Diversity in Sports Essay

Diversity in sports simply means equal opportunities for every athlete irregardless of gender, color, race, or origin. This is what the true spirit of competition should be all about. Sports should not only involve the white race, Americans, or men but also other races and sex(Jackson 2007). Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. , in his report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said that in recent years, diversity in sports has become very evident. In the world of American football, the Indianapolis Colts, coached by an African-American, won a Super Bowl. In baseball, the Chicago White Sox, a multi-racial team managed by Ozzie Guillen, a Latino, and Ken Williams, an African-American, won the World Series in 2005. A year later, the New York Mets, who is managed by a Latino manager and an African-American general manager, almost duplicated the White Sox’ feat, losing only in Game 7 of the National League Championship. This goes to show that moves to diversify sports are moving forward(Jackson 2007). The National Basketball Association (NBA) has led the way in terms of sports diversity by opening its doors to other races. Long ago, the NBA was dominated by Americans or Canadians. Recently, however, one can see the teams drafting players from Europe and recently Asia. The Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Football League (NFL) are likewise starting to provide opportunities for other races which is why spectators would get to see the likes of Alfonso Soriano and Sammy Sossa hitting homeruns here and there(Jackson 2007). Diversity in Sports 4 The NBA: Taking the Lead In Diversity Leading the way as far as diversity in professional sports is the National Basketball Association (NBA). For more than twenty years, the NBA has become the leader in promoting equal opportunities to all races. Here are some NBA diversity facts and figures as reported by The Institute for Diversity in Ethics and Sports(Spears, 2007): 15% of team vice presidents in the NBA are held by colored people, which is the highest in all of professional sports. 79% of NBA players have colors. In 2007, the number of African-American players increased to 75% which is higher than the 73% recorded in 2006. Employment opportunities for colored people at the League offices were at 34 percent, which is 2% higher than the previous year. 39% of professional positions in the League Office are occupied by women. 12 teams in the NBA are handled by African-American coaches. The NBA’s total of 40% still tops all of professional sports. With 53 African-American head coaches, the NBA has more than doubled the number of colored head coaches in any other professional sports. Next in line is the MLB with 25 colored managers. 41% of assistant coaches in the NBA are colored which is the highest so far in the history of the league. Diversity in Sports 5 There are four African-American CEO/Presidents in the league and two other presidents of basketball operations. To date, they are the only people who have held such position in all of professional sports. In 2006, there were eight African-American general managers in the NBA, which tops other professional sports league. By the end of 2006-07, the NBA had 64 percent white referees, 32 percent African-American, 3 percent Latin Americans, and a single black referee in Violet Palmer. Diversity in College Sports While professional sports is heading towards diversity, such is not the case in college sports. According to a report by the University of Central Florida, diversity has not been progressing in collegiate leagues. Here are the facts(Belew, 2006): In Division I schools, only 25. 2% of head coaches are African-American which is higher by 2% than the previous year. In Division IA, out of a total of 119 football head coaches, only six are African-American and zero percent are women. In college basketball, only 4. 1% of head coaches come from the minority group with 2. 6% being Latin Americans. The enforcement of Title IX did not help the cause of women in college sports as not a single one of them is represented. Diversity in Sports 6 In sports involving women, most Division I, II, and III coaching jobs are occupied by 89. 6%, 90. 9%, and 92. 9%, respectively. In the men’s division, the breakdown was 90. 6%, 89. 5%, and 93. 4%, respectively, served as head coaches. Diversity in the Olympics The Olympic Games is one of the many sporting competitions that practices diversity in sports. Once every four years, athletes from various nations converge in one venue in order to have a shot at sports excellence(Guttmann, nd). There are two varieties of this international sporting event namely Winter and Summer Olympics. Contemporary Olympics started in Athens, Greece in 1896, a couple of years after Pierre de Coubertin proposed the holding of an Olympic Games to push for peace in the world. The inaugural Games only had about 300 athletes from less than 15 countries taking part in 43 events in nine disciplines. When the Olympics returned to Athens in 2004, the number of participants had ballooned to 10,000 athletes representing 202 nations vying in 28 various sports(Guttmann, nd). Women In The Olympics During the inaugural Olympics, there were no female athletes who took part in the Games. Four years later, however, golf and tennis allowed the participation of women. In 1912, swimming and diving became available for women athletes as well. Sixteen years later during the 1928 Games, gymnastics and track and field had female athletes likewise. Since then, the number of women competing in the Olympics have considerably increased. At present, fifty percent of all teams are comprised by women, with the exception of the Muslim countries, where female participation is minimal(Guttmann, nd). Diversity in Sports 7 The Paralympics Games In the true spirit of diversity in sports, disabled people can have an opportunity to experience competitive spirit and sports excellence with their own version of the Olympic Games. Introduced in 1960, in conjunction with the Olympic Games in Rome, the Paralympics, as it is called, highlights male and female athletes representing six various disability groups. The emphasis of the Paralympics Games is not on the disability but on individual achievements. Since then, the growth of the event has become steady. From the initial 400 athletes that took part in 1960, a total of 3806 athletes representing 136 nations took part during the 2004 Athens Paralympics Games. Beijing, China will be the cite of the next Paralympics Games(International Paralympics Committee, nd). Conclusion When it comes to sports, not a single nation can dominate all the events. While host nations of the Olympics choose the events where they have the advantage, chances are other nations will beat them in other fronts. This is what diversity in sports is all about. Fairness and equality in the light of competition. References Belew, B(2006 December 17). Diversity in College Sports – Coaching. The Biz of Knowledge. Retrieved July 14 2008 from http://www. thebizofknowledge. com/2006/12/diversity_in_college_sports_co_1. html Guttman, A(nd). Olympic Games. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 14 2008 from http://www. encarta. msn. com

Public participation Essay

The end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the new millennium have seen the rapid growth of two undeniably related phenomena. They are the rise of international democracy and the explosion in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). â€Å"E-democracy† is the concept widely used and even sometimes misused. Crick (2002:93) defines democracy as the, â€Å"polity or political rule [that] strives to balance individual freedom, individual rights, and the common good. † In this paper I’m going to examine the impact of ICTs on the concept of democracy as presented by Crick. Conditions of modern democracy are the role of individuals, official doctrines, typical social structure, nature of the elite, typical institutions of government, type of economy, theories of property, attitudes to law, diffusion of information, and attitudes to politics. No doubt that ICTs have potential to expand democratic participation. Still the question whether ICTs facilitate and enhance democracy is surrounded by much controversy. Areas such as e-voting and e-consultation attract great attention of political scientists from over the globe. ICTs provide an excellent opportunity for governments to become more transparent, efficient and accountable. ICTs mean that people are provided greater services and opportunities online, and as a result become more informed, articulate and active in public affairs. Thus, ICTs have a significant potential to widen civic engagement. Much hype surrounds the newly created term â€Å"global civil society†. Norris (2001:6) poses an inevitable and burning question, â€Å"Will the Internet have the capacity to revitalize public participation in conventional politics, such as levels of party membership, electoral turnout, or activism in civic and voluntary organizations? † ICTs may create the possibility of reaching out to publicize political parties, solicit feedback, new ideas, and new members, energize party activists and build leadership cadres. Thus, ICTs may help to promote political pluralism and activism. Individualism becomes a core value in the ICT-driven society, and the role of an individual is the condition of modern democracy. Also we should keep in mind that e-commerce empowers previously economically disadvantaged strata, and type of economy is one of the conditions of modern democracy. Norris (2001:97) stresses the following fact, â€Å"The Internet may broaden involvement in public life by eroding some of the barriers to political participation and civic engagement, especially for many groups currently marginalized from mainstream politics. † So ICTs provide a perfect opportunity to increase youth participation, enhance women on the political arena, and include marginalized and disadvantaged groups. As Crick (2002:98) argues, â€Å"Participation is critical, for moral education and for the implementation of democratic government. † Still, Leslie David Simon (2002:36) argues that, â€Å"Participation fortifies democracies, but it is also a favourite tool of many totalitarian states. † But Norris (2001:101) states that, â€Å"the new opportunities for civic engagement and political participation on the Internet will serve primarily to benefit those elites with the resources and motivation to take advantage of [them]. † The nature of the elite is the essential condition of modern democracy, and today we can speak of â€Å"information elite† as well as of â€Å"information society. † Transparency of the government, both federal and local, is another possible consequence of democracy. Crick (2002:103) states that, â€Å"Democracies work better (can only work) in an atmosphere of trust. † Norris (2001:107) states that, â€Å"new technologies allow greater transparency in the policy-making process, wider public participation in decision making, and new opportunities for interaction and mobilization in election campaigns, but, critics argue, whether these potentialities are realized. † Attention to the protection of human rights through the use of new communication technologies is an area of growing interest. On the other hand, the implementation of more â€Å"technological democracy† will exacerbate the existing digital divide present within and between developed and developing countries. The explosive growth of the Internet is exacerbating existing inequalities between the information rich and poor. Also, as Norris argues, a so-called democratic divide is developing between the citizens who do and do not use ICT’s to engage, mobilize and participate in public life. Instead of promoting democracy, ICTs could be manipulated by political parties as tools of propaganda. With no Internet censorship it is becoming a widespread political phenomenon. Crick (2002:21) defines anarchy as â€Å"a central danger of democracy†, and cyber-pessimist perceive Internet as a totally anarchical environment. Leslie David Simon (2002:Front Matter) reminds the reader that, â€Å"Today we know that there is another side to the story. Those who hate democratic values and human rights have also learned to use the Internet. In the United States and abroad, neo-Nazis and other hate groups maintain Web-sites†¦ † Also e-democracy should be seen as enhancing, not replacing traditional forms of government-citizen interaction. Norris (2001:104) reminds us that ICTs should be used, â€Å"to promote and strengthen the core representative institutions connecting citizens and the state. In this regard, opportunities for public participation and civic engagement generated via new technology are important. † Analysing all the abovementioned, I came to the conclusion that the views expressed by cyber-optimist are more realistic. Personally I believe that ICTs are able and will promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, and attitude to law is one of the important conditions of modern democracy. ICT’s bring more opportunity and freedom, and these two factors will gradually cause wider adoption and improvement of democratic governance. Certainly, I admit the existence of numerous dangers related to the spread of ICTs, but I believe that the growing political consciousness will prevent further misuse of this powerful tool. Open and transparent government as well as availability and circulation of information can guarantee democracy and participation, and diffusion of information is one of the crucial conditions of modern democracy. Making a final conclusion I would life to state once more that the rational use of the whole potential of ICTs can facilitate democracies worldwide. Sources: 1. Leslie David Simon, Javier Corrales, Donald R. Wolfensberger, Democracy and the Internet: Allies or Adversaries?, Woodrow Wilson Centre Press, 2002 2. Pippa Norris, Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide, Cambridge University Press, 2001 3. Bernard Crick, Democracy: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2002

Inhumanity Breeds Inhumanity

In Elie Wiesel’s Night, the protagonist Eliezer enters a spiritual struggle to maintain faith, not only in God but in humanity. Turned upside down, his world no longer makes sense. He becomes disillusioned through his experience of Nazi cruelty, but even more so by the inexplicable cruelty that fellow prisoners inflict upon each other. Eliezer is appalled by the human depth of depravity and capacity for evil, his own included. Within the story there seems to be an emphasis on how inhumanity begets inhumanity. Seeing the Jews as inhuman, the Nazis cruelly treat them as animals, in turn producing cruel and animalistic behavior among the prisoners. The first example of inhuman behavior by prisoners in the story is when Eliezer and his family board the train. At first, Eliezer didn’t think the Germans seemed all that monstrous. He describes them as distant but polite. However the incremental removal of human identity and community had already begun. They seemed human like any other group of people. Over a few months time however, they became more monstrous. The Jews were stripped of their homes, possessions and dignity and forced into cattle cars bound for extermination camps. Eliezer comments on the overtly inappropriate sexual behavior displayed by some of the prisoners during the ride in the cattle cars. Such behavior presumably stems from being denied basic human respect, prompting lower self respect in the prisoners. Although hardly as violent as the Nazi’s actions, this behavior foreshadows the downward spiral in human depravity that will result from the tortuous experiences of the concentration camps. As the prisoners endure more and more horrific and monstrous Nazi abuse, they themselves become abusers. Forced into a â€Å"kill or be killed† survival situation, the prisoners often turn on each other in similar fashion to the ways in which they have been mistreated. The Kapos provide an example. As prisoners themselves, they inevitably endure the same horrendous conditions of the camps, granted mildly less horrendous than the average prisoners. Yet rather than encouraging or aiding fellow prisoners under their charge, the Kapos actually further the Nazi cause with their unnecessarily cruel and dehumanizing behavior, and destruction of hope. One Kapo remarked to Eliezer, that in the camps, it was every man for himself†¦There were no fathers, brothers, sons or friends, just survival alone without thought of anyone else. The position of Kapo symbolizes how the holocaust’s cruelty breeds more cruelty for its victims, turning decent people violently against each other in a race for self preservation. Eliezer’s narrative further details how inhuman behavior is spawned by inhuman treatment. Beaten, starving and pitted against one another for survival, sons beat or abandon their fathers. Eliezer witnesses a son beat his father for an improperly made bed, another abandon his father on the blizzard run, and yet another beat his father to death for a crust of bread. Although appalled by such behavior, Eliezer finds himself resenting his own father, feeling him to be a burden rather than the support he actually is. Even as his father lies dying, Eliezer asks himself why he shouldn’t eat his father’s rations. As the Nazi dehumanization reaches its climax, Eliezer finds that self preservation becomes the highest virtue and struggles to maintain any semblance of human dignity. Night demonstrates how cruelty breeds cruelty, and abuse creates abusers, spreading like an infection. If human beings are treated as animals, they will often begin to act like animals. There is no doubt that all humanity is capable of depravity, and under the right circumstances, incapable of controlling its manifestation!

How does Hobgood's arguments about dismantling race, class and gender Essay

How does Hobgood's arguments about dismantling race, class and gender privilege challenge your prior knowledge Which of her i - Essay Example What Hobgood eventually reveals is that some of the victimised and some of those that dish out victimisation may not recognise that they are involved in it. Class, race and gender systems construct different identities through unjust power arrangements. These systems are patterns of relations that elites reproduce through their ownership and/or control of the major institutions in the society (Hobgood 1). Every race seems to be wired to think of itself as superior to others. Many people even believe that if a person comes from any other race apart from theirs, such a person does not deserve to get any attention from them. This superiority complex has been attributed as the reason colonialism thrived in the manner it did. Colonialism succeeded because the whites – the colonisers – were of the opinion that their race was superior to every other race in the world. They went around to parts of the world that were yet to be explored with the intention of being lord and maste r over those people. In many of the places they went, the culture of the locals was rubbished. The colonisers were often involved in the act of saying that they discovered things the locals had been using for a very long time, even before the birth of the colonisers themselves. It was so bad that the coloniser had to share the colonies amongst themselves without consulting the people whose daily lives were affected by the sharing. This is only a tip of the iceberg of what the segregation as a result of race has caused. Obviously, as in her book, the opinion of Hobgood is the same with this. So, in this regard, what she succeeds in doing is to deepen many of my long-held opinions. It is important to mention that at many points in history, race, class and gender have adversely affected the growth and development of humanity. There have been periods in human history when women were not recognised in anything. During this period, they were completely inconsequential (Purvis 40). During that period, it was really a man’s world in which a woman was only supposed to be who the man says she is. Religious institutions did not even help the plight of women (Blevins 21). Women got little or no education. They could not even vote or be voted for at some point. It is very certain that during that period of time, many women who had potentials for greatness were denied a chance to bring their endowments to reality. Of course, as repercussion, not only those women will suffer from it, even the society would suffer from the consequences. This also is very much in line what Hobgood expresses. Assumptions about human behaviour that members of market societies believe to be universal, that humans are naturally competitive and acquisitive, and that social stratification is natural... (Gowdy 291) In many societies of the world, there is social stratification. In such societies, certain unseen borders are automatically created when people are divided into classes based on the ir social means or capability. In such societies, the wealthy is the master and the poor is the servant (Barnard 379). The wealthy are the elite of the society

Personal Statement for Nursing School Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For Nursing School - Personal Statement Example This made it possible for me to experience directly some of the situations that nurses have to deal with whether good or bad as I was close to my two nurses who are nurses. Nevertheless, the first time I seriously considered committing myself to the nursing industry was when I was going to college and had to make a choice of the particular course that I wanted to enrol for. I decided to pursue this career path without any additional thought or exploration. Consequently, I decided that I would pursue my interests in nursing fully and put all my efforts to it. Before I arrived at the decision to pursue a career in nursing, I got a chance to shadow my two aunties and some of their colleagues through their interaction with patients. These experiences allowed me to have an idea of the different fields that exist in the hospital such as cardiology, pathology and radiology among others. The time that I spent with these nurses emotionally strengthened the experiences that I had initially heard my aunties talk about. The ability they had to assist people and influence their lives excited me especially the fact that every patient presented a new challenge and a chance to further develop knowledge in the field of nursing. As I was growing up, I observed my grandmother who had to live with us because he suffered from diabetes and I developed the constant need to assist her in any way possible. The visits to the hospitals where my aunts worked gave me a chance to sit in the staff room and listen to the different doctors and nurses talk after their rounds in the hospital. I always listened attentively to their conversations that interested me and was amazed at the capacity they had to diagnose different illnesses. Since I had had a chance to experience personal interactions between medical practitioners including nurses with a patient in the case of my grandmother, I recognized the importance of the relationship between the nurses and the patients. Nurses are supposed to

The Cultural Perspective of the American Civil War Essay

The Cultural Perspective of the American Civil War - Essay Example With each passing year, the need for slaves in the South led to an increasingly different culture from the North. The North underwent a period of technological advancements that stimulated export and subsequent revenue, allowing it to forge ahead of the South as the Northern culture incorporated office jobs, busy lifestyles, and factories (Weidenmier 879). The North saw an expansion of mass communication, education, literacy, and urbanization, while also being more progressive. This was in stark contrast to the South that was more traditional and rural oriented. The North had a more materialistic and coarse way of life, which led to its population being disdainful of the manner in which the Southern people lived, and viewing it as a sign that they were superior. While the North modernized, the South relied more on its traditional values, leading to the exacerbation of the ever-increasing differences between the two regions (Weidenmier 879). Due to the use of slaves in the South, its white population had no need to do manual labor, which left them with a lot of free time. They would entertain guests and take part in society enhancing activities. The minimal contact between the North and South states during this period led to an establishment of stereotypes about the way that those in the South lived (Bestor 34). In economic terms, those in the South preferred the simple and slow life, while the Northerners were more profit oriented. Due to these, both regions felt superior to the other. For this reason, it is no longer feasible to assume that only the South was responsible for the Civil War because the polar opposite nature of the two cultures pushed each other further apart until violence was the only way to solve the issues between... The North underwent a period of technological advancements that stimulated export and subsequent revenue, allowing it to forge ahead of the South as the Northern culture incorporated office jobs, busy lifestyles, and factories. The North saw an expansion of mass communication, education, literacy, and urbanization, while also being more progressive. This was in stark contrast to the South that was more traditional and rural oriented. The North had a more materialistic and coarse way of life, which led to its population being disdainful of the manner in which the Southern people lived and viewing it as a sign that they were superior. While the North modernized, the South relied more on its traditional values.Due to the use of slaves in the South, its white population had no need to do manual labor, which left them with a lot of free time. They would entertain guests and take part in society enhancing activities. The minimal contact between the North and South states during this period led to an establishment of stereotypes about the way that those in the South lived. In economic terms, those in the South preferred the simple and slow life, while the Northerners were more profit oriented. Due to these, both regions felt superior to the other. For this reason, it is no longer feasible to assume that only the South was responsible for the Civil War because the polar opposite nature of the two cultures pushed each other further apart until violence was the only way to solve the issues between them.

Multiple Intelligences Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Multiple Intelligences - Research Paper Example Evidence from Neo-Piagetian theorists are presented who argue Gardner ignores general processing efficiency, an aspect of mental functioning that directly supports notions of a general intelligence. Other criticism from cognitive theorists is presented that argues the theory of multiple intelligences misunderstands maturity in that it considers intelligence as an end-point and not a dynamic process. Criticisms of multiple intelligence theory are also considered in terms of the means that the theory has been implemented. One such criticism argues that its implementation in education has neglected the necessary development of comprehensive mental functioning for focus on single area skills. Furthermore, objections are levied by cognitive-neuroscientists. These individuals have conducted parts of the brain and argue that the research attests to a shared set of genes associated with subjects Gardner attributes to multiple mental functioning, including mathematics and reading. Support of multiple intelligence theory is then considered. Gardner’s own contention that his theory properly considers the nature of previously labeled abilities as intelligence is noted. Theorists who argue that those who believe Gardner’s theories of multiple intelligence are merely abilities, use tautologies rather than empirical support establish support for Gardner’s perspective on this distinction. The research then works towards establishing more empirical methods of support for Gardner’s theory. In these regards, action research and scales that implement Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences successful are considered as they attest to the potential existence of an underlining neurophysiology along the lines that Gardner has argued. Finally, the research concludes arguing that while there is strong indirect evidence supporting Gardner his theory may ultimately not have enough empirical support. One of the major theories that have had an impact on educational approaches

Discuss the evidence, or lack of evidence, that exists to support the Essay

Discuss the evidence, or lack of evidence, that exists to support the use of adrenaline (epinephrine) in cardiac arrest in pre-hospital setting (ambulance work) - Essay Example patients outside of hospital had no substantially greater success or improved survival rates over medical technicians supplied with basic CPR skills and semi-automatic defibrillators (paraphrased from graphs. 1-3). In a related study (Heart, 1997), researchers found results consistent with a continued skepticism over the use of adrenaline. According to this article, "Some emergency medical staff were authorised to give standard doses of adrenaline during the observational period. Adrenaline was given to 35% of patients and was associated with a significantly greater rate of restoration of spontaneous circulation and hospital admission. However, there was no significant difference in hospital discharge rates between the two groups. Thus adrenaline and its dosage during cardiac arrest remain controversial" (412-414). It appears that when paramedics and other qualified emergency medical personnel give adrenaline to cardiac arrest patients in the field, it significantly improves the chance that the patient will live long enough to be admitted to the hospital, but it does not significantly improve the chance that patient will survive long enough to be discharged from the hospital. Adrenaline is good for buying the patient an extra few hours or an extra day filled with tests and possibly some invasive treatments. It may not be good for much more. It should be pointed out that these findings may be more germane to patients who are found in ventricular fibrillation, rather than asystole. According to a study carried out in Sweden and reported in Resuscitation (1995a) Jun;29(3):195-201., "A large proportion of cardiac arrests outside hospital are caused by ventricular fibrillation. Although it is frequently used, the exact role of treatment with adrenaline in these patients remains to be determined. AIM: "To describe the proportion of patients with witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest found in ventricular fibrillation who survived and were discharged from

Business Intelligence Solutions for chosen organisation Essay

Business Intelligence Solutions for chosen organisation - Essay Example In 1987, there was a public issue of 720 million shares offered to 1.2 million shareholders and its shares are now listed with London, Toronto and New York stock exchanges. The public issue was a great success as BAs shares were oversubscribed more than 11times and its share price increased by 68% on the first day of trading. Today, BA is the number-one of the globe’s major premium airlines. Now, BA has flight operations to more than four hundred destinations globally. During the year 2013, BA reported a revenue of  £ 11,421 million as compared to  £ 10,827 million, which is an increase of 5.5%. Likewise, BAs profit after tax has also soared significantly in 2013 as it reported  £ 284 million as compared to  £ 114 million in the year 2012 which is an increase of 149.1%. Business Intelligence (BI) is one of the very few provinces in the IT sector to have stayed resilient even during the recent economic downturn, as business organisations like BA has employ the BI technology, mainly to minimise their costs and to optimise their flight operations. Thus, even during the phases of economic meltdown, BA has started to employ business intelligence tools to assist it to confront the economic turbulence. For instance, by using 3D visualisation, BA can recognise and remedy its inefficiencies. Further, BI helps BA to match its own data with that of external sources such as credit checks. During the current economic crisis , as a cost cut initiative , BA has reduced its spending on IT by a third in 2009 but its BI was one area, which was not touched upon and this shows the priority to BI by BA (Binning 2009). There is a compelling need on the part of BA to introduce BI technology to sort out the issues such as cut-throat competition , poor employee relations as represented by a number of flash cabin crew strikes , to address how to improve its cargo revenue as it fell by6. 5% due to prolonged weak cargo market in 2013 and is witnessing the impact due to both interest

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay Example for Free

Cold War in the period 1945-1949 Essay The Cold War is a prolonged state of tension and hostility held between the two major powers, namely the Soviets and the Americans after post-world war-two period. The term turning point implies that the Berlin blockade caused a turn of events and instigated the outbreak of the Cold War. Therefore, the statement made is only accurate to the extent that the Berlin Blockade was the direct factor regarding the outbreak of Cold War, yet it was not the only factor that sparked it off. Rather, it was the interplay of contributing factors such as mutual misunderstanding, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric. Therefore, it is portrayed that the Cold War was not the product of one event or incident, but rather of the fundamental clash of ideologies and interests between the two powers. The Berlin Blockade was the direct cause of the Cold War, stemming from the unhappiness of the Soviets over the issue of Germany in particular, thus proving to be a turning point in the Cold War. Stalin was unhappy over the Allied plans in Western Germany as stipulated by the Marshall Plan, such as the currency reforms as it would actually stifle the Soviets chance in increasing its sphere of influence into that area. The blockade therefore was an attempt made by the Soviets to diminish Western influence in Germany. However, the plan backfired due to the US superiority in air, using the Berlin airlift to transport the supplies into their own zone. This directly had negative repercussions in worsening the relations between the two powers, causing the definite split of Germany and leading to the outbreak of Cold War, showing how the Berlin blockade was the turning point in the outbreak of Cold War, by which it was the final straw that actually cemented the Cold War. Despite the Berlin Blockade being the direct factor that caused the outbreak of Cold War, one cannot neglect the factor that actually led to the Berlin Blockade: the disagreement over the German issue. The German issue was split into two areas: the question of reparations for Russia and the territorial and political boundaries drawn. In terms of reparations, the relations between both powers were strained due to the switch of US presidents that  resulted in the US going back on its word as agreed in the various wartime conference. At Yalta, Russian demand for $20 billion of reparations from Germany was rejected, with Roosevelt only permitting $10 billion in principle. This however was rejected yet again by his successor, Truman, who was not in favour of it. At Potsdam, the issue was further aggravated when Trumans secretary of state Byrnes asked Russia to obtain compensation from its own zone, which specialized in agriculture. The Soviet Union was only entitled to 25% of Germanys industrial equipment and Byrnes feared that Soviets demand for high reparation would delay Germany economic recovery at the US taxpayers expense. This increased resentment, as the Soviets felt compelled to increase its sphere of influence over Germany and extract more resources. This however was misinterpreted by the US as an expansionist attempt made by the Soviets, confirming their power hungry image. Based on the above mentioned factor, it is evident to see how the issue of Germany played a vital role in straining the relations between both powers, causing more misinterpretation as well as resentment felt for each other, finally culminating in the Cold War. The disagreement over the future of Germany was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. Stalin wanted the split of Germany to be fixed at the Ode-Nesse line, in which Churchill and Roosevelt disagreed, as it would give Poland extra land at the expense of Germany. The presence of Soviet troops at the line angered the US because it was seen as a unilateral action taken by the Soviets, and that there should be no Soviet aggrandizement at Germanys expense. This led to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance and facilitated the outbreak of the Cold War. On the other hand, the US also carried out unilateral actions in Germany causing further discontentment, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. This was seen in the case of the formation of Bizonia, by which the West wanted to bring the Western zones of Germany into one economic unit. This was to integrate Western Germany with Western Europe, in hopes of cutting Western Germany off from the Communist East. This move cemented the partition of Germany and was a move that the Soviets disapproved as it would  limit Soviet influence in West Germany. This caused further tension between the two powers, finally resulting in the Cold War. Apart from the issue of Germany, the actions taken by the Soviets as well as the US also played a vital role in aggravating the tensions held between both powers, causing the Cold War to break out. For one, Soviet activities in Poland were a contentious event, which caused suspicion and strain in the relationship between the US and the SU. This brings into question the issue of the security dilemma, by which for the Soviets, Poland and Eastern Europe were central to her security, as put through by Stalin as the question of Poland is not a matter of honour but life and death. Despite obtaining control of the Baltic States and having the 1918 border with Poland restored, Stalin felt that SU needed friendly states around her for security, which required them to be communist. At Yalta, it was promised that free elections would be held in the Eastern European states. However, the term free elections were different in principle, causing tensions. Roosevelt also refused to formally acknowledge the Percentages agreement concluded with Britain in 1944, increasing the friction between both parties. This made Stalin more determined to consolidate control over the Eastern European states, in which Stalin reduced the power of the London Poles by increasing communist members in the Lublin committee, heightening the tension and resentment. Truman and Byrnes demanded at Potsdam that Stalin have free elections in Europe based on how the US interprets the term, such as multi-party and fair election, which were rejected by the Soviets. This led to increased schism between the Soviets and the US, by which the relationship was placed under great stress, which in turn contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. US actions in Europe also contributed to the increasing rivalry and hostility felt between the two parties, which led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The events surrounding the issue of economic reconstruction also played a role in fostering ill will, leading to the eventual outbreak of the Cold War. The US allowed the golden opportunity to work jointly with the Soviets to slip by, in which the US under Truman wanted to highlight the Soviet dependence on the US aid rather than portraying the Soviet as a worthy partner. The  lend-lease scheme, which the SU was dependent on to rebuild its economy, was cancelled in 1945. Congress also reduced the request for a 6 billion loan to q 1 billion. Furthermore, the loan was also conditional, in which the US demanded open markets to facilitate the free access of US goods and intellectual materials into Eastern Europe. This further heightened the tension, as the Soviets interpreted the US actions as dollar diplomacy in which the US was using its financial position as a way to dominate Soviet economic affairs. This caused the SU to retaliate by refusing to join World Bank and IMF, as earlier agreed at the Bretton-Wood meeting due to the reduction in loan. Therefore, the dollar diplomacy used by the US served only to further heighten the unhappiness as it aimed to make the Soviets an adversary rather than a valuable partner in the world stage, laying the frameworks for the outbreak of the Cold War. The development and testing of the atomic bomb and the use of US nuclear diplomacy also further facilitated the onset of the Cold War. This was seen in two events, namely the liberation of Japan and nuclear diplomacy. The atomic bomb allowed the US to liberate Japan without the help of the Soviets, causing the SU to lose its chance in having a foothold in East Asia. This led to worsening of relations as it went against the Yalta conference where it was agreed upon that the Soviets would have a hand in the liberation of Japan. Furthermore, the Soviets were not consulted regarding the issue. Truman also used the atomic bomb in a bid to intimidate Stalin into complying with the US demands of having free elections in Eastern Europe. Stalin however was undeterred and was determined to catch up with the US. The US refusal to share the nuclear technology with the Soviets or establish joint control of the weapons as stated in the Baruch Plan also worsened relations as the Soviets began viewing the US as a bully. Therefore, the US use of the atomic bomb in Japan, as well as the implementation of the nuclear diplomacy clearly proved how it worsened the relations between the two powers, bringing about the outbreak of Cold War. Leadership changes in the US in April 1945 from Roosevelt to Truman closed opportunities for future cooperation and negotiation between the two parties, culminating in the Cold War. Truman adopted a more hardline  approach regarding the dealings with the Soviets, in which he felt that cooperation was impossible. This translated into a non-accommodative approach towards Russia and the harsh measures taken by the US in dealing with the Soviets, causing the worsening of relations between them, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. The US containment policy also aided in worsening the relationship between the US and the SU, causing it to be a direct factor in the outbreak of the Cold War. Containment was an effort taken by the US to restrict communism from spreading further through the use of mainly monetary means. The two policies, namely the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan were proof of that. The Truman Doctrine stemmed from the perception that there was a compelling need to restrict Soviet influence in Greece and Turkey. This prompted action from Congress, by which 400m was approved for both countries. Even though this policy was successful in eliminating the Soviet influence, it laid the basis for further Soviet discontent and the eventual Cold War. The Marshall Plan, which involved the German issue, was also one of the factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War. The MP extended developmental aid to all countries, in hopes of reviving the European economy. Though it was open to all, the clauses stated by the US were found to be unfavorable to the Soviets. This compelled the SU to tighten its influence on Eastern Europe, giving rise to negative perceptions on both sides. Soviets were also unhappy with the currency reforms in Western Germany, as stipulated by the MP, which led to the direct cause of the Cold War, the Berlin Blockade. Therefore, it is clear that the Marshall Plan also contributed to the outbreak of the Cold War. Finally, differing ideologies and government system also perpetuated the outbreak of the Cold War. The differing views and goals of the two different political systems led to actions that seemed to be at odds and detrimental to the Westerns or Soviet interests. This led to misconceptions between both sides especially in regards to foreign policy intentions that culminated into a reaction-counter reaction measure, leading to the outbreak of the Cold War. In conclusion, based on the above-mentioned factors, it is seen that the Berlin Blockade was the direct reason for the outbreak of the Cold War. With many factors linked to the Berlin Blockade, such as the Marshall Plan as well as the German issue, the statement is therefore accurate to that extent. However, other factors must not be neglected, as it was fundamentally the combination of factors that led to the outbreak of the Cold War, such as the misinterpretations, conflicting security interests, willingness to support armed forces over and above those heeded for defence purposes, as well as the doomsday rhetoric.

Reflective Practice in Social Work

Reflective Practice in Social Work Reflection is central to good social work practice, but only if enhanced action result from that reflection (Williams, 2006: xi) The underlying principles for this assignment are to critically evaluate my professional development in a practice placement setting and record reflections for future learning. Within this essay, I will include my reflections on the social work process of assessment, planning, intervention and review, and will critically analyse what I feel was successful and unsuccessful in each process, with efforts to identify what could be changed to enhance future practice. I will also include my knowledge, skills and values incorporated into my practice with two service users and my group work, while explaining my efforts to promote anti-oppressive practice. Throughout my assignment I will endeavour to portray my learning journey from the beginning to the end of my placement and conclude with future learning needs, to enhance my practice as a social worker. Introduction: The practice placement I acquired was a Court Childrens Officer (CCO), based at the Belfast Family Proceedings Court. It forms part of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. My role as a CCO, formerly known as a Child Welfare Officer, was to use my training and experience to ascertain the wishes and feelings of children and their families in private law matters. The role falls within family and child care services and determines that the childs interests remain paramount in court proceedings. As a CCO my role was to deal with cases where assistance was needed to help parties focus on the needs of their children, as opposed to continuing the incriminations as to who was responsible for the breakdown of their relationship. As a CCO I was then asked to present the information to court in oral or written report format. The CCO is used if other efforts to get the parties to reach a decision in the interests of their children have failed. This is to prevent the court process itself cont ributing to a lengthy breach in contact before it reaches a decision. As a CCO I was also responsible to act as liaison officer between the court and HSS Trusts, or other agencies (e.g. NSPCC etc) in respect of the courts decisions. Although employed by the Trust, I was responsible to the court. Before commencement of this placement I had limited understanding of the court process, and the legislation involved in private law cases. I was excited about the prospect of the experience I would gain having undertaken law and court modules, and attended court for certain flexible learning days, but I was also anxious about identifying the social work role within such a specific placement. I feel nervous and uncomfortable. Im finding the role intimidating being surrounded by legal professionals and legislation (being just a student). Im worried about having to provide oral and written evidence to the court, and perhaps having to disagree with the legal representatives views in court. I feel deskilled and anxious (PPDW: 21/01/10). After this initial anxious stage I began researching private law and knowledge, and used my practice teacher and on site supervisor to ask questions. Having completed a practice placement last year I already knew of the benefits of using reflection as a crucial aspect of my practice and learning. Thompson (2005) explains that it is important that practitioners use not only established theories, but use their own knowledge and experience to meet the needs of service users. He claims that reflective practice should help us to acknowledge the important links between theory and practice and to appreciate the dangers of treating the two elements as if they were separate domains (Thompson, 2005: 147). I was anxious to identify the social work process within my placement, as it was not evident on commencement. I was already familiar with the process of assessing, planning, intervention and review having had a previous placement with adults with learning disabilities. Within a court, however, this was very different, as a direction of the court determined my involvement with service users. Schà ¶n (1987) identifies that more than a process is needed with service users practitioners need to incorporate experience, skills and intuition for outcomes to be successful. The knowledge and skills that I identified, within my Individual learning plan, were skills in working with children, assertiveness skills, report writing and presenting skills, organisational skills, and group facilitation skills. I also wanted to enhance my value base as my previous placement helped me challenge issues around learning disabilities and the current placement is a very different setting. I wanted to devel op my values around childrens feelings about parental separation, and also working in partnership with children to ascertain their wishes and feelings about contact issues. I have outlined below the three cases I intend to use that will help identify my professional development within my placement setting. I will use these to provide an analysis of how my knowledge, skills and values have been developed through the social work process. Family C: Polish origin Child C (Age 7) currently resides with her father. The parental relationship lasted for seven years. Mother (Ms C) moved out of the family home to gain alternative accommodation when the relationship broke down. Ms C and the childs contact have been very sporadic since. Contact has not taken place since December 2009. Mr C is concerned with Ms Cs new accommodation being unsuitable for the childs safety staying overnight claiming alcohol misuse and the child coming home smelling of smoke. Ms C requires an interpreter and is seeking a Contact Order. As directed by the court I carried out an assessment of Ms Cs home, and also used mediation and counselling when meeting with the parties to focus on the childs best interests. The childs wishes and feelings were also ascertained. Family E: Child E (14) currently resides with his father (Mr E). Mother (Ms E) is seeking a Residence Order. Father currently resides with the child in a family hostel provided by the Belfast Housing Executive, which Ms E is concerned about. Court direction stipulated me to ascertain the childs wishes and feelings about residence with his father and contact with his mother. In addition to this I used mediation as an intervention to try to help the parties reach agreement about the child. I concluded my work with the family using a Person Centred Review with Child E to determine if the plans implemented earlier in my practice were working, and what he would like to change when his case was due for review in court. Group Work: My group work consisted of working with teenage girls at a high school in North Belfast; they were aged 14/15. I worked alongside the Health for Youth through Peer Education (HYPE) team who regularly visit schools to promote sexual health awareness. I co-facilitated this group and worked to educate the group about sexual health and relationships. This was to promote the need for the provision of accurate information to prevent teenage pregnancies and STIs, which have been highlighted as statistically higher in this area of Northern Ireland. Preparation of placement As indicated above, to prepare for this placement, I began by developing my knowledge base around the court setting and private law, so that I could be accountable to the court and the Trust for my actions. Trevithick (2000:162) claims to be accountable denotes professionalism by using knowledge, skills and qualifications, and adhering to values and ethics when serving a client. I began to tune in to the placement setting using knowledge, skills and values, with legislation such as The Children (NI) Order 1995, The Family Law Act (NI) 2001 and The Human Rights Act 1998. I tuned into the court setting and the rights of the service users who used it. Article 3 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 claims that the court should act in the best interests of the child, and I was interested in seeing if this occurred or if parental interests were considered higher. I tuned into the effects that divorce and separation have on children, and focused on gaining knowledge on how to minimize the negative impact this may have on children. The issue of contact in private law proceedings is a complex subject which raises questions of rights, responsibilities and ownership of children (Kroll, 2000: 217). I was initially interested in researching if children knowing both parents were in their best interests, and why. Having had a placement with adults and learning disabilities last year I had reflected on the medical model versus the social model of disability, this placement was very different in that it would be the a legal context versus the social work role. I found this initially difficult as the legal obligations of the court over-shadowed the social work process. Court directions dictated the aspects of work to be done, which I found difficult as service user needs were not necessarily established and met. Assessment: Ms Cs assessment required me to meet with her, discuss issues regarding contact with her child, and investigate her living environment to determine if it was suitable for the child to have contact in. Prior to Ms Cs assessment it was necessary for me to tune in to contact disputes between parents. I recognised that there is significant animosity with both parties, but that having contact with both parents is in the childs best interests to promote for attachment, identity and positive relationships. To initiate Ms Cs assessment I had received court directions, a referral and met with her legal advisor. I was at this time I was informed that Ms C was Polish and required an interpreter. The Human Rights Act 1998 and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 both stipulate that an interpreter should be provided for health services to promote anti-discriminative practice and equal opportunities. I was then required to make a referral to the Trust interpreting service, and they informed me that they would make initial contact with Ms C. I found this unnerving, as the interpreter would be making first contact with the service user, and I would have liked the opportunity to explain my role. Having carried out previous assessments, I knew that communication was essential for the assessment and central to the process of gathering information and empowering service users (Watson and West, 2006), therefore to not be able to make initial contact with a service user I found to be restrictive and stressful. On initial contact with Ms C (and the interpreter) communication was difficult to establish. I found that by communicating through an interpreter I was limited in gathering information. I found it difficult to concentrate on Ms C, especially observing body language and tone of voice; instead I focused on the interpreter and actively listening to her. Ms C came across as frustrated and disengaged, showing signs of closed body language. I felt empathetic to Ms C because of the court process she was involved in, and the fact that she had to go to court to gain contact with her child. I felt the initial meeting with Ms C was not as successful as I had hoped, I was not able to discuss the issues affecting her, and unable to establish an effective working relationship due to the barrier on an interpreter. I left the meeting feeling deskilled and questioning my practice. On reflection, I should have provided more time to Ms C due to the language obstacle and gathered more information on her issues. I should have focused on Ms C and not the interpreter, and used the interpreter more effectively to establish a relationship. For future learning I will endeavour to use these reflections. The next part of Ms Cs assessment was her home assessment. I was initially reluctant to carry out a home assessment, as I had no previous experience, and did not know what was classed as an unsafe environment for children. I began tuning in and identified that a home assessment required strong observational skills for child protection concerns. I also discussed the home assessment with my practice teacher and on site supervisor for aspects I should be concerned about within the home. It was indicated that a safe environment for a child did not have to be overly clean, just safe considering where the child sleeps, fire hazards, is there evidence of drug or alcohol use, or smelling of smoke (as Mr C alleges). On entering Ms Cs home, as the interpreter had not arrived yet, I was reluctant to try and converse with Ms C. Ms C spoke limited English, and I did not want to confuse or alarm her by trying to discuss the case issues. However, I did try to use body language and facial expressions to reach for feelings and try to build a rapport by asking general questions about weather and work etc. I feel this helped our relationship, and helped me empathise about how difficult it must be to not be able to communicate effectively. By the time the interpreter had arrived I felt more at ease with Ms C, and addressed her (as opposed to the interpreter) with non-verbal cues such as nodding and body language. I felt more comfortable talking with Ms C, I felt more able to understand her frustrations at the court process, her ex-partner and his allegations. Prior to the assessment of the home I had gained stereotypical perceptions about Ms Cs home. I thought that the house, as it was in a working class area, would be unclean and neglected. However, the assessment of the home, using observational skills, indicated no child protection concerns, a clean environment for a child, and Mr Cs allegations unfounded. On reflection of my perceptions I feel I was oppressive to Ms C having been so judgemental, and I felt guilty about my opinions having been class discriminatory. Throughout the assessment with Ms C I found that by using an interpreter Ms C was able to stay informed and in control over her situation (Watson and West, 2006). I feel that by working with Ms C has helped my challenge my future practice with individuals who are non-English speakers. It will help me consider the needs of the service user, before judging them solely on language or their country of origin to provide equal opportunities. I now feel interpreters are required for a balance of power between the worker and service user, and promote anti-discriminatory practice. Planning: According to Parker and Bradley (2008: 72) Planning as part of the social work process is a method of continually reviewing and assessing the needs of all individual service users. It is based upon the assessment and identifies what needs to be done and what the outcome may be if it is completed. Prior to the beginning of placement I had limited experience of planning, or group work. It was important for me understand the facilitation and communication skills needed for successful group work, and help to develop my understanding of group dynamics, group control, and peer pressure for this age group. The key purpose of planning the group was to enable the young people to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to make informed decisions and choices about personal relationships and sexual health. I began preparing for the planning stage of the social work process by meeting with the HYPE team and researching their work. I was interested in the sexual health training for young people at school, as my own experience at school showed that the information was often limited, and I was interesting in finding out if it had been challenged. I then began by tuning in to how I wanted to proceed through the planning process, and researching the topics of the different sessions as I considered I had limited knowledge on sexual health awareness. As I had to plan every week separately it was important to tune in to each and use knowledge, such as group work skills to inform my practice. During initial sessions I noted how group members were quiet and withdrawn, this was important to note as the subject of sexual relationships may have been embarrassing for them to discuss. I too felt uncomfortable discussing the material, as I had limited understanding of sexual health, but it was important for the group to overcome these anxieties and work through them together. I identified that ice breaking techniques were required to facilitate trust and partnership. As the sessions progressed, one of the main challenges found was that peer influence was a major issue, with some of the participants controlling other quieter members. I felt it was necessary to include all members and encouraged participation using games. However, it was important not to push individuals when they became uncomfortable, as this could cause them to withdraw and disengage, disempowering them. Another challenge was that despite time management of the sessions, inevitably there had to be flexibility. Some of the group monopolised more time than others and it was necessary to be able to alter the plans according to time restraints. I also needed to be aware of my own values when planning sexual health awareness training, as it is still regarded as a controversial issue, especially in Catholic schools with teenagers (www.famyouth.org.uk). I considered sexual health awareness to be a great benefit in schools, but obviously due to religious considerations many Catholic schools continue simply to teach abstinence as the only form of contraception. This was important to consider as the group was facilitated in a Catholic school and many of the members or their teachers could have had religious views and opinions on the sessions, creating tension or animosity. Reflecting on this parental consent had been provided for the group, but the group itself were required to take part during a free period. I consider this to be an ethical dilemma as the childrens views werent regarded as highly as their parents. If undertaking this group in future, I feel it would be necessary to ask the group if they wish to take part, and gi ve the opportunity to withdraw promoting anti-oppressive practice. Intervention: Prior to this practice placement I had limited experience using intervention methods. My previous placement focused on task centred work with service users, but in the court childrens service this could not be facilitated due to the time restrictions of the court. I had also previously used Rogerian person centred counselling which I found I could use some of the theory and apply it to this setting. After gathering a range of information from the court referral, C1 and other professionals, I began to tune in to Es case. I had been directed by the court to ascertain his wishes and feelings in regards to residence and contact arrangements, and mediate between his parents to find agreement about the childs residence. As Child E is fourteen, I felt it was necessary to research levels of development for this age group and understand, according to psychologists, what level Child E would be at emotionally, physically and psychologically. I found that Child E should be at a level of becoming more independent, having his own values, and being able to make informed choices. One of the most important issues, through mediation, was challenging my own values and becoming aware of my own stereotypical views on adults who have separated, and the effects on their children. I had to challenge the idea that Child E just wanted to reside with his father as he was the less disciplined parent, or that Child E would most likely be playing his parents off against each other to get his own way. However, by challenging these views, and working with the parties through mediation, I came to realise that E had strong views about living with his father and had a stronger attachment to him. By reflecting on my values I realised that it was oppressive to consider the child as manipulating and could have affected my work with him. I found that having to be a neutral third party in mediation was difficult, I found myself having a role as a witness, a referee and a peacekeeper trying to find common ground. Despite this I feel a third side was necessary to help the parties work through issues. I found the most difficult aspect of this role to be impartiality as I found myself empathizing more with the mother (as the child refused to live with her). However, I also understood the childs reasons behind his decision. During mediation, and in court, I also challenged my judgements on gender and the notion that the mother is the nurturer or primary care giver in the home (Posada and Jacobs, 2001). The child clearly stated that he wanted to reside with his father, and when using questioning skills to probe about this, he claimed he had a stronger bond with his father, and that his mother was continually ridiculing him. I found myself having to alter my views about attachment and mother being the primary care giver and focus on what the child wants. As the intervention progressed I used family mediation session to work through issues. I found that effective communication was principal in ascertaining Child Es wishes and feelings, and helping the parties consider his views, as opposed to their own relationship incriminations. This not only empowered E by promoting partnership, but also gave him the knowledge that the court would be considering the information he provided. Within the meeting I felt I could have paced the meeting better and made better use of silences with E, as I dominated the conversation. I consider mediation to be successful as it helped the parties focus on the needs of the child, and helped them realise that they had a childs feelings to consider instead of the adversarial relationship built from court. Review: Prior to the review process I had experience of carrying out person centred reviews (PCR) through my previous practice placement. I had previous training on PCRs and found them to be more effective than traditional reviews, due to the service user involvement. A PCR is an example of a person centred approach and the information from a review can be the foundation of a person centred plan (Bailey et al., 2009). Within the family proceedings court the purpose of reviews are to reassess interim plans, and either change them, or confirm they are working for the child(ren). In Child Es case a review was necessary to indicate if living with his father was working, and to discuss if he wanted to change anything about his interim plans, which were introduced three months earlier. Within the court childrens team a review is fundamental to consider what is in the childs best interests, assess what is working and what is not working, and how to progress (considering the childs wishes and feelings). Child centred preparatory work with Child E was fundamental to the review success as it established what was important to him (Smull and Sanderson, 2005). Reflecting on my person centred work last year; I recognised that it was important to have preparatory work with Child E as it promoted choice and options to explore. I had also recognised that the information gathered from the preparatory work could be the foundations of the review itself, especially if Child E felt embarrassed or shy speaking out in front of his family on the day of the review (Smull and Sanderson, 2005) I conducted the review with Child E and his parents present, but reflecting on this it could also have been useful including his school teacher or other friends to have a holistic approach. Throughout the review I feel I was able to engage the participants successfully using goals to focus on, and we were able to create a person centred plan for Child E. During the preparation for the review Child E had expressed that he felt he was having too much contact with his mother, and would like to limit this, he also expressed that this was an awkward subject to discuss with his mother present. I identified this in the review as child E did not wish to. I used skills such as facilitation and communication to show that Child E felt strongly about this issue, and both parents claimed they understood his view point. The review was also useful in presenting the information in court, as the child could not be present and I could advocate on his behalf. On reflection of Child Es review I feel it was a successful measure to determine what was working and not working since plans were implemented from the last court date. I had confidence in facilitating the review, but I did feel I perhaps dominated the conversation as both parents were hostile towards each other, and Child E was shy and unassertive about expressing his feelings. During future reviews I will endeavour to promote communication between parties, while empowering of the child. I will use better use of silences and encourage active involvement. Conclusion: No matter how skilled, experienced or effective we are, there are, of course, always lessons to be learned, improvements to be made and benefits to be gained from reflecting on our practice (Thompson, 2005: 146) I feel this PLO has provided me with learning opportunities and identified my learning needs. It has encouraged me to reflect on my knowledge, skills and values and ensured that I used my reflections to learn from my practice. At the beginning of placement I was concerned I would oppress the service users by having limited understanding of the court process, and unable to work effectively as a result. However, through training, help from my practice teacher and knowledge, I soon realised that the placement was about providing support, not being an expert. I feel I was able to establish a balance of the legal requirements of court and social work role, which has contributed to my learning experience and future knowledge. As my placement progressed I used tuning in and evaluations to analyse my practice, and use them to learn from. My placement has enabled me to improve my court report writing skills, presentations skills and legislation knowledge, which I consider to be invaluable for the future. In terms of future professional development, I will endeavour to challenge my stereotypical assumptions about service users, I will seek advice and guidance from more experienced members of staff, and I will use knowledge and theory to inform my practice prior to meeting service users. Future learning requires me to continue to develop skills in working with children, to use silence as a skill, as listen actively to what the service user wants. Having an opportunity to work within the court system has been invaluable, but I would also like the opportunity to have more experience working with children to enhance my knowledge, skills and values further.

History, present and future of BRIC countries

History, present and future of BRIC countries INTRODUCTION Our topic for research is BRIC issues, so firstly we must know what is BRIC. BRIC is a related acronym that refers to the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. This idea was incorporated by Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva in June 2007. The basic reason for these four countries to come together was their common dissatisfaction the prevailing global economic and political order largely dominated by the US and her western allies. They have not been given the importance that these countries should have got in relation to their size and share in the economy. Its only the G-8 countries that decide for the future rules of global world order. So this was the reason for formation of the BRIC countries. The BRIC countries are also referred to as the big four as all of them are deemed to be at similar stage of economic development. The acronym was coined by Jim ONeill in a 2001 paper entitled The World Needs Better Economic BRICs. The following is the position of BRIC nations in relation to the world: Countries Share of world nominal GDP (%) Share of world military spending (%) Share of world population (%) Share of world landmass (%) Average share (%) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg/22px-Flag_of_Brazil.svg.png  Brazil 3.3 1.7 2.8 5.6 3.4 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png  China 9.3 6.6 19.5 6.2 10.4 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Flag_of_India.svg/22px-Flag_of_India.svg.png  India 2.3 2.4 17.3 1.9 6.0 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Russia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Russia.svg.png  Russia 2.4 3.5 2.1 10.9 4.7 According to Goldman Sachs, by 2050 the combined economies of the BRIC countries would eclipse the combined economies of the current richest countries in the world. The BRIC countries combined currently account for more than quarter of worlds land and more than 40% of worlds population. The economic potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China is such that they can become the top four dominant countries of the world by the year 2050. The following leaders were present at the summit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Lula_-_foto_oficial05012007_edit.jpg/80px-Lula_-_foto_oficial05012007_edit.jpg BrazilBrazil Luiz Inà ¡cio Lula da Silva, President http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Dmitry_Medvedev_official_large_photo_-5.jpg/86px-Dmitry_Medvedev_official_large_photo_-5.jpg RussiaRussia Dmitry Medvedev, President http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Manmohansingh04052007.jpg/78px-Manmohansingh04052007.jpg IndiaIndia Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Hu_Jintao_%28Cropped%29.png/107px-Hu_Jintao_%28Cropped%29.png Peoples Republic of ChinaChina Hu Jintao, President BRIC countries hold a combined GDP (PPP) of 15.435 trillion dollars. On almost every scale, they would be the largest entity on the global stage. These four countries are among the biggest and fastest growing emerging markets. In a paper Dreaming with BRICS: The Path to 2050, published in 2003, the following was estimated: Chinas economy will surpass the economy of Germany in the next few years, of Japan by 2015, and of the United States of America by 2041. The growth rate of India will be the highest and it will overtake Japan by 2032. BRICs currencies can appreciate by 300% over the next 50 years. Taken together, the BRIC countries can be larger than United States and the developed economies within 40 years. By the year 2025. The BRIC countries will bring about 200 million people with incomes above $15000 in the worlds economy. It is equal to the combined populations of Germany, France and United Kingdom. But according to the reports the economy of china overtook the economy of Germany in the year 2007 instead of the prediction of 2008 and Japan in the July 2010. ISSUES RELATING TO BRIC COUNTIES The first official BRIC summit was held on 16 June 2009, in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Luiz Inà ¡cio Lula da Silva, Dmitry Medvedev, Manmohan Singh, and Hu Jintao, the respective leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China, all attended this summit. The main focus of this summit was to improve the current global economic situation and discussing how these four countries could work together in the future for the development of the world economy. They also discussed how these countries could be better involved in global affairs in the future. They also suggested that there was a need for a new global reserve currency that is diversified, stable and predictable. This statement was a kind of an attack on the dominance of the US dollar. The foreign ministers of all these countries had earlier also met on May 16, 2008 in Yakaterinburg. One week before their first official summit, Brazil had offered $10 billion dollars to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which was the first time that the country had ever made such a loan. This loan showed how the economy of Brazil is growing and that it is in a good state now. China has also planned to invest a total of $50.1 billion and Russia planned to invest $10 billion. The following the major issues discussed by BRIC: Coping with the current international financial crisis: Discussions were held on issues such as the worlds reserve currency and some countries will try and adopt local currencies as settlement currency for bilateral trade so that they can overcome the impact of international financial crisis and facilitate trade contacts with other countries. The BRIC countries discussed ways to overcome the financial crisis that many parts of the world were facing as a result of the crisis that started in U.S. Coping with global climate change: Another important BRIC issue is to cope with global climate change. This is a very important issue because we need to ensure that the world becomes a better planet to live in. The concept of sustainable development was stressed in solving this problem. Sustainable development means that the resources should be used efficiently and effectively such that it is not only useful to the present generations but also available for the future generations. They also discussed that environmental issues should not be made an excuse to restrain the economic and social development of emerging economies. Environmental degradation should not hinder economic growth. The colloquium on Climate Change Law and Governance in South Asia, aims to inspire legal discussion within and between the BRICs countries. It is being jointly organized by the Environment Ministry of Government of India and the Geneva-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Development of second and third generation renewable energies The development of second and third generation renewable energies is a subject of common interest for all the countries. They also hope that more and more countries of the world will participate in the development and utilization of renewable sources of energy so as to facilitate economic development. World peace and security: World peace and security is a universal issue concerning the human race. Without peace and security economic growth and development cannot happen. The emerging markets should play a greater role among international multilateral institutions to improve the efficiency, vitality of international multilateral mechanism. Such countries can play a positive role to preserve the sovereignty of all countries as well as maintain world peace. BRIC cooperation will enhance the voice of developing nations: BRIC countries share common interests and concerns in international affairs and should consolidate cooperation. It is necessary for the BRIC countries to strengthen dialogue, coordination and cooperation to enhance the overall voice and influence of emerging markets and developing countries, and promote world peace, stability and universal development. BRIC countries demand more say in financial system reform: The BRIC countries have welcomed the expansion of the Balse committee that standard accounting bodies need to be set up. The BRIC ministers agreed that stabilization of international financial system through liquidity support and recapitalization is a priority. They are also taking measures to promote domestic demand in their national economies. The BRIC countries to play roles as new donors to Africa: Africa has plenty to gain from the growing involvement of China and other BRIC nations in trade and investment on the continent Need for changes in global institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank: The BRIC countries have realized the need for change in global institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. There is also a need to update regulation of financial markets to avoid another global crisis. On matters relating to the IMF, the countries have agreed to aim at achieving a significant 7% shift in Quota shares in favour of EMDCs and New arrangement to borrow. For the World Bank, the nations discussed ways and means of enhancing the voice participation of developing countries and agreed to aim for a shift of a 6% of parity. They also supported an increase in capital for both the World Bank and its private lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Challenges in setting conditions for sustained growth: Brazil is the only nation where the growth rates have been less than expected. This is because Brazil is much less open to trade and it has lower investment and savings. The public and foreign debt is also very high. Unless these obstacles are removed, Brazil is unlikely to achieve the targets set for it. Environmental constraints: Environmental degradation is a critical risk to the economic rise of the BRIC nations. Global warming can have a bad impact on the rural incomes. Also urbanization and industrialization puts a lot of pressure on the environment. Many major cities like Shanghai, Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro are vulnerable to rising sea levels. Resources issue: Russia and Brazil are resource rich nations but china and India have to depend a lot upon imports to fuel their growth. If commodity prices rise, it will have a lot of effect on their imports and hence their growth. If technology advances and reduces dependence on conventional energy sources, Russia and Brazil will face reduced prospects for growth. Demographics: The population of India is increasing at a very high rate while the population of Russia is at decline. Brazil and China have declining populations (in case of China due to one family one child policy). Population decline could be a significant constraint for Russia and China, though China could avoid this by relaxing the rules a bit. Structural constraints: All the BRIC countries have structural issues which need to be addressed. India needs significant economic reforms. Brazil saves and invests too little. Each country should invest at least that much to ensure that it has infrastructure to maintain growth. Iran: Brazil has expressed affinity with China towards the Iranian nuclear issue. Development: China has showed willingness to be a positive partner in global development saying The scale and complexity of the challenges that we face in the course of development are unmatched anywhere else in the world and have been rarely seen in human history. China is willing to be dedicated to peace and cooperation and is willing to make greater contribution to mankind. The above were most of the major BRIC issues which we have tried to explain through our research.

Beyond the Disability Essay -- Interview Essay

Born in Northern Ireland, Eamonn McGirr began his career not as the lively, captivating performer he is now known as, but as a mathematics professor. I had the opportunity to meet and interview Mr. McGirr while working for the school newspaper. After interviewing Mr. McGirr it is easy to envision him amongst a classroom of young students. Not only is he articulate and engaging, but even more striking is the overwhelming sincerity and compassion he radiated throughout our conversation. Â   Mr. McGirr has been an active member of the disabled community for some time now. His main motivation to become an active participant has been his daughter Mareena. Mareena has cerebral palsy and Mr. McGirr has worked tirelessly to raise support for individuals living with C.P., as well as other disabilities. It comes with unfortunate irony that he, a bastion of strength for the disabled community, has recently suffered his own physical trauma. It was just over a year ago that Mr. McGirr suffered a spinal injury that has left him in a wheelchair, as well as severely limiting the movement in his hands. Â   During his six months in the hospital Mr. McGirr felt periods of great discouragement. He feared that his entire life would need reconstruction. There were even moments when the doctors had indicated that there was no hope that he would ever perform again. However, with the support of Mareena and his wife Mary, Mr. McGirr found hope when things seemed hopeless. After receiving a deluge of inspirational letters ranging from Governor Pataki to other individuals suffering their own personal disabilities, Mr. McGirr decided it was time to return home and begin his life again. Â   His stories were not sugar-coated... ...e sums of money, every little bit helps. In spreading the word, we can get many small donations that together can make a real difference in the life of one individual. Â   Prior to our interview, I had only known Eamonn McGirr as the performer who sang tirelessly for 11 days and 20 minutes, breaking his fifth Guinness World Record - all in the name of the Center for the Disabled. However, after our interview, I had respect and admiration for a man who not only devoted himself to a cause, but has done so with a passion and fervor scarcely found. Eamonn McGirr has given himself fully to the disability movement and now, himself living with a disability, continues to work at full throttle. Mr. McGirr stands out as a pivotal and significant figure in the disability movement, and I believe he has set a precedent that will inspire and motivate generations to come.

Robert Browning’s Andrea del Sarto Essay -- Andrea del Sarto

Robert Browning’s Andrea del Sarto Lucrezia del Sarto (To My Dear Husband) My dear husband, put away your plate of bread Or, pray you, hand it to the dogs; the sun Has but an hour to make its mid-way trek, And here sit you etching pewter with crust, And smearing cheese and jam with lazy thumbs. Ah, yes! Kiss me so. Then kiss me better To smother my lips. Your artlessness is What makes me smile so, dear, and not your kiss. No, I will speak. And should you be so kind As to listen, you’ll find me plainly spoken. Long last night, in my bed, I turned and turned; As much as I’d suffered your words while they Tumbled from your lips, I suffered them once More, and more fresh, fettered fast inside my head! Love, the night wore on, black, blank, and at last Thinned. But how you wear me! Tell me you shall Keep your promise to each one of the three: To myself, to my cousin, and to thee! I will tell you how I mean: Do life’s work, Honor your wife, your word, and yourself If it pleases you. But be first a man; No—a husband—above all else. Tell me, ’Tis possibly better to honor yourself? My dear husband, I have much in reply To offer your last eve’s soliloquy; So perhaps it shall suit you to gaze less Dumbly at my brow and more at my mouth Whilst I so plainly speak. Your talents do Not waste themselves on me. Do not doubt it. I am more certain of your skill than you May think. And so I am less humored by The fickle errantry of a mind which once Was sharp and sweet. My pride in you has waned. Pick, pick, pick, but never paint! Well enough, You say we are all only but in God’s Hands; ’Tis not God who binds you down, nor I! Your works have touched heaven, but you are low; God, you think, assign... ...ehind a play of words or a psychological puzzle, tempting his reader to dig for it there, later. I have come to appreciate the rich expressiveness inherent in the dramatic mono-logue format. Without actually stating or describing very much, the poet is able to depict a scene and its props, animate characters, and imply action, emotion, and rhthym for the audience. I discovered that each time I implied action on the part of either Lucrezia or Andrea, (â€Å"put away your plate . . . But even now you entwine me . . .†), I was, at the same time, implying action—and its accompanying emotion—on the part of the second character, as well. The poem becomes a dance—a dense, complex web of subtleties and surprises. This poetic form is a pleasure to read and a pleasure to mimic. It carries an intimacy which embraces the poet, the characters, and the reader all at once.

On Translation of English Proverbs Essay

Abstractï ¼Å¡Proverbs, which derive from life are the condensation and embodiment of the language and culture of a nation. Proverb is a form of literature,its terseness and depth is the result of sand washing from rough sea and discarding the dross and selecting the essential in the course of language culture development. The proverb has the bright characteristic of a nation. Because of the differences of religious beliefs, habits and customs, fables and myth and culture and art, English proverbs and Chinese proverbs carry on the different national cultural characteristics and information. In translation,these cultural elements are the main difficulties and they form  the influencing factor of the translation of English proverbs.This essay uses some typical examples to state four factors through analyzing, comparing and concluding from the point of geographical environment, customs, religious beliefs and historical culture. In order to present an adequate translation of a proverb, we can use four translation methods flexibly: literal translation, free translation, substitution translation and literal translation combined with free translation. Key words: English proverb influencing factor translation method æ µâ€¦Ã¨ °Ë†Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã§Å¡â€žÃ§ ¿ »Ã¨ ¯â€˜ Ã¥ ­ ¦ 生ï ¼Å¡Ã©Æ' Ã¦â„¢â€œÃ¦â€" ° ä ¸â€œ ä ¸Å¡Ã¯ ¼Å¡Ã¨â€¹ ± è ¯ ­ æÅ'‡å ¯ ¼ è€ Ã¥ ¸Ë†Ã¯ ¼Å¡Ã¨ µ µÃ¤ ¸ ¹Ã¤ ¸ ¹ 摘è ¦ Ã¯ ¼Å¡Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¦  ¥Ã¦ º Ã¤ ºÅ½Ã§â€Å¸Ã¦ ´ »Ã¯ ¼Å'æ˜ ¯Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ ªÃ¦ °â€˜Ã¦â€" Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã¥â€™Å'æâ€"‡åÅ'â€"çš„é «ËœÃ¥ º ¦Ã¦ µâ€œÃ§ ¼ ©Ã¥â€™Å'集ä ¸ ­Ã¤ ½â€œÃ§Å½ °Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã§ § Ã¦â€"‡å ­ ¦Ã¥ ½ ¢Ã¥ ¼ Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¦ ´â€"ç »Æ'å’Å'æ · ±Ã¥Ë† »Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ ªÃ¦ °â€˜Ã¦â€" Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¥â€¦ ¶Ã¦ ¼ «Ã©â€¢ ¿Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¨ ¯ ­Ã¨ ¨â‚¬Ã¦â€"‡å ­â€"Ã¥ â€˜Ã¥ ±â€¢Ã¤ ¸ ­Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¦ µ ªÃ¦ ·ËœÃ¦ ²â„¢Ã¯ ¼Å'åŽ »Ã§ ²â€"Ã¥ â€"ç ² ¾Ã§Å¡â€žÃ§ »â€œÃ¦Å¾Å"ï ¼Å'è °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¥â€¦ ·Ã¦Å"‰é ²Å"明的æ °â€˜Ã¦â€" Ã§â€° ¹Ã¦â‚¬ §Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ§â€ ±Ã¤ ºÅ½Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ Å'çš„å ®â€"æ•™ä ¿ ¡Ã¤ » °Ã¯ ¼Å'é £Å½Ã¤ ¿â€"ä ¹  Ã¦Æ' ¯Ã¯ ¼Å'Ã¥ ¯â€œÃ¨ ¨â‚¬Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã¨ ¯ Ã¤ » ¥Ã¥ Å Ã¦â€"‡å ­ ¦Ã¨â€° ºÃ¦Å" ¯Ã¨ ¯ ¸Ã¥ ¤Å¡Ã¦â€" ¹Ã©  ¢Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¥ · ®Ã¥ ¼â€šÃ¯ ¼Å'è‹ ±Ã¯ ¼Å'æ ±â€°Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¦â€° ¿Ã¨ ½ ½Ã§ â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ Å'çš„æ °â€˜Ã¦â€" Ã¦â€"‡åÅ'â€"ç‰ ¹Ã¨â€° ²Ã¥â€™Å'ä ¸ Ã¥ Å'çš„æâ€"‡åÅ'â€"ä ¿ ¡Ã¦  ¯Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥Å" ¨Ã § ¿ »Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã¤ ¸ ­Ã¯ ¼Å'è ¿â„¢Ã¤ ºâ€ºÃ¦â€"‡åÅ'â€"å›  Ã§ ´  Ã¦Ëœ ¯Ã¤ ¸ »Ã¨ ¦ Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¥â€º °Ã©Å¡ ¾Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¤ »â€"ä » ¬Ã¦Å¾â€žÃ¦Ë† Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¥â€œ Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã§ ¿ »Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¥â€º  Ã§ ´  Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Å" ¬Ã¦â€"‡å€ŸåŠ ©Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¤ ºâ€ºÃ¥â€¦ ¸Ã¥Å¾â€¹Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¤ ¾â€¹Ã¥ ­ Ã¯ ¼Å'ä »Å½Ã¥Å" °Ã§ â€ Ã§Å½ ¯Ã¥ ¢Æ'〠Ã© £Å½Ã¤ ¿â€"ä ¹  Ã¦Æ' ¯Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥ ®â€"æ•™ä ¿ ¡Ã¤ » °Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥Å½â€ Ã¥  ²Ã¦â€"‡åÅ'â€"æâ€" ¹Ã©  ¢Ã¥Ë†â€ Ã¦Å¾ Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ§ § Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¥â€œ Ã¥â€º  Ã§ ´  Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¤ ¸ ºÃ¤ ºâ€ Ã¥ ¿  Ã¥ ®Å¾Ã£â‚¬ Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã© ¡ ºÃ¥Å" °Ã¥â€  Ã§Å½ °Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¥Å½Å¸Ã¨ °Å¡,Ã¥  ¯Ã¤ » ¥Ã§  µÃ¦ ´ »Ã¨ ¿ Ã§â€ ¨Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ§ § Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã¦ ³â€¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Å" ¬Ã¦â€"‡è ® ¨Ã¨ ® ºÃ¤ ºâ€ Ã§â€º ´Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã£â‚¬ Ã¦â€ž Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥ Å'ä ¹â€°Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¥ ¥â€"ç” ¨Ã¦ ³â€¢Ã£â‚¬ Ã§â€º ´Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã¥â€™Å'æ„ Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã§â€º ¸Ã§ »â€œÃ¥ Ë†Ã¨ ¿â„¢Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ§ § Ã§ ¿ »Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã¦â€" ¹Ã¦ ³â€¢Ã£â‚¬â€š å… ³Ã©â€ ®Ã¨ ¯ : è‹ ±Ã¨ ¯ ­Ã¨ °Å¡Ã¨ ¯ ­ Ã¥ ½ ±Ã¥â€œ Ã¥â€º  Ã§ ´   ç ¿ »Ã¨ ¯â€˜Ã¦Å â‚¬Ã¥ · §

The mortals as well as the immortals

Shakespeare in his drama â€Å" A Midsummer-Night’s Dream† has tried to show that the course of romantic love never runs smooth. He has made the readers and the viewers realize that this world doesn’t receive the lovers with garlands, rather it try to litter the path, where lovers tread, with thorns.   try their level best to keep the lovers away from tying the nuptial knots. The final consummation of lovers’ passion into marriage depends solely on their commitments to their passions and their steadfastness in achieving their goals. In this essay we will try to prove the assertion `the course of true love never did run smooth’. Shakespeare 1.1.134, supporting our viewpoints by instances taken from the drama, â€Å" A Midsummer-Night’s Dream†.Fathers and mothers-the universal, eternal and traditional enemies of innocent lovers:It happens in real life as well as Shakespeare made us see it in the drama too that fathers, mothers or both try to spoil the love-broth, that their sons and daughters cook with such warm feelings and passion. In this dram Egeus played this despicable role. He proved himself an adamant and unyielding father.He wishes his daughter to be slave to his iron will. He comes to complain to the duke against his child’s behavior who refuses to marry Demetrius .He, therefore, requests the Duke that the time-honored law of Athens, which gives full authority to a parent to dispose of his child on any way he like, should be place din his hand. He was blind to the fact that â€Å" Love obeys no law†. Though Hermia wanted her father to agree with her views but he, on the other hand, cried,â€Å"I beg the ancient privilege of Athens,/As she is mine, I may dispose of her:/Which shell be either to this gentleman/Or to her death, according to our law/Immediately provided in that case.If the passion of love is true and intense, it will get itself realized no matter how heavy the odds are:Shakes peare made the viewers and the readers realize that if the passion of love is true it will definitely be precipitate into marriage in spite of all the dangers that threaten it. Hermia’s devotedness to her love was so strong enough that she chooses to live ‘ a barren sister all her life’ than to dessert her lover and marry the other man of her father’s choice.She run away with her lover, under the spell of her passion, and succeeded in marrying the man of her choice in the end and lived happily ever after. Like wise the case with Helena who is in love with Demetrius. Such is the intensity of her passion for her lover that she said to him,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And I am sick when I look not on you.†   Shakespeare 2.1.214.  She knew that Demetrius wanted to marry Hermia but she believed in the truth of her love and thus at last succeeded in winning him over to her side. Shakespeare here suggests that true love is immensely powerful.

The Existence of Pathos in Dante’s Inferno

Madeleine Calhoun First Year Seminar Professor Scheible 11/24/12 The Existence of Pathos in Dante’s Inferno The strength of emotions drives many unjustifiable actions of humanity. The human race is subjected to feelings of pity and compassion. Yet, when did we obtain these potentially harmful yet also helpful feelings? Why do we have these uncontrollable emotions? And what can these feelings possibly contribute to an individual, or a society? There is much contemplation about the roles that pity and co.uk/on-compassion-summary-and-response/">compassion, as well as other feelings play into life.Emotions are the basis of all interaction and relationship; they enable a certain level of trust throughout literature, which can also perceptibly be applicable in everyday existence. Dante’s Inferno, is an epic piece of literature that contains exemplary instances of the use of pity and compassion. Pity is the ability to sympathize for one’s situation, being able to look d own with reason and an equal understanding. Compassion is affection, and care that is distributed and usually reciprocated in a relationship.These emotions are used to create a foundation relationship and a basis of trust throughout the text between the characters, and the reader. These most basic human emotions, pity and compassion, are fundamental to a true human experience. They build a level of trust between Dante, the writer, and his reader. A necessity in all of literature is to establish a balance of trust between the narrator and the reader. Without this relationship, the reader will become disinterested, and it will be more difficult for him or her to make the vital connections with the characters.Just as Calhoun 2 Virgil guides Dante through hell; the poet guides the reader through the work of literature. According to Professor Joseph Luzzi at Bard College, Dante addressed the reader 20 times throughout the poem (Poetry and Knowledge in Inferno: Dante’s World Wide W eb). This aids in the establishment of participation, and creates a more intimate and interactive relationship with the reader. The ability to have a protagonist with these human feelings of compassion develops a more believable plotline and affirms the easily accessible bond with the reader.Dante accomplished this by creating a relatable main character, himself, who feels the same average emotions as every natural human. Should we pity those in hell? This question rattles the minds of those who read Dante’s Inferno. In this vernacular poem Dante is both the author and the main character. He is taking a journey through hell guided by Virgil. Many have no idea why Dante wants to visit hell. However, many infer that Dante used this book as a form of revenge for the society of Florence, from which he was exiled in 1301.Also, he used this book as an attempt to exert more superiority over his enemies. Along the way, Dante emphasizes on all of the terrible sights of disfigured sinn ers, and giant monsters. His wild and imaginative tour taught him the full understanding of sin, and the consequences of these acts of wrongdoing. Dante experiences pity and compassion many times throughout the text. He pities the many sinners who have been placed in hell, and his friendship with Virgil aids his travels. These indisputable emotions both helped and hindered him during his time in hell.Hell itself is an intimidating, unknown, and violent place. All of those who sin and die on earth are welcomed by the devil to hell. The architecture of hell is not Calhoun 3 designed to promote pity and compassion. Dante learns through his excursion that pity is not the appropriate response to the sinners. All of the sinners are aware of their situation; they have chosen their sin and hell is the consequence for their actions. Those in hell do not need to feel emotions for each other, because they are all in the same position, and their conditions have no permanent means to improve.The re is no place in the typical hell for compassion. This negatively affects Dante because he is a naturally merciful human, which may explain why he is merely visiting hell, and not a permanent member of the community. Dante came upon this realization the hard way because many times in hell he was admonishes for showing empathy. When the citizens of hell noticed Dante’s common affiliation with these emotions they viewed him as weak. This concept reinforces that Dante was placed at a disadvantage in this moment in hell. In this situation, Dante saw one of his loves, Francesca.This romantic event obviously stirred him with both compassion and pity. â€Å"So that for pity I swooned as if in death. And down I fell as a dead body falls† (Dante V. 140-142). Dante’s implicit human instinct drove his emotions towards mercy for his poor lover. His previous mode of affection towards Francesca was no longer welcomed, and he now sympathized for his woman, and the preceding l ust that they shared. These feelings should prove Dante a sincere mortal, are inhibit him in this situation. By comparing himself to a falling dead body, this may further be setting him on a similar Calhoun 4 omparative ground as those in hell. Dante may not realize how much hell is having an internal affect on him. This quote also displays Dante’s capacity to feel compassion for others, and he is instantly vulnerable to the maniacal tendencies of the sinners. He needs the compassion, and reassurance that he will not join the sinners in this cold alternate world. It is inevitable to recognize that fact that because Dante pities those in hell, his own position of morality should be questioned. In order to pity the sinners, would you have to understand them?Or, at the least, be able to reason with their sins? Possibly it is merely the violent darkness, and impending deathly gloom that impulsively convinces Dante that these sinners are in need of condolence. He struggles with th ese pities, for it is difficult to have any sort of involvement with this society of hell. Dante’s strong sense of moral indignation makes it difficult for him to see the truth behind sin. However, it is these realizations that convince him that he belongs, or hopes to belong in heaven, instead of hell.Perhaps the answer for those sinners in hell is that they do not posses this widely acknowledged, and ordinarily accepted trait of compassion. After all, in the modern day basic relationships and families are built off of the trust that is ensured by a certain degree of compassion. The ability to pity shows an individual’s mental capacity of care. Isn’t Dante just being a nice guy by feeling bad for those burning in hell? Pity and compassion may occasionally hinder Dante’s chances and position in hell; however, without these vital emotions, Dante would not have made it through alive.Dante admits it for himself in Canto II, that the compassion he is given pr ovides him with the strength, Calhoun 5 and power, to continue on with his travel through hell. Here, compassion is a positive emotion because it provides companionship, and allows for understanding. In this situation, Dante exudes his fear of hell. Beatrice, his other lover, and Virgil both console him, and show him the necessary compassion to inspire him to continue his journey. â€Å"Such in my failing strength, did I become. And so much courage poured into my heart†¦ Your words have made my heart So eager for the journey† Dante II. 130-131, 136-137). Here pity and compassion serve as a motivation, and help Dante develop throughout his sojourn in hell. He uses the word â€Å"eager† to display how much a small act of compassion can almost rejuvenate Dante of fear. This quote explicitly displays the positive effects of empathy. Dante learns that when controlled, these emotions can show who the true sinners are. These relationships with others prove to Dante that he is not as alone as he primarily stated in the beginning of the canto. These extrapolations from the text can show that pity is transmittable, and malleable.The feelings may come and go, yet they arrive at a convenient time for Dante’s incentive to proceed. Dante’s relationship with Virgil is the epitome of an example of compassion as a contagion. Virgil is not originally accustomed to being around these emotions, and he quickly learns that for this journey, as well as most others in life, pity and compassion are necessary. When Virgil notices Dante’s merciful nature, he first admonishes him for these feelings, but by the end, Virgil is taking part in the sequence of empathy. Calhoun 6 â€Å"He looked with care upon the ruin, Took though, chose a plan of action,Then opened out his arms and took me in them† (Dante XXIV. 22-24). In this situation, Virgil was taking Dante through bridges, and climbing up cliffs. These are dangerous tasks in hell, and Virgi l recognized this, then quickly after involuntarily reaches to embrace Dante, satisfying his need for compassion. Primarily in the plot Virgil is only Dante’s teacher; however, by the end of the poem, Virgil serves as more of a paternal or lord-like figure. He sees Dante as an equal for enduring the difficult circumstances of hell, and developing a thickness against the sinners.Any form of compassion that Dante receives from Virgil mitigates his negative experiences, and establishes a necessary basis of trust between the two. This relationship pushes them both further on their journey, because they know that they are not alone. Dante learns from his acquaintances with pity that not everyone deserves it, and as the plot progresses, Dante develops a sort of strength, and begins to have immunity against the sore sights in hell. This illustrates that pity and compassion have positive potential to help an individual, and can shift depending on the affects or consequences of the em otion.Opposing the internal pities that Dante holds in the text, he also cannot help but pity himself. Perhaps, this may be a reflection or effect from the compassion that he sees being given to others. The theory that Dante pities himself as well as the sinners could prove to be one of Dante’s mental rationalizations for the creation of Inferno. His Calhoun 7 experiences with these feelings exhibit the circuitous cycle of pity and compassion. First, Dante pities himself for being exiled; his solution then is to write the Inferno. His pity then shifts to the sinners in hell, and for this he eventually receives compassion from Virgil.In the end, Dante reached a stage of revenge in which pity had been alienated. This cycle of pity takes control of Dante, and puts him in an inferior position to the others in hell, or to his fellow writers on earth. Dante sympathizes for himself because ultimately it is him who understands his own feelings of remorse from being exiled from his ho me. This proof of pity places Dante at an even more comparable human level, because the average individual in humanity finds it easy to take pity on themselves. If Dante had not been exiled†¦ would he have put all of his enemies in hell?Would Inferno have even been written in the first place? Pity and compassion are necessary emotions in Inferno, as well as in actual existence. Understanding this pathos of Dante and his relationships with Virgil shows the reader the extent to which pity and compassion can affect an individual. These overcoming feelings are natural, and they can both help and hinder depending on the situation. They should not be held back because they teach the essentials of truth and trust, and good and evil. The relationships developed from compassion assist us everyday, without them the human race would be alone.If it were not for the pity that Dante had for others, and himself, we would have not been exposed to the necessary connections towards developing th e Inferno. However, the larger question that should be considered is†¦ where would human existence be without these emotions of pity and compassion? Calhoun 8 Works Cited Dante, Alighieri, Robert Hollander, and Jean Hollander. Inferno. New York: Doubleday, 2000. Print. Luzzi, Joseph. â€Å"Poetry & Knowledge in Inferno: Dante's World Wide Web. † Dante Inferno Symposium. Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson. Oct. -Nov. 2012. Lecture.