Psychology Experiment

Title: An investigation into the impact of group pressure on an individual’s estimate of the amount of beads in a pot (ginger granules in a jar). IV = Group/Individual DV = Individual beads estimate Abstract This experiment investigated the impact of group pressure on the individual. The hypothesis is that group pressure does indeed impact on the individual and in this case the individual’s estimate of the number of ginger granules in a jar. Participants were asked to make a judgement of the number of ginger granules in a jar, first individually and then as a group.The individual participants were then interviewed again to see if their estimates had changed. The results proved the hypothesis that group pressure does make an impact upon the decision of the individual. Each individual changed their original estimate to be closer to the number of the group estimate. Introduction The subject of conformity was first formally studied by 1Jenness in 1932. Jenness’ exper iement consisted of three phases. Firstly, he asked individual participants to guess the number of beans in a glass jar.He then assembled the individuals into a group and asked them to make a group estimate, through group discussion, of the number of beans in the glass jar. Finally Jenness interviewed each of the participants individually, during which he allowed each individual to change their estimate if they wished to do so. The purpose of this was to see if anyone changed their original estimate to align with the group estimate, thus showing 2‘influence of the majority’. He found that the majority of individuals changed their original estimate, giving a figure that lay closer to that of the decision of the group.This suggests that individuals generally strive to conform to the group. This experiment was followed by a famous conformity experiment by Solomon Asch (1951), which again tested the effect of group pressure on an individual’s decision. The current ex periment will investigate the effect of group pressure on an individual’s estimate of the number of ginger granules in a glass jar. It will be performed using a method similar to the one used by Jenness in his experiment. This will in effect test the reproducibility and validity of the Jenness experiment.There are no contentious or controversial issues surrounding this experiment and its method, and it is certainly within the law i. e. there are no deceptions or misleading intentions toward the participant; it is fair. Hypothesis The influence of group pressure will affect individuals’ estimates of the number of ginger granules in a glass jar. The estimate of the individual will change after a group decision to lie closer to the figure of the group. Method The IV was the group or individual, and the DV was the number of ginger granules in the glass jar.Two separate rooms were used; one for interview of the individual – one at a time. When not being interviewed t he individual was instructed to go the second room where the rest of the group resided – for the period of the experiment. Both rooms contained only the subjects of the experiment, and of course the experimenter, and no one else was permitted into the aforementioned areas. Television, radio and other forms of communicative devices were forbidden from these areas. The participants were three members of a family.The first was male and 67 years of age. The second was female and 52 years old. The third member of the family was male, and 25 years old. Materials: * Jar of ginger granules * Watch * Sheets of paper + pen Procedure * Initial tests were carried out to ensure that the participants fully understood what they had to do. Participants were asked to describe what they saw i. e. the jar of ginger – colour and dimensions, in order to ensure colour blindness, other impairments, or general misunderstandings of the task would not cause any anomalies to the experiment. Each participant was asked â€Å"please can you guess the number of ginger granules in the jar† – with no variation to this language. Strict rules were also stated, and these included that there be no touching of the jar/granules in question, no counting and a two three minute time limit was enforced. This happened in one room, and once an estimate had been received, the individual returned to the other room and the next individual collected. The question was repeated to the remaining two individuals. The estimates were recorded. The group was then asked the same question: â€Å"please can you guess the number of ginger granules in the jar†, and the rules were restated. The figure for the group decision was recorded. * The participants were then interviewed individually once more, with the same question asked and a restatement of the rules. The estimates were recorded. Results Individual| Number of beads estimate (before)| Number of beads estimate (after)| Group est imate| A| 200| 350| 300| B| 500| 400| | C| 100| 300| | Graph showing the distribution of estimates in comparison to the group estimate DiscussionAs we can see from the results and graph, the estimates of the individual are closer to the group estimate of the number of ginger granules in the jar after the group discussion has taken place. Each participant changed their original estimate after a group discussion had taken place, to make their estimate closer to the group estimate. Therefore we can conclude that group pressure has a great impact on an individual’s decision, and that the individual will seek to conform to the ideas of the group. It is interesting to see that participant C changed their original estimate by the largest igure – a difference of 200, and more importantly, participant C altered their original number to the number of the group estimate. We can say that participant C was most impacted on by group pressure; wanting to conform the most. Although pa rticipants A and B did not change their original estimate to the exact number of the group estimate, they did make their alterations closer to the group estimate. Therefore it can be said that participants A and B were impacted by group pressure, seen by a change in their estimates, however not completely – as was the case with participant C.Analysis of the group dynamic revealed that the more charismatic and extrovert the participant the greater the input into the final group decision, the greater the inclination of other group members to align with the view of the apparent leader. Reference list 1. Mcleod S. What is conformity? SimplyPsychology 2007. http://www. simplypsychology. org/conformity. html 2. Mcleod S. What is conformity? SimplyPsychology 2007. http://www. simplypsychology. org/conformity. html

The Rise of the Modern American Presidency

To begin, an anecdote that many are sure to recall and relate to is presented: as the United States found itself in a war, the likes of which it had never seen before, the President found himself at a crossroads of policy, power and the consequences of his actions, for whatever course he took, there would be political fallout. All of his advisors had something to offer, and of course, his critics and political enemies all stood ready to witness his downfall should he falter in his resolve or fail in his judgment.Ultimately, com/unit-3-our-government-today-the-legislative-and-executive-branches/">the President took full advantage of his powers- granted and implied- and set forth with his course of action, touching off a firestorm of disputes over the level of power he actually possesses, how much input such governmental bodies as the US Congress has in times of presidential posturing, and the like. The scenario presented sounds as if it could have been torn from the current headlines, as President George W.Bush is engulfed in controversy and opposition for his exercise of power in the midst of the modern war on terrorism, but a quick glance backward into the annals of history shows that this same scenario, albeit with some differences in circumstance here and there, could apply to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, and certainly could apply to any number of other presidents.The point to be made is that the increase and exercise of presidential power is one of the most critical issues and points of contention in American politics. Even in light of past (and present) poor decision making on the part of American Presidents, and the scandals that have rocked the presidency to its core in the past, every indication is that presidential power will only continue to grow as the 21st century unfolds and the complexity of the American political system grows (Shafritz, Weinberg).In this research, the different conceptions of th e proper role of the President in the American political system will be presented and discussed, with an ultimate goal of tracing the rise of the modern presidency, when/why the President became so powerful, why this power has endured, and whether or not the researcher favors and alternative, as well as the advantages/disadvantages of such powerful leadership. The Rise of the Modern American Presidency As this paper began, an anecdote was presented that in fact applies to every generation of presidential leadership in America.The existence of such power begs the first question of when this power first began to emerge. By design, the presidency of the United States was constitutionally intended to be of course an executive leadership role that was ultimately independent of the Congress that was also originated by the same Constitutional mandates (Lowi, et al). Therefore, from the beginning of the US itself, the President was placed in the position whereby he would have assert the pow ers of the presidency if he were to be able to gain/sustain any sort of assertive power during his years as chief executive.Throughout American history, there have been examples of passive and aggressive, weak and strong presidents, all because of their ability-or lack of ability- to successfully establish a power base within their administration. This power base can be gathered through a variety of means, such as the assembly of a powerful cabinet of advisors who in themselves possess the fortitude and connections to make their boss a more formidable chief executive, through holding the favor of Congress, such as when Congress is controlled by the political party of the president in question, or through his own cunning, skills or outright deception.Whatever the case may be the net effect over the past two centuries plus has been that the presidency has risen to a pinnacle of varying degrees of power, depending upon the person holding the office. When/Why the American President Gain ed Such Power The power that the President has the option of exercising or relaxing, according to most sources, has its modern roots in a specific administration and period of American history.The President was FD Roosevelt, and the time was immediately upon his assumption of office in 1932, through World War II, and up to the time of Roosevelt’s death in office in 1945 (Shafritz, Weinberg). In fact, the precedent that Roosevelt set with his administration seemed, in retrospect, to have taken the presidency to a new level of modern power. There are a few possible reasons for this. One reason that is frequently cited by many historians is the dawn of the development of the nuclear weapon- often called the dawn of the Atomic Age.With the existence of technology that could literally destroy the planet in a matter of moments put forth an interesting dynamic for the political landscape of America- first, although it was a highly guarded secret at the time, prior to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945, the corridors of American presidential power undoubtedly came to the realization that they not only had an awesome responsibility to wield nuclear weapons in a careful manner, but also that there were likely other powerful nations, such as the USSR, who also held in their possession nuclear weapons that could likewise destroy the planet as we know it.Therefore, the American President became not only in a sense the judge, jury and executioner for the nation and the rest of the world, but also a sort of protector for all of the peaceful people of the world. From that point forward, international relations, technology and the deterioration of the state of peace in the world has galvanized the power of the American President.Why the Power Endures The endurance of the power of the President of the United States, it now appears, is essential to endure because of the dangers that lurk in the nations of the world, making it necessary for the American President to be a sort of watchdog for the entire planet. Additionally, there are other, more transparent but nonetheless significant reasons why presidential power endures.Whether anyone would care to admit it or not, the President of the United States is in many cases kept as a powerful individual due to the fact that the major political parties of America use the presidency as a central source of influence and clout for their party when a President from their particular party holds the office; therefore, it is of mutual benefit for the President and his party to work to support each other, and a key ingredient that is needed to make the coalition work is the gathering and retention of power.Elected officials likewise will help to make the President more powerful in exchange for his support in their political activities and aspirations. Literally, it must also be acknowledged that the President of the United States is explicitly granted certain powers by the US Constitution (Lowi, et al). Some of these-what are known as expressed powers- are somewhat automatic for the President. Others- known as delegated powers-many times require the consultation of Congress and others in order to be exercised.This being said, however, one only needs to look at today’s headlines to find countless examples where the current President has overstepped the boundaries of what is traditionally permitted on the President’s own initiative. Many claim that this is literally illegal-others are simply outraged- some take both stances. Therefore, what we see is that the President of the United States has acquired some powers, has some powers that are constitutionally built-in, and has other powers that have simply been grabbed without permission.Pros/Cons of Presidential Power Presidential power has its advantages and disadvantages- in many cases, the difference between the two lies in political affiliation and/or personal opinion. On the positive side, few would argue th at a President with the ability to defend the nation successfully from enemies, keep the economy going strong, and provide for the welfare of the people through the acquisition of power would be an unfavorable scenario.On the other hand, the â€Å"cons† of presidential power include possible abuses of that power, unfavorable consequences of the wielding of that power, etc. In any case, there will never be a perfect balance of presidential power, but perhaps there are ways to keep the power in check while still keeping the President as a strong leader for the good of the people. Researcher’s ViewsThe result of this research, in the mind of the researcher, has been to come to the realization that absolute presidential power is not a favorable situation, nor is the situation of a weak President who has to seek permission and motivation to accomplish anything. Therefore, the researcher herein puts forth an opinion that the issue of the appropriate level of presidential pow er cannot be answered with a political debate, election or document.It can, however, be balanced with presence of politically active citizens who speak out when the president oversteps his boundaries of authority, works to improve the nation, and constantly holds the President to a high standard of accountability and responsible use of power. Then, and only then, can presidential power be correctly held and utilized. Conclusion The President of the United States, even centuries after the foundation of America, remains an enigmatic contradiction- he needs to be powerful, yet that power needs to be regulated and monitored.Therefore, in closing, let this point be understood- blind faith in any leaders will inevitably create chaos. As such, every American has the responsibility to express their opinions, be heard, and fight to keep the presidency what it was intended to be- the voice of the people. Works Cited Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle (2005). American Government: Power and Purpose. 9th e d. New York: WW Norton and Company. Shafritz, Weinberg (2005). Classics in American Literature. 3rd ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Wadsworth.

The ouster of Vikram Pandit, and what that means for big banks Research Paper

The ouster of Vikram Pandit, and what that means for big banks - Research Paper Example This paper will address Pandit’s ouster, and describe how this major event in Citigroup will influence the future operations of Citibank, as well as other banks in the same industry. Mr. Pandit took over as the bank’s CEO in 2007 when the bank was in a financial turmoil, but slightly recovered the profitability of the bank in 2010. Under Pandit’s management, much of Citi’s resources were devoted for future profitability. Expanding market to the developing countries was a prospective Pandit held (David, Suzanne, and Dan 1-2). The reasons offered for Pandit’s ouster emanate from struggles to recover from past financial crises at the bank. Mr. Pandit was forced to resign after the board of Directors at Citi bank felt that he managed the bank poorly. The board also claimed lack of appropriate communication from the CEO on vital business matters. During the tenure of Pandit, the shares of Citigroup fell by 89%, which resulted in a revolt by shareholders over his executive pay. The Federal Reserve also rejected Citigroup’s plan to purchase back stock. In addition, there was a $2.9 million write-down by Morgan Stanley, of a brokerage joint venture. All these unfortunate happenings can be numerically represented, but most probably point to poor judgment, rather than day-to-day oversight of specific business units (David 2). Michael Corbat, Pandit’s replacement, may not perform as Pandit, who was credited a well performer, who knew the positions of the bank inside out. Corbat’s strategic directions for future of the company are also still uncertain. Many challenges Corbat, as he will feel the pressure of impressing quickly, since the bank’s shareholders are now frustrated about the bank’s uncertainty. Citigroup investment bank is a potential victim of shrinkage. It is enormous, but with uneven revenue since the times of the financial crisis. This continued decline has to be addressed in order to gain stability again. Mr. Corbat will also have to deal with the â€Å"black box† reputation of the bank. Observations show that the bank’s disclosures are not as comprehensive as those of other banks are. In order to regain the confidence of investors, Corbat has to tackle this issue also. Consumers should expect to feel the difference between Citi managed by Pandit, and Citi managed by Michael Corbat, Pandit’s successor. This kind of transition at Citi may not positively influence on the financial health of the US banking industry, and the general US economy. This is because Citi is a bank that has been considered ‘important’ by the regulators, amid financial crisis. It is a troubled bank, and still struggles to gain stability. Pandit was a CEO that had set out to turn around the case of Citi bank, and ensure its total economic recovery. However, by firing such a dedicated CEO, Citi bank risks continued vulnerability to financial crises. The shareholde rs of Citi bank continue to be adversely affected by the bank’s prolonged stagnation in financial instability. However, more parties will feel the pinch of this as it will affect the whole banking industry as well as the national economy. Citi is in the process of repairing its balance sheet, it is then expected that it will cut down on customer lending, in a bid to save more. Its customers will not access

To develop a Sub Brand concept proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

To develop a Sub Brand concept proposal - Essay Example an apple flavored sub brand of toothpaste for kids between 8 and 12 years of age. Already Colgate has two flavored varieties of toothpaste for the kids of this transition age group. They are the 2in1 Strawberry Flavored Toothpaste and the 2in1 Watermelon Flavored Toothpaste. Against this backdrop a third flavored toothpaste for the same age group can be regarded as a risk though. However it must be noted here that current market demand trends support such a third alternative for this age group rather than the other two age groups, i.e. 2 to 4 year olds and the 5 to 7 year olds. Thus this writer takes the position that a sub brand of 2in1apple flavored toothpaste for kids of the transition age group between 8 and 12. While the strategic analysis would follow mainly Aaker’s (2004) market management and planning model there would be a substantial amount of literature cited from various sources in support of the sub brand being proposed. Thus the outcomes of this paper would be determined by the degree of strategic analysis concerning the market, product, customer, price, cost, competition and brand loyalty-equity paradigms. The following outline of the strategic preparation for new product launches is what is followed at the Colgate and therefore has all the essential elements of marketing strategies for new products and brands. Segmenting the market according to customer base is perhaps very important at the very beginning of the design and planning process of a new brand. Branding concept requires Colgate marketing team to identify the particular market segment which is being targeted with the new brand (www.encyclopedia.com). The 2in1 apple flavored toothpaste for kids in the age group between 8 and 12 years of age could be expected to succeed at the initial launch with a reasonably well targeted marketing and advertising campaign. This market segment

World War 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World War 2 - Research Paper Example Whereas this is wide topic, the author’s initial thoughts were based upon the developments and problems that were going on in Germany during this six years period of war. The researcher assesses the development of the two opposing military groups, that is, the Axis and the Alliance. In this paper, the writer also underscores the unity between these two opposing military camps along side their military science. Furthermore, the writer examines the economic status of Germany at the commencement of the war and how it declined as the war intensified, an idea that has parallel significance to United States economy before Invasion of Iraq and the way it has declined as the Iraq war progressed. The fact that Germany was the precursor of the war upon her invasion of Poland made the author to develop interest in this country and how Hitler dealt with the scientific military developments and problems associated with this war in Germany.... nd joined the military alliance.4 With these two military opposing camps, coupled with the arms race, the entire world was littered with bayonets with a catastrophic death toll of the known-unknown over 50 million people. The last nail in the coffin of this war was the defeat and surrender of the Axis especially the Germany and Japan in 1945 by the Allies. The researcher was interested in this area because Germany was a major power in the Axis and sparked off the military campaign during World War II.5 The advancement of military technology was another development in Germany ignited by the arms race. This development facilitated military logistics and transportations. Under the Chancellorship of Adolf Hitler, Germany Manufactured weapons such as â€Å"military tanks, air craft, assault rifle, Gewehr 43 rifle, Sturmgewehr 44 rifle, MP40 rifle, submachine guns, military tanks like Tiger II† which were major modern means of weaponry . Among the numerous aircraft developed include d the â€Å"Junkers Ju 87 planes used for psychological war fare† and the â€Å"Messerschmitt Me 262† jets. They also manufactured missiles like â€Å"cruise missiles (V-1), rocket- ballistic missiles (V-2)†, war ships, trucks and so many other military vehicles. During this period, Germany had the best â€Å"world rocket scientists† such as von Braun.6 This triggered off an arms race between the Axis and the Alliance. At the onset of the war, these military weapons were more powerful than those of the alliance. As this technological armament continued unabated, the global war drums were consequently inevitable. The purpose of this authorization by Hitler to manufacture weapons was to produce an equal measure weapon that Germany and her allies would use against the military alliance. Due to the early

Capston research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Capston research project - Essay Example Alternatively, it may be handled by offsetting the balance of the inventory allowances in the books of account. In most cases, the inventory write-downs are small in value and in case of a larger value; the same is treated as a non-recurring financial loss. In the company’s income statement, the same can be reflected as an above-the-line expense. However, according to the IAS 1, companies are usually required to show separate disclosures for the inventory write-downs in the financial statements; taking into consideration that the inventory write-downs are items of near to the ground resolution. Accordingly, the International Accounting Standards 1 (IAS 1) requires that an organization provides sufficient information with regard to the issues that affects the significant events in the organization. The provided information should also be able to warrant a much better understanding of the company’s financial status. The greatest danger that lies for the company should it fail to include the write-downs of inventory in the financial statements is that it may lead to an overestimation of the earnings persistence by the company’s investors. Failure to do this is a great concern and as a partner in the audit process, I would seriously take this into consideration and seek to understand further basing on logical reasoning why the same was not included. Second, the failure to include the write-downs of inventory may lead to other significant effects of ethical and financial concerns to the audit process and the company in broad-spectrum such as, disproportionate compensations to the managers of the firm, frequent incidences in which fraud is concealed from the knowledge of the shareholders by the accounting and financial officers. Third, the failure may further lead to other unethical and of financial concern consequences such as the shareholders of the company losing faith and belief in the firm’s management ability to control its operation s and finances. Additionally, it may be grievous for the firm to fail to recognize the inventory write-downs

Statement of Purpose Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Of Purpose - Personal Statement Example All the experiences in Italy are memorable for me especially the ones in which there were communication gaps and barriers because these incidents allowed me to learn linguists from a different perspective. My motivation and interest level to pursue a career in linguist was high after my trip to Italy. Though my native language is Arabic, I have had a strong passion of learning other language. I even bought a French book in my college days to try learning some words of this language. I am always looking forward to take up challenges in life, learning and communicating in a new language is a very big challenge and achievement in my perspective as by learning the language one even gets to learn the culture of the language. By learning new languages, many glimpses of the foreign culture are reflected. After attaining the degree of English language from King Khaled University, I planned to pursue my career in Linguistics and hence I started researching universities. I also started discussing in with my friends and peers. Indiana State University came at the top most position after my primary and secondary research and I am really impressed with the achievements of this university. A cherry on top of my plans was the attainment of scholarship from the Ministry of Education Saudi Arabia. I could envision my dreams to be on the right path of attaining success. Indiana State University has produces successful linguist graduates that are working at good positions, fulfilling their job roles and enjoying their designation of a language translator or teacher. The university promotes research projects and this one of my major interests in applying to a university that promotes research in linguistic studies. I am excited about getting an admission in the Indiana State University as this university has a good reputation and a highly qualifies staff that teaches linguistic studies in a

Globalization Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Globalization Law - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  there is therefore the need to have international laws since in most cases different countries and states have laws that conflict each other. This means that a law banning a certain activity may happen to be legal in another country, and therefore there is a need to have an overall checker that keeps the system in balance.This study highlights that  the world is now a global village as a result of scientific and technological advancements.   Indeed, an occurrence in one region of the world can seriously affect the rest of the world. Hence, countries must strive to keep good relationships with others since no State can afford to lead an isolated life in the contemporary world. Globalization law encompasses a number of areas such as prevention of the use of force whereby states/countries are required to solve their problems amicably. International law also deals with protection of basic human rights. The law stipulates that each person can demand specific basic rights such as right to life, freedom of conscience as well as freedom from physical harm among other rights. International law tackles issues such as the protection of persons at the time wars or armed conflicts as highlighted by Gabriella. In this area, global law stipulates the rules of war and particularly those pertaining to the protection of civilians, the injured and prisoners of war.  ... International law tackles issues such as the protection of persons at the time wars or armed conflicts as highlighted by Gabriella (2001). In this area, global law stipulates the rules of war and particularly those pertaining to the protection of civilians, the injured and prisoners of war. Another area whereby the globalization law is involved is in the war against terrorism, crimes against humanity and crimes against peace and other serious crimes. This is due to the fact that efforts to tackle such crimes can only be successful if they are based on global law (Williams, 2009). International law also deals with environmental issues such as rules protecting climate and preserving natural resources, trade and development whereby it provides an international order which permits trade between States. The global law also deals with telecommunications and transport. Walsh (2006) explains that International agreements are important for ensuring the safety of global air and rail transporta tion. International crimes International crimes comprise of offences such as organized crimes, acts terrorism as well as crimes against humanity and peace. International crimes also include genocide, human trafficking, war crimes and drug trafficking. Crimes involving money laundering, massive corruption, piracy, computer crimes and child pornography are also classified as International crimes (Kouri, 2004). Crimes against humanity can be regarded as abhorrent acts that cause a serious harm to human dignity. In most cases, crimes against humanity lead to substantial loss of human lives and great suffering to mankind. Usually, crimes against humanity and

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis Essay

Critically evaluate the reasons for the recent global financial crisis - Essay Example This view has recently been confirmed by an IMF report (2011), that financial crises usually follow "credit or asset price bubbles" (IMF, p. 6). Moshirian (2010) has found that the inability of national regulatory bodies to respond adequately to a global market that has become increasingly interdependent has left these bodies unable to control regulatory arbitrage and the international movement of toxic assets (p. 504). In a way of confirming these last two perspectives Longstaff (2008) has found that lower movements in the ABX Index of credit-default swaps did cause financial contagion in other financial markets. This report will show how in the US, deregulation did serve to encourage market liquidity that could have advantaged banks and homeowners. The report will explain how the lack of appropriate regulation in the financial markets led to both a real estate bubble and the global financial crisis that reached the UK and world markets. ... gulation policy expressed through passage of US federal acts that eventually, though not intentionally, allowed banks to collateralize the assets and to use them, as investment banks, to participate directly in the secondary financial markets. Deregulation was originally intended to finance supply with more liquidity of resources in order to meet an increasing demand in the real estate market. Eventually supply overtook demand while banks and financiers overtook market safeguards in favor of speculative profit. The US housing bubble that occurred in 1983 with the savings-and-loan debacle was amplified to multiple effects in 2008, producing the financial crisis that spread to the UK and the world. The 2011 US Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report identified "widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision" producing instability that undermined world markets (p. xviii). Deregulation McClendon (2010) explains how in 1980 the Depository Institutions Deregul ation and Monetary Control act freed banks from usury ceilings held by US states, enabling them to charge conventional high interest rates to appropriate populations for home mortgage loans. This act also raised the deposit insurance limits up to $100,000. The ceiling had previously been $40,000. The Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act of 1982 soon followed and allowed banks to make adjustable rate and interest-only mortgages outside of state restrictions. Both of these measures were intended to help banks and savings and loans institutions spread more liquidity into appropriate markets. The US Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982 enabled savings and loans banks to enter the lending market with low loan-to-value ratios (McClendon, 2010). The result was that the

Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions Essay

Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions - Essay Example Finally, the paper will close with a review on the ethical issues that surrounds the correction processes, approaches and facilities. Crime and community safety have been the most disturbing issues across the entire world since time immemorial. Criminal activities carried within communities have caused unrest and state of confusion as most people fear for the safety of their lives and property. It is due to adverse effects of crimes on communities that legal professionals and security personnel came up with strategies of arresting, examining, rehabilitating and incarcerating individual criminals to restore peace, sanity and confidence in particular communities. Historically, criminal activities were assumed to be caused by evil spirits and therefore, individual criminals were taken to the public for severe punishment as deterrence to other potential activities. Revolution took place in history of crime justice and community safety and gave rise to alternative models of discouraging and ending criminal activities. Among the notable revolutionized ways of handling criminal activities include parole, probation and in termediate sanctions. Schmalleger (2012) avers that the three methods of handling crime justice and community safety have been experiencing pendulum effects due back and forth review and exercise. Patersilia (1998) asserts that probation and parole have been misunderstood as the only approaches to ensuring community safety and criminal justice. Despite the similarities in the application of parole and probation modes of enforcing criminal justice, the difference occurs in the manner in which each is ignited and set to work. Probation according to Patersilia (1998) is an execution process involving the sentencing of criminal offenders to serve in the community projects as opposed to incarceration. Parole involves release of an offender from

The Lord Of The Flies Chapter 5 Review Essay Example for Free

The Lord Of The Flies Chapter 5 Review Essay In chapter 5 Ralph says, Things are breaking up. (Page 102). Having read the whole novel, comment on whether you think that things will continue to break up on the island. Explain your answer in detail, using quotes where appropriate. The plane crash that starts Goldings novel is hardly a good omen, and things continue to deteriorate throughout the story. Ralphs realisation in chapter five that Things are breaking up, (pg 102) is a perfect summary of what has started to happen, but at this point he has no idea of how bad things will get. The first time we meet Jack; he is portrayed as being in almost complete darkness (pg 27). This suggests there is a side to his personality that is far from pure, while the first time we are introduced to Piggy and Ralph, they strip off and go swimming. This suggests innocence and light, a far cry from Jack and the choirboys looming darkness. The first indication we receive that things are breaking up is in chapter two, at the assembly. Ralph is talking about how there will need to be rules and order, when Jack interrupts with All the same you need an army. (Pg 43) After this, it is decided that the choir will be this army- the clear beginning of the degradation of Jack and the choirboys from angels to torturing hunters. Another key event that happens in this meeting is the conch being chosen to signify a persons right to talk. This is the only rule that exists at the moment, and it is already broken before the end of the meeting, when all the boys follow Jack off to make a fire: Jack clamoured among them, the conch forgotten. (Pg 49) It becomes very clear that all is not well on the island when a littlun tells the assembly of a beastie that lives on the island. Ralph desperately tries to reassure the children: But there isnt a beastie! (Pg 47), while Jack unsettles them by talk of hunting and death: If there was a snake wed hunt and kill it. When Golding points out that Ralph Felt himself facing something ungraspable, (pg 48) he is subtlely stating that the so-called beastie is not some terrible creature, but evil beginning to surface in the boys. This emergence of evil marks the beginning of the island, the boys and their microcosm breaking up. When building the fire, Jack and Piggy argue about whether Piggy helped at all. When Piggy points out that he has the conch, Jack snaps with The conch doesnt count on top of the mountain. Here Jack is finding ways to detach himself from the rule and order of the conch, and succeeding. The first death in the book is when the boy with the mulberry birthmark disappears and is killed in the forest fire. This is due to the hunters lack of responsibility and letting the fire get out of control. In chapter three, it becomes apparent that the boys are undergoing a change for the worse. They have now reverted to the rhythm of nature, rather than civilised time, and they become much more savage in that they are now able to kill. The group is not working together, and so their society is breaking off into smaller groups. On page 64, Ralph complains to Jack that no one is helping he and Simon build the shelters: they (the littluns) keep running off. The hunters were also away from the main group, on another unsuccessful hunt. Jack then loses his temper, and his evil is clearly referenced. In this chapter, a definite rift has begun to appear between Ralph and Jack, an event pointed out on page 70: the shouting and splashing and laughing was only just sufficient to bring them together again. The only character who does not seem to be breaking up is Simon. He is the silent, solid listener of the boys island society. His truthfulness and clarity of thinking, as well as his peaceful behaviour, sets Simon apart from the group of savages. They think he is weird which makes him an outcast from the group. At the end of chapter three he wanders off to be solitary and peaceful. Here, he begins be aware of the decline that is occurring, with increasing velocity, in the social structure and peaceful beauty of the island. He is one of the few, perhaps the only person in the group, with the capability to understand the danger in such degeneration. Simons realisation that all is not what it seems happens on page 66: As if this wasnt a good island. The very title of chapter four, painted faces and long hair suggests the breaking up of the island society as the boys regress to savagery. There is a pause however, a reminder that the boys old morals have not gone completely when Roger is unable to throw a rock directly at Henry. The taboos of old life (Pg 78) prevented him from doing so. Also in chapter four, Ralph spots smoke on the horizon whilst bathing. However, the hunters had let the fire go out and no smoke was spotted: The fire was smokeless and dead, the watchers were gone (Pg 85). When the hunters return, they have killed a pig and are too excited about this act of savagery to worry about the most important thing (in theory) on the island. This event marks a change in the group, Ralph especially: they let the bloody fire out. This is the first time we see Ralph lose his temper. The pig is then roasted, and a ritualistic dance takes place. The hunters chant, kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in. This is a primitive and savage thing to do. Chapter five really reinforces the changes the island, social structure and indeed the boys are going through. Ralph says, in an assembly, how they do not gather water anymore, or use their designated bathrooms. This debate eventually turns to rules. Jack points out that if Ralph cannot hunt or song (in other words act as a savage), then does he have the right to be chief? More arguing ensues, and The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. (Pg 113). The meeting is in absolute disorder, and now it is obvious that Ralphs statement that things are breaking up was absolutely true. Because there is now nothing to stop the group of boys (or savages) from fragmenting and degenerating, things will now continue to break up until the end of the novel. Chapter six starts in darkness. This is the point where the dead parachutist makes his entry into the story. The parachutists introduction shows that not all contact with the outside world is lost, but the only sign is a dead, rotting man killed in war: But a sign came down from the world of grown-ups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it. (Pg 118) This is an answer to Ralphs desperate cry at the end of chapter five, although not at all what he had wanted, or expected. While Sam and Eric are tending to the fire, they see the eerie silhouette of the parachutist flapping about in the breeze and immediately perceive it as a physical form of the beast. They run back to Ralph and Piggy, and tell of the events that have just taken place at an early morning assembly: Ralph pointed fearfully at Erics face, which was striped with scars where the bushes had torn him How did you do that? Eric felt his face. The other boys automatically think that the beast had attacked them, but this time there is no one comforting the littluns and saying that there is no beast. At this, Jack proposes to hunt the beast and his true feelings come through: Sucks to the littluns! We dont need the conch anymore. (Page 125) Here, Jack has abandoned any trace of order that there once was, and is only interested in hunting. Jack leads the boys to castle rock, the only place that nobody had explored. Ralph walked in the rear, thankful to have escaped responsibility (Pg 128). This shows that leadership is taking its toll on Ralph, and that he is now perhaps not as good a leader as he was at the beginning. Jack and the hunters, once at castle rock, get very excited about the place and say it would be good for a fort. Ralph then spoils their fun and Jack leads the group back to the shelter. During chapter seven, Ralph joins the hunt. He becomes very involved, both in the actual hunt and the ritual dance that follows. He succumbs to the urge to hurt, in just the same way as the savage hunters. Ralph too was fighting to get near The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. (Pg 142) They become so absorbed into the dance that they do not notice that they are hurting Robert. After this dance, Golding describes the deteriorating landscape of the island, mirroring the boys degeneration. Ralph, Jack and Roger then go up the mountain to look for the beast. In chapter eight, Gift for the darkness, a number of objects have now become taboo, for instance the beast and, in the case of Piggy, Jack. The boys express their fear for things by not naming them. Without realising it, they are actually increasing their fear by not facing up to it. Jack becomes much more violent, and his possessiveness and longing for leadership is at its strongest: Hands up, said Jack strongly, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief. (Pg 157) Jack then goes off and decides to make a camp of his own, but he calls it a tribe (which is showing obvious savagery). The savages who had once belonged to the choir went with him, an eerie parody of the once angelic group. Jacks tribe go on a hunt, and catch a pig. After this death, they joyfully cover themselves in the pigs blood. The act of killing marks a milestone in that the boys have reached a very primitive level of living. Later, Jack and his gang raid Ralphs encampment. They steal a burning log for their own fire and Jack invites all the boys to come join his tribe at the feast they are to have that night. As the savages leave, Ralph comments about how he wishes he could have fun too, but still the fire is more important to him. Back at the clearing Simon is having a discussion with the pigs head that the hunters had put on a stick. This discussion is probably mostly in Simons head, but Golding uses this interview as an eerie way to unveil the theme of the novel. Golding now refers to the fly-covered pigs head as the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies asks Simon if hes afraid of him. It says: I am the Beast Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didnt you? Im part of you! (Pg 177) The Beast then warns Simon not to tell anyone the truth, otherwise he will be killed. He decides not to heed this advice, and at the end of chapter nine Simon comes running out of the jungle. He shouts and screams that the beast is only a dead man, but the savages do not listen. Simon is murdered in the ritual dance, the very final step to savagery. The tribe, after this, find no problem in stealing Piggys glasses. By this time, the conch has gone from pink to white. It has faded, and so has its power and rule over the group. When it is smashed in chapter 11, this marks the end of all rules and morals the boys might still have traces of. Piggy is killed in chapter 11, when roger pushes him off the cliff with a boulder. The boys are eventually rescued in the middle of savagely smoking Ralph out of the forest. If they had not broken up so much as to set the forest on fire, they would never have been rescued so it might be said that it is a good thing that the boys degenerated so much as to set a forest alight. However, the naval officer who rescues them takes them off to his ship, which is probably engaged in war itself. So when the boys leave the island, they have escaped the evil of the tribe, but not of man itself.

The Effects of Sexism in Schools

The Effects of Sexism in Schools The theme about stereotypes and prejudice is really important in our society. Walter Lipmann is the man, who defines first the term stereotype in his book How society thinks (1922). He says that stereotype is something that helps us live in the reality easily. That is the positive said, the negative is, that stereotype thinking stops us from out of the box thinking and open mind. Walter Lipmann also defines the term stereotype à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ stereotype is a commonly held popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals, standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. Prejudice is a term, which defines our tendency for judging someone before we know him. These terms have a positive said too- they make communication easy for us. But I think that the negatives about stereotypes and prejudice are more than the positives. There are many stereotypes even in the education system. One of the most common stereotypes is sexism. It affects every said of our lives. Almost every men and woman have same stereotypes about the gender roles. The really important aspect of this problem is that sexism is well known in education system and many kids are suffering from it. It begins in elementary school and continues till graduating from college, sometimes even after that. Little boys and girls are constantly told about their gender roles and how they should react and behave, because of those roles. They are given no choice they should behave as expected and no other way. There is another aspect of the problem. In schools and colleges, teachers and professors expect different results by boys and girls. The boys are considered with less potential and everyone expects lower grades by them. Girls are considered as good in some things, but awful in math, physics and other science like that. Those opinions can make things really difficult for the children, because they cant show their real abilities and skills. Sexism, which entered the lexicon in 1970 as an analogue to racism, connotes a fundamental and pervasive institutionalized bias on the basis of sex, with discrimination usually directed against woman ( Frazier and Sadker 1973).The rationale for sexism is the biological difference between males and females that dictates differential social roles,status, and norms ( Sleeter and Grant 1988). From Sexism in single-sex and coeducational independent secondary school classrooms by Valerie E. Lee, Helen M., Marks and Tina Byrd. In thos pharagraf of theyre study, they explain the term sexism. The study begins with explanation that sexism begins way back in the history. Likek other socializing institutions, the family and the church ,have inevitably transmitted sociocultural sexism, so did the schools. Classrooms, where the process of schooling largely occurs, are primary sites for sexist socialization. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ In an ideal world, children would be raised in a society free of gender stereotypes. Such freedom from these stereotypes would allow children to exhibit behaviors and acquire skills based solely on their personal preferences devoid of the constraints of the societal norms that surround their particular gender (Bem 1983). However, in the real world, from the moment of their birth, children are placed into either a boy or girl category (Bem 1983; Fagot and Leinbach 1993; Kimmel 2004). This seemingly fundamental physiological distinction is automatically surrounded by a system of societal expectations that determine which behaviors are appropriate for boys and which are appropriate for girls (Fagot and Leinbach 1993) and facilitate the creation and maintenance of gender role stereotypes (Ridgeway and Correll 2004) in Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Abstract Eaglys social role theory (Eagly and Steffen 1984). From this paragraph, we can make the logical conclusion, that something in our society and educational system is wrong. We raise our children in a world, in which these stereotypes are very common. These categories that we put kids in have an effect o n their entire life. In school, boys and girls come with some ideas how to behave. They learn that from their family direct, or by coping models of behavior. Since the first grade, everyone continues to expect from children to act as they are told to- like a girl or a boy. Girls cant play with cars and toy soldiers, because they will become women, and this is not good for a woman. The woman should we nice and tender. If the boys are sometimes a little rude- this is not a problem, because from them this is expected. If they want to play with dolls this is not write, because they can grow up feminize. This is something that reflects really hard on children psychic. When they grow up, they continue to follow that models of behavior and that is cosign a lot of problems. In the education is the same- the boy should we really good in math, but if he can write, this is a little strange. A girl should write beautiful, but nobody would belief, that she knows a lot about physics. This is a h uge problem, because it makes communicating, growing up, developing a hard and intense process, which is put in frame and cant go out of it- other way the kid is consider as strange. As an example for that frames may be considered situation of gender and mathematics in England and Wales. Teresa Smart wrote an article on that mater, which is explains why girls abandon science before leaving school Gender and mathematics in England and Wales. In the article, Smart explains, that the stereotype- boys are good in mathematics is putting girls under pressure and they prefer to focus on other sciences. The difference between boys and girls are also discussed in the study Gender differences in mathematical achievement related to the ratio of girls to boys in school classes by Terje Manger and Rolf Gjestad. This study discuss the importance of the number of boys and girl in the classroom. The authors are analyzing a research, done in 3 grade in classes with many boys and less girls, many girls and less boys, and a class with a balance. The results do not support the single-sex teaching theory. That theory clames, that single-sex school gives an opportunity for developing to both sexes. In that study, authors also prove, that there is a difference between boys and girls in mathematics: The differences in mathematical achievement between boys and girls are well documented in the educational and psychological literature. While the differences in general samples are decreasing (Feingold 1988) disparate proportions favoring boys are well-known in mathematically gifted samples,(Benbow 1988 ; Benbow and Stanley 1983; Hyde, Fennema and Lamon 1990).The differences also vary according to mathematical subskills. Boys seem to perform better than girls on tasks requiring application of algebraic rules or algorithms, as well as on tasks in which the understanding of mathematical concepts and number relationship is required (Mills, Ablard and Stumpf 1993). The newest researches on that matter are proving something different- every one of us has different part of the brain developed more than the other. People, who have more developed write part, are with better achievements in mathematics and other sciences like that; people, who have more developed left part of the brain are good in history, literature and other. That is a prove, that the difference is not coming from the gender. From grade school to graduate school to the world of work, males and females are separated by a common language. This communications gender gap affects self-esteem, educational attainment, career choice, and income. But its hidden lessons generally go unnoticed. Sexism in the classroom: from grade school to graduate school by Myra Sadker and David Sadker. Myra and David Sadker are researching classroom interactions in elementary and secondary schools. Their article is focusing on four of their conclusions of the research. The first conclusion they made is: male students receive more attention from teachers and are given more time to talk in classrooms. The second conclusion: Educators are generally unaware of the presence or the impact of this bias.. The third conclusion: Brief but focused training can reduce or eliminate sex bias from classroom interaction.. The four conclusion : Increasing equity in classroom interaction increases the effectiveness of the teacher as well. Equity and effectiveness are not competing concerns; they are complementary. Myra and David Sadkers first study is proving, that male students are involved in more interaction than females. Teachers are talking more to them and allow them to talk more in class. The teachers observed in this study were both male and female; they represented both white and minority groups; they taught in the areas of language arts, social studies, and mathematics. This proves, that the teachers were affect mainly by the sexism stereotype in classrooms. The educators are not aware of the impact of sexism in the classroom. They dont realize, that their behavior in not adequate. They dont understand, that this way they are stopping females developing, and lowing their chances for receiving good education. This unawareness of the educators is a big problem in schools. Sexism cant be removed, when nobody realizes that its there. All it takes, to removing sex bias from classrooms is to train the educators. They need to know, that sexism has to be removed from the classrooms, that this is cosign problems to females not only in school, but also later, when they are working. When there is sexism in the classroom, the education process cannot be effective. When teachers are not realizing the problem and cant remove it, they cant be useful to the children. If there is equity in the classroom, the process will be effective, this will increase the chances of children to have a good education. In her paper : Gender freedom and the subtleties of sexist education, Barbara Houston is discussing the idea of gender-free education. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the following three distinct meanings. In the first sense, the strong sense, a gender-free education would be one that made active attempts to disregard gender by obliterating gender differentiations which arose within the educational sphere. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Another example of this approach is the elimination of activities, such as wrestling, in which there are thought to be significant gender differences in achievements due to natural and ineradicable biological differences between the sexes. In her paper, Houston is focusing on the education, that eliminates gender and its ignoring it. The idea is, that gender should be no longer used as a criteria, that boys and girls should not be separated and not be given instructions how to behave, judged by their gander : à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ gender-free to mean freedom from gender bias. On this un derstanding, a gender-free education would eliminate gender bias. From this sources, discussing the theme about sexism in school, can be made several conclusions. Sexism, as sociological and culture understanding of the gender differences, exist in schools of all kinds. Sexism is the separation between boys and girls, based on their biological differences and affects a lot their education. Male student are given priority, females are underrated- they cannot show their real potential. This is big problem in classrooms, because sex roles are putting educational process in frames, they stop boys and girls to develop, learn everything they want to, not what they supposed to. Teachers sometimes are not aware that there is sexism in their classroom and they dont know how to eliminate it. The good education is one, that is gender-free, which is not focused on the gender differences and is removing this as a criteria for educating.

Depictions of the Reformation in Art

Depictions of the Reformation in Art The corruption and immorality of the Church spurred the Christian Reform movement in Europe, eventually leading to the hundred years of civil war between Protestants and Catholics or the Protestant Reformation. The Counter- Reformation began with the Pope Paul IIIs calling of the Council of Trent in response to Protestant uprising; this movement was initiated by the Churchs attempt to re-establish its power as the only true Church of Christ while pacifying the current disorder as well. The creation of these two rivaling movements jeopardized the Roman Catholic Churchs absolute authority in Europe, dividing it into the regions of the Protestant North and Catholic South. Influenced by these two opposing movements, the North and South branched out into different directions in terms of its culture and artistic style of painting. They developed unique style of painting, depicting differing themes, styles, and contents based on their dissimilar beliefs. What influence did the reform moveme nts have on the paintings from the south of the Alps, the north of the Alps, and the Netherlands and were the artists from these regions inspired by each other despite the divergence in their styles? The paintings by the artists from the South of the Alps would most likely been influenced by the Counter- Reformation, while the works produced from the other two regions would reflect the influence of the Protestant Reformation due to their geographical locations. Therefore, the content and purpose of the works from these regions should differ but some similarities may exist in the artists painting techniques because it was common for artists to travel to Rome during this time. It is interesting to analyze how the style in 16th and 17th Century Europe was shaped by the religious disparity and the development of new ideas which were reflected in the paintings. Since it is inaccurate to generalize the whole European continent into only two sections, I decided to narrow down my topic by focusing on the South of the Alps, the North of the Alps, and the Netherlands. I chose to study these regions because the South of the Alps was the center of Counter- Reformation strongly embraced by the Roman Catholic Church, while the North of the Alps was the birth place of the Protestantism. And the Netherlands was the hot bed for dispute between Calvinism and Catholicism. I referred the Protestant Reformers as one group, choosing not to deal with the Protestant sectarianism, a division within the Reformers due to the difference in their interpretation of the sacred texts, as part of my research. The final spark of the Protestant Reformation was The Ninety-Five Theses written by Martin Luther in 1517. His work disclosed Churchs dishonesty, rousing doubts in peoples minds about the Catholicism and also the Churchs authority. His criticism of the sale of indulgences and the Roman Catholic clergys abuses quickly earned popularity among people, regardless of their social standings and wealth, ultimately giving birth to Protestantism. Martin Luther condemned the sale of indulgences as a violation of the original meaning of confession and penance. Indulgence is the forgiveness of the temporal punishment for sins that have already been confessed. Reformers like Zwingli and Calvin had also commented on the corruptions within Church, but Luther was the one who introduced the radical idea of purifying the Christianity by physically breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church. The Luthers idea spread rapidly throughout the Europe, threatening the Roman Catholic Churchs established auth ority especially in the North. In addition to being known as the center of the Counter-Reformation, the South of the Alps was known as the center of stylistic development as well. It was the place of passion and innovation with the overflow of new artistic styles eventually giving birth to the Italian Renaissance. The artists from all of the Europe visited Rome and were inspired by the unique Italian styles. Aside from the innovative styles of Italian Renaissance, its content was often strictly religious. The Roman Catholic Church attempted to re-establish the catholic faith among people by regulating the artworks produced. The southern painters were forced to bring back the medieval tradition of producing strictly religious art, branching off into the different direction from the Northern painters. Scipione Pulzone was famous in Rome as the prototype of the Southern painters during this time period for his strictly religious paintings. The Lamentation, one of his most famous paintings, serves as the prime example of the art commissioned by the Church. Painted in 1592 for the chapel of the Passion of Christ in the Jesuit church of Gesà ¹ in Rome, this painting is clearly influenced by the Counter- Reformation in that it demonstrates the new artistic style advocated by the holy council. The Crucifixion of the Christ is the focus of this art piece, drawing viewers attention directly to the idealistic image of Christ in the center. Like other southern painters during this time period, the artist propagated faith by portraying the lives of saints and Christ in a realistic yet intensely dramatic manner. The careful details, facial expressions, along with the shadows cast on people enhance the lifelike characteristics. The depiction of the folds on peoples gowns is also note-worthy. The artist adds details such as tears of Virgin, the crown of thorns held by John, and the pallor of the Christs body to portray people in a more expressionistic manner. Moreover, the spotlight on the Christ in the center contributes an illusionistic and dramatic element to the painting which counter-balances the paintings realistic image. The light cast on the Christ, in comparison to the dark background, creates almost a theatrical impression. These characteristics represent the style of art in the south of the Alps during this period, also called the Italian Renaissance. Catholic Italy and Lutheran Germany shared in a lively commerceand the art of the sixteenth century in the north manifests the benefit of the exchange. Although the religious clash tormented the sixteenth century Europe, the exchange of artistic ideas continued to thrive. In the North, the intellectual shakeup of age-old faiths and opinions prepared the way for a new and nonreligious outlook on the world-the Enlightenment-when the rise of a scientific view of nature would challenge forever the dogmatisms of the past, also called the Northern Renaissance. However, the art of northern Europe during this period is also characterized by a sudden awareness of the advances made by the Italian Renaissance and by a desire to assimilate this new style. In other words, while the content of the artworks produced in the North differ from those of the region south of the Alps, the style was similar. Many northern artists traveled to Rome to study the new art in firsthand and others were exposed to the Italian style of painting through the direct contact with the Italian artists who came to the north. The influence of the Italian art varied according to the artist, the time, and the place; the northern artists generally kept their local traditions while adopting on ly single motifs or the general form of a composition. The Northern painters in general moving away from depicting biblical scenes and turned to painting ordinary people in a commonplace setting can be inferred to have been influenced by the Protestant- Reformation. Especially in the north of the Alps, the artists quickly incorporated Italian style into their artworks while avoiding portrayal of religious themes. The famous work, The Battle of Issus, by Albrecht Altdorfer in 1529 is a great example of a northern painting that diverges from the works produced in the regions south of the Alps. Albrecht Altdorfer represents the Donaustil (Danube Style), which depicts the landscape and stresses mood and passion. Although Altdorfers style is unique and personal, it still reflects the influence of Protestant- Reformation in that it eliminates depiction of religious themes. Moreover, his style clearly diverges from the style of painting prevalent in the regions of the south of the Alps. The painter gives a birds eye view of an Alpine landscape as the setting and depicts the battle scene in which the Alexander the Great overthrows the Persian King Darius. Instead of illustrating the strictly religious theme, the artist chooses to focus more on depicting the historical event. The crowd of people in comparison to the vast nature in the background suggests the moralizing theme of the insignificance of h uman life. He uses the vast nature in the background to symbolize the power of cosmos and the illuminating sky to represent the immense space. The slight trace of Italian Renaissance is shown by the meticulous details the painter uses for the image of Alexander the Great and the dramatic and illusionistic portrayal of the setting. Also the idealistic impression of the artwork as a whole resembles that of the Italian Renaissance paintings. Another praise-worthy example of Northern painting is The Judgment of Paris by Lucas Cranach the Elder, who is the representative of German Protestant painting. This work is a great example of how his works shifted from religious to humanistic subject matter when he became a follower of Luther. His humanistic subject matters include mythology, history, and also portraits. The Judgment of Paris illustrates the scene from mythology in which the three goddesses boast off their beauties in front of Paris. The humanistic subject matter along with the background landscape reflects the typical characteristics of Northern paintings. The cupid in the painting serves as a symbol for love and affection while the German armor that Paris is wearing in the painting represents his social status as a knight and his honor. The artist does not dress the goddesses after the antique manner. Cranachs composition featuring the nude was inspired in an attempt to learn from the style of Italian Renaissance. The Four Apostles by Albrecht Durer in 1526 is a remarkable northern painting that is stylistically influenced by Italian Renaissance. This art piece is unique in that the painter expresses his own religious and political testament, sympathizing the protestant cause and [warning] against the dangerous times, when religious, truth, justice, and the virtues all will be threatened. Unlike other Northern paintings, this piece does contain religious meanings, but it distinguishes itself from Italian paintings by eliminating any glorification of the Church. This piece was hung in the city hall, the four apostles symbolically representing the guardians of the city; they are cautioning people against the sermons of false prophets who will misinterpret the word of God. The four apostles are symbolic representative of various ideas such as the four temperaments, of the human soul, and also the four ages of man. In this painting, Durers experience of traveling to Italy allows him to harmonize t he two opposing styles of northern naturalism and southern monumentality. The realistic visualization of the four apostles reflects the northern naturalism while the monumentality of the figures along with the vivid use of color and sharp lighting mirror the Italian Renaissance. Durer, along with Cranach and Altdorfer, serves as an example of northern artist who illustrated contents related to Protestant-Reformation while incorporating styles of Italian Renaissance into his paintings. The Netherlands was the exceptional region in North in which Calvinism and Catholicism co-existed. In the late 16th Century, the Northern Netherlands was able to break away from Spains influence, while the Southern Netherlands remained under the rule of Spain. Therefore, the Northern Netherlands eventually embraced Calvinism while the Southern Netherlands remained as supporters of Catholicism. It is important to realize that Dutch and Flemings were not predestined to become Calvinists and Catholics; it was solely caused by the geographical and military circumstances. No curtain existed between the North and the South that forbid the exchange of ideas. In fact, Constantin Huygens, a diplomat and an art critic, referred to great painters of Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague collectively as the painters of Netherlands. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that the Northern Netherlands was only influenced by Calvinist ideas, which also applies to the Southern Netherlands. In the early 17th Century Catholicism was suppressed and catholic churches were demolished due to the iconoclast movement, but the protestantizing of the Northern Netherlands was still a slow process. Most artists chose to remain as Catholics, although exact number is hard to determine. However, the attempt to repair damage caused by the iconoclast movement was not as extensive and as systematic in the North as in the South. The Northern Renaissance in the Netherlands took on a completely different form from the Italian Renaissance because the Church no longer was the major patron in the North. Instead, the wealthy merchant middle class were the primary patrons of the art and thus, the Dutch masters painted small pictures for their small houses, not for the Cathedral altars. Since large church commissions were no longer available, artists changed their styles in accordance to the taste of their new customers. The artists from the Netherlands specialized in intense realism, depicting lifelike features with an unflattering honesty, unlike the Italian Renaissance painters who specialized in idealism and simplicity. Therefore, the basis of art for the Northern Renaissance was observation while for the Italian Renaissance, it was theory. The Northern Renaissance in the Netherlands indirectly reflects the influence of Protestantism in that religious themes no longer prevailed in art, although more direct causes were the changing structure of the Netherlands economy and culture. The artworks produced in the 17th Century Netherlands were more conservative compared to those of Germany, concentrating on the nature and the past times of the prosperous Dutch merchants. The direct portraits, realistic still-lifes, landscapes, marine-scapes, and genre paintings showing scenes of everyday life were popular subjects of the Dutch artists. A Scene on the Ice by Hendrick Avercamp in 1625 is an accurate representation of a typical Dutch style, illustrating the commonplace scene of people enjoying winter sports in the quiet village of Kampen northeast of Amsterdam. His style clearly reflects the Northern Renaissances realism and its use of details, faithfully depicting the winter. He enhances his realistic rendering by using a frosty day to convey a sense of depth; the pearly gray tonality here becomes ever paler and the forms less distinct as they move into the distance. His work is unique in that it successfully portrays all classes of Dutch society through by using meticulous details, from the poor fisherman surveying the skater to the well-dressed ladies riding in an elegant sleigh driven by a groom. This is the typical genre painting of Northern Renaissance departing itself from the religious influence of Roman Catholic Church of Italy. A seascape, along with landscape, also became very popular in Holland due to the rise of merchant class; view of Dordrecht from the Dordtse Kil by Jan Van Goyen painted in 1644 serves is an impressive seascape painting. The artist uses monochromatic phase, which is a technique in which a single color dominates the painting, to unify each view of nature; the golden brown aura dictates the scene, from the hazy clouds to the city skyline. He reached the summit of Northern realism by lowering the horizon to focus more on the atmospheric conditions overhead and by creating an illusion of standing on the opposite shore of the port. Unlike the Northern Netherlands, the Southern Netherlands was more influenced by the Counter Reformation than the Protestant Reformation. The Reborn Catholicism in Spain had an undeniable impact on the Southern Netherlands provinces. Moreover, France sent numerous religious orders and congregations to Spanish Netherlands in order to secure the Catholics authorit y. The disparity in the contents of the paintings resulted from the disagreement in Protestants and Catholics perspectives of the human relationship with god. Unlike the Protestants who claimed that humans are capable of having a direct communication with god, the Catholics argued that intermediaries, such as saints and the Virgin Mary, are essential for humans to connect with god. Therefore, Catholics created artworks of saints, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus and gave reverence to them, as a way of getting closer to god. Although the Catholics asserted that they are not worshipping the intermediaries, the Protestants criticized this practice and led the iconoclastic movements. Iconoclasm is a deliberate destruction of religious icons and symbols within ones own culture for religious changes. The Protestants and Catholics conflict was caused by the difference in their perspectives of the sacred and secular;while the Catholics maintained the clear separation of the two, the reformers recogni zed the connection between the two. Consequently, the Roman Catholic Church clergy advocated strictly religious and sacred artworks whereas the reformers preferred artworks depicting the lives of ordinary people. The Northern Protestant painters believed that an ordinary life could glorify God just as much as a life `in the ministry ; since god created humans in His image, the reformation artists claimed that they are glorifying god by portraying the natural beauty of his creation, in other words, the people. These differing ideas are well conveyed through the artworks produced from the regions south of the Alps, north of the Alps, and the Netherlands mentioned above. My thesis is partially proven to be correct in that Italian art was definitely influenced by the Counter- Reformation and that German art was influenced by the Protestant- Reformation. But contradicting to my statement, the Netherlands was influenced by both religious movements. According to the Art History Professor S arah Blick from Canyon University, the Counter- Reformation had a more direct influence on art produced after 1520s then the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, she suggested me focus on the lack of religious content in the artworks in order to study the influence of Protestant Reformation during her interview. Although artworks from each of these regions have distinct characteristics that set them apart, Italian style of painting frequently perceived in these artworks indicate that artists were inspired by each other. Because I had to narrow down my topic, many new questions emerged from my research. I am curious to know whether the various Protestantism had different influences on art. For this research, I referred to Protestants as one group but I want to extend my research so that I can investigate on the influence of the Protestant Sectarianism on art. Bibliography MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation A History. New York: Viking Adult, 2004. Print. The Annotated Mona Lisa. Missouri: John Boswell Management, Inc., 1992. Print. Helen, Gardner,. Gardners art through the ages. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College, 1996. Print. Iconography of the Counter Reformation in the Netherlands heaven on earth John B Knippings Art of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. HyperHistory.net. Web. 07 Oct. 2009. . Scipione Pulzone (Il Gaetano): The Lamentation (1984.74) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. Web. 07 Oct. 2009. . Janson, H. W. History of art for young people. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2002. Print. Matters of Taste: Genre and Still Life Painting in the Dutch Golden Age. Welcome to Albany Institute of History and Art. Web. 07 Oct. 2009. .

what is philosophy :: essays research papers

Very briefly, philosophy might be regarded as a conceptual enquiry dealing with fundamental issues relating to life, knowledge and values. By conceptual enquiry we mean an enquiry that relies primarily on critical reasoning. This includes : Analysing the meaning of concepts Identifying logical connections between theories Evaluating arguments and exposing fallacies Here is a Chinese newspaper article from MingPao on how philosophy improves critical thinking. Philosophy and other subjects According to such a conception of philosophy, philosophy is distinctive in both its method and subject matter. Art or literature might also deal with fundamental issues in life, but the use of critical reasoning is not a necessary part of artistic expression. Critical reasoning of course plays an important role in science, but science is an empirical enquiry into the nature of the world, relying on observations and experiments. In such respects philosophy is more like mathematics and logic. However, the subject matter of philosophy is more general in that it deals with all sorts of different areas outside mathematics and logic, such as religion and morality. Although philosophy is different from science, it would be a mistake to conclude that philosophy cannot contribute to the development of science. Philosophers can help scientists clarify the basic concepts in scientific theories, and use their skills in logic to evaluate the strength of evidence supporting or criticizing particular theories. Many sciences (e.g. psychology) originally developed out of philosophy. What philosophy can do Why should you study philosophy? If you are busy and don't have the patience or interest to reflect on fundamental issues, then perhaps philosophy is not for you. But for people who are interested in critical reflection, philosophy can be an enjoyable activity. There are other reasons for doing philosophy apart from pleasure. First, philosophical skills in thinking and writing and help us in describing and understanding theories and ideologies. Here philosophers take up the task of a cartographer, mapping out conceptual terrain and logical structure. Second, as mentioned earlier, philosophy can be an important tool in helping us acquire knowledge. Logic and critical reasoning are necessary to achieve consistency and in determining the right conclusions to be drawn given our observations and experiences. Finally, philosophy can also play a transformative role in our lives and social institutions. Through critical reflection on the justification and coherence of the values in social practices and our own actions, we do not just acquire a deeper understanding of our culture and of who we are.

Care of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Essay -- central nervous syste

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an acquired demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that typically is diagnosed in the second or third decade of life. Normally, nerves are enclosed in myelin sheaths that help facilitate transmission of nerve impulses within the CNS and the peripheral nervous system throughout the body. In patients with MS, the myelin sheath is damaged and eventually degenerates, causing patches of scar tissue called plaques or lesions to occur anywhere randomly on the myelin sheath (Ruto, 2013). This results in impaired nerve conductivity, which interferes with message transmission between the brain and the other parts of the body. As a result, impulse transmission is altered, distorted, short-circuited, or completely absent. This interference in impulse transmission creates muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, and possibly muscle spasms with partial or complete paralysis. Multiple sclerosis also can result in visual impairment and alteration of cogn itive abilities, as well as pain, numbness, or tingling sensations (Ruto, 2013). MS affects about 400,000 persons in the USA and approximately 2.1million worldwide. The average age of onset is between 20–40 years, although it can also occur in young children and in people aged 50 years and more. It is estimated that the direct and indirect healthcare costs of MS in the United States result in approximately $35,000 spent per year per patient. Multiple sclerosis affects women more than men (DeLuca & Nocentini, 2011). Case study patient J.S. is a 25 year old Caucasian female, admitted to the hospital after she experienced a seizure. J.S. has no hx of seizures in the past. Upon evaluation, J.S. complaint that for the past year she has experienced: blur... ... Physical rehabilitation, and pain management. Conclusion Multiple sclerosis is a serious disabling disease. Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak, or walk. There is no single test for MS. Doctors use a medical history, physical exam, neurological exam, MRI, and other tests to diagnose it. There is no cure for MS, but there are drugs that slow the progression of the disease. As of now, there are eight drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A tremendous amount of progress has been made. Most of these drugs target only the early stage of the disease, not the progressive stages that are worse. Treatment often depends on which type of MS an individual has. References: Ruto, C. (2013). Special Needs Populations: Care of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. AORN Journal, 98(3), 281-293. Care of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Essay -- central nervous syste Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an acquired demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that typically is diagnosed in the second or third decade of life. Normally, nerves are enclosed in myelin sheaths that help facilitate transmission of nerve impulses within the CNS and the peripheral nervous system throughout the body. In patients with MS, the myelin sheath is damaged and eventually degenerates, causing patches of scar tissue called plaques or lesions to occur anywhere randomly on the myelin sheath (Ruto, 2013). This results in impaired nerve conductivity, which interferes with message transmission between the brain and the other parts of the body. As a result, impulse transmission is altered, distorted, short-circuited, or completely absent. This interference in impulse transmission creates muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, and possibly muscle spasms with partial or complete paralysis. Multiple sclerosis also can result in visual impairment and alteration of cogn itive abilities, as well as pain, numbness, or tingling sensations (Ruto, 2013). MS affects about 400,000 persons in the USA and approximately 2.1million worldwide. The average age of onset is between 20–40 years, although it can also occur in young children and in people aged 50 years and more. It is estimated that the direct and indirect healthcare costs of MS in the United States result in approximately $35,000 spent per year per patient. Multiple sclerosis affects women more than men (DeLuca & Nocentini, 2011). Case study patient J.S. is a 25 year old Caucasian female, admitted to the hospital after she experienced a seizure. J.S. has no hx of seizures in the past. Upon evaluation, J.S. complaint that for the past year she has experienced: blur... ... Physical rehabilitation, and pain management. Conclusion Multiple sclerosis is a serious disabling disease. Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak, or walk. There is no single test for MS. Doctors use a medical history, physical exam, neurological exam, MRI, and other tests to diagnose it. There is no cure for MS, but there are drugs that slow the progression of the disease. As of now, there are eight drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A tremendous amount of progress has been made. Most of these drugs target only the early stage of the disease, not the progressive stages that are worse. Treatment often depends on which type of MS an individual has. References: Ruto, C. (2013). Special Needs Populations: Care of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. AORN Journal, 98(3), 281-293.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells Essay -- Papers HG Wells Essays

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells Works Cited Not Included Time traveling, a concept known to modern man as inconceivable, but in The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells, this fathom of human fantasy has come to life. Wells entangles a unique blend of contrasting characters, conflicts of capitalist verses laborer divisions, and foreshadowing of the destruction of humanity to seem together this novel of visionary proportions. "The Time Machine is a bleak and sober vision of man's place in the Universe."(McConnell Pg.1581) Well's use of characters in The Time Machine brings a heavy sense of contrast and diversity into the story. There are five main characters around which the story revolves. Beginning with the Eloi and the Morlocks, which are the two branches of humanity in the year 802,701. The Eloi, who are our capitalist force, and whom resemble modern humans the most, live above ground and feed on the vast vegetation that has engulfed the Earth. The Eloi are lazy and mind spans to that of a five-year-old. The Eloi never fully mature for the cannibalistic Morlocks harvest them at a certain age as food. The Eloi are described as fair of skin and hair and are considered childlike and frail. "Fragile little creatures perhaps four feet tall, they pass their time in playing gently, in bathing in the river, in making love in a half-playful fashion, in eating fruit and sleeping. Human vigor and energy have passed into languor and decay."(McConnell Pg.3865) The Eloi live in splendid castles, but these bea utiful porcelain castles are crumbling because of a lack of maintenance due to inferiority and lack of concern from the Eloi. "But a second look reveals that is only a ruined splendor. All human artifacts are slowly crumbling. Some of th... ... try to make a difference on the people of that time. He leaves and tells Mr. Hillyer to prepare for his return, but he never makes it back. "Wells leaves unanswered the question whether the Time Traveler succeeded, for the man never returns. Thus our future, insofar as the reader is concerned, remains in jeopardy, since we cannot know what effects the Time Travelers warning might have had on future humans."(Magill Pg.867) H.G. Wells' use of contrasting characters, capitalist verse laborer conflicts, and the foreshadowing of humanities destruction have made this book not only one not to be overlooked, but one not ever to be forgotten as well. The possibilities of the future are endless, but The Time Machine clearly goes to show that the fate of the future will be what we as a society make of it, and the possibilities and impossibilities are merely consequence.

Ha Jin Book Reflection

The book begins with the main character (Shao Bin) being introduced. From there, we start to learn about his life as a worker and how he wants to upgrade his living situation for him and his wife. When his request is denied, he decides to do something about it. He uses calligraphy as a form of propaganda. When one of his drawings ends up in a newspaper, things start to go south. The people who are in charge of Bin and the other workers (Director Ma and Liu) find out about it and publicly humiliate him. To counter their attack, Bin accuses one of them of having an affair with a woman who he saw in their office.This fires everyone up and madness ensues. I feel like the issues being discussed in this book are very important, but the contents of this book are not very exciting. The attention-grabbing moments are few and far between, which is unfortunate because they’re what I look for when I’m reading a book. Overall, this novel is quite dull. I find Jin’s style of w riting a bit underwhelming and I wish that he didn’t include the unnecessarily boring parts in the novel such as descriptions of meals that Bin enjoys. The main theme that I noticed during the first section of In the Pond is an opposition to corrupt Chinese ways.Ha Jin uses the character Shao Bin to stand up and fight for what he thinks is right. There were several parts of this section that stuck out to me. Here are a few examples†¦ â€Å"Even though he couldn’t correct the leaders’ wrongdoing, he wanted to teach them an unforgettable lesson and show them that he wouldn’t swallow an offense. But what should he do? He remembered that the materialistic thinker Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty had said something about punishing the evil with the writing brush. † This is where the whole book basically begins. It is the time when Shao Bin gets the inspiration to stick up for himself.â€Å"Who are the masters of this plant? The workers or the two cor rupt leaders? Where is their communist conscience? † (Page 22) When reading In the Pond, this part of Bin’s letter stuck out to me because he really questioned his conditions instead of staying miserable. This is also a part of the theme, which becomes rather evident during this passage. â€Å"The workers heard of Bin’s disrupting the election, and they were impressed. They had taken him for a mere bookworm, but all of a sudden he had emerged as a man of both strategy and action. Naturally some young workers shook hands with him.† (Page 47)I appreciated the fact that Bin’s coworkers stood by him and supported him instead of simply shying away and ignoring their problems. The whole incident made them gain respect for Shao Bin which is really unique because if I were in their shoes, I would probably to avoid conflict by simply ignoring the whole ordeal. PART 2 This section starts out with Bin going to talk to Director Ma. When he gets to his office, L iu is there and denies his request for a promotion, stating that he would rather let Bin’s talents rot. This infuriates Shao and he storms out.Later on, he meets Yen who he instantly befriends over discussions of art. Yen is an amateur, but they still bond and gain mutual respect for each other. Yen then talks to the leaders and asks them to be kinder to Bin. After this, the leaders tell Shao to look for a job elsewhere because they intend on firing him. Yen finds out what happened and is infuriated. Bin then gets a letter from Gold County’s Cultural Center which states that they would like to utilize his talents for a year. He accepts and starts the job transfer after getting into a fight with the directors.Later on, Bin signs up for exams and is scoffed at by Liu and Ma. He takes the series of tests at a middle school. Promptly after they’re over, Bin’s wife shows him a letter from a professor who loved his work. Following a long period of dull events, another scandal emerges after Liu is bitten in the butt by Bin. The attack was provoked, but still Shao got the short end of the stick and was treated badly afterwards. The central theme is still clear during this section. Bin tries to fight the corruption that he witnesses daily.He uses calligraphy as a powerful tool against it This book has really opened my eyes to the communism in China. It inspired me to read further into it and what I have found has shocked me. Though I still don’t really enjoy In the Pond, I have learned quite a bit from it. The passages that stuck out to me in section 2†¦ â€Å"Do not worry about having no friend on the road; under heaven who has not heard of your name? † (Page 68) This part stood out not because of its relevance to the story, but because of the way that the author constructed the dialogue.I found it interesting that instead of simply saying â€Å"who hasn’t heard of your name? † he said â€Å"Under heaven wh o has not heard of your name? † I appreciated the eloquence of this part. â€Å"Bin couldn’t help smiling; his tears fell on the thin paper. ‘They’re going to accept me. He-he-he, they accept me! † he cried out, and held his wife up by the waist, swinging her around. One of her flying heels scraped Shanshan’s shoulder and knocked her down. † (Page 87) This joyous occasion was a highlight of section 2. It was nice for Shao Bin to finally have something positive happen to him.â€Å"The photograph taken, Liu buckled up his pants and followed Jia out of the studio. The girl looked at him with a knowing smirk on her face, her eyes rolling. Liu smiled back, then turned to the photographer. ‘Old Jia, can you make it express? I need five pictures as soon as possible. † (Page 97) The fact that Director Liu actually went and had a picture of his butt taken was a bit too much. Part 3 The last part of the book moves pretty fast. Liu is accused of having a relationship with Nina and Bin begins to respect Song less because of the way he handled a painting.Song’s report came out soon after and Bin was satisfied with the finished product. I feel section 3 of the book is full of a lot of pointless anecdotes, but in the end the novel wasn’t that bad. It had its moments of excitement, but it also had its moments of boring nonsense. I would give In the Pond a solid 6. In the end, I was relieved to have finished the novel for many reasons. For one, the ending was pretty great. Also, the book dragged a lot and I felt bored most of the time. The passages that I felt were important†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Against the current you must punt hard; one stroke skipped, you fall back many a yard. The ancients said every minute was gold; So, cherish your time and have it controlled. † (Page 162) Shao Bin remembers this poem about the methodology of study after he struggles with his art. I feel like this poem is quite inspir ational, which is the reason it stood out to me. It basically tells the reader to live life to the fullest. â€Å"After biting his fingertips for a few moments, he decided to engrave Tu Fu’s line ‘Your brush writes, raising wind and rain.† It seemed no words were more appropriate as a compliment to Jiang’s uncle. † (Page 140) This part is taken from when Bin is trying to decide what to carve onto the jade stone for Jiang’s uncle. This quotation is inspiring. It states that you have the ability to change things that you aren’t happy with. The theme is very evident in this passage. â€Å"On his way to the Commune Administration, he couldn’t resist smiling and whistling. In the sky a flock of geese were drifting south and gradually merging into the cotton clouds. Joyously Bin stretched up his right arm, as if he too had wings.† (Page 178)This was a great way to end the book. By comparing Bin’s freedom to the flight of a bird, Jin successfully tied up the story and left me satisfied with the end. Reilly Davidson August 2, 2013 Summer Reading 2013 In the Pond by Ha Jin Honors Assignment â€Å"In China, for most of the population, these fault lines – the immediate causes of public dissatisfaction – relate not only to vague yearnings for democracy but, more importantly, to profound economic frustrations and disgust over social inequities and corruption. † (Nicholas D. Kristof of The New York Times).This was taken from an article about the rebellion against Chinese leaders in 1989. It is applicable to the central theme expressed in both the novel and this news article. It’s an opposition to some form of Chinese ruling. In both situations, those who were against it took a stand and fought for what is/was right. The New York Times published a story many years ago entitled â€Å"CHINA ERUPTS†¦ THE REASON WHY†. It’s basically about the people of China who wer e thirsty for change in the spring of 1989. There were many rebels who stuck up for the cause that they placed great importance on.â€Å"†¦but galvanizing all of China with their threat to kill themselves rather than live without democracy† (excerpt from the article). This passage was important because it clearly states how important it was for the rebels to fight for their beliefs. Ha Jin attempts to share his thoughts about Chinese control by writing In the Pond. The main character (Shao Bin) was basically a tool to bring about the questions of â€Å"What would happen if we all stood up for what we believe in? † and â€Å"How can we take a stand for justice? † He addresses these two points within the first ten pages.â€Å"†¦ the true scholar’s brush must encourage good and warn against evil† (Page 8) This passage from the novel was a quote from Wang Chong, who I believe was a Chinese philosopher during the Han Dynasty. It’s an am azing idea to start the book off with such powerful words. Ha Jin included this as an important inspiration for the character Shao Bin. It leads him to speak out against the unjust ways of his supervisors. â€Å"As an artist and scholar I ought to expose those corrupt leaders†¦ A good piece of work should be as lethal as a dagger to evildoers. † These words fuel Bin throughout the entire novel. They are the match that lights the flame.Jin tactfully placed them in the beginning as a form of foreshadowing the theme of the entire novel. The theme that also applies to the aforementioned news article. Both pieces of literature address topics of sticking up for oneself and not letting dreams get crushed because of society’s ways. This theme is incredibly important and can be learned from in future situations. All in all, it is pretty evident that there are many people who feel that the situation with the democracy in China is unsatisfactory. The theme in both the news a rticle and In the Pond is clear and is seemingly something good to learn from.