Monday, December 30, 2019

rights of a woman Essay - 1223 Words

In her article â€Å"Women’s History† Joan Scott states that it is important for historians to be attentive to both â€Å"the ways in which politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics†. First, definitions for politics and gender will be established in order to analyze Scott’s claim. Second, what Scott meant by the claim â€Å"politics constructs gender† will be illustrated. Third, the contradictory claim â€Å"gender constructs politics† by Joan Scott will be explained. Finally, this paper will evaluate why it is important for historians to be attentive to both the notion that politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics. The usefulness of Scott’s claim on our understanding of both politics and gender will also be examined. The†¦show more content†¦Both politics (all relationships involving unequal distributions of power) and gender involve cultural definitions and as a result politics and gender hav e influence on each other. Historians, as Joan Scott states, must be aware the influence that politics and gender have on one another in order to create a complete, accurate history. The idea that historians should be aware that â€Å"politics constructs gender† in the first part of Scott’s claim seems logical. In order to understand why it is important for historians to be attentive to the idea that politics constructs gender it must be demonstrated what Joan Scott meant by this claim. All relationships can be defined by their respective balance of power. There is either an equal balance of power or there is an unequal balance of power. Relationships that have an unequal balance of power, as Joan Scott defines, involve politics. It can be generalized that in order to maintain power those with influence create rules or perform actions that seek to sustain their authority. The rules and actions do not have to be formal and include methods such as labeling individuals, biological groups, or socially created groups such as gender. Over time, gender type has been associated, or labeled, with power by those who have the power. As the balances of power ch ange over time, the rules and actions towards thoseShow MoreRelatedThe Rights Of The Woman806 Words   |  4 Pagesstart at contraception, the rights of the woman gets thrown out and then she is treated as an incubator because she is forced to give birth. A birth should be a gift and a privilege, if everyone is forced to have a child out of their will then â€Å"rather than a privilege and a gift, these aspects of being female become an unbearable burden (MIT Know The Facts). I have not every known anyone who has gone through an abortion, but I can think of the pain and trauma a woman can go through when they wantRead MoreA Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman941 Words   |  4 Pagesequality between women and men; there is no tearing down of the opposite sex, there is no goal for women to be seen as greater than men, there is no hidden agenda — the goal is simply equality. In Mary Wollstonecraft’s essay â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,† she argues the feminist message that women should have access to the same education that men have been granted. While women and men have been given the same educational opportunities today, there are points Wollstonecraft addresses in her essayRead MoreA Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman1454 Words   |  6 PagesA Vindication of the Rights of Woman Summary and Analysis of Chapter I: The Rights and Involved Duties of Mankind Considered In reading Wollstonecraft’s essay â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,† I am drawn by the evidence that she provides to support her claim that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. Her essay is one that discusses overcoming the ways in which women in her time (18th century) are oppressed and denied their potential; which naturally presents a problemRead MoreThe Rights Of The Muslim Woman1849 Words   |  8 Pages The Rights of the Muslim Woman. In this recent centuries, many women around the world were given their rights, and New Zealand was the first country to give that right to women. But before people worried about rights, and this is going back thousand centuries ago, There was a dark time, people were ignorant and believed Superstitions. So they were told having a girl in the family will ruin their status among their people, and she’ll also bring bad luck. SomeoneRead MoreA Vindication Of The Rights Of Woman Essay2259 Words   |  10 Pageswas then able to publish her most notable work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792). A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is still a very popular book which can be seen as a guide to becoming a better citizen and understanding feminism in a critical context. This essay will argue that Mary Wollstonecraft is still relevant to the feminist cause today as her views portrayed in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman are still relatable to many of the feminist issues that currently existRead MoreThe Rights Of A Woman s Esc Rights1683 Words   |  7 PagesIn Africa a majority of women still lack the ability to exercise their rights. This is relevant for both economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights. The issue with the combination of the two is that when a woman’s ESC rights are infringed upon, it directly, negatively impacts their ability to exercise their civil rights. The inability to utilize civil political rights makes it difficult for women to take place in policy change and political decision making (SsenyonjoRead More Life of a Sensuous Woman and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman1852 Words   |  8 PagesIhara Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman written in the 17th century and Mary Woolstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman written in the 18th century are powerful literary works that advocated feminism during the time when women were oppressed members of our societies. These two works have a century old age difference and the authors of both works have made a distinctive attempt to shed a light towards the issues that nobody considered significant during that time. Despite these differencesRead MoreAn Essay on A Vindication of the Rights of Woman878 Words   |  4 PagesAfter reading from the excerpts of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman I have concluded that the situations of women, as far as rights are concerned, have indeed improved vastly. However, even though their situation has been amended and they are now afforded the same equal rights as men, not all women take advantage of these rights. A fraction of women still care more about their own physical beauty, appearance, and the prospect of finding a husband than anything else. Furthermore even, some ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Rights Of Woman 983 Words   |  4 Pagessnowballed since the birth of feminism. At the frontline of the battle, have been women enrag ed at the thought of the superiority of men. However, some women believe in taking a violent approach to demolish the ideas of oppression. In the poem â€Å"The Rights of Woman,† Barbauld reveals that the oppression of women emanates from impulsive anger by showing the power of emotion in decision making, the ineffectuality of paroxysm, and the irrefutable rule of nature. Barbauld attempts to undermine the false prideRead MoreWoman ´s Right on Abortions1198 Words   |  5 PagesWomen’s reproductive rights have been endangered from early history. A woman’s job included housework and child birth. Around 1920, women started receiving their choices and rights. In the 21st century, women are looked at with fairness and receive equal opportunities, but there is one right being stripped from women: the choice of using birth control and aborting pregnancy. Society frowns upon aborting a fetus in the womb, but it fails to realize the circumstantial standing each woman is placed in and

Sunday, December 22, 2019

A Structural and Vocabulary Analysis of John Donnes The...

A Structural and Vocabulary Analysis of John Donnes The Flea In his poem The Flea, John Donne shows his mastery in creating a work in which the form and the vocabulary have deliberately overlapping significance. The poem can be analyzed for the prominence of threes that form layers of multiple meanings within its three stanzas. In each of the three stanzas, key words can be examined to show (through the use of the OED) how Donne brilliantly chose them because of the various connotations they had to his audience. Finally, each of the three stanzas contains completely different moods that reflect the speaker’s emotions as the situation changes. Upon knowing some of John Donne’s personal history, especially of his eventual high†¦show more content†¦According to the OED, anything that caused surprise or alarm was referred to as a flea. Another common usage for the word flea was as an adjective. Something was like a flea if it was small and contemptible. The third relevance was as a popular phrase saying that there was a flea in one’s ear. The OED definition of this saying is, stinging or mortifying reproof, rebuff, or repulse, which sends one away discomfited. It is easy to see the evolution of the word flea to the verb, to flee. The second stanza can be summed up by the word jet. Jet also has several layers of meaning. Donne writes, Though parents grudge, and you, we are met,/ And cloistered in these living walls of jet. The speaker is trying to convince a lady to have an illicit tryst with him, and this line shows that he is being sneaky and sly because they are somewhere dark and secretive. Jet literally means black and shiny, just like a flea, but according to the OED, it also represents an action. A jet is a sudden, darting movement and the speaker actually makes a jet towards the lady. It is in this stanza that he makes his most ambitious argument to the lady, and because this is obviously a sexual proposition, Donne’s clever word selection reveals why the third meaning of jet is especially relevant. Jet also has a phallic/male connotation as the root of the word jetty (an outcropping of rocks

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Balance Based Literacy Is it the Best Solution Free Essays

Literacy has become an important consideration in the field of education. To address literacy problems, educators (Strickland, n. d. We will write a custom essay sample on Balance Based Literacy: Is it the Best Solution? or any similar topic only for you Order Now ; Frey et al. , 2004) use the Balance Based Literacy Program, which specifically stresses the use of varied approaches to teaching literacy. According to California Department of Education (as cited in Frey et al. , 2004), the term balanced literacy originated in California in 1996. This was made into a curriculum in response to low reading scores of students on a national examination. It promotes the concept that reading and writing must go hand in hand to promote literacy. In contrast to using a specific approach to teaching literacy such as Phonics Approach or Whole Language Approach, Balance Based Literacy combines these approaches and more in order to ensure meeting the goal of literacy. Believing that every student has the capability to learn how to read and write, Balance Based Literacy allows students to achieve a certain literacy level through a combination of approaches relevant to their ability. The literacy model established with balance allows students to plan their own personal progress, and attempt new techniques in learning, with the support of teachers and resources. Based on Frey et al. (2004), many authors believe that combining a balance of teacher-directed instruction and student-centered activities is the most effective way of teaching literacy. In addition, Asselin, and Pearson (as cited in Frey) believe that Balance Based Literacy must include elements of community, authenticity, integration, optimism, modeling, and student control and connectedness. Activities incorporated in Balance Based Literacy include reading and writing aloud, shared reading and writing, guided reading and writing, and independent reading and writing. According to Mrs. Stewart’s Kindergarten Web site, one model of Balance Based Literacy being employed nowadays is the Literacy Collaborative Model. This comprehensive model is designed to provide a school-wide approach to improve reading and writing. This model includes a wide range of individual, small-group, and large-group reading and writing activities (Literacy Collaborative Web site). One component of Balance Based Literacy is Reading and Writing Aloud. In Reading Aloud, students learn the language through acquisition. It supports the idea that language is acquired, thus students are asked to read aloud a text to other students. By doing such, the read language registers in the mind of the students, making them learn the language. However, beyond the purpose of learning, the goals of Reading Aloud are to promote enjoyment and emphasize the uses of print (Mrs. Stewart’s Web site). It exposes the students to the uses of printed materials, and develops discussion skills by motivating them to ask questions during the activity. During Reading aloud, students do not need to view the read text. The focus is not on the content of the text, but what the student reads or explains about the text. The selection for such activities may be fiction or nonfiction, or it can be a narrative, or a picture book Another component of Balance Based Literacy is Shared Reading. During Shared Reading, students reformulate ideas from the context. Either the teacher or a proficient student reader reads to the class, while the rest of the students are invited to join in the reading. One important component of shared reading is an enlarged text which is readable by all children. The text used may contain songs, poems, charts, or lists created by the teacher or developed with the class during shared writing activities. During the reading, the teacher or student reader points to or glides a locator on the reading material to guide the students in reading. This is to draw students’ attention to the print in order to promote familiarity with words in the text. Shared reading activities involve multiple readings of books over several days. During the initial reading, the teacher emphasizes reading for enjoyment while subsequent readings are done to increase participation, and teach vocabulary, ideas, author’s style, and intonation patterns. Through repeated readings of a particular text, children become familiar with word forms and build up recognition of words and phrases used in the text (Bridge, Winograd, Haley; Pikulski Kellner, as cited in Frey et al. , 2004). The third reading component of Balance Based Literacy is Guided Reading. In this kind of activity, students are given more chances to express their ideas and feelings through inquiry. As such, it requires more student participation. In most cases, students are grouped together according to their level, and asked to read a text appropriate to their reading ability. In this case, the teacher needs to carefully identify each student’s level to ensure proper assessment. The fourth reading component is Independent Reading. This activity allows the student to choose from a wide variety of texts. It aims to make students become confident, motivated and enthusiastic about their ability to read. Considered as an advanced approach to reading, this activity makes use of skills learned during the Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, and Guided Reading activities. The writing components of Balance Based Literacy also ensure variety in the application of approaches and resources. One component is the Shared Writing activity. In this activity, the teacher and the students together decide to write a text in which the teacher acts as the scribe. The activity requires discussion of what they are writing about, and modeling of the teacher on the board how the text should be written. The students are asked to verbally interact with the teacher before, during, and after the activity to help make connections. The second writing component is the Interactive Writing activity. In this activity, either the teacher and the class, or students in groups collaborate to write a material. The students articulate the words or sounds that they are about to write, and discuss with the teacher or group mates what they are writing about. The third component is the Guided Writing or Writing Workshop. This intends to allow students to spend time daily to write about things that interest them. Students are guided to experiment with a variety of genres. The ultimate goal is for students to develop a style of their own, and apply previous learning. In addition to the writing activity itself, the teacher offers a whole class session, small group lesson, or a conference where students can learn and share their written output. The fourth component is the Independent Writing. This activity allows students to write independently by choosing their own topic and genre. By letting them write freely, students develop the natural habit of writing, thereby making them improve along the process. In this kind of activity, teacher evaluation is set aside in order to promote creativity. The components of Balance Based Literacy are directed toward a common goal: to ensure effective strategy in teaching literacy. They support basic literacy theories introduced in the past such as the constructivist, interactive, and experiential theories. Encompassing these theories, Balance Based Literacy may be viewed as a holistic approach to literacy instruction. Taking from the behaviorist theory of B. F. Skinner, the Constructivism theory believes that all knowledge is constructed through a process of reflective abstraction (Huitt, 2003). In the constructivist classroom, the learner is presented with opportunities to construct new knowledge in addition to prior knowledge and experience. In particular, Reading Aloud and Shared Writing support this theory. As students read and write aloud, they learn new sounds and vocabulary, and benefit from the sharing done by their classmates. Interactive Reading and Writing anchor on the Interactive theory. This theory believes that learning is best attained through interaction with others. As discussed above, during Interactive Reading and Writing, students are given the opportunity to listen to other’s ideas. All the components mentioned above support the experiential theory. This theory purports that learning will best occur through individual experience. By asking students to read and write aloud, express ideas in interactive activities, and read and write on their own, teachers promote experiential learning as the very basis of their instruction. Although many educators believe in the effectiveness of Balance Based Literacy Instruction, some authors see disadvantages in its application. For instance, Wren (n. d. ) suggests that the needs of the learners must be the first consideration when designing an appropriate program of instruction. He claims that instruction should be patterned to the needs of the learners and not specific of one approach or a balance of many approaches. Another issue regarding application of Balance Based Literacy is the specific focus it gives on reading and writing. This tends to neglect other skills such as speaking and listening, which are also important aspects of literacy. To mitigate problems arising from this neglect, the teacher should incorporate speaking and listening resources as tools for reading and writing instruction. For example, instead of focusing on printed materials, guided writing could use listening resources as motivation activities. Furthermore, technological resources should likewise be used to promote a holistic approach. Conclusion Balance Based Literacy has been considered by many as an ideal program to teach literacy. Given its whole rounded and comprehensive approach to reading and writing, it purports not just base learning but mastery of skills in the target areas. In addition, the activities it introduces provide a way to monitor the progress of students, and allow them to experience learning in various ways. Studies validating the effectiveness of Balance Based Literacy have found its applicability to young learners. However, not much has been said about its applicability to adult learners who are more in need of a balanced instruction. In this regard, it is highly recommended to conduct research on the applicability of the said program of instruction among adult learners. References Balance overview. (n. d. ) Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://projectcentral. ucf. edu/Past%20Initiatives/BALANCE/index. html Dorothy S. Strickland (n. d. ) Balanced Literacy: Teaching the Skills and thrills of reading. http://teacher. scholastic. com/professional/teachstrat/balanced. htm Frey, Bruce B. , Steve W. Lee, Nona Tollefson Lisa Pass. (2004). Balanced literacy in an urban school district. Retrieved 17 March 2008, from http://people. ku. edu/~bfrey/balancedliteracy. pdf Kolb, David A. , Richard E. Boyatzis Charalampos Mainemelis. Experiential learning theory: Previous research and new directions. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://www. learningfromexperience. com/images/uploads/experiential-learning-theory. pdf Literacy collaborative: Our purpose. (n. d. ) Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://www. literacycollaborative. org/about/characteristics/ Martha Manson French, M. (1999). Planning for literacy instruction: Guidelines for planning and instruction for literacy. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://clercdev. gallaudet. edu/cc/Products/Sharing-Ideas/planning/guidelines. html Root, Cathy (n. d. ) Balanced : Reading and writing in the first and second grade classroom an internet-based treasure hunt on balanced literacy. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www. swlauriersb. qc. ca/english/edservices/pedresources/balancedlit/balancedliteracy. htm Thelen, Jeff. (n. d. ). A balanced literacy program for the upper elementary grades. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://curriculum. edenpr. org/~jthelen/languagearts/a_balanced_literacy_program. htm Wren, Sebastian. (n. d. ) What does a balanced literacy approach mean? Retrieved from http://www. sedl. org/reading/topics/balanced. html How to cite Balance Based Literacy: Is it the Best Solution?, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Edgar Allen Poe Compare and Contrast free essay sample

There are quite a few plot elements in The Murders of the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter. In both stories, the settings are the same; Paris. In the The Murders of the Rue Morgue, the conflict is that Dupin needs to find out who murdered the lady and her daughter. The climax is when Dupin is telling the narrator how he figured it out and suddenly the man, who Dupin was talking about, comes for his orangutan and after that, the mystery is solved. In The Purloined Letter, the conflict is that Chief G and Dupin need to find the purloined letter. The climax is when Dupin tells G to write him a check of 50,000 francs and hands him the letter. These are some of the plot elements that are similar and different. In The Purloined Letter and The Murders of the Rue Morgue there are several literary elements. In The Murders of the Rue Morgue, there is foreshadowing, which is clues to what will happen later in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on Edgar Allen Poe Compare and Contrast or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The example is the title, which tells one that there will be a murder. In The Purloined Letter, the foreshadowing is when Dupin says to G, maybe the mystery is a little too simple, a little too self-evident. It suggests that Dupin will solve the mystery. In this story the simile is, I made the outside of my letter look torn and dirty, just like the original. In The Murders of the Rue Morgue the simile is, Four of us dragged her body from the chimney with some difficulty, as it had been forced up there quite a distance. The irony of this story is that the orangutan was the murderer. In The Purloined Letter, the irony is how Minister D hid the letter. Edgar Allen Poes life really influenced his writing. Poe was born on January 19, 1809. His mother died from tuberculosis, and then his foster mother died the same way. After that, he married his 13 year old cousin Virginia Clemm who also died from tuberculosis. Poe had a very tragic life which is why his stories are about terror, madness, disease, and death. He wrote The Murders of the Rue Morgue, and later The Purloined Letter. These stories became popular quickly because they were something in a new key. Poe did not call these detective stories; he called them tales of ratiocination. Poe died at the age of 40 on October 7, 1849. His detective stories really influenced writers like Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, and other writers to write detective stories. There are a lot of similarities and differences in The Murders of the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter. Some similarities are that both of these stories are investigative stories. Another similarity is that they have the same detective for both stories, Auguste C. Dupin. One difference is that in one story someone gets murdered, but in the other one nobody does. Those are the similarities and differences. I learned that you have to be careful and pay attention to everything.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Author Website Design Inspiration 5 Ideas to Build the Perfect Website

Author Website Design Inspiration 5 Ideas to Build the Perfect Website Author Website Design Inspiration: 5 Ideas From Bestselling Authors Author websites are the one place readers get to judge a book by its cover†¦ or in this case, the webpage. We’ve already written an extensive piece with tips for building an effective author website: 10 Tips to Build The Perfect Author Website,  but we thought we could go even further and offer you some actual  inspiration  and ideas to get started on yours.The main goal of your website is to allow you to connect with your readers, and help convert them into loyal customers. It’s obvious that authors are masters of language, but when it comes to the web, some don’t deem it necessary to have a strong internet presence. And that’s exactly where a dedicated reader can be made†¦or lost.  So the author website design inspiration you'll find in this post will be geared towards one main goal: creating loyal readers. Idea  #1: Adding teasers to your author websiteOnce an avid reader has finished a great book, they immediately want to read another; it’s an addiction. So when they make their way to your author website, the first thing they should see on your homepage is a feature on what you’re working on next. Readers want some exclusivity!Nothing is worse than finishing your new favorite book or the first book in a series and going to the author’s website to find out when the next one will be published and there’s absolutely zero information. It’s simply heartbreaking coming from a reader’s eyes and also from a marketing perspective.Case in point? If you're a loyal reader of George R.R. Martin's  A Song of Ice and Fire series (aka  Game of Thrones), you probably want to know when  Winds of Winter is going to be finished. So you head to the author's website, and†¦ you see this.We understand that being a published author means that you’r e extremely busy working on your next book, but creating a separate email account for the sole purpose of receiving feedback from your followers is extremely controlled and feasible. (And if you’re having a bad day, reading a little fan mail should cure that!)Similarly, designing the website so that the "Contact" page is immediately available from the menu is crucial. If people want to get in touch with you, your design should make  it as easy for them as you can.Also, if you’re feeling sociable, make it easy for your readers to find you on social media - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook  - with the help of push buttons. It will be easier to â€Å"like† what they tweet or tag you in and  if they tweet positive feedback, they’re marketing for you!Or you can try Nick Stephenson’s approach to staying in touch: homing pigeons 😉Idea  #4:  Make the best first impressionA reader coming to your website usually wants one thing: to know more about you. The first thing they'll do is click to your "bio" page. We know writers hate writing about themselves (unless you're a memoir writer!), but  you gotta give readers what they want, so feel free to  indulge yourself with  some healthy bragging.But  how do you write the ultimate author bio? The trick is to write more than one. As a writer, rewriting and re-editing comes with the territory. Write multiple versions of your bio blurb until you’ve broken down your shyness barrier and created a bio that truly defines you not only as an author, but also as a person. And continuing our point in idea  #2, continue to keep it fresh by updating it as you move along in your career.Now, since you're here for some inspiration, take a look at  Lindsay Buroker's bio page. It's  a great case in point  for being genuine and true to your  work. She’s honest, witty, and real in her bio blurb.Idea  #5:  The website as  an extension of your bookThere is one question we haven't addressed yet: how do you get  as many  readers as possible to actually go to your website?  The first thing  is to write a really really good book. The better the book, the more the author will want to learn more about you and your other work, and head to your website for that.Then, you need to make sure that you actually link to your website at the beginning and end of all your ebooks. You also need to make sure you pick a simple URL, like "firstnamelastname.com" or "seriesname.com." That way, your website will likely show up as the first result on Google when readers Google you.But the ultimate way to get authors to check out your site is to turn it into an extension of your book, by linking it to one of your characters, or places, or adding more to the story.  Not sure what we mean by that? You'll find some inspiration in ML Banner's story:"I had a character in the book who was a scientist and I thought: it’d be really cool if he had this res earch institute. So I created a persona for him online: a G+ profile, a Twitter account, and a website for the CMER Institute. The key was really to think from my character’s standpoint and see what I would do, in his place, to get the word out about this phenomenon that endangers the world.The beautiful thing about eBooks is the connectivity: you can embed hyperlinks. So I linked to this CMERI website where my character actually offered a free ebook called â€Å"The Apocalypse Survival Guide†. And I actually got over 1,200 downloads of that book. Some people even seem to believe that the CMERI is real, as I got a couple of media inquiries!"You have all the best practices in one: link to the website in the book, social media, free additional content, and a website that truly takes the story to another level. Of course, your author website's design should match the "branding" of your book or series, and ideally  feature  some of the imagery used on the cover. Our b est advice for that is to put  your author website design in the hands of a Reedsy professional.What are your favourite author websites out there? Which ones do you turn to for design inspiration? What other tips would you add to this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Monday, November 25, 2019

Abortion & Thomson essays

Abortion & Thomson essays When it comes to Thomsons theory of abortion, I completely agree with her in many ways. In the case of rape, the woman did not willingly try to get pregnant. She did not ask to be. It is the womans right to be able to have the ability to get an abortion. To say that she can not have one is just plain wrong. Some might ask well, what if the womans life is at stake and having the child will kill her? This again should be the womans choice in to have or not have an abortion. Thomson uses the violin player as an example to this by saying that after finding out that you were plugged in to this famous person to save his life that in one month you would die because it was putting additional strain on your kidneys. Most in this case would not sacrifice their life for this person that they do not know. So therefore, there should be no difference in being able to do the same in the whole abortion case. The third case in which she says that it is ok to have an abortion is if the woman has ta ken reasonable precautions not to get pregnant. Once again I agree with her in this case. Lets take for an example a older couple who do not want children. They take all the precautions not to get pregnant such as using birth control. They end up getting pregnant and want to have an abortion. It is not right for us to say that they can not have one because they did not ask/want to get pregnant. Some might say well they can give the child up for abortion. But in saying that should you make the woman carry this child around for 9 months and go through all the pain that comes with this when she did not want the child and did precautions not to get pregnant. It should be her right to be able to say that she wants to get rid of it. Thomson makes another good point too. She states that abortion is wrong if it is done just for the sake of convenience. Lets use an example on this one also. A woman who is seven months...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Support a side on health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Support a side on health care - Essay Example The law seems to be more of a starting point than a destination for health care reform. Essentially, the liberal minded Democrats want a single payer, universal healthcare system instituted which covers all Americans. A similar all inclusive and much more streamlined system than is still the case in the U.S. system is utilized by Canada, Britain, Japan, Brazil, Russia all western European countries and several other nations. Essentially every civilized, industrialized nation but the U.S. employs some type of universal health delivery. The conservative Republican solution is essentially to do nothing much as was done during the Bush Presidency. Giving tax cuts to the wealthy and tax incentives to businesses and individuals in addition to allowing the free market to operate unabated and unregulated is the repeated rhetoric Republicans offer as a solution to the very complex issue of health care. The Republican answers do not address the problem however which is reducing overall costs w hile covering all persons, a very complex issue requiring more then simple slogan-worthy answers. This paper will examine the Democrat position regarding health care reform while offering the Republican viewpoint as rebuttal. The PPACA is expected to reduce the deficit $143 billion during the first decade and $1.5 Trillion the second decade, 2020-2030. (Holohan, 2010) Included in the new law is a Patient’s Bill of Rights which effectively ends some of the most egregious health insurance company practices. People cannot be denied insurance for pre-existing conditions and cannot have their insurance expire due to lifetime limits of the policy. Children of policy holders can stay on it until the age 26, patients are given an appeals process for coverage decisions by the insurer and other benefits to be phased in over the next few years. The PPACA will also

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Spa Design History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Spa Design History - Essay Example Spa is considered to be the place of relaxation, treatment of various diseases, through different water therapies and of course the mean to be pampered. It can be broadly defined as the treatment or therapies (with water) through the regulated usage of time, place and the method of bathing, washing, showering etc. The origin dates back to the roman era, where the soldiers after long wars used to relax, treated as well by natural medication, which is water. History of Spa culture The concept of spa is derived from the practice used by the ancient warriors, where they used the techniques of practicing water therapy for different medication purpose, for the treatment of the wounds and for rejuvenating after a long war. These were considered to be the best treatment for wounded and tired muscles or body part. SPA- The full form is Sanus Per Aquam or Sanitus Per Aquam, both emphasized the importance and the usefulness of water for health and more importantly treatment. There are different beliefs and understanding relating to the spa culture. The most popular directs to the time of the Roman Empire, where they invented the way to use thermal water to get rid of their ailments. They made the springs and took hot water treatment in it. SPA is derived form that practice, which means by or through water. In this period a town named SPA was founded in Belgium also, which gave the common man a chance to avail the services and the utility of spa. The concept of spa and its popularity reached its peak during this time. Some history dates back to 3100—300 BCE where the Egyptians used water therapy and herbal treatments , in the era 700-200 BCE, the Greeks used cold water for the Spartans, in 200 BCE, Hebrews used the purification practice by immersing in the sea.

Monday, November 18, 2019

The food industry in the United State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The food industry in the United State - Essay Example Moreover, the rest of the world has already recognized the need to put labels on all products that contain genetically modified organisms and implemented the corresponding legislations. Subsequently, there is a sufficient ground to consider the lack of GMO labels as a serious problem of the modern food industry that demands immediate and effective solutions to preserve safety and rights of the general population. To start with, the issue of GMO labelling should be viewed as a national concern since it touches upon all Americans rather than some particular group. For instance, since the massive production of GMO foods was launched in 90s, they gradually took the great share of the market and, today, constitute the prevailing majority of all the available products. Namely, near 70 percent of all processed food that are sold on the territory of the United States contain genetically engineered ingredients as well as the majority of the crops sold throughout the country are genetically modified. (Dahl 359-361) According to Louise Chu, more than â€Å"88 percent of all corn and 94 percent of soybeans† are genetically modified. (Chu) It follows that people are left without any option apart from consuming products remaining unaware of what they are actually paying for. Subsequently, it seems irrelevant that people are not given the opportunity to learn about the genetically engineered ingredi ents that were added to the product together with all the rest information put on a label. As a result, it is possible to regard the absence of GMO labelling laws as a direct violation of people’s rights to know what they are buying and consuming. Moreover, the seriousness of the discussed problem is reinforced by the fact that GMO products are potentially harmful for the health of people. Firstly, the overall range of possible effects

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Westernization in Present Day: Globalisation in Singapore

Westernization in Present Day: Globalisation in Singapore Globalization can be described as an ongoing process where resources, believes, ideas and technology from different cultures are integrated to each other and promote new ways of thinking and practices among the society. As a continuing progression, globalization aroused from the influences of other cultures, which has been adapted with the local cultural conditions and modified to fit in the context of social behaviour. The external influences will directly override some local particularities, and the culture itself will be altered, or maybe damaged, or even enhanced, according to the perspective of society life. Therefore, the expression of culture itself will be interpreted and analysed in different way which encouraged the people to think, act, and learn the new disciplines in every aspect of life. These processes, hence, have an outcome of a cultural diversity, in which introducing the local values in global culture. In other words, it offered a global and local linkage of social changes that happened in the nation. Looking through the contemporary social life, globalization has become a major issue all over the world. Many countries have developed new approaches in most of the living aspects, and transformed peoples lifestyle in order to follow the major flow that happened globally. In todays modern days, globalization can act as a tool to open the opportunities of influence by other countries, and expand the cross-cultural interaction that may build up the cohesion among the nation. Globalization, however, implies to westernization in present days. The nature of western countries seems to appear as a science based tradition and the world is highly developed towards that tradition, as a sense of control. These global forces appear to superficially standardized and homogenized cultures, and equivalent to westernization. Majority of cultures are converging to the western standards, local identities have been replaced with global culture, and western values have become significant trends in this modern world.   Looking at Singapore, a cosmopolitan city, where variety of cultures merges together, is one of a good example of a country that embraces globalization. Besides accepting the westernization, Singapore has been spanning borders through other cultures, such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Caucasian. These four interwoven cultures has created a genuine blending of traditions, believes, and ideas. A fusion of cultures in which Singapore brought in, has created a multi-disciplinary notions and practices, rooted in many cultural traditions. This synthesis has altered and transforms the peoples way of life according to the local context. On the other hand, not only western value that the world, including Singapore, has been developing on, but also majority of the countries have welcoming influences from Asian culture. Japan has brought a significant shift in the worlds globalization. Beside westernization, it has been become a popular culture among the world. Japanese culture has generated a different approach in global trends. Its tradition does not rest on science based technology and for them technology is a choice, not a necessity. Japan has greatly developed their long standing traditions towards something that instinctive rather than rationalistic way of thinking, like what the western do. Japan has its own original characteristic, which has a capacity to adapt and integrate new forms and function. Hence, there is no doubt that Japanese influence has an impact on the worlds culture, such as, in space, design, architecture, style, and even food culture. There is no large city in the world in which a Japanese restaurant cannot be found. Far from being a passing fad, Japanese cuisine is an establishment item in restaurants all over the world. The popularity of Japanese food is in part due to its reputation as a healthy alternative and also the curiosity and willingness to constantly introducing new tastes in their daily meals. Japanese way of dining, since the olden days, has put emphasized on food arrangement as a piece of art. For the Japanese, food must be enjoyed visually and pleasing to the eyes. They have developed the aesthetic sense to design exquisite harmony between colours, texture and shape throughout the food arrangement. This visual pleasure is an essential prelude and accompaniment to the savoury pleasure that follow. The influence of Japanese cuisine has been successfully creating a new atmosphere in Singapore food culture. It is proven that Singapore people accepted the taste and ambience of Japanese food by looking to the increasing number of sushi chain restaurant, such as Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi; numerous traditional and contemporary Japanese restaurant, and also Japanese themed food court such as Ishimura and Manpuku. The diversity of food which has been influenced by Japanese cuisine, has become an inspiration for the designers to introduce innovative and exciting solutions to design dining spaces, through the essential aspect of Japanese dining and design in new ways that suit todays restaurant-goers. Recognizing the context of social behaviour in Singapore, innovation is the key elements for Singaporean. In terms of food culture, people like an excitement and it is a challenge for them to try something fresh and different, both in food and also ambience of dining space. Experience is another strong point, another extra ordinary atmosphere can attract people to get in and try a new restaurant. Besides the tendency to look for new things, the image of Singapore as a fast paced country gave an impact to the society. The time-oriented and multi-tasking people have built a busy working environment and hectic lifestyle in this metropolis city. Consequently, they are likely dont have time to have the luxury of enjoying social fellowship during the weekdays. This could be why it seems that forms of entertainment in Singapore tend to be designed to fit peoples activity on weekends. The big leisure activity that Singapore offers is shopping. There are numerous numbers of malls and shopping centres have been build or even renovated to drag people in the shopping as an attraction. Other than shopping; casinos, theme parks, nature reserves, are the other forms of leisure that Singapore provided. Despite the fact that all those type of facilities can serve as a very relaxing and stress relieving activity, people need to spend their time on weekend to do these activities.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Irony, Images, and Illusions in Dover Beach :: Arnold Dover Beach Essays

Irony, Images, and Illusions in Dover Beach In the poem "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold there is a lot of irony, appeal to the auditory and visual sense, and illusions. The tone in this poem is very sad and dismal, but he shows us how to keep faith and hope in spite of that and how important being honest, true, and faithful to one another, really is. Throughout this poem, Arnold mentions all of these traits and ties them all together. The irony in this poem is the main plot of the poem. A man has taken a woman to a beautiful beach in France. There they look over the cliffs at the beautiful ocean, the moon is full and bright, and the night-air is calm and peaceful. She thinks that she is going to this romantic place to be wooed by this man. Instead he turns to her and talks to her about Sophocles. She, not understanding what exactly is going on, later realizes that he was getting to the point of having each other and always being there for one another. The poet uses visual and auditory images to mainly help the romantic, fantasy-like place. â€Å"The sea is calm, the tide is full† and â€Å"Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,† is an example of images that appeal to the visual sense. While â€Å" Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land† and â€Å"With tremulous cadence slow, and bring...† uses an auditory sense. â€Å"Come to the window, sweet is the night air,† can apply to both senses. Sweet can mean angelic or precious to qualify to be an visual image, or it can mean almost like a melodious tune. Illusions are used in this poem as deception for the girl that the man is trying to hold a non-romantic conversation with. A theory is portrayed in this poem by Plato, the world is an illusion. In many case this that falls true. In the first stanza of the poem , the surrounds of the two people is discussed. Words like calm, tranquil, sweet, and eternal, are used which seem to foreshadow a lovely romantic evening. As the poem continues on, the evening is spent talking about anything but love. The final topic of discussion goes much deeper than just love. They end up talking about how the world is sometimes so

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Strong and Durable Digging Equipment – Excavator and Its Parts

Digging equipments for construction is a very strong and durable one. They are usually made of steel which can carry heavy materials without breaking and dig to the ground with the use of the excavator bucket teeth. This part of the machine is built like this so that it will break down the materials that it will dig and it would be easier for the machine to do its task because of this feature. As a result also, it is easier for the bucket to dig through the earth and scoop it up for easy loading and unloading. Excavation is part of a construction project that requires heavy equipment machinery specifically an excavator bucket. It is an attachment that is very useful in construction projects that requires a lot of digging like in making bridges, trenches, ditches and also in mining. The bucket is an application that can be attached even at cranes, tractors, and other construction machinery. As the word itself, its main purpose is to dig and load a larger volume of material that is of great help and at the same time convenient to the workers at mining and construction sites. The excavator bucket suppliers have designed this very efficient machine for a lot of purposes. In the construction area, it is used to break the soil and remove it for the purpose of making trenches, ditches or bridges. Aside from the soil, it can dig through any materials that are within its capacity. In landscaping, it generally is used to excavate the earth so that the area will be designed according to the plans. Moreover, it is used for mining wherein it clears the ground for different mining tasks. In addition it can even dig to the ground to gather raw materials like ore and rocks. Operation of the excavator bucket requires you to be responsible of maintaining it in good shape. Like other machines, it must be checked for any damage and parts that needs to be fixed for it to work well in the area. You must be responsible in keeping it functional and efficient for you to accomplish your work according to your plans. The excavator parts all work together in order to appropriately perform its task. The bucket has a point of attachment wherein it is designed to move and be maneuvered easily according to the wishes of the operator. The tasks and the area that the machine will be used will determine its size. Large and heavy equipment ones are more preferable if you are going to use it on larger projects. Moreover, a compact or smaller in size construction machinery is recommended for small areas and not so big projects. The excavator bucket is indeed very useful in different areas especially that it is a very durable and powerful equipment in digging up materials based on its capacity. It serves a lot of purposes to workers and contractors. Maintenance is also easier if you do daily checkups and inspection on the equipment daily before you proceed with your tasks. Jaw breakers: http://www. hxjq-crusher. com/1. html vibratory feeder: http://www. hxjqchina. com/product-list_14. html combination crusher: http://www. hxjqchina. com/product-list_16. html

Friday, November 8, 2019

Vertical Integration in Starbucks Essay Example

Vertical Integration in Starbucks Essay Example Vertical Integration in Starbucks Paper Vertical Integration in Starbucks Paper Starbucks Vertical Integration Ques 1. Starbuck’s value chain is farmers, roasting, distribution, and retail. Raw Materials (Coffee Beans): Coffee bean farming is not vertically integrated into Starbucks; the company purchases coffee beans from farmers. Starbucks choose to outsource farming due to the low potential hold-up problem. For its coffee, Starbucks uses only high-quality Arabica beans, instead of regular commodity and lower quality robusta beans. Since there are a lot of market participants trading Arabica beans (i. e. farmers Arabica beans buyers), there is an established market price. Moreover, farm land has a low degree of asset specificity, and therefore farmers’ investments do not depend only on Starbucks as their buyer. Both of these allow both parties to contract without high transaction/bargaining cost. Furthermore, Starbucks is able to outsource farming because the company is able to reduce the moral hazard problem. Since Starbucks is able to contract with the farmers and is willing to pay more for premium beans , the company can create high powered incentives within the contract to ensure that it will receive high quality beans from the farmers. Roasting: Roasting is vertically integrated into Starbucks, such that the company roasts the beans itself . Due to a potential hold-up and moral hazard problem that leads to high transaction cost, it is inefficient for Starbucks to outsource bean roasting. Since Starbucks values the quality of their product at the highest priority and â€Å"considers the roasting of its coffee beans to be an art form† , they have strict and high standards for their quality checks. More specifically, they use a blood-cell analyzer to test color of the beans. This requires a high degree of asset specificity such that other companies do not require this equipment to check the quality of their roasted beans and leads to a potential hold-up problem. Moreover, as evidenced by the fact that the Senior Vice President, on a daily basis, checks the quality of coffee samples, Starbucks prefers tight control over quality inspection. Since company’s quality standard is so controlled and strict, it would be very costly to negotiate a contract that would be enough to provide type of maintenance Starbucks requires and prevent a moral hazard problem. Distribution Warehouses: Starbucks is not vertically integrated in distribution and warehouses. It outsources to distribution and warehouses specialists , because there is low risk of a hold problem and low transaction cost for contracting. Market price for distribution and warehousing is established because there are many distributers and many buyers who need their service. Additionally, warehouses and transportation used for distribution (i. e. trucks) are not specifically tied to coffee beans and have really low degree of asset specificity. Retail: Retail is vertically integrated into Starbucks. Instead of franchising, it has company-owned stores. Starbuck choose to vertically integrate due to its main strategy of selling a unique â€Å"Starbucks experience. † More specifically, Starbucks stores aim to create a â€Å"consistent, inviting, stimulating environment that evoked the romance of coffee, that signaled the company’s passion for coffee, and that rewarded customers with ceremony, stories, and surprise. For this strategy to be successful, the company needs to â€Å"replicate precisely† this experience in all of its stores. But the amount of control required to maintain this much consistency is too costly to negotiate in order to create a contract, and therefore inefficient to outsource. Ques 2. Roasting: The integration of roasting is a source of competitive advantage because this capability is both valuable and rare. Starbucks’ full control of the roasting process allows the company to ensure that the beans are roasted at a high quality. Consequently, Starbucks is able to offer a product that satisfies the demand for premium coffee. Moreover, the resulting difference in quality between Starbucks’ coffee and their competitors’ allows Starbucks to differentiate itself and gain market share. Retail: The integration of retail is also a source of competitive advantage because this capability is also valuable and rare. Through Starbucks full control and consistent management of the distinctive Starbucks experience, the company is able to create a strong brand equity. Establishing a strong brand equity allows the company maintain market presence. Additionally, considering that there are many coffee producers competing against Starbucks, having a strong brand equity allows the company to differentiate themselves. Ques. 3 Roasting: The integration of roasting is only a temporary competitive advantage for the Starbucks because this capability is imitable. Although Starbucks has its own method of roasting and a high quality inspection process, there is no evidence that the process is a protected secret. Hence, competitors are able to copy the process as long as they have the financial resource, equipment, trained employees. However, if the roasting and inspection process is indeed a protected secret, then integration of roasting is a sustainable competitive advantage. As a protected secret, competitors will not be able to imitate it. Furthermore, this capability is firm specific to Starbucks considering that the company has been roasting their own coffee beans since the beginning. Retail: The integration of roasting is a sustained competitive advantage for the Starbucks. Through full control of retail and consistent management of the distinct â€Å"Starbucks experience† over time, Starbucks has created a strong brand equity that can be sustained. The Starbucks brand is now synonymous with premium coffee. However, if Starbucks fails to maintain consistency in the management of its retail and â€Å"Starbucks experience,† opportunities will become available for competitors to produce similar retail experiences to Starbucks and steal market share. Bibliography 1. ) Starbucks Coffee Company, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, p. -9, http://mba. tuck. dartmouth. edu/pdf/2002-1-0023. pdf 2. ) Starbucks Corporation, the McGraw-Hill Companies, mhhe. com/business/management/thompson/11e/case/starbucks-2. html 3. ) Starbucks Corporation: Competing in a Global Market, UW Business School, p. 3, http://bschool. washington. edu/gbc/documents/starbucks_final. pdf 4. )Starbucks Coffee Company, p. 15. 5. )Starbucks Corporation, mhhe. com/business/ma nagement/thompson/11e/case/starbucks-2. html 6. ) Ibid.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

lost innocence of a forgotten essays

lost innocence of a forgotten essays The Lost Innocence of a Forgotten War It is a cool autumn day; the trees are changing from their summer green to their vibrant orange, reds and yellows. Leaves scatter the wet grass as the family pets run back and forth, their tails wagging, breath floating in puffs of mist before being swept away by a clean crisp breeze. The purpose of the visit to my cabin in Moose Lake, Minnesota is to interview my neighbor Charles Nelson or Chuck for short, on how the Korean War affected him, and in essence, stole his innocence. This sixty-nine year old is built like a real man, skin tanned from many boating excursions, his hair white and grey from age and the many years in the sun. Best of all is his personality, young and spunky just like the day he turned seventeen, which is where the story starts. Fifty-two years ago Chuck was a carefree seventeen year old high-school senior, months away from graduation and living his life to the fullest. World War 2 was still in the minds of almost every American and the country was just entering what is now referred to as the baby-boomer era. The country was doing well financially and many were excited at what was to come. But in 1950 when the North Koreans were looking likely to invade South Korea five of Chucks good high-school friends who had already graduated signed up for the service. The country had seen the world torn apart by imperialist empires such as Germany and Japan jus several years prior Chuck recalled when asked the mindset of the country toward war. He continues, With that mindset, we had seen as a nation, he pauses the devastation [caused] by allowing dictatorships such as Germany and Japan to invade their neighbors. Consequently when North Korea invaded South Korea [we] had seen the damage once before, we had to act. Within two weeks, two of the five friends were dead. I was angry. He recalled When I heard they were ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Essay Example All the departments are dependent on each other and they should exhibit high level of trust on each other. Kathryn explained to the group that teamwork begins with building trust. She focused a lot on this issue as she knows this is the prime reason for the lack of communication between the team members. Kathryn explained to Jeff that from team point of view they are totally broken. Jeff assumed that Mickey has to do the entire thing with Marketing, Martins to develop products, and JR’s to make sales. No one ever shared much information with other. They use to work in isolation, every executive focused on its individual department success. Employees refer to themselves not as a team but as a staff. There was no team or team work, executives were working as individuals. There was no team effort, each individual was competent, one of the best from the industry but together they were a disaster. This created obstacles for the company in achieving its goals, even though it had best people in the organization but company failed to make them work as a team. Kathryn gave this speech multiple times that they had more experience and talented team than any of their competitors, more cash, better core technology, more powerful board of directors than any of other in the industry. But still they were far behind their two competitors. Each one of them works individually, but not as a team. Discussions were slow and boring, No one argued with another. Teammates at Decision Tech’s usually didn’t question another and there was no sense of healthy arguments during meeting. People were least interested and there was no culture of feedback among executives. They didn’t consider that their contribution can be fruitful for company. They were all busy in their own departments meeting their individual conflicting targets. There was no outcome of the time-bounded meetings. Meetings started and ended at a

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Women Should not be Priest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women Should not be Priest - Essay Example The audience for this article includes females and those who support the ordination of women. The author has successfully used various strategies to appeal to the audience. For instance, she has used ethos to support her arguments. The author’s experiences and knowledge about the subject increases the credibility of her arguments. Dr. Susan Ross, who is the author, is a theology professor. This makes the audience to trust her claims. In addition, the author has used logos to strengthen her arguments. For instance, she has stated facts that support the argument. For instance, citing the traditional facts such as Christ being male and the traditional prohibition of female ordination sounds more convincing. Moreover, pathos has also been used in the article. For instance, she has used emotional language that appeals to the audience imagination. She has done this by narrating historical events especially in the bible. This not only makes the audience to respond emotionally but als o to identify themselves with the author’s arguments. However, some of the fallacies make her argument lack validity. For instance, associating traditional roles of a woman in the society with her abilities as a priest lacks soundness. This is because in the current society females are also the bread winners in their

Thursday, October 31, 2019

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other Article - 1

IS theories, are they emerged in IS disciplines or adopted from other disciplines - Article Example 66). These roles include: Information systems have also had a significant impact on productivity of service and manufacturing operations. Recent studies have led to factory automation, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, etc. Such advances have improved the productivity and quality of organizations (Gurbaxani & Seungjin, 1991, p. 66). Various theories within the information systems discipline have contributed to the development of application systems. For example, knowledge sharing between different organizations and groups has been enabled by conducting both psychological and social studies. By applying borrowed theories from these disciplines it has been possible to identify what factors affect knowledge sharing behavior in humans (Hall, 2003, p.11). Literature from such studies sheds light into the factors motivating knowledge and information sharing within organizations. Ultimately, this will enable the development of systems and policies that are of great benefit to an organization. Theories within the discipline of information systems have enabled system developers to justify the costs associated with development of application systems for organization. It is now possible to justify the strategic advantage of information systems to the managers of an organization. The theory of competitive strategy has enabled firms to change the way they serve their customers all in an effort to earn profits. Research into human behavior has enabled the development of customer centered application systems. Information system as a discipline is concerned with the development of information systems that model real world artifacts. It is vital that these real world artifacts be modeled in a proper manner. For this to be possible, fine theories are required. These theories enable developers and researchers to describe the facts and events that are being modeled. Theories are used in design projects to trigger the specifics of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Postmodernism Essay Example for Free

Postmodernism Essay Different material, methods and media’s have been used in postmodern art, such as painting fine art, technology, architecture and fashion. A study of various types of powerful societal changes through time is tackled through art. These changes comprise of gender identity, globalisation growth, political power etc. Introduction The expression of Art has always been influential; many artists use it as a tactic to exploit political truths and ideas. Postmodernism is a â€Å"movement reacting against modernism, especially by drawing attention to former conventions† (pg821). This form of art allowed a new way of looking at reality in a society that is constantly reassessing its culture and values. Postmodern art focuses on a mixture of high and low cultures and dominant ideas; it went against repression, sexism, racism, political power, and violence. Deconstructing truths criticises and analyses contemporary issues. These deconstructionist feed on controversy, artists such as Alessandro Mendini, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer create colourful and ruinous, luxurious and outrageous artwork. The art allowed radical freedom to design, funny gestures confrontation and occasionally absurd. It was a style that has new self-awareness. Postmodernism rebelled against modernism; it was an attack on what had come before as it explored and disparaged any unspoken leading concepts and social customs. The disillusionment from World War II heavily influenced postmodern art. The style doesn’t have a clear central hierarchy or organising principle; it uses melancholy, extreme complexity, contradiction, ambiguity, diversity and interconnectedness. Loud colours, bold patterns, historical quotation and whit are used. During the 60s, critical practices of postmodernism were applied mainly in Italy. The idea of ‘Function follows form’ is abandoned. Exaggerated proportion and outrageous texture for the sake of decoration. Designers such as Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini who challenged social norms and the traditional taste of design. Italian born designer and architect, Alessandro Mendini played a part in postmodern design. He creates graphics, furniture, interiors, paintings and architectures. His work of ‘Destruction of the Monumento da Casa (Household Monument) is an enlarged photograph of a modernist chair. This literally displays the destroying of the past, the end of modernism and the beginning of postmodernism. It was an attack on what had come before, Mendini brought the chair to a stone quarry and set the chair on fire, photos were captured during the process in 1974. Popular culture, irony, historicism, eclecticism and pluralism are embraced by postmodernism. The artist believed that something new design would grow from the burning remains. One of the most iconic post-modern designs is the Proust armchair by Alessandro Mendini. He chose to add Signac painting as the pattern on a ready-made replica of an 18th century armchair. American language conceptual artist, Jenny Holzer is famous for her short statements. The postmodern fashion in the 80’s was a time when women were in power and this was mirrored in physicality and clothes. The artist uses modern information to expose and address the politics of discourse. The ‘Abuse of Power Comes as No Surprise’ by Hozler is one of her many controversial artworks. Jenny Hozler worked outside the regular conventions, as she believed that simplified phrases are the quickest way for everyone to comprehend. A lot of Jenny Hozler’s work victimises the woman, this method allows the audience to basically read the violence male dominance against women. Words such as ‘Crack the Pelvis so she lies right, this a mistake. When she dies you cannot repeat the act†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ the brutal yet vivid words suggest male power over women. In order to communicate to foreign countries, her work was translated multiple times. Hozler’s techniques include a range of multimedia, posters, hats, T-shirts and L. E. D signs on large architecture. She received many negative feedbacks by the public, therefore, withdrew from her career until 1993. The postmodern artist came back with a new approach to immaterial; she is still driven against murder plus sexual pleasure, hence initiated a new series named ‘Lustmord’. Fine Art is also found in post modernism. Techniques found in painting were super-realism, mannered, academic, neoclassical, decorative, and self-conscious stylization. Originality had ended and there is a lot past styles referencing. Postmodern artist, David Ligare paintings looked extremely realistic. He focused on still life painting, Ligare believes that there is no limit and virtually anything now could be considered art, hence makes him a postmodern artist. David Ligare does narrative paintings based on Greco/Toman culture. Marcel Duchamp’s artwork incorporated jokes to add humour to his visual. Duchamp has made numerous pastiche works; his most famous is the ‘L. H. O. O. Q’, which stands for ‘Elle a chaud au cul’. It was a rebel against traditional art was the dominant idea of the time. Duchamp’s added moustache and beard to the postcard with the Mona Lisa, which contradicts regular conventions of the time. He wanted to take artistry lightly; it was an act of rebel against convention. This technique became known as ‘appropriation’, it is the idea of manipulating famous historical art pieces. This practice has become common in today’s art. Andy Warhol works exemplifies the final stage of postmodernism. Warhol’s paintings had always had something controversial, as theorist Fredric Jameson states, ‘they ought to be powerful and critical political statements’ Andy Warhol is a contemporary artist, which expresses the postmodernism of society though his artistry. Through his artwork, his expression seems to be very anarchy and chaotic, especially the major use of the primary and bold colours whereas in the mainstream artistry it is very subtle due to the dark or complimentary colours which can often be seen as conservative. Warhol’s ‘Dollar Sign’ from 1981 deconstructs the truth about money. The painting suggest money’s strength, its addiction and tactic for conspiracy, His artwork were powerful and held critical political statements because they were billboard-like images. One of his pieces was of the North Korean leader, Kim John IL. Normally in society Kim John IL would not be even spoken of due to the high political power he has over North Korea. And the fragility between other nations that Kim John IL has. Andy Warhol has done a piece of this leader using contrasting and chaotic colours that seemed random and unusual. Warhol used appropriation, taking and creating pastiche references. As Andy Warhol states, â€Å"Art is what you can get away with†. Yasumasa Morimura uses humour with referencing to historical art. His postmodernist artworks have the idea of rejecting a single fixed meaning in an image or artwork. He is a controversial Japanese artist who displaces societal currents in Japanese culture. Western assimilation, capitalism and gender values are shown in his designs. Yasumasa is an illusive creator with no boundaries; this sets his work off to a guttural response. He is best known for mimicking great subjects, in particular western art. One of his works uses historical art as reference is the ‘Blinded by the Light’ 1991, which was inspired by the ‘ Parable for the Blind’ by Pieter Brueghel in 1568. Morimura symbolises a satirical message on Western invasion. Yasumasa Morimura caused controversy by highlighting historical influences and transforming into the postmodern art world with eastern and western culture, sexuality and gender identity. His background influenced Morimura’s, he was an outsider dominated by western culture and art. Technology advancement such as digital editing allowed his work to become flawless. In the racist imagination of western culture, they perceive Asian men with weak physically, equivalent to a little white girl. Morimura embraces his influences and mixes his sexual influence with modern culture. This is reflected in his series of self-portraits, e. g. Morimura as Monroe. Throughout the postmodern period, globalisation had become widespread, the artist felt as if he was invaded by foreign ideas and culture. In response, he invaded western culture through their art, by slapping his face on the Mona Lisa or the Infanta Margarita. Famous artist, Barbara Kruger exploited truths through her works of being a graphic designer, art director, and picture editor. Rather than creating her own images, she uses images and juxtaposes them. She used her techniques and skills of being a graphic designer and worked on political, social feminist provocations, religion, sex, racial and gender stereotypes, consumerism, corporate greed, and power. Her techniques consist of using media sources and words and directly collaging them over each other. Her signature look comprises of cropped, large-scale, black and white photographic pictures against black, white and red sans serif letterform. They hold raucous, pithy, ironic sayings. The poster, ‘Your Body is a battleground’ proposes the idea of re-conditioning gender stereotypes. Originally, the image was used in Washington DC to advocate a pro-choice position and reproductive rights for women. This raises the issue of power, patriarchy, stereotyping and consumption. The poster has a black and white image of a woman’s face that is split symmetrically with direct eye contact. The positive and negative space could highlight ‘good vs. bad’. Judging from the woman’s hair and makeup, she appears to be a housewife. The image represents that women cannot be sold, it illustrated a political setting and subsequently their identities are favourably polished.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Critical Reflection and Thinking on Clinical Supervision and Learning

Critical Reflection and Thinking on Clinical Supervision and Learning Introduction For the purpose of this essay the terms clinical supervisor and mentor will be used interchangeably as they are seen as essentially the same in this context. Classrooms and textbooks teach one to care for a patient whom many a time s/he will never really encounter as seldom is such a classic patient seen in reality. One ought to acknowledge that one needs to know the theory to be able to apply the practice when on the clinical area. The academic side of ones learning should not be underestimated by placing all the importance in the practical experiences one encounters. Nevertheless the intricacy of generating and putting ones knowledge into real life situations may only be understood through experiential practice. As Eraut (2009) stated learning in university does not provide the same learning contexts as the working environment. Nursing has historically acquired knowledge through various venues such as traditions, trial and error, research, intuition, role modelling and mentorship, reasoning and experience. Therefore experiential learning could well play an important part of the basis of genuine education if utilised and developed well. However as will be discussed in this assignment experiential learning alone at times is insufficient as a basis for education in the complexities of learning in practice, clinical supervisory roles and being a competent health professional. 1. learning in practice Eraut (2007) longitudinal study concluded that under the appropriate settings new recruits learned more on the job than through formal methods. There is a need for apt learning opportunities and a supportive environment to encourage and learning in the supervisee. The Experiential learning cycle described by Kolb (1984) integrates four elements: doing, reflecting, learning and applying that learning. The cycle then integrates four ways of knowing tacit knowledge which can be seen as the underpinning of doing in ones work. One knows automatically and continues to practice intuitively. Next is reflective knowledge which Mezirow (2000) describes as involving openly reflecting and critically reflecting on ones own practice. The last two are knowing that (propositional learning) which materializes from critical reflection and knowing how is the final segment of the Kolbs cycle where one finds competence. One may wonder whether the clinical workplace always enhances favourable conditions for experiential learning to present genuine education. 1.1 The Clinical workplace Glen (2009: pg 498) referring to the apprenticeship model that had been around since Florence Nightingale states that although the model entails structured supervision together with periods for reflection the outcome was more aimed at accomplishing the work tasks that on genuine reflection. The benefit of this model is that it provided newly qualified nurses that had achieved ample experience and seen as a skilful and experienced novice therefore one could see the basis of education from experiential learning in this model. However this model is no longer in use and may have been abandoned too early (Mc Cormack, Kitson, Harvey, Rycroft-Malone, Titchen and Seers 2001). Nowadays nurse education is run differently but one can still remember the concern in the hospital trained nurses when training for nurses went into university level. One of the main issues of concern was that nursing is a practice profession so why the need for extra knowledge to become a competent practitioner? Should nurses not be taught more in clinical practice and less in the classroom? Knowing and doing are not the same thing was voiced out many a time. This adds to the belief of many that learning in practice is the basis of education. The culture of the clinical practice will also have a vital influence on ones experiential learning outcome. The way things are done here (which could be in a positive or negative attitude) at either the clinical practitioners (individual) level or at the organisation level or both levels can effect ones successful end result (McCormack et al 2001). On the other hand numerous other factors such as, the organisation one works in, nurse shortages, working in high patient acuity, inadequate clinical facilities, patients having shorter lengths of stay, unwillingness by the nursing staff to provide clinical supervision and the a scarcity of nurses in the clinical area add to the challenge of obtaining genuine education through experience. Supervisees need to be armed with the necessary skills to analyse problems from varying perspectives. Experiential learning may present the basis of education if the right challenge is provided; that is within the level of the supervisees knowledge and therefore presenting a beneficial outcome. If not the experience may end up being overwhelming and rather than learning through reflecting on a situation it could result instead in utilising eventually ineffective coping methods. One has to exploit an experience through reflection in order to sort out, comprehend, give meaning and hence make appropriate and proactive use of it. Experiential learning thus needs to provide the possibility of developing reflective and other conveyable learning skills in order to promote the education supervisees need and to learn from the experience. 1.2 Critical reflection and thinking Hunt and Wainwright (1994, p.84) point out that: Regardless of the time spent in a particular area of practice, practices that are devoid of rationale for actions are purely task or procedure orientated and lack critical inquiry. Several authors have emphasized on the fact that reflection is requisite in bridging the theory and practice gap (Kolb, 1984, McCaugherty, 1992, Schà ¶n, 1987). Implementing theory into practice necessitates practitioners to critically reflect not only on ones own practice but also on the implications of ones interventions. The literature has moreover highlighted reflection as imperative when endeavouring to incorporate theory with practice (Meretoja, Eriksson Leino-Kilpi, 2002). Lisko and ODell (2010) acknowledged that nowadays working in such a complex clinical environment necessitates one to employ top notch critical thinking, they also add that to offer such experiences for one to learn from and to reflect on has become essential this can be achieved in the many different experiential learning opportunities one encounters. Therefore one notes that the nursing profession is inclining to acknowledge and encourage reflective practice and critical thinking and that it also offers education from experience for both supervisors and their supervisees. Baltimore (2004) highlights that since optimal patient outcomes will depend on nurses actions, nurses need to wholly comprehend a situation in order to critically think. Benner (1984) stresses that recording of practical experiences and reflecting on them is essential in the development and extension of theoretical knowledge. While Kolbs double knowledge theory (Kolb, 1984) depicts that one knows things by being able to do them in conjunction with thinking reflecting about them. One can perceive that it is accepted by the literature that reflection provides the opportunity to go over decisions taken and assess as well as evaluate ones learning in order to improve not only ones own practice but also whoever they supervise. Then again does one working climate with its time constraints enhance all this? Is it possible to perform reflective practice whenever needed (Westberg Jason, 2001)? Is reflection not a complex skill thats basis ought to be taught in the classroom too in order to be fulfilled in practice? Therefore can experiential learning alone provide the ability of how to reflect and even more critically reflect on ones experiences and ultimately gain knowledge from them? In cooperation with reflection comes along the need for feedback and coaching which are seen as important aspects in experiential learning while supervising; not only for the supervisee but also for the supervisor. 2. Clinical supervision Price (2004) highlights the reasons to why the role of a mentor has come into being, illuminating that the learners (supervisees) necessity to mature into a competent and confident qualified nurse and performing practice astuteness, good clinical skills, attitudes and clinical techniques are best acquired in the clinical practice environment. Being assigned to a clinical supervisor may provide the supervisee with opportunities that may not or cannot be portrayed in classrooms or textbooks. One may wonder about whether clinical supervisors have enough morale and positive attitudes left in them to want to carry on providing supervision in such hectic working environments and nurse shortages. Eraut et als (2007) study findings noted that designated mentors in nursing were either excellent in providing a sustenance or practically useless. Therefore is Deweys statement right in the latter situations? Will experiential learning provide competent practitioners in these situations? To become a good mentor/supervisor one reads tall lists about the characteristics required. Rowley (1999) offers a list of virtues a good mentor should hold including commitment towards mentoring and its values, acceptance of one mentees regardless of ones personal beliefs/likes/dislikes, effective teaching qualities, good communication skills with the capability to adapt to ones supervisees learning nature, and set the example of need to be a constant learner and being optimistic towards ones mentees/supervisees. Then Quinn (2007) describes the humanistic qualities necessary, such as understanding, being approachable, supportive and inclusive in addition to being positive towards learners and an excellent management approach to education values. Gray and Smith (2000) add a sense of humour to their list. Therefore one could conclude that the supervisor must consistently show high standards of personal conduct and an apt approach towards ones supervisees; with the belief that the supervisee will therefore take in and try to be like what they have seen as acceptable behaviour in the working place. However Gray and Smith (2000) study findings portray another long list of attitudes supervisors may display to their supervisees this time in the negative, to mention a few: delegating futile jobs, being of an unfriendly nature or worse still being unapproachable, showing lack of interest in their own job in addition towards the supervisee and even unpopular with the team they work within. Such supervisors certainly diminish the opportunity of transmitting education through experiential learning to any supervisee. Burnard (1998) had rightly pointed out that being under the wing of a qualified nurse does not necessarily equal to learning. Learning in practice may mean to some as just getting the job done and the issue of focusing on the learning needs of the student or new recruit are left in the shadow (Andrews Wallis, 1999) and therefore excluding the importance of applying and integrating ones knowledge (theory) to the clinical practice. Even worse, this hinders Deweys belief of experience being the basis of all education. Having the ability to organize the delivery of care in sync with ones teaching and assessing responsibilities, maybe a prerequisite for a supervisor/mentor however as one notices from the literature is no easy task. On the other hand one must keep in mind that just as the newcomers may feel unsafe to practice because they lack knowledge so do some of the senior staff; some people are not capable (or find it extremely difficult) of learning, changing or moving on (Eraut, 2002). Clinical supervisors as all humans differ in how they present their significant attributes and may need to develop and improve their qualities. This will also provide the assistance needed in favour of experiential learning as a basis to education. Identifying and working on these key qualities should assist one in enriching ones supervisees learning environment. Then again the supervisee may also pick up the mal-practices of the supervisor, leaving one with the dilemma of who should be providing clinical supervision? Who can provide Deweys belief in of education through experience? 3. Expertise and Evidence Based Practice Nurses clinical expertise is presumed to be an important factor related to quality of care in the clinical practice. Expert practitioners are seen as fundamental in the process of the training and the professional development of supervisees in addition to the efficient everyday functioning of a clinical area. Therefore it is necessary to articulate what are the particular prerequisites of ones area of practice in order to provide beneficial experiential learning opportunities to ones supervisees. Through expert practice the experts share experience, knowledge and skills in the course of teaching and mentoring not only students and colleagues but also patients and their families; which are or should be an everyday practice to clinical supervisors, and therefore contributing to offering an expert practice and better service to meet the patients needs. Excellence in health care is vital, as excellence applies to continuing learning and research that will augment and further develop nurses in their profession and give a boost to the nursing practices (Castell, 2008). Nowadays lifelong learning and research in nursing practices are acknowledged as prerequisites in order to maintain and move forward nursing competence (Avis Freshwater, 2006; Westberg Jason, 2000). Therefore even if experiential learning is an important basis of learning in practice and is the how, what, why and when all gathered together there still remains the prerequisite of up to date evidence based knowledge/practice. Avis and Freshwater (2006) state that Evidenced based practice EBP is perceived as a significant concept in competent professional nursing practice and is measured by ones ability to integrate EBP in the care on is to provide. EBP is acknowledged as an indispensable factor of nursing competence. But is EBP giving too much importance to scientific evidence and thus underrating the role of individual nursing expertise and its clinical judgement (Hardy, Garbett, Titchen Manley 2002)? Supervisees need clinical supervisors with the apt level knowledge, skills and training not only in their practice but also in their teaching/learning approach and environment in order to enhance and smooth the supervisees individual progress and education. 4. The learning environment learner centeredness Another aspect literature has shown is that clinical supervisors should move on to the importance of providing a learner approach rather than the more customarily utilised teaching approach. Through a learner centred approach one will in addition need to inspire a sense of curiosity that will drive the supervisee to absorb everything s/he can see or hear or read about nursing in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of his/her eventual competent practice. This will necessitate the supervisor to have the supervisees needs at the hub of the activities being performed not an easy task within clinical areas and their always increasing workloads and the time factors of a clinical environment (Waldock 2010). Learners obtain knowledge from experience which they then incorporate into their own system of concepts; and thus the reason why one should emphasise on the importance of the supervisees active share in learning. Supervisees in order to learn from their experiences have the responsibility to discover their own clinical educational needs through their personal agency and find ways how they may retrieve these clinical needs; which may be through their supervisors or others in the clinical area that may provide assistance (Eraut 2008). One must provide a meaningful experience for the supervisee which ends product will be what the supervisee will perceive to be relevant to their learning needs (Wlodowski 1999). Learning centeredness is seen as being beneficial to the supervisee as it will also provide opportunities that may not be encountered during formal teaching environments (McKimm and Jolie 2003). Therefore emphasizing on the notion that experiential can offer the basis to education especially if one notes that basically everything that happens in the clinical area; be it at a clients bedside, in a clinic, ward or operating theatre and the likes, can provide a learning opportunity. The supervisor must however focus on the supervisees learning needs and by working together, given that this is a two-way interaction, s/he will gain the knowledge and abilities required and therefore enhance his/her knowledge. As a consequence this may provide experience as a basis to education. Providing a learning centeredness environment can provide the opportunity for the supervisee to work in conjunction with their supervisor and at the same time presenting the opportunity for the supervisee to not only be involved in the activities but also to learn new skills, techniques, perceptions, to acknowledge the variety of knowledge and expertise others behold and to even witness tacit knowledge. 4.1 Tacit knowledge Observing provides the opportunity to understand quicker and therefore requiring briefer explaining. Another benefit of this attitude of learning through observation and discussion is that it can demonstrate the tacit knowledge a supervisor holds on everyday and intuitive and instinctive decisions that are difficult to explain (Eraut 2009). Epstein Hundert (2002) recognise tactical knowledge as intuition and pattern recognition they continue to add that intuition plays a part in acquiring competent practice. Epstein et als study in addition revealed that doctors now believe that their competence is reliant also on tactical knowledge a fact that nurses have valued for a long time and believe that competence is not only based on explicit knowledge but also tactical knowledge. Certain skills cannot be disseminated by formal teaching alone. Skills are as a result defined in terms of knowing how to do things, an example being Polanyis (1958) Balance Principle which could apply to nursing skills where the novice will watch and then practice. Hence the importance of learning methods 4.2 Learning methods Providing the right learning method is so complex. From the literature one notices that there is no perfect recipe to learning theories. A clinical supervisor teaching supervisees in the clinical setting has a major impact on those supervisees outcome performance. The supervisors methods may have the influence to enhance and facilitate the supervisees learning and accommodate new learning in clinical practice or else to curb the supervisees ability to apply knowledge and skills. Frankel (2009) points out that the premise to clinical learning methods may be ineffective if they are not tailored to the supervisees learning style and continues to highlight that learning methods vary to the individual and thus the importance in providing the most fitting for that individual to learn appropriately. Everyone has some particular favoured method of collaborating with and processing knowledge. This is one of the reasons why one may agree to Eraut (2002) argument that one should not concentrate on which learning theory is right or wrong but on the contrary one should give importance on how to obtain maximum benefit during the learning process. One could add the maximum benefit in order to provide from competent practitioners. The supervisees may be at different levels in their course or novices to certain areas of their workplace and thus learning from experience should not be presented or provided as a one size fits all situation (Quinn 2007). When providing experiential learning as a basis to clinical learning the clinical supervisor has to take into consideration the supervisees previously gained skills and knowledge and also the expectations they may have brought along. As it has been observed there is no strict recipe to stick to in order to produce a right teaching/learning strategy. Together with theoretical education and once one has found a suitable environment, the right strategy for both the supervisee and one that the competent supervisor is apt at carrying out, what is left is both the supervisees and supervisors self motivation to learning, their sense of curiosity and inquisitive minds, willingness to not only knowing more but also to change (Khomeiran, Yekta, Kiger, Ahmadi 2006). 5. Competence It is indispensable that clinical supervisors employ well-established clinical skills and a high standard of competent nursing practice that will sustain effective facilitation of student learning (Gaberson Oerman, 2007). Rutkowski (2007, p.37) describes assessing competency as complicated and being based on direct observations as well as entailing ones opinion of values, which are subjective and hold personal beliefs which may vary from one to another. For experience to be the basis of education one must understand what competency really is and what it signifies. When one thinks of all the controversies on competence one may find it complex to agree that experience alone can provide competent practitioners. Conclusion Although experiential learning may definitely have its importance in providing a basis for education one comes to the conclusion that so do theoretical learning and personal traits of both the supervisor and supervisee. These are indispensable factors to learning in addition to motivation, curiosity, an inquisitive mind and the drive to keep on learning. To know and not to act is not to know. Experiential learning is both transformational and transmissional; it provides changes in ones attitude and behaviour and should not be seen as only as the shift of ideas or knowledge. The practical and academic sides of the supervisor and supervisee are both important. The academic side provides knowledge, broadens ones horizons and tests ones manner of thinking. Experiential and academic learning compliment each other thus the skills gained from both learning styles should bring into being a safe, competent and knowledgeable practitioner and all this may assist Deweys belief of experiential learning being the basis of education.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Christianity and 18th Century British Literature :: 18th Century British Literature

Christianity and 18th Century British Literature "...no matter what kind of pleasure may await his senses, unless it serves exclusively the glory of God, he needs to cut it off of him, giving it up out of his love towards Jesus Christ..."1 I. Taking its time to establish a radically theological point of view, this essay aims to apply it to the body of novel literature in 18th century England, probing and inquiring it whether it is in support of Christianity as laid down in the New Testament or not. It assumes the stance of an advocate of "the narrow path", the strict and unforgiving measuring scale of those few taking the Christian way of life truly seriously. Thus, the arguments and deductions featured herein - which are the actual purpose of the piece - may well strike materialist and novel-advocate minds as unnotable and subjective. The author, on the other hand, is firmly convinced - on the grounds of faith - that the conclusions to come are as objective as it is possible, being based on the revelations of the Holy Trinity. All views and opinions featured are his own except where signified. First of all, we may start the discussion with an analogy that sets the mood and aligns the frame of mind to the possible uncommonness of the argument system to be introduced. The images of this analogy will also come handy later and might ease the essay's overall understanding for those unaccustomed to the exclusively religious take on life. Picture, if you will, a high wall and thousands of bricks it is comprised of; now picture one of the single bricks coming to life, finding itself as part of the wall. This brick in the wall is unable to measure the dimensions of the structure it was built inside. In case it could come loose and jump out of the wall with the help of a supernatural force, it might be frightened at the sight of the oppressive building it used to support for long - and vow never to return to it, but serve its saviour instead. The only means of establishing a distance between the Truth and human culture's tailormade 'truth' we indulge in does not seem to be any of the traditional manmade tools for extracting and gathering knowledge: psychology, sociology, philosophy and their clever alloys leave us running in circles when seeking the cure for all the ominous signs and phenomena in our society.