audience is further divided along social status and economic lin es (Nightingale, 2008). Two theories try to define media with regard to audience. They are hypodermic syringe theory and culmination theory. Hypodermic syringe theory dictates that mass media acts as a syringe that injects attitudes, beliefs and ideas into unsuspecting public (Hanes, 2000). The public that serves as the audience is deemed powerless and vulnerable to messages and images broadcasted by media. The impact may be positive or negative. For instance, watching many violent movies may turn a person into a