Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Philosophy - Essay Example However, if the actions of people are determined, it seems they fail to have free will, therefore, the can never be blamed or failed for their actions. There are five areas of philosophy, which cluster together in standard ways, though they overlap between the areas, even in section in various clusters is rate, and there can experience slight differences in their clusters. This area studies the major philosophers like Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche, and Hume, together with the entire periods in philosophy development (Jaspers, 16). This area is divided into various periods such as modern, medieval, 19th century, and 20th century. It tends to comprehend great figures, their influence, and their importance on the contemporary issues. The study includes area such as existentialism, deconstruction, structuralism, phenomenology, critical theory, post-structuralism, and hermeneutics. The principal figures include Badiou, Adorno, Husserl, Hegel, Sartre, and Derrida. This area consists of philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, formal epistemology, and philosophy of mathematics. Some of the areas have their own sub-branches. For instance, the philosophy of mind includes the emotions philosophy, science philosophy, special sciences philosophy, and social science philosophies. The philosophy involves studying the consequence relations and their related notions. Among the logic sub-areas are higher order logic, classical first-order, and the non-classical logics like relevance, many-valued logics, intuitionistic, and modal. This section comprises the aesthetics, ethics, political philosophy, and social areas. The ethics involves the areas of metaethics and ethics. Normative ethics addresses issues of right conduct, while metaethics is concerned with the epistemological and metaphysical commitments of ethical theories or the moral discourse. Studying philosophy is very important. It enables the learners to know how to carry out things

Two theories of motivation Essay Example for Free

Two theories of motivation Essay The subject of motivation can be approached from a number of perspectives. Some theories approach motivation as coming from within a person (Drive Theory), whereas other theories approach motivation as coming from within the person (Incentive Theory). Compare and contrast two theories of motivation explaining how the two approaches may differ and how they may be similar. Does one theory seem to explain motivation better than the other? Support your argument with examples from each theory. Motives are reasons people hold for initiating and performing voluntary behaviour. They indicate the meaning of human behaviour, and they may reveal a persons values. Motives often affect a persons perception, cognition, emotion and behaviour. A person who is highly motivated to gain social status, for example, may be observant of marks of social distinction, may think often about issues that pertain to wealth, may especially enjoy the feeling of self-importance, and may behave in ways associated with upper-class status . By defining motives as reasons, we do not imply that motives are primarily cognitive; any more than establishing a motive for crime in a court of law requires conscious premeditation. A person can have a reason to behave, and thus a motive, without necessarily being aware of it. Aristotle (330BCE/1953) divided motives into ends versus means on the basis of the individuals purpose for performing the behaviour. Ends are indicated when a person engages in a behaviour for no apparent reason other than that is what the person desires to do. Examples include a child playing with a ball for physical exercise and a student reading a book out of curiosity. In each of these examples, the goal is desired for its own sake. In contrast, means are indicated when a person performs an act for its instrumental value. Examples include a professional athlete who plays football for a salary and a student who studies to improve a grade. In each of these examples, the goal (salary, grade) is desired because it produces something else. A person might seek a salary, for example, as a means of enhancing social status, or high grades as a means of pleasing a parent. An analysis of a persons behaviour may identify a series of instrumental acts followed by one or more end goals that complete a behaviour chain.  For example, a person may take a second job for the extra salary (instrumental motive), desire the extra salary to purchase health insurance (instrumental motive), and desire the health insurance to benefit their family (end goal). This example of a behaviour chain shows three behaviours, two motivated by instrumental goals and a third by an end goal. Logically, only goals that are desired for their own sake can serve as the end of a purposeful explanation of a series of human acts (Reiss, 2003). The number of instrumental motives is, for all practical purposes, unlimited. Only imagination limits how may different ways individuals can pursue the end goal of, say, power. In contrast, the number of ends is limited by human nature (Reiss, 2003). Two theoretical perspectives have been advanced concerning end goals. Multifaceted theory holds that the various end goals are largely unrelated to each other, perhaps to the point where they are genetically distant sources of motivation with different evolutionary histories. Multifaceted theorist include philosophers who have suggested lists of the most fundamental motives of human nature (Eg Spinoza, 1675/1949), psychologists who have put forth evolutionary theories of motivation (Eg McDougall, 1926) and psychologists who have suggested theories of human needs (Eg Murray, 1938). In contrast, unitary or global theorists hold that end goals can be profitably reduced to a small number of categories based on common characteristics. Unitary theorists seek the underlying psychological principles that are expressed by diverse motivational events. The ancient Greek philosophers, for example, reduced end goals into categories expressing the needs of the body, mind and soul (Eg Plato, 375 BCE/1966). Hedonists distinguished between end goals associated with the pleasures enhanced and those related to pain reduction (Russell, 1945). Freud (1916/1963) reduced motives to sexual and aggressive instincts. Today, some social psychologists classify end goals into two global categories, called drives (or extrinsic motivation) and intrinsic motives  (IMs). The distinction has been influential 1,921 scholarly publications on intrinsic motivation (IM) appeared during January 1967 and the present day (source: PsycINFO). IM has been investigated in social psychology (eg Ryan Deci, 2000), developmental psychology (eg, Harter, 1981), clinical psychology (eg Eisenberger Cameron, 1996), organisational psychology (eg, Houkes, Janssen, de Jonge, Nijhuis, 2001), and eduational psychology (eg, Kohn, 1993). Drive Theory Thorndikes (1911) law of effect reduced human motivation to categories of reward and punishment. This law holds that responses are strengthened when they lead to satisfaction and weakened when they lead to punishment. Psychologists studying learning soon realised Thorndikes law is a tautology or a proposition that is circular (true by definition). The following statements, for example, are circular with respect to each other: Rewards strengthen behaviour and Any event that strengthens behaviour is a reward. The concept of drive was introduced to escape from the circularity of the law of effect (Brown, 1961). Instead of identifying reward as any stimulus or satisfying event that strengthens behaviour, drive theorists defined it as a reduction in a state of deprivation. The statements Drive reduction strengthens behaviour and Drive reduction occurs when a state of deprivation is lessened are not circular to each other. Hull (1943) recognised four types of drives: hunger, thirst, sex and escape from pain. In many animal learning experiments, investigators have induced drives by depriving animals of an important need prior to the experiment. The deprivation of food, for example, establishes food as a powerful reward, increasing the animals motivation to learn responses that produce food (Skinner, 1938). Much of animal learning theory is based on the results of psychological studies with food-deprived or water-deprived animals. Unitary Intrinsic Motivation Theory The unitary construct of IM was put forth as an alternative to drive theory. The initial insight was that many of the motives not explained well by drive theory motives such as exploration (curiosity), autonomy, and play have common properties. To a large extent, unitary IM theory initially represented an attempt to show the essential differences between drives and what psychodynamic theorists have called ego motives. In the past, the distinction between drives and IMs has been thought to have a physiological basis, at least according to some published remarks. The general idea was that drives such as hunger and thirst arise from tissue needs involving peripheral components of the nervous system, where as IMs arise from psychological or cognitive processes involving primary central neural activity. Deci (1975), for example, wrote that the primary effects of IM are in the tissues of the central nervous system rather than in the non-nervous system tissues (pg 61). The physiological paradigm for distinguishing drives from IMs always lacked scientific support; indeed, we now know that it is physiological nonsense. Motives such as hunger and thirst, for example, involve significant central nervous system or cognitive activity (Berntson Cacioppo, 2000). Both the behaviourist concept of drive and the concept of IM as nondrive have no precise physiological meaning and originally were put forth at a time when little was know about the physiology of motivation. Conclusion Since antiquity, scholars have debated whether human motives can be reduced to a few global categories. Ancient Greek philosophers, for example, distinguish between motives associated with the body (such as hunger and thirst) and those associated with the intellect (such as curiosity, morality and friendship). In the early part of the 20th century, Freud (1916/1963) argued that all motives are ultimately linked to sex. Hedonists, on the other hand, reduced all motives to pleasure seeking versus pain avoidance. The concept of IM can be viewed as a modern example of the effort in motivation reductionism. IM theorists divide motives into two global  categories: drives (as called extrinsic motivation) and intrinsic motivation. Drives are about biologic survival needs, whereas IMs pertain to what some have called ego motives. Hunger, thirst, and pain avoidance are paradigm examples of drives, whereas curiosity, autonomy, and play are paradigm examples of IMs.

Children Learning and Symbolic Play

Children Learning and Symbolic Play Abstract Our understanding of children development and learning is complicated because of the numerous and varied factors that impact it. These include physiological, mental, emotional, social, linguistic, cognitive, socio-cognitive, and cultural aspects. Two of the most considerable theories on the growth and development of cognitive thinking in children were proposed by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both offered explanations for childrens cognitive learning styles and abilities; their explanations and ideas have significantly contributed to the field of learning and instructions. While they have different views into the cognitive development in children, Piaget and Vygotsky both emphasized that much of childrens early learning is achieved through play and symbolic play in particular. The objective of this paper is to examine the major constructs of Piaget and Vygotsky theories about cogitative development in children and to evaluate the implications of their theories for instructions and sy mbolic play practices for children in preschool (kindergarten) age. Cognitive Development Theories: Children Learning and Symbolic Play Cognitive development refers to the development of the ability to think and reason. It is the transformation of the childs undifferentiated, unspecialized cognitive abilities into the adults conceptual competence and problem-solving skills (Driscoll, 2005). For many psychologists, cognitive development answers the questions about how children moves toward reaching the endpoint of gaining the adults skills, what stages they are pass through and how do changes in their thinking occur and what role dose learning play? Among many theories that are introduced to explain the children cognitive and knowledge development, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky proposed the most influential theories that contributes to this component of psychology. Their theories underlined that the way the children learn and mentally grow has a critical role in their learning progress and abilities development. Piaget and Vygotsky were considered as constructivists who believed that learning occurs as a result of mental construction and by fitting the new information into the cognitive structure (scheme) that the learners already have (Driscoll, 2005). Constructivism approach also suggests that learning is affected by the context in which knowledge transfer occurs and by learners beliefs and attitudes . Piaget and Vygotsky also agreed on the societal influences in cognitive growth; however, they differ in the learning progression process. Piaget believed that children learn by interacting with their surroundings but with no impo rtance for the input from others and that learning occurs after development; Vygotsky, on the other hand, held the idea that learning happens before development and that children learn through history and symbolism and they value the input from their surroundings (Slavin, 2003). Further, it is imperative for teachers to understand the progression of cognitive development and the constructs of the major theories in the field in order to be able to attend the unique needs of each child and to develop the learning program, instructions plans and classroom activities in a developmentally appropriate approach. Kindergarten program is an example of these learning programs that is of particular interest because it influences children in very young age and shapes their cognitive development journey. Kindergarten learning programs should be designed on the natural approach for children learning as suggested by the cognitive development theories. The natural approach suggests that the physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development of children depends on activity and interactions with others (Driscoll, 2005). This means the play is a key aspect of the Kindergarten learning programs and that is seen as phenomenon of thoughts and activity growth (Piaget, 1951). Play consists of activities performed for self-amusement that have behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. Play is directed towards the child, and the rewards come from within the individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous. Children engage in different types of play depending upon situations and different needs. Types of play range from physical play which involves jumping, running and other physical activities to the surrogate play at which ill children watch others play on their behalf. They also range from inactive observation play to active associative in group play that requires planning and co operation. Play types also include expressive play which involves playing with materials (such as clay, play dough,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and the manipulative play that gives children the measure of control over others and their environment (for example, to throw a toy out of a cot, watch a parent pick it up, and then throw it out again). Symbolic play (also be referred to as dramat ic play) is another important type of play at which children enact scenes where they substitute one object for another (for example, a child will use a stick to represent a spoon or a hair brush to represent a microphone). This kind of pretend play takes on various forms: The child may pretend to play using an object to represent other objects, playing without any objects and pretending that they are indeed present. Or the child may pretend to be someone else and imitate adults and experiment what it means to be an adult in a role they are exposed to in their surrounding environment (for example, mother, father, care-giver, doctor and so on). They may also pretend through other inanimate objects (e.g. a toy horse kicks another toy horse). Symbolic play in children can usually be observed during the beginning of the second year of life and it has been linked through the studies and experiments to the cognitive problem solving skills, creative abilities, and emotional well-being. In the following sections of this paper, the major constructs and ideas proposed by Piaget and Vygotsky theories will be examined in relation to symbolic play for cognitive and knowledge development of children; and the implications of each theory for instruction and practice in Kindergarten educational settings. Theories of Cognitive Development: Piaget and Vygotsky It is a fact that most of the methods and approaches for teaching are driven from Piaget and Vygotsky research studies. They both offer teachers good proposals on how to teach certain learning materials in appropriate approach that matches the child developmentally conditions. Piaget (1896-1980) believed that children progress through an invariant sequence of four stages. Theses stages are not arbitrary but are assumed to reflect qualitative differences in children cognitive abilities (Driscoll, 2005, p.149). He proposed that each stage must represent a significant qualitative and quantitative change in children cognitive and that children progress through these stages in a culturally invariant sequence. Each stage will include the cognitive structures and abilities (schemes) of the previous stages (constructivism) which all will act as an integrated cognitive structure (accumulated knowledge) at that given stage (Driscoll, 2005). These schemes can be alerted, changed or developed through assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation occurs when a child perceives new objects or events in term of existing scheme (Driscoll, 2005); in other words, within information the child already knows. Accommodation occurs when existing schemes are modified to adopt (or fit in) a new experience or information. If the new information doesnt fit or it conflicts with the existing scheme then the disequilibrium occurs. Equilibrium, however, is the master developmental process which encompasses both assimilation and accommodation and prepares for the child transaction from one state of the development to the next (Driscoll, 2005). Piaget stages of development are: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operations. Sensorimotor stage is over the period between the birth to two years. During this stage, the child experiences the surrounding world through the senses and movement. The child develops object permanence which refers to the ability to understand an object exist even if it is not in field of vision (Woolfolk, 2004). Toward the end of this period, children begin to mentally represent object and events but to that point they only can act and during the transaction to the mental representation, they may use simple motor indicators as symbols for other events (Driscoll, 2005). They also begin to understand that their actions could cause another actions developing a goal-director behavior; for an example, throwing a toy from the cot to make parents pick the toy and pressing the doll button to make the sound and so on (kind of the manipulative play). Preoperational stage extends from the child second year to seventh year. According to Piaget, children have not yet mastered the ability of mental operation or to think through the actions (Woolfolk, 2004) but they acquire the semiotic function early in this period. This means that they are able to mentally represent the objects and events, as evidenced in their imitation of some activities long after it occurred (Driscoll, 2005). Hence, pretending, or symbolic play, is highly characteristic stage and the language acquisitions. One more interesting idea proposed by Piaget is that during this stage children are considered to be egocentric assuming that others share their points of view and which makes them engage in self monologue with no interacting with others (Woolfolk, 2004). Concrete operations period that is from seventh year to eleventh, is characteristic to be the hands-on period at which children overcome the limitation of egocentrism and learn through discovery learning while working (operating) with real tangible objects (Woolfolk, 2004). They become more internalized and able to create logical-mathematical knowledge resulting in operations (Driscoll, 2005). Formal operation occurs from eleventh year to adulthood and at which propositional logic is developed. Reaching this stage, children (who become adult) should be able to not only to think hypothetically but to plan systematic approaches to solve problems (Driscoll, 2005). The acquisition of the met-cognitive (thinking about thinking) is also an important characteristic of the formal operations. Piaget also believed in the active role of the child during development. He proposed that children act on their own environment and cognitive is rooted in the action (Driscoll, 2005). He acknowledged the social interaction aspect of the children development but only to move the child away from egocentrism to develop the social knowledge that can be learned only from other people (language, moral rules, values..). Although, Piaget theory of cognitive development proposed an integrated and beneficial framework for children learning that can be utilized by educators and parents to influence and enrich the learning process of the children; the theory has faced serious challenges and especially in the recent years with the contemporary research add to this filed. For an example, Piaget believed that all children, regardless of the culture, progress through four stages and once particular stage is reached, the regression to earlier stage cant occur. Replications of Piagets experiments have shown that children in different cultures do not pass through the same types of reasoning suggested in Piaget stages (Driscoll, 2005). Moreover, there are people, in any culture, who fail to reason at the formal operation level; we experience interacting with these people in our day-to-day life in personal and professional levels. Also, Piaget claimed that there must be a qualitative discontinues change in cognit ive from stage to stage; this has been questioned with the ability to accelerate development and the studies and experiments showed that that children can learn more than Piaget thought they could (Siegler Svetina 2002 as cited in Driscoll, 2005). One more is that children dont exhibit the characteristics of each stage; for example, children are sometimes egocentric beyond the proportional stage and the preoperational children are not egocentric all the time (Driscoll, 2005). However and despite these challenges, understanding Piagets proposed stages and development sequence suggests useful and effective certain learning and teaching strategies at each level. Example of these strategies as implications of Piaget theory will be discussed in the next section. Vygotsky (1896 -1943) proposed an alternative to the Piaget stages of cognitive development, he stated that children learn mainly by social interactions and their culture plays a major role to shape their cognitive (woolfolk, 2004). He believed that individual development could not be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which such development is embedded (Driscoll, 2005, p.250). His theory suggests a co -constructed process of social interactions at which through children move toward individualized thinking. When a child receives a help through this process, her or she may be able to develop better strategy in the future to deal with a similar problem. This co-constructed channel of communications between the child and his culture will lead to internalization and eventually to independent thinking (Woolfolk, 2004). A good example to understand social dialogue and internalization is what introduced by Vygotsky himself and cited in Driscoll (2005) One a child stretching out her hand for an object she cant quite reach, an adult interprets the gesture of pointing and responds accordingly. Until the adult responds, the child is simply grasping for an object out of reach, however, the situation change with the adult respond to be a social exchange and the act of grasping takes on a shared meaning of pointing. When a child internalizes the meaning and uses the gesture as pointing, the interpersonal activity has been transferred into intrapersonal one. (p.252). The zone of proximate development is another principle introduced by Vygotsky. He agreed with Piaget that there is knowledge and skills associated with the child developmentally range of understanding, but he believed that with given help and support, children can perform problems that Piaget would consider out of their staged mental capabilities (Woolfolk, 2004). Scaffolding is the technique proposed by Vygotsky to support the discovery learning through social interaction and in the zone of approximate development. Scaffolding entails providing the child with a hint or clue for the problem solving and encouraging childs thinking in order to allow him or her to better approach the problem in the future. Further, Vygotsky highlighted the importance of the mediation cultural tools to support learning and higher-level processing in children. These cultural signs and tools involve technological, symbolic and any available resource that aids in social communication (language, signs, symbols, media television, computer, booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Although the tools at hand may include sophisticated toys, children are successful at creating imaginary situations with sticks and other common objects in their environment. This leads into the symbolic play as a strategy for children teaching. Driscoll (2005) noted that in play, Vygotsky argued, children stretch their conceptual abilities and begin to develop a capacity for abstract thought; the signs they establish in their imaginations, in other word, can make up a very complex symbol system, which they communicate through verbal and nonverbal gestures(P.259). The development of language is another major principle that is proposed by Vygotsky s theory. Althoug didnt address specific implications for instruction of language, he believed that language constitutes the most important sign-using behavior to occur during the cognitive development and this is because it frees children from the constraints of their immediate environment. The language of a certain group of people reflects their own cultural beliefs and value system and children initially associate the words meaning to their contexts and life aspects till they learn to abstract the word from a particular concrete context (decontextualization). This process of decontextualization must occur with any symbol system if it is to serve higher mental functions such as reasoning (Driscoll, 2005, p. 259-260). Once again, Vygotsky suggested that symbolic play is important for language learning in young children. He also emphasized the importance of the private speech as a self-directed regula tion and communication with the self to guide actions and aid in thinking; this is in contrast to Piaget who viewed privative speech as egocentric (or immature) (Woolfolk, 2004). Undoubtedly, both Piaget and Vygotsky provided educators with influential insights and important views on the cognitive development in children. Piaget suggested that the children progress through maturation stages and discovery learning with minimal social impact. Vygotsky, from other hand, stressed the importance of the cultural context and language on cognitive development. The following will browse, in general, some implications of the both theories for instructions in different educational settings then more specific for symbolic play in kindergarten. Implications for Instructions of Piaget and Vygotsky Educators and school systems have been applying the cognitive development theories of Piaget and Vygotsky in classrooms teaching for some time. The most important implications of the both theories are that the learning environment should support the discovery-learning and that child should be effectively involved in the learning process. They stressed the role of peer interaction and the symbolic play. Both also agreed that development may be triggered by cognitive conflict; this entails adopting instructional strategies that make children aware of conflicts and inconsistencies in their thinking (Driscoll, 2005). A good example of this would be the Socratic Dialogs which fosters the critical thinking through a series of questions and answers that enable learner to develop the understanding of the learning materials. However, Piaget and Vygotsky differ in the way to guide the children in the discovery learning. Piaget recommended a very little teacher interference while Vygotsky prompted the teacher to guide the discovery learning offering questions to students and having them discover the answer by testing different options (Scaffolding). According to Piaget, teachers dealing with children in preoperational stage (like in kindergarten) are encouraged to incorporate the play as a pedagogic strategy; in play children are engaged in active self-discovery activities employing concrete object or symbolically. It also helps to understand that and since the children in this stage have not yet mastered the mental operations, the teacher should not only use action and verbal short instructions but also to demonstrate these instructions. Using visual aid is very important in this stage to create attractive and discovery-oriented learning environment (Driscoll, 2005). Moreover, is to pay attention to the egocentrism in this stage as suggested by Piaget and the teacher to be sensitive that children may not realize that not everyone shares their view or understand the word they invented (Woolfolk, 2004). It is important to in the stage to provide the children with a range of experiences and knowledge to build the foundation (basic scheme) for concept learning and languages those children are expected to master in coming stages. Teaching children in the concrete operation stage should involve hands-on learning at which children have the opportunity to test and manipulate objects, perform experiments and solve problems in order to develop logical and analogical thinking skills. Teacher should consider using familiar examples to explain the complex ideas and this is by linking to the existing knowledge of the learners (scheme). While teaching the students in formal operations stage requires teachers to offer student open-ended projects that enhance their advanced problem solving and reasoning skills. It is critical in this stage for the teachers to help learners understanding of the broad concepts and their applications in the real life. The teachers applying Vygotsky teaching methods would be very active player in their students education. The most popular technique to be utilized is the scaffolding at which teachers will provide assistance and the feedback as the knowledge source to support learning of new information. The teachers then will not present information in one sided way but will provide the guidance and assistance required for learners to bridge the gap between their skills level and the desired skills; when they are able to complete tasks on their own, the guidance and support will be withdrawn (Greenfield, 1984 cited in Driscoll 2005). Also teachers applying Vygotsky theory utilized the meditation tools and teach students how to use these tools in their learning (computers, books,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Vygotsky emphasized the language and other sign systems (such as symbolic playing) as important tools for children learning. Language is the cultural communication tool that transmits history and cultural va lues between individuals and from parents and teachers toward children. Most importantly, is incorporating the group or peer learning as an important source of cognitive development. A good application of Vygotsky principles of social learning and the zone of approximate development zone is the strategy at which teachers encourage children with varying level of knowledge to help each other by allowing the child who master the skill to teach and guide his or her peer who still trying to master this skill. It is evident to be an effective learning strategy not only in children learning but also in adult learning. Piaget also believed that peer interactions are essential in helping children move beyond the egocentric and that children are more effective to provide information and feedback to other children about the validity of their logical constructions (Driscoll, 2005); hence the instructional strategies are favored that encourage peer teaching and social negotiation. Applying Piaget or Vygotsky, the teachers main goal should be to support learners and to provide the assistance plan that fulfill the learner needs and promote his thinking skills and cognitive development. Teachers should also prepare the learning environment that attracts children attention and encourages their self-discovery. The instruction plan should be designed on the premises that classrooms have students with different cultural, linguistic and knowledge backgrounds. In preparing learning activities, teachers should be able to get children to play and learn collaboratively and enhance their understanding through teacher feedback, peer feedback and social negotiation. Symbolic Play: Cognitive and Language Development As introduced, the cognitive development theories encourage play and symbolic play-in particular- as a pedagogic strategy for active self learning and language development. In play, the children initiate and take control of their activity (Driscoll, 2005); and this very nature of play along with other criteria are what distinguish play from other behaviors: play is essentially motivated with self-imposed goals, play is activity of spontaneous and pleasure, play is free from imposed rules, player is an active participants in the play; play focuses on means rather than ends, play is characteristics by the as if dimension that encourages children to use objects and gestures as if they were something else ( Hymans, 1991 ; Fein Rivikin as cited in Yan, Yuejuan Hongfen, 2005; Piaget, 1951; Rubin, Waston Jambor, 1978). In symbolic play that starts in second year of life, children use tools of objects, actions, language, signs and roles to represent something from their real or imagined world of experiences. It enables the children to build and express their understanding of either individual or social experience (Driscoll, 2005; Hymans, 1991; Lenningar, n.d; Lyytinen, Poikkeus Laakso, 1997; Piaget, 1951; Woolfolk, 2004). Symbolic play indicates that the child developed the two main cognitive operations: reversibility and decentralization; reversibility refers to the child awareness that he or she can come from the pretended role to the real world at any time while decentralization refers to the child understanding that the child in the play is still him/her at the same time with the person he/she is imitating (Rubin 1980 as cited in Marjanovic Lesnic, 2001). The next intellectual skill noticeable in the symbolic play is conservation which refers to the child ability to preserve the imaginary iden tity of the play materials despite the fact they are perceptually and could be functionally inadequate (Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). The social element of the symbolic play is also a very important aspect to be considered for the cognitive development in the children. According to Vygotsky, children learn to use the tools and skills they practice with social parents; he also emphasized that learning occurs in social interactions and it is affected cultural context it occurs at. He further proposed that social interaction could lead to developmental delays or abnormal development as well as to normal or accelerated development (Driscoll, 2005). Piaget also highlighted the importance of social interaction for the children to develop beyond the egocentrism that is a characteristic of pre operational stage. The impact of symbolic play in this dimension is supported by Smilansky (1968) studies at which she proposed that social activities influence the development of the childs cognitive and social skills. When children are engaged in a role performance; they have to reach a agreement about the play idea, the course of actions and the transformation of roles and play materials and this can only be achieved when individuals come over their egocentrism and develop the ability to communicate and empathize (cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). Smilansky then developed the Scale for Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio-Dramatic Play; the scale tracks the progressive development in the use of the objects in the symbolic play over five stages. The first stage includes simple manipulation followed by the stage of imitating the adults activities of adults by using the model of the object as adult do (as using the hair brush as a microphone). In the third stage, the object becomes an instrument for enacting certain roles while in the forth stage the use of object/toy goes together with the speech and gestures. The final stage focuses in the speech without using objects or gestures (Smilansky 1968; Smilansky Shefatya, 1990 as cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). Smilansky scale supported also the role of symbolic play in the language development that was firstly proposed by Vygotsky and this language-play relation has been investigated all the way since then. The research studies discussed the component of the language in the context of symbolic play and mainly in the role playing part of it. In role playing, children engage in a communication dialogue with their playing parties. It is evident that the role playing and object transformations enable the childe to use lexicographic meanings and clear speech (Pellegrini Galda as cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). According to Lyytinen, Poikkeus and Lassko (1997); their study to observe and examine the relationship between language and play among 110 18-month-old children showed that early talkers of these children displayed significant more symbolic play than the late talkers ; a significant connection was found between the language comprehensive and percentage of symbolic play. Th is is supported by the study conducted by Marjanovic Umek and Lesnic Musek (2001) at which they compared three age groups of children in preschool settings with different level of play using Smilanskys Scale for the Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio-dramatic Play; the observations and results proved stronger use of the language in the function of defining roles, scenes and materials that are required for the play context. More interesting studies looked into the implications of symbolic play for the education of children with special needs and disorders such as Down syndrome and Autism. Example of these studies is the study conducted Stanley and Kinstantareas (2006) who investigated the relationship between symbolic play and other domains such as nonverbal cognitive abilities, receptive language, expressive language and social development among 131 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The result indicates a significant positive relation between symbolic play and development of these domains in children with (ASD). The study also stressed that training in symbolic play will help to improve these children skills in other domains (Stanley Kinstantareas , 2006). Another recent study conducted by Venuti, Falco, Giusti and Bronstein (2008) to investigate the impact of mother-child interaction in the play on the cogitative functions of children with Down Syndrome concluded that such inter action leads to enhanced cognitive functioning (Venuti, Falco, Giusti Bronstein , 2008). Symbolic play, then, inked through the literature to the development of cognitive problem solving skills, linguistic transformation and creative abilities. It also supports the emotional and social development. Role playing is evident to be a way of coping with emotional conflict through which children can escape into a fantasy world in order to make sense out of the real one. From different aspect, it enhances the child self awareness and self directed; when a parent or sibling plays a board game with a child, shares a bike ride, plays baseball, or reads a story, the child learns self-importance. The childs self -esteem gets a boost. Parents send positive messages to their child when they communicate pleasure in providing him or her with daily care. From these early interactions, children develop a vision of the world and gain a sense of their place in it. In term of social development, the children enjoy playful interactions with others staring with parents through which they learn their culture values and aspects. Interaction with other children helps the children helps children to learn about boundaries, taking turns, teamwork, and competition. Children also learn to negotiate with different personalities and the feelings associated with winning and losing. They learn to share, wait, and be kind. Some of the more common functions of play are to facilitate physical and moral development. Physical play develops both fine and gross motor skills. During play, children repeat certain body movements purely for pleasure, and these movements develop body muscles and control. Moreover, when children engage in play with their peers and families, they begin to learn the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. During playing with peers, they learn that taking turns is rewarding and cheating is not; they learn to appreciate teamwork, share and respect others feelings. Therefore, models of children learning and preschool education in professional settings are mainly driven from different understanding and implications of symbolic play which are in turn based on the premises of different cognitive development theories. Play and Learning: Educational Framework in Kindergarten Settings Children learn through play is the golden rule that any educational frameworks in the preschool (Kindergarten) settings should revolve around. According to the theories and studies

The American Christian Worldview :: essays research papers

The American Christian Worldview All across the United States Christians are talking about this term called Worldview. What is it anyway? Many times, we release our guard and end up allowing society to change our thinking into what the rest of the â€Å"popular culture† thinks of our very being. As Christians, we should be giving scriptural backup for whatever conclusions one makes about this culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every society has a culture. Each culture has a different method of thinking. One of the major issues each culture eventually deals with is their basic theology. If I were to ask someone who God was, the answer would vary depending on which part of the country I was in. This is where the development of worldview begins. People within that culture begin to migrate towards those who have the same beliefs in fellowship. Those people who have the same beliefs begin to form a culture. After a culture is formed, cultural studies begin taking form. In a religious community, the members of that community begin to form a standard of ethics to live by. After the individuals form a religious community, start a culture that culture begins to do cultural studies. Those cultural studies are a basis for the individuals to set boundaries of accepted ways to produce or consume culture in their community. The next step in this process deals with aesthetics. Aesthetics are the ways in which the culture communicates their beliefs and values. After all these concepts have taken their course, the individual has developed a worldview. Starting back at the very beginning of this process is the most dangerous aspect of this entire process we follow to gain a worldview. In today’s society there is a variety of versions of â€Å"God.† Depending on which God you believe in, your community and culture could be very far fetched from what the truth is. The overlying theme behind every formation that coincides with any worldview can be asked in one question. What is the purpose of my life? As Christians, we should be involved in society’s version of â€Å"popular culture.† We are called in the Bible to be the salt of the world, as the salt we shouldn’t be merely consuming the culture in which we live in, we should be part of it, adding everything we can.

In Pride and Prejudice, who is to be blamed for Lydia’s behaviour? Essay

In ‘Pride and Prejudice’, there are a number of people who can be blamed for Lydia’s behaviour. Lydia develops into a selfish, egocentric, thoughtless and superficial girl through the influence of others and a lack of discipline and boundaries. Primarily, Mrs. Bennet is to blame. Lydia and her mother are ‘two of a kind’ – silly, vain, snobbish, pretentious and flirtatious. Mrs. Bennet has indulged and cosseted Lydia and favours her above her sisters. Instead of preventing Lydia from making an embarrassment of herself and disgracing the family by flirting with the officers when she is too young to socialise, Mrs. Bennet encourages her behaviour in the hope of getting at least daughter married off. Both Mrs. Bennet and Lydia seem to have a fondness of men in uniform, and are unfortunately crude enough to show it. In fact, Mrs Bennet says, † I do remember the time when I liked a red coat myself very well – and indeed so I do still at my heart. â€Å" From this we can see that Lydia has inherited her foolishness from her mother. Mrs. Bennet is a social climber and very interested in marrying well, but upon hearing of Lydia’s elopement with the discreditable Mr. Wickham, instead of being angry is excited, and thinks only of the wedding clothes. Yet if her daughters Elizabeth or Jane had eloped and were marrying a man with little money and many debts, Mrs. Bennet may not have been so thrilled. Mr. Bennet also has a reasonable input into Lydia’s behaviour, but in a totally different way from his wife. Lydia’s father isolates himself in his library, burying himself behind books and a wall of sarcasm, allowing his wife to take responsibility for his daughters’ upbringings, with the knowledge that she wasn’t fully capable of doing it satisfactorily. When Lizzy warns him against letting Lydia go to Brighton, Mr. Bennet does not take heed, and allows Lydia to go anyway. This is because he thinks that Lydia may be brought back down to earth and shown that she is not so important in Brighton, and that she would be in the safe hands of Colonel Forster’s wife. Mr. Bennet also knows that if he did not, then Lydia would emotionally blackmail him by nagging and crying, as would his wife until he granted permission. Instead of disallowing her, Mr. Bennet is weak and gives in, as he thinks it will be easier for him. Little does he know that Lydia will elope with an officer and disgrace the whole family. However, at the end of the book, he realises his mistakes, and blames himself for Lydia’s behaviour. He says: â€Å"You may well warn me against such an evil. Human nature is so prone to fall into it! No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame. I am not afraid of being overpowered by the impression.† Another person partly to blame is Mr. Wickham. It is not entirely Lydia’s fault that she cannot resist his charms, as after all, he deceived her older and far wiser sister too. However, his intentions were not honourable and he did not seem to have any intention of marrying Lydia. Had Mr. Darcy not intervened and bribed Wickham, Lydia could possibly have gone home disgraced, with no possibility of marriage in the future. In addition, Elizabeth herself might feel partly, if not wholly to blame for Lydia’s behaviour; she knew what Wickham was capable of, having heard Darcy’s account about his past behaviour. She could see what Lydia was doing and could have potentially prevented her sister from being subjected to scandalous gossip and also stopped Lydia from making a fool of herself by letting people know what Mr. Wickham was like. In considering the role that various characters have to play in Lydia’s behaviour, we tend to forget that everyone has a responsibility for themselves, and their actions, including Lydia. After all, she has older sisters who turn out to be respectable young women who have happy, loving marriages to wealthy men. Maybe Lydia has more input into her own behaviour than we should ignore.

High Fidelity essays

High Fidelity essays On the surface, High Fidelity is a story about breaking up and getting back together again. Only, thanks to director Stephen Frears narrative technique, we dont realize this until the credits start to roll. He plunges into the life of Rob Gordon, played by John Cusack, on the night his girlfriend, Laura, leaves him. Robs subsequent depression and self-analysis is the focus of the film; getting the girl back becomes secondary. Robs frustration from his break up with Laura reminds him of all of his other failed relationships, specifically, his Top Five All Time Break Ups List. His recounts of each girl are interspersed throughout the first half of the film. We only learn about Laura as we learn about Robs past. Consequently, the main part of the narrative is either flashbacks or direct commentary by Rob to the audience. This might seem to be a weakness, but it is in fact a vehicle for Frear to move the present plot forward. It is only through understanding Robs past, that we can understand his current angst. In addition, the slow revelation of the causes for his and Lauras break up reinforces Robs own mental journey. We learn things as Rob himself is ready to deal with them. For example, it is only when Liz, a mutual friend, marches into Robs record store and yells profanity at him, that Rob begins to think of what Laura probably told Liz. He finally lets the audience in on some of the things he did to cause the break up. Yet Rob still hasnt fully grasped what happened between him and Laura. It is a great strength, and in fact the very nature of the film, that we are limited to Robs mental struggle. All of the information is slowly laid out, to him, and to us. In his struggle to understand his current break up, Rob becomes obsessed with his past relationships, and decides to go out with them all again and ask them what w ...

Pasadena High Essay

Pasadena High Essay Pasadena High Essay Human life cannot be measured by how long one lives or the quality of life one led. Humanities legacy is assessed by ones moral, cultural, and spiritual beliefs. To the study of cultures society can investigate the myriad ways of being brought into Essence by human mind. By examining endangered cultures, society is able to observe individual belief, progress, corruption, political dominance, and even the effects of global globalization. In the end society is trying to gauge the morals of working towards the greater good dinner and that is done through answering the old question, what is one life worth? Now the debate at hand is what is one life worth? To truly understand this question every human needs to look at their own beliefs and determine if man was born with natural born rights. Instead of working towards an unbiased humanity where cultural diversity is present, humanity should be working towards progressing in the field of cultural tolerance. The way this can be accomplished is through education. Teaching humans the ways of others demonstrates similarities of mankind which humanity as a whole tends to overlook. As humans we all share the same cognitive abilities so it is no surprise that we all dance, sing, and express ourselves. It is the rhythm of the dance, and the tune of the song that set cultures apart. Until people learn that there is absolutely no right way of living there will always be corruption. But through universal education, humans can

Learn About Homonyms and See Examples

Learn About Homonyms and See Examples Homonyms are two or more words that have the same sound or spelling but differ in meaning. Adjectives: homonymic and homonymous. Generally, the term homonym refers both to homophones (words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, such as pair and pear) and to homographs (words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as bow your head and tied in a bow). Note that some dictionaries and textbooks define and distinguish these three terms in different ways. Some equate homonyms only with homophones (words that sound the same). Others equate homonymns only with homographs (words that look the same). See the observations below by Tom McArthur and David Rothwell. Also see Homophones and Homographs: An American Dictionary, 4th ed., by James B. Hobbs (McFarland Company, 2006). Pronunciation HOM-i-nims Etymology From the Greek, same name Examples and Observations Mine is a long and sad tale! said the Mouse, turning to Alice, and sighing.It is a long tail, certainly, said Alice, looking down with wonder at the Mouses tail; but why do you call it sad?(Lewis Carroll, Alices Adventures in Wonderland)Your children need your presence more than your presents.(Jesse Jackson)I enjoy bass fishing and playing the bass guitar.The groups lead singer carried a lead pipe for protection.His death, which happend in his berth,At forty-odd befell:They went and told the sexton, andThe sexton tolld the bell.(Thomas Hood, Faithless Sally Brown)Attend your Church, the parson cries:To church each fair one goes;The old go there to close their eyes,The young to eye their clothes.Mae Maebe Funke: Do you guys know where I could get one of those gold T-shaped pendants?Michael: Thats a cross.Mae Maebe Funke: Across from where?(Alia Shawkat and Jason Bateman in Arrested Development) Homonymy A case of homonymy is one of an ambiguous word whose different senses are far apart from each other and not obviously related to each other in any way with respect to a native speakers intuition. Cases of homonymy seem very definitely to be matters of mere accident or coincidence. (James R. Hurford, Brendan Heasley, and Michael B. Smith, Semantics: A Coursebook, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2007) Three Kinds of Homonyms There are three kinds [of homonyms]: those that sound and look alike (bank a slope, bank a place for money, and bank a bench or row of switches); homophones, that sound alike but do not look alike (coarse, course); and homographs, that look alike but do not sound alike (the verb lead, the metal lead). . . . There are over 3,000 homographs in the Concise Oxford Dictionary (8th edition, 1990). (Tom McArthur, Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992) Homographs and Homophones The reason that there is confusion and a lack of clarity over homonym is that it is closely related to two other words, homograph and homophone. I shall, therefore, define these words first. It is possible for a word to be a homograph or a homophone. However, whatever the word may be, it is also, by definition, a homonym. In other words, homonym is a conceptual word that embraces both homographs and homophones. . . . [H]omonym is just the collective noun for homograph and homophone. (David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007) A homograph is a word that is spelled identically to another word but none the less has a different meaning and probably a different origin. You will doubtless be annoyed if you tear your trousers while climbing over a fence. Indeed, you may be so upset that you shed a tear. As you can see, tear and tear are spelled identically, but they are pronounced differently and have entirely different meanings. They are good examples of a homograph. Many homographs are not even pronounced differently. Thus the word hide sounds exactly the same whether you are talking about the skin of an animal, a measure of land or the verb meaning to conceal or keep out of sight. A homophone is a word that sounds exactly like another word  but has a different meaning and a different spelling. If you stand on the stair and stare at the picture, you have a good example of a couple of homophones. . . . The Lighter Side of Homonyms Secret-keeping is a complicated endeavor. One has to be concerned not only about what one says, but about facial expressions, autonomic reflexes. When I try to deceive, I myself have more nervous tics than a Lyme disease research facility. [pause] Its a joke. It relies on the homonymic relationship between tick, the blood-sucking arachnid, and tic, the involuntary muscular contraction. I made it up myself. (Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in The Bad Fish Paradigm. The Big Bang Theory, 2008) Test your knowledge by taking this  Commonly Confused Words Quiz

Ideas Of Death In Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ideas Of Death In Epic Of Gilgamesh - Essay Example He has another dream in which the afterlife is revealed to him. The vision of the afterlife is grim and depressing: those who had lived as royalty once now toiled as servants for eternity. Enkidu's vision makes even Gilgamesh weep with sorrow for his friend. In Enkidu's instance, then, the familiar pattern of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance follows its course but in a slightly more compact way. Enkidu begins with anger at the gods Shamash, Ishtar and the mortal hunter and Shamhat. He then goes into depression, following the dream of the afterlife. Enkidu finally moves on to acceptance as begins to take responsibility for his foolhardy actions that have led to his death. This same course does not follow in the case of Gilgamesh. Enkidu comes to terms with his death before he passes on, but Gilgamesh is far from being so accepting. In fact, the proof of his friend's mortality only eggs him on to search for ways of avoiding the same fate. If this quality of Gilgame sh – a mixture of hubris and courage – that make him both admirable and detestable as a hero. While readers are in awe of his strength and courage in the face of dangers like the bull or Humbaba, there is also a certain distaste one might feel at his arrogance and self-obsession. Not only does he, as king, exploit his subjects, he even attempts to take on mortality itself. This quest for immortality is what predominates over the next section of the narrative. Enkidu's example serves to emphasize the inevitability of death.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an important part of the Essay

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is an important part of the English criminal trial process. Critically evaluate the role of the CPS ensuring you include any areas of criticism and calls for reform - Essay Example The 1999, Access to Justice Act also provided for public defenders appointment (Griffiths & Pritchard, 2010, p. 224). This has the implication that, each individual person arrested for a crime, in spite of his or her status, is legally unrestricted to have an independent and a free legal representative present, prior to the commencement of police interviews. The Crown Prosecution Service will focus on criticism while at the same time identifying and evaluating CPS’s functions, as well as, its applicability in defence during criminal trials. In addition, the paper will also focus on identifying and discussing sentencing powers as well as limitations that are accessible by a Judge during a particular criminal case. Prior to establishment of the CPS in 1986, the police conducted prosecutions that were presented by the state. Most of the people took into consideration that crime investigation should be treated separately from hearing cases as well as that that conflicts the role played by the police during prosecution. The passing of the PACE Act that was led by the Phillips Commission stated that, in England and Wales, there was no uniform system of prosecution. According to Griffiths & Pritchard (2010) the English Criminal Justice system could be described as an adversarial system; however, the system has shifted slightly to towards an inquisitorial system so as to increase efficiency and increasing the role of the judge through for instance judicial case management (Griffiths & Pritchard, 2010, p. 216). Establishment of CPS was mainly focused on conforming specific roles and functions. The mentioned roles and functions included making of decisions especially on which kind of offences should b e charged and case reviews to ensure sufficiency of the evidence to commence a criminal case, and the responsibility for the case and other functions. Nevertheless the Crown Prosecution

Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 22

Leadership - Assignment Example Madiba as he was known has been called a global icon, freedom fighter and South Africa’s Favorite Son. He is a nonprofit leader as he stood for the rights of the black people during the apartheid period. This resulted in being a political prisoner for 27 years. Also, Mandela is the most honoured political prisoner in history. It is evident since prison bars could not prevent him from inspiring South Africans to struggle and sacrifice for the liberation. Mandela actions led South Africa to gain independence in 1994 and he became the first democratically elected president. Mandela actions of humanity led to him to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 (Guiloineau, 2002). In conclusion, Mandela sacrificed the joys of family life to pursue a career of his choice to fight for the values of his people. Even after retiring from presidency in June 1999, Mandela continued to campaign globally for peace and the fight against HIV/AIDS. Mandela also formed an independent group of global leaders who would offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building and enhance shared interest of humanity. He died on 5 Dec 2013 after a lung

A letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A letter - Essay Example I have put up with it, but now, I am finally torn apart for being in Japan and working in AirAsia Narita. For such mental stress, I am feeling regretful for my own decision to go back to Japan, and I cannot cope with my current workplace (AirAsia Japan). Some time ago, I took a leave of absence as I suffered from severe headache that I often missed work. It is painful for me to work in AirAsia Japan. After that, I saw a doctor several times and the symptoms disappeared after an adequate rest; however, the doctor said that it is physical and mental anxiety that is affecting me. He said that it is all right for me to return to work, but it is necessary to distance myself from my mother and return to AirAsia X in order to work in mentally stable conditions. As soon as I heard that my mother was mentally ill, I just lost it and decided to transfer to AirAsia Japan for her. However, the consequence was not desirable as I mentioned. Even my doctor recommended returning to AirAsia X. It would definitely be a pleasure for me to return, but I am very sorry for asking this favor for I, myself asked you to send me to Japan in the past. I do realize how selfish it is for me to request to be transferred back to AirAsia X since I do not know if my previous visa and working permit are still valid, but with your permission. I really hope to return to AirAsia X again as per doctor’s recommendation. If you provide me with a chance to work for AirAsia X again, I am willing to shoulder all the costs for the transfer (travel expense, etc.). Furthermore, I would like to assure you that any circumstances such as this would not happen again because my father can constantly be with my mother

Maritime Economics of Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Maritime Economics of Australia - Essay Example 88) The current data suggests that Australian ship owners are also foremost in the meadow on new buildings and issuing increased quality and additional services to sea trade. Several of these recently commissioned ships were located under the State flag. During January and February of 2007, 300 new-fangled buildings casing all types of vessels, were added to the Australia's owned navy as 59 modern vessels were added to the 910 ships previously beneath the Australian flag. (Wang J, 2007, p. 91) The Australian owned convoy according to current figures accounts for additional 2,600 ships and its transporting competence being at 218,000,000 DWT, casing 16.5% of the world transportation needs. These figures correspond to about 40 billion US $. (Pallis A, 2007, 84) Australian vessel owners uphold 8.5% of the universal fleet and 16.5% of the planet tonnage. They own 24.1% of the tanker navy, 20.4% of the dry shipment convoy and 9.6% of the complex tanker vessels. (Evans J, 1990, p. 85) The administration of Hellenic owned shipping is performed within the organizational framework of overseas countries such as the Great Britain, City of London thus contributing to the expansion of important commerce centers. Thus Australian shipping acquaintances its foremost development and role worldwide to the intercontinental stock market, the charters' worldwide market and other pertinent economic activities. (Stopford M, 1997, p. 93) COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES Hellenic shipping comprises of ships that are mostly specialized in massive transportation of parched and liquid freight as well as in shipping of traditional general cargoes. These ships account for 95% of Hellenic owned navy while the residual 5% includes cruisers, coastal ships and commercial. (McConville J, 1999, p. 68) Since it is a universal leading power in nautical transportation, Australian owned shipping operates on a globe scale casing the transportation requirements of countries well beyond the Greek state. This flotilla serves the trade requirements of many countries all through the world. Moreover, shipbuilding, repairs, ship scrapping, marine cover and rental take place abroad. (Evans J, 1990, p. 90) Hellenic mercantile shipping has gained all through the years by providing excellent services particularly in the fields of security of steering and at sea, the defense of the maritime environment and in the current form of safety and tradition. (McConville J, 1995, p. 72) Australia having natural gas reserves and the availability of iron ore offer a natural setting for DR foliage which eventually eliminates the need for reliance on imported fragment to the whole Asia Pacific region. (Stopford M, 1997, p. 94) Australian living principles, circumstances of service and wages, and duty rates are considerably higher than those applying to squad employed on most overseas shipping. Australian delivery can never anticipate to compete against these ships. This is because no Australian would recognize wages and circumstances that counterpart those of the lowest levels of emerging nations. (Wang. J, 2007, p.99) COMPARATIVE DISADVANTAGES World delivery is subjugated by flag of conveniences vessels registered in tax havens like Panama and Liberia where they are not necessary to meet

Critical reader response from education class(Teaching English as an Essay

Critical reader response from education class(Teaching English as an Additional Language) - Essay Example One of the most important things teachers can do to support literacy development of students is to choose and expose them to quality literature. Children's literature is particularly rich with illustrations, images, genre and cultures; it reflects the maturational development process with regards to cognitive, emotional and social, as well as language development. Reading strategies are developed to retrieve information from 3 categories: 1) meaning cues, 2) visual cues, and 3) structural or syntactic cues. There are eight steps to implementing think-aloud strategies: 1) choose a small portion of the text, 2) chooses a few strategies, 3) communicate the reading purpose, 4) model the think-aloud strategy to the students as you read the text aloud, 5) instruct students on annotating the text, 6) discuss and think through the strategies used, 7) show students how to generalize reading strategies, and 8) reinforce think-aloud techniques with follow-up lessons. As an EAL teacher, I feel t his is an excellent method for helping L2 learners to deal with literature. Absolutely they should use a winning strategy for digesting literature; at best they usually struggle with the vocabulary to the point that frustration takes over and the richness of the literature is lost. Students develop a much stronger command of the language through open reading of literature among peers. Their fluency and diction develops quickly in the presence of a native speaker of L2. In the case where cultures are vastly different, the students need a lot of support to connect with and internalize the story. Often open discussion occurs in comparing and contrasting the cultural differences allowing not only for a deeper understanding and connection to the story, but also to peers. This further reinforces L2 bonding as well as building self-confidence in expressing ideas in L2. This think-aloud strategy helps develop the self-confidence of the L2 learners in their ability to read and comprehend lit erature at the L2 level. They also begin to apply this strategy to their other core L2 subjects, which resulted in higher academic achievement. They even begin to challenge themselves to speak L2 with peers, further reinforcing their self-confidence and pronunciation. The component of the think-aloud strategy that is probably understated is the one of prediction. Often L2 learners don’t have highly developed critical thinking or creativity skills. Predicting what would happen throughout the story is a new challenge for them as it causes them to imagine new possibilities for where the author may be leading the story. As they begin to work with the stories more, their abilities at prediction sharpen, even to the point that they increase their critical thinking skills in other academic areas, such as science and math. At first, the visual cues are critical for them; a picture makes fighting vocabulary and learning through contextual clues easier. With time, they increase their v ocabulary base to independently take on significantly more difficult stories. They enjoy being able to discuss the behind the scenes meaning, messages, and values being taught by the author. Role playing to understand what is happening in the story is another approach that can be

A letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A letter - Essay Example I have put up with it, but now, I am finally torn apart for being in Japan and working in AirAsia Narita. For such mental stress, I am feeling regretful for my own decision to go back to Japan, and I cannot cope with my current workplace (AirAsia Japan). Some time ago, I took a leave of absence as I suffered from severe headache that I often missed work. It is painful for me to work in AirAsia Japan. After that, I saw a doctor several times and the symptoms disappeared after an adequate rest; however, the doctor said that it is physical and mental anxiety that is affecting me. He said that it is all right for me to return to work, but it is necessary to distance myself from my mother and return to AirAsia X in order to work in mentally stable conditions. As soon as I heard that my mother was mentally ill, I just lost it and decided to transfer to AirAsia Japan for her. However, the consequence was not desirable as I mentioned. Even my doctor recommended returning to AirAsia X. It would definitely be a pleasure for me to return, but I am very sorry for asking this favor for I, myself asked you to send me to Japan in the past. I do realize how selfish it is for me to request to be transferred back to AirAsia X since I do not know if my previous visa and working permit are still valid, but with your permission. I really hope to return to AirAsia X again as per doctor’s recommendation. If you provide me with a chance to work for AirAsia X again, I am willing to shoulder all the costs for the transfer (travel expense, etc.). Furthermore, I would like to assure you that any circumstances such as this would not happen again because my father can constantly be with my mother

Critical reader response from education class(Teaching English as an Essay

Critical reader response from education class(Teaching English as an Additional Language) - Essay Example One of the most important things teachers can do to support literacy development of students is to choose and expose them to quality literature. Children's literature is particularly rich with illustrations, images, genre and cultures; it reflects the maturational development process with regards to cognitive, emotional and social, as well as language development. Reading strategies are developed to retrieve information from 3 categories: 1) meaning cues, 2) visual cues, and 3) structural or syntactic cues. There are eight steps to implementing think-aloud strategies: 1) choose a small portion of the text, 2) chooses a few strategies, 3) communicate the reading purpose, 4) model the think-aloud strategy to the students as you read the text aloud, 5) instruct students on annotating the text, 6) discuss and think through the strategies used, 7) show students how to generalize reading strategies, and 8) reinforce think-aloud techniques with follow-up lessons. As an EAL teacher, I feel t his is an excellent method for helping L2 learners to deal with literature. Absolutely they should use a winning strategy for digesting literature; at best they usually struggle with the vocabulary to the point that frustration takes over and the richness of the literature is lost. Students develop a much stronger command of the language through open reading of literature among peers. Their fluency and diction develops quickly in the presence of a native speaker of L2. In the case where cultures are vastly different, the students need a lot of support to connect with and internalize the story. Often open discussion occurs in comparing and contrasting the cultural differences allowing not only for a deeper understanding and connection to the story, but also to peers. This further reinforces L2 bonding as well as building self-confidence in expressing ideas in L2. This think-aloud strategy helps develop the self-confidence of the L2 learners in their ability to read and comprehend lit erature at the L2 level. They also begin to apply this strategy to their other core L2 subjects, which resulted in higher academic achievement. They even begin to challenge themselves to speak L2 with peers, further reinforcing their self-confidence and pronunciation. The component of the think-aloud strategy that is probably understated is the one of prediction. Often L2 learners don’t have highly developed critical thinking or creativity skills. Predicting what would happen throughout the story is a new challenge for them as it causes them to imagine new possibilities for where the author may be leading the story. As they begin to work with the stories more, their abilities at prediction sharpen, even to the point that they increase their critical thinking skills in other academic areas, such as science and math. At first, the visual cues are critical for them; a picture makes fighting vocabulary and learning through contextual clues easier. With time, they increase their v ocabulary base to independently take on significantly more difficult stories. They enjoy being able to discuss the behind the scenes meaning, messages, and values being taught by the author. Role playing to understand what is happening in the story is another approach that can be

Understanding World Happenings in Africa Essay Example for Free

Understanding World Happenings in Africa Essay When Paul Theroux visited Africa during the 1960s, many African countries were forming their own governments after doing away with colonial rule (An Interview, 2007). Paul taught English to children in Uganda and Malawi during that time. But when he returned to Africa almost forty years later, he was shocked as well as disappointed to see that his good old school library, which used to be the core of one of the finest schools in East Africa, had no light bulbs and all of its book shelves had been emptied by plunderers (Theroux, 2003). Doing away with colonial rule was not so good for the African countries after all. Rather, according to Paul, African countries after the colonial rule â€Å"have fared badly, because of poor leadership, lack of resources, the colonial hangover, the subversion of foreign institutions. † Moreover, corruption is rampant, and the African governments rely on the poverty of their peoples to get foreign aid. Someone besides the African people seems to be using the foreign aid, however, seeing as the African people remain poor and needy. What is more, countless African people whom Paul encountered during his second trip to Africa, reported that they would like to move out of Africa altogether (An Interview). Paul describes poverty as such a big problem in Africa that he almost lost his life because of it. In northern Kenya and on the road known as Marsabit, some â€Å"shifta† or wandering bandits shot at the travel writer. They do not want your life, bwana. They want your shoes, Paul explained in his book, Dark Star Safari: Overland From Cairo to Cape Town (Theroux). Did Paul imagine at the time that he would perhaps have been safe if the land of Africa was still under colonial rule? The law and order situation in the Western world – the colonialists and the imperialists of yesteryears – are definitely seen as safer places on our planet, despite the fact that UNDERSTANDING WORLD HAPPENINGS IN AFRICA Page # 2 they have their own share of violence to handle. And yet, the law and order situation in other parts of the world cannot be compared to what is happening in the Western world. In the non-Western world, a lot of countries have remained poor and needy even after doing away with the colonial rule. As a matter of fact, the colonialists were pushed out of many nations in hordes close to mid-twentieth century. What did the countries that pushed out the colonialists achieve in the name of freedom? – Perhaps only the belief that they are basically separate from others. In actuality, the so-called ‘freedom’ and ‘independence’ gained by the African countries, the subcontinent, and other non-Western regions of the world has not be true freedom and independence from heartbreaking problems such as beggary, sickness, and illiteracy (Theroux). While the Western world grew richer through the Internet and globalization, starting from the latter half of the twentieth century, various non-Western regions of the world remained poor and needy without good use of the Internet and globalization. Even Japan and China continued to believe in economic nationalism without feeling the need to make immense profits through globalization. Paul experienced the difference between the Western world and the non-Western world during his second trip to Africa especially through the word, â€Å"safari. † According to the writer, â€Å"safari† is a Swahili world which essentially means ‘incommunicado’ or being completely out of touch. So, if anybody (like Paul) wants to spend time in a place where there are not many (if any) Internet cafes or means to access mobile phones; he or she must be visiting Africa to get away from it all (Theroux). Technology has not made its way into African countries in a big way. Without technology, the African nations have undoubtedly stayed behind UNDERSTANDING WORLD HAPPENINGS IN AFRICA Page # 3 the Western world in terms of their economies and living standards. They have not been able to encounter progress along with the Western nations that are technologically advanced. Thus, the African countries – like many other technologically backward nations in the non-Western world – have failed to develop. These countries are dependent on the Western world for aid. What is more, although the majority of people of such nations have undeveloped minds because of lack of education, the countries as a whole have shown great arrogance in terms of shunning colonial rule and its likes. In Hong Kong, the British government stayed in power almost until the end of the twentieth century. Today, Hong Kong is very advanced. But Africa and the subcontinent are not advanced at all, the reason being that they pushed out the colonialists before the latter could work wonders for the nations they had probably come to occupy for a good reason. America, too, had pushed out colonialists before the African and Asian countries followed. However, America was backed by another Western power at the time of its independence. Hence, its history cannot be compared to the history of the non-Western world. The fact, therefore, remains: Our world has been divided even after the world wars, and would not easily allow developed countries to take over underdeveloped ones in order to solve the problems of the latter. When and if the developed countries do take over, they must encounter hatred and distrust, which eventually pushes them away and out of the undeveloped nations for good. References 1. â€Å"An Interview with Paul Theroux. † (2007). Book Browse. Retrieved from http://www. bookbrowse. com/author_interviews/full/index. cfm? author_number=886. (11 April 2007). 2. Theroux, Paul. (2003). Dark Star Safari: Overland From Cairo to Cape Town. Boston: Houghton Miffin, 2003.

Improving Tissue Support- Altered Cast Technique

Improving Tissue Support- Altered Cast Technique ABSTRACT Aim: Cast partial denture made using altered cast technique creates an environment in which the teeth and the edentulous tissues support the denture bases as compatible as possible, resulting in a more stable cast partial denture. Background: The tissues of the edentulous ridge in distal extension removable partial denture are liable to be displaced under occlusal pressure. This is a result of the displaceability of the mucosa. The difference between the resiliency of the residual ridge tissues and the teeth causes disparity of support, that causes the denture to rotate about its distal abutment, inducing heavy tortional stresses on the teeth and possible traumatisation of alveolar ridge. Studies have proved that better support and stability can be achieved in distal extension cases using functional impression along with altered cast technique. Case description: The following article is a case report of a distal extension cast partial denture using altered cast technique for better tissue adaptability and stress distribution. Conclusion: For recording Kennedy’s class I and II edentulous areas, optimum residual ridge coverage with a well fitting denture base is required. This reduces stresses, preserving the remaining supporting structures which can be achieved with the use of altered cast technique. Clinical significance: The altered cast technique allows the residual alveolar ridge to be recorded in functional form and relates to the teeth so that when the prosthesis is seated, it derives support simultaneously from the teeth and the soft tissues. Keywords: distal extension, stress distribution, functional impression, altered cast technique. BACKGROUND: The most important consideration in replacement of missing teeth for a distal extension removable partial denture as per DeVan’s statement must be â€Å"the perpetual preservation of that which remains, and not the meticulous replacement of that which has been lost.†1-4. When occlusal forces are applied to distal extension removable partial dentures, the forces must be distributed equally to the abutments and the tissues of the residual ridge.2 This cannot be accomplished on a master cast made from a single impression. A dual impression technique is used in which a â€Å"corrected cast† can be generated which can record and relate the tissues under uniform loading, distribute the load over as large an area as possible and accurately delineate the peripheral extent of the denture base.2 Functional impressions are defined as â€Å"The impression which records the form of the residual alveolar ridge under some loading whether by occlusal loading, finger loading, specially designed individual tray or consistency of recording medium.†5 Several methods may be used for registering the alveolar mucosa in its supporting form. The dual impression techniques are categorised as 1). Physiologic impression techniques. a). McLean-Hindel method, b). The functional reline method, c). The fluid wax method. 2). Selective pressure techniques.2 According to Leupold6 , the functional reline method is accomplished after the denture base has been processed onto the framework. The disadvantage being it requires a greater degree of occlusal adjustment after processing of acrylic resin and so it is necessary to modify the new denture before delivering it to the patient.6 So to overcome this the master cast is altered to accommodate the secondary impression and thus altered /corrected cast is generated.2,6. Cast partial denture made using the altered cast technique helps create an environment in which the teeth and the edentulous tissues support the base as compatibly as possible resulting in a more stable denture that improves the support for the occlusal relationship of the opposing dentition and the removable partial denture restoration.2,3. For preservation of the residual ridge, Becker and his colleagues, critically reviewed the evolution of removable partial denture and outlined six principles for its design which include a rigid major connector, multiple positive rest seats, mesial rests, parallel guide planes, the I-bar clasp design and the altered cast technique.7 This technique has the potential benefits of reducing the number of postoperative visits, preserving the residual ridges, improving stress distribution, decreasing food impaction and decreasing the torquing of abutment teeth leading to increased patient satisfaction.8-11. The following case report will explain the use of altered cast technique used in the fabrication of a distal extension cast partial denture. CASE DISCRIPTION: A 60 year old male patient reported to the Department of Prosthodontics Dr. D.Y.Patil Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai with the chief complaint of missing teeth and difficulty in eating. Extra-oral examination revealed that the patient had an ovoid tapered face, with mild prognathism, competent and thick lips. Patient had a habit of cigarette smoking since 20 years and so was advised to stop the habit. Intraoral examination revealed that there was only one tooth 23 remaining in the maxillary arch and 31,32,33,41,42,43 in the mandibular arch. The teeth were lost due to caries and periodontitis. (fig.1,2) Radiographs were evaluated and the treatment was planned. Tooth supported overdenture for maxillary arch and cast partial denture for mandibular arch was planned. Diagnostic impressions were made in irreversible hydrocolloid (Imprint, DPI). The impressions were poured using dental stone (type III, kalrock) and casts were procured. For the maxillary arch, the canine was endodontically treated. Pattern resin (DPI) was then used to make a Thimble-shaped coping for the canine which will help in additional retention of the maxillary denture. Primary impression was made using irreversible hydrocolloid (Imprint, DPI) and custom tray was made. The coping was then cemented with zinc phosphate cement (Dentsply). Border moulding was done with low fusing compound (greenstick, DPI) and wash impression was made using polyether impression material (3M ESPE). Master cast was poured in dental stone (type III, kalrock). For the mandibular arch, Diagnostic cast were surveyed and cast partial framework design was planned. The design included Lingual Plate as the Major Connector, Modified Ladder shapped minor connector. RPI system was planned for the rests and guide planes on 33 and 43. Mouth preparation was done which included the preparations of rest seats on 33 and 43, guide planes on distal of canines. Composite build up on the mandibular anterior teeth was done for better anterior giudance. Impression was made in a custom tray using medium bodied polyether impression material (3M ESPE) and master cast was poured using dental stone (type III, kalrock). Cast partial denture framework was fabricated on the master cast. The cast partial denture framework was checked on the master cast and in the patient’s mouth for the fit. (fig.3,4). The cast partial framework was used as a part of the custom tray for recording the functional impression. Spacer wax (DPI) was adapted on the saddle area of the framework and acrylic custom tray was made using Self cure acrylic resin material (DPI). The custom tray was checked in the patient’s mouth for correct extension. Border moulding was done using low fusing impression compound (green stick, DPI). Spacer wax was removed to provide space for the wash impression material. Tray was coated with a layer of adhesives so that the elastomeric impression material adheres to it. Wash impression made using polyether impression material (3M, ESPE). The master cast was sectioned into 3 pieces with the help of a hand saw and the distal edentulous area was removed. (fig.5). The wash impression made on the framework was placed on the sectioned master cast making sure that it seats completely in the rest seat areas. (fig 6). The entire assembly was sealed using utility wax to prevent its dislogement or movement during pouring of the cast. Beading and boxing was done around the framework and sectioned master cast and the impression was poured using a different coloured dental stone (type IV, kalrock) to distinguish with distal extension areas. The cast thus obtained was the altered cast. (fig.7). Jaw relation was recorded and teeth arrangement was done. Try in of the maxillary and mandibular trial dentures was done and dentures were fabricated using Heat cure acrylic resin (Leucitone,Dentsply). At the denture insertion stage dentures were checked in the mouth for retention and stability. (fig. 9,10). Post insertion instructions were given and follow up at the interval of 1month and 3 months was done. DISCUSSION: The fabrication of distal extension partial denture is a difficult task since it involves taking support from both the tissues and the teeth. Both of them have different amount of movements when forces of mastication are applied to them. Thus, the use of special impression techniques becomes necessary. However, in some cases, soft tissue displacement is slight. As a result, the functional and anatomic contours of the ridge may be virtually identical. However, that was not in this case. The decision to use dual impression technique along with altered cast technique was determined in the beginning using a test. Here, first the acrylic denture base was made on the diagnostic cast and placed in the mouth and finger pressure was applied to the base. There was some amount of lift seen in the framework suggesting that there was some soft tissue displacement. So by using the dual impression technique we can get a precise and functionally formed denture border and seal.2,3,7,8. The dual impre ssion used is indicated for mandibular distal extension cases because of a limited ridge area, the mobility of the floor of the mouth, to record the stress bearing area and proper peripheral extension.2 There are two categories of dual impression techniques mainly the physiologic impression techniques and selective pressure techniques. Physiologic impression techniques record the tissues of the residual ridge in its functional form by placing an occlusal load on the impression tray during impression procedures. The methods are the McLean-Hindels method; the functional reline method; and the fluid wax method.2 The need for physiologic impressions was first proposed by McLean and others. He recorded the tissues of the residual ridge in a functional form and the remaining teeth in anatomic form. However the disadvantage of this technique being that the dentists could not produce the same functional displacement generated by occlusal forces because of design of tray being used.2,12 In response to this shortcoming, Hindel developed his impression procedure by modifying the tray as a result of which the finished impression was a reproduction of the anatomic surface of the ridge and the surfaces of the teeth. Disadvantage being that the tissues recorded in this technique continue to be in a functional form all the time. This results in compromised blood flow with adverse soft tissue reaction and resorption of the underlying bone. Also sometimes because of this there is presence of premature contacts of the teeth replaced which will not be acceptable to the patients.2,13,14 The Functional Reline technique and the Fluid wax method where fabrication of the distal extension denture is done before and the new surface is added to the intaglio of the denture base afterwards. It can be done in cases where the denture becomes loose. However, as in the earlier methods this method too, has some difficulties mainly, the problems caused by failure to maintain the correct relationship between the framework and the abutment teeth during impression making procedure and also failure in achieving accurate occlusal contact following the reline procedure.1,2,3,15. To overcome this, along with this method corrected cast procedure was used yielding a better result.1,2,3,9,10,15 In the mentioned case report we have made use of the altered cast technique along with selective pressure impression procedure. The main advantage of this procedure is that the framework was ready before we make the final impression and alter the master cast. So the adaptation of the framework to the teeth and the soft tissues doesn’t change after the final impression. Also the other advantages are, 1. Remarkable stability of the denture base in distal extension removable partial dentures. 2. A positive occlusion which will be maintained for long periods of time. 3. Reduced stress on abutment teeth from unfavorable forces. 4. Reduced numbers of post-insertion adjustments.2,7,10 CONLCUSION: Fabrication of a cast partial denture for mandibular distal extension class I cases is a challenge for the prosthodontist. Several functional methods have been proposed for recording the edentulous area and the abutment teeth. An altered cast technique for fabricating cast partial denture was used in the above article. This impression technique helps in registering and co-relating tissues of different resiliency. This improves the stability and support of the denture, resulting in optimal load distribution. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: An altered cast technique is a way better and faster as compared to other techniques. In this technique the cast partial framework is kept ready before the recording of functional impression. Because of the correct fit of the cast partial framework this technique helps in recording the hard and soft tissues in a better way. Thus, it can be routinely utilized for the recording of distal extension area. 1

James Fenimore Cooper :: essays papers

James Fenimore Cooper Many great people have told history. Stories of how we progressed from the small colonies to the country we are today have been passed down to every generation. We were given the idea of our triumphs, struggles, tragedies and adventures of history through story telling, and no- one tells of the adventure of history like James Fenimore Cooper and Nathaniel Hawthorne. They wrote with such a passion of history entwined with adventure that it swept you away into their world. After all, that is what makes a "classic" timeless, the passing down of history. Let us start with James Fenimore Cooper. James Cooper was born in 1789, and in 1790 his family moved to Cooperstown. The rest of his brothers had died and Cooper was the head of the household; he took on the responsibility of caring for his family. In 1803 he entered Yale and was expelled in 1805 for a prank. After serving on the Veruvius for three and a half years, he left the navy and married Susan Delancey. They had five daughter s and two sons. In 1826, he added the Fenimore to his name. But it was by accident that James Fenimore Cooper became a writer. He took a dare from his wife to write a better book than the English one he had been reading to her. Precaution was published in 1820. Though I completely understand why it won't be on anyone's nightstand, it does show us some importance to understanding Cooper's writings. We know that he critically observed the manners and morals of Europe during a seven-year tour of England and then upon his return to America, he remained a defender of American principles, but also a caustic critic of American Practice. The central idea of "Precaution" (1820) was parents taking more time to ensure the proper marriage of their daughters. Here, I believe he reveals an early interest in social themes and moral principles. The lack of the principle is what ultimately leads Jane to get her feelings hurt when the man she loves runs off with a new, young heiress. Though the characters are like lifeless cardboard, Precaution's theme dimly foreshadows what is to come next. If a reader was to read only Cooper's early fiction and perhaps a volume of his social criticism, they are likely to go away with the feeling of Cooper having several mistaken notions.

Women, Words, Writing :: Gender Literature Papers

Women, Words, Writing During my morning commute, I cut myself off from the world around me and think. The last thing I see before "shutting off" generally starts a process of free association that is carried on by memory. For instance, this morning a woman sat beside me, reading The Alchemy of Race and Rights by Patricia Williams. Williams is someone I have heard of and read. I remembered her essay "And We Are Not Married"-a wonderful sample of women's writing. For the rest of the time I traveled by subway, I thought of pieces of writing I have read that, somehow, bear the mark of their writer's gender. Now I'm home, at my desk, and I am re-reading the texts I have thought of in the morning, trying to understand why and where I feel the mark of gender. Take, for example, Williams's essay; as I go along, I am fascinated by its complexity, by its huge network-or should I say labyrinth?-of ideas, so huge that the reader can easily get lost, become powerless, and abandon the struggle. Williams argues, among other things, that the practice of certain forms of rhetoric constitute acts of ideology, that style is never neutral, so that types of writing and behavior are always suffused with political content. One of her primary rhetorical tropes is the telling-and retold-anecdote, which always requires interpretation. With each story she relates, new possible paths appear, and one doesn't know which of them is the right one: the "Benetton incident," with its three consecutive versions. Then Tawana Brawley. Maxine Thomas. Mrs. Williams, her mother. Herself. Professor Bell and Geneva Crenshaw. Mr. Williams. Finally, the dream. The stories are presented at length, and commented upon; each affirmation is supported-either because of the author's juridical experience or because of her exactness-by footnotes. This makes the overall structure of the essay a bit confusing. For example, the listing of opinions expressed about Maxine Thomas is backed up by eighteen footnotes. The reader's eye has to go back and forth in order to read everything, and going back and forth eighteen times can be very challenging. In addition to that, the language is sometimes difficult; at times even impenetrable: "the rhetoric of increased privatization, in response to racial issues, functions as the rationalizing agent of public unaccountability, and, ultimately, irresponsibility" (696). One has to stop reading and figure out what she means, to figure out the idea behind that gathering of legal (and thus certainly esoteric) terms.