Fear of Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Fear of Terrorism Essay Since September 11th, 2001, the world has witnessed a radical change in the world order. Fear, anxiety, sentiments of repugnancy and hate, and, mostly, a deep sentiment of great uncertainty took their place and dominated, and still dominate, problematic, issue. There has been much discussions and debates about the events that has taken place in the fatal date and consequent repercussion acts. The images of the two hi-jacked planes crashing into the Twin Towers, has a major part in producing all the sentiments that certainly all of us felt, and will continue to feel as of today. That is what this research paper will explain. It is a very contemporary issue and, many believe it is interesting looking at it, studying, and analyzing it. In the next pages, this research paper will focus on the definition of terrorism, history of terrorism, and the effects it has on society. Defining Terrorism Terrorism beams into our homes through television screens, it assaults us in newspapers and magazines, and it sometimes touches our lives in more direct manners. People do not seem to worry about the definition of terrorism at such times. They simply feel terror when they see the violence. Sometimes it seems as though the event itself defines terrorism. For example, when a plane is destroyed by a bomb, it is frequently called terrorism, but when military forces shoot down a civilian aircraft, it can be deemed an unfortunate mistake. The United States may launch missiles at a suspected terrorist base and claim it is defending national interests. Yet, it may condemn another country for doing the same thing in another part of the world. Dual standards and contradictions lead to confusion any time the term terrorism is employed. The term terrorism has spawned heated debate. Instead of agreeing on the definition of terrorism, social scientists, policymakers, lawyers, and security specialists often argue about the meaning of the term. H. H. A. Cooper (1978, 2001), a renowned terrorist expert from the University of Texas at Dallas, aptly summarizes the problem. There is, Cooper says, a problem in the problem definition. We can agree that terrorism is a problem, but we cannot agree on what terrorism is. There are several reasons for confusion. First, terrorism is difficult to define because it has a pejorative connotation. Pejorative means that it is emotionally charged. A person is politically and socially degraded when labeled a terrorist, and the same thing happens when an organization is called a terrorist group. Routine crimes assume greater social importance when they are described as terrorism, and political movements can be hampered when their followers are believed to be terrorists. Further confusion arises when people intertwine the terms terror and terrorism. The object of military force, for example, is to strike terror into the heart of the enemy, and systematic terror has been a basic weapon in conflicts throughout history. Some people argue that there is no difference between military force and terrorism. Many members of the antinuclear movement have extended this argument by claiming that maintaining ready-to-use nuclear weapons is an extension of terrorism. Others use the same logic when claiming that street gangs and criminals terrorize neighborhoods. If you think that anything that creates terror is terrorism, the scope of potential definitions becomes limitless. One of the primary reasons terrorism is difficult to define is that the meaning changes within social and historical contexts. This is not to suggest that one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter, but it does suggest the meaning fluctuates. Change in the meaning occurs because terrorism is not a solid entity. Like crime, it is socially defined, and the meaning changes with social change. History of Terrorism Terrorism has been around since the days of ancient Egypt. People have been killing leaders of countries to try and overthrow the government, and for the past one hundred and twenty years terrorists have had new weapons of mass destruction, such as bombs. Many political figures in the past were assassinated: King Tut in Egypt, who was poisoned and hit in the back of the head by a political rival, the members of the Roman Senate and Brutus, his best friend, killed Caesar. John Wilkes Booth, a southerner who was angry about the way the Civil War turned out assassinated Abraham Lincoln; and Lee Harvey Oswald killed John F. Kennedy. But terrorism in revealing itself in new forms in this modern world, such as massacres, hijackings, attacks on U. S troops, and hostage taking. But there is a difference between a criminal and a terrorist. A criminal is after money or drugs, while a terrorist is after the long-term disruption of life in a country, and to attempt to overthrow its leaders. There are many causes of terrorism, hate, religion, politics, and power. Modern terrorism originated from the French Revolution (1789–1795). It was used as a term to describe the actions of the French government. By 1848, the meaning of the term changed. It was employed to describe violent revolutionaries who revolted against governments. By the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, terrorism was used to describe the violent activities of a number of groups including: labor organizations, anarchists, nationalist groups revolting against foreign powers, and ultranationalist political organizations. After World War II (1939–1945), the meaning changed again. As people revolted from European domination of the world, nationalistic groups were deemed to be terrorist groups. From about 1964 to the early 1980s, the term terrorism was also applied to violent left-wing groups, as well as nationalists. In the mid-1980s, the meaning changed again. In the United States, some of the violent activity of the hate movement was defined as terrorism. Internationally, terrorism was viewed as sub national warfare. Terrorists were sponsored by rogue regimes. As the millennium changed, the definitions of terrorism also changed. Today terrorism also refers to large groups who are independent from a state, violent religious fanatics, and violent groups who terrorize for a particular cause such as the environment. It is important to realize that any definition is influenced by the historical context of terrorism. Media Many times on TV after a terrorist-attack the news will announce that this person had terrorist connections in the past. Now if they had terrorist connections, why were they allowed to live freely, where they could plan terrorist attacks? If the government had a monitoring service to keep track of people with suspected histories of terrorism, or possible connections to terrorists, the FBI could make a careful watch of a person s communications. This would help prevent terrorism from happening by not allowing correspondence between the suspect, and the organization. Many argue that the realm of politics has a particular and controversial way of broaching, analyzing and, thus, conceptualizing â€Å"terrorism†. In Murdock’s view and many certainly agree with him. Politicians always try to limit and simplify the definition of terrorism in the name of the state’s political interests. Jeanne Kirkpatrick, former U. S. representative to the United Nations, simply identified and defined a â€Å"terrorist† as a person who â€Å"kills, maims, kidnaps and tortures. His victims may be schoolchildren†¦ industrialists returning home from work, political leaders or diplomats†. (Quoted in Graham Murdock, 1997: 1653). On the other hand, and mostly due to their special deontology and the specific rule of impartiality, journalists are said to broach and use the term terrorist â€Å"when civilians are attacked† (Murdock, 1997: 1653). David Paletz and Danielle Vinson, in â€Å"Terrorism and the Media†, analyze and describe the theme of terrorism in a very interesting way. Thus, they identify many forms of terrorism. The ones they believe to have most renown and prominence are: State Terrorism, waged against inhabitants of a state; State Sponsored Terrorism, against the people of the other states; and Insurgent Terrorism, also called by Schmid and De Graaf asâ€Å"Social-Revolutionary, Separatist and Single Issue Terrorism, aiming at the top of society†(Schmid De Graaf, 1982: 1), where the â€Å"violence is mainly perpetrated for its effects on others rather than the immediate victims† (Schmid De Graaf, 1982: 2). Schmid and De Graaf also argue that because the word terrorism has, by nature, such profound negative connotations, maybe a more neutral term would be preferable. They suggest the word insurgent. As far as I’m concerned, my argument is clearly this: western society, most dominated and influenced by the North American Culture and North American International Policy, constructed the term â€Å"terrorist†. Many argue that such construction is merely the reflection of western’s strategic political interests versus the Eastern ones, and most particularly, the Middle East’s cultural power. Impact of Terrorism on Society and Economy Terrorism poses a serious law and order problem and leads to disintegration of society. The incident of murder, torture, mutilation, kidnapping, arson and extortion create atmosphere of suspicion, fear and panic all around. Life becomes uncertain. The terrorists kill unarmed civilians including women and children. Organized crime and violence cause social disharmony. The inter relationship among various insurgent groups and their foreign linkages bring illegal money and encourages smuggling. Many insurgent groups collect certain percentage of money from the employees and businessmen on regular basis. Economic development of the area comes to an end. Our government has to make heavy expenditure to meet the challenges of terrorism. Ways to Control Terrorism A way to prevent terrorism is gun control. Gun control will prevent terrorism by reducing the number of weapons accessible to terrorists. Violent crimes and urban terrorism has dropped over 33% since the introduction of the background check. (Philips, 15) Something as simple as having a waiting period at gun shows can help reduce terrorism. It is possible for a group of people to go into the show separately, purchase three or four weapons, and then use them to rob a bank, or take hostages. Currently at gun shows, as long as you are 18, you can buy a variety of weapons, and ammunition. Although a full ban on guns would not stop weapons from coming into this country illegally, it would limit the guns accessible to criminals and possible terrorists. Many times on TV after a terrorist-attack, the news will announce that this person had terrorist connections in the past. Now if they had terrorist connections why were they allowed to live freely, where they could plan terrorist attacks? If the government had a monitoring service to keep track of people with suspected histories of terrorism, or possible connections to terrorists, the FBI could make a careful watch of a person s communications. This would help prevent terrorism from happening by not allowing correspondence between the suspect, and the organization. Although the person would not be a prisoner, he would be on parole so to speak, so he could lead a normal, productive life. However, if he made a large purchase of any possible bomb making materials his house would be searched. This can help prevent attacks because the person would not have any opportunities to plan any attacks. Some other preventive measures can be taken to stop bombings from occurring. One way is to put two-foot concrete pillars around federal buildings to prevent drive up bombings. Nevertheless, there are other ways to cause mass killings. Biological warfare is one of the most feared forms of terrorism in the world. Capable of killing thousands within a few days, and constantly spreading, it is the most effective form of terrorism there is. (Gaines,15) All it takes is someone with a small flask of anthrax in a powdered form to get on a subway, spread the virus, and get off. In the powdered form, the dust would spread into a fine dust, and then would be breathed in by hundreds of passengers. (Snow, 15) Now some things like that cannot be prevented, but a way to keep the people from getting sick is to make sure everyone born has vaccinations for any disease that can be spread, such as anthrax, and Ebola. However, there are not enough shots to go around. There is only one dose of anthrax vaccine per four people. The government needs to produce enough vaccine for everyone in the country. Terrorism against the United States in other countries continues to be a serious problem. The United States has not been able to effectively deal with terrorism directed at its embassies, personnel, or military installations. The United States has put up concrete barriers around its embassies to protect Americans from suicide bombers. In many cultures, religion and politics are intertwined; it is a great honor to die for your country on a suicide mission. It happened during World War II with the Kamikaze pilots and it happened again most recently with the attack on the U. S. S. Cole. The suicide bomb is most often used in the Middle East. Terrorism can be reduced with prevention, detection, and action. The problem will not go away if people just sit there and not take any action against it. Society needs to create a team to counteract terrorism, have better gun control, and monitor high-risk people. With these simple steps we can reduce terrorism.

Research On The Importance Of Financial Planning Finance Essay

Research On The Importance Of Financial Planning Finance Essay The financial plan is an important part of both the business plan and of the entrepreneurs day-to-day management of operations. The financial planning puts the entrepreneur in touch with the realities of a financing request. This understanding will help clearly identify the amount of financing needed, the purpose for the funds, the length of time the funds are needed, and how the financing will be repaid. These issues are of key concern to the prospective financier Financial Plan The various operating plans prepared by the entrepreneur indicate where the firm is expected to go and how it will get there. The financial plan estimates and plans for the financial needed to implement these intentions. It, along with the market analysis and marketing plan, is the most critical component of the business plan. (Arthur and Stephanie, 1995) Some entrepreneurs might think of the financial plan as being strictly about the numbers, it is much more than that by providing a basis for making many decisions about the business. Decision such as how many employees to hire, what suppliers will be used, and what equipment will be purchased will be largely made while completing the financial plan. As is true with marketing and operations, one plan has to be streamlined with the other. The financial plan needs to reflect the marketing activities and the level of production that were outlined previously in the plan. (Arthur and Stephanie, 1995) Good financial planning helps a company maximize cash flow with pinpointed resource allocation and investment strategies. On the other hand, that means money can become tied up in long-term investments and investment strategies And if a companys strategic plan or financial plan ends up being woefully wrong, it may not have the money it needs to immediately rectify a problem. (Brian Boone, 2004) Its much harder to convince shareholders and stakeholders of a company how to properly execute the companys finances; its easier to get everyone behind a strategy, because its goal-oriented, not cash-oriented. But the two can be integrated. (Arthur and Stephanie, 1995) Financial plan calculation statements (shown in Appendixes) Business Plan A business plan is a document that is used to guide the new entity created by an acquisition or joint venture project. Business plans vary by project and are shaped by many considerations, but the basis of business plan is the development of the mission, goals, and objectives of the new entity consistent with the strategy, goals, and objectives of the acquiring or the parent company. The business plan includes a fairly detailed financial plan describing the timing and quantities of key financial variables with respect to revenues, expenses, capital outlays, and cash flows. However, providing performance targets and monitoring operational performance, linking management objectives and performance with operational performance, and describing a feedback and control mechanism to assess the new entity performance versus expectations and targets are value-added characteristics. The business plan is an important communication tool for delivering a consistent message concerning acquiring or parent firm expectations, goals and objectives, priorities, and operational targets of the new entity. Another useful function the business plan performs is to lay out requirements and issues that need to be addressed, coordinated, or resolved. Finally, as the environment and operating conditions change, the business plan provides the structure to evaluate the impact of changes on strengths and weaknesses of new entity. (John, 1999) A good business plan for a sound business concept can helps to achieve in business goals. It can saves the companys money and time by focusing on the business activities, and giving more control over the finances, marketing, and daily operating and helps to raise the capital of the company. (Rhonda, 2003) Bank loan Borrowed money is often the key to building and growing a successful small business. For independent business owners, however, courting lenders isnt always easy. Heres how to make a strong case and win over even the choosiest banks. By Matt Alderton. Small business owners can choose bank loan when they need to borrow money. But, if the owner having a bad credit record can be a big hindrance in terms of asking financial assistance in the future and this is a fact everyone should remember in making future loans. Messing up with the financial liabilities can land in with a bad credit record. It would be difficult to borrow money with bad record. Financial institutions like banks and even small lending organizations are strict with customers wanting to borrow money with bad record since it might be a bad investment for them. People in dire need of financial assistance with a bad credit record can just put them in the brink of bankruptcy. 5.0 Question 3.1 The companys projected sales are exceed the company objectives and the company accountant decides to advise the Board of Director later, therefore the companys financial plan may be ineffective because of the delaying release the information to the Board of Director. As there the demand is higher as the companys objective, the delaying to inform the Board of Director about the exceed sales, the director will unable to borrow loan from the bank because of the qualification may be failed. Mostly, bank wouldnt borrow loan to high-risk borrower due to the poor credit profile of the borrower, the bank would worried that the borrower might not affordable to payback for the loan if the company is almost facing a huge run out of funds. The financial plan will be ineffective and confused all the operating system of the production. Therefore, the company would face the problems like insufficient production resource and raw materials to produce goods to the customers, and the lack of fund to make payments like insufficiency to pay salary to workers or any other operating expenses. It will also cause the lack of confidential from the customer because of the lack of production material in the company. The poor financial planning might caused the company get into debts as well and it will lead to bankruptcy that failed of business. (1078 words)

The Evolutionary Aspects Of Fear Psychology Essay

The Evolutionary Aspects Of Fear Psychology Essay This paper presents an exclusive discussion of what is known about the biological basis of fear. In presenting this discussion, the paper shall explore the main concepts relating to the biology behind fear in humans with the main ideas being the definition of fear, the evolutionary aspects of fear, as well as the emotional response of the brain in the event of fear or anxiety. The paper shall also present an analysis that seeks to establish fear and anxiety as identical rather than two contrasting concepts as believed by many. In the discussion on the biological basis of fear, the study shall include biological evidence relating to the specific parts of the human brain that respond and react to fear. Introduction It is interesting how humans respond to fear, especially the bodily changes that take place in the event of an activity or something that triggers fear. Humans respond to fear in different ways, and their bodies react to unexpected situations of fear almost instantly. In response to fear, human bodies exhibit increased arousal, autonomic and neuroendocrinal activation and immediate expectancy among other spontaneous reactions. It is even surprising that fear triggers some emotional reaction in humans based on recent studies by psychologists. An interesting revelation according to empirical studies on emotions under the field of biology point to the fact that emotions are not just feelings as evolutionary studies would want us to believe. Emotions in human beings are accompanied by physiological and behavioural variations (Davidson, 2000). A widely accepted perception of emotions today touches on the fundamental ideology that humans experience emotions in three different but interrela ted levels: the behavioural level, the neurophysiological level and the psychological or metal level. Based on inference that emotions have a close relation to fear in terms of the mental or psychological state, it is possible to use such information to build upon the biological basis of fear (Walker, 2002). The consequence of predisposing factors that trigger emotions also tend to instil fear in human beings and this paper shall seek to unravel the biological basis of fear in terms of psychological and behavioural responses relating to biology. What is fear? Fear is a motivational state triggered by specific stimuli that result in or escape defensive behaviour. Enthologists believe that fear is an unpleasant emotion that comes about as a result of the perception that somebody or something dangerous is likely to happen. This unpleasant emotion triggers a form of defence mechanism that results in escape or counter behaviours. In terms of biology, a couple of neuoroendocrinal activations that are usually automatic mostly typify fear. This is essential in explaining the sudden escape of a person at the sight of a scary animal that triggers immediate activations in the brain (Strongman, 1996). This effective defence mechanism triggered by a stimulus instils fear. In this context, such instantaneous reactions to fear facilitate coping mechanisms used by the body to respond to cases of fear. The evolutionary aspects of fear The evolutionary aspects of fear mainly relate to emotional responses. Fear is a factor of de-escalating tactic interceded by the emotional (paleomammalian) part of the fore brain. As man and other animals evolved millions of years ago, they adapted differently to fear. During the evolutionary period, diverse types of fear characterized the universe and were responded to by animals and humans in dissimilar ways. Scientists conclude that the adaptations developed by humans during this period explain the response and reactions of humans towards fear (Strongman, 1996). However, a couple of fear such as the fear of height is common to all mammals because of the adaptations developed during the Mesozoic era. The fear of snakes and other dangerous reptiles came into existence during the Cenozoic era and is common to all higher primates including humans and apes. However, others such as the fear of insects and mice developed in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods are unique to humans. Dur ing these periods, insects and mice became popular carriers of dangerous infections and diseases, which resulted in different adaptive measures by humans. Such fears are still common today (Iijima, et al., 1996). The emotional brain The emotional aspect of the brain occurs at three levels: the behavioural level, the neurophysiological level and the psychological or metal level. Theories of emotion touching on the brain reveal that bodily changes tend to follow directly the perception of existing facts and human feelings of the same changes according to the occurrence of the emotion. In other words, the stimulus that reaches the cerebral cortex part of the brain provokes intuitive changes, which are perceived as emotions. Other studies have advanced that the thalamus is greatly involved in the neuropsychological matter of the brain because such matters are subcortical in nature. A biological explanation on the emotional brain is that a stimulus from the environment triggers the thalamus, which transmits information from to the viscera and cortex, and back again to the cortex to engender an emotional state (Gray McNaughton, 2000). Specific parts of the brain that work together to trigger reactions to fear stimuli Amygdala The amygdala is part of the brain structure where a majority of neurobiological events related to fear occurs. It is located just behind the pituitary gland and respond in different ways to fear stimuli. Any fear stimulus activates the Amygdala to secrete a series of hormones that immediately influence aggression and fear (Vianna, 2003). As the process of secreting such hormones into the body begins, the Amygdala prompts the body into a state of awareness and alertness, which trigger instant response from other muscles in the legs and hand to get ready for take-off or a fight. As the essential component of the limbic system, the amygdala is critical in preparing the body to respond or react to fear by secreting hormones at the trigger of a fear stimulus (Borod, 2000). It integrates rapid and direct thalamic inputs that transmit a fear stimulus and imitates a cognitive process that prepares the body to respond or react to the threat. Hippocampus The hippocampus is touted as the central structure in the brain that engages in processing contextual information necessary to fear conditioning. Situated just next to the amygdala and connected to it by the subiculum and entorhinal cortex, the hippocampusà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s main functions is to condition fear into contextual information. The hippocampus conditions fear in circumstances that involve complex polymodal events by receiving impulses from the amygdala and integrating such impulses with prior information to ignite meaningful reactions that respond to fear (Davidson, 2000). Hypothalamus The hypothalamus plays a crucial role as far as fear response is concerned. It is responsible for controlling stress reactions and other body processes including emotions and moods. Through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HTPA axis), the hypothalamus controls the limbic, pituitary, adrenal and genadotropic aspects of the body. A fear stimulus sends LC (locus ceruleus) neurons to the hypothalamus, which activates the HTPA axis that triggers the stress response linked to fear (Lewis Haviland-Jones, 2000). The connection between the hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala act to activate the HTPA axis to respond to a fear stimulus. The hypothalamus receives sensory information from the lateral part of the amygdala, processes the information and relays to the central nucleus, which then projects it to various parts of the brain that respond and react to fear. Fear stimulus impulses relayed by various neurons activate the sympathetic nervous system, as well as the modulating syst em of the HTPA axis. This triggers a run or attack response, better known as a fight or flight response mechanism (Hyman, et al., 1999). Sensory cortex The sensory cortex is an essential component of the fear response mechanism. Immediate sensory data from fear stimulus collects in the thalamus part of the brain. After the collection of the sensory data, the sensory cortex obtains the data from the thalamus, interprets it and organizes the sensory data for dissemination to the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus (Hirsh, 2004). Thalamus The thalamus also plays a critical role in fear response. The thalamus basically acts as a collection center, which gathers and collects information from essential sensory organs such as the ears, eyes and mouth. After collecting the sensory information from such organs, the thalamus has the capacity to determine where to send such information for processing. A fear stimulus from the eyes, hands or mouth sends sensory information through neurons to the thalamus, which collects and sends the information to the appropriate response organs for processing (Lewis Haviland-Jones, 2000). Fear conditioning explains the behavioural archetype displayed by organisms and their capacity to learn to respond to or predict fearful or threatening events. Fear conditioning explains why some people fear dogs to the extent that they become helpless at the sight of this à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“monsterà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. It is believed to depend upon the amygdala and the hippocampus in cases of contextual fear conditioning. Fear conditioning also explains the neurobiology of fear because touches on the essential components of the brain including the thalamus, the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, the amygdala and the sensory cortex (Lewis Haviland-Jones, 2000). Latest research findings point to the fact that researchers are beginning to develop interest on the neurological processes that trigger fear response mechanisms. Conclusion The biological basis of fear can be explained by the evolutionary concepts of anxiety and emotions and adaptations of human beings to different stimuli. However, empirical research findings have established a basis for explaining the biology of fear through the human mind the structures such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus and the sensory cortex. The outcome of predisposing factors that trigger emotions tend to instill fear in human beings as discussed in this paper. The biological basis of fear in terms of psychological and behavioural responses relates to emotion and anxiety, which is an advanced form of fear. Further research should be directed to the neurochemical processes that occur in the brain and the chemical components involved in response to fear.

University Exclusivity Essay -- Education Argumentative Persuasive Ess

University Exclusivity This country that we live in, the United States of America, has a reputation as being the "land of opportunity." Foreigners and native-born citizens regard this land as the pot of gold at the rainbow's end for those individuals who wish to make a life for themselves through hard work and perseverance. Yet for many minorities and economically disadvantaged people, the dream is unfulfilled because the educational opportunities that they need are unavailable. The universities are as unreachable as top- shelf merchandise in a warehouse without ladders or lifts. They are no less unwelcoming than heavy steel doors slamming shut in the face of a visitor. The selections from The Presence of Others: Voices that Call for Response collectively give the reader a snapshot of which individuals are being excluded, and why. The role and responsibility of the university must be established, and areas in need of change should be explored. Historically, racism has prevented many from ever having the opportunity to move a tassel across their forehead. To rectify this situation, minority based schools were established. Affirmative action policies made their way into colleges all over the country and quickly became policy in many states. However, Shelby Steele pointed out that these policies may actually hinder more than they help. He believed that policies giving preference to anyone based on race alone actually increase the racial tension between minority and non-minority groups (75). He also wrote that such policies are only part of the problem. The fear of racial hatred may prevent prospective students from even attempting to attend college. He cites instances of blatant racial harassment even on campuses in which "b... ...ryone must be assigned an equal designation of worth. No one person is more deserving of an education than another. To deny the opportunity to anyone based on such criteria as class, race, gender or ability is to tip the scales and make some people less deserving than others. Universities cannot have license to do this. To all who would listen, let them learn. Works Cited Lunsford, Andrea A. and Ruszkiewicz, John. The Presence of Others: Voices that Call for Response. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. Brooks, Gwendolyn. "We Real Cool." Lunsford 147. Hooks, Bell. "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education." Lunsford 85-96. Rich, Adrienne. "What Does a Woman Need to Know?" Lunsford 44-51. Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." Lunsford 97-111. Steele, Shelby. "The Recoloring of Campus Life." Lunsford 63-84.

The Art Of War :: essays research papers

The pounding of shells, the mines, the death traps, the massive, blind destruction, the acrid stench of rotting flesh, the communal graves, the charred bodies, and the fear. These are the images of war. War has changed over the centuries from battles of legions of ironclad soldiers enveloped in glimmering armor fighting for what they believe to senseless acts of guerrilla warfare against those too coward to be draft-dodgers. Those who were there, who experienced the terror first hand were deeply effected and changed forever. In their retinas, images of blood and gore are burned for the rest of their life. It has been said that there is no point in the "pretty, flowery, pastel" art that makes a person feel good. It doesn’t have any use, for the artist or the observer. Art is supposed to deal with emotion. It is one thing that helps people heal, not only by seeing, but also by doing. Art is able to take all the bad emotions, all the hurts and pains and lets you express them. It is no wonder that many that have seen the destruction of war have turned to art. You don’t see any "pretty pictures" of war. I’d like you to find one pretty aspect of war. There is none, so therefore, war, as a subject for art, is hardly ever pretty. The stories that they write, the paintings that they paint, the pictures that they take, are usually horrific scenes. Only rarely do we see pictures of triumph (i.e. raising the flag at Iwo Jima) but those scenes take place only after the aftermath. It is also no wonder that many war artists actually use their talent only during and after war. They use their art as a place for catharsis. Only after they are done healing the torment of the war, they can be done with art. One artist in World War One, Braque, fought in 1914, a year later he was wounded. During his convalescence, he painted. A year later he returned to his home. He left not a single drawing or canvas alluding to what he had been through and no representation of the war is present in his work. He made himself a fresh start, like others did. Many painted and drew what they saw and lived through. From the sketchbooks of pencil drawings done at the warfront to the canvases painted on returning home, theirs is an intense and accurate testimony.

Choose one case study and write an academic essay Essay

PART A = Identify the educational needs of the class/training group. Use these educational needs as the basis (headings) for outlining classroom practice, including strategies, in order to accommodate the diverse learning needs of the entire class/training group. Strategies are to be of a detailed, practical and realistic nature. PART B = Name the Education Queensland (or relevant educational body) policies, frameworks, statements and directives that will have implications for this class/training group (include website address). Note how these policies will support your planning that you have written about in part A. Due Date: 20th January, 2014 Course: Education Specialization: Early Childhood Lecturer/Course Examiner: Noah Mbano Word Count: 2380 This assignment will identify and address the educational needs present in the early childhood case study. The educational needs being addressed will be the basis for Part A, which are, English as a second language (ESL), cultural diversity, social skills, intellectual disabilities and behaviour management. Pedagogical practices and strategies will be suggested to cater for the diverse learning needs of all children attending the service. The focus will be on the delivery of learning opportunities, according to need, to maximise students’ learning capacity and not to label the children. Part B will support the pedagogical response and planning ideas outlined in Part A, by the relevant policies, frameworks, statements and directives from Educational government bodies that implicate the service. PART A English as a Second Language (ESL)/cultural diversity The case study states that the centre has a number of children with different cultural backgrounds. The first educational need relates to ESL and cultural diversity. Educators must respect the diverse cultural backgrounds and ensure equity, so children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities (DEEWR, 2009). A positive sense of self is fostered when children are supported in their environment to feel safe, secure and supported (DEEWR, 2009). Early childhood educators should support students for whom English is a second language to develop their English language skills, empowering them to communicate and engage within their new environment. From the start of their enrolment, students and their families should be welcomed and feel a sense of belonging at the service. The centre’s philosophy should be based on an understanding that parents should be recognised as the child’s first and most influential educator, whilst supporting the National Childcare Accreditation Council’s quality area two ‘Partnerships with families’ (NCAC, 2005). In practice it has been found that, to support a smooth transition parents and child should be encouraged to have a settling in period, which can be used to share knowledge about the center; it’s curriculum and cultural background. Educators should exchange this information verbally as well as in a written form. During the settling-in period the child has the chance to meet new friends and to become more familiar in their new environment, whilst in the comfort of their parents. Enrolment strategies are to understand, support the child, his/her families and caregivers and to differentiate your program to support all cultures. Educators should build an understanding of individual culture including â€Å"norms, values, beliefs, languages, traditions, behaviours, symbols, activities, achievement, and possessions† (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Educators can familiarised themselves with the families’ beliefs and values by providing the parents with English-language programs or translators, helping by collaborating and giving continuing support. Using these strategies to encourage family participation within the centre will support cultural diversity and an understanding of the world we live in. Example of  this would be celebrating cultural days, such as Naidoc week within the Aboriginal culture. Workers in the industry report that ways in showing a cultural understanding is to ask families to bring in family photos for display, to provide familiar words from their native language or invite them to talk about their culture or share a special dish are other possibilities. This will help ease the child into the classroom environment. To support the child, strategies such as simplifying language, making instructions clear, breaking down the steps, providing multiple technology devices of communication and observations to recognise confidence could be used. Have classroom routines and consistent expectations to help the child understand what they are expected to do. Educators should ensure individual expectations are clear and understood by children to reduce frustration and barriers from being formed (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Social Skills The second educational need is the inclusion of social skills. Educators have the responsibility to provide a welcoming and safe environment, where children feel accepted and part of a group. Through social interactions children can share knowledge and develop confident self-identities (DEEWR, 2009). Educators should identify each student’s positive characteristics then use them to establish an understanding of interests to keep them engaged. This helps move towards an inclusive environment. An inclusive classroom should provide a safe, flexible learning environment where all students have sufficient support to achieve outcomes consistent with their capabilities, become willing to take risks, and construct knowledge that is personally relevant and meaningful. Differentiating the program experiences and assessment by taking on an individualised approach aims to promote success and self-esteem (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). It cannot be assumed that social inclusion will occur automatically to new students (Ashman & Elkins, 2012). Strategies to encourage social inclusion are to ensure all students are actively involved in the organisation of the classroom; the educator thus needs to build a positive relationship with the student, providing opportunities for social interaction in group work, games and activities. Educators are qualified enough to support students’ friendships and ensure that their classroom is socially responsive. Following up on these aspects should be done promptly with regular observation and review on progression  in social skills from the child. Through anecdotal evidence, documenting these observations have shown to support the reflection process and assist in justifying and preparing plans for the child’s individual needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses (Churchill et al, 2013). Intellectual disability The third educational need is the inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities. All schools aspire to have collaborative, school-based terms that are organised to develop supportive networks for students, including the intellectually disabled. Educators should recognise strengths and capabilities and not make assumptions about the students’ ability based on their diagnostic label. Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure students with disabilities are given multiple means for participating in learning. These would involve learning through multiple, examples, media and formats, choice of context and tools, opportunities for demonstration and level of challenges. Give students plenty of options for expressing what they know, and provide models, feedback and support for their different levels of proficiency (CAST, 2012). Multiple strategies can be guided by the principles from the ‘Universal Design for learning’, which is a framework that shifts educators’ understanding of learner differences. It challenges them to rethink the nature of curriculum materials and endow them with the inherent flexibility necessary to serve diverse learning needs (Wright, 2006, as cited in Module 4, 2014). Strategies that also facilitate this include, varying the type of activities or the method of instruction, providing additional human and technical resources, giving extra support, modifying the ways in which the student will respond, or changing the classroom environment. These variations should be designed in such a way that the student with a disability is able to participate in the learning experiences on the same basis as a student without a disability, and without experiencing discrimination. There is anecdotal evidence that contemporary approaches to intellectual disability emphasise equal ac cess, participation, and recognition that a person’s level of functioning will improve if appropriate, individualise and supports are provided. Behaviour management The fourth educational need is behaviour management. Before considering specific learning issues, there are a number of factors outside of the school that influence school behaviour issues; family, socio-economics, culture, religion and race; and socio-political factors. Educators should agree that it is important to establish a cohesive understanding of socio-culturally acceptable behaviours when addressing behaviour management. Strategies to encourage positive behaviour rely on a pedagogical approach that sees the educator making adaptations, so the students can work effectively. In practice is has been found that students with behaviour problems often learn best when tactile and kinaesthetic strategies are presented. According to Early Childhood Australia (2013) the two main reasons misbehaviour usually occurs is when, children are expressing their feelings and children who have not yet learnt how to do what is expected. Strategies aimed at preventing misbehaviour include setting clear limits with input from the children and teaching the children what behaviour is appropriate and what is not (Early Childhood Australia, 2013). A critical aspect of maintaining students with behaviour problems in an inclusive classroom is the recognition of the learning difficulties that students face (Mooney, Epstein, Reid, and Nelson, 2003, as cited in Ashman & Elkins, 2012). One of the most important strategies for any teacher is to be a role model and to create a supportive and welcoming classroom. This will encourage all students to persist and work together more inclusively. To encourage appropriate behaviour, staff to child ratios should be obeyed at all times. This will ensure adequate care is been given to each child. Routines to be followed, keeping mealtimes regular and not too late, as some children will be hungry and this can lead to misbehaviour due to irritability. This can be changed by being responsive, flexible and adopting an individualised approach to routines. However sometimes circumstances change suddenly and this can result in routines been disturbed, for example, changes at home and the circumstances affecting behaviour is out of your control. The main idea is to facilitate individuals in developing his or her authentic self, through fostering student’s knowledge in a number of different genres, within a school, family or social environment. As a result of the diverse economic, social, spiritual, cultural, and political realities of our individual lives, a single aim of education wouldn’t suit  everyone’s needs. Therefore we need to create opportunities that will lead a student to their own success, a success defined by the individual. After all research has shown that â€Å"the way children learn, is as unique as their fingerprints† (CAST, 2012). Including students with educational learning needs in the regular classroom will provide the children with opportunities to interact with more able peers. By interacting in small groups, students learn to listen to what others have to say, understand that they may have different perspectives, share information and ideas and express different points of view in socially acceptable ways. Although it may appear that time and considerable organisation is focused on children with educational needs, it will have a positive impact on the delivery of the curriculum. The strategies outlined can be used not only for the child in need but all other children in the class will benefit from the additional strategies that will in turn cater for the multiple ways of learning throughout the class. PART B The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is Australia’s first national framework, which forms an important written guideline for the unity of care and practices ensuring all children involved in early childhood education settings experience quality teaching (AGDEEWR, 2009). The EYLF’s curriculum supports children’s learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school. Part A mentions strategies that relate to the EYLF’s curriculum The ‘Being, Becoming and Belonging: The Early Years Learning Framework is the document used in all services implementing the National Quality Standard. It consists of a set of principals, practices and outcomes that advise educators that children have a strong sense of identity, children are connected with and contribute to their world, children have a strong sense of wellbeing, children are confident and involved learners and children are effective communicators. Strategies suggested in Part A directly relate to these outcomes from the EYLF by advocating play-based learning while recognising the importance of communication, language, social and emotional development (ACECQA, 2009). All elements are fundamental to curriculum making decisions and pedagogy in an early childhood setting. The National Quality Framework (NQF) is a tool to assist childcare providers to improve their services in the areas that  impact on a child’s development and empower families to make informed choices about which service is best for their child. The NQF has many implications for the centre, including a national legislative framework that consists of the Education and Care Services National Law and Education and Care Services National regulations, a National Quality Standard (NQS), an assessment and rating system, a regulatory authority and ACECQA. ‘The Guide to the National Quality Framework’ directs centres in implementing the framework. The National Quality Standard is responsible for administering, including approving, monitoring, and quality assessing and rating. Services are assessed and rated against the Seven Quality Areas; this ensures the organisation and its educator’s are meeting the standards and providing high-quality educational programs. The Seven Quality Areas that relate to all practices outlined in Part A, are; Educational program and practice, Children’s health and safety, Physical environment, Collaborative partnerships with families and communities, Staffing arrangements, Relationships with children, Leadership and service management. Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) Act 2011 outlines the legislation that has implications for the service. It outlines regulations regarding inclusion and provisions. The National law establishes the ACECQA, which is responsible for ensuring that the NQF that is implemented consistently across all states and territories. The Child Care Regulation 2003 directs policies and outlines the lawful standards that implicate the service. These regulations implicate all practices and strategies outlined in Part A, by providing a directive for compliance. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) sets out rights in 54 Articles and is guided by four fundamental principles. The articles are about how adults and governments should work together to make sure that all children get all their rights. The four fundamental principles are, non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, survival, development and protection and participation. These protocols have implications for the service with its outline of the basic human rights that children everywhere have. This is put in place to ensure that services are meeting the basic needs of ch ildren, to help them reach their fullest potential. Many of the rights support planning strategies outlined in part A including the right to his or her own name and identity, the right to an education, the right to be  protected from abuse or exploitation, the right to express their opinions and have these listened to and, where appropriate, acted upon and the right to play and enjoy culture and art in safety (UNICEF, 2012). The Disabilities Discrimination Act (DDA) education standards outline the obligations to assist people with a disability under the DDA. The DDA therefore has direct implications for the service when catering for children with disabilities to ensure their right to participate in educational courses and programs on the same basis as students without disability. This means a person with disability should have access to the same opportunities and choices in their education that are available to a person without disability. These policies support the planning and implementation of differentiated learning, assessment, accommodations, adjustments, re-designing and the universal design for learning. Melbourne Declaration outlines a commitment to working to support the development and strengthening of early childhood education, to provide every child with the opportunity for the best start in life and there for has implications for the service. The ‘Commitment to Action’ supports the planning for part A in such areas as developing stronger partnerships and strengthening early childhood education, advocating services to work towards smooth transitions into schools, providing parents, carers and families with information regarding equity and supporting young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens (MCEECDYA, 2008). References Ashman, A., & Elkins, J. (Eds.). (2012). Education for Inclusion and Diversity (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2011). Guide to the National Quality Framework. Retrieved from http://acecqa.gov.au/storage/1%20Guide%20to%20the%20NQF.pdf Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) for the council of Australian Governments (2009). Being Belonging Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra, ACT: DEEWR. CAST,inc. (2012, May 3). National centre on Universal Design for Learning: UDL at a glance [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.udlcenter.org/resource_library/videos/udlcenter/udl#video0 Churchill, Rick. (2nd Ed.). (2013). Teaching: making a difference. Milton Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Early Childhood Australia. (2013). Managing challenging behaviour. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/learning_and_teaching/childrens_behaviour/managing_challenging_behaviour.html Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, {MCEETYA} (2003). A National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching. Retrieved January 2, 2014, from source. http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/national_framework_file.pd Module 4 – Differentiating the curriculum and universal design principles. (2014). Retrieved January 2, 2014, from http://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/mod/resource/view.php?id=167984 National Childcare Accreditation Council. (2005). Quality Improvement and Accreditation System: Quality Practices Guide. Retrieved from http://www.ncac.gov.au/resources/qias_qpg.pdf Queensland Government. (2012). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Retrieved from http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00022 Unicef. (2012). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/

All Hallows Eve Analysis

â€Å"All Hallows Eve† is a fictional novel by Vivian Vande Velde. With the genre based on horror, this book is a series of thirteen short stories assembled together to form a perfect scary book. Though it may not seem scary during the daytime, this book is sure to chill you to the bone when you read it alone on the night of Halloween. Describing witches, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, this novel is great to read to get into the Halloween spirit! Starting off with the intro story â€Å"Come in and Rest a Spell,† this story has a catchy beginning and end. The stories in this novel all deal with events and scary experiences occurring on Halloween- the night where it's said that gruesome spirits come back to haunt people on Earth for just one night. While some stories describe haunted farms with murderous spirits running loose, others tell the story of pranks that lead to discovering horrible secrets and field trips to cemeteries where bodies seem to move. And as more and more stories are read, readers find this novel also describes deceased and lost spirits that come back every Halloween, and a fortune teller that tells five friends terrible fates waiting for them. There is also the story of a friendship that, though it seemed real, ended up with one friend killing the other and a story on family that resulted in finding out the terrible truth behind the costumes. And as previously mentioned, it's also about witches casting wicked spells; and zombies, vampires, and werewolves terrorizing all on the night of Hallows Eve. One story in this novel that I especially found interesting was about a girl who lived out in the countryside and it was Halloween night. Ashley was a 16-year-old girl, and she was fixing up a murder scene in a barn. Every year the Cristanis Family Farm would hire kids to decorate the farm for Halloween and have drive-ins of tractors from neighboring farms to see the scary show. Of course tractors had to pay to get in and that's the main reason why the owner of the farm held this event. But another reason why all the other farms had urged for the Cristanis Family Farm to serve as the Halloween drive-in barn was because of the haunted background of the farm. Before the Cristanis family had bought the farm, the place was originally owned by Morgan Roehmar- a so called serial killer who was not only found to have killed about a half dozen boys but girls also. But the scary thing is that the police never found the body of Roehmar himself. It was rumored that Roehmar killed himself after his girlfriend betrayed him and told the police of the horrible smell of the dead bodies in his barn. Soon the farm was rumored as haunted after Roehmar had died and it stayed empty for centuries until the Cristanis family bought it. But now as Ashley is setting up the barn, a sound comes from one of the corners of the huge barn and soon the lights flash out. What seems so harmless a ghost comes up to her and chokes Ashley to death. This book was scary to read at night, when you're alone, and I think it serves as a good book to read for Halloween. Though it definitely was not the scariest book I've read, it keeps you scared for the moment while reading it. The stories were original and some were really scary like the story I've mentioned above, and it was a good read. Though I've never really realized it till now- one of my favorite genres when reading books is horror. I like the usual scary book and especially scary movie to read and watch at night. Though I didn't read this book on the night of Halloween- but the night before Halloween, it still was fun to read and I recommend it to readers of all ages to read the night on/before Halloween. Though this book was scary at some parts, I think the author could've done a better job writing some of the stories like the one about a 15-year-old girl who looks for her real parents. The short story is titled â€Å"My Real Mother† and it's about a girl named Evelyn who is an adopted girl that has always wondered on finding her adopted parents, like all adopted children do, and Evelyn finds her parent's address by using the adoption papers and the internet. But when she arrives to her parents' house on Halloween night dressed up as a princess, things go wrong after she tells her parents that she's their daughter. The parents, it turns out, are vampires, that can't use her blood since she's related and they kick her back out of their house and Evelyn has to go back home. It takes a series of only five minutes for the encounter between Evelyn and her parents to happen and I just think the author could've done more to the scene, or at least have made it scarier than it seemed. But this novel was still good to read and it was okay.