Sameness in The Giver by Lois Lowry Essay Example

Sameness in The Giver by Lois Lowry Paper Lois Lowry, an American writer that had written over forty children’s books and received numerous awards, delivered her point of view through the book, The Giver. Throughout the book, it displayed the importance of the memory, the importance of the individual, and the effect on how the community works in the condition of autonomy. Lowry used a perspicuous writing style, plain diction, and double-faced literary devices to offer the central theme of this book; that memory is meant to be shared. The author’s uses a clear writing style and plain diction to give the readers a better access to the deeper meaning of the novel. Throughout the novel, instead of using complex phrases and abstruse words, Lowry used perspicuous writing style so that the readers could understand the deeper meaning of her diction, since from the novel we see evidence of, â€Å"The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared,† (pp.193). Lowry simply displayed her meaning on the surface that although there will be dreadful memories out there, the worst part of it was that people couldn’t share memories together, because people bond together with memories surrounding them. We can see further evidence that the author used a comprehensible writing style as the novel mentioned, â€Å"If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things!† (pp.12 3). By looking at this sentence, the readers could interpret immediately that the protagonist wants to have control over his life, he wants to change and decide things on his own, but not by the community. Instead of using esoteric diction and writing style to enrich the novels, Lowry chooses to do it in her own. We will write a custom essay sample on Sameness in The Giver by Lois Lowry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sameness in The Giver by Lois Lowry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sameness in The Giver by Lois Lowry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The author uses concise and explicit literary devices in order to let the readers perceive meanings. Lowry mainly used three main literary devices to fulfill her story: metaphor, symbolism, and

Free Essays on Rappaccinis Daughter

The Garden of Good and Evil (Rappaccini’s Daughter) Rappaccini’s daughter is a deeply symbolic story. It contains many references to mythology and other works. However, I would like to address the story of Rappaccini’s Daughter, the fable of Giovanni and Beatrice as an analogy of Adam and Eve. Also, another interpretation of the story is worth notice: three men and a woman. All three men have their purposes for and judgments of Beatrice. All three men project corruption on an innocent, and imbue her with evil that really does not exist within her. On the surface, the analogy to the Bible is clear: Rappaccini as God, Giovanni and Beatrice as Adam and Eve in the Garden, Baglioni as Satan, lurking around trying to act upon and influence the characters in the Garden. The tree of life and death, the eternal fountain of purity flowing. However, the parallels to the biblical Garden of Eden can also be determined as quite the opposite of their equivalents in the Bible. Instead of a tree of life; the shrub of death. Instead of the innocent companions; fearful accomplices. Instead of a benevolent God; a malevolent Father, his bent purposes imposed on the innocent and unsuspecting inhabitants of the Garden. The garden and its central highlight, the purple flowered shrub, resembling the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life, are the central scheme around which the story revolves. The shrub is at once enticing and forbidding, beautiful yet dreadful. The same terms are applied to Beatrice, â€Å"What is this being? Beautiful shall I call her, or inexpressibly terrible?† (1753) In Giovanni’s dream, â€Å"Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape.† (1750) The ruined fountain, with the water still gushing forth, lies in the background and is used by Beatrice to water the bush. Its ceaselessly flowing purity is used to nourish the venom... Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, Professor Pietro Baglioni characterizes Dr. Rappaccini as both a man and a scientist. There a passages that describes Baglioni’s opinion of Rappaccini on pages 52 and 53. Baglioni dislikes Rappaccini. He does not agree with his methods in science. Baglioni states â€Å"the truth is, our worshipful Dr. Rappaccini has as much science as any member of the faculty-with perhaps one single exception-in Padua, or all Italy; but there are certain grave objections to his professional character.† Baglioni seems to agree that the methods of Rappaccini are not what would be considered ethical. Baglioni also says that â€Å"But as for Rappaccini, it is said of him-and I, who know that man well, can answer for its truth-that he cars infinitely more for science than for mankind.† Obviously Baglioni has spent some time with the Dr. and does not car for him. He seems to disagree with Rappaccini in many if not all aspects of his life. Baglioni’s opinion is concreted on page 53, where Baglioni states â€Å"He would sacrifice human life, his own among the rest, or whatever else was dearest to him, for the sake of adding so much as a grain of mustard seed to the great heap of his accumulated knowledge.† Baglioni believes that Rappaccini is selfish and that he will do nothing but to further himself, and he will hurt anyone he needs to, even his own daughter.... Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter The Garden of Good and Evil (Rappaccini’s Daughter) Rappaccini’s daughter is a deeply symbolic story. It contains many references to mythology and other works. However, I would like to address the story of Rappaccini’s Daughter, the fable of Giovanni and Beatrice as an analogy of Adam and Eve. Also, another interpretation of the story is worth notice: three men and a woman. All three men have their purposes for and judgments of Beatrice. All three men project corruption on an innocent, and imbue her with evil that really does not exist within her. On the surface, the analogy to the Bible is clear: Rappaccini as God, Giovanni and Beatrice as Adam and Eve in the Garden, Baglioni as Satan, lurking around trying to act upon and influence the characters in the Garden. The tree of life and death, the eternal fountain of purity flowing. However, the parallels to the biblical Garden of Eden can also be determined as quite the opposite of their equivalents in the Bible. Instead of a tree of life; the shrub of death. Instead of the innocent companions; fearful accomplices. Instead of a benevolent God; a malevolent Father, his bent purposes imposed on the innocent and unsuspecting inhabitants of the Garden. The garden and its central highlight, the purple flowered shrub, resembling the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life, are the central scheme around which the story revolves. The shrub is at once enticing and forbidding, beautiful yet dreadful. The same terms are applied to Beatrice, â€Å"What is this being? Beautiful shall I call her, or inexpressibly terrible?† (1753) In Giovanni’s dream, â€Å"Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape.† (1750) The ruined fountain, with the water still gushing forth, lies in the background and is used by Beatrice to water the bush. Its ceaselessly flowing purity is used to nourish the venom...

Angina Pectoris

Angina Pectoris Essay Angina PectorisAngina pectoris is a medical condition that literally means a chokedchest. The victim feels acute pain in his chest for a few seconds, and then itgoes away. This occurs when myocardium cells, the muscle portion of your heart,are temporarily denied oxygen. At this stage they do not die, but maybe weakened. If left untreated and the disease continues, a serious condition known asmyocardial infraction or commonly called a heart attack may occur. This canseverely damage the hearts functionality. Which in turn effects our well being. We should be educated about the risks that go along with our cardiovascularsystem. The most common cause of the condition angina pectoris is overconsumption of cholesterol. This chemical is only needed in minute amounts, butis often eaten in every meal. In the body, cholesterol is responsible for thestability of plasma membranes of cells, and hormones are produced from it. Ifconsumed at higher rate then needed it is stored in the tunica interna, theinnermost layer, of blood vessels. As it is stored it starts to build upeventually clogging the vessel. As a result of this all cells feed by thevessel die because of a lack of oxygen. If this condition is found early, itcan be corrected with surgical procedures or, in some minor cases, correctiveprocedures. Surgical procedures include bypass, laser and balloon surgery. Inbypass surgery a vein is removed from the lower leg and a clogged vessel isworked around. Often in type of surgery the whole mid section of the body iscut and the ribs are pulled back, very painful with a very slow recovery. Somehospitals have now imple mented a new technique where only a small hole is madeand everything is done via a view screen. In balloon surgery a balloon isinserted into the vessel with the clog and is inflated. When this occurs thevessel is damaged, this causes the cells to repair the damage and clear the clog. This is not as successful as other surgery techniques and is often done severaltimes before a positive result is seen. Laser surgery is the most recentdevelopment. Here they use a laser to actually scrape the build up from thevessel. This surgery is one of the most expensive surgeries available today. Corrective procedures include changes in lifestyle. These can include foodintake, exercise, and stress-related issues. Food intake is largely the answerto correcting this situation. As shown above excessive intake of cholesterolcan increase the risk of a heart attack. Coupled with excessive salt intake canproduce another problem known as hypertension or commonly called high bloodpressure. This can further increase the risk of a heart attack since the hearthas to work harder to achieve a homeostatic state. Therefore the heart isworking with less efficiency. For example a runners heart may beat 64 times aminute. A person with hypertension heart rate may be 98. The runners heartis working with more efficiency; therefore it does not need to beat as fast asthe person with hypertension. The person with hypertension has a high heartrate since it cannot pump as much blood per contraction. Exercise is anothercorrective procedure prescribed since it increases cardiovascular fitness. Asseen abo ve, cardiovascular fitness can reduce the risk of heart attacks. Stress-related issues can increase blood pressure for unknown reasons andtherefore can also increase the risk of a heart attack. All these factors caninfluence the health of our cardiovascular system therefore care must be takento ensure proper function. This includes handling stress with care, eating, andexercising right.

Services Marketing - Bachelor of Business Essay

Services Marketing - Bachelor of Business - Essay Example Consequently, a problem of identification, classification, and evaluation of service and goods components of a product with further individualized development of a marketing campaign emerges. A number of studies have been conducted in this area of marketing; however, the field is still relatively new and is more relevant, considering the global market tendency, then ever (Lovelock, C., & Wirtz, J. 2004). In order to develop marketing strategies and promotion with planning in particular, the product must be categorized in the first place. Product can be defined as anything offered in a market that might satisfy a want or a need and is further subdivided into two categories: services and goods. The major difference between the two is tangibility: while a good is a material product one can tough and feel, service is intangible and is usually consumed during the production process. As previously stated in the introduction, a global market shift to complete service solutions results in emergence of mixed products, that have characteristics of both goods and services. ... orization can be brought down to the issue of whether a product has more good or service features and thus can be placed on a continuum of good or service dominant products (Lovelock, C., Patterson, P.G., & Walker, R.H. 2001). To illustrate, consider the two service industries: nursing and auto repair industry. While nursing has dominating service elements and can be regarded as a highly service dominant product, auto repair industry has dominant good characteristics as the issue of tangibility rises and thus is considered to be a good dominant product. Consequently, a marketing strategy that distinguishes between elements of goods and services in a product sees a product from a customer's point of view and backwards: seeks a product that would satisfy complete customer needs. Service Dominant and Good Dominant Products: Management Implications Product classification into good and service dominant products has similar implications for both management and marketing. The categorization in a need to imply a separate set of plans to good and service elements of a single product. Consequently, marketing and management approaches differ not only between two, three, or more products, but also between the aspects within a single product. Thus, the approaches are individualized, become more specific fore each product and more complex if to consider an organization as a whole (McColl-Kennedy, J.R. 2003). On the other side of the fence, such categorization offers new opportunities for management of service and good dominated products. Doris Van Doren, Jane Durney, and Colleen Darby when considering the issue of service line management as a strategic tool for generic services, discuss managerial approaches used in health care institutions (1993). While the majority of

Cross-functional teams Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Cross-functional teams - Term Paper Example The sectors most affected by M&A activity have been service and knowledge based industries such as banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and leisure. Although M &A is a popular means of increasing or protecting market share, the strategy does not always deliver what is expected in terms of increased profitability or economies of scale. While the motives for mergers can variously be described as practical, psychological, or opportunist, the objective of all related M&A is to achieve synergy, or what is commonly referred to as the 2 +2 = 5 effect. However, as many organizations learn to their cost, the mere recognition of potential synergy is no guarantee that the combination will actually realize that potential (Cartwright, 1996). Understanding the Problems - Dysfunctional Organizations Most people have difficulty stating their organization’s strategy: what the organization wants to become, how it would like its people to behave, and what it will provide to which customers. In t he future, the reality is that the organization’s business and operating units march to priorities different from, if not contradictory to, those implied by its strategy. The majority of the people in an organization focus on day-to-day operational matters and their individual aspirations. Consequently, the strategy is never realized. Frustrated by the lack of forward progress, executives launch new communication, reorganization, process redesign, or technology initiatives. Everyone is doing more, and yet performance stagnates or even declines (Hammer, et al. 2001). Losing the Value of Mergers and Acquisitions AKPMG report found that, though 82% of respondents believed the deal they had transacted was a success, 83% of the same mergers failed to increase shareholder value. Of these transactions, 30% produced no discernible difference in shareholder value and 53% actually reduced value. Acquiring, merging, and demerging companies need long-term ways of enhancing shareholder va lue once the initial and obvious savings have been taken. But they usually focus on tactical integration, such as, organizational structure, support service or policies rather than on strategic integration in regards to customers, products, people or systems. However, to succeed both are needed (Kaplan, at el., (2001). The burning question remains – why do so many mergers fail to live up to a shareholder expectations? In the short term, many seemingly successful acquisitions look good, but disappointing productivity levels are often masked by onetime cost savings, asset disposals, or astute tax maneuvers that inflate balance-sheet figures during the first few years. Merger gains are notoriously difficult to assess. There are problems in selecting appropriate indices to make any assessment, as well as difficulties in deciding on a suitable measurement period. Typically the criteria selected by analysts are Profit-to-earnings ratios Stock-price fluctuations Managerial assessmen ts Irrespective of the evaluation method selected, the evidence on M&A performance is consistent in suggesting that a high proportion of M&A’

Psychology and Its function Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Its function Essay The American Heritage dictionary defines psychology as the science that deals with mental processes and behavior. The difference between a literature and a psychology major is that a literature major is already seeing their patients. Every day a literature major opens up their books, and finds out something else upon a host of characters psyches. They are presented with odd situations, with broken characters, and they must come to an understanding of whom that character is in order to understand their actions. Literature aids us in our understanding of reality by giving us fictionalized example of how real people would act in intense situations. A good author makes you believe his or her characters are real, and understand why they do what they do. This is particularly apparent in Araby by James Joyce, and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Araby, by James Joyce allows its reader to see life through the eyes of an adolescent struggling to be a man. It allows the reader to see the reality of what its like to feel unaccomplished and pathetic. The boy in the story is trying to make his voyage to the bazaar, his new adventure to mean that hes entered a new phase of life. Time suddenly seems to slow down in the story as the boy waits for Saturday to arrive. I could not call my wandering thoughts together he complains I had hardly any practice with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire seemed to me childs play, ugly monotonous childs play. (Joyce, 29) Illustrated in the story are the real emotions the boy is feeling as both a man too old to be child, and a child too young to be a man. The boys arrival at the bazaar, and inability to purchase anything shows him that he is not ready to be the man he is striving to be by triumphantly impressing Mangans sister. The story is a study on the popular reality of adolescence. Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger reflects the boy, finally  realizing that the whole quest was frivolous, the girl was a fantasy. So, in this end he has gained some self-realization. His ability to recognize his youth and his ignorance is a growth. This sort of insight into the psyche of an adolescent could be found after years of study of adolescent psychology, or it could be learned through a powerful illustration like Araby. Araby, like much literature, provides us with an example of how many young boys feel about lifefrustrated, unaccomplished, and eager to grow up. In As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner we the reader get a unique opportunity to understand and see into the psyche of nearly every character in the book. We get a full picture of the characters reality by seeing the actions of the novel from various perspectives. Faulkner teaches As I Lay Dying readers that no one perspective is correct, which is a valuable lesson to bring to the real world. The novel, simply from the way it is written, teaches us a great deal about how different peoples views of situations effect how they interact within them. In the novel Cash is able to feel accomplished, important, and like he can do something about his mothers death by building a coffin. Dewey Dell cannot understand this, she is disgusted that hes built his coffin right outside the window where Addie can see it. Neither one of them communicates with each other or allows their emotions to be revealed. This sort of breakdown of communication between families is often a cause of fighting within households. Often, we do not understand that different people almost always have different perspectives, and explaining them could prevent resentment and anger. By giving us various narrators and no overall judge of the situation, Faulkner is allowing us to see this about both the novel, and reality. Often in literature gives us an example of how people act in real life. I find myself relating literary examples to whats happening in my life almost every day. How often do we as a society hear the term Big Brother in reference to the way our government is acting? Many novels we read in class gave us an understanding on how people interact with each other in real life. A true literary analyst sees the characters world as a reality, and often feels like a psychologist, trying to get the root of the meaning of a characters actions.

The Three Levels of Business Strategy :: Business Management Studies Essays

The Three Levels of Business Strategy Strategies can be formulated on three different levels:  · Corporate level,  · Business unit level, and  · Functional or departmental level Strategy may be about competing and surviving as a firm, products are developed by business units. The role of the corporation is to mange its business units and products so that each is competitive and so that each contributes to corporate purposes. Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of businesses. Corporate level strategy is concerned with:  · Reach – defining the issues that are corporate responsibilities; these might include identifying the overall goals of the corporation, the types of businesses in which the corporation should be involved, and the way in which businesses will be integrated and managed.  · Competitive contact – defining where the corporation competition is to be localized.  · Managing activities and business interrelationships – corporate strategy seeks to develop synergies by sharing and coordinating staff and other resources across business units, investing financial resources across business units and using business units to complement other corporate business activities. Igor Ansoff introduced the concept of synergy to corporate strategy.  · Management Practices – corporations decide how business units are to be governed: through direct corporate intervention (centralization)or through more or less autonomous government (decentralization) that relies on persuasion and rewards Corporations are responsible for creating value through their businesses. They do so by managing their portfolio of businesses, ensuring that the businesses are successful over the long-term, developing business units, and sometimes ensuring that each business is compatible with others in the portfolio. Business Unit Level Strategy A strategic business unit may be a division, product line, or other profit center that can be planned independently from the other business units of the firm. At the business unit level, the strategic issues are less about the coordination of operating units and more about developing and sustaining a competitive advantage for the goods and services that are produced. At the business level, the strategy formulation phase deals with:  · Positioning the business against rivals  · Anticipating changes in demand and technologies and adjusting the strategy to accommodate them.  · Influencing the nature of competition through strategic actions such as vertical integration and through political actions such as lobbying. Michael porter identified three generic strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, and focus) that can be implemented at the business unit level to create a competitive advantage and defend against the

Bancolumbia: Talent, Culture and Value Creation Management in Mergers Essay

Any organizational culture interventions are designed to address issues that affect almost everybody within that culture. These interventions are done for a number of reasons. There are always enormous pressures on organizations to reduce costs, increase productivity, speed up cycle time of product development, clarify direction, improve morale, and increase participation. Sometimes organizations approach large scale interventions consciously and intentionally, such as when they develop a 3 to 5 year strategic plan, engage in a culture change initiative, or acquire/merge with another organization like in the case of Bancolombia. Change may also be forced on the organization unintentionally due to changes that occur inside the organization such as an unexpected structure change which was also the case for the parties involved in the Bancolombia merger. Organizations often choose a large-scale intervention when the task is complex or urgent, or when multiple people are required to accomplish it. Whatever the reason, the purpose of a cultural intervention in a large system is to make lasting change in the character and performance of an organization, a standalone business unit, or a large department. The large-scale organizational interventions significantly affect integral aspects of the organization’s functioning, structure, and processes. Thus, these interventions are visible, wide-ranging, and require significant commitment and attention of organizational leaders and members. Once culture is established and accepted, it becomes a strong leadership tool to communicate the â€Å"new† organization’s beliefs and values to its members, and especially new comers. When leaders promote the culture, they become successful in maintaining organizational growth, the good services demanded by customers, the ability to address problems before they become disasters and consequently are competitive against rivals. Ultimately, if executed properly, corporate culture can be the only truly sustainable competitive advantage.

Nutrition Month Essay

â€Å"Health is wealth,† is the clichà © this time of year not only in SMAD, but in the whole country as we celebrate Nutrition Month. The reason we celebrate Nutrition Month is to remind ourselves that being healthy is very important and that if we love ourselves, we should love our body that is by practicing good health habits. This year’s Nutrition Month’s theme is â€Å"Pagkain ng gulay, ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain.† With this theme in mind, we Marisians understand from our early lectures from as early as Nursery that eating healthy everyday is a great investment for our future. If we eat healthy everyday is a great investment for our future. If we eat healthy, which means having a balanced diet, together with regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, we surely will get to enjoy our body’s future to the fullest. Who wants to be unhealthy when they’re old anyway? Well, enough of the yadda yadda that we hear every day. Let’s face itm we can’t resist junkfood. Its taste, smell and the crispness is like a symphony to our teenage ears. It’s even sold in our school cafeteria for crying out loud! We already know all the sodium, salt, MSG and whatnot that is in those perfectly plastic packed goodies but still, we consume them. We already know all the health hazards the little tasty crisps possess but still, we love them. Even if it has the word ‘junk’ in its name, we still eat them. The question I ask all the readers of this essay is this: How can we control this craving?! Clearly, this seems like the most suitable question, given our situation. The answer is: SELF-DISCIPLINE. If we really value our body and its future, then we’d already stop from consuming those cheap and unhealthy pieces of evil. If we really cared, then we’d stop wasting our money buying the kinds of food that will hinder us from our full potential as healthy human beings. Once we discipline ourselves, not just in abstaining from eating junk food, we’ll become better people for our own sake and for the people around us. This is where the theme comes back into our minds. Instead of eating junk, why not eat something healthier and most of the time, cheaper? Fruits and veggies are our bodies’ best friends. Once we make eating them a daily habit, you’ll see that our bodies will be better, stronger and much more awesome than its previous self. Don’t forget the other food that’ll also help us maintain our awesome body like lean meats and such. Having a healthy lifestyle is something all of us should have whether young or old. It’s also very important of our bodies because aside from the fact that it is our own, God gve us our bodies for us to nurture and take care of and when we have a fit body, we’re able to carry out our mission that was given to us from Him. So, vegetable or junk? Surely you’d want something that isn’t trash. Beginning today, let’s be healthy, eat healthy and stay healthy. Being healthy is one of the best solutions to live happy. So, if you want to live a happy and care-free life, as you grow older, live and eat healthy!

Free Essays on Humanity And Computers

Hiding behind a Computer Are computers and the Internet redefining human identity as people explore the boundaries of their personalities, adopt multiple selves, and form online relationships that can be more intense than real ones? Is the World Wide Web redefining our sense of community and where we find our peers? The answer is simple. An individual should not use a false identity to produce a life on the Internet. They should also avoid using an online life to influence their identity in real life. Gender swapping is one way which the Internet has the ability to change ones identity. There have been many cases where someone has logged onto the Internet, and they have presented their identity as the opposite sex from what they really are. There is no way of knowing what sex someone is when he or she is logged in. The net is made up of hundreds of thousands of separate communities, each with its own special character. It is difficult to eliminate a certain sex from a specific community when people have the power to disguise themselves. Communication in cyberspace lets people explore their personalities by creating new on-line personae. This seems to be the main concern for frequent Internet users. A significant observation is the amount of men that will log on as women. Jodi Obrien put it best when she states, "Many men say that a common motivation for logging on as a female is because they are fascinated by the unusual amount of attention they receive from other men when they ar e perceived as women" (echonyc.com/~women/Issue17/art-obrien.html). The one major concern that comes to mind is "cyber-rape." It is apparent what kind of effect this has on people when Amy Bruckman, a doctoral student in the MIT Media Laboratory, states, "Unwanted attention and sexual advances create an uncomfortable atmosphere for women in MUDs, just as they do in real life" (Bruckman, 101). A MUD is defined as a multi-user dungeon or a multi... Free Essays on Humanity And Computers Free Essays on Humanity And Computers Hiding behind a Computer Are computers and the Internet redefining human identity as people explore the boundaries of their personalities, adopt multiple selves, and form online relationships that can be more intense than real ones? Is the World Wide Web redefining our sense of community and where we find our peers? The answer is simple. An individual should not use a false identity to produce a life on the Internet. They should also avoid using an online life to influence their identity in real life. Gender swapping is one way which the Internet has the ability to change ones identity. There have been many cases where someone has logged onto the Internet, and they have presented their identity as the opposite sex from what they really are. There is no way of knowing what sex someone is when he or she is logged in. The net is made up of hundreds of thousands of separate communities, each with its own special character. It is difficult to eliminate a certain sex from a specific community when people have the power to disguise themselves. Communication in cyberspace lets people explore their personalities by creating new on-line personae. This seems to be the main concern for frequent Internet users. A significant observation is the amount of men that will log on as women. Jodi Obrien put it best when she states, "Many men say that a common motivation for logging on as a female is because they are fascinated by the unusual amount of attention they receive from other men when they ar e perceived as women" (echonyc.com/~women/Issue17/art-obrien.html). The one major concern that comes to mind is "cyber-rape." It is apparent what kind of effect this has on people when Amy Bruckman, a doctoral student in the MIT Media Laboratory, states, "Unwanted attention and sexual advances create an uncomfortable atmosphere for women in MUDs, just as they do in real life" (Bruckman, 101). A MUD is defined as a multi-user dungeon or a multi...

Health promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Health promotion - Essay Example Reflection can be done at an individual level or even in a group scenario (Atkins & Murphy, 1995:2). Reflection is undergoes three stages. The first is when an individual comes to the realization that they are harboring uncomfortable feelings and thoughts on a particular situation. It stems from the realization that the knowledge one was applying in given situation is not sufficient enough to give a concrete explanation to what could have been happening then. This feeling is often characterized by dissatisfaction or uncertainty. The second stage is a critical analysis of the prevailing situation and encompasses an analysis of both feelings and the existing body of knowledge. The most important factor is to avoid feelings that could obstruct rational judgment. The final stage in reflective practice is development of a whole new perspective on the issue of focus. This could be seen in developing better clarification, a new perceptive towards the same issue and of course a new way of thinking about something (Atkins & Murphy, 1995:4). Reflection on action is an afterthought of an event while reflection in action happens while one is in the process of engaging in an activity. With reflection on action, analysis and interpretation is done afterwards to uncover the knowledge used and explain the feelings associated with that particular activity. The practitioner is driven by the urge to speculate on other possible ways of handling the same situation or what other knowledge could have been useful given the same circumstances. Reflection in action is when the practitioner recognizes the situation at hand while in the process of doing the activity and thinks about it while in the process (Atkins & Murphy, 1995:5). Gibb’s model of reflection emphasizes the fact that reflection does not have to an individual undertaking. To better take advantage of the reflective process, one should seek for a different body of opinion so as to reinforce

Origins and influence of Cumbia on the Colombian culture Research Paper

Origins and influence of Cumbia on the Colombian culture - Research Paper Example The Cumbia dance and song is a symbol of Colombian culture around the globe (Dimartio, 1999 p26). This is because Cumbia dance has strong links to the history of the Colombian people and for generations, acted as a melting point for numerous Colombian cultures that defines the national identity of the nation (Wade, 2008 p109). Cumbia can be traced to music and dance that reflected the social lives of the countries of origins of African slaves brought to Colombia by the Spaniards to work on the plantations. The African slaves created Cumbia as the only form of entertainment that they had to ease the unpleasant and harsh nature of work as a slave in the Americas (Rosa & Neciosup, 2008 p59). Up until the 1930s, Cumbia was only known in Colombia (Dimartio, 1999 p26). It was performed by a few professional groups that toured the Colombian countryside and was also performed by gifted musicians who lived in the various villages. These gifted musicians were preserving a tradition that was handed down to them by their ancestors. Aside the African influence, there is clear evidence of Spanish influence in Cumbia. Most Cumbian songs are sang in Spanish and the costumes used by the main, like the hat, pants, shirts and dresses are sewn according to Spanish standards. They reflect the main cultural trends of the dresscode of Spanish America. There is also a strong Amerindian influence in the dance and some of the instruments used in the dance of Cumbia. All these observations were made after watching the Xiomara dance video and the Ballet Esmeraldas group perform. The purpose of the research is to identify the origins and manifestation of Cumbia. It examines the components of Cumbia and how it developed. It goes further to identify why it forms an important part of Colombian culture. The study was motivated by the fact that the Colombian community is New York is large and quite influential. In spite of their dominance as a great part of the New York society, many people with stereotypes view Colombia and Colombi an with a very negative attitude. However, in spite of this, the Colombian people live very respectable lives all over the United States and a vast majority of them work very hard and contribute to the building of the American economy through various decent jobs. Thus in a Hispanic classroom, it is important to dispell some of these false information and visions about the Colombian culture and teach students some of the important aspects of their native cultures and traditions that can inspire heroic and positive attachments to these cultures. So as part of this project, I hope to uncover important elements of the Colombian culture and history that can help in the quest to get the average student to understand and appreciate other important aspect of Colombian culture that are often not discussed. This research therefore attempts to examine some of the distinct elements of the Colombian culture that makes them different from everyone else. It is interesting to note that Cumbia refle cts the complex history of Colombia and brings out the socio-cultural insights of the Colombian people. It debunks modern views of Colombia and has taught me a lot about the Colombian people which I will not have known, aside the stereotypes I grew up learning about the