Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Democracy in United States Elections - 1908 Words

Are United States elections democratic? Democracy a universally recognized phenomenon refers to a government deriving its power from the people and being answerable to them (Fox 2008). President Abraham Lincoln (Gettysburg Address, 1863) said about democracy ...is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not vanish from this earth ‘ (Fox 2008). The foundations of democracy in America are found within, â€Å"The Declaration of Independence of 1776† and â€Å"The Constitution of 1789†, both products of the American Revolution where equality and the rights of man were the focus of their creation (Rodgers 2001). The first half of this paper discusses the notion that despite having the best institutional powers that uphold democratic functions within the American government, this doesn’t always translate into the perfect democratic election. The US Constitution separated power between three institutions of the state - the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary where no singular institution has all the power (Rodgers 2001). They act to prevent the president arbitrarily appointing someone to a particular post, protecting democratic process (Rodgers 2001). A large number of American officials are elected and are not simply appointed anyway (Rodgers 2001). A democratic U.S nation with decentralized power and responsibility like the United States is unique in its federal system of government, as these are shared by national, state, and local governmentsShow MoreRelatedDemocracy, the Electoral College and Other Methods of Election681 Words   |  3 PagesIn a United States Government and Politics class, students learn about historical moments and the American political structure. America is seen globally as the land of the free. In fact, many people around the world believe that the United States, with its political an d justice systems, is the strongest democracy in the world. However, the United States of America possesses many defects in its political system. Many Americans also believe that the United States of America is the most solid democracyRead MoreDemocracy, Over The Years, Has Been Both Praised And Criticized1587 Words   |  7 PagesDemocracy, over the years, has been both praised and criticized as the central form of government in the United States. After the most recent election, political tensions have been high throughout the country leading to an increase in the discussion of politics in public and especially on college campuses. I have interviewed ten students on the UCSB campus about the role of democracy in the United States and if it is a good representation of a stable form of government. My interviewees’ opinionsRead MoreThe American Oligarchy873 Words   |  4 PagesOligarchy The United States is no longer the democracy it stands for. Democracy stands for a government controlled by the majority of the population. The United States is no longer controlled by the majority. America is controlled by the powerful corporations and rich elite. The combination of an uninformed, disinterested public, a flawed election process, and an economy controlled by 1% of the population have all led to the formation of the American Oligarchy. The government of the United States is boughtRead MoreDifferences Between the Political and Value Based Definitions of Democracy1318 Words   |  5 Pagesarticle is based on states the difference between a democracy as a political definition and one as values. Democracy first begins its definition during the time of the Herodotus democracy. It has grown to become associated as a liberal democracy, although originally it is a form of ruling by the people. According to Samuel P. Huntington, â€Å"Democracy is one public virtue, not the only one, and the relation of democracy to other public virtues and vices can only be understood if democracy is clearly distinguishedRead MoreElection Day, President Of The United States1318 Words   |  6 PagesDuring election day, millions of Americans are going to cast their vote for who they want to be the next president of the United States. Except is a lot more complicated than it seems. The electoral college is the collection of 538 delegat es that have the power to determine who the next president will be; the number of total representatives in the House and Senate. These 538 votes aren’t given to the citizen directly, but they are instead divided among the 50 states in America. Currently, peopleRead MoreDemocracy As A Best Solution, And Underlying Capitalist Forces1490 Words   |  6 PagesDemocracy has morphed in the face of time due to exterior forces which in turn have impacted the understanding of what democracy in action should look like. Technology, education, religious decay and rise, and many other facets of modern life have overwhelmed the understanding of what democracy is. Simply engaging with the concept of democracy is in itself an acceptance of values and assumptions about what governments, and many times economies, should look like. But this paper hardly allows for alternativeRead MorePersuasive Speech Outline1309 Words   |  6 PagesPersuasive Speech Outline (Using Monroe’s Motivated Sequence) Topic: Voting in Election Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to vote in democratic elections to voice out their opinions and beliefs regardless of their background, to decide for their future, and to preserve the essence of democracy. Attention: * Provide a vivid description of people struggling to fight for their voting rights in certain countries. * Share relevant facts /statistics of how a small number of votesRead MoreWhy Do We Still Have an Embargo of Cuba?1688 Words   |  7 Pagesactivity, a ban on travel, a policy on how Cuban exiles can enter the U.S., and media broadcasting to the island. These once-executive orders now codified into law by the Helms-Burton Act, have become a politically charged topic which wins and loses elections, spawned influential interest groups, and powerful political action committees. One year and a half after Castro’s forces took power in Cuba, President Eisenhower first imposed an embargo on Cuba, with the exception of food and medicine. In 1962Read MoreThe Electoral College System For Electing The United States Essay1150 Words   |  5 Pages With the Electoral College system for electing the United States president winning the most popular votes is not a guarantee a candidate will become president. They must also get 270 Electoral College votes to win. A candidate can become president if he gets at least 270 Electoral College votes and does not have the most popular votes. Many people do not like the Electoral college system for this reason. They feel the person with the most popular votes should win. Unfortunately for themRead MoreThe s Criteria Of Voting Equality And Effective Participation1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States of America is one of the oldest contemporary democracies, is currently the second largest democracy, and is ranked the 16th best democracy in the world (Campbell et. Al, 2014). Yet there is a legitimate question over whether or not the United States can still truly be considered a democracy, with some studies even suggesting it has begun to resemble an oligarchy (Chumley, 2014). In this essay, I will use Dahl’s criteria of voting equality and effective participation to determine

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Problem Of Human Trafficking - 1439 Words

Though it may be receiving more attention in recent years, it could be argued that the complete magnitude of human trafficking is still not fully comprehended. Professor of Epidemiology, Rezaeian Mohsen, has stated that, â€Å"The ultimate intention of human trafficking is to give illegitimate power to a human being in order to force another human being to be a subject of modern slavery i.e. prostitution, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, etc.† (Mohsen, 2016, p.36). This type of illegitimate power has the opportunity to thrive in a global economy where minimizing costs and maximizing profits is the ultimate goal. Globalization and regional integration have contributed to an environment in which human trafficking is not only the†¦show more content†¦Human trafficking would not be an issue if there was not a market for it, therefore, the attitude that it is considered acceptable amongst a portion of society to purchase and sell humans needs to be addressed and harshly penalized. The creating of a single international law or adopting other effective measures in order to promote the cooperation between nations in the punishment and dissuasion of human trafficking. This would allow for a swift application of harsh penalties towards the offender, with the intention of punishment outweighing any potential reward in the criminal mind. The implementation of more local programs that inform and educate the public on human trafficking as well as ensure that the victims of trafficking receive appropriate assistance and protection could also be very effective. An unforgiving stance on various enabling offences, such as corruption or the forgery and theft of official documents needs to be tackled as well. â€Å"This has an indirect preventive effect, since it causes important tools of the traffickers to be less usable or accessible. As a result, the entire criminal project becomes harder and – at least potentially – more expensive, so that it loses part of its attraction† (Van Impe, 2000, p.123). 3. Possible Directions to Achieve Desired Change (250-300 words) What is needed to achieve the vision of change and address the identified social problem? BrieflyShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1498 Words   |  6 Pagesthese problems. Taking a closer look at an ongoing issue highly prevalent in our world today, it is easy to see that other issues feed off it, and can contribute to the issue at hand. The issue I want to focus on is human trafficking. This type of criminalization is often one that is overlooked, most people believing that it is some sort of â€Å"myth,† or that this type of action happens to very few, and is only part of developing countries. However, the truth of the matter is that human trafficking occursRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1328 Words   |  6 Pagestaken from their homes and put into human trafficking. Every individual is supposed to be given the opportunity to a long and happy life but, with human trafficking standing in the way, millions of people are subjected to illnesses, diseases, and unhappiness. Human trafficking has taken over the lives of many, especially in Ban gladesh. A country that is subjected to filth, poverty, and sex trafficking. Bangladesh is one of the top countries for human trafficking. The people of Bangladesh are in needRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1283 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it comes to the topic human trafficking, mostly everyone knows that it has a lot of history to its name. According to ben skinner, â€Å" there are more slaves in the world today then ever before†(E. Benjamin pg. xi). There have been many incidents and cases with human trafficking such as, sex trade, smuggling, violence, etc. Today, one can show how real is Human Trafficking. This paper details the big enigma exist todays date, that Human Trafficking is real. Trafficking can happen in almost everyRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1080 Words   |  5 Pagesinevitable. The thought of writing my essay was frightening enough but deciding on a topic and searching for sources was a completely different story. After a few sleeples s nights, I finally decided on my topic, human trafficking. I chose this topic because I believe human trafficking is a problem not only in America but worldwide and needs to be taken seriously. My strong dislike for research papers is not something to hide but I am hoping for the best for this essay and the class. As I began researchingRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking883 Words   |  4 Pagesinterest in ending human trafficking, a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon, has been slow and selective. The inner reason for the poor success is the prevailing conception of the problem. 2. This paper argues that the limited success in fighting human trafficking is to a large extent the result of framing the existing debate of human trafficking as predominantly a matter of prevention and protection rather than addressing the global market conditions within which human trafficking thrives . UnlikeRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking Essay1623 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction- A million of women children are trafficking worldwide every year it is problem of developed and developing and under developing country, issue found that across the nation are can say that trafficking is flowing to underdeveloped country to developing country or developing country to develop country. It has been made big market of human trafficking. Human trafficking is the third big benefitted industry in the world. At least million of children using in the prostitution for-profitRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1387 Words   |  6 Pagesyears’ human trafficking has recogn ized as major illegal and problematic activity within the criminal justice system throughout the United States and a majority of the world. Although much attention has been paid to the worldwide aspect of human trafficking it is important to realize its domestic prevalence. According to ------------------ and estimated 200,0000 to 300,000 immigrants are trafficked illegally within the United States from impoverished countries. The topic of human trafficking has provedRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking2103 Words   |  9 PagesHuman Trafficking Introduction The problem of human trafficking affects many countries around the world. In practice, it is a transnational organized crime in which participants have networks in different countries where they source and sell their victims. Human trafficking has adverse effects on the victims as well as the entire society. Accordingly, many countries have implemented different policies in an effort to combat this social concern. Despite these policies and intervention measures, humanRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Trafficking1168 Words   |  5 Pagesa form of what we know today as human trafficking. The trafficking in persons is a form of modern day slavery, and exploits it’s victims into a slavery type setting such as manual labor or for commercial sex purposes. Many adults and elderly make up a great number of the humans that are trafficked each year, but the general population is children since they are usually helpless and are easier to manipulate since they are still in the ages of lear ning. Trafficking people is a very serious crime andRead MoreHuman Trafficking. Human Trafficking Has Been A Problem1487 Words   |  6 PagesHuman Trafficking Human trafficking has been a problem for too long. It affects many people at a time. There are many stories about different people who had been taken. The traffickers have different strategies in order to pull in different people. Human trafficking is not only in America, but in every part of the world. Around 4.5 million victims get stuck in sex trafficking. There are many ways to help stop human trafficking that are not hard to do and do not cost any money. If everybody could

Monday, December 9, 2019

Teaching a Specialist Subject free essay sample

City and Guilds 7305 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector Levels 4/5 Optional Unit: level 4: Teaching a Specialist Subject This assignment ‘teaching a specialist subject’ will refer to teaching ESOL in the lifelong learning sector. Preceding 2001 no regulations were in place to ensure that teachers in further education were trained in the skills of teaching. Therefore the further education teachers were a mixture of skilled professionals with or without a qualification in their subject. There was no national system and there were no standards for teaching to which the qualifications could be mapped. Many of the courses offered in further education colleges were vocational, and many of the teaching staff were appointed on the basis of their own professional skills, knowledge and experience. (LSIS) http://www. lsis. org. uk/sites/www. lsis. org. uk/files/LSIS-TQR-Findings-Report-Jan2013. pdf Not the one It wasn’t until 1998, in the Green Paper The Learning Age, that the government first put forward the idea of a requirement for professional teaching qualifications for teachers who were working outside the schools sector. Thus the Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO) came into being, and by 1999 had published the Standards for initial teacher training in England and Wales, and by 2001 the first statute passed by parliament that made a teacher training qualification a legal requirement for a full time teacher in a college of further education in England (Statutory instrument 2001). The 2001 regulations set out clearly the requirement that a new teacher working full time in a college of further education must gain the full teaching qualification New qualification requirements for teaching in the lifelong learning sector (LLLS) were introduced in 2007. Two teaching roles were defined, associate teaching and full teaching role. ’ The associate role having fewer teaching responsibilities than a full teaching role. New teachers are required to undertake an introductory programme which would give them a threshold licence to teach. This is a City and Guilds accredited Level 3 or 4 Award in . Preparing to teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS). This initial qualification equips new teachers with the minimum skills and knowledge they need to start teaching, and forms the first part of their initial teacher training programme. Full teaching qualification programmes: These qualifications cover the PTTLS requirements as part of the course: Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) PGCE or Certificate in Education. For Skills for Life teachers there will be three routes to becoming fully qualified for both a full teaching role and in their subject specialism: An integrated subject specific programme which will cover both full teaching and subject specific requirements †¢A generic Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) and a subject specific diploma †¢A subject specific diploma for teachers of literacy, numeracy or ESOL (for those already holding a generic teaching qualification) http://www. skillsforlifenetwork. com/? atk=876 As Gravels (2010 :8) suggests ‘Whatever has made you decide to teach, you will need a specialist subject. My specialist subject is ESOL, I completed a joint PTLLS/Cert TESOL in 2008. My awarding body for PTLLS was City and Guilds and Cert TESOl was Trinity College, this was the initial stage for training in my specialist subject. After volunteering as an ESOL tutor, I decided to pursue the route to the full teaching qualification and become an ESOL subject specialist. At present, I am close to the end of my DTLLS training and will then move on to a subject specific diploma for ESOL. I am a part time ESOL Tutor at XXXXXXXXXXXX(XXX), I teach in the Community Learning and Skills Development. The group I teach meet every Saturday morning for two hours. This is a basic beginners group and is a mix of middle-aged and older learners with varied learning styles, who come from different cultural and social backgrounds. The purpose of the ESOL provision at WAES is to meet the differing needs of learners and to responding to the changing needs of individuals, local partners as well as government priorities. By improving people’s skills and enabling them to gain accreditation and reach their individual goals, this provision will help build a stronger job market, improve individual job prospects, facilitate progression on to further learning opportunities and contribute towards a more independent and fully functioning society. The key aims of Community Learning and Skills Development within (XXXX) are to: Enhance people’s quality of life by improving their functional English (ESOL) ICT and maths skills and raising their self confidence †¢provide progression routes for adults within the Community Learning and Skills †¢improve adults’ job prospects by developing their numeracy and language skills and offer accredited learning programmes through which they can gain nationally recognised qualifications To emphasise the key aims of my subject specialism, I borrow the words of John Denham Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (May 2009) ‘The ability to speak English is critical for everyone living and working in the UK. It underpins employability and gives people the ability to support themselves and their families, engage more fully with the wider community and access necessary services’ People learn English for many and extremely varied reasons. Taking these reasons, as well as language acquisition needs, into consideration, planning is crucial for a successful learning experience. For my ESOL course this begins with the syllabus. As pointed out by Gravels A, (2010:37) ‘Whatever your specialist subject, your organisation should supply you with a relevant syllabus or guide. If one is not available, you may need to develop your own course content based around the subject to be delivered. ’ Once the aims of the learning programme have been decided, and the learners’ language levels and aspirations identified, I use the ESOL curriculum to draw up a syllabus and a scheme of work by selecting relevant level descriptors and component skills from the Adult ESOL Core Curriculum When designing the syllabus, I break down the course aims into skills, e. g. : Course aim: to improve speaking and listening skills at Entry 1 Negotiated topics: Giving/asking Personal Information; Family relations, Expressing likes and Dislikes. Asking Directions Skills: Give personal information; ask others about themselves; express likes and dislikes talk about my family, ask/give directions Greet others and introduce yourself Sc/E1. 1a; Sd/E1. 1a; Lr/E1. 1d Give information about yourself Sc/E1. 4b; Lr/E1. 2b Ask others about themselves Sc/E1. 3a; Lr/E1. 2b Ask for something you need Sc/E1.2a; Lr/E1. 2a The aims of this course at Entry 1 are to allow candidates to provide evidence of: †¢their ability to communicate effectively in English, in day to day situational exchanges, and social and cultural dialogue and activities, at the appropriate level in the ESOL Core Curriculum †¢their grasp of the social and cultural structures that underpin successful integration into UK society The objectives of the course are that: By the end of the course a learner will be able to: †¢Give/ask personal information orally †¢Fill out personal information e. g. for doctors/children’s schools. Identify 5 likes and 5 dislikes †¢Identify with good pronunciation 5 family members †¢meet the assessment targets to progress to the next level The scheme of work (SOW)sets out in more detail what will be covered in each week of the learning course, based on the syllabus. I structure the scheme of work so that learners can successfully build on language they have already learnt. It is also very important that my SOW reflects any reviews with my learners and assessment. How do I plan and organize my lessons? Based on my SOW I then set out my lesson plan for each lesson covered. The lesson plan is very detailed, outing time, resources, act What is the level of the class I will be teaching? The California Department of Education publishes the Model Standards for Adult Education Programs: ESL. How do I assess my students’ needs? RARPA How do I track students’ goals and outcomes? What is the core curriculum and what books and materials will be available to my students and me? Your site supervisor or ESL Coordinator most likely will provide you with the core curriculum for the class you will be teaching The target groups include: Anyone, 19+, whose first language is not English and who does not have a level 2 qualification in English (i. e. GCSE grade A-C equivalent). They should also be is eligible for SFL funded provision according to SFL residency criteria. The course is open to learners who are 19+ and eligible according to SFL residency criteria The course is not accredited and do not lead to a qualification. Regular attendance is very important if learners are to achieve and an attendance of at least 80% is expected. . I provide a range of appropriate resources for the course, mapped to the ESOL curriculum. Learners will be able to discuss their own learning aims with me and set these as personal targets in their Individual Learning Plan. Targets are then reviewed and re-negotiated throughout the course. WAES has a learner support department every effort is made to provide specific support or equipment to meet individual learning needs. Anyone joining a course is encouraged to make known if support may be needed. Some of the support provided includes one-to-one help during the course and adaptive equipment. We aim to make our courses welcoming and easy to access. Community Learning and Skills Development do not accept any discrimination. Everyone is expected to accept responsibility for upholding equality and showing respect to others. Product model The product model is based on the idea that there are certain skills to master and facts to know. The idea of this model is that knowledge is similar to a product that is manufactured. The assumption is that generally one starts knowing nothing, they are then taught and then one transmits that knowledge to action. The product model consists of a series of steps leading to the product that allows the curriculum to be designed accordingly. The steps are: Step 1: Diagnosis of need Step 2: Formulation of objectives Step 3: Selection of content Step 4: Organization of content Step 5: Selection of learning experiences Step 6: Organization of learning experiences Step 7: Determination of what to evaluate, and the ways and means of doing it. (infed. org:2010) Although the model organises learning quite neatly it is very Pedagogic and Behaviourist. Using this model teaching follows a pre-specified program allowing little thought for individual student needs and discourages creativity for learner and teacher. ‘The behaviourist approach is deterministic: it believes that people’s behaviour is assumed to be entirely controlled by their environment and their prior learning, so they do not play any part in choosing their own actions. ’ (psychlotron. org. uk:2008) Process model In contrast the process model takes learners as individuals, not as objects to be acted upon. They have a clear voice in the way the sessions evolve. The focus of this model is on the interactions that shift the attention from the teaching to the learning, (pedagogy to andragogy). The process model is about the interaction of students, teachers and knowledge. It is about what happens in the classroom and what people do to prepare and evaluate. This model is both constructivist and humanistic. Lawrence Stenhouse (1975) suggested that a curriculum is rather like a recipe in cookery. A curriculum, like the recipe for a dish, is first imagined as a possibility, then the subject of experiment. The recipe offered publicly is in a sense a report on the experiment. Similarly, a curriculum should be grounded in practice. It is an attempt to describe the work observed in classrooms. Finally, within limits, a recipe can be varied according to taste so can a curriculum. So as Stenhouse says a recipe can be varied according to taste, just as a lesson can be varied according to individual’s needs, making it humanistic. Also by the recipe being an experiment you can try something out and then build on the knowledge of how well it worked to improve it, making it constructivist. This model is about interaction and feedback, again two humanistic traits. 6. 1 The obstacles cited by potential ESOL students as preventing them from participating in learning are similar to those mentioned by other adult non-learners. These include insufficient time as a result of family or work commitments, inadequate information, poor advice and guidance, the potential cost of study, a lack of suitable flexible provision locally, inadequate transport or lack of affordable childcare. ESOL learners are then often further hampered because of ineffective assessment and support and by the lack of a consistent approach across the country. In some areas there is little tutor expertise in rigorous ESOL assessment and few suitably robust and reliable ESOL diagnostic tests. Inadequate pre-course advice and guidance results from insufficient knowledge about the range of opportunities available and lack of understanding of the equivalence between overseas and British qualifications. This is in sharp contrast with some other European countries, such as France, where there are well developed and fully funded qualification recognition services. 6. 3 Long waiting lists often result in large classes which may not allow for sufficient student interaction and oral practice or which include too wide a range of language levels. Many students want to learn quickly for substantial numbers of hours a week but this intensive provision is not always available. In rural and other areas where there are few ESOL learners there is often either a complete lack of suitable provision or a tendency to put ESOL learners and basic skills learners in the same class, even though their needs are very different. 6. 4 Moreover, for refugee ESOL learners, these barriers are all too often compounded by cultural dislocation, emotional distress and trauma at being resettled in a strange country. Lack of money prevents some from travelling to classes.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

World lit blood wedding Essay Example

World lit blood wedding Paper World lit blood wedding BY swtzzle537 Shit Tits MCGee World Lit Paper May 2013 How does the author use literary techniques in order to keep the social stereotypes of the early 1900s Spanish society intact? Lifethats what they need more than anything elselife. This quote spoken by The Mother is true in Blood Weddings early spanish society, yet it causes one to question what kind of life is one really living when being succumbed by social stereotypes? In Frederico Garcia Lorcas tragic play, Blood Wedding, he uses many iterary strategies in order to maintain various social stereotypes. Three main techniques the author chooses to incorporate include atmosphere, archetypes, and resolution to further his critique of the social stereotype present in this spanish society. To begin, Frederico Garcia Lorca uses atmosphere constantly throughout the play. Lorca aimed to create a brooding atmosphere of early 1900s Spain. This time period was characterized by a patriarchal familial structure as well as a roman catholic worldview. The gender roles of the characters are heavily affected by this religious nfluence throughout the piece, as shown in how marriage and family life is portrayed in the work. During the 1920s 1930s, the period portrayed in this piece, women had little to no rights and no ability to hold a Job, so marriage and birthing children was seen as the main aspect of a womans life. As The Mother condescendingly stated See if you cant raise me six grandchildren to make me happy. as if child-bearing was the daughters sole purpose; and in this society, it very well might have been. We will write a custom essay sample on World lit blood wedding specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on World lit blood wedding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on World lit blood wedding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The brooding atmosphere is first shown in the mothers one and dialouge, The knife, the knife! Damn the knife, damn all knives, damn the devil who created knives. This negative diction is one of the first examples of the brooding atmosphere that surrounds the whole play. This is followed by another instance of a brooding, or serious, atmospheric tone by The Mother, The killers are in prison, yes. But what is prison? They eat, they smoke, they play guitars. While the grass fills the bodies of my dead. , which gives the reader background information and adds to the grim aspect of the work. An additional example of the wide use of rooding diction includes a quote by the Girl expressing that We are all burned-out. These very walls shoot flames. This discriptive quote continues to deliver the brooding tone the author is attempting to convey. The main purpose of the brooding atmosphere is to entrap the women as well as the men in their social stereotypes by providing a grim and immovable tone throughout the piece. To continue, Lorcas use of archetypes helps to further the social stereotyping he desires to critique in his piece, Blood Wedding. Lorca uses archetypes in order to eveal each persons attributes solely based on actions, speech and the readers readers previous stereotypes imply certain connections to the reader, such as The Mother, for example; It causes the reader to think about his own mother and those stereotypes associated with that name rather than Just looking at the character as unrelatable or a different individual. By naming the helper Servant instead of giving them a legitimate name you then recognize them as a servant. You immediately understand that it is a woman in a servants role which in turn helps the reader to fill p the remaining details with background information. This causes all of the characters to be filled with their own stereotypes which sets the story in a completely reader-generated setting, Just as Lorca wants. This concept is brought throughout the whole story with almost all of the characters, except for the main antagonist, Leonardo. The reason Lorca gives Leonardo a name and not Just an archetype is to attract attention to him and to discourage the reader from applying their own stereotypes and to allow the author to provide the information necessary to fill the ntistereotypical role of Leonardo. This frequent use of archetypes helps to revolve the story around Leonardo and specifically tell the reader where the attention should be. To continue further, the author implements resolution in order to keep the social stereotypes intact . The resolution traditionally concludes the falling action, and in the case of Blood Wedding, the resolution is extremely important. In the final act of the play, Death, disguised as an old beggar, searches for the men that the bride has become involved with. Leonardo, feeling as though his unhappy love life must be the lame of someone other than himself, he claims Ever since my own wedding day IVe been asking myself night and day who was to blame. And Im always finding somebody new to blame. Because somebody somewhere must be to blame. This helps to explain the character that Leonardo is and has become as he progresses throughout the play. Because the author lets the reader experience Leonardos inner feelings, the reader feels as though he knows Leonardo deeper than the other characters, and therefore is affected deeper after his death. After the climax, when oth the men in The Brides life have been killed, she finds herself lost and alone, almost as if she was being punished for br eaking the social stereotypes that have bound her and her fellow women in society. The reason the author uses resolution is due to the fact that if the play had ended directly after the climax, the story would have lost its true purpose, which is that social stereotypes are necessary to hold society together. In addition to the role the resolution plays in the importance of keeping the stereotypes intact, the mothers change in tone also adds to the esolution of the work in that it adds to the change that occurs after the climax. After the climax, not only does the brides entire character change in that she lost the desire to break the social stereotypes, but the entire diction of the piece also changes. In tis quote by the mother, This knife / Left two men stiffening / With yellow lips. / It barely fits the hand / But slides in cold / Through startled flesh / Till it stops, there, / In the quivering / Dark / Roots / Of the scream. The diction changes from smooth story telling to poetic, staccato greif. This continuation of the resolution to the piece helps to add to his ongoing critique of the stereotypical society that those in Blood Wedding reside in. piece, Blood Wedding, the three crucial techniques that help to develop his ideas the greatest include atmosphere, present in the brooding diction throughout the play, archetype, as shown in The Mother as well as Leonardo, and finally resolution, as seen in the concluding factors that show the punishment The Bride endures for breaking the norm, in order to keep the various social stereotypes that are present in this early 1900s spanish society intact.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How Much Will My Social Security Disability Check Be

How Much Will My Social Security Disability Check Be How Much Will I Receive Each Month in SSD Benefits? If you are approved for SSD benefits, the amount of money you receive will be based on the average of your lifetime earnings before your disability started. These are referred to as covered earnings, which you paid Social Security taxes on.How Does the SSA Calculate Benefits?The SSA uses an equation that takes into account your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) and your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).Simply put, your AIME is your averaged covered earnings.The SSA will determine this amount based on the earnings you received from the year you turned 21 to the year that you became disabled. If you have more than 35 years of covered earnings, the SSA will average the highest 35 years of covered earnings.This amount is indexed in order to factor in wage increases. Then, this amount is divided by the number of months in those years to determine your average monthly amount.From there, the SSA uses three fixed percentages of different aspects of your AIME and adds them to find the PIA . The PIA is what the SSA will use to determine your actual benefits amount.What is the Average Monthly Check?For 2019, the average monthly amount is $1,234, while the maximum is $2,861.What Is COLA And How Does It Affect My Benefits?Each year, the SSA reviews the Consumer Price Index, which essentially is a change in the price of goods and services. If this number increased by a certain amount, you will automatically receive a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).If there is one, The SSA announces the COLA each year in October. As a Social Security Disability benefits recipient, you will receive this increase in benefits in January of the new year.For 2019, the COLA was 2.8%.Turn to the Experienced Social Security Disability AttorneysApplying for benefits can be overwhelming, and having a skilled attorney on your side can help improve your chances of being approved.Have questions? Call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation at 800-701- 5524. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Let Michigan’s experienced Social Security Disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve. Michigan Disability Attorney, Social Security Disability, Social Security Disability Benefits Amount

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Word Choice Imply vs. Infer - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Word Choice Imply vs. Infer Word Choice: Imply vs. Infer The words imply and infer are often confused. Both are verbs relating to communication, but one refers to the speaker/writer, and the other applies to the listener/reader. In a conversation, for instance, one person could imply something, while the other would need to infer their meaning. This, in fact, is a good way to remember how these terms should be used: A speaker implies, while a listener infers. Read on to learn more. Imply (To Suggest) The verb imply means to suggest something through speech or writing without explicitly stating it. It would be used in a sentence like this: The President implied that he had no intention to introduce the law. Aside from direct communication, imply can also be used when drawing a conclusion that follows from particular situation, as in the sentence: His suitcase implied that he intended to stay the night. The word imply is occasionally also used to mean necessitates or entails, as in the sentence: A vacation to Japan implies air travel. Infer (Derive by Reasoning) The verb infer means reach a conclusion based on the evidence presented. This involves examining clues and making a judgment based on reasoning, rather than on the basis of explicitly stated factual information. For example, if you were to ask someone whether chocolate milkshake is the best flavor, the person youre speaking to could respond by pointing out that there are lots of different flavors of milkshake. Although this wouldnt be an explicit rejection of the superiority of chocolate milkshake, we could infer that the other person disagrees (or at least that they also like other kinds of milkshake) based upon what they have said. What a listener infers is not necessarily what was intended by the speaker. For instance, the listener might interpret what has been said incorrectly. Imply or Infer? Whether you need to use imply or infer in any given situation is all about point of view. The person speaking or writing is the one doing the implying. The person listening or reading is the one doing the inferring. If you would like more guidance regarding academic writing, or to have up to 500 words of your work checked for free, get in touch with the professionals at Proofed!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Women Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women Rights - Research Paper Example A clarification is needed at the beginning; respect for women rights is hardly a universal (Cook, pp.3). However, thanks to numerous women throughout history, women have achieved equal rights in the workplace (O’Connor, pp. 270). Marina Jimenez (2011), a journalist wrote a personal essay stating that she suffered no discrimination at the workplace, for she received numerous assignments, traveled the world and shone in her career. She also elaborates that while she faces a major problem of combining childbearing with career, women have taken great strides in their careers (Jimenez, 2011). In addition, on the eve of the 100th International Women’s Day, different executives were interviewed about whether they faced discrimination at the workplace. According to Shona Nag, she feels that males do try to dominate and cannot absorb the fact that women might be better than they might at work. However, Chavan feels that she has never faced any sort of harassment, except some amo unt of over-protectiveness from men (Mid Day, 2011). Women are an all important source of human talent. This was proved during the Second World War. Although many conferences are held on the gender equality issue, there are various parts of the world, whether there is no concept of ‘equality’. However, it is necessary. Many people feel that there is an urgent need for a better social welfare system for women. This is mainly because of economic dependence and an inappropriate pay structure for the women. Women are the backbone of the society.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Strategic planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic planning - Assignment Example Strategic planning is an instrument incorporated by management to ensure that all of its components are working towards realizing an organization’s goals. It has long been used to transform, and revitalise organizations in many areas of the world. Businesses, whether profit or non-profit, are incorporating these strategies in order to better their situation in the global market. The political and economic standing in many countries, today, has caused the change in many organization’s plans (Grant, 2005). This is in order for them to have a piece of the market pie while capitalizing on the same. This paper will review strategic planning as a tool, and how it helps organizations grow and develop. Scenario planning is a process of tactical planning that involves the creation of long-term goals/objectives. It helps combat uncertainty in an organization through the short period that it is incorporated. The need to create such a tool is to help an organization find the perfec t environment in which their products, goods, or services can sell and make a profit. Those who practice with the use of such a tool enjoy the benefits it accrues. The need to prepare for the future ensures that analysts and strategists create scenario development in an organization (Grant, 2005). This is to prevent any drawbacks that may try and affect the organization after a certain period. During the implementation of such a tool, driving forces in the economic market are identified. This makes analysts aware of the environment in which the organization is dealing with, and how to penetrate such a market (Grant, 2005). This provides them with adequate time and response to what they need to do in order to make the organization rake in profits. An example of an organization that incorporates the use of scenario development is the Shell Oil Company. They are involved with the purchase and sale of oil in many parts of the world. They have admitted to using strategic analysis to help them in long range decision making processes (Grant, 2005). It is through this admittance that traditional methods of planning are found to be highly ineffective. This is as some other companies confess. The company has praised this tool of planning by saying that; the market identification process is much easier than it was before its inception. Managers of the company claim that the strategy allows them to view future environmental uncertainties; hence enabling them to be more effective than they were before employing such strategies. The utilization of such a technique is seen above with the forecasting of future environmental changes. Managers ascertain that the environment is mostly unpredictable (Grant, 2005). Utilizing such a technique will ensure that the company holds an upper hand over other companies. These are the companies that still incorporate traditional forms of environmental, future forecasting. How does the military deal with barriers to effective decision making In order to have uniformity in a unit, it is imperative that the military commanding officers have jurisdiction over a vast area. However, there are areas in which the decisions made by a commanding officer may present a problem to many in the same base. Some of the barriers to effective decision making include; responsibility bestowed on individuals (Porter, 1998). This is a frighteningly hard problem that many people are exposed to in the military. They are often assigned tasks that many may think are above them. However, once this barrier is broken, since it is a psychological one, everything seems to fall into place for all those involved. Another problem that affects effective decision making for many officers in charge of an army base is the problem of overconfidence. This can be a problem to those around individuals given certain tasks. This is because their overconfidence when it relates to their job can be overly harmful to others. The negative factors that affect

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Moral Standards in the 1960s-1970s Essay Example for Free

Moral Standards in the 1960s-1970s Essay The English social activist Constance Mary Whitehouse was often renowned for her opposition to social liberalism and mainstream media, which she often claimed to be root cause of a more permissive society in Britain. Although, the extent to which we can deem this view valid is debatable. There is evidence leaning on both sides of the argument; but of course it is unquestionable that Britain did see a sudden uprising of permissiveness and overt moral decline to which Whitehouse responded briskly, founding and setting up the ‘National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association’ via which she campaigned against the BBC n the 60’s. The question is; was she justified in going to these lengths to essentially try and censor media? Surely, if she injected such a vast amount of effort into doing so, then she must have some sort of validity in her view? Or perhaps, there were other factors which she did not take into account. The notion of Television being the main medium of influence of this period is irrefutable, with 95% of British households owning one by the end of the 1960s. Although the fact that the government set up the Committee of Inquiry on Broadcasting could in itself suggest that media had partial censorship (thus disallowing any real explicit broadcasts which could lead to a moral decline), they did little to stop, and actually welcomed the hard-hitting ‘social realist’ plays such as ‘up the junction (1965)’ and ‘Come Home Cathy (1966)’, as they were a replacement for the supposedly ‘vulgar’ American style programmes on ITV such as ‘Take Your Pick (1958-66)’ and the Westerns/Crime Dramas which they feared would erode British culture and make people more violent. Though, these plays did could be argued to have ‘worsened’ the situation as, for example, ‘Up the Junction’ depicted quite a graphic and powe rful home abortion scene, and it is suggested that this may have been one of the causes of the 1967 Abortion Act to be passed; which of course consequently lead to relaxation in attitudes towards sex as there was now an passage, or a ‘life-line’ a woman could use if any accidental impregnation occurred, thus increasing levels of promiscuity. Furthermore, in ‘a taste of honey’ (also part of this social realism movement that swept through theatres in the 60’s), as well as abortion again being key factor in it, there is also an occurrence of a ‘one night stand’, not an ordinary one night stand however, an interracial one night stand. Although this was a very extreme case of moral rebellion, critically it could have lead to the British public to perceiving promiscuity as well as interracial relationships (seen as immoral, abnormal at this time) to be more acceptable, a norm. In other words, the British public would in theory be bellowing â€Å"if she can do it, why can’t I?!† . The Press also have a part to play in this; they contributed largely to a new permissive air in the media when they initiated their launch of colour supplements, sexualised adverts and scandalous news stories and significantly the first female nipple was published by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch who believed this would help the circulation of his paper, The Sun. This conveys the extent to which media was now overtly promoting permissiveness, and could suggest that this directly influenced a more permissive society as the public were fully exposed to these new developments which eased them into a new, more open and bold mind set. Conversely, there is evidence to suggest that Media was not only responsible for the ‘decline in moral standards’, as quoted by Whitehouse. Touching back onto the subject of ‘press’, although it did absolutely encourage some air permissiveness, the Obscene Publications Acts of 1959 and 1964 to an extent conflict that view. These acts were designed to ‘strengthen’ law around public obscenity, in particular the publication of obscene articles and materials used in them. This could thus suggest that there were in fact some restrictions on media, and that they couldn’t possibly fully hold the blame for arousal of permissiveness and decline in moral standards in this period. Additionally, although the ‘powerful’ scene in ‘Up the Junction’ could be blamed for the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967,it is commonly known that it only eased the passage of it, and it was primarily David Steel’s campaign that led the way to this debatably radical change. Prior to the Abortion Act, there were approximately 106,000 illegal abortions a year, and many were sceptical about the idea that the number of abortions would increase when the act was passed as they believed although people had the freedom, it wouldn’t necessarily mean they would exercise it. They were wrong, after a year in 1968 the number of abortions per annum rose by 35,000 to 141,000 a year. This strongly suggests that the Abortion Act itself influenced a more permissive and unmoral society as it offered more freedom to the public in regards to sex and promiscuity. Prior to the passing of the Divorce Act of 1969, divorce was only permitted when there was sufficient evidence exhibiting that one party of the relationship had committed adultery, and statistics show that there were few than two divorces per 1000 married couples. The Divorce Reform Act allowed couples to divorce if they had lived apart for two years and both wanted it or if they had lived apart for five years and one partner wanted it. Following the reform there was a huge increase in the number of divorces, by the mid-1970s nearly one in every two marriages ended in divorce. Although it could be argued that this was due to the growing independence of women, it’s hard to deny that the act had a large effect on this. This thus indicates to us that media was not entirely responsible for the lack or decline of moral standards as legislation such as this, did essentially promote more promiscuity as it gave married couples the freedom to split up and do as they please. In analysing the range of factors, we can conclude that Mary Whitehouse’s view that the media was responsible for the morale decline of the 60’s and 70’s was somewhat valid, as there are a spectrum of sources and pieces of evidence that intrinsically link together and in turn paint a picture where the British society are heavily influenced by media. This was perhaps due to fact that the public at this time, and still to this day, are heavily consumed by the media and are enthralled in its controversy, and although it may not have so much of a profound effect on us today it is obvious people of that period were more vulnerable to it as just coming out of a period of Austerity and slight deprivation, more likely than not they were seeking for something new something fresh, something that kept up with the social norms of other major influences such as America- and perhaps unfortunately, these new trends often entailed social rebellion and permissiveness. And althoug h legislation had a part to play in it, this only ensured de jure change, not always de facto, where as media more times out of 10 had de facto and more profound effect on the British society of the 1960s/70s.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Immigration :: essays research papers

Should immigration into the United States be limited? Immigrants are a large and growing factor in the stubborn level of poverty seen in the United States over the past two decades because newcomers to the country are more likely to be poor and to remain so longer than in the past, according to a new study. The report, to be released today by the Center for Immigration Studies, says the number of impoverished people in the nation's immigrant-headed households nearly tripled from 2.7 million in 1979 to 7.7 million in 1997. During that same period, the number of poor households headed by immigrants increased by 123 percent while the number of immigrant households increased by 68 percent, according to the study. The share of immigrants living in poverty rose from 15.5 percent to 21.8 percent, the report notes, a change that some analysts say holds troubling implications for the nation's future. About 12 percent of the nation's native-born population lives in poverty, a figure that has hardly changed in 20 years. "Each successive wave of immigrants is doing worse and worse," said Steven A. Camarota, the report's author. "Each wave of immigrants has a higher poverty rate, and a much larger share of their children will grow up in poverty." The report by the center, a Washington-based research group that advocates reduced immigration, uses information compiled in the 1980 and 1990 censuses, as well as information contained in the March 1998 Current Population Survey, to make its case that poverty in the United States is increasingly being driven by the nation's immigration policy. The report says immigrants are more likely to be poor because they have higher levels of unemployment, have lower education levels and have larger families than native-born families. And much of their economic slide has come despite the fact that the nation's economy has been in good shape for much of the past 20 years, the report notes. The report is rekindling the sharp-edged debate over whether high levels of immigration benefit the nation. The number of immigrants living in the United States has almost tripled since 1970, dramatically altering the nation's demographic and social mix because the vast majority of current immigrants are either Hispanic or Asian. Overall, immigrants now account for nearly 10 percent of the nation's residents, the highest level since the 1920s. About one in four Californians and one in three residents of New York are foreign-born.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Notes from Underground Essay

Man acts according to what he feels. His actions are characterized by emotions that he is experiencing. Good or bad, it defines his role as a man of action or an intelligent man. A man of action does things expected of him. He plays by the rules. He does things that needs to be done whatever the cost may be . The only price is happiness and contentment of doing what is necessary for the benefit of another human being. A man of action encompasses the manifestations of physiology or human body and his mind sees himself as different to others and that he can make a change or influence the course of history. Here is an account taken from Notes from Underground: Such a gentleman simply dashes straight for his object like an infuriated bull with its horns down,and nothing but a wall will stop him. For a man of action, what you see is what you get. According to Confucius, â€Å"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand†, that is a man of action; doing and acting with nobility not only to be remembered but also to be a model for others. An example of a man of action is Mahatma Gandhi. Mohandas Gandhi has become the strongest symbol of non-violence in the 20th century. In South Africa Gandhi worked to improve living conditions for the Indian minority. This work made him develop a strong Indian and religious commitment, and a will to self-sacrifice. His example shows the world that all can be equal and will benefit from democracy that would bring peace to humanity. An intelligent man sees things in a different light. It is seen through actions taken with wit. An intelligent man before he acts, uses his mind and devices a plan on what ought and should be done. Here is an example taken from Notes from Underground: Your surname 2 But do you know, gentlemen, what was the chief point about my spite? Why, the whole point, the real sting of it lay in the fact that continually, even in the moment of the acutest spleen, I was inwardly conscious with shame that I was not only not a spiteful but not even an embittered man, that I was simply scaring sparrows at random and amusing myself by it. It may not be for the common good but it is the right choice. The goal is to fit in his social environment, to shadow the pain, burdens or motives that he is feeling and he has in mind. From an intelligent man, the intentions are hidden and facade is given to the audience – the society. An example of an intelligent man is Adolf Hitler. He has a dream of having an empire under his control and posed the greatest threat to democracy also in the 20th century while Gandhi is promoting it. During his reign many people died and experienced the wrath of discrimination especially the Jews. I am not imposing that being an intelligent man is bad and a man of action is better. It is on the our discretion on how to use our intelligence or strength that would tremendously help or harm mankind. There is no right or wrong decisions. It is how you manage your decision the good way. Life is not not an easy one but it can be good. Works Cited Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground, and The Gambler. Oxford :Oxford University Press, 1991

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Mountain Top Removal

November 2010 Solution: Eight Letters, One word, Mountaintop Removal Mountaintop removal although only eighteen letters and a mere two words provides endless opportunities for hard working Americans. The world is now all about efficiency and convenience. Society works as a machine, and each machine needs fuel to work. For Kentuckians, the fuel is Coal. The economy of Kentucky centers around coal. It not only gives hard working Americans a safe environment to work in but provides jobs, and stable economy for our nation.When compared to the rest of the world America has always had a strong economy. However America is currently in a state of recession. Politicians, cabinet members and economists are constantly trying to bring our great nation back into a state of equilibrium concerning monetary flow. Mountaintop removal is one way to achieve this. Areas which are abundant in coal are blessed with multiple lucrative opportunities which benefit not only the communities’ economy but the Nations, as well.Mine Safety is one thing that is extremely misunderstood. There is a lot of controversy, about mine safety regulations. But, the truth is that MTR is statistically the safest form of mining. Compare MTR to underground mining. Underground Mining: deep within the earth, hollow shafts, narrow tunnels, darkness all around, the fear that the mine may collapse at any time VS. MTR: Employees are above ground, have state of the art technology to help with safety protocol, and Mine collapsing isn’t a fear employees have to worry about.Jobs, something that loyal Americans are fighting for in the savage Job market. Mountain top removal offers long term jobs which also helps the economy. A fact, most people don’t know is that for every miner employed through MTR three new jobs are created. Thus, helping employment rates go up and keeping our economy running. Americans need jobs and through MTR we can make that happen. Mountain top removal: eighteen letters, t hree words, endless opportunities. Coal: four letters, one word, keeps the lights on.Although Opponents to MTR claim that it hurts the environment, creates a fair-weather economy, and is unsafe for its’ workers the truth is, MTR creates an almost identical landscape after reclamation, it continues to provides jobs even when the coal is gone and has been proven to be statistically safer than underground mining. Although the perspectives about MTR will continue to vary it is a lifestyle millions have adapted to already. Without MTR millions would be unemployed, the oven that makes our thanksgiving turkey would not work, a child wouldn’t have the electricity to read his or her first book.MTR is a permanent way to fix our problems. Kentucky is more than just a geographic state, it’s a state of mind and a state of heart and without MTR it would wither away into a perpetual end.Works Cited The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Date of access. Reece Erik , . Lost Mountain . New York : Riverhead, 2006. Print. Kitts, Gene. The Charleston Gazette. Charleston: Charleston Gazette, 2008. Print. Lemon, Eric. http://www. marshall. edu/cber/media/010420-DA-mountain. pdf. Charleston: Athenaeum, 2001. Print.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on The Empire And The People

â€Å"The Empire and the People† Americans have the need to expand and set their goals high. Oversea expansion wasn’t a new idea that just popped up, but revived again. There have been many oversea probes and interventions by the 1890s and from that, ideology of expansion was widespread. The Monroe Doctrine even glanced southward into and beyond the Caribbean. Captain A. T. Mahan (well-known propagandist for expansion) was influential to American leaders as well as Theodore Roosevelt. He said that the biggest navies would inherit the earth, which was their Manifest Destiny. Now, it’s time for them to set their eyes on inheritance other than within the boundaries of the United States. It’s progress for the Americans to expand and want what they do not have (expand their sight and goals; take more land). Trade is very important to American merchants, and foreign trade was of greater relevance. Theodore Roosevelt talked about expansion and that it wasn’t just for manliness and heroism, but also for the â€Å"trade relations with China.† In 1898, 90% of American products were sold at home. The 10% was sold abroad and amounted to about a billion dollars. Oil was a huge export in the 1880s and the 1890s. Thanks to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, which accounted for 90% of American exports of kerosene, controlled 70% of the world market. This made oil the second leading overseas product nest to cotton. If it weren’t for foreign trade and exports, the United States would have a surplus of goods and that would lead to a depression.... Free Essays on The Empire And The People Free Essays on The Empire And The People â€Å"The Empire and the People† Americans have the need to expand and set their goals high. Oversea expansion wasn’t a new idea that just popped up, but revived again. There have been many oversea probes and interventions by the 1890s and from that, ideology of expansion was widespread. The Monroe Doctrine even glanced southward into and beyond the Caribbean. Captain A. T. Mahan (well-known propagandist for expansion) was influential to American leaders as well as Theodore Roosevelt. He said that the biggest navies would inherit the earth, which was their Manifest Destiny. Now, it’s time for them to set their eyes on inheritance other than within the boundaries of the United States. It’s progress for the Americans to expand and want what they do not have (expand their sight and goals; take more land). Trade is very important to American merchants, and foreign trade was of greater relevance. Theodore Roosevelt talked about expansion and that it wasn’t just for manliness and heroism, but also for the â€Å"trade relations with China.† In 1898, 90% of American products were sold at home. The 10% was sold abroad and amounted to about a billion dollars. Oil was a huge export in the 1880s and the 1890s. Thanks to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company, which accounted for 90% of American exports of kerosene, controlled 70% of the world market. This made oil the second leading overseas product nest to cotton. If it weren’t for foreign trade and exports, the United States would have a surplus of goods and that would lead to a depression....

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

6 Smart Tips to See Your House the Way It Used to Look

6 Smart Tips to See Your House the Way It Used to Look Before old house restoration even begins, save time and money with a little investigation. Ever wonder what your home used to look like before modern improvements? Was there always a wall there? How could your Victorian home have such a modern kitchen? What is that exterior siding covering where the windows used to be?   Over the years, your home may have seen many remodelings. The larger and older your home is, the more opportunities the previous owners had for making substantial changes. Most homeowners like to leave their mark on property in the name of comfort and upgrades - everyone wants improvements. For whatever reasons, every next owner usually has different priorities. Like home ownership itself, remodeling is part of the American Dream for many people  and the opportunities for re-muddling increase as the age and square footage of the house increase. Many people want to restore a home to its original beauty, but how do you do that? Learning about the earliest design of your home can take many months. If you have no blueprints, youll need time to do some serious detective work. These handy tips will help you discover the origins of your old house, inside and outside. Tips to Discover Your Real Home 1. Begin with age. Homeowners think they are buying their own homes as personal property, but any property owner is really buying into a neighborhood of history. How old is your house? How old is the neighborhood? With a deed, the answer may be straightforward. Beginning with this information gives context to your house. 2. Your house is probably not unique. All architecture, including the common home, tells the story of time and place. Building and design are lessons in the history of populations. Put your house in context with how your country was populated. Where do people live in the United States? Consider this basic question: Why was your house built at all? What was the need for shelter at this time and at this place? What architectural style dominated the region at the time? If your home is in a line of houses, stand back across the street and look up - does your house look a little bit like the house next door? Builders very often built two or three houses in a row, efficiently using the same handed-down plans. 3. Learn about the history of your community. Ask your local historian or  ask a reference librarian where to look in your local public library. Does your town or city have a historic district with a historic commission? Anyone interested in houses, including real estate agents, often know a great deal about local builders and housing styles. Visit your neighbors and different neighborhoods. Their homes may mirror yours. Make maps of where houses were built in relation to local businesses, including farms. Was your house part of a farm whose land was split up? What major industries were nearby that may have affected rapid population growth? 4. Find floor plans for your old house. Remember that your old house may never have had blueprints. In the early 1900s and before, builders rarely drew up detailed specifications. The entire process of building was handed down from generation to generation. In the U.S., architecture didnt become a profession until the 19th century and building codes and regulations were rare until the 20th century. Still, research before restoration could ultimately save a lot of time. 5. Look under the rug. Remember the concept of hiding something under the rug or sweeping secrets under the carpet? Its good to remember that much of your homes history is right there in front of you with very little effort - if you know where to look. Unless remodeling was done by a master craftsman, evidence is left behind. Pull up some baseboard or molding to see the finished (or unfinished) flooring edges or wall heights. Measure the thickness of the walls and try to determine if they were built upon each other. Go into the basement and look at the under-flooring to see if its been patched when a new central heating system was installed. Where is the plumbing - is it all in one area, in an addition when a bathroom and kitchen were added? Many complex older homes started off as simple structures and were added to over the years. The architecture of a house can evolve over time. 6. Define your project. What are your project goals? Knowing what you want in the end will help you find a path to get there. Note that many of the words we use to describe the actions we take on a structure begin with the prefix re- which means again.  So, here we go again. Which Method Is Right for You? Remodeling: This often-used word describes a process of making changes to a house with little regard to the history of the home and its environs. The model chosen is at the whim of the current homeowner. Before you remodel your home, establish a checklist for your remodeling dreams. Renovation: Novus means new, so when we renovate we want to make our home like new. This term is generally used to fix a home in disrepair. Rehabilitation: Often abbreviated as rehab, rehabilitation is to restore or fix-up a property while keeping its architectural value. According to U.S. Secretary of the Interior standards and guidelines, you can do this through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values. Restoration: Coming from the Latin word  restauratio, restoration brings the architecture back to a certain time period. The Secretary of the Interiors working definition includes words like accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time. Methods include the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. Does this mean you rip out the kitchen sink and build a new outhouse? No. Even the federal government says its okay to keep code-required work. Source Preservation Terminology, Secretary of the Interiors Standards and Guidelines As Amended and Annotated, https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_10.htm

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Waste Management return-on-investment Assignment

Waste Management return-on-investment - Assignment Example Grading awareness will help isolate education needs among staff members on waste segregation according to their level of health hazard. Secondly, reviewing of all materials and items of medical supplies the hospital utilizes. This helps in identifying most wasted items thereby regulating the overall usage per day to limit waste generation (Abd El-Salam, 2010). The hospital must have a standardized method of weighing hospital generated wastes this is useful in determining daily waste generation necessitating possible adjustments in areas that generate most wastes (Abd El-Salam, 2010).It must be routine to review procedures and regulations on dealing with hospital waste. Regular maintenance of hospital incinerators and sewage system greatly lower extra cost caused by malfunctioning of these systems. Thereafter, proper assessment of the numbers, emplacement, condition, colour coding and means of collection specified (Abd El-Salam, 2010). The next step is to map the area of disposal and monitor intermittent storage area as well as waste on transit. The hospital should have a definite area of waste

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Kellys (2005) account of Britains trades unions demonstrates that Essay

Kellys (2005) account of Britains trades unions demonstrates that workers in Britain no longer feel the need for the collective representation of their intere - Essay Example A quarter of a century ago almost 75% of the workforce were enrolled as members of a trade union. Presently in the public sector 3 out of every 5 workers are union members and has greater aggregate membership than the private sector where only one employee out of 6 is a union member. Sue Fernie and David Metcalf in their Book "Trade Unions: Resurgence or Demise" 2 (2005) analyses the decline of trade unions and its future prospects. It contains contributions from leading analysts on the labour movement including Richard Freeman, John Kelly, Paul Willman, Howard Gospel, Rebecca Givan, David Marsden, Morris Kleiner and Claus Schnabel. In Chapter 4 of the Book discussing "Social Movement Theory and Union Revitalization in Britain", John Kelly, paints a very gloomy picture on the future prospects of trade union movement in Britain. According to him a stage has reached where workers in Britain no longer feel the need for collective representation of their interests. In this treatise we shall try to understand how relevant Kelly's observations are. The trends over the last two de... Another disturbing trend noticed was the reluctance by the employers to recognise unions as representatives of their employees for collective bargaining. As a result of this unions have not been able to retain their authority at workplaces. It was noticed that with the erosion in their bargaining power there was a drop in the incomes of the unions adversely affecting their vibrancy. Managements started bypassing unions over work models, deployment/ redeployment of labour force, their recruitment and training etc, which were domains where unions had a dominating influence. Unions being circumvented by the managements had an adverse effect on union membership and its influence over the employees. Unhelpful government legislations in the 1980s further eroded union status and employers started taking advantage of the situation. This state of affairs led to another far-reaching trend in workplace disputes. Meaningful two-way dialogue was a recognized form of unions' collective bargaining ethos. Gradually this form of two-way communication started to spillover beyond unions to non-union formats. This form of informal direct two-way dialogue with entities such as problem-solving groups and the statutory works council, etc, started making incursions into other domains of formal two-way dialogues also. It is of interest to note that in the United States under the Wagner Act the union voice is the only permitted form of dialogue for resolution of work place disputes. Countries who have adopted democratic principles of governance for their society accepts only formal employee voice provided by recognised trade unions as an accepted arrangement for workplace dispute resolution. However, in Britain a new approach

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Terrorism and the Media Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and the Media - Assignment Example However, research continues to show that as much as the enlightening of people on the happenings with regard to matters terrorism continues to influence people psychologically. Debates on whether such news ought not to transmitted have been held with controversy looming on the possibility of rights of citizens with regards to freedom of speech, as well as, freedom of information as exercised by broadcasting houses arising (Hoffman, 2006). A thorough analysis on the issue of broadcasting terrorist activities and successes and the psychological impacts they hold on various groups of people will be discussed borrowing from credible scholarly journals and articles. Also, the issue of whether it is reasonable to limit broadcasting the same will be visited with the effect the same will have on the freedoms of information and of speech as provided for in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The war on terror that started in the year 2001 has since an increase in terrorism attack. By and large, there is a correlation between transmitting news about terrorism and the happening of terrorism. As such, it should be noted that the continual broadcasting of terrorism and the successes that follow have instigated a feeling of the terrorism group to continue with their unfortunate activities considering that many people are excited by the happenings of the same. There have been arguments that the broadcasting of terrorism news has had a positive impact on various groups of people which are contrary to the belief that the broadcasting of the same will lead to psychological torture (Pape, 2008). Truth be told, there are many atrocities that are placed on media that are damaging terrorism being one of them. Considering that thousands of people across the world are affected directly or indirectly is a major cause of concern. Psychologists have noted that Americans and other people from areas affected

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Bio-based Polymers and Their Future Trends: Article Review

Bio-based Polymers and Their Future Trends: Article Review The selected article, Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends[1], provides insight into the present tendencies, technological advancements, and the prospective utilisation of bio-based polymers obtained with renewable means. A wide domain of bio-based polymers are analysed in this article specifically focusing on its production, its characteristics and its potential in commercialisation. The review also measures the subsequent challenges whilst introducing these polymers for appliance. Consequently, the analysis of the review article pertains generally to specialists such as scientists possessing a background knowledge of bio-based polymers, to entrepreneurs who intend to commercialise these bio-based polymers due to their increase in allure as a renewable and environmentally friendly product and perhaps to enthusiasts. Part of this reasoning is due to the extensive use of chemical jargon and its passive and scientific articulation. Subsequently, the review art icle was difficult to comprehend as a scientifically sound reader. The discipline ideally suited for the review article is a combination of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry. Organic chemistry and polymer chemistry are both a chemistry subdiscipline where the former deals with the study of organic materials[2], matter formed with carbon atoms, and where the latter deals with the study of synthetic polymers[3]. The article examines the bio-based polymers, hence falling into the categories of organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. Additional disciplines can be related to this article but may seem ambiguous such as materials science which briefly covers the study of polymers[4] and industrial engineering[5] which examines the cost effectiveness of the production of these bio-based polymers. Therefore, article should be categorised as a discipline of organic chemistry as it focuses on bio-based polymers. The association concerning the discipline of organic chemistry and the review article from the journal Progress in Biomaterials relates thoroughly within. As stated in the description[6], this journal examines the preparation and characteristics of biomaterials in vitro and in vivo and assesses its compatibility in areas such as tissue engineering, drug delivery and implants and regenerative medicine. The editorial board regarding this journal is of an international standard where people from universities universally gather in order to publish and review this journal. Hence this journal is open accessed and peer reviewed published under the SpringerOpen brand and also approved by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, obtaining a high credible standard[7]. The journal, published by one of the many leading academic services[8], is therefore associated with the discipline of organic and polymer chemistry. The purpose of the review is to assess a variety of bio-based polymers of their production, characteristics, their effective future applications in our society and its difficulties. The review article investigates and assesses as much as ten bio-based polymers, each with diverse scrutinies, and therefore cellulose[9] will be briefly discussed as an example of what is reported as it is also associated with the primary article[10] that will be compared from the review articled. In this review article, cellulose, reported to be one of the largest bio-based polymer produced[11], is attained through the two methods: sulfite and pre-hydrolysis kraft pulping and has a ninety seven percent purity rate[12]. Cellulose is a rigid polymer and is highly tensile relative to other bio-based polymers. This causes processing problems and therefore is plasticised, mixing itself with other polymers, to soften itself for ease of use[13]. Subsequently, there are three main branches of which cellulosoic p olymers are classified under after chemical modification for applications: cellulose esters, cellulose ethers and regenerated cellulose. Each of these have difference uses: cellulose esters are mainly utilised for film and fiber, cellulose ethers are used in food and personal care and regenerated cellulose are used for disposables, textiles and fabrics[14]. The main drawback to the production of this renewable source is the low yields compared to its high expense.[15] The immense amount of professional research expressed into this review article accounts for the 159 references. Many of these references are primary articles which are peer reviewed whilst there are also some that are also review articles. Most of these references are linked to reputable academic services such as Oxford Academic and Science Direct. The sources of the review article are generally recent as most of them are from the 21st Century. The selected primary article, Cellulose Extraction from Palm Kernel Cake Using Liquid Phase Oxidation[16], is an experimental report that investigates the production of cellulose via its extraction from palm kernel cake with the method of liquid phase oxidation. Specifically this primary article highlights the optimization of this process where the yield of cellulose would increase as a variable changed such as the ration of hydrogen peroxide and the hot water treatment. As a result a theoretical optimal point was discovered. The investigations of this primary article is significant to the review article as it contributes through the production of cellulose, one of the many bio-based polymers discussed in the review article. This helps the audience to understand how cellulose is produced, providing insight on its benefits and drawbacks. While both articles relate to cellulose, the nature and purpose can be distinguishable. The primary article contains experimental data and methods which aimed to optimise the yield of cellulose whereas the review article aimed to provide information to an audience, gathering its data from a variety of sources. Reference List Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. Babu et al.: Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends. Progress in Biomaterials 2013 2:8, accessed 22 March 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2194-0517-2-8> Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono. Cellulose Extraction from Palm Kernel Cake Using Liquid Phase Oxidation. Journal of Engineering Science and Technology 2009, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan_yan_Farm/publication/49593921_Cellulose_extraction_from_palm_kernel_cake_using_liquid_phase_oxidation/links/57bc0e4e08aefea8f0f5f46e.pdf> [1] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 [2] ACS, Chemistry for Life, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/organic-chemistry.html [3] ACS, Chemistry for Life, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/polymer-chemistry.html [4] Merriam-Webster, accessed 25 March 2017, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/materials%20science [5] Oregon state University, accessed 25 March 2017, http://mime.oregonstate.edu/what-do-industrial-engineers-do [6] Springer Link, accessed 25 March 2017, https://link.springer.com/journal/40204 [7] Springer, accessed 25 March 2017, http://www.springer.com/materials/biomaterials/journal/40204?detailsPage=editorialBoard [8] Springer, accessed 25 March 2017http://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer [9] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 [10] Journal of Engineerring Science and Technology, accessed 25 March 2017 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan_yan_Farm/publication/49593921_Cellulose_extraction_from_palm_kernel_cake_using_liquid_phase_oxidation/links/57bc0e4e08aefea8f0f5f46e.pdf [11] Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono. 2009. Sec. 1 Para. 1 [12] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para.1 [13] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para 2 [14] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 9 Para 3 [15] Babu, R.P., OConnor, K. Seeram, R. 2013 Page 10 Para 1 [16] Farm Yan Yan, Duduku Krishniah, Mariani Rajin, Awang Bono Sec.4 Para.1

Friday, October 25, 2019

Stonehenge :: European Europe History

Stonehenge Stonehenge, one of the great Seven Wonders of the World, but what do we really know about it. What was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Many different answers come up when asking the question "What was the purpose of Stonehenge", some say that it was a horrid place, which the Druids used for religious sacrifice, but most others have a more positive idea. A temple of the sun, a Pagan Cathedral, or a holy sanctuary in the midst of blessed ground, or maybe a clock or even a place to Predict Eclipses. No one really knows what it was used for; this is due to a great number of facts surrounding all of these ideas. Many ideas come up when talking about why this great structure was built along with an equal amount on who built it. The Druids is the most common response because the Druids inhabited most of the area in which Stonehenge is built. The Pagans are another common answer to this age old question because of the building structure of Stonehenge how it resembles a Pagan Cathe dral. Whoever built Stonehenge, they were an extremely advanced society either on purpose or by complete fluke. Many say that because of Stonehenge's exact solar and lunar alignment. That is was the most common thought is that it was built to predict eclipses for worshiping. The following essay is going to state the facts and myths about the great Stonehenge. By the end of this essay, hopefully a solid conclusion will be found to be the most plausible answer for Stonehenges construction. The moon, it has been a sight for all over time. Back long ago little was none of the reasons for an eclipses, it was thought to be a sing from the gods. In a society which worshiped gods for all the mysteries of the world, the eclipse must have been very special. The builders of Stonehenge must have been marveled at the sight of this holy event, which happened every four years. Most likely the great Stonehenge was built to be a prediction device for the eclipse. Many people have studied Stonehenge and many have found that the stones are mathematically placed to show when and eclipse might occur. "In favor of this solution - that the Aubrey holes were used as a computer are these facts: the number 56 is the smallest number that measures the swing of the moon with an over-all accuracy of better than 3 days, and lunar cycles provide the only method of long-range eclipse prediction related to the seasons of the year.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Pros and Cons of Social Networks Essay

I bet that if I go onto Facebook or Twitter right now, I could find almost every one of you on there. When someone says â€Å"social network,† the first site to come to your mind is Facebook, right? Facebook is now the most identifiable social network, and according to Facebook statistics it’s recently reached over 300 million active users. Combined worldwide, they all spend over six billion minutes online every day. I got most of my information about social networking from facts on file. A statistic from the Pew Internet Project’s research on social networking found that as of December 2012, 67% on online adults use social networking sites. The earlier social networks, such as Friendster. com and myspace. com, started in the early 2000’s, and since then they’ve become very popular and even more sites have emerged. There are many effects and uses for social networks, and many people have different opinions on them so today I’m going to share those with you. Let’s see what supporters admire about social networks. Supporters say that social media and networking sites have changed the way that we communicate for the better. see more:social networking and young generation They say that with all the different possibilities it’s much easier to keep in touch with family, friends, and colleagues. If someone was tired of emailing or simply chatting, they could use Skype, which is a software application that allows users to make voice or video calls over the Internet. Social networks can also provide a way for people to express themselves, through forums, Internet messaging boards, or by creating their own blogs that others can comment and post on too. Through social networks people can also make friends more easily by connecting with others who have similar interests. It’s become a daily habit for us to sign into our favorite social networks, so that whenever we get the chance to do so, it seems to relax us. A large and important impact of social networks, however, is its ability to raise awareness and keep everyone throughout the world informed. Reading about current events isn’t limited to the newspapers anymore, now news sites and social networks are constantly updating us with the latest information. We can learn about natural disasters that strike all over the world and learn what we can do here to help. If any of you are on Facebook, I’m sure you’ve seen popular pages posting pictures of someone’s sad life story, some asking for prayers and others asking for recognition for one’s actions or heartbreaking life. As you all know, when MaKayla passed away, her friends and family worked endlessly to gain the attention of her hero, LeBron James. Through Facebook and Twitter her memorial page has received almost 8,000 likes and grabbed the attention of Packers player, Clay Matthews. He helped to raise awareness by asking people to tweet to LeBron to obtain any sort of recognition from her hero. With everyone’s help from social networks in the end, that goal was accomplished. Seeming to be on the more old-fashioned side, government officials are even getting into the networking hype. They’re using them to help get ahead in the polls, connect with voters and find out their opinions as a mass. In 2011, President Barack Obama tweeted the following message, as seen on the smartboard. Included in this tweet was a short video with tributes from his 2008 supporters. Today, he still tweets asking for the public’s opinions on controversies and issues. These points make you think that social networks are all good; however, people who oppose them have quite different opinions. Opponents argue that social media and networking sites are ruining how we communicate and that it can only get worse as time goes on. The rise of social networks has also coincided with an erosion of the quality of conversation. MIT psychology professor Sherry Turkle says, â€Å"As we ramp up the volume and velocity of online connections, we start to expect faster answers. To get these, we ask one another simpler questions; we dumb down our communications, even on the most important matters. Comedian and commentator Dean Obeidallah writes for CNN saying that social media is turning Americans into â€Å"the laziest generation† yet. Companies and businesses are using social networks to advertise and promote themselves, so if you’re applying for a job with a company or business, they could check your own profile to see what you’ve been posting. If someone were to be tagged in some inappropriate pictures, companies might see them and it could ultimately cost you the job. Social networks can also be very dangerous. Con artists have been known to create scams via emails, and now they’re trying to take your money using social networks. Because social networks let you create your own profile, some people decide to put in fake information and photos. So you never really know if the person you’re talking to is real or not. Bullying now isn’t restricted to throwing hits and talking smack face-to-face. Networking sites have unfortunately made it much easier to tease others, and now cyber-bullying and harassment has become a major problem. An article from the periodical Educational Leadership has said that cyber-bullying is focused on students and teenagers, and that it can cause severe mental, emotional, and sometimes even physical pain. An anonymous 17 year old from New Jersey said, â€Å"When I was being cyberbullied I felt like I wanted to never go out of the house or talk to anyone ever again. It led me to depression, and the person who was bullying me †¦believed that it was funny. † Now that I’ve gone over all of my points, let’s review the pros and cons of social networks. Along with helping us make new friends, they can help us keep in touch and communicate with our family and friends. They are also very useful in connecting officials to the public and helping us learn about how we can help make a difference in charities or fundraising events. However, with the convenience of online chatting, real face-to-face conversations are eroding. With the anonymity of peoples’ identities, it can be dangerous to talk to strangers. As we’ve seen, there are both positive and negative effects of social networks on us, but depending on how we use them is how we allow them to impact our lives. With all of the advancements in technology, social networks will become more prominent in everyday lives. It’s still likely, in one form or another, that social networks will continue to grow and evolve.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How do poets use ‘voice’ to instil their poems with personality? Consider with reference to three poets

For poetry to be truly personal, a voice is needed. It is through the voice of a poet that the reader can glean some sense of that poet's identity and nature. Who are they? What are they trying to say? Why? One could even go so far as to say that the voice of a poem or poet is fundamental to its aesthetic value and ‘readability' – without a distinct and clear voice, how can we distinguish a poem from the surrounding, ambient babble? It is the voice which endears a poet to the reader – without a voice, how can we identify with a poet? All these questions must be considered carefully. The voice of a poet can be a vehicle for political, personal, and social expression, as well as instilling a poem with a sense of personality – one might say the function of a poet's ‘voice' is to stamp their poem with their identity. It is the idea of an author's voice, rather than the voice itself which draws us towards the author as an entity – someone with whom we can identify, converse and understand. The actual process of reading may be, on one level, entirely one-sided, but in reading a poem (or any piece of literature for that matter) we bring as much to the work as we take from it. In this way, reading a poem is not one-sided at all, and is instead a rich progression towards a higher understanding from the reader. In the end, it comes down to the age-old question: do words on a page in a closed book actually mean anything until they are read, and even when they are, is it possible to be both ‘voiceless' and meaningful? It has been argued in Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (Bennett & Royle, 1999) that every literary text has a voice, be it that of an omnipotent and omniscient ‘god-like' authorial voice, or a character of the author's creation. According to this theory, even the Biology textbook – that most mundane and impersonal of publications – is infused with the voice(s) of its author(s). As Roland Barthes points out in his landmark essay â€Å"The Death of the Author† (Image, Music, Text, 1977), this is the sole reason why authors put their name on a piece of work. An author will lend their name to their novel/poem in order to distinguish it from other novels/poems. Ultimately, however, Barthes argues that this is meaningless: an author is nothing more than a product of his or her society and background, and therefore, the author cannot claim some sort of absolute authority over his or her text because, in some ways, he or she did not write it. In oth er words, it is writing that makes the author and not vice versa. There are, however, flaws in Barthes' argument, which will be analysed further on. It is important at this stage, however, to make a clear distinction between the ‘author' and the ‘voice' in order to avoid any confusion that may arise. In many ways, the ‘author' and the ‘voice' of a poem or any work of fiction are intrinsically linked: the author is the voice and the voice is the author, in much the same way that Sylvia Plath is the voice in her poems or her work of fiction, The Bell Jar. There is no getting around the fact that we ‘hear' Jean-Paul Sartre's voice in The Age of Reason and Nausea, or Fontane's voice in Effi Briest. The same can be said of the poets I have chosen: Linton Kwesi Johnson's voice is clear and distinct, as are those of Tom Leonard and Sylvia Plath. In this way, one might say, the author or poet and their voice are one and the same – indistinguishable from each other. In other ways, though, it is easy to trip up and become muddled in the literary thorn bush that blocks our path whenever we try to make a generalisation. A novel like Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange (1962) displays no apparent sign of the author's ‘voice' – indeed it is written in a language entirely of his own creation (NadSat – the disjointed, disorderly jargon of a future jilted generation) and through the voice of the novel's protagonist, ‘Alex'. Obvious questions arise. Whose ‘voice' is Burgess speaking with? His own or Alex's? Can they be both? Of course, Alex is a creation of Burgess' mind and therefore the voice is ultimately that of Burgess himself – he thought of the character, put pen to paper, and put words in Alex's mouth. But how far does this go? To what extent is Alex his own entity, free to evolve and grow within the limits and boundaries imposed by his author? How far and to what extent is Alex simply a mouthpiece for Burge ss' ‘voice': moralising and ominous. In the end, we are never really sure whether Alex has been ‘cured' or not, or (which is more interesting) whether the author even knows. The same theme is explored in Flann O'Brien's novel, At Swim-Two-Birds (1939), in which issues of ‘author', ‘voice', and even the idea of a character, are thrown into question. But how does this relate to poetry and the issue of ‘voice'? To start with, the same problems of discerning the ‘voice' from the ‘author' are present, but much more subtle, in the poets I have chosen. I have deliberately picked poets who ‘speak' in their own ‘voice' as it were, in an attempt to highlight the different motives with which ‘voice' is used. For example, in Sylvia Plath's poems, ‘voice' is used to express deep and intimate emotional feelings, and in some cases, psychological trauma as in her moving poem â€Å"Daddy†. In this poem, Plath's voice is clearly enunciated, and the effect of this is to give the reader a powerful insight into the workings of the poet's mind. The poem deals with Plath's relationship with her dead father, and how she must reconcile his past and her roots in a post-war world. As the poem progresses, however, the reader comes to realise that ‘Daddy' is not the bà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½te noir we suppose him to be – and instead we understand that he is an integral part of Plath as a person. A part she has come to hate and associate with her father. A part she can never escape: â€Å"Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.† (80) Plath's voice comes through in a number of cunning ways here. It seems as though she is addressing her father, and therefore speaks in the first person singular for example: â€Å"I used to pray to recover you.† (14) As a result, the poem seems all the more intense and personal – perhaps because we are listening in on a one-sided conversation which we feel we should not be listening to. The effect is akin to reading someone's personal letter, when feelings of guilt compete with an innate curiosity about other people's intimate details. In this way, her anguish is eloquently expressed in the first stanza: You do not do, you do not do Any more, black shoe In which I have lived like a foot For thirty years, poor and white, Barely daring to breathe or Achoo. 5 (1-5) But we could also make a case that the â€Å"Daddy† in the poem is not only her father (and perhaps a part of herself), but her husband, Ted Hughes, as well. For example, towards the end of the poem, various subtle references to marriage are made: â€Å"And I said I do, I do.† (67) The idea of two men (the two men in Plath's life) is brought up again when we are told that â€Å"If I've killed one man, I've killed two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (71), and a direct reference to the poet's marriage is made at line 72: â€Å"The vampire who said he was you/And drank my blood for a year,/Seven years if you want to know† (72-74). It is almost as though Plath is being suffocated by the omniscient and omnipotent men who surround her – both alive and dead. We can only understand this because Plath has instilled her poem with her own ‘voice' – had the poem been written in an impersonal, detached way, completely devoid of any discernible ‘voice', the intensely personal sense we get of Plath being smothered would be lost. But the strong and clear voice that comes through also raises issues about Plath's identity: who she feels she is and is not. She says at one point that she thinks she â€Å"may well be a Jew† (35), when in fact she is not. This is echoed by her despondent, resonant cry in a foreign language: â€Å"Ich, ich, ich, ich.† (27) It is clear that the poem has a strong personality, and this personality is only made possible with the presence of Plath's voice. A link can be made here to another of Plath's poems, â€Å"The Bee Meeting†, which also raises the question of identity. Unlike â€Å"Daddy†, this poem is not addressed or aimed at anyone in particular, but this does not mean that it is any less personal, and it still retains Plath's ‘voice' as she is again speaking in the first person. The poem reinforces the poet's sense of abject loneliness in a world populated by well-to-do figures of society who (it seems) neither really care for, nor understand her. In â€Å"The Bee Meeting†, Plath joins various members of the parish to collect honey from the â€Å"white hive†(34). When the other figures don their veils and heavy outer garments for protection, however, their identities are lost, and this frightens Plath, who does not want to be lost in turn: Is it some operation that is taking place? 30 It is the surgeon my neighbours are waiting for, This apparition in a green helmet, Shining gloves and white suit. Is it the butcher, the grocer, the postman, someone I know? 35 (30-35) Plath's voice comes across most strongly, however, when she tells us of her fear and her nakedness while all others are clothed. We are told that she is â€Å"nude as a chicken neck, does nobody love me?† (6) and â€Å"Now I am milkweed silk, the bees will not notice./They will not smell my fear, my fear, my fear.† (9-10) Clearly, a tortured, lonely, forlorn voice is at work here, appealing vainly for understanding in the hopelessly detached way that abject melancholia brings. Her tired, sad, frail voice is heard at the end: â€Å"Whose is that long white box in the grove, what have they accomplished, why am I cold.† (55) The lack of a question mark at the end implies that an answer is not expected, perhaps because Plath knows that she will never receive one. The subtlety in the image of the coffin-like â€Å"long white box† hints at hidden depths to Plath's feelings – depths which are both limitless and moving. We could go so far as to say that Plath associates and identifies herself with the hive and its angry bees: confused, chaotic, and directionless. By putting the bees to sleep, the hive, â€Å"as snug as a virgin† (34), is violated. In the same way perhaps, Plath sees herself as violated or raped by the world around her. Once again, it is only through her powerful voice that we understand these emotions. Problems of identity are strongly linked in both poems (the â€Å"Ich, ich, ich,† of â€Å"Daddy† and images of lost identity in â€Å"The Bee Hive Meeting†), and this question surfaces again in the poems of Linton Kwesi Johnson. In a poem like â€Å"Mekkin Histri†, Johnson's voice is immediately clear and challenging: â€Å"now tell mi something/mistah govahment man/tell mi something.† (1-3) Johnson's voice searches, accuses, demands: how lang yu really feel yu coulda keep wi andah heel 5 wen di trute done reveal bout how yu grab an steal bout how yu mek yu crooked deal mek yu crooked deal? ` (4-9) It is clear that the voice coming through here is a purely political one, and the colloquial language that Johnson employs reinforces his poems' sense of ‘otherness' and originality. The language is both alien and familiar, both intimidating and soothing. But it is also a collective voice – a voice of the people, but not all the people. It is a voice demanding complete and radical change, an alien voice that has become disillusioned with the society that surrounds it. The title of the poem, â€Å"Mekkin Histri† implies a time of great change, and this is exactly what Johnson was doing at a time when the British establishment was threatening to revert back to an entirely conservative, jingoistic and exclusive mindset. It is not surprising that Linton Kwesi Johnson has earned himself the nickname of ‘The Prophet', who, with his eclectic mix of dub beats and chanting poetry, captured the political heart and soul of Britain's black youth in the 1980s, and, many say, continues to do so today. It is perhaps due to the African tradition for collective storytelling and music that Johnson's voice is so much more powerful and raw compared to other poets/songwriters talking about the same thing, for example Gil Scott-Heron. Perhaps it also has something to do with the way the poems are written and their apparent inaccessibility to the ‘Western' reader. What it succeeds in doing is creating, once read aloud, a true sense of Johnson's voice – its rhythm and patterns, recreated in our own, individual voices. These are poems that cannot be read silently: they make no sense just as words on a page. For them to be truly understood, these words, seemingly unfamiliar at first, become familiar once we voice them ourselves. In a way, Johnson is raising the whole concept of ‘voice' in poetry to another level – ‘voice' is no longer something we get a sense of when reading words on a page; it is something we must enunciate for ourselves. When it becomes colle ctive poetry (Johnson's words through everybody else's voice), it speaks for everyone, regardless of his or her colour. We cannot help but identify with the poet and his words because, essentially, they become our own. This sense of a collective poetry, of Johnson speaking for everyone, comes across strongly in all of his poems, and â€Å"BG† (his tribute to Bernie Grant, the first black Member of Parliament) is no exception to this rule: yu woz wi cheef yu woz wi choice yu woz wi champian yu woz wi face yu woz wi voice 20 yu woz wi main man (16-21) But if Linton Kwesi Johnson is using ‘voice' in his poetry to achieve a political end, then Tom Leonard is using his voice to represent a social one. Like Johnson, Leonard writes in the strong dialect he speaks, hailing from Glasgow. Like Johnson and Plath, his poems are infused with his own voice, and, by writing in his colloquial way, forces the reader to read the words aloud, or imagine how they would sound spoken. Thus, what seems to be an incomprehensible passage can be understood when read aloud in a broad Scottish accent: ifyi stull huvny wurkt oot 35 thi diff- rince tween yir eyes n yir ears; 40 – geez peace, pal! (From â€Å"Unrelated Incidents† 33-42) Not only does Leonard's voice come through very strongly here, the form of this particular poem (â€Å"Unrelated Incidents†) adds to the overall effect Leonard is trying to achieve – namely by breaking up the flow of the writing, the reader is forced to ponder over and analyse individual words and phrases at a time. It seems also that Leonard is concerned with the subjectivity of language, and the way different words and different intonations mean different things to different people. It has been said that language is a slippery medium, and this is all too true in the cultural divide between England and Scotland. Although on paper both countries speak the same language, in reality, the different ways in which English is used by both the Scots and English themselves, suggests that this is not the case. Leonard points out the root of these differences in â€Å"Unrelated Incidents†, in an excerpt called â€Å"The 6 O'clock News†: thirza right way ti spell ana right way 90 to tok it. This is me tokn yir right way a spellin. this is ma trooth. 95 (â€Å"The 6 O'clock News† 88-95) Leonard seems to be highlighting here the discrepancy between ‘tokking' (or talking) and spelling. There may be a ‘right' way of spelling, says Leonard, but there is no ‘right' way of talking (not in these days when ‘received pronunciation' is an institution which is frowned upon and laughed at, anyway). Your right way of talking is not my right way of talking. Similarly, Leonard says, your right way of spelling is no longer my right way of spelling. â€Å"this/is ma trooth† (94-95). We see this most clearly in his poem â€Å"In the Beginning was the Word†, in which spelling and language is slowly corrupted and deconstructed, leaving in its place something new and startlingly clear: . in the beginning was the word . in thi beginning was thi wurd in thi beginnin was thi wurd in thi biginnin was thi wurd in thi biginnin wuz thi wurd 5 n thi biginnin wuz thi wurd nthi biginnin wuzthi wurd nthibiginin wuzthiwurd nthibiginninwuzthiwurd . in the beginning was the sound . 10 We can see, then, that these poets are all linked in the way they use their ‘voice': Sylvia Plath uses hers to instil her poems with a sense of her own personality and intimacy; Linton Kwesi Johnson uses his to use our voice, in effect, in order to put a political point across; and Tom Leonard uses his to illustrate the subjective nature of language, and how we use it to achieve our own ends. In this way, we can see how these poets have all used their ‘voice' in different ways – all to create the effect that it is their poetry and no-one else's. These poets are distinct in their original and compelling use of their own individual ‘voices'. Earlier in this essay, I mentioned Roland Barthes' piece, â€Å"The Death of the Author†, and it seems appropriate here, now that I have highlighted the ways in which these poets operate concerning ‘voice', to analyse his essay in this context. Barthes holds that an author or poet cannot be individual or original because he or she is merely a product of the society that surrounds them. This throws the whole concept of the ‘author function' into question: is an author really an author? Have they really written what they have written? I believe that the use of ‘voice' in poetry proves that a poet or an author can be individual and original. It is true that a poet like Tom Leonard or Linton Kwesi Johnson writes in the dialect of his society, and is therefore (to an extent) a product of that society, but this does not address the fact that these poets are entities in themselves, bringing something original to their work, and they are not simply blank sheets which society has filled in. In short, these poets do not regurgitate their society: they regurgitate themselves. Every poet brings something new and original to the world of poetry and literature, and if this were not the case, then poetry and literature would never have advanced at all. Wordsworth said that a poet is someone who is â€Å"pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them,† (â€Å"Preface to Lyrical Ballads†, 1798) and to this I would only add that today, a great poet should have a strong voice. The voice of a poet is his true identity – that which he is judged against, and that which compares him to all others. Ultimately, a poet's voice is his defining feature: an existential monument to who he is – something entirely unique, and something that should be cherished.