Leadership model

Malcolm Muggeridge, towards the end of his life, reflected: â€Å"Looking over my 90 years, I realize I have never made any progress in good times. I only progressed in the hard times.† While this may not be easily acceptable in today’s ears, in leadership, whatever progress in personal goals is made and sustained most of the time, not in good times, but during difficult times. Leadership Behaviors to Sustain Momentum Firstly, leadership has something to do with change, stimulation of ideas, enthusiasm and encouragement for the tasks, and influence. I wish to enumerate three vital traits, each one linked with a specific function for leaders (Beckhard, R. 1969). 1. The imagination to innovate To promote innovation, successful leaders assist in cultivating novel view, the ideas, paradigm, and applications of expertise that makes an organization distinct. During the course of the implementation this particular trait is important especially that there will be delays, resistance to the change process that normally occurs. A good leader is ingenuous to create something which will contribute to enhance and sustain the momentum. 2. The professionalism to perform. Leaders offer personal and organizational capability, assisted by personnel preparation and education, to implement impeccably and dispense worth to ever more difficult and exacting customers. There will be criticisms to come, many personal-all of which can possibly help if the leader knows how and what to do with them. He is a professional, and an important virtue that he should characterize is to be able to deliver and keep his cool whenever difficulties arise. 3. The openness to work in partnership. Leaders create associations and linkages with partners who can enlarge the organization's contact, improve its contributions, or strengthen its systems. Since an organization is composed of people, this leader knows a lot about human nature and behavior in group settings so he can appropriately anticipate and plan as well as adjust to various personalities. Authors Sullivan and Decker, wrote a very effective communication piece in the 2005 book Effective Leadership and Nursing Management in Nursing.   The authors tried to convey the idea that the practical application of the skills comes in two important aspects and that they are indispensable as well as distinct and inseparable. The authors identified that organizations are designed in their specific arrangements as they function and these are pertinent in how the people working in their specific areas are handled and led. According to Dr. Jacques (1997), there are prime values placed on every part of the organization which he postulated in his stratified systems theory. When he called for the individual responsibility, he meant that whether the person in the spotlight may be the rank and file individual or happens to be the plant manager, the type of leadership that is seen is expressive of this core value. Management then implies the adoption of accountability and this summarily implies leadership knowing as mentioned in the preceding page on influence and exercise of power, when a person exercises accountability, he actually exerts leadership; leading by example and it is fundamentally ethical and transferable. Management and leadership are seen then, as interchangeable essentials, and according to Dr. Jacques, the existence and continuity as well as the perpetuation of a successful team depend much on the kind of leadership exemplified in the theory he posited. This need has never been brought about only by factors which inevitably affect not only the established structures and ways of doing things within the personnel area but also by the more meaningful and substantial task of managing the organization’s most important asset – the human capital. Among these factors are: stiffer competition in business; rapid changes in technological, competitive and economic environments; the explosion of technical and managerial knowledge; spiraling wage and benefits cost and so many others. These factors have no doubt been responsible for the emergence of the personnel function as a vital area in the implementation of corporate strategy. Conclusion The leadership approaches are important to imitate and assimilate as I go about my own quest for the implementation of leadership behaviors in my own workplace. Certain people who have been visible today who are worthy to emulate include men like Collin Powell and women like Oprah Winfrey. Although not all of their decisions are acceptable or popular, certainly their manner of leading have taken the world’s notice and made them trailblazers for others to follow. Reference: Permissions Department, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ07030 USA. Jacques, Elliot. 1997. Requisite Organization: Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21st Century. London: Gower. GBR Mulhauser, Greg. Management Skills and Leadership Skills. Accessed March 17, 2008. ;http://coaching.mulhauser.net/executive/manage-vs-lead.html#evidence; Sullivan, Eleanor and Phillip J. Decker. 2005. Effective Leadership and Nursing Management in Nursing, with Student Video (4th Edition). Leadership model I have never really had any father to emulate nor a family that could guide me.   Many would say that I was all alone and would never be a leader type because I never had any role models growing up.   Yet I beg to differ from the public stereotype of leadership role models because even given my difficult situation growing up I did find a leadership role model, my coach.   While this may not seem to be a conventional choice for most people, I firmly believe that it was because of my basketball coach that I have developed the leadership skills I have today and have become a leader myself.Before I relate why I think my basketball coach is the best leadership role model that I have had in my life, albeit arguably inexperienced, I feel that it is important for me to discuss just what I think a leader is and should be.Great leaders have been said to be catalysts of change because of their ability to motivate, to inspire and to make any group of individuals act as a cohesive working u nit (House, 2004).   While there are those who argue that a leader must always make waves in order to make a definite impact in any working environment, it has also been shown that an effective leader must be able to contextualize his actions and understand what the best course is given the environment he is working in (Warneka, 2006).Coach Smith, as we used to call him, was that type of leader.   He never insisted on making waves but addressed the needs of the players and motivated every single one of us.   Superstar egos on the team were shelved and the goals of the team always came first before personal glory.   At the same time however, he made the person who contributed to the success of the team feel and know that it was his great performance which made a difference and in doing so inspired that person to work harder, not only for the good of the team but for himself as well.This leadership style employed by Coach Smith is also quite similar to another great leader who achieved impressive results, Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines, the company he created, consistently fared better than its competitors, surviving the tough times for the aviation industry. One of the secrets to the company’s success is its unique culture that differentiates it from its competitors. At Southwest, there is a great emphasis on the people aspect of the business. In fact, Herb Kelleher in an interview with Babson Insight vividly demonstrated his commitment to the staff of the company by calling them People – in this way, written with a capital letter (Herb Kelleher, 2004).Coach Smith empowered people.   He never sought to tow people in line and force them to do their bidding.   In a way he inspired me and the other members on the team to do better, much like Kelleher who made people feel that they played a major role in the success of the company.   This quiet but inspiring leadership style proved to very effective as our team w on the local tournament.I realize know just how pivotal his leadership methods were for our team.   A leader does not necessarily have to make waves in order to make to facilitate change.   There are many types of leadership styles that do not call for the application of any drastic actions or forceful management techniques.   The problem with the idea that making waves is necessary to facilitate change is that the outcome and effect on the other members on the team may not react as intended and it may even have a negative effect (Torbert, 2004).   This may result in team members being unable to communicate properly with the leader or with decreased productivity due to the sudden changes and major changes in the working environment brought about by the waves.This was exactly the problem that Coach Smith was able to avoid when he took over the team and inspired us with his quiet leadership.   12 strong willed and capable individuals, each person playing for his own personal glory, to rack up the most number of points or even the league Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy, would hardly make an efficient and effective team.   Yet Coach was able to harness the individual talents of each player but still make the unit function as an effective team.In popular leadership models such as Situational Leadership which was developed by Blanchard and Hersey in the late 1960s, the need for a flexible leader who was able to adapt leadership practices to suit the needs of the working environment was emphasized (Argyris, 1976).   A good leader must be able to assess the situation and determine what the best approach is, whether it is by making waves or quietly empowering and inspiring the team members.   Leaders do not need to make waves to facilitate change.   Other flexible and more effective means of quietly inspiring change are available and may even prove to have more of an impact than simply making waves.I like to believe that my leadership style today is similar to that which my Coach practiced or that of Herb Kelleher.   I have consciously patterned my leadership methods with the way that these great leaders have led others and inspired them.   The reason I have done so is because I believe that a person cannot motivate a team to feel good about their work if you, as their leader, do not. Similarly, team members will not feel ownership or go the extra mile if you do not. You must set an example by demonstrating passion about your work and displaying confidence in the team to do a good job.   Leaders must practice personal integrity and fairness. Model it and expect it from others. People who feel they can tell the truth, without fear of reprisal, grow as they experiment and experience success and failure (Cran, 2003).This approach to leadership of mine has as much to do with the great influence that Coach Smith has had on me as has my background.   As I mentioned earlier, I come from a broken family and my mother has been battling with cancer since I was young.   This led me to grow up in an environment that was all but bereft of role models and leaders.   There was no support and I had to work for everything that I had and still continue to do so.   It is this that has also led me to choose this style of leadership for myself because I believe that everyone had potential in them and with the proper motivation and inspiration it can be brought out, not only for the benefit of the team, the business or the company but also for the individual himself.Today’s follower-leader relationship shows that followers want trust and are not motivated by what the leader think they want, but rather by what each specific follower wants (Bain, 1982).   Motivation is generated internally, and a leader merely taps into the internal power of the follower (Thach, Thompson, and Morris, 2006).   Followers determine their commitment to organizations by reflecting on how hard they will work, what type of rec ognition and reward they might receive (transactional), and if that reward will be worth it (Strebel, 1996).Today I am a leader, I may not be a great leader but I am confident that I can develop my leadership skills to be one.   My leadership style is in motivating people and in quietly inspiring change and developing the talents and abilities of the people around me and in my organization.   This is the style that I have chosen because I feel that it is the most effective method.   I do not choose to be excellent or wealthy or powerful, I choose to lead and that makes all the difference.References:Argyris, C. (1976) Increasing Leadership Effectiveness, Wiley, New YorkBain, D. (1982). The productivity prescription.   New York: McGraw-Hill.Cran, C (2003). Eight Ways to Motivate Your Team. Retrieved 11/14/2006, from   http://www.refresher.com/!ccmotivate.htmlHouse, R. J. (2004) Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies, SAGE Publications, Thousa nd OaksNorthwestern University. (2004). Herb Kelleher. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from http://www.transportation.northwestern.edu/programs/patterson/lecturers/97kelleher/kelleherBio.htmlThach, E. C., Thompson, K. J., and Morris, A. (2006).   A Fresh Look at FollowershipTorbert, W. (2004) Action Inquiry: the Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.Warneka, T. (2006). Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today. Asogomi Publications Intl. Cleveland, Ohio

Food, Nutrition and Some Controversies About Mcdonald’s Essay

As you know Mc Donald’s is a chain of fast food restaurants. In Mc Donald’s you could find a variety of food for every part of the day. At the morning you will find some breakfast based on eggs, savory sausage and hot cakes. You could also drink some coffee a latte, a cappuccino or maybe a caramel frappe. If you go for lunch you will find the principal menu based on a sandwich and French fries. There are a lot of types of sandwiches: the chicken one, a sandwich made with fish, the variety of hamburgers and also the nuggets. If you want something sweet there are some desserts and many types of ice creams like Mc flurry, sundae or the basic one. In these time most of people want to be fit so they want to eat healthy food and this restaurant offered a menu for these public this menu is based on salad with chicken or a fruit salad. There are a lot of problems related with fast food because of the saturated fat and the low-nutrient that contributes to the body. That’s why fast food is also known as junk food. To reduce these problems Mc Donald’s use now the Canola oil to fry the hamburgers and the French fries. These problems are also why many people prefer to eat the vegetable or fruit salad. In 2004 Morgan Spurlock, an American producer and filmmaker, directed Super Size Me, a movie about a man who ate only McDonald’s during a whole month. After watching this film people start thinking about how unhealthy fast food is.

Juvenile Correctional Officers Essay

When a person is charged for a crime that was committed and is sentenced to serve time in a facility, a correctional officer is responsible for the supervision and safety of the detainee. Correctional officers work in adult and juvenile detention centers, though in each facility their responsibilities differ pertaining to whether the detainee is an adult or a juvenile. Because of the ages of the detainees a correctional officer at a juvenile detention facility are greater than if they were dealing with adults. To understand what the differences are in regards to a juvenile, one must know, child development, punishment, and deterrence play a part in the unique situations pertaining to a juvenile detainee. Every child that commit’s a crime has their very own unique situation behind the crime. Some children were taught the crimes they commit by a trusted adult, or television. Some may have an underlying mental or psychological defect that brought them to commit the crime. There are also situations where a child was neglected, abandoned, or abused by an adult they cared about, thus bringing violence among the child. A child’s development can play a very important role in corrections. There may be a violent child that may need to be restrained or put in separate quarters to protect themselves as well as other detainees from harm. A child may also need to be medicated because of an underlying condition or disease. All of these factors can not only affect how a child is taken care of in a facility, but also before that when they are arrested and tried. All of the above factors can either help or hurt a child. If there is no proof of abuse or an mental condition, the courts may be less lenient on their charge and sentence, then a troubled child with underlying factors, in which a judge may take those factors into consideration and gives a lesser charge, House them in a mental facility instead, or provide extra programs or services to help the child once detained. Through punishment a court can show the juvenile what happens if they commit a crime and keep them off the street and from the community by taking away their freedom. Most juveniles are punished by a fine, community service, probation, home electronic monitoring, or incarceration in a juvenile detention center. While there they will be under close supervision of correctional officers and therapists in some facilities. There are occasions for serious crimes that a judge will sentence a juvenile to an adult detention center if they have been tried as an adult. The juveniles that are occasionally tried as adults are ones that commit crimes such as manslaughter, sex crimes, or murder. While a juvenile is in a detention center, they can have visitors as long as it is an immediate family member and this is usually on certain days. In some facilities, recreation, religious, and educational programs are given while they are detained as well. â€Å"Increased punishment of juveniles reduces the amount of crime they commit in a way similar to the impact punishment has for adults, according to a new paper by Steven Levitt, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Chicagoâ€Å". â€Å"The evidence suggests that juvenile crime is responsive to harsher sanctions,† Levitt writes. â€Å"The estimated decrease in crime associated with incarcerating an additional juvenile is at least as large as the corresponding reduction in crime for adult offenders†, (Levitt, S, 1998). â€Å"In an effort to strengthen the sanctions for serious juvenile crimes, a number of states have enacted laws increasing the types of offenders and offenses eligible for transfer from the juvenile court to the adult criminal court for trial and potential sentencing†, (Redding, R, 2010). These laws are created to try and set precedent to deter juveniles from following certain crime trends and teach them what is in store for them if they do offend. Deterrence has became a popular practice in the criminal justice system. With success of a deterrence, jails and detention centers do not get overcrowded, and more money of the individual states can go to fund therapeutic programs and services to assist troubled individuals. In some instances, a juvenile can be given an opportunity to make heir offense right by attending therapy and psychological meetings, thus helping them cope with whatever issues they may have. This can aid in deterring the individual from committing a crime. Juveniles are our future and it is the responsibility of us adults to help them grow up into fine law abiding individuals and not into a life of crime. To help adults teach juveniles they , must know the juvenile corrections department and educate their children. Knowing how a child develops, how punishment can help, and ways to deter the juvenile are good practices for any parent and adult to learn. For us to safely say we raised our kids right, we must keep the world free of crime and full of love. Resources Redding, Richard, Juvenile Justice Bulletin, US Dept of Justice, Juvenile Transfer Laws, 2010, Right Margin Steven Levitt, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, Juvenile Delinquents, University of Chicago News Office, December 21, 1998, Para. 1.

Nonverbal Communication Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nonverbal Communication Paper - Essay Example We use it almost in half of our communications daily subconsciously. We communicate nonverbally when ever we smile, gesture to come in, widen our eyes or clasp our face. We are unaware about it but use it to convey our emotions nonverbally. When speaking to an audience the speaker sends verbal as well as non verbal messages. The eye contact and gestures send messages of their own. â€Å"If the body language opposes with the words you are speaking the entire speech becomes worthless (Toastmasters int’l, 2011, p 3).† There are many biological factors on which the audience judges a person by many means other than the words being spoken. Facial expressions A person can unknowingly express a thousand words by facial expression. A smile or a frown express the extent of delight in the meeting nonverbally. As nonverbal gestures can vary throughout cultures but the smile, frown or a grunt are known to be the same globally. Gestures Intentional gestures such as waving or pointing or using the fingers to point out numbers are an important way to communicate nonverbally. Other gestures can vary according to regions. Paralinguistic This is another way to judge the speaker. The tone, loudness, pitches in the voice separates the actual tone being used otherwise. When the speaker uses loudness to emphasize on something it means enthusiasm and need for acknowledgement while a sullen voice would not be hesitant to point out the lack of interest by the speaker. Posture This apart from the speaker shows a lot about the listener. The body language shows exactly what is going on in the mind of the listeners, crossing the arms and legs would indicate as being in a defensive position while gazing at objects in the room around indicates that the listener has lost interest in the communication and is no longer attentive. Eye contact Maintaining eye contact is a symbol that means the speaker wants to be heard attentively. Blinking too often might send a message of feeling l ost and unsure about the situation. Every region or country has its own language, verbal and nonverbal. It is the traditions and culture that differentiates the nature of nonverbal communication. In America a handshake with a female or a male, means greeting the visitor warmly, while in eastern culture if a man shakes hand with a woman that may refer to harassment. â€Å"An American politician in his visit to a neighboring country once used gestures thinking to make a positive effect but actually emerged enraging the community (Hesselgrave & Culbertson, 1976).† In America people use gestures to convey their messages more than talking out loudly in public or when to pass on secrets. They usually make gestures with their hands and fingers or use facial expressions to communicate nonverbally. It is commonly notices in their films and other events of people using gestures when passing messages and not arousing curiosity of others around them. Also this is considered more appropri ate mode of communication between people who are present in extremely noisy places and are at a distance such as in concerts and clubs or huge gatherings where talking or shouting would seem pointless. â€Å"Sometimes young people have their own special gestures that only they and their friends understand.† (Gestures, n.d.). Some of the gestures might be used to communicate friendly messages while others may also be used

Reason for Migration of Vietnamase and Chinese to Cabramata Term Paper

Reason for Migration of Vietnamase and Chinese to Cabramata - Term Paper Example The Vietnamese came in large numbers from 1975 after the fall of Saigon when communist forces began to settle down in Cabramatta. Many were fleeing the communist forces that were killing large number of people while many wanted a new life (HSC, 2013). The migrants settled down in the city and while they assimilated with others, the people had their own culture, food and religious habits and many structures were built that present a cultural diversity (Carruthers, 2008). Ethnic residential concentrations display all the basic features related to a territory. They provide a source of identity, they are characterized by substantial degree of exclusiveness and they act to compartmentalize activity spatially (Boal, 1989, p. 50). When ethnic groups migrate, spatial outcomes become important. Ethnic groups can be racial, religious or national in origin and it has its initiation through in-migration. Issues related to homogeneity and social stratification become important. This pattern is seen even in the ethnic Jew regions of Winnipeg, USA (Course Notes 2, p. 56). It is clear that the Vietnamese communities in Sydney do not have a wish to isolate themselves from the wider community by setting up their own inclusive sub-societies or enclaves (Dunn, 1993, p. 234). Positive points of ethnic residential concentration: The world is expanding and many cities of Europe, USA, Asia, New Zealand and Australia have suburbs where people from different ethnic origins settle down. Many positive impacts are observed and these include cross-cultural activities, commercial vibrancy where food and artifacts from different regions are available and these zones become focal points of ethnic-specific institutions. As an example, Cabramatta is considered as a 'slice of Asia' and is now promoted as a tourist spot. Both migrant and Australian White businesses gain from the tourism. Employment opportunities, property prices and taxes for the local municipal corporations grow.

Contemporary Management Accounting System Essay

Contemporary Management Accounting System - Essay Example Hopwood (1976), in his book ‘Accounting and Human Behaviour† had stated that, â€Å"Accountants and other members of the management team searching for means of understanding and improving standard setting and budgeting; must therefore see the process in its entirety and respond to it as a complex human and technical problem rather than one standing in technical isolation.† This implies that there has been a paradigm shift in the principles and practices of management accounting. Management accounting no longer comprises of only the technical aspect of accounting, but also the multifaceted management aspect of the business on the whole. The area of management accounting has undergone considerable changes during the past years. One of the major factors that had influenced the modifications in the management accounting practices have been the dynamically competitive and swiftly altering organizational environment that is prevalent today. Additionally, the present day business settings comprise of ongoing reformation in the working atmosphere, as well as continuing progress in the financial information arrangements. With the advent of new information system practices and the development of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, there has been a vast change in the management as well as financial accounting practices of modern day organizations. ... Hence, the role of management accounting professional were considerably influenced by the inclusion of various information systems as well as by the use of superior and efficient reporting tools (Roussoulis, 2007). Consequently, it can be stated that owing to these diverse changes in organizations leading to the emergence of modern contemporary organizations, the responsibilities of management accountants has been varying throughout the previous couple of decades. The modern accounting literature has constantly emphasised that there is a strong requirement for management accountants to diverge and deviate from the conventional bookkeeping role, to a more active role, that offers dynamic support to the organization’s management and comprises of rising involvement in business decision-making (Kaplan, 1995; Granlund & Lukka, 1997; Granlund & Lukka, 1998; Jarvenpaa, 2001). Furthermore, it has also been mentioned that the management accountants in the contemporary organizations are endowed with more responsibilities other than the routine categories of accounting tasks (Roussoulis, 2007). Under the prevalent business conditions, the management accountants of contemporary organizations are supposed to act like business partners for the management of the organization in addition to being change agents for the organization (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007). The Concept of Management Accounting Management Accounting is one of the fundamental segments of the core management role of an organization. The management accounting practices comprises of the recognition, assessment, accretion, scrutiny, research, interpretation and correspondence of information that are required by the

Mental illness in our community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental illness in our community - Essay Example This essay will discuss how the community can deal with such patients, and to what extent the patient himself can be a part of his recovery. In most nations, mental health care implies confinement to mental hospitals or care by community mental health teams. Such teams are expected to meet the health and social needs. Physical health is not given importance and hospital visits are short and infrequent. The mental health practitioners have no training in physical care. The state hospitals in fact are unable to meet the wants and needs of patients with mental illness, which has caused community based settings to come up (Anthony, 1993). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) devised the concept of Community Support System (CSS) to assist people with long-term psychiatric disorders. The community needs support to provide support to patients with mental disorders. The consequence of community based treatment led to the understanding that it is important to treat the cause of the illness rather than the illness. Mental illness does not merely cause mental impairments but it leads to functional limitations, disabilities, and handicaps. Studies and treatment led to the understanding that recovery is important in mental illness just as in physical illness. Recovery does not mean cure or freedom from the disease but it means acceptance of the disease. A person is able to change his attitude, values, goals, feelings, behavior, and role in life. He is in better control of his life, can lead a satisfying life, and contribute despite limitations. Recovery means to find a new meaning in life as one learns to grow beyond the illness. People with mental illness normally have a stigma attached to them. The community is responsible to help them recover from this stigma. They already suffer from lack of oppurtunities and negative effects of unemployment. Recovery is a difficult

Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Criminal Law - Essay Example Your client then left the office, so he was never actually injured. Ans: Yes, the co-worker of the client was liable for attempted battery assault. An assault, in criminal and tort law, is one in which a party threatens another with a bodily harm, and in which the person threatening has an apparent capability to do bodily harm if not prevented. This threat and the party’s apparent ability to carry it causes to put fear in the party being threatened. Assault does not require intent to cause battery so long as the threat sufficiently causes fear in the other party. Neither is actual physical contact required but if present converts the offense to battery and assault. In this case, attempted battery assault, which is a kind of assault, is applicable because there was no physical contact since the co-worker missed his target when he took a swung against the client. Since the co-worker missed the client and hit the wall, the client’s story could be substantiated by taking a look at the co-workers fist which if it really hit the wall would have been swollen already. Since no one was around when the incident happened, I would recommend a civil action rather than a criminal one because the quantum of evidence necessary in criminal actions are higher requiring proof beyond reasonable doubt because of the presumption of innocence in criminal cases, something that could not be attained by the client’s case because he was alone with the co-worker when it happened. Civil actions, on the other hand, require only a lesser quantum of proof in comparison with criminal actions which is mainly to convince the trier of facts that the plaintiff deserves the relief being sought. Q2(b) A drug addicted teenager wanted money to buy crack cocaine. He found a $500.00 check on the kitchen counter that was made out to his father. When his father left for work, the teenager took the check from the counter and signed his father’s name. He planned to cash the check

Lila Abu- Lughod Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society Speech or Presentation

Lila Abu- Lughod Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society - Speech or Presentation Example According to Abu- Lughod (17), Honor and Poetry in a Bedouin Society is one of the best ethnographies. He argues that the author has the ability to see past the stereotypes and catch-phrases that surround women in veils. In this book, Abu-Lughod has attempted to express the feelings of Islamic women who are viewed as voiceless. She has tried to show features of silence and veiling as expressions of cultural distinctions and identity, and how the western culture has influenced and managed to increase the isolation of veiled women in society. Moreover, Abu-Lughob studied the significance of honor with its association with the hierarchy and autonomy in the society. Thus, this book gives a clear answer to people who view Islamic women as voiceless. In this book, Abu-Lughob analyses that concepts of propriety, honor, and autonomy in the Bedouin society. The first half of the books talks about Awlad ‘Ali i.e. a tribe of Bedouin, finds expressions of attachment, longing and dependence , as well as affection and concern to the unsuitable and un-Bedouin-like (Abu- Lughod 38). Additionally, Abu-Lughob speaks of how sexuality is said to be highly dangerous because of its ability to induce improper emotions and disrupt the right hierarchies and relationships between the old and young, man and woman, and kin and non-kin. The rest of the book is quite emotional since it talks about how the Bedouins use poetry to express themselves and say what they cannot to say. They also use little songs called ghinawas to express longing or loss of something so that a person cannot be accused of breaching social protocol, and destroying the closely held honor code. In this section, Abu-Lughob analyses the significant role of poetry in the society that holds itself and follows strict codes of honor, as well as behavior standards (Abu- Lughod 67). Abu-Lughod did not carry out her field work from a superior position; rather she sympathized with her subjects and worked with them as equal human beings and not as specimens in a research. Her intelligence and attitude, along with her excellent analytical skills enabled her to develop proper understanding and insight of this intriguing culture. Her research involved mainly females from the Muslim community, although she was also able to access the male sphere during her observations of how men and women interacted. She reports that one of the main problems she encountered was when she had to play the role of an adopted daughter so as to participate, and interact with her subjects in research. Her duties included daily chores among other responsibilities as a female kinsperson; hence, she was able to evaluate gender roles in social studies (Abu- Lughod 80). This book has several reviews in which many people claim that it is one of the best ethnographies they have ever come across. The reviewers praised Abu-Lughob ability to see past the stereotypes that surround veiled women and her insights, which many social scientist s and modern anthropologists are yet to discover. Additionally, the reviewers were astounded by Abu-Lughob's ability to give a direct answer to people who view Islamic women as voiceless by attempting to show aspects of veiling and silence as expressions of cultural distinctions and identity. Further studies in this research could include the submissiveness of women and not only in the Muslim

Research Papers in Computer Science Essay Example for Free

Research Papers in Computer Science Essay Since we recently announced our $10001 Binary Battle to promote applications built on the Mendeley API (now including PLoS as well), I decided to take a look at the data to see what people have to work with. My analysis focused on our second largest discipline, Computer Science. Biological Sciences (my discipline) is the largest, but I started with this one so that I could look at the data with fresh eyes, and also because it’s got some really cool papers to talk about. Here’s what I found: What I found was a fascinating list of topics, with many of the expected fundamental papers like Shannon’s Theory of Information and the Google paper, a strong showing from Mapreduce and machine learning, but also some interesting hints that augmented reality may be becoming more of an actual reality soon. The top graph summarizes the overall results of the analysis. This graph shows the Top 10 papers among those who have listed computer science as their discipline and chosen a subdiscipline. The bars are colored according to subdiscipline and the number of readers is shown on the x-axis. The bar graphs for each paper show the distribution of readership levels among subdisciplines. 17 of the 21 CS subdisciplines are represented and the axis scales and color schemes remain constant throughout. Click on any graph to explore it in more detail or to grab the raw data.(NB: A minority of Computer Scientists have listed a subdiscipline. I would encourage everyone to do so.) 1. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (available full-text) LDA is a means of classifying objects, such as documents, based on their underlying topics. I was surprised to see this paper as number one instead of Shannon’s information theory paper (#7) or the paper describing the concept that became Google (#3). It turns out that interest in this paper is very strong among those who list artificial intelligence as their subdiscipline. In fact, AI researchers contributed the majority of readership to 6 out of the top 10 papers. Presumably, those interested in popular topics such as machine learning list themselves under AI, which explains the strength of this subdiscipline, whereas papers like the Mapreduce one or the Google paper appeal to a broad range of subdisciplines, giving those papers a smaller numbers spread across more subdisciplines. Professor Blei is also a bit of a superstar, so that didn’t hurt. (the irony of a manually-categorized list with an LDA paper at the top has not escaped us) 2. MapReduce : Simplified Data Processing on Large Clusters (available full-text) It’s no surprise to see this in the Top 10 either, given the huge appeal of this parallelization technique for breaking down huge computations into easily executable and recombinable chunks. The importance of the monolithic â€Å"Big Iron† supercomputer has been on the wane for decades. The interesting thing about this paper is that had some of the lowest readership scores of the top papers within a subdiscipline, but folks from across the entire spectrum of computer science are reading it. This is perhaps expected for such a general purpose technique, but given the above it’s strange that there are no AI readers of this paper at all. 3. The Anatomy of a large-scale hypertextual search engine (available full-text) In this paper, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page discuss how Google was created and how it initially worked. This is another paper that has high readership across a broad swath of disciplines, including AI, but wasn’t dominated by any one discipline. I would expect that the largest share of readers have it in their library mostly out of curiosity rather than direct relevance to their research. It’s a fascinating piece of history related to something that has now become part of our every day lives. 4. Distinctive Image Features from Scale-Invariant Keypoints This paper was new to me, although I’m sure it’s not new to many of you. This paper describes how to identify objects in a video stream without regard to how near or far away they are or how they’re oriented with respect to the camera. AI again drove the popularity of this paper in large part and to understand why, think â€Å"Augmented Realityâ€Å". AR is the futuristic idea most familiar to the average sci-fi enthusiast as Terminator-vision. Given the strong interest in the topic, AR could be closer than we think, but we’ll probably use it to layer Groupon deals over shops we pass by instead of building unstoppable fighting machines. 5. Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction (available full-text) This is another machine learning paper and its presence in the top 10 is primarily due to AI, with a small contribution from folks listing neural networks as their discipline, most likely due to the paper being published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks. Reinforcement learning is essentially a technique that borrows from biology, where the behavior of an intelligent agent is is controlled by the amount of positive stimuli, or reinforcement, it receives in an environment where there are many different interacting positive and negative stimuli. This is how we’ll teach the robots behaviors in a human fashion, before they rise up and destroy us. 6. Toward the next generation of recommender systems: a survey of the state-of-the-art and possible extensions (available full-text) Popular among AI and information retrieval researchers, this paper discusses recommendation algorithms and classifies them into collaborative, content-based, or hybrid. While I wouldn’t call this paper a groundbreaking event of the caliber of the Shannon paper above, I can certainly understand why it makes such a strong showing here. If you’re using Mendeley, you’re using both collaborative and content-based discovery methods! 7. A Mathematical Theory of Communication (available full-text) Now we’re back to more fundamental papers. I would really have expected this to be at least number 3 or 4, but the strong showing by the AI discipline for the machine learning papers in spots 1, 4, and 5 pushed it down. This paper discusses the theory of sending communications down a noisy channel and demonstrates a few key engineering parameters, such as entropy, which is the range of states of a given communication. It’s one of the more fundamental papers of computer science, founding the field of information theory and enabling the development of the very tubes through which you received this web page you’re reading now. It’s also the first place the word â€Å"bit†, short for binary digit, is found in the published literature. 8. The Semantic Web (available full-text) In The Semantic Web, Tim Berners-Lee, Sir Tim, the inventor of the World Wide Web, describes his vision for the web of the future. Now, 10 years later, it’s fascinating to look back though it and see on which points the web has delivered on its promise and how far away we still remain in so many others. This is different from the other papers above in that it’s a descriptive piece, not primary research as above, but still deserves it’s place in the list and readership will only grow as we get ever closer to his vision. 9. Convex Optimization (available full-text) This is a very popular book on a widely used optimization technique in signal processing. Convex optimization tries to find the provably optimal solution to an optimization problem, as opposed to a nearby maximum or minimum. While this seems like a highly specialized niche area, it’s of importance to machine learning and AI researchers, so it was able to pull in a nice readership on Mendeley. Professor Boyd has a very popular set of video classes at Stanford on the subject, which probably gave this a little boost, as well. The point here is that print publications aren’t the only way of communicating your ideas. Videos of techniques at SciVee or JoVE or recorded lectures (previously) can really help spread awareness of your research. 10. Object recognition from local scale-invariant features (available in full-text) This is another paper on the same topic as paper #4, and it’s by the same author. Looking across subdisciplines as we did here, it’s not surprising to see two related papers, of interest to the main driving discipline, appear twice. Adding the readers from this paper to the #4 paper would be enough to put it in the #2 spot, just below the LDA paper. Conclusions So what’s the moral of the story? Well, there are a few things to note. First of all, it shows that Mendeley readership data is good enough to reveal both papers of long-standing importance as well as interesting upcoming trends. Fun stuff can be done with this! How about a Mendeley leaderboard? You could grab the number of readers for each paper published by members of your group, and have some friendly competition to see who can get the most readers, month-over-month. Comparing yourself against others in terms of readers per paper could put a big smile on your face, or it could be a gentle nudge to get out to more conferences or maybe record a video of your technique for JoVE or Khan Academy or just Youtube. Another thing to note is that these results don’t necessarily mean that AI researchers are the most influential researchers or the most numerous, just the best at being accounted for. To make sure you’re counted properly, be sure you list your subdiscipline on your profile, or if you can’t find your exact one, pick the closest one, like the machine learning folks did with the AI subdiscipline. We recognize that almost everyone does interdisciplinary work these days. We’re working on a more flexible discipline assignment system, but for now, just pick your favorite one. These stats were derived from the entire readership history, so they do reflect a founder effect to some degree. Limiting the analysis to the past 3 months would probably reveal different trends and comparing month-to-month changes could reveal rising stars.

Terminologies in the ICN architecture

Terminologies in the ICN architecture The research on the Information-centric Networking initiated with the need to replace the current inefficient architecture to a promising model that could satisfy future network necessities [1]. The several projects on this research are differentiated in the operations of the key building blocks common to most projects [4]. Named Data Objects (NDOs)   Ã‚   Every content on the internet ranging from a web page, documents to media files is referred to as objects (NDOs) which are independent of location, storing and retrieval methods [4]. NDO and its name is the identity of the information on the internet which can be copied, requested and supplied. NDOs can also hold representative data about the information held by the object [4]. Naming Every NDO in ICN is to be assigned a unique name, and should also associate an integrity check with the information it holds to ensure reliability [4]. They are always location-independent and range from structured to flat and may be human interpretable or not [1].There are two different naming schemes hierarchical and flat namespaces. The hierarchical scheme has a structure to the name rooting to publisher prefix which may also be human-readable in some cases, enabling aggregation and scalability in routing mechanisms [4]. The flat namespaces use the hash of the content with the objects name for direct binding and embed public key and hash of the content for indirect binding [4]. The publisher field in flat names facilitates some level of route aggregation even if it is a non-hierarchical scheme [4]. The difference in the design trade-off affects routing and security mechanism [4]. Security This feature is correlated to the naming scheme adopted by the approach. Human-readable names require external trust agent for verification, while flat names support self-certification and validation [1]. Hierarchical naming is considered disadvantageous as it relies on public key infrastructure (PKI) [4]. Application Programming Interface (API) The ICN API is related to the operation of asking and getting the NDOs. There are different terms denoted for the operation that varies which will be discussed during respective approach. The source provides NDOs by publishing it to the network. The user requests the network to get the NDOs by subscribing to it. As per approach, the publish/subscribe operation may be synchronous or asynchronous, while some support location preferences [4]. Name Resolution, Routing, and Forwarding of the Content The name of NDOs is resolved by matching the information name to the source provider [1]. Resolution may be direct or indirect routes to the source/s. The operation is carried out by Name Resolution Service (NRS) in the routing infrastructure which stores pointers to the storage locations containing the object names [4]. The routing and forwarding of the objects are carried out in multiple steps which involve routing the request to the direct source or to the responsible NRS, translation of object name to source/s addresses if indirect, forwarding the request to the source and fulfilling the requested data back to the client [4]. The content routing may be coupled or de-coupled to the name resolution process. Coupled routing backtraces the request message path from the client and follows the same for delivering content. De-coupled routing uses different routes which can be generated by an independent routing module that provides a deliverable route to the source [1]. Caching Caching is application-independent and may be done at every node in the ICN infrastructure [4]. ICN supports on-path caching and off-path caching. On-path caching is caching the information along the path of NDO request message while Off-path caching is exploiting the information cached outside that path [1]. Off-path caching can be supported in both coupled and de-coupled routing mechanisms by routing systems or NRS respectively [1]. Mobility ICN facilitates content request process from user end as the request can be re-initiated after the handoff while providing mobility to the source is difficult in both coupled and de-coupled approach as it burdens the system with additional updates [1]. By caching and replicating content at multiples nodes closer to the mobile subscriber, the ICN infrastructure saves costs and time by bypassing possible congestion [2].

Impact of Internet Addiction on Social Skills

Impact of Internet Addiction on Social Skills The world continues to progress all the time with the rapid development of new technologies. Inventions like telephone, television, computers, and Internet being one of  the most recent in a series of technological developments have proven that people are no  longer limited by geographical boundaries. Almost everyone will agree that Internet is  the largest and most flexible source of information in the world today. It is widely used  by the business world for conducting their daily work or research and by individuals for  communication, entertainment, learning and relaxing. However, apart from the  advantages there are some disadvantages of the excessive use. Internet has been  responsible for decreased family time, relationship problems, lower productivity in  employment, continuation of false information and the increasing of psychological  problems (Beard, 2005). The development of Internet is increasing worldwide and the  excessive use leads to Internet addic tion that became a common problem nowadays. The nature of the term addiction is difficult to define. Addiction has been referred  as an uncontrollable compulsive behavior that despite of the negative consequences it is a  repeated behavior. This behavior includes using more of the substances than intended;  having unsuccessful attempts to stop, and experiencing problems in their social and work  environment (Kring, Johnson, Davison, Neale, 2010). Internet addiction disorder was first seen in the U.S press in 1995, in an article  that was published in New York Times with the title The Lure and Addiction of Life On  line ». The author of the article, O Neill, stated that health professionals related excessive  Internet use to obsessive shopping, exercise, and gambling (Chack Leung, 2004). Goldberg (1996) presented the first definition for Internet addiction, describing it as a  behavioral addiction that took the criteria from substance dependence from the DSM-IV. Griffiths (2000) expanded the definition by stating that technological addictions are a  subset of behavioral addictions that include six components (salience, mood  modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse). Also Internet addiction might  be caused by many aspects of internet use like distant communication, the fact that there  is no face to face contact, and other online activities like chat rooms (Griffiths, 2000). A  second definition that was called Problematic Internet Use (PIU) took criteria from DSM-IV and was associated with pathological gambling (Young, 1996). The author stated that  in order for a person to be addicted he/she has to meet five of the eight criteria. Some of  these criteria are, obsession with internet, environmental problems, withdrawal when  reducing internet etc. Also according to Young, Problematic Internet Use could be more  related to impulse control disorder that substance dependence. The problem that arises  out o f these two definitions is that they neither exclude co-morbidity as an important  factor nor determine whether the time spent on the internet is related to their normal work  or to a pathological addiction. Both defitions support a pathological etiology that has no  theoretical base (Hall Parsons, 2001). By extending the definition of Young, Davis (2001) suggests that problematic  internet can be regarded as Specific Pathological Internet Use and Generalized  Pathological Internet Use. The first is using the internet to increase an addiction that has  occurred before (gambling), while the second is about the general use of internet  (searching, chatting). Another definition that was presented for internet addiction was  named Internet Behavior Dependence. This definition suggests that excessive Internet use  can cause problems to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional functioning in a generally  healthy person. The dependence that a person has on internet can been seen by the  following: deficient in satisfaction with all areas in his life, like school, work or home,  use of internet with less pleasure, feels worry when not using, failure in controlling the  use regardless of all the physical, psychological and social problems. No matter how  someone call it, Int ernet- related disorders are arising as a serious problem for which  people need understanding, help and change. The internet because of its rapid spread is reachable nowadays by almost  everyone and especially college students. They tend to be more vulnerable than others  because of the developmental stressors, like social relationships, and because internet can  be easily accessed. Many students use it nowadays for many purposes, like preparing  course works, search information, communicate, and entertain those selves (Ceyhan,  2008). Also online relationships differ from real relationships ». Through internet  anonymity is provided and anxiety is reduced because there are no face to face  interactions. The self- presentation of a person in an online activity may prevent him from  being judged for his appearance or personality style (Kandell, 1998). Therefore students  are more likely to develop problems with internet than others. Many studies have been  conducted using DSM- based criteria and showed higher rates in internet use among  college students than in gen eral population (Morahan- Martin Schumacher, 1999;  Yang, 2001). In the literature there is a great number of studies showing that Internet  addiction has been related to many variables apart from social skills such as gender and  internet expertise (Morahan-Martin Schumacher, 1997), age and grade level  (Johansson, 2004), online experiences and the amount of time spent online (Morahan-  Martin, 1999), depression, with increased levels of depression being associates with  internet addiction (Young, Rogers, 1998), and impulse control disorder (Shapira, 2003). Social skills are a fundamental factor in the development of the relationships. They include all the behaviours that a person should have in his/her interactions and  communication with other people (Teodoro, 2005). Caplan (2002) developed a theory  imploring deficient social skills. The author claimed that people who are depressive and  lonely tend to have a negative view towards their social skills. Another explanation can  be that people who tend to be low in social skills are attracted by some special features of  online communication. These features allow the person to adopt another self-presentation  that cannot be developed through face to face interaction. Through this, a person may  exaggerate and present himself different than he is in real life (Caplan, 2002). Thus, for  some people Internet is a place much easier and safe because of its anonymity and  because it requires less interpersonal communication. It is a place less stressful where  they can control their social skills better than having a face to face interaction (Shaw   Black, 2008). There have not been conducted a lot of studies until now that measure internet  addiction and social skills in college students. Most of the studies focused on excessive  internet use and how it affects the development of social skills in children and  adolescents (Harman, Hansen, Cochran, Lindsey, 2005). The research that has been  conducted focused in some specific aspects of social skills like shyness, loneliness, social  adjustment. There is a contradiction in the literature referring to these specific aspects of  social skills and internet addiction. Engelberg (2004) in his study about internet use,  social skills and social adjustment found out that individuals who use excessively internet  tend to be lonelier and have problems in their social adjustment in work and in their spare  time. On the other hand, another research found out that by talking online in chat rooms,  loneliness is reduced and social support is increased (Waestlund, Norlander, Archer,  2001). Also another study conducted by Morahan-Martin (2003) found out that lonely  people tend to use internet for emotional support and that their social behaviour is  increased by making online friends. In a study it was shown that shyness and locus of  control were associated with internet addiction. It was found that persons scored higher  levels of internet addiction tend to be shier and indicating more difficulties in their social  life. (Chack Leung, 2004). Most of the studies that have been conducted measured  some specific aspects of social skills that are most of them loneliness, shyness and social  adjustment and social comfort. There is a contradiction in the studies referring to  loneliness and social comfort, with studies indicating different results (Engelberg, 2004;  Waestlund et al., 2001). Due to this contradiction further research should be conducted to  measure whether these aspects of social skills are related in a negative or in a positi ve  way with the use of internet. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship  between compulsive internet use and four dimensions of social skills that are loneliness/depression, impulse control, social comfort and distraction. Methods Participants An approximately number of 70 undergraduate college students is going to  participate in the current study. Their age will range from 18 to 35 years  old. The study will be conducted in an English University in northern Greece and  students will be recruited from different departments, the psychology, computer and   business department. The measuring tools will be given in English since they know and  understand the language. Also participants will not be from the same ethnicity but from  different countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Serbia and Fyrom. Measures Online Cognition Scale (Davis, Flett, Besser, 2002). The OCS is a  multidimensional questionnaire that was designed to measure Problematic Internet Use. It  is consisted of 36-items that cover four subscales, six items measure loneliness/  depression, ten items measure diminished impulse control, distraction is measured by  seven items and social comfort by thirteen items. Respondents will rate in a seven-point  Likert scale with answers ranging from 1- strongly disagree, 4- neither agree/ nor  disagree to -7 strongly agree. Students will respond to statements such as: I feel safest  when I am on the internet; I use the Internet more than I ought to; I am less lonely  when I am online and I often use the Internet to avoid doing unpleasant things. In  order to avoid order effects the items of the online cognition scale were presented in a  random order. The author in order to establish the validity of the Online Cognition Scale  investigated the association betw een various cognitive and behavioural variables and the  OCS dimensions of problematic internet use. Item-total correlations were highly  significant, ranging from 0.47- 0.77 for social comfort, 0.49- 0.81 for loneliness/depression, 0.50-0.76 for diminished impulse control, and 0.55-0.80 for distraction. Compulsive Internet Use Scale (Meerkerk, Eijnden, Vermulst, Garretsen,  2009). The CIUS was designed to assess the severity of compulsive Internet use. It  includes 14 items and participants will respond in a five-point scale: 0, never; 1, seldom;  2, sometimes; 3, often; 4, very often. The questions included in the scale are like: How  often do you think about the Internet, even not online; How often do you go on the  Internet when you are feeling down. The author in order to test the validity of the test  used another test the online cognition scale. Pearson correlations were high and  significant between CIUS and OCS with p Procedure The sample will be obtained by college students randomly during class or break. Participants are going to fill in the three questionnaires individually with all the useful  instructions provided. They will have the chance to fill them right away or hand them  over later to secretary. Also with the questionnaires they will receive a consent form that  have to sign in order to show that they agree to participate in the study. Participants will  be encouraged to answer as honest as they can, but someone can be never sure about the  answers and if someone will feel offended or upset by a question. Participants will have  the right to withdraw anytime they do not want to continue for any reason, without  receiving any penalty. Confidentiality and anonymity were provided and explained that  the study is only for research. Also, the instructor will be there ready to answer any  question in case of any doubt. Design The design of the study is a correlation design that will measure the two variables,  Internet addiction and the level of social skills. Proposed Analysis Pearson correlation will be conducted for the data analysis that will investigate  the correlation between the severity of compulsive internet use and the level of social  skills.

Nationalism in All Quiet on The Western Front :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

Nationalism in All Quiet on The Western Front      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nationalism can be defined as having a sense of belonging and loyalty to ones country or nation state. Of all the European nations, France was the first to sport the idea of nationalism. Many countries became influenced by the French's ideas of nationali sm, As a result nationalism had spread throught out Europe by the nineteenth and twenteth century. One result that nationalisn had on Europe was, the wanting of unification. The people of nation states wanted their country to belong to. This wanting lea d to the unfying of Italy and Germany. Soon nationalism had increased the peoples confidedence., and a feeling of imperialism ran through the unified countries.   Unified countries such as France, Germany, Russia wanted to extend their empires.   But this Imperialism in Europe led to many conflicts between countries. All this Conflict eventually resulted in the begining of Worls War I.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The causes of World War I were the intense nationalism that dominated Europe throughout the 19th and into the 20th century, and the establishment of large armies in Europe after 1871. Imperialism created a rivaly between nations and empires. The build up   of armies and navies created fear between nations. France feared Germany, Germany feared Russia, Austria-Hungary and Russia rivaled around Bulkans, Britain feared German's expanding navy, Slovakia wanted to free Slavian land from Astria-Hungary's apressi on. Italy was jealous of French and English colonies in Africa. Ottoman Empire struggled to survive in a hostile climate. Germany signed a secret alliance with Austria-Hungray and Italy, thus creating a Triple Alliance. France and Russia signed an Entente   agreement which was later signed by Britain, thus creating Triple Entante. Then Europe was divided into hostile camps. During this time nationalism had caused a golrified view of the war. Thise view showed how inexpirence the people of Europe were in war far. In Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front, we can see that eventhough this gorious view contradicted the Germans soildiers expectations, they still stayed loyal.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Begining of the novel we read that Paul Baumer and his class mates had volunteered to enlist in the war. But they were forced in to volunteering. Their school master Kantorek had filled their heads up with views of nationalism which glorified the war.

Wellness :: essays research papers

Freshman seminar Wellness paper 101 Ways of doing It With Out Actually doing it This program totally wasn’t what I expected it to be. To my surprise the whole thing was actually about relationships, and what to do on dates without having sex, and or sexual influence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Attending college is a very different experience. It’s when most of us experience life situations and learn to make our own decisions. The problem is that many students, due to the influence of our society, decide to have sex because â€Å"everybody else is doing it†. But what many students don’t realize is that there both rewards and consequences when dealing with sexual intercourse. This is an important issue, especially when most of my fellow peers believe in â€Å"casual sex†. I personally believe that sex is something that shouldn’t be taking lightly†¦in other words, I’m not anybody’s booty call!!!!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anyways, back to the seminar. In the discussion, many of us realized that dates seem to be a thing of the past. No one really goes on a â€Å"one on one† date anymore. Its always a group thing, going out to a party or just hanging out. I can’t even remember if I’ve ever been on a real date myself. Relationships lack that solid foundation of one to one communication, which is probably why most teens have sex: it’s what’s expected, yet nobody talks about it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the seminar, we were educated in finding other ways to express ourselves and feelings to each other. Even though some were far-fetched and unrealistic (for example: a grave yard walk), some were actually feasible (example: a picnic). A few of the other suggestions included a K-mart party, which I personally would’ve evr thought of, but I guess it is another alternative to sex. Some of the more realistic ones included walks on the beach, athletic activities, dinner and a movie. Hopefully some of these ideas will be used around campus instead of sex. Many attending the meeting suggested other dating ideas such as horseback riding, test driving cars and playing golf. I didn’t quite agree with them because a.) horses are big animals b.) I don’t have a license and c.) I HATE golf!!!! Also during the seminar, we participated in an activity. We were split into groups, based on gender. The girls that attended the seminar wrote down some of the things they like to do and some of the things they hate, the boys in the room did the same.

The Black Death

Black Death refers to a bubonic and pneumonic plague believed to have come from rats and which spread throughout Western Europe during the 14th century resulting to the death of millions, drastically decreasing the overall population of Europe, and changing the economic and cultural landscape of the region. It came in periodic epidemics from 1300s to the 1700s in the various places where it struck. The plague is said to have originated in Central Asia when the Mongol army, in an attempt to take siege of the Caffa in the Crimea during the early 1300s, catapulted plague-infested corpses into the city. The fleeing traders carried the disease with them to Sicily. From Italy, it immediately spread into peopled towns and cities around neighboring France, Spain, Portugal, England, and other parts of Europe. It caused the total disappearance of villages as about one-third of the entire population of Europe died in the epidemic which ensued. It was most virulent in England where it claimed about half of its population. It spread quickly because doctors did not have enough knowledge then on how to cure the disease and any purpose of finding a cure was defeated by the fact that the plague claimed its victim within a week. Poor hygiene and sanitation practices among the crowded European cities also contributed to the outbreak. Aside from the dramatic decrease in Europe's population, the Black Death stopped on-going wars and caused a slump in trade. It decreased available labor in the farmlands. It even affected the Catholic Church as people turned to superstition to explain the cause of the plague when their faith could not do anything to cure it. There was mass slaughter and burning of Jews who were accused of spreading the plague. A good effect of the epidemic, however, is that the shortage of workers resulted to better remuneration for the peasants as farm owners tried to outdo each other in luring the peasantry to work for them. These resulted to social mobility which would eventually lessen the power of the nobility and clergy in succeeding centuries. The Black Death experience illustrates how disease could change the history of humankind especially if it affects multitudes of populations around the world. With the advanced technology in the field of medicine today however, and the presence of international organizations like the World Health Organization, it has become easier to contain epidemics before they could become as widespread as the Black Death experience. The Black Death â€Å"The Black Death: Natural and Human Disaster in Medieval Europe† by Robert S. Gottfried is known as â€Å"A fascinating work of detective history, The Black Death traces the causes and far-reaching consequences of this infamous outbreak of plague that spread across the continent of Europe from 1347 to 1351. Drawing on sources as diverse as monastic manuscripts and dendrochronological studies (which measure growth rings in trees), historian Robert S. Gottfried demonstrates how a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas brought on an ecological reign of terror — killing one European in three, wiping out entire villages and towns, and rocking the foundation of medieval society and civilization. † The Black Death was an epidemic which spread across almost all of Europe in the years 1346 –1353; the plague killed over a third of the entire population. It has been described as the worst natural disaster in European history.The Black Death discusses the causes and r esults of the plague that devastated medieval Europe. It focuses on the many effects it had on the culture of medieval Europe and the possibility that it expedited cultural change. Robert S. Gottfried argued that rodent and insect life cycles, as well as the changing of weather systems affect plague. He claimed that the devastation plague causes is partly due to its perpetual recurrences. Plague ravaged Europe in cycles, devastated the people when they were recuperating.As can be later discovered in the book, the cycles of plague consumed the European population. A second thesis, which he described in greater detail, was that the plagues expedited the process of cultural change. The plagues killed a large percentage of each generation, leaving room for change. Why the name, Black Death? â€Å"The traditional belief is that it was so called because the putrefying flesh of the victims blackened in the final hours before death supervened. The trouble about this otherwise plausible the ory is that no such phenomenon occurred.It is true that, in cases of septicemic plague, small black or purple blotches formed on the bodies of the sick and this symptom must have made a vivid impression on beholders† (Ziegler) Coming out of the East, the Black Death reached the shores of Italy in the spring of 1348 unleashing a rampage of death across Europe unprecedented in recorded history. By the time the epidemic played itself out three years later, anywhere between 25% and 50% of Europe's population had fallen victim to the pestilence. The plague presented itself in three interrelated forms.The symptoms were not the same as in the East, where a gush of blood from the nose was the plain sign of inevitable death; but it began both in men and women with certain swellings in the groin or under the armpit. They grew to the size of a small apple or an egg, more or less, and were vulgarly called tumors. In a short space of time these tumors spread from the two parts named all ov er the body. Soon after this the symptoms changed and black or purple spots appeared on the arms or thighs or any other part of the body, sometimes a few large ones, sometimes many little ones.These spots were a certain sign of death, just as the original tumors had been and still remained. The bubonic variant (the most common) derives its name from the swellings or buboes that appeared on a victim's neck, armpits or groin. These tumors could range in size from that of an egg to that of an apple. Although some survived the painful ordeal, the manifestation of these lesions usually signaled the victim had a life expectancy of up to a week. Infected fleas that attached themselves to rats and then to humans spread this bubonic type of the plague.A second variation, pneumonic plague, attacked the respiratory system and was spread by merely breathing the exhaled air of a victim. It was much more virulent than its bubonic cousin – life expectancy was measured in one or two days. Fi nally, the septicemic version of the disease attacked the blood system. Having no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated. The Black Death covers the affects that numerous plagues had on the culture.There appear to have been several separate introductions into Europe. It reached Sicily in October 1347 carried by twelve Genoese galleys where it rapidly spread all over the island. Galleys from Caffa reached Genoa and Venice in January 1348 but it was the outbreak in Pisa a few weeks later that was the entry point to northern Italy. Towards the end of January one of the galleys expelled from Italy arrived in Marseilles. From Italy the disease spread northwest across Europe, striking France, Spain, Portugal and England by June 1348, then turned and spread east through Germany and Scandinavia from 1348 to 1350.It was introduced in Norway in 1349 when a ship landed at Askoy, then proceeded to spread to Bjorgvin but never reached Iceland. Finally it spread to north-western Russia in 1351; however, the plague largely spared some parts of Europe, including the Kingdom of Poland and isolated parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. The cycle of the plagues struck each generation. After a plague ravaged Europe from 599-699, plague killed in 608, 618, 628, 640, 654, 684-686, 694-700, 718, and 740-750. In the early stages of the above series, intervals are apparent.These intervals demonstrate the cycles of the rodent and insect life. Robert S. Gottfried also argues, rightfully so, that plague may have hastened cultural change. Along with plagues came the need for a cure. Plague destroyed the existing medical systems, and was replaced by a modern heir. Previous to the plague, scientists based their knowledge on early scientists such as Hippocrates and Galen. Scientists knew little about what they were doing. The medical community was divided into five part s. These divisions were physicians, surgeons, barber-surgeons, apothecaries, and unlicensed practitioners.These divisions were adequate when Europe was without plague, but were obviously not prepared for plague. Doctors responded with a series of changes are to thank for the development of modern science. Although the government had medical workers try to prevent the plague, the plague persisted. Most medical workers quit and journeyed away because they feared getting the plague themselves. There were methods that did work. Cities were hardest hit and tried to take measures to control an epidemic no one understood.In Milan, to take one of the most successful examples, city officials immediately walled up houses found to have the plague, isolating the healthy in them along with the sick. Venice took sophisticated and stringent quarantine and health measures, including isolating all incoming ships on a separate island. But people died anyway, though fewer in Milan and Venice than in c ities that took no such measures. Pope Clement VI, living at Avignon, sat between two large fires to breath pure air. The plague bacillus actually is destroyed by heat, so this was one of the few truly effective measures taken.Gottfried succeeded in convincing me that his thesis was truth. The opening chapters gave me a solid background of plague, explaining why he believes it had such an impact on medieval population and culture. Next, it delves into the affect that changing weather had on the plagues, explaining the European environment during 1050-1347; the time of plagues greatest destruction. That complete, Gottfried describes the consequences immediately following the plague. It is said that the disease killed 25% to 40% of Eurasia and part of Africa. By this point, it is more than obvious hat plague had a tragic affect on Medieval Europe, The Consequences and effects of the Black Death plague were prices and wages rose, greater value was placed on labor, farming land was give n over to pasturing, which was much less labor-intensive, this change in farming led to a boost in the cloth and woolen industry, peasants moved from the country to the towns, the Black Death was therefore also responsible for the decline of the Feudal system, people became disillusioned with the church and its power and influence went into decline, this resulted in the English reformation.After giving a full background on plague and European culture and environment, Gottfried gives solid details to support his theses. According to Gottfried, the Medical structure of Medieval Europe, adopted from that of the Romans, was nearly eliminated in the search for ways to cure plague. The spread of plague, successfully stated by Gottfried, directly depends on climate. Plague can only spread under certain climate conditions. In order for Y. Pestis, a series of complex bacterial strains, to survive, it mustn’t be too hot nor too cold.Too cold can kill the bacteria, and too hot can slow its progress. During the plague’s most devastating times, the temperature was perfect for the spread of Y. Pestis. Gottfried also describes that spread of plague can also depend on the strength of animals. Humans are merely secondary hosts to the fleas carrying Y. Pestis. The fleas afflict their host with the plague when they regurgitate the bacteria. These fleas prefer an animal host, not humans. When their animal host dies, they move on to a secondary host, possibly humans, but not necessarily.When the generation of bacteria-carrying fleas dies, or the temperatures prevent the plague from spreading, the cycle continues until all the variables once again allow for the plague to spread. Gottfried successfully conveys his point. Robert S. Gottfried achieved in getting his two theses across. His methods were to educate the reader on the topic, giving only the facts necessary to convey his point. After giving the reader information on plague and Medieval Europe, he argued his th esis, making frequent references to points he had made earlier in the book.Gottfried also made it obvious that others supported his theories. At the end of each important point, he marked it with a number corresponding to the reference in the back of the book. â€Å"Neither physicians nor medicines were effective. Whether because these illnesses were previously unknown or because physicians had not previously studied them, there seemed to be no cure. There was such a fear that no one seemed to know what to do. When it took hold in a house it often happened that no one remained who had not died. And it was not just that men and women died, but even sentient animals died.Dogs, cats, chickens, oxen, donkeys sheep showed the same symptoms and died of the same disease. And almost none, or very few, who showed these symptoms, were cured. The symptoms were the following: a bubo in the groin, where the thigh meets the trunk; or a small swelling under the armpit; sudden fever; spitting bloo d and saliva (and no one who spit blood survived it). It was such a frightful thing that when it got into a house, as was said, no one remained. Frightened people abandoned the house and fled to another. -Marchione di Coppo Stefani In conclusion, The Black Death successfully proves that a great deal of tragedy in the 13th century had much to do with animals in the environment. Death was a habitual visitor to fourteenth century Europe. Never before had humanity seen such widespread dying. Famines, wars, and a host of deadly diseases all took millions of lives during the 1300s. But the worst single calamity to wrack this troubled century was the Black Death—a plague that killed anywhere from 24-25 million Europeans between 1347 and 1351.As Frederick F. Cartwright and Michael D. Biddis, authors of Disease and History, observe, â€Å"The Black Death was not just another incident in the long list of epidemics which have smitten the world. It was probably the greatest European cat astrophe in history. † Anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of the total population of Europe died from this plague. Similar death rates took place in Asia, the Mideast, the Mediterranean, Africa, and as far away as Greenland and Iceland, thus making the Black Death the greatest ecological calamity in human history.It also conveyed that plague accelerated the progress of culture, bringing the need for modern medicine. Gottfried makes it apparent that man did not understand enough about the environment to prevent plague, maybe a message to the world today. Dense population, as Gottfried suggested, breeds plague. Early plague has educated us, and we should focus on this, plague seems to be inevitable with certain circumstances and lack of knowledge. Not only did Gottfried educate us on the past, but may have prepared us for the future.Works Citiedâ€Å"Efforts to Stop the Plague. † Insecta Inspecta World. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. . Gottfried, Robert Steven. The Black Death: Natural a nd Human Disaster in Medieval Europe. New York: Free, 1983. Print. â€Å"The Black Death, 1348. † EyeWitness to History – History through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. .

Comparison of Miss Havisham and Lady Macbeth

Throughout both ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Macbeth’ surroundings are used to influence and define Miss Havisham’s and Lady Macbeth’s characteristics. These surroundings are not only physical, but also psychological; found in their relationships and trauma from past events. Although both women are presented in different forms Lady Macbeth is also strongly influenced by her physical surroundings. Like Miss Havisham, her home is metaphorical of her characteristics. She lives in a great castle from which we never see her leave.Like the castle she first comes across as strong, powerful and intimidating with strong walls, yet we later see these crumble and leave her as nothing but a wreck of what she used to be. The castle also lures King Duncan into a false sense of security the same way Lady Macbeth does, this can be seen when he describes her as ‘Fair and noble hostess’ and states ‘This castle hath a pleasant seat’ showing that he feels comfortable and unsuspecting of both. This is ironic because later that very same night he is murdered, highlighting his naivety. This shows how like Lady Macbeth the castle can also conceal the evil within.Pathetic fallacy is often used in Macbeth to emphasise the atmosphere of the events occurring. For example on the night of Duncan’s murder, when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are in a state of paranoia, ‘someone knocks at the gate’ . This makes them feel as though they have been discovered by someone and there is almost knocking on their conscience, ultimately leading to Lady Macbeths loss of sanity. The next morning we learn that ‘The night has been unruly’ and ‘some say the earth/ Was feverous and did shake’ reflecting the earth shaking events of the night prior, and further impressing the guilt on Lady Macbeth, influencing her mental state.Another influence on Lady Macbeth appears to be the witches. When we are first intr oduced to her character she appears to be speaking in incantation which mirrors that of the witches: ‘Come thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell’ This suggests that the witches have some sort of influence over her, or are possessing her so that she can carry out their wishes of over throwing the King, it also shows that she does not fear the religious consequences of her actions.She also goes on to call on spirits ‘Come, you spirits’, this gives the impression that she believes in the superstitious, and not only that but sees it as a source of help. She does not fear it like the vast majority of people in the 1600s. Miss Havisham is also greatly influenced by her psychological and emotional surroundings. The paramount influence over her life was her relationship with Compeyson, as this is what led to her incessant need for revenge, strained relationship with Estella and subversion from conformity.The enormous impact that Compeyson jilting Miss Havisham had on her perception of love can be seen when she describes love as ‘Giving up your soul to the smiter-as I did’. The use of the word smiter emphasises just how deeply she was hurt; her heart was not just broken, but deliberately crushed. She never heals from this pain so dedicates her whole life onwards to breaking men’s hearts. She even goes to the extent of raising Estella to do this ’’You can break his heart. ’’. Yet she shows signs of regretting bringing Estella up ‘so hard and thankless’ and robbing her of the ability to love, like Compeyson did to her.This failing relationship leads her further into depression, but does not stop her need to inflict pain on Pip, suggesting she cannot control her psychological impulses. Miss Havishams failed relationship led her to rebel from the stereotypical Victorian woman, who is supposed to be a married, dutiful wife, well presented and loving. She is quite the opp osite of this as a mad spinster, but is left to her own devices due to her wealth and power Throughout Macbeth we see Lady Macbeth change from a foreboding, deeply ambitious and manipulative women, to a regretful and guilt ridden soul.This change creates a sense of sympathy in the eyes of the audience as it is her own actions which lead to her ultimate demise. Unlike Miss Havisham, Lady Macbeth is married and is perceived by outsiders as a typical loyal wife. However, within her relationship it can be seen that she has also rebelled from expectations. In Lady Macbeth's mind being a woman is a great weakness; she construes femininity as compassion and kindness, preventing her from ever being as powerful as a man.She labels her husband as â€Å"too full o' the milk of human kindness,† to commit treason, and for this reason she calls on the spirits to â€Å"unsex† her and â€Å"Stop up the access and passage to remorse†, as she thinks this will allow her to carry o ut acts of evil. She also manipulates Macbeth into doing what she wants: ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’. This shows that she knows how to use what could be seen as the female method of achieving power, this being manipulation, to further her supposedly male ambitions.This position of power can again be seen in the use of imperative verbs when she talks to Macbeth: ‘look like the innocent flower’, ‘Leave all the rest to me’, displaying her authority and control over the situation. The play implies that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men, yet social constraints deny them the means to pursue these ambitions on their own. Lady Macbeth’s guilt is the crucial psychological surrounding which influences her downfall. Although her will to kill the King was previously so strong, after the murder she begins to slide into madness.She and Macbeth undergo a role reversal, he seems to lose all sense of remorse, whilst her feminine attributes, which she tried so hard to eradicate, take over, leaving her trapped in her guilt. This ironic turn of events can clearly be seen when Lady Macbeth initially comforts Macbeth by saying â€Å"a little water clears us of this deed†, yet she soon comes to realise this is not the case. Her guilt consumes even her subconscious mind leading to her sleep walking, whilst in this state she questions â€Å"will these hands ne’er be clean? and goes on to recount the events of the day of the murder. This illustrates how she is constantly reliving that day, desperately trying to change what happened but can’t. This desperation to clean the blood from her hands eventually drivers her insane, and the only way she can free herself from this mental torture is to end her life. Although Great Expectations and Macbeth were written in different centuries and in different forms; Macbeth being a concentrated play, written around 1604, and Great Expectations being a length ily novel from around 1860.They were both considered quite outrageous and innovative at the time, due to their previously unspoken themes of madness, superstition and matriarch. As shown in my essay, Miss Havisham and Lady Macbeth are similarly influenced by their surroundings. Both women used people as their puppets in order to carry out their desires, and both descended into madness through losing their control of their puppets. However Lady Macbeth was power hungry and was willing to take down anyone to satisfy her ambition, whereas Miss Havisham wanted purely revenge, and thought what she was doing was bringing justice.The former is more manipulative and done purely for selfish reasons, so her madness was self inflicted and grew as time progressed. While the latter was done in response to the pain she was caused, meaning her madness was less calculated, but was constant since the cause of pain. Both are middle aged and wealthy women who have rebelled from expectations, however M iss Havisham rebelled due to a traumatic event in her life and does not try to conceal her atypical lifestyle. Whereas Lady Macbeth tries to mask this, and use her apparent innocence to her advantage.

O Captain! My Captain! Essay

Every decision concerning the ship and the crew is made by the captain; he has great responsibility for his people. By carrying the title ‘captain’, he agrees to attend to all duties as leader of the ship. Part of the captain’s job is to give orders and to demand that they will be followed accordingly; his main concern is the safety of his crew. Sometimes, the crew doesn’t seem to agree with the rules and limitations that were made by the captain, and that makes it difficult to obey them. These rules can create fear and distance between the captain and his people. But, eventually, the crew will realize that the captain had made those rules for their own good. Once they will come to this realization, they will start to respect and to trust their captain completely. They will feel safe when he is around them; they will start looking at him as their anchor. A father is much like a captain, yet, different. A father, like the captain, takes his kids on a journey, the journey of life. He is responsible for their safety and well being through out the journey. In order for this journey to be a successful one, the father has to give rules and to create limitations for his kids. Growing up, the kids understand that every rule and every limitation that was made by their father was for their own good. They start to respect and trust their father; they seek advice from him and they view him as their source of comfort. A father differs from a captain. How so? A father loves his kids. Every decision or rule that he makes is enveloped with warmth and love. The distance that is created between the captain and his crew due to the rules and limits will not be as strong when it comes to a father and his kids; his eternal love for them will allow him to break the rules sometimes. The kids’ love for their father will allow them to get closer to him; closeness that can never exist between a captain and his crew. Whitman sees Lincoln as the captain of the ship but also as the father of the citizens. To him, Lincoln was a unique leader; he had the qualities of a captain and the qualities of a father. Lincoln was able to set the necessary rules and restrictions in order to overcome the challenges arose by the civil war. He knew how to lead the country in the right direction towards victory. But, he was also a father. Every one of his acts and decisions were enveloped with true love towards his citizens. I have recently watched the movie â€Å"Dead Poet society†. The movie talks about an English teacher who comes to teach a group of privileged students. Through out the movie, the students refer to their new teacher as their captain. They feel for their teacher what Whitman felt for Lincoln. They view the teacher as the person who guides them through the learning process of poetry, but they also, like Whitman, feel that every act or step that was made by the teacher is enveloped with love for his beloved students. Whitman refers to Lincoln as a father only in the second and third paragraphs but not in the first one. The first paragraph talks about the victory, the steadiness and the happiness of the country and its citizens. Whitman doesn’t see Lincoln in his weak moments; he sees him as a captain, a strong figure that every one admires. The other two paragraphs talk about the death of the strong man, the captain. In these moments, Whitman feels close to him, he cares for him like a son cares for his dying father; he wants to help him.

Othello and Racism Essay

In conjunction with Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, Othello is said to be one of the four great tragedies written by Shakespeare and consequently a mainstay of what is said by most critics to be the peak of Shakespeare’s theatrical talent. Othello is exceptional in the midst of Shakespeare’s grand catastrophes. Not like Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, which are put up in opposition to a setting of political affairs and which resound with propositions of widespread individual apprehension, Othello is situated in a clandestine world and centers on the infatuations and private lives of its chief figures. Othello basically is the central character as well as the hero of the play under consideration. Being a Christian Moor and general of the armies of Venice, Othello is a well-expressed and actually controlling figure, who everyone around him respects a lot. In the face of his prominent status, he is all the same easy victim to insecurities due to his age, his existence as a soldier, and his race. Analysis The chief character of this play goes by the name of Othello, and he seems to be a person who has an unconventional and open personality, which is used by his ensign Iago to dispose of his love for his partner, Desdemona, into an authoritative and reproachful cupidity, which turns him into an assassin. Insensible of Iago’s manipulative and the lucent incorruptibility of his wife and lieutenant, Othello is sooner or later a victim of his own credulity and unyielding unawareness. But the most prominent theme is that whatever was faced by Othello was due to the fact that he did not belong to the Elizabethan civilization and was a â€Å"black moor†. As we know, Othello is presented as a Black Moor who is the furthermost General of the Army in Venice. He is intellectual, audacious, and praiseworthy. The wedding that takes place between him and the fine-looking Desdemona, who is the daughter of a well-known Venetian, aggravates racial affront in opposition to him. In the Elizabethan times, there was much racial discrimination against blacks and moors. But even though the vain hero of this play faced racial prejudice, he keeps on living with courteousness and sense of worth as he shows the way to an army in opposition to Turks on Cyprus. His perseverance to sense of duty is obscured only by his commitment to Desdemona, who makes her way to Cyprus with him. The love Othello has for his wife is so deep and passionate that he cannot bear even the contemplation of a different man even looking at her. And in that lies his weak point, which is resentment. Othello’s consideration to the theme turns out to be apparent when Iago makes use of it as confirmation that Desdemona could never be truthful to a person who does not even belong to their society and is a person who is so â€Å"unnatural†. The self-assurance felt by Othello that was once so strong is with ease tattered by Iago’s propensity to persuade him that he is second-rate in comparison to the men of Venice. The vain hero of the drama Othello is a Moor who prevails the compassion of Desdemona with his vigorous tales of encounter and escapade, adding to the disappointment of her father and the Venetian court of which they are a component. Othello is happily married with his wife. After certain happenings take place, the stratagem takes place rather speedily when Iago, a subsidiary of Othello, sets his mind for taking revenge after he does not get the promotion that he really wanted. He figures out plans to set Othello against his own wife. What takes place after this is a succession of maneuverings in which Iago gradually persuades Othello of Desdemona’s faithlessness and that she has something going on with Cassio, the lieutenant who gets raised to the position that was sought after by Iago. The basic point here is that Othello was used by Iago in a way this his own race was used against him. Othello was made to realize that his chances of being loved by Desdemona were low for the fact that he did not even belong to their civilization. Readily in Othello, the central character, Othello, can be made out as an archetypal tragic hero who is conflicted by the brawny force of his instinctive gullibility and over-trust as defects in his otherwise honorable character. All the way through the speedy expansion of the play, we see Othello’s character fall to pieces as a consequence of his increasing resentment and are at last incapacitated by a commanding catharsis where in spite of his bad behavior; the person who reads feels compassion for Othello and his calamity. In this catastrophe of character, the prevalent bereavement and dread can be undoubtedly accredited to the foreseeable fault in the personality of Othello, the heartrending hero. Straight away the wicked character of Iago is set up and discovers the hero’s disastrous flaw; eventually that of simplicity. He hath a person and a smooth dispose, to be suspected, framed to make women false. The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest, but that seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by th’ nose, As asses are†. (Shakespeare, lines 440-445). Even though no time is wasted by Shakespeare in converting the honorable central character almost unbelievably into a thoughtless and cruel murdered of his wife who does not have any faith what so ever in her, one must bear in mind the fact that he is up in opposition to, moderately convincingly, the most resourceful archvillian in literature. Being the malevolent, but shrewd human being that he is, Iago does every single thing that he can think of so as to intensify the effects of the hero’s heartbreaking flaw and make such attempts that it would work against him. The most manipulative characteristic of Iago’s stratagem are persistently seen all the way through the play, when he delicately makes his own image better than all others while harming the other people’s image. The expansion of Othello is basically focused in the order of the mounting covetousness of the adversary as the medium with which his disastrous imperfection gets hold of his breakdown. As a consequence of Othello’s unquestioning personality, Iago’s monstrous thoughts are permissible to break through into his more often than not unsuspicious mind and in that distort his judgment and actions all the way through the course of the play. As an outcome of the wholesomeness and certainty in the love amid Othello and Desdemona, Othello is incapacitated with heartache when it is recommended that Desdemona has been disloyal to him. At first he does not wish to believe it, but handing over deceitful Iago to the charge of discovering the truth without doubt buries him deeper in dishonesty. Poor Desdemona is killed over a crime she had never even thought of. But here the play shows that Othello’s mind has been taken over completely by Iago’s conniving nature. Eventually when Othello realizes his mistake, he commits suicide, saying, â€Å"I kissed thee ere I killed thee, no way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss† (Shakespeare, line 420-421). Perhaps it would not have been easy for Iago’s scheme to work had there not been the elementary setting of ethnic discrimination in Elizabethan civilization, a prejudice that was felt and sensed by both Desdemona and Othello. Shakespeare’s Desdemona puts up with intolerance by disproving it right of entry to her own life. Her relationship that is shared between her and Othello is that of love, and she is intentionally faithful to that relationship. On the other hand, Othello does not have any knowledge what so ever about how intensely chauvinism has broke in into his own character. This immersed bigotry weakens him with opinions similar to thoughts like he is not good-looking and does not deserve Desdemona. He starts believing that Desdemona does not really love him and even if she does then there has to be something erroneous with her. These feelings, reddened by Iago’s intimations and fabrications, put off Othello from conferring his apprehension and qualms honestly with Desdemona, and in this regard he acts on alarmed supposition. So as to live on the collective ambush of internalized chauvinism and the aimed at malice of Iago, Othello would require to be close to faultless in potency and self-knowledge, and this just is not a reasonable requirement. Racial Discrimination in Othello The basic issue that has been presented in the play is that of prejudice and racial discrimination. Every single human being at some point in his or her life goes through a feeling of complete alienation. This can come up in the form of a new child at school, or those who form a part of a cultural or religious marginal, or as someone who clutches an ostracized estimation. In order go make this problem known to the general public, Shakespeare has made his hero out to be an outsider, a person who does not fairly fit in, in the culture in which he lives nor is he of their ethnic background. Since the very beginning of the play, when the hero is detained in suspicion by a gentleman who impeaches him of seducing his daughter with incomprehensible charms, Othello has been made apart from all of the other characters of the play who belong to the same cultural background. Considering that he has been made out as a person who belongs to an exclusively dissimilar country, much of the discrepancy he puts up with is because of the scheming conviction that he does not fit in with this civilization. In the Elizabethan times, as can clearly be seen from Othello, race was a subject of great dispute and argument. Even in the current times, the dispute keeps hold of its disagreement and enthusiasm. On the other hand, approaches towards ethnicity have taken a spectacular turn at some point in the last century (Racism and Othello). In the current times, people have come to live in a gradually more multi-ethnic society, who would unquestionably be more open-minded and would refuse or even be affronted by racial unfairness to any individual or segments of the society. People have cleanly been labeled as â€Å"racists† in the current times and have also been started to be considered as outcasts. This puts up the questions of what type of meaning Shakespeare wanted to convey to his spectators and was Othello the moor represented as a disastrous hero or did his personality sooner or later come to bear a resemblance to the discrimination of which he was a sufferer. Shakespeare also talks about the question of race with additional characters for instance the detestable Iago and the discrimination concealed deep in Brabantio (Racism and Sexism in Othello, p. , Othello – A Racist Play? , p. 1). The proceedings of Brabantio commence the awareness in the race subject in Act 1 Scene 1 far more than Iago’s tainted abuses for the reason that the kind of concealed racism is in point of fact present in contemporary society. Brabantio criticizes of his daughter even thinking of getting married to Roderigo considering that Roderigo did not have a very good reputation in society but subsequent to listening to Iago inform him that his daughter is going out with a moor he wishes that Roderigo would have married Desdemona. Therefore Brabantio recommends that he would rather have his daughter married to a man who has a bad reputation in the entire society and believes that he is better than a moor who is an appreciated noble and gentleman in the army. As Brabantio believes the only problem that lies with Othello is that he is black and does not belong to their society (Twyman, p. 1). There is a little proof that Shakespeare was using Othello to endorse ethnically discriminatory views as suggested by certain critics. Shakespeare has presented Othello to be a dignified person and a Christian. As an alternative, Iago is represented as the most iniquity bad character and also the terrible racist. Iago considers Othello’ lips as â€Å"thick-lips† (Shakespeare, p. 66) and calls him as â€Å"an old black ram† (Shakespeare, lines 88-89). Even though there might be a few reasons behind the deceitful actions taken by Iago. Even though he does undergo suspicion about whom his wife would be going out with behind his back and he dislikes Othello because of the promotion he gained which was desired by Iago, but from all of his speeches, the thing which is most obvious is the fact that he dislikes Othello because of the color of his skin. By putting forward to us the scoundrel of the play to have such deep-seated bigotry; Shakespeare is disapproving all of the people who attack others purely because of the color of their skin or their ethnic group or religion. A contemporary spectator would consequently perceive that in their visualization, correctly, Shakespeare has made an attempt to send out an anti-racist point (The Racism in Othello, p. 1). Considering the fact that there was no real reason for Iago to hate Othello, he starts inventing novel reasons to disgust Othello. He comes up with the idea in his own brain that his wife is cheating on him with Othello. Even as this is perceptibly fallacious, it makes it easier for Iago to have a reason to loathe Othello for reasons other than his skin. His annoyance is fairly understandable when he comes out with the declaration â€Å"hell and night / must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light† (Shakespeare, lines 397-98). This outburst does not only demonstrate Iago’s disdain for Othello, it obviously illustrates the satirical switching of issues to the matter of color once again (Racism in Othello, p. 1). Conclusion In the light of the above discussion we can hereby culminate that Othello is a play written by Shakespeare in which we see how a man full of courage and bravery is tricked upon by the villain of the play. Racial discrimination is a theme that is very prevalent in the play and tells us of how outsiders in the Elizabethan times were treated.