Monday, September 30, 2019

Baseball – Hobbie

Relationships are something you can gain In many different ways, but for me It was baseball. From the mime I first started playing I began to make many friends which still to this day have been there for me In some of my hardest trials. The best thing about playing a sport Is having a different coach every summer. I've played baseball now for sixteen years of my young life, and in doing so I have met a lot of different people. My favorite coach of all time has to be Dale Anderson.Dale was able to show me so much in junior high, and some of which I still use today. My hobby of baseball has given me more than enough relationships in life. It has been hard for me over the years to build my character, but after all the practice I have gone through I'm sure I have come out a different person. Me being a pitcher takes a huge amount of character. I'm basically in control of the game at all times, and with character comes the composure.Composure and tempo are the two hardest things on the mo und you have to think about. You have to keep the right tempo when you have base runners on, so they will not steal off of you. Working out, getting faster and stronger are three of my favorite things about sports. It is plain and simple; if you're not physically fit you will not play to your fullest potential. Baseball has given me the opportunity to get faster and stronger than I ever thought I could be. Working out is not the only way a person gets fit.Practice is another way also, because when you practice baseball you are going at game speed. Anyone who plays sports can say, when they play/practice at game speed you will burn calories. Being fit is one of the best ways to excel In a sport. I'm glad to say that I have done the work, and It Is really starting to pay off for me. Baseball has given me so much over the years, from relationships, character, and to being physically fit. This hobby has given me the opportunity to reach for what I need In life.I thank God that he has ma de It possible for me to become a pitcher In college, and let me chase the dreams I have always wanted to come true. Who knows, maybe one day you will see me In the lights, and living my dream/hobby. Baseball – Hobbies By Brendan Baseball is a hobby and also a sport that many people love to play or Just watch. In my life. Baseball is something that has changed my life in many different ways omitting you can gain in many different ways, but for me it was baseball.From the been there for me in some of my hardest trials. The best thing about playing a sport is having a different coach every summer. Eve played baseball now for sixteen years speed you will burn calories. Being fit is one of the best ways to excel in a sport. I'm glad to say that I have done the work, and it is really starting to pay off for me. Need in life. I thank God that he has made it possible for me to become a pitcher in maybe one day you will see me in the lights, and living my dream/hobby.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square

The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square is very different from the other three – instead of carrying a grey statue it always surprises one's eye with a contemporary sculptural piece, which is changed every two years. But the question is – does the contemporary art sculptures fit into the classical space of Trafalgar Square? The Fourth Plinth of Trafalgar Square, built in the north-west corner, was designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1841. It was intended, that it would hold an equestrian statue of William IV, however due to insufficient funds the statue was never completed.The plinth stayed empty until 1858, when a statue of Edward Jenner was unveiled. Still, it was removed four years later due protests by anti-vaccinationists. After that, it was unused for more than a century, and became In 1999, when the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) launched the Fourth Plinth Project, three contemporary sculptures by Mark Wallinger (Ecce Homo (1999) – a life-sized figure of a man, wearing a loin cloth and a crown of barbed wire, with his hands tied behind his back, referring to Jesus Christ), Bill Woodrow (Regardless the History 2000) – a bronze sculpture showing the head of a man crushed over a book, both bound to the Plinth by the roots of a dead tree) and Rachel Whiteread (Untitled Monument (2001) – a transparent resin cast of the actual Plinth, standing upside-down on the original) have been commissioned to be displayed temporarily on the Plinth. Regarding the enormous public attention, the Mayor of London began the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group (a commission of specialist advisers appointed to guide the commissions for the Plinth) and since then the Plinth has been used as a location for exhibiting specially commissioned works by contemporary artists.After standing empty again for a few years, the Plinth was again open for exhibit in 2005, when a controversial statue Alison Lapper Pregnant by Marc Quinn unveiled. This has caused many discussions, since some were questioning on the shock value of disability, as well as lauded for its progressive social values. Also, the statue reactivated the discussions about the purpose of contemporary art in this antique location. In 2007 Marc Quinn's work was replaced by Thomas Schutte's Model for a Hotel 2007 – a model of a twenty-one storey hotel from red, yellow and blue coloured glass.It brought a feel of After two years, the colourful, static sculpture was replaced by presumably most interesting and negotiable project on the Fourth Plinth – Antony Gormley's One & Other, turning the plinth into a â€Å"living monument†. This involved 2400 people, picked from the public after applying on the project's website, standing on a plinth for one hour – 24 hours a day for 100 days without a break. Selected people were allowed to use the Plinth any way they want, do anything they want, including dancing, music , performing, reading poetry, or even just doing nothing at all, making a raw epresentation of both, individuality and the whole of humanity at the same time. The performances were broadcast live over the internet 24 hours a day. The project also caused a lot of discussions, since many people did not consider this as an appropriate act of art for the Trafalgar Square, rather as an act of snobbery. The current sculpture on the Fourth Plinth is Yinka Shonbare's Nelson's Ship in a Bottle. It was unveiled on 24th of May, 2010. This work of a Anglo-Nigerian artist is a replica of Nelson's ship, the Victory, inside a large glass bottle stopped with a cork.The artwork marks the preserved importance of historical symbolism of Trafalgar Square. It is a reminder of the Battle of Trafalgar and is directly related to Nelson – this is one of the reasons which excludes the piece from the others exhibited on the Fourth Plinth. Soon, the turn for a new art piece will come, so at the moment s ix more commissions for the Plinth are being considered. All six of them were exhibited in St-Martin-in-the-Field gallery near the Trafalgar Square until the end of October. The first one is Battenberg by Brian Griffith. The Pink and yellow decorated cake was nvented especially for Queen Victoria's granddaughter – Princess Victoria of Hesse – to Prince Louis of Battenberg wedding anniversary in 1884.The sculpture made of handmade bricks is reminiscent of this little piece of history. Sikandar by Hew Locke echoes the British Army General, Sir George White, a monument standing in Portland Place. â€Å"Sikandar† translates as Alexander in Urdu. A hybrid between the name of a famous ancient conqueror and the image of the British Army General, modernized, studded with medals, jewellery, chains, materials, according to the creator, symbolizes the hero ant the eroic concept of the evolution of today's world. It's never too late and you can't go back – this it th e name of the third piece by Mariele Neudecker, depicting mountains. From ancient times mountains symbolize monumentality, strength, eternity and glory. Looking from below the sculpture, the mountain line forms a map of Britain, so it perception of the work may easily switch from dimensional landscape to territorial The blue Hahn / Cock by a German artist Katharina Fritsch symbolizes the awakening, strength and renovation. This sculpture would easily catch one's eye between the grey statues of theTrafalgar Square – the surrealism of its huge size and ultramarine colouring is inevitable. Allora and Calzadilla's work Untitled (ATM/Organ) is actually a combination between an automated teller machine (ATM), installed in the Plinth, connected to a pipe organ on top of it. It will produce sound by driving pressurised air through pipes selected while pressing the ATM machine keyboard. The last sculpture is Powerless Structures, by the authors Elmgreen & Dragset.Gold coloured boy roc king on a particular childhood symbol – a rocking horse – might symbolize the value of rowth and maturity, at the same time showing a future hero, â€Å"the heroism of growing up†. So for now the dilemma is – the blue rooster, an equestrian decorated with medals, sequins and chains, a sound-producing ATM organ, a golden boy, rocking on a toy horse, a brick cake or a floating mountain-scape – which of these works will be the next one in queue for the Fourth Plinth? Finally, seeing these new brave, exceptional and innovative proposals it is very likely that these six candidates will cause as much arguments as all of the other of their predecessors. It is still ften discussed if the Fourth Plinth is an appropriate location for contemporary art pieces, but since the plinth itself has a meaning of a base for a sculpture that is excluded from the surrounding and defines it as art, once again it leads to the eternal questioning of what is art itself, or i f we should interpretate this enviroment as a for one-art-kind-only space, but residents and guests of London seem to enjoy the Fourth Plinth a lot more than all the grey.Fourth Plinth http://www. london. gov. uk/fourthplinth/ Antony Gormley's Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square – Telegraph http:// ww. telegraph. co. uk/culture/4838343/Antony-Gormleys-Fourth-Plinth-Trafalgar- Trafalgar Square – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ Trafalgar_Square#Fourth_plinth Archinect : Discussion Forum : Culture : The Fourth Plinth (Stop Frame Animation) Day 1 http://www. archinect. com/forum/threads. php? id=90208_0_42_100_C157 Alison Lapper – The Student Room http://www. thestudentroom. co. uk/ showthread. php? p=2723396;highlight=fourth%20plinth BBC News – Trafalgar Square fourth plinth candidates unveiled http://www. bbc. co. uk/ news/uk-england-london-11022665

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Abortion Issue Essay Example for Free

Abortion Issue Essay ? Abortion is a controversial issue but it should be discussed because it is happening, and is more widespread than we care to admit. If we truly care about life, then we must understand what is going on. Ideally, pregnancy is a wanted and happy event for women, their partners and their families. Unfortunately, this is not always so. Around the world, millions of women every year become pregnant unintentionally. In the Philippines, as in other countries, some of these women are faced with a difficult choice: to give birth to a child that they are not prepared or able to care for, or to obtain an illegal, and often unsafe, abortion. As a Filipino citizen abortion is a crime. According to Articles 256-259 of our Revised Penal Code, whether you’re the woman getting the abortion, the abortionist, or someone assisting or encouraging the abortion, if you commit the act on purpose, you could get sent to jail for one month, to twenty years. No exceptions. For us, the consensus in abortion is strongly â€Å"anti.† Almost all of my classmates insisted that intentional abortion of any kind; was murder, regardless of whether or not it was done to save the mother’s life. Out of the forty-four students in our section, only about six said that abortion, if regulated, could be made legal. While I myself would prefer to avoid having to get an abortion as far as reasonably possible, I believe that this issue should be looked at through a more critical lens. Why? Because it is the attitude that most Filipinos adopt in relation to abortion is frequently more emotional than practical. Much of it can be traced back to a knee-jerk, culture-based reaction to anything involving babies and death. The lines on matters involving religion, culture, and tradition are quite blurred, and the results are all the same: a default outcry against abortion, or any sort of regulation concerning sexual health. * Be able to understand and to be aware to the effects of abortion. * To enlighten the Filipino citizen not to agree to the so called â€Å"abortion bill†. * For us to share the learning’s to the teenagers what does abortion really do to our human life. Abortion is illegal in the Philippines and is not permitted under any circumstance. The act is criminalized by the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which was enacted in 1930 but remains in effect today. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Code mandate imprisonment for the woman who undergoes the abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure, even if they be the woman’s parents, a physician or midwife. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken â€Å"in order to conceal [the woman’s] dishonour† (Tan 2008 and Wikipedia 2008).The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines effectively any amendments to the Penal Code’s provisions on abortion because of Article II, Section 12, which states: â€Å"The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and t he life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government.† In the principle, legalizing abortion would require a referendum to amend the constitution, although the enactment of a more definitive provision sanctioning the ban was not successful. In 1999, Congressman Roy Padilla Jr. of Camarines Norte filed House Bill 6343seeking to allow abortion in special cases (e.g., rape, congenital defects in the fetus or cases where the mother’s life is endangered). It is unlikely that the bill will be passed but it has stimulated discussion on abortion. The passage of HB 6343 will require amendment because the Bill as it presently stands is inherently unconstitutional (Wikipedia 2008 and Tan 2008).The United Nations recognizes that abortion in the Philippines is permitted only in instances in which the pregnant woman’s life is endangered. However, there is no law in the Philippines that expressly authorizes abortions in order to save the woman’s life; and the general provisions which do penalize abortion make no qualifications if the woman’s life is endangered. It may be argued that an abortion to save the mother’s life could be classified as a justifying circumstance (duress as opposed to self-defence) that would bar criminal prosecution under the Revised Penal Code. However, this position has yet to be adopted or debunked by the Philippine Supreme Court. Proposals to liberalize Philippine abortion laws have been opposed by the Catholic Church, and its opposition has considerable influence in the predominantly Catholic country. Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia and contrary to that statistical data reported that there were some 400,000 to 500,000 abortion in 2005. The Department of Health added that nearly 100,000 women who have unsafe abortions every year end up in the hospital. About 4 in 5 abortions in the Philippines are for economic reasons, according to a survey by the University of the Philippines. In many cases, said Jocelyn Pacete, a spokeswoman for Likhaan, a women’s health group based in Manila, â€Å"the mother can’t afford another child, so ends up choosing her five living children over the fetus in her womb.† (Source: Legal_Updates) STATISTICAL FACTS, QUALITATIVE FACTS Prevalence of Abortion in the Philippines Accurate measurement of induced abortion levels has proven difficult in many parts of the world. Health care workers and policymakers need information on the incidence of both legal and illegal induced abortion to provide the needed services and to reduce the negative impact of unsafe abortion on women’s health. Information on the current level of unintended pregnancy and abortion is essential for understanding the extent to which women face barriers in planning pregnancies and preventing unintended ones. Evidence on recent trends in these important indicators is also crucial in assessing whether changes in policies and programs are necessary. Abortions cut across class, age, and marital status, and occur in both urban and rural areas. The UP Population Institute (UPPI) 1994 study estimates that between 300,000 and500, 000 women obtain induced abortions annually in the Philippines. Put another way, there may be 16 induced abortions for every 100 pregnancies. According to Singh et al. (2006), induced abortion in the Philippines is widespread and practice takes many forms. Nearly half of pregnancies each year end in an induced abortion or an unplanned birth. Unintended pregnancy is the root cause of abortion. Some 3.1 million pregnancies occur each year in the Philippines. Of these, 15% result in induced abortions, 31% in unplanned births, 39% in planned births and 15% in spontaneous abortions. An estimated 473,000 abortions occur annually. One-third of women who experience an unintended pregnancy end it in abortion. Thus, about 1.43 million pregnancies each year—nearly half of all pregnancies— are unintended. The annual rate of unintended pregnancy is 81 per 1,000 women of reproductive age, meaning that about 8% of Filipino women aged 15–44 conceive every year without intending to do so. Women from all segments of society experience abortion . Women who have had an abortion resemble average Filipino women: The majority are married, Catholic and poor. They have some high school education and have already had several children. Surveying students, friends and all the people around us that is willing to answer our questionnaire. We’ve made a questionnaire instead of direct interview to the respondents. We are estimating around 50 respondents and from there we can assume a certain percent for the â€Å"Pro-Life† and â€Å"Anti†. (Source: Legal_Updates) http://www.chanrobles.com/revisedpenalcodeofthephilippinesbook2.htm: 1. Ã…hman E and Shah I, Unsafe abortion: worldwide estimates for 2000, Reproductive Health Matters, 2002, No. 19, pp. 13–17. 2. Ã…hman E and Shah I, Unsafe Abortion: Global and Regional Estimates of the Incidence of Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2000, fourth ed., Geneva: World Health Organization, 2004. 3. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Development, Abortion Policies: A Global Review, Vol. III, New York: United Nations, 1995. 4. Singh S et al., Estimating the level of abortion in the Philippines and Bangladesh, International Family Planning Perspectives, 1997, 23(3):100– 107 & 144. 5. Shire A and Pesso L, Changing policies and attitudes: postabortion care in the Philippines, Compass, 2003, N Abortion Issue. (2017, Feb 06).

Friday, September 27, 2019

Entrepreneurship and Business Management (I) Essay

Entrepreneurship and Business Management (I) - Essay Example The SME in Singapore is supported largely by the Government but it fails to get the financial support that would have helped it scale new heights. Capital is always shy to support the new entrants especially that are small in size. The Singapore SME has made up for this deficiency by way of its entrepreneurial skills and abilities and has entered the International arena seeking resources it could not get at home. They have realized their potential and will be doing better in the future too. Singapore presents a paradox. It is a one nation state that has enormous prosperity but still ranks among the developing nations of East Asia. It is devoid of all natural resources, dependant on imports and yet has a high GDP and an astonishing per capita income. It has only two resource; human capital that has been exploited to the hilt and has catapulted it to its present eminent position. Its labour is qualified and with political stability the system is successful. The second is the port of Singapore; it is Asias largest harbour and is used as a trading hub by numerous Asian countries. Singapore has no agriculture and it relies on four major industrial/trading activities; electronics (60% of non petroleum exports are electronic products), petrochemicals (20% of industrial production), Information Technology (IT) and logistics. Biotechnologies and pharmaceutical industry are becoming prominent as Greenfield areas. The country also has a financial sector that is world class. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) play a major role in any economy. They also employ a high figure of 50-60% of the labour force of the country (Luetkenhorst 2004). This fact contributes greatly to their support of the general economy in providing livelihood to a vast number of the population, even in countries like Singapore. Here they sustain a majority of the working population as well as provide sustained assistance

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 3

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example ntial advantages of MAR fail to outweigh costs incurred and other associated risks. 3 In this context, the essay will review the available literature that analyses whether rotation of auditors improve quality of auditing. It will use deductive reasoning to derive that while there are not much empirical data that prove MAR significantly improves audit quality, at the same time, there is not much conclusive evidence that shows MAR has an adverse effect on audit quality, thus keeping the debate open. Discussion Audit, audit quality and auditor rotation In the UK, it is mandatory for all public sector organisations and large business firms to produce an annual, audited financial report. In this context, the term auditing refers to â€Å"a systematic process of objectively gathering and evaluating evidence relating to assertions about economic actions and events in which the individual or organisation making the assertions has been engaged, to ascertain the degrees of correspondence betw een these assertions and established criteria.†4 The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) had recently published a report asking for public suggestions on the improvement of audit quality and auditor independence, wherein auditor rotation was taken into consideration.5 There are varying opinions on the effects of auditor rotation, and researches have revealed that existing literature fails to derive conclusively on the effects of audit rotation, hence researchers must be careful when analysing audit rotation reports from the past.6 Supporters for auditor rotation claimed that a long-term relationship between an auditor and a company develops a feeling of dependency that in turn diminishes audit quality.7 However, those against auditor rotation claimed that auditor rotation is an expensive process and the costs far exceed any derived advantages.8 Furthermore, they also claimed that auditor rotation is a hurdle, in regard developing a relationship between the firmâ €™s managers and auditors based on confidence and trust, and social exposures between the two often lead to improved audit quality, without hampering auditor independence.9 The theoretical debate on the issue of auditor rotation is based on how one views the auditor. If the auditor is seen as a medium for wealth optimisation, there are various theories that support the concept that there is an improvement of audit quality due to rotation.10 However, if one viewed the auditor as an agent for the principals, rotation is deemed disadvantageous, and a long-term relationship would allow the auditor to get a better understanding of the principals’ objectives, thus making him/her a better auditor.11 The term ‘audit quality’ denotes the probability that an auditor will find shortcomings within a firm’s accounting system (competence), and will report on them (independence).12

Democracy and Religion in Developing Countries Essay

Democracy and Religion in Developing Countries - Essay Example In the Muslim world, particularly developing countries issues concerning political democracy are raised with special force because of the strength of the Islamic resurgence and the intensity of the demands in recent years which demand better political processes. Before examining the application of democracy in Islamic countries, there is a need to analyze the significance of Islam in politics. Islamic politics according to modern Islamic movements and what history tells us is a combination of religion and politics for the reason that medieval Islamic civilization of the Umayyads and the Abbasids followed non-state structures based on the grounds of religious faith and action (Esposito & Voll: 4). This indicates that the true implication of democracy in the Muslim era was followed by the belief that the most pious person among the society was supposed to be selected by civilians as well as by his followers. The current political culture of liberal secular societies never concern about God and never weighs God's approval or disapproval of their policies or behaviour. For this reason one can see that even religious political struggles and negotiations differ a lot when compared to those of the past. This clearly indicates that today's liberal democratic governments pursue people's happiness to the exclusion of God's approval (Sadri & Sadri: 122). Democratic Political Systems The concept of democracy followed in Islamic countries encompasses Islamic activist movements that challenge government while supporting others. What usually happens in this era is that in the political interests of Islamic revivalist groups, revolutionary opposition takes place which leads them either to ruling governments, or such movements may participate in the ruling political system as opposition movements. Many times it is seen that such religious movements are based as they are crucial part of the government or are themselves the ruling force in the political system. Such a perspective of democracy is based on a broad spectrum that gives us an overview of different situations within which Islamic democratization exists. Therefore such situations are: (1) revolutionary democracy to the ruling political government (2) legal or cooperating democracy that works within the boundaries of political system (3) active participation as a democratic government alliance which works wit h other political forces and (4) the system that controls and leads the existing political system. The above situations as practiced by most of the Islamic countries shapes the nature of emerging democratic ideals in the Islamic world as well as the developing and influenced new political orders in Islam. Democracy in the Middle East As far as Islamic law and order is concerned, it is severely implemented in the region except for the positive peace in the Middle East. Countries like Iraq, Iran and Israel are pervaded with armed conflicts in various types and forms like regional conflicts, resource wars, separatist and nationalist conflicts and irredentist conflicts. However some countries are influenced by other ethnic, religious and tribal struggles to the extent where their democratic power is heavily influenced under revolutionary and fundamentalist struggles. The peoples and governments throughout the Middle East are thus confronting pro-democracy anti-colonial struggles. Middle Eastern democratic trend follows violent conflicts and does not fulfil the criteria of positive peace in the region which is the utmost ground for building a democratic

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Project Management Challenges Research Proposal

Project Management Challenges - Research Proposal Example For Project Managers to work effectively, collaboration with Functional manager is mandatory. Let’s understand who functional managers are and how they differ from project managers. Functional managers are those who are managing the core operations of the business and are appointed permanently, usually for a longer period of time. On the other hand, Project Managers are appointed for a particular task such as building a new branch, constructing a port etc. Project Managers are usually appointed for a particular period of time whose job is completed after the completion of the project. Any organization may choose from various combinations of power strategy that are assigned to the Functional Manager and the Project Manager. These types are Weak Matrix, Balanced Matrix, Strong Matrix and Projectized (JOSH, 2009). Project Managers might be dependent on Functional managers for various things. For example, Project managers usually borrow staff from functional managers when they are short of team members. Sometimes, the project manager is a functional manager too where he/she performs the additional job of a project manager. For example, a restaurant business wants to expand its business in another city. The CEO might appoint the Operation Manager of the main branch, the additional task of Project Manager for building the design, processes, menu, hiring employees etc of the new branch in this new city. Appointing your own Functional Manager as the Project Manager is helpful in various ways. The Project Manager, in such cases, knows the culture, system, processes, vision, and mission of the company. It will also save cost as hiring a new project manager will cost a hefty amount and your own functional manager might not need that much amount. It is necessary for functional management to effectively coordinate, communicate and work collaboratively with the project management team. Project Managers might need a lot of information from the functional managers for v arious things. The authorities given to project managers are usually restricted, especially the cost and expenditure control, legislative decision making etc for the reason that Project Managers might not have sufficient experience of handling specific tasks. Thus, usually, financial controls are not given to the PM. However, many Project Management specialists say that they should have control over costs and expenditure within a specified and agreed limit. This should be one reason why Functional Manager must collaborate closely with the project manager and understand their compelling issues. The ultimate aim of a Project Manager is to make happy the project sponsors and all stakeholders included through efficient completion of the project without consuming an excessive amount of money and time.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Relationships in Second Life and How They Can Affect Real Life Essay - 1

Relationships in Second Life and How They Can Affect Real Life - Essay Example However, for many inhabitants of Second Life, it is not just a 3D online game, but another world that â€Å"†¦has its own economy and millions of residents who own and create property, make friends and even get married† (CNN Living, 2008). These virtual worlds (VWs) have become conduits for socialization, collaboration, entertainment, social networking, and business development (Mennecke et al. 371). In VWs like Second Life, users must build virtual representations of themselves through creation of customizable avatars, which gives them a 3D body that they control and provides a â€Å"tangible embodiment of their identity† (Ducheneaut, Wen, Yee, and Wadley 1151). Through the avatars, users can discover an ever-growing assortment of virtual sites, fabricate all sorts of items, from clothing to buildings, and create businesses to sell their goods or services, forge relationships with other players through their interactions with their avatars, and buy virtual property (Hayes 154). According to Dell, as many as 13 million people have logged on to Second Life at least one time and about 450,000 subscribers are from more than 50 countries are online in any given week, ranging in age from 18 – 72, 27% of which are female (Hayes 154). Researchers have begun to conduct studies to analyze the way self-perception formed through interactions in VWs affects behaviors in the re al world (Dell). According to Ducheneaut, Wen, Yee, and Wadley, "the choices users make when creating and customizing their avatar will have repercussions on their interactions with other users† (1151), which can cause users to create online personas that are sometimes the complete opposite of who they are in real life.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Abortion and the Medical Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abortion and the Medical Profession - Essay Example Perhaps no other issue stirs up heated debates and fierce emotions than that of abortion. It is one of the most contentious issues in society today. Medical and health care professionals are often put into a serious quandary regarding abortion and their professional practice in regards to their personal and religious beliefs. This issue of abortion clearly has ethical implications for people who want to avail of these surgical procedures and the ones performing them. Like any divisive issue, there are no easy answers to such a sticky emotional issue. In most cases, it all boils down to one’s deeply-held personal beliefs that will determine a stance the person has on a certain issue such as abortion. Before the landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court passed in the Roe vs. Wade decision, abortion was legal in a few states but illegal in most states of the country. Other countries do likewise have similar ambivalent laws regarding such a basic issue as human life and the right to life of an unborn child. The medical profession forbids the taking of life as contained in its Hippocratic Code. However, there are clearly certain instances in which abortion is justified (based on medical grounds) to be performed such as a threat to the life of the pregnant woman or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Male Daughters Femals Husbands Essay Example for Free

Male Daughters Femals Husbands Essay I chose the book Male daughters, female husbands by Ifi Amadiume. The reason I chose this book is because I have always been curious about the role of women in non western countries and why they were viewed as being subservient to men by their own as well as the western world. Ifi Amadiume, a Nigerian sociologist with a London University doctorate, conducted research in her own family area to study gender and sex in an African Society. Challenging the received orthodoxies of social anthropology, Ifi Amadiume argues that in precolonial society, sex and gender did not necessarily coincide. In the book she examines the structures that enable women to achieve power and shows that roles are neither rigidly masculine nor feminine. This study that was conducted relates to social anthropology. The study was conducted in Nnobi, a town in the only Igbo area which has not been studied in detail by any scientist or anthropologist. Fieldwork was conducted in Nnobi between 1980 and 1982 on the Igbo people. As a result of the 1976 local government reform which divided Nigeria into 19 states and 299 local governments, Nnobi became one of the towns in the Idemili local government. Most of the Igbo people were also separated between states. The 1963 population census put the total number of Igbo people at 7,209,716. The study is divided into three periods: pre-colonial, when the traditional systems operated: colonial, when the British ruled Nigeria: and post-colonial, when Nigeria became an independent nation. There were further divisions of these periods such as Gender and the economy, the ideology of gender, and the general beliefs about men and women in which we will look into further in the following paragraphs. First we will take a look at gender and the economy. This was part of the pre-colonial period. It is within this period that ideologies behind the Igbo and Nnobi , their sexual division of labor, and those governing the relations of production originated. As a result of ecological factors, agricultural production was not profit in Nnobi, hence the development of a sexual division of labor and gender ideology which gave women a central place in the subsistence economy, while men sought authority through ritual specialization and ritual control. The gender ideology governing economic production was that of female industriousness. The name of the town itself Nnobi reflects matrifocality in Nnobi culture or matricentric principle in household organization; mothers and children formed distinct, economically self-sufficient sub-compound units classified as female in relation to the male front section of the compound. There was a dual-sex organization principle behind the structure of the economy, which was supported by various gender ideologies. These principles and ideologies governed the economic activities of men and women. They also governed access to wealth, wives, achievement-based status and many other things within their community. Material wealth was converted into prestige and power through title-taking, the acquisition of more wives and more labor power, more material wealth. Wealth for men included possession of things like houses, many wives and daughters, livestock, and land. Wealth for women included things like livestock, fowls, dogs’, farm and garden crops, daughters and many wealthy and influential sons. Males and females symbols of wealth were very similar even though in principle they did not own the same things. One very important economic resource which women did not own was land. A flexible gender system mediated the dual-sex organizational principle. Nnobi society was based on strict sexual dualism, whereby women’s economic and political organizations were separate from those of men. Through manipulation of gender concepts and flexible gender construction in language, the dual-sex barrier is broken down or mediated. Ideology of gender guided the Igbo people, however it was possible for men and women to share attributes. The system of few linguistic distinctions between male and female gender also makes it possible for men and women to play some social roles in which, we ( the western world) carry rigid sex and gender association. The Igbo language in comparison with the English language, has not built up rigid associations between certain adjectives or attributes and gender subjects, nor certain objects and gender possessive pronouns. There is no usage of the word ‘man’ to represent both sexes, neither is there the option of saying ‘he or she’, ’him or her’ , or ‘his or her’. This of linguistic system of few gender distinctions makes it possible to conceptualize certain social roles as separate from sex and gender, hence the possibility for either sex to fill the role. This does not mean that there is no competition between the sexes, and situations in which a particular sex monopolize roles and positions. One example of a situation in which women played roles ideally occupied by men were ‘male daughters’ and ‘female husbands’; in either role, women acted as family head. The Igbo word for family head is genderless. In Nnobi society and culture, there was one head or master of a family at a time, and ‘male daughters’ and ‘female husbands’ were called by the same term, which translated into English would be ‘master’. The reverse applied to those in a wife relationship to others. The Igbo word for wife is a genderless expression meaning a person who belongs to the home of the master of the home. Although there were genderless words within this culture there were still general beliefs about men and women that set them apart. Men and women were talked of or judged according to the roles expected of them as full social adults. What was stressed about men was their duty to provide for and protect their families. This culture did not stereotype bad men. Unfortunately this was not the case with women. Similar to the society we live in today everyone in this culture knew the attributes of a bad woman. Bad women were those who failed in their wifely and maternal duties and sentiments. This type of woman usually did not take care of her husband, was bad tempered, and ate food without giving any to her husband. A bad woman also did not take very good care of the children. I found this to be very similar how we view ‘bad ‘women as well in our society. In contrast to a bad woman was the good woman. The good women were usually a good daughter, wife, and mother. She looked after her husband, never refused him food, and made sure things around the household were taken care of. If her husband was unable to provide for the family financially she was able to help him through her own efforts. She always protected her children from any form of danger, and if necessary she would even protect them from their father. The industriousness, which is what was meant by good character, was inculcated in a woman in her father’s house, and would pay dividends in her husband’s house. In conclusion this book really brought about some insight how the fact that biological sex did not always correspond to ideological gender. This meant that women could play roles usually monopolized by men, or be classified as ‘males’ in terms of power and authority over others. In contrast the Western culture and the Christian religion carried rigid gender ideologies. This gender system meant that roles are strictly masculine or feminine; breaking gender rules carries a sigma. In new gender realities, such women are still defined as females, however they are no longer involved in domestic female roles.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs

Evaluate Inclusive Practices for Children with Special Needs According to Ainscow et al. (1999:1) the Green Paper Excellence for All Children and the follow-up document Meeting Special Educational Needs: A Programme of Action place inclusion at the centre of policy and practice and politicians now emphasise their commitment to social justice and inclusion rather than competition. This new mood has facilitated an increased demand for mainstream schools to include children who would have in the past been sent to special schools (Thomas et al. 1998:1). There are a number of strategies that schools and parents can adopt to enable all children to be accommodated in an inclusive setting and make learning a more enjoyable experience. Inclusive practices adopted in mainstream settings focusing on secondary schools, will be critically evaluated in the following paragraphs using specific case studies to inform the analysis. Obstacles which hinder effective practice and policy will also be examined. History of Inclusion According to Walker (2009:3), during the 1980s and 90s, new special schools were given much investment to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. The justification for this approach was that mainstream schools could not provide these children with additional support needed. However, there has been a clear shift in thinking since the beginning of the 21st century with many secondary schools closing or merging with mainstream schools. Champions of this development have asserted that the social element of education is critical to all children and that childrens learning requirements are best met in an inclusive setting. Consequently, mainstream schools have developed a number of strategies to help cope with the requirements of children with special educational needs and they have to demonstrate that they are addressing the educational needs of all their pupils. Additionally, since September 2008, all schools have added a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to their Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Defining Inclusive Education According to Stubbs (1998:1) inclusive education is a strategy contributing towards the ultimate goal of promoting an inclusive society, one which enables allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to participate in and contribute to that society. Difference is respected and valuedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thus, inclusive education is child-centred, acknowledging that children are individuals with different learning requirements. As well as improving schools, inclusive education increases awareness of human rights and reduces discrimination. According to the Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE, 1996, cited in Thomas et al. 1998:15) an inclusive school is community based; is not exclusive or rejecting; is barrier-free; is accessible to all members both educationally in terms of curricular and physically in relation to buildings; and promotes collaboration between other schools and all those involved in the childs welfare (Thomas et al. 1998:16). Ainscow (2005:15) asserts that inclusion is characterised by four key elements. The first one defines inclusion as a process. In other words, inclusion is an endless search to find better ways of responding to diversity. Here, differences are viewed as a stimulus for cultivating learning for children. Secondly, inclusion focuses on identifying and removing barriers. This involves collating and analysing information from a range of sources so as to plan for improvements in policy and practice. Thirdly, inclusion is concerned with the participation, presence and achievement of all students. Children must frequently and punctually attend school, their views must be listened to and acted upon and they must be provided with the tools for achievement in learning across the curriculum. Finally, inclusion focuses on those groups of children who may be a risk of exclusion, marginalisation or underachievement. This involves careful monitoring of those statistically most at risk and a commitmen t to ensuring their presence, participation and achievement in mainstream schools. However, Ainscow (2005:14) asserts that there is still confusion about what inclusion actually means which is rooted in central government policy statements. The term social inclusion has been associated primarily with improving attendance and reducing exclusions. The concept of inclusive education on the other hand, has appeared in most national guidance in connection with the rights of individual children identified as having special educational needs to be educated in mainstream schools. More recently, Ofsted has introduced the term educational inclusion, noting that effective schools are inclusive schools. The minor differences between these ideals, contributes to a lack of common understanding amongst stakeholders and leads to subsequent difficulties in implementing educational reform (Fullan, 1991, cited in Ainscow, 2005:14). Defining Special Educational Needs According to DirectGov (2010:1) the term special educational needs refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it more difficult for them to learn than most children of the same age. According to Frederickson and Cline (2002:35) a child has a learning difficulty if they have a far greater difficulty in learning than most pupils of a similar age and have a disability which hinders them from being able to make use of school facilities of the kind provided to pupils in schools in the local authority area. According to Topping and Maloney (2005:3) the old system of categorisation of children located the problem within the child, conceiving it is as a deficit in the individual, and applying a medical tool as if learning difficulties were some kind of disease with labels such as educationally subnormal being applied. However, from 1980 onwards political pressure from disability groups had begun to change societal values and pathological models were replaced by social and educational models of disability, which acknowledged that educational difficulties are dependent upon the educational context in which the child is situated, and the of quality teaching they receive. However, although inclusive discourse encompasses ideas that appear to be contrary to the medicalisation of special educational needs, evidence reveals that this is not a message that has been delivered effectively to pupils leading to the discriminatory treatment of children who are not obviously different from so-called normal children. According to Abberley (1987, cited in Florian et al. 2006:38) the medical model sees difference in relation to disease and endeavours to quantify individual impairments in terms of implications for standard treatments. Oliver (1990, cited in Florian, 2006:39) argues that educational assessments have historically identified the particular dysfunctional characteristics of a child in order to prescribe treatment. Inclusion on the other hand, views children with special educational needs as valued members of society who are totally normal people who just happen to have these extra differences. All schools in the UK have a register of pupils with special educational needs which holds details of pupils learning needs and includes information regarding any emotional and behavioural difficulties they are experiencing. This information goes towards the development of an individual education plan (IEP), which outlines learning targets for staff to include in their teaching (Visser, 2000:8). The biggest increase of special educational needs in mainstream school has been for children presenting learning difficulties. However, teachers express most concern about pupils with emotional and behaviour difficulties perhaps because they are viewed as most likely to damage the education of their classmates as well as being most stressful for the teacher. It is also evident that some children who are perceived to have special needs in one classroom are not necessarily seen as having special needs in another. Moreover, teachers tend to perceive learning difficulties more readily in children of South Asian origin (Topping and Maloney, 2005:6). Inclusive Practice in Secondary Schools So far, this paper has outlined the historical development of inclusion and provided a definition of inclusive practices and special educational needs. The following paragraphs will illustrate how inclusive practices can be used effectively in mainstream secondary education, using specific case studies as examples. According to Ainscow et al. (1999:2), as a result of half-day conferences with key stakeholders including parents and pupils, it was concluded that there are a six inter-connecting themes which are critical to the development of more inclusive practices within LEAs, which include policy development; funding strategies; processes and structures; the management of change; external influences and partnerships. There was general support for the view that an LEAs policy for inclusive practice should contain a review of future basic principles; capable of being applied to other policy areas; clear, despite differences of opinion between stakeholders; and supported by central government. Funding was perceived to be a significant factor in creating more inclusive arrangements. Across the LEAs, there was great disparity of funding between the most and least needy schools which influenced the extent to which each school was able to meet the needs of their pupils without external support. Hence, it was felt that LEA funding policies would facilitate progress towards inclusive practice and contribute towards more coherent funding strategies (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). In relation to processes and structures, it was felt that existing arrangements could inhibit inclusive practice and so there was an identified need to set up various interim arrangements to help move things forward. For example, some LEAs viewed the work of classroom assistants as integral to inclusive practice. Others felt that this arrangement led to further segregation within mainstream schools. Some LEAs had set-up training for classroom assistants and for teachers on working with another adult in the classroom (Ainscow et al. 1999:2). The conference revealed a strong feeling that management processes should be reviewed. It was identified that there are frequently dilemmas arising in decision-making amongst officers, advisers, educational psychologists and parents because they all have their own interpretations of what inclusive policies mean. This requires closer scrutiny so that there can be closer agreement between all those involved in the childs welfare (Ainscow et al. 1999:3). There was considerable focus on the importance of partnership working with particular reference to the role that LEA support services can play in cultivating effective partnerships with parents. It was considered crucial for there to be good communication between teachers and parents in order to iron out differences and misunderstandings. This view is supported by Beveridge (2005:95) who adds that in order for reciprocal support to occur, communication must be underpinned by mutual trust and respect if it is to be regarded as a genuine partnership. Appleton and Minchoms (1995, cited in Beveridge, 2005:95) empowerment model, focuses specifically on promoting parental control and highlights the need for professionals to tailor their involvement in ways that are responsive to the needs of individual parents and families. At a classroom level, there are a set of conditions which form the foundation of inclusive education for pupils with learning difficulties. Such conditions include: an opportunity for pupils to participate in the decision-making process; a positive attitude about the learning abilities of all pupils; teacher knowledge about learning difficulties; skilful application of specific instructional techniques; and parent and teacher support (Tilstone et al. 2003:22). However, Tilstone et al. (2003:22) assert that a positive attitude alone is not sufficient to achieve inclusive education. If a teacher is unskilled, regardless of how open-minded they are, they will fail to provide adequate education for pupils with special educational needs if they are unsupported. Similarly, skill in the various teaching methods needs to be supplemented with knowledge of pupils learning difficulties and the belief that such pupils can learn. Ainscow (1999:4) has observed that teachers who appear to be effective do pay attention to certain important aspects of classroom life. They recognise that the initial stages of any lesson are crucial to help pupils to understand the meaning of what is about to occur and they help children to recall previous experiences to which new learning can be related. They also acknowledge that the two most important resources are themselves and the children. Thus, pupils are frequently encouraged to think aloud, either with the class as a whole or as a result of the teachers questioning. However, in order for teaching methods to be truly effective much of it needs to be directed at the whole class. According to Ainscow (1999:5) individualized responses, based on systematic programmes of intervention, are now a thing of the past and the planning frame now needs to be directed at the whole class. When integration efforts rely on importing practices from special education they are likely to lead to new forms of segregation within mainstream settings (Fulcher, 1989, cited in Ainscow, 1999:5). English schools have experienced a significant increase in largely untrained classroom assistants who work with vulnerable children and their individualized programmes in mainstream education. When such support is withdrawn teachers feel they can no longer cope (Ainscow, 1999:5). Another important aspect of inclusive education is to ensure that all pupils have access to the National Curriculum. According to Rose (2003:28) the introduction of entitlement of all pupils to a curriculum which is broad and balanced has enabled a widespread recognition that all pupils have a right to receive a curriculum which contains some common elements. Pressure to apply the national curriculum has meant that a number of schools have addressed the ten subjects in such a way that the importance of the extra curricular elements has been diminished. Therefore, establishing a balance so that those with special educational needs can benefit, may demand that greater emphasis is placed on subjects that lie outside the core curriculum (Rose, 2003:32). In the Dearing Review of the National Curriculum in 1994, Richard Byers wrote pupils personal and social development: the cross curricular skills, themes and dimensions; methodological and practice-related notions like group work and prob lem solving must continue to be seen as of prime importance (Byers, 1994, cited in Rose, 2003:32). Improved formative assessments, according to Black and Williams (2001:3) are another way of ensuring a more inclusive environment for children with special educational needs. Many studies show that improved formative assessment helps low attainers more than the rest, and so reduces the spread of attainment whilst also raising it overall. One investigative study devoted to students with learning difficulties revealed that frequent assessment feedback helps both groups enhance their learning (Fuchs et al. 1997, cited in Black and Wiliams 2001:3). So far, this assignment has focused on the ways in which mainstream schools can successfully implement inclusive education. The following paragraphs provide some examples of the way in which inclusive practice has been introduced in mainstream secondary schools. Elias et al. (2002:1) conducted an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive school in the south west of England. The findings revealed a number of positive results. Respondents expressed positive attitudes towards inclusion to the extent that the general school ethos could be viewed as inclusive. To illustrate: students with special educational needs were not excluded from any activity in their class, there was very little withdrawal from lessons with most support provided in-class, all pupils participated in the mainstream life of the school, and there was a heavy focus on terminology and language with curriculum and learning support being replaced by SEN. Additionally, parents were exceptionally pleased with the communication they received from the teachers and the students with SEN who had been integrated benefitted academically. It was not clear whether they benefitted so much socially although this might have been because they had to take a bus and had less opportunity to b uild friendship out of school hours. School participants were pleased with the way that the physical environment was restructured and professionals felt personal satisfaction in implementing inclusive practice. However they did feel that the policy should be LEA-wide rather than restricted to a few schools. As the deputy head commented because we have a very good reputation for including students with additional needs, we have got the label that the school is good for SEN, and that is not the label that we want because we are losing the brightest of the students locally. Another example of a successful inclusive school is Hillbank, a state Secondary High school that serves a poor area in the North of England.  Ã‚   Reportedly, an estimated quarter of the local population draw some form of welfare assistance there (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Ainscow and Kaplan (2005:1) collaborated with a group of sixteen year old students to record their views of the school in the hope that it would bring them deeper insights into what happed in the school.   Generally speaking, the students made a number of positive comments about the school and its inclusive practices, and this was supported by the impressions given by staff who also confirmed that the school had a good reputation in the local community and achieved good grades (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1).   However, they did indicate that there were a number of aspects that made the school a less welcoming place. The students argued that the best and worst students were exempt from certain rules, leaving those in the middle, sometimes feeling unfairly penalized (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). Students also felt it was difficult to outlive a poor reputation in the school, even when pupils changed their behaviour and improved their academic performance. One student exhibited frustration at feeling that the teachers sometimes picked on the pupils and asserted that if you had a bad reputation one year, the teachers would still hold a grudge against you and make you feel that it was impossible to do anything right the following year (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005). The above case studies are an illustration of the way that some schools have managed to implement inclusive practices effectively. However, the last case study especially, shows the importance of gaining the perspective of students in examining inclusive schools if one is to go beyond literal interpretations of inclusion. It also has the added benefit of allowing the students to feel that their voice is important (Ainscow and Kaplan, 2005:1). As Ainscow and Kaplan (2005) assert, inquiry based approaches can be a powerful way of stimulating the development of inclusive practices and evidence provided by students can be a powerful lever for change although this does depend on forms of leadership which encourage a willingness to address the challenges that emerge as a result of listening to the voices of young people. Obstacles An analysis of the previous paragraphs shows that there are clearly a number of practices and policies that can be introduced for a school to become sufficiently inclusive. However, there are a number of challenges that schools can face in order to fulfil the criteria needed to become an inclusive school. According to Evans and Lunt (2002) the conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. Elias et al. (2002:1) assert that the introduction of performance tables and the pressure to raise standards means that pupils with special educational needs may not be welcome in schools. The authors therefore debate whether education can be separated from the social, cultural and political context in which the school is embedded. Another issue is associated with a lack of resources within schools. Teachers often cite a lack of resources as a barrier to mainstreaming pupils with special needs. Sufficient and appropriate expert practitioner time, appropriate physical space, and the required learning and teaching materials have also been perceived to be lacking in a number of mainstream schools (Topping and Maloney, 2005:11). There is a plethora of research evidence which points to the fact that everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with short-comings. Although teachers have a conscientious approach to marking they frequently fail to provide guidance on how work can be improved. Instead, marking often appears to reinforce underachievement by being too generous or unfocused and inadequate information of the pupil received by the teacher is insufficiently used to inform subsequent work (Black and Wiliams, 2001:3). There are intrinsic dangers associated with using specialist support in inclusive schools and this is evident through Depeller et al. (2005:117) analysis of Australian secondary schools where inclusive education provision relies heavily on specialist support from outside the classroom. Students with special educational needs are taught within the mainstream classroom and additional specialist services such as counselling, special education teaching and psychological assessment are required to support their placement. This type of support usually relies upon a diagnostic- prescriptive viewpoint whereby the specialist plays a central role in shaping practices. This approach can serve to marginalize pupils even further. Thus, the authors suggest that a prospective alternative may be to shift the focus from the students who are different, to the community of learners in the school. This approach uses collaborative practices to support inclusive ideals and grounds improvement efforts in c hanges in teachers knowledge as well as the cultural and organisational conditions of the school. It is important that teachers be aware of the dangers of pathologising educational difficulties as inherent within students, even when those same difficulties are employed effectively to interrogate some aspects of school practice (Ainscow, 2005:13). This is not only relevant to students with disabilities but also of those whose socioeconomic status, language, race, and gender renders them problematic to particular teachers in some schools. In view of this insight, it is necessary to develop the capacity of those within schools so as to challenge deeply ingrained deficit views of difference, which define certain types of students as lacking something (Trent et al. 1998, cited in Ainscow, 2005:13). As Ainscow (2005:14) asserts, even the most advanced teaching methods are likely to prove ineffective in the hands of those who subscribe to a belief system that views some pupils, at best, as disadvantaged and need of fixing, or worse, as deficient, hence, beyond fixing. An analysis of individual types of special educational needs reveals an understanding of how a commitment to inclusive practice can present challenges in mainstream settings. According to Wender (2000:10/11) ADHD is characterised by a range of learning disorders, shortness of attention span and hyperactivity. However, there are a number of external influences that could impact on a normal childs emotional status and behaviour which may result in them displaying behaviours with ADHD. According to the journalist Garner (2008:1) an independent Royal Commission is being called by teachers to examine why a number of children in Britain seem to be so unhappy. One theory proffers that family breakdown and social dysfunction are detrimental to the educational attainment of children and the performance of schools and colleges. Moreover, more and more pupils are resorting to suicide because of academic, social and peer pressure and the Governments obsession with standards, performance targets and testing. The implications of this finding are that if teachers are to be truly inclusive of children with special educational needs they need to try and gain a full understanding of where these needs originate from and not just assume that because children convey a certain set of systems, that it has a specific medicalized cause as the wrong diagnosis can inevitably lead to the wrong treatment and misguided teaching practice. Conclusion In conclusion, a critical evaluation of inclusive practice for children with special educational needs in secondary mainstream schools has revealed that there are a number of strategies that can be employed both at a policy level, and in classroom teaching practice that can contribute towards effective inclusive schooling. These include improved funding mechanisms and management processes; better communication and partnership working with parents and children; a positive attitude and appropriate skills held by teachers; full involvement in curriculum subjects; and improved formal assessments. An analysis of some case studies within secondary schools has also revealed the importance of taking seriously childrens viewpoints in order to inform future inclusive practice. However, there are a number of obstacles that schools face in implementing inclusive practice. The conflicts in government policy between the standards and the league tables discourse and the inclusive schools discourse make it difficult for schools to become more inclusive. There are also complaints from teachers about the lack of resources available and everyday practice of assessment in classrooms is beset with shortcomings. In addition, there is a danger of placing too much emphasis on outside specialist support which could marginalize pupils even more. Nevertheless, the case studies of inclusive practices in secondary mainstream schools do clearly show that inclusive school development is a social process and clarify the importance of engaging with different views on schools practices and policies. Thus, if educational commentators continue to collect these different forms of evidence, this may enable them to analyse barriers to learning and participation and make thoroughly informed recommendations for future inclusive practice.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Shakespeares Hamlet - The Melancholy Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Melancholy Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeare’s tragic drama, Hamlet, the multi-faceted character of the hero is so complex that this essay will enlighten the reader on only one aspect of his personality – his melancholy dimension.    A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy presents convincing evidence regarding the true extent and depth of the hero’s melancholy sentiment:    But there is a more formidable difficulty, which seems to have escaped notice. Horatio certainly came from Wittenberg to the funeral. And observe how he and Hamlet meet (I.ii.160). . . . Is not this passing strange? Hamlet and Horatio are supposed to be fellow-students at Wittenberg, and to have left it for Elsinore less than two months ago. Yet Hamlet hardly recognizes Horatio at first, and speaks as if he himself lived at Elsinore (I refer to his bitter jest, ‘We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart’). Who would dream that Hamlet had himself f just come from Wittenberg, if it were not for the previous words about his going back there? How can this be explained on the usual view? Only, I presume, by supposing that Hamlet is so sunk in melancholy that he really does almost ‘forget himself’ and forgets everything else, so that he actually is in doubt who Horatio is. (370)    It is obvious that from the very outset of this tragedy there is a melancholic protagonist. And the depressing aspect of the initial imagery of the drama tend to underline and reinforce Hamlet’s melancholy. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes some of this imagery of the opening scene:    The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. (35)    Horatio and Marcellus exit the ghost-ridden ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet. The prince is dejected by the â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon 128). There is a post-coronation social gathering of the court, where Claudius insincerely pays tribute to the memory of his deceased brother.

The Theme of Saints in Robertson Davies Fifth Business Essay -- Saint

The marvelous story of saints is one of the leading themes in Fifth Business. As the author Robertson Davies develops this theme through Dunstan’s journey into hagiology, he often uses certain saints such as Saint Dunstan, as allusions. Among the Saints that the novel refers to, Saint Paul is the perfect allusion that portrays the character of Paul Dempster since the two share strong similarities in their lives. Additionally, Saint Paul foreshadows Dunstan’s encounter with Paul Dempster. Saint Paul’s life is similar to Paul Dempster’s life in many ways. Both of them develop their hatred from an early age. Saint Paul was a Jewish student who hated Christians whom he believed to be infidels. As he grows in status, he assists in persecuting them. Similarly, Dempster has an abhorrence for his mother and her inanity which made him the laughingstock in his town. He penalizes his mother for causing him to endure such ignominy by running away. Furthermore, their display of hatred also leads them to attain and sustain a second life. Saint Paul and Paul Dempster are both reborn in their life...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Small man who led a big nation Essay examples -- essays research paper

The Small Man Who Led a Big Nation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mahatma Gandhi was a national icon for the people of India between the years 1869 and 1948. He is still remembered all over the world today. To follow the path of Gandhi one must traverse all regions of India, from the houses of the highest officials to the poorest villages where the word poverty does injustice. Gandhi led a fearless resistance against the British government, that oppressed his people, and an endless pilgrimage to lift the spirits of his people(the people of India) to maturity. Gandhi was very unique in his approach as he preached non-violence and led a life similar to that of the most downtrodden people of India.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gandhi was born into a family of high standing. His family had been advisors of some of the rulers of India.(Spodek 663) Gandhi’s mother, Putlibai, was a traditional Indian woman; she was of high morals and deeply religious. In Gandhi’s later years his mothers impact is apparent as he fasts many times and becomes a vegetarian. She also had a moral influence on her son. One of Gandhi’s early teachers encouraged him to cheat on a spelling test in order to impress a school inspector, but he refused. Despite all his good traits Gandhi was a below average student and did not show much promise in academics.(Wolf 171) Nevertheless he traveled to England to attend law school in 1888 in accordance with the desires of his family. He studied for three years in London where he â€Å"began to come alive, intellectually and spiritually†(Wolf 171).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon his return to India, Gandhi was hired by an Indian firm to take a case in South Africa. While there Gandhi witnessed several cases of injustice against himself and the Indian population in South Africa. Gandhi himself was thrown out of a first-class train car because he was not white. The demeaning approach the government of Africa took against the Indian population ignited Gandhi’s fire to fight human injustice. This began Gandhi’s communal living and his methods of resistance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gandhi established a new form of nonviolent resistance against government he called satyagraha or â€Å"truth force†. Satyagraha â€Å"manifested in self-sacrificing, non-violent mass demonstrations, demanding that the persecutors recognize the immorality of their own position and ... ...nd traveled with the poor he helped them feel connected with the other leaders of the movement. One of Gandhi’s greatest marches towards independence was the Salt March. The British had a monopoly on salt production and sale. Gandhi marched 241 miles to the beach and gathered his own salt and this led to hundreds of peasants doing the same. That is just another example of Gandhi going to jail for his cause.(Wolf 173)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During his time, Gandhi shined as a spiritual reformer and political activist to try and change the hearts of his opponents. His characteristic non-violent movements have been copied by many great men that have come after him. He held himself no higher than the poorest man of his country and that is why his country loved him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Sherman, Dennis. World Civilizations . Massachusetts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mcgraw-Hill; 1998. Spodek, Howard. The World’s History. New Jersey: Prentice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hall; 1998. Wolf, Ken. Personalities and Problems. Massachusetts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McGraw-Hill; 1999.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Explore in detail how Iago has brought about the change in Othello’s relationship with Desdemona in the first three acts of the play

In this essay, I will be exploring how Iago brought about the change in Othello up until act 3 of the play. This play is about a black Venetian soldier who elopes and marries a young white girl called Desdemona, who he shares an empathic case of mutual love that overcomes many prejudice and objections. But his love for her soon changes to jealousy and murderous thoughts created by Iago, his most â€Å"honest† ancient. Iago plants crude images of Desdemona and Cassio, his former lieutenant, having an affair, and this soon chases away all the sanity in Othello. Until the mid-point of the play, Othello composes himself in a dignified manner and expresses unbounded faith in the transcendent love that he shares with Desdemona, a bond that reaches over differences in race, age, and social status. Nevertheless, Othello begins to change his mind about his young wife in the corruption scene of Act III (scene iii) and by the end of the act, he has completely made up his mind about Desdemona's faith and trust, and from this point, Othello is completely preoccupied with the mission of avenging himself on Desdemona and Cassio for an adulterous affair Iago claims they are having. In Othello, many events are more significant than others because of mental or psychological reasons. Shakespeare uses images to give contrasted thoughts to different parts of the play. Another thing is how a character changes his feelings in a brief moment. In the play, examples of these are, how Othello changes his trust from person to person, from Desdemona to Cassio to Iago. Another is how he changes his opinion of Desdemona's faith. Also there are the mental changes of Iago and his motives. The first we hear of Othello and Desdemona being together is in Act 1 Scene 1, when Iago calls out to Brabantio, Desdemona's father. He calls â€Å"you're robbed† claiming that Othello has kidnapped Desdemona when, in actual fact, they have eloped. At this point, we get the impression that Othello and Desdemona are in a young, innocent, romantic love, but Iago calling â€Å"an old black ram is tupping your white ewe† ruins this perfect image. Here, Shakespeare uses crude sexual images and refers both Othello and Desdemona as animals, which makes their love sound profane and physical. Iago provokes Brabantio by telling him these graphic stories of Othello and Desdemona. No father wants to hear about his daughter like that, so it's obvious that Brabantio gets angry with Othello. When Othello hears of Brabantio's anger, it is here we hear him talk about Desdemona for the first time. We see that he really does â€Å"love the gentle Desdemona† and this is shown quite precisely in Act 1 Scene 3. Here, Othello assures the court Brabantio has summoned him to, that he has not won Desdemona's love through â€Å"spells and medicine† and â€Å"witchcraft†, but with tales of heroic defeats, and he loved her that â€Å"she did pity them†. Othello describes his courtship of Desdemona in a dignified and persuasive speech (76-93) that even the Duke is persuaded that this tale â€Å"would win† his daughter also. By his speech, it becomes clearer that Othello's love for Desdemona is not passion, but a love whose quality is reflected in his tone when he speaks – calmly, with dignity, serenity, simplicity and stature. While Brabantio is still not convinced, Othello believes in his and Desdemona's love so much, and their unbreakable bond of trust and faith that he asks the Duke to send for her, so that she may speak for him. This shows that he trusts his life â€Å"upon her faith† even to speak against her own father. It also shows that he sees her more as an equal than a presence of a woman, since he sends for her to speak in a court, in a time where women weren't that high on the power scale. Speaking to the court is when we are first introduced to Desdemona and realises that she is little more that a girl inexperienced in the way of the world who is taken in by Othello's stories. Desdemona speaks gently outlining an argument so strong that finishes the whole debate. Hearing her argument, you can't help but wonder if her love for Othello is submissive love, generated by seeing â€Å"his visage in his mind† and fuelled by her delight in his â€Å"honours† and â€Å"valiant parts†. She speaks so fondly of him, yet hardly knows him; nonetheless, as she defends her newly born love for Othello, she uses much personal language such as â€Å"me† and â€Å"I† portraying personal feelings, which makes her love much more convincing. â€Å"My heart subdu'd/ I saw Othello's visage in his mind/ Did I my soul and fortune consecrate†. O my fair warrior† shows the equality of Othello and Desdemona's relationship once again when the two arrive in Cyprus. In Cyprus (Act 2 Scene 3), Cassio starts a fight under the influence of alcohol and Iago's â€Å"master plan†. Because of this, Othello's evening with Desdemona is disturbed, and we see him for the first time, expressing the emotion of anger. Up until this scene, Othello has always been portrayed with calm and serenity, but here, his mood dramatically changes showing the audience how easily his emotions can be swayed and affected. This is proven again at lines 245-249. Here his mood drastically changes again from angry to calm when he sees Desdemona. Othello acts with embarrassment and disappointment to the situation and describes it a â€Å"Christian shame†, which is ironic, because he is yet to commit a sinful act. After the incident, Othello demotes Cassio, even though he is obviously a close friend of his, â€Å"Cassio I love thee, but nevermore be officer of mine†. This is strange because Othello trusted Cassio a great deal and was also close with him, and yet, he demoted him on the spot. This is a sign of how Othello's emotions can affect him and cloud his judgment, making him think on his feet and act spontaneously. At the start of Act 3 Scene 3, Cassio is first mentioned to Othello by Desdemona to play with his mind (non intentionally of course). His tone in this scene tells us that he is annoyed with her constant pester and her interest in Cassio by calling her an â€Å"Excellent wench†, but he â€Å"do love thee† still. We also see that Othello depends on Desdemona, maybe a little too much for it could cost his sanity. â€Å"And when I love thee not, chaos is come again†. He quotes â€Å"I deny thee nothing† which shows us that he cannot refuse her and he still cares for her deeply, and it almost assures the audience he always will. Desdemona is not a strong character, and lacks solidity in her persona, but, despite the fact of this, we see here that she is a huge weakness in Othello's character, even through his annoyance for her at this point. She is almost able to wrap him around her little finger without intending to, and Othello allows this to happen because of his love and his insecurities about it. From noticing Desdemona's unwariness of this, we might come to the conclusion that she could possibly seen as the type to liase around with other men. Yet we are most certain that she wouldn't, from the way she respects Othello and, regards him as first priority in her life, before her own father. The tragedy of love misunderstood is exposed at the end of Act 3 Scene 3, where we now see Othello in reverse role. Unlike in Act 1, Othello is able to think clearly and compose himself as polite, kind, and noble. Soft phrases and the use of a variety of literary devices such as, alliteration, pitiable stories, and flattering phrases towards Desdemona allow a calmer reflection of Othello. This is the contrary of how he acts at the end of Act 3. He seems to revert to his more primal nature of fighting and â€Å"glorious war†. War is a huge vulnerability to Othello, which we see when he finally accepts Iago's lies and is convinced that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Here his first reactions are of death and destruction, as he makes sure that â€Å"Cassio's not alive†. Earlier in the scene, when first hearing of Desdemona's ‘affair', Othello seems quite intent on only believing Iago's words with some kind of proof. â€Å"I'll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove† Yet Othello fails to keep his word as he becomes angered by the mere thought of his wife deceiving him. It is due to this, that Othello asks Iago to â€Å"set on thy wife to observe†. Basically he asks Iago to seek the truth, yet the truth never is found causing him to doubt. We see that Othello has doubt because of his soliloquy in this act. This is the first time he has one which surprises the audience and adds emotion and energy to Othello's character more than usual. This could be a sign of his emotions swaying unlike in the Acts before, where he always seems open and composed. His soliloquy shows that he is confused and no longer speaks his mind as he did in the previous acts. During this soliloquy, Othello doubts his marriage, regrets that he is black, notices he's much older, and he also doubt in himself. â€Å"Haply, I am black†, â€Å"I am declined the vale of years†, â€Å"O curse of marriage† Another sign of distrust is, when Desdemona asks Othello if he is â€Å"not well†, and Othello replies â€Å"I have a pain upon my forehead here† instead of saying what he thought, as he usually would. The horns he speak of may symbolise the horns a cuckold would possess, which is also a sign of Othello's mind wandering and doubting. You can tell that he is not self-assured and as confident as he once was. Shakespeare uses this technique to show us that Othello has lost his confidence and is no longer self-assured. As he becomes more and more angry his control through his speech begins to slip, no longer does he speak in long flowing sentences but now in exclamations, which hints at his loss of capability to loose his temper. He is also speaking in a similar way to Iago, This may symbolise that he has come to think in the same manner. These images show us the depth of Othello's jealousy, the woman he loved he now disparage. The change in Othello is very sudden. He makes a very quick transition from love to hate. In Act 3 Scene 3, Othello states, â€Å"if she be false, O then heaven mocks itself†. Yet only not long after, he says â€Å"I'll tear her into pieces†, and says that his mind will never change from this â€Å"tyrannous hate†. At the end of Act 3 Scene 3, we see that the relationship is no longer equal, and we see that Othello has risen above Desdemona and has belittled her. Othello treats her, and continues on treating her with great disrespect he would never have done before. Before, their relationship was mutual and equal but at this point in the Scene, Othello does not give Desdemona the chance to justify her actions, this reflects his egotistic, and is an example of how easily influenced he is. Iago is evil personified, and to say that he is motiveless in this play could be quite true, as the audience never get to know his one true motive as it mentally changes and progresses as the play develops. He is ruthless, sinister, and will stop at nothing. Iago is the whole reason why there is conflict in the play. All the problems caused are through Iago and his lies, treachery, manipulation, and deep mysterious hate, which is fuelled by jealousy and revenge and maybe love. A lot of motives there. He is a two faced liar smiting and betraying his fellow characters, while also being â€Å"honest Iago† as he wants to be known. He plays many parts of the story because of this. While at one point, he is the best comrade a person could have, yet another where he is a two faced, backstabbing liar. Throughout the play, we see him lie from one to the next, but he is only able to do this because he is shown to be a very accurate judge of character. He understands how everyone works, and how their minds function. He understand perfectly his â€Å"sick fool† Roderigo's vanity and foolish hopes. He knows that Desdemona's generous personality will lead her to plead on Cassio's behalf. He knows that Cassio's ambitiousness will lead him to use Desdemona to regain Othello's trust, and he knows that † the Moor is of a free and open nature/ that thinks men honest but seem to be so†. He knows all this yet he spins a web of lies (with consummate skill) to turn everyone against one another. In the play Othello, Iago influence and uses two people purely for leverage. One of those is Michael Cassio, who is in a very contradicting relationship with Iago. While Cassio trusts Iago and thinks that he has the best intentions for him in mind, Iago is actually plotting against him, persuading him with â€Å"good advice†, all in the while, ensnaring Cassio into a love innuendo he'd rather not be in. One of Iago's more successful schemes is within Act 2 Scene 3. This scene opens with Othello bidding Cassio to inspect the guard during the night. He also warns him â€Å"not to outsport discretion†. Ironically, Iago will trick him beyond discretion, leading to his fall in this scene, the most important aspect of Iago's plan. Cassio proves his noble nature early on in the scene by refusing Iago's persistent offer of wine, admitting that he â€Å"does not drink well†. Hearing this, Iago persists until Cassio finally gives in to his weakness. It takes Cassio â€Å"but one cup† to get drunk and gets into a fight with Roderigo. When Othello arrives on the scene Iago takes him aside and, being the persistent liar he is, pretends to be good friends with Cassio and pretends to care for him so that nothing will â€Å"wrong him†, nonetheless blaming him for everything, but subtly, subconsciously. By sticking up for him, Iago soon befriends Cassio and tells him to seek Desdemona and ask her to plead for his rank and trust back with Othello. This is the most important point of persuading Cassio, because this is the main leverage for the whole plan. Here, he knows that Cassio's ambitions will make him persistent and unaware of anything else, as does he know that Desdemona's loving nature will help him. Iago plays with the subconscious a lot, as it is a conniving and cunning way to persuade someone. This is also shown on his lackey, Roderigo. Iago also manipulates Roderigo, not part of any plan, but just as a lucky opportunity for money. For the foolish Roderigo, and his foolish hopes makes him an easy target for Iago. The phrase â€Å"put money in thy purse† repeatedly as Iago plays with Roderigo's subconsciousness, and installs in Roderigo, a sense of trust in Iago. This convinces him that Iago is helping him, and that he is plotting against Othello purely for â€Å"sport†. â€Å"Sport† makes the whole situation sound like a game, a bet perhaps, so therefore money doesn't seem like a big issue. Iago's soliloquies are probably just as important as anything else in the play, and he uses a lot of them. This allows us to see at once early on in the play, Iago's motives and intentions, and that some promises go no where, like with Roderigo and his plans to woo the â€Å"gentle Desdemona†. Through soliloquy is when the master of deception is open to the scrutiny of the audience, that we may admire, horrified, the progress of his scheming. We see that he is an opportunist and amoral, â€Å"the moor already changes with my poison†. In his soliloquies, Iago uses a level of expressiveness rarely presented in his public speeches such as, emotion, thoughts, and even insecurities, which are shown when he is convinced that Othello is sleeping with Emilia, his wife. In a soliloquy, Iago expounds the â€Å"divinity of hell†. He is delighted to see that his evil plan is working perfectly. Othello has many traits that make him naive and insecure, and Iago plays on this. â€Å"Ha! I like not that, sneaking away so guilty like†. This makes Othello question many things, but most of all, his marriage and his wife's faith â€Å"I think my wife be honest, and think she is not†, this shows that Othello is confused and questions himself, he shows hate for her but at the same time loves her. His mind rages from one extreme to the other in his fit of emotions showing he has lost his control. Desdemona is rich and noble, furthermore, she has gone out of her social sphere to marry Othello and he is aware of this. When he speaks of his marriage, there is a hint of uncertainty, like it's almost too good to be true. However, this insecurity is buried dormant and non fatal. It would not rise by itself to produce a tragedy, but needs someone who sees its existence and uses it. Iago plants jealousy into Othello, but its mostly Othello's pride that provides a fertile ground for these insecurities to nurture it's growth. Iago plays with Othello's uncertainty building it up by talking of jealousy and betrayal, â€Å"O, beware my lord, of jealousy! â€Å"/†It is the green eyed monster†, and then more specifically about the unnatural nature of their marriage â€Å"Her will, recoiling to her better judgement†. More importantly, he addresses jealousy as a major theme. The â€Å"green eyed monster† becomes a symbol representing Othello's dark feelings, a spectre lurking in his mind and beginning to steer his behaviour, while Iago lead him with lies â€Å"And will as tenderly be led by th'nose as asses are. † This creates an image of an animal being led away so easily by something so simple. Iago uses a serious case of reverse psychology just to build up the confusion and uncertainty in Othello. Iago says that Cassio is â€Å"honest†, which sets Othello off, and Iago's fake uncertainty in his tone makes Othello think that Cassio lies. Words such â€Å"sneak† and â€Å"guilty† sets the scene for private affair, and gets Othello's mind racing. Othello becomes suspicious and starts to get annoyed with Iago, as it seems Iago knows something and is not telling Othello, Othello says, â€Å"Show me thy thought†. By not telling Othello the â€Å"secret† not only makes him want to know even more, but it also makes Othello feel like an outsider, already he is separated from the group, but now even more as there are a secrets revolving around that he knows nothing of. These are all tactics, which Iago uses (among others) to break down Othello and all the people around him. One of his most successful tactics is how he drops hints about Desdemona and Cassio. He does this very well by not actually stating fictitious stories but by suggesting, and not giving Othello a clear image. This is somewhat worse because if his mind is left to wander and imagine, it can come up with the wrong answer. He also plays on the fact that Desdemona has already once deceived her father and â€Å"may thee†. This makes Othello question her faith and if he is first priority anymore. Othello trusts Iago because Iago puts forward the fact that he knows all and is a kind loyal friend for he says, and I quote â€Å"I am your own forever†, even though we all know he despises the moor. But this way, Iago gets into Othello's trustees list, which is a helpful asset to his plan. Gaining that trust, Iago acts out many sympathetic, expressive roles, gives much advice and fulfils Othello's greedy ears with what he wants to hear, therefore, proving his loyalty. Throughout the play, there is a steady stream of racism. It originates from not one, but rather several characters in the play. Most characters in the play exhibit some type of racism toward Othello. His blackness is not only a mark of his physical alienation but a symbol, to which every character in the play, he himself included, must respond. Iago and Roderigo speak the most obvious racial slurs against Othello. Roderigo refers to the â€Å"thick-lips†, â€Å"gross clasps of a lascivious moor†, and the â€Å"gross revolt† of Desdemona (Act 1 Scene 1). He also labels Othello as a â€Å"wheeling stranger†. Iago makes several references to Othello's race as well, referring to him as an â€Å"old black ram†, a â€Å"devil†, and a † Barbary horse†. This is also associated with excessive sexuality when Iago tells Brabantio that his â€Å"daughter and the Moor are [now] making the beast / with two backs†. This cultural perception contributes to the racist atmosphere; Othello's sexuality is connected to his race, which is perceived as degenerate and disgusting. Iago and Roderigo are not the only characters with outright disdain for Othello's race and culture. Brabantio also projects the negative images associated with blackness. Desdemona's father invites Othello to tell tales, but refuses to accept him as a son-in-law. Brabantio shows his anger when he refers to Othello as â€Å"too true and evil†, a â€Å"foul thief†, and â€Å"Damn'd†. He is disgusted that Desdemona would â€Å"run from her guardage to the sooty bosom / Of such a thing as thou–to fear, not to delight! † and â€Å"fall in love with what she fear'd to look on! † In addition, Brabantio claims that the only possible way Desdemona could fall in love with Othello is if he used black magic. These statements reveal a racism similar to that of Iago and Roderigo. Desdemona communicates an even more subtle form of racism. She falls in love with Othello not for his outward appearance but for his words. She states that she saw â€Å"Othello's visage in his mind†, but she does not say that she found his physical form attractive. By not referring to his physical state, Desdemona confirms her father's belief that she should fear to look on such blackness. Othello even attests to this when he agrees with Iago's statement that Desdemona â€Å"seem'd to shake and fear your looks†. All of these quotes suggest that even Desdemona realizes there is something unnatural about her love for Othello due to his physical appearance. The use, or lack thereof, of Othello's name is important for racial reasons as well. Calling someone by name is a sign of respect. The characters in the play sometimes refer to Othello by his name, but often by the term â€Å"Moor. † The amount of racial hostility the character has for Othello usually dictates the mode of address. Iago refers to Othello by name but only a few times in the play, usually when he is talking directly to him, while he calls him Moor over the rest of the play. Coincidence plays a big role in the play Othello, as everything happens almost out of coincidence. From Iago's plan, to being at the wrong place at the wrong time, everything adds up to coincidence. An example of this is when Cassio chooses to meet with Desdemona at that certain point in the play, just as Othello is returning. This is when Othello first has his doubts about Desdemona. Iago sees this and plays on that fact â€Å"Ha, I like not that/ he would sneak away so guilty like†. I think that Iago persuades Othello in a very convincing way. Although, the way that Othello changes so suddenly makes it less convincing. This may just be that he is a very naive character who â€Å"trusts men easily†. This may also be due to his insecurities. Iago knows Othello will never be completely embraced in society, and he knows that Othello also knows that. By playing on this, he skilfully convinces Othello that his wife might not love because of his race. Othello is obviously hurt by this and his change is drastic, yet somehow convincing. I think it's the way that you see all the persuasions and lies planned by Iago, then you watch it happen. This lets us understand and see the development.