PAR (Participatory Action Research) and immigration Essay

PAR (Participatory Action Research) and immigration - Essay Example There are powerful people in every society and this knowledge seeks to unveil the extent to which these people are represented and their positions reinforced. There are different sides to participatory action research. One side shows that experience is a good teacher. Some of the issues encountered in public health and other areas might be the first but the lessons they produce can be used in future judgments. From the two sides, people who teach adults in countries with low income got ideas and went ahead to come up with a unique form of research now known as PAR 1 . This form of research enables researchers to work with people in communities and empower them in making significant changes to their health. This is different compared to most research methods where the community is only used in data collection and the final decisions made by a committee or a group of professionals. With the above information, PAR may be simply defined as a research method whose aim is to understand and make improvements to the world by making a change in it. The communities in subject are highly involved in making these changes. Immigration happens every day in different countries around the world for various reasons. It is a major topic especially in public policy matters in developed countries like the UK. In this report, the PAR approach will be used in finding out what the public perceives of immigrants in the UK, brain drain and the exploitation of immigrant workers. The people’s movement in and out of a country is due to various reasons such as economic and political. People from different countries tend to move to the UK in search of better opportunities. The population in the UK has increased over the years mainly due to an increase in resident immigrants. Perceptions are brought about by the knowledge available to people. One public perception of immigrants in the UK is that they have largely

Emotional Ability or Emotional Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Emotional Ability or Emotional Intelligence Essay Emotional ability or emotional intelligence is the ability to assess, identify and control the emotions of oneself. It is also the ability to recognize the impact of your own emotions upon your behavior and be aware of the emotions of others around you (Rosete, Ciracohhi, 2001). This is not always an easy task. It is a skill you have to work at constantly. Combine these sentences to make a direct comment. Since the brain tends to go into fight or flight mode quickly and easily, we have to figure out a strategy on how to think before we react. Reacting is instinctual and a way to combat an instinctual reaction is to hone your awareness of your own emotional state (Rosete, Ciracohhi, 2001). Knowing what events may trigger an emotional response will help you to be able to manage a reaction, manage your responses and move from being reactive to proactive. Several years ago I worked at a social service agency and had trouble with my supervisor. She was a chronic and consistent micromanager and always interrupted my tasks to assign another task that was menial and mundane. She would give me a project to work on and then check in on me constantly to see how it was going and how far along I had come. It drove me insane! I became so unnerved and agitated at her behavior that she provoked me to shut down and I became completely defiant. One task she gave me was so completely unnecessary that I flatly refused. I was stressed and highly emotional. I told her that task was a time waster and Im not going to do that task or anything else until she treated me with respect and stop micro managing me. I was angry, shaking and crying. She immediately went to HR and told them I was defiant, angry and verbally abusive. I knew that wasnt the case: I had just had enough. I agree to mediation with someone from the HR department whom I trusted to provide me with a fair mediation. If members of the team respect the lead negotiator, the process is manageable (lecture 8). Before the mediation, I tried to pull myself together so that I wouldnt be so emotional during the meeting. I knew I wouldnt have as much credibility if I was visibly too emotional. I tried to practice some self-management for the meeting. I wanted to focus on strategies for control of my motion and my emotional impulses (Mason, 2010). This was to no avail. I was so infuriated by the behavior of my supervisor that I completely broke down in mediation. I tried to suppress anger but it came out in my tears. I was an emotional wreck and knew that my emotions were too far gone to try and control at this point. In spite of everything, the mediation went well and we worked on some strategies that would have allowed me more freedom while giving my supervisor the assurance that the task would be done. Unbeknownst to them, I packed up and walked out at lunchtime and never returned. I knew that I would never be able to forge ahead after that day with any amount of dignity or respect after such an emotional breakdown and didnt even want to try. We all have emotions that influence our response to the world around but when employees have a high competence of emotional intelligence they have the ability to manage emotions and not let them influence their responses to their environment (Mason, 2010). People dont follow those who cant control their emotions and those kind of workers generally make for poor employees and poor leaders. References Mason, K. (2010, December 5). Why is emotional intelligence important in the business workplace? .The Thriving Small Business, 2-4. Rosete, D., Ciracohhi, J. (2001). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness .Leadership Organization Development Journal ,26(5), 288-296.

Regions of US after Civil War :: essays research papers

The Civil War left an impressionable mark on the nation as a whole - physically, economically, and furthermore politically. Two of the nations regions most affected was the South and the West. While the south gained political strentgh through a "solid south" Democracy, thier weak reliance on the crop lien system adversel affected thier econmy; meanwhile the farmers migrated to the west because of the Homestead Act, thier economy suffered in part because of over production, but united to form one of the most popular third parties in American history - the Populists. The Civil War is an example of a sectional war whose results left most of American nation in a weak state, which is illustrated especially in the South. Upon the end of the Civil War, a new ideology of th south developed known as the "New South Creed," encouraging Southeners to diversify the economy by industrializing and become independant of northern manufactoring industries. Although the intial intent was well motivated, the South did not industrialized, whith exceptions to textile mills. Instead, because of the heavy reliance of staple cash crops such as tobacco and cotton, the South shifted into a new system of argicultural known as the crop lein system, which resulted in a cycle of debt that led the South further into debt. The system itself designed only to pay farmers once a year, was a failure and a problem to the farmers because it forced them to buy thier tools and land on credit - adding to the exixsting poster war debts. Although the Southern region was weakene d economically because of debt and dependance on "King Cottom," it did gain political strength through the use of "Solid South" Southern politics, after the Civil War, shifted directly into the opposing view of the North, and quickly all of the Confederacy merged, politically speaking, into what has become known as the "Solid South" with most states voting always Democratic.These dems in turn wanted an atenbellum South, but could not achieve it constiutionally. While the South struggled through its failing argicultural system and gained victory in major supremem courty decisions, the West's economy was aided through the opening of western lands, as well as by the formations of a new and popular third partyt known as the Populists which contributed directly to the Democractic Platform. The west, known mostly as the being the most liberal region of the nation, was affected by the Civil War; this region was plagued by low farm prices which in turn affected the economy and politics of the region.

Music: the International Language Essay

Music is a part of people’s lives from all around the world. It has been around for at least 50,000 years and most likely originated in Africa (Wallin, et al. 1). There are several distinct genres of music. The most recognized forms in the western hemisphere are: classical, jazz, rock and folk, as well as others which are essentially branches from the four previously mentioned. Many career options exist for those wishing to pursue music, many of which require one or more scholastic degrees. In music, there are a plethora of diverse structural forms in which music is composed. A structural form usually describes the order the â€Å"sections† in a piece of music are written. Without composers, there would be little music today. Most composers have a unique style that they write in that can be identified by anyone with a trained ear. Music is constantly in an evolutionary state, and the music industry changes to reflect that. The future holds endless possibilities for the social and economical effects of new music. Musical notation was not always nice printed symbols arranged in an easy to read format. The Greeks were the first to implement a system for translating written work into sound. However this system made it difficult for someone to imagine the melody, and was extremely difficult to reproduce, and there were usually many errors on copies. The Romans used the first 15 letters of the Roman alphabet above the applicable words to determine pitch with the first letter as the low pitch and the 15th letter as the high pitch. Neuma, or Neumes, is a very peculiar notation used mostly by 6th to 12th century ecclesiastical writers. Deciphering this notation is essentially guesswork due to the number of variables affecting the sounds. (â€Å"Changes in Musical Notation†). Of all the genres of music, classical is the most distinct. It usually includes string instruments, French horns, and trumpets, as well as others. Rock music or â€Å"devil music† as some people refer to it, has become increasingly popular around the world since its inception in the mid 1900’s. This type of music is known to use electric guitars, drum kit, and vocals. Jazz also uses those instruments, but in a different way. In a typical â€Å"big band† jazz orchestra, there will be five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, a pianist, a drummer and a guitarist. The jazz style is quite different from that of other types of music. Normally, the first and third beat of a four beat measure are emphasized, in jazz the second and fourth beats are emphasized. In music, there are many formal structures (the way sections of a piece repeat) in which songs are written. Sectional form is a mixture of short chunks of a piece (DeLone. et al. 87). Vocal music often employs the use of the strophic form, which repeats the same section over again (AA†¦). Binary form, as the name might suggest, has two different sections played in succession (AB) or one repeated and then the other repeated (AABB). Similarly to binary form, chain form has three or more sections played in succession (ABC) or (AABBCC). Ternary, or tertiary form, similarly to binary form has two different sections, the difference being there is a â€Å"B† section sandwiched in between two â€Å"A† sections (ABA). Arch form has three different sections, one â€Å"C† section in between two â€Å"B† sections, which is then in between two â€Å"A† sections (ABCBA). Finally, rondo form, which comes in two varieties: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical form is (ABACABA) as asymmetrical form is (ABACADAEA) (â€Å"Musical Form†). There are many fun and rewarding careers in music many of which involve working with an assortment of creative individuals. Composition, the art of writing music, is one of the more difficult, yet also more rewarding choices, although it is hard to make a living as a composer unless the utmost dedication is displayed. Teaching others music, either by instruments, theory, or otherwise, is an occupation in high demand around the United States (â€Å"Bachelor of Music†). Musicians are the key element of music, without them there would be no live music. Music therapy is one of the less known musical vocations. Music therapists help people with mental illness or disability by using music (â€Å"Careers in Music Therapy†). There have been many great classical composers, each with his or her own identifying characteristics in their writing. Johann Sebastian Bach is known for never leaving pauses in his music. However, George Frideric Handel writes so that there are moments where no notes are played (grand pause. ) Mozart has written over 600 pieces of music, all of which were written in one draft. Music is all about sound, and for a mostly deaf man, Ludwig Van Beethoven is quite an accomplished composer. The music industry is generally defined as â€Å"the businesses and organizations that record, produce, publish, distribute, and market recorded music† (â€Å"Music Industry†). There are four major record companies or â€Å"labels,† Sony BMG, EMI, Universal and Warner. In 2005, Universal dominated the United States market with a 31. 71% market share. In a close second came Sony BMG with 31. 71%. Warner firmly holds third with a solid 15% market share, leaving EMI to clean up with the remaining 9. 55%. Independent labels cover18. 3% of the US market, but there are many independent companies and none of which hold a candle to he â€Å"big four† (Cashmere). Music artists and record companies alike make most of their money from music sales, but with the rise of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, it has been increasingly popular to illegally download or, pirate, stolen music. According to the American Federation of Musicians, gross revenue for music drops about 20% annually due to piracy. In reaction to the horrifying statistics the Recording Industry Association of America or, RIAA, has taken a number of steps to fight internet piracy. One of their goals is to inform the public of the repercussions music piracy has on the individuals who earn a living from legitimate music exchange (â€Å"Online Music Piracy†). Jazz is the only style of music native to the United States of America. It is clear that many other genres thought to be â€Å"truly American† are actually just bits and pieces from the musical traits of other cultures. Jazz music is brimming with improvisation solos, where a musician is usually given a chord progression also known as â€Å"changes,† and the musician plays notes in the scale of the key given at the specified time. Although the ink on the page may say to play in C7 one could just as well play in Cm in stead. Jazz is also not bound to the â€Å"limitations† of other forms of music and will not always be cut up into easy-to-identify sections. One thing almost all types of music have in common is scalability, for example, there could be a single saxophonist playing â€Å"Harlem Nocturne† on a street corner, or there could be an 18 piece big band orchestra playing the same song in a concert hall. The same applies to classical music, but it is more common to see a street musician playing jazz than classical music. The invention of solid-state electronics brought on many changes. The music world was affected when someone figured that if you make a keyboard and set it so each key you press produces a different frequency at a line level current and run it through an amplifier, there will be an electronic piano-style keyboard! This device later became known as the analog synthesizer and was used in many performing bands. Several years later, digital sound synthesis technology made it possible to have hundreds of different â€Å"patches† on a keyboard, eliminating the need for expensive sound modules for analog synthesizers. Today, both technologies are used, but analog is mostly just used and built for historical and experimental purposes. Every kind of music requires an instrument, be it human vocal cords, a bassoon, or a microchip, at least one instrument is required. There are three types of â€Å"traditional† instruments. Brass instruments are devices in which sound is made by pressing the lips to the large end of an almost conical mouthpiece and buzzing the lips whilst blowing. Instruments requiring no buzzing are referred to as woodwinds. The sound can be made either by a single reed, where the layer places the top front two teeth on top of a tapered mouthpiece and presses the bottom lip over the bottom teeth contacting the reed and blowing so the reed vibrates in between the mouthpiece and the bottom lip. A double reed instrument has no mouthpiece, only two reeds that are pointed together at the end. The third form of woodwind sound production entails placing the lips one the near side of a hole in the mouthpiece and blowing air over the gap, just like making a glass bottle whistle. In music, there are two categories, one for the high society, and one for the low society. The high society music is that of the classical, baroque romantic and other such eras, are usually preformed in formal venues. In contrast, the low society music such as jazz, rap and hip hop could be preformed in places where formal etiquette is not present such as a casino, night club or parking lot. It is apparent that the average audience member of a classical performance will have an income higher than that of an audience member from a hip hop concert. By analyzing this data, musicologists have concluded that the class distinction is not related to the music itself, rather, the crowd associated with that type of music.

Compare the way love is presented in ‘Valentine’ and ‘Sonnet130’ Essay

Compare and contrast the way in which love is presented in the poems ‘valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘sonnet 130’ by William Shakespeare. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast the way in which love is presented in the poems ‘valentine’ by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘sonnet 130’ by William Shakespeare. I will be drawing links of comparison and will explain the similarities and differences between them. The first poem ‘valentine’ was written by Carol Ann Duffy. It has no set rhythmic pattern and the stanzas are all different lengths. There are 7 stanzas in total. The title of the poem Valentine’ sounds very romantic and suggests that the poem is about hearts and roses and other items linked with the word valentine, however, once the first line is read this assumption is wiped away. The word satin from the first line ‘not a red rose or a satin heart’ immediately makes the reader think of a romantic gift that is soft to the touch and quite luxurious. However the line starts with ‘not’ suggesting that she is not going to give her lover a normal valentine present. This line is on its own which could mean that it is important and has been left on its own to stand out to the reader. The second stanza then starts by saying ‘I give you an onion. It is a moon wrapped in brown paper’. The writer uses juxtaposition to compare an onion to a ‘moon wrapped in brown paper’. The onion represents love and is symbolic and carol Ann Duffy makes the onion seem like a very special thing rather than just an onion. By saying that it is a ‘moon wrapped in brown paper’ it makes it sound like a present or a package waiting to be unwrapped. The next line ‘it promises light’ then goes back to the moon and light is normally seen as a special and good thing which represents their relationship. The stanza then ends by saying ‘like the careful undressing of love’. This is an effective way of ending the stanza as she connects the onion to their relationship. This is because by saying ‘careful undressing’ she is referring to the layers of an onion whereas by mentioning love it goes back to their relationship and how there are different stages or ‘layers’ to it. The third stanza starts with a one worded line-‘Here’. This is short and concise and calls the reader’s attention away from the description of the onion and starts to say what the onion would do. The next line, ‘It will blind you with tears like a lover’, connects the onion to love and compares the way an onion makes you cry to how love can make you cry. The word ‘blind’ is used as when people cry their eyesight becomes blurred and put off. The stanza ends by saying ‘it will make your reflection a wobbling photo of grief’. This is because when you have been or are about to cry water build up in your eyes and makes you vision go wobbly and blurred. The next two stanzas are each only one line. The first reads ‘I am trying to be truthful’. The word ‘trying’ suggests that it is the thought that counts and her gift of an onion has a lot of importance. ‘Truthful’ could indicate that she wants to give a present that means more than a typical valentine present. The second stanza ‘not a cute card or a kissogram’ is also only one line. This could be because the writer wanted to make an impact on the reader and wanted the line to stand out. The line links to the first stanza of the poem through the repetition of the word ‘not’. It is also saying the same thing – that she is not giving her lover a typical valentine gift, such as a ‘cute card’ which holds no importance or meaning. The sixth stanza begins with the use of repetition as it repeats the line ‘I give you an onion’ used in the beginning of the poem and refers back to the poems meaning. It could also suggest that carol Ann Duffy felt strongly about giving the onion and it held a lot of importance to her. The next line ‘its fierce kiss will stay on your lips’ implies the onion brings everlasting love. The word ‘fierce’ relates Duffy’s passion to her lover, with an onion and by using the word ‘kiss’ she brings a romantic and passionate atmosphere to the stanza. The taste of an onion is sharp and stays on the lips for a long time, similarly to a kiss which is remembered and can be felt on your lips a long time after as it is an important part of the relationship. The following line is only three words ‘possessive and faithful’ and is describing the kiss using very powerful adjectives that make an impact on the reader. She is saying that it is not an ordinary kiss but one with a deeper meaning which relates to an onion and how it leaves a strong taste on your lips. Duffy ends the stanza with ‘as we are, as long as we are’ stating that she hopes her love will last forever however know that it may not. The final stanza of the poem starts with a short line that reads ‘take it’. This is left on its own to stand out to the reader and is in a commanding tone. It shows that it is important to Duffy that her lover takes the onion. The consecutive line ‘its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring’ refer to the loops of an onion that get smaller as you go up the onion. By using the word ‘platinum’ which is very precious she is making the onion seem much more valuable than it is. ‘If you like’ then changes the tone of the poem as she is giving her lover a choice whereas in the first line she was ordering him. The nest line ‘lethal’ is saying that love can be dangerous and it has been left on its own to stand out to the reader. The final two lines are ‘its scent will cling to you fingers, Cling to your knife. The word ‘cling’ sounds like it will not let go. The next poem, sonnet 130, was written by William Shakespeare. Unlike ‘valentine’ there is a set rhythmic pattern in the beginning of the poem (ABABCDCDEFEFetc.) however changes to rhyming couplets in the last two lines to make them stand out and show their importance to the reader. ‘Sonnet 130’ like ‘valentine’ also compares love with strange objects for example; he describes his mistress’s hair as ‘black wires’ which is not normally associated with beauty. It suggests that her hair is thick and wiry. Throughout the poem he criticises her in this way. By doing this he could be suggesting that beauty isn’t only skin deep and there is more to a relationship than looks. He believes that his love for her is rare and he accepts how she looks in an honest way because he loves her. Shakespeare also uses strong and powerful words, like ‘valentine’, however uses it differently. While Duffy uses words such as ‘possessive’ to describe an onion, Shakespeare uses words like ‘snow’ or ‘roses’ which create imagery. These words can be used by the reader to create their own image in their mind. Most of the words he uses such as ‘sun’, ‘snow’ or ‘roses’ represent good things and relate to happiness. However he says that his lover is the opposite of all theses things and therefore the reader creates a negative image of his lover in their head. He also uses juxtaposition but in a different way to carol Ann Duffy. Duffy uses juxtaposition by comparing love with an onion throughout the poem however in ‘sonnet 130’ Shakespeare uses juxtaposition in each line, contrasting objects with positive imagery with his mistress however saying that she is the opposite of them, for example, ‘but no such roses see I in her cheeks’. Shakespeare juxtaposes beauty to ugliness which makes this line effective. This contrast changes the tone of the poem. Roses are used to represent beauty and delicateness, however Shakespeare juxtaposes this by saying the woman does not remind him of roses. This suggests that his mistress is not beautiful. To conclude, I feel that ‘valentine’ was a much more effective poem as Duffy managed to get a lot of meaning out of just an onion and she used a lot of powerful language such as ‘possessive’. She also used many metaphors and similes and although the poem did not rhyme, the range and different lengths of stanzas had a good effect as it made certain things stand out. ‘Sonnet 130’ was also an enjoyable poem to read as it had a good rhythm throughout and had a lot of deep meanings to it. It also had good use of juxtaposition and the words used helped created imagery inside the readers mind. However, it was not as interesting as ‘valentine’ and did not express as much emotion.

Europe and Its Foreign Policy Essays

Europe and Its Foreign Policy Essays Europe and Its Foreign Policy Essay Europe and Its Foreign Policy Essay Mariaclara Ingrid Ludovici EU relations with the world Nowadays, the EU has adopted a foreign policy that has been modified and improved over time thanks to a series of treaties. It has been introduced to maintain EU values, interests, independence, and integrity of the Union. EU foreign and security policy has the aim of strengthening the Union’s security by keeping peace and promoting cooperation, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. It is connected with four main aspects: trade, foreign direct investment, development, and monetary policy. Other fundamental factors related to it are the increasing process of enlargement and cooperation, and international relations. Those elements have been introduced to built relations not only with countries close to the EU, but also with those far away. A great tool of European? Foreign Policy is also its system of justice and home affairs established to bring peace, and create economic interdependence among European countries. Between the main goals of the European Union, one of those could be to extend frameworks between all the partner states regardless of their diversity. Moreover, the EU has the purpose of improving relationships with other countries, such as Turkey, Russia and China with whom it has an ambivalent rapport. Therefore, this paper is going to explain and discuss the basics, tendencies, approaches and possible future roles of EU foreign policy. EU foreign and security policy has been created together with its growing economic and political policy. The first forms of regular meetings aimed at coordinating the European foreign policy arose during the 1970s between EU ministers of foreign affairs. Later, due to an increasing threat of international terrorism and regional conflicts in Europe during the 1990s, EU leaders decided to create a formal method for diplomacy and intervention. As a result, in 1993 they established the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It has been designed to allow Member States to coordinate and assert the EU’s identity, and to preserve values, interests, independence, international security and integrity of the Union. Furthermore, it has been created to consolidate international cooperation, develop the rule of law and democracy, and to promote respect for human rights. All of the EU’s major institutions are essential for EU foreign policy, and CFSP decision-making procedures are intergovernmental. The European Council is in charge for foreign policy, defining policy principles, activities, strategies, and general guidelines (A Guide for Americans, 26-27). In addition, in 1999, European leaders decided to establish a EU Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) considered as a part of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. It occurred because there was the need to improve and strengthen security and operations related to it, such as peacekeeping, monitoring, and conflict prevention. Under the ESDP structure, EU member states has been able to organize and send civilian and/or military operations in many countries, for example in Southeast Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Georgia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (A Guide for Americans, 26-27). In order to reach a great success and expansion of the ESDP, in 2009, substantial innovations thanks to the Treaty of Lisbon were introduced: the ESDP became the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). The Treaty of Lisbon was organized to introduce the concept of solidarity and mutual assistance between all EU Member States if another Member State was attacked. In addition, other two measures were introduced within the Lisbon Treaty: â€Å"enhanced cooperation,† and â€Å"permanent structured cooperation† (A Guide for Americans, 26). The first one was addressed to deepen military cooperation of at least nine member states. The second one, controlled by the European Defense Agency, was aimed at providing a strong defense system, which every country could carry out. Eventually, the treaty updated targets of CSDP: humanitarian works, peacekeeping, stabilization, crisis management, assistance in other countries, disarmament operations, and antiterrorist actions (A Guide for Americans, 26). Another important tool of EU foreign policy is its external economic policies where its trade power is seen as a method for negotiations, promising benefits, assistance, and so on. It is a way to present conditions to other countries if they are willing to access the EU market (Hay and Menon, 403). In fact, European foreign policy has really strong forces that are connected with its global economic policies. It presents four main aspects: trade, foreign direct investment, development, and monetary policy. External economic relations are built especially for trade with other countries. Except for the agriculture regime that is pretty protectionist, the EU’s trade is moved by liberal system. Also the monetary policy became really important since the advent of euro. Nowadays, this currency encompasses 12 out of 27 EU’s member states (Hay and Menon, 391-395). The EU’s approach is also bound to the promotion of its values and models abroad. However, EU foreign policy is made stronger and more effective when there is unity among its member states (Bindi). Finally, another central role in EU foreign policy is played by the strategic partnership between the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in order to keep regional stability and peace. In particular, this cooperation has been planned for crisis management, anti-terrorism, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and so on. An example showing the relationship between these two institutions can be descripted by the EU’s assumption on March 31, 2003, of NATO’s mission, called Operation Concordia, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. There, EU Member States and other nations sent around 400 troops. That was the first time in which the EU led a military mission (A Guide for Americans, 26). However, in order to better understand and explain how Europe approaches foreign policies, it is appropriate to consider some diplomats’ thoughts exanimating international relations in the twenty-first century, such as Cooper with his liberal vision. He thinks that there are three types of states in the world, and the way in which they are classified depends on how they deal with each other. In the world there are countries without fully functioning states that are called â€Å"pre-modern,† nation states dealing with territorial sovereignty and national interest, known as â€Å"modern† states, and then countries whose foreign and domestic policy are deeply connected, governance means are shared, and the control of territory and of power is not the only method to keep security. This last kind of state is called â€Å"post-modern. Through this distinction, Cooper also confronts the United States and Europe’s different approaches. The U. S. is more hegemonic, and seeking for control, also military if necessary. Europe, instead, has a more defensive attitude, and more compatible with human rights and cosmopolitan values. These characteristics make America a â€Å"modern† entity, while Europe a â€Å"post -modern. † It is still not really clear the situation of the U. S. It sometimes acts as a â€Å"post-modern† entity as well, even though it owns really strong military forces, and it is not cared to use them (Cooper). In fact, Cooper says, â€Å"Americas aim, like everyone else, is to preserve its national security. Sometimes commentators refer, slightly incredulously, to Americas wish to be invulnerable† (Cooper, 45). However, post-modernism influences the nature of European foreign policy: its political and economic environment of interdependence and cooperation make Europe a post-modernist world. Its foreign policy is based on compromises and negotiations controlled by a multinational hegemony. Europe is ruled by international and regional law (Cooper). In contrast to the modern state system based on national political sovereignty, there is no longer the distinction between domestic and foreign affairs in post-modern countries. Everything is done for the good of all, not just for domestic interest. In contrast to America, which has adopted a realistic view in acting for its own national interest regardless of moral values, Europe is acting as a liberal force fostering democracy and free-market capitalism. In fact, another interesting point is the fact that Europe has become really strong in its democratization strategy. The EU has been able to promote human rights, democracy and integration in various countries, also in some formerly communist countries. The EU community has never had fear to share its sovereignty with different countries, or to be subjected to international institutions’ activities. On the other hand, even though in the US documents and in its ambitions human rights and democracy are two fundamental points, the US still remains reluctant in front of human rights treaties, such as that in favor of the International Criminal Court. US contemporary international relations are hindering American interests. The US has a realistic attitude, and it is the sole superpower in the world. This condition shows that every restriction of US’ sovereignty can have a negative effect on the country. For example, just the idea of an international court controlling American citizens could not be seen positively for US judicial process because the court could limit the US power (Hay and Menon, 418-419). The EU is â€Å"essentially post-modern and highly moralistic, values-based stance† (Hay and Menon, 419). Although the US could stand the introduction of international human rights system, these values could not be compatible anymore, especially talking about gun control, death penalty, abortion and the part of religion in public life (Hay and Menon, 419). The diversity between the liberal EU and the realist US is clarified by Kagan’s realist ideology also to better explain the EU foreign policy. According to him, Europe has its own method to deal with the others. That method is completely different from those of the other countries, such as the U. S. In fact, he affirms that â€Å"Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus: they agree on little and understand one another less and less. † Europe is moving toward a world of laws, rules, transnational negotiation and cooperation. On the other hand, the United States continue exercising power depending on the possession and use of military forces. According to Kagan, the transatlantic division is deep. The United States and Europe work separately, especially in setting national priorities, determining threats, defining challenges and establishing foreign and defense policies (Kagan). The U. S. , less willing to work cooperatively, is less patient with diplomacy than Europe. The U. S. easily introduces punitive sanctions, and favors policies of coercion and punitive sanctions. Europeans, on the contrary, have more nuance and sophistication. They are more tolerant of failure and prefer peaceful solutions, negotiation, and diplomacy. â€Å"They often emphasize process over result, believing that ultimately process can become substance† (Kagan). However, there is a scholar called Wendt who has another ideology. He thinks that foreign policies depend on the concepts of interest and identity. According to him, governments should treat these elements as dependent variables, because states’ identity and interests are easily affected by anarchy. Wendt critiques realist and liberalist viewpoints by saying that â€Å"they change behavior but not identities and interest† (Wendt, 392). Realism is only concentrated on power of the state. Moreover, they think â€Å"states are the dominant actors in the system, and define security in self-interested terms† (Wendt, 392). Liberalism, in stead, is only the expression of collective good focusing on process, but this is not sufficient. These two ways of thinking are unable to make a state functional. According to Wendt who has a constructivist approach, constructivism is the fundamental way to study how the system affects state identities and interests. If governments know how this system works, they can â€Å"construct,† change, and improve people’s minds. So, America and Europe should adopt this ideology instead of approaching in a realistic or a liberal way in foreign policy. Wendt argues that, if ideas change all times, international institutions can also change state identities and interests. It is a great method to make a state effective and functional, because it is connected with the concept of self-help. The concept is based on interactions between states, and, according to Wendt, it can be improved by norms-based constructivism, the only ideology that can account for changes in the system (Wendt). EU tools are not just those related to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), but also the EU’s past successful enlargements and relations with the neighborhood. With the passing of time, the EU has obtained more popularity, in particular for its promise of democratic incentives and change in the region (Bindi). In fact, democracy is one of the three primary themes of the EU foreign policy. The other two are rule of law and respect for human rights. Cooperation between states is not systematic, and, if a state wants to join the EU, it should handle a deep and radical change in its government’s foundation. Another tool of European? Foreign Policy can its system of justice and home affairs. The EU was established to bring peace, and create economic interdependence among European countries. For this reason, military cooperation was not really considered given that NATO and the United States were in charge for providing military defense in Western European countries. However, the EU made some changes. With the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), and then, the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), Europe integrated the innovative element of the EU’s military capability. The ESDP/CSDP represents a significant transformation: â€Å"In 1999 the European Council of Cologne decided to provide the EU with the capacity for autonomous military action, backed by military forces, as well as the means to decide to use them in responding to international crises† (Bindi, 73). However, it was with the establishment of the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice (AFSJ) that there was the first attempt of the EU to pass from a more â€Å"civilian power approach† to a â€Å"multidimensional power,† more capable of managing actual threats. The AFSJ, in fact, is a â€Å"security strategy based on the project of developing regional stability abroad, and the issues covered by the AFSJ are respect for human rights, respect for the rule of law, guarantees of personal freedom, the right of defense, and freedom of movement† (Bindi, 77). Moreover, an interesting key point of EU is the relationship with its neighbor countries. The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) has been an interesting change for the EU by creating stability across its borders beyond the member states. European foreign policy has been able to extend frameworks between all the partner states regardless of their diversity. However, European Union’s outcomes and dealing skills with its eastern and southern neighbors could be capable of determining the success or failure of the ENP (Bindi). Nevertheless, not all relations have been easy to establish for the EU. For example, the relation between the EU and Russia is made by an alternation of attraction and rejection. The eurozone crisis is having a negative impact in the EU neighborhood, especially in Russia. Furthermore, EU member states adopted different positions on Russia, and this is not bringing unity in the EU’s foreign policy. Because Russia has a great geopolitical importance, EU has the aim of improving its relations with this country. This situation could have important consequences for international relations. (Bindi). In the past few years, other developments occurred in the relations between the EU and other two countries: Ukraine and Belarus. Under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine is becoming to be less western-oriented. On the other hand, the EU has isolated Belarus with sanctions imposed some year ago. The only way to improve the relation with these countries could be: engaging of Russia and making this country less aggressive. The European Union could â€Å"try to create regional conditions for a win-win situation and to avoid any initiative that insults Moscow’s sensibilities† (Bindi, 145). The Western Balkans is another important region in which the European Commission, the EU Council, and individual member states play a fundamental role. Because in the Lisbon Treaty it has not been established the way in which to deal with these countries, the EU’s policy in Western Balkans is a mixture of enlargement, and common foreign and security policy. However, the future enlargement of the EU will probably concern those countries, but this will occur only by strengthening membership negotiations in the Western Balkans and with Turkey (Bindi). In fact, the membership of Turkey is one of the main goals of the EU with whom Turkey still continues to be ambivalent in negotiating (Bindi). The European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), however, refers to Mediterranean non-member states as well. For example, the EU should be careful to Arab countries due to the rise of China and India. The Arab region could become more dependent on the Mediterranean region in order to import its products. Therefore, the EU should always be tolerant and compromising with this region, such as in protectionism in agriculture or limited mobility. This attitude would be really advantageous for the EU that could attain beneficial relations with its neighbor states (Bindi). Also the relation with the Middle East should not be underestimated, and the European member states should enhance their presence in the region. So far, the EU has not really had positive interactions with the Middle East. The EU was concerned not about Middle East foreign policy, but about instability or illegal immigration (Bindi). Regarding the relations between the EU and the other continents, it can be said that the Lisbon Treaty has been relevant for transatlantic relations. However, the EU’s and the U. S. ’s really complicated institutional structure and arrangements in decision-making have not been resolved with this Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty, in fact, changed the â€Å"domestic politics,† namely those politics referring to cooperation and antiterrorism efforts. So, it did not resolve the fact that transatlantic relations did not develop at the same level with those changes in the EU. Because of from both sides lack the effort to keep and enhance these relations, the two regions could drift apart (Bindi). Nowadays, the relationship between The U. S. and the EU is based on tropes and lead lines. The way in which these two entities handle the issue between Palestine and Israel could be a good example to show their diversity. USA is working with Israel and considers Palestine untreatable. On the other hand, Europe is treating those countries more equally. On the contrary, Canada is relatively more interested in developing trade and cooperation with the EU, although recent trade relations have been deteriorated due to some problems with the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP). Europe should pay attention to this situation to avoid that Canada shifts its attention toward other parts of the world, like East Asia (Bindi). The EU’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean increased soon after Spain and Portugal joined the EU, and it is principally a trade relationship. The relationship is very beneficial especially because of the Hispanic banks. In addition, the EU is not only a model for integration, but also one of the biggest donors in this area (Bindi). With regard to the relationship between the EU and Africa, this latter has always played an important role in European foreign relations since the Treaty of Rome. Three major agreements between the EU and Africa have been introduced: the Yaounde Convention, the Lome Convention, and the Cotonou Agreement. The EU is hyperactive in Africa, in particular for European interests, such as for security and migration issues, but also for better aid in the African countries and improvement of trade deals (Bindi). The EU’s relation with East Asia is increasing in trade, investment, development, market access, and other aspects of foreign policy. Nevertheless, the EU is not really seen as a united community. The euro crisis, for example, is undermining the idea of a possible adoption of the EU model in East Asia (Bindi). For example, China’s relationship with the EU became really strong, in particular between 2003 and 2005. However, for a shift in the EU’s strategy toward China, and the euro crisis causing Europe’s industrial decline, Europe started to consider China more as a competitor and a threat for European development and production. Another negative factor for China-EU relations was the election of more assertive politicians in Europe who made some European countries, such as France and Germany, pretty aggressive toward China. In addition, because of the lack of unity in Europe, China is forced to deal with each European country individually, and reaching agreements became more difficult and slower (Zhiqin). Finally, while the United States is strengthening its presence at military bases in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, Europe is losing its influence there, because the EU is not integrated in the territory (Zhiqin). The U. S. is always present in East Asia. In fact, Caira writes, â€Å"China has become more aware of the weight of transatlantic relations, of the connections between the China-EU relationship and the EU-U. S. relationship. It has become aware that the relationship is in fact triangular† (Bindi, 268). As a consequence, the future role of Europe in world affair may be related to making stronger relations with other countries, not only with the neighbors, but also with the others more far away. For example, the EU could think to improve the Sino-European relations. The best solution to do this is trying to better understand each other’s ideals, interests, and culture. This could lead to a great approach and cooperation (Zhiqin). Its external economic policies could be a powerful aspect for negotiations, promising benefits, assistance, and so on. It could be a way to set conditions to other countries if they are willing to access the EU market. Moreover, because there is a bipolar currency dividing the world in US dollars and EU euros, there could also be stronger competitiveness and pressure between the two currencies. It is crucial to manage these conditions in order to avoid instability in the international financial system. The monetary policy also affects the process of enlargement, in particular about the costs of enlargement for those countries being willing to, or waiting for being members of the EU (Hay and Menon, 285-289). Democracy promotion is at the center of both U. S. and EU strategies in their foreign policies. Democracy could be a fundamental instrument for achieving their primary foreign policy goals, such as security, economic prosperity and peace (Bindi, 303). So far, for six decades, the European Union obtained Nobel Peace Prize for peace in Europe. The EU has been able to transform Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace† (Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to European Union). Because of recession, financial problems, and social unrest in many member states, the EU faced the biggest crisis of its history. However, the EU has been capable of maintaining the principle of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights (Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to European Union). The way, in which all these forces will affect the future outlook for European foreign policy-making, could also depend on the process of enlargement. It could be a possible tool to spread European influence not only close to its boundaries, but also throughout the world. The benefits of becoming a member of the EU would be so appealing and astonishing that even more countries would join the European Union. This situation could be a great inducement for political and economic reforms in states wishing to satisfy the EUs accession criteria. Finally, another important EU force for the future could be its approach with human rights. The EU is patient with diplomacy and willing to work cooperatively instead of favoring policies of coercion and punitive sanctions. For the fact that Europeans have more nuance and sophistication, in the future they would always opt for peaceful solutions, negotiation, and diplomacy. In conclusion, member states have reached great accomplishments over time in EU foreign policy. Anyhow, it can be made stronger and more effective if there is unity among its member states. It promotes humanitarian works, peacekeeping, stabilization, crisis management, assistance in other countries, disarmament operations, and antiterrorist actions. The EU’s approach also consists in promoting its values and models abroad by creating relationships throughout the globe. In he future, in fact, a further process of enlargement and competitiveness between EU member states and the other countries could affect the European Union’s foreign policy. Peaceful solutions, negotiation, and diplomacy will be the key of its power. Works cited: * A Guide For Americans: The European Union. Delegation of the European Commission to the U nited States. Mar. 2011. 26-35. Print. * Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to European Union. BBC News. BBC, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. * Bindi, F. M. The foreign policy of the European Union, assessing Europes role in the world. Washington, D. C. : Brookings Inst Pr, 2010. 1-348. Print. * Cooper, Robert. The Breaking of Nations: Order and Chaos in the Twenty-First Century . Grove/Atlantic , 2004. 1-55. Web. * Hay, Colin, and, Menon, Anand. European politics. Oxford University Press, USA, 2007. 274-290 and 386-424. Print. * Kagan, Robert. Power and Weakness. Power and Weakness | Hoover Institution. Hoover Institution, 1 June 2002. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. * Wendt, Alexander. Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics. Ic. ucsc. edu. Spring 1992. p. 391-425. Web. * Zhiqin, Shi. Understanding China-EU Relations. Carnegieeurope. eu. Carnegieeurope, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.

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The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault Although much lesser known than his literary heirs the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, 17th-century French writer, Charles Perrault, not only solidified the fairy tale as a literary genre but wrote nearly all of the genres most signature stories, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Tom Thumb, and the larger designation of Mother Goose stories. Perrault published his Stories or Tales from Times Past (subtitled Mother Goose Tales) in 1697 and arrived at the end of a long and not entirely satisfying literary life. Perrault was nearly 70 years old and, while he was well-connected, his contributions had been more intellectual than artistic. But this slim volume comprised of three of his earlier verse stories and eight new prose stories achieved a success that hadnt seemed possible to the man whod long made his main living as a civil servant.   Impact on Literature   Some of Perraults stories were adapted from oral tradition, some were inspired by episodes from earlier works, (including Boccaccios The Decameron and Apuleius The Golden Ass), and some were inventions wholly new to Perrault. What was most significantly new was the idea of turning magical folk tales into sophisticated and subtle forms of written literature. While we now think of fairy tales as primarily childrens literature, there was no such thing as childrens literature in Perraults time. With this in mind, we can see that the morals of these tales take on more worldly purposes, despite their slyly clever packaging within the fantastical universe of fairies, ogres, and talking animals. While Perraults original tales are hardly the versions that were fed to us as children, they also cant be expected to be the feminist and socialist alternate versions that we might wish them to be (see Angela Carters 1979 story collection, The Bloody Chamber, for this kind of modern twist; Carter had translated an edition of Perraults fairy tales in 1977 and was inspired to create her own versions as a response). Perrault was an upper-class intellectual during the reign of the Sun King. Unlike the fable-writer Jean de La Fontaine, whose rich narratives often criticized the powerful and took the side of the underdog (in fact he himself was not in favor with the megalomaniacal Louis XIV), Perrault didnt have much of an interest in rocking the boat. Instead, as a leading figure on the modern side of the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, he brought new forms and sources to literature to create something that even the ancients had never seen. La Fontaine was on the side of the ancients and wrote fables in the vein of Aesop, and while La Fontaine was much more lyrically sophisticated and intellectually clever, it was Perraults modernity that lay the foundation for a new kind of literature thats created a culture all its own. Perrault may have been writing for adults, but the fairy tales that he first put on paper spawned a revolution in what kinds of stories could be made into literature. Soon, writing for children spread throughout Europe and eventually across the rest of the world. The results and even his own works may have gone far out of Perraults intent or control, but thats what often happens when you introduce something new into the world. It seems that theres a moral somewhere in that. References in Other Works   Perraults tales entered culture in ways that far transcend his own personal artistic reach. They permeated virtually every level of modern art and entertainment- from rock songs to popular films to the most sophisticated stories by literary fabulists such as Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. With all these tales forming a common cultural currency, the clarity and intent of the originals have often been either obscured or contorted to serve sometimes questionable meanings. And while a film like 1996s Freeway creates a brilliant and necessary twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story, many more popular versions of Perraults works (from the saccharine Disney films to the grotesquely insulting Pretty Woman) manipulate their audiences by promoting reactionary gender and class stereotypes. Much of this is in the originals, though, and its often surprising to see just what is and what isnt in the original versions of these seminal fairy tales. Tales by Perrault In Puss in Boots, the youngest of three sons inherits only a cat when his father dies, but through the cats wily scheming the young man ends up wealthy and married to a princess. Perrault, who was in favor with Louis XIV, provides two interconnected but  competing  morals to the  tale, and he clearly had the machinations of the court in mind with this witty satire. On the one hand, the tale promotes the idea of using hard work and ingenuity to get ahead, rather than just relying on your parents money. But on the other hand, the story warns against being taken in by pretenders who may have achieved their wealth in unscrupulous ways. Thus, a tale that seems like a didactic childrens fable actually serves as a double-edged send-up of class mobility as it existed in the seventeenth century. Perraults Little Red Riding Hood reads much like the popularized versions that we all grew up with, but with one big difference: the wolf eats the girl and her grandmother, and nobody comes along to save them. Without the happy ending that the Brothers Grimm supply in their version, the story serves as a warning to young women against talking to strangers, especially against charming wolves who seem civilized but are perhaps even more dangerous. Theres no heroic male to slay the wolf and save Little Red Riding Hood from her own gullible innocence. Theres only danger, and its up to young women to learn how to recognize it. Like Puss in Boots, Perraults Cinderella also has two competing and contradictory morals, and they likewise discuss questions of marriageability and class connection. One moral claims that charm is more important than looks when it comes to winning a mans heart, an idea that suggests that anyone can achieve happiness, regardless of their conventional assets. But the second moral declares that no matter what natural gifts you have, you need a godfather or godmother in order to put them to good use. This message acknowledges, and perhaps supports, societys profoundly uneven playing field. The most strange and amazing of Perraults tales, Donkey Skin, is also one of his least known, probably because its shocking grotesqueries have no way of being watered down and made easily palatable. In the story, a dying queen asks her husband to remarry after her death, but only to a princess even more beautiful than her. Eventually, the kings own daughter grows to surpass her dead mothers beauty, and the king falls deeply in love with her. At the suggestion of her fairy godmother, the princess makes seemingly impossible demands of the king in exchange for her hand, and the king somehow fulfills her demands each time to both shimmering and terrifying effect. Then she demands the skin of the kings magic donkey, which defecates gold coins and is the source of the kingdoms wealth. Even this the king does, and so the princess flees, wearing the donkey skin as a permanent disguise. In Cinderella-like fashion, a young prince rescues her from her squalor and marries her, and events transpire so that her father also ends up happily paired with a neighboring widow-queen. Despite the tidiness of all its ends, this is the story that contains the messiest and wildest of Perraults invented worlds. Perhaps that is why posterity has been unable to tame it into a version that feels comfortable presenting to children. There is no Disney version, but for the adventurous, Jacques Demys 1970 film starring Catherine Deneuve manages to capture all of the storys perversity while casting the loveliest and most magical spell on its viewers.

Bouns assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bouns - Assignment Example This can be due to not being aware of what is common knowledge and not knowing the range of works that must be cited, such as diagrams, charts, pictures, and other visual works (â€Å"Is It Plagiarism Yet?†). An example is when students think that a statement is common knowledge, when it is not because it is debatable or contestable (â€Å"Is It Plagiarism Yet?†). They engage in accidental plagiarism because they do not intend to copy any work and do not have the explicit will to make it look like they originally own it. Plagiarism is not worth the risk of being caught because it can lead to failed grades and even suspension. At the same time, it can impact the students’ credibility, especially his/her academic standing. It can ruin their image to academic institutions and the public. To prevent plagiarism, it is essential to know proper citation styles and to be sure to clarify when something belongs to other people’s works and when something belongs to one’s own ideas and

Eating in restaurant or home Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eating in restaurant or home - Essay Example Eating at restaurant is an altogether different experience as compared to eating at home. Eating at restaurant is a costly experience lacking privacy but enriched with a wide and diverse range of foods whereas eating at home is a cost-effective experience enriched with privacy and customization. The first and the foremost thing that makes eating at restaurant different from eating at home is that one is surrounded by other families in the former unlike the latter. Eating at a restaurant is a kind of social experience. People tend to eat at restaurant with their friends. The privacy of having a meal at home can only be attained at a fairly high cost at the restaurant. People frequently purchase food from the restaurant and bring that home to eat in order to enjoy food in privacy. While restaurant are visited for eating with friends, people eat with their families at home to enjoy the food in private. The quality of food at a restaurant also depends upon the type of restaurant, with the more expensive restaurants having higher quality as compared to the cheaper restaurants. Costly restaurants charge more because of the hygiene they maintain. While there is little an individual can do to alter the quality of food at a restaurant, quality of food can be adjusted in the home-cooked food as per the want of the family. People customize the flavors of standard recipes by adjusting the content of salt, sugar and such other spices depending upon their individualistic needs and preferences. Eating at restaurant proves costlier than eating at home. â€Å"Restaurants charge even simple food items exorbitantly† (â€Å"Topic No. 3†). Restaurants charge their clients the cost of service, exotic views of the restaurant, and profit in addition to the basic cost of food, whereas the cost incurred on the home-cooked food is just the cost of ingredients and cooking, which is certainly much lesser than the cost of restaurant-made food. Concluding, eating at restaurant and

Ralph Eubanks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ralph Eubanks - Research Paper Example He was also one of the first coloured students to attend the integrated school. In describing his experiences, he has highlighted his acute embarrassment and feelings of isolation upon being the Eubanks has also mentioned the State Sovereignty Commission and says that this institution was empowered to do any and all actions that would help to preserve the sovereignty of the state of Mississippi, so that she could continue with her racist policies without any interference from the federal Government. As a result, while the other states in the Union flourished through increased representation of black students in integrated schools, colleges and Universities, the state of Mississippi lagged far behind. Eubanks sums up the purpose of this organization as being in effect, working to â€Å"instill fear in Mississippians like my parents: well educated, progressive thinking African-Americans, more commonly known as uppity niggers.† (Eubanks Xiv). Finding his own parents names on the Commission’s list – as people who needed to be spied upon and watched, in order to ensure that they did not interfere with the segregated fabric of the state, was a shock to the au thor. One of the people that Eubanks spoke to during the course of his self discovery and discovery of his past was Horace Harned, the Chairman of the Commission. This was a man who had wielded a considerable amount of power in the small farming community where his father and mother lived. At one time he had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan and was strongly in support of segregation and the standard of life that he and his contemporaries had enjoyed by rigidly maintaining the structure of the segregated society. In speaking to him, Eubanks was told that most certainly, the fact that his parents’ names had been on the list would suggest that they were always in danger of actions being taken against them by people Harned described ad rednecks. He described himself as the firebrand of the

Student Counseling Service Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Student Counseling Service - Research Proposal Example b. Question #2: The wording of the question must change as: Which of the following best describes your age The responses given are ambiguous, e.g. 19 - 20 years; 20-25 years and so on. Where would the age of 20 years be captured The correct responses should be: Less than or equal to 18 19 to 20 21 to 25 26 to 30 and so on. d. Question #4: The question can be restated as: What is your religious affiliation Closed-ended options could be provided in the response list: Protestant Christian Roman Catholic Jewish Evangelical Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Others (please specify) e. Question #5: This is an ambiguous double barreled statement. Two issues, namely, cultural and religious, are mixed up here. It would be prudent to separate the two issues, and use a Likert scale for capturing the responses. The restated questions could be: In your opinion, the primary reason for seeking counseling service is: f. Question #6: The word "crises" is an inconsistent usage of terminology. Also, the period during which the services have been sought is not explicit. The question should be restated as: How many times between June 2005 and June 2007, have you used counseling service In the response list, 'several times', 'regular basis' is ambiguous. The response options should be recast as: Less than or equal to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 h. ... Asian - Pacific Islander Native American Others (please specify) d. Question #4: The question can be restated as: What is your religious affiliation Closed-ended options could be provided in the response list: Protestant Christian Roman Catholic Jewish Evangelical Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Others (please specify) e. Question #5: This is an ambiguous double barreled statement. Two issues, namely, cultural and religious, are mixed up here. It would be prudent to separate the two issues, and use a Likert scale for capturing the responses. The restated questions could be: In your opinion, the primary reason for seeking counseling service is: Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Disagree Agree Cultural factors: Religious factors: f. Question #6: The word "crises" is an inconsistent usage of terminology. Also, the period during which the services have been sought is not explicit. The question should be restated as: How many times between June 2005 and June 2007, have you used counseling service In the response list, 'several times', 'regular basis' is ambiguous. The response options should be recast as: Less than or equal to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 g. Question #7: Not found... reflects casual approach to survey design h. Question #8: The question posed is not amenable to an objective analysis. A Likert scale is recommended. The question could be recast as: In your opinion, how would you rate the interactions of counseling staff with you: Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Disagree

Personal philosophy reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal philosophy reflection - Coursework Example Any behavior that may go against the lines of conduct may be deemed as inappropriate and unprofessional, and in the end, might diminish the benefits of nursing to patients, and society at large (Hannigan, Pattison & Pill, 2010). Today, nurses are shown on how to make these boundaries visible to the people in their care, thus; ensuring that patients receive the utmost help in their quest to attain health. Nurses have been given the responsibility of ensuring that patients get the necessary attention and provide an environment where the provision of healthcare is done in an ethical and effective manner (Hannigan, Pattison & Pill, 2010). From this, patients can comprehend the extent of their caregiver’s duties to them, and learn to appreciate them during the entire process. Times are changing, and it is fundamental for nurses to change with them. This may work toward ensuring that any and all relationships formed in the healthcare field reflect the nursing code of conduct and profession, and also indicate their commitment and affection for the people in their care. It is my belief that nursing is one of the most reliant and dependable vocations globally (DeLaune & Ladner, 2010). This is because there are lives that depend on the code of conduct of all nurses, and it is these responsibilities that help them uphold upright morals and values in this profession. There are lots of lives at hand, not just the patients’ that might be affected; it is my duty to ensure that being effective every time is at the top of the to-do-list. It is vital to be a team player in a bid to ensure that patients receive the care they need. This requires proper communication skills, with both my colleagues and the patients in my care. Proper decision making is one of the most vital aspects of this course that might ensure I execute my duties

Student Counseling Service Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Student Counseling Service - Research Proposal Example b. Question #2: The wording of the question must change as: Which of the following best describes your age The responses given are ambiguous, e.g. 19 - 20 years; 20-25 years and so on. Where would the age of 20 years be captured The correct responses should be: Less than or equal to 18 19 to 20 21 to 25 26 to 30 and so on. d. Question #4: The question can be restated as: What is your religious affiliation Closed-ended options could be provided in the response list: Protestant Christian Roman Catholic Jewish Evangelical Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Others (please specify) e. Question #5: This is an ambiguous double barreled statement. Two issues, namely, cultural and religious, are mixed up here. It would be prudent to separate the two issues, and use a Likert scale for capturing the responses. The restated questions could be: In your opinion, the primary reason for seeking counseling service is: f. Question #6: The word "crises" is an inconsistent usage of terminology. Also, the period during which the services have been sought is not explicit. The question should be restated as: How many times between June 2005 and June 2007, have you used counseling service In the response list, 'several times', 'regular basis' is ambiguous. The response options should be recast as: Less than or equal to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 h. ... Asian - Pacific Islander Native American Others (please specify) d. Question #4: The question can be restated as: What is your religious affiliation Closed-ended options could be provided in the response list: Protestant Christian Roman Catholic Jewish Evangelical Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Others (please specify) e. Question #5: This is an ambiguous double barreled statement. Two issues, namely, cultural and religious, are mixed up here. It would be prudent to separate the two issues, and use a Likert scale for capturing the responses. The restated questions could be: In your opinion, the primary reason for seeking counseling service is: Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Disagree Agree Cultural factors: Religious factors: f. Question #6: The word "crises" is an inconsistent usage of terminology. Also, the period during which the services have been sought is not explicit. The question should be restated as: How many times between June 2005 and June 2007, have you used counseling service In the response list, 'several times', 'regular basis' is ambiguous. The response options should be recast as: Less than or equal to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 g. Question #7: Not found... reflects casual approach to survey design h. Question #8: The question posed is not amenable to an objective analysis. A Likert scale is recommended. The question could be recast as: In your opinion, how would you rate the interactions of counseling staff with you: Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Disagree

History Of Mathematics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History Of Mathematics - Essay Example Fermat, Descartes and Mersenne were all friends who shared mathematical ideologies. Descartes and Mersenne were both educated at the Jesuit College of La Flà ¨che. For this reason, they shared many ideals. Mersenne’s greatest contribution to philosophy was taken to be his passionate defense of Descartes. Mersenne was Descartes’ agent in Paris and even visited him severally while he was in exile in Holland (Bernstein, 1996). Mersenne founded a private academy where a large number of renowned mathematicians in France shared their research. Mersenne used the academy as a forum to spread the ideas of Descartes who was in Netherlands. Mersenne helped in the publication and dissemination of Descartes’ discourse method in 1637. He was also in-charge of soliciting the disputes that arose from Rene Descartes’ Meditations. For this reason, they corresponded very well (Koyre, 1992). Mersenne also corresponded with Fermat because he promulgated his ideas and mediated disputes arising from his works. For Descartes, Fermat and Mersenne, mathematics was their passion. Fermat was known to be a busy lawyer who really loved math as a hobby (Bernstein, 1996). Since math was just a hobby to him, he did not want his contributions to be published. The one thing that was published was done so anonymously. His international reputation as a mathematician was as a result of his link with Mersenne. Along with Descartes, Fermat was taken as one of the fathers of analytical geometry (Koyre, 1992). Descartes, Fermat and Mersenne are linked by their contributions to mathematics and their corresponding

Rizal Life Essay Example for Free

Rizal Life Essay The Jesuits, on the other hand, were with him practically every minute of the time, six priests going in relays, usually two at a time, in an attempt to bring about Rizals conversion. They have written the only complete story about his last day. Their earliest account was published in Spain in 1897; it is found in chapter seventeen of a book called La Masonizacion de Filipinas, Rizal y su Orba, printed by Tipografica Catolica of Barcelona. The author is anonymous but is thought to have been Father Pastalls. 03) In starting chapter seventeen he says: We will relate the fascinatingly interesting incidents as furnished to us from a new unedited and authentic account received from Manila. The account deals so largely with Father Balaguer, that it probably depended upon the notes Father Balaguer said he kept. (04) How far can we rely upon the accuracy and fairness of this book? Fortunately, we have a means of judging it. The first sixteen chapters deal with the life of Rizal which we have already studied. It says he was a model youth until he went to Europe to study medicine. There he joined Masonic lodges where he heard Republicans declare, Liberty should be demanded with bullets and not on ones knees. Ideas like this turned him into a fierce revolutionist. The book finds not a single wrong in the Philippines; but finds several governor-generals too lenient! It says that the liberal Governor Terrero was so weak that the religious orders had to hound him out of the Islands. 05) Governor General [Valeriano] Weyler (the bloody Weyler of Cuba) was an ideal governor who knew how to attack with firmness the evils permitted in the time of the weak Terrero. To use his graphic phrase he sucked out the brains of those he captured, so that the insurrection could not raise its head nor Masonry make any gains (06) . . . If only Rizal had remained in the Philippines and studied agriculture he would not have become the scandalizer and corruptor of his people. (07) The book strikes that note throughout, concerning Rizal and his most miserable work. (08) He was completely wrong, Spain beautifully right, but too mild at times; not injustice, but Masonry and Germany led Rizal to write his books indeed, most of the conclusions are diametrically opposite to the truth. One is prepared by this distortion of facts to be on his guard in reading the chapter on Rizals last day. Father Pio Pi, who succeeded Father Pastells, and was head of the Jesuit order in 1896, but not personally acquainted with Rizal, wrote a little book in 1909, calledLa Muerte Christiana de Doctor Rizal. 09) This follows the anonymous book of 1897 closely, often quoting word for word, but adding other details. (10) Father Balaguer, who says he secured Rizals retraction, signed (11) a sworn statement in 1917 in which he says: If anyone judges that I could not remember so many details, after twenty years, I may say that the same day in which Rizal died I wrote a very detailed story, the entire original of which I saved, and I have borrowed from it to make the present statement. All three writers evidently depend upon the notes of Father Balaguer for the most disputed part of the story. 12) Because the controversy as to whether Rizal did retract is so intense, it will be interesting to read the essential portions of the narrative, in an effort to get at the truth. It was what Retana calls El Dia Supremo for the Jesuits. They had worked with Rizal for four years without visible results. Following a well-conceived and well-executed plan, the government had touched his heart with the sufferings of his relatives, with exasperating espionage, with alternating laxity and severity, with heart-breaking disappointments, with loneliness, while the Jesuit fathers tried to win him with kindness and arguments. They had apparently failed. Now they had twenty-four hours or never! Father Pio Pi writes that the Archbishop showed great eagerness for the conversion of the man sentenced to death, and granted us all his authority to do whatever might be necessary. He directed us also to prepare a retraction, in the hope that the condemned man might be willing to accept and sign it; and we agreed to do so and to present it for his approval. . . . As usual, the Jesuits went at their task with tremendous fervor. From seven oclock of December 29, when Rizal was notified of his sentence, until he fell dead, there were few moments when they were not with him, coming in pairs and marshalling every means they could think of to play upon his emotions, to appeal to his reason, and to terrify him when other methods failed. Rizals statue: The Sacred Heart of Christ The rector of the Ateneo, Father Miguel Saderra Mata, and one of the professors, Father Luis Viza, took with them an image of the Sacred Heart of Christ, which Rizal had carved when he was a student in the Ateneo. Look, said the Father, how the heart of Jesus has been here twenty years waiting for Rizal. It wishes to convert him. Pi says that Rizal took it and put it on his table, where it remained until after his execution. Then Father Antonio Rosell was with the prisoner for awhile, and returned with a bad impression; he believed from what he heard that the man was a Protestant. Father [Federico] Faura also visited him that morning. Riz al asked as soon as he entered, Do you recall, Father, the last time we talked and what you foretold? It has come to pass. You are a prophet; I am going to die on the scaffold. Padre Faura could not subdue that spirit, still rebelling against the appeals of grace; so much so that the Father retired broken up with grief. From Rizal y su Obra (13) comes an account which sounds true, for there could have been no object in inventing the story: Father Balaguer returned to the chapel to discuss the religious question with the prisoner. The symptoms were very sad; there was little hope. In the morning when he had been given a medal of the Holy Virgin, he took it, probably from courtesy, and said coldly: I am a little Marian. Unfortunate man! To such an extreme, because of his error, had the former secretary of the Marian Congregation fallen. And yet he did not desire to abandon Her whom he had formerly served with filial love. Concerning religion, Rizal began to speak with reverence of God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Gospel, and of the Sacred Scriptures; he said that he prayed, and that he was always asking God for light, as his only wish was to fulfill his Holy Will. . He seemed like a fervent probationer. But observing that his statements were those that a Protestant would make, Father Balaguer narrowed him down to concrete and categorical questions, which showed that Rizal did not admit the authority of the Roman church nor of the Pontificate, and held as his rule of faith, the Scriptures as interpreted by his judgment, in short that he seemed to be guided by a Protestant criterion, but mixed in reality with free thinking and a strange piety. Father Balaguer, who had been with Rizal inDapitan, is the man who claims that he secured the retraction. We will let him tell his own story as to how he did it: I, who knew the history of his errors and what his books contain, in order to carry out our delicate mission, asked Rizal to explain his ideas about religion. He showed at once that he was a Protestant by certain phrases in which he manifested love and respect for Jesus Christ; but he told me more or less explicitly that the rule of faith was the word of God contained in the Sacred Scriptures; . . He told me that he was guided by the reason which God had given him, adding with a self assurance that froze the blood, that he could go to appear before the judgment seat of God, tranquilly as one who has done his duty as a rational man. In attacking him, I then began with arguments of the Catholic doctrine to expose the objections, a thousand times refuted, of the heretics and rationalists, and we argued about the criteria and rule of faith, the authority of the church, its infallibility and divine authority. . . nd many points in ap ologetics. But with all this, says Father Pio Pi, the poor condemned man was not convinced. So far had he lost his faith, and so proud was his self-conceit that he would not admit light nor law into his limited vision. . . With very good tact Father Balaguer tried him out, and giving a sudden turn in the conversation, exclaimed: (14) So, at the judgment seat of God, before whom we must appear, you will be unpardonably condemned forever, if you do not bring your intellect into subjection to faith. Whereupon, says Father Balauger, (15) at hearing this threat of mine, the tears sprang to his eyes, and he replied, No, no, I will not be condemned! Yes, I replied, you will go to hell; for whether you like it or not, extra Ecclesiam Catholicam nulla datur salus. Yes, outside the Catholic Church there is no salvation . . . Agitated at this chiding, he said to me: See here, Father, if I should comply with your request and sign what you propose, without feeling it, I would be a hypocrite and would offend God. Certainly, I said, I do not desire that. But do you not believe that it is the greatest grief for me to see a person whom I love, obstinate in his error, to see that he will be damned and not to be able to help him? We value you so highly, believe me, that we would give our blood and our lives if we could achieve your salvation. Right now we would offer ourselves to be shot in your place. But Father, he replied with feeling. What would you have me do, for I do not think I could conquer my reason. Offer yourself, I answered. Offer to God the sacrifice of your self-esteem, and even though it should be contrary to the voice of reason, ask God for the grace of faith, which is a gift of God, which he offers in abundance, and which is infallibly obtained with humble and persevering prayer. The only trouble is that you reject it. Good then, Father, he said, I promise you that the rest of my life I will use asking God for the grace of faith. . . . Father Balaguer continues: For a better understanding of the events of that day, I think it best to relate them in order. Father Vilaclara (now dead) and I arrived at Fort Santiago about ten in the morning. After being received by Rizal, the discussion with him began as related above. At twelve I went to the Palace to tell the Archbishop what had happened, as he had requested, and I had to say that up to that time the condemned man had remained obstinate in his errors and ideas contrary to the Catholic faith. Upon hearing this, the Archbishop, in his ardent zeal for the conversion of Dr. Rizal, at once sent a circular to all the religious communities of Manila, that they should plead for the conversion of the condemned man. In all of them there was fervent prayer, and in some of them there were offered for this purpose many penances, celebrating the Holy Sacrament. At three in the afternoon or a little later I returned to the Fort where Father Vilaclara had remained, and continued the discussion with Dr. Rizal. This lasted until evening, stopping at the point which I indicated above. I then went with Father Viza to the [Archbishops] palace, to give an account of the condition of the condemned man and to express hope for his conversion. While Father Balaguer was gone, Father Pio Pis account tells us that Rizal became restless and asked Father Vilaclara to hear his confession. The later told him that it would be necessary first to make a retraction, for which purpose he should await the formula which the Prelate had promised to furnish. . . At ten in the evening he was given [by Father Balaguer] the long formula of retraction which had been written by order of the Prelate. . . The inner fight had not yet ceased, and though his spirit was more humble, it was not wholly conquered. . . The wording did not suit him, both because of its length and because the style was not clear. See here, Father, he said, even though I should sign this, nobody would believe that it was mine. You know my style, that it is very clear. Bring me a pen and you dictate what I ought to say. Then Father Balaguer began to dictate the other formula, which had already been approved by the Archbishop, much briefer, though expressive and decisive, which, after offering some objections, he accepted in its entirety, only asking to interject on his own initiative a few brief phrases, which only add expression and courage to the document.

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most renowned plays written by William Shakespeare. The writer raises a number of important themes in the course of the play, which he uncovers and depicts in details, in their full complexity. In such a way, the writer attempted to mirror the real life and to show the audience that human relations are extremely complex and often people cannot always decide what can happen to them in their life. In this regard, the theme of love is particularly noteworthy because The Taming of the Shrew shows the great strength, the power of love over human beings. As the matter of fact, William Shakespeare proves that people cannot resist to love and to prove this point he develops the severe struggle between the love and strength of human mind in the hidden love struggle between Kate and Petruchio in his The Taming of the Shrew. In such a way, William Shakespeare attempts to show that, even though people can resist loving, they still cannot win the struggle aga inst love because strong feelings, such as love, always win and overwhelm people. From the beginning of the play, it seems to be obvious that the main character will never give in and she is determined to avoid loving and marrying: I ll not budge an inch. Taming of the Shrew Quote (Induction, Scene I) Nevertheless, such a position of the main character is challenged by the love of other characters, including Petruchio, who cannot resist his strong feelings and he cannot help from loving Kate. His passion grows stronger in the course of the play and he is ready to do anything to reach his goal and to gain the positive response from his beloved. On the other hand, William Shakespeare shows that Petruchio has to pass a long way to reach his love and to win the heart and soul of his beloved. Nevertheless, in his love to Kate, Petruchio is ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of his beloved: Theres small choice in rotten apples.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 1.   In fact, he has no choice but go until the end to win the positive response from Kate, whom he adores. At the same time, this way is the way of struggle, where: Nothing comes amiss; so money comes withal.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew is the play, where love is closely intertwined with the struggle. To put it more precisely, the love is the struggle itself. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that William Shakespeare depicts both the internal struggle within the main characters who love and who cannot help from loving and the external struggle between the main characters, whose feelings change from indifference and even hatred to love and admiration. At the same time, while depicting this love struggle, William Shakespeare is quite ironic: Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, the writer shows that there are trifles which may wreak havoc in the main characters and they can make them feel fear and panic. However, their love defeats any manifestation of fear, any obstacle that arises on the way of the main characters to their love and personal happiness. At the same time, William Shakespeare shows that the way to love and to win in the struggle for love is long and difficult: Who wooed in haste, and means to wed at leisure. The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iii. Scene 2.   Thus, the writer shows that the main character should not be in a hurry to win their love. In stark contrast, they should have patience to wait and keep on struggling until they win their love. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the struggle of the main characters lasts practically till the end of the play: And thereby hangs a tale.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iv. Scene 1. Even at the end of the story, the author attempts to hint that the main characters may have troubles in their love. Therefore, William Shakespeare apparently attempts to convey the idea that love is the permanent struggle that never ends. Even when the main characters win their love, they still have to carry on their struggle: Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. (Act V, Scene I). In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew reveals the full extent to which love is closely intertwined with the struggle. On the other hand, it is quite natural that William Shakespeare depicts love as a sort of turbulent struggle between the main characters as well as the internal struggle within the main characters. William Shakespeare is, to a significant extent, admired with this struggle and makes love the main stimulus that makes people change their life and carry on their struggle in spite of all the obstacles they encounter in the course of the play. In fact, the love and struggle are inseparable and they are as natural as rain: For the rain it raineth every day. (Act V, Scene I). Hence, William Shakespeare proves that his main characters do love each other but they had to pass a long way to understand that they did love each other and nothing can stop them in their strong feeling. Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is a remarkable play that reveals the controversy and strength of the love. What is meant here is the fact that William Shakespeare shows the great power of love over people but the main characters of the play have to struggle over and over again to win the love and to win the heart of their beloved. At the same time, their struggle makes them closer to each other and increases the value and significance of their love. Eventually, they understand what love actually is and that they cannot live without loving each other.

Internet Piracy and Movies :: Internet Piracy Movies

Introduction The growth of the Internet has led to many new innovations in the way it is used. At first, it was just a form of text-based communication, similar to mail except faster. Then, as connections became quicker, people started to browse web pages, and soon even children could have their own space on the Internet. Today, many people around the world have broadband, which transfers text and pictures much faster than users can read. So developers created programs to use this extra bandwidth, programs that utilized the widespread nature of the Internet. The first peer-to-peer software can arguably be Napster, which let users download songs from other users. Napster restricted its files to songs since most people still had 56k connections at that time, so larger files would take an unreasonably long time. Presently, broadband connections are relatively inexpensive, so full movies can be downloaded in almost the time it takes to watch them. This widespread availability of high bandwidth has led to new applications, such as Limewire, Kazaa, and Morpheus, which let the user download any type of file, the most controversial of which is movies. Compared to Napster, these new applications have more decentralized architectures, making the legal battle against them harder to prove. Companies are no longer directing where the users download from – the individual applications are. Users are finding movies from their own computer, and since companies have no personal hand in this search, the film industry now has to target individual users in order to stop them from downloading. Views On Internet Piracy Movie Industry’s View Movie piracy quickly became a problem for the film industry, because the average major studio film costs $55 million to produce and $27 million more to advertise, much higher than other forms of media2. This investment is usually not returned in its initial showing in the movie theatres, so the film is then released to home video. After a year or two have passed, a television channel pays the copyright fee to broadcast it. Also, markets internationally are supposed to go through the same steps. Since the filmmakers get these various forms of copyright fees, many people think that most movies make their money back, but in actuality the Motion Picture Association of America states â€Å"four out of ten movies never recoup the original investment2â€Å".

Islam †Annotated Essay Essay

The article explains the way Islam views life after death. It clearly describes the various tenets that this religion follows when it comes to life on earth and life after death. Islam believes that life on earth has no purpose except to prepare oneself for life after death. The life after death typically consists of three phases: Death, the intermediate and the phase of resurrection. Death is considered to be the first gateway to reach the Garden or Fire. Importance of the custom of singing various verses at the time of death and till the body is buried and the custom of proper ablutions before burial is given due space. The second phase is the most controversial phase for which lot of explanations exist. This is the period when the soul is separated from the body but is not yet resurrected. What the soul does in this in-between phase has many theories, most common being, the souls embarks on a journey similar to the journey made by Prophet Muhammad where He was taken through the seven layers of heaven and made to look down at the tortures of hell. Another commonly accepted theory is the visit of angels Munkar and Nakil, who question the souls about the Quranic verses and their faith. The third phase, that is, the day of Resurrection is believed to be quite spectacular with the destruction of the whole world and the souls entering either the garden or the fire according to their virtues. It is also believed that after resurrection and the destruction of the whole mankind, a new age will begin and justice and righteousness will return to the earth again with a new leader. The idea of punishments or rewards after death, like the author mentioned, do seem having lot of physical attributes. All that has been mentioned seems a bit too dramatic like the tree in hell, Zaqqam which has demons as flowers! It seems, to capture a proper picture of the horror of hell, physical attributes like fire, demons, swords, etc. have been used. This would probably make humans understand better the tortures that they are to undergo if they do not live a life of righteousness. The editor’s note also briefs about the various contributions Islam as a religion has made to the world like ban on liquor, gambling and other vices. It also mentions the equality that Muslim women are credited with in the religion. However, in this present world, they seem to be the most bounded ones. The images of burqa-clad women with no freedom tell quite a different story. The religion, which has beautiful and just tenets to its credit like equal property rights to women, no race and color discrimination, seems to be misunderstood and misinterpreted by the religious heads and the followers for short term benefits. Because of such acts, Islam today is demonized and its contributions to the society are being passed unnoticed. Finally, the article was a comprehensive note of the beliefs in Islam regarding death and after and gave a very brief yet informative idea about the various customs and views on important aspects like fate of non-believers and reincarnation. It did make me a lot wiser about this religion!