Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Development in Malaysia Essay

As Malaysia had experienced an extraordinary economic growth in the last 3 decades is has brought high standards of living for the majority of the people. The people in Kuala Lumpur and major tourist destinations can now enjoy a quality of living which is very similar to developed countries. While Malaysia has done extremely well in some areas there are still challenges that the Government is lacking in delivering healthcare and education to all. In Sarawak and Sabah for example, ethnic minorities are situated in distant areas of Borneo’s rainforest where mountains and rivers are dividing villages from schools and modern services. It is tough for the families who live in these villages as not everyone is able to access the benefits of modernisation. The wealthiest 20% of Malaysians control 53. 8% of the wealth whereas the poorest 20% of the population controls only 4. 5 percent of wealth. Once the country started to modernise, Malaysians living in urban areas has increased from 27% in1970 to 62% in 2000. Forms of poverty started to appear; both urban and rural. After the time of the independence, Malays had migrated to the cities. Arguably, the monthly income is not enough to be able to support a family of four to meet their needs. Roughly quarter of the population could not afford to live in descent accommodations and had to live in squatter settlements as it is more affordable. A poverty reduction programme was introduced, where the poverty line had decreased from 7. 7 % in 1999 to 5. 1% in 2002. This shows a positive reduction. Elderly and disabled people got the opportunity to receive welfare support from the government. In Malaysia, the poverty rate shrank from slightly over half of the population in 1973 to 7. 8 percent in 1995. This means that if poverty reduction continues at the same rate, by 2003, there would be no one left below the poverty line of $2 international dollars a day. This is mainly because the government is trying to increase expenditure on major anti-poverty programs to protect real spending per individual, specially targeting the expenditure for small-scale loans and income generated activities for the poorest in rural areas as well as improvements in welfare programs. Apart of that, the government also spent safety nets for the newly poor through urban micro-credit programs and provision of special skills training for unskilled workers. This progress in poverty reduction measured in income terms is mirrored by improvements in social indicators. Malaysia’s achievements in increasing life expectancy (2003: 70. 6 years for male and 75. 5 years for female) are particularly impressive. Conclusion / Recommendations Monitoring of the gender and development – Since 1988 Malaysia has been experiencing an economic boom. The high growth of the economy was achieved with almost full employment. This strong performance in growth has resulted in basic structural changes in the economy. Ever since the experience of the economic boom, there have been changes in the roles of employment. From the above data, it is evident that there are significant increases in the participation of women in the manufacturing sector and the work force as a whole. Analysis of the of the many positive changes in the improvement of women’s health has lead to a greater amount of children with more access to education across all levels. Now that shortage of labour has increased. It gives a stronger possibility for women who are unpaid to move to paid labour. With the greater amount of job opportunities and demands for both skilled men and women in the manufacturing sector. Moreover with a wider range of availability this strengthens the workforce which helps build a stronger economy providing more employment and attracting foreign investments. As works with the Government and United Nations have been put into place for introducing new projects and programmes that look at decreasing gender inequality. This positive strategy will raise awareness of the situation and allow advancement of women to take place in the future and result in better educated women reflecting into a more economically productive community. One of the most essential factors for the empowerment of women has been education. As today, there are more females than males in the institutions of higher learning education. However, further studies should be put in place to identify problems and solution, for maintaining this industrial growth. They should implement the role of sharing experiences, with one another through bottom-up development and having expertise to keep strengthening the environment and success of the many efforts that have contributed into helping Malaysia The Government should be concerned with financial support. The greater focus on financial support would allow them to invest in equipment, technology and/or research and development. I suppose it is also important to have enough resources provided for the equality of gender and eventually, continuing to regularly update the progress of the gender financing situation which could have a positive effect for Malaysia in the long run. If the government continues to enhance efforts, to further improve the status of women, then this might enable them to reach their full potential as they are likely to have more belief in themselves resulting in more opportunities of them being included in the process of policies and/or programmes. Bibliography http://www. state. gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100527. htm http://www. unicef. org/malaysia/support_6017. htmlhttp://www. unicef. org/malaysia/support_6017. html http://www. unicef. org/malaysia/support_mdgs_malaysia. html http://genderindex. org/country/malaysia http://www. unescap. org/huset/women/reports/malaysia. pdf http://thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2008/8/2/business/21954384&sec=business – http://www. kuala-lumpur. ws/culture-traditions/ http://www. wao. org. my/news/20010301statusreport. htm#Government.

Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish”

Esther Zamora Jon Schneiderman ENC1102-09 03/12/2013 Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s â€Å"The Fish† All battered and scarred from many years of trials, Grandma always has a smile on her face. Grandpa died when she was still young, her three sons have also died, and only her two daughters remain. In spite of these difficulties in her life, she manages to be happy and accepting of what life has tossed her way. An older person has scars from life and doesn’t have the strength to fight for it. The elderly have gone through many trials and afflictions that life has tossed at them.With age, they have gained wisdom and understanding through these hardships. Life has a tendency to cruelly throw darts at humanity without any kind of reservation or remorse. In Elisabeth Bishop’s â€Å"The Fish,† the narrator is the fisher woman. Upon catching a tremendous fish and analyzing it carefully, she is reminded of her life. She notices the fish is not fighting to sta y alive. He just hung there, still, and ready to die. This reminds her of her own life. She is now faced with the memory of the many scars that life has brought her.She’s not willing to fight as she once did. Age has really taken a toll on her, demanding her once youthful strength. The author speaks of the fish saying, â€Å"He hung a grunting weight, battered and vulnerable and homely† (7-9). The fisher woman found a similarity with her life and the fish’s life. She made a distinct connection between her life and this small creature. Older and more experienced, the fisher woman is reminded of her past afflictions. Now old and gray which are signs of aging, as the fish’s lips that give away his age.The lips are an important sign because the hooks and lines they have in their mouth demonstrates their experience. The fish in the poem declares â€Å"hung five pieces of fish- line† (51), showing how many times the fish had previously been caught and re leased again. Each line represents the many endeavors the fish had accomplished by conquering those hooks. As with people who overcome adversity and scars inhabit their life, the fish also has scars that remain as an indication of previous struggles. Wisdom and understanding is gained as things in life happen.For the fish, he gains wisdom and understanding each time he escaped a net or a line which is shown by his scars. A person gains wisdom and understanding with the trials they are faced with and that age has brought them. These are reminders to people as well as for fish. A person may have loved ones who have passed away, or possibly experienced some kind of trauma. All these tribulations serve for gaining wisdom and understanding in life. In conclusion, the fisher woman, by looking and observing the fish closely, is reminded of all the previous trials she had in her life.The scars in his lips, the â€Å"five-haired beard of wisdom† (62) helps her think of herself. She no tices the rainbow of colors reflecting from the oil on the boat, reminding her of the fish’s accomplishments. Even though the fish is small, it somehow provokes a sense of relation with herself. She relates these attributes of the fish with maturity, adversity, trials, wisdom, and understanding. She encounters a close identification with the fish. Filled by this emotional connection and compassion for the fish, she let him go.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

As You Like It as a Romantic Comedy

AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare THE AUTHOR William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born into the family of a prosperous tradesman in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. While in his mid-teens, he was forced to leave school because his family fell into a period of poverty, so that he had only a rudimentary education. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior and already three months pregnant. The marriage produced three children in three years, but in 1585, Shakespeare left Stratford to go to London to seek his fortune in the big city.In London, he embarked upon a career on the stage, becoming a popular actor by the early fifteen nineties. In 1591, he penned his first play, Love’s Labour’s Lost. His early plays were comedies, and show nothing of the depth that characterized his later works. His plots were borrowed from a variety of sources, both ancient and contemporary. During his career, he wrote 37 plays, three narrative poems, and 154 sonnets. His writing brought him fame and popularity, but he continued to act as well as write (critics love to speculate about which of the characters in his plays would have been played by the author).He eventually became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men when James I ascended the throne). Most of his plays were performed at local theaters like the Rose, the Globe, and the indoor Blackfriars. When the Globe burned to the ground in 1613 (a cannon misfired during a performance of Henry VIII), Shakespeare retired, and died in Stratford three years later on his fifty-second birthday. As You Like It (1600) has for the last two centuries been one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. It is a pastoral romance – a genre originating in ancient Greece and still popular in Elizabethan England.As he did in so many of his plays, Shakespeare borrowed the basic story from an earlier work – in this case, Thomas Lodge’s prose romance Rosalynd e, or Euphues’ Golden Legacy. Into Lodge’s basic framework Shakespeare introduces rollicking comedy absent from the original, along with new characters like Touchstone, Audrey, and Jaques. No one, either in Shakespeare’s day or ours, expected realism in such a story. Instead, characters and audience alike find joy in the freedom of the forest and countryside, where stock characters do improbable hings and meet with unlikely coincidences. And where, of course, (almost) everyone gets married in the end and lives happily ever after. MAJOR CHARACTERS †¢ Duke Senior – The rightful duke, he is forced into exile in the Forest of Arden by his jealous brother. Duke Frederick – He forces his brother into exile and usurps his throne, but eventually is converted and returns the dukedom to its rightful ruler. Jaques – A lord under Duke Senior, he is incurably melancholy, even when all around him are rejoicing. Charles – Duke Frederick’ s prize wrestler, he is defeated by Orlando.Oliver – Eldest son and heir of Sir Rowland de Boys, he has deprived his brothers of their rightful inheritance and is terribly jealous of his noble youngest brother. When seeking Orlando in the Forest of Arden, he meets, falls in love with, and marries Celia, yields his inheritance to his youngest brother, and decides to live the life of a shepherd. Orlando – Youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, he is forced into exile in the Forest of Arden by his brother, where he is reunited with his love Rosalind. He eventually regains his inheritance from his father.Touchstone – The fool in Duke Frederick’s court, he too departs for the Forest of Arden, where he meets and marries Audrey. Adam – Orlando’s eighty-year-old servant who finances his flight with his life savings and accompanies Orlando into exile in the Forest of Arden. Corin – An elderly shepherd in the Forest of Arden. Silvius – A y oung shepherd madly in love with Phebe, a shepherdess who constantly scorns his affection. Eventually they marry with the help of Rosalind. Rosalind – Daughter of Duke Senior, she flees to the forest disguised as a man named Ganymede to find her father, and there encounters and eventually marries Orlando.Celia – Daughter of Duke Frederick and Rosalind’s best friend, she accompanies Rosalind to Arden, also in disguise as Ganymede’s sister Aliena, and falls in love with and marries a reformed Oliver. Phebe – A shepherdess beloved of Silvius, she falls in love with Rosalind in male disguise but eventually yields to the faithful attentions of her fellow shepherd. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Audrey – A country wench who falls in love with and marries Touchstone. NOTABLE QUOTATIONS â€Å"Love no man in good earnest, nor no further in sport neither than with safety of a pu re blush thou mayst in honor come off again. (Celia, Iii, 26-28) â€Å"The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly. † (Touchstone, Iii, 83-84) â€Å"Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown More than your enemies. † (Rosalind, Iii, 255-256) â€Å"Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything: I would not change it. † (Duke Senior, IIi, 12-18) â€Å"O, what a world is this, when what is comely Envenoms him that bears it! (Adam, IIiii, 15-16) â€Å"I can suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. † (Jaques, IIv, 11-12) â€Å"All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven stages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound.Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivio n, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. † (Jaques, IIvii, 149-176) â€Å"Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behavior of the country is most mockable at the court. † (Corin, IIIii, 45-48) â€Å"Do you not know I am a woman? When I think, I must speak. † (Rosalind, IIIii, 248249) â€Å"Sell when you can; you are not for all markets. (Rosalind, IIIv, 65) â€Å"I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad. † (Rosalind, IVi, 25-27) â€Å"The poor world is almost six thousand years old, and in all this time there was not any man died in his own person, videlicet, in a love cause. † (Rosalind, IVi, 89-92) [Editor’s note: Ussher’s famous chronology appeared almost fifty years later, but apparently his estimate of the age of the earth was commonly accepted long before he published his work. ] â€Å"Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten the m, but not for love. (Rosalind, IVi, 101-102) â€Å"Your brother and my sister no sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be incontinent before marriage. † (Rosalind, Vii, 31-38) â€Å"A poor virgin, sir, and ill-favored thing, sir, but mine own. A poor humor of mine, sir, to take that that no man else will. (Touchstone, Viv, 61-63) NOTES Act I, scene 1 – The play begins with Orlando, the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, complaining of his treatment by his eldest brother Oliver. Oliver, the heir of his father’s estate, has withheld from Orlando the small inheritance left him by his father and has refused to provide for his education. When Orlando confronts Oliver, he refuses to honor his f ather’s wishes. After Orlando leaves, Oliver meets Charles Duke Frederick’s wrestler. We discover from their onversation that Duke Frederick has usurped the dukedom from his brother Duke Senior, who has fled to the Forest of Arden with some of his faithful nobles. Duke Senior’s daughter, the lovely Rosalind, remains at court under Duke Frederick’s protection, largely because she is the best friend of Duke Frederick’s daughter Celia. Charles intends to stage a wrestling exhibition the next day, and Orlando plans to challenge him. Oliver paints a picture of Orlando as a great villain and advises Charles to dispatch him in order to avoid the treachery that the young man will surely bring to the ring.In a brief soliloquy, however, we find that Orlando is a noble young man despite his lack of education, and is hated by his brother because of his sterling character. Act I, scene 2 – Rosalind and Celia are talking outside the duke’s palace. Rosalind is unhappy because her father has been banished. Celia, trying to cheer her up, speaks of their friendship and the kindness of Frederick toward Rosalind, and promises that, when she inherits her father’s kingdom, she will return to Rosalind what Frederick had stolen from her father Duke Senior. As they exchange clever quips, Touchstone, the duke’s jester, enters.Further witticisms follow, after which Le Beau, a courtier to Duke Frederick announces that the wrestlers are approaching. Charles has already broken the ribs of three challengers, and is about to wrestle the young Orlando. Celia and Rosalind, fearing for his safety, try to dissuade him from taking up Charles’ challenge, but he refuses to relent. To the astonishment of all, Orlando wins the match. Frederick asks who he is, but scowls on finding that he is the son of is old enemy Sir Rowland. The girls congratulate Orlando, and Rosalind gives him her necklace.The two are obviously attracted to on e another. After the girls leave, Le Beau returns and warns Orlando to flee to avoid the duke’s wrath; he also tells him that Frederick is becoming jealous of Rosalind’s popularity and is likely to turn against her as well. Act I, scene 3 – Rosalind has fallen head over heels in love with Orlando, and Celia tries to break her out of her melancholy. Their banter is interrupted by Duke Frederick, who abruptly has decided to banish Rosalind for no better reason than that she is her father’s daughter; she is to leave the realm within ten days on penalty of death.Celia pleads for her cousin, to no avail, and then insists that, because she cannot live without her best friend, she will accompany her into exile. After Frederick leaves, the two girls decide to seek Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden. For safety’s sake, Rosalind will disguise herself as a man and be called Ganymede, while Celia will dress like a peasant and present herself as Ganymedeâ€℠¢s sister Aliena. They also determine to take the court jester Touchstone with them to provide amusement on their journey.Act II, scene 1 – The scene now moves to the Forest of Arden, where Duke Senior and his attendants are waxing philosophical about their plight. Jaques alone among the Duke’s attendants remains depressed, mourning over the despoliation of the wilderness by the hunters of Senior’s party. Act II, scene 2 – Duke Frederick discovers the flight of Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone and suspects that Orlando, with whom Rosalind is clearly enamored, had something to do with it. He orders Oliver brought before him, intending to make him find his brother and the rest of the refugees.Act II, scene 3 – Orlando’s elderly servant Adam warns him that Oliver intends to kill him. Orlando is at a loss, not wanting to take to the road where his only mean of survival would be begging or thievery. Adam offers him five hundred crowns, his life sa vings, and the two together flee the vengeance of Oliver. Act II, scene 4 – Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone arrive in the Forest of Arden in a state of exhaustion. There they encounter Corin and Silvius, two shepherds. The two are speaking of Silvius’ profound but unrequited love for the shepherdess Phebe.The conversation reminds Rosalind of her love for Orlando. After Silvius runs in search of his beloved, Touchstone approaches Corin to try to buy food for the party. Corin tells them he is in the employ of a churlish farmer who is trying to sell his farm. Rosalind offers to buy it and continue to employ Corin in running it. Act II, scene 5 – Elsewhere in the forest, Jacques luxuriates in his melancholy mood while another courtier, Amiens, sings to him. Amiens tells Jaques that Duke Senior has been looking for him, but Jaques replies that he has been trying to avoid his master in his search for solitude.Act II, scene 6 – Orlando and Adam arrive in the For est of Arden. The elderly Adam is near exhaustion, so Orlando tells him to rest while he goes in search of something to eat. Act II, scene 7 – Duke Senior and his men go in search of Jaques. When they find him, he tells them of meeting Touchstone and reports their conversation. Jaques then wishes that he could be a fool so he could speak his mind without anyone taking offense. At that point Orlando bursts in upon them with sword drawn and demands food. Much to his surprise, they respond like gentlemen and offer him part of their repast.He then goes to fetch Adam. Jaques then meditates on the futility of life in the play’s most famous speech. Orlando then returns with Adam, and as they eat Duke Senior discovers that he is the son of his old friend Sir Rowland de Boys. Act III, scene 1 – Duke Frederick, furious at his inability to locate the runaways, seizes Oliver’s property and swears that he will return it only when Oliver produces his brother Orlando, d ead or alive. Act III, scene 2 – As the scene opens, Orlando is hanging verses in praise of Rosalind on every tree of the forest and carving her name into their trunks.After he leaves, Corin and Touchstone banter about the differences between the court and the country. Rosalind and Celia then enter, having found Orlando’s verses. Touchstone mocks them, but Celia pulls Rosalind aside and tells her that the author wears Rosalind’s chain about his neck and is none other than Orlando. Rosalind then barrages her with questions faster than Celia can answer. The girls hide as Orlando enters with Jaques. The melancholy courtier wants nothing but to be left alone and scorns Orlando for the folly of his love.After Jaques leaves, Rosalind, still disguised as Ganymede, approaches Orlando. The two exchange sallies about Time, then Orlando, marveling at Ganymede’s educated speech, asks the youth if he is native to the forest. Ganymede responds that he is, but was educa ted by a scholarly uncle who warned him against the wiles of women. Orlando asks him to inform him of these dangers, admitting that he is the one who has been decorating the forest with love poems. Ganymede tells him that he nothing of the lover’s appearance about him, but says that he could cure him of love if he really had been victimized by it.He asks him how, and he says that he must pretend that he is his beloved, and he will be as pettish and inconstant as any woman alive, and thus cure him of his malady. He really has no desire to be cured, but he agrees to come to Ganymede’s cottage every day and woo him in the name of â€Å"Rosalind. † Act III, scene 3 – Touchstone is wooing a country wench named Audrey. He becomes frustrated because she is unable to comprehend any of his sallies, but he offers to marry her and engages Sir Oliver Martext for the purpose, calculating that rites performed in such a setting are not likely to be very binding.Sir Oliv er, however, insists that they be married in the church with witnesses, so Touchstone puts him off. Act III, scene 4 – Rosalind is angry because Orlando has not appeared at the appointed time and tells Celia that his love must not be genuine. Celia tries to help by telling her that all men are thus, but Rosalind is not to be comforted. Corin then enters and tells the girls that Silvius is nearby, still pursuing the scornful Phebe, and they decide to watch the sport; Rosalind, in disguise as Ganymede, will even play a role in the romance.Act III, scene 5 – Silvius is mooning after Phebe, who plainly tells him that she does not love him and begs him to leave her alone. At this point â€Å"Ganymede† intervenes, chastising Phebe for rejecting the true love of a good and loyal man despite the fact that she bears little in the way of beauty and wondering why a fine youth like Silvius would waste his time on such a scold. She advises Phebe to turn away from her pride a nd accept Silvius’ overtures of affection. Much to Rosalind’s surprise, however, Phebe quickly falls in love with Ganymede despite the repeated insults rained upon her.After Rosalind, Celia, and Corin leave, Phebe reluctantly allows Silvius to accompany her, but can do nothing but talk about Ganymede, though she professes not to love him and wants to send him a bitter missive in response to his insults. Act IV, scene 1 – The scene begins with brief banter between Rosalind and Jaques, after which Orlando enters, an hour late for his appointment. He addresses the youth he knows as Ganymede by the name Rosalind, and she torments him about the follies of love, going so far as to have Celia conduct a mock wedding.Orlando then leaves for dinner with the Duke while Rosalind counts the minutes until his return. Act IV, scene 2 – Hunters return to the Duke’s camp having killed a deer and sing a song of celebration. Act IV, scene 3 – Orlando is again late, and Rosalind’s fretting is interrupted by Silvius, who brings a letter from Phebe. The missive is a love letter, pouring out the shepherdess’ affection for Ganymede; while she dismisses Silvius, she swears she will die if Ganymede will not have her.Rosalind, disgusted at Phebe’s lack of appreciation for Silvius and the lad’s persistent affection for one so false, nonetheless sends him back to his beloved with the message that, if Phebe truly loves Ganymede, she will love Silvius for â€Å"his† sake. After Silvius departs, Oliver arrives with terrible news: Orlando has been seriously wounded in combat with a lion. Apparently Oliver, on his way to seek Orlando on behalf of Duke Frederick, had a change of heart and determined to seek his brother in order to make amends. He fell asleep in the forest and was set upon, first by a snake, and then by a lion, both of which Orlando drove off.The two brothers were then reconciled, and Orlando introduced Oliver to Duke Senior, who received him gladly. When Orlando fainted from the wound he had received from the lion, he sent Oliver with a message for Rosalind. Hearing of her love’s injuries, Rosalind too passes out, causing Oliver to wonder about the character of this youthful Ganymede, but she claims that she was merely continuing to play the part of Orlando’s love Rosalind. Act V, scene 1 – Audrey is still upset that Touchstone refused to let Sir Oliver Martext marry them, but he promises that he will yet wed her.Soon William, a previous suitor of Audrey, arrives, and Touchstone runs verbal rings around him and tells him to leave Audrey alone at peril of his life. Act V, scene 2 – The Forest of Arden clearly has strange powers – we now find that Oliver and â€Å"Aliena† (Celia) have fallen in love at first sight and intend to marry the next day. Oliver tells Orlando that he will yield to him all his father’s estate so he and Celia can live in pastoral bliss in the forest. Orlando then tells Rosalind of the sudden romance of Oliver and Celia, but bemoans the fact that he still has not obtained the object of his affections.Rosalind, still in the guise of Ganymede, tells him that she has studied under a great magician, and promises that if he comes to the wedding the next day prepared to marry, she will bring his Rosalind there to wed him. Silvius and Phebe then enter, creating an interesting little love quadrangle – Phebe loves Ganymede, Silvius loves Phebe, Orlando loves Rosalind, and Ganymede loves â€Å"no woman. † Rosalind attempts to sort out the confusion by telling Silvius that she will help him if she can, and that he ill be married on the morrow; telling Phebe that she would love her if she could, and would marry her if ever she marries a woman, but that she will wed on the morrow; and promises Orlando that she will satisfy him, and that he will be married on the morrow as well. All, then , are to meet the following day at Oliver and Celia’s wedding. Act V, scene 3 – Audrey and Touchstone look forward to their wedding the next day, and they are joined by two of the Duke’s pages, who sing a love song. Act V, scene 4 – The following day, all gather at a clearing in the forest.Rosalind, still disguised as Ganymede, makes Duke Senior promise to give his daughter to Orlando should she appear and makes Phebe promise to marry Silvius if she decides not to marry Ganymede. She then leaves with Celia to prepare for the nuptials. While they are gone, Touchstone and Audrey appear and the Fool banters with Jaques and the Duke. Hymen then enters with Celia, and Rosalind in her own character. Duke Senior recognizes his daughter and Orlando his love, while Phebe recognizes that her Ganymede is not what he appeared to be and settles for Silvius after all.After a wedding song, Jacques de Boys, the middle brother of Oliver and Orlando, enters and announces t hat Duke Frederick, on h is way to the forest with vengeance in his heart, had met a holy man and been converted. He had then restored the dukedom to Duke Senior and restored the lands of all he had deprived. Frederick intends to retire to a religious life in the forest. Jaques decides to join him while the others begin a dance of celebration. Rosalind then delivers a brief Epilogue. ESSAY QUESTIONS Discuss the following in a five-paragraph essay: 1.Compare and contrast the courses of the love between Silvius and Phebe in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It and that between Helena and Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Be sure to consider the relationships between the wooer and the wooed, the language used to express their quarrels, and the ways in which the playwright resolves the relationships. Compare and contrast the roles played by the forest in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Though the two settings are tran sformative in different ways, both play significant roles in changing those who enter their precincts.Relate these changes and they ways in which they occur to the central themes of the two comedies. Setting plays a major role in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Discuss the contrast between the Duke’s court and the Forest of Arden. Be sure to consider its impact on the behavior and attitudes of the characters, giving special attention to those who experience changes when moving from one environment to the other. In the movie version of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It directed by Kenneth Branagh, the same actor plays both Duke Senior and his brother Duke Frederick.Comment on this decision. What possible advantages and disadvantages could such a casting choice have? How might it contribute to the effective communications of the leading themes of the play? In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Duke Senior waxes philosophical about his exile in t he Forest of Arden in these words: â€Å"Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything: I would not change it. How does the play demonstrate the â€Å"sweet uses of adversity†? In what ways do the central characters benefit from separation from their normal lives and forced exile to a strange environment? Choose three characters and describe how their experience in the Forest of Arden brings about positive changes in their personalities. Discuss the role of Jaques in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. How does the incurably melancholy courtier help to bring out the central themes of the play? Is he an insightful social critic or a boring pessimist?Support your conclusions with specifics from the play. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It , Duke Senior intones, â€Å"Sweet are the uses of adversity. † Is this statement true in the context of the play? Does the statement correspond with biblical teaching? Do the two treat the idea in the same ways? Why or why not? Support your assessment with specifics, both from the play and from Scripture. Perhaps the most famous speech in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is delivered by Jaques in Act II, scene vii.After bemoaning the fact that â€Å"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,† he speaks of the seven stages of man, ending, as is typical with him, on a melancholy note. Critique the message of the speech. In what ways is it accurate and in what ways is it not? Be sure to consider not only the context of the play, but also biblical teaching about both the dignity and sinfulness of man and the meaning of human life on earth. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It contains one of the most famous lines in the ent ire Shakespearean canon: â€Å"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Appropriately enough, many characters in the play engage in playacting, taking on roles to mask their true identities. In addition to serving as a device to drive the plot, what is the significance of these frequent masquerades? Consider the major themes of the play along with the restrictions imposed by the theater of Shakespeare’s day in your answer. One of the central ideas in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is the contrast between court and country life. In Act III, scene ii of the play, Touchstone and Corin argue about the differences between the two.In the process, Corin says, â€Å"Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behavior of the country is most mockable at the court. † Is Shakespeare here arguing for what today would be called Cultural Relativism, or does he favor country life over court life (or t he other way around)? In answering the question, consider the ending, giving attention to the significance of some characters returning to court and others remaining in the country. In Act III, scene ii of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Rosalind says to Celia, â€Å"Do you not know I am a woman?When I think, I must speak. † In general, the play at times seems to promote gender stereotypes such as this, while at other times those stereotypes are challenged, especially through the character of Rosalind herself, who is surely one of Shakespeare’s strongest heroines. Evaluate the view of women presented in the play, being sure to include specific quotations and incidents in your analysis. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It seems at the same time both to ridicule and to promote romantic love.The same Rosalind who says, â€Å"Men have died from time to time, and worms have eaten them, but not for love,† falls head over heels in love with Orlando , a man to whom she has spoken only once, and few love affairs could be more improbable than those between Touchstone and Audrey and Oliver and Celia. Does Shakespeare value the ideal of romantic love, or is he mocking it? Evaluate the view of love presented in the play, being sure to include specific quotations and incidents in your analysis. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It ends with four marriages.Which of those marriages do you think will be the happiest, and which the most torturous? Why do you think so? Consider what you know about the characters, their patterns of behavior, and the environments in which their marriages will be lived out in answering the question. In literature, a foil is a character who brings out the salient characteristics of another by contrast. In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, whom would you consider the most effective foil for Rosalind? Would you choose Celia, Orlando, Touchstone, or someone else?Defend you r choice by noting why that character is a better foil for the heroine than the other possibilities. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It contains a fool, Touchstone, and a character who is foolish in his melancholy, Jaques. Compare and contrast these characters and the roles they play with Feste and Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Use specific incidents and quotations from the two plays to support your analysis. In Shakespeare’s day, women were prohibited from performing on stage. Instead, women’s parts were played by boys whose voices had not yet changed.Consider the implications of this practice for the character of Rosalind in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. When Rosalind disguises herself in the Forest of Arden as Ganymede, then entices Orlando to make love to â€Å"him† in order to learn how to win his beloved, we see a boy playing a girl disguised as a boy pretending to be a girl in order to help a boy win a girlâ€℠¢s love. In addition to the obvious possibilities for humor such gender confusion provided, what do you think Shakespeare may have been trying to say? How might this have differed from the predictable homoerotic interpretations given by modern commentators?In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, characters who espouse extreme views of life and love are subject to ridicule. If Aristotle presented the Golden Mean as the midpoint between two extremes, explain how this Golden Mean is held up as the ideal in Shakespeare’s play. Who represents this Golden Mean? What characters serve as the extremes between which this sensible center is located? Use specifics from the play to support your argument. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It focuses on conflicts between two sets of brothers, Duke Senior and Duke Frederick and Oliver and Orlando.Compare and contrast these conflicts to that between Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis. Consider the characters of the siblings, the driving motives behind the conflicts, and the resolutions with which the conflicts are brought to a close. Discuss the treatment of class distinctions in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Be sure to include not only the conversation between Touchstone and Corin on the subject, but also the issues raised when those of noble birth disguise themselves as commoners. To what extent does the play affirm class distinctions and to what extent does it undermine them? 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 0. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is full of songs befitting a pastoral romance. Discuss the significance of these songs. Are they intended merely as entertaining interludes, or do the words of the songs help to convey the themes of the play? Be sure to cite specifics from at least three of the songs in your answer. Discuss the significance of the title of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It. Critics have proposed a number of possibilities, from the aud ience appeal of the pastoral genre to the ambiguity with which many of the play’s themes are treated to the reference to the title in the Epilogue.Choose the meaning that you think most appropriate and defend it with specifics from the play. Elizabethans believed in the Divine Right of Kings – that monarchs were appointed to their positions by God, thus equating rebellion with blasphemy. Not surprisingly, many of Shakespeare’s plays are driven by rulers who have usurped their crowns from their rightful owners. Such is the case with Duke Frederick in As You Like It. Compare and contrast him with another Shakespearean usurper; possibilities include Macbeth, Richard III, Claudius in Hamlet, Antonio in The Tempest, or any other candidate you can think of.Pay attention to the characters and motives of the usurpers, their roles in driving the plots of the respective plays, and the outcomes of the resulting conflicts, especially in light of the genre differences among the plays. Analyze the stylistic variations in William Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Note that the script moves back and forth between blank verse and prose, with some characters always speaking in verse, some always in prose, and some switching from one to the other. Why do you think Shakespeare made these choices?Support your analysis with specific quotations from the play. William Shakespeare’s As You Like It demands contradictory skills of its audience. On the one hand, the audience is expected to take pleasure in the dramatic irony of Rosalind’s disguise, since the viewers know something the characters don’t know and can thus gain pleasure from the inside jokes in the dialogue. On the other hand, the audience must exercise a voluntary suspension of disbelief, accepting the fact that, not only does Orlando fail to recognize his beloved, but Duke Senior also fails to recognize his own daughter!What qualities of the play itself equip the audience for th e needed responses. Do you think a modern audience would be able to handle this contradiction as well as an Elizabethan one? Why or why not? Critic Mark Van Doren, writing on William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, said, â€Å"There is only one thing sillier than being in love, and that is thinking it is silly to be in love. † In what way is this sentence an apt summary of Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy? Support your conclusion with specifics from the play.In many of William Shakespeare’s comedies, the forest is symbolic of the breaking down of society’s values. Compare and contrast the way this theme is handled in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and As You Like It. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Both Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer and William Shakespeare’s As You Like It center around a young woman who disguises herself in order to win the love of a man to whom she is attracted. Compare and contrast the characters of Kate Har dcastle and Rosalind with regard to their motivations, methods, and successes. Which do you find more admirable, and why?

Monday, July 29, 2019

Tesco in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tesco in India - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that India is amongst the largest countries based on size and population across the world. Its population is more than 1 billion. There is a wide range of economic, as well as, social classes, religions, cultures, languages, and geographies within India. Therefore, it is important for any business operating in India to meet the wide range of consumers’ needs. The extremely large population reflects the opportunities for global businesses, especially the retail stores to invest within the country. Â  Tesco started its operations in 1929, in Britain. It is the leading food retail chain in the country and the third largest globally. In the 1980s, it was amongst the global retail chains that tried the concept of large supermarkets out-of-town. The company has come up with several innovations since the 1990s, including new store concepts, i.e. Tesco Metro and Tesco Express. Tesco Metro is a city store that serves all the needs of the con sumers. Tesco Express was the petrol station store in the United Kingdom. In 1995, the company introduced a Clubcard, which is a shopping card for its loyal customers. It was the first card of the kind in the United Kingdom. The company launched online selling in 2000, through its website Tesco.com. It started spreading globally in 1994. Currently, more than 50 percent of the company’s space is its international operations. Since 2000, the company has started focusing on non-food items, which, for example, has made it the leading retailer of CDs.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Are UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) the Future of Our Military Essay

Are UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) the Future of Our Military - Essay Example onclusion might have been, the US Air Force has come out to close the debate once and for all by declaring that UAVs are the way to go in the future, through their Flight Plan 2009-2047 (USAF, 2009). The question that might come to the mind of the reader is â€Å"What are the factors that made the US Air Force turn completely from rejecting the UAVs as a viable technology in the 1970s to declaring them as a key to the future of this countrys defenses?† My own views on UAVs is that they definitely are the future of our military, and this discussion will give a technological overview on why I think so and why the Air Force has gone for it too. Also, it will discuss what aspects of the future might it take hold upon, clearly showing what UAVs are good for and what roles in aerial warfare will still be manned. The focus of our military is to have the best possible control on all aspects of warfare. The focus, then, is on technology. Technology and cost go side by side. Economic comparison of UAVs with manned aircraft is also done in the study to put everything into perspective. Following are some reasons for which UAVs are the future of our military in the light of technology and economy: Warfare is the name of knowing what your opponent might do next. Whoever knows that has a higher chance of winning the war than the ignorant party. UAVs provide the best technological solution for constant surveillance – even better than satellites. UAVs have flight times over days. Even if manned aerial vehicles has such endurance, the human can never stay in flight for so long. Thus, this gives UAVs an edge in their surveillance capability and ease of operation over manned systems. A plane can stay in flight over enemy territory only for as long as the enemy cannot shoot it down. The only way to prevent that is to be invisible to radar. The low speeds along with very high flight altitude of UAVs, makes them that (Pappalardo, 2010). Airframes can be designed to magnanimous

Saturday, July 27, 2019

African American Studies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African American Studies - Research Paper Example From the political standpoint, it is interesting to note how the criminal justice system across most societies is deliberately organized against African Americans. African Americans in the USA have faced racial discrimination in the courthouses and by the laws that have been passed by the state; also, since the Jim Crow Laws had been passed since the 1900s, the African Americans were segregated from the rest of the population, and denied equality in many areas of social life such as voting (Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System ,page 66). Also, even though African Americans make up 13% of the population in the USA, in 2004 African Americans were accused of "47.2% of murders, 53.3% of robberies, 31.9% of rapes, and 32.7% of assaults," (Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System, page 67); as we can see, this seems to be a skewed and disproportionate report, one that demonstrates racial discrimination against the African Americans. Following the "Rodney King" c ase, it was found that there does seem to be racial prejudice and bias being practiced against the African Americans, seen from the use of excessive violence, verbal harassment and invasive actions against them by police officers, (Racial Discrimination in the Criminal Justice System, page 67). Moving onto historic examples of discrimination against African Americans, it would be worthwhile to mention the incident of the Red Summer of 1919, in which African Americans and the white population of Chicago launched into racially charged riots that lasted for 5 days; many African Americans were lynched, shot, wounded. The most significant reason for these racial riots was due to the feeling of intolerance and xenophobia towards the African Americans (Norvell & Tuttle , page 210). There was also a general feeling amongst the white population to push the African Americans back to the "bottom rung of the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Write a 5-10 page paper that addresses the assignment questions

Write a 5-10 page paper that addresses the questions - Assignment Example Extraversion refers to arrange of activities, the urgency of activities falling outside the team context as well as using external approaches to energy creation. Conscientiousness is the habit of depicting self-discipline, acting in a responsible manner and aiming at extraordinary achievements. Openness to experience is the appreciation of emotions, adventures, new ideas and diversity in experience. Finally, neuroticism refers to the habit of experiencing negative emotions like anxiety, anger, as well as depression (Lussier & Achua, 2010). In the marketing game, I saw participants who lost control of their emotions due to the attempt of the other team members to intimidate them thus leading to declining in the overall productivity of these participants. Interestingly, other team members were able to keep up with self-control even in the face of situations that a typical employee would use to act in a different manner. Also, there were team members who could not just cope with the diversities within the team. Many were the instances whereby a team member would propose a new idea only for other people to ridicule the idea. The same team had members who depicted the belief that connecting with other people in a work context brings about heightened productivity alongside a respect-filled work environment. Further, there were members who were free to communicate new ideas thus conveying an ever-learning attitude, and ready to share the new discoveries with team members. Overall, the aforementioned behaviors were to a great extent influenced by variables like emotional stability, personality, readiness to learn new skills and diversity in conjunction with enterprise-based variables like job structure and design, resources and leadership. In a typical work context, the group that was able to keep calm even during potentially intimidating moments would hint managers of working with a lot that is adaptable to pressure,

Software Development Life Cycle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Software Development Life Cycle - Assignment Example Software Development Life Cycle The protocol is able to support a variety of web pages and web applications ranging from basic to complex programming of computer games. To be supported in the web-server and data server hosting system, these web pages can be developed through various tools, as per its abilities, such as Dreamweaver and Front Page applications for developing simple web pages and similarly, Java, ICEFaces or .Net for developing complex applications. As per the referred use case, the information sharing process starts with the collection of raw sources from the internet which is then stored in the database servers prior to its transmission to the web servers. From the web servers, the information passes on to the routers and subsequently, the encrypted information is transferred to the end users through LAN, WAN and other internet servers. Before the information passes on to the web servers, as planned in the use case, it needs to pass through a web barrier, i.e. the firewall that restricts sharing of personal and unauthenticated information. System analysis and design principally refers to the systematic approach towards the designing and analysis of information transition systems or communication software. This particular approach is often regarded as Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method. In the referred use case, it can be observed that the designed SSADM intends to be operated by connecting external end users and internal end users on the basis of a complex web-server and database server system which will further be protected with a firewall application. Notably, a router has been considered to support the interface operations, in the SSADM. Theoretically, there are various stages which need to be followed when developing a SSADM. Fundamentally, six stages can be identified in the SSADM process, as listed below, Stage 1: Investigating the current problems associated with the systems operations to identify the need of SSADM Stage 2: Specifying the requisite features in the SSADM to evaluate and finalize option al methods in developing the system Stage 3: Selecting the most applicable technical options which can be appropriate to support the services required to be hosted by the information system Stage 4: Data designing to determine the range of data or information that can be served through the protocol Stage 5: Elaboration and feasibility check of the data transmission process planned on the basis of the developed SSADM through process design Stage 6: Designing the physical structure of the entire SSADM process (Shere2000, 2001) Database In the referred use case, appropriate procurement of relevant information is very much required in order to encrypt the information and its appropriate transition through the complex designing of the entire information system. Under such circumstances, new database server will be required to support the wide variety of schemas or tables. It is in this context that the different schemas will be required to support the vast range of information hosted by the web servers. However, the client will have another option of sharing databases over internet, using the systems of Microsoft SQL server and/or Oracle. Even though such mechanisms may be considered as useful in expanding the versatility of the server, it might also raise threats to data leakage being shared through cloud. Also, if the server application tends to use and XML methodology, it

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Marketing - Fictisious Prodcut repositioning Essay

Marketing - Fictisious Prodcut repositioning - Essay Example They sell their product through retailers and other distributing outlets and they have a strategic position in chocolate gift baskets for special occasions. Product repositioning is another key area in marketing. Repositioning relate to the change of the image of product and also targets other buyers. Repositioning is also involves changing the market segment from one to another. Godiva chocolate manufactures change their product position to tween market segment. Currently they are targeting products in general consumers. Their product lines include coffee and cocoa biscuits and other branded chocolates, and their key marketing strategy focused on gift chocolate baskets meant for special occasions. Re positioning in tween market segment in the USA is a very strategic and competitive decision. It is one of the high potential marketing areas mainly intended consumers from aged between 8-12 years. â€Å"The ‘tween’ market represents a whole new marketing challenge -- and opportunity -- for retailers and marketers. Defined by Associate Professor Cele Otnes as "kids ages 8-12," the tween market has approximately $14 billion in annual spending power.† (The â€Å"tween† Market, College of Business Communication Features). Product positioning will depends mainly on consumer’s behavior and perception. Market survey is an important tool before repositioning to identify and determine customer’s needs and wants. The target customers for Godiva chocolates are primarily children in the age group of 8-12 years. They have to consider a proper strategy to reach at their customers, through a strategic market survey to ascertain the reaction of customers as well as main chocolate retailers to determine the final design of the product and its physical attributes like color, size, shape, packaging, brand name etc. It also needs to be ascertained as to what quantity

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

DQ4_MUS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DQ4_MUS - Essay Example Each tell a story in their own way, and each includes widely divergent volumes and rifts. Both rely upon dramatic effect as the underpinnings of the music. Although a more thorough analysis may reveal deeper similarities, for our purposes, they seem to end there. There are many more differences between in our samples â€Å"The Reunion† and Mozart’s â€Å"The Marriage of Figaro". The Chinese opera is far more vocal. It uses silence for dramatic effect and implements near spoken word vocals in some places. The European sample is much more musical than vocal. In fact, it implements no lyrics at all. The story is European opera is more implicit. It used no white space but relies on variant volumes and rhythms to communicate tone. Some of these similarities are seen in other musical forms especially modern music. There are similarities between in our samples â€Å"The Reunion† and Mozart’s â€Å"The Marriage of Figaro" and the music I listen to regularly. The tambourines of the Chinese sample remind me of â€Å"Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves† by Cher. The grandiose strings of the European sample are reminiscent of System of a Down. Nevertheless, the differences are more marked. Differences between our samples â€Å"The Reunion† and Mozart’s â€Å"The Marriage of Figaro" and the music I listen to regularly exist. In the music I listen to on a regular basis, vocals are usually used to imply messages sort of midway between the explicit and implicit messages of our samples, and the rhythms are probably less variant than either sample. These differences are the most pronounced on first glance, but on deep analysis, others may be delineated. Our comparison and contrast included that between each cultural sample plus the similarities and differences between these samples and the music I listen to regularly. Here, Chinese opera was represented by â€Å"The Reunion† while European opera was represented by

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Discuss the IOM(institute of medicine) reports and how the reports Assignment

Discuss the IOM(institute of medicine) reports and how the reports apply to your specific practice area. Do you agree with the recommendations - Assignment Example The report also discusses the education of the nurses and their views to enhance their education. The nurses should be allowed to work along with the physicians and health care professionals in designing health care (Davis, Davis, & Williams, 2010). Registered Nurses (RN) are qualified and trained to perform an initial assessment of the patients. It is a part of their job to make health care plans for the patients. They are not allowed to do so in various states of US. The report also discusses the barriers that the nurses face in carrying out their duty. It is a reality that nurses are not given equal rights to practice their duty, and IOM and RWJF has joined hands and taken initiative to transform the nursing profession (Muehlbauer, 2012). The recommendation provided in this report is fair and just. The regulations of the state and its conflicts with APRNs must be resolved, so that the nurses can practice what they are trained to do during their education. If the nurses are trained to perform some task, which is a part of their course, then, they should be allowed to apply that part of the training in her professional life (Baljekar & Malet, 2014). Davis, S. P., Davis, D. D., & Williams, D. D. (2010). Challenges and Issues Facing the Future of Nursing Education: Implications for Ethnic Minority Faculty and Students. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 7 (4),

Monday, July 22, 2019

Overseas empire Essay Example for Free

Overseas empire Essay Suppression of the Muslim threat in North Africa was less successful though. The area was one of important economic and commercial advantage to Aragon and so seizure of large areas would have been of significance. Perhaps the key reason behind the policy though was the increasing Turkish influence in Naples and Sicily. Ferdinands failure came in an expensive garrisoning project, which held little authority and merely contained the problem. Perhaps the reason behind the lacklustre campaign was his preoccupation with Italy. In 1485 he successfully defended Naples from France and then the Holy Roman Empire. Despite careless disengaging of troops during the illness of Louis XII the policy in Italy was on the whole regarded as a success. Taking advantage of French involvement in the North, Ferdinand reclaimed Rousillon and Cerdagne. Then in 1512 following the death of Germaine de Foixs father, Ferdinand annexed Navarre. Isabellas fortuitous support of Christopher Columbus and hence the involvement in the New World had an increasingly significant impact on the economies of Castile and Aragon. Columbuss discovery opened new trade links and resources. In particular the trade of gold and slavery were of great economic benefit in future years. Furthermore Pope Alexander VI settled the rivalry with Portugal without conflict and expense with the division of the Americas. Isabellas piety determined that the extensive period of convivencia, which existed prior to her reign, would end. Since the pogrom of 1391 there had been sporadic anti-Semitic outbreaks largely born out of a resentment of rich Jewish families. For Isabella however the growing trend of conversos practising Judaism in private was of the greatest concern. Therefore in 1478 an Inquisition into conversos was established in Castile and then one in Aragon in 1481. As a result Jews became confined to ghettos and forced to wear yellow badges. Those suspected of heresy were put on trial and punished. In 1492 conversion was then made compulsory with emigration the only other alternative. Whilst only around 3% of the total population actually emigrated a significant social and economic impact was felt. The commercial welfare of the two Kingdoms was severely damaged and perhaps more crucially the policy disillusioned much of the wider population. The assessment of Isabella and Ferdinands social, economic, religious and foreign success reveals that the period in Spanish history is not as clear cut as contemporary chroniclers have suggested. They failed to curtail the nobility, failed in implementing economic growth and embarked on unwise foreign conquests. In saying this however they also achieved numerous successes such as securing the throne, conquering Granada and increasing the overseas empire.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Strategies for Learning Mathematics

Strategies for Learning Mathematics Introduction: This essay focusses on assessing and monitoring the progress of learners using different strategies during the period of ten lessons focussing on two units of mathematics. School X has structured assessment for learning, every lesson is designed in a way that every student is assessed in different ways. The research is focussed on year 7 mathematics lesson. This class is set 2 mostly high ability students however few students should be achieving their targets. Gould and Roffey-Barentsen (2014) provide a useful definition of assessment as having a key role in the planning process as well as delivery of teaching. Assessment serves a number of important uses in that it helps consolidate and check learning as well as providing feedback to those who require it. My school expects me to use a vast number of assessments when teaching. We use many forms of assessment such as, initial, diagnostic, formative, and/or summative to be able to deliver inclusive teaching and learning. I have selected two units 1) surface area and volume of prisms and 2) Ratios and proportions. The purpose of unit 1 is to help students extend their knowledge of area, perimeter, and volume to include surface area. The major goals NCTM proposes are for students to understand quantifiable characteristics of objects and the units, systems, and procedures of measurement. The purpose of unit 2 is that the concepts of ratio and proportionate fundamental to mathematics and important in many other fields of knowledge. Many phenomena can be expressed as some proportional relationship between specific variables (Chaim,Keret,llany, 2012). Literature Review: Monitoring is the skill of effectively overviewing and analysing a learning situation (Headington, 2000). In schools context, professional monitoring systems (Tymms 1999) exist in parallel with the monitoring of learning in the classroom. Assessment is the closer examination of pupils learning (Headington, 2000). It is reporting as a central issue in teaching and learning throughout education as it lacks consistency primarily due to each teacher within the school has adapted a different method of assessment and this is what makes one teacher a good and another poor. In England, since 1988 Education reform act national testing has taken central stage in monitoring standards in schools (Capel, 2009). Assessment for learning is Any assessment for which the first priority is to serve the purpose of promoting students learning'(Black et al, 2003) . AFL aims to close the gap between a students present situation and where they want to be in their knowledge and attainment. Accomplished teach ers plan tasks which support learners to do achieve their targets. Since 2002 there has been an obvious inclination in some assessment strategy reports in the UK to study alternatives to using external exams for summative valuation of pupils performance. Several research studies have shown that the use of assessment to develop pupils future learning makes a substantial difference, not just to pupils attainment, but to their attitude to learning, their engagement with school subjects and their motivation to do well in these subjects (Black and Wiliam 1998). Formative Assessment A key literature investigation of over 250 sources on formative assessment (Black and Wiliam 1998) found that effective assessment practices can play a influential role in the learning experience, moving an average student, for instance, to the top third of the class but only if certain settings are satisfied. Student tasks required to be aligned, or on target, with learning goals, and students need to obtain meaningful and appropriate response on their performance, as well as targeted follow-up work. To adjust their learning effectually, students need to understand three things: (a) the measures on which they will be judged, (b) where they stand on these measures, and (c) how they can improve (Black and Wiliam 1998, p. 143). Formative assessment has been thought of as providing teachers with more frequent evidence of students mastery of standards to help teachers make useful instructional decisions. In this way, formative assessment is intended to enhance student learning. Research carried out by Balck and Wiliam, and also by projects such as Suffolk Advisory service (2001) into feedback and marking indicates that improving learning through formative learning depends on the following five key factors. These are: Modelling Quality: According to (Bourdillon and Storey, 2002) pupils are more successful when they know what they are learning. This means communicating clearly what the pupils will be learning and how they can recognise their success. Therefore, learning intentions can be shared with pupils through modelling and how learning objective is achieved. According to Lee (2006), objectives can be broken down into small steps called success criteria, therefore its easier for pupils to know what that need to achieve and they can measure it at the end of the lesson. Questioning and dialogue with pupils: Clarke(2005) gives a wide range of suggestions for varying the format of questions in classrooms as it is the quickest and easiest way to assess pupils. I have also developed skills in asking questions across the full range of Blooms taxonomy, from simple recall and comprehension to complex evaluative questioning. The key to success in developing fruitful channels of dialogue with pupils about their learning lies in creating a relaxed and trusting overall climate in the classroom, so that pupils are not afraid to answer, contribute to discussions and make public their thinking or volunteer their uncertainties to you and rest of the class (Clarke,2005). It is best to plan questioning strategy, for instant questions on prior learning to setup the major themes of the lesson, also to check learning and to reinforce learning that has taken place. It is also important to plan how questions will be asked, whether from the whole class, just one group or an individual. Sometimes teachers give no time to students to think and accepts answers from those who raise their hands, and some teachers use no hand policy and giving pupils thinking time (Brooks, Abbott, Bills, 2007). Mini white boards: Another formative assessment idea that engages the entire class and provides evidence of student learning is the white board. Teachers can quickly grasp student understanding and adjust how they move forward. According to Black and Wiliam (1998) teachers need to build in opportunities for pupils to express their understanding. Pupils benefit from opportunities of formal feedback through mini white boards, as this gives chance to pupils to express their knowledge and understanding and to articulate their thinking, and also misconceptions can be spotted straight away. The figure below shows how students learning can be assessed through mini white boards. Dialogue and effective feedback through marking According to the National Research Council report How People Learn (Bransford et al. 2000), timely feedback and revision, on activities congruent with learning goals, is extremely important for developing adaptive expertise, learning, transfer and development. Constructive feedback is vital in helping pupils to progress. Nevertheless, one review of the literature on feedback found that two out of every five feedback effects were negative (Black and Wiliam, 1998). According to Ofsted (1996) marking often fails to guide on how work can be improved, as the information about pupils performance received by the teacher is insufficiently used to inform subsequent work. Target settings can address these difficulties, by taking a defect and converting into a target, offering guidance on how to improve. It has been found to increase pupils motivation and sense of purpose and accelerates rate of progress (Black and Wiliam, 1998). I will be marking books every two weeks, giving pupils targets and showing them example questions to help throug positive feedback on the things they have done well. Marking is guidance to pupils so that they can react upon provided feedback and the aim is for the student to reà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ect upon their mistakes and answer accurately so that adequate notes are made in their exercise books for revision, it must also include dialogue between the teacher and student so that informed feedback is provided which underlines pupils strengths. School x has a strict book checks every three weeks which focuses on timely and constructive dialogue between teachers and pupils. Self-assessment and understanding how to improve Formative assessment achieves its full potential when pupils become engaged with the process through self-assessment. Pupils who become skilled in self-assessment make impressive learning gains. According to one study, pupils were trained to make regular self-assessment over20-week period and that group made double the progress of the group who were not trained for self-assessment. However, Black and wiliam have concluded that self-assessment is too difficult for pupil, unless they are trained in self-assessment and can understand its main purpose and reflect on their learning effectively. Throughout my lessons self-assessment was vital at the end of each lesson, showing what went well and even better if. Summative assessment: Preparing pupils for external exams and assessment has been an increasingly important part of the secondary teachers role. The purpose behind national external assessments has been clearly formulated, to identify individual achievements, strengths and weaknesses in order to help them in next stages, to enable parents to put their childs attainment in context, to make available to public schools attainment and to help school evaluating their own teaching (Bourdillon and Storey, 2002) . Case study and students progress: My case study includes five students selected after observations and from discussions with my mentor, who I will assess. Their names are coded as Student E,F, G, H and I and in the table below I have mentioned why I would like to assess them during this course of study and check if by the end of the research they have achieved their targets. Table 1: Shows the description of students and their current and target grades I have monitored throughout the course of 10 lessons of the above students when the learning outcome does not meet the learning objective for the class or groups or individuals. Such monitoring when analysed, can provide an insight into the teaching and learning which is taking place. The subject monitoring sheet for maths lessons (Figure 2) shows an example of this. The learning of the five targeted students was monitored for a course of two units against learning objectives drawn from national numeracy strategy. The monitoring was coded as follows: Figure 2: Subject monitoring sheet for maths This data shows the results through the formative assessment I have collected. The research proves one of the best ways to check if pupils understanding is to ask questions. During my first few lessons, the typical response was same children continually have their hands up, and usually in order to elicit the right answers , teachers uses the right children, and I did the same in my first 2 lessons. From third lesson I changed my tactics and targeted students who were not participating in the class, or I used to wait for more hands up, and encouraged students to raise hands through E-praise. Student E is very shy, she was reluctant in the beginning to answer, but I encouraged and praised her to answer, since then I can see her raising hands for not all questions but some Students E, F and H has shown significant improvement during target questioning, they were more attentive and responsive. Setting a routine of target questioning resulted in pupils raising their hands up without asking. I cultivated the classroom atmosphere where more and more pupils are prepared to open up and share their thinking about their uncertainties. To accomplish this approach requires full sensitivity, knowledge of your pupils, first-rate interpersonal skills as well as perceptiveness in formulating adroitly posed questions. In my practice, I always start with open end questions to give students a chance to think and then I try to develop a structure in their mind through these questions and then moving on to close end questions to scaffold their understanding. Target questioning helped me to clear misconceptions throughout my lessons. Refereeing to all my lessons, I have used mini white boards instantly in each lesson, introduce a topic, show them at least two questions and then check their understanding on the mini white boards, I get instant feedback from every child. They arent broadcasting that they think they dont understand something, they give me an actual mathematical answer from which I judge the accuracy and target the misconceptions. It is more subtle than directly admitting you cant do something in front of your peers. They allow algebraic answers just as easily as numerical or wordy ones. You know which kids to differentiate for at both ends. For example student E and H along with some other students showed weakness understanding the concept of surface area of prisms, and picked it up their misconceptions through mini white board activity, it was mostly to do with area of a triangle. Therefore, The next lesson I did a revision lesson on same topic so that all misconceptions were cleared, and in lesson 3, both student E and H showed significant strengths. Similarly in lesson 8, student G showed weakness, which I assessed during white board activity and I made sure that student G understands it properly, as I probed targeted questions throughout lesson. This data also helped me to mark students work, so that I can compare the assessment I performed during class through mini white boards and questioning is correct or not. I marked students work and homework. Homework in school x is given twice a week to each year group. According to Ofsted, marking reinforces underachievement and under expectation be being too generous or unfocused. Therefore, I marked with feedback on each mistake as shown in the example below. I modelled the incorrect questions step by step and asked them to do it again. I also made homework spreadsheet, which showed me exactly how many questions students attempted were correct as shown in table below. Table 3: Shows the percentage of correct answers students did in each homework. This table helped me to understand pupils misconceptions and therefore, I gave questions as starter which I saw were most difficult. I also followed students homework by rechecking if they have corrected the mistakes in the following lesson, as the list provided me clear instructions which students book I have to check. By following this routine, Student G made remarkable change in providing her homework with full potential. The class slowly developed the routine of teacher and student dialogue, by making students aware that if I have made any comments, its students responsibility to check it and comment on it, and if the comment is about redoing the questions than it has to be done again. It can be noticed from the table that students homework percentage got better each week. Year 7s were not aware of self-assessment, therefore I briefed them with three key points with: During my first three lessons I used the slide given below, by giving them examples of how they can think and evaluate their learning. Students were questioned to summarize the learning objectives and success criteria before they embark on the task. From lesson four, when people were confident I used the slide below to make them think themselves without giving the example. Students F, H and I books showed clear evidence that they were honest about their reflection and were trying in the next lesson to make their learning better. Figure 6 and 7 shows some examples of pupils reflection Summative assessment was done by unit test after each unit. Before each unit test, a revision lesson was run to clear the misconceptions as the books were marked before the revision to check students understanding, their homeworks and self-assessment. After each unit test, teacher marked the test and made two comments on what students did well at, and two comments what they need to improve on. As shown in the picture 9 below. Students evaluated their performance in the yellow sheets provided by teacher, on their strengths and on action points. A spreadsheet was also created for each question, which helped me to create green pen questions for students and to check which part of unit test students found most difficult, as shown below in table 7. Green pen questions were prepared by teacher, and were allocated to each student according to the action points as illustrated in the figures below of student E and H. These action questions helps them again to reflect on their mistakes and improve their mistakes. The summative assessment results after two unit test I performed with year 7s are shown below which has shown significant improvement in their grades from previous grades, that they have moved a grade higher from their previous targets. Analysis: Analysing the sequence of lessons and assessments methods used during the period of 10 lessons, assessing through questioning and mini white board activity showed very good results as , it showed me clearly students misconceptions and cultivated the culture of engaging and thinking before answering, but when I marked their books, I saw some very obvious mistakes repeated which I pointed during mini white board activity. There is a potential risk of students copy the answers from peers just of the fear of getting pointed for mistakes and they are hesitant to ask questions. Therefore, mini white board activity is a very effective way to assess students understanding and it has shown a tremendous effectivity during all my lessons as it enables to test the depth of students understanding but it is not 100 percent accurate as students sometimes tend to copy from their peers, if they were targeted and the answer was wrong, they potentially can copy answer of next question from their peers to avoid embracement. It is the same case in questioning, mostly gifted students answer questions. Targeted questions help to encourage students to answer questions, as through diagnostic assessments and marking books, teachers knows which student to target. But if the culture of questioning and use of mini white boards remain there, it will help students to try harder and remain attentive throughout lessons. Assessing through marking books gives a very clear idea that how much progress student has made in the class and by doing their homework. Spread sheet of homework helped me and I asked some students to come during break time to clear their misconceptions, I also ran revision lessons where I cleared those concepts and did target questions from less progressing pupils through marking books. During marking books I started a dialogue with students, for example how this question can be made better and by giving them model answers, as soon as pupils got their books back they had to comment on their mistakes, which helped in building an environment of students teachers dialogue. Similarly self-reflection helped students to start thinking about their strengths and weaknesses and it consolidates their learning more. In each lesson they commented about something to improve and what they did well at, it improved the sequence of learning and each lesson showed evident improvement. Since year 7s started to reflect on their learning during my teaching, it is still very confusing for some students what to write but I still encourage them to summarize their learning objective and think before writing. Finally the summative assessment triangulates the research, Students E,F,G,H and I have made tremendous effort through these weeks and shown that through these assessments they have already reached their targets. References Headington, Rita. (2000). Monitoring, assessment, recording, reporting and accountability. London: David Fulton, 8,9 Last name, First initial. (Year published). Title. Edition. (Only include the edition if it is not the first edition) City published: Publisher, Page(s). Gould, Jimm. And Roffey, Jodi. (2014). Achieving your Diploma in Education and Training. Sage publications ltd. Chaim, Keret, IIany, David, Yaffa, Bat-Sheva. (2012).  Ratio and proportion. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 1. Cambridge-Community. Getting started with assessment for learning. [online] Available at: URL [http://www.cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswafl/index.html] Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment, Phi Delta Kappan 80(2), 139-148. Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. and Cocking (2000). The Design of Learning Environments: Assessment-Centered Environments. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, pp. 131-154. Wilson, M. Scalise, K. 2006, Assessment to Improve Learning in Higher Education: The BEAR Assessment System, Higher Education, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 635-663. Stiggins, R. 2005, From Formative Assessment to Assessment for Learning: A Path to Success in Standards-Based Schools, The Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 324-328

Terrorism: Causes, Effects and Prevention Strategies

Terrorism: Causes, Effects and Prevention Strategies In the last quarter of the century, there is a dramatic change in most of the terrorist activities, as they are well-planned, with a purpose to accomplish a precise identifiable and seemingly attainable political goal. In the past, most of the terrorist activities involved incidents like high-jacking an aircraft or the taking of a hostage following which certain demands were made. Their aim was usually to release their friends, or group leaders from prisons. Terrorism in the last few decades has taken a more violent and destructive turn, and quite often the demands are not made. Terrorism today is an act which is sudden, unprovoked, sheer brutal attack on innocent civilians killing several people in a crowded market or a gathering. Most of there terrorist attacks have had a political objective, which have now become rather diffused since the 9/11 attack. It now seems that the idea is to create fear and panic, and primarily to get publicity through the television news and print media According to several orthodox cultures, the terrorists resorted to this particular type of extremism as the only way for accomplishing political change. Also it appears to be interconnected to globalization and the increased impact of the United States and other Western countries. This has added to the resentments of the people of that part of the world. Thus it is the larger developments, changes in the international political structure, and expansion of globalization throughout the world that explains this trend in terrorism. The sixty years of suffering of the Palestinians and their unsuccessful efforts to get an independent state is one of the major reasons for the unrest in the Muslim World. The recent siege (412 Palestinian children perished between the 27th of December 2008 and the 18th of January 2009 as a result of the bombings and atrocities carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces The end year of 2009 inevitably This markeds the First Year Memorial of Operation Cast Lead, when almost 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians were killed during the course of a brutal military operation carried out by Israeli authorities. Thousands more were wounded or displaced. 412 Palestinian children perished between the 27th of December 2008 and the 18th of January 2009. These children were killed as a result of the bombings and atrocities carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces) affected the Palestinian social fabric completely. As the trauma grows with every violent incursion into Palestinian communities; hatred and tendency of revenge also increases among them. During the Gulf War, and more recently in Afghanistan, the terrorist groups often resort to psychological warfare because its the only tactic they have available to them. They dont have M-16s, and we have M-16s. They dont have the mighty military power that we have, and they only have access to things like kidnapping, says Haroun, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. (cited in Warner, 2005).1 In reality these terrorist attacks does not harm the enemy physically very much, as few people could be killed in an attack. But the repercussions are tremendous from the psychological point of view. Ordinary people viewing the terrorist attack in person or watching it on television, gets anxious, terrified, and often develop a sense of foreboding fear, which in turn may lead to demoralization in the entire society. Psychological Terror Whatever is their modus operandi, terrorists share very similar aims. Alexander and Klein (2006)[1] concisely identified the aims of terrorism as follows: To create pervasive fear, anxiety and panic To generate a collective and individual sense of helplessness, vulnerability and hopelessness To demonstratereveal the incompetenceineffectiveness and/or inabilityincapability of the authorities to provide security and protectionsafety against such opponents And provoke the establishment into errors or over-reactions which will disaffect the general public or specific influential bodies. The last point is essentially vital as observed by the widespread concerns as for example the shooting of an innocent man by the Metropolitan Police in London sometime ago (as a result of consequent to the wrong information that he was a suicide bomber); the incarceration of terrorist suspects in high security prisons of Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh; and the introduction of repressive legislation. Moreno (2003)[2] has persuasively proven how easy it is in a democratic society to subordinate hard-earned civil liberties to the need to introduce counter-terrorist legislation. The terrorist attacks provide harsh reminders that in todays world, one does not know what news may come next on television or other news media. Particularly disturbing television images of horrific incidents can trigger the innate startle response no matter how close or far away from home the event happened. Historically, every military clash has led to psychological warfare in some form in one way or another as th e enemy aims to break the morale of their opponent. Due to progress in technology; the popularity of the internet; and increase of news coverage, the rules of engagement in this type of psychological battle have changed. Whether it is a substantial attack or a single dreadful act, the effects of psychological warfare are not restricted to the physical damage it produces. Instead, the intent of these attacks is to instillinstil a sense of fear that is much greater than the actual threat itself. According to Professor Richard Bulliet of Columbia University: There are various ways to have your impact. You can have your impact by the magnitude of what you do, by the symbolic character of target, or the horrific quality of what you do to a single person. Interestingly the way media covers the event in fact determines the effect on the people. For instance, according to Bulliet, the Iranian hostage predicament, in 1979, which though lasted for 444 days, was infact actually one of the most harmless of (word harmless) criticalthings events that occurredhappened in the Middle East in the last 25 years. All the U.S. hostages were released ultimately unscathed., butHowever this hostage event remains a psychological scarblemish for manyseveral Americans who watched powerlessly, each evenings newscast, they counted days the hostages were being held in custody. The terrorists often take advantage of images of a group of masked individuals coercing and intimidating exerting total power over their captives to sendconvey the message that the act is a collective demonstrationdisplay of the groups power rather than an individual criminal act. You dont have the notion that a certain person has taken a hostage. Its an image of group power, and the force becomes generalized rather than personalized. The randomness and the ubiquity of the threat give the impression of vastly greater capacities. (cited in Warner, 2005).[3] Remote Repercussions of Terrorist Attacks When a horrific event occurs, it is natural to feel disturbed, even if the act occurred thousands of miles away. The human reaction is to put oneself in the situation because as normal human beings, people have the capacity to empathize. And consequently these people may develop similar psychological symptoms. Witnessing an act of psychological terror can also disrupt our belief system, says Charles Figley, PhD, director of the Florida State University Traumatology Institute. (cited in Warner, 2005).[4] We walk around, psychologically, in a bubble, and that bubble represents our belief system and values. Most often we assume incorrectly that other people have the same values and social niceties as we do. When that is violated or challenged, the first response is usually an effort to protect our beliefs and, in other words, to deny that it actually happened. When A s soon as confronted with proof of terror, such as pictures of atrocities, Figley says there are a few different waysdifferent ways in which people typically react: They perceive perpetrators to be inhumane. Become fearful as they perceive they are living in a callous and unsafe world because the graph bar of inhumanityhumanity has been lowered even further. Believe that its only a fleeting incident which could be easily explained away or deconstructed by precise things that have taken place, such as if we hadnt done this, then that would not have happened. Its uncomfortable believing that the world is less safe, so we have to imagine or construct a scenario that will allow us to feel more safe again and resist change, says Figley. There is an interesting and strange symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media. Bruce Hoffman, the director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, in his book Inside Terrorism has written a clear summary of some of the major historical trends in international terrorism. He makes careful distinctions between the motivations that drive political (or ethno-nationalist) terrorism and religious terrorism, and he explains also shows why the rise of religious terrorism, coupled with the increased availability of weapons of mass destruction, may foretellpredict an eraepoch of even greater violence. In the past, Hoffman argues, the main goal of the terrorist was not to kill and destroy, but to attract media attention to his cause in the hope of initiating reform. For the religious terrorist, however, violence is first and foremost a sacred act or divine duty executed in direct response to some theological demand or imperative religious terrorists see themselves not as components of a system worth preserving but as outsiders, seeking fundamental changes in the existing order. (Hoffman, 2006).[5] In this context Hoffman does not choose sides, he refers to in this framework, pointing to the bombings of the World Trade Center ,and Oklahoma City and the Tokyo,to the Sarin nerve gas attacks, in Tokyo in order to demonstrate that radicalsfundamentalists of any religious denomination are capable of extreme acts of terrorism. Terrorism is an aggressive-hostile action which is mainly intended to harm and terrify civilians, in order to promote a particular aim, or with an the idea, which may be social political or other. The terrorist attacks, are now gaining major importance than wars in the news headlines worldwide Terrorism and its Effects on Mental Health Whether its a massive attack or a single dreadfulhorrific act, the effects of psychological warfare are not restrictedlimited to the physical damage inflicted. Infact the primary objectivestead, the goal of these attacks is to inculcate a sense of fear whichthat is much greater than the actual threat itself. Therefore, the impact of psychological terror depends largely on how the acts are revealedpublicized and interpreted. Typical reactions to major trauma on the individuals and communities are well-documented but the literature on the individual reactions to terrorist incidents is scarce. Most of the reactions at the initial phase following trauma are normal reactions and only few individuals display florid psychopathology. (Alexander and Klein, 2006).[6] Normal individual reactions to a terrorist attack are: Emotional Reactions : shock, numbness, denial , fear, anxiety , helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive dysfunctions as disorientation, confusion ,intrusive thoughts, images, memories ,hypervigilance (i.e. increased sense of risk),impaired concentration and memory. Changes in social interaction, like withdrawal ,irritability ,loss of trust and faith , avoidant behaviour (i.e. of any reminders of the event). Physical reactions as autonomic hyperarousal , ,loss of energy. insomnia Autonomic hyper-arousal, insomnia, loss of energy. Emotional shock, numbness, denial, fear, anxiety helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive disorientation, confusion, intrusive thoughts, images, memories.Hyper-vigilance, impaired concentration and memory. Social withdrawal, irritability, loss of trust and faith, avoidant behaviour (i.e. of any reminders of the event). These normal reactions comprise most of the core symptoms of PTSD, i.e. intrusive experiences, hyper-arousal and avoidant behaviour, as defined in the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (ICD-10; WHO, 1992).[7] For a formal diagnosis of PTSD, such symptoms must be experienced for at least a few weeks. (The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV] also necessitatesrequires that such symptoms mustto be present for one month. (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).[8] In addition the impact on individuals, terrorism has mass psychogenic impacts. Mass psychogenic illness has been defined as: The rapid spread of illness signs and symptoms affecting members of a cohesive group, originating from a nervous system disturbance involving excitation, loss or alteration of function whereby physical complaints that are exhibited unconsciously have no corresponding organic aetiology. (Bartholomew Wessely, 2002). [9] As regards community reactions, they may present with distinct features. Tyhurst provides a three phase model of community response. (Tyhurst, 1951).[10] In Phase I, most individuals are liable to be stunned, numbed or even in denial. Denial was the commonly reported reaction among the office staff of Capital Hill, Washington DC following the anthrax scare in 2001. It took some time for the affectees to realize they might have been exposed to a toxic substance. North et al., 2005).[11] Widespread panic is not a typical reaction (though widely depicted in disaster films, etc.). Approximately 10 per cent of victims are likely to panic, and this reaction is most likely when victims believe they are trapped and feel helpless. Durodie Wessely, 2002).[12] In the 1987 Kings Cross underground fire most passengers did not panic; on the contrary, they sought out the usual methods of entry and exit. (Donald Canter, 1992).[13] Similar personal reactions were observedgiven after the London terrorist incidents of July 2005. Hence the civil contingency planning clearly should not be based on ill-informed assumptions about human behaviour. Even in extreme situations human behaviour can be rational, altruistic, and even heroic. In Phase II which is the Recoil Phase, individuals seek to make sense of what has happened. They seek reunion with their common sources of support, e.g. families, friends and colleagues. Even makeshift groups may develop as individuals seek understanding and mutual support. During this period, the community develops a sense of order and control, and the concerned relief authorities can do a lot much to facilitate this step towards recovery.. Phase III, the Recovery Phase is characterized by alternating episodes of adjustment and relapse and there may be some obvious examples of resilience and positive outcomes. Further comprehensive research studies must be A lot of research still needs to be done in order to understand how communities cope with chronic exposure to threat and adversity, but Jones and his colleagues have reassessed the social effects of air raids in Great Britain during the Second World War. They indicate a high level of civilian resilience developed during that period. (Jones et al., 2004).[14] Similarly, law enforcement authorities have commented on the apparently low level of violence-related psychopathology reported in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Clinical data is still not enough to identify It is unclear, as to what are the protective factors in these circumstances. Extensive denial, social cohesiveness, a united front against a common enemy or some other as yet undetermined influences could be termed as protective factors. Mental Health Studies Mental health research studies are conducted worldwide to explore the effects of terrorism both on the individuals and the community. Whereas some emphasize the psycho-pathological effects of terror (Galea, Ahern, Resnick et al., 2002),[15] others focus on the human suffering, which is not identical to psychiatric morbidity (Wessely 2003),[16] and on community and cultural factors that enable people to endure the stressful event (Hobfoll, 2003).[17] This conflict between two distinct approaches (Wessely, 2003) ishas yet to be bridged. Any horrific event can affect people directly or indirectly even if they are not the targets. Hence the target of the interventions is not the individual victim only, but all the people more indirectly affected by the incidence. An impartial approach may be suitable. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for action during emergencies which seem to support such a stand (WHO, 2003).[18] Experiencing or witnessing a violent attack does not necessarily mean that the individual will inevitably develop psychiatric morbidity (Curran, and Miller, 2001).[19] After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, it was observed that: In the aftermath of terrorist attacks, many Americans regarded their distress as a normal reaction rather than a disorder needing [psychiatric] care. (Drus and Marcus, 2004).[20] Presently available data suggest that it takes more than the agent (e.g., threat to life) to lead to psychopathology. Indeed, the role of the environment is of significance, as a part of the epidemiological triangle that has been discarded by a greater focus on host-related factors (e.g., gender or age of the victim). ) A study on adults have recognized a group of factors, including religious beliefs, ideological commitment and social capital, that have protected communities which were highly exposed to terrorist attacks (like the loss of dear ones, physical injuries and property damage etc). Ideology and religion may be used as a healing power, but also as a weapon. This is especially true in the [Middle East] region. (Solomon, and Laufer (2005);[21] Shalev et al.; Shalev,[22] Tuval-Mashiach Hadar, 2004; Kaplan et al.; Kaplan,[23] Matar, Kamin, et al., 2005; Billig, Kohn, and Levav, 2004).[24] All the research data today gives hope that, by advancing research on the mental health effects of war-related activities will be conducive to the development of new techniques to counter the psycho-social aftermath of wars and other such traumatic events., Ppsychiatrists worldwide are joining the call by WHO member states to devise means to restore the psycho-pathological damage sustained by victimized populations. The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has been active in the recent Gaza Massacre,by giving an official statement. (See Mario Maj. statement in Chapter 1V -Wars in the Muslim World1).[25] Nonetheless On the other hand, psychiatrists could play other roles even at the risk of raising idealistic initiatives which cynics might like to dismiss. There are several possibilities open for psychiatrists who, by the nature of their profession can, besides promoting health, support peace rather than war. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals from countries in conflict could engage in alliance in a number of activities (e.g., teaching, exchange of experiences in program development and services, communication), while they are actively, tenaciously and continuously supported by WPA. Most importantly, psychiatrists must endeavour to make their societies even more ardently aware that in armed confrontations no one is a winner but that everyone is a victim. The model of collaboration in the Balkans, where mental health is a bridge to reconciliation within the framework of the Stability Pact, is a concrete example of what could be achieved when a unifying language is spoken, and when such an effort is reinforced by dedicated support from sources that are not part of the conflict. Terrorism is a paradox—a topicalcontemporary, high-profile subject with clear relevance to the real-world today relevance, yetNevertheless with limited authentic and desperate shortage of research data available es in the area. Therefield there is an urgent need to encourage the younger researchers to take a keen n interest in continuing maintaining research activities .y in the area. Psycho-Social Effects of Terrorism on the Muslim World While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him. (Mikhailovich Dostovsky) The Muslim World has endured a succession of terrorist attacks in the last decade and faced the war against terrorism with endurance and resilience. The countries most affected were Iraq, Gaza, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and particularly the FATA region in Pakistan which has been labelled as the centre of terrorist training. Pakistan also became the first line of defense in this War on Terror. The most distressing aspect of this war is the amount of destruction, damage and killing of innocent civilians of these regions. Ironically the damage done following the declaration of this war is to a large extent much greater than the loss which resulted due to the actual terrorist incident of 9/11 in New York. The Muslims worldwide have confronted the worst degree of terrorism from the powers who claim to bring peace and justice in the world. It is logical and justifiable to control and battle against those who are involved in such degrading and inhumane acts of terrorism, however, some contemplation is necessary to remodel unreasonable and illogical methods or strategies chosen to fight this terrorism. The international media has been a major partner in this war against terrorism and played a key role in portraying religious extremism in Islam as the major cause of present-day terrorism. But this is untrue since Islam is primarily a religion of peace, love and harmony. Unfortunately, clerics who have limited knowledge of the teachings and values of the Islam have misguided some people for their vested interests. The misinterpretation of the teachings of Islam by irresponsible clerics has led to fanaticism. Islam is the most practical religion of the world. As narrated by Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi:[26] The concept of human rights in Islam is based on two important principles: dignity of human beings and justice. Islam emphasizes that all human beings are honoured by Allah subhanahu wa taala. Allah wants all human beings to live in peace and harmony and for this reason He wants us to establish justice in this world. Without justice there is no dignity and without dignity and justice there cannot be any peace. There are several passages in the Holy Quran verifying the above narration: If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God (Allah) hath revealed, they are (no better than) unbelievers. (Holy Quran 5:44). o ye who believe! Stand out firmly for God (Allah), as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God (Allah). For God (Allah) is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Holy Quran 5:8). Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without justification. Violating this rule is equivalent to killing all of humanity: if anyone slew a person — unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land — it would be as if he slew the whole people. (Quran 5:32). Hence the Holy Quran advocates that death of a single human being is a death of humanity. At present it is vital to understand that words terrorism and war against terrorism apparently seems to be propaganda against Islam and Muslims. Such perceptions against Islam and the Muslims have taken a toll on the social, psychological and emotional well-being of Muslims in different parts of the world. (Zafar, 2007).[27] Psycho-Social Impacts of Gaza Conflict: On 31 January 2008, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) organized a Conference on Effects of Siege on Life and Mental Health of Palestinians in Gaza Strip. Taysir Diab, Clinical Psychiatrist and Supervisor at GCMHP, talked about the mental impacts of the siege based on GCMHPs experience. He stated that there It is not one, but were a group of bio-psycho social factors that which caused mental illness. Diab of these factors under the siege on Gaza; and that the and its psychological, physical and social impacts of these factors were clinically identifiable. The siege, he said, had a direct effect on the appearance of new psychiatricmental cases and the relapse of old ones. There are personal differences on the physical and psychological levels; there are protective factors such as religion, patriotism, norms and values, as well as social support. All these factors along with others contributed in the protection of individuals. and the development of new mental illnesses in the Palestinian people. According to Diab, a vast majority of the Palestinian populations were suffering from symptoms of psychiatricmental disorders. He pointed out that the clients of GCMHPs Community Centers suffered from various psychological problems, including panic, insecurity feelings of insecurity, easily provoked aggressiveness, anger, easily provoked, psychosomatic disorders, depression, frustration, low morale, fear, poor concentration, lack of belonging or affiliation, lack of confidence in self and others, emotional numbness,numbness, and PTSD symptoms., various physical complaint, Oobsessiveon-Ccompulsive Disorders were common, and there was a definite rise in illness relapses.rise in illness relapses. Diab further mentioned that the siege affected the vulnerable groups, in particular children who suffer increasingly from fear, panic, and at times apathylack the feeling of risks, tendency of sadness and insecurity feelings of insecurity., as well as Bbed-wetting and stutteringstuttering, was also a common presentation. He also pointed that the siege affected the mental health professionals in term of increasing their mental stresspressures and state of frustration, avoidance, nervousness, and professional burn-out. Furthermore, Ahmad Abu Tawahina, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Director General of GCMHP, statedmentioned that the major aimplan behind the siege imposed by Israel wasis to implantinstil panic and fear among the Palestinians citizens. He said: We, as Palestinians, must never live a frustrating and despairing life and have to get rid of the negative impacts of siege since life goes on, and the professionals must exert all efforts in order to help people cope with the difficult situations. Twahina also stated that it was vital that Palestinians should not drown in terror and fear since most of the above mentioned symptoms are natural reactions to a madcrazy reality. He also addressed the concept of victimof victim psychology and commented on the importance of offering the mental services for people who suffer from frequent depressions, and increasing concerns. According to him the mental suffering affects everybody but at different levels, and that theere is depression, anxiety, tension, and despair is prevalent at the entirewhole community levels. In his work paper, . Samir Zaqout, a psychologist at GCMHP, discussedtalked about the social changes resulting from the siege. He statedadded that: the siege started in 1948 when Israeli Occupation practiced siege policy in an attempt to deny the Palestinians their identity: The siege is doubled as it is imposed by Israel and the international community since they didnt allow the Palestinians to practice their rights in a democratic way. Further, Zaqout pointed that the siege affected the Palestinian social fabric and domestic relations as hatred and tendency of revenge increased among the Palestinians. It also affected the moral values and accepting the other as well as increasing inter and intra familial disputes and conflicts. Summing up the proceedings of the Conference Eyad el Sarraj pointed to the significance of highlighting such statistics and showing the direct impacts of the siege on the citizens. He stressed on the importance of the accuracy and avoiding exaggeration in stating any statistics. Sarraj focused on the victim psychology. He said: Since we, as Palestinians, shouldnt adopt the role of victim, and exaggerate in blaming others and defaming ourselves. Our priority should be national reconciliation and unity and supporting the Palestinian resiliency so as to achieve our legitimate rights, endorsed by international conventions. Concluding the conference the mental health experts reiterated that it was crucial that the siege must end and professionals must undertake their roles in the field of education and mental health. This would be the first step in to bring some semblance of normality to the lives of the Gaza Community. This step was vital, in order to enable them to cope with negative consequences of the siege and minimize the resultant burdens. Moreover, it was agreed to work on the promotion of mental resilience programs for ending the siege and developing coping strategies to counter the negative mental health consequences. It was agreed that the Palestinian people are steadfast and live with dignity, and should not bend or despair and take matters positively and effectively in order to resist all schemes aiming at weakening Palestinian social fabric, and to achieve the Palestinian rights in freedom, independence and establishing the Palestinian state. Further, the attendants emphasized the importance of working, as specialists in various fields, on influencing the decision makers in the Palestinian society and acquaint them with the destructive impacts of the siege at all levels, especially the mental health of the future Palestinian generations. The physical and mental health needs of sufferers of Gaza are extremely challenging to address, particularly the psychological and emotional crises. During the last Israeli military strike in the period from December 2008 to January 2009, approximately 1380 Palestinians were killed, of whom 431 were children and 112 women. (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2009). At least 5380 people were injured, including 1872 children and 800 women. In these improvised settings within health facilities such as maternity wards and operating theatres were transformed into trauma units. The consequences must be drastic in terms of maternal and child morbidity and mortality because 3500 deliveries were expected to have taken place during the twenty-three days of military operations. Findings from a recent UNFPA assessment indicate that, during that period there was an increased number of miscarriages in pregnant women (Shifa, Al Aqsa, Naser, Rafah), and an increased neonatal mortality in Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (UNFPA, (2009). According to World Health Organization (WHO), only the rough estimates show that during the last Gaza crisis 25000 to 50000 people underwent severe mental stress and need some form of psychological intervention to address long-term effects. Women, separated children, elderly people, and people with prior physical or mental disabilities are at high risk of severe emotional distress than others. The restoration of normal socioeconomic conditions, secure living