Public Speaking Essay

PUBLIC SPEAKING INTRODUCTION When we heard the word, ‘public speaking’, what came to mind is standing in front of a crowded room packed with people and talking to them. The image alone sometimes create an enormous effect on most people, causing nervousness, and maybe even fear. Before we jump to that, let’s look at the definition of the word itself. According to Merriam Webster online dictionary, the words Public Speaking has a meaning of â€Å"the act or process of making speeches in public,† or â€Å"the art of effective oral communication with an audience.† Next, what is an audience? An audience is defined as â€Å"a group of listeners or spectators.† From the definitions, we can draw a conclusion that in public speaking, there is an act of both speaking and listening. So what differentiates public speaking from a conversation? While both public speaking and conversation involves a direct and face-to-face encounter, usually public speaking is more of a ‘one-wayâ €™ talking. Although nowadays most speakers claim that they want an interactive session, but usually the audience is given a specific time to do so. Next, in terms of language, public speaking uses a formal language. Because they are speaking in front of a group of people, speakers need to adress their audience in a more formal way. Third, and most importantly, public speaking needs to be structured. They need to have a tight grasp on their topic and do their research thoroughly. The reason the topic ‘Public Speaking’ is chosen is because it is something that everyone needs to do at some point of their lives. It is also based on the In conclusion, public speaking can be defined as the act of making a speech in front of a group of listeners, and is different from conversation in terms of approach, language, and structure. TYPES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING Naomi Rockler-Gladen, a former professor at Colorado State University, wrote on the website suite101 that there are three types of public speaking; informative, persuasive, and ceremonial. These types also defines the purposes, or the reasons the speech is made. More details on the three types of public speaking will be explained below. The first type, informative. Informative has the meaning of giving information, to inform. An informative speech has a purpose to inform, or give knowlegde to its audience about  something that they probably did not know of before. The end goal of an informative speech would be to equip the audience with a brand new knowledge that they can apply to a particular aspect of their lives. The important thing to watch about giving an informative speech is to not put in too much information. Imagine an empty bucket being filled with water. If being filled with too much water then the water will leak out for sure. The same thing applies to the audience. The ‘leaking’ must be avoided at all costs, so the information has to be kept simple, yet useful. The second type is persuasive speech. A speaker giving a persuasive speech needs to be able to persuade the audience to do, or believe in something. Usually, the speaker would try to change the mindset, perception, or behavior of the audience for their own good. Giving an informative speech is not an easy thing to do. The speaker needs to be really passionate about the cause they’re giving, in order to convince and persuade the audience to follow suit. The second thing that can be done is to look for common ground with the audience, try to relate to what they might agree on. Third, try to aim for a smaller scope of issue for a start. As mentioned before, a speaker is given a time limit to deliver his or her speech, and it will not be easy to change one’s mind in such a short time. Third, and last type is a ceremonial speech. There are so many ceremonies in our li ves, starting from graduation, engagement, wedding, to funeral. Usually this kind of speech is given to congratulate, or in the case of a funeral, remembering the dearly departed. Thus, the given speech tends to be less formal and more personal than the other types of speeches. The important thing to watch about giving a ceremonial speech is to be appropriate. No matter how well you know the person you are giving speech about, try to not say bad things about them, even if it is meant to be a joke. The point here is to make them feel special, not to bring them down, especially in front of a large group of people. From the three types of speeches mentioned above, we can draw a conclusion that all kinds of speeches will have have to cause some kind of an effect for the audience. Informative speech needs to result in the audience understanding or knowing something they did not know before. Persuasive speech is aimed to change someone’s perspective about something or to ask them t o do something, and ceremonial speech should be more personal, and make someone feel special and included in a certain ceremony. PREPARING The key of perfecting anything is through practice, and public speaking is no exception. However, merely practicing will not be sufficient to have a successful public speaking. Aside from practicing, there are also several things that can be done to prepare oneself for the often-dreaded experience. The first thing is to know who the audience will be. Try to get as much information as possible regarding this particular area. Age, gender, cultural brackground, sexual orientation, and religious views are among the most crucial things that a speaker needs to know. These informations will be very helpful to the speakers to determine their style of speaking, the approach that they are going to use, and to avoid offending a particular group. There are three questions that needs to be kept in mind when working on the speech: To whom am I speaking? What do I want them to know, believe, or do as a result of my speech? What is the most effective way to composing and presenting my speech to acco mplish that aim? (Lucas, 2004). The next thing that can be identified is the venue. Knowing the ‘battlefield’ in advance will give the speakers a huge advantage. They would be able to plan beforehand, for example, where they want to stand, and if they wish to walk around, what pattern would be best so the audience will not get too distracted, and how they are going to face the audience. Every speakers need to have a tight grasp on their topics. Therefore, they need to do a thorough research before they present their topic to their audience, especially if they are giving an informative speech. Speakers can acquire their materials from many different resources, whether it be the books from the library, the internet, or even their own knowledge and experiences. At the end of every session, usually the audience are given the time to ask questions regarding the topic, and the speaker needs to be able to answer them. There are two words that most speakers always have with the m during their seminar or presentation; visual aids. They are usually in the form of a Power Point presentation, which can include texts, audios, and videos. The essence of having a visual aid, aside from making the presentation more interesing, is so that the audience can have a better understanding of the topic. Speakers can include the main points of each of their ideas instead of the whole sentence in their slides, to keep the audience from getting bored. Last, as  mentioned above, practice is necessary. Sparing some time to practice will help build confidence, which is an important thing to have in delivering a speech or presentation in public. It will also help determine the length of the presentation, whether it is too long or too short from the given time. From the explanations above, it can be concluded that there are five things that needs to be prepared in public speaking, which are; knowing the audience, identifying the venue, doing a thorough research on the topic, ha ving a visual aid, and practicing. These five elements of preparation could be the key to ensuring the success of public speaking. PRESENTING When all the preparation has been done, comes the real challege; presenting. There are a few aspects speakers need to pay attention to while giving their speech. Language is the main aspect a speaker needs to pay attention to while giving a speech. Whether their purpose is to inform or persuade, language is their tool, their weapon. Therefore, how the use the language is crucial to the success of their speech. Language needs to be used clearly. Words are not limited to a universal meaning, which means that not everyone interprets a word in the same meaning or understanding. A speaker needs to choose their words carefully and make it clear to the audience what they mean of it. Language also needs to be used appropriately. When giving a speech, audience looks up to the speaker to give them something new, something useful. Thus, the speaker needs to know how to deliver their speech to fulfill the audiences’ expectation. Audience tends to prefer if their speaker can deliver their speech without any form of notes or texts. Speaking from the memory shows a great deal of confidence, and that will gain more respect from the audience. However, there is no harm from getting help from notes or flashcards. This can help the speaker remember and focus on their main points, and also keep their speech organized. Language and delivery alone will not be sufficient if the speaker does not have the right body language. Body language includes personal appearance, movement, gesture, and eye contact. The phrase â€Å"don’t judge a book by its cover† is often heard but rarely practiced. First impression will always matter in the way one person looks at another, so a speaker needs to dress appropriately. The movement and gesture of a speaker also affects the audience, for  example, if the speaker keeps pacing around the room, it willl distract the audience from the topic and confuses them. Sometimes, when a speaker is feeling nervous, he or she will tend to make move their hands around or play with their hair, etc. This should be avoided at all costs, as mentioned above, to avoid making the audience feels distracted. Eye contact needs to be maintained to hold the audience. Lucas explained in his book that when speaking in front of a small audience, you can look briefly from one person to another, but in a larger audience, it is better to just scan through the audience rather than look at each person directly. It has been mentioned above that it is best if the speaker could prepare visual aids beforehand. While presenting a visual aid, the speaker needs to be clear, but by doing so, they also need to still be connected to the audience, and not be too immersed in their own visual aids. The visual aid itself should be made as large and as intersting as possible. While closing the speech or presentation, speakers can restate their main points, just to remind the audience of the important things that has been said. They can also end it with a s pecial message and encourage the audience to ask questions. Speaking in public is all about confidence. Wearing the right clothes, movements, gesture, maintaining eye contact, and having visual aids can enhance the speakers’ confidence, and in return, will gain the respect and trust from the audience. BBIBLIOGRAPHY Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking. 8th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill, 2004. Print. Osborn, Michael, and Suzanne Osborn. Public Speaking. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print. Rockler-Gladen, Naomi. â€Å"Public Speaking Class Tips: Writing Great Speeches for Your Speech Course | Suite101.com.† Naomi Rockler-Gladen | Suite101.com. 13 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. .

Iran-Iraq War Essay

The Iran-Iraq War is considered as one of the longest and most violent battles in history. This eight-year long armed conflict was actually the result of many events. The rivalry between Iran and Iraq can be traced from the seventh century. It was a rivalry grounded on the antagonism between Persians and Arabs, just as it was based on the conflict between Sunni Muslims and Shi’a Muslims. These ethnic and religious divisions were further intensified by territorial disputes, which would continue until the 20th Century. In addition, politics played a role in initiating the war itself. The rivalry existed many years ago, but the war was aggravated by the changes in governance in both countries. The Iran-Iraq War was a violent combat between the aforementioned nations from September 1980 until August 1988. The conflict was only stopped with the intervention of the United Nations. The battle proved to be a long and tedious one, as the tension between the countries extended for years. There were also countless casualties as a result of the disastrous occurrence. When the war ended, neither nation could truly be declared the victor. Both Iran and Iraq did not succeed in gaining new territories or political advantages. It is important to note that Iraq was the nation responsible for starting the war. However, the aggression of Saddam Hussein was not the main cause of the war’s occurrence. In fact, there is no single cause to be blamed for the war. The origins of the Iran-Iraq War are deeply rooted in ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts which date back from the seventh century; it was exacerbated in the modern era due to ambitions of dominance. This term paper aims to discuss the reasons behind the Iran-Iraq War on two accounts: the dispute over the Shatt al-Arab river and the political tension caused by the Islamic Revolution and the rise of Ba’ath regime. The Iran-Iraq War occurred because of various reasons. The conflict between the two nations involved was characterized by other conflicts. The tension that had long persisted between Iran and Iraq were caused by differences in religious beliefs and political positions, as well as disagreements on the borders (Iran Chamber Society [ICS], 2009). The problem between the countries was fueled by the problems between the following opposing parties: Sunnis and Shia Muslims, Arabs and Persians, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Saddam Hussein (Ehteshami & Hinnebusch, 1997). Moreover, both Iran and Iraq sought to gain supremacy in the region (Brown, 2008). The Iranian-Iraq War which started in September 1980 was a testament to the extended conflict regarding the boundaries of their territories and their share in the Shatt al-Arab river (Hunseler, 1984). The war was also a result of the struggle of both parties to become the most dominant and influential in the region. However, it is important to point out that there is a significant difference between the 1980 war and the conflicts prior to it. The early conflicts between Iran and Iraq were settled with the interference of European countries which only meddled to safeguard their respective interests. As for the 1980 war, both sides fought to preserve their own interests. No external power intervened with that war. Two main reasons why the conflict became prolonged are the mutual disputes over territory (especially the Shatt al-Arab) and the involvement of both sides in the domestic problems of the other (Hunseler, 1984). The Beginning of the Persian-Arab Conflict The origins of the conflict between Iran and Iraq started many centuries before both nations were established. It is important for one to be familiar with the history of the conflict why the 1980 war began in the first place. According to Hunseler (1984), the Iran-Iraq tension had its roots in the seventh century with the Arab-Persian conflict. It was this centuries old rift which ignited the battle over the Shatt al-Arab. Persia stood out from the others because despite being under the control of the Arabs, it retained its national identity (Hunseler, 1984). In AD 636, the Sassanids of Persia lost to the armies of Arab General Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas at the Battle of Qadisiya. Meanwhile, the Persian Empire became dissolved in AD 642 due to the Battle of Nihawand. While they held on to their state’s culture and territorial honor, the Persian population embraced Islam in the aftermath of the collapse of the Persian Empire. The Arabs and the people they conquered viewed Islam and Arabism as a union. However, despite being under the influence of Islam, the culture of Persia cannot be restrained (Hunseler, 1984). An important thing to consider in understanding the history of Persia and its political and social existence is what Hunseler (1984) called the â€Å"juxtaposition of Persia and Islam† (p. 8). The principle was said to have been derived from the notion of the state based on Zoroastrianism. According to the Zoroastrian notion of a state, it must have the following: â€Å"a secularly-legitimized kingship, the survival of the Persian language and the proud awareness of a distinct Persian history† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 8). After two centuries, the Sunni-Arab Abbasid caliphate had become interested in the Persian literature (Hunseler, 1984). In time, the Persian families which belonged to the caliphate of the Abbasids began to assume control by grabbing power repeatedly. From AD 954 until 1055, the Buyid dynasty possessed enough authority to manipulate politics in the western portion of Persia and Iraq. In addition, they also had the power to strictly limit the function of the caliphs of Abbasid to religion only. This was the reason why the legacy left by the Buyids in Iraq was considered as the conflict between Persianism and Arabism (Hunseler, 1984). In the 17th century, the Safavids in Persia declared Shi’ism as the state religion (Hunseler, 1984). The Safavids exerted influence on Persia for 15 long years; they stayed in the state from 1623 to 1638 (Hiro, 1991). The declaration was seen as Persia’s attempt to establish its boundaries and separate itself from Arab nations while keeping the matters under the influence of Islam. Shi’ism became a crucial part of Islamic history, as it was the first to present a rift in the unified world of Islam. This was because Shi’ism founded itself in a separate state. The kings of the Safavids considered themselves as mainly secular leaders; they assigned the religious functions to the theologians. In turn, the Shi’a ministers did not want to give up their posts which were assigned to them under the Safavid rule. Most especially during the time of the Qajar leaders, the clergy were given money and land. The awarding of such gifts allowed them to be financially independent from the king; it also gave them the opportunity to exert political influence. Meanwhile, no such similar progress had occurred in the Sunni Arab states (Hunseler, 1984). The Sunni-Shi’a Problem The existing Persian-Arab conflict had taken a complicated turn with the addition of yet another conflict: the Sunni-Shi’a problem (Hunseler, 1984). The problem was not exactly about tension between the differing branches of Islam. Instead, there was antagonism due to the amount of influence that a particular religion has on the development of political power in the state. The conflict continues at present day, as there are still areas wherein the Arab communities consist of both Sunni and Shi’a factions (Hunseler, 1984). Those who head the Shi’a clergy in Arab countries such as Iraq and Bahrain found difficulty in assuming certain social positions (Hunseler, 1984). In Persia, the Shi’a clergy had no problems exerting influence in society because Shi’ism was revered with national significance. In addition, Shi’a leaders faced with two issues regarding loyalty. First, they encouraged the spread of Shi’ism in states whose population were not exclusively Shi’a. Therefore, they became involved in the centuries-old conflict between the Shi’a and Sunni. Second, they were victims of the suspicions of Arab rulers who thought they were submitting to the influence of non-Arabs (Persians). They were often seen by their Arab counterparts as promoting non-Arab causes. This situation caused the Arab Shi’as to be constantly detached from their political leaders. The separation was also caused by doubt on secular leadership, as well as Shi’a millennialism (Hunseler, 1984). The Persian-Arab conflict and the attempts of both sides to become more dominant and influential than the other in the Middle East became evident in areas where the Sunni and Shi’a groups, and the Arabs and Persians, fought against each other (Hunseler, 1984). Even though the Persians and Arabs in the Arabian peninsula had the Persian-Arab Gulf to set them apart in terms of geography, the conflict eventually made itself apparent on the boundaries on land. This was the primary reason why the conflict persisted for many years; both sides incessantly tried to acquire the territories of the other and the quest for a mutual border dragged on (Hunseler, 1984). The Origin of the Conflict over the Shatt al-Arab The conflict between Iran and Iraq over the Shatt al-Arab river originated in the 17th century and began as the rift between the Ottoman Empire and Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The sultan of Turkey, Murad IV, captured Baghdad in 1638 and the initial resolution regarding the boundaries with Persia was drafted a year later. The Kurds and the Armenians occupied the north while the Arabs dominated the south. The boundary fell on areas wherein the tribes did not consider either the Persians or Turks as their masters. As a result, the border settlement was drafted with consideration to the tribes and the names of the places. The agreement also took in consideration the intention of both parties to unite the tribes of Istanbul or Esfahan. The Kurdish-Armenian boundary caused many conflicts after it was established, but order was always restored in reference to the 1639 resolution. Unfortunately, the 1639 agreement proved lacking in setting the boundaries in the Shatt al-Arab region. On one hand, Persians believed the river itself was a natural border. On the other hand, the Turks upheld the claim that the river belonged to the Ottoman Empire. According to the Turkish point of view, the Arab tribes which occupy both sides of the river are considered a single entity from Arabistan. Arabistan is part of the Ottoman Empire. Hence, the Shatt al-Arab was to be considered as under the possession of the Ottoman Empire (Hunseler, 1984). In the 19th Century, boundary problems continued. In 1823, a boundary problem surrounding the Muhammarah surfaced and Persians settled in the city (Hunseler, 1984). Both Russia and Great Britain extended their assistance on the matter. On May 15, 1843, a boundary committee was formed and gathered in Erzerum, a city in Turkey. The committee consisted of representatives from Turkey, Persia, Russia and Britain. A treaty was created on May 31, 1847, and contained three major guidelines. First, Muhammarah and its harbor, as well as Khidhr Island, were awarded to Persia. Meanwhile, Turkey was granted admission to Zuhab and Sulaymaniyah. Second, the committee was designated â€Å"in situ† to delineate the specific course of the boundary (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Lastly, the Ottoman Empire was given the entire Shatt al-Arab extending to the marker on the east, except for the territories mentioned above (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty of 1847 was rather ambiguous, and its inherent vagueness proved to be its biggest flaw (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty did not address the question of which nation had the responsibility over the eastern shore. While the Shatt al-Arab was placed under Turkish jurisdiction, the specifications of the border were not indicated. Turkey wanted to resolve the issue over the treaty’s vague statements regarding Arabistan/ Khuzistan. As a result, Russia and Great Britain included an â€Å"explanatory note† to assert that the problem raised by Turkey was not compromised by the treaty’s lack of clarity (Hunseler, 1984, p. 11). Turkey declined to approve the treaty until Persia acknowledged the note as part of the treaty (Hunseler, 1984). Mirza Muhammad Ali Khan acknowledged the note and signed the treaty as a delegate of the Persia. After the Persian administration discovered the inclusion of the added note, it nullified the treaty and failed to approve it. They argued that the Persian representative had no power to sign the document (Hunseler, 1984). To address the issue, the boundary committee inspected the Turkish-Persian border from 1850 until 1852 (Hunseler, 1984). Unfortunately, the commission was not able to do its job properly because of the opposing claims of Turkish and Persian commissioners. Persia maintained that they were given the entire expanse found east of the Shatt al-Arab, while Turkey opposed the claim. The committee was unable to provide a definite proposition to solve the problem. While the committee continued its efforts in the northern area of the Shatt al-Arab, the determination of the boundaries of the river’s region was postponed indefinitely (Hunseler, 1984). Persia was relentless in its efforts to claim territories and continued to bring up its border issues in the succeeding years. Persia sought Russia and Britain to mediate on the border problem (Hunseler, 1984). Persia wanted to share control of the Shatt al-Arab with Turkey; the state also wanted to discuss the rights with regards to the harbor. Unfortunately, Britain and Russia were not in agreeable terms since the mid-19th Century. Hence, both nations were not prepared to mediate in behalf of the Shatt al-Arab tension. On August 31, 1907, the Anglo-Russian convention had an agreement. This agreement divided Persia into three separate zones. In the northern part of Persia, Russia maintained a sphere of influence. In the southern area, Britain had its own sphere. Meanwhile, the middle area was considered as neutral ground. It was not until after this division was established that the Anglo-Russian concern for the Turkish-Persian border was revived (Hunseler, 1984). Russia became once again involved with Persian-Turkish affairs because it was specifically interested with the province of Azerbaijan in Persia (Hunseler, 1984). The interest was the result of strategic and economic factors in relation to Turkey. On the contrary, Britain was different from Russia because its interests were not limited to Persia alone. Britain was also focused on the Turkish territory of the Shatt al-Arab because it played a crucial part in British interests in the Gulf area. In July 1911, an Anglo-Turkish mediation in attempt to come up with a resolution that would define the territorial claims and rights in the Arab-Persian Gulf region began. On July 29, 1913, the resolution was signed by Turkey and Britain. The agreement included the decisions regarding the status of Arab sheikdoms. The resolution also included the agreements about the Shatt al-Arab and its significance to the increasing British authority in Arabistan and Iraq. The resolution proved to be beneficial for Turkey, but only because Britain acted on it for its own advantage. Meanwhile, Russia was outraged by the Anglo-Turkish agreement and initially renounced it. Britain caught Russia by surprise by awarding the Shatt al-Arab in its entirety to Turkey. Russia had its own interests to protect in Shatt al-Arab and the Gulf area, and the agreement served as a hindrance to the Russian cause. However, Britain gave Russia the guarantee that it would offer assistance in the latter’s interest in the northern section of the Turkish-Persian border. After Britain gave its guarantee, Russia acknowledged the Anglo-Turkish agreement (Hunseler, 1984). On December 21, 1911, Persian Foreign Minister and Turkish representatives from Tehran gathered in Istanbul to create a boundary commission to resolve the Turkish-Persian border problem (Hunseler, 1984). The commission began to meet in March 1912; by August, the commission had convened a total of 18 times. In the beginning, the efforts of the commission seemed futile due to Persia’s disapproval of a specific â€Å"note explicative† of April 26, 1847 (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). However, Russia exerted influence and Tehran was forced to agree on the note on August 15, 1912. The early progress of the Turkish-Persian commission was accompanied by statements already found in the Four-Power Protocol of Constantinople dated on November 17, 1913. With regards to the area of the Shatt al-Arab, the definition of the border was determined in conformity with the Second Treaty of Erzerum of 1847. According to the treaty, the Shatt al-Arab is considered as a Turkish territory excluding the limitations concerning Abadan and Muhammarah. By November 1913, two-thirds of the border assignment was completed. The task of settling the complete boundary was given to a Four-Power Delimitation Commission. This commission had to define the border based on what was 1869’s â€Å"carte identique† (Hunseler, 1984, p. 13). The commission started working in 1914. Unfortunately, the First World War broke out. The emergence of the war hindered Persia and Turkey from acknowledging the border (Hunseler, 1984). The Aftermath of World War I: The Iranian-Iraq Disagreement on the Shatt al-Arab The conflict and rivalry between Iran and Iraq officially started after the First World War (Hunseler, 1984). The outcome of the war significantly altered the issue over the borders concerning the Shatt al-Arab. Hunseler (1984) explained: â€Å"The British mandate of Iraq, which had come about in Mesopotamia, entered into the Turkish boundary claims against Iran, although it also impinged upon British navigational privileges on the Shatt al-Arab† (p. 14). The aftermath of the Great War also allowed Iran to experience a dramatic political transformation. In 1921, Muhammad Reza Khan came into power. Under his reign, Iran became resistant to the established agreements regarding the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). It was also in 1921 when Khaz’al, the Sheik of Muhammarah, lost. Khaz’al was a known supporter of the British cause. With his defeat, Iran was granted the opportunity to fervently defend its own interests on the Shatt al-Arab conflict. Due to the new found empowerment of Iran, Britain was suddenly placed in a position wherein it should implement its rules without putting its Iranian interests in jeopardy (Hunseler, 1984). Meanwhile, Iraq asserted its control over the Shatt al-Arab (Hunseler, 1984). Due to the claim, Iran declined to recognize the state of Iraq. In 1929, Iran did give diplomatic recognition to Iraq, but only because it sought to gain the attention of Britain. Iran hoped that by acknowledging Iraq as a state, Britain would be sympathetic towards the Iranian cause. Britain was still interested in Iran because of economic reasons; the former is involved with the latter through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Moreover, Britain was still interested with the Shatt al-Arab issue. This was because it could provide the British complete access to the refineries located in Abadan. On August 11, 1929, the Iranian and Iraqi governments had interchanged several notes. This exchange gave way to the establishment of a temporary arrangement to manage the relations between the two states involved. The arrangement included settlements on trade and navigation. However, the negotiations failed because Iraq and Britain refused to recognize the jurisdiction of Iran on the half of the river (Hunseler, 1984). When Britain decided to remove its authority on Iraq and break away from their alliance in 1930, it imposed the right of the British navy to pass through the Shatt al-Arab anytime, regardless if it was wartime or peacetime (Hunseler, 1984). However, Iran had no intention in being involved in a peaceful settlement. The Iranian government also declined to accept the legitimacy of the border. On March 25, 1924, Iran announced its non-acceptance of determination of the boundary as stated in the Constantinople Protocol. The Iranian government also refused to recognize similar settlements created on September 20 and December 2 in 1931. The situation worsened when Iran sent four gunboats to pass through Shatt al-Arab and proceed until Muhammarah. Due to this incident, problems regarding the pilot and the flags of the ships were added to the already intense conflict (Hunseler, 1984). The boundary issue as well as the flag and pilot inquiries which remained unanswered increased the tension surrounding the conflict (Hunseler, 1984). On November 29, 1934, the Iranian government was forced to seek assistance from the League of Nations in an effort to address the problem. Unfortunately, the League of Nations and the representatives it sent failed to bring any positive change in the current situation. The only thing which provided temporary resolution to the problem was the Middle East pact of 1935, which Iran had introduced with the help of Turkey. The pact presented an opportunity wherein all points of disagreement could be settled. On July 4, 1937, a treaty on the Iranian-Iraqi border was agreed upon in Tehran. The treaty upheld the conditions indicated in the 1913/14 Protocols of Constantinople. According to the treaty, the Iran-Iraq border would remain along the east bank of the Shatt al-Arab. There were specific considerations made for Abadan and Muhammarah. Iran was also awarded an anchorage zone in Abadan which was four miles long. In addition, the treaty rendered the river as open territory, as it allowed access to naval ships of Iran and Iraq and traders of all countries. A transit fee was imposed, but this would be utilized for purposes of maintenance as well as the development of the shipping lanes in the river. In another decision, both sides agreed to accept the protocol within two years after the agreement had been reached (Hunseler, 1984). The adoption of the covenant was not implemented (Hunseler, 1984). On December 8, 1938, the commission in charge of the Iranian-Iraqi boundary started working on the confluence of the Shatt al-Arab and the Khayeen. The efforts of the commission were stalled by opposing translations of the treaty and the definite determination of the border. The Iranian government submitted suggestions regarding the balance of power between Iran and Iraq with regards to supervising and safeguarding the Shatt al-Arab shipping lanes. Meanwhile, the Iraqi administration saw this move as a threat to the sovereignty of the Iraqis on the river (Hunseler, 1984). In the 1950s, Iran and Iraq had another opportunity to resolve their issues regarding the Shatt al-Arab border (Hunseler, 1984). In 1955, both countries, along with Britain, Pakistan and Turkey agreed upon the Baghdad Pact (Karsh, 2002). This pact was initiated by the West and was established to strengthen defense and security in the region. In October 1957, King Faisal of Iraq paid a state visit to Iran (Hunseler, 1984). In this encounter, both nations reached an agreement regarding the Shatt al-Arab problem. Iran and Iraq agreed on two points. First, there will be a commission to be based in Baghdad which is assigned to work out the details of the joint supervision of the Shatt al-Arab. Second, a Swedish adjudicator will be in charge of delineating the border; this arbitrator is to be situated in Tehran and must work with the joint commission. Once again, an agreement between Iran and Iraq was hindered by yet another occurrence. On July 14, 1958, a revolution broke out in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The change in Iraqi governance eventually disrupted the recently resumed development of Iranian-Iraqi ties (Hunseler, 1984). Also, the political change once again awakened the border conflict on the Shatt al-Arab and the land borders. Four short months after General Abd al-Karim took control, the revolutionary administration of Iraq declared that they would extend their claim on the river to 12 miles. On November 28, 1959, Iranian Shah Reza Pahlevi revived their request to have the border line of the river drawn along the middle. He justified his demand on grounds of Iraq’s clear violation of the 1937 treaty. He also argued that because they were already in the 20th Century, a river which served as a boundary such as Shatt al’Arab cannot be attached to the absolute sovereignty of either nation. General Qasim addressed the demand of the shah with another demand. Iraq sought to regain the anchorage zone awarded to Iran in the 1937 treaty. Despite their counter demand, Qasim still wanted to resolve the dispute through peaceful means. Iraq was willing to withdraw their claim of the anchorage zone if Iran would acknowledge the Iraq’s demands on the river and the treaty of 1937. The peaceful settlement was not reached. On December 10, 1959, Abbas Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aram declined Iraq’s offer. Nine days later, General Qasim reasserted Iraq’s legal right to the anchorage zone without insisting on its return. He also appealed for Iran to value the early treaties. General Qasim suggested that they could address the problem with the help of the United Nations. However, Iran provoked Iraq again when the local newspaper Ettelaat stated that â€Å"the existence of Iraq was in any event a historical misunderstanding and the whole of Iraq a Persian province† (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). An armed struggle between Iran and Iraq was quelled before the further tension could develop. On March 5, 1959, Iran became involved with the United States in a defense settlement (Hunseler, 1984). Soon after, Iran felt coerced by Russia. Iran had reasons to be concerned. It was threatened by Soviet influence and the possible circulation of further revolutionary ideals. Meanwhile, Iraq was also concerned with the threat of the United Arab Republic, a state established in 1958 as a result of the merger between Syria and Egypt. Abd al-Karim Qasim was frightened that Syria might provide assistance to Iraqi Nasserites if and when a war with Iran occurs. Hence, there was no real war between both parties at that time. The tension manifested itself through a media war between Iran and Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). In 1967, Britain declared its wishes to pull out from the Gulf area. Prime Minister Harold Wilson expressed the desire of the British administration to remove its military troops located ‘east of Suez’ (as cited in Hunseler, 1984, p. 17). With this announcement, Iran wanted to replace British forces with their own troops on the moment of the latter’s departure (Hunseler, 1984). The 1967 blockage of the Suez Canal was a welcome development, as it prevented Soviet activity in the Gulf region. In terms of security concerns, Iran wanted to unify and lead the Arab countries in the region. The supposed partnership had the goal of preventing the spread of Soviet control and power of revolutionary nations and factions, such as South Yemen and Iraq. The Arab countries in the Gulf were cautious in dealing with Iran. While they were hesitant to collaborate with Iran which was associated with Israel, they did not want to create a rift among the states (Hunseler, 1984). Iran continued to strongly pursue its ambition of becoming an unshakeable force in the Gulf region (Hunseler, 1984). In 1969, it condemned the 1937 treaty. The shah knew that if Iran wanted to govern and manipulate the shipping lanes in the Gulf, it must have exclusive control of the river. This move would also liberate the Iranian ports on Abadan and Khorramshahr from Iraqi jurisdiction. On one instance, an Iranian vessel sailed despite the absence of an Iraqi pilot. It departed from the Khorramshahr port with the assistance of Iranian patrol vessels and successfully arrived at the Persian-Arab Gulf. Iraq was aware of the violation, but it did not wage a war against Iran due to the weakness of the military (Hunseler, 1984). After 1972, the shah became more determined to cripple Iraq. After the completion of the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, the Shah approached American President Richard Nixon to ask for assistance in the Kurdish cause in Iraq (Hunseler, 1984). This action was done with the objective of weakening the Iraqi army through an attack on its internal disputes. In August 1972, another uprising emerged in Kurdistan. The Iraqi administration and Kurdish chief Mullah Mustafa Barzani met in March 1970 and agreed on the autonomy of Kurdistan beginning in 1974. However, the agreement was threatened by the support of Iran and the United States for Barzani. Because of this, the Kurdish insurgents continued to hold on to their weapons and proceed with the civil war. Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces benefited from the Iraqi-Soviet friendship treaty, for it allowed for a steady supply of ammunition from Russia. The weapons were instrumental in guaranteeing the military success of Iraq. Nevertheless, the malfunctioning of the army’s weapons and the failure of the Soviet Union to provide more ammunition endangered the progress Iraq had in its fight against the Kurds. In the early part of March 1975, the Iraqi government was prompted to consider Iran’s proposition that it would refrain from supporting the Kurds if the former would approve the latter’s suggestion to resolve the border issue by placing the border line along the thalweg (Hunseler, 1984). On June 13, 1975, Iran and Iraq agreed on yet another treaty in Baghdad (Hunseler, 1984). The treaty consisted of four crucial agreements. First, the boundaries will be definitely marked based on the Constantinople Protocol of 1913 and the 1914 proposal created by the committee regarding the establishment of the boundary. Second, the river boundaries would be situated in the middle, or the thalweg. According to Willet (2004), the thalweg was the â€Å"central deepest part of the river† (p. 7). Third, there are two things to be rebuilt: the mutual trust between both nations as well as the security of the land boundaries they shared. Also, the invasion on both sides will be stopped. Lastly, the problem will be settled upon with the acknowledgement of the aforementioned points. When Iraq signed the treaty, the country accepted the thalweg agreement for the first time. After five years, it became evident that the said recognition was merely the result of coercion from Iran’s side. The acceptance of Iraq was also caused by the failure of the Soviet Union to provide weapons. Nonetheless, the compromise made regarding the Shatt al-Arab paved the way for the Kurdish civil war to stop. Meanwhile, the relevance of the river in terms of Iranian strategy was relatively reduced. This was because Iran transferred its navy from Khorramshahr to the Bandar Abbas port in August 1978 (Hunseler, 1984). The Iran-Iraq War from a Political Perspective The dispute over the borders and boundaries of the river of Shatt al-Arab was instrumental in the emergence of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980. While the territorial conflicts played a crucial role in causing the war, the political conditions in both countries must also be considered as initiators. The transition in the governments helped influence the leaders on how to deal with the Shatt al-Arab issue. In Iran, there was a dramatic shift in leadership as the Shah was removed from power through a revolution led by a radical Muslim. In Iraq, several coups have altered governance while the rise of the Ba’ath Socialist Party to power resulted in the domination of Saddam Hussein. Both countries longed to dominate the other and emerge as the most powerful in the region (Jacoby, 2008). The Iranian-Iraqi situation under the Rule of the Shah In the 1970s, the tension between Iran and Iraq was heightened (Karsh, 2002). This was because of the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, became aggressive and tried to present Iran as the dominant force in the Persian Gulf. The Shah had been governing the Iran for decades. However, he was temporarily overthrown from power. In 1953, the head of the Iranian Parliament started a coup to remove the Shah (Willett, 2004). The coup succeeded and Pahlavi vacated the Iranian leadership for a brief time. However, the United States

Shelley Shows the Reader That Even Forces for Good, Such as Love

‘In Frankenstein, Shelley shows the reader that even forces for good, such as love and friendship, wholly fail to protect the individual against evil’. How do you respond to this statement? There are various events that reveal elements of sin and immorality within the novel. Yet although these cases are not prevented on a number of occasions Shelley still depicts that the bonds between families, friends and strangers are so valuable that they provide the security and hope necessary to provide safety and protection. Many of the tragic events in the novel involve an innocent character suffering due to the actions of another.One of the majorly heartrending events in the novel is the unfortunate death of William. He was so dearly cared for and loved yet it was not enough to protect him from suffering; due to Frankenstein’s actions. Despite his good intentions for the ‘sweet’ child, Frankenstein indirectly caused his nephew’s death. Similarly, the i njustice brought upon Justine was caused by Frankenstein’s actions. Regardless of the admiration and respect Frankenstein had for Justine it was not enough to save his friendship with her but ultimately neither was it enough to protect her life.Again, with the murders of Elizabeth and Clerval, although absolutely appreciated and loved by Frankenstein, his honest intentions were not strong enough to suppress the authority of the Creature, who caused his loved ones’ suffering and in due course their deaths. Of course all of these characters were seen as ‘enchanting’ and an ‘adored companion of all my [F’s] occupations’, which further proves that goodness within the heart does not and cannot always protect a victim from iniquity, no matter the number of people or amount of veneration.By choosing to isolate himself from society Frankenstein disables the chance to retrieve the aid that he needed. In order to solve his problems with the Creat ure it is now evident that assistance throughout the difficult process would have been effective for Frankenstein and would not have led him to his untimely death. Similarly, the help that Frankenstein received from Clerval was dearly valuable as Frankenstein’s health collapses and leads him to his death latter to the death of Clerval therefore showing that a protector and an advisor would have been sufficient.This shows that although the love and care from his loved ones was once there it had not lasted due to the actions of the Creature, but primarily also to Frankenstein’s actions, and thus the maliciousness in this situation has overpowered love and care. As a contrast, partly due to the guilt and shame, the Creature’s intentions of suicide were majorly affected by his experience of negligence. By the use of multi narrative text, Shelley is able to give the Creature his own opinion to express that he was not provided with sufficient love and friendship.This then showed that the necessary protection from sin and danger was removed and the Creature suffered because of it. This is evident through the identification of the constant unrealistic epithets used to describe the Creature such as ‘wretch’, ‘devil’, ‘catastrophe’, in which the list is continuous. Although, unlike with the characters aforementioned, the Creature was given, if any, little care in his life and so the power of good against the power of sin was limited in the first place to protect him from sin.However, the strength of friendship and trust is bold between the characters, which ultimately overpower the foreboding evil. This is especially seen in Clerval who, although seen as an unrealistic character, he brought security and warmth for Frankenstein in desperate times. This is evident when he addresses his troubled friend as ‘my dear friend’, he ‘observed my [Frankenstein’s] change of colour’ and also his melancholy state of emotion regarding life as seen from ‘are you always to be unhappy? ’.This question shows not only that Clerval recognises a change for the worst in his friend but he is also concerned that the matters in hand will accelerate. This admiration for Frankenstein was also seen switched as Frankenstein saw Clerval as a ‘wonderful’ friend and who ‘rejoiced in my gaiety’, which shows both that Clerval finds it pleasing and relieving to see his friend in better condition and also that Frankenstein recognises this in his friend, which proves the supremacy in the bond of their friendship. Another prime example of good overpowering forces of evil is the master of Walton’s ship.His ‘integrity and dauntless courage’ led him to pass all his money to his wife-to-be’s lover, a complete stranger, in order to provide this woman with happiness and true love. This act of generosity supports the idea that admiratio n can bring fulfilment rather than misery. Conversely, the situation between the De Laceys and the Creature shows great protection and security. Although the fortification was not necessary Felix still put his life on the line to save others and this thought and genuineness shows that the power of integrity engulfs the force of wickedness.It would seem that clearly the majority of the novel involves a lot of care and love between the characters. However, it would deem appropriate to assume that this constant presence of nobility is subdued by the malice and cruelty of the novel. Referring back to the statement in hand, evil is not ‘wholly’ overpowered by love and friendship neither does it overpower these forces but it seems that the power of love is not as powerful as it needs to be to overwhelm injustice and malevolence.

Primary Source Evaluation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Primary Source Evaluation - Assignment Example REBA is an assessment tool that can be used to assess the performance of employees giving recommendations to the suitability of the jobs that they do The assessment tool provides categories upon which score are given depending on the critical tasks that the job poses to the employee, this is achieved by assessing the different postures and giving scores to each region. The Reba value totals represent the scores in the groups. The decision table which is shown at the end of the table is used to tell the level of risk that the particular worker is exposed to. After getting the final tally, a recommendation can be given to cushion the employee against an extreme risk that could be exhibited from the assessment. The work is then replaced or dropped. The following is an assessment of a worker, who has been shovelling snow for considerable lengths of time. Step 13 here, he gets (+13) since it can b seen that the one or more of his parts of the body. Similarly its evident that he held on for a long period of time, at least more than a minute. This means that with regard to table C I have to add his activity score 1 = 11 (REBA 2012) The final assessment score becomes 11. According to REBA assessment worksheet, the worker is exposed to a high risk. The best solution is therefore to change the kind of work that he is doing or to discourage it completely for the best interest of the employee.  

Safelite Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Safelite - Case Study Example The productivity of the Safelite installers was low for a number of reasons. The first one was that the installers had challenges locating the customers. For instance, an installer would arrive at the agreed location and not find the client as a result of wrong directions, wrong instructions or failing to use given guidelines. Secondly, ignorance and lack of keenness by technicians to quality and quantity of materials need for specific job. Technicians mandate was to counter check if the materials were the correct ones and were with no faults. The wrong materials would mean rescheduling the appointments which wascostly and some clients would seek services elsewhere (Hall 3). Lastly, there was poor coordination in the Dispatch Command Centers. Technicians complained that the Dispatch Command Center managers equally assigned jobs to all technicians instead of assigning more work to the most efficient technicians, hence slowing them. To counter the above problems, the CEO of Safelite at the time, Mr. John Barlow, came up with idea to introduce a Performance Pay Plan. Instead of having stores in different localities, it would be better to have a group of store in one place that would be known as market. The market would have on central center of distribution hence more efficient. The plan also involved giving incentives to managers and technicians (Hall 7). The idea was stimulated by his previous work experience at Sears. The Performance Pay Plan addressed the low productivity problem to some extent. The incentive plan was meant to increase productivity with its major objectives being to motivate employees, develop loyalty among its workforce so they would not be lured away by competitors and to embrace the industry’s high turnover. The Performance Pay Plan, though a good, initiative brought a new set of problems. The switch from wages to piece rate would be consequential on recruitment. It may reduce the number of technicians willing to work for the

Strategic Management of Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Strategic Management of Human Resources - Essay Example Its short communication chains and collegial workforce culture led to considerable flexibility in responding to changing market demands. Overall company lacking proper co-ordination, there is vertical communications communication hierarchy which was causing the main problems. The shift to horizontal communications should be an obvious one, especially as we see people not as turf owners but as knowledge resources within the network. There will still be vertical communications, of course, but the predominant communication will be horizontal in nature as the core teams leverage knowledge wherever it may be in the enterprise. Horizontal communication in a networked environment is freer and more flowing, with few bureaucratic barriers. It also facilitates providence, where key patterns can be unexpectedly discovered. Perhaps a request from one team to another will give a clue to the pattern the other team is trying to distinguish. If we see our work as information processing, we will stay open to discovery, view the interplay of multiple patterns, and achieve our visions (Chris Brewster, 2000). The emphasis on horizontal work processes in the innovative organization consequences in an emphasis on horizontal communications also. Work cannot become more horizontal unless communication also becomes more horizontal. Besides communication factor, we observed that bank has no appropriate hierarchy as in a collegial/partnership system where unit heads nominally report to the managing director. The management didn’t given an authority to its employees. While the majority of todays managers have been trained and have managed in the traditional hierarchical/autocratic style of management. They have learned to get things done using their authority through the distinct lines of the traditional hierarchy. If employee involvement is to succeed in the long run, that management style

Lindsay Anderson's View of British Class and Society Essay

Lindsay Anderson's View of British Class and Society - Essay Example He later became a film critic for the Sequence Magazine co-founded with his long life friends Karl Reisz and Gavin Lambert. He later wrote for Sight and Sound, a journal for the British Film Institute and the New Statesman, a left wing weekly. He lashed at contemporary critics and their objectivity pursuit in one article for Sights and Sounds. Anderson went on to develop a philosophy concerning cinema, which was christened the Free Cinema movement in the latter part of the 1950s. This philosophy held that cinema in Britain needed to break off from the class-bound attitudes it projected and that the national screens needed to be adorned with stories of non-metropolitan Britain. This paper seeks to examine three of Anderson’s films: â€Å"If...†, â€Å"O, Lucky Man†, and â€Å"Britannia hospital† and the view of British class and society that they provided. The use of the word new wave to describe cultural phenomena is a vital metaphor that when extended and scrutinised further allows one to picture the deep up currents and swellings that formed the wave (Allon, 2007 p7). These films challenged the old norms and were driven by an amalgam of social-democratic and liberal sentiments, which can ironically be viewed as a portion of the success of the economic boom in Britain that allowed the era’s youth to dream, in relatively secure economic mind-frames, about futures other than those that had been held as the norm. Perhaps a perfect example is If†¦, which came at the tail-end of the New Wave’s phase of social realism and had a nature that was ambiguous in both its recognition of a rapidly changing and expanding British future and its style, both in technique and theme. After his vital role in the Free Cinema movement development, he was involved integrally in the social realist filmmaking of the British New Wave (Anderson et al, 2007 p45). His movie This Sporting Life, based on flashbacks, was viewed as having too much intensity and purely naturalistic. In 1968, Anderson made If†¦, which exceeded the success of Sporting Life. This was the 1st and most successful film of the loose trilogy that included Oh Lucky Man and Britannia Hospital. While the last two were not as successful as the If, they are considered as films of their era. Anderson worked the script for if with David Sherwin, which was co-produced by Michael Medwin and the director. It was set in a great public school in Britain, where the ruling class of Britain traditionally schooled their sons in the use of power (Hedling, 2008 p32). The script attracted Anderson for its projection of schools as a microcosm, especially, in Britain where social system was mirrored in its educational system. The film’s photography work was done by Ondricek, with most of the film in black and white. Some of the scenes are in colour though this is done intuitively rather than rationally. The film has eight chapters, some of the chapters being â€Å"Resistance†, â€Å"Discipline†, and â€Å"College House† among others. These chapters are further sib-divided into short scenes (Hedling, 2008 p32). This division was, from the beginning, intended as a device of Brechtian alienation, succinctly reminding the audience that what they were watching was an artificial construct rather than reality. The film aimed at having a powerful objectivity element such as vital in all films targeting understanding. If†¦

W4A 590 Whole Foods Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

W4A 590 Whole Foods Case Study - Essay Example ers especially their leaders need continuous training so that they could interact in a friendly, cooperative manner, think more logically and encourage participation in decision making process. At Whole Foods, employees are empowered to make their own decision and set goals for themselves. Freibergs mentions that they need to be very friends and possess strong product knowledge because every employee has to assist the store manager in taking important decisions in various areas. An employee’s mind and judgmental skills have to be sharp because whenever a new candidate is hired, the team member has to be take part in the interview process and his say regarding the candidate’s potential is given weightage. The sales associates are required to possess strong communication skills because they are the one who deals with the customers on one to one basis and are highly responsible for communicating the image of Whole Foods. Which of the motivational practices are emphasized by Whole Foods in its management system? Tying rewards to performance? Designing enriched jobs? Providing feedback? Clarifying expectations and goals? All of these? The employees’ turnover at Whole Foods is very low as compared to other grocery stores because here the employees feel motivated and energetic towards achieving the organizational goals. Firstly, the employees are given attractions such as sound compensation and bonuses for teams that perform well. Their goals and expectations are simplified such that each employees understands that his responsibility in the decision making and new candidate’s selection. The company has clearly communicated its eight core values to its employees so that they could easily set up their goals in line with these values (Whole Foods, 2015) The demand control model entails the assumption that occupational stress occurs when the demand of job is high as compared to the decision latitude. The second model of effort reward suggests that a person is able

Definitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Definitions - Essay Example While the generally accepted symptoms of autism are observable by 18 months of age characterized by inattention and undeveloped speech, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development added more behavioral symptoms that includes problems with eye contact, not responding to one’s name, joint attention problems, underdeveloped skills in pretend play and imitation, and problems with nonverbal communication and language. They also added that there are more subtle signs of autism that would begin at eight months of age. In the investigation of O'Hearn et al, it reported that autistic people process their world slower and with fewer elements. The study reported that autistic people have â€Å"slightly fewer elements, slower serial processes, and less sensitivity to parallel/holistic processes that mature into adulthood† and this â€Å"could undermine the representation of multiple elements in several ways† (14). Early intervention is crucial for the effect ive handling of autism. The earlier the detection and intervention, the more effective it will be. It has to be clarified however that there is still no known treatment for autism disorder. Intervention for autism includes â€Å"behavioral, social, and skill-building training† (Kuangparichat 81). There are also alternative schools that address autism such as charter or magnet schools, private academies to home schooling. In the research of Kuangparichat, it was also stressed the importance of this intervention particularly the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) among public schools as an important intervention tool for those who have autism. He stress that it is in fact a right of an autistic person to have an Individual Education Program because it is mandated by law where schools must have these kind of program for students who have autism to live a normal life (82). Autism is often misunderstood by society and people who have it are readily judged to be academically and s ocially inadequate. At the onset, this may appear to be true because autistic people have relatively slower cognitive skills and awkward social skills compared to a mainstream individual (Durand and Barlow 23). This assessment however is also inadequate because it failed to recognize that contribution to the general good of society is not only limited to the ability of being in a regular class or having the regular cognitive and motor skill but rather is measured on the final output of an individual less the liability that he or she may pose. Works Cited David H. Barlow,V. Mark Durand. â€Å"Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach 6th ed.† Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. Kuangparichat, Malynn. â€Å"LEGAL RIGHTS OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH  AUTISM: TRANSITIONING INTO MAINSTREAM ADULTHOOD†..  Widener Law Review.  2010, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p175-196. O'Hearn, Kirsten Franconeri, Steven Wright, Catherine Minshew, Nancy Luna, Beatriz.; â€Å"The Development of Individu ation in  Autism†.   Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. (November 12,

Analysis of Multinational Computer Technology Corporation Microsoft Essay

Analysis of Multinational Computer Technology Corporation Microsoft - Essay Example Microsoft has a very friendly and supporting approach in the routine ways that staff at the company behave towards each other, and towards those outside the company that can make up the ways people do things. The control systems and measurements are constantly under the management review to monitor the efficiency of the staff and managers' decisions. The rituals of Microsoft's life are special events, corporate gatherings, which the company emphasises what is particularly important and reinforce the way things are done. On-going meetings and communication at every level of the company's hierarchy represent a strong internal environment (Microsoft Corporation Annual Report). Interpersonal communication within Microsoft is supported by technologies that connect people from different locations of the world. Facial communication stands for always friendly and expressive attitudes of people working along with each other. The issue of space is observed to be of the same level as in a typic al organization: people keep the distance with each other and sustain professional relationships. Normal distance when negotiating or greeting within Microsoft is around one meter. Microsoft's relationship model combines process maturity with a flexible, fast-paced small company culture that makes it easy to work with. The delight is enhanced by a company’s ability to provide ramped-up value and responsibility as the relationship progresses. Microsoft’s people are inspired to be open, fair and uncompromising in their efforts to ensure external as well as internal customer satisfaction. The company pays special attention to Integrity because of the trust that its clients place upon it. Ethics, values, reputation are vital to Microsoft’s philosophy. Its objective is to be globally respected as a process management company that is truly viewed as a strategic extension of our clients' capacity.

Stress and Personality Types Essay Example for Free

Stress and Personality Types Essay Its now widely accepted that there are three basic personality types. These have the wildly original names of Types A, B and C. We all have elements of each type in our makeup. One, or perhaps two, however, will dominate. Its very useful to find out which personality type best describes your personality because this can tell you a great deal about how likely it is that youll become stressed and, if you do, why and how youll handle it. Note: weve used he throughout this article: please take this to mean she as well. Type A The Type A personality traits are impulsiveness, competitiveness and the need to get things, lots of things, done quickly. Type A is always in a hurry, lives by timetables and deadlines, is a perfectionist and has difficulty delegating any tasks, and therefore ends up trying to do everything himself. He is also likely to be impatient and can be aggressive. Such a person is very unlikely to undertake too much self-analysis everyone else has the problem, not him! Anyway, he hasnt got the time to waste in worry out about such things. The Type A individual is often driven by feelings of insecurity. Such a person often becomes one of lifes high achievers, in the belief that by achieving their goals and ambitions they will gain the level of control they feel they need in order to overcome their feelings of insecurity. Generally, a Type A person has no idea why he is so driven. You can see from all this that Type A people are prime candidates for stress and stress-related illnesses. The Type A personality is the energetic one who suddenly has a breakdown when he finally uses up his reserves of energy. This personality type also has the highest risk of heart disease. Because the problems which give rise to stress are part of his personality are personality related, the only way such a person can truly de-stress themselves is by acknowledging the problem and being prepared to change some aspects of their personality and their behavior. That doesnt, of course, stop them from trying to control their stress levels by using exercise, aromatherapy or whatever, but many Type A people have good intentions and then find theyre just too busy to find the time to go to the gym or see their therapist. Type B Type B personalities are not as likely to suffer from stress as much as other personality types unless there is a specific cause, such as bankruptcy or divorce. They are the complete opposite of the Type A personality. If you had to find one phrase to describe a Type B person, it would be laid back. They are more relaxed about things, less driven and generally content with their lot, and are less likely to try to achieve unnecessary aims and objectives. Type B personalities have enough confidence in their fellow human beings to be able to delegate. They are calm and rational and not likely to damage their health long term due to a stressful lifestyle. If you have a Type B personality, say a prayer of thanks. Type C The Type C personality type has difficulty expressing emotion and has a marked tendency to bottle things up, especially anything in their life which is bothering them. He will rarely or ever dispel any stress by throwing a cup against the wall or shouting at someone whos annoyed him. Hell feel like doing so, just like any other person, but even when his emotions are almost overwhelming hell keep an awesome control over his words and behavior. This is a perfect recipe for severe stress problems What is interesting is that the existence of the Type C personality was first mooted in studies of cancer patients. Were all a mixture of these personality types

Same-Sex Marriage Essay Example for Free

Same-Sex Marriage Essay It is unbelievable that the United States of America, the land of the free, still has laws that ban the marriage of homosexual couples. Many states within the United States have been debating over this issue for years. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage in May of 2004. As of November 7, 2012, eight more states made gay marriage legal in the United States. â€Å"I saw with so many of the gay couples, they were so devoted to another. I saw so much love. When this hearing was over, I was a changed person in regard to this issue. I felt that I understood what same-sex couples were looking for† (Kach). Homosexuality occurs in over 450 species. Homophobia only exists in one. Which seems unnatural now? When it comes down to it, we are all people with emotions and feelings regardless of our sexual orientation. We should give homosexuals the right to have marriage without putting labels on it, like a â€Å"civil union† or â€Å"gay marriage†. Legalizing homosexual marriage will stop discrimination, won’t have a negative impact on heterosexual marriages, and will not cause others to ask for outrageous requests to be legal. A marriage is between a spouse and a spouse not a gender and a gender. To deny homosexuals the right to get married is like the United States going back to the times of segregation. As our founding fathers stated in the Declaration of Independence, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† (Declaration of Independence). If a man’s happiness is to be with another man that he loves, who are we to say it is wrong? Many think that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry because they cannot produce children. However, if having children were to be the case of getting married, why are infertile couples allowed to get married and stay together or why do some couples just not have children at all? Getting married means much more than just having children. It takes devotion and true love for a couple to get married. Not giving homosexuals the right to get married is a form of discrimination and gives people the mindset that it is perfectly fine to bully people that are different from them. Every day I went into school I knew that something new was going to happen. Goodness knows how many times I put a knife to my wrist (Daniel Shepphard). Is it fine for a 13 year old boy to cut himself for being the way he is? No one should feel so out of place and be so bullied that they would want to harm themselves or try to end their life. Almost two-thirds of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) students are scared to go to school because they are bullied. School is a place to learn and be the best that you can be, not a place to battle and stand up for a right that â€Å"straight† people are just given. If we make laws that make homosexual marriage legal, more people will realize that it is not okay to bully someone because of their sexual preference. If the laws of our country stand up for somet hing, so will the people of the country. There is the argument that homosexual marriage does not follow the idea of â€Å"traditional marriages.† In reality, there really are not â€Å"traditional† marriages anymore. In ancient time, traditional marriage consisted of polygamy, communal child-rearing, use of concubines and mistresses, and commonality of prostitution. How can we say that an attraction between two people of the same gender is considered a sin, when all of the things listed about are considered as part of â€Å"traditional† marriage. Marriage in the United States is a dynamic institution and has gone through many changes. Women now have rights in a marriage and there are interracial marriages. Why is it that Kim Kardashian’s marriage that lasted for about 72 days is legal, but Neil Patrick Harris, who has been with his partner for more than 11 years, is still fighting for his right to get married to someone who he has been truly devoted to? It is unfair that â€Å"straight† pe ople take marriage as an advantage, and are getting divorced left and right, while homosexuals would do anything to have the same rights as heterosexual couples. Some people believe that gay marriage is a â€Å"slippery slope†. They say that if people want homosexuals to have marriage rights, then soon people will be asking for polygamous, incestuous, bestial, and other nontraditional rights. â€Å"If we legalize gay marriage, why not polygamy?† (Savage). First of all, marriage requires consent, and animals, children, and people in comas, can’t give consent. As for polygamy, in many parts of the world today, it is completely okay to have more than one spouse. Also, there is a lot of cheating in relationships and marriages in the United States. Marriage and homosexual marriage is the same thing, except for the gender of the spouses. With gay marriage not legal, there are already so many cases of rape. Are we to ban and blame heterosexual marriage for that? No. Homosexual marriage has no negative impact on society. If someone does not want a gay marriage, they are not forced to get one. Making it legal will teach society to not discriminate others that are different than us, which is a very positive impact on our world. The ban of homosexual marriage should be lifted off of the 41 states that have not yet made it legal. It is time for our nation to accept each other despite our differences. Homosexuals do not protest against heterosexual marriages, and they understand why some are against them, but if others do not agree with gay marriage, they are not forced to get one. Gay marriage is now very widely accepted in the United States. 41% of people strongly favor gay marriage. In the past two decades, public support for gay marriage has increased 1% annually. â€Å"Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody† (King). Gay marriage should be legalized and labels like gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, etc., should be taken off because in the end, we are all just people.

Research Paper on Dowry System in India

Research Paper on Dowry System in India In todays world, we are surrounded by media. Our lives are saturated by newspapers, radio, books, television, movies, the Internet, and many other aspects of media. These can be broadly classified into two types: news media and popular media. In India, both these types provide an insight into Indian life, which is filled with romance, tradition, and all the other day-to-day experiences and situations one might come across. But, even though they might seem the same, they both play very different roles in society. Popular media represents and recounts a vast number of real life stories, and portrays them in a manner enjoyable for the audience. News media on the other hand, provides more facts and raw information for the audience to understand, with or without a firm opinion of its own on the matter. Popular media reaches out to a much larger audience, as both literate and illiterate people are able to access it, while news media only reaches out to the literate and wealthy people. This difference can become a problem in certain situations. Both these parts of media reflect society constantly, as they are shaped from and around experiences and stories of the people in the society. Usually, both these types concur with each other in the content and representation of society, but there are specific cases in which this ceases to be true. An example of this is the portrayal of the prominence and effects of the dowry system in India today. For a long time, both popular and news media reflected the a spects of the dowry system in the Indian society very vividly and comprehensively, and shared the same view on the topic. But over time, it was noticed that popular media deviated from this pattern and no longer reflected the prominence of the dowry system in society, while the news media continued to do so, thus creating an ideological difference between the two. The problem of the dowry system is still prominent, and the news media continues to reflect this. But since popular media does not reflect society anymore, a majority of the society comes under the impression that there is nothing wrong in what they are doing. This can cause the dowry system to be persistent in the everyday lives of Indian families. The dowry system is a cultural system in India in which the parents of the bride pay a large sum of money, and give expensive jewelry and other gifts such as car or other household items, to the parents of the groom during marriage (Borah 2). Traditionally, there were many reasons for the establishment of this system. It was a form of inheritance for the bride, since all the family property was inherited by men. It was supposed to be the security for the bride in case any misfortune befell her husbands house. It was also a system of honoring the groom for his willingness to accept the bride as his wife in marriage, and the gifts given could range from anything significant to even a small token of good wishes (Borah 2). However, the greed for dowry has affected almost all ordinary families in India. Nowadays, in marriages between or amongst all hierarchal levels of society, dowry is generally an unspoken requirement. And due to the exposure to mass media, the gifts given in dowry have transformed into a large transfer of wealth, making it an important factor in marriage. The social and cultural effects of the dowry system are devastating to the society as a whole. The system reduced women to a commodity and a source of wealth. Even if the dowry is paid, in most cases, the bride is tortured by her in-laws, mentally and physically as their demand for more dowry becomes endless (Chirmade 1992). This torture generally leads to suicide or murder of the bride. The reason why dowry is still persistent in India is not only because it is difficult to enforce the law against it or because the grooms family is very demanding, but also because the brides family continues to bear with it. Despite the widespread awareness of the negative consequences of dowry and the problems cause by it, it is still seen as a way of buying happiness for the bride (Stone and James, 1995). Many families believe that giving a large dowry would result in better treatment of the daughter by the grooms family. This has only aggravated the problem as the standard for dowry became high and marriage was made dependent on whether the brides family could meet that standard of dowry or not. A study was done in 1980 which examined students expectations of dowry for people with various education backgrounds. Even though majority of the students viewed the dowry system as an evil in society and considered it unimportant for marriage, most of the brothers of the respondents gave or received dowry for their sisters marriages (Rao and Rao, 1980). Also, depending on the social status and affluence of the family, and the education qualifications of the bride and the groom, the amount of dowry needed to be given varies significantly. There is a positive correlation between a mans education and status to the dowry his family demands. As a grooms educational experience increases, the dowry demanded for the marriage also increases. In 1961, the payment of dowry was prohibited under the Indian Civil Law, and also under sections 304B and 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Despite this, this system of dowry has been a continuous and never ending menace in Indian society. These laws were made in order to make it easier for women to seek redress from the harassment she is under by the mans family. But these laws have been of little help to brides, who are harassed even today by their in-laws. Instances of such situations have constantly been shown to the public by the media. The power of media in todays world is surprising. The media has the freedom to form opinions, and through this they can change the opinions of people. But, people forget that in the end, all media is doing is reflecting society. The stories the media covers, and the plots of the movies that are made (except fantasy fiction of course), all are based on situations which may occur in day to day life, or real life situations. Same was the case with the dowry system. The media clearly depicted the agonies and pain of Indian women as they were suffering from the cruelties of the dowry system. This can be seen from very far back in popular as well as news media. Dowry-inspired murder cases received immense coverage by news media in the late 1970s and 1980s due to the active role played by womens organizations. The womens organizations played a very important role in increasing awareness and coverage of dowry related cases. A study done on the coverage of dowry related cases from 1979-1984 concludes that there was a noticeable improvement in the coverage of dowry in the national papers due to the womens organizations, although the coverage in regional papers remained the same. By 1979, one dowry related death received serious press coverage. A 24 year old bride from New Delhi, Tarvinder Kaur, was set on fire by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law due to an insufficient dowry paid by her parents. Another significant dowry-related murder case was that of Tripti Sharma, who worked at the Ministry of Defense. She was burned to death by her husband and his family in 1986. A more optimistic and recent case is that of Nisha Sharma. In May 2003, she handed over her future husband to the police on the day of the wedding itself as he was demanding more dowry from her. This example shows what women need to do in cases of dowry abuse. Nisha refused to come under the pressures of the grooms family, and decided that she was not going to sustain it. These examples from news media are clearly reflective of the state of affairs in India at that time, and the case with popular media was similar. In 1992, the movie City of Joy depicted a family which had really high dowry demands. In the movie, the grooms father clearly states, I am firm in requiring for my exceptional son the bicycle, 1000 rupees, and one ounce of gold. The brides father responds by saying, The child of a king might be worth that, and Im not even sure of that! (City of Joy) Another 2001 movie, Lajja, clearly displayed the consequences of the dowry system, its working, and how it may be a big burden on the brides family. In the movie, Maithili (Mahima Chaudhary) is about to be married to a wealthy man of a family with a high social status. Maithilis parents give away everything they have in the dowry, including their land and saved money. Upon still falling short, they take loans from their friends, but they are still not able to gather the full amount. Maithili requests her future husband to convince his dad to let the rest of the money be, but he is too scared to do so. Seeing this, and seeing her dad beg i n front of the grooms father to accept the money he has, she rebels, and calls off the wedding. She was not able to bear to see her father being humiliated in such a manner by the grooms father. Both these movies showed that the brides family has to struggle a lot in order to gather the dowry for the grooms family, and thus is a big burden on them. This depiction of the dowry system by popular media was in concurrence with its reflection in the news media, but as we move ahead on the timeline, this concurrence slowly fades away. The movie Lajja was the last movie to clearly depict the pain inflicted due to the dowry system. The 2006 movie Lage Raho Munna Bhai also had the concept of dowry, but it did not demonstrate the consequences of the dowry system, and only showed that the concept of dowry existed. Since then, popular media has not depicted any case of dowry related abuse or murder. This would have been perfectly fine if the society had transformed to this effect and there were no more dowry related crimes taking place, but this was not true, as news media still continued to report about such crimes taking place. Number of dowry cases goes up (The Hindu, January 2008); Dowry death after love marriage (The Times of India, April 2008); Harassed for dowry, teacher ends life (The Indian Express, November 2007). These are just three headlines from three of Indias popular newspapers that show the persistence of the dowry system and its consequences in modern India. Dowry is still prevalent in modern India, in not only the illiterate section of the population, but also the educated elites in Indias major metropolitan cities. Surprisingly in the past decade, the number of dowry related crime cases has actually gone up, despite dowry being banned since 1961 by Indian law. According to the statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 8391 dowry deaths were reported in 2010 itself, which means that a bride was killed every 90 minutes due to dowry related reasons. In 1988, this number was 2209; in 1990 it rose to 4835; in 2000 (a decade earlier), this number was 6995, and in 2007 it climbed up to an astounding 8093 (Bedi 2012). According to other government records, Delhi itself records a few hundred dowry deaths every year, while womens rights groups estimate this number to be at 900 per year. This is a phenomenal increase compared to the numbers for the 1990s, which were about 300 per year (Bedi 2012). It is important to note that these are just official records, and are thus immensely under-reported. 90% of the cases in which women are burnt are recorded as accidents, 5% as suicides, and only the remaining 5% of the cases are shown as murder. These shockingly high numbers clearly reflect the continuous increase in dowry related crimes and deaths in India. This is due to the continued commercialization of marriages in the modern Indian society. Indias economic liberalization has seen a proportionate rise in the levels of greed as compared to 1990, and a bride is now perceived by her future in-laws as a source of potential cash flow. A famous quote from former Justice Markandey Katju reads, On one hand, people regard women as goddesses, and on the other hand they burn them alive. This is against the norms of civilized society. Its barbaric (Bedi 2012). This is in response to an appeal filed by a husband who had just been sentenced to imprisonment for life by a Sessions court for burning his wife due to dowry related reasons. The effects of the dowry system are so far and wide ranging, that they can even be traced back to the womb. This system is the primary cause for female feticide and infanticide as poorer parents get to avoid the lifelong burden of saving up for the dowry for their daughters marriage (Krishnamurthy, 1981). The commercialization of marriage and female infanticide is clearly reflected in the movie Matrubhoomi, in which a reverse dowry system is depicted. The movie shows a society in which there are no women left due to excessive female infanticide, and the men have grown to be so sexually frustrated, that they are ready to pay large amounts of money to get a wife for themselves or their sons. So as soon as the head of the family finds Kalki, they literally buy her from her father, by giving him five lakh rupees and five cows, and marry her to all five of his sons. Kalki simply becomes a source of money for her father, and a sex object for her husbands (Matrubhoomi). Nowadays, there are famous advertisements which have been put up in many of the rural villages, which read, Spend 500 rupees today, save 5000 rupees later. This is a reference to the cost of abortion compared to the cost of the dowry which they might have to give. It basically encourages the families to get an abortion if their child is a girl, so that they dont have the burden of paying the dowry while getting her married in the future. This is the primary reason why India has a distorted sex ratio of 933 girls for every 1,000 boys. As is evident, the problems due to the dowry system have only been rising over the past decade. Despite this, popular media has failed to reflect these problems. News media has continued to keep up with these updates, and report about them, but popular media has deviated into its own path. Since popular media has a much larger audience compared to news media, this results in the society getting a skewed viewpoint of what is happening in their world: an incorrect portrayal of society in which what they are doing is not wrong. Also, since popular media has a much larger international audience as compared to news media, people from other countries get a totally different view of India: a world in which the dowry system does not exist and is not causing any problems at all. Thus, an untrue version of the society is shown to the world outside, which is not good, as when these people actually come to India and read about the truth, it is a shocking revelation for them. A shift in Indias attitude towards the dowry systems is urgently due. In simple words, dowry is equal to a family paying a man to accept their daughter as his wife, while the man along with his family, tries to get the maximum price out of the womans family. This association of economic gain with women in marriage is something which has long been persistent in India, and needs to stop. Simply making anti-dowry laws has proved to be inefficient. We need to make the society see their mistakes and realize what they are doing wrong, and this can only be done if popular media continues to reflect society as it did before. India must come together to end this practice. This could see couples channel their funds to provide education to their daughters, instead of saving money for years and years for dowry. The days of the persistence of the dowry system in India must be numbered, or Indian societys claim to be progressive is disingenuous.

The Titanic Essay -- essays research papers

The Titanic - History of a Disaster On April 14,1912 a great ship called the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage. That night there were many warnings of icebergs from other ships. There seems to be a conflict on whether or not the warnings reached the bridge. We may never know the answer to this question. The greatest tragedy of all may be that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone on board. According to Walter Lord, author of The Night Lives On, the Titanic could have been saved in the very beginning of the crisis when the iceberg was first reported to the bridge. If First Officer Murdoch had steamed right at the iceberg instead of trying to avoid it, he might have saved the ship. The author feels there would have been a loud crash and anyone within the first one hundred feet would have been killed, but the ship would have remained afloat (82). This view was entirely speculation and we will never really know if this would have happened. In contrast, Geoffrey Marcus, author of The Maiden Voyage, suggests that the bridge did not receive warning of the ice from the very beginning. One of the messages received was from the Masaba warning the Titanic of a mass of ice lying straight ahead. According to Marcus, the message never reached the bridge, but instead was shoved under a paperweight (126). At 10:30 p.m. that evening, a ship going the opposite direction of the Titanic was sighted. This ship, the Rappahannock, had emerged from an ice field and had sustained damage to its rudder. The vessel signaled the Titanic about the ice and the Titanic replied that the message was received (Marcus 127). At 11 p.m. another ice report was received. This one was from the Californian. This liner had passed through the same ice field that the Rappahannock had reported to the Titanic. Like all the other warnings, this warning never reached the bridge though it was known to both of the Titanic's wireless operators (Marcus 128). By the time the bridge realized the ship was about to hit an iceberg, it was too late. Quartermaster Hitchens tried to turn the wheel hard to the starboard. Twenty seconds later, he had an order for full speed astern but the iceberg was too close. The starboard side hit the iceberg, bringing a block of ice onto the deck (Pellegrino 21). After the collision occurred, there was only one thing open for Captain Smith to do. It was almost mi dnight a... ...ion, thereby opening up the ship to the sea. Another major discovery was that the stern of the Titanic had wrenched itself away from the rest of the ship in its descent to the bottom. (Ward 186) The last survivor of the Titanic recently died in her home in Massachusetts. With her death, many of the unanswered questions of the Titanic may have also died. Hopefully, a tragedy like this will never have to happen again. As stated before, ships are now expected to have enough lifeboats for everyone on board. Ships also route their lanes farther to the south during iceberg season. Hopefully, in some small, way this will make a difference if such an accident at sea should ever occur again. --- Work Cited Eaton, John P., and Charles A. Haas. Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1986. PP 152-184. Pellegrino, Charles. Her Name Titanic. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1988. PP 20-21. Marcus, Geoffrey. The Maiden Voyage. New York: The Viking Press, 1969. PP 35-128. Lord, Walter. A Night To Remember. Mattituck: American House, 1955. PP 152-170. Ward, Kaari, ed. Great Disasters. Pleasantville: The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1989. PP 180-87.

Essay --

In recent years, the word â€Å"Media† has become a controversial subject due to the reputation that has been formed surrounding it. When defined, â€Å"Media† can refer to any form of mass communication, designed to convey information around the globe. However, due to the influential nature of broadcasting, large corporations such as the American broadcasting Corporation (ABC) manipulate reality in order to convey a specific ideology. Under certain circumstances, mass-manipulation of such information can vastly impact the perception of the public on issues such as insurgency in the Middle East. An example of this effect is the aftermath of 9/11, the monumental act of aggression and revolt that took place on the morning of September 11th 2001 in New York City, NY. At 9:03 am United Flight 175, a Boeing 757, was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The aircraft entered the south face at floors 77-85, controlled by several men of Middle Eastern ethnicity (Federal Bureau of Investigation). In the wake of tragedy, the gap between religion and ethnicity was merged. All those of Middle Eastern ethnicity, or Islamic practice (collectively referred to as â€Å"Muslims†), were negatively isolated and integrated into the world of broadcasting. It took mere minutes for reports of the catastrophe to be broadcasted globally and mere days Muslims across the United States to become the central target of discrimination. The imagery, videos and language used to represent innocent civilians of the Middle East have been successful in generating a common sense of fear and uncertainty, in regards to what the future holds, across the country. Corporations such as the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Cable News Network (CNN) devotedly b... ...hysteria† affect (Kellner 45). Mass hysteria is defined to be a large population in which all members exhibit similar mental agitation. In reference to 9/11, employing the technique of hysteria was designed to create a fear that would have previously not existed, by promoting the viewers to make a connection between insurgency and average civilians in the Middle East. In conclusion, a large portion of the stigma we associate with Muslim Americans today can be accredited to the American National News, whom frequently broadcast biased material that conveys nefarious stereotypes and promotes negative attitudes. In order to reverse the false perception, and negative demeanor Americans carry in regards to Muslims, awareness must be raised about the manipulation techniques used by the mass media that influence the public opinion on the controversial subject of terrorism.

gullivers travel :: essays research papers

I want to outline in this essay some of the ways in which Swift's texts - in particular the shorter prose works and the poetry concerned with the female body - take up and make explicit contradictory philosophical positions. Much time and critical effort has been spent attempting to trace some unifying philosophical thread through the maze created by these and other of Swift's writings, when such a thread may be elusive to the point of vanishing altogether.1 It seems possible that one cause of this critical need to establish consistency in Swift is the influence of Postmodernist thought, which tends to cause a conditioned response to eighteenth century literary works in which the instinctive move is to look for that which totalizes, compartmentalizes, reveals a master narrative or supplies a clearly defined linear teleology. If, however, this kind of pre-imagined consistency proves unavailable, the critic is left with the notion of a multi-vocal, polychromatic Swift which should not , perhaps, be so surprising as there seems nothing alien to the intellectual trends of early-eighteenth century England in Swift's assumption of positions that appear radically opposed to one another. Periods of transition necessarily involve the existence of contradictory positions in constellation often within the work of a single writer or thinker. Even Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest of all icons of Enlightenment rationality, can be represented in such a way: "Newton was a Janus figure, emblematic of the new, rationalist, scientific and secular future, yet also using his mathematical skills for abstruse astrological and biblical calculations." (Corfield, 11). Clearly any attempt to attribute a definitive philosophical position to Swift is fraught with difficulty.2 Not only must the reader attempt to penetrate multiple levels of irony at a micro-level, but at a macro-level the fact that Swift was an Anglican clergyman complicates any philosophical interpretation. The origins of the debates on this issue are contemporaneous with the publication of the texts themselves (William Wotton's observations, for example), and criticism up to the end of the nineteenth century continued, predominately, to insist on an irreligious Swift an approach that survived into the twentieth century: "no defence of Swift's fundamental religious orthodoxy can stand the test of such writings. He is a sceptical humanist who again and again tilts at Christian belief". (Wilson Knight, on "The Tale of a Tub",124). This strain of criticism has been long overtaken, however, by