Dear Agony Aunt Essay Example

Dear Agony Aunt Essay There is a whole in my chest where my heart once was. It is no longer there as the love of my life-Demetrius tore it out and he doesnt even care.I have given so much love to him, I have done everything I can do for him, I have lost all my dignity and self esteem, but still he will not return my affection.It is not fair as my best friend, Hermia; although she is more beautiful than I she cares for him much less than me in fact she could care for a pig more than him. But still he gives all his love to her and not so much as a drop of love to me.He even has her fathers consent to merry Hermia, much against her will. Hermia is in love with Lysander and wishes to marry him. They are in such a deep trance of love that they are risking both their lives to elope. Demetrius knows of this plan but still has not given up hope he has gone early to the woods to be there when they arrive and he is intending on killing Lysander. I have followed in hope that when he sees how in love they are he will turn to, but my plan is failing as instead he has turned to me and told me he would plunge a knife through my heart if I dont leave him alone. I am still desperately in love with him.Now Lysander is playing a horrible trick on me. He is saying how he has no love left for Hermia but has seen sense and has fallen for me.Please help me I am confused and love struckYours sincerelyHelenaReplyDear Helena,Dont be upset. Everyone has someone out there thats right for them and maybe Demetrius isnt the one for you.My advice is to ignore him, make him realize how lucky he was to have you. Make him suffer what he made you suffer.If he then doesnt come running after you, you know its time to move on, find somebody else to love someone that doesnt make you chase him around, someone that loves you for who you are and wouldnt have you change for anything.Besides, is he really worth is?All that running around trying to make him love you, losing all your pride and self respect. You might as well fin d a man that will fall on his knees crazily in love with you.As for Lysander if what he says is true then you should tell Hermia but bare in mind you may lose your friendship forever. My advice is to make Lysander tell her. However if Lysander is playing tricks on you than he should be ashamed of himself and you should pay no attention to him make him realize he has hurt you.Im sure it will all work out well, just take my advice and use it wisely.Write soon and Let me know how it goes.Yours sincerelyAgony auntNancy

Thomas Edison3 essays

Thomas Edison3 essays Thomas A. Edison and his Kinetographic Motion Pictures. Rutgers University Press. This book gave me a lot of the information I needed on the basic history of Thomas Edisons work in the motion picture industry. There were also pictures which helped me better understand the information. Thomas Alva Edison: inventing the electric age. Adair, Gene. 1996.Oxford University Press: New York. This book also gave me information on his inventions with pictures. It also gave me information on other work that Edison did and why he was interested in inventing devices for the movie industry. Motion Pictures, History of. http://encarta.msn.com (6 Dec. 2000). Microsoft Encarta This online encyclopedia also gave me information on not only Thomas Edisons contribution to the movie industry, but also the whole history and origins of movies ...

Critical Thinking on Female Perpetrators

Critical Thinking on Female Perpetrators Critical Thinking on Female Perpetrators Critical Thinking on Female Perpetrators: While conducting the following literature review of female perpetrators committing violence towards their spouse and children, many ideas and practices discussed are the same, yet some were reviewing violence from both male and females point of view. Nonetheless, it appears that, in all the reviewed articles, the researchers tend to agree that cases of female perpetrators committing violence towards their spouses and children are indeed there. It is undoubtedly that most researches address male-to-female violence, although the articles reviewed here are among those addressing male victimization by female spouses. Physical abuse and violence between spouses and children is the focus of this literature review and it has continued to spark more debate within areas of social policy, practice, and research. In the discussion that will follow, the focus will be on comparing and contrasting the articles, analyzing them critically, and looking at the key concepts. According to Wilkes Cho (2009), violence taking place within a relationship, which is intimate in nature is a big social problem. In their observation, the victims, be it children or spouses suffer intense psychological, mental, and physical impacts of violence. It is only after police intervened that most perpetrators have been arrested. In contrast, Feldman and Ridley (2003) hold that, in the last ten years, there has been witnessed increased awareness in the public regarding domestic violence and the consequences it has on the well-being of the family and individuals involved. Although most attention has been geared towards male violence on their spouses and children, studies show that female violence towards their spouses is evident in intimate relationships. In view of Feldman and Ridley (2003), there tends to be equal percentages of females (12%) and males (11%) recorded of being violent towards their partners. In a study of 272 couples intending to get married, majority of fe males than males recorded cases of being violent towards their spouses at (44% vs. 31%) in pre-marriage, and (36% vs. 27%) in post-marriage of 18 months, and (32% vs. 25%) in a post-marriage of 30 months. While comparing Sarantakos (2004), and Taylor et al. (2009), it is obvious that maltreatment of both spouses and children is real owing to female perpetrators. According to Taylor et al. (2009), close to one million cases of physical abuse and other children maltreatment cases were reported in America in 2005. Unfortunately, high victimization rate is evident in kids who are below three years of age. In their observation, children who are victimized by their mothers suffer behavioral, mental, physical, and social problems and this might lead to problems of health such as smoking, alcoholism, STDs, heart disease, and obesity. In the 83% of the maltreatment meted on children, the mother alone contributes 40%, while the father is rated at 17%, and the rest 6% is from other people. Nonetheless, the mothers are associated with the highest percentage because they spend most time with children that anybody else (Taylor et al. 2009). In contrast, Sarantakos (2004) observes that there is dive rsity regarding how the society is responding towards ‘wives’ violence against their husbands (p.1). However, irrespective of irrefutable evidence that female are assaulting their male counterparts, most people tend to hold that the violence comes in equal proportions, an idea echoed by Feldman and Ridley (2003). In his study Sarantakos (2004) found out that, female-to-male violence was evident even with the males being peaceful in their homes. In a separate study by Kern smith and Kern smith (2009), the last two decades have seen policymakers in the United States maximizing their attention towards domestic violence. Unlike Sarantakos (2004), and Taylor et al. (2009) who focus on increased violence by females towards their males, Kern smith and Kern smith (2009) strive to examine recommendations of changing policies and intervention services to guide perpetrators. At a glance, these articles are characterized by themes, disagreements, and commonality. In view of Kern smith and Kern smith (2009) article, the authors have focused on providing recommendations to policy makers on what should be done to perpetrators of violence be it males or females. The two assert that, considering men are known for being violent towards their female counterparts, they have suffered more arrests. These findings, therefore, indicate that, the motivations and context of males being arrested for being violent are different from females arrested for committing similar crime. In the articles by Sarantakos (2004), Taylor et al. (2009), Wilkes Cho (2009), and Feldman and Ridley (2003) the thematic concerns of violence and its consequences on spouses is common. The authors tend to agree that violence in relationships lead to physical, psychological, health, and mental consequences to both children and spouse under violence. Additionally, in order to substantiate their c laims, Wilkes Cho (2009), and Feldman and Ridley (2003) have employed statistics to show the extent of violence reported among spouses. Most spouses in violent relationships suffer ridiculing, name-calling, instances of blaming, criticizing, threatening, and accusing. Spouses do these actions mutually, and in some cases by spouse unilaterally, while in some cases some spouses did not participate (Feldman Ridley, 2003). In some articles such as Wilkes Cho (2009), Taylor et al. (2009), and Feldman and Ridley (2003) there is a common practice regarding the manner in which the researches were conducted. In each case, the authors employed study samples, findings, results, discussion, and conclusion. In their article, Wilkes Cho (2009) identified their study variables as re-victimization, arrest, and gender. According to their results, male victimization and female victimization differed. Males were meted serious assaults at 28%, while their female counterparts stood at 17%. Additionally, females were fond of using weapons on their spouses although both parties suffered serious injuries. On the other hand, Taylor et al. (2009) based their variables on child-related and child maltreatment. Their results indicated that, mothers recorded over twenty cases of psychological violence, and seventeen cases of physical violence. Most mothers use physical and psychological violence against their loved ones, and cases of neglect of their children. In their conclusion, Taylor et al. (2009) asserted that most females, who mistreated their children, were equally being harassed in their relationships. In their research, Feldman and Ridley (2003) identified their variables such as verbal aggression, withdraw, and cooperation. The two employed questionnaire in their work, which was addressed to the 153 females, who were volunteers. In their results, the researchers asserted that, although studies exist regarding domestic violence severity are limited; a distinction exists between severe and mild types of domestic violence. In their conclusion, the researchers observed that, while 75% of females are reported as physically abused, they are aware that they are likely to be wounded owing to domestic violence. Although these articles tend to agree on violence orchestrated by female perpetrators, there are some disagreements on opinions explored by the authors. For instance, Wilkes Cho (2009) observe that men are most victimized in violent relationships while compared with their female counterparts who experience fewer injuries. For that reason, it is apparent that violence among spouses predominantly male. Additionally, the two authors found out that, females are fond of using weapons than their male spouses. Nonetheless, Feldman and Ridley (2003) tend to disagree with the former two regarding violence. Unlike Wilkes Cho (2009), Feldman and Ridley (2003) hold that women are most victimized, and they are likely to experience injuries because of violence from their spouses. Furthermore, unlike females, males are known for being extremely violent towards their partners. According to Feldman and Ridley (2003), conflicts in relationships are brought mostly by poor communication. Further disag reement is evident, if the observation made by Sarantakos (2004) is anything to put into consideration. According to Sarantakos (2004), husbands play a key role in sparking violence in their marriages. In his findings, the researcher retorts that husbands are fond of sparking aggressions, which in return force their female partners to be violent towards them. Prior to assaulting their partners, females tolerated with the unpleasant behaviors of their males and they only responded on realizing the impending danger (Sarantakos, 2004). From a critical point of view, some of these articles exhibited limitations from the context of the research. In the article by Wilkes Cho (2009), there are evident limitations. Firstly, the number of males who were put under re-victimization was extremely small (33 of the possible 298 victims). Additionally, considering that out of the 33 men under re-victimization, less than ten were put behind bars, it is clear that detecting the impacts of arrest would be difficult, in the event there was any. Furthermore, there is a likelihood of underreporting female-oriented violence. In yet another limitation, the research failed to include vital contextual details regarding episodes of violence, and those who initiated it and the reasons for such actions. Moreover, the response by security authority was disregarded, and the actions, which were taken on the perpetrators (Wilkes Cho, 2009). Limitations are also evident in the article by Feldman and Ridley (2003). For instance, although the r esearch revolves around communication responses as one of the factors contributing towards violence among spouses, the researchers did not explore the connection between psychological types of abuse, and responses of communication. It would have been better if the research by the two authors were based on a wide range of communication trends, which may lead to domestic violence. In view of Kern smith and Kern smith (2009) article, implications are evident. For instance, irrespective of the study suggesting that women needs on intervention services are different from those of men, the research failed to offer an alternative. Although numerous programs have been developed, the study fails to mention that their accountability is minimal. In Taylor et al. (2009), the article only considered limited details regarding psychological, sexual, and physical behaviors of aggression. In the article, the authors excluded confounders such as history of aggression in the female’s origin, th us leading to biasness on estimates of regression. While reviewing the five articles, key concepts are evident in each of them. In their context, each of the articles has employed unique but important practices while conducting the study. In each of the study, the researchers based their work on a wide range on previous researches. In the journal by Kern smith and Kern smith (2009), the two backdated their research in the last two decades in connection with policymakers in America. Additionally, in order to give the reader a better understanding of the intervention services on batterers, the authors have reviewed the changes, which have been enacted from two decades ago. In Taylor et al. (2009) article, the researchers based their predictions of maternal maltreatment and neglect from a study that run from 2001 to 2004. For that reason, the researchers came up with a study, which was reliable, if the materials used in the research are anything to go by. Sarantakos (2004) made his study more reliable because he based his work on real l ife experiences issues affecting spouses. Additionally, the research targeted the entire family from children to parents to grandparents. In other words, Sarantakos (2004) bases his findings and results on a specific real-life case, as opposed to generalization. In view of the above literature review, the authors of the articles conducted studies revolving around the thematic concerns of domestic violence orchestrated by female perpetrators, and its effect on children and spouse. Basing their studies on statistics and findings previously exhibited in previous researches, the authors have assisted the readers to understand the objective of their research. Nonetheless, the studies are characterized by numerous limitations such as biasness, lack of recommendations, and limited comparisons to warrant the impacts among others. However, the authors have incorporated key concepts in their work thus making it reliable, and of high quality. If you are looking for professional critical thinking writing services to get your academic paper written from scratch, visit us!

Zapessay2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zapessay2 - Essay Example est by Bram Stoker (1914) is the story of Jonathan Haker, who receives an invite to Count Dracula’s castle that is on the borders of Moldavia and Transylvania. He receives various warnings on the way, and when he eventually gets there he realizes, though a little too late, that he is, in fact, a prisoner. The events that unfold within the rest of the novel purely based on Dracula’s superhuman nature, being a vampire and the fight that Jonathan puts up against Dracula (Poe et al 51-62). This paper’s primary focus is to compare the role that Montresor played in the Cask of Amontillado with that of Dracula in Dracula’s guest. The two are the main characters in both stories and despite the fact that the two novels were written during different time frames and different settings. Notably, there are a number of similarities and quite obviously differences that can be drawn from their personas. The following is a layout of their roles and representations, beginni ng with their similarities Both characters illustrate deceitful tendencies. They use friendship and kindness to lure their victims. Montressor carefully tricks Fortunato into thinking that he has the best wine for him knowing very well that Fortunato happens to have a weakness for the drink. This illustrates that Montressor in his selfish quest is willing to use the weaknesses that he is well aware his friend has against him (Espinosa 34). Dracula, on the other hand, uses his sophisticated appearance and educational appeal to lure Jonathan into feeling at home. It is because of this same appearance that it takes Hacker some time to realize that he has been lured into being Dracula’s slave. To capitalize on the extent of their deceitfulness, both characters only show the true nature of their persona’s after their victims are well into their thresholds and their intentions are clearly only in their own best interests (Stoker 28-32). Montresor depicts himself as being very proud. Despite that he is not

Military Intervention in Turkish Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Military Intervention in Turkish Politics - Essay Example Intellectuals and politicians also voiced out sentiments against the monopolization of political power by a single party. In response to these issues, the president permitted greater freedom for the expression of political opposition. Some members of the RPP took advantage of this and formed the new organization, the Democratic Party. For next four years, the Democrats frequently challenged government policy and were able to attract support by proficiently utilizing the growing popular hostility with the interference of the state in peoples' lives. The state eventually underwent a peaceful transition to a multiparty. The government had undertook agricultural reforms and to improve the standard of living of the peasants. They brought in huge quantities of expensive agricultural machinery, built dams and irrigation canals and constructed a national network of highways that in general helped communication as well as unlock previously remote regions to commercial agriculture. By mid-1950s the economy began to decline and agriculture was devastated by series of droughts. In addition, they faced a problem of spending without planning and importing consumer products and expensive machinery without funds to pay for them. It created annual budget deficits that in turn amounting national debt. The Democrats faced public cr iticism. Eventually, they censor the press, imprison journalists, and shut down offending newspapers which caused violent protest. The government called upon the army to disrupt Republican Party campaign rallies to maintain law and order. However, they didn't want to be turned into a tool of political repression against the state's principle and in time, the intervened and ended the first Turkish republic. Second Intervention Turkey underwent social, economic, and demographic change. There was a rapid urbanization caused by the migration of villagers to cities in search of better economic opportunities. Social and economic transformation, for the most part with the transition from an agricultural to a mixed economy put strain to Turkey's two-party political system, the Republican and Justice. When new governments came to power, the industrialists and peasants, who prospered in the first republic, did not want to lose their status. They formed political parties to represent their particular interests in the national assembly. On the other hand, the industrial workers and university students, Marxists and Muslim revivalists, believed their needs were being ignored. They formed their own organizations and parties through which they hoped to gain a share of political power. The process of institutionalizing interest groups led to a propagation of political parties. Various smaller organizations attracted enough voters to prevent either Justice or the Republicans ahead with absolute majority. The excessive favors granted to the minorities causes social and political disorder and paralyze the legislative process. There was a wave of social unrest marked by street demonstrations,

American Dream by James Truslow Essay Example for Free

American Dream by James Truslow Essay The ‘American dream’ is a term coined by James Truslow in his 1932 book Epic of America, but it is a concept as old as America itself: anything is possible if only the individual is willing to work hard. The dream draws immigrants to our shores and borders every year and keeps millions of Americans content in the idea that their toiling will pave the way to success for them and for their children. However, for every rags-to-riches story, there are thousands of other hard-working people who cannot get by, who do not have enough to eat, transportation, safe housing, or warm clothes in winter. There is much evidence that the American dream is little more than a myth, a false promise that keeps millions of people working themselves weary for a better tomorrow that will never come. The American dream is the promise of the Declaration of Independence, which indicates that our â€Å"inalienable rights† are â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† There is no single American dream, but Adams defines the concept in its most dignified sense: [It is the] dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which that are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. (qtd. In Ferenz) The lure of America for immigrants and the promise to its citizens is that, as Adams indicates, the individual is not held back by circumstances, but through individual efforts can pursue and attain whatever personal brand of happiness he or she desires. In the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt recognized the part the federal government needed to play in keeping the American dream alive-no longer was hard work the only factor involved in ensuring an acceptable standard of living. Under his administration, a number of social programs were put into place to help Americans achieve the dream, which Roosevelt described as â€Å"sufficiency of life, rather than†¦a plethora of riches [and] good health, good food, good education, good working conditions† (qtd. In Muir). Owing to these principles, Roosevelt’s New Deal included the Social Security Act, Fair Labor Standards Act that banned child labor and established a minimum wage, and a variety of programs that put Americans to work in civil service (Successes 4-6). Roosevelt’s programs and World War II helped drag the nation out of the Great Depression, but were not permanent solutions in making the American dream possible for all Americans. By the 1960’s, one in five Americans were living in poverty, and in his first State of the Union address in 1964, Lyndon Johnson declared, â€Å"an unconditional war on poverty in America.† (qtd. In Quindlen 1) Johnson, too, understood that the American dream was one not attainable through hard work alone. As Anna Quindlen, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, notes in her 2004 editorial, â€Å"from [Johnson’s] declaration a host of government initiatives sprang, including Head Start, an expended food-stamp program, and sweeping reforms in health care for the needy† (Quindlen 2). Unfortunately, in spite of the attempts of Roosevelt, Johnson, and others to lend a hand to those Americans who need it most, the feeling that the poor are responsible for their own troubles always seems to creep its way back into the American mind. We’ve all heard the rumors that the poor are lazy, that welfare is just n excuse not to get a job. Quindlen comments that â€Å"part of the problem with a war on poverty today is that many Americans have decided that being poor is a character defect, not an economic condition† (Quindlen 2). Public policy of the last few decades seems to follow this line of thinking: the Federal minimum wage has not risen since 1997 even as welfare reform movements have forced millions of people, many single parents, off public assistance and into minimum wage jobs. Quindlen argues that â€Å"forty years after Johnson led the charge, the battle against poverty still rages. The biggest differences today if that there is no call to arms by those in power† (Quindlen 1). How does this shift in American policy affect the status of the American dream? Can we still call ourselves the land of opportunity when the American dream eludes so many of our citizens? Should the American dream exist and is it really worth it to try and live by the dream? In July 2000, Mortimer Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report, wrote an essay about the success of the American dream. Zuckerman claims that â€Å"it is a dream on individual effort-talent, ambition, risk-taking, readiness to change, and just plain hard work-qualities that count more in America than social background of luck† (Zuckerman 120). That is a perspective that Zuckerman, a billionaire whose biography on the U.S. News and World Report website boasts he has substantial real-estate holdings, including properties in Boston, New York, Washington, and San Francisco can afford to have. The reality for most Americans, however, is not nearly so great. It is a reality where social background and luck play far too large a part in achieving the American dream. Two articles written a decade apart demonstrate that bitter reality. In USA Today in 1996, Charles Whalen writes that â€Å"beneath the misleading surface prosperity [of the 1990s] are numerous alarming trends,† among them â€Å"relentless downsizing, longer job searches and sluggish job creation, explosive growth in contingent work (part-time and temporary employment), and wage stagnation† (Whalen 2-3). One would be hard=pressed to find a list that better demonstrates the part luck plays in securing steady employment. Whalen also cites a survey, ironically conducted for U.S. News and World Report, that indicates â€Å"57% of those asked said that the American dream is out of reach for most families† (qtd. in Whalen 2). In 2006 in the Chicago Sun-Times, Clyde Murphy cites a â€Å"new report released by the Opportunity Agenda [that] measures the nation’s progress in living up to the American dream.† The findings? â€Å"That millions of Americans do not have a fair chance to achieve their full potential, despite their best efforts† (Murphy 33). Two of the reasons cited by the study are housing discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are employment discrimination against women and minorities, which included favoring job candidates with â€Å"white-sounding† names. These findings clearly refute Zuckerman’s claim, demonstrating that background does in fact count more in America than individual effort when it comes to achieving certain aspects of the American dream. Another dubious claim in Zuckerman’s essay is that â€Å"anybody who wishes to work has the opportunity to move from the bottom of the ladder to a middle-class standard of life, or higher† (Zuckerman 120). As award-winning journalist Barbara Ehrenreich notes in her book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform â€Å"assumed that a job was the ticket out of poverty and that the only thing holding back welfare recipients was their reluctance to get out and get one† (Ehrenreich 196). As a wealth of evidence suggests, this is the fundamental misperception surrounding the American dream. In her 2003 editorial A New Kind of Poverty, Anna Quindlen argues â€Å"America is a country that now sits atop a precarious latticework of myth. It is the myth that working people can support their families† (Quindlen 2). Quindlen interviews two women who run services for the homeless and impoverished in New York City, ant they note that more often they are seeing working families in dire need of their help. Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005 report on poverty, America’s poverty rate has been climbing, from 11.3 percent in 2000 to 12.7 percent in 2004, the latest for which data is available. This translates into 37 million people who live below the poverty line. This is further complicated, however, by the way that the Census Bureau calculates the poverty level. Barbara Ehrenreich explains that â€Å"[it] is still calculated by the archaic method of taking the bare-bones cost of food for a family of a given size and multiplying that number by th ree. Yet food is relatively inflation-proof† (Ehrenreich 200). This method results in a base calculation of $9,310 for one person, with $3,180 added for each additional person in the household. As anyone who has ever lived on his or her own understands, those poverty calculations are very low. Ehrenreich points out that â€Å"the Economic Policy Institute recently reviewed dozens of studies of what constitutes a ‘living wage’ and came up with an average figure of $30,000 for a family of one adult and two children† (Ehrenreich 213). When compared to the federal poverty calculation of $15,670, the gap becomes glaringly apparent. Anna Quindlen explains â€Å"when you adjust the level to reflect reality, you come closer to 35 percent of all Americans who are having a hard time providing the basics for their families† (Quindlen 2). As pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow’s research reveals, psychological and safety needs-the â€Å"basics† referred to by Quindlen, such as food and housing-must be fulfilled before other needs, core components of the American dream such as belongingness and self-esteem, can be met (Abraham 2). This creates a basic gap between those who can reach for the American dream and those who cannot; if all someone’s energy is focused on providing food and shelter, there is nothing left to reach for higher goals. In a 2002 essay What’s So Great About America? Dinesh D’Souza, an Indian immigrant, makes assertions that demonstrate some common misconceptions about Americans meeting our basic needs. â€Å"The United States is a country where the ordinary guy has a good life,† (D’Souza 23). He even goes so far to say that â€Å"very few people in America have to wonder where their next meal is coming from† (D’Souza 23). Sadly, this is not true. Quindlen indicates â€Å"the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that 1.6 million New Yorkers†¦suffer from ‘food insecurity,’ which is just a fancy way of saying they do not have to enough to eat† (Quindlen 1). Ehrenreich reports that â€Å"according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 67 percent of the adults requesting emergency food aid are people with jobs† (Ehrenreich 219). Two other basic needs, safe housing and health care, are also beyond the reach of many Americans. â€Å"When the rich and the poor compete for housing on the open market,† writes Ehrenreich, â€Å"the poor don’t stand a chance. The rich can always outbid them, buy up their tenements and trailer parks, and replace them with†¦whatever they like† (Ehrenreich 199). This is exaggerated by the fact that â€Å"expenditures on public housing have fallen since the 1980s, and the expansion of public rental subsidies came to a halt in the 1990s† (Ehrenreich 201). Health care is another sad story. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans with no health insurance has been slowly rising, arriving at 15.7 percent in 2004, and as Quindlen observes, â€Å"poor kids are much more likely to become sick than their counterparts, but much less likely to have health insurance. Talk about a double whammy† (Quindlen 1). How can families dream big an d plan for the future as they worry about whether the next month will bring eviction or illness? Two people in particular have put a human face on the statistical evidence that the American dream remains out of reach for millions of hard-working Americans. At the urging of her editor at Harper’s magazine, Barbara Ehrenreich undertook a yearlong undercover investigation of living on low-wage jobs in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota. She waited tables, worked as a maid, and worked at Wal-Mart, never revealing her statue as a reported, but keeping careful private diaries documenting the details of her experience. In spite of working at least full-time, usually more, she was unable to get by. The most heartbreaking part of her journey, however, was the people she met, women who were not just experimenting with the low-wage life, but who were trapped by it. They were women who were victims of the affordable housing shortage, who lived in cars, or if they were lucky, weekly rental motel rooms. They walked, rode bikes, or bummed rides to work. Certainly among those who experience food insecurity, they skipped meals or ate nutritionally void foods like hot dog buns because they couldn’t afford to eat. They were women with raw hands and sore backs, balancing two or more jobs who would never, in spite of their work ethic, move off that bottom rung of the social ladder. In a similar experiment, Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) and his fiancà ©e lived on minimum wage for thirty days in Columbus, Ohio and recorded the results for the premiere episode of his television series 30 Days. As Spurlock works eighteen-hour days making at least $7.50 per hour and Alex works for minimum wage at a coffee house, the pair is faced with a host of challenges that mirror the everyday trials of the working poor. Emergency room visits for a urinary tract infection and a sprained wrist cost them $1,217. D’Souza correctly comments that in America, â€Å"even sick people who don’t have money or insurance will receive medical care at hospital emergency rooms† (D’Souza 23), but he fails to take into account that suck care generates bills are equivalent to six weeks’ of full time minimum wage work. The most affordable housing they could find, a steal at $325 per month, has ant infestations, malfunctioning heat, and is upstairs from an apartment that was a crack house just the week before. Furthermore, their relationship is strained by the stress that results from the constant worrying about money. At the end of the month they find themselves hundreds of dollars in the hole, by permanently changed by their experience. When taken together, the accounts of Ehrenreich and Spurlock offer powerful insight into the everyday struggles of the working poor, those who are anything but lazy but still find themselves drowning financially, the American dream slipping further away all the time. Dinesh D’Souza claims that â€Å"in America your destiny is not prescribed. Your life is like a blank sheet of paper and you are the artist† (D’Souza 24). It is difficult to believe, however, that the millions of working poor are not trying to create a better destiny for themselves, only to find their dreams let down by the harsh realities of daily life. So why is the American dream still suck a pervasive part of our consciousness, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that hard work is not the ticket to prosperity, or even necessarily to a comfortable standard of living? In his â€Å"Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of the Right,† Karl Marx wrote that â€Å"religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for the real happiness† (qtd in Cline). Marx’s clever observation is that religion, in keeping the focus on the afterlife, keeps people from demanding fair treatment in this world. D’Souza suggests, however, that â€Å"capitalism gives America a this-worldly focus that allows death and the afterlife to recede from everyday view†¦the gaze of the people is shifted to earthly progress† (D’Souza 25). If this the case, why is it that we are not more aware of (and enraged about!) the decided lack of â€Å"earthly progress† of so many of our friends and neighbors? Some believe that it is because the American dream has taken the place of religion as today’s â€Å"opiate of the masses.† So long as we all believe that there is a better life ahead, that is we only work harder, our dreams are within reach, it is easy to be lulled into satisfaction about the inequality that is so common in America today. Barbara Ehrenreich predicts that someday the working poor â€Å"are bound to tire of getting so little in return [for their labor] and to demand to be paid what they’re worth† (Ehrenreich 221). Some challenge, echoing Marx, that Ehrenreich’s predication will not come true until the American dream, â€Å"the illusory happiness of the people,† is abolished in favor of a more realistic world view that recognizes that more than hard work, a hel ping hand is needed to make America truly the land of opportunity. From the survey that I took in class, 14 out of 20 people were surveyed and said that they to, disagree that the American dream should exist. They believe as well that there should be a more realistic view in society that allows you to get what you work for. Of the people that did agree, most were people between the ages of 18 and 21, people who have not yet, most likely gotten out into the real world to experience what type of life they can actually work for. If you too, disagree with the American dream, I ask you to go to this website: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/the-american-dream-is-not-for-rent , sign the petition, and keep working hard at what you do! Work Cited â€Å"Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.† Shippensberg University Website. Sept. 2005: 2-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Cline, Austin. â€Å"Karl Marx on Religion.† About.com. 5 Apr. 2006: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. D’Souza, Dinesh. â€Å"What’s So Great About America?† The American Enterprise. May 2002: 22-25. Print. Ehrenreich, Barbara. â€Å"Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.† New York: Owl Books. 2002: 20-38. Print. Ferenz, Kathleen. â€Å"What is the American Dream?† San Francisco State University Online Web Site. 31 Mar. 2005: n.pag. Web. 16 June 2009. Muir, Ed. â€Å"Narrowing the Highway to the American Dream.† American Teacher. Oct. 2004: 25. Print. Murphy, Clyde. â€Å"When Opportunity Knocks, It Skips Over Some Adresses.† Chicago Sun-Times. 14 Feb. 2006: 33. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"A New Kind of Poverty.† Newsweek. 1 Dec. 2003: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. Quindlen, Anna. â€Å"The War We Haven’t Won.† Newsweek. 20 Sep. 2004: 1-2. Web. 16 June 2009. â€Å"Successes and Failures of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ Programs.† Bergen County Technical Schools and Special Services Web Site. 10 Mar. 2006: 4-6. 16 June 2009. U.S Census Bureau. 2005 Poverty Press Release. 30 Aug. 2005: n.pag. 16 June 2009. Whalen, Charles J. â€Å"The Age of Anxiety: Erosion of the American Dream.† USA Today. Sep. 1996: 1-3. Web. 16 June 2009. Zuckerman, Mortimer. â€Å"A Time to Celebrate.† U.S. News and World Report. 17 Jul. 2000: 120. Print.

Identification Essay -- essays papers

Identification The identification process is perhaps the biggest problem in gifted education. In the United States, it is estimated that 47,846,000 children are enrolled in K-12 public schools. Of these students, approximately 2,393,000, or five percent, are considered gifted (Genius Denied, 2005). Developing procedures to identify these exceptional students can be an arduous task. However, Coleman has stated that, â€Å"Identification remains critical to ensuring that children receive the services they need to thrive in school† (2003, 1). There are several problems educators deal with when identifying gifted students. First, students from economically disadvantaged families or from culturally diverse backgrounds are considerably underrepresented in gifted programs. Also, gifted children with other noted disabilities are not represented. These students, also called twice-exceptional students, are especially hard to identify and instruct, as they may require advanced learning in certa in areas as well as remedial education in other areas (Winebrenner, 2003). Second, many educators are not trained to deal with such drastic above average intelligence, and they tend to rely on only one aspect of intelligence, such as an IQ score or a result from a standardized test, to identify intelligent students. These educators need to realize that intelligence is more complex, and may be evident more in portfolios, group projects, performance-based assessments, or a summation of work displayed over time. And finally, there is often a disparity between identification and the services involved. For example, a student identified as advanced in mathematics alone would probably not benefit from grade skipping, as he/she may fall behind in... ... Willard, P. (2002). Catering to the needs of gifted children. Dodge City Daily Globe. Retrieved 24 February 2005 from http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/092702/lif_gifted.shtml. This article tells the story of Erich Steubgen, a gifted student. The article then goes on to evaluate the emotional aspects of gifted and talented children – how they feel in a normal classroom, and warning signs for teachers who might be thrown off by adverse behaviors. Hagy, J. (2004). Hidden Genius. Teacher Magazine, 15(6), pp. 51-52. Retrieved 20 February 2005 from www.edweek.org. This resource provided information about the frustrations involved in identification from a parent’s perspective. Winner, E. (1996). The miseducation of our gifted children. Retrieved 21 April 2005 from www.edweek.org. This article mainly reviews several points I made in my paper.

W.A.T.C.H.

It is simply being late of activities to be conducted as in meeting or work. This is the reason why a project entitled We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty (W. A. T. C. H) conducts related programs every second week of June to solve the Filipinos punctuality problems. Everyone must be a time advocate to alleviate this serious yet mostly neglected problem.Problem Solutions The following are some solutions and recommendations to prevent and cure punctuality problems among all people whether a student or a professional. This robber is not as simple to be solved by equations. This requires discipline, honesty, and zeal. A Time Advocate guards time. The primary action to be a time advocate and a good follower of W. A. T. C. H is to always keep track of time. Knowing your time should be as important as checking your wallet as you step out from your house.You should know your every time schedule. To avoid being late, you can adjust your watch a few minutes from the exact time and it i s recommended that you compare your hatch's time from your office's time. You should be disciplined enough that you won't rely that your watch Is set in advance. A Time Advocate is prepared. Aside from the keeping an eye to time, one thing that you can do to develop punctuality is to be prepared. Simple preparations such as setting your clothes beforehand and the things you need for work or school is helpful.Everything that you need for tomorrows activities must be prepared the night before to avoid setbacks. A Time Advocate influences others. The most Important action that a time advocate must do Is to make Influences. One can make Influences through (1) being an example by applying what you learn about punctuality, (2) setting rules on punctuality and honesty In your own workplace, and 3) attending summits and seminars about W. A. T. C. H or other related programs. Time Is gold, so make It precious.Be a time advocate. W. A. T. C. H. By immeasurable office's time. You should be dis ciplined enough that you won't rely that your watch is need for tomorrow's activities must be prepared the night before to avoid setbacks. The most important action that a time advocate must do is to make influences. One can make influences through (1) being an example by applying what you learn about punctuality, (2) setting rules on punctuality and honesty in your own workplace, and is gold, so make it precious. Be a time advocate.

How does Charlotte Bronte build up tension?

Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in 1847. Throughout this novel Bronte criticises and challenges some views and believes that she experienced herself within the injustice of the Victorian society. In this essay I am going to use chapter 23 to show how tension is built up in terms of language, feelings and symbols. Firstly, I'm going to include a brief summery of the plot and at the same time highlight the main characters I'll be working with. Secondly, I will include the history of the time the book was written in and comment on how it links with the story. Finally, I am going to point out and explain the many different techniques Bronte uses to build up tension. Jane Eyre opens with the narrator, the adult Jane Eyre recalling her childhood experiences growing up as an orphan at Gateshead, the home of her unfriendly aunt, and her children. Jane is always wrongly punished, she was even sent away to Lowwood charity school where pupils are treated appallingly. There she passes six years as a student, then two as a teacher. After that Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield, owned by Mr. Rochester. Jane falls in love with her master and Rochester asks Jane to marry him, she agreed. On the day of their marriage Jane discovers that Rochester is already married, she then refuses to be Rochester's mistress and leaves Thornfield. Later she becomes a teacher at a new local school; she also meets her three cousins. St John [her cousin] proposes marriage to Jane; however she refuses as she still loves Rochester. Finally, she returns to her master to find out that he has been maimed and blinded when his first wife burned down Thornfield and killed her self. The novel ends with Rochester's marriage to Jane and a description of the happy life ahead of them. The main characters I'll be mentioning in this essay are Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. The heroine and narrator of the novel, Jane is an intelligent, honest, plain-featured young girl forced to compete with oppression, inequality, and hardship. She has also developed a sense of right and wrong from an early age. Despite being naive and innocent she is still able to look after her self and became very independent. On the other hand, Edward Rochester is a passionate man with a dark secret that provides much of the novel's suspense. He was a very unhappy man when we first met him, however his pure love for Jane eventually changes him back to the man he was. By the end of the book his blinded and crippled state was used to metaphors his loss of arrogance and pride. Charlotte Bronte is attacking the social injustices that were present in the nineteenth century. She successfully does this and clearly portrays what life was like at the time the book is set. Today, men and women are treated equally, which was certainly not the case in the nineteenth century. Women, in the nineteenth century were treated as if they were inferior to men, ‘Seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before himi. At that time also, very few occupations were open to those who had to support themselves. Marriage was too seen to be the only desirable goal for women, and was taken very seriously as a financial or a business deal. Poor girls such as Jane had very few options open to them apart from using their education as a source of strength. Social status was very important in the nineteenth century. Class divisions were far more fixed and pronounced than they are today. In the novel, Jane is very conscious that, socially, she is inferior to many of those with whom she associates in spite of being a ‘lady'. At that time, money only can determine where anyone can fit on the social ladder. Therefore, the theme of respect being earned and not deserved due to one's bank balance is important in this novel. In this novel Bronte uses many ways to build up tension particularly in chapter 23. The most recurring and effective method is her use of ‘Pathetic Fallacy', which is the use of natural description to convey inner feelings or the status of the character. For example, in chapter 23 she uses a lovely night for the proposal to echo and reinforce Jane's happiness â€Å"the nightingale's song was then the only voice of the hour†. In contrast, Bronte uses a â€Å"heavy shower† in chapter 37 to convey Jane's pain and sorrow at seeing her master and loved one in that state. Yet, charlotte Bronte used the sudden change in weather at the end of chapter 23 to signify that Jane and Rochester's union is not right. One of the numerous ways in which Bronte builds up tension is her use of hints and clues which relates to things happening later in the novel. In the quote â€Å"the great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away† Bronte used the chestnut tree which symbolises Jane and Rochester's future union in marriage separated into two by a bolt of lightening- a symbol of either God's unhappiness about Rochester's deed or Bertha coming between them- to hint to us that something is going to stop the couple from getting married later on. I think that this is very effective way to build up apprehension as the reader will wonder what kind of thing is going to break the great love between them; hence it is a good way to keep people reading until they find out. Later on in chapter 37 Mr. Rochester is comparing himself with the â€Å"the old lightening-struck chestnut tree† which reminds the reader that what happened was exactly as foreshadowed in chapter 23. The way Bronte uses questions to convey the status of power in both chapter 23 and 37 builds up a great deal of apprehension for the reader. In chapter 23 Rochester is asking Jane many questions he very well know their answers, â€Å"you must have become in some degree attached to house? † and â€Å"we have been good friends, Jane; have we not? † These questions and many others show clearly that Mr. Rochester is using his powerful position as Jane's employer to tease her, and since she is dependent on him for her living she can't by any mean treat him in the same way he treats her. This would draw the readers into the story by setting up expectations of what will happen later on, as they know that Jane had always refused to be dominated and that resulted in angry outbursts against people trying to control her. In the early chapters she returned the same bad treatment back to her cruel cousin. And in chapter 6, we see that again when she says: â€Å"when we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard†, this shows Jane's strong believe in standing up to oppression and undeserved cruelty, which is what is happening again in chapter 23. During their conversation, Rochester tells Jane she'll soon need to leave Thornfield forever because he's finally decided to marry Blanche Ingram. Teasingly Rochester also tells her of a governess position, undertaking the education of the five daughters of Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall of Bitternutt Lodge in Ireland, â€Å"indeed I have already, through my future mother-in-law, hearted of a place that I think will suit you†¦.. you'll like Ireland , I think: they're such warm-hearted people there, they say† . Here you can notice that Rochester is torturing Jane with the idea of marrying another. However, I personally think that his behavior could be interpreted in a different way; since Rochester is a proud man he forced Jane into confessing her real feelings in order to be sure that his suspicions are correct, still I think there are many other ways to do so which are not as unkind. Mr. Rochester tells Jane that he feels as though they are connected by a â€Å"cord of communion. † Jane sobs-â€Å"for I could repress what I endured no longer,† she tells us, â€Å"I was obliged to yield. Jane confesses her love for Rochester, and to her surprise, he proposes marriage. Yet she believes that Rochester may be still playing with her feelings, that he may see her as an automaton, â€Å"a machine without feelings†; because she is â€Å"poor, obscure, plain, and little,† he may mistakenly think she is also â€Å"soulless and heartless. † At this point, she speaks to him beyond the â€Å"medium of custom, conventionalities,† even flesh, and her spirit addresses his spirit in a relationship of equality. Again, Jane creates equality by moving the relationship outside of the material world, and into the spiritual: At â€Å"God's feet,† they can stand side-by-side, rather than with Rochester leading, Jane following. This section of chapter 23 creates lots of tension for the reader as they will set up expectations as what reactions will Mr. Rochester make. Rochester convinces Jane that he only brought up marrying Blanche in order to arouse Jane's jealousy; when she reads the truth in his face she accepts his proposal. He then savagely declares that God has sanctioned their union, so he doesn't care what society thinks of the relationship. However, it is also important to note that nowhere in Jane Eyre are society's boundaries bent, Jane is Rochester's intellectual, but not his social, equal; Jane is also hesitant to marry Rochester because she senses that she would feel indebted to him for â€Å"condescending† to marry her. Ultimately, Jane is only able to marry Rochester as his equal because she has almost magically come into her own inheritance from her uncle. After achieving independence by finding a family in the Riverses and wealth in her inheritance, Jane is now free to return to Rochester to complete her triumph. Additionally, because Rochester has been blinded by the fire and has lost his manor house at the end of the novel, he became dependent upon Jane to be his â€Å"prop and guide. † it is clear now that Mr. Rochester has become weaker while Jane has grown in strength-Jane claims that they are equals, but it is obvious that she is more powerful than him. This can also be seen noticeably in the way she teases Rochester with her answers in chapter 37. â€Å"his appearance-I forgot the description you gave me of his appearance; – a sort of raw curate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. To provoke him Jane answers:†St John dresses well. He is a handsome man: tall, fair, with blue eyes, and a Grecian profile. † This is very entertaining and apprehensive for the readers in the same time. The reader will feel happy that Jane is now powerful enough to return the same teasing Rochester did in chapter 23, but at the same time the reader will be wondering about the Rochester's reaction. However, Rochester welcomes Jane back with open arms, realising that he will never possess her the way he once wanted to, but that she, in fact, will end up possessing him. The opening of chapter 38 without a doubt will shock readers in the 19th century as well as readers nowadays. Jane says: â€Å"Reader, I married him†. This proves how powerful and controlling Jane has become; she did not say usual stereotypes like â€Å"we got married† or â€Å"he married me†, which illustrates that she did not only become more powerful financially but also on the gender bases. The fact that Jane is the narrator creates a huge amount of anxiety to the reader. This is because the reader will wonder where she is in the future and what happened to her. This as a result will make the reader more attached to the book to find out. To conclude, I think that Jane Eyre is an interesting book that will appeal to readers both now and in the 19th century as some of the injustices are still occurring today. Bronte used many techniques in this book to build up tension. For example she uses the method of ‘Pathetic Fallacy' as well as many symbols to create suspense. She also uses aspects from the history of her time like class boundaries, equality very effectively to make the reader more anxious. Another way in which Bronte creates tension is by using the shifts in power between Jane and Rochester.

Situation Ethics as an ethical theory Essays

Situation Ethics as an ethical theory Essays Situation Ethics as an ethical theory Paper Situation Ethics as an ethical theory Paper Situation ethics is an alternative ethical theory, particularly influential in Protestant Christianity, similar to utilitarianism, in that it is a way a deciding upon the correct action that is to be taken in a given situation, but where happiness has been substituted for love. It does however take an individualistic approach, with the emphasis being upon each person, rather than on looking after the majority, as is the case in utilitarianism. The theory is based on love, and revolves around doing the most loving thing for the greatest number of people. It is teleological which means that is consequential and not based on rules. St. Augustine of Hippo Regius was one of the first to articulate this theory, love and do what you will, however it is more closely associated with Joseph Fletcher. An American professor of ethics, Fletcher developed Situation ethics as a result of his critique of Legalism and Antinomianism. Fletcher disliked like the way in which so many ethical theories, such as utilitarianism, were based upon and around a basic set of rules; that is to say, that they take a legalistic approach. He believed that this was too rigid, and that it did not allow for exceptions. He also firmly disapproved of antinomian approaches where there are not fixed moral principles and where one should act spontaneously, because it Rejects the idea that there are any authoritative laws, rules or regulations that you ought to obey in a decision-making situation. Rejecting these ethical models, he proposed a more relativist version. He circulated this theory in the 1960s, having used his beliefs and concerns to come up with, what he believed, was a fair way of deciding what the right action to take in a situation should be. Instead Fletcher used love as a general rule in decision making; not storge love, to love a country or place; not philia love, to love a family member or friend; and not eros love, to make love and to lust for someone; but instead agape love, unconditional and self-giving love, as is demonstrated by Jesus dying upon the cross. To Fletcher, agape love was fundamentally sacrificing, without any reward or pleasure, as the teachings of Jesus are told in the Bible, and he took a lot of his ideas from this. The quote in Matthew saying, Love your neighbour as you love yourself, epitomises what agape is all about; where agape love is the ultimate duty. He believed that something could be determined as good or evil, depending on whether or not love had been fully served. Fletcher made four presuppositions before setting out his theory: i) Pragmatisim the course of action must work towards an end, where love is that end. ii.) Relativism there are no fixed rules that must be obeyed, but all decisions must be relative to Christian love. Fletcher is quoted as saying, that Situation ethics relativises the absolute, it does not absolutize the relative. iii.) Positivism this can be divided into two categories; natural positivism, where reason deduces faith from natural phenomena or human experience, and theological positivism, where reason works within faith as opposed to being the basis for faith. Though religious knowledge or belief can be approached in either way, people must understand that love is the most important thing. iv.) Personalism situationists put people first, asking what to do to best help them, instead of putting laws first as a legalist would do. Value is only added to something when it is useful to love (working for the sake of persons). In addition to these, Fletcher proposed six fundamental principles: 1.) Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love: nothing else at all. Love is the only thing that is good in itself, and is good in all situations. In other words, an action is good if it expresses love for others, and bad if it doesnt. 2.) The ruling norm of Christian decision is love: nothing else. You are only required to follow laws, rules and regulations if they serve love, therefore it replaces, and cannot be equalled by, any other law. Good actions should not be done for reward, but for their own sake. 3.) Love and Justice are the same, for justice is love distributed nothing else. Love and justice cannot be serperated from each other, as justice is love at work for the whole community. 4.) [L]ove wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not. Love is not sentimental or erotic, but driven simply out of desire for the good of the other person. 5.) Only the end justifies the means, nothing else. To ensure that the end is the most loving result by weighing up the consequences of moral actions, we are sure to make the most moral decision. 6.) [L]oves decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively. If an action will bring about an end that serves love most then it is right, and this decision (of which action to take) is made depending on and relative to the situation at hand. 2.) How far does it succeed as a strong ethical theory? For some Christians, Situation ethics appears as the perfect theory, as love is at the heart of the morality, which harmonises with the teachings of Jesus. Even the idea of an act done for love rising in superiority over all rules is supported by Jesus teachings, as he taught Paul that love is the highest principle above the Law. Fletcher argues that, because Christianitys God is a personal one, its moral approach should be centred around human beings too, as opposed to focusing on a worship of laws and principles. Additionally, a key strength this theory possesses is flexibility, and many argue that it allows for pragmatic decisions to be made without having to follow rule-based ethical systems built on absolute commandments, which means that exceptions can be made. For example, Roman Catholics deduce their morality from Natural Moral Law, and believe in the sanctity of life (where life is sacred and must be preserved). Therefore if a terminally ill patient in a hospital desired to be allowed to die to end his suffering, a Roman Catholic would deem this immoral. However someone following the guidelines of Situation Ethics may be able to grant the patient their wish, if it was the most loving thing to do in that situation. However, despite its evident strengths and popularity, Situation ethics has been criticised on a number of important points. Perhaps the most damaging attack is the assessment of this theorys practicality. Fletcher argued that in order to do the most loving thing in every situation we must look at the long term consequences of the options available to us. Unfortunately, this is incredibly difficult; some claim it is impossible. As limited human beings, we are not gifted with perfect foresight. We simply cannot accurately predict the consequences of an action, as there are always a large number of factors, some of which we may even be unaware of, and the required calculations are by and large far too complicated to be done at all, let alone on the spur of the moment in a pressing situation. Some argue that this renders Situation ethics unpractical as an ethical theory. Another devastating attack on Situation ethics is the argument that love is subjective; that it means something different to every individual. What this means, is that in a given situation one person may calculate the most loving thing to do by using Situation ethics, yet another person may perform the same calculations, using exactly the same guidelines and principles, and arrive at a different result. We can also enter into this the actuality that peoples emotions and feelings change daily, so the morals that we hold one day may have changed by the next. The undeniable fact that love does not mean the same thing to everybody calls into question the supposed universality of the theory. In addition to this, Situation ethics can in theory allow acts such as murder, lying, cheating and stealing, for if they were done in the name of love and produced the most love for the community, then by Situation ethics they would be announced morally just. For example, it is generally considered wrong to steal a gun, but if by stealing that gun you prevented the murder of numerous people then your action would be justified, as you had acted in order to serve love. Your theft is non-accountable, as in fact the only accountability in Situation Ethics is whether your actions will result in the highest possible expression on love for others.

Beauty Pageants And Self Esteem

â€Å"Lets Call Her ‘Miss America’!†(Nussbaum). Beginning as early as the 1920s, beauty pageants presented girls and young women wearing various attires and showcasing their talent (Nussbaum). Judges, then and now, are looking for the â€Å"complete package†: the young lady that exudes the most confidence, beauty, and knowledge (Nussbaum). Since then, the child beauty pageant business is one of the most popular in pageantry and has evolved into a â€Å"multi-billion dollar industry† that has led to numerous reality†¦ The Dark Side of Beauty Pageants With their glamour, expensive dresses, jewels and, big fake smiles, beauty pageant contestants are just hiding their true personalities under materialistic things. People may say that beauty pageants aren’t always about looks. The contestants are scored on beauty, personality, evening wear, athletic wear and over all perception of the contestant. Beauty contestant ages range from 2 years old to 60+ years old. The fact that contestants lie about their beliefs†¦ the televised pageants in front of a worldwide audience. Every year when the time of the televised broadcast comes, opposition arises of the great tradition of beauty pageants. Today, pageant girls face people who cringe once they mention they compete in pageants. Shows like Toddlers & Tiaras make it worse for pageant girls, because the show makes pageantry look childish and petty. Most people only see the televised broadcast and are not aware of everything that goes on once the pageant crowns a new†¦ Most Americans are unaware that the first beauty pageant in America originated in 1854, 66 years before women could even vote. Since then, beauty pageants have been extremely detrimental to our society in many ways, although they may seem like nothing but glitter and glam. I believe that beauty pageants are exploitive because they promote the idea that women are just bodies that can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, which causes society to believe women are nothing more than their appearance, it†¦ The Ugly behind Beauty Pageants Iconic actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn once said, â€Å"The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the beauty of a woman is reflected in her soul.† (â€Å"Audrey Hepburn Quotes†). These words remind girls that their self worth should not come from the artificial things, but from the strength and morals inside of each child. Child beauty pageants heavily contradict this idea, by leading girls to believe that physical perfection is just as, or more valuable than†¦ Beauty pageants originated a long time ago, and over the years they have evolved tremendously. Today, the use of spray tans, false eyelashes, fake teeth, layers of makeup, and over-sexed outfits are the norm of child pageants. Just over the course of a few decades, the pageant world has changed from simple church dresses to expensive glitzy outfits. Most little girls would relish at the thought of being treated like a princess, even if just for a few days out of the year; however, some parents take†¦ alone, 2.5 million females compete in Beauty Pageants every year. (Harden, Beauty) A beauty pageant is a competition that is based solely on physical attributes but also contains personality, talent, and question and answer segments. Beauty Pageants are seen by some as a path of boosting one’s self esteem and creating connections for contestants in hopes of advancing their careers, through popularity and promotions. (OccupyTheory) Many also say that through pageants one can learn public speaking, interview†¦ entrants, usually women, are judged as to physical beauty and sometimes personality and talent, with the winners awarded prizes of titles.’ The definition of a beauty contest objectifies women. Pageants only shows the beauty of someone. Sometimes showing talent, which involves singing, dancing, or baton twirling. In pageants, women display ‘girly’ talents to make themselves seem more appealing than their competition . Beauty is not everything, beauty pageants and contests shows little girls that the only†¦ the depiction of beauty in animated Disney princess films and measure the consequences that the portrayal of beauty has on young girl’s individual self-esteem levels. The hypothesis of this study, states that young girls who idolize the beauty standards of Disney princesses will have lower self-esteem levels than young girls who do not idolize Disney princesses standard of beauty. I expected that young girls who have the desire to mimic Disney princesses would have lower self-esteem levels because†¦ televised pageants in front of a worldwide audience. Every year when the time of the televised broadcast comes, opposition arises of the tradition of beauty pageants. Today, pageant girls face people who cringe once they mention they compete in pageants. Shows such as Toddlers & Tiaras worsen the situation for pageant girls; the show makes pageantry appear childish and petty. Most people only witness the televised broadcast and are not aware of everything that goes on once the pageant crowns a new†¦

Structural equation modeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Structural equation modeling - Research Paper Example In addition, the SEM holds the capability to test models with multiple dependent variables. It also holds the capability to model mediators and residuals. It is essential to consider here that since the model and data have been given prior to the assignment, only model testing, results and interpretation shall seek the attention of performance here. The data therefore shall be put in the Amos software and the model shall be tested to obtain the results. The results obtained can be utilized for the modification of the model. However, it is essential to consider here that a change can result in a change in model's meaning. It is therefore essential to consider whether or not the changes hold consistency with the theory. If the results reveal the need for change in the model then it should be done. However, since theory was not provided for the practical assignment, the changes should be performed in the light of cautious steps. The essential task is to find out as to what extent does the independent variable (reputation, skill, information exchange, power and flexibility) predict trust (independent variable). In addition, it is also required to find whether or not trust is a mediator to long-term orientation. It is important to note that all the variables have been presented in an oral shape in the figure above. The oral shape on the variables represents the fact that they are latent variables. Since all the variables were provided in the data set, it can be assumed that these were provided on the basis of factor scores and therefore these variables no longer remains latent variables, but become observed variables. Therefore one should conceptualize them as observable variables from this point of time. The presented model above has no covariance shown between the five independent variables. Since the task of assignment is to specify that the above model is based on covariance, there exists a dominant need to add bi-directional arrows between the five independent variables. It is important to note here that the five independent variables are exogenous because they have no prior casual variable. In addition, it is essential to understand that trust is a mediating variable and is an effect of other five mentioned exogenous variables, and it results in long-term orientation, a dependent variable. It is essential to note here that both trust and long-term orientation are endogenous variables. The model shows no residuals, so they are required to be allocated to endogenous variables. This is because the residuals are unobserved and thus have to be depicted as ovals. Normality and sample size Evaluation of absolute model fit can be done by means of probability of chi-square test. However, it is important to consider here that the probability of chi-square test if highly sensitive to both sample size and non-normality in distribution of variables. It is therefore essential to find out whether or not the variables are distributed in normal patter