Religion interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religion interview - Essay Example It happened that she decided to convert from her Baptist faith to Islam, at first because she fell in love with a Muslim boy, and he wanted her to join him in his faith. At first she felt uncomfortable with it, but because she loved him she decided to try it out. She doubted at the time that it would come to a point where she would be convinced to change religions. All she wanted to do was to understand her boyfriend better. At this point, my friend Amber (my friend) explained that she had to move away with her family to a Muslim country, Kuwait, mainly because the family had a chance to be together with their father. Amber’s dad worked as an executive with a Kuwaiti petroleum company. Kuwait is not an exceedingly strict Muslim country, and women could go about in Western clothing and without a veil, as long as they observed modesty and simplicity. Amber never felt any antipathy towards Muslims, although she did feel a cultural gap particularly in the observance of the holidays, such as Ramadan and Eidl Fitr. She just regarded Islam as something separate and distant from her, and had it not been for her boyfriend, she would not have any interest in reading the Quran, or in studying the tenets of this religion which she had always regarded as foreign to her. As it happened, Amber was surprised to find out that much of what Islam was teaching were principles she felt she had no trouble agreeing with. Islam taught moderation in living, doing what is right and just to others, and above all to worship the one true God, the Creator of all that exists. For a while she had struggled with the nature of Jesus Christ, who in Christianity is the Son of God, but in Islam is one among God’s holy prophets. In Islam, the Ultimate Reality is the singularity of the one true God. â€Å"The name ‘Allah’ itself means ‘The’ (‘al-‘) ‘God’ (‘-llah’), and that this

Discuss Mr. Collins Proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austens Novel Pride & Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Discuss Mr. Collins Proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austens Novel Pride Prejudice Essay It is a truth acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife This quote not only opens the novel, but also sets the tone of the narrative story. It says that a man in possession of money and being an eligible bachelor would have every spinster in the neighbourhood wanting to be his wife In the nineteenth century women were below men in status. Men owned everything. After the death of the master of the house all his possessions were given to the next male relative. In the novel as there were only five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Kitty, Mary and Lydia and no males in the immediate family, so their mother, Mrs. Bennet, as she is called in the novel is determined to get her daughters married as soon as possible. When the Bennet family received the letter from Mr.Collins, which included the words, .. Assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends, but of this hereafter this shows that Mr. Collins was hinting that he is looking for a wife. When Mrs. Bennet read this she was pleased at the news. When the daughters heard of his visit, they were not as pleased as their mother, He must be an oddity I cannot make him out The is something very pompous in his style. They also added that in his letter there was a mixture of servility and self-importance. Elizabeth was stuck with his extraordinary deference to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his patroness. Mr.Collins visited the family with the sole purpose of finding a wife, in his letter he states, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families.. this is just an excuse to come to Longbourn because he really wanted to admire the girls and propose to one of them. Mr.Collins didnt really want to get married, it was actually his patroness; Lady Catherine de Bourgh who had recommend, advised or rather orders him to marry and wished to comply with her wishes. When Mr.Collins arrived, out of all the sisters only Mary thought anything of him but everyone else found faults in him. Mrs.Bennet also had the same opinions as her daughter, she knew he would be a suitable husband for one of her daughters because he knew Lady Catherine and lived near her. When he arrives D he wished to propose to the eldest daughter, Jane, but soon found out she was to be engaged to Mr.Bingly. Mr.Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth and it was, Done while Mrs.Bennet was stirring the fire Mr.Collins obviously didnt have true feelings towards Jane or Elizabeth, since he was able to change his mind so quickly. He obviously only wanted to please his patroness. Elizabeth was very intelligent, independent and her interests in many different things like reading, playing the piano, singing, needlework and dancing. She believed marriage had to have an element of love and not just wealth like her mother believed. When Mr.Collins proposed to her, as a reader we knew that she had an independent mind. In the proposal, Mr.Collins made it quite obvious that the proposal was more of a business transaction and he asked for a chance to speak with Elizabeth, May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair Elizabeth, when I solicit for a private audience with her.. before Elizabeth could even blush with surprise, Mrs.Bennet instantly answered. Elizabeth begged her mother not to go, but Mrs.Bennet obviously knew what Mr.Collins had in mind and insisted that she stayed with Mr.Collins. At this time Mr.Collins really thought she was being shy and modest tried to add it to a compliant, .. your modesty, so far from doing disservice, rather adds to your perfections. Elizabeth would have had a clear idea that he was about to propose to her. Mr.Collins started off staying, Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life. This was not true to the reader, as the truth is that he was going to propose to the eldest daughter, Miss Jane Bennet, but when he heard the news of her engagement he changed to Elizabeth. Mr.Collins then came out with his first reason for his proposal, first that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in the parish; This shows he obviously wants to marry her to set a good example to his parish, it also this shows her doesnt care about her, but what Lady Catherine de Bourgh wishes and his reputation. He then states, ..secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness;.. Once again he is showing that he thinks marriage will bring him happiness, he has no idea that marriage is suppose to be about being in love, trust, companionship and getting to know each other beforehand. .. and thirdly-which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. This is actually the only true reason that he wants to marry her, to please Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr.Collins is frightened of not complying with her wishes. He sees her suggestion as an order or a command and he would never disobey her because he is very aware of her superior rank in the society, this shows him to be cowardly, weak and rather silly man who can be easily intimidated. He wants Elizabeth to see Lady Catherines advice and recommendation as her wanting to see Mr.Collins happy, settled down and to carry on working for her. He then went on and tried to compliment Elizabeth and make her see that Lady Catherine will welcome her into her estate. In his reasons for the proposal he had no references to Elizabeths happiness which showed how self-centred he really was. The connection that she could have with Lady Catherine and show she could boast about knowing a person of high status, was the real reason that he could give her for accepting the proposal. This showed how little he knew about Elizabeths personality, as this reason would not have meant anything to her. Elizabeth would bot feel inferior to people of higher rank in society. Mr.Collins then went on about how she would have pressure to wed when she gets to her late twenties, As I am to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured (who, however may live for many years), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to chuse a wife among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible. This comment was to persuade Elizabeths decision and make her feel guilty if she was to refuse his proposal, because her unmarried sisters and mother would have nothing if they were made to move out of their home. He was certain she would accept his proposal when he used his persuasive comment because he thought himself was a worthy choice, that he was already making plans for their married life, you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married. Elizabeth found it necessary to interrupt him by telling him that she hasnt given him an answer and politely. Mr.Collins being so full of self-importance saw he refusal as a way to make him more passionate, It is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept. Elizabeth was not that type of girl to lead a man on or to keep him waiting and stated she was not the girl who would have been foolish enough to risk her future happiness on the chance of being asked again by someone she truly loved and Mr.Collins failed to see that, I cannot therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long. Elizabeth tried to make it even clearer, without being rude and even added that Lady Catherine would not approve of her independent mind and he would not want to upset his patroness by choosing an inappropriate partner. Even when Elizabeth gives him these reasons for refusal he still continues, I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you The reader will know that he has once again mis-judged her character. Later on in the novel Elizabeth and Lady Catherine are introduced to each other. Lady Catherine clearly despises Elizabeths outspoken manner and lack of awe. Elizabeth, getting annoyed by the lack by his persistence still behaved as a young lady and had to remain polite and assure him that he could only leave Longbourn feeling he has done his duty. In making me the offer, you must satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family. She then went to leave the room, thinking he had finally understood her, but Mr.Collins was persistent and had not understand why she refused such a great and wonderful proposal, as he thought himself eligible and worthy husband. He tried once again to change her mind, My situation in life, my connection with the family of de Bourgh and my relationship to your own, are circumstances of high favour. Mr.Collins the greatly insulted her, as she was just to leave the room, it is by no means certain, that another offer of marriage may be ever be made to you , but as a reader we know that that is certainly not true.

Sustained Silent Reading Essay -- Education

Sustained Silent Reading Most administrators and educators, if asked what is the area that needs the most improvement in schools today, would answer reading. Children seem to battle with reading at almost every grade level. As reported by Trelease (2006) students do not read very much. In one reported study, 90% of the students studied devoted only 1 percent of their free time to reading and 30% to watching television. Fifty percent of the students read for an average of four minutes or less per day, 30% read two minutes per day, and 10% read nothing at all (p. 1). These statistics only serve to worsen the fear of students low reading abilities. Educators have developed a myriad of programs to improve students’ comprehension, retention, and higher level thinking skills. These skills are especially important in the improvement of scores on the state mandated assessments. Among these programs is Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), which promises that students can improve comprehension, enjoy reading for pleasure, and become life-long readers in fifteen to twenty minutes a day. Sustained Silent Reading is a program where students read any type of printed material for an uninterrupted, specific amount of time. Gardiner (2001) states there are many different names for SSR, such as Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR), and Providing Opportunities with Everyday Reading (POWER) to name a few (p. 32). Each program varies a little from the others, but they share the same guidelines. Students read silently every day, choose their own materials, read for an uninterrupted amount of time, do not have to finish a book or other material, notice the teacher reading as well, and do not have to tak... ...his article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19388070309558400 DEAR me: What does it take to get children reading? By: Lee-Daniels, Sonya L., Murray, Bruce A., Reading Teacher, 00340561, Oct2000, Vol. 54, Issue 2 Teaching of English Language and Literature (TELL) Journal Volume 15, Number 2, November 1999 Anthony Seow The Read aloud Handbook Jim Trelease's 2006 Penguin Books http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr038.shtml "Sustained Silent Reading" Helps Develop Independent Readers (and Writers) Article by Gary Hopkins Education World ® Copyright  © 1997 Education World Originally published 11/19/1997 Updated 10/15/2007 Why Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) Doesn’t Work June 25th, 2011 | Mark Pennington, MA Reading Specialist Pennington Publishing Blog http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/why-sustained-silent-reading-ssr-doesn%E2%80%99t-work

Management studies Essay

Introduction Since starting the DMS in September I have found the workshop programme very useful. I have learnt many styles and techniques of management and from this have applied to my workplace with very effective results, also using my workplace as an experimental ground for practising my new techniques. From this, I have learnt from my mistakes and errors and rectified them to continually improve my own performance, and thus improve the performance of my department within the business. From leaving school with four â€Å"o† levels, I started my working career as an engineer; attaining an apprenticeship at Phillips Components. After four years of completing this, along with a higher national certificate in computer aided engineering, I acquired a position of Toolmaker in the Toolroom. I then continued working as a Toolmaker for the next eleven years without ever considering a managerial position. After many years of Toolmaking I acquired the position of Improvement Technician within the Sub-components department (press shop) and after Twelve months was offered the position of Shift Leader within this department. From taking the leap from Engineering to production/people management it was recommended that I returned to college to complete a Diploma in Management Studies to gain the academic qualifications to compliment my new role. Learning Style and Teamwork Theory One of the first workshop sessions was based on learning style and teamwork theory. For this we completed questionnaires on learning style and the Belbin self perception inventory, a questionnaire based on individual’s team role profile. The learning style questionnaire was designed to understand your preferred learning style and help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your style. The results are broke down into four different styles: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatists. After scoring myself on the questionnaire, the results suggested that I had a very strong preference towards being an Activist, a strong preference towards a reflector and moderate preference towards Theorist and Pragmatist. An Activist is a person who is very open-minded and enthusiastic about new ideas or experiences. They tend to act first and consider the consequences later. They tackle problems by brainstorming and thrive on the challenge of new experiences. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but, in doing so, they seek to centre all activities around themselves. With the learning style of an Activist I find it very hard work to sit down and study, I also find it very difficult reading a book as I tend to find my mind wandering off on to other activities I could be doing. Analysing my learning style within the workplace, I would tend to agree with these results. I have a reputation at work for being very enthusiastic and passionate about my department and also about the company I work for, also preferring to physically â€Å"get stuck in† with problems we encounter, rather than sitting down and discussing them. Within each learning style there is a set path we need to progress through in order to get the most out of any learning experience, these are as follows: Step one, having an experience In step one there are two easy in which we can have an experience; one is to be passive and allow the experience to happen and you needing to react, two is to deliberately seek them out in a proactive manner. Step two, reviewing the experience I tend to think this is the one we most often miss out on, we tend to jump this one and come to a conclusion before we’ve reviewed an experience in a none judgemental manner (with an open mind and no preconceptions). Time needs to be taken out to properly review any experience to gain anything from it. Step three, conclusions from the experience This involves looking at the reviewed experience step to understand and see what lessons can be learnt. Step four, planning the next step There would be little point in reviewing or coming up with any conclusions from the experience if we did not apply this newly gained knowledge to future events. The Self Perception Inventory The Belbin self perception inventory specifies nine roles for the efficient working of a team. Once the questionnaire is completed, a team role profile is then calculated for the individual and a counselling report is created. The chart below shows how I scored: Roles and Descriptions Team-Role Contribution Percentage Score Specialist 93% Plant 81% Resource Investigator 73% Shaper 69% Complete Finisher 63% Monitor Evaluator 50% Team Worker 25% Co-Coordinator 9% Implementer 2% My profile shows that I gain great intrinsic satisfaction from the nature of work in which I am engaged. For me work is like a hobby, offering me a chance to exercise my creative disposition and achieving professionalism all at the same time. As far as the outside world is concerned, I will be known and respected for my knowledge and special skills and for the fact that I am in the forefront of most new developments. My limitations I may have to accept apply to my administrative and managerial skills. I may have to make a conscious choice in terms of the direction of my career. A wider arena would offer broader prospects of advancement, but would also face stiffer competition, with the chance of me loosing some of my professional expertise. The alternative would be to build up my personal reputation in my own special area and carve out my own job within it. Reflecting on my results from the self perception inventory, I must realise that to become a better team player, I must understand my allowable weaknesses from the roles I scored high in. Also I must work on increasing the lower end scores, by becoming a better co-ordinator and implementer, also increasing my team worker skills. Residential To start the course off, our first learning experience of working within teams was the residential activity at Dove Nest. After a brief introduction (and cup o’ tea) we were soon split into four groups and given the mine field activity to complete. This being a perfect ice-breaker to the course, testing our teamwork skills and also a perfect opportunity to get to know other students. Instantly, different individual’s personalities and trends were noticed and within minutes different traits were easily recognised as some members co-ordinated whilst others problem solved or challenged ideas. Our team decided it would be an advantage to amalgamate with the adjacent team to create a synergy were by we would attain greater power due to the creation of synthetic energy, i.e. the understanding that to join forces more than twice the power of each individual team would be achieved. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Although we did manage to complete task, we didn’t a ccomplish it in the fastest time. Before to long we were soon split into other groups and given different tasks to complete with goals clearly set. One task I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from was a task where all team members had to run up a hill (about 20 metres) to a square marked out on the floor (approx 3m sq.). Inside the square was 18 randomly spaced tags pinned to the ground, numbered 1 to 18. Our task was for all team members to run up to the square, then all the tags had to be touched, respectively from 1 to 18, but only one member was allowed into the square at any one time. Once this was complete, all the team then had to run back to the start point and cross this point within a specified time. We were given an allocated time to plan the task and also only given three timed attempts to achieve our target. Instantly we conducted a brainstorming session to assess all our different options. Then after heated debate about which ideas we thought would be the most efficient we then decided to perform what we thought would be the fastest trials. After timing each option we then chose the fastest and analysed this to see if we could improve on the practiced times. Once we thought we couldn’t improve any more we then attempted to reach our goal. Of the three timed events, the first one was about twenty seconds overtime, the second just under, but by the third attempt we had shaved about forty seconds off our original time, also clearly beating the goal set. We achieved this through everybody committing to the teams needs to achieve the goal set, where everybody knew their place within the team, even though everybody did not agree with some of the decisions. A great sense of satisfaction and camaraderie was achieved by the conquering of this task, with all the team thoroughly motivated and geared up, ready for the next task. Finally on day one we were given the task of running our own business, the final goal, to manufacture and sail a raft on Lake Windermere. Different roles of team members soon developed, one person accounting, another designing, whilst others negotiated with opposing teams to acquire either more money or materials. Once enough materials were obtained, the raft was ready to be manufactured. Again, different team roles were seen, as some members built the raft whilst others delegated different tasks, and others stood back, saying â€Å"that’ll never float, you’ll not get me on that†, only to be proved wrong once the race got underway. For me, there were many learning points from Dove Nest even though at this point we had not covered these techniques at college. It was an excellent opportunity to improve my listening and negotiating skills, as well as improving my delegating techniques. The best learning experiences for me were teamwork and motivation. Working within teams were nobody knew other people’s knowledge or capabilities, or what specialities they may possess created an atmosphere were by to achieve the goals set, individuals roles had to be rapidly appointed. I also found the problem solving activities very stimulating, probably through my engineering background. Dove nest was also an excellent starting point to the course as many students (myself included) were novices to the styles and theories ahead, thus giving everybody a perfect foundation to the year ahead. Reflecting on how each team member performed on the residential, I think it would be an excellent idea to perform a similar residential exercise at the end of the year to recognise the improvement of individual’s performance. Presentation Skills A great learning point for me was the workshop on presentation skills. When confronted with the task of presenting to the group I was keen to improve my ability as presentations are a key role in my position at work, whether presenting a fortnightly team brief or a project presentation to senior Management. Previous to workshop I have encountered some bad experiences in the workplace, due to inadequate planning beyond my control. After watching the video on presentations, I came away with a greater knowledge of what creates a good presentation. The key learning points for me being preparation, content and delivery. What is the purpose of the presentation and why? Know your subject – do your homework. Know your audience, the objective being to keep them interested. A good presentation should have a suitable introduction, main theme and conclusion. The delivery is also essential, confidence being the key, keep to a specified time and remember that you are the person presenting and the effect of it is upon your audience. I found it very beneficial to be able to watch and judge people’s presentation skills reflecting with the rest of the group on how to improve these skills, not feeling under any pressure whilst doing so; an option not available at work. The experience of having someone give feedback to a presentation allowed me to fully focus myself on the need to learn from, and understand my shortcomings, is also gave me the opportunity to scrutinise the way in which I should deliver a presentation. As I have a learning style of an Activist, and therefore wanting to try anything once to gain a new experience, I chose to give my presentation on a non-work related matter. I decided to give my presentation on what I labelled â€Å"The Millionaire Lifestyle Weekend† – a presentation on how to live a millionaire lifestyle for the weekend working within a budget that most people would find affordable. Fortunately I wasn’t presenting until the third week, which gave me plenty of time to plan my presentation. Also gaining more knowledge on this subject through analysing other student’s presentations and making observations as to how their presentation could be improved. A key observation from myself was never apologise when presenting as this may come across as being negative. Also, try to keep the audience interested and keep within the time specified. Provide a handout for any important information, but don’t distribute until the end of the presentat ion. When the time came to delivering my presentation, I was at first nervous, due to previous experiences, but after the first two slides I felt more at ease due to the environment in which the workshop was held and also due to the fact that I felt confident about what I was presenting thanks to sufficient planning and preparation. I think another added contribution was the fact that the first couple of slides grabbed people’s attention and instantly they were thinking â€Å"this looks interesting†, a very important learning point, grasp people’s attention on the first two slides. I realised that in doing this, people sit up and listen, thus giving the presenter more confidence in what he/she is presenting. I also learnt that the rehearsal of a presentation is extremely important; I practiced this presentation about Ten to Fifteen at home in front of the mirror, finding this to be a great benefit to delivering a good presentation. Overall it gave value to me as I now know how to structure presentations. I felt, as did the others in the group that their subject would be boring for anyone else but to the contrary, as I listened to other presentations they were entertaining, informative, and all had flow to them. This tells me that if the subject to be presented is put over in the way we have been shown then the information within it is retained by the audience. Since this workshop, I have presented to management at work and felt a lot more at ease, having greater confidence in myself by understanding the correct way to performing a successful presentation, understanding the emphasis on planning as well as delivery. I have now learnt to improve my presentation skills at work a lot more by watching and analysing others present in the workplace. Time Management The time management workshop was also of great use to me with respect to my position at work. I am responsible for the production of nine different sub-components all used in the manufacture of a cathode, with present cathode production running at 300k per day, although due to losses on automation, with some components I have to produce 160 good components to make 100 good cathodes. I am responsible for a workforce of 45 people as well as providing assistance in other departments as and when required. I find myself in a position where I am constantly fire-fighting on a daily basis, going home feeling that I have taken two steps back rather than one step forward. When we had the workshop on time management I was instantly keen to increase my knowledge on this subject as time at work is sparse. I found the video a great learning tool, by watching the situation with the manager who never seemed to have any time. I instantly related issues on the video to my workplace and started to understand the important factors of managing time efficiently. Learning to identify, and then change, any bad practices such as taking on too much work that I could possibly delegate out to others, or failing to plan and organise my day correctly, understanding the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. The key points of time wasting have stayed fresh in my mind since this session understanding that I need to prioritise, delegate, plan and communicate more effectively. From watching the video, I returned to work ready to try out my latest technique. Understanding that to manage my time for that day I must spend the first five to ten minutes planning my day a head, prioritising what jobs have to be done, what jobs should be done, what jobs need not be done and what jobs I could delegate out to others. Also deciding which jobs are important, urgent, urgent and important and so on. Once I have done this, I then write a priority list in order of which jobs I shall do when, ranging from must do to least important. Since doing this on a daily basis I have found that I get through a lot more issues at work and seem to find a lot more time to take on extra tasks without the worry of not being able to complete in the required time. This has taken a large amount of pressure of my working day. Although I am sometimes still rushed off my feet, at least I’m not leaving for home with my head in a spin. Conclusion When first discussing the DMS to work colleagues, who had once been students on the course. They described the workshop sessions to me, explaining about people’s learning styles and teamwork theory and I have to admit I was very sceptical about the whole thing, not understanding about Activists and pragmatists, etc. But since attending workshop I have realised that what we have learnt is true to life and have found very useful. I do have the opinion that people who become successful managers do have that special gift and that managers are born and not trained. My opinion is that to be successful not only must you have that gift but you must also learn the different techniques learnt on workshop and understand how and when to apply them to daily life. I have found that a lot of what I have learnt a necessity in the role I am in at work. I also realise that not all situations in the workplace are the same, as people’s attitudes and characteristics all vary, some on a daily basis, and to be able to handle any situation without causing upset to the individual or the business is a skill only acquired over time. Dealing with issues can be a very delicate and tricky art, but with the correct personality, integrity and knowledge gained from the workshop, success is a not such a fantasy as a nearby reality. Bibliography. KELLET, P. (2002) Presentation Skills Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Effective Teamwork Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Time Management Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) How to Improve Your Learning Style Learning style questionnaire BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Inventory Mk2 BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Team Role Profile

The Definition of a Princess

Every little girl has once wished (upon a star) to one day be a princess in a fairy tale. However, do they truly understand what the definition of a fairy tale princess is? Fairy tales have created a definition and a set of requirements of a true princess, a definition and a set of requirements that could easily be applied to a pretty teacup or any other inanimate object. These fairy tales have defined a princess as someone who is unrealistically beautiful, passive, with no voice, and helpless and dependent. Beauty is one of the key requirements to be a princess. Every woman in a fairy tale is either a beautiful princess or an ugly witch or stepmother. There are no average looking women to be found in these tales. Since physical qualities are often an allegory to the goodness or evil of a character, beauty has been a requirement for a princess. In the picture books and movies of these fairy tales, audiences will see tall skinny girls whose waists are almost the size of their necks with eyes that are abnormally large. Though unrealistic, this appearance has been made necessary in these tales. Would Cinderella be let in to the ball or ever have a dance with a prince if she were ugly? Would Prince Charming even consider kissing â€Å"Sleeping Beauty† if she were â€Å"Sleeping Ugly†? Beauty is such an important part of a princess but how does it affect those young girls who wish to be like them? These fairy tales give the message that the only way to find love or Mr. Perfect is to be beautiful. Young girls watch and read storybooks and movies that have princesses with body types that are considered anorexic. This image will sink in to their minds subconsciously and affect them for the rest of their lives, since most children will never be able to reach the standard of beauty required to be a princess. Along with beauty, a princess has been defined to have no voice or say. In almost every fairy tale a princess never gets to express her opinion or personality. The ultimate example of this is in the Little Mermaid (Disney Version) when Ariel trades her voice so she can alter her appearance. She is told that she won’t need a voice to get the prince and all she needs to do is look pretty. This leads young girls to think their voice and opinion don’t matter and to have their â€Å"happily ever after,† all they have to do is stay quiet passive and be visually attractive. Lastly a princess is defined as someone who is helpless and dependent. Almost every single fairy tale has a damsel in distress waiting for the prince to save them. Sleeping Beauty has to wait for Prince Charming, Rapunzel has to wait in her tower, and Prince Eric saves Ariel. In all fairy tales this is a common factor; the princess is always helpless and needs saving. Never in a traditional fairy tale does a princess save the prince. In addition to the sexism in these tales, they present and promote a negative message for girls. It communicates to girls that if something bad is happening or if there is a problem, wait for a male to come and solve the situation. Putting these ideas in little girls’ heads at such an early age will discourage them from to ever becoming strong and confident women. Understanding the true definition of a fairy tale princess is, princesses should not be role models for so many girls. However so many little girls still want to be princesses, even if they are defined to be unrealistically beautiful, passive, voiceless, and helplessly dependent on others. This needs to change in order to have more confident and smart women. Society should think about these fairy tales and really consider if the princess in the tale is someone young girls should have as their role models.

The Pilgrimage of Grace - Protesting Henry VIII

The Pilgrimage of Grace - Protesting Henry VIII The Pilgrimage of Grace was an uprising, or rather several uprisings, that took place in the north of England between 1536 and 1537. The people rose against what they saw as the heretical and tyrannical rule of Henry VIII and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell. Tens of thousands of people in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were involved in the uprising, making the Pilgrimage one of the most unsettling crises of Henrys most unsettled reign. Key Takeaways: The Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace (1536–1537) was an uprising of tens of thousands of people, clergy and conservatives, against King Henry VIII.  They sought the reduction of taxes, the re-establishment of the Catholic church and the pope as the religious leader in England, and the replacement of Henrys main advisors.  None of their demands were met, and over 200 of the rebels were executed.  Scholars believe the rebellion failed for lack of leadership and conflicts between the demands of the poor versus those of the gentry. The insurgents crossed class lines, uniting commoners, gentlemen, and lords together for a few brief moments to protest social, economic, and political changes they observed. They believed the issues resulted from Henrys naming himself the Supreme Head of the Church and Clergy of England. Historians today recognize the Pilgrimage as growing out of the end of feudalism and the birth of the modern era. Religious, Political, and Economic Climate in England How the country came to such a dangerous place started with King Henrys romantic entanglements and search to secure an heir. After 24 years of being a jovial, married and Catholic king, Henry divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn in January of 1533, shocking Catherines supporters. Worse, he also officially divorced himself from the Catholic church in Rome and made himself head of a new church in England. In March of 1536, he began to dissolve the monasteries, forcing the religious clergy to give over their lands, buildings and religious objects. On May 19, 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed, and on May 30th, Henry married his third wife Jane Seymour. The English parliament- deftly manipulated by Cromwell- had met on June 8th to declare his daughters Mary and Elizabeth illegitimate, settling the crown on Janes heirs. If Jane had no heirs, Henry could pick his own heir. Henry did have an acknowledged illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy,1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519–1536), from his mistress, Elizabeth Blount, but he died on July 23rd, and it became clear to Henry that if he wanted a blood heir, he would have to acknowledge Mary or face the fact that one of Henrys great rivals, the King of Scotland James V, was going to be his heir. But in May of 1536, Henry was married, and legitimately- Catherine died in January of that year- and if he had acknowledged Mary, beheaded the hated Cromwell, burnt the heretic bishops that allied themselves with Cromwell, and reconciled himself with Pope Paul III, then the pope would have most likely recognized Jane Seymour as his wife and her children as legitimate heirs. That is essentially what the insurgents wanted. The truth was, even if hed been willing to do all that, Henry couldnt afford it. Henrys Fiscal Issues Jervaulx Abbey was one of the great Cistercian abbeys of Yorkshire, founded in 1156. It was dissolved in 1537, and its last abbot was hanged for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace. Dennis Barnes / Photographers Choice / Getty Images Plus The reasons for Henrys lack of funds were not strictly his famed extravagance. The discovery of new trade routes and the recent influx of silver and gold from the Americas into England severely depreciated the value of the kings stores: he desperately needed to find a way to increase revenue. The potential worth raised by the dissolution of the monasteries would be a huge influx of cash. The estimated total revenue of the religious houses in England was UK  £130,000 per year- between 64 billion and 34 trillion pounds in todays currency. The Sticking Points The reason the uprisings involved as many people as it did is also the reason they failed: the people were not united in their desires for change. There were several different sets of written and verbal issues that the commoners, gentlemen, and lords had with the King and the way he and Cromwell were handling the country- but each segment of the rebels felt more strongly about one or two but not all of the issues. No taxes during peacetime. Feudal expectations were that the king would pay his own expenses unless the country was at war. A peacetime tax had been in place from the mid-twelfth century, known as the 15th and the 10th. In 1334, the amount of the payments was fixed at a flat rate and paid by the wards to the king- the wards collected 1/10th (10%) of the moveable goods of the people living in the urban areas and paid it to the king, and the rural wards collected 1/15 (6.67%) of those of their residents. In 1535, Henry steeply raised those payments, requiring individuals to pay based on periodic assessments of not just their goods but also their rents, profits, and wages. There were also rumors of taxes to come on sheep and cattle; and of a luxury tax for people making less than 20 pounds per year on such things as white bread, cheese, butter, capons, hens, chickens.The repeal of the Statute of Uses. This unpopular statute was of vital importance to wealthy landowners who held estates owned by Henry, but less so to the common folk. Traditionally, the landholders could use the feudal dues to support their younger children or other dependents. This statute abolished all such uses so that only the oldest son could derive any income from an estate owned by the King The Catholic church should be reestablished. Henrys divorce from Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn was only one problem the people had with Henrys changes; the replacement of Pope Paul III as a religious leader to a king who was perceived as a sensualist was inconceivable to the conservative parts of England, who truly believed the switch could only be temporary, now that Anne and Catherine were both dead.The heretic bishops should be deprived and punished. The basic tenet of the Catholic church in Rome was that the supremacy of the king was primary unless to follow his will was heresy, in which case they were morally obligated to work against him. Any clergy who refused to sign an oath siding with Henry was executed, and once the surviving clergy had recognized Henry as the Head of the Church of England (and were, therefore, heretics) they could not go back.No more abbeys should be suppressed. Henry began his changes by taking down the lesser monasteries, describing a laundry list of evils being perpetrated by the monks and abbots, and decreeing that there should be no more than one monastery within five miles of another. There were nearly 900 religious houses in England in the late 1530s, and one adult man in fifty was in religious orders. Some of the abbeys were great landowners, and some of the abbey buildings were hundreds of years old, and often the only permanent building in the rural communities. Their dissolution was a dramatically visible loss to the countryside, as well as an economic loss. Cromwell, Riche, Legh, and Layton should be replaced by noblemen.  People blamed Henrys advisor Thomas Cromwell and other of Henrys councilors for most of their ills. Cromwell had come to power promising to make Henry the richest king that ever was in England and the population felt that he was to blame what they saw as Henrys corruption. Cromwell was ambitious and smart, but of the lower middle classes, a clothier, solicitor, and moneylender who was convinced that an absolute monarchy was the best form of government.The rebels should be pardoned for their insurrection. None of these had a reasonable chance of success. The First Uprising: Lincolnshire, October 1–18th, 1536 Although there were minor uprisings before and after, the first major assembly of dissident people took place in Lincolnshire  beginning around the first of October, 1536. By Sunday the 8th, there were 40,000 men gathered in Lincoln. The leaders sent a petition to the King outlining their demands, who responded by sending the Duke of Suffolk to the gathering. Henry rejected all of their issues but said if they were willing to go home and submit to the punishment that he would choose, he would eventually pardon them. The commoners went home. The uprising failed on a number of fronts- they had no noble leader to intercede for them, and their object was a mix of religion, agrarian, and political issues without a single aim. They were patently afraid of civil war, probably as much as the King was. Most of all, there were another 40,000 rebels in Yorkshire, who were waiting to see what the Kings response would be before moving forward.   The Second Uprising, Yorkshire, October 6, 1536–January 1537 The second uprising was far more successful, but still ultimately failed. Led by the gentleman Robert Aske, the collective forces took first Hull, then York, the second largest city in England at the time. But, like the Lincolnshire uprising, the 40,000 commoners, gentlemen and nobles did not advance to London but instead wrote to the King their requests. This the King also rejected out of hand–but the messengers bearing the outright rejection were stopped before they reached York. Cromwell saw this disturbance as better organized than the Lincolnshire uprising, and thus more of a danger. Simply rejecting the issues might result in an outbreak of violence. Henrys and Cromwells revised strategy involved delaying the rabble at York for a month or more. A Carefully Orchestrated Delay While Aske and his associates waited for Henrys response, they reached out to the Archbishop and other clergy members, those who had sworn allegiance to the king, for their opinion on the demands. Very few responded; and when forced to read it, the Archbishop himself refused to assist, objecting to the return of papal supremacy. It is very likely that the Archbishop had a better understanding of the political situation than Aske. Henry and Cromwell designed a strategy to divide the gentlemen from their commoner followers. He sent out temporizing letters to the leadership, then in December invited Aske and the other leaders to come to see him. Aske, flattered and relieved, came to London and met with the king, who asked him to write up the history of the uprising- Askes narrative (published word-for-word in Bateson 1890) is one the main sources for the historical work by Hope Dodds and Dodds (1915). Aske and the other leaders were sent home, but the prolonged visit of the gentlemen with Henry was cause for dissension among the commoners who came to believe they had been betrayed by Henrys forces, and by mid-January 1537, most of the military force had left York. Norfolks Charge Next, Henry sent the Duke of Norfolk to take steps to end the conflict. Henry declared a state of martial law and told Norfolk he should go to Yorkshire and the other counties and administer a new oath of allegiance to the King- anyone who did not sign was to be executed. Norfolk was to identify and arrest the ringleaders, he was to turn out the monks, nuns, and canons who still occupied the suppressed abbeys, and he was to turn over the lands to the farmers. The nobles and gentlemen involved in the uprising were told to expect and welcome Norfolk. Once the ringleaders were identified, they were sent to the Tower of London to await trial and execution. Aske was arrested on April 7th, 1537 and committed to the Tower, where he was repeatedly questioned. Found guilty, he was hung at York on July 12th. The rest of the ringleaders were executed according to their station in life- noblemen were beheaded, noble women were burned at the stake. Gentlemen were either sent home to be hung or hung in London and their heads placed on stakes on London Bridge. End of the Pilgrimage of Grace In all, about 216 people were executed, although not all the records of the executions were kept. In 1538–1540, groups of royal commissions toured the country and demanded that the remaining monks surrender their lands and goods. Some didnt (Glastonbury, Reading, Colchester)–and they were all executed. By 1540, all but seven of the monasteries were gone. By 1547, two-thirds of the monastic lands had been alienated, and their buildings and lands either sold at market to the classes of people who could afford them or distributed to local patriots. As to why the Pilgrimage of Grace failed so abysmally, researchers Madeleine Hope Dodds and Ruth Dodds argue that there were four main reasons. The leaders were under the impression that Henry was a weak, good-natured sensualist who was led astray by Cromwell: they were wrong, or at least wrong in understanding the strength and persistence of Cromwells influence. Cromwell was executed by Henry in 1540.  There were no leaders among the rebels with unconquerable energy or willpower. Aske was the most passionate: but if he could not convince the king to accept their demands, the only alternative was to have Henry overthrown, something they could not conceivably succeed in doing on their ownThe conflict between the interests of the gentlemen (higher rents and lower wages) and those of the commoners (lower rents and higher wages) could not be reconciled, and the commoners who made up the numbers of the forces were distrustful of the gentlemen who led them.  The only possible uniting power would have been the church, either the Pope or the English clergy. Neither supported the uprising in any real sense. Sources There have been several recent books on the Pilgrimage of Grace over the past few years, but writers and researching sisters Madeleine Hope Dodds and Ruth Dodds wrote an exhaustive work explaining the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1915 and it is still the main source of information for those new works. Bateson, Mary. The Pilgrimage of Grace. The English Historical Review 5.18 (1890): 330–45. Print.Bernard, G. W. The Dissolution of the Monasteries. History 96.4 (324) (2011): 390–409. Print.Bush, M. L. Enhancements and Importunate Charges: An Analysis of the Tax Complaints of October 1536. Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies 22.3 (1990): 403–19. Print.-. Up for the Commonweal: The Significance of Tax Grievances in the English Rebellions of 1536. The English Historical Review 106.419 (1991): 299-318. Print.Hope Dodds, Madeleine, and Ruth Dodds. The Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536–1537 and the Exeter Conspiracy, 1538. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1915. Print.Hoyle, R. W., and A. J. L. Winchester. A Lost Source for the Rising of 1536 in North-West England. The English Historical Review 118.475 (2003): 120–29. Print.Liedl, Janice. The Penitent Pilgrim: William Calverley and the Pilgrimage of Grace. The Sixteenth Century Journa l 25.3 (1994): 585–94. Print. Schofield, Roger. Taxation Under the Early Tudors, 1485–1547. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

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Christianity And Islam Essays - Prophets Of Islam, Jesus In Islam Christianity And Islam Christianity and Islam are two of the most significant religions since their creation. Islam means submission in Arabic, and a Muslim is one who submits to the will of God (Islam page 223). Christians were called so because of Jesus title Christos, which is Greek for Messiah (Christianity page 198). Both religions are very similar with only some of the beliefs and teachings being different. They also give separate messages to outsiders as to what their religions stand for. Both religions are monotheistic with a holy text and they both strive to conquer evil. Islam has a set of rules (5 Pillars of Islam) set forth to reach enlightenment while Christians basically just sin, repent, and then are forgiven for their sins. Christianity is a much easier religion to belong to because it is a lot more lenient to what you can and cannot do as well as when and where you can do it. Islam is also more closed doors because the do not really send out missionaries looking for people to convert to Is lam. For Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah (the anointed one) Gods deliverer, whose coming the prophets had foretold (Christianity page 198). Jesus taught the good Word of the Lord, as was his duty as the Son of God. He is also said to have performed miracles such as curing leprosy and blindness as well walking on water. Roman and Jewish authorities were disquieted by the threat to the establishment that Jesus and his followers seemed to offer, and they conspired successfully to execute him by crucifixion (Christianity page 198). After Jesus was crucified for the sins of all men, he was believed by Christians to have risen from the dead and then ascended to Heaven. After the death of Jesus, his life and teachings were written with many tall tales (as I like to call them) about the great battles and accomplishments of Christians as well as success stories about the followers of Gods Word. All of these stories and some historical facts are written in the Bible, which is the ho ly text of the Christians. It explains how God created the Earth the creation of the Earth and man and it teaches how to be righteous. The founder of Islam was the Prophet Mohammed who was an orphan from the city of Mecca. Mohammed claimed to be visited by the Angel Gabriel who gave him the basis for this new religion. The Five Pillars of Islam are the basic laws to be a good Muslim. Declaring that there is no God but Allah, praying five times a day facing Mecca, fasting during set times, tithing for needy, and a journey to Mecca at least once in your lifetime. Some Muslims have a sixth pillar, jihad, which is translated into holy war (Variety page 234). Mohammeds teachings were not written until his death because there was no compelling reason to set his words down in some definite form. After the sudden death of Mohammed in 632, Caliph Abu Bakr ordered one of the prophets companions to collect, from oral and written sources, all of Mohammeds utterances (Quran page 225). They were written in the Quran which is basically the Muslim Bible. The Quran is the written version of the teachings that Mohammed preached while he was alive. A second source of guidance for most Muslims is al-Hadith (Tradition), a vast body of transmitted stories of what the Prophet said or did or what was said or done in his presence and therefore approved by him (Foundations page 225). Christianity is a very appealing religion because it seems to be so easy to understand and become a Christian where as Islam is very difficult. There are five set times a day in Islam where you have to stop everything and pray facing Mecca and Muslims go to church on Fridays. Christians are free to pray any way they want at any time they want and go to church on Sundays. The Bible is different in that it contains the teachings of Jesus, the direct Word of God, and many religious stories. The Quran contains only the teachings of Mohammed which is said to be the

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Investigating report how an organisation can get the best from their employees regard to their knowledge and experties - Essay Example Morgan and Schiemann (2009) argue that this form of restructuring will ensure that the organization’s functions and systems will run in a smooth manner. Among the changes that are taking part in the organizations today include inclusion of innovative techniques that render the employees have an obligation to offer the best for their companies. With the tough competition in the world of business, it is almost impossible for organizations to survive without embracing the changes that are taking part in the market especially in regard to employee relations. Studies indicate that organizations are terrified of the fact that, they may not be in a position to operate in the markets if they do not embrace the upcoming changes in the field of business. This fact implies that it is of the essence that novel human resource techniques and methodologies are incorporated into the organizations. 1.1. Body 1.1.1. Knowledge Management In an organization, it is mandatory to manage the organiza tion’s knowledge. There are various forms of knowledge in the organization. Knowledge may be described as the cognitive ability of an individual to perform a certain task and varies from one individual to the next. This fact leads to a variation while dealing with employees in the organization. Some employees may feel completely at pains upon conventional treatments, all in all, the most important part is to ensure that all forms of knowledge are crucial and have to be managed. Majority of the organizations are coming up with management of knowledge projects through appointment of knowledge teams and personnel to handle the organizations (Payne 2006). 1.1.2. Forms of Knowledge 1.1.2.1. Explicit form of knowledge Explicit awareness is a type of knowledge that is simple to categorize and retrieve since it uses codes that enable the user to keep the information, reposses it as well as rectify documents. In as far as an organization is concerned, the people in a managerial positi on have to ensure that the employees have unlimited access to information and they are able to use it accordingly for their maximum benefit (Roth 2006). Some analysts however, argue that this type of knowledge is too simple to generate desirable results in as far as fostering competitiveness among the employees is concerned. 1.1.2.3. Tacit Knowledge According to Munk (2008) tacit knowledge refers to a type of information that is hard to define since it relies mostly on individual experience that difficult to explain to others. This is the type of knowledge that is embodied in the minds of individuals based on experience over the years. The values and beliefs that a person ascribes to have a huge impact on the output of employees in an organization. This is probably why most employers insist on hiring people with years of experience in a specific field as they are able to use intuition to solve problems. As a result, many organizations experience breakthroughs in otherwise difficult areas that would have required excessive coding to solve it. 1.1.3 Organizational culture and structure According to Abell and Oxbrow (2001) organizations are structured in a myriad of ways, depending on their nature and traditions as well as their objectives. The structure proposed by the organization verifies whether the organization’

Service Activity Summary Report ( for Human Service Class) Essay

Service Activity Summary Report ( for Human Service Class) - Essay Example They prefer to do some routine things by themselves. I guess this is an element of pride and soon started to get involved when my help was necessary, or when they asked for it. There is a senior citizen that shared the pain of losing his wife and facing the rest of his life alone. From his story, I gathered that he was very lonely and the center offered him the chance to meet people closer to his age as well as people to talk to. There are times when is suspected that living family members had abandoned their elderly when they became too much of a burden. The disturbing thing is that they do not admit this. They claim that at the present times, all people are too busy to carry unwanted baggage. I learned that senior citizens have an element of pride and deserve to be treated in a manner where they feel dignified because sometimes, their dignity is all that they have left. I also learned about the value of social services in the community. There are many things that I took for granted and this activity enlightened me. I also learned that eventually, everybody would grow old and hence lose their productive ability (Midlam, 2004). It is best to make use of all the energy that comes with youth because I will miss it when I become a senior citizen. Their stories clearly show that some are satisfied with their achievements. I hope I can tell similar stories when I am their age. In addition, I have also come to appreciate the benefits of having a retirement benefit. I am likely to be very compassionate about the affairs of the elderly. In addition, I will make an effort to visit and take care of my own grandparents because I have realized that it is really lonely when a person is no longer able to work. The world is becoming busier, and sometimes an occupation is the sole reason to live for the senior citizens (Midlam, 2004). I will also ensure that I volunteer at these

Investigating report how an organisation can get the best from their Essay

Investigating report how an organisation can get the best from their employees regard to their knowledge and experties - Essay Example Morgan and Schiemann (2009) argue that this form of restructuring will ensure that the organization’s functions and systems will run in a smooth manner. Among the changes that are taking part in the organizations today include inclusion of innovative techniques that render the employees have an obligation to offer the best for their companies. With the tough competition in the world of business, it is almost impossible for organizations to survive without embracing the changes that are taking part in the market especially in regard to employee relations. Studies indicate that organizations are terrified of the fact that, they may not be in a position to operate in the markets if they do not embrace the upcoming changes in the field of business. This fact implies that it is of the essence that novel human resource techniques and methodologies are incorporated into the organizations. 1.1. Body 1.1.1. Knowledge Management In an organization, it is mandatory to manage the organiza tion’s knowledge. There are various forms of knowledge in the organization. Knowledge may be described as the cognitive ability of an individual to perform a certain task and varies from one individual to the next. This fact leads to a variation while dealing with employees in the organization. Some employees may feel completely at pains upon conventional treatments, all in all, the most important part is to ensure that all forms of knowledge are crucial and have to be managed. Majority of the organizations are coming up with management of knowledge projects through appointment of knowledge teams and personnel to handle the organizations (Payne 2006). 1.1.2. Forms of Knowledge 1.1.2.1. Explicit form of knowledge Explicit awareness is a type of knowledge that is simple to categorize and retrieve since it uses codes that enable the user to keep the information, reposses it as well as rectify documents. In as far as an organization is concerned, the people in a managerial positi on have to ensure that the employees have unlimited access to information and they are able to use it accordingly for their maximum benefit (Roth 2006). Some analysts however, argue that this type of knowledge is too simple to generate desirable results in as far as fostering competitiveness among the employees is concerned. 1.1.2.3. Tacit Knowledge According to Munk (2008) tacit knowledge refers to a type of information that is hard to define since it relies mostly on individual experience that difficult to explain to others. This is the type of knowledge that is embodied in the minds of individuals based on experience over the years. The values and beliefs that a person ascribes to have a huge impact on the output of employees in an organization. This is probably why most employers insist on hiring people with years of experience in a specific field as they are able to use intuition to solve problems. As a result, many organizations experience breakthroughs in otherwise difficult areas that would have required excessive coding to solve it. 1.1.3 Organizational culture and structure According to Abell and Oxbrow (2001) organizations are structured in a myriad of ways, depending on their nature and traditions as well as their objectives. The structure proposed by the organization verifies whether the organization’

Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Depression - Essay Example This link was not present in studies conducted outside of Europe. To explain this, the writer quotes the study author Fang Li of Qingdao University in China who points out that this could be caused by the low number of participants in the study. This statement casts a serious doubt on the credibility of these studies. Scientific studies are perceived to be more accurate if they have a large amount of participants under study. The author of the article also points out the observational nature of the studies. It is noted that the studies did not discriminate on the types of fish consumed. Moreover, the studies could not draw a conclusion on the cause-and-effect relationship between fish consumption and the risk of depression. The amount of fish intake under study is not quantified; a lot of fish could mean different things to different people. To their credit, the researchers admit that more research must be undertaken in order to clearly understand the link between fish consumption an d depression.It is common for articles on health issues to carry a strong prejudice arising from the author’s personal opinion. Fortunately, the author of this article has ensured that they convey information as it is, despite the glaring loopholes in the actual studies and has made no attempt in persuading the reader in accepting any particular health ideations from the study. The author also makes it known that the study was published in a reputable journal; The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Comparison Essay Example for Free

Comparison Essay Both of Emily Dickinson’s poems are about death. â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop For Love† is more about the cycle of life than death. â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died† relates to the final moment before death. Emily Dickinson’s poems are both centered on death; â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop For Death† is based more around upbeat and happy scenes, as where â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died† talks about the preparation before death. Although both poems have very different meaning, the two poems both focus on the ending of life. In the last line of â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop For Death† Emily Dickinson says were toward eternity. In Dickinson’s second poem it says, now she waits for the king to come. In the first poem Dickinson refers to eternity meaning after death living for forever. In the second poem waiting for the king to come relates to the end of existence, when the king comes back to take us all. In â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop For Death† has a happy ending and is a very appealing poem. Dickinson describes a girl being picked up in a carriage for all of life’s journeys. Where Dickinson’s second poem was a serious poem, describing the build up right before death. She mentions the stillness in the air, and breath-gathering firm. One poem is very heart warming and, the other is very serious. These poems ultimately have the same meaning, but both take a different look at death. The first poem contains the process of life before death, and how she is working for a new beginning. Dickinson’s second poem talks about her death being the end of everything, Dickinson even mentions decaying in the grave. The first poem has a positive outlook on death, and the second portrays a rough end to life.

Comparison of Tsar and Communist Rule

Comparison of Tsar and Communist Rule Tsarist rule in the years 1856 to 1917 and Communist rule to the death of Lenin and the death of Stalin both depended on high degrees of central power and control by the state. The similarities between the two forms of government were therefore much greater than were the differences. How far do you agree with this judgement? Both Imperial and Soviet Russia have a long and well documented history of autocratic rule. However, Russian autocracy in its various forms has been far from consistent in either its organisation or outlook. It is this inconsistency in structure and policy which has given rise to differing schools of thought. On the one hand is the view that the fleeting and unfulfilled promises of both the liberalist-socialist February Revolution and Bolshevik October Revolution of 1917 witnessed nothing other than a transition from one form of despotism to another. On the other hand lies the theory that the Revolutions of 1917 caused the destruction of the Russian feudal system, empowering the masses to invest their authority in a democratically elected central representative form of government, at least in appearance if not in essence. In order to examine the two forms of government and their attributes, this essay uses a comparative approach in its discussion of the absolute monarchism of Tsars A lexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II, and to the proletarian dictatorships of Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin. It will introduce the organisational structure of the monarchical and republican forms of government, and present a snapshot of Russian society in both cases. It will then analyse the similarities and differences of state control over various facets of society, and summarise these arguments in a logical conclusion. At the time of the accession to power of Tsar Alexander II in 1855, the Russian Empire was a hereditary absolute monarchy ruled by the Romanov dynasty. The Tsar promulgated and enforced laws personally, albeit acting on the counsel of trusted advisers. The Tsar also controlled the official state religion of Orthodox Christianity through the Holy Synod. Through his personally appointed counsellors, the Tsar wielded absolute power over most national institutions, including the military, the judiciary and the press. Subjects of the empire were segregated into different social classes on various rungs of the feudal ladder, from the nobility down through the clergy, merchants, cossacks and peasants. The majority of peasants were classed as serfs common labourers bound to the land, with no political representation. Imperial Russia had a proportionately larger population than its European counterparts of Great Power status, and the majority of its peasant population eked out a meagre exist ence below the poverty line. The Russian economy was based on a primitive form of agriculture, and as such economic growth was sluggish, lagging way behind the rapidly industrialising West, with which Russia was unable to compete financially. State intervention in industry tended to be more frequent than elsewhere in Europe, though in certain sectors it developed with private initiative, often foreign capital. In any case, due to the late onset of industrialisation, Russia remained largely agricultural until well into the twentieth century. Certain aspects of state control were relinquished in the latter half of the nineteenth century, particularly during the reforms of the 1850s and 1860s, in the areas of government, education and the judiciary. In 1861 Alexander II announced the emancipation of around 20 million serfs. Local commissions controlled by the landowning gentry gave rise to emancipation by giving land and certain privileges to the serfs, though stopping short of freedom per se. Very few former serfs moved outside their village commune, and they were required to make redemption payments to the government over a period of almost fifty years. Landowners were compensated in the form of government bonds. Local government was reformed shortly afterwards in 1864, whereby the European part of Russia was reorganised into different regions and districts in a devolution exercise. Local government became fully responsible for health, education and transport, signifying a move away from centralised power. In the same year, judicial reforms took place in most urban centres. The major change was the introduction of juries into the courtroom. The judiciary functioned fairly well, though the government lacked the financial clout to enforce the measures, meaning that local peasant justice remained relatively unaffected, with little interference from the central government. State control remained fairly strong in the military, marked by the government’s desire to effect the transition from a large standing army to a reserve army, made possible through the training of the newly emancipated serfs. In other areas, the State bank was founded in 1866, all school officials remained nominally subordinate to the Ministry of Education, and censorship laws were relaxed in the 1860s. Soviet Russia presents a more modern, if not altogether different, concept of state control. In February 1917, a Provisional Government of liberal socialists ousted the autocracy with the intention of establishing a democratic form of government in a war-ravaged society. At the same time, the radical Bolsheviks representing the working classes called for nationwide socialist revolution, and eventually seized power from the Provisional Government in November of the same year. Only after a long and bloody fratricidal war did the Bolsheviks consolidate power and establish a one-party Communist state, which officially came into being in December 1922. The Soviet government initially attempted to centralise the economy through Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP). Threatening encirclement from capitalist powers, Lenin stressed the importance of rapid industrialisation through direct state control, as dictated by Marxist doctrine. However, these efforts did not come to fruition, and some private enterprise was permitted to coexist with the heavily nationalised industrial sector. Yet following Stalin’s accession to power in 1928, the state assumed control of all existing businesses and initiated intensive programmes of industrialisation in the form of three pre-War five-year plans. In agriculture, the state seized peasants’ property to establish collective farms. The plan proved hugely unpopular and caused much hardship. Millions of common labourers starved to death or were murdered during periods of forced collectivisation. Social unrest continued well into the 1930s as Stalin embarked on a purge of his own party. This gave rise to a campaign of terror not dissimilar to that witnessed in Revolutionary France, leading to the imprisonment and/or execution of anyone who was suspected of being an opponent of the Communist regime. Literally millions of citizens were expunged from all sections of society. However, there were certain advantages of this rigorous state control. Stalin’s industrialisation programme required that workers be adequately educated. This led to an increase in the number of schools. More importantly, for the first time women were given equal status in education and employment as men, marking an improvement in household income and family life. Universal access to health care gradually became readily available, increasing the standard of living and life expectancy. Engineers, architects and medical personnel were sent abroad to learn new technologies, and exchange programmes enabled foreign input into the expanding Soviet knowledge base. The outbreak of the Second World War served only to intensify the Stalinist system of state control. Forced labour rapidly accelerated Soviet industrial output, allowing the USSR to outstrip Nazi Germany’s initial advance, while conscription swelled the ranks of the Red Army, enabling the military to push back the eastward thrust of the German army in the winter of 1941-42. The post-War era saw no reduction in this trend as the Soviet government sought to rebuild the infrastructure decimated by war and roll out its policy of extreme levels of state control over the countries of Eastern Europe placed in its sphere of influence in the post-War settlement. It was not until the death of Stalin in 1953 and the accession to power of Nikita Khrushchev that repressive controls over government and society were eased. So how do the two forms of pre-Revolutionary monarchical and post-Revolutionary republican autocracy compare? Let us first examine the political ideologies on which the two forms of state centrism were founded. The initially obvious assessment is that they were almost as far apart on the political spectrum as is possible, from the ultra-conservative monarchical despotism of Imperial Russia to the extreme left-wing one-party Communism of the Soviet Union. The monarchical despotism of the Tsars was concentrated in the person of the Emperor alone. He functioned as both Head of State and Head of Government, and was responsible for all branches of government. The serf majority of the population had no political rights or representation, and only the most fortunate amongst the nobility and intelligentsia had sufficient status to make their views heard. Admittedly, given the vast expanse of Russia and its poor transport and communication links under the Tsars, logistics would always dictate that imperial power was unlikely to filter down to every citizen from the Baltic to the Pacific. However, individual liberties remained severely restricted, if not non-existent. On the other hand, Soviet Russia was a proletarian dictatorship in pursuit of the ideal of world revolution. The Bolshevik effort in the civil war was founded on the belief that only a coherent and secretive organisation could overthrow the government. Following the revolution, this belief was transposed to the machinery of government, in that only this kind of organisation could resist foreign and domestic enemies. According to Marxist-Leninist doctrine, this revolutionary esprit could only be achieved through the efforts of a Communist party which assumes the role of revolutionary vanguard, achieving its aims through a disciplined organisation known as democratic centralism, where party officials discuss proposals but do not question decisions once they have been made. Similarly, the electorate were simply expected to approve of the laws enacted and policies pursued by the party they had voted into power. Any form of dissent, either expressed or implied, was punished in the most se vere manner. Let us now turn to the practicalities of state control. As noted previously, levels of state control in Imperial Russia witnessed a marked decline throughout the second half of the nineteenth century. Admittedly, continued state control and supervision, heavy financial obligations, and communal regulation of peasant affairs made life in the countryside seem not entirely different from that prior to the emancipation. The gentry still filled high posts in the army and bureaucracy and occupied a dominant position in the new institutions created by the reforms; and government officials viewed independent actions on the part of Russian society with much the same suspicion and distrust that they had previously. However, the reforms made a genuine difference, in the sense that the granting of personal liberty to the peasants freed them from total dependence on the landowning gentry, and it encouraged social mobility. The educated minority of the lower classes of society were able to engage in education and banking. This new direction in government policy gave Russian life new dimensions and possibilities of social and economic development. Either way, this revolution from above certainly marked a watershed in Russian history, and fuelled the embryonic Revolutionary movement in its build-up to the events of 1917. A measure of the success of the reforms is that the government survived them unscathed, unlike those of Gorbachev in the 1980s. The immediate post-Revolutionary period witnessed conditions which were not dissimilar. Lenin’s Communist government faced the immediate challenges of severe economic recession and working class hostility. Alienated by the brutalities of civil war and famine, peasants, urban workers and many soldiers demanded the creation of a more democratic socialist government. The Politburo were unwilling to compromise, maintaining a one-party state and demanding total discipline and unity within the party. Economically, however, direct methods of mobilisation were abandoned, allowing a revival of private trade on a small scale. These changes paved the way for the NEP, which in turn led to an increase in agricultural and industrial production. Critics of the NEP complained that flourishing markets in agricultural produce benefited a revived class of rural entrepreneurs as opposed to the urban proletariat. They insisted that the government find the resources to invest in industrial growth t o counter this trend. Unable to secure these resources, the government became increasingly unpopular amongst the peasantry, who still made up over 80 per cent of the population. Following Lenin’s death and Stalin’s consolidation of power, the government dealt with this crisis by experimenting with the direct, coercive mobilisation of resources from the countryside. This collectivisation marked the end of market relations in the countryside, meaning the government could determine what happened to rural produce and where the profits were invested. By 1934 the government had successfully taken control of the huge human and material resources of the countryside. The collectivisation of these resources were subsequently diverted to the towns in Stalin’s intense programme of industrialisation. Only a hugely powerful centralised state was capable of such a programme, and it is no accident that it was managed by a highly coercive and autocratic state system. Building on a long tradition of Russian autocracy, Stalin created a modernised autocracy in which his authority grew to the point where he no longer depended on the party, but established a unique system of personal rule. The atmosphere of crisis created by collectivisation and party purges generated a crucible of paranoia which strengthened the leadership by making any form of opposition look like treachery. However, despite this severity, the Communist government enjoyed much popular support, and many ordinary citizens accepted the patriotic promises of Stalinist propaganda. In conclusion, it would appear that while the ideologies on which Imperial and Soviet Russia were founded lay at opposite ends of the political spectrum, the machinery of government operated in much the same way in both cases. It is difficult to assess which form of government was more autocratic, and it would be unwise to assume that the political currents at the beginning of the period in question form a valid basis for comparison with those at the end. However, it is safe to assert that the two forms of autocracy were as intense as they were efficiently managed. There were certainly huge differences in the ultimate aims and objectives of the two forms of government. While Imperial Russia strove to secure the succession of the Romanov dynasty through maintaining the hereditary monarchy, Soviet Russia sought to achieve world revolution in pursuit of the Communist ideal. However, the similarities in the intensity of state control appear more striking than these ideological difference s. While the concentration of government dominance appeared greater under Communism, especially during the Stalinist era, the state in both cases to all intents and purposes retained almost full control over agriculture, industry, the military, education and the judiciary. In this respect, the similarities seem to be greater than the differences. It is not without a certain sense of irony that such state control was nominally approved by the electorate in Soviet Russia, in spite of the hardships it often caused. Bibliography David Christian, Imperial Soviet Russia – Power, Privilege the Challenge of Modernity (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997) Terence Emmons, The Russian Landed Gentry and the Peasant Emancipation of 1861 (Cambridge: CUP, 1967) J. N. Westwood, Endurance and Endeavour, Russian History 1812-1992 (London: OUP, 1973) Edward C. Thaden, Russia Since 1801: The Making of a New Society (New York: Wiley, 1971) US Library of Congress, Federal Research Division Country Studies Series (Russia), http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html