Style as Character Insight The Use of Irony and Free Indirect Discourse in Jane Austens Major Works

Introduction No work of art achieves permanence unless its creator imbues it with a unique individual style that solidifies its value across cultures and across time. Truly, art would not exist without style. According to Susan Sontag, the earliest experiences of humankind reflected art as â€Å"incantatory, magical. Art was an agent of ritual† (65).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Style as Character Insight: The Use of Irony and Free Indirect Discourse in Jane Austen’s Major Works specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This view was followed by the preliminary theory of art as an imitation of reality understood by the ancient Greeks (Greenberg 2; Sontag 65). In any work of art multiple disclosures of truth take place. These contextual revelations can be endless; revelations of the society, not to mention the revelations of the artist himself. It could therefore be argued that the objects seen and fe lt by the artist constitute the mirrored image of her distinctive society. On the other hand, Alexander Pope argued that socialization itself murders authorial style (Miller 76). In Pope’s opinion, everyone is born with some taste that gets lost through education. Pope argued that nature played a crucial role in the judgment of style (Miller 76). From Pope’s assertion, the reader may deduce that in every art, there is a peculiar goodness that is peculiar to the artist. It is therefore irrelevant to argue the subjective value of one piece of art over another (Galperin 50). Great art reflects its truth vis à   vis â€Å"the relationship between aesthetic experience as met by the specific – not the generalized – individual, and the social and historical contexts in which that experience takes place† (Greenberg 1). Jane Austen’s novels clearly reflect these dual realities. Her work remains a stylized time capsule that reveals the complexities o f the social world that existed in the United Kingdom during the Regency period. The continued popularity of the author’s works speaks to the individuality and appeal of her writing style to generations of readers and scholars since that era. Jane Austen’s stylistic choices typically present male characters as one of two types: shrewdly reluctant romantics, or fools easily duped by Jane Austen’s wily female protagonists that have become so beloved over the years, including Emma Woodhouse, the heroine of Emma. The inner workings of Jane Austen’s characters typically provide somewhat awkward and unnerving insights into polite society (Harding 167).Advertising Looking for term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many literary scholars view Jane Austen’s works as â€Å"country house novels† (Le Faye 11). Some have labeled them as â€Å"comedies of conduct† according to Le Faye, comedies of manners that embrace the affairs and social conspiracies of upper class people living in a stylish and civilized culture (11). These comedies of conduct typically present a violation of social traditions and etiquette; while Jane Austen’s keen social observations remain veiled by the sparkle and wit of her dialogue (Le Faye 45). As a rule, Jane Austen’s fiction has come to represent â€Å"one of the most sophisticated analyses we have of the elusive character or quality of sociable human interaction† (Russell 176). However, a number of literary scholars regard Jane Austen as a darker, more socially engaged writer. Her novels involve the author advancing 19th century social theory via the use of a style that reveals the theory of mind within each character (Ferguson 118). Many of Jane Austen’s works feature characters that adopt one self publicly and another privately; thus, the conflict between these selves becomes the meat of the novel (Ferguson 118). This paper endeavors to critically analyze the stylistic devices Jane Austen employs in her work to recreate the social psychology of the 19th century British upper classes for the reader. The paper favors the devices of irony and free indirect discourse as the main stylistic choices Jane Austen applies to give the reader insight and access to the interior, psychological landscape of her characters. Background Jane Austen was born in Hampshire, England in 1775, the seventh child of eight children. Jane Austen’s early introduction to classical works arrived through the influence of her father, George Austen, a member of the English landed gentry who also worked as a preacher and educator (Galperin 49; Le Faye 10). Though the family was not wealthy, they were land owners, and as such Jane Austen’s childhood was a happy one with full access to intellectual stimulation and learning (Le Faye 10). After the death of George Austen in 1805, Ja ne, together with her mother and sister Cassandra moved to Chawton village, where she received a marriage proposal from a wealthy brother of her close friend (Tinkcom 134).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Style as Character Insight: The Use of Irony and Free Indirect Discourse in Jane Austen’s Major Works specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jane Austen initially accepted this proposal but turned it down the following day; scholars argue the rejection of the proposal occurred because Jane Austen fully understood the role of marriage in the mobility of a woman in those days, together with all the vulnerabilities of single women who relied on wealthy relatives for accommodation (Tinkcom 57). Marriage at that time remained the sole form of social leverage available to women of the upper classes (Galperin 50; Le Faye 11). This event appears to be a seminal one in the life of the author, as the social theme o f marriage plays out very much in several of Jane Austen’s novels, including Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, as does the theme of social class positioning, a phenomenon of great interest to the author. Jane Austen’s works can be identified with the eighteenth century novel traditions. According to Duckworth, Austen read broadly in many genres including works which were regarded as mediocre; however, the major feature of her reading activities was noting native genres traversed by women writers at the time (48). The publishing environment for women during the 19th century was perilous (Ferguson 2). The social environment dictated that propriety be maintained above all else, and at the time literature was deemed too vulgar for women to engage in (Ferguson 2; Lascelles 88). In this sense therefore, Jane Austen remains one of literature’s first female mavericks. Irony When critically examined, the works of Jane Austen show the effect of the literary state of affair s of the 18th century period. The works at this time embraced the notion of and social environment and man’s perspective relative to individual circumstances. In essence, an individual’s needs were sublimated to the needs appropriate to his or her social role. Satire and humor are characteristics embraced in literature during this period; however, the use of irony became the ultimate tool for authors to critique their society discreetly. In Jane Austen’s novels, the romantic and passionate nature of her characters is evident, though implied (Ferguson 76). Jane Austen’s works demonstrate the role of passion and its place in society. Though these novels appeared in the middle of the Romantic period, they also involve an intellectual and cerebral quality that minimizes the absolute praise of the youthful passions expressed in other works written during this period. To this end, Jane Austen combines passion and reason through the use of irony.Advertising Looking for term paper on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jane Austen has embraced the use of irony in many of her most famous pieces. Though scholars typically identify Jane Austen as a romantic author, her style largely renders a biting and acidic account of romance. The author applies contrast to the plain meaning of a character’s account of a situation or event, in order to create a witty twist and reduce the magnitude of the original statement and highlight its ironic disjunction. In her juvenile literary works, Jane Austen depended on satire, irony and parody fixed on absurdity to color the romantic view. In her mature literary works, she employed irony to forestall social pretense and to highlight discrepancies between familial duties and character, as well as character foibles. A classic example of this occurs in Mansfield Park. The author writes: To the education of her daughters Lady Bertram paid not the smallest attention. She had not time for such cares. She was a woman who spent her days in sitting nicely dressed on a s ofa, doing some long piece of needlework, of little use and no beauty, thinking more of her pug than her children, but very indulgent to the latter, when it did not put herself to inconvenience (Austen 16). Jane Austen’s use of irony is â€Å"exemplified in romanticism’s earliest forms and carried into the nineteenth century, where absence, division, and fragmentation are completed by their readers’ own mistaken ideas† (Greenham 163). In the above example, the reader’s reaction to the neglect demonstrated by Lady Bertram toward her offspring fuels the irony of the story. As such, Jane Austen’s style employs irony to criticize not only the marriage institution but the parental ideal of care and concern for the welfare of children, placed in the hands of indolent, spoilt, utterly self-absorbed individuals. As Greenham notes, romantic authors in the vein of Jane Austen’s style â€Å"use our expectations to deceive us because their texts are completed only by the expectations of the reader, a use of expectation that reveals, through negation, the reader’s false ideas and ideals† (163). Jane Austen’s genteel use of language and style barely conceals her contempt for the social conventions that would allow such individuals to prosper. Similarly, in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen draws the reader’s attention to irony in the opening line. The author writes â€Å"it is a realism that is widely recognized, that a single man in charge of a good fortune should be in need of a wife† (6). At first glance this statement appears simple and predictable; however, the plot of the statement contradicts it. As it says, it is a woman without a fortune who is in need of a husband. Also, in Pride and Prejudice, the major structural motif creates irony in the story which stimulates a reader’s judgment and attention, besides engaging a reader’s feelings. Jane Austen’s paradoxical and ironic character sketches also underscore the reciprocal impact of personality and society in Emma. Like many of Jane Austen’s novels, Emma presents an explanation of how one learns to see oneself, others, and personalized relationships more clearly as events unfold. But to prevent this occurrence Jane Austen has employed an unparalleled blend of styles to present her thesis. Emma comes out as Jane Austen’s masterwork as she manages to capitalize on irony and the use of free indirect discourse effectively. Greenham notes that the character of Emma Woodhouse is â€Å"femininity ironized† (165). The romantic novels of Jane Austen typically contain these strong heroines, deeply restricted by the class and gender roles of their time, whose actions and inner thoughts do not align – herein lies Greenham’s point. Jane Austen’s style use irony to bedevil social veneer. The reader understands this in the opening line of the novel: â€Å"Emma Woo dhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her† (Austen 1). Jane Austen uses the word â€Å"seemed† to pique the reader’s suspicion (Austen 1). As Greenham explains, this word is â€Å"always a sign of ambiguity† (165). Once the word â€Å"seemed† registers in the mind of the reader, everything that Jane Austen describes about the heroine becomes open to interpretation. As Greenham notes, the word leads the reader to assume â€Å"some kind of deflationary irony, which might in turn lead the reader to conclude that Emma is none of these things to the extent that she appears. The tension, then, would be between appearance and reality† (165). The social psychology of the characters in the world of Jane Austen’s novels remains ultimately ambiguous and uncerta in; nothing can be assumed to be true, often since the actions and the words of the characters create an ironic distance. Further use of irony becomes apparent when the reader witnesses Emma’s thoughts at the first meeting with Harriet Smith. She immediately sees in Harriet some kind of project that she might embark on, the belief that she could make an upper class woman out of Harriet’s kind request could be a reflection of Emma’s impolite disposition towards others. It could also be construed as a confession that she is meddlesome and self-centered, as Emma’s actions indicate that she is the only person entitled to effect such improvement on another human being. However, the ironic truth becomes apparent later, through Jane Austen’s skilful use of irony, when the reader concludes that it is actually Emma who desperately needs improvement. Emma is presented as one person with a contrary judgment; however, since the character only keeps such convic tions between herself and the reader, she enhances the various ironic twists that Jane Austen has employed in the novel. Brownstein argues that the use of irony in Jane Austen’s novels speak to the actual physical and psychological experience of women at that time in history. Language itself was a chess match, and the social conventions so complex and rigorous that one wrong word could topple the most socially graced female. As Brownstein notes, among the female protagonists such as Emma Woodhouse, â€Å"choosing language, commenting on the stereotypes and formulas of novelists, and the language available for use in social life, is always Austen’s subject† (Brownstein 59). An example of this occurs following Mr. Knightley’s proposal of marriage in Emma. The response that Emma Woodhouse gives is the model of propriety, and illustrates the author’s use of irony to highlight the restrictive and psychologically complex social environment of upper class women of marriageable age: â€Å"What did she say? Just what she ought, of course. A lady always does. She said enough to show there need not be despair – and to invite him to say more himself† (Austen 386). In Brownstein’s analysis, Jane Austen used irony not only to write as a lady but to illustrate life as a lady. As Brownstein explains, â€Å"Writing as A Lady, Austen savors the discrepancy between being a stable sign in her culture as well as a user and analyst of its signs† (Brownstein 59) Austen and Knowledge of Intention Authorial intention comes out as an issue of great interest in Jane Austen’s work. Though this may be a difficult thing to find in the absence of the author, literary analysis involves the interpretive spectrum around the determination of authorial intention. In this line of thought, many critics have viewed a literary work of thought which fades the author from the message that is being communicated; as such, many critics have not managed to find subtle ways of determining authorial intent. The simplicity that Jane Austen exhibits in her work provides a clear template for authorial intention. There is usually a paradigm between what we learn from the novel and what we know about the real author’s world. While reading Austen’s work, one construes several images of the author (Le Faye 135). But, different people, depending on their inclinations and other factors, form their own images that fit those inclinations, hampered by the distance of time and the complete transformation that has occurred in the social relationships between heterosexual men and women since Jane Austen’s time. Looking at Jane Austen’s works, several images of the author appear, and several different perspectives arise among private readers as to who Jane Austen really was, and what she really stood for as an artist and as a social critic. Jane Austen has staged parodist sensations that imbue her later novels with a gothic quality – an example is her novel Northanger Abbey. Issues within the novel border on gender and power. For example, Catherine experiences several challenges in her life through the novel such that by the time she arrives at Abbey, she has really faced an array of issues. From this Austen manages to present a sustained fear and anxiety throughout her work (Wilde 156). In Northanger Abbey, there seems to be a greater connection between surprise and emotion. Jane Austen has also employed dialogue as a means of endearing the reader to the outward reality. She has effectively used this at the proposal scene in the novel Emma. For instance, some of the lengthy dialogues usually act as preludes to something about to happen (Wiltshire 132). A case in point is the quarrel that ensues after Harriet refuses Robert Martin (Austen 113). Emma’s behind the scenes manipulation shines herein; to hide her machinations, she maintains a calm disposition. This demonst rates Jane Austen’s multidimensional approach towards style. Jane Austen has also presented Emma Woodhouse in such a way that her appearance does not coincide with the revelation. Such an ironic nature of presentation is a distinctive mechanism through which Jane Austen exhibits her authorial intention and unique style. Free Indirect Speech Jane Austen has meticulously utilized the practice of free indirect discourse. Free indirect speech was a literary device created by Henry Fielding in the 18th century and used liberally by many novelists at that time. Todd indicates that the free indirect speech allows the speech and the thoughts of the characters to socialize with the voice of the narrator (33). As a device, the use of free indirect discourse facilitates access to the interior psychology of the character without interrupting the social convention in place in the world of the novel. This device allows authors to write about things that would never be spoken about – in essence – to delve into the private mind of the character. In a Jane Austen novel, much of the action remains implied, an element of authorial style that mimics the social confines of its characters – essentially – no one says what they really mean, because to do so would be social suicide. Without free indirect discourse, much of the actions of the characters within Jane Austen’s novels would be indecipherable for the reader. As Neumann explains, â€Å"so much of an Jane Austen novel is apparently shown or dramatized rather than told or narrated, [thus] it becomes of particular interest not just to trace how Jane Austen reports the speech and thought of her characters but also to consider when and how judgments on the characters’ consciousnesses are implied as well as stated† (364). The stylistic device of free indirect discourse illustrates one example of how Jane Austen authenticates the consciousnesses of her characters. This device renders the interior workings of the characters’ minds visible to only the reader and themselves. As Neumann explains, free indirect discourse in a Jane Austen novel employs â€Å"sentences which combine a character’s reported voice with the narrator’s reporting voice, sentences in which the narrator can both render, and comment on, the utterance reported† (364). The net effect of this device brings the quality of mind to life for the reader; as such, the action becomes interior and subtle, implied and muted. In one of her works, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen extensively uses this approach. For example, Mrs. John Dashwood â€Å"did not endorse intends of her husband†¦ to take three thousand pounds from the plight of their precious little boy†¦ she begged him to think again on the subject†¦.. how would he have answered to him to deny his child†¦..† (20). The extract draws a straightforward story in the â€Å"voice† of the narrator. In this example, Jane Austen proves the inner feelings of the character and fixes the imagination the reader is entering the characters mind. In the novel Emma, Jane Austen applies the stylistic device of free indirect discourse masterfully to develop the relationship between Emma and Mr. Knightley. As Bray notes, the use of free indirect discourse ensures that â€Å"everything is presented through Emma’s dramatized consciousness, and the essential effects depend on that† (10). In Emma, one of the clearest and most effective examples of free indirect discourse occurs when Emma and Harriet Smith discuss Mr. Knightley. Emma asks: Have you any idea of Mr. Knightley’s returning your affection? Yes, replied Harriet modestly, but not fearfully – I must say that I have. Emma’s eyes were instantly withdrawn; and she sat silently meditating, in a fixed attitude, for a few minutes. A few minutes were sufficient for making her acquainted with h er own heart. A mind like her’s, once opening to suspicion, made rapid progress. She touched – she admitted – she acknowledged the whole truth. Why was it so much worse that Harriet should be in love with Mr. Knightley, than with Frank Churchill? Why was the evil so dreadfully increased by Harriet’s having some hope of a return? It darted through her, with the speed of an arrow, that Mr. Knightley must marry no one but herself! (Austen 335) In this passage, Jane Austen uses the free indirect discourse to plumb the depths of her main character’s denial. In this one passage, the author peels away multiple layers of truth slowly and steadily, to reveal the romantic yearnings that Emma holds very close to her core, the element of her affection that she has revealed to no one thus far, not even herself. In this regard, the power of this stylistic device is threefold – it reveals character intention, explains character action, and functions as a b ond between reader and character. The stylistic use of free indirect discourse places the reader in the role of confidante. As Bray explains, in this example, â€Å"here Harriet’s supposedly reciprocated feelings for Knightley force Emma to acknowledge the truth of her own heart. A few minutes of reflection are enough for revelation to be reached. Notice that the trajectory by which Emma arrives at the truth, from touching, to admitting, to acknowledging, is first described indirectly, from the vantage-point of an external narrator, and then presented more directly, as the narrative enters into her mind† (18). Herein lies the value of free indirect discourse as a means of drawing out the interior social psychology not only of the character, but of the larger social world that Jane Austen’s characters inhabit, in all its rigidity and artifice. Bray notes that it is â€Å"Emma who asks herself, Why was it so much worse that Harriet should be in love with Mr. Knig htley, than with Frank Churchill? and Why was the evil so dreadfully increased by Harriet’s having some hope of a return?† (18). Through free indirect discourse, the reader learns the truth at the same time as the character. The device allows the character’s consciousness to become a character independent to the social character witnessed in the novel, which in turn reflects the schism that occurs in the selves of the characters between their social personas and their actual selves. As Bray notes, Emma’s â€Å"consciousness could be said to be dramatized here if by this is understood the narrative’s attempt to re-enact, rather than describe externally, the character’s actual thought-processes. From Why was it so much worse onwards the reader is granted intimate access to Emma’s thoughts and anxieties, leading up to her final moment of anagnorisis† (18). In regard then, the style device of free indirect discourse functions as a m eans of granting access to the deep action of the story, as motivated by the deep and largely unconscious desires of the characters. This phenomenon explains why several scholars view Jane Austen as one of the foremost romantic novelists writing from a social psychology perspective. Beauty A number of the characters in Jane Austen’s novels remain susceptible to feminine beauty, and the author’s stylistic choices to use this weakness for beautiful women as a distraction, particularly among the male characters in her novels, often begets surprisingly comedic results. In her essay An Argument about Beauty, Susan Sontag notes that â€Å"beauty, it seems, is immutable, at least when incarnated – fixed – in the form of art, because it is in art that beauty as an idea, an eternal idea, is best embodied. Beauty†¦is deep, not superficial; hidden, sometimes, rather than obvious; consoling, not troubling; indestructible, as in art, rather than ephemeral, as in nature. Beauty, the stipulatively uplifting kind, perdures† (Sontag 208). A perfect example of this power occurs in the novel Emma. Through the character of Mr. Knightley, Jane Austen give voice to all of the less than stellar qualities of her heroine – her peevishness, her inability to cease meddling in other people’s romantic affairs, her liberal enjoyment of manipulation of family and friends, and her lazy and indolent nature – not to mention the fact that her family, especially her father, spoiled her. â€Å"I, [Mr. Knightley] soon added, who have had no such charm thrown over my senses, must still see, hear, and remember. Emma is spoiled by being the cleverest of her family. At ten years old, she had the misfortune of being able to answer questions which puzzled her sister at seventeen†¦And ever since she was twelve, Emma has been mistress of the house and of you all. In her mother she lost the only person able to cope with her† (Austen 4 8). Yet, Mr. Knightley remains struck by Emma’s pulchritude, a weakness that Mrs. Weston appears perfectly willing to exploit, as evidenced in the following example: Oh! You would rather talk of her person than her mind, would you? Very well; I shall not attempt to deny Emma’s being pretty. Pretty! Say beautiful rather. Can you imagine anything nearer perfect beauty than Emma altogether – face and figure? I do not know what I could imagine, but I confess that I have seldom seen a face or figure more pleasing to me than hers (Austen 49) The beauty of the heroines in Jane Austen’s works functions as a distraction, the problematic element of sexual desire thrown into the mix. Physical beauty at that time in history remained one of a woman’s most potent tools of power, and Jane Austen’s protagonists typically wield it as a means to avoid any deep form of dialogue or authentic emotional intimacy. Conclusion A master of style, Jane Austen’s work reveals the complex social machinations at the heart of the romantic dealings between men and women in the United Kingdom during the 18th century Regency Period. The author’s effective use of the stylistic devices of irony and free indirect discourse draw the reader into the deep stratum of each character’s psychology to reveal the personal motivations behind the action of the novels. Jane Austen developed a style that could essentially tell the story that could not be told in the rigid social environment that her characters dwelled in. As such, Jane Austen’s style reveals the individual’s desires in conflict and opposition to the social conventions that restricted their use of language, particularly in the realm of romance. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Emma. Ed. Alistair M. Duckworth. New York: Bedford St. Martin’s Press, 2002. Austen, Jane. Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton, 1998. Print. Bray, Joe. â€Å"The Source of Dramatized Conscious ness: Richardson, Austen, and Stylistic Influence.† Style 35.1 (2001): 18-36. Web. Brownstein, Rachel M. â€Å"Jane Austen: Irony and Authority.† Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Russel Whitaker. Vol. 150. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Print. Duckworth, Alistair M. The Improvement of the Estate: A Study of Jane Austen’s Novels. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1971. Print. Ferguson, Moira. â€Å"Mansfield Park: Slavery, Colonialism, and Gender.† Oxford Literary Review 13.1 (1991): 118–39. Print. Galperin, William. The Historical Austen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. Print. Greenberg, Clement. Art and Culture: Critical Essays. Boston: Beacon Press, 1966. Print. Greenham, David. â€Å"The Concept of Irony: Jane Austen’s Emma and Philip Roth’s Sabbath’s Theater.† Philip Roth Studies 1.2 (2005): 163-175. Web. Harding, D. W. â€Å"Regulated Hatred: An Aspect of the Work of Jane Austen†. Jane Austen: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Ian Watt. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963. Print. Lascelles, Mary. Jane Austen and Her Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966. Print. Le Faye, Deirdre. â€Å"Chronology of Jane Austen’s Life†. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Eds. Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Miller, D. A. Jane Austen, or The Secret of Style. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2003. Print. Neumann, Anne Waldron. â€Å"Characterization and Comment in Pride and Prejudice: Free Indirect Discourse and Double-voiced Verbs of Speaking, Thinking, and Feeling.† Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Russel Whitaker. Vol. 150. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Print. Russell, Gillian. â€Å"Sociability.† The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Eds. Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Print. Sontag, Susan. â€Å"An A rgument about Beauty.† Daedalus 134.4 (2005): 208-. Web. Sontag, Susan. Against Interpretation. New York: Dell Publishing Press, 1966. 15-36. Print. Tinkcom, Matthew. Working like a Homosexual. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2002. Print. Todd, Janet. The Cambridge Introduction to Jane Austen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. Wilde, Oscar. The Decay of Lying. London: Book Club Associates, 1976. Print. This term paper on Style as Character Insight: The Use of Irony and Free Indirect Discourse in Jane Austen’s Major Works was written and submitted by user Tristen C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Statement of the Problem Essays

Statement of the Problem Essays Statement of the Problem Essay Statement of the Problem Essay Statement of the Problem Dry. Jamie Goethe, Director of the Office of Professional Services and Educator Licensing for CEDE, stated that she is not impressed with the induction programs for principals in our state. She has been in direct contact with both the Colorado Educations Association (CAE) and the Colorado Association of Superintendents of Education (CASE) about proposing a clean-up bill for induction programs and then to review the Educator Licensing rules and bring them into line with the state statute. She added that she feels that the reason for As not being impressive is due to the lack of clarity in the state statute and state rule. She does agree that with the revision to the template/forms for applying for an approval of an induction program are very clear regarding the expectations (Dry. Jamie Goethe, personal communication, August 1, 2008). I feel that the expectations are lacking on both ends of the spectrum and the non-negotiable accountability piece needs to be in place and conducted with reliability, faithfulness and consistency across the state of Colorado. Purpose of the Study The primary purpose of this study is to examine six state approved induction programs for principal/administrators in Colorado and to determine if the school districts policies are comprehensive in complying with the Colorado Department of Educations, (CEDE), program induction guidelines. The CEDE s guidelines and protocol for the principal and/or administrator induction program are very detailed and laid out for school districts to follow if they have been selected as a site induction program(lap) in their respective districts. The State Board of Education and Colorado Department of Education are in place to provide guidance and direction for local school districts on statewide induction programs. If implemented with fidelity as set by the CEDE and SUB, principals should have a good understanding and stable foundation from which they can perform their duties at a proficient and confident level of experience and knowledge. Principals and administrators initial licenses are valid only in Colorado school districts which provide approved induction programs, unless the school district has applied for and obtained a waiver of the induction program requirements per the Educator Licensing Act of 1991. CEDE has set policy guidelines that are suggested to be implemented in each approved school districts induction program. The induction programs for principals and administrators are and shall be designed to meet four proposed purposes: Orientation; Colonization and Transition; Technical skill development; and continuous formative assessments. The indicators that are outlined in the CEDE Induction Program Policy consist of enters, the selection and training of mentors, the matching of mentors to menthes, the professional development plans, and both the professional and program evaluations of the approved school districts induction program. The scope of this study will focus on those components listed above of the districts administration induction program policies. Policies can improve schools only if the people in them are armed with the knowledge, skills, and supports they need (National Commission on Teaching and Americas Future, 1996, p. 5).

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Term Paper Example With time, the original group split into other factions though all had a common goal: create a separate Tamil state. However, the constitution published in 1972 created a fertile ground for attacks as the Tamil factions saw it as being largely anti-Tamil. This spurred the Tamils into action, and thus joined in the fight. In 1983, countrywide clashes with the Sinhalese that left thousands of Tamils dead saw the rise of the LTTE and the fight against the Sri Lankan government began (Swamy and Narayan 8; McConnell 61).Structure. As noted hereinabove, the LTTE had quite an elaborate command structure with almost all parts of a full government. They had a well organized leadership that was structured along two tiers: the military and the political wings. There was a governing committee whose role was to oversee the running of both wings that was headed by Prabhakaran. This is the body mandated with controlling and directing several of the group’s subdivisions such as the airborne g roup, the navy and the elite fighting wing. They also had a suicide commando unit and an intelligence unit aimed at gathering intelligence (Swamy and Narayan 12). They even had an international secretariat within the governing committee that was in charge of all global networks and communications. There was a truce in 2006 from the government after an onslaught carried out by government military, and this gave them a leeway to increase their strength by recruiting more than 11,000 guerrillas to increase the cadre.

Parallel imports are good for welfare, not bad for welfare Essay

Parallel imports are good for welfare, not bad for welfare - Essay Example In the United States annual retail sales of the unauthorized imports, or "gray market" goods, may have approached $10 billion during the 1980s. Governments around the world have struggled with the question whether the exclusive distributor ought to be able to block such parallel importation. (Takamatsu 57) The unauthorized importers have maintained that because their activity encourages price competition and benefits the consumer, it should be freely permitted. Allowing foreign manufacturers to establish exclusive distributorships and prevent all intrabrand competition, they point out, would be inconsistent with the principles of free enterprise in a market economy and would be inconsistent with the interests of consumers. As one gray market retailer pointed out: As a result of this importation of merchandise at lower prices, we sell at lower prices. The price differential to the consumer is between 10 and 40 percent with an average of probably 20 to 25 percent. This savings to the consumer also occurs on merchandise purchased from foreign brand distributors because most of the subsidiaries of foreign manufacturers have been forced to lower their U.S. ... The authorized distributors respond that irrespective of any benefit to the consumer, parallel importation unfairly injures enterprises which have made significant expenditures in generating goodwill, only to have the resultant returns siphoned off to others. The U.S. distributors may, for example, have spent large sums of money preparing to introduce a new product to the North American market, and gone to great effort and expense to build up consumer awareness, as well as to develop effective distribution channels. In 1983 the grey market hit us with full force as up to 30% of our sales were lost to the diverters. We experienced two layoffs and our advertising and promotion efforts were severely curtailed. . . . The impact of the grey market greatly impacted our bottom line as we suffered a catastrophic loss. And even established international brand names require careful attention to local regulatory standards, consumer tastes, income levels, language, and a host of other factors. Typically it is the U.S. distributor's responsibility to monitor and respond to these variables, to preserve and improve a product's image in the public mind. Parallel importers' "free ride" on the goodwill generated by such activities should be prohibited, the distributors maintain. But the parallel importers argue that the goodwill on which they trade ordinarily belongs to the manufacturer, not the distributor. The typical consumer decides to buy a "Nikon" camera, for example, not because of the reputation of the Nikon distributor, but because the customer recognizes the manufacturer's name as signifying a particular standard of quality. And gray market sales, the importers urge, cannot constitute free riding on this goodwill of the foreign manufacturer, since the products

How do you react Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How do you react - Essay Example Teachers commonly â€Å"write a descriptive narrative of each child's cognitive and social growth† (Brualdi). I remember that in my very early years in school, I specially looked forward to getting a star whenever I submitted any work for the teacher to check. Specially in Math, I had a star on every page. In order to maintain this honor, I would work even harder so that I might not miss a star on any of the pages. Those stars served as a big source of motivation for me. I felt pleased and encouraged. I would proudly show them to my fellow class mates and peers. Many years have passed since then, but I am just as sensitive to my teachers’ written comments on my work as I ever was. As I stated before, my academic record has always been very good, so poor comments have been extremely rare for me. However, if I ever happen to get bad comments, I take them as a lesson to judge my performance so that I can raise it to the level where the comments become nice. Teachersâ€℠¢ comments are of primary importance to me and I usually use them to make my writing better. Works cited: Brualdi, Amy. â€Å"Teacher comments on report cards.† Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, vol. 6. no. 5. 1998. .

Reflective Practice In Pastoral Ministry Education Essay

Reflective Practice In Pastoral Ministry Education Essay The focus of this paper is reflective practice, which is the ability of individuals to learn from critically analysing events and experiences that they encounter in their daily lives besides the values and theories that support those activities. This is employed in various professionals such as in teaching, nursing, environmentalists among other professionals as a supplement for formal professional learning. In this study, reflective practice will be examined from a pastoral point of view. The term reflective practice will be examined with reference to its definition, the various types of reflective practice that exist and the models of reflective practice that are in use today. Additionally, reflective practice will be analysed from a pastoral point of view whereby the various ways in which it can be used in Christian ministry will be explored as well as the ways in which it has enabled the writer of this paper to develop or change their public relations as far as the ministry is concerned. Finally, the role of reflective practice in the learning experience of the writer will be examined. 2.Reflective practice 1)Definition Reflective practice is one of the core characteristics in professions such as education, health, environmental management and theology among others and usually refers to the ability of an individual to reflect on actions or acts in a way that facilitates further learning for the individual. This usually involves paying special attention to the activities of everyday life with special reference to the values and theirs that are the basis for these actions. Reflective learning encourages practice-based professional learning whereby individuals are able to learn from their experiences as opposed to formal and structured teaching. The term reflective practice is composed of two words; reflection and practice whereby the term reflection means to critically and accurately evaluate an item, an individual or a situation while experiencing them or after one has encountered them. Practice on the other hand refers to learning or mastery through repetition. Reflective practice has been defined by Moon as a set of abilities and skills, to indicate the taking of a critical stance, an orientation to problem solving or state of mind whereas Cowan has defined reflective thinking as the situation when they analyse or evaluate one or more personal experiences and attempt to generalise that from thinking. Biggs on the other hand defined reflective thinking as a reflection in a mirror is an exact replica of what is in front of it. Reflection in professional practice, however, gives back not what it is, but what might be an improvement of the original . In conclusion therefore, the process of reflective learning may be thought of as a process through which individuals critically evaluate their actions, thoughts and experiences and through this critical appraisal, are able to experience autonomous learning. The connection between knowledge and practice is further facilitated by the availability of an experienced professional within the discipline, in this case theology and pastoral ministry. In laymans terms, the practices and strategies for reflective practice includes questioning the manner in which one carries out various activities and comparing it to the manner in which others carry out the same activities; the search for alternatives in the course of accomplishing the same activities; comparing and contrasting; keeping an open mind; looking for the framework, theoretical basis and underlying rationale for those activities; viewing from various perspectives by asking for the viewpoints of others; consideration of the consequence s; hypothesising, testing, seeking, identifying and resolving problems . 2)Advantages of practice reflective Reflective practice in pastoral ministry is associated with a higher understanding for the minister of his or her own style in the course of ministry besides validation of his or her own ideas, beneficial challenges to traditional approaches, recognition of the role of ministry in society and the respect for diversity in the course of applying theories in practice . 3.Types Of Reflective Practice 1)Content Reflection This refers to the recounting of something that happened by the practitioner who in this case is the minister . This may be the outright description of a situation or of a problem such as Mr. Stan did not tell me anything that may have been troubling him in spite of the fact that I reassured him that I was ready to listen and despite his revelation that his family was unreceptive to him 2)Process Reflection This is where a practitioner the process that was involved in the happening of an event such as as I narrated in the encounter with Mr. Stan what my purpose was, then I began to carry out an intense physical assessment. I asked again about any concerns once in the middle of taking temperature, and did not mention it again. Mr. Stan failed to make eye contact when he said everything was ok. 3)Premise Reflection Premise reflection is where a problem, issue or situation is evaluated with the view of understanding why it happened or occurred. For example I wonder why he failed to respond to my questions. How come I didnt notice and respond to his body language then? Why did I not feel comfortable digging a little more? Did I ask about her problems too early in the interview and too often again when in the middle of the task? Was I comfortable? What should I do differently in a future situation? Do I feel comfortable acting differently in the future? What would assist me in the future? 4)Action Reflection This is also known as reflection on action and is used to refer to the reflection of actions, activities and events that happened in the past and may involve documentation of those past events and experiences and may be referred to as Schons model of reflection. 5)Critical Reflection Critical reflection is the process of analysing, reconsidering, and questioning experiences within a broad context of issues and can be broken down into various dimensions for the purposes of addressing various activities besides various levels of reflection. The first, second and third dimensions constitute the ordinary process of reflection whereas the fourth dimension constitutes the core of critical reflection. The first dimension involves critical observation for the purposes of understanding the issues in a deep and accurate way through the use of frameworks such as past experiences. The second dimension involves an exhaustive description of what has been observed whereas the third dimension involves the making of the meaning of what has been described. Finally, the fourth dimension refers to the addition of breadth and depth to the issue through asking questions about and relating meanings to a variety of professional and personal issues. 6)Reflection In Action Reflection in action refers to the reflection of an individual on action while in the course of carrying out the action. This is manifested in constant thinking throughout the duration of the action and is referred to as knowing in action, thinking on your feet and keeping your wits about you besides learning by doing as described by Schon. 4.Models Of Reflective Practice The purpose of these models is to enable professionals to draw lessons out of experiences in the course of enabling professionals to develop independence and to create a continuous, life long, learning experience. 1)Argyris and Schon 1978 In 1978, Argyris and Schon proposed the single loop and the double loop models of reflective practice on the basis of the identification and correction of an error, fault or mistake. Single loop learning is where the individual continues to rely on the old procedures in spite of the identification and resolution of a problem whereas double loop learning is where upon the identification and resolution of a problem, new procedures are adopted and in case the same problem appears again, a new solution is found. Later, Schon brought up the idea of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action whereby the former may be defined as thinking on their feet and the latter may be described as felt knowing. The idea behind these two concepts is that in the course of any practice, a professional normally experiences feeling, emotions and thoughts that are derived from a similar past experience and which enables them to face the situation at hand directly. 2)Kolb 1984 This model was heavily influenced by the works of Dewey and Piaget in the 1970s and besides focussing on experimental learning, is centred on the change of information into knowledge. This occurs when an event has already come to pass and involves the reflection of the individual on the experience in order to gain understanding and insight of the concepts, which are then transferred into a new situation. Thus, knowledge obtained from a specific situation is constantly and regularly utilised and builds on an individuals experience and knowledge . 3)Gibbs 1988 This is an improvement of Kolbs experimental learning cycle whereby structured debriefing is used as a way of enabling reflection. The stages of a full structured debriefing in order are: the initial experience, the description of the experience, the description of the feelings that an individual encountered, the valuation of the experience, an analysis of the experience, the general conclusions that an individual makes from the experience and analysis, the specific conclusion and the personal action plans in case a similar situation is encountered in future. These steps are also known as the Gibbs model of reflection or the Gibbs reflective cycle and are summarised as: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, and conclusion and action plan. 4)Johns 1995 This is a structured model of reflection that consists of a guide for individuals to gain higher understanding and is designed to include the participation of a colleague or a mentor, who facilitates faster transformation of the experience to learnt knowledge. This model is based on the earlier works of Carper and puts emphasis on the ability of a professional to access, understand and put into practice information gathered empirically through looking in on ones thoughts and emotions and looking out at the events that took place. This model includes Carpers four patterns of knowing which are: empirical, personal, ethical and aesthetic and reflexive. 5)Rolfe 2001 The basis of this model is Bortons developmental model of 1970 and involves a simplistic cycle consisting of three questions that a professional asks. These are: what, so what and what next. This enables an individual to describe a situation accurately, which further enables scrutiny of the situation and construction of knowledge that was learnt through the experience. After this, the various ways and methods in which one may improve as well as the results of ones response to the situation are evaluated . 6)Bauds model Bauds model places emphasis on the feelings and emotions of an individual besides being cyclical. This model recommends a critical analysis of an experience or an event with reference to the emotions or feelings that were experienced in the course of the event or after the event and application of the lessons that were learnt from this experience. 7)Greenaway 3-stage Model This model is based on three activities that are performed in cyclical progression. These are plan, followed by do, which is followed by review and so on. It is suggested that this model is closely related to the Gibbs model of reflective practice. 5.Use Of Reflective Practice In Christian Ministry The role of reflective practice in Christian ministry and Pastoral work cannot be overemphasised. This is especially so taking into consideration that ministry involves the delivery of the word of a perfect God, through an imperfect individual to other imperfect individuals with the aim of bringing them close and closer and closer to the fold. Additionally, Christian ministry is much more than preaching and one of its other components is to set a good example to the congregation and thus the need for reflective practice among the Christian ministers. 1)Reflective Practice in Church Ministry Leadership To begin with, reflective practice is important for a pastoral minister to accomplish his or her leadership role within a ministry. The leadership of any ministry is important in the achievement of the goals and objectives of that particular community in addition to influencing their congregations to view and value these in the same way. The role of leadership demands certain behaviours from the Christian minister and hence the minister needs to constantly reflect on his or her behaviour and adopt behaviour and actions that will serve as an example to the community. This would enable the attainment of goals and objectives besides steering the congregation to greater heights . 2) Reflective Practice in Prayer and Instruction Reflective practice may be used by the ministers to encourage congregation to reflect on their thoughts, experiences and events with reference to Biblical teachings as well as prayer as a way of encouraging them to live lives that are more godly. This may also be used by the ministers themselves as well in striving to live lives that are more godly. 3)Reflective Practice in Improving the Running of the Churchs Affairs. In the course of management of the affairs of the church, not everything that the minister comes across will have been taught in class and it is prudent for him or her to come up with ways of handling such situations. Additionally, the minister may find that some of the management that he or she may have learnt in the classroom are not so practical in some situations and it is in such times when reflective practice should be used to invent more olutions to management problems. 6.Role Of Reflective Practice In The Course Of Learning 1) Reflective Practice in Time Management In the course of learning, reflective practice has come in handy especially in the course of time management. By looking at past events and experiences, I have learnt how to plan ahead for activities, how to prioritise activities and the importance of allocating time both for working and for relaxation purposes. Unlike in the past, I am now able to meet my obligations and the stress that comes with undone work has dramatically reduced in my life. Consequently, in spite of fulfilling my responsibilities, I am able to engage in activities that I like. 2 )Reflective Learning in Accommodating Others Accommodation of others has been a challenge all along in my life and more so in the course of Christian ministry studies as a result of the diverse viewpoints that are held by my fellow students. However, by reflecting past instances of my intolerance towards the opinion of others, I was persuaded to try and accommodate the feelings of others. This turned out to be worthwhile as I learnt that it is important to accept the views and opinions of others no matter how offensive they are to me, since I realised that people like being listened to and understood even if not necessarily agreed with. This, I have learnt is perfect for harmonious living and coexistence even with my classmates. 3)Reflective Practice and Challenges at Work and in personal life Reflective practice has been instrumental in assisting me to deal with challenges at work and at home. In the past, difficulties and work would spill over when I got home and difficulties I experienced at home would affect my work. As a result of reflecting on these situations, I learnt that there is a time and place for everything and that what happens at home should not affect what happens at work and what happens at work should not impact my life away from work. This has enabled me to find fulfilment at home and at work in spite of whatever difficulties I may be experiencing. This has made me more effective in my work and responsibilities. 7.Conclusion This paper has been centred on reflective practice within the context of pastoral ministry. To begin with, the definition of the term reflective practice has been defined in laymans terms but the definitions of various experts such as Moon, Cowan and Biggs have also been included. The advantages of the practice of reflective practice especially among pastoral ministers have also been mentioned besides the types of reflective practice. The types of reflective practice that have been discussed in this study are: content reflection, process reflection, premise reflection, action reflection, critical reflection and reflection on action. This paper also contains brief discussions on the various models of reflective practice that have been proposed by experts over the years which are: Argyris and Schon model of 1978, Kolb model of 1984, Gibbs model of 1988, Johns model of 1995, and Rolfes model of 2001. Additionally, the importance of reflective practice in Christian ministry has been expl ored and in this case, its role in church leadership, prayer and instruction and in the running of the affairs of the church has all been discussed. The impact of reflective practice in my personal life has also been outlined with reference to its effects on the challenges that I encounter in my personal and professional life, in accommodating others, and in time management.

Their Eyes Were Watching God :: essays research papers

Janie is the novel's hero. The story is told in first person as she narrates the story of her life to her friend Pheoby Watson. This is a story of one woman's search for love in the world. From the beginning of Janie’s story under the pear tree, she tries desperately to â€Å"find who she is† and this consist of obtaining three different husbands. Janie has gone through a lot in her life time the fact that she is a product of white rape - causes her to be lighter-skinned than other black women. Because Janie is an â€Å"unusual† woman concerning her physical characteristics this is a major factor during her marriage to Joe Starks and interactions with Mrs. Turner. Joe (Jody) Starks is Janie's second husband. She meets one day while still married to Logan. Joe proposes to Janie several weeks later, she accepts and feels that she can finally get away from Logan and start a new life. Joe's desire is to be a "big voice," in the community. This soon creates conflict for his new wife. Janie understands she is an â€Å"ornament† for Joe because of her physical characteristics. Joe wants Janie to be seen and not heard. He wants her to be his â€Å"light-skinned trophy† for the people of Eatonville to envy. Joe realizes that his wife Janie is very beautiful and he becomes jealous of other men lusting after her. Because of this, Joe restricts Janie by forcing her to always tend the store and wear a head rag to hide her beautiful hair. Joe wants complete control of Janie and sometimes he beats her when she does not obey him. I feel that Joe's search for power and to have the dominant role over women is very emphasized and presence. To â€Å"top it off†, Joe makes Eatonville's black community â€Å"bow† to him as non-equals. Sometimes the things that Joe does are traditional white behavior. When Joe dies his meanness left him friendless, with only Janie by his side. After Joe Starks dies, Janie realizes that her grandmother had "taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon†¦and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter's neck tight enough to choke her. She hated the old woman who had twisted her so in the name of love" (85). The novel's title is taken from Chapter 18, as the hurricane strikes the Everglades. Their Eyes Were Watching God :: essays research papers Janie is the novel's hero. The story is told in first person as she narrates the story of her life to her friend Pheoby Watson. This is a story of one woman's search for love in the world. From the beginning of Janie’s story under the pear tree, she tries desperately to â€Å"find who she is† and this consist of obtaining three different husbands. Janie has gone through a lot in her life time the fact that she is a product of white rape - causes her to be lighter-skinned than other black women. Because Janie is an â€Å"unusual† woman concerning her physical characteristics this is a major factor during her marriage to Joe Starks and interactions with Mrs. Turner. Joe (Jody) Starks is Janie's second husband. She meets one day while still married to Logan. Joe proposes to Janie several weeks later, she accepts and feels that she can finally get away from Logan and start a new life. Joe's desire is to be a "big voice," in the community. This soon creates conflict for his new wife. Janie understands she is an â€Å"ornament† for Joe because of her physical characteristics. Joe wants Janie to be seen and not heard. He wants her to be his â€Å"light-skinned trophy† for the people of Eatonville to envy. Joe realizes that his wife Janie is very beautiful and he becomes jealous of other men lusting after her. Because of this, Joe restricts Janie by forcing her to always tend the store and wear a head rag to hide her beautiful hair. Joe wants complete control of Janie and sometimes he beats her when she does not obey him. I feel that Joe's search for power and to have the dominant role over women is very emphasized and presence. To â€Å"top it off†, Joe makes Eatonville's black community â€Å"bow† to him as non-equals. Sometimes the things that Joe does are traditional white behavior. When Joe dies his meanness left him friendless, with only Janie by his side. After Joe Starks dies, Janie realizes that her grandmother had "taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon†¦and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter's neck tight enough to choke her. She hated the old woman who had twisted her so in the name of love" (85). The novel's title is taken from Chapter 18, as the hurricane strikes the Everglades.

Early Greek and Roman Civilizations

Early Greek and Roman Civilizations Charles Inabnitt American InterContinental University Abstract The early Greek and Roman empires or civilizations shared a lot of similarities in geography for they both are Mediterranean countries. They had similar religions also. These are some of the cultural aspects that are compared and contrasted. Early Greek and Roman Civilizations The following are examples of cultural elements of comparison and contrast: geography, government, economy, art, philosophy, religion. Furthermore, the graph below will go into more detail in all of the subjects discussed above. Greece| Roman| Geography| Some of the Greek poleis or city states as they were called where naturally separated by the sea from the mainland. Now the mainland was very mountainous. | Geographically, Rome was built on seven hills on the east bank of the Tiber River. The lower lying areas were prone to flooding. | Government| Greek governments were divided in groups by the great Aristotle, a nd are still used today by historians, into monarchies, oligarchies, tyrannies, and democracies. | Rome was ruled by kings at the beginning of their time. Then it became a republic with emperors of royal blood and a senate and an assembly. | Economy| The Greeks since their poleis where unreachable by land they were reached by sea. Thus in the early part of the history of Greece the main source of economy was through fishing and trading. Later led onto agriculture and the growing of wheat. | Romans where known for their trading and were also known for taking slaves from all of the wars that they had from the expansion of their empire. Therefore, the people of Rome had grown a custom to slave labor. Art| The Greeks where known for the art form of perfecting the human body. They were known for sculptures and other famous art works known as ideal artistic form of art. | The Roman people were engineers. Concrete was one of the greatest inventions by the romans. They were able to make great expanded forms of architecture. | Philosophy| Philosophy or ‘love of wisdom’ was the enriched need of knowledge without the use of history. Some of the greatest thinkers came from ancient Greece mainly from Athens. | Roman philosophy was borrowed from the Greeks philosophy and the concepts of ethical and political. Religion| The religion of the Greeks where that of gods for every aspect of life. For example, there were gods for things like the sea ruled by Poeidon and the underworld ruling over the dead ruled by Hades. Then the all mighty Zeus ruler of all gods and of mankind. | Roman also believed in gods for every aspect of life. Therefore they borrowed the Greeks gods and just renamed them. | So in conclusion, as we can see that the Greeks and the Romans had many similarities. Reasons of this may stem from the fact that the Romans develop from the Greek colonies and also the Etruscan settlements. This may be the reason why the philosophy and the religion of the Greek and Romans are very similar. As you can also see though both civilizations had their differences in how their civilizations were maintained and ran in everyday life and morals. References Miller, Lee, Patrick. , Reeve, C. D. C. (2006). Introductory Readings in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc Sayre, Henry. (2010). Discovering the Humanities. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Hall

Islam Expansion essays

Islam Expansion essays The Islamic civilization spread to such an extensive empire through many techniques. They conquered neighboring areas rapidly. They spread Islam onto the people in three ways. One practice that caused them to spread was their expertise on war. Another would be the forced conversion of Islam to the people. The last method is the teaching of equality and peace that slowly became accepted. Islam fought hard in battle. Their war tactics were the best in the World. The Muslims were harsh and cruel in battle, destroying cities and enemies. According to document 4, the Muslims were compared to raging tigers. The army of Islam wouldnt be successful without motivation. Mohammad motivated them, as states in document 2. Whoever obeyed him, he will bring back to the Garden of Paradise. Since they had a reason to fight, they became powerful, conquering many lands including North Africa, Spain, and Persia, as shown in document 8. The strength of Islam was at their peek. Their soldiers were fierce, fast, and hard aggressors against their opponent. When Islam took over an area, the people would came with it. Mohammad had to force conversion of the people to Islam. The Muslims must have converted the people because if they did not agree on a religion, they would not agree on many other things. He made it simple and said, in document 1, either convert, pay money to Islam and they would leave your people alone, or not pay and fight against him. Mohammad, though, respected the People of the Book stated in document 5. He allowed them to retain their faith, but with a payment of tribute. Even though Mohammad forced people to convert, many conquered people took Islam for their religion on their own. They did this for numerous reasons. One of them was how Islam taught equality on all men, whether the person be a king or a slave. This was stated in document 3. It was the first major religion without a social class. Islam attracte...

Ap Psychology Fall Term Project Essays

Ap Psychology Fall Term Project Essays Ap Psychology Fall Term Project Essay Ap Psychology Fall Term Project Essay AP Psychology Fall Term Project Introduction I am more interested in the abstract and philosophical aspects rather than the more concrete biological aspects of psychology. The topic that interested me the most so far this year and the topic that I continued to research was the topic of morality. I didn’t have a specific question I wanted to address but as I read some articles about people who were institutionalized for violently expressing psychopathic personality traits, I came across an article that asked a question of its own. The article brought up the idea that traits of psychopathy including ruthlessness, charm, mindfulness, focus, fearlessness, and action can be beneficial to the individual. From this idea, the question I sought to answer was â€Å"If we all take on typically immoral psychopathic tendencies, are they no longer immoral? † Summary The article I read came from Scientific American adapted from the non-fiction book The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us about Success by Kevin Dutton. The main question posed by Dutton is: Can the typical traits of a psychopath benefit people at certain points in their lives? The article is more of an interview with some patients at Broadmoor, â€Å"the best-known high-security psychiatric hospital in England† and an observation rather than a study with measurements and variables. However, applying knowledge of Kohlberg, Brofenbrenner, and Gillian’s theories make the article even more interesting. In the article, Dutton discusses the inmates’ solutions to problems similar to that of the Heinz dilemma, psychopathy and the brain, and a relation to psychopathic traits to religion and happiness. If what he discusses were put into terms of variables, the independent variable could be expression of psychopathic traits and the dependent variable could be anything the traits effect from happiness to inner or universal morality. Discussion In the article, the ideas of the psychopaths can be looked at and evaluated using both Kohlberg and Brofenbrenner’s theories on moral development. In the article Dutton asks one of the inmates a hypothetical question. An old woman moves out of her house to live with her daughter and son-in-law. The house is in an up and coming neighborhood and she can get a good price if she sold it. The only problem is the tenant who doesn’t want to move out. How do you get the tenant to leave? The first thing the psychopath said was â€Å"I’m presuming we’re not talking violence here† indicating that psychopaths do have a sense of the Level II conventional morality described by Kohlberg. The psychopath recognizes that violence is typically punished and looked down upon by law and society, putting the psychopath into at least Stage 4 of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. Essentially the psychopath solves the problem by saying that someone should pretend to be someone from the health department and tell the tenant that the house is not safe to live in and he must leave as soon as he can. He doesn’t explain his reasoning but most psychopaths are concerned with one thing only: getting the job done. However, the article doesn’t go into why or how the psychopath determined this was the best way to remove the tenant. If the psychopath figured the action would lead to reward (getting the tenant out) and that is the only consequence, he would be in Stage 1 of Kohlberg’s theory and orientation 1of Bronfenbrenner’s theory. On the other end of the spectrum, if the psychopath figured that if the house got sold and the old woman and her daughter and son-in-law could live comfortably, that the expulsion of the tenant (whether he became homeless or even finds another place to stay) would be the greatest good for the greatest number, putting him in Stage 5 of Kohlberg’s theory. This would be orientation 4 of Bronfenbrenner’s theory called objectively oriented morality in which the standing goals of the group override that of the individual. As the conversation continues, the discussion turns to worrying about the future affecting actions in the present. The psychopaths discuss the idea that there’s no use in getting your mind wrapped in what might happen when everything in the present is perfectly fine and that you shouldn’t let your brain get ahead of you. Do in the moment what makes you happy. Dutton describes this as mindfulness. Dutton brings up the fact that embracing the present is something that psychopathy and schools of spiritual enlightenment have in common. When it comes to psychology, Dutton brings up a â€Å"mindfulness-based cognitive-behavior therapy program for sufferers of anxiety and depression. † Surely, mindfulness and living in the present has its benefits but ignoring the future can produce dangerous consequences as well. Since some stages of morality are based on self satisfaction, others the law and religion, and further the good of society, I have answered my question â€Å"If we all take on typically immoral psychopathic tendencies, are hey no longer immoral? † The answer I came up with is, â€Å"it depends. † The reason â€Å"it depends† is because, well, it does. Anyone can have psychopathic traits of mindfulness, ruthlessness, action, charming, and fearlessness; it’s just about how we use them. Sure, Dutton suggests these traits can lead to happines s and success, but in the right amount and for the right reasons. What we consider the â€Å"right reasons† and â€Å"right amount† is also based on our own levels of morality. If everyone was charming, fearless, ruthless, and mindful, we would all be doing what we could to get ahead and be happy. If doing what is necessary to be happy and get ahead became a universally moral idea, then sure, there wouldn’t be a problem with psychopaths, liars, and cheaters. But in the world in which we live, where we all have our own different ideas of good and bad with exceptions and loopholes included, under the â€Å"right† circumstances, these traits are acceptable and useful, but at the â€Å"wrong† times they can be damaging and violating. Should we all just become psychopaths? I guess it just depends. Citation Dutton, K. (2013, January). Wisdom from Psychopaths? [Electronic version]. Scientific American.

Ethics of Singapore Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethics of Singapore Airlines - Research Paper Example The present research has identified that Singapore Airlines has been accused of some unethical practices. In 2010, the company pleaded guilty for a price-fixing charge in front of the US Department of Justice and received a fine of 48 million US dollars. Airline’s portrayal of â€Å"Singaporean Girl† and recruitment practices are sexist and discriminatory. Furthermore, their promotion campaign asking customers to â€Å"fly with Singaporean Girl† contributes towards objectifying women and portrays the traditional stereotype of Asian women as submissive to males. The absence of whistleblowing practices and training also caused the company to suffer a scandal that involved an employee depriving the company of 35 million Singaporean dollars over a period of 13 years. Introduction It was on May 1, 1947, that Malayan Airways Limited (MAL) was incorporated, which would later undergo division into two separate entities of Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines System. In the process, the paper would present various examples and cases that would assist in making meaningful conclusions. Discussion Social Responsibility In order to save Harapan Rainforest, Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, in the fall of 2010, donated 3 million US dollars to the Harapan Rainforest initiative, which is looking after the restoration and conservation of the rainforest. These funds would be utilized towards creating a workforce which could prevent illegal logging of this low land rain forest, prevent damage from any fires and contribute to the animal species conservation programs. According to Singapore Airlines, these funds are just another manifestation of the fact that the company strongly believes in the restoration of forests since forests are the world’s chief carbon stores, in the absence of which climate change and global warming would become a graver issue than ever. In an attempt to become a more ethical corporate citizen, Singapore Airlines has supported the arts community especially in Singapore and other parts of the world, through various generous donations. Some of these donations have gone to reputable arts societies of Singapore such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Dance Theatre, Singapore Lyric Opera, and Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Furthermore, Singapore Airlines also takes great pride in the fact that it has served as the leading sponsor of various high profile exhibitions at the National Museum of Singapore.

Strategic Planning (Longitudinal Strategic Development Study) Coursework

Strategic Planning (Longitudinal Strategic Development Study) - Coursework Example . . . . . . . . 4 3.1 Development History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 3.2 Prior Investments and Disinvestments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3.3 Markets Served and Products Offered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 3.4 Resources Gained and Capabilities Developed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3.5 Culture, Leadership and Management Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8 3.6 Strategies Pursued and Outcomes Achieved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 4. Current Strategic Situation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4.1 Trends in the Macro Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 4.2 Changes in Industries and Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 4.3 Strateg ic Resources, Assets and Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.4 Financial Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.5 Industry Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.6 SWOT Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 5. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 5.3 Choices for Future Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16 5.4 Evaluation of Available Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 5.5 Justifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5.6 Getting to the Future First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7. Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ABSTRACT This paper covers the furniture industry with regards to the retailing industry. The industry is closely related to the home industry in the sense that people buy new furniture once they moved to a rental home or into a house they had recently bought. On this note, the furniture industry relies on new sales (when people buy entirely new furniture) to furnish a home or on replacement sales (when a furniture is worn due to use or is out of style). The paper discusses in broad terms the significant changes in the business environment such as new lifestyle patterns, threats such as the environmental movement and depletion of forests and the opportunities presented to pro-active industry players who can seize the opportunities to expand market shares and further revenue growth. The paper then focuses on the furniture group of IKEA which is from Sweden but is now present in some 40 countries and territories with about 316 stores (as of 2010, combined for franchised and company-owned