Theoretical Analysis of Mrs Doubtfire - 999 Words

Mrs. Doubtfire Mrs. Doubtfire is a corky, light hearted movie that gives a glimpse into the lives of a family going through a divorce. The film sheds light on the rockiness of a marriage between two middle aged parents. However, analyzing the movie from a different perspective paints it in a much darker tone. The comedy of the film covers up underlying predispositions the Western culture has on sex and gender. There are many blatant as well as minute details of the film that point not only to biases of sex and gender but also to the prevalence of gender roles. Also the film shows the stresses of veering away from a social institution engraved into our society and how the viewer responds to that action. Within the movie Mrs. Doubtfire†¦show more content†¦Sex is defined as biological differences that distinguish men from women, whereas gender is the state of being male or female in reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones (Conley). Note how the briefness of t hese definitions leaves much to be interpreted. Daniel is regarded highly in his career for his ability to create cartoon characters and portray them through his voice. Using this ability he is able to fool his family into believing this act. Of course Mrs. Doubtfire is a creation of how he would believe a typical nanny to act and appear. Before becoming a nanny he knew nothing of how to cook. This can be further understood by Talcott Parson’s sex role theory which argues that the nuclear family is the ideal arrangement in a modern society with a work-oriented father and domestic-oriented mother (Conley). These roles are complicated as the mother is slightly more work-oriented than what is idealized, however she is still the domestic-oriented mother as explained by sex role theory. Due to this fact Daniel is portrayed as the husband who knows not how to cook. A nanny who cannot is not sensible, as an elderly woman would be even more eloped in the woman’s gender culture . This is not overlooked by Daniel, as he is forced to become a better cook as a nanny. It is interesting to see how much the lives of the children seem to improve as this gender role is

Compare and contrast Marxist and Functionalist accounts of religion Free Essays

Both functionalists and Marxists share the common view that religion serves to legitimise the morals and laws within society. Many functionalists as well as Marxists do agree that society creates religion as a visual symbol of itself. Followers are ultimately not worshipping their religion, their worshipping society and everything it stands for. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast Marxist and Functionalist accounts of religion or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, this is where the split in views begins. Functionalists see Religion as serving towards the 4 pre-requisites of society. (Namely: Social integration, shared values, social solidarity, and social harmony). By ensuring these needs are met, religion reinforces collective values and promotes solidarity. Functionalism is not over concerned about the ‘why’ religion is allowed to assume this falsified symbolism, but instead recognises it’s use in keeping harmony and faith in society. Durkheim demonstrates this in admitting that religion does not have to be ‘super natural’. It’s important to note that mortal people and objects can gain a sacred status in society similar to that of the idols of religion. For instance: Princess Diana – a national symbol of charity and possibly the last real ‘princess’ of the British Nation in the people’s hearts. She has become sacred because she represents a good quality of society. From this, Durkheim believes â€Å"Understand what sacred things represent and you understand the values of a society†. Here we come into the first major difference between functionalism and Marxism. The former believes that there is a positive relationship between society and the individual. Worship society; believe in society. Marxists, however, inherently are discontent and have an ill view of society as it is. It is understandable how they are opposed to religion indoctrinating the people into a value set, pulling them into the collective conscience that ultimately supports capitalism and the idea that people deserve to â€Å"have their place†. Religion has allows supported class systems and promoted inequality. In gender. In work. In authority. Everything that Marxism is opposed to. â€Å"The rich man placed in his castle – The poor man placed at his gate† Malinowski, famed for his research at the Trabaind islands, did not see religion as a celebration of society, despite the same functionalist perspective as Durkheim. He did, however, agree that religion promotes solidarity. It does so by dealing with emotional stress / life crisis (disruptive events). Religion goes as far as to introduce ceremonies for dealing with various life crisis. Death is given a funeral. Love is given marriage. In all cases then hope is given through the expressed belief in immortality and fellow mourners serve to comfort and support the bereaved, so they can become functional members of society once again. Dangerous and unpredictable events are also surrounded in religious ceremony. Prayer is common before a possibly hazardous experience. These rituals reduce anxiety and increase confidence, strengthening unity in shared situations. Talcott Parsons shares this view and goes onto show how religious devices, such as the 10 commandments, provide the basis for many social norms and morals. Religion guides behaviour and helps in the formulation of decision through this. Finally, Religion is looked to answer the â€Å"ultimate questions† and give meaning to our existence. Humanity needs to feel as though there is meaning in all significant things; meaning to death and suffering, and justification of existence in itself. Religion works to show sense in contradictory scenarios that threaten the balance of ultimate beliefs. For instance, a man who is profiting through the doing of evil will be punished in the after life for his wrongful gain in life. Religion is a warning, a giver of justice, a provider of guidance and ultimate supernatural fear if one goes astray. Marx himself rejects any idea of supernatural aspect of religion. He describes religion as the â€Å"Heart of a heartless world†; The heartless world being the society moulded by capitalism. Religion is born out of a need for comfort, it does just this by cushioning the effect of worker oppression. Marxists have placed religion as part of the super structure, it helps justify the capitalist base as well as the whole super structure. (See rich man quote page 1). Religion as a tool of the bourgeoisie plays an important roll in justifying worker oppression, by showing that all will gain equal reward in heaven for doing the ‘right thing’. Religion has varying levels of strictness according to socio-economic class placement, especially in India where the cast system places strict restrictions and categorisations on a persons place in society. The idea of equal opportunity is ultimately crushed by harsh teachings and acceptance that a lower class worker is having a bad life because super natural forces placed them in that situation as punishment for wrongfulness in previous life. In conclusion, Marxist and functionalist similarities on the subject start and end with the acceptance of religion as a conservative force in society. Neo Marxism does accept the idea (like functionalism) that religion can sometimes be useful to society in bringing about change for the better. For instance the radical role of Liberation Theology. (Madura). Traditional Marxism is totally opposed to the oppressive role of religion and would be surprised to see that radical forces have emerged with some minority religious groups. Functionalists such as Durkheim and Parsons see religion as being a positive and perhaps essential part of the harmonious workings of society but have been criticised for ignoring the dysfunctional, disruptive, and divisive aspects of religion. They fail to consider hostility between religious groups within the same society. â€Å"It would seem that religion threatens social integration as readily as it contributes to it† (Stark Glock). How to cite Compare and contrast Marxist and Functionalist accounts of religion, Papers

Blood Brothers written by Willy Russell Essay Example For Students

Blood Brothers written by Willy Russell Essay On the 27th of June, we travelled down to the Phoenix Theatre in London, the play we saw is called Blood Brothers and is written by Willy Russell. The play is set in Liverpool and was written in the 1980s. The 1980s was known as Thatchers Britain. It was a time where unemployment was high and robbery, lies and deceit were all quite common. The play reflects all these things and also shows the barrier between the different classes of people or ratings as we could call them. Issues There were quite a few issues that stood out from the story line. This was something that to me made it an interesting play. It isnt like a corny program aimed at reducing crime, it is something that people can relate to, the issues are realistic. It is real people in real situations in a real place with real challenges facing them. Although the meetings between the two boys are strange, more unreal, they arent quite coincidences. This links to fate in a big way. Fate is very important to this story line as all the meetings and the shock ending rely on fate along with superstition. The superstition is shown throughout the play as extremely important from the swearing on the bible to the new shoes on the table and with each superstition, the narrator is close behind. The narrator is a dark figure, dressed in a perfect sharp black suit, whenever there is something linked with fate, superstition or something bad happening, he is always there. Perhaps portraying the role of Lucifer? Waiting for someone to take a step out of line? Class, as I mentioned before, are shown in this play in many different ways, From money and jobs to living status and even marriage status. The fact that Mrs Lyons only had to snap her fingers and they could move to a different house in the countryside shows how hard Mrs Johnstone had it, who was struggling to keep her children and had a house renowned for only wrong doings. The issue of loyalty is more hidden in the play, although Eddy is very loyal to his supposed mother and father, he still shows a strong respect for Mickey and his natural mother who he hardly knows. His supposed mother, Mrs Lyons, reacts badly to this in an almost crazed way. Is this a start of her madness? Mickey on the other hand is very loyal to his mother and sees his brother Sammy as a role model, our Sammyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ someone who he can look up to. Friendship also plays a big role. The boys are shown at three separate ages throughout the play, and at each, they manage to remain friends apart from near the end where the mood changes. Unemployment is another issue covered in the play, it links in with the robbery as it formed a source of money. This led to the jailing  of Mickey, which drove him to his drug addiction, another issue. The effects of this didnt just hit Mickey but bounced off onto Linda and other friends and family in the play. Linda became the main provider along with Eddy. Linda, from the very start, is shown to be a close friend of Mickey. She sticks up for him against his brother and friends and claims to love him in the teenage years, but she ends up in the centre of all the troubles. Love is an important issue of today, but it is what I would call one of the most important in this play. Although Linda and Mickey get married, whilst he is away in jail, the friendship bond between Linda and Eddy strengthens. When she kisses him its like a curse in its own right, taking Mickey to the edge and driving him into madness against his brother. WE must remember that the two boys are twins, could she see Mickey in Eddy? Or the other way round? In a way, Linda is fate as she brings the fate of their deaths onto them. .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .postImageUrl , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:hover , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:visited , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:active { border:0!important; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:active , .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1 .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u86de98ffb10d4ad0093075b4fba658d1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: How do your feelings change towards Malvolio during the course of the play EssayMood The mood in the play changed from funny to sinister, but it didnt occur over and over again, it happened all at once. It seems to arise when the characters make the leap from childhood into adulthood, then everything starts to go wrong. After the fair, when everything seemed to have been going really well, If only these three could stay like this foreverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ marks the point where your smile drops, your heart skips a beat and reality comes around. In the childhood years, its all fun and games, school included with cowboys and Indians to swearing at the teacher. In the adult years everything seemed to have gone wrong, with the unemployment, jail, drug addiction and confusion over love. At the start, the lighting is warm and yellow, making the stage scene look warm and fuzzy. The Johnstone house seems really dark and mucky though, with graffiti on the walls. On the other side of the stage, the Lyons house is clean bright and sharp. As if reflecting the goings on in each house. In the second half, when the mood was a lot more serious, the lighting didnt seem as warm. It seemed more blue and clear white light with sharp and if not dark night scenery in the background. This showed the change very well without any words or actions at all, just lighting and scenery. Story line The story line works because of numerous factors. There are cliffhangers to keep the audience gripped like where they move house just before the interval leaving an open space to what might happen next. The start is a brilliant example as it tells the end at the beginning. Its a shock start, which interests the audience straight away, and because its sad, it makes it more effective. The songs can be  quite emotional, drawing the audience into the story and with all the music surrounding you, it makes you feel a part of it all. Making it so that the tune of one song and most of the words can be kept but still change other words helps the story to flow along. I think it is really effective. Marilyn Monroe is a really catchy tune, but the mood of the song can easily be changed by its speed. I thought this to be a very useful idea. The mixture of really funny and really silly was good in this play but it wasnt too much as the seriousness tuned it down. The horse riding was ingenious with the cross between Mickeys version of cowboys and Indians and Eddys version of dressage. The shooting was a brilliant insight into the childrens games but it also gave you a glimpse of the big kids toys that they would be witnessing in the future. The swearing which seems to pop up isnt taken offensively by the audience, its put in so cunningly that its funny, especially as its young children saying it. The dirty movie and so called atomic bomb although rude, add spark to the play and give it that feel of just a bit of fun all over again, but in the back of your mind, you wait for the tragedy. Characters The actors are truly skilled to be able to act three different ages of one character. The ages used are of seven, fourteen and twenty-one. At each age something has to change, the walk is different, the tone of voice, the body language as a whole and the clothes worn. With small changes, the actors age, leaving you in doubt of how old they are. It is ridiculously simple but extremely clever. Mrs Lyons madness is a slow but revealing process. Like pealing an orange. You get a peek of her true self at the start where she is plotting with Mrs Johnstone, she seems desperate but at the same time you feel sorry for her. Gradually her paranoia overcomes her leading her to be a contributor in her, or should we say Mrs Johnstones sons death. .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .postImageUrl , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:hover , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:visited , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:active { border:0!important; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:active , .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955 .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u80b29326929e834ca4393f8f72b04955:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Blood brother unit 2 in drama EssayIn the end I found this play to be extremely enjoyable, the story line although containing big coincidental meetings lies untarnished. From start to finish it had me gripped and although this was the second time I had seen this play, I still wanted, like with the first time, that it would not end in tragedy. Then again, sometimes the better stories are the ones which endings are sad, the ones that leave a deeper imprint on your memories.

Paradoxes of Giants and Gods free essay sample

A look at the life of satirist Francois Rabelais and analysis of his book Gargantua and Pantagruel. This essay takes a look into the life of Francois Rabelais and into his book Gargantua and Pantagruel. Specifically, the focus is on the idea of the curse as mentioned in the book. The curse is that Christians are free and yet they are enslaved. Finally, the paper shows that through his book Gargantua and Pantagruel, Rabelais examines the curse of Christianity, namely that the Christian has free will, but that the free will he or she is given is limited. The book contains the story of the birth and upbringing of a giant child, Gargantua, and illustrates the authors views on bad education (Medieval) and good education (Renaissance), and how an ideal humanist leader should behave. The character of the battling monk, Friar Jean, is introduced, with graphically detailed anatomical descriptions of his feats of holy combat. We will write a custom essay sample on Paradoxes of Giants and Gods or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Elusion

Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Elusion Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Elusion Allusion vs. Illusion vs. Elusion By Mark Nichol It’s natural that many writers confuse the similar-looking, sound-alike terms allusion and illusion, as well as the rare elusion, and their verb forms: They’re all related. These words all stem from the Latin root word ludere, meaning â€Å"to play,† which also forms the basis for ludicrous. Meet the other members of this frolicsome family: Allusion: An allusion is a reference to something, but with a special sense: The reference is implied, or indirect. (The verb form is allude.) If you think of an allusion as coy or playful, the etymology makes sense. Illusion: An illusion is something misleading or open to misinterpretation. (The Latin term illusio means â€Å"mockery.†) Again, the root word is apt if, in this case, you think of an illusion as something that occurs when your mind plays tricks on you. Elusion: An elusion (from the Latin word for â€Å"deception†) is an act of eluding, and â€Å"to elude† means â€Å"to avoid or evade.† (This term is not to be confused with elision verb form: elide which means â€Å"to delete or omit,† as in contractions or missing words.) That’s not all: There’s also collusion (verb form: collude), literally meaning â€Å"to play with† and referring to a conspiracy, and delusion (verb form: delude), which means â€Å"to trick.† Three related nouns that lack the -sion suffix and look like the other verb forms are prelude (literally, â€Å"before play†), interlude (â€Å"during play†), and the rare postlude (â€Å"after play†). Prelude refers to a performance or action that precedes a more significant event, an interlude is an intermission, and a postlude is a closing piece of a musical or literary composition. The words include, conclude, exclude, occlude, preclude, and seclude and their noun forms, by the way, are unrelated to the -lude family, stemming from a Latin word meaning â€Å"to close.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid7 Tips for Writing a Film ReviewShow, Don't Tell

An Empty Hook

As the years go by and new technologies come and go, the world seems to be moving at a constant frantic pace. In our modern, consumer driven society its sometimes hard to find the time to stop and appreciate what we have. The American working world is thriving and competitive, every obstacle we face consumes us, making it easy to get trapped in the seemingly non-stop race of life, forgetting what really matters. For our own sake, it is time to take a step back from our frantic life style and learn to appreciate the little things in life. Its a commonplace story to hear of the work alcoholic man or woman who worked and worked until they were old and rich, and then realized they had nothing in the end. If more people took the time to appreciate the little things, more often then not they’ll find life is a lot more rewarding. Of course that reward can comes in many different forms: Love†¦memories†¦fish. Fishing is a fine art. It takes the refining of cast off methods, and the honing of the proper technique to fully master the art of the reel in, not to forget lots of patience. Nothing is slower than waiting for that subtle tug at the end of your line. My dad taught me how to fish. My twin brother and I used to practice in the front yard with a rod and a weight in the place of a hook, fishing for twigs. Ive caught lots of things before, grass, rocks, other fishing rods, but never a fish. After spending some time with a fisherman you learn that they mean serious business and youre mad to think that theyd share tips or bait. Over the past summer, my dad and grandma and I went fishing together. We needed a break from the constant rhythm of our everyday life. I was having my usual luck, which is no luck at all, and my dad had already caught three fish, my grandma, one. Wed been fishing for hours and still no luck I was sun burnt and riddled with mosquito bites. Id cast off my line and reeled it in hundreds of times and my patience was wearing thin. My dad suddenly felt a jerk in his line, another fish. He was starting to reel it in when he called me over. He handed me the rod. I was excited and scared at the same time. After several c lose calls I finally managed to reel in the fish. My dad came over and untangled the hook from the fishs mouth. My grandma replied, thats true love, meaning my dad must really love me to have let me reel in his fish. Even though this took place in the span of a few minutes, now when I look back I can remember in great detail the feel of the fishs scales and the resistance as I pulled it in. I can recall these moments with more ease and meaning than what happened last week or who did what to who. With applications and auditions upon me I dont look back on my frantic, routine school days but moments like this that are singular and unique. Catching a fish may seem like a small thing but Ive often found that it is the little things in life that make hardship worth while and when you take the time life is given purpose, however whimsical a purpose that may be, but if I constantly cast off and reel in all Ill pull out is grass and an empty hook.

Al Queda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Al Queda - Research Paper Example in Laden, in May 2011 may complicate the future of the organization, it remains as one of the most dreaded terrorist group in the world with potential capacity of planning, coordinating, and executing terrorist activities in the world (Bergen, 2011). This paper will discuss the al-Qaeda terrorist group, its brief history, where it is located, what kind of activities they do, how they fund their activities, and what kind of attacks they do. The history of al-Qaeda can be traced to the uprising against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. During this uprising, there were thousands of volunteers from across the Middle East who came as mujahidin to Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda grew to be a more formidable organization in mid- 1980s; Osama bin Laden was the prime financier of the organization and he oversaw recruiting of Muslim from mosques across the world (Chaliand and Blin, 2007). The organization was able to bring together a mujahidin that numbered in thousands and was important in defeating Soviet forces against occupying Afghanistan. After successfully defeating the Soviets and prompting their withdrawal from Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia, his native land. However, he was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991 because of his anti-government activities. This expulsion was instrumental to the rise of al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden established al-Qaeda’s headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan (Bale, 2006). The group orchestrated terrorist attacks against American interests and servicemen in Somalia. Bin Laden issued a declaration of war against the United States in August 1996. The organization forged alliances with other radical groups with the view of bolstering its capacity to fight America’s interests and the Jews. Since then, al-Qaeda operates as a network that is comprised of radical Sunni Muslim movement, stateless and multinational army. It calls for a strict sharia law interpretation and global Jihad (Atwan, 2006). It is important to note that while

Funding application for homeless people Coursework

Funding application for homeless people - Coursework Example Not having a permanent roof over their heads, which is a fundamental right of all citizens, goes hand in hand with other problems associated with lack of proper food and clothing. This then causes detrimental effects on their health. And, they are further disadvantaged by not having access to any guidance or information to improve their condition. Compared to other youth who live in families in houses, they are at a disadvantage by not being able to educate themselves for immediate as well as long term benefits and future prospects. It is a deep rut of despair and a vicious cycle of no hope to be in such circumstances. One only needs to look at those who do have homes to live in to see how much of a disadvantage these homeless youth have, not being able to leave normal lives like the rest of us. The health problems that inevitably afflict homeless people cannot be understated. "Homeless people are more likely to suffer injuries and medical problems from their lifestyle on the street, which includes poor nutrition, substance abuse, exposure to the severe elements of weather, and a higher exposure to violence." (http://www.ipedia.net/information/homeless) The youth and children are particularly vulnerable groups of people in this regard. Our projects aims to cater to these disadvantaged people by providing them with what they desperately need; to feed and clothe them; to protect them from the weather, getting involved in wrong types of activities; to protect them from being taken advantage of by criminals, gangs, drug traffickers, organ snatchers, pedophiles, prostitutes etc. Instead we will provide them with decent sheltering facilities, and provision of food to stave off hunger. And, we will help resolve their personal problems through the provision of counseling and information services, then relocate them to a safe permanent abode

The inadequacy of motivation Essay Example for Free

The inadequacy of motivation Essay

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) :: essays papers

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Preemployment screening can help management avoid hiring problem employees. However, employers must carefully walk through the screening process, or they may find themselves in violation of the discrimination laws set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Security Management, with the assistance of legal experts, has reviewed the docket of 131 recent ADA cases at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to see whether any instructive trends are evident. The docket consists of ADA cases currently under litigation or recently decided. Most of the cases reviewed concerned preemployment issues, rather than disagreements that arose during employment. The ADA divides employment into three time periods: before the job offer, after the job offer, and employment. During the first stage, an employer is not allowed to ask questions that are likely to cause the applicant to reveal a disability. At this stage, the employer cannot require medical tests and can only ask whether an applicant can perform essential job-related functions, with or without reasonable accommodation. After an offer has been made but before the applicant has started working, employers have the freedom to ask any type of medical question or require any medical test, but employers are limited in what they can do with this information. At this stage, the job offer is considered conditional; however, a conditional offer can be withdrawn only under two conditions: if the test reveals that the applicant cannot perform the essential functions of the job (with or without reasonable accommodation) or if placing the candidate in the job-given the applicant's medical condition-would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of the applicant or other employees. As an example of the second situation, an employee who suffers intermittent, unpredictable blackouts could not drive a forklift without posing a direct safety threat in the workplace. For current employees, employers can only require medical tests or ask medical questions when they are job related and necessary for business reasons. The only exception is drug testing. The ADA does not protect current users of illegal drugs, nor does it consider drug testing a medical exam. Thus, employers have the right to test their employees or applicants for unlawful drugs at any time.

Juggling Motor Skill Essay

To better understand learning, the research and experimentation was conducted by a student. The purpose of this study was to examine a novice learner performing a skill, in which improvement, retention, consistency, adaptability and stages of learning would be tested. The individual chose juggling three beanbags for the skill to be learned. The subject had to learn how to juggle three beanbags at once using both hands. Practice was completed in one way to keep consistency; this included throwing small beanbags standing up in the same room. Hypothesis of the experimenter suggested greatest improvement of skill in the beginning to middle of testing. Learning would be accomplished. An increase in practice time and intensity would need to occur for additional improvement. Putting learning into perspective, â€Å"Fitts and Posner Theory† will help explain three basic stages of learning; verbal-cognitive, motor-associative, and autonomous. Verbal-cognitive is the earliest stage of learning. Characteristics of the novice stage include: high concentration during movement, fatigue which reduces degrees of freedom and performance, the learner needs feedback and correction, and verbal cues are often necessary for learning. The second stage of learning, motor-associative, is where performance is most improved. Characteristics of this stage include: feedback is acknowledged, but cannot be physically corrected, fundamental movements are established, degrees of freedom are increased, and diversification of skill is completed to improve learning. The last stage of learning, according to â€Å"Fitts and Posner’s theory†, is the autonomous stage. Learning is unconscious, which means cognitive thought is not needed when completing movement. Other characteristics of the autonomous stage include: exploiting degrees of freedom, focusing on the most relevant stimuli, and error correction. Three stages of learning are accomplished in progressive order with the first two stages attainable in a matter of days or weeks, while the last stage often takes years to achieve. Research showed the individual went through the first two stages of learning. During the beginning baseline session, first stage of learning was evident because when the beanbags were tossed or thrown towards the other hand inaccurately, it caused inconsistent scores. With practice, the student progressed to the second stage of learning. Juggling became more accurate, easier, and scores improved. Recognition of errors became apparent because written evidence by the individual stated error detection, but individual did not know how to make physical correction. The student felt more comfortable with juggling motion and became confident in ability. After practice session 6, results plateaued and showed individual performance unable to increase unless practice habits intensified. Four ways to measure motor learning were administered to understand test results. First, the student plotted performance curves on graphs to observe improvement. Second, retention of skill was measured to decrease performance variables and to measure persistence of skill across time. Third, transfer of skill was used to obtain skill adaptable results. Learner was able to transfer skill of juggling beanbags to apples. Fourth, statistics were calculated to find standard deviation, which showed consistency of skill learning. Methods To complete the juggling experiment, the student used the same three beanbags to perform the skill. All sessions were performed in the same room with closed windows and closed door to prevent environmental distractions. The number of catches were counted as measurements and errors were non catches. Measurements were accurate each baseline, retention, practice, transfer and performance sessions of experiment. The independent variable was practice. Learner tried to keep throwing motion and hand motion the same for each trial for maximum learning. Scoring was also similar throughout each trial. After each catch there was a score of one. Although the scores were very low, after the eight weeks, the number or score increased dramatically with more practice. The dependent variables were the catches and errors made. Baseline session, no practice of skill prior to session, was first recorded to observe students’ ability before practice. Juggling practice consisted of fifteen and thirty minute daily practice sessions depending on learner’s daily schedule. Eight hours of practice were to be completed by end of motor learning experiment. Practice was conducted in one certain way to better show the learning evidence. Standing in the same room, facing the same way, closed doors and windows. After practice completion of one full hour, student waited fifteen minutes before conducting a performance session. Total of eight performance sessions were collected throughout experiment. Retention session was tested five days after eighth performance session to measure persistence of learning. Transfer session was also conducted to measure adaptability of skill to other versions of skill. Data from baseline, performance, retention, and transfer sessions was recorded on paper by the learner, and then transferred into Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word for further analysis. Results were put into a formula and answers were plotted on graphs to observe student learner. Standard deviation was also calculated to observe consistency of student learning. The purpose of this study was to measure stages of learning, improvement, consistency, retention, and adaptability results of a novice learning. Juggling was tested in the learner and, as hypothesized, the learner achieved highest learning in the beginning to middle of testing. Learning was based on results from data collection, analysis, and comparison of baseline, performance, transfer, and retention sessions. Baseline session and retention session scores were put into the formula, [(A-B) / A)] x 100, to see how much learning occurred during testing. According to the calculation of grade mean performance, 70% of juggling was learned when baseline session was compared to retention session. The same formula also compared performance session one to performance session eight and performance session eight to a transfer session. Performance session one compared to performance session eight showed how much the learner improved skill during experiment, which was 57% improvement. Results from other test statistics, consistency and improvement, also confirmed student learning. Standard deviation was calculated to depict consistency for all eight performance sessions, baseline session, and retention session. The closer the number was to zero, the more consistent the learner’s accuracy. Calculations showed highest standard deviation to be 1. 83 in performance session three while the lowest was . 95 in performance session four confirming consistent results in improvement over the course of skill learning. Graphs showed how improvement was displayed by grade mean performances of all eight performance sessions, baseline session, retention session, and transfer session. Grade mean performance was found by adding up scores from all ten trials in each session and dividing the number by ten trials. Based on data collection and analysis, the student learned the motor skill of juggling. According to results, the learner progressed through the first stage of learning, verbal-cognitive, and reached a plateau at the second stage of learning, motor-associative. The first stage of learning is where the student began skill of juggling. Gripping and throwing the beanbags took high concentration and precision to accurately toss to the other hand. Trials 8, 9, and 10 in performance sessions one and two were difficult for the learner because fatigue became a factor in creating poor performance. Feedback and correction was evident in which the learner cognitively replayed performance in order to improve. With practice, the learner began learning the correct hand motions to have better aim. As the learner improved, progress was made to the second stage of learning. The most improvement occurred in performance sessions two through four. Learner became accustomed to tossing the beanbags to the other hand without a lot of thought. Error detection was easily made, but correction was still difficult for the learner to correct. Repetition of skill improved performance and learner became comfortable making the hand movements and creating less errors. Scores of accuracy rose until performance session six, where learner reached a plateau. Plateau was reached, but can possibly be avoided with intense, diverse practice and experience. Another model of motor learning, â€Å"Vereijkens†, can be used to see if student learned. Vereijkens model† involves three stages of learning; freezing degrees of freedom, releasing degrees of freedom, and exploiting degrees of freedom. The first two stages can be related to how the student learned to throw bags to the opposite hand. The learner began in the freezing degrees of freedom stage. Upper body momentum of student was also used to throw dart at a more specific area of the dartboard. Improvement in scores resulted from the learner detecting errors in practice. The individual, however, could not correct errors without guidance. Accuracy increased with more mobility movement in arm. The last stage, exploiting degrees of freedom, was not seen by the learner. Stages of learning, improvement, student consistency of learning, retention ability, and adaptability all confirmed student learning. The learner hypothesis held true, in which improvement would occur greatly from beginning to middle testing stages. Experience and repetition is needed to attain high levels of learning and retain ability. The study showed how learning can be attained through practice and persistence of doing a skill.

Explain Why Treasure Island Is So Highly Regarded Essay

Treasure Island is written using a first person narrative, which has its own advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages consist of being able to experience how the character narrating feels, in this case we get to learn a lot about Jim Hawkins and how he feels throughout the novel just because he is the narrator of the novel. However, when Jim decides stow away in one of the boats heading for the shore R.L. Stevenson is faced with a problem in that he cannot let the reader know what is happening on board the Hispaniola. Stevenson finds a way around this problem by swapping the narrator to Doctor Livesey. This seems to sort out the problem for a while but if the reader was reading the novel at a fast pace then he might not read the chapter headings and know that the narrator has changed and therefore get confused with what’s happening in the story and where the characters are. I think that R.L. Stevenson knew that this problem would occur somewhere in the novel and anticipated it, he may have even planned it. But he still chose to use the first person narrative, although it is not always the easiest narrative to follow as â€Å"I† and â€Å"we† are used which often makes it hard to distinguish who â€Å"I† and â€Å"we† are, and who the speech is being directed at. However, I believe Stevenson chose this narrative as it makes it easier to let the reader know and understand the feelings of the character that is narrating the novel at any time in the novel. R.L. Stevenson describes the island very well throughout the novel by using all of the senses of a human being: Sight – â€Å"The appearance of the island when I came on deck next morning was altogether changed.† Sound – â€Å"and the whole ship creaking and groaning,† Taste – â€Å"like someone tasting a bad egg.† Smell – â€Å"a smell of sodden leaves and rotting tree trunks.† Touch – â€Å"The Hispaniola was rolling scuppers under in the ocean swell.† The quotation I chose for sight was one of the many I could have used as part three of Treasure Island has many references to sight and how things look. Although there is not nearly as many R.L. Stevenson still makes a point of describing the sounds that are a part of the island and boat, like the creaking of the boat, and the sounds that the birds make. Chapter thirteen contains only one reference to taste and that is in the form of a simile. The effect this has is that most people know or can at least guess what a bad egg tastes like which gives the reader a good idea of how bad the island smelt. The chapter also has only one reference to smell which can also give the reader a good idea of how he island smelt, giving them quite a clear image of the island in their mind’s eye. Explaining how movement and how something feels is a difficult task to achieve when writing a novel, however I feel that R.L. Stevenson manages to accomplish this quite well. Describing how the boat was rolling gently in the water, how the temperature was very hot and describing how Jim had to hold on because he felt as though everything was spinning around him. Part of the tension of Treasure Island is built up at the end of part one when Dr. Livesey tells Squire Trelawney that he is afraid that the Squire will tell someone what the voyage is about and that there is treasure involved, â€Å"‘There’s only one man I’m afraid of.’ `And who’s that?’ cried the squire. `Name the dog, sir!’ `You,’ replied the doctor; `for you cannot hold your tongue.'† The feeling this gives to the reader is one of untrustworthiness and a lack of faithfulness between friends which may cause the reader to become somewhat tense as there is a part of them that knows what is going to happen but they are not completely sure what or when it is going to happen. And when Jim and the doctor receive a letter from the squire it brings the doctor’s fears to light as the letter he receives from the squire says that the squire told every man, woman and child that he met, and that he had hired a man with one leg. At this news, the reader may again feel tension in them, as they do not know what the people the squire told will do or if the man with one leg is the same person that Billy Bones was so scared of. Personally, I think that there are five reasons that this novel is so widely known and read; Firstly the book appeals to people of all ages, it has something that appeals to everyone that can read. Secondly, R.L. Stevenson’s choice of narrative, it lets the reader know exactly how the character narrating feels, making you feel like apart of the novel. Thirdly, The way in which R.L. Stevenson chose to describe the island and everything surrounding it, almost making the Island a character. Fourthly, the amount of tension that is built up throughout the novel is huge; some readers might find the book hard to put down because of the tension as they feel they need to know what will happen next. Lastly, R.L. Stevenson thought up ideas about the setting, story, and narrative issues for Treasure Island himself, instead of doing what a lot of writers might do which is to take ideas from other people, modify them a bit, and then pass them off as their own. Due to this Treasure Island is unpredictable and lively, yet it is as easy to follow as a nursery book. I found Treasure Island to be quite an enjoyable book even though I do not usually read adventure novels.

Free Essays on Rap

Rap Music; It s impact on society since it s birth. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines rap as a rhythmic chanting of usual rhymed couplets to a musical accompaniment. The purpose of this paper is to show how rap music has come to be. Also, citing the many performers who have mad this form of music what it is today. Rap is a large part of our society and its evolution is proof that this personal style of music will be around for a very long time. Rap music as a musical form began among the youth of South Bronx, New York in the mid 1970 s. Individuals such Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash were some of the early pioneers of this art form. Through their performances at clubs and promotion of the music, rap consistently gained in popularity throughout the rest of the 1970 s. The first commercial success of the rap song Rapper's Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980 s saw the continued success of rap music with many artists s uch as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J, Fat Boys, and west coast rappers Ice-T and N.W.A becoming popular. Today, in the late 1990 s rap music continues to be a prominent and important aspect of African- American culture. Rap music was a way for youths in black inner city neighborhoods to express what they were feeling, seeing, and living and it became a form of entertainment. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to others rap kept black youths out of trouble in the dangerous neighborhoods in which they lived. The dominant culture did not have a type of music that filled the needs of these youth, so they created their own. So, rap music originally emerged as a way "for [black] inner city youth to express their everyday life and struggles" (Shaomari, 1995, 17). Rap is now seen as a subculture that, includes a large number of middle to upper white class youths, has grown to support and appreciate rap music. Ma... Free Essays on Rap Free Essays on Rap Rap Music; It s impact on society since it s birth. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines rap as a rhythmic chanting of usual rhymed couplets to a musical accompaniment. The purpose of this paper is to show how rap music has come to be. Also, citing the many performers who have mad this form of music what it is today. Rap is a large part of our society and its evolution is proof that this personal style of music will be around for a very long time. Rap music as a musical form began among the youth of South Bronx, New York in the mid 1970 s. Individuals such Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash were some of the early pioneers of this art form. Through their performances at clubs and promotion of the music, rap consistently gained in popularity throughout the rest of the 1970 s. The first commercial success of the rap song Rapper's Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980 s saw the continued success of rap music with many artists s uch as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J, Fat Boys, and west coast rappers Ice-T and N.W.A becoming popular. Today, in the late 1990 s rap music continues to be a prominent and important aspect of African- American culture. Rap music was a way for youths in black inner city neighborhoods to express what they were feeling, seeing, and living and it became a form of entertainment. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to others rap kept black youths out of trouble in the dangerous neighborhoods in which they lived. The dominant culture did not have a type of music that filled the needs of these youth, so they created their own. So, rap music originally emerged as a way "for [black] inner city youth to express their everyday life and struggles" (Shaomari, 1995, 17). Rap is now seen as a subculture that, includes a large number of middle to upper white class youths, has grown to support and appreciate rap music. Ma...

Linear algebra Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Linear algebra - Research Proposal Example ed perception that linear algebra is just about lines and vectors, of X’s and Y’s or variables and constants (Larson, Kanold & Stiff 277) that are so far away from the layman’s life. In addition, the internet is widely used now by most entrepreneurs who are the focus of this study who would greatly benefit in knowing how their businesses will succeed in a number of months or years. These projections will not only catch a large number of entrepreneurs’ attention but will also let them appreciate the faculty of this study, seeing the beauty of algebra in the solution of such disciplines as economics as well as engineering, physics and geometry (Ellis & Gullick 67). Background: I will conduct my study through online and face to face interviews with at least twenty entrepreneurs. I will avail of copies of their monthly online sales, which if the entrepreneur would not be willing to give could be in terms of the nearest approximate figures. This information will then be used as data for projecting sales in the future using graphs as well as tables and sets of ordered pairs as these are important methods of communication in business, science and social studies (Baley & Holstege 101). Scope: I will have ten face to face interviews and ten online interviews to complete the desired number of samples. I will particularly ask questions about their capital, the date of the start of business, their monthly income and their projection of sales in six months, one year and two years. I will also ask about their basis for these projections to be compared to a more scientific process with the use of linear algebra. Theoretical Framework: I will be doing the study in the context of solutions to equalities, involving two variables (Larson et al. 277) which will be time and sales. Mathematical modeling will also be used in an accurate and simple manner for it to yield meaningful answers and to be usable not only by those who specialize in numbers and graphs but also by

Sage 50 vs Lawson ERP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sage 50 vs Lawson ERP - Research Paper Example As described in its website, the major Sage 50 Apps include Tracker App, Mobile Sales App, Foreign Trade App, and Construction Industry App. The Tracker App provides businesses a secure access to their accounts through the smartphone. The Mobile Sales App assists businessmen to work on the move using tablet. Foreign Trade App is really beneficial to make the work of trading in multiple currencies easier. Similarly, the Construction Industry App provides all the facilities needed to manage industry specific tax (Sage). The Sage 50 Accounting is a comprehensive software capable of managing VAT, sales, expenses, and profits more efficiently. In addition, this accounting software allows businesses to access their accounts remotely using the Sage Drive. The company offers annual pricing as well as monthly pricing options. It charges $269 annually and $29.5 monthly for the subscription of this accounting product (Sage 50 products). The Sage 50 Accounting software does not require any speci al hardware or software, and therefore it is easy for businesses to implement this software. Lawson is the world’s leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software company having strength of over 4,500 customers, 4,000 employees, and offices in more than 40 countries around the globe (Lawson Software). The company has well-expanded operations worldwide, and it offers a wide range of ERP applications and industry-specific solutions to meet the needs of small, medium, and large scale enterprises. The company was acquired by Infor recently, and currently the combined organization is the world’s third largest enterprise software company behind Oracle and SAP (Lawson Software). The two major product offerings of Lawson are branded as S3 and M3. Here, the letter S stands for service and this product (S3) was introduced to â€Å"help service industries ‘staff, source, and serve† (Lawson