Performance distance Essay Example for Free

Performance distance Essay In â€Å" Embedded Learning Strategy Instruction: Story-Structure Pedagogy in Heterogenous Secondary Literature Classes†, Michael Faggela-Luby, Jean Schumaker, and Donald Deshler examine the problem of uneven learning structures among literature students. Their previous research found that a majority of secondary education level students were reading below the reading comprehension level appropriate for their age level. This was attributed to the inability of teachers to find a structure of teaching reading comprehension and story structure in a method that would both allow LD students to comprehend narrative story structures while still challenging higher level learning students. They present a number of relevant studies done over the years that have presented different story structure learning models to different focus groups of students to examine the results. However, these results are largely inconclusive because some studies failed to produce graphs that explained their results and others did not separate LD students from other students, therefore failing to examine the experimental structures in terms of these two distinguishable groups. Their research attempted to find a reading comprehension structure that could be applied to all levels of students and be used as a universal tool towards learning comprehension and story structure for students of all learning aptitudes and levels. They conducted a research experiment using 79 students to examine the effectiveness of the embedded-story structure. Some students were limited readers, while some were strong readers. Students taught in their regular classrooms with regular materials and were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group would use the embedded story structure (ESS) while the other would use the comprehensive skills instruction (CSI) method. A graph and statistical data was included to present the statistics of these two groups in terms of age, gender, and test scores. Another figure displayed the categories of self questioning, story structure analysis and summary writing that were utilized in ESS. The CSI group used the categories of vocabulary strategy, question-answer relationships, and semantic summary mapping. More tables listed the statistical information for which students received which test form. Results of all tests administered revealed data that proved learning improvement and comprehension advancement in students using the ESS method. These increases in comprehension were in the non-LD students on both lower and higher reading strengths. The conclusion seems to be that ESS benefits readers on any reading level, but does not necessarily provide marked improvement for LD students. The results of the research seem positive, and it seems that the ESS method could represent a solution to the problem of uneven learning comprehension in students at different reading levels. But one of the limitations pointed out by the researchers is that in the experiment, the teacher was also the researcher. I found this interesting because it helped to ensure study viability, but does not guarantee that improvement results would be the same with other teachers, which makes it questionable as to its practical application in the classroom. A possible solution to this, and a way to help ensure that ESS is being taught similarly at learning institutions everywhere, would be to implement an educational forum to instruct teachers how to properly utilize ESS in the classroom. This could also give teachers suggestions for implementing the method with LD students in an effort to give them the same benefit. Further research could be done into streamlining ESS to better benefit LD students and instructing teachers accordingly. The article, â€Å"Ensuring Content-Area Learning by Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities†, Donald D. Deshler, Jean B. Schumaker, B. Keith Lenz, Janice A. Bulgren, Michael F. Hock, Jim Knight and Barbara J, Ehren research the problem of preparing learning disabled students to handle heavier course loads and learning expectations at the secondary and high school level. They provide background statistics finding a large number of LD students that experience self-esteem issues at these school levels or drop out. A graph included shows the performance distance between LD students and the general population students they are often put in classes with and illustrates how the two groups acquire knowledge differently. The researchers examine dual elements of a study done at the University of Kansas Research Center on Learning. The purpose of the article was to examine the study done at KU-CRL and determine whether its dual-intervention approach was beneficial to LD students and could be implemented in classrooms at all levels. The researchers at KU-CRL found that there needed to be two levels of intervention to help LD students. The first, according to the authors, needed to be done by the teachers and involved implementing teaching strategies that were accessible to students on all learning backgrounds. The second focused more on the students themselves and teaching them learning and studying methods that helped them understand and comprehend material. There are five levels of intervention teachers can use to impact learning levels of students. They vary according to the methods of intervention used by the teacher and the direct impact on the student, ranging from implementing overall learning routines to providing the student with individual strategy structures designed for them. The authors cite studies in which these strategies of embedding learning have worked with limited results. They also point out that the method of delivery for the strategies is important to their effect. A model explains the inclusion strategy for use. Overall, the authors find all of the studies done on the KU-CRL research finds that general learning strategies can be beneficial to LD students to help them with learning comprehension, and that once these are implemented in the classroom that many LD students are able to utilize these strategies outside the classroom too. It recognizes that placing LD students in general classroom settings doesn’t mean that they will be able to learn successfully according to general strategies. I found this article interesting for its examination of the learning needs of the LD student at both the individual and institution-wide level. The authors stress that individual attention and tutoring are still vital when implementing these blanket learning strategies, and I think that’s important to remember. My recommendation if these intervention level learning strategies were to be implemented would be to simultaneously implement a tutoring program for LD students that find themselves requiring a different level of intervention or a different strategy than what is being implemented in the classroom. This would assist teachers attempting to implement the intervention model but still finding that some LD students aren’t receptive. This tutoring could also encourage LD students to keep learning new methods for knowledge comprehension. The authors also emphasized proper training and ongoing support for teachers implementing this learning strategy in the classroom and I think that’s important as well. Teachers learning a new approach for helping LD students in their classroom should have the benefit of accessing new research and findings into the most effective methods of teaching to bridge the gap between normally developed learners and LD students.

Cultural Diversity Ewareness Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity Ewareness Essay Many cultural differences abound in San Francisco’s educational institutions. The so many people of different races who live together in this side of the United Sates have quite a challenge trying to coexist because of their cultural differences occasioned by their differences in race, religion, gender, social status besides others. These differences pit the whites, Latinos, Caucasians, Black Americans and the physically challenged against each other in their day to day activities whether it is in the educational institutions, in church or in several other social organizations. A case in study here is the educational institution set up where these differences are so common they threaten to get out of control. All these groups live in a state of denial because they are not able to appreciate their cultural differences. Stereotyping coupled with worrying levels of intolerance has adversely affected social order in campuses since no one group is prepared to accept what they see as an act meant to devalue them from from an otherwise well- meaning different racial group. This has resulted in near total communication breakdown. One needs to be well acquainted with the several differences in the cultures of these students so as to be able to coexist without these unnecessary conflicts (Paul et al 1967). Black Americans and students from foreign countries mainly from Africa, Latin America and some Asian countries have most of the time had the going tough due to racial profiling. Discrimination is meted against them and their response is denial and defencse. A few respond to this challenge using minimization. Most cases of violent confrontations on many campuses in San Francisco are as a result of these differences which are more often than not ignored by the concerned authorities. Professionals handling students’ affairs should make every effort to infuse into students affairs work the needed skills that bring about multicultural competences, for example awareness and the knowledge together with the necessary skills so that the students can be able to work with fellow culturally different students in a way that bears meaning, relevance and productive ways (Pope, Reynolds Mueller 2004). Cross-cultural communication is a big issue here as the different racial groups speak a language that sometimes has words that do not exist in the vocabulary of the others or words that bear different meanings and this presents a case of communication on cross-purposes and therefore conflicts are bound to be frequent. We are talking about slang, idioms and dialects that are not common to all. A student from outside the U. S. will not fully understand the meanings of many words used by their native college mates occasioning a breakdown in communication. This age-group has its own set of language that deviates from the common language, the only one they know and this brings misunderstandings among them posing a threat to communication. The physically challenged do not fare well in many socio-cultural settings due to heir disabilities. They are left to maneuver through the tight and difficult programs in the educational institutions on their own. The frustration resulting from these acts of abeism makes them react by way of misplaced aggression (Jaime 2004). To this, they respond by coiling to a corner to give the strong way, and so do some female students. College youth has serious intolerance for some religions especially Islam. Most of them in this region few and associate it with terrorism, which is a very harsh term to a fellow student, but still they cannot avoid using it against students from some Asian countries or those from a similar origin. Counseling needs to be given priority in resolving these various differences and biases. REFERENCES Jaime, (2004). Toward Multiculturalism: A Reader in Multicultural Education; Newton, Ma, Intellectual Resource Corporation. Paul et al, (1967). Pragmatics of Human Communication: A History of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies and Paradoxes. New York, W. W. Norton. Pope, Reynolds and Mueller, (2004). Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs; San Francisco, CA.

Animals for food and clothing | Debate

Animals for food and clothing | Debate Living things throughout the world have been abused by loved ones and strangers for no reason at all. Abuse has been apart of our world for as long as we can remember. It is a common thing to hear about in the news and is something that should not be so common. There are many types of abuse in the world, such as emotional, physical, and verbal. It is common to think that only humans suffer from those types of abuse but it is not exactly true. Animals in this world suffer from emotional, verbal, and physical abuse just as much as humans do. It is even safe to say that in some cases they suffer much more then humans do from the abuse they deal with. One thing that humans have over animals when it comes to abuse is the ability to ask for help. Humans can ask family members, or any one else to help them get through the abuse they are dealt with. Animals, on the other hand, have no way to communicate and to ask for help. They have to put up what they dealt with which is truly upsetting an d wrong. This paper is designed to broaden ones perspective on the things animal go through when being raised for food, clothing, and in slaughterhouses. It is also designed to explain how places such as factory farms pollute the world. A. Animals Raised for Food Throughout time animals have been seen as companions and a source of food. The only hope of survival for many, especially in the winter, was to eat meat. Meat gave them protein and was a source of food that was always readily available to be hunted. The days of animals being hunted in their natural environment for food are long gone. For the purpose of this paper it is important to understand how animals were killed for food back in the day and now. Animals are going from living in the wild the way they want to before being killed for food to being mutilated and treated poorly so that the best piece of meat can be obtained. Raising animals for food has become a cruel and wrongful event. These animals are put on special diets where they do not get all the nutrients they need to survive. They are neglected and mutilated. They are genetically manipulated, and put on drugs that cause chronic pain and crippling. These animals live in broken down, disease-ridden and filthy sheds. They live in such confined areas that it is impossible to move or get comfortable. They have to travel long distances in any kind of weather imaginable to get to the slaughterhouses. They have to travel these gruesome trips without food or water because it is too much trouble for the owner of the factory farms to supply food and water for the animals before they die (PETA). Cows are one of the animals that are killed most often for their meat. Dairy cows, for example, have to deal with being pregnant for their whole life so that they will always be able to produce milk. They have to basically go through a never ending cycle of being pregnant and giving birth. They are kept chained to the barn stall for the entire time that they are able to give milk. Once they are emptied of all their milk they are sent to the slaughterhouse so that their meat can be used for hamburgers (Global Action Network). Calves have a different fate. Veal calves have the worst life of them all. They have to stand in a 22 by 54 crate which is their permanent home. In this cage they cannot turn around or lay down. The purpose of these crates is to prevent movement so that the calfs muscles are tender. The more tender the muscles, the more gourmet the veal is. These calves are also put on special diets. They are fed milk substitutes that do not contain iron or other essential vitami ns. Up to fourteen weeks after birth these calves are slaughtered and the veal is sent to stores so we can eat it(veal: a cruel meal). Horses are an animal that we humans would never think would be abused for food. Yet people around the world are taking an animal that is meant to be a companion to humans and slaughtering them for their meat. In the United States of America (USA) it is against the law in most states to slaughter horses, but there is still some states that are allowed to do it, Texas and Illinois are examples. These horses are kept in extreme conditions and not cared about. They are sent to the slaughterhouses in trailers that should fit four horses but are stuffed with so many more. The horse meat is used for humans to eat, and is used in dog food. Horses also used to be killed to be used to make glue. Most of the people that live in the areas where slaughtering horses is legal think it is wrong to murder horses and do not want to take part in it. They also find that eating horse meat is repulsive and just wrong (SHARK). In Canada today there is about 18 million pigs being raised for pork. Sows, which are mother pigs, live a life like those of a dairy cow. They endure constant pregnancies and births, reaching a number of about 8 to 10 births in their life time. They live their entire life in farrowing crates which are just bigger then them and that have no bedding. They live on a concrete floor and have to deal with birth and pregnancy on that cold dirty floor. The piglets live in the farrowing crates for 2 weeks then are moved to a feeder pen. Some of the piglets, about 15%, die off due to the poor living conditions they have to deal with. The others are sent to be castrated and have their tails cut off, teeth ground, and ears notched, which is all done without any pain medicine used. The piglets live in stalls that have manure pits underneath them; this means they are basically living in their own feces for their entire life. They live up to they reach market weight which is 250 pounds and then are shipped to slaughterhouses (Global Action Network). Chickens are also commonly raised for food and by-products. Chickens raised for eggs are kept in wired cages measuring 40cm by 45 cm. These cages are not just to hold one chicken, but up to six chickens. The lack of space prevents the chickens from doing anything such as moving or stretching out their wings. Due to the conditions they live in, 1 in 5 chickens die. The other hens are killed after close to 2 years. Broiler chickens live in dark sheds that are extremely crowded. Living in these conditions cause most of the chickens to have hysteria, which causes stampeding and suffocation. The stress the chickens are put under can even bring upon cannibalism. These chickens go through this life for a few years before being sent to the slaughterhouses. (global action network) B. Animals Raised for Clothing Animals have been used for clothing for as long as one can remember. The pioneers of this nation once hunted and killed animals but when they did this they used every part of the animal possible. They ate the meat and they took the fur and used it to make clothing so that they could stay warm. It is important to understand that those days are sadly over. Now animals are being raised just for the purpose of their furs and/or leathers. Millions of animals are killed every year for the clothing industry (PETA). These animals endure great suffering so humans can have that nice leather jacket or fur coat to wear. Fur farms are not a four star place for animals. The animals are kept in wire cages with four to five animals in each cage. These animals live in filthy cages and live lives not much better then those that live in factory farms. The owners of these fur farms do not want to put much money into them. They tend to want to keep the money for themselves and leave all the barns to ruin and fall apart. They also tend to pick the cheapest and cruellest ways to murder the animals for their fur (PETA). There are many fur farms in Canada that have been around since the beginning of the 1900s. These farms raise fox, mink, racoon, marten, and lynx. (Canadian Encyclopedia). Canadian fur farms have to operate under certain Codes of Practice developed by the Provincial and Federal Government. (appendix) (candianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The most common and valuable Canadian fur bearer is the mink (The Canadian Encyclopaedia). The mink is a member of the weasel family and was first raised in the Canada during 1866-67 (Canadian Encyc. P.1). Mink are aggressive and have to be held with a certain care because they tend to bite often and have thick leather mitts. At first the mink are housed in wire cages with two or three of them per cage. Once they become adults they are housed one mink per cage (ency p.2). These minks are properly fed their meat based diets and also the vitamins the need to survive (Ency. P. 3). They also receive proper bedding and nesting to survive (ency. P.4). When the time comes the mink are killed by carbon monoxide poisoning and then skinned for their furs. This type of practice, where the animal is given some dignity, is only given in Canada and not all animals are as lucky. Animals in China are not so lucky. Most of the fur that is found in stores comes from Chinese fur farms due to the fact that China is one of the largest distributers of furs. Back in 2005, an investigation was done by the Human Society International in the Hebei province of Eastern China. The investigation by the Human Society International (2005) brought about the following evidence Investigators witnessed a significant number of animals that were still alive when the skinning process began-starting with a knife at the rear of the belly and ending with the fur being pulled over the animals head. After the skin was removed, investigators taped animals being thrown on a pile of other carcasses. These animals were still breathing, had a heartbeat, and continued moving and blinking for between five to ten minutes after their skin had been ripped from their bodies. Before these animals even go through the skinning process they are forced to live in cramped cages with more then one animal in each cage. These cages are tiny enough and the more animals that are in it the more anxiety that builds up in the animals. They pace, nod, and circle their heads in such a way that shows they are helpless and scared.(human international). These animals are forced to live outdoors in all types of weather conditions. The mothers that give birth often kill their litters before they have the chance to live the life that she is going through.(PETA) Leather is one of the most common clothing elements that all humans have. Leather made in Canada and the USA is made in conditions that are healthier for the animals then the farms in India. India is a larger supplier of the worlds leather. Cows in India go through the process of having their throats cut and the skin ripped off their bodies while still alive (PETA). Leather is not a by-product of cows. It is a way of adding to the value of a dead animal at the slaughterhouse and adds support to the industry.(animal equality). Humans do not really understand how much leather is apart of their lives and the pain and anguish that the cows go through to give them that leather, if it is from India that is. Wool is another common element used in clothing from animals. Most people think that the wool from sheep is obtained by shaving the sheep down. That is the proper safe and proper way to take care of the sheep and get the wool but is only done in countries such as Canada. Most of the wool that is used in clothing is from countries such as Australia. The domestically raised sheep are bred in such a way to allow them to produce more wool then needed which causes illness to the sheep (animal equality). The sheep then undergo mulesing which is a form of shearing that causes large amounts of skin and flesh to come off the body with the wool. This is all done without the presence of pain killers for them. These sheep are packed onto ships to from Australia to places such as East India. If they survive the voyage they are dragged off the trucks by their ears and legs and beaten until they dead and then skinned for their wool. (PETA) C. Slaughterhouses The slaughterhouse is the last stop on the journey of life for an animal being raised for food and clothing. It is the end to their suffering in some ways but brings upon a horrific experience for them as well. The animals that painfully made it through the hardships in the factory/fur farms and then the journey to the slaughterhouse without food or water are dealt their last leg here. They go through being skinned and dismembered alive so that their meat and furs can be sold for human use. Slaughterhouses pick the easiest and cheapest ways to kill the animals. These ways include suffocation, electrocution, slicing of throats, and beating. After they go through these methods they are then hung upside down so that all the blood can drain out of their bodies, this is sometimes done even when the animal is still alive. Slaughterhouses have employees quitting left and right because the conditions are so bad and they dont want to torture the animals like that. Because of this there are lo w-paid workers with no experience at all killing the animals. This means the animals are going through more pain then ever because the employees do not clearly know what they are doing (Global Action Network). D. Pollution Caused by Factor Farms Factory farms do a great deals harm on the environment and communities surrounding them. Due to living in small confined areas and having so much live stock in one barn the owners do not want to clean our the manure caused by the animals. Therefore it is funnelled down below into a holding tank until emptied. These holding tanks are usually poorly made and break often leaking the feces into the water system which then harms the citizens in the neighbouring townships (NRDC para1). These factory farms also emit harmful gasses, such as ammonia, into the air so that surrounding townships breathe it in. Factory farms emit greenhouse gasses into the air which cause the ozone to deteriorate and put harm on the whole world. It has been found that towns around factory farms have shown an increase in chronic sickness, brain damage, cancer, poisoned waterways, and death plagues. In conclusion, there is so much that needs to be done to help stop and prevent the terrible things that animals have to go through. It is understandable to wear leather shoes or eat meat but there is an alternative to everything. Having two days a week where meat is cut out of daily meals saves a few more animals and brings down the pollutants released into the atmosphere. Even getting furs and leathers from places such as in Canada where the animal is treated with the dignity they deserve is a step up. When purchasing meats and clothing made from animals be sure to read the labels and know where you are getting it from before purchasing it. Humans can ask for help when being abused, animals cannot. Just looking into what you purchase to make sure the animal was treated with dignity is giving a voice to that animal who could not speak for itself and making a difference. Antigone and The House of The Spirits | Analysis Antigone and The House of The Spirits | Analysis An analysis of the portrayal of social conflicts and political conflicts in Antigone and The House of The Spirits. A conflict is a dispute between thoughts, ideas, principles or people that arises from a difference of opinions. It has been seen throughout the history of this world that there have always been political conflicts and social conflicts amongst people to bring a change in their lives or nation. This is partly the reason why many authors have portrayed political and social conflicts in their books for example in The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Antigone by Sophocles. In this essay my aim is to explore how political and social conflicts characterize and develop the themes of both the books. Starting with the book The House of the Spirits, we can clearly see from the beginning that there is a struggle between social classes for example we see conflicts between the patrà ³n and the peasants of Tres Marà ­as since the patrà ³n thinks the peasants are not worth anything and cannot take responsibility of any work. This is shown when Esteban once says, What they dont realize is that poor people are completely ignorant and uneducated. Theyre like children, they cant handle responsibility. How could they know whats best for them? (The House of the Spirits Society and Class quotes) This shows us that there was a social conflict between the two classes namely, the upper class and the lower class. This kind of social conflict was mainly brought out by the author in the book through omniscient narration where the author communicated to the reader about the thoughts and feelings of the characters at a certain point in time. This helped us to understand the feelings and views of t he character better. Another social conflict was Trueba family versus the Garcia family. This conflict is brought out as the cycle of violence in the book. As it is seen in the book that the patrà ³n rapes Pancha Garcia whose grandson rapes the granddaughter of Esteban. This is shown when Alba says; Afterward the grandson of the woman who was raped repeats the geture with the granddaughter of the rapist, and perhaps forty years from now my grandson will knock Garcias granddaughter (Allende) We also see the portrayal of social conflicts in Antigone through the clashes between the family members that is to say the family conflicts. As we know they are differences in opinions between Antigone and her sister, Ismene and also between Antigone and Creon. We also see clashes between Creon and his son Haemon. Firstly the conflict between Antigone and Ismene brought out two contrasting women of that time. Ismene who was portrayed by the author as an ideal woman of that time and while Antigone was portrayed as the exact opposite of Ismene. This can be shown in one of the dialogues where Ismene says, If we break the law and die for it, Our shame will last forever. Women are not made to battle men. (Sophocles) To which Antigone responds by saying, Youve made your choice but I will bury him, And I will welcome death in doing it. (Sophocles) From this we can clearly see that Ismene is timid and is scared to break the laws made by the men who she thinks are superior to her. Whereas Antigone is of an assertive nature and is not scared to break the laws so as to obey the gods and respect the dead. The conflict between Ismene and Antigone was brought out through the structure of the dialogues. Throughout the argument we mostly see long speeches from Antigone while Ismene just speaks her point in one line. This shows us that Antigone was confident of her stand and was not going to back out of her plan but on the other hand Ismene was not interested with what Antigone said and thought she inferior and therefore should not break the law. Likewise we are also aware of another family conflict between Creon and his son Haemon. Haemon who wanted to save Antigone but is opposed by his father Creon and I think this conflict foreshadows the death of Haemon in the play and also it brings pot the theme of love since Haemon goes against his father to save her life. The foreshadowing of Haemons death is brought out through the following quotes in Antigone, Creon: She will die before you marry her. Haemon: If she must die, she will not die alone. (Sophocles) This shows us that Haemon was actually threatening his father, Creon that if he killed Antigone then he would kill himself. According to me the result of this conflict was actually the death of Antigone and eventually Haemon. This is shown when Creon says; Enough. No words. Youll pay for taunting me. Bring her out. Bring the woman here. The bridegroom waits for her to stand beside him. Here she will stand. To die. And we will let you watch. (Sophocles) I believe Creon at that point was angered by Haemon and decided to punish Antigone as soon as possible which eventually also led to the death of Haemon as a result of the conflict. Furthermore there was another social conflict in Antigone which was the dispute between Antigone and Creon. According to me this conflict brought out theme of male chauvinism since Creon couldnt admit that a woman had broken the law and was going against the men. Also I think this conflict brought out the fight between the laws made by Creon and the laws of god. This can be seen in the play when Antigone says; Your law. Not the sacred law. The gods. That rule among the dead have issued no Such proclamation. A man cannot erase The laws unwritten. Cannot change the unchanging (Sophocles) Similarly there is a portrayal of a male chauvinist environment in The House of the Spirits which also brings out a social conflict. As we all know that Nivea used to hold rallies with other fellow women to fight for the right of women. The fact that it was a male chauvinist environment is be proved when Fà ©rula say in the book that, I would like to have been born a man, so I could leave too (Allende) The portrayal of this conflict (male chauvinism) in both books brings out two similar characters in both books and they are Creon and Esteban Trueba. They both believe that women are supposed to look after the house and raise children and should not be include in the so called matters of the men. The authors of both books bring out this conflict through the use of strong emotive language for example; Creon: If I must fall, a man will bring me down, Let no one say, Creon gave his power to a woman (Sophocles) Sophocles brings out strong emotions of Creon through this quote and it shows us that Creon cannot accept defeat from a woman. Their where also political conflicts in both books for example the use of in Antigone the brothers of Antigone died while fighting with each other for power. Also in The House of the Spirits we see a lot of attention drawn towards political conflicts. In The House of the Spirits we see a political conflict between the Conservative party and the socialist. The writer seems to bring out the coup dà ©tat that took place in Chile through this conflict. Political conflicts in The House of the Spirits begin to appear in the second chapter and soon take the central plot in the book. (The House of the Spirits Theme of Politics) The political conflicts in the House of the Spirits were sometimes in the book brought out through the songs of Pedro Tercero for example the song of the hens getting united to defeat the fox which Pedro Tercero used to sing to tell people of Tres Marà ­as. He used this song to explain to the people the power unity has; If the hens can overcome the fox, what about human beings? (Allende) I think the political conflicts in The House of the Spirits led to the family conflicts in the Trueba family because we see Jamie and Alba supporting the socialists and going against their father Esteban. This can be seen when Jamie says, The socialists are going to win (Allende) even after knowing that his father is in full support for the conservative party. In the same way the thirst for power goes back many centuries and can also be seen in Sophocles book Antigone which starts with a background of two brothers dying for power. This brings out the theme of death from the beginning and somehow this foreshadows the tragic end to the lives of the characters in Antigone. According to me another political dilemma was that Creon had to choose between his family members and his political duty. But it can also be argued that Creon was arrogant to accept his mistake and welcome the law of the gods but instead he did not do that and made it a man versus a woman quarrel. Creons arrogance can be shown when he says; Then join them there and love them both in hell. No woman rules this kingdom while I live To sum up I think political and social conflicts both lead to families falling apart in both books and resumes the cycle of violence in both books which bring out the theme of death in both books.

Essay --

One example of government is a regime ruled by democratic ideas. A government under this type of rule has specific qualities that distinguish it as a democracy. For instance, many people can have an impact to a democracy; they can possess some power. "It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few" (Benjamin Jowett). However, when one citizen among the people stands out, it can be a positive aspect towards public service. As stated in The History of Thucydides, "when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit" (Benjamin Jowett). A citizen that is different from the rest should not be taken as beneficial towards public service, but as a gift of excellence. A democracy allows citizens to have this ability. In addition, a government under democratic rule consists of laws that create an equity among citizens. "But while the law secu res equal justice to all alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized" (Benjamin Jowett). Conflicts and issues can occur in a society, but laws play a role in taming them. This is a reason as to how people are granted the same amount of justness and fairness among each other. Two characteristics among a democracy include having a unique citizen that is right for the public, and allowing laws to protect everyone's fair play. Another type of government is an association under absolute control. Absolutism is the idea of governing by divine right, in which the ruler can come off as believing they are superior. This idea can be the cause of persuading rulers to be better than other parties. As stated in A History of Western ... ...shed democracy ends due to Ralph not receiving enough respect from others, and lacking the ability in ruling efficiently. Ralph's formation of his democratic government goes wrong when these two characteristics lead to a formation of another society that ruins his own. In the real world, there are two forms of government: an absolute government and a democratic government. A government under absolute control does not provide citizens with proper freedom or fair rights, while a government under democratic rule does. Citizens play a role in both of these types of government. Under absolute control, they serve to the government. In a democracy, they have an equal right, just like a figure of authority. In Lord of the Flies, a character named Ralph tries to commence a democracy that consists of justice and freedom, but cannot achieve this effort due to this flaws in

barnes and noble Essay -- essays research papers

Barnes & Noble does business -- big business -- by the book. As the #1 bookseller in the US, it operates about 650 superstores throughout 49 states and the District of Columbia under the banners Barnes & Noble, Bookstop, and Bookstar, as well as about 200 mall stores using the names B. Dalton, Doubleday, and Scribner's. The company's GameStop subsidiary is the #1 US video game retailer with about 1,500 stores under the names Babbage's Etc., GameStop, and FuncoLand. Barnes & Noble owned about 75% of online book seller barnesandnoble.com after purchasing Bertelsmann's interest in 2003; Barnes & Noble then purchased all remaining shares and took the company private in May 2004. Barnes & Noble dates back to 1873 when Charles Barnes went into the used-book business in Wheaton, Illinois. By the turn of the century, he was operating a thriving bookselling operation in Chicago. His son William took over as president in 1902. William sold his share in the firm in 1917, to C. W. Follett, who later built Follett Corp, and moved to New York City, where he bought an interest in established textbook wholesalers Noble & Noble. The company was soon renamed Barnes & Noble. It first sold mainly to colleges and libraries, providing textbooks and opening a large Fifth Avenue shop. Over the next three decades, Barnes & Noble became one of the leading booksellers in the New York region. Freshman Leonard Riggio, who worked at a New York University bookstore to help pay for night school. He studied engineering but got the itch for bookselling. In 1965, at age 24, he borrowed $5,000 and opened Student Book Exchange NYC, a college bookstore. Beginning in the late 1960s, he expanded by buying other college bookstores. In 1971 Riggio paid $1.2 million for the Barnes & Noble store on Fifth Avenue. He soon expanded the store, and in 1974 he began offering jaw-dropping, competitor-maddening discounts of up to 40% for best-sellers. Acquiring Marboro Books five years later, the company entered the mail-order and publishing business. By 1986 Barnes & Noble had grown to about 180 outlets, which included 142 college bookstores. Along with Dutch retailer Vendex, that year it bought Dayton Hudson's B. Dalton mall bookstore chain, forming BDB Holding Corp. In 1989 the company acquired the Scribner's Bookstores trade name and the Bookstop and Bookstar su... ... the company, including all of the voting power of Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, a private textbook seller. The company is spinning off its GameStop subsidiary. In early October GameStop purchased some six million shares back from Barnes & Noble. On November 2 Barnes & Noble distributed the remaining shares it had in GameStop in a dividend to its shareholders. Business Wire, November 3, 2004 Wednesday, 1:30 PM GMT, 748 words, Barnes & Noble to Open New Store at 30500 State Highway 181, Spanish Fort, Alabama; New Bookstore Debuts on No Copyright 2004 Business Wire, Inc. Business Wire November 3, 2004 Wednesday 1:30 PM GMTDISTRIBUTION: Business Editors; Community Editors LENGTH: 748 words HEADLINE: Barnes & Noble to Open New Store at 30500 State Highway 181, Spanish Fort, Alabama; New Bookstore Debuts on November 17 DATELINE: NEW YORK Nov. 3, 2004 BODY:vember 17 , NEW YORK Nov. 3, 2004 2. Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company The New York Times September 9, 2004 Thursday Late Edition – Final SECTION: Section E; Column 1; The Arts/Cultural Desk; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 931 words HEADLINE: Huge Book Retailer Expands Its Publishing Role BYLINE: By EDWARD WYATT

Society and Sexuality in Waiting for the Barbarians and The History of

Society and Sexuality in Waiting for the Barbarians, and The History of Sexuality  Ã‚   Within our modern minds reside two very different ways in which we deal with the subject of sexuality. The conceptual framework of modern society, to some extent, has developed out of past notions about the body. We can see that springing from our historical roots, issues concerning sexuality have been dealt with through mutual feelings of desire and disgust. The relationship between these two opposed feelings arises from a dual sense of our awareness of our sexuality. One direction we are pointed in, is to view anything sexual in content, as socially digressive. The other crosses to the opposite extreme. Sexuality is something which is talked about constantly, but usually not openly. We are also, in some ways, drawn by our sexuality to feel desire for our "other side"--the side which we do not show to many other people. Both of the poles represent aspects of a spectrum on which all of us lie, at once drawn to both extremes. The fact that we fall somewhere on that scale in the first place, points to another reason outside the reaches of the immediate family. The situation we are placed in as individuals of modernity, is an arena of pre-constructed rules and regulations regarding our sexuality. The doctrine of sex in our world has been determined by the actions and thoughts of past generations. We build upon their conceptual machinery to g enerate our own meaning within the world. The duality between desire and disgust, in relation to sexuality, is something which has been passed down to us through generations of social learning. In his book, The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault presents evidence pointing to the connection between... ...nterest in the subject as a hidden part of human existence. The double mechanism of distancing one’s self and the desire to personally experience something, serves to formulate the ways in which we view our sexuality. Through the creation of this binary relationship, we as a society, have been taught that there are parts of ourselves which are off limits in normal discussion. To go past those lines is to travel in realms which hint of "perversion" or of experiencing an "alternate lifestyle". This societal creation tells us that some parts of our personality are ones which we should not explore, though we might be driven to. It is because of those drives, which exist in all of us, that we are forced to come to terms with ourselves, and what it means to be a part of our society. Works Cited: Coetzee, J.M. 1980 Waiting for the Barbarians Harmondsworth, Penguin.

Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?

December 8th 1941 â€Å"with confidence in our armed forces – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us god† was said by Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Congress to engage in war against Japan. Pearl Harbors’ geographical location led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor initiated by Japan. How or why would a country much smaller than Texas attack the United States? Japan had created a sparked conflict with America at Pearl Harbor because of the Embargos, Immigration Quota, and the Expansion of American Navy.In 1939, the United States was worried about Japans advances in China, which led to the U. S placing an embargo to aircraft and aircraft parts (Background Essay & Doc C). With the United States making this move Japan had to make do with what they had (Doc C). In September 1940 Japan signs a treaty with Germany and Italy (Background Essay). Not wanting to fight a war on two fronts, the U. S imposes an embargo on oil shipment to Japan in August 1941 (Backg round Essay & Doc C).In conjunction with the embargo on aircrafts and aircraft parts this had a crippling effect on the economy in Japan. With the loss of aircrafts and aircraft parts, and now the loss of oil Japan had no way of fueling the already dwindling supply of aircrafts to continue to wage war against China. Also, the expansion on the American Navy posed a threat to Japan. July 1940, Congress passes the Naval Expansion Act promising to triple fleet size by 1944 (Doc C).By tripling the size of the Navy in a four year span with the culmination of embargos placed against the Japanese this would leave them vulnerable to a U. S based attack (Doc E). Disseminating the Japanese forces with one fatal blow. Japan must had felt like they had no other recourse but to attack the U. S to save themselves from a future attack. Incidentally speaking, the U. S adopted the Immigration Quota Act denying immigration to Japanese, Indians, and Chinese (Hook).After the adoption of the Immigration Quota Act the Japan Times and Mail posted a response called â€Å"The Senate’s Declaration of War. † To summarize the response the Japanese felt hurt and humiliated (Hook). Which could have left some underlining animosity toward the U. S making the decision to go to war that much easier. In conclusion, Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor because of all the economic difficulties we set towards them. From the Embargo to the Naval Expansion. But as well as these situations occurring Japan just had a little Napoleon Complex.