The monotonous education system Essay Example

The monotonous education system Essay A contrasting character to Sissy is Bitzer who is dull, pale and drained of any life or individuality. the boy who was so light-eyed and light-haired that he looked as though, if he were cut, he would bleed white. The fact her could have ‘bled white’ shows a contrast that he still has the individuality but it is made white, colourless like his personality that is filled with repetition of facts. This description of Bitzer contrasts enormously with Sissy’s the girl was so dark-eyed and dark-haired she seemed to receive a deeper more lustrous colour from the sun. Bitzer is seen as a lifeless zombie and represents the Victorian education system in the novel which contrasts with sissy representing freedom and individuality. Bitzer is seen to have become a slave to Gradgrind’s facts and the education system. One of the ways Dickens represents the way facts have become heavenly and a way of life is by his use of biblical language. â€Å"facts forbid† Gradgrind says this instead of heaven forbid, this shows that facts have become his god and he worships them and is obsessed. This is a clever technique to use because it highlights how obsessed some of the people in the Victorian period had become with just getting the facts and not being creative or fun. Further more in a world of hard facts and figures, Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology, is a symbol of fancy and wonder. In Hard Times, Pegasus is associated with the circus people, who embody values that are quite different from those of Gradgrind and Bounderby. Slearys circus people live at an Inn called the Pegasuss Arms. The Inn has a picture of Pegasus on its sign-board, and inside there is a portrait of one of the circus horses, which is described as another Pegasus. This Pegasus has real gauze let in for his wings, golden stars stuck on all over him, and his ethereal harness made of red silk. We will write a custom essay sample on The monotonous education system specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The monotonous education system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The monotonous education system specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The circus horses, in conjunction with the skill and daring of their riders, create a sense of wonder in the audience, allowing them to escape the drudgery of the hard facts world served up to them by people like Gradgrind and Bounderby. Seen in this light, the existence of the circus horses is a direct reproach to Gradgrind, who in Book I, chapter 2 asks the children in class to define a horse. Bitzer gives a factual definition: Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four-eye teeth, and twelve incisive. This pleases Gradgrind, but it comes nowhere near to suggesting the capacities of the horse as symbolized by Pegasus. The book hard times is split up into two sections ‘reaping’ and ‘sowing’. These two titles have a significance to the story because at the beginning of the novel Gradgrind is force feeding the students facts and little did he know this would come back to haunt him later on in the novel. He is sowing the seeds which is a metaphor for him force feeding children facts and reaping the crops is a metaphor for when Bitzer ironically turns his back on Gradgrind. Lastly, it is clear that one of Dickens’ aims in writing this novel is to comment on his thoughts about the monotonous education system at the time. It was written in an attempt to challenge the view of this society at a time when practicality and facts were of greater importance and value than feelings and persons.  Names- Dickens also uses characters from the novels names to represent his anger at the point he was trying to get across such as ‘Mr. M’Choakumchild’ chokes his pupils with facts and Thomas Gradgrind grinds down the children. He shows his hatred for Victorian schools clearly in Hard Times and especially in his description of Gradgrind.

UN Reform and Global Governance The WritePass Journal

UN Reform and Global Governance Introduction UN Reform and Global Governance Guardian (2011) â€Å"Russia and China veto UN resolution against Syrian regime†, Wednesday, 5 October, Available at: guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/05/russia-china-veto-syria-resolution Retrieved: 15.04.2012 Gupta, K. R (2006) Reform of the UN, Vol.1 Atlantic Publishers Dist, Kaldor, M. (1999) New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era. Cambridge: Polity Press Karns, M. Mingst, K. (2009) International organizations:   the politics and processes of global governance, Lynne Rienner Publishers Kennedy, P. (2006) The Parliament of Man: The past, Present and Future of the United Nations, London: Penguin Books Luck, E. (2006) The UN Security Council: Practice and Promise, Routledge Malone, D. (2004) The  UN Security Council: from the Cold War to the 21st century   Lynne Rienner Publishers, p. 253 Mearsheimer, J. (1994) â€Å"The False Promise of International Institutions†,   International Security, Vol. 3 (19), pp. 5-49 Moore, J.A.   Pubantz, J. (2008) The New United Nations:   International   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organization in the Twenty-First Century, Prentice Hall, PTR Nugent, N. (2006) The Government and Politics of the European Union, Duke University Press Pease, K. S. (2003) International Organizations. Perspectives for Governance in the 21st   Ã‚  Ã‚  century.2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Shaw, M. (2005) The New Western Way of War: Risk Transfer war and its Crisis   in Iraq,   Cambridge: Polity Press Smith, R. (2006) The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World London: Penguin Strange, S. (2002) The Declining Authority of States, in The Global Transformations Reader: an Introduction to the Globalization Debate, 2nd edition, Held and MacGrew (eds) Cambridge: Polity Press, pp.127-134 Wendt, A. (2003) Why a World State is Inevitable, European Journal of International Relations  December  vol. 9  no. 4, pp. 491-542 Wouters, J. Ruys, T. (2005) â€Å"Security Council Reform: a New Veto for a New Century†, ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (IRRI-KIIB), Brussels, August, Academia Press

Free Appropriate Public Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Free Appropriate Public Education - Essay Example Free and Appropriate Public Education is, within the context of the stated, an affirmation of the right of disabled children to receive an education which meets their specific and special needs, without extra cost to them or to their families. Given the legislative roots of the defined right, schools are obligated to provide special needs students with an education which is tailored to meet their specific requirements, even as it prepares them for future independent living and employability. It is interesting to note that even though Free and Appropriate Public Education is clearly delineated by legislature as a right owed to disabled children, the constituent elements of FAPE are not clearly outlined. Questions regarding precisely what constitutes a free and appropriate public education persist. This paper will try to answer these questions. Free public education has long been recognized as a responsibility owed by governments, not just to citizens, but to their societies and nations. As Chief Justice Warren noted in Brown v Board of Education: Public education is a principal instrument for awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him or her for later training, and in helping them adjust normally to their environment. It is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he or she is denied the opportunity of an education (Brown v Board of Education, 1954). The above statement, made in 1954, underscores the importance of free, public education, insofar as it identifies it as the foundations of citizenship, acculturation, socialization and success. Whether on the individual or the collective/societal level, free public education is a fundamental concern since its availability is one of the primary determinants of national progress and development. Free public education is important but, of greater importance, is

Camera Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Camera - Essay Example The high creativity and innovation of new cameras such as smart phones, which have numerous uses apart from taking photographs may lead to the decline of sales and profits reaped by camera companies (Kurtz 79). This indicates that the product has reached the decline stage, and it may become extinct if the innovation of new photo taking gadgets continues. Introduction Stage This is the stage when the product enters the market the first time, and firms reap low sales and profits because they conduct intense marketing to attract customers (Kurtz 30). The camera was first introduced in the market during the proto globalization period that began in the sixteenth century. Human intelligence increased during this period leading to the invention of various objects such as the wheel and the camera. The first camera, known as obscura, took inverted images that were not saved on any material. The object was as big as a house, and it allowed photographs of one person only. The camera had a hole through which light passed and formed inverted images of the objects in front of the gadget. The images taken by the camera were unclear and unattractive. The inventors of the product later developed portable cameras that increased the need for photography in the world (Joanne 65). Image of the first camera obscura (writtenshots.wordpress.com) Image taken using camera obscura (fineartamerica.com) Growth Stage The growth stage is the second phase of product development, which involves increases in sales and profits. Organizations reap higher benefits in this stage than in the introductory phase because of the incoming of new customers. During this stage, new firms begin producing the good so that they can reap the high profits and sales in the industry (Kurtz 84). In the introductory stage of the camera, Kodak was the only company that produced the product. However, new companies such as Nixxon and Sony entered the industry. The growth stage also involves the addition of features to the products to make them more attractive to existing customers. The additional features also help companies in attracting new users, and this enables them to recover they capital they invest in the production of the good. Eastman, the director of Kodak developed the camera by enabling the saving of images in films. The films were of limited length meaning that they would save a limited number of images. Users of the camera went back for film refilling to the companies where they bought the product when the existing space finished. The images saved on the films were also produced by the producing companies when there was no additional space in a film (Joanne 76). This meant that customers would wait for numerous days to view their pictures. The photographs taken using the film cameras were not also clear; although they were better than those of the obscura. The film camera (www.retrothing.com) Image taken using the film camera (www.shootingfilm.net) Instant cameras were also develop ed during the growth stage of the product life cycle. This is the camera that enabled consumers to recover their photographs immediately. Users did not have to wait for days or months to see their photographs like they did with the film camera (Joanne 93). The invention of this camera increased the sales of Kodak and other companies in the industry. This is because they attracted new customers and recovered sales from those who were dissatisfied by the extensive periods taken to produce

The Challenges of Successfully Implementing a Knowledge Management Essay

The Challenges of Successfully Implementing a Knowledge Management Initiative - Essay Example Regarding the topic implementing knowledge management in an organisation, consumer behaviour, DSL is underway due to the increase in internet users globally. For instance, in 2005, the number of internet users escalated from 941 million users to 1.7 billion users in 2008. , As a result, the website has continued to provide consumers with a new purchasing medium, which is far more different from the knowledge management-purchasing medium. This digitalization is changing consumer purchasing and consumption behaviour (Solomon, 2012). Implementing a knowledge-based system elevates the communication between the organization and the consumer. Based on the fact that internet has changed buying behaviour, companies have not been left behind, as they have started using the internet with the aim of reducing marketing costs, hence reducing their product prices. Companies are also communicating and disseminating information concerning their products online. Moreover, the website has provided a n ew communication medium for DSL (Belch, 2008). Key concepts in knowledge management Smartphone Development Labs (SDL) needs to install knowledge management initiative. Implementing knowledge management in SDL comes with understanding the key concepts in knowledge management. Risk, strength and gap are the key concepts in knowledge management. The elements of knowledge management aid in securing collaboration between the organisation and its employees (Canton, 2007). The challenges involved in implementing management with SDL Knowledge management remains crucial in any organization. It remains an economic challenge for the future of SDL. Knowledge management is a long-term goal, which comes with extreme challenges. The challenges include; power & conflict, cross-culture, leadership &organisational culture and security of information (Hislop, 2009). Challenge 1: Power & conflict Knowledge management comes with managing power and conflict. Data management systems created to ease work f or employees require individual effort to the merger with teamwork. The nature of the knowledge management facilitates access to expert information. Knowledge management facilitates the communication of people in an organisation in terms of the approaches used to solve a given situation (Cleland & Ireland, 2006). As compared to knowledge management buying behaviour, knowledge management initiative plays a role in the behaviour of DSL are influenced by the opportunity of viewing and purchasing products or services, visualizing their needs with available products or services, and discussing products with other consumers globally (Hislop, 2009). In addition, knowledge management assisted the consumer by availability, while DSL’ behaviour aids consumers through convenient purchasing. These are just but a few of the strategies that Smartphone Development Labs (SDL) has adopted to ensure the comfort their employees.

Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner

Eating Together The Culture Of Friday Family Dinner Once in a few hours we think of food and chances are that we at least eat once per day. In the family setting food is easily accessible and for others it may be scarce because of the economy or the geography (Fieldhouse, 2008). At least, a large portion of families can afford what they want whenever they want while others must carefully plan on what they purchase. Nonetheless, no one can escape the biological need of food. This is to say that, everyone must eat at regular intervals whether the food is more or less nutritious. It is true that eating is a necessity of life itself but food also forms a crucial part of the cultural rituals and social relationships. Most importantly this paper addresses the family meal tradition as a symbol and material means of bringing family members together (Fieldhouse, 2008). Across different cultures and time, the aspect of food sharing is a universal medium that expresses fellowship in regards to the values of duty, sacrifice, hospitality and compa ssion. Food sharing is a gesture of friendship also symbolizing trust and interdependency. My family in particular views the Friday night dinner as a window into social bonding and relationship. As my father has always said, people you eat with define the members of your social group and the kind of food you share is a clear indication of the closeness of the relationships. For instance, there are coffee-breaks with colleagues, casual lunch or dinner with acquaintances, and of course informal dinner around the family table for family and friends. Perhaps a common picture that comes in our mind when it comes to the aspect of family dinner is a happy nuclear family with a mom, dad, and kids sitting in a nicely laid table. This is an image that perpetually describes my familys Friday night dinner. This is a tradition that my great grandparents firmly inspired as a cultural idea to be emulated as ultimate symbol of family stability and unity. This paper will look at the different roles of family members in the sustainability of Friday night family dinner examining the traditio n using the Freudian theory, the family theory, and ecological system theory. The paper also takes special considerations on the reflection of this tradition in regard to the influence on the future and its influence on the family. Family Dinner And Family Members The Purpose As a tradition, the family meal symbolizes a shared family life. Family dinner on Fridays in our family organizes the family bringing us together. This heavily contributes to our social well-being while providing predictable structure to our Fridays which is often psychologically reassuring. The success of family dinners depends on a number of factors such as the skills for preparing the food and food-buying (Fieldhouse, 2008). The appearance of the family table requires a lot of time and skilled activities that calls for both physical and mental decision making. In our family, everyone is involved in this activity; that applies to the food buying, preparations, laying the table, and serving. With our participation, it not surprising that the provision of this family meal is a symbolic demonstration that we care for our family unity and stability. This veers more on love, obedience, respect, and gratitude. From the shopping to table clearing, each family member participates in a resp onsible exercise that promotes solidarity in the family. For the longest time we havent experienced a family tension because we share a lot in our conversations at the dinner table. To The Parents During our family dinners my parents focuses on teaching us the way forward on behaviour and in particular civilized behaviour such as saying thank you and please. Excusing yourself before you the table, placing your elbows on the table, and talking on mouth full is normally discouraged. At this time, my parents taught us developmental skills such as manipulating chopsticks, literacy skills through family conversations when exchanging stories. This may seem sheepish but these are the basic fundamentals toward life and social interactions. During conversations, my parents learn more on our interests and attitudes. From these meals, my mother in particular gauges our moods and needs in the end help us solve our problems. My parents monitor the family and ensure that everyone attends to maintain the stability and unity in the family. To The children (Me) For the children the dinner table is crucial place for socialization (Fieldhouse, 2008). This is a prime setting for socialization concerning the norms and rules on family values, accepted behaviour, and expectations. From a nutritional perspective, the children learn what is considered acceptable; basically the foods and non-food. From the family dinners my siblings and I have learned manners and restraints on behaviour that the wider world requires. Through family conversations we learned of our parents attitudes and interests in relations to the world. We always help our mother prepare for the family dinner. As the eldest, I helped my mother prepare the foods and especially the vegetables and desert while my younger siblings have always prepared the table. Though a happy family, we have our setbacks. At the end of the day family members who are already tired after a busy day at work or school and probably maybe irritable meet for a family meal. Discord may arise perceived at the table maybe because of the unacceptable behaviour and injustices. Refusal to eat, complaint on bad cooking or lack of gratitude on what was served on the table are some of the things that can lead to these discord at the dining table. This can turn the peaceful mealtime into battlegrounds were verbal arguments are used as weapons which leads to a resentful silence. Therefore, family dinners have many positive virtues that are occasionally fought with difficulties and negative outcomes which greatly depend on the parenting styles. The Examination Freudian Theory Of Defense Mechanisms In psychology, Freuds input cannot be discredited in the psychodynamic theory. Even though people are no longer believing and utilizing many theories and conclusions, the basis of psychodynamic theory still form a role in theories in psychology. Frauds ego defense is one of the last remaining theories. This is also known as defense mechanism said to actively operate without the consent of the person. These defenses are significantly important when dealing with individuals inter threats. Typically, the ego defense pacts with the thoughts that are unconsciously threatening. Denial. This is perhaps the best known defense mechanism that describes situations where individuals are unable to acknowledge the obvious or face reality. This is the outright refusal to recognize what had happened or what is currently occurring. There was a time my brother and I boycotted the Friday family night dinner and we were hit the movies instead. This started bothering us as we kept thinking of the freshly made lasagne and the family conversations. We were defending ourselves from the happening of our family tradition but the realty soon checked in and we were unable to hold it anymore. Repression. On its basic form, this mechanism is self explanatory. The mechanism acts to keep the information away from the conscious awareness. Keep in mind that memories do not just disappear but they tend to continue influencing our behaviour in the future. For instance, my family and I have repressed memories of shared meals since my childhood which I intend to pass on to my kids. Fixation. This is the stunted movement that individuals feel between psychosexual stages when they experience excessive anxiety and frustration in regards to the next stage of progression. The individual remains fixed on a particular stage. My family and I are fixed to our Friday night dinner and the values it carries. This is a legacy that has been there since the times of my great grandparents. Displacement. This involves taking out the feelings, frustrations, and impulses on less threatening people and objects such as the spouse, pets, and children. A good example to this form of defense mechanism is displaced aggressive that would otherwise lead negative consequences such as urging with the supervisor and instead expressing the anger to people who are less threatening. I remember there was a time that my father had a bad day at work possibly from the pressures from the upper management passing this bitterness to us at the family table. The Theories Ecological Systems Theory (Human Ecology Theory) This theory states that the development of the human beings is inclined to the various types of ecological systems. Urie Bronfenbrenner formulated this theory to explain why we normally behave differently comparatively to how we behave in the presence of our family, work or at school. The human ecology theory accounts that throughout our lifespan we encounter dissimilar environments therefore influencing the way we behave in degrees that vary. These environments are: Micro system. This is the environment setting that we directly have in life such as the parents, friends, teachers, neighbours, and people who surrounds us. We directly have social interaction with these social agents in this setting. In this system, individuals are not passive recipients in regard to experiences, but interactive in the establishments of the social settings. In the course of the family dinner we interact with each other in the establishment of a harmonious family setting. Mesosystem. This involves the interaction of Microsystems in an individuals life. In other words, a work-related experience can be connected to the family experience. For instance, from the family dinners, my parents have taught me civilized manners and respect for others which have helped me establish positive attitude toward by siblings, peers, and teachers. This has also made me feel wanted by people who are actively involved in my life. The exosystem In this system there exists a link where an individual does not have any actively involving role and the context where he or she can actively participate. I am attached to my father than my mother and a few ago my father got a promotion and here and then he was travelling to Africa for a few months for work for several months. We all missed our father and during our Friday night dinner my mother spearheaded and listened to mealtime conversations sometimes she was supportive and sometimes she was not. In the end this made my bond with my even tighter because she was always there when my father was away. The macrosystem This is the actual culture of a person that involves the socioeconomic status of the individual, race, ethnicity, and most importantly the family. Being born in middle class family makes us hard workers and thus the reason why we meet as a family once in a week for dinner- Friday nights. The chronosystem This environment entails the shifts and transitions throughout our lifetime. This engages the socio-historical context influencing an individual. For instance, my great grandparents emphasized on family meals and culture that been passed over in different generations which has positively affected our lives, relationships and how we view the world. The family systems theory This is a theory that considers family as an emotional unit integrating systems thinking when describing complex interaction. For instance if there is anxiety among family members, the anxiety may escalate infectiously affecting all of them. And if this anxiety goes up, the connectedness of the members become stressful than comforting eventually making them feel isolated, out of control, and overwhelmed. Triangles `These are the basic units of stable relationships. These are a system that entails three-person relationships which is seen as the smallest building block of a larger emotional pool. There is no stability in a two-person system and therefore calls for a third party. This is because the tension keeps on shifting between two people is higher than the one involving a third person. When there is too much tension to be contained in one triangle it spreads to a series of interlocking triangles. This is what happens in our family dinner conversations. Sibling position In every family each sibling has a certain position which defines how the children will interact. This influences the childs behaviour and development which predictably have common characteristics. For instance, as the first born in my family i tend to gravitate the leadership position which makes my siblings the followers. During the family dinner meal, my siblings look at me to tell them what to do if i am the one preparing the meal.- who to prepare what or even shop. Differencing This is the capability of separating thinking and feelings. Undifferentiated individuals can separate the way of thinking and the feelings because their intellect is controlled by the way they feel. Thinks makes them not to think rationally while at the same time they are unable to differentiate their feelings form others. Therefore, differentiation is the abily to free yourself from the family, the realization of your involvement in a conflict and not blaming others, and being able to relate with others at emotionally. At times during our dinner times conflicts may arise but we have always solved it before it escalates. We admit to our faults and forgive each other which make us differential. The Reflection On The Tradition (1 page) Is it positive or negative? As a socially integrative function, a share meal brings people together in a web of reciprocal obligations and shared social relationships. Well, we suppose can say that one important aspect that brings people together is a family meal and if people do not gather for this family meal then the crucial weft of the family is sent to abyss (Fieldhouse, 2008). As a routine tradition, Friday family dinner has been most frequent planned ritual in our family which normally take place in our family house. The understanding over time The family meal and dinner in particular has come to represent the dynamics of the family and overtime generations are lamenting on its demise. As early as the 1920s, people were expressing worries on how the leisure activities such as the invention of the car came undermine the value of the family meals (Fieldhouse, 2008). In the times of change, family meals represented stability and perhaps the lament of the lost family may actually be the reactions to feared change in the arrangements and structures of families. The influence and the future In the olden days, dinner was seldom as a ceremonial event (Nancy, Carolina, Time, 2006).

History of the Euro Essay -- Europe Eurpean Currency Money Essays

History of the Euro After the long awaited single currency implementation known as the euro, there have been many ups and downs to this monetary system. Many have been quick to criticize while others still praise its value claiming it will soon be valued strongly against the dollar. Our paper looks into the various aspects of the euro and the progress it has made since its initiation. We begin with a brief history of the euro then move on by raising some questions concerning the effects of the euro on various economic aspects such as competition and global financial institutions. We then provide insight to the various strengths and weaknesses of the euro and the implications this currency has on various institutions such as banks. We conclude the paper by presenting a number of challenges the euro may face in the near future, as well as its current conditions. Introduction Recently in Europe and its neighboring countries, the talk has been about the newly installed euro into the ever- growing European market. The euro has been the new currency for the twelve countries belonging to Euroland since January 1, 2002. The countries that have adopted the euro are the following: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The big motivation behind the euro is to enable a market that more and more looks like one European market. The goal is for the European capital market to be as efficient as possible, as this is a prerequisite for sustainable economic development. To better understand how the euro came about, one must go back to 1979. This is when the idea of the euro was in its very first phase. History of the Euro On March ... .../html/rubrique-cadre5html?pag=rubrique- europa5.html/lang=5/chap18/rubrique=261 â€Å"The European Union in Your Hand† 7) Eltis, Walter. Euro Debate Panel. www.kingston.ac.uk/~en_5007/euro/eurosum.htm 8) www.fortune.com 9) Gazi, Ercel: Governor of Central Bank of Turkey. Dunya Gazetesi, Euro Meeting, Istanbul, Nov 27, 1998 10) George, Edward: â€Å"Progress of the Euro.† www.bis.org/review/r001024.a.pdf 11) Hersch, Warren. Computer Reseller News. â€Å"Euro Progress Crawls Along.† Manhasset; Feb 21, 2000 12) www.howstuffworks.com/euro7.htm 13) â€Å"International Effects of the Euro.† www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/com/Policybriefs/Pb042/pb42.htm 14) White, William: â€Å"The Euro and Financial Markets: Challenges for Bankers and Policymakers.† www.bis.org/speeches/sp991113.htm 15) http://cobweb.creighton.edu/cps/ â€Å"Euro†