The Contemporary International System

The Contemporary International System The structure of the contemporary international system involves many different factors that influence how the world operates today. The international system is defined as the study of the interactions among the various actors that participate in international politics, including states, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, sub-national entities, and individuals. The study of international relations aims to evaluate how countries interact within the political and social international system.Factors such as, technological change, shifts of national power and various changes in the environment influence today’s system and how we live on a day-to-day basis. History is another factor that must be recognized in the shaping of the world system. Events that occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have a great impact today, as we are able to make future projections based on historical trends. The operation and stru cture of the international system involves various social and political factors that shape the world we live in today.The shaping of the contemporary system was achieved through the concept of globalization. This idea is often referred to as the â€Å"shrinkage of the world† and has been made possible through the advancement in modern technology. Globalization is the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through an international network of political ideas. Today, a nation’s technological capability is the main indicator of its power. Technology directly affects a nation’s economic growth though innovation.This growth then allows that country to produce military weapons for protection and could potentially throw off the balance of power between states. Technology and innovation can also determine a nation’s trade capacity, which can limit the amount a country can import and export. A nation with great trade cap abilities will experience international financial flows into their country, thus stimulating economic growth. Technology provides a framework for both the relative and absolute power between states and greatly impacts the structure of the international system.For example, if we evaluate the correlation of power and technology throughout history, we see that the United States and Germany experienced dramatic changes in their global position following the second industrial revolution, just as Great Britain had following the first industrial revolution. These powers have since failed to maintain their place at the forefront of technological innovation, and have faded from the international scene. Countries like Japan have been very technologically advanced for the last 50 years and have moved to the forefront of the international scene.The global scene that was once dominated by the United States, may have a new power due to Japan’s vast technological and innovative capabilities . Businesses have also globalized, as they are now able to interact with companies overseas with the click of a button. Since travel has become â€Å"easy† businesses are now able to meet face to face with their international partners on a regular basis. There are proper customs that people must follow when engaging in foreign business practices. For example, the exchange of business cards is a formal practice in countries like China and Japan.Foreign business associates may see it as a sign of disrespect if one is not educated on the proper customs of that country. The structure and operation of the international system is also influenced by the behaviors of the actors within that system. For centuries, the idea of the â€Å"state† was centered upon the idea of inclusion and exclusion. This idea became the centerpiece of national politics for centuries and is a major reason for conflicts within the system. After the French Revolution these states were formed on the th ree ideologies of realism, liberalism, and idealism.Karen Mingst and Jack Snyder define these ideologies and explain the assumptions behind the weaknesses that lead to misguided policies. Realism instills an appreciation of the role of power but warns that states will suffer if they overreach. The cooperation among states is a way to maximize each individual state’s security and often calls for â€Å"backing† during times of conflict. World War II resembles a realist idea as each state was drawn to fight to maximize its own security. Liberalism identifies the potential for democracies, but also notes that democracies can lead to tyrannies and the threat of a violent collapse.This arose after World War I in response to the inability to control and limit war within the international system. Lastly, Idealism stresses that a state’s values must reinforce any stable political order but recognizes that there is also a potential for conflict. Together these three persp ectives form the core of the contemporary international system. In order to fully understand the contemporary international system, we must first understand the historical trends in the state and international system.International Relations can be traced back to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 where the modern state system was developed. This instituted the concept of sovereignty, which is defined as absolute and perpetual power invested in a commonwealth. This power does not exist in an individual, but in a state. In this, the leaders are limited by divine law and are â€Å"subject to the laws of God and nature. † This belief is still held today and believers attribute the legitimacy of the state to the consent of the people. After all, the â€Å"people† are the fundamental the source of all political power.In conclusion, the contemporary international system was shaped on the basis of globalization, the behaviors of the actors within the international system, and the evaluation of historical patterns. The world is constantly changing and evolving toward a more connected population. The widespread use of social media and continued advances in technology allow the population to connect with each other as if they were sitting in the same room. As we move toward this new era, we must identify these historical patterns in order to further improve our future international relations.

Poverty Vis Vis Development Education Essay

This tryst focuses on really intrinsic section in development surveies. Poverty is a immense issue which is literally being manifested around us, as we speak. The affair, is surely one which doesnt have any certainty in Numberss or world, but certainly plenty, we do n't cognize what disposition it could take to, due to the complexness in itself, and the ways in which it is connected in the old ages that follow. Surely, Poverty and Development are by strong belief interrelated constructs, and this could be seen in that fact that states are separated in developing and developed states when poorness is being measured. Besides harmonizing to Alan Thomas, poorness is an â€Å" antique concern † , while development could be most ascertained and associated with the 2nd half of the twentieth century, largely called the â€Å" ‘era of development †[ 1 ]. This period can besides be conceptualized as a post-war period, which gave rise to many factors which contributed chiefly to an enhanced developing procedure around the universe, which in bend affected poorness in legion ways which are unconceivable. One must foremost understand the definition and interrelation to development. When specifying poorness, undertaking the job is chiefly imperative, since it is per se a job for the universe as a whole that must be solved. There is although a general understanding on this, and harmonizing to the World Development 1990 study ; it connects the purpose of development with poorness: ‘Reducing poorness is the cardinal aim of economic development ‘[ 2 ] Alan Thomas in his book lineations that we must understand it as a environing fluctuation, and non merely a simple ameliorating alteration in society, it chiefly follows societal and single degrees, and in a sense it is a originative alteration. There is besides the distinguishable position that development could besides be conceptualized as attempts for betterment by bureaus[ 3 ]; which are chiefly divisible into international organisations and national 1s which chiefly transfer resources to assist these states.[ 4 ]One celebrated organisation is the International Committee of the Red Cross which protects non-combatants and military ground forcess in armed struggles chiefly for human-centered assistance[ 5 ] Poverty is a planetary issue which affects us all somehow or another and therefore one must understand such issue whether or non it involvements him or non. An of import point is that poorness has ever been present in one manner or another in a state, such as in Malta, where in the past decennary we have seen a rise in economic growing, but ahead Malta had high comparative poorness rates, which ranged from 10 % to 15 % of the households, which could be translated to 11,500 households that were hapless[ 6 ]still comparative poorness, carries on as one of the effects of inequality, but Malta has been maintaining comparative poorness at bay[ 7 ]and some argue that this occurred due to spread outing development and unequal distribution of wealth in societies, which characterized the divide between developed and developing states ; The term developing state is used for political rightness to do them sound less inferior to other states. In my sentiment poorness is truly an dismay to us all, since these people are portion of us, portion of one corporate group, that of human sort. It is truly a shame to see that 28 per centum of all kids in developing states are evaluated to be stunted due to the fact that they do non hold sufficient resources to supply for basic demands, that we all take for granted, such as nutrition and instruction ; and as a affair of fact 2.2 million kids die every twelvemonth since immunisation is non chiefly delivered, and over 22,000 kids die every twenty-four hours[ 8 ]mutely with no acknowledgment or attending whatsoever due to this atrociousness ; that is about a decease of a kid every 4 seconds, these are a few illustrations of how poverty manifests in our corrupt globalized society.[ 9 ] Poverty: Definition, Implication and the universe around us In order to give a specific significance to the word poorness, certainly it depends on the model of idea we have in our caputs ; that means, the construct, this can be seen in the fact that many conceptualize poorness in wholly differing ways, and therefore many have typical definitions of the word poorness. This differential conceptualizing of words which is ever go oning in us worlds, leads to the fact that people will finally cipher poorness through methods which are besides different in conformity with that construct at head[ 10 ] Poverty has been said to be conceptualised from the absolute to the relation for whom I am traveling to explicate farther on in this paper. From this sentence one can understand that there is an array of definitions around the universe. The most basic definition that many people acknowledge is the Subsistence poorness definition, where it will by and large set accent on the capacity to last[ 11 ]in the basic sense of it, we understand it as holding the basic necessities and demands that are needed to prolong human life and evidently growing ; these demands are most of the clip natural. This definition harmonizing to the book concerned, says that it will set confidence, on the measuring of poorness that it will give the smallest possible figure. One can besides state that the basic demands definition is a differential theoretical account of the subsistence one. Poverty is besides calculated through the day-to-day thermal consumption, which some argue that it is a bad manner to cipher poorness, because usually except in utmost fortunes, hapless people seldom die of famishment.[ 12 ] A individual needs nutrient non merely to assist him to populate life, but besides to continue a certain norm for himself with respects to nutrition. Particularly due to the fact that many malnutrition jobs accordingly lead to a meagre good health, and besides impacting work-capacity degrees. There were besides attempts in the past, such as the work of Seebohm Rowntree, that have managed to supply a list of all the necessary things a human being demands to prolong himself, subsistence so to talk.[ 13 ]In his book ‘Poverty – A survey of Town Life ‘ which was subsequently known as the sociological study[ 14 ]which was circulated in 1901, it shocked society wholly, by reasoning and explicating about the world of the horrifying characteristics of poorness that many people that at those times were sing. He was the first individual to make the phrase ‘poverty line ‘ , with his decision in his geographic expedition being that half of the working population wer e alive in poorness in some manner or another, although his theory fought many troubles. One of import find he made in those times, was that the shocking consequences reflected that many breadwinners were working, that was alright, but the chilling fact about this is that with the pay the normal breadwinner was entitled, could n't be plenty to care for the demands of the whole household. One really of import component of the whole study is that: â€Å" The belief that a adult male could supply for his household if he was thrifty and hard-working was shown to be false. †[ 15 ] Harmonizing to the article by ‘The Press ‘ , he had shown that hardworking in the Victorian ages, would n't do for the whole household since other sociological effects were impacting poorness in manner or another. Examples highlighted by Seebohm were that a household enjoyed one room on the whole, lesser nutrient quality and besides the fact they had many kids ; these factors affected poorness in those ages. Seebohm contributed a batch to society as a whole since the public assistance province was created later in the undermentioned centuries, many argue due to his work. Harmonizing to Paul Scaffer[ 16 ]in his papers, he outlines a wide construct of poorness, that it has been through a batch of alterations, he argues that there has been a wide displacement from the physiological theoretical account of want, which was chiefly focused on the natural demands of worlds, to pattern more focussed on societal facet of want, which is focused on nucleus societal facets such as ass urance, liberty on oneself, and self-esteem. Scaffer besides concludes that there is a certain nexus or connexion between the construct of exposure and its relationship to poorness, and that inequality places an of import function in set uping poorness deductions, particularly when mensurating poorness, since inequality can impact measurings rather drastically. In his paper he outlines assorted attacks to poverty such as the income attack, human poorness attack and the societal exclusion attack. Income Approach Scaffer argues that a individual is hapless if he is systematically deficient to hold entree to economic resources ; this attack is used a batch in economic sciences which conjugates two necessities – good being which represented in footings of tantamount income, and secondly income poorness line, which represents a demand adequateness degree[ 17 ]The hapless people are those who plummet below a certain standards with respects to this attack. Largely the income attack focuses on non-fulfillment of basic demands which basically of import for the well-being of a normal life individual. On the other manus, it is besides discussed that this income attack is sometimes non good in ciphering poorness, in that some have argued that there are other methods which would turn out better such the Capability-based income steps, in which the concentration is being focused on making an income step of capableness poorness ; capableness bases should be the chief index for income. Kakwani argues that people are merely hapless, if they are being deprived capableness wise, when they do n't hold sufficient income to prolong their simple proficiencies. He argues that societies should be able to care for people particularly by guaranting freedom from any diseases.[ 18 ] Human Poverty Approach Normally poorness manifests itself in the lack of the life styles of the people, and this is why the human poorness attack, approaches poorness from the point of position of defense of chances that can take them to populate a good life. Therefore one can reason that poorness does non merely include deficiency in itself. Poverty is besides calculated through want of communicating, and even values such as self-respect. In this respect I can besides see that the human poorness attack has a socio-psychological characteristic in it. Poverty therefore afflicts the life of people around the universe.[ 19 ]The UNDP has besides discussed this attack in its development studies, which has been designed on the model of Amartya Sen[ 20 ]The focal point of Sen ‘s research, conceptualizes poorness as the absence of some things that a human existences is n't able to work without them. This attack is distinctively close to Sen ‘s thought, that it should hold incorporated in it our capable nesss, non merely what we are able to, but besides what we are n't able to make. Such capablenesss are subjective and depend upon each and every person interpersonally and it must besides incorporate our operations.[ 21 ]In his newest book ‘The Idea of Justice ‘ he counters the thought of an income attack to poverty since he argues it is non exact, the above first attack therefore is faulty harmonizing to Sen: â€Å" Poverty will be much more intense than what can be deduced from the income day of the month †[ 22 ] Social Exclusion Approach The International Institute for Labour Studies has advocated the usage of another typical attack when ciphering scarceness ; this is the societal exclusion attack. This attack is really near to the comparative want construct of poorness which was foremost attributed by Peter Townsend which he defines poorness as â€Å" the absence or insufficiency of those diets, comfortss, criterions, services and activities which are common or customary in society †[ 23 ] With this attack, as the names implies, the focal point is on the deficiency of stuffs or resources, that are usually required to prolong life in certain mode usually socially acceptable, such as a normal life criterion, and the ability to execute activities which one favours. Citizenship is therefore really of import in this respect of attack, since it is a resource demand, such as societal integrating and societal credence ; these are all factors which the societal exclusion attack focuses upon.[ 24 ] Before 1997, the word poorness within the context of societal exclusion, was ever used a term to depict a state of affairs where people did n't hold all of the resources they wanted, particularly chances. The authorities therefore came up with the term societal exclusion which eliminated the fact that poorness can merely be concentrated from a low income point of position ; poverty therefore can be defined as the narrow impression of it including the societal exclusion term appointed by the authorities of the UK. Alienation was to be included in the computation of poorness, since it is a type of exclusion.[ 25 ] Poverty Line and from Absolute to Relative poorness The poorness line as illustrated above is merely a normal mean criterion, so to talk, of how poorness is measured, and it differs from one state to another. The job is that due to different political orientations and political schemes, poorness lines are defined otherwise in each and every state. The inquiry that poses in this respect is, whether the poorness line has helped at all in contending poorness. With the thing is certain, that people with different houses, or different demographics, doubtless have their economic public assistances rather altered, theoretically talking the poorness line must exemplify the prototype for each and every society, or public assistance system. Normally this is regarded as the sum of money ; an single demands to non be labelled as underprivileged.[ 26 ] Economists usually look at the poorness line as a construct which has to make a batch with public-service corporation, and this is reflected through the fact that many welfare-economic philosophies are based the public-service corporation consistent as a poorness index. Basically what it entails is that when measuring public assistance system, the lone appraisal step that should be considered is public-service corporation, and the purpose of appraisal is to look into whether there is n't any lessening in public-service corporation ; therefore the focal point is on the public-service corporation intent[ 27 ]In the instance of India, the term used is ‘Below Poverty line ‘ which is a poorness threshold utilised by the authorities to demo how many people are in demand of any aid, the standards used for the measuring have been concluded from a 2002 analysis. For illustration harmonizing to the International Benchmark, if a individual has less than a lb of net incomes a twenty- four hours with respects to PPP ; that individual is in a province of utmost poorness, and usually these indexs of poorness are used trough parametric quantities such as points.[ 28 ] For illustration, a instance that happened in Malta, was when Mgr. Grech, insisted that there should be a rearrangement of the poorness line here in Malta, and argued that those who at hazard of poorness will do and crumple to existent poorness because of the public-service corporation duties that were being imposed on the people. The address given by him was done during a Forum in the juncture of European twelvemonth against poorness and societal exclusion. From this one can see that with respects to Poverty, Malta has besides its ain jobs that are doing adversity[ 29 ] Decision From this paper one can therefore larn that poorness has a batch to offer than merely the normal construct of poorness, that one normally has in head – that of people deprived, but through analysis I have concluded that poorness has an drawn-out definition, it extends to the kingdom of social norms and besides authoritiess, which play a really of import function in relieving or even go oning to do adversity in societies. In practise, even though we are an mean state, I can reason that Malta has ever been a victim of poorness in the last decennary. The constructs and measurings examined and outlined in this paper have been used in a concise mode, and the subject itself has much more material to offer. The construct itself has undergone through many alterations which are still undergoing, and continues to broaden ; with the focal point being on the societal theoretical account of want. Continuous schemes are being implemented for there to be a decrease in poorness. Still, although there have been legion sum of work for there to be a lessening, inequality and bad policies endure all the attempts, and counter positive consequences.

Depression Research Paper Essay

People every day are diagnosed with mental and emotional illnesses that completely change their lives. Depression is one of the many illnesses that take its toll on an average person. Medical experts believe that depression causes more disability throughout the world than almost any other medical illness or disorder (World Book). Depression affects more Americans than cancer, AIDS, or coronary heart disease. About one in five Americans will develop a mood disorder, usually depression, at some point in his or her life (O. Hyde and Forsyth 7). In some cases chemicals that brain cells use to communicate are out of balance and causes depression (CQ Researcher). Many recognized with this sickness may not believe they can live a normal life. However a patient diagnosed with depression can lead a normal life by taking medication, different types of therapy, and gaining support from family and friends. â€Å"How did my sister fall through a hole in her life and into some other life below?â € (Schumacher 3). Depression brings about feelings other than sadness that affects a patient each and every day. â€Å"‘I can’t describe it,’ Dora said. ‘I don’t know how’† (Schumacher 40). People dealing with this illness find it hard to explain the feeling. â€Å"It’s like being trapped and you feel completely stuck, it really effects how you think every day† (Anonymous). When one is depressed they feel miserable and lose interest in all activity. â€Å"All I wanted to do was sleep; I never wanted to go out and lost a lot of connection from my friends† (Anonymous). â€Å"‘A drowning person doesn’t rescue herself,’ I said†¦ I pictured Dora Struggling and drowning. ‘Which is why it’s so important-for your sister and for everyone else-that she learn to swim’† (Schumacher 116). Depression is always described as being lost or being stuck in a black hole, it seems like there is no way out of it, but with a little help there is. Doctors are now able to diagnose and treat depression with medications better than they were before (CQ Researcher). â€Å"It depends on the severity you have it, for more severe cases medication is definitely helpful. Depression, in most cases is just a chemical imbalance and taking medication can balance everything out and make you feel more normal† (Anonymous). Antidepressants are the category of medication used to help treat the chemical imbalance that causes depression. Taking medications, such as antidepressants, is not necessary in all cases of this illness. â€Å"My mom definitely had a more severe case than I did, she took medication and you could tell the difference in her mood  drastically changed and she spent more time with us as opposed to when she wasn’t taking antidepressants† (Anonymous). Antidepressants increase the attentiveness of neurotransmitters in the brain. Antidepressants do not work immediately. After numerous weeks of treatment the r eceptors become less sensitive and depression lifts (World Book). There are three different types of antidepressants. One type is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s), which is one of the newer drugs that aid depression. SSRI’s prevent brain cells from reabsorbing extra neurotransmitters after the chemicals have delivered their messages. It focuses on one specific neurotransmitter alone, serotonin (O. Hyde and H. Forsyth 54). Another type is tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s) which along with SSRI’s stops the brain from receiving excessive neurotransmitters, but this category focuses on two types of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine (O. Hyde and H. Forsyth 53). Tricyclic refers to the chemical structure of the compounds. The third type of antidepressant is monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s) which inhibit a protein that breaks down excess neurotransmitters, norepinephrine (World Book). Patients on monoamine oxidase norepinephrine have to avoid foods containing tyramine (O. Hyde and H. Forsyth 55). These three types of antidepressants all help to chemically balance the brain and helps put a patient back on track to live a normal life. Although antidepressants bring stability to a depressed person there are some side effects. Some side effects include weight loss, weight gain, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, sweating, tremor, sleep disturbances, blurred vision, seizures, and yawning (Schumacher 106). A bunch of the side effects are major but are mostly non-persistent or might not even occur. Some see the side effects not being worth it. â€Å"My mom saw that living a more normal life was worth a few side effects that probably weren’t going to happen† (Anonymous). Therapy is another way patients with depression can cope. There are two different types of therapy a person suffering depression can take on. Many patients benefit from psychotherapy which can focus on improving thinking, problem solving, improving personal relationships, or increasing enjoyable activities (World Book). Psychotherapy helps depression caused mostly by an emotional imbalance. Cognitive therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that is based off the idea that depressed people have distorted views of the world, the future and themselves. It helps correct  the negative thoughts that are developed in the brain of a patient. Behavioral therapy is another subdivision of psychotherapy used. Behavioral therapy is similar to cognitive therapy in that it alters ones thought patterns and changes their behavior. One last stem of psychotherapy is psychodynamic therapy which takes people into their past to find out unresolved problems and helps a person understand and cope with their conflicts (O. Hyde and H. Forsyth 67). â€Å"At first I felt awkward talking to someone I didn’t know, even though there was a confidentially thing it was hard to trust my therapist. After a while though, it was good talk and get things out, it helped with my mild depression and self-harm I went through† (Anonymous). Talking to a therapist helps the mind of a depressed patient get back to where it needs to be. If medication and psychotherapy fail, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be prescribed by a doctor. Electroconvulsive therap y was also previously known as electroshock therapy. Electroconvulsive therapy is for patients who haven’t responded to any other treatment. It uses electrically induced seizures for a therapeutic effect. Before the procedure anesthesia is typically given so that the patient doesn’t experience any uneasiness or feel the electric current and knowingly experience the seizure. The use of ECT is to treat hospitalized patients who remain severely depressed with suicidal thoughts. Electroconvulsive therapy commonly restores these depressed patients to a normal mental state (World Book). Most patients who use ETC and do not follow it up with medication will relapse back into a depressed state. Physicians have no idea how ETC brings one out of depression. Many patients who severely suffer from depression feel that the treatment of electroconvulsive therapy is worth the risk (O. Hyde and H. Forsyth 66). Another way a depressed person can strive to live a normal life is to gain support from friends and family. â€Å"‘Do me a favor?’ She asked, with her mouth by my ear. ‘Sure,’ I said ‘Name it.’ ‘Save me,’ she said† (Schumacher 29). If a patient knows that they always have friends and family to fall back on if they need anything then it makes one feel more comfortable. â€Å"Friends helped me a lot; they understood me on a different level than my family did. My family sometimes didn’t understand the reasons why I was depressed and upset and they never knew what to say to me because it affected them also† (Anonymous). Times when a depressed person can’t turn to their therapist they always have friends and family around to  support them. If family and friends do not treat the patient like they have an illness then they are less likely to feel out of place in everyday activities. If others surrounding the person suffering from depression act different towards them it won’t help in the process for them to exist in a normal life. â€Å"I’ve read this quote somewhere and I loved it, ‘People who are not depressed see the world the way they want to see it. People who are depressed see the world the way it actually is.’ It seems relevant† (Anonymous). Depression changes a patient’s entire life. They are left exhausted physically and emotionally and not wanting to do anything. The illness brings out emotions in a person that is indescribable. They think about all the bad things in reality and not the things that make life happier. All the conflicting emotions may make it look as if it’s impossible to lead a normal functioning life. Having a regular being is not unfeasible to achieve with a little help. Depression can be a chemical or emotional imbalance, or maybe a combination of both. â€Å"Some things bring it out more than other things† (Anonymous). However a patient diagnosed with depression can lead a normal life by taking medication such as antidepressants, trying different types of therapy like psychotherapy or electroconvulsive therapy, and gaining positive support from family and friends. â€Å"At first it was truly one of the toughest battles I had to go through, especially because of the history with my mom dealing with it, slowly but surely I conquered through it, no one treats me differently, it’s normal† (Anonymous).

Depends on the movie Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Depends on the movie - Coursework Example The most crucial query is your comfort and preference, disregarding common stereotypes and prejudices. This main idea is set forth in rather extraordinary movie The Kids are All Right by Lisa Cholodenko, which tells the story about untraditional married couple. With a help of artificial insemination, Nic and Jules have managed to build full and amicable family, raising two children, eighteen-year-old Joni and fifteen-year-old Laser. The stated movie shows the availability of alternative ways of reproduction, implying today’s solutions and possibility to have kids in same-sex union. The statement of Paul Hatfield, a donor that appears in family’s life so abruptly, saying, â€Å"I loved the idea of helping people, who were in need† (Horowitz, 2010), accentuate mutual assistance and support, which people have to give each other more frequently. Though in nineteen-year-old age Paul’s intentions, obviously, could be called mercenary, because he admits the role of maternal factor, however, being a grown-up person, Mister Hatfield realizes the importance and nobility of his deed, calling to follow his example. Relationships within the family seem to be quite ordinary. Being too serious and demanding all the time, Nic plays the role of the head that makes decisions and gives pieces of advice.

Educational Law and Students with Disabilities Essay

Educational Law and Students with Disabilities - Essay Example This has been realized by the formulation of a number of legislation that made it mandatory to offer the same educational standards and facilities in all public schools for the disabled children. These legislations gave children protection under the law that acted as a safeguard to their right of education. This paper seeks to highlight educational law and students with disabilities. The article from the New Jersey Times by Erin Duffy/The Times of Trenton highlights the plight of Trenton school district’s Life Skills program in Daylight/Twilight High School. In the article, Duffy gives information pertaining to the situation regarding the plight of education for disabled children. She uses testimonies garnered from a member of staff at the institution who claims to have witnessed the below par educational practices with regard to the Life Skills program at the school. Of particular interest is the case of a disabled youth who is termed as problematic, which leads him to being punished by washing the hallways and washrooms during class time. Another example of student neglect is the case of a Liberian student who gets robbed nearly everyday by his classmates, and there has been no intervention from the teachers. The situation at the institution is further aggravated by the fact that there exists no set school curriculum to cater for the immediate learning requirements of the disabled children in the institution. According to Duffy’s source who goes by the name Deborah Downing Forston, there is cheating when it comes to what the teachers are supposed to teach. This is exemplified by her statements that these students are subjected to the same repetitive learning content everyday of the week throughout the term. Forston claims there is lack of motivation in both the teachers and students which is characterized by low expectations caused by what she termed as a complete lack of learning within the program (Duffy, 2013). Duffy highlights the plight of the disabled students and some concerned members of staff by putting her job on line when she condemns the way things are run at the school with regard to the Life Skills program. In a second article reporting on the same issue after about a week, Erin Duffy is able to learn the history of the institution with regard to education and students with disabilities. Duffy tells of the improving situation not only in Twilight/Daylight High School, but throughout the Trenton area with similar Life Skills programs. According to Duffy, this is being done by efforts from the district’s education Superintendent Francisco Duran who is coordinating visits to schools to assess the situation and formulate policies and instruction of improving the situation. These improvements will include training special education teachers and according to Duran, to broaden and expand life skill activities by increasing the activities for students with higher levels of disabilities (Duffy, 2013). According to Forston the whistle blower, the approval of resolutions by the school board to address this dire situation by investing more attention and funds is long overdue. This will go a long way in alleviating disabled children’s chances of making it out on their own after school. She recognizes earlier efforts by the district’s special services director Stuart Barudin, because the Life Skills p

Paper-11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper-11 - Essay Example However, there is a recent paradigm shift in the perception and treatment of apotemnophilia, due to the increasing number of people who manage to get amputated in hospitals merely for this, or in cases where they fail, amputate themselves. If one could consider apotemnophilia in similar terms as gender identity crisis where transgender people feel trapped in the wrong body, the overtly sexual aspect attached to this condition could be warded off, so as to bring in a pragmatic approach to deal with it. Dr. Robert Smith, who had carried out a few controversial amputations on apotemnophiles who claimed to be happy with their changed physical selves, even considers it as a neurophysical disorder with biological roots. However, the ethical issues related to performing an amputation of a perfectly healthy limb of a patient have invited a lot of debate. It remains to be seen whether it can be seen as similar to sex reassignment surgeries. In the present circumstances in which people suffering from this disorder are taken into serious consideration, the incidence of amputations catering to apotemnophiles may increase drastically in the years to come. The after effects of such surgeries can be far reaching and unique. In the c ase of sex reassignment surgery, the patients may not have to undergo as much practical difficulties in life as in the case of an apotemnophile who would manage to get an amputation as s/he desires. Living without a limb calls for many related issues, and may leave the patients dependant on others for the rest of their lives. The fact that they would consider this situation desirable may make the issue complex, but one has to make sure whether they can be seen the better judges on the matter. If apotemnophilia happens to be a sexual disorder similar to pedophilia or necromancy, it has to be kept in check for the greater common

JURISPRUDENCE LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

JURISPRUDENCE LAW - Essay Example It’s in here where he also points to this thoughtful philosophy of â€Å"where there is no common power, there is no law: where no law, no injustice.† Generally speaking this statement is a conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis of his two theory â€Å"state of nature† and â€Å"social contract†. This statement means that individuals are equal in all respect. The nature has made them this way that one cannot overpower the other, thus none of them is mighty enough to stand tall out of the mass and declare a certain code of conduct or â€Å"law†. Since there is nothing called law and there is nothing to distinguish right from wrong, everything which men did was right from his subjective opinion and hence no injustice could be done while a man does what he knows not be wrong. Thus in this situation of equality, a mutual consenting common power has to be established to make up law determining a common definition of right and wrong and thus estab lishing a system of justice and injustice. However such concepts of justice, injustice, redressal, damage, right and wrong have no meaning unless there is a proper machinery to define them and implement them. Now in the mass where no one is mightier enough to impose its might, such an institution has to be made by mutual consent of equal forces. Therefore a common power is needed to make law. This statement determines perfectly Hobbes idea on what the state of nature. According to Hobbes, in the state of nature there is no common power and men are at constant war with each other.  In the absence of any common power to awe them all they are in a state of isolation. There is no force, no obligation and no rule to bind them together to follow some discipline and thus there is absolutely no concept of the idea of society and most importantly there is no law. Law is something that is imposed upon people by a government and in the state of

The Existence of Q Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

The Existence of Q - Research Paper Example Its existence is said to be capable of being inferred by analyzing the texts of Matthew and Luke and seeing commonalities which point to a common source. Barclay 1The name comes from the German ‘Quelle’ or source, and it is often referred to as the ‘Q Gospel’, although other names have been given by particular writers. It was first given this title relatively recently by 19th-century German theologian Johannes Weiss (1863-1914) 2. The term is used to refer to material found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, but not in their other common source, Marks gospel, which must have been written before those of Matthew and Luke. Matthew Henry puts Matthew’s Gospel as perhaps as early as eight years after the Ascension, which would make ‘Q’ very early indeed.3 The gospel of John was written very much later, around the end of the first century. Because of their common content, the first three gospels are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels, the na me comes from two Greek words which mean â€Å"to see together†. Gore et al add that this means they could be put together in columns and compared.4 Barclay 5whereas John is a quite separate text. Luke and Matthew used this material in common despite the fact that Matthew was aiming his gospel at members of the Jewish nation and Luke seem to have been aiming at a wider Gentile readership. Weiss was referring to ‘Q’ as oral tradition, an idea agreed with by Marshall, 6 stating that:- Marshall also states that Mark also used this oral tradition, adding to it first-hand graphic accounts he obtained from his close contact with Saint Peter8. He first wrote in 1920, revising his work in 1948. Later B. H.Streeter, a British theologian, put forward the idea that it had actually existed as a written document in Greek, a text which Nineham refers to merely as ‘another source.’ According to Lawrence in private, he actually speculated that it might have been written by Jesus himself.   

An Exploration of the changing attitudes towards female body shape of Dissertation

An Exploration of the changing attitudes towards female body shape of South East Asian young adults immigrates to the UK - Dissertation Example Previous studies conducted with regard to the subject matter at hand were able to show that a person’s body image is a product of their personal experiences, personality as well as various social and cultural forces. It has likewise been stated that a person’s sense of their own physical appearance usually in relation to others and to some cultural ideal, can shape the manner by which they perceive their own bodies (Grogan 2008). In addition thereto, they also maintained that a person’s perception of their appearance can be different from the manner by which others actually see (Kindes 2006). Aside from the aforementioned, studies were also able to show that women tend to be more worried about their body image than their male counterparts (Grogan 2008). Unfortunately, their concern with respect to the same was often times considered to have a negative impact on their health. More often than not, people who have a low body image will try to alter their body in var ious ways such as dieting and going through cosmetic surgery (Kindes 2006; Grogan 2008). It is in relation to what has been previously discussed that this dissertation focuses on body image. More specifically, the researcher focuses on the Western perceptions with respect to body image from that of their Asian counterparts. In addition thereto, this study aims to look into the impact of the Western body image to Asian immigrants, focusing on young women students who came to the United Kingdom of Great Britain in order to study. Previous studies and articles written with respect to body image and the effects thereof on both women and men, tend to underscore the fact that consciousness with respect to body image is a purely Western issue. The Western Society is often perceived to give much emphasis on the so-called model-type bodies. In fact, it is because of this emphasis that eating disorders are prevalent in the Western countries (Lake, Staiger and Glowinski 2000). However, the stu dy of Lake, Staiger and Glowinski (2000) pointed out that these eating disorders are prevalent even amongst non-Western women. Nevertheless, there is still a wide disparity with respect to the manner by which Western women perceive body image as compared with their Asian counterparts. Kristy (2011) supports the study conducted by Lake, Staiger and Glowinski (2000). According to her, body image problems tend to be more prevalent amongst developed countries. The author correlates this to the fact that most children and young adults in developing countries tend to focus on other problems which in turn, gives them little time to worry about their issues with respect to body image (Kristy 2011). Yates (n.d.) supports the previous discussions stating that the Western Culture is responsible for perpetuating an unending and deeply saddening reality – the quest for bodily perfection. According to this author, this quest is fueled by advertising campaigns as well as the manner by which women are portrayed in Hollywood (Yates n.d.). The consequence of this is that 80% of American Women tend to be dissatisfied with their appearance. In relation to the abovementioned, Dixit (2011) discusses the consequences of such standards on South Asian women living in other countries. According to her, with the entire world are influenced by media-defined ideals of beauty through films, magazines and television shows, South Asian women living in other countries feel the pressure to conform to the standards of beauty set forth by Western shows, films,

Resume Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Resume - Assignment Example My previous work experiences entail dealing directly with people through administering functions and through managing organizational campaigns. I am highly skilled in undertaking effective communication, in various medium. I am an exemplary team player and could work in diverse environments; even in demanding or highly challenging situations. My ability to discern appropriate conflict negotiating techniques, as well as apply problem-solving strategies, make me highly competent for the position. Likewise, my aviation knowledge and skills would be a potential advantage for an Air and Marine Interdiction Agent, in the near future. I am hereby attaching my resume for your perusal. I would be available for interview at your most convenient time. I could be reached in any of the stipulated contact details. I am confident that when considered for the position, we would be establishing a mutually beneficial business relationship. I would be looking forward to hearing from you

Libraries, Documentation and Cross Referencing Essay Example for Free

Libraries, Documentation and Cross Referencing Essay One of the requirements for the final report in this course is to find and use information in external sources—either published, unpublished, or both. Of course, you might feel that your project needs no external information—that you already know it all. However, you should be able to identify information that you dont know and that needs to be in the report. For example, imagine you were writing backup procedures for running some sort of high-tech equipment at your workplace. Sure, you may be able to operate the thing in your sleep, but you may not know much about the technical processes or scientific principles behind it. And of course, it could be argued that such discussion is not needed in backup procedures. Background of that sort, however, might indeed be useful. Instructions often benefit by having this kind of background information—it can give readers a fuller sense of why they are doing what they are doing and a way of knowing what to do in case things go wrong. And of course, its important to have some experience using the library and other information sources in a more professional, business-like manner. In freshman writing classes, for example, writers are not challenged to push the librarys resources for all its worth—which is normally what typically happens in a technical writing project. Descriptors and Keywords. Another big issue when you begin your library search is finding those words and phrases that enable you to find the books, articles, reports, and encyclopedias that have all that information you need. Sometimes its not so easy! A keyword (also called a descriptor) is a word or phrase under which related information sources are listed. Imagine youre writing a report on the latest theories about the greenhouse effect: youd check book catalogs and periodical indexes for greenhouse effect, hoping to find lists of books or articles under that keyword. But that might not be the right one; things might be listed under the keyword global warming instead. So how do you find the right keywords? Here are some suggestions: Try to find any book or article on your topic—anything! Then explore it for the vocabulary it uses. In particular, check its listings for titles of other books and articles. Youre likely to find words and phrases that are the common keywords. Where to stop. If you faithfully go through the following suggestions, youre likely to have a long list of books, article, reports, and other sources—more than you could ever read in one semester. What to do? First of all, dont back away from at least knowing whats out there on your topic. Once you start looking at your list, youll see many things that seem to duplicate each other. If, for example, you have five or six books with roughly the same title, just pick the one that is the most recent and that seems the most complete and thorough. Many other sources will branch out into subtopics you have no interest in. And of course many of the items wont even be available in any nearby library or bookstore. Finding Information Sources Once youve convinced yourself that you need to go after some external information sources (if you havent, get in touch with your instructor) and have found some pretty reliable keywords to use, its time to start the search. Where to start though? The logical starting point is whichever information source you think is likely to have the best stuff. For hot, late-breaking topics, articles and proceedings (talks given at conferences that are published) may be the best bet. For stable topics that have been around awhile, books and encyclopedias may be better. However, if youre not sure, you may want to systematically check a number of the common types of information sources. Internet Resources Its increasingly possible to do much if not all your information gathering on the Internet and particularly through the World Wide Web. Books One good starting place for your information search is books. If you do all these searches, youre likely to end up with a monster list of books. No, you dont have to read every one of them. In fact, you may not be able to lay your hands on most of them. Check the list and try to find a book that seems the most recent and the most definitive. (Check tables of contents and indexes to see which are the most thorough, complete, and authoritative.) And, no, you dont have to read all of it either—just the parts that relate directly to your topic. As soon as you can, try to get your hands on as many of these books as you can. Check their bibliographies (list of books, articles, and other information sources consulted) at the end of the book, at the ends of chapters, and in footnotes. These will be good leads to other books that your other searches may not have found. Also, while youre in the stacks, check the books nearby the ones you have on your list; you may see other ones that could prove useful. Magazine and Journal Articles. While books give you fairly stable information and often at a higher level of generality, magazines, journals, and newspapers often give you much more specific, up-to-date information. There are two ways to approach finding journal articles: through general indexes and through specialized indexes. Here are some strategies for finding articles: Check several general indexes for your topic. These indexes cover a broad range of magazines and journals—they are more popular and are for general audiences and therefore cant be relied on specialized, technical material. Still, they are a great place to start, and if you are not being very technically ambitious with your report, they may supply you with all you need. At ACC, the general indexes include Readers Guide to Periodical Literature. Try finding your topic in the most recent volume of each of these (unless you have a topic that was hot several years ago, in which case youd want to check the index volumes for those years). Try to find a good specialized index for the field that is related to your topic. As with books, you wont be able to read all of the articles you find, nor will you even be able to get access to them (or at least right away). Try finding and reading the abstracts of the article on your list; this is a good way to get a brief picture of what the article contains and whether it will be useful to you. Just try to find the articles that relate directly to your topic, and read them selectively when you get them. Encyclopedias Another good source of introductory information is encyclopedias. You can use these either to get yourself up to speed to read and understand the more technical information you come across, or you can use the encyclopedia information itself in your report (in which youll need to document it, as discussed later in this appendix). Check for your topic in a general encyclopedia, using all the various keywords related to that topic you can think of. As with periodical indexes, encyclopedias are available in general and specialized varieties. Youre familiar with the general encyclopedias such as World Book Encyclopedia and the Britannica. And of course a number of encyclopedias are now available online in CD-ROM format (however, the content of most of these seems rather slight compared to the printed versions). These are great for starters, and in some cases they may provide all the information you need in your report. Also, check any bibliography—lists of related books, articles, and reports—that may be listed at the end of individual articles. Also try to find an appropriate specialized or technical encyclopedia in which to search for your topic. You may need more technical detail, or your topic may be a tough one not covered very well in general information sources-in which case you may want to consult specialized encyclopedias. Even in this group, there are general ones that cover a broad range of scientific and technical fields. Reference books—handbooks, guides, atlases, dictionaries, yearbooks. Another source of information reports is all those reference books out there. Every field has its handbooks (repositories of relatively stable, basic information in the field), guides (information on literature in the field, associations, legalities, and so on), atlases (more than just maps, great repositories of statistical data), dictionaries and encyclopedias, and finally yearbooks (articles, data, and summaries of the years activity in a given field). You look for them in the catalogs: when you look up your topic, youll find entries for these sorts of reference books as well as for the books mentioned earlier in this appendix. DOCUMENTATION When you write a technical report, you can and should borrow information like crazy—to make it legal, all you have to do is document it. If your report makes you sound like a rocket scientist but theres not a single source citation in it and you havent even taken college physics yet, people are going to start wondering. However, if you take that same report and load it up properly with source citations (those little indicators that show that you are borrowing information and from whom), everybody is all the more impressed—plus theyre not secretly thinking youre a shady character. A documented report (one that has source indicators in it) says to readers that youve done your homework, that youre up on this field, that you approach these things professionally—that you are no slouch. Number System of Documentation In the number system, you list your information sources alphabetically, number them, and put the list at the back of your report. Then in the body of your report, whenever you borrow information from one of those sources, you put the source number and, optionally, the page number in brackets at that point in the text where the borrowed information occurs. What to Document This question always comes up: how do I decide when to document information—when, for example, I forgot where I learned it from, or when it really seems like common knowledge? There is no neat, clean answer. You may have heard it said that anything in an encyclopedia or in an introductory textbook is common knowledge and need not be documented. However, if you grabbed it from a source like that just recently—it really isnt common knowledge for you, at least not yet. Document it! If you just flat cant remember how you came by the information, then it has safely become common knowledge for you. One other question that is often asked: do I document information I find in product brochures or that I get in conversations with knowledgeable people? Yes, most certainly. You document any information, regardless whether it is in print, in electronic bits, magnetic spots, or in thin air. How to Place the Source Indicators Its a bit tricky deciding exactly where to place the source indicators—at the beginning of the passage containing the borrowed information, at the end? If it makes sense to attribute the source (cite the name of the author or the title of the information), you can put the attribution at the beginning and the bracketed source indicator at the end (as is shown in in the following). Number documentation system: the code numbers in the text of the report are keyed to the references page. For example, [6:5] in the middle of the page from the body of the report indicates that the information came from source 6 (in References), page 5. Notice the attribution of the quotation marks the beginning of the borrowed information and the bracketed source indicator marks the end. Setting Up the Sources List A bit more challenging is setting up the list of information sources—that numbered, alphabetized list you put at the end of the document. The best thing to do is use examples. The following illustrations show you how to handle books, government reports, article from magazines and journals, encyclopedia articles, and personal interviews. Internet and Web information sources Books For books, put the name of the author (first name last) first, followed by a period, followed by the title of the book (in italics if you have; otherwise, underline), followed by a period, followed by the city of the publisher, followed by a colon, followed by the publishers name (but delete all those tacky Inc., Co., and Ltd. things), followed by the year of publication, ending with a period. In this style, you dont indicate pages. Example: book entry Magazine and journal articles Start with the authors name first (last name first), followed by a period, then the title of the article in quotation marks and ending with a period, followed by the name of the magazine or journal (in italics if you have it; otherwise, underline), followed by a period, followed by the date of issue of the magazine the article occurs in, followed by the beginning and ending page. If the article spread out across the magazine, you can write 33+. or 33(5). The latter style seems to be taking hold; in it, you estimate how many pages the article would be if it were continuous. If there is no author, start with the article or book title. If there are two authors, add and and the second authors name, first name first. If there are too many authors, use the first one (last name first), followed by et al., which means and others. [pic] Example: magazine entry Encyclopedia articles Encyclopedia articles are easy! Start with the title of the article in quotation marks ending with a period, followed by the name of the encyclopedia (in italics if you have it; otherwise, underline), followed by the period, then the year of the edition of the encyclopedia. [pic] Example: encyclopedia entry Reports. With reports, youre likely to dealing with government reports or local informally produced reports. With most reports, you may not have an individual author name; in such cases, you use the group name as the author. For government reports, the publisher is often the Government Printing Office; and the city of publication, Washington, D.C. Also, for government documents, you should include the document number, as is shown in the following example. [pic] Example: entry for a report Personal interviews, correspondence, and other nonprint sources. With these sources, you treat the interviewee or letter writer as the author, follow that name with the persons title, followed by a period, then the company name, followed by a period, then the city and state, followed by a period, then what the information was (Personal interview or Personal correspondence) followed by a period, ending with the date. [pic] Example: entry for unpublished information Product brochures. For these kinds of information sources, treat the company name as the author, followed by a period, use something identifying like the product name (including the specific model number), followed by anything that seems like the title of the brochure, followed by a period, ending with a date if you can find one (otherwise, put N.d.). [pic] Example: entry for a product brochure CROSS REFERENCING Technical reports and instructions often require cross-references—those pointers to other place in the same document or to other information sources where related information can be found. Cross-references can help readers in a number of different ways. It can point them toward more basic information if, for example, they have entered into a report over their heads. It can point them to more advanced information if, for example, they already know the stuff youre trying to tell them. Also, it can point them to related information. Related information is the hardest area to explain because ultimately everything is related to everything else—there could be no end to the cross-references. Of course, the preceding discussion assumed cross-references within the same document. If there is just too much background to cover in your report, you can cross-reference some external book or article that does provide that background. That way, you are off the hook for having to explain all that stuff! Cross-reference consists of several elements: Name of the source being referenced This can either be the title or a general subject reference. If it is a chapter title or a heading, put it in quotation marks; if it is the name of a book, magazine, report, or reference work, put it in italics or underline. (Individual article titles also go in quotation marks.) Page number Required if it is in the same document; optional if it is to another document. Subject matter of the cross-reference Often, you need to state whats in the cross-referenced material and indicate why the reader should go to the trouble of checking it out. This may necessitate indicating the subject matter of the cross-referenced material or stating explicitly how it is related to the current discussion. These guidelines are shown in the illustration. Notice in that illustration how different the rules are when the cross-reference is internal (that is, to some other part of the same document) compared to when it is external (when it is to information outside of the current document). Examples of cross-references Internal cross-references are cross-references to other areas within your same document; external ones are those to books and documents external to your document.

Westlake Lanes Essay Example for Free

Westlake Lanes Essay The company’s target market strategy is not properly set because Westlake Lanes hasn’t identified the market’s new needs and trends at the same pace that the growth of Raleigh’s population has been developing. Facts: A business profile in a Raleigh paper stated that stepping into Westlake Lanes was like taking a step back in time. Shirley Smith said that the menu hasn’t changed much since late 1980’s. Between 2000 and 2010 Raleigh population grew 43% while the revenues for Westlake Lanes decreased 10% average annually for the same time period. There was a 100% increase in losses from 2008 to 2009. There has been a lack of good management on accounting, people, and business overview of Westlake Lanes. Facts: As Givens studied the invoices she said, many charges seemed excessive and asked herself: Had anyone performed competitive research for routine services like carpet cleaning? In 2009, shortly after starting as a manager, Givens invited her employees to help define a mission statement and job descriptions. Givens noticed that Bullock and Sinclair took time to read the paper and/or wondered outside to talk on their cell phones. They offered Shirley Smith the chance to be general manager even though she lacked formal managerial experience. Possible solutions a. The company’s market strategy is not properly set because Westlake Lanes hasn’t identified the market’s new needs and trends at the same pace that the growth of Raleigh’s population has been developing. i. Renew and adapt their strategy in order to keep the market they already have and to be able to attract new customers. ii. Follow the first strategy, which consists in adding kid friendly video and arcade games and a designated private party space. This strategy will let us keep the space for the league bowlers, iii. Modify and adequate the facilities so that the previous strategy can be accomplished. b. There has been a lack of good management on accounting, people, and business overview of Westlake Lanes. iv. Make sure that every new investment or expense follows the strict cost control that Givens has been following. v. Once the business becomes profitable do not share the dividends between the owners and reinvest them. Course of action and justification Due to the losses that the business has experienced in the past 3 years, it is critical to take action and define a new way to approach the market in order to make the company profitable again. That’s why it’s necessary to adapt the business by adding a new concept focusing on a different target without setting aside the current and loyal costumers. The new strategy consists on attracting families by adding kid-friendly video and arcade games and a private party space to complement the existing lanes. As a first step Shelby Givens needs to familiarize with the kid business and make a research of other bowling businesses where the â€Å"Kid-Friendly† zone has been already implemented in order to get the knowledge and get ideas in how to do it. Then, adapt the facilities according the strategy’s needs. Also would be necessary to create a new job position with the expertise required for handling kid’s events so Shelby Givens can focus mostly in the general management. Advertising would be necessary to promote this new model within the current clients with posters and flyers and with the current marketing channels. There is an estimated attendance of 50,000 people per year; approximately there is a $20.00/kid fee, resulting in $1,000,000.00 of revenue.

Rights and childhood

Rights and childhood Discuss the contribution made by Locke and Rousseau to changing ideas on childcare and education during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The late seventeenth century marked a change in society known as enlightenment. The Puritans had taught the absolute authority of the church and believed children were born sinful. According to E. J. Hundert in Ashcraft (1991) Mercantilist writers believed the working classes were lazy and work shy because of their inherited lazy nature. They did not believe anything could be done to change them. The eighteenth century ushered in new approaches to childhood Cunningham (2006 p102). Growth of industry in England raised it to global dominance, which changed the way children were perceived. The theories of Locke and Rousseau on childcare and education had a major impact on changing attitudes to childcare and education that still impact on how children are viewed in the 21st century. David Archard (2004) says that John Locke and J.J. Rousseau were the first to suggest a manifesto for a child centred education. The debate about the best way to raise and educate children was down to Lockes tabula rasa or Rousseaus idea that children are naturally born innocent. These views were in sharp contrast to the Puritan view. Inborn sin or Godliness were no longer considered factors that shaped individuals. Muller suggests that Locke believed in educating children to help them overcome difficulties they would face in the changing social environment. He saw children as blank slates to be written on to fit them for a good life. This was not actually a new idea according to Cunningham (2006). He tells us that Erasmus had spoken about children being moulded like wax two centuries earlier but this idea still endures to the present time. Locke wrote in his book Some Thoughts on Education (1693: section 54)) that the basis for training good adults was all down to reason; that is sensible thinking based on reasonable logic. He was against the harsh beatings but instead suggested that parents should reason with their children and recognise their needs and interests. Locke believed that a persons character was formed in the early years. According to Archard (2004 p1) Locke denied that knowledge was inborn and learning depended on reason. However, Archard (2004) believes there would be problems trying to teach reason to a blank slate so the child must be born with the instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Cunningham (2006) says Locke believed that the parents should provide the education in the home. It was all down to learning good habits. According to Houswitschaka in Muller, the Lockean childs education was based on learning to think sensibly by being set a good example by parents but he rejected the view that parents owned their children. He did, however, think parents should be Absolute Governors (Cunningham 2006: p110). Learning was based on using logic, we are born with faculties and powers capable of almost anything Locke (Archard p3). Children could experience things during sensory play. Like Piaget, Locke believed that the first learning experiences are linked to the senses and these give the infant the opportunity to develop reasoned thinking. He did not believe in having rules because they stifle freedom of thought. Instead he advocated that good behaviour would be achieved by learning good habits. He was against giving children books with stories that might frighten them. He recommended Aesops Fables as suitable reading material. He thought the wrong books could corrupt children but Cunningham says parents still bought cheap books and enjoyed them as much as children and middle class boys were covertly introduced to books about sex. This would have met with approval by Rousseau but Locke was against any knowledge that might make boys less than perfect. Locke believed there should be a ban on corporal punishment as it trains children to look for things that give pleasure and avoid situations that cause pain. It was better for children to behave because they reasoned that it was the only way forward and they understood why some things were forbidden. However, Cunningham (2006) says that children continued to be beaten during this period but it was less severe so not everyone took notice of Lockes theory. Lockes believed knowledge is cumulative and progressive, the necessity of communication and curiosity about cultural variety Aarsleff (Muller p83). As children will not have time and strength to learn all things, most pains should be taken about that which is most necessary (Ashcroft p452). This has endured today with the National Curriculum being developed. Children should be allowed lots of time to play so that they do not become bored. He said children should be tenderly usedmust play, and have playthings Locke, but parents should take care not to spoil their children by giving them too many toys. Cunningham believes Locke was one of the first to discuss pester power. Toys were to be carefully chosen and given one at a time. Things like smooth stones or keys were all that was needed. The toy should be exchanged before the child got bored. Lockes views on toys were supported by the educationalist Maria Edgeworth the following century. Cunningham (2006) says, however, there is evidence that many toys were commercially produced during this time so not all parents took any notice of Locke. He says there is evidence to suggest that Lockes views actually encouraged toy manufacturers to make more toys though toys like playing cards and jigsaws that taught children about maths and geography were introduced. Using apparatus to help children learn skills are still used as valuable teaching aids. Cunningham says children were given wooden letters to help learn reading. We still use these today. Locke believed children would return to their studies with renewed enthusiasm after a break and schools follow this theory today. Locke believed that education must b e for the good of society as a whole so there was still no complete freedom of thought. Cunningham (2006) also says Locke had some suggestions about childcare. He advocated washing childrens feet in cold water every day and providing them with thin shoes that let in water. This was presumably to toughen them up but Cunningham believes there is little evidence to show many parents followed this recommendation. Today this would be considered neglect. He also had strong views on how children were clothed. Clothing was for warmth not vanity. Allowing children to choose clothes that were considered fashionable was wrong. Rousseau also had some suggestions for parenting skills. He believed children were born innocent and should be raised to be at one with nature. They should not have their innocence tainted by society. They should be allowed to do anything they wanted and to learn from experience. Piaget would support this. Rousseau had an imaginary boy called Emile who broke a window and learnt by experience that this made him cold. Children would soon learn that fire burns. Rousseau tells us that it was common to swaddle babies from birth, man was born free and he is everywhere in chains (Rousseau in Grimsley 1973). They could not use their hands to touch things. Infants were bound so tightly that they could barely breath and it hindered growth and strength. He was concerned that the first feelings an infant experienced were pain and stiffness. It led to infants being frustrated and bad tempered. The pain from trying to move warned them not to try moving. This was unnatural as it stifled natural ins tincts. The practice also enabled women to hang infants out of the way from hooks so that they could get on with other jobs. Today we would consider this practice as abuse. Rich mothers often claimed they were too weak to breast feed their infants and used wet nurses. Rousseau said children needed their mothers care and that there was no substitute for a mothers love. Schaffer conducted research in 1976 and found that children bond to mothers who respond to their needs quickly. Rousseau appears to have discovered this in the eighteenth century. He said the mother should breast-feed the infant. Milk from wet nurses might be in short supply because the lack of feelings for the child would hinder the flow. Rousseau claimed that when the wet nurse left, the mother could not expect the child to suddenly bond with her. The infant death rate could have reduced in the 18th century because more mothers took Rousseaus advice to breast- feed. Rousseau, like Locke, warned mothers against spoiling their children by doing everything for them. This would hinder training them to cope with unexpected dangers in the future. This statement would suggest that mothers did l ove their children even though parenting skills were questionable. It was common practice at the time for the wealthy to send boys to a tutor at age seven to have their heads filled with knowledge (Rousseau). Rousseau advocated that tutors should do the job for the love of it rather than for money. Many would regard this as sensible advice. Education should be natural. Tutors needed to be able to become children themselves, that is, able to relate to the child. The child must be taught as an individual but like Locke, he also advocated teaching skills that are for the common good. Children who were sent away to be educated would return to see the family as strangers. Rousseau, like Locke, believed that parents should teach the young child. Children should have freedom of natural thought. The poor may come to manhood without our help, (Rousseau 1792). Learning could not be speeded up in the same way that learning to walk cannot be hurried. It matters little to me whether my pupil is intended for the army, the church or the law Life is the trade I would teach him. When he leaves me, I grant you, he will be neither a magistrate, a soldier, nor a priest; he will be a man (Rousseau 1762). However, this would only be possible for the rich. Muller says that Rousseau believed pleasant experiences would balance out unpleasant experiences. This would apply to all. Make the citizen good by training and everything else will follow (Rousseau 1792). Grimsley (1973) says that Rousseau believed that education could maintain the original innocence of the child. The teacher should be a facilitator (as in Piagets theory). Like Freud and Piaget, Rousseau thought childhood passed through age related stages and knowledge should not be above the childs grasp. Children should reason their way to their own conclusions. Darling (1994) argues that todays child centred education theory is a result of Rousseaus ideas. We also believe the same theory today that Rousseau advocated in the eighteenth century, that children need good, healthy food, the body must be strong enough to obey the mind (Rousseau 1792 ). He stressed that children should have good hygiene and plenty of exercise. These theories are the same as those promoted today by health professionals. Cunningham (2006) says a number of guides on how to bring up children were published and this could have contributed to the fall in the infant death rate. One thing that would be argued today is Rousseaus thoughts on books. Reading is the curse of childhood (Rousseau). He thought we should not stimulate the imagination because it can lead to unhappiness. The aim in the 21st century is to stimulate children. Cunningham tells us that children were taught from early in the morning until late into the evening. The idea of perfectibility by education marked a crucial change to modern society (Muller p82). According to Cunningham (2006) the changes in how children were reared might have been political because the nation saw itself as free and this would have rubbed off on parents but the teachings of Locke and Rousseau have had a major impact on how children are looked upon in the 21st century. Neither Locke nor Rousseau had first hand experience of raising children and their ideas were very different, yet the ideas were ground breaking. Locke was a bachelor and Rousseau gave away all his children to a foundling hospital. It is universally agreed that children must be educated to be good citizens and the best way to do this is for parents to teach them skills for the good of society. Rousseau saw children as being naturally born free from sin but tainted by society. It is no part of a childs business to know right and wrong Rousseau (Cunningham p114). Rousseaus suggestion of leaving children to find things out for themselves could put children in danger and might be considered child ne glect today but many of his teachings are still followed. Lockes ideas on toughening children up like washing feet in cold water would also be frowned upon. References Archard, D. (2004) 2nd Edition Children: Rights and Childhood, Chapter 1, John Lockes Children, Oxford: Routledge. Ashcraft, R (ed. 1991): Locke: Critical Assessments, The Making of Homo Faber: John Locke between Ideology and History, E. Hundert (pp438-457), London: Routledge. Cunningham, H. (2006) The Invention of Childhood (pp79-130), London: BBC Books Cunningham, H. (2005) 2nd Edition, Children and Childhood in Western Society Since 1500 pp58-72, London: Pearson Education Grimsley, R. (1973) Philosophy of Rousseau (pp45-51), Oxford: Oxford University Press Muller, A. (Ed 2006) Fashioning Childhood in the 18th Century: Age and Identity, Lockes Education or Rousseaus freedom C. Houswitschaka (pp81-88), Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Rousseau J.J. (2007) Emile: Or on Education, Nu Vision Publications: Google Books www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rous.htm (accessed 15.02.2010

The Dramatic Setting of the Gorgias :: Gorgias

The Dramatic Setting of the Gorgias ABSTRACT: I analyse the dramatic setting of the Gorgias by contrasting it with that of the Protagoras. The two dialogues are closely related. In the Gorgias Socrates states that the rhetorician and the sophist are basically indistinguishable in everyday life. In both the Protagoras and the Gorgias, his confrontation with his interlocutors is metaphorically related to a descent to Hades. However, while the events in the Protagoras are narrated by Socrates himself, the Gorgias has readers face the unfolding events without mediation. The temporal and spatial framing of the Gorgias is indeterminate, while both aspects are described in detail in the Protagoras. I maintain that the magical passage from an indeterminate "outside" to an indeterminate "inside" in the Gorgias is significantly related to the characters' attitude towards the boundaries of each other's souls, which are constantly ignored or attacked. As a matter of fact, the dialogue presents a very impressive amount of anger and exchange of abuse, which never ceases until the end. I suggest that the temporal framing demonstrates that the beginning and the end of the dialogue are closely connected. Socrates unexpectedly arrives and refutes Gorgias by asking him unexpected questions. The last myth of judgment indicates that Gorgias' attitude is comparable to that of the mortals who lived during Kronos' age, while Socrates brings about a liberation from appearance which is analogous to the innovations brought about by Zeus. The Gorgias has been often characterized by commentators as a remarkably bitter dialogue. After all, the dialogue presents a war between philosophy and rhetoric. Socrates is involved in three discussions of growing length and complexity with characters who, to various degrees, defend the power of rhetoric and the superiority of political life over philosophical life. It is a "fighting dialogue", as is also suggested by its incipit: "to war and battle." One would expect Socrates to win against his non-philosophical interlocutors. However, this is not the case. The more the conversations proceed, the more they are infiltrated by anger and misunderstanding, the more one is under the impression that Socrates may well silence his interlocutors but he hardly persuades them. His last interlocutor, Callicles, not only is not persuaded by him, but at one point even refuses to talk to Socrates and leaves him with the choice between abandoning the discussion altogether and performing a monologue. The myth of last judgment, which concludes the dialogue, is addressed to Callicles.

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BOM: Managing Conflict in Cross Generation Audience Interaction: (cassie) (Show the audience the slide show; the different generations and their views. After the slideshow is viewed, the speaker asks â€Å"what do you think this slideshow has illustrated?† Let audience respond) The workforce we work in today is changing rapidly. Over the last decades the development of technology has been widespread. Not only has technological development had an impact on each of us but also it has significantly influenced a generation gap. Simply said, the older lifestyle has become obsolete. Technology has wiped out many of the old practices that the older generation have used. Because of this generation gap, there are marked differences between our generation and our parents’ generation. These differences are ‘in the way we think, live and communicate.’ For example, if our parents’ generation use the term ‘post,’ what would come into their mind would be the system for letters and parcels being delivered. However, in today’s generation, the word ‘post means a facebook post or a social networking post. Introduction: (Solita) Welcome Business Corporates to this annual business breakfast. We are workers from the Cairns Consulting Firm and would like to address with you one of a human resource issue we face in our workforce each day. Australia, like other developing countries is currently experiencing a population that is ageing, this is resulting in a demographic trough in the country’s workforce. In consideration of the impact on the economy, the ageing workforce is now a major concern and priority for government and organisations alike. Although research acknowledges the relevance of this issue in Australia, it remains unclear how organisations s... ...ger generation to meet them, she has earned her respect and reputation, she acts as a mentor and she separates her personal life from her work life. Conclusion: (cassie) In conclusion, the workforce today consists of four different generations, the traditionalists are the workers aged 70 and over, the baby boomers are the workers aged from ages of 49-68, generations X’s are workers 34years to 48 years old, Generation Y’s or also known as Millenials are workers aging 33 years and lower. All these generations style of learning, their mindsets, their type of communication, their priorities in life and their values all differ from one another. Due to this problems easily arise, so the main strategy and the most vital is communicating with each other, addressing and taking advantage of the variety of values and being attentive. Thanks for listening !

Reservoir Dogs :: essays research papers

Reservoir Dogs is a gangster movie with a difference. Instead of the gangsters being portrayed as slick professionals who always stay calm and collected, they are portrayed realistically. Reservoir Dogs is about a group of 5 professional thieves who attempt to rob a jewellery store. However, one of the team, Mr Orange (played by Tim Roth) is an undercover police officer. After the group enter the jewellery store and employee turns on an alarm and one of the men, Mr Blonde starts shooting the staff and customers, before the police get there, and the team escapes by stealing cars and shooting police officers dead. When the surviving members of the team rendezvous at a warehouse, debate begins regarding who the 'rat' is.In the movie, the story as outlined above is not presented in such a linear way. The movie begins with the team members dining with the boss, Joe at a restaurant, a comical scene where they are light-heartedly discussing the meaning of the song "Like a Virgin" and why society demands that people tip waitresses. However, the mood of this film dramatically changes after the introductory credits when the scene is changed to a stolen car, where Mr Orange is in the back seat screaming "I'm gonna fucking die!", clutching at his bloody wound is his belly. This sets the scene for the rest of the movie that occurs after the robbery, as most of what happens is arguments between various people as to who the 'rat' is, often leading to threats, and more than once, the 'teammates' draw their guns on each other, and in the end, Joe (the boss), Big Eddie (Joe's son) are killed in a triangular shooting over whether or not Orange is the 'rat'.The non-lineal sequence of events is not at all confusing, and adds to the interest and intrigue as the movie progresses . This movie would not have been so acclaimed, had it followed the traditional sequence, where we follow firs the preparation of the cop, the preparation of the robbery, the robbery and then the rendezvous. If Reservoir Dogs had been set out in such a manner, one could easily see what would happen well before it did.For the most part, this film is about 'honour among thieves", and the aspect of professionalism in crime. There is much discussion about Mr Blonde's action when the alarm went off, and Mr White emphatically states that he is a "psycho", and "unprofessional" and in the end Mr White ends up being shot because he is convinced that Mr Orange is not the rat.

In this portfolio I will take you on the journey which I myself have travelled on throughout my IB theatre programme Essay

In this portfolio I will take you on the journey which I myself have travelled on throughout my IB theatre programme. Within this portfolio I will portray the processes which we as a group went through in order to create our devised piece as well as how we applied our knowledge and understanding from our experiences into our performance design. The Stimuli Our production began with each member of the group producing a stimulus. Before presenting their ideas we decided that we should individually analyse the stimuli and see what we as individuals could come up with. We did this before the member of the group voiced their ideas on their chosen stimulus so that we had the opportunity to take the stimulus along different paths and elaborate different ideas and amalgamate them together. Belo is our stimulus’ and our ideas which we had on each. After having discussed the available options which included images, music and objects of sentimental value we decided to use my stimuli. My stimulus was of a newspaper article that had been widely distributed throughout the UK. We then discussed the direction we wished to take with our chosen stimuli. We again split into different areas of the room to individually assess our dilemma. Below is the mind map which I created at this time. After thorough discussion we agreed upon the concept of using a ‘current affairs dilemma’ in order to solve our own. Our group was fascinated by the political outrage that Iran had caused with America in regards to capital punishment on women. The Research and Development of the plot Thorough research shown how on the 20th September 2010 Iranian Government publicly accused the US of ‘Double Standards’ in a newspaper article published in ‘The Guardian’. Centred on a 43 year old Iranian, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and a 43 year old American Theresa Lewis. Ashtiani was issued with capital punishment in 2007 after it emerged that she had an illicit affair with a man after the death of her husband in 2006; this was later revoked and she was charged with adultery, manslaughter and the murder of her husband. After heavy media attention in 2010 and the international campaigns lead by her children, the US decided to interfere. It was at this point that the political and controversial debate first took form. Iran used the case of Theresa Lewis and the issues surrounding her low IQ of 72 in order label the US Government as a hypocrisy. As a group we decided to build upon the idea that this issue was now a well known moral dilemma in the eyes of the media and transfer this to our audience. Preparation of roles Due to a shortage in group members most people on role allocation ended up with multiple roles outside of casting. As a strong leader I was required to both direct and create our script. Other roles distributed included head of lighting, head of technology (computer, projections, music), Costume designer/set designer and also a physical movement leader. After having directed a scene in both our performances of ‘The Seagull’ Anton Chekhov and also our modernized performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ I had already gained experience on my course for this role. Previously I had directed a scene from ‘The Seagull’ based upon the German movement in the 20th Century, Expressionism. I had began reviewing work from Georg Kaiser, Oskar Kokoschka and Ernst Toller whom were all highly influential playwrights. As I had already worked hard to gain understanding of this tradition I really hoped I would be able to use this experience. Following on from this I began thinking that maybe I could find a tradition for each country involved in order to uniquely apply my imagination to our piece. After thorough research however it was evident that Iran had not really adapted a specific practice in order for us to carry out this desire. Whilst researching I stumbled across the book pictured below and I was struck with the words â€Å"most people do not speak of theater and Iran in the same breath† By Willem Floor Because of this we decided to change tact and opt to symbolise the juxtaposition instead through lighting and staging. The Script As well as directing, my role was also to produce the script. After having seen a production of Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ I was fascinated by the narration used. ‘Blood Brothers’ based upon the separation of two twin brothers at birth uses, a narrator to guide the play. I took inspiration from this and used the rhyming couplet format in order to symbolise the two women. Before penning the script we produced a flow chart collectively annotating the main plot and adding aspects of theatre which we had learnt on our journey. Below is a copy of our chart. After having an outline of things to be included in the script I began by listing all of the main things we wished the narrator to introduce in the play. We had a vision that the narrator would guide the play throughout through facts and that he would create a connection between the audience and the cast. Because of this the narrator’s speech was conducted first in its entirety. From here it really felt as though my script had a strong ‘spine’ on which to build our piece. As our piece began with a police interview we wished to keep it at a very simplistic level of speech just like that of a real interview. We decided on stage direction so that the interviewer was not visible throughout; leaving the actress playing Ashtiani alone on stage to symbolise how she was alone and not supported when interrogated. It was at this point that we reflected upon our past workshops based upon speech and theatrical forms in which we can convey speech. A workshop came to mind from the previous term where we had built upon the idea of a ‘sound collage’. A sound collage is where there is a build up of speech from multiple participants aimed at a particular subject. We decided that this would be a way of communicating to the audience a sense of anger or revolt; because of this we attached it to the chart in relation to the campaign against Astiani’s sentence as we felt this would have a strong effect. Another was that symbolism was used through my script writing was through Ashtiani and Lewis’ monologues; again showing how they were both alone yet in the same situation. We began our course creating a ‘one-person’ show based upon a real life event or experience which we had within our lives. Within my ‘one-person’ show I had a vast majority of my speech presented as a monologue and I wished to transfer my craftsmanship of producing monologues into our script. In order to create the monologues I first had to visualise the characters whom would be performing them. Because they were both real women I was able to complete a lot more thorough research into them gaining a better portrayal as them as individuals. From this I concentrated on themes and emotions which I wished to get across to my audience through the monologues. I learnt that Ashtiani and Lewis alike were very religious thus concentrated their monologues from a very philosophical and religious point of view: however I still kept in mind that their two religions were very different and ensured that I kept the appropriate context throughout (e.g. Allah instead of God for Ashtiani). Whilst researching our topic we had found that there had been a lot of media attention on both cases and we wished to portray to the audience just how much the media had been involved: also we wanted to show them how much people are influenced by the media. For the section of our chart where we introduce Teresa Lewis an idea was formed so that she would be introduced through a television broadcast. I began this section of the script by visualising a news reporter sat at a desk within the audience speaking directly at them. This idea developed and led us to have another cast member as a journalist actually interviewing Lewis at her correction centre. The idea of another interview type dialogue was to portray the two women’s differences in the way they were being interviewed and questioned. Allocating Roles To begin with it was decided that it would be best to create a mindmap of suggested roles that would need to be filled in order to go ahead with the production. Below is a copy of our mind map However we issued a problem when it came to the casting of roles. As we only had two female members of our group we were automatically cast as the two women. This then left us with three males to cover a total of six casting roles; because of this we had to organise ourselves in a way that allowed each male to cater to two parts without them conflicting. We managed to do this by using a theatre practice wisely after an idea emerged that the narrator would be in the style of a ‘Bunraku puppet master’ the ‘omozukai’. We were first introduced to Bunraku puppetry by our elder Baccalaureate students who provided us with a workshop. We decided that everything in the production should be under the narrators control like puppets would be; in a way the narrator could be seen as the controlling governments holding the women for their crime. Introducing this style allowed for a lot of stylised movement pieces throughout our performance. Characterisation After having been allocated our roles we wanted each cast member to fully understand their character whether it be an officer of the law, a journalist or one of the women themselves. We provided each member of the group with an image relating to their character Below is the image I was provided with along with how I answered certain questions given to me by my peers in order to develop my characterisation. It was at this point we experimented using a technique called ‘hot seating’ in order to enhance characterisation. We each took it in turns to be questioned in character. Everybody found it highly difficult at first however after a few minutes everyone managed to get the hang of it. We also brought in aspects we had learnt from our workshop on Stanislavski in how to apply his theories. We continued building on our characterisation by looking for resources. I found a particularly good resource online [2] from amnesty international which was not only personal but also highly emotive. In particular this helped me with my monologue as I was able to feel connected to my character in order to portray the appropriate emotions. There was a great discussion between the group as to whether we should apply accents or not. It was decided that we should not apply accents but that we should be highly expressive and use the gift of sound/speech in other more appropriate ways such as our sound collages. Movement From a very early stage of production I had a very vivid image of where I would ideally see the piece going in terms of movement. I really enjoyed both Kabuki theatre as well as improvised dance. We tried to incorporate the two into the scene that the Iranian officials came to collect Ashtiani’s lover. We tried a lot of improvised movements however found that the final product was much disorganised and we really wanted this scene to be both memorable and pivotal so we decided to journey down another path. Further discussion led us onto tableaux however after a short workshop this idea was also disregarded on the ground that the scene should have a content of movement in order to emphasise the brutal separation of the lovers. From this we organised a lesson where we explored the idea of using creative movement on the basis of a fight. We choreographed a routine using levels to show who was in control and also pace to highlight certain features. In the end the product for this movement piece in my eyes was highly effective in the way it showed the lovers being torn apart by their government and law. Masks Whilst developing our first scene we had to identify the difference in authority to the audience. We also had to show the difference in characters through this method due to the males playing more than one character. After having workshops on masks previously we were aware that the purpose of masks in Greek theatre was to signify the unity of a chorus: because of this we used them for our two Iranian officials as they had no speech during their time on stage. The idea of the masks was to create exaggerated facial features portraying the anger and authority associated with that scene yet at the same time disguise the actors true selves. The mask allowed us to show the contrast between the different levels of hierarchy within the scene as well as symbolise the isolation that the couple were feeling being faced with ‘masked intruders’. Music When devising our piece it was decided that our piece required two pieces of music. There was one necessary at the time of the movement scene where the Iranian couple are separated. We found a piece of music by ‘Radio head’ entitled ‘Talk show host’. The tempo of the song was highly appropriate to the atmospheric desire as it showed confusion, regret and desire all at once. The lyrics in the song such as ‘You want me? Well come on and break the door down†¦You want me?'[3] we believed were perfectly fitting for the scene. We were able to synchronise our movement so that our choreography was carried out in time to both the music and in time with other cast members. There was also another piece of music entitled ‘We are the World’ by ‘Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson’ to be played at the very end of the performance. This particular piece of music I believe thoroughly puts the world into perspective emphasising the importance of life which at the end of the performance is taken from the women. Lighting Due to there being two separate stories going on at one time on the stage the lighting was crucial. We used 2 spotlights (1 for each female character) with colour faded reflective lighting upstage. The flood lights used were chosen appropriately especially in terms of colour. For example green was used to portray coldness whereas red was used to show anger. We tried a variety of colours for the movement scene however in the end after a lot of trial and error we finally agreed on red fading through to blue to show the anger from the officials resulting in the blue for the loneliness and sadness. I really enjoyed experimenting with the lighting as not only did I learn a lot but we were also able to show the juxtaposition. Staging For our staging we tried to show the contrast through black and white flooring, curtains and backdrop. Not only did the black and white create the impression of harsh and soft but it also symbolised the two races. Below is a sketch of how we designed the set. The idea was that neither side crossed the boundary set out in the middle. We placed 2 old fashioned chairs back to back for the two women in the centre of the stage for them to be seated on at the end. Other than the 2 chairs there were no other props on the stage. Because we tried to use a very simplistic set design we compensated for this with a projector carefully placed to project newspaper headlines onto the white cloth background. Also attached to the backdrop was metal shackles which Ashtiani’s wrists were placed into to set the scene of her cell as well as show the restraints that she had against her: Lewis however had nothing but the chair and was not restrained in any way to show the two sides of the world two political views on law enforcement. As a whole I really enjoyed making the set as well as designing it. Although we encountered a few problems setting up the projector and laying out the flooring I was very happy with the outcome. The finished product was highly symbolic which was totally what we were aiming for. Bibliography [1] http://orangehouse.tumblr.com/post/778392704/campaign-for-iranian-woman-facing-death-by-stoning [2] http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=706 [3] http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/talk-show-host-lyrics-radiohead/193ae81bd7d8a3fb4825686600141d5f