Discuss the Ways in Which in Chapter 1 of ‘Enduring Love’ Essay

â€Å"The beginning is simple to mark†. This is the opening sentence of Ian McEwan’s novel â€Å"Enduring Love†, and in this first sentence, the reader is unwittingly drawn into the novel. An introduction like this poses the question, the beginning of what? Gaining the readers curiosity and forcing them to read on. The very word â€Å"beginning† allows us an insight into the importance of this event, for the narrator must have analysed it many a time in order to find the moment in which it all began, and so it is obviously significant period of his life. And surely if the beginning is â€Å"simple†, what is to come must be complex. This and the writers delaying tactics, attention to precise detail and a red herring hook the reader and draw them well and truly into the novel. The reader joins â€Å"Joe†, the narrator, as he and his lover â€Å"Clarissa† are enjoying a romantic picnic in the countryside. Bathed in sunlight under a turkey oak, â€Å"partly protected from a strong gusty wind†, the relationship between the two is yet to be divulged, but McEwan’s use of the phrase â€Å"partly protected†, seems to imply that these two people have been protected from such horrors until this moment. Before the cry is heard and the race into the tale begins, a strong picture is painted; the reader can almost taste the air, and feel the â€Å"cool neck† of the 1987 Daumas Gassac as they themselves clutch the corkscrew. This attention to detail is a technique McEwan uses frequently throughout this chapter, to enforce just how important this day was to Joe, how the memory of this day has been replayed over and over in his mind until he is able to reel off the minutiae almost mechanically. The reader is therefore drawn into the story with the morbid curiosity of what is to happen, what the â€Å"pinprick on the time map† of Joe’s’s life is, and how it affects it. When the shout is heard, and Joe’s’ life begins its descent â€Å"away from [our] happiness among the fresh spring grasses by the oak†, the reader is still unaware of what this â€Å"danger† is exactly. However we do know that this is the event that shapes the rest of the novel and is the fundamental moment of the narrative. Whilst Joe runs towards the danger, he hears the shout again, followed by a child’s’ cry, â€Å"enfeebled by the wind†. Now that a child has been involved in this danger, it becomes all the more grave, for nothing provokes more feeling then the possibility of a child perishing. This in itself goads the reader to read on, willing the child to be saved, yet prepared for it to die. Yet we are still unaware as to what this danger is exactly. As our  hero races towards it, we are treated to a rather mathematical description of what is happening around him through the viewpoint of a buzzard, again giving the impression that this is something Joe has been recollecting and scrutinizing since it took place, looking at it from all angles, therefore giving it even more importance. The only clue we are given is the narrator revealing that the event about to take place is a fall, but who’s? While Joe rushes to the scene, so too do others; John Logan, family doctor, wife and two children; Joseph Lacey, captain of his local bowls team, living alone with his wife; Toby Greene, farm labourer with a reliant mother; James Gadd, wife and mentally handicapped child; Jed Perry, twenty eight and living on an inheritance. Harry Gadd, ten years of age. Thanks to these short but informative introductions we now have empathy with all of McEwan’s characters. Someone is to die, but who would we rather it be? Greene? Unspeakable, for that would leave his mother (no doubt a meek and feeble old woman) alone in the world. Logan? What of his widow, children and patients? It is to be one of these characters, and we are reminded this by the mention of the coroners inquest, but who? The automatic assumption is that it is to be the child, and this red herring is another of McEwan’s tactics of hooking the reader into the novel and making it impossible to put down. An important aspect of this first chapter is the way in which the narrator delays in giving us this information. He himself admits to it, to â€Å"holding back†, yet he uses language such as â€Å"fatal†, â€Å"aftermath† and â€Å"catastrophe† to hint to an imminent death of someone. This technique is echoed in the way McEwan lingers on the period of time before the disaster, recounting the day from the very beginning. This causes a build-up of tension, it is almost like when watching a soap opera; the events to come are revealed at the start, and then the story commences from before they take place. This method causes the readers to feel impatient, almost wanting to skip ahead to see what happens, but too engrossed in the story, anxious for, yet dreading the moment in which the shout is heard. Phrases such as â€Å"other outcomes were still possible† again add to the feeling of impending doom; other outcomes were possible, but they did not take place, this collision of men all intent on helping the distressed was futile. It is in these ways that McEwan succeeds in creating suspense that â€Å"demands a kind of physical courage from the reader to continue reading†, by using detail, delay and decoy. The first chapter is no doubt one of the most effective openings of any narrative, making it not only â€Å"unforgettable†, but achieving exactly what McEwan intended it to; the undivided and unconditional attention of the reader.

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Katienagler Just another WordPress. com site Home About Introduction MAR 21 Mike Rose Annotated Bib and Summary Posted on March 21, 2012 by naglerk11 Standard Rose, Mike. â€Å"Rigid Rules, Inflexible Plans, and the Stifling of Language: A Cognitivist Analysis of Writer’s Block. † College Composition and Communication 31. 4 (1980): 389-401. Print. Mike Rose brings all the chapters of this book together by not just researching how writers write, produce, plan, revise, etc. ; but instead he is asking what physically and mentally keeps a writer for be unable to write the next sentence.He said that the â€Å"writer’s block† could be due to â€Å"anxiety, fear of evaluation, insecurity, etc. ; he decided to dig deeper and come up with the best reasoning. He came to find out that the five sstudents he studied who experienced writer’s block were all using rules and/or planning strategies that had been embedded into their heads that may not be compatible w ith their composing process, therefore hindering their writing rather than improving it. This relates to my question because there really are aspects to writing that we have been told are helpful but may actually keep us from excelling.Rose states that sometimes less is more. Sstudents who did not experience blocking had an outline, but they were very vague. They were each open to change tthroughout their composing process, unlike the five other sstudents. Berkenkotter, Carol. â€Å"Decisions and Revisions: The Planning Strategies of a Publishing Writer. † College Composition and Communication 34. 2 (1983): 156-69. Print. Berkenkotter mainly focused on the writer’s planning, revising, and editing approaches. She wanted to see how much time sstudents spent on each of these procedures of writing.She wished to learn about the different planning and revising strategies of a good writer in order to correlate this with what we already hold to be true of how a skilled writer plans and revises. She believes that it is important for us to â€Å"pay close attention to the setting in which the writer composes, the kind of task the writer confronts, and what the writer can tell us of his own processes. † Fitzgerald, Jill. â€Å"Research on Revision in Writing. † Review of Educational Research. 4th ed. Vol. 57. American Educational Research Association. 481-506. Print.

MIS in USA

â€Å"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence!†-Vince LombardiThe five natural elements aside, the modern world today revolves around a sixth human developed energy i.e. Electricity. From telegraphy and telephony to electrical circuits for power, Electrical Engineering today focuses on a broad range of disciplines. The progress of this field has immensely influenced the advancement of technology. The vast application potential when combined with the notion of management intrigues me and I’m keen to continue my academic pursuit in this direction.A proclivity for Math’s and Science since childhood had resulted in 90+ aggregate in the respective subjects in high school and sparked the initial interest. A tryst with a Physics concept, ‘Electromagnetic Force’ at the Higher Secondary Level invoked the zeal to foray into this discipline. It was during this period that my teachers instilled in me a strong inclination towards the subject. This led me to opt for Electrical and Electronics Engineering in my undergraduate study as it not only requires analytical thinking but also involves hands-on practical application and is challenging.My credentials include Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Annamacharya Institute of Technology and science, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University , Hyderabad, India which covered a broad spectrum of subjects which include Electromagnetic field, power electronics, electrical measurements, Pulse and Digital circuits, computers’ methods in power system controls, digital signal processing, Power Systems(1to3),  Electro Mechanics, Micro processors and Micro Controllers, High voltage Engineering and Utilization of electrical energy. I am also well versed in programming languages like C, C++ & JAVA. I was also introduced to management based subjects like Managerial Economics & Financial Analysis (MEFA), Management Sciences which fascinated me and imbi bed the urge to delve deeper and explore the management related aspect.In an attempt to probe further, during my final year of the undergraduate course I presented a project â€Å"SPEED CONTROL OF INDUCTION MOTOR USING PLC† at SANGHI SPINNERS INDIA LIMITED, HYDERABAD, INDIA. and also another project on â€Å"A NEW 84-PULSE VSC CONFIGURATION USING MULTI LEVEL DC VOLTAGE USING MATLAB†. These project involved coding a programme using MATLAB technology which solves a pattern recognition problem. They also include the practical application of management to engineering which has sustained and also further honed my interest to pursue this subject.I consider it an accomplishment to have finished meritorious in several technical events and I have also presented a number of technical papers which were highly acknowledged. I feel it a privilege to have been a part of Make a Difference (NGO). My tenure at MAD as a Teacher Volunteer has acuminated my organizational and interpersona l skills. It has also reinforced the ‘Never say never attitude’ which enables me to persevere, look beyond and extend my boundaries and also go the extra mile.Specialization becomes a necessity to understand new technologies and to improve upon the existing ones. Finesse in the subjects I pursue is what I envision. I now find it essential to equip myself in a specialized institute, one that will consider my knowledge as a stepping stone to higher education and help me transcend new horizons. In the near future, my aim is to attain an advanced education in MIS through a Masters Degree Program. To achieve this I would like to gain exposure to the latest practices adopted in the field of MIS. The multifaceted attributes of the course and the flexibility of the curriculum have played a pivotal role in my decision to apply for MIS at your university.The collaborative environment at your university and the confluence of ideologies would help me learn the global standards in t his field also become aware of the worldwide  competition. I aspire to bring back the acquired expertise to India and use it successfully in future endeavors. My long term goal is to put my footprints in the field of MIS through contribution of original ideas and translation of those ideas to develop high end applications and products.I bring along a strong grasp of fundamentals in Electronics and Computers, an aptitude for teamwork, a zest for challenges and an enthusiastic desire to learn all I can. With the above attributes I firmly believe that I would meet all the criteria and would also be an asset to your esteemed university. I can assure you that I will be able to contribute and learn from the academically challenging environment at the university. Hence I appeal to the Graduate Admissions Committee to consider me for admission and I look forward to becoming a part of your institute.

The objectives of the Justice Policy Institute Essay

The objectives of the Justice Policy Institute - Essay Example [internet]) Yes, giving a chance to a jailed convict is understandable. But questions have to be answered. Is it worth it Is any program to that effect deserving of support Is incarceration really not the solution Whatever the answers are, does the Justice Policy Institute have a definite, determined and clearly streamlined missions and visions With its objectives focused on offering or proposing alternatives to incarceration, the Justice Policy Institute, a non-profit organization, believes that the options incorporated in its goals and missions are safe, effective and fair and these are achieved, among others, through researching into the roots and outcomes of incarceration. (Schiraldi, Vincent Schiraldi, Jason Colburn and Eric Lotke. An Examination of the Impact of Three Strikes Laws. THREE STRIKES AND YOU ARE OUT. [internet].) It also is a proponent of changing the perceptions of the public regarding the issue of jailing. Furthermore, it commits to assist the government and the communities along that line. Interestingly, the organization, even giving it the benefit of the doubt that it has the sincerity in proposing alternatives better and more worthwhile than prisons, the goals it has outlined seem to be overshadowed by the attendant vagueness. It even takes serious issue on the so-called three strikes laws which incr ease the penalties of three-time offenders stating that the subsequent infractions are usually non-violent and, therefore, there is really not much necessity of added punishment. The Arguments of the Proponents The institute defines its mission as one to rally the promotion of solutions allegedly more effective than reliance on incarceration or imprisonments in fixing social problems. The proponents and advocates of the Justice Policy Institute further claim that, as a matter of fact, the United States of America has had remarkable rise in the numbers of prisoners and that its rates of incarceration top world statistics. They also criticize political hyperboles regarding declarations of getting tough on crimes. The institute leadership further raises the issue that social predicaments such as mental health and substance abuse can better be addressed by sending the patients not behind bars but in some other places where they can instead be better taken cared of. The institute stresses that the country is paying for more than two million incarcerated people. Owing to those dynamics, the leaders of the group advance the idea that better solutions are at hand and need to be applied. Such appro aches as supportive of treatment and other options involving the communities are claimed to promote safety and save money. The organization expresses the view that there are wiser ways to rehabilitate criminals. It says more work must be done. (Our Mission. Justice Policy Institute. [internet]) Going over its website postings, one can see the activities of the institute: the reports it renders opposing development in the prison system, the researches it makes on jail statistics and other seemingly relevant items. One issue tells of

Statement of Purpose for Master's in Chemical Engineering Personal

Of Purpose for Master's in Chemical Engineering - Personal Statement Example It has opened up my canvas as I have comprehended how things shape up within this field of study and how the same would be when I take it up as a profession in the times to come. This work has allowed me to come to terms with how operations are run under the banner of the oil and gas companies and how research has been seen as a quintessential part of the very same. I have also realized how I need to cope up with the changing requirements of the time and what my disposition needs to be see under such aegis. The Master’s in Chemical Engineering would pave my way towards building up a better future for not only me but also the organizations that I work with. It would mean that there would be a mutual benefit that needs to be cashed upon under the related settings that I have envisioned for my own self. I hold my career in great stead and this is the reason why I want to attain my M.Sc degree from such a reputable university like yours. This is also one of the reasons why I want to continue with the university from where I am graduating because I know the alumni of this university speak highly as they are placed in some of the top oil and gas companies of the world.

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin Research Paper

Pros and Cons of Legalizing Marijuana, Cocaine and Heroin - Research Paper Example Currently the largest problem facing Florida is cocaine followed by marijuana. The use of heroin remains low except for Boca Raton and Miami-Dade. The greatest numbers of people turning to drug rehabilitation centers do so due to marijuana addiction. In 2007 alone more than 13,000 people entered treatment facilities in Florida to deal with marijuana addiction. Around 47% of these people were aged between 12 and 17 years of age. Similarly the number of cocaine addicts seeking help was some 10,000 in 2007. It has also been estimated that some 380,000 people in Florida are addicted to illicit drugs but did not seek any help (Narconon, 2011). When the Florida drug scene is considered, it is noticeable that the abuse of legal drugs is much higher in Florida than the abuse of illegal drugs. In 2006 alone some 1,400 people in Florida died from overdoses of benzodiazepines such as Xanax or from overdoses of a narcotic such as OxyContin. On the other hand some 633 people died in Florida in 2006 from cocaine overdose. Moreover most of the marijuana that is found in Florida is grown locally rather than imported. Between 2006 and 2008 the number of indoor marijuana plants eradicated shot up from 36,000 to 78,000. (Narconon, 2011) All in all the Florida legal and illegal drugs scenario presents a grim picture that needs further support from the government in order to deal with this menace at large. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin have been legalized in certain parts of the world such as the Netherlands but the impact of these policies is often underplayed or overplayed in order to make an argument. In order to realize the true impacts of such policies, it is pertinent to consider the peculiar socio-economic circumstances that surround the legalization of drugs in these nations. Portugal decriminalized the possession of drugs for personal use in 2001. By law anyone caught with such drugs was subject to therapy and

Explaining and evaluate principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explaining and evaluate principles - Essay Example Second, the necessity of checks and balance, again with the end view to avoid or thwart tyranny that the people must give its consent on important matters of governance. We can take an extreme case as an example to illustrate this point such as leaders cannot just do whatever they want with the governed such as throwing anybody in jail they dislike or disagree with. The political liberties (including physical liberties) of the people must be ensured for a leader to govern. If a government or leader will do the example such as illegally detaining people it do not like or disagreed with, then it is also the right of the people to rebel and the options available to do this are in multitude but that would be digressing to discuss them. Important aspects of governance that affects the people must also have the consent of the people. One example is the choice of leader, which Locke also agreed, must have the consent of the people through an election. ... Mill also put forth the consequential theory on freedom that an individual’s course of action is acceptable for as long as it is good for the majority of the people which in a way modern government uses a guide when it disposes policies into action. With regard to freedom of speech John Stuart Mill is quite liberal in his point of view and it seems that he make an exception to this general theory that freedom must be regulated. In general, Mill argues in his consequential theory that an individual is free to pursue a course of action or interest for as long as it do not harm to other. But in the expression of thought and discussion, Mill argued that it should not be abridged. His contention is that an individual’s capacity to express opinions and to discuss must be exercised in full and not to be suppressed. He did not argue for this naively. Mill knows that not all opinions are truthful and good. In fact, he mentioned that opinions and thoughts can be entirely false, p artially true and wholly true which in all, is an inestimable and could benefit the common good. Mill argues for this as; First, if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility. Secondly, though the silenced opinion be an error, it may, and very commonly does, contain a portion of truth; and since the general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the whole truth, it is only by the collision of adverse opinions that the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied. Thirdly, even if the received opinion be not only true, but the

TEXTBOOK CJ2012 FAGIN-Explain the difference between the crime control Essay

TEXTBOOK CJ2012 FAGIN-Explain the difference between the crime control model and the due process model of justice - Essay Example This model emphasizes efficiency and speed in the administration of criminal justice process. The advantages of reducing crime rates outweigh any possible costs to rights of the individual. Due Process Model accords priority on the right and freedom of human beings to be protected and sheltered from the power of the government. Values of this model seek to ensure that the state should prove a person’s guilt within a process designed to safeguard and protect personal liberties as itemized in the Bill of Rights. Basically, the difference between these two derives from the fact that crime control model places emphasis on the prosecution of criminals, while the due process model focuses on restricting and limiting the scope of rules and laws by stressing more on personal freedoms and liberty. Besides, the crime control model pays attention on putting the criminal away, defending the innocent people. The due process, on the other hand, considers the rights of the accused person and rehabilitation. The courts incline more towards the due process model, which even supports the accused persons by securing their freedom and rights, to promise that every individual’s rights and freedom are protected as stated in the Bill of Rights. Enforcement inclines in the direction of the model of crime control; they treat arrest as if they were already culpable; largely emphasizing on prosecution, arrest and conviction of those who have broken the law. The due process models needs to guarantee that every person is protected under 8th Amendment and the 4th Amendment, which allows no illegal and unlawful search and seizure. The rights should be put aside for the purpose of maintaining purpose of security and criminal justice manners. On the other hand, sometimes one has to give up his or her right for the advantage of society as a whole. The justice system in US is a complex one and sometimes it becomes difficult to distinguish between the innocent

Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainability - Essay Example A second reason was the strategy could become a guide to encourage infrastructure investment. A third reason was to encourage nature conservation by. Lastly the process could help encourage new entrants into tourism rather than into sectors which could destroy the long term prospects of tourism. The second section deals with what a sustainable tourism strategy is and how it differs from a conventional tourism plan. Conventional plans more closely resemble traditional marketing plans as it is designed to increase visitor numbers, turnover etc. through community resources. Sustainable tourism plans rely on wider regional analysis whose hallmarks include analysis of current tourism assets and future tourism development and a discussion of how tourism could be used for social benefits and probably most importantly strategies should be long term in their approach. The next section identifies how these strategies are produced. Firstly the strategy makers should have a number of objectives in the tourism, economic, ecological, and social sectors. Secondly, consultation with affected parties should be wide ranging and strategies should be an evolving/long term enterprise. In this regard the focus of this paper was wide ranging. It was a well laid out argument which identifies what the problem is, why strategy formulation should be paramount, how the strategy should be developed and the effect that strategy formulation has had in real world experiences. The only critique would be that in order to reinforce the importance of strategy development, perhaps examples of how not adhering to this sort of strategy should produce negative

Cost control analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Cost control analysis - Research Paper Example was identified as a key factor contributing to poor cost control measures, leading the management to expend resources that it would have invested in something else. Solutions on these defects in cost management have been identified through the research. Adoption of Just-in-time model will ensure irrelevant costs have been scraped; lean manufacturing model, on the other hand, will reduce the wastage of resources as suggested by one of the cooks in the interview conducted during the research. Results of the recommendation will be evidence on the profit levels and efficiency in operations The level of profit a firm can generate in a given fiscal year not only depends on the sales level, but also it cost control measures. Cost can be defined as the amount incurred by an organization in its pursuit for generating income. This therefore, means that costs are inevitable in any organization that intends to generate income. Costs are classified according to the relationship with the level of production. There are two main types of costs namely; Fixed cost and variable cost. Fixed costs do not vary with the level of production while variable cost varies with the level of production (Evans, 1964). During the internship program at Joe’s Excellent Chinese, these costs were evidenced on the production processes. In this paper, research will be conducted to identify the causes for the cost increase and how it can be controlled for overall benefit of Joe’s Excellent Chinese Cuisine. The problem for this research rotates around cost with its implication in the profit generated in a given fiscal year. Costs are unavoidable, and it is upon the management of Joe’s Excellent Chinese to come up with a strategy that will minimize the cost. Competitors of the firm offer same product (food) at an almost same price. This has created a problem for Joe’s Excellent Chinese since consumers do not see any difference as far as price is concerned. It should be noted that consumers are

Gender Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

Gender Stereotypes Essay Simply put, gender stereotypes are generalizations about the roles of each gender. Gender roles are generally neither positive nor negative; they are simply inaccurate generalizations of the male and female attributes. Since each person has individual desires, thoughts, and feelings, regardless of their gender, these stereotypes are incredibly simplistic and do not at all describe the attributes of every person of each gender. While most people realize that stereotypes are untrue, many still make assumptions based on gender. There are many stereotypes we may all be guilty of, such as assuming that all women want to marry and have children, or that all men love sports. The following is a list of some of the most common gender stereotypes as they pertain to either men or women. Remember that these are stereotypes because they claim to apply to all men or women. Female Gender Stereotypes Gender stereotypes begin the second a baby’s gender is found out. As soon as we find out it’s a girl, we immediately begin decorating a pink nursery filled with soft dà ©cor and butterflies and flowers. We assume that our daughter will be very girly and fill her closet with frilly dresses and her toy box with tea sets and dolls. What this is essentially doing, even though many parents don’t realize it, is setting our child up to be the perfect lady, and teaching her how to be the stereotypical woman. We are teaching her that girls are supposed to wear dresses, serve food, and take care of babies; the biggest and most common stereotype put on women. Have you ever watched a little girl playing house? Even as young as five or six, she is well aware that she is supposed to stay home with the baby while the husband goes to work, and she has dinner ready when he gets home. Here is another stereotype; women stay at home while men go to work. While there are a million gender stereotypes about females, these are definitely the biggest, and the most debated by feminists of today. Some other stereotypes include: Women are supposed to have clean jobs such as secretaries, teachers, and  librarians Women are nurses, not doctors Women are not as strong as men Women are supposed to make less money than men The best women are stay at home moms Women don’t need to go to college Women don’t play sports Women are not politicians Women are quieter than men and not meant to speak out Women are supposed to be submissive and do as they are told Women are supposed to cook and do housework Women are responsible for raising children Women do not have technical skills and are not good at hands on projects such as car repairs Women are meant to be the damsel in distress; never the hero Women are supposed to look pretty and be looked at Women love to sing and dance Women do not play video games Women are flirts Women are never in charge Male Gender Stereotypes Stereotyping is no different when it’s found out that a boy is on the way. The nursery is decked out in blue, his closet is filled with tiny jeans, polo shirts, and boots, and the theme is usually something like jungle animals or dinosaurs; something tough. Boys’ toys consist of trucks, dinosaurs, action figures, and video games. From the beginning boys are taught to be tough, to be protective, and to defend themselves. Boys are taught that daddy’s go to work and mommy’s stay at home; from their point of view, boys have fun and girls do all the work. Are you surprised to hear that most parents admit that they do not teach their sons how to do chores such as washing dishes or folding laundry? Instead, they teach them to take out the trash and mow the lawn; from the get-go boys are made to think that certain household chores are women’s work. This is a major stereotype, but the majority of American households  today would prove this to be true. Men are supposed to do the dirty jobs and anything that requires muscle, they are also supposed to go to work and provide for the family. Little boys see this and the stereotype continues. Other gender stereotypes that inaccurately try to describe all men are: All men enjoy working on cars Men are not nurses, they are doctors Men do dirty jobs such as construction and mechanics; they are not secretaries, teachers, or cosmetologists Men do not do housework and they are not responsible for taking care of children Men play video games Men play sports Men enjoy outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, and hiking Men are in charge; they are always at the top As husbands, men tell their wives what to do Men are lazy and/or messy Men are good at math It is always men who work in science, engineering, and other technical fields Men do not cook, sew, or do crafts Can you see how many of these actually are true of many men or women that you know? They may even be true for you personally, but they do not apply to every single man or woman alive. That is what makes them stereotypes; the fact that these things are considered, the norm and expected of every male or female. Each person is an individual and it is perfectly normal for a woman to run her own business while a man stays home with the kids. On the other hand it is also perfectly acceptable for a man to be a nurse or hate sports, or enjoy cooking. Men and women are individuals; they are more than just male or female. Our gender is only part of who we are; it does not define us as people.

Blood Brothers Essay Example for Free

Blood Brothers Essay I wanted to adopt but Mr Lyons is Well he says he wanted his own son, not someone elses. Myself, I believe that an adopted child can become ones own So when Mr Lyons went away on his business trip, Mrs Lyons persuaded her cleaner which is Mrs Johnstone to give one of he children to Mrs Lyons, since Mrs Johnstone was having twins. Mr and Mrs Lyons are very rich and they live in a big house, so Edward grows up in a privileged and comfortable environment. Mrs Lyons makes Mrs Johnstone promise on the bible that Mrs Johnstone will give one of her child to Mrs Lyons, the narrator says: In the name of Jesus, the thing was done, now theres no going back, for anyone. Its too late now, for feeling torn. Theres a pact been sealed, theres a deal been born. In return of the favour that Mrs Johnstone gave to Mrs Lyons, that Mrs Lyons would let Mrs Johnstone see Edward everyday. Mrs Johnstone says: I would still be able to see him everyday, wouldnt I? Mrs Lyons replies: Of course. During Edwards childhood, his father didnt spend much time with him; he was always busy with his work. For instance when Edward said to his father: Daddy we havent finished the story yet. Mr Lyons replies: Mummy will read the story, Edward. Ive got to go to work for an hour Also Mr Lyons was not spending much time with Mrs Lyons as well. After Mrs Johnstone has delivered the twins and given one of them to Mrs Lyons, Mrs Lyons became very nasty, she tried to keep Mrs Johnstone away from Edward, for example when Mrs Johnstone says: Ah hes lovely. Ah look, he wants to be picked up, Ill just. Mrs Lyons answers Hes fine. He doesnt want to be picked up. Although Mrs Lyons said that Mrs Johnstone could see Edward everyday, but she did not let her. After Mrs Lyons dismissed Mrs Johnstone. Edward has a very good education, his parents sends him to boarding school, since they have the money for it. He is a very intelligent boy, but thats because he is encourage by his parents to learn. The type of language that Edward uses is Standard English, he calls his mother: Mummy Edward Standard English because that is how he was brought up by the Lyons. His parents influence the language he uses, since his parents uses Standard English. Other people treat Edward with respect, because he is in a high standard of living and comes from a rich family. Again when there was a situation with the policeman, but with Edward. When the policeman was telling Mrs Lyons what had happened, he didnt make it as a major concern unlike with Mrs Johnstone. The police was very polite. This is how he treated this problem. Policeman says: Ah er, as I say, it was more of a prank, really, Mr Lyons. Id just dock his pocket money if I was you. But, one thing I would say if y dont mind me sayin; is well, Im not sure Id let him mix with the likes of them in the future. Make sure he keeps with his own kind, Mr Lyons. Well er, thanks for the drink, sir. All the best now. Hes a good lad. The policeman was saying that it was just only a prank, but that he said to Mrs Johnstone was totally different. Also the policeman had told Mr Lyons to keep Edward away from children like mickey. The way that this situation was handle was normal, wasnt serious like Mrs Johnstone. Mickey has a slight influence on Edward. For instance, when Edward asks his mother Are you feeling better now, mummy? Mrs Lyons replies Much better now, darling. Oh Edward, look, look at those birds. Look at the lovely black and white one. Edward immediately says Dont mummy, dont look. Its a magpie, never look at one magpie. Its one for sorrow Mrs Lyons said Edward. Thats just stupid superstition Edward replies Its not, mickey told me Therefore Edward believes in superstition, also like Mrs Johnstone, for example when Mrs Lyons put new shoes on the table, Mrs Johnstone immediately said: Never put new shoes on the table. You never know whatll happen Edward likes Mickeys company because they are very different from each other although they are blood brothers, for example when Mickey is talking to Edward, Edward admires the way that Mickey talks and Edward admires mickey very much. Edward says: Pissed off. You say smashing things dont you? Do you know anymore words like that? When Linda needed help she had Edward by her side. For instance when Mickey couldnt find a job Linda turn to Mickey. Conclusion I think that the environment around us determines our lives because it depends where we are, whom we are with. The way we become around other people everyday, the way we are brought up by our parents and the habits and dislikes we have. Like for instance Mickey and Edward are Blood Brothers, but grew up in differently in different environments.

Muslim Women Living In A Westernized Society Theology Religion Essay

Muslim Women Living In A Westernized Society Theology Religion Essay The following research report was requested and granted by Philip Broster, The Business Communication lecturer at the Tertiary School in Business Administration, for 8 October 2012. Permission was granted by Philip Broster to conduct research on the debate regarding the wearing of hijab and the western pressures of this felt by Muslim women who study at TSiBA Education. His specific instructions were to: Compile a research report based on the previous research proposal to research the debate regarding the hijab and the pressures felt by Muslim women at TSiBA. Present a literature review as well as findings in a written document and to conclude by identifying a relationship, if any , between the literature and the findings of the research. The report is to be submitted on the 8 October 2012. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Subject of the research The Debate Regarding the Hijab, Investigating the Pressures Felt by Muslim women living in a Westernized Country: A TSiBA case-study. Background to the research Literature on this topic is abundant as research has been conducted globally on the topic of the hijab as to the reasons why women should and should not wear the hijab. The research conducted was made possible through the use of surveys, interviews, questionnaires and observations. Katherine Bullock in particular, a Canadian community activist, author and lecturer did extensive research on the topic of the hijab and published her findings in the form of a book called Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil which challenges Historical and Modern Stereotypes.  She has also published articles on Muslim women and the media, and Islam and political theory. Purposes of the research The objectives of the study are to examine if the dominant negative Western perception affects the reasons why the Muslim community is divided on the subject of hijab. This research addresses the concern for a dialogue that could inform westernised societies about the personal reasons why some female Muslim students wear hijab and why others do not. I want my research to be meaningful, relevant to local communities and to open my mind and that of others by being taught through research and personal interviews about the subject. Scope and limitations This study was conducted in a very short period of time with a very small sample group as the pool of participants was limited to the Muslim students at TSiBA Education. The data set is meaningful, but not representative of the vast range of Muslims in different contexts. It will however show a diversity of views within a common theology and faith. A more sizable sample within the target group would have provided a larger and more conclusive amount of data. This can have a bias that favours the educated and the youth of Cape Town. Another limitation of my study was that all of the participants belonged to one ethnic group being from the race regarded in South Africa as Coloured. This was due to the fact TSiBA Education is a relatively small university whose Muslim female population is a fraction of the total students of which there were no Muslim women from a different race or culture. The research conducted could have benefitted from a more diverse pool of applicants. Plan of development This research report was compiled in the following manner. Firstly I provide my literature review which I put together for the purpose of exploring what has previously been written on the topic so that you and I may learn from it and be aware of it as we go about this research. Secondly I made a survey form of 3 pages long that contained relevant questions which I derived from the process of compiling the literature review. Thirdly, At random I selected 10 Muslim women studying at TSiBA to be my participants and followed through by conducting my survey about each one of them. Lastly, I analyzed the data obtained from the surveys and make this information available to you while also comparing my research findings to the findings derived from my literature review. METHODOLOGY Literature review The first piece of work I did was conducting research on the topic of the hijab in order to compile a literature review. My literature review took a significant amount of time in relation to how long the actual research demanded. Information was abundant regarding the topic of hijab, modernization, the dominant Western perception and the medias role in the portrayal of Muslim women that I found it particularly challenging to sift out important points from the all information available. My literature review saw two sessions of editing with my Communications lecturer who helped me construct and organized the important information once I identified it. Participation The target group for the research was initially 20 South African Muslim women between the ages of 18 and 40. This age group was the target of this study because they were the current generation of TSiBA students and were experiencing modern South Africa in a time when it seemed there was an ever increasing influx of Western culture after Apartheid. The age group is also likely to include married women who might be inclined to think differently about the hijab as their marriage might have changed the way each looks at the hijab. The participants of my research were all female as I had hoped, but unfortunately all of them belonged to one ethnic group being from the race regarded in South Africa as Coloured. There were 2 married women, and 8 unmarried women. 5 of them wore hijab and 5 of them were women who choose not to. Method of data collection One method of obtaining data was employed. The research draws on qualitative data from comprehensive surveys conducted on 10 Muslim students regarding hijab. The survey was constructed in a manner that it took students approximately 5 minutes to complete. After many different drafts of the survey I went to the Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) Education to distribute the final version. My survey included the opinions of both young women who wear the hijab and those that do not. I did not ask for names in any section of the survey to ensure the anonymity of all my human subjects. In the end I collected 10 surveys in total which was a smaller sample group than I had initially hoped. After gathering the surveys, I analyzed the results manually. LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The debate regarding the wearing of religious garb in public, specifically coverings worn by Muslim women has increased over the past few years resulting in a lot of controversy among those who agree with the practice and those who do not (iqraonline.net). Hijab is seen all over the world, especially in places with a high concentration of practicing Muslims. The hijab has resulted in severe media disputes and now denotes the difference of cultures. The French, along with the west expected that the hijab would pass away into history as westernization and secularization took root. However, in the Muslim world, especially among the younger generation, a great wave of returning to hijab was spreading through various countries. This current resurgence is an expression of Islamic revival (Nakata, 1994). The Topic of Hijab External to South Africa The views of feminists The Western media and feminists often portray the  hijab  as a symbol of oppression and slavery of women (www.al-islam.org). A theory of Orientalism has been in existence since 1978 which argues that the Muslim population is deemed backward, uncivilized beings who are outcasts in Western society (Said, 1978). Many feminists, both Western and Islamic argue that the hijab is a symbol of gender oppression and that the Islamic veiling of women is an oppressive practice. Fadel Amara, an Islamic feminist and Muslim female member of French government describes the burqa as a prison and a straightjacket which is not religious but is the symbol of a tyrannical political project for sexual inequality (King, 299.). Feminists argue that public presence and visibility is important to Western women. This overlaps sexism and racism as well as there are two arguments made by feminists who are divided on the topic of the hijab. a) The argument of oppression One argument is for hijab to be banned in public as they encourage the harassment of women who are unveiled and because public presence and visibility represents their struggle for economic independence, sexual agency and political participation. In the Western culture, celebrities are regarded as trend-setters defining what is acceptable. The hijab is therefore also seen as a problem because it poses challenge to the view of unconventional visibility and freedom of self-expression. (www.theage.com). Although it is true that many women do choose to wear the hijab, it is not the case for all women. In many Middle Eastern and North African countries women are forced, persecuted and abused for noncompliance with the hijab. This was demonstrated in Pakistan where an extremist killed a womens activist and government minister because she refused to wear the hijab. King states, From Afghanistan to Algeria to Sudan, Pakistan and Iran- women are systematically brutalized and caught in a deadl y crossfire between the secular and fundamentalist forces. Some Islamic feminists argue that although the statement in the Quran about women covering themselves was not meant to oppress women, the interpretation of those verses by Islamic societies does in fact oppress women. Although it can be argued that the hijab is a symbol of the oppression that occurs against women in Islam, many Islamic women dont agree. It is true that under some Islamist rule, specifically in some North African countries, Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia women are oppressed and forced to wear the hijab, but in an international context, this is the exception to the rule regarding womens practices of wearing the veil. Salma Yaqoob, a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the hijab explains the veil is not only an oppressing force in Islamic countries that require the veil, but also in Western countries that ban the veil. Yaqoob adamantly contends that by infringing laws that restricts womens choice on whether or not to wear the veil, they are also being oppressed. I am opposed to the Saudi and Iranian governments imposition of the veil and that of the Taliban previously. But this is also why I oppose the ban on wearing the hijab. In both cases the woman herself is no longer free to make a choice. In both cases her dignity is violated. Yaqoob explains that more women are currently banned from wearing the hijab, than are required to wear it. b) The argument of liberation It can be argued that rather than oppressing, the hijab is liberating. The second argument made by feminists supports the argument of fundamentalist Islamic leaders who argue that Muslim women have the right to choose to wear or not to wear a hijab as it is part of a Muslim womans duty to wear a hijab. These feminists demand that the French ban be withdrawn because they believe the oppressing force behind the veil is when authority figures, both Islamic and Western, take away a womans right to choose. They defend the veil as a mark of agency, cultural membership, and defiance. Tayyab Bashart, a feminist scholar and Muslim who teaches in France explains her beliefs A woman in hijab, who is a functioning member of society, symbolizes an empowered, independent woman, rather than someone who lacks self-determination and is a puppet of society (Basharat, 2006). The veil itself is just a piece of cloth. Human beings interpret the hijab according to social and religious constructions. Throu gh the Western discussion and banning of the hijab in public schools, the Muslim school girls of France lose their freedom to express their spirituality. The desired effect of the 2004 law is to fight gender oppression and inequality in the public school system, but as a residual effect, it actually diminishes womens freedoms rather than enhancing them. The law on the headscarf supports the oppressing Western discourses about veiled women and attempts to Westernize French Muslim schoolgirls. Western Governments In Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran, the full covering, more commonly known as the burqa, has been made compulsory upon female citizens. In contrast to this, the unwillingness to understand the religion and culture of Muslims has resulted in traditional clothing such as the burqa and the hijab being banned with the hope of Westernised societies achieving secularism in Islamic countries. Katherine Bullock shines light on the differences in judgment over hijab by having identified themes from her research on women and the religion of Islam. She divides these themes into the descriptions of those who are for and those who are against the hijab. According to Bullock, critics of the veil rely on secular liberal assumptions about society and human nature and therefore the veil is supposed to be and described as a symbol of oppression because it: Covers up (hides), in the sense of smothering, femininity Is apparently linked to the essentialized male and female difference (which is taken to mean that by nature, male is superior, female is inferior); Is linked to a particular view of womans place (subjugated in the home); Is linked to an oppressive (patriarchal) notion of morality and female purity (because of Islams Emphasis on chastity, marriage, and condemnation of pre- and extra-marital sexual relations); Can be imposed; and Is linked to a package of oppressions women in Islam face, such as seclusion, polygamy, easy male divorce, unequal inheritance rights. Western countries has developed this view and disregarded other views of what public visibility may be to different women with differing beliefs. (www.theage.com).An example of this is that France has decided upon the banning of the hijab to be worn in schools. Frances 2004 law, popularly referred to as the law on the headscarf, reveals the difficulty of respecting conflicting ideas between diverse communities, especially when one community, in this case the Muslims of France, is a minority. According to this law, female students are banned from wearing the hijab as well as all other openly religious symbols in public schools. France bans women from wearing the hijab in public schools because many feminists and lawmakers argue that veiling women serves as an oppressing force, a force that silences women. Alia Al- Sari states in her article The Racialization of Muslim Veils: A Philosophical Analysis many feminists see the headscarf As a symbol of Islamic gender oppression that à ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‚ ¦should be banned from public schools, a space where gender equality is presumed (or desired). Supporters of the law believe it fights gender oppression and gives equality to women in the school system. Media attitudes in reporting Islam and hijab While the media cannot be the only party held accountable or blamed for societal attitudes towards smaller cultures and religions, theses media moguls create the lens through which reality is perceived (Bullock Jafri, 2000). Western media sees itself as a democratic powerhouse and therefore is frequently answerable for legitimising and distributing racism and bias against religious communities such as Muslims (Bullock Jafri, 2000). The media in Westernised societies portrays Muslims as tricky, sleazy, sexual and untrustworthy, as uniformly violent, as oppressors of women, and as members of a global conspiracy (Bullock Jafri, 2000). For example, in 1998 a shift was noted regarding the European medias depiction of women who wear the hijab. Veiled women were no longer portrayed as exotic but instead as a threat to society (Macmaster Lewis, 1998,). This highlights the contrasting representations of Muslim women as concurrently being oppressed and threatening. In 2005 Begum argues that these images of Islamic dress were increasingly used in the media as visual shorthand for treacherous extremism, and that Muslims living in Europe were suffering from the consequences of these associations (Begum, 2005). The increase of these media portrayals and political deliberation has segregated the Muslim community and had a further disruptive effect on society and feminism at large. (Begum, 2005) Since then, the media in France reported on a women who was suspended for wearing a hijab under her hat while working as a meter reader, a fashion show of veiled women that was banned, the hindrance of hijab-wearing mothers from volunteering in schools, the refusal of cafeteria service to a student wearing a hijab and the banning of a witness to a civil service wedding from signing the documentation based on the argument that hijab prevented her from proper identification. Many authors on this topic dispute that because of the medias cultural fascination with Muslim womens dress as symbols of oppression, Muslim women often have to resort to focusing on that facet of their identity as well, even if they would rather discuss something else. These authors state that even cases of responsible journalism have a propensity to devalue Muslim women. This is because Muslim women are primarily depicted as exotic, victimised, or threatening outcasts rather than your ordinary peaceful next door neighbours. (www.reportingdiversity.org.) It is evident that the hijab remains a hot topic in Western countries and that the wellbeing and identities of Muslim women in Westernised societies are related to the wearing of the headscarf as a consequence. Hijab within the Muslim Community The opinions of Muslim women vary in their decision about whether or not to wear the hijab. The hijab, according to many Muslims, has multiple uses and meanings. The hijab is a symbolic of modesty and morality. According to Islam, the hijab functions as a shield for a woman against the lustful gaze of men. The hijab also serves as a cover to preserve the modesty and piety of the woman, as that is her main role as stated in the Quran. The most basic debate over the hijab is over the requirement of the hijab. This is an issue that is debated by many Muslim scholars. First in order to understand why there is an issue it is important to understand the power of the Quran. The Quran is the word of God brought to humanity by his last messenger the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Islam is the religion of total submission to Allah (God the Father) and obedience to Allah. As the Quran is Gods word then it also means total submission and obedience to Quran. The first issue with the requirement of the hijab comes from whether the hijab is in the Quran or not. There are two sides to this argument; there are those who say that the hijab is a requirement because it is in the Quran and those who say that it is not because it is not part of the Quran Reasons why Muslim Women wear the hijab The laws of the Quran Amr Khaleds, a popular Islamic scholar, layman, and highly influential Muslim speaker, represents the school of thought that considers the hijab to be directly in the Quran and thus a requirement for Muslim women. He quotes these Quranic verses that make the hijab obligatory to Muslim women. O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And ALLAH is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Surah 33: verse 59). In this verse women are told to cover their bodies so that they should be known as modest women and are not harassed. According to Amr Khalads lecture Al-Hijab, the hijab also serves the purpose of forcing men to not sexually objectify women but to see her as a vessel of intelligence and high moral values. Khalad says that the hijab reinforces the fact that Islam has placed the beauty of a female on a higher value in the eyes of men by providing protection of her beauty from uncontrolled lusts and desires, and instead ordering men to respect greater the inner beauty of her soul. Thus, the real value of women is associated with the degree of her modesty and her abidance by it (Khaled Al-Hijab). Yaqoob states her personal reasons why she wears the veil, For me, the wearing of the hijab denotes that as a woman I expect to be treated as an equal in terms of my intellect and personality and my appearance is relevant only to the degree that I want it to be, when I want it to be.. This is the traditional Islamic rational for the hijab and why it is important in Islam (Khalad AlHijab). A symbol of resistance A study about hijab in the West also provides another theory that I believe can also be applied in South Africa because it is a country heavily influenced by the West. The idea of the hijab as a symbol of resistance is explored by Tarik Kulenovic but not necessarily one that is strictly political. Tarik Kulenovics theory suggests that the hijab in the West is a matter of identity, a physical symbol of a womans Muslim identity. This symbol also carries a message of religiosity in a modernizing society which encourages a secular life style and scorns tradition. Kulenovic asserts that the modern identity of Muslim women, which includes the wearing of the veil, is primarily the identity of resistance to the values that individuals find foreign to them and as such imposed on them (Kulenovic, page 717). Thus, in modern society, the hijab can be thought of as a means of retaining a religious life style while assimilating to the demands of the modern world. Another reason women choose to wea r the hijab is that they find that the hijab serves as an empowering factor. The Interpretation of the hijab by those who wear it Katherine Bullock, through her research, provides some reasons why women wear the hijab. The hijab to these wearers: 1. Does not smother femininity; 2. Brings to mind the different-but-equal school of thought, but does not put forward essentalized male-female difference; 3. Is linked to a view that does not limit women to the home, but neither does it consider the role of stay-at-home-mother and homemaker oppressive; 4. Is linked to a view of morality that is oppressive only if one considers the prohibition of sexual relations outside marriage wrong; 5. Is part of Islamic law, though a law that ought to be implemented in a very wise and women-friendly manner, and 6. Can and should be treated separately from other issues of womens rights in Islam. Spirituality Some women have a deep spiritual and religious connection to the veil and firmly disagree with the view of it as a sign of oppression. Many Muslim women feel uncomfortable without wearing it because the hijab is deeply-rooted in their personal values and religious tradition. A main reason women choose to wear the hijab, is as expression of spirituality. Bashart states in his book that Muslim women carry with them their sacred private space into the public space by use of the Hijab. In this view of the hijab, the veil is not simply an article of clothing; or a symbol of oppression it is a tool of spirituality for women. Fadwa El Guindi, author of The Veil: Modesty, Privacy and Resistance, says veiling patterns and veiling behaviour are. about sacred privacy, sanctity and the rhythmic interweaving of patterns of worldly and sacred life, linking women as the guardians of family sanctuaries and the realm of the sacred in this world. Reasons why Muslim Women do not wear the hijab In the Quranic this verse although it says to draw the cloak all over their bodies, it does not specifically say the hair. In addition, it does not specify in what way, to what extent, and in what manner women should cover themselves. There are many modern alternative views to this idea that the hijab is compulsory because it is in the Quran. For example, Dr.Reza Alsan, an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions, the founder of AslanMedia.com and also one of the leading scholars in the alternative view, considers the hijab not an obligatory aspect of being a Muslim woman. Aslan claims that the hijab is shockingly not compulsory upon Muslim women anywhere in the Quran. Instead he claims that the veil was an Arab culture before the arrival of Islam, through contact with Syria and Iran, where the veil was the sign of the upper class women. According to Lelia Ahmed and those who fall in the second school of thought like Aslan, the only places that the hijab is applied t o women is when it is addressing the wives of Prophet Muhammad. Thus the veil was only associated with the prophets wives and his daughters not all women of Islam. This school of thought does not deny that modesty was expected of all believers. Believing women are instructed to guard their private parts and drape a cover over their breasts when in the presence of strange men (Surah 24:31-32) as quoted by Aslan. Here specific parts of the body are named that women should guard and cover including the private parts and the breast but the hair is not mentioned. Thus those in this school of thought like Leila Ahmed and Reza Alsan do not believe that the hijab is mandatory for Muslim women because it is not mentioned in the Quran. Conclusion of Literature review This research investigates the reasons why the Muslim community is divided on the subject of the veil and if the dominant negative perception of hijab (as the hijab being oppressive) has affected, if at all, the wearing of hijab in TSiBA Education. In the attempt to answer this question, the research has presented two hypotheses: (1) Living in South Africa, a country with great Western influence, causes some Muslim women to fear wearing the hijab and to abandon it all together (2) Muslim women choose to wear the hijab for spirituality reasons despite constant the pressures of the West 5. RESULTS OF OBSERVATIONS While analyzing the results, I was interested to see if there would be a correlation between the findings in my literature review and the results of my research. My data collection was a result of 10 surveys this research revealed that my two hypotheses were in agreement with a majority of this small sample of subjects. The data collected represents the opinions and beliefs of a total of 10 human participants which is 50% of the total intended target group. Thus, the data collected must only be interpreted as speculative and cannot be assumed applicable to all Muslim women or all Muslim female students. The results were as follows: 5 of the 10 participants wore the hijab. 3 of those 5 said that they strongly agree to wearing the hijab for religious reasons while 2 participants said they agree that they wear it for religious reasons but that religion is not the main reason why they wear the hijab. 3 out of the 5 Muslim wear the hijab even though the hijab makes them feel like they dont fit in with their peers. 1 person however does feel that she fits in with her peers and in her community because she wears the hijab. The hijab makes all five participants who wear the hijab feel protected and safe in public. 3 of them strongly agreed while 2 agreed. 5 participants said that all Muslim women should wear hijab when asked if they believe all Muslim women should wear the hijab, the opinions were 50/50. Interestingly, Out of the 5 participants that wear the hijab, 1 person said that she does not believe all Muslim women should wear hijab; 1 woman who does not wear the hijab said that even though she doesnt wear the hijab yet, she believes all Muslim women should wear the hijab. When asked if women who do not wear the hijab can be good Muslims: 8 women agreed that Muslim women can be good Muslims if they do not wear the hijab, 1 participant had no opinion saying one shouldnt judge, if you judge, what kind of Muslim does that make you?, 1 said Muslim women cannot be good if they do not practice the hijab. When asked for their definition of hijab, 60% defined it as covering with loose fitting clothes, 20% said all forms acceptable and 20% just covering your hair. The rating (1= no influence, 5= influenced but not explicitly forced,10 = I had no choice) of influence of family on participants choice to wear or not to wear hijab: From the 5 participants who wear hijab, 1 rated a 5, 1 rated a 6, 1 rated an 8 elaborating that her parents are religiously strict, 1 rated a 2, and 1 rated a 7 saying that the sudden death of her aunt influenced her choices in life and her consideration of the hijab. From the 5 participants who do not wear the hijab, 2 participants rated 5; 2 rated the influence of their family as a 1 and 1 participant rated 9 saying that her family allows her choice not to wear the hijab. The limitations section showed that all participants felt free to drive a car, study at a university, find a job, travel freely outside of Cape Town, own a computer and have access to the internet. 5 participants felt that they were not hired for a job because they wear the hijab while 1 participant said that she is new to wearing the hijab so the question is not applicable to her No participants felt that they were not hired because of NOT wearing the hijab TSIBA Womens view on the issue/view of hijab in the West 9 participants agree that the West (Europe and America) has a dominantly negative view on hijab. 1 participant had no opinion When asked their opinion of the Western perception and the West should continue not to encourage women to wear the hijab. 4 participants strongly disagree, 3 disagree, 3 had no opinion and 1 participant said she strongly agrees. When asked if they thought the West is ill-informed and should make more of an effort to understand the hijab and why Muslim women wear it: 6 participants said they strongly agree , 3 agreed and 1 participants said she had no opinion. 6 participants have friends from the West while the remaining 4 do not. DISCUSSION This research investigates the debate regarding the reasons why some Muslim women wear hypotheses were confirmed in a majority of this small sample group. In the attempt to answer these questions, the research has presented two hypotheses suggesting that: (1) Living in South Africa, a country with great Western influence, causes some Muslim women to fear wearing the hijab and to abandon it all together. (2)The main reason Muslim women choose to wear the hijab is for spirituality reasons despite the constant the pressures of the dominant Western perception. Defining the hijab The point of view unknown to me before starting my research was that there are Muslim women who did not know that there were differing interpretations about what the hijab is tangibly. In fact, from the surveys it is evident that amongst Muslims there is a concept of a correct hijab and an incorrect hijab. Before my research commenced, the purpose of the research was not intended to identify whether my target population was aware that many Muslims have differing beliefs the hijab. My research revealed that within the Muslim community there exist different interpretations of what the hijab is tangibly. 60% of participants claimed that the correct physical hijab is a head scarf and long loose fitting clothing that conceals the shape

Burmese Days Essay -- essays research papers

It seems there isnt much on the net about Burmese Days that one can look over when getting ready to write an essay. I have provided one I wrote that is about 2 1/2 pages long and outlines some basic themes as well as analyzes the main character. Tell me what you guys think: Burmese Days by George Orwell is not a book that commonly comes to mind when one thinks 'Orwell' but nevertheless it holds a distinguished place in his career as a writer. The novel revolves around the lives of a handful of high-class English gentlemen living in Burma during the time of the British colonial period. The story focuses on one man in particular; John Flory, who gradually succumbs to his life of loneliness and boredom. Though a 'pukka sahib' or Englishman residing in India, John still manages to steer away from racism and keeps a few Burman friends. Here a conflict arises. Each night the English men meet at the prestigious 'European Club' to drink and make small talk about the locals. Only Europeans are permitted to gain membership to the club until a certain occasion rises that calls for each 'whites-only Club' in India to elect a non European member. All the members are outraged and protest, except for John who supports the election, but does not possess the courage to admit to his beliefs. Behind the chaos and indignation, the European Club is faced with another disaccord, Elizabeth; a newly arrived English girl who has made her way ... Burmese Days Essay -- essays research papers It seems there isnt much on the net about Burmese Days that one can look over when getting ready to write an essay. I have provided one I wrote that is about 2 1/2 pages long and outlines some basic themes as well as analyzes the main character. Tell me what you guys think: Burmese Days by George Orwell is not a book that commonly comes to mind when one thinks 'Orwell' but nevertheless it holds a distinguished place in his career as a writer. The novel revolves around the lives of a handful of high-class English gentlemen living in Burma during the time of the British colonial period. The story focuses on one man in particular; John Flory, who gradually succumbs to his life of loneliness and boredom. Though a 'pukka sahib' or Englishman residing in India, John still manages to steer away from racism and keeps a few Burman friends. Here a conflict arises. Each night the English men meet at the prestigious 'European Club' to drink and make small talk about the locals. Only Europeans are permitted to gain membership to the club until a certain occasion rises that calls for each 'whites-only Club' in India to elect a non European member. All the members are outraged and protest, except for John who supports the election, but does not possess the courage to admit to his beliefs. Behind the chaos and indignation, the European Club is faced with another disaccord, Elizabeth; a newly arrived English girl who has made her way ...

Boating Fun :: essays research papers

Boating fun beached by regulations, letter,June 26. The author of this letter asks, "Remember when boating was fun?" I would like to offer some insight to the person who wonders why he can no longer speed around our waters with reckless abandon. There are many reasons to monitor "boating fun." The ecological reasons are numerous; irresponsible operation of motorized watercraft degrades our natural systems. For example, reckless boaters destroy seagrass beds, oyster beds and mangroves, which are vital nursery and feeding grounds for not only fish and birds, but are also essential to the existence of manatees, dolphins and sea turtles. Mangroves are not only important to wildlife, but also to people. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Web site says that unnecessary boat wakes are harmful to the mangroves and oyster beds that stabilize our shorelines and prevent erosion. Mangroves also filter and prevent pollution from entering our waterways. Ironically, wave action produced by boating "fun" may eventually erode and diminish the letter writer's own waterfront property and may call for additional spending on seawall maintenance! Lastly, if you are still wondering why authorities are trying to "take the fun out of boating," here are a few interesting facts from the 2004 Florida Boating Accident Statistical Report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: In 2004, the state of Florida registered a record-breaking 982,907 vessels. Consequently, boating fatalities increased by 6 percent over the previous year, with a reported 68 fatalities. Pinellas County reported the highest number of boating accident fatalities at seven deaths. Rental personal watercraft were involved in 43 percent of personal watercraft accidents statewide (but the author wonders why authorities pay close attention to these rented vessels). Finally, according to the report, "41 percent of reported accidents were primarily caused by either carelessness/inattention or violation of a navigation rule.

Confession of the Jews and First Confession :: Confession of the Jews Essays

Confession of the Jews and First Confession In comparing the books "Confession of the Jews" and "First Confession", I have found there to be similarities and differences. For example, "First Confession" deals with a boy converting from a boy to a young man by going to confession and telling his sins for the first time. "Conversion of the Jews" deals with converting a boy into someone he has never really seen which was a free thinker which only older people usually do. In "Conversion of the Jews" Ozzie, who was the main character, had a problem with getting along with the priest Rabbi Binder at Hebrew School. Rabbi Binder didn't really like Ozzie because he was always asking a lot of questions and Rabbi Binder was always getting angry at him. In "First Confession" Jackie, the main character, also had a problem. Jackies problem was similar to Ozzies, but also different. Jackie had a problem with his sister Nora. Nora believed that Jackie was always lying and being bad. On his confession day his mother sent Nora go with Jackie. Nora ordered Jackie to tell all of his sins, including how he was mean to the grandmother who lived with them. Ozzie seemed troubled to Rabbi Binder in "Conversion of the Jews". In reality Jackie wasn't bad at all, he was just a boy who wanted answers to his questions. And that was proved when Ozzie asked a question in class and Rabbi Binder went crazy and hit Ozzie because he thought Ozzie was trying to be a wise guy. So Ozzie tried to prove a point to Rabbi Binder and his fellow classmates by running to the roof and making believe he was going to jump. With Ozzie being on the roof it gave Rabbi Binder a bigger belief that Ozzie was crazy and troubled. Ozzie wasn't really crazy, he was just trying to make a point that he really wasn't dumb. Ozzie just wanted to believe that there was really a Christ. So with the point that Ozzie was trying to make helped to convert everyone and their beliefs. Jackie, like Ozzie, was also troubled in "First Confession". He was a young boy who lived with his family, including the grandmother. Jackie believed the grandmother didn't like him very much, so he did mean things to her like hide under the table when she cooked dinner. When it came time for his first confession he went with his sister Nora. Nora tormented Jackie and scared him into believing he was a sinner and he will pay for all of his sins.

Racism: African American Races Essay

A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. A big social problem in the world told would have to be racism. Some say that racism doesn’t exist but it does. Racism is a very strong word to use I have to say, but there have been a lot of unfairness and discriminations throughout the years in America. Which is what makes me interested in this topic the unfairness people receive from other people because the color of their skin. Some people I know have experienced unfair acts because of the content of their skin. Many people know that racism has occurred in the past when African Americans were treated unfairly being segregated from the opposite race. But most of that changed when people began to fight for equal rights having boycotts, protests, and consistently having those individuals who were racist know that they deserved equal rights as well as they did. And until they receive justice they were going to have their voices heard to receive justice. Racism is just with black people it’s with everybody. Any race can try anything, but there are still going to be those people who just converse with each other about other races. It’s definitely not only the Caucasian race it’s basically every race. The African-American race makes fun of the Caucasian and Latino races. The Latino race makes fun of the Caucasian and African American races. Everybody talks about everybody although it is not right I don’t believe that it will ever stop. I feel there should be a end to it simply because everybody is equal whether we want to believe it or not. So a stop to racism is a must it needs to happen now.

Speech on the Importance of Co-curricular Activities in School by R Jain

It happens more than sometimes that a student who has consistently shown in studies does less well later on in life than a student who has always been academically mediocre. The reason is not, necessarily, that the former has not lived up to expectations, or that the latter has all the connections that count. Often it is just a case of the mediocre rising to excellence because he has had the good luck of finding himself. Albert Einstein, Leo Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore were not considered particularly bright prospects in school, but nevertheless took the world by storm. Obviously, academics is only one yardstick of a student’s ability.At the school level, it is presently the most important yardstick and will probably continue to be so in the foreseeable future. It is generally agreed that an educated person is required to have grounding in certain specified areas of knowledge that may be termed as ‘basic subjects’. Over and above that, though, a good school wi ll offer a wide variety of supplementary or co-curricular activities involving games, music, art, literature, photography, the computer, and what have you. The more varied and better organised these activities are, the greater are the chances of a student succeeding in discovering himself.What does that mean? It means finding out what one likes doing, what one is good at and what one would like to develop one’s skills in. It is not impossible for this to turn out to be a fairly long drawn-out trial-and-error process. A student may begin by trying his hand at painting and find himself lacking; he may then move on to debating and discover he is worse at it; he may then have a shot at acting, but in vain; finally, he may find his metier in creative writing. He starts writing stories and poems and getting appreciation for and feedback on them. It makes him a happier, more motivated, and more energetic person.He may have been an indifferent student, but now, because his self-estee m has risen and he is more confident of himself, he attains a higher rank in class as well. It is not necessary that he should go on to become a famous writer. The very fact that he has confidence in himself now will make a world of difference to how he goes about life and what he does with it. It is up to him to seek out suitable avenues for the expression of his creativity, but once that is done, that initial act of self-discovery in school will prove to be one of the most positive turning-points in his life.What today is called ‘co-curricular’ was yesterday known as ‘extra-curricular’. The change in wording is significant and reveals recognition of the worth of non-academic pursuits in education. That one does not need to sit in ‘examinations’ in most co-curricular activities is a factor that makes them more enjoyable than classroom study; however, that may also be the very reason why a section of students don’t take them seriously en ough.More and more colleges and organisations have begun to look beyond the school-leaving and graduation and post-graduation certificates while deciding whom to take in and whom to leave out during admission or employment, and a good co-curricular track record may well give one an edge over a rival candidate who has no such background. This development, also, should further the worthy cause of co-curricular activities.

The Thousand and One Nights: Abridged, Restructured

Jeff Stephens Dr. Swenson English 2111 11-22-11 The Thousand and One Nights: Abridged, Restructured, but Ever Lasting You may have read the story many times; you may have even watched the live-action movie or animated film, but only a few have been able to discern the unique traits inherent in The Thousand and One Nights. Willis G. Regier, a writer for World Literature Today, wrote that â€Å"the Nights has been read, admired, studied, illustrated, adapted for the stage, and Disneyfied† (321).The traits that I would like you to remember are how I used interruption to structure the story and how I implemented love within the stories to help me win back King Shahrayar’s trust and pacify his fear of psychosexual replacement. While telling the king stories of grandeur and impossibility, I snuck in little snippets of truth and morality. Richard Burton, once said, â€Å"Without the nights, no Arabian nights,† by which he meant that in dividing the story into separate e venings it was given structure and without that structure The Arabian Nights would be no more than a collection of short stories (qtd. n Van Leeuwen 183). Burton could not have been any more correct. However, I would also like to point out that without the nights themselves, my own story would have ended long before the king changed his mind in the case of my death sentence. Structure in a story like The Arabian Nights is like the branches of a tree that bears fruit; not every branch will produce the fruit, but all the branches will have leaves to help collect the energy to make the fruit.In the same way that a tree bears its fruit, my mini-stories bear the fruit of change within King Shahrayar’s heart. Through my stories, I was able to help the king reclaim some of the hope, understanding, and even love that he had once lost because of his unfaithful wife. I also showed him that women could yet be good and kind, faithful and true, and be intelligent without the wickedness wh ich so many other storytellers have been unwilling to show over the centuries.Van Leeuwen wrote an excellent article that mentions how odd it must seem in my breaking up the stories with the nights, but he also says that by breaking them up I multiplied the dimensions and meanings within the stories themselves and gave a kind of fluidity to the whole thing. I like Van Leeuwen’s interpretation of my actions. He describes the most basic interruption as the break between the fantasy world of the stories that I tell and the world of the frame story in which I, myself, take part. Incidentally, he did his homework on the subject.During that time it was quite usual for my people to use frame stories in order to create a more profound and comprehensive anthology. In using these frame stories, rather than teaching a lesson directly to the listener, we can teach vicariously through the understanding of the frame story’s characters’ understandings. When I decided to try an d save the rest of the kingdom’s women from our vengeful king I knew that a direct approach would never work, so I had to drop him coy little hints in the form of fairytales, bedtime stories, and religious parables and sayings.Although a king be a foolish man, it doesn’t make him less of a king, it just means he is less of a man. So, using the art of interruptive story telling has been around for a very long time, even long before my own time, but Van Leeuwen has a much better grasp on the many useful techniques that using frame stories and interruptive techniques can yield as well as how they help to structure a story by allowing intervals between different perspectives.Van Leeuwen also describes how the stories that I told King Shahrayar could be directly related to the frame story in which he experiences so many wrongs on behalf of women. My poor husband was practically raped by a woman being held captive by a demon, he was cheated on in his own home by his wife and a common servant, and he watched as his brother suffered the same disgrace in multiplicity. Van Leeuwen says, â€Å"As a mechanism for the generation of meanings, the juxtaposition of viewpoints enhances the cycle’s character as an initiation into new forms of knowledge† (185).Throughout the stories there are always several characters that give an account from their own perspective about what has happened in the past in order to help the reader’s and the protagonist’s understanding of the problem and how to remedy the situation properly. When I told the story about the fisherman and the demon, for instance, the demon was fixated on killing the fisherman because no one else had come to release him in hundreds of years. However, the way the fisherman saw it, the demon owed him a reward for being the one to release him after so much time.Allowing both parties to speak their thoughts about the situation in conversation made it much easier to discern a mediat ion point. In other words, knowing both sides of the story helped to rectify the situation amicably for both parties in the end. I was trying the show the king that jumping to conclusions is never a good way to solve a problem. His ex-wife’s betrayal leads him to pronounce vows with a new woman each day and then break those vows by killing them the next so that they would not have a chance to betray him first.I was able to slowly give meaningful and constructive criticism of King Shahrayar’s decisions over the course of many nights and because of that criticism he changed on the inside. He became whole again, with an understanding that he had found a woman (myself) that would never betray him. Throughout my Thousand and One Nights, love is a catalyst to reveal the true nature of the person within a given character, because love defines us. Love of one’s self versus love for others, love of money versus love of one’s family, love for love’s sake ver sus love for the sake of sex and wiles.Wills G. Regier pointed out that â€Å"Love is everywhere†, and I could not agree more. Within every expression of love there is a story to be told about those involved and the feeling of love in and of itself. I told King Shahrayar stories of this sort each night, some with violence and murder, some with mystery and suspense, and some with sexual escapades. OK, a lot with sexual escapades. I practically bored the man to sleep some nights! I had to improvise to continue to keep his interest in my stories, but I always tried to find ways to wrap them up with love.My king seemed to have forgotten what love really was, so I needed to remind him of the feeling he so desperately sought even if, to begin with, it was sought unconsciously. Regier actually nailed it when he said that I gave King Shahrayar spiritual instruction a couple of times (311). I was attempting to do just that by reciting proverbs and Muhammad’s sayings. I was atte mpting (and apparently successfully so) to help him regain his moralistic views and understandings of the world. Love plays a large role in one’s understanding of how people view each other and how and why the react in the ways that they do.He needed to understand that part of why he reacted to his ex-wife in such an over-the-top manner was because he loved her so much that it hurt him more deeply than anything had ever hurt him before. He needed to understand that love and the loss of love was what drove him to such drastic measures. John J. Brugaletta wrote an interesting essay about my stories regarding the different allegorical properties from which new knowledge could be gleaned when comparing the situations in the stories to situations in real life (7).He was right, I was providing stories that the king could relate to at the time. There seemed to be some ominous trend in the women of my day to be more sexually attracted to black men. Honestly, it was probably more to d o with the fact that black slaves tended to be in better physical condition than the white nobility, sitting in their lush palaces, eating meat and drinking wine all day, and going on hunts for pleasure rather than out of necessity. Some of King Shahrayar’s emotional issues undoubtedly stemmed from his seeming fear of â€Å"psychosexual† replacement by the black slaves.Brugaletta says that â€Å"the societies in which this book took form were preoccupied with a sense of inadequacy in sexual competition with blacks† (6). One way or another, every story could be directly proportionalized with King Shahrayar’s own life-experiences. I engineered the stories to reflect King Shahrayar’s mishaps in a kind-of worse-case scenario type of schema to help him reconcile with his unhappiness and help him to understand that while his wife was at fault in cheating on him, so was he in his exacting vengeance upon all the women of his kingdom because of one womanâ⠂¬â„¢s infidelity.While my king and husband listened to my stories, I was able to postpone my own demise and prevent others from falling to the same fate as my predecessors. As long as I kept the man intrigued, the king stayed his bloody hands. I showed him through my stories that he was missing out on living life and he understood that although he had become an angry, bitter tyrant, he could change his ways and become a loving husband and king again. Through my stories, he was able to trust women and believe in their goodness again. Works Cited Brugaletta, John J. The Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. † Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-6. Literary Reference Center. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. Lawall, Sarah N. , and Maynard Mack. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Second ed. Vol. B. New York: Norton, 2002. Print. Leeuwen, Richard Van. â€Å"The Art Of Interruption: The Thousand And One Nights And Jan Potocki. † Middle Eastern Literatures 7. 2 (2004): 183-198. Ac ademic Search Complete. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. Regier, Wills G. â€Å"Shahrazad's New Clothes. † World Literature Today 84. 2 (2010): 30-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Nov. 2011.

America Today is More Unhappy Essay

America today is more disillusioned than back in the 1920’s. I believe that America today is more unhappy because of divorce rates, technology, and people being materialistic. Today in America everyone gets divorced now. I also believe that technology today drives people to become more distant from their family and friends. People being materialistic today in America has caused relationship problems. That is why I believe that America today is more disillusioned and unhappy than America in the 1920’s. People being materialistic causes America today to be so unhappy and disillusioned because the majority of people have to keep up with what’s new and always try to get the latest trends. Being materialistic has caused Americans to become greedy and also causes to ruin a lot of relationships. People tend to be so materialistic because they want to impress other people. Wanting to look rich is something that almost every American desires in the world today. Back in the 1920’s, yes some people were materialistic but it wasn’t as bad as it is today. Being materialistic also can ruin relationships. â€Å"Materialism is actually correlated with unhappiness in marriages.†, stated the author in an article. People today think it’s no big deal to get a divorce, in fact it happens quite often now. This is why America today is more unhappy/disillusioned. In the 1920’s it was very uncommon and considered to be very weird and different if you heard that someone was getting a divorce. But today getting a divorce is not a big deal. If talks about getting a divorce no one acts as surprised or shocked because it’s very common. In an article the author says, â€Å"Couples marrying for the first time have approximately a fifty percent chance of divorcing.† Couples today just throw marriages away like it’s nothing. They basically just get married for the fun of it. People just â€Å"fall out of love† as stated in an article. They don’t have the time to communicate with their loved ones because they are too distracted with their jobs, technology, etc. Today America has the highest divorce rate of all times. Technology is also another big reason why America today is more unhappy. All the time you see people’s eyes glued onto their phones and drowning the whole world out. People get so distracted from technology and they don’t really care about what’s going on around them, people tend to grow distant from people. When you go somewhere just look around, everybody has their phone or some other device in their hands, and if it’s not in their hands it’s near them. Americans are so attached to technology that it literally drives us away from families/friends. In the 1920’s this wasn’t a problem at all. They didn’t have the high technology that we have today but they still had phones and it didn’t cause them to grow distant from people. They would still go out and have a good time. But today, if you can’t have your cell phone with you, it’s like the end of the world. in the article â€Å"Smartphone Dependency: A Growi ng Obsession With Gadgets†, the writer says, â€Å"For others, being away from their phone will almost certainly cause separation anxiety.† This truly shows how attached americans are to their phones. Some people might say that America in the 1920’s was more unhappy/disillusioned because of the unemployment rate. In the 1920’a the Great Depression â€Å"caused 13 to 15 million American’s to be unemployed.†, stated in an article. That is a lot but, also today there are plenty of people who are unemployed. It’s a big deal in America today than it was back in the 1920’s because today everything is so much more expensive and you need to have money for every little thing you do. We rely on money so much today. In the 1920’s you didn’t have to rely on money for every little thing you did. Some people might Also say that crime rates in the 1920’s lead to disillusionment. I have to disagree because today we have a huge percent of crimes that happen. In the 1920’s there were a lot of mobs and gangs. You don’t hear of there being mobs and gangs today as much but there is people who just go and kill people randomly today. More people go and just randomly kill people than they did in the 1920’s. In an article I read the writer said that â€Å"†¦there were more gangs in the 1920’s but today there is more people who go on random killing sprees and kill hundreds of people.† I believe that the 1920’s did have high crime rates, but today in America the rates are even higher. I truly believe that America today is way more disillusioned and unhappy than America in the 1920’s. People are so much more unhappy because of the use of technology. People have grown so attached to their phones that they will text you when you are sitting right across from them. Being materialistic has caused America to also become more disillusioned. Back in the 1920’s people didn’t have to have the best of everything like americans do today. Also America today is more unhappy because of the divorce rates. This has caused America to become unhappy because so many people get divorced today. I believe that the people in the 1920’s were not as unhappy as people are today.

Categorisation in Long-Term Memory Essay Example for Free

Categorisation in Long-Term Memory Essay The method used was a field experiment as it took part in a classroom. This method was chosen because the independent variable can be manipulated to find the effect on the dependent variable, which can draw conclusions about cause and effect. Doing this allows reasonable control of extraneous variables and where the experimenter has a significant amount of control. An independent groups design was most appropriate because it prevents order effects and demand characteristics to a certain extent. There will be two groups, a control group who will be shown a random list of words and an experiment group who will receive a categorised list. This enables me to compare the number of words each group can recall and therefore claim the cause and effect. Independent variable Whether participants are presented with an organised list of words or not. Dependant variable Memory as measured by the number of words the participant recall from the list of words. Participants It was an opportunity sample of International school students from 13 to 14 years old. 10 participants were allocated into each condition randomly (condition 1: control group who received a random list of words, condition 2: experiment group with an organised list of categorised words). Each condition had 5 females and 5 males. Anyone that was available was asked if they would take part in the experiment. None of the participants dropped out and only 2 students refused to take part, because they were not ‘free’ at that moment. This sampling method was chosen because it was quick and convenient. By using independent designs, some extraneous variables were controlled. Order effects were prevented since different participants were allocated in different conditions. Having clear and concise standardised instructions reduced confusion. The procedures were standardised to reduce any experimenter effects. The room was kept in a constant temperature to reduce it from possibly affecting participant’s memory. Students were ranged from 13-14 years old. Other noise from outside the room may have distorted the results and therefore all windows and doors were closed so that as little noise as possible was allowed into the room. The group of participants who received the organised lists of words recalled more words than the participants with the randomly categorised list. It was distinctive from the graph that people given categorised words recalled more words than people who received a random list. The results support my hypothesis of better recall from students if words were categorised. The relationship between the independent and dependant variable was if the words were categorised, the higher the recall. Discussion Validity Validity is if the measuring apparatus measures what it’s meant to measure. By looking at the number of words remembered, it’s an indicator of memory as it is clear that the more words you recall the more words were remembered, this is called face validity and its purpose is to see if the experiment is testing what it’s supposed to measure. I chose 3 categories of words to use in my experiment and I think that they were the correct categories to use as they were all only 1 syllable and are generally used in everyday life. This is related to construct validity which is whether the method can be used to support the variable that is being measured. (If the experiment was replicated, we would see similar results) I think that I chose the words that best measure organisation and that my test was valid. Ecological validity is if the experiment measures a naturally occurring behaviour. This was a field experiment which has good ecological validity but it’s not usual for someone to be taken into a room and to participate in a test on a daily life setting. The participants were aware they were taking part in a psychology experiment so the results could have been affected by demand characteristics. Suggestions for improving validity Participants were aware they were talking part in a psychology experiment which could have created demand characteristics and possible experimenter bias. To obtain a higher ecological validity I could have applied my study to school/everyday life. For example, asking participants to recall a list of ingredients that they had used to bake a cake. This could prevent demand characteristics and experimenter bias as participants might not be aware this that it is a psychology experiment and could possibly make my results more valid. Doing this however, would make it harder to control any extraneous variables and the study would be more difficult to replicate and standardise. Reliability Reliability is whether the measuring method can measure consistently. If the experiment was repeated, similar results would appear. I have increased reliability using the same words in both lists. Two different lists of words decreases reliability as some words are easier to remember than others. Therefore using the same words will reduce this effect. In the list of organised words it was obvious that the experiment was testing memory which led to demand characteristics. The experiment were standardised which meant it’s easy to replicate. However, because participants were already told that they were taking part in a psychology experiment on memory, they knew what the experiment was about and could try harder to perform better on the test (demand characteristics). Improving reliability If I were to choose a different sampling method results would be much more representative, because my sample was an opportunity sample with only people who were ‘free’ at that moment. I could have chosen a random sample to increase reliability since there are different levels of cognitive abilities in students and not only people who were ‘free’. This method could be done by picking 10 males and females randomly (picking out names from hat) from each year group. This means a total of 70 subjects would be used instead of just 20 and doing this would give me more reliable results and a much more representative sample of school students. Also, to reduce demand characteristics the purpose of the experiment shouldn’t have been told to the participants until after the experiment, which is called debriefing. Implications of study Bousfield found that we have semantic organisation in our long-term memory. Bower et al found that organising words into a categorised hierarchy would help to improve recall. In this study I found that participants recalled more words when the words on this list were organised. This means that the findings of my experiment support both Bower’s and Bousfield’s findings. This implies that there is in fact a short and long-term memory and that there is some kind of semantic organisation of the information in the long-term memory which can improve people’s re-call. Generalisation of findings Target population is the age and group of people an experimenter plans to generalise their findings on. In my experiment the target population was Island School students between the ages 13-14 years old. This was hard to generalise due to the sampling method. The method was biased because only students who were available and around at that time were asked to participate. This could be improved if a larger sample of students were used and not only people who were ‘free’ to participate. My experiment only involved 20 people, which was too little to generalise a school of 1500 students. It was hard to generalise beyond the target population, as there are individual differences, psychological differences and cultural differences between much of the population. In addition my sample was too small to generalise beyond target population. Applications of everyday life It was found that an organised list of categorized words would be more efficient to remember than a randomly placed list of words. This can be applied to everyday life, for example when teachers teach children they have to teach in a systematical order so it is easier to recall the majority of information. As for a high school there is a syllabus which is organized by categorising the same type of information together. This is the most efficient way for remembering information and recalling it for exams. Categorisation in Long-Term Memory. (2017, Sep 17).