Monday, September 30, 2019

Benefits and limitations of airport security scanners Essay

                  The security and welfare of people is very important in a society. In order to ensure that people are secure and safe, some measures may be employed although they may be controversial. The example of airport security scans represents such a circumstance. The full body scanners are used detect objects that are on the body of an individual for security reasons without requiring the individual to remove their clothes or have physical contact with the device. Statistics indicate that as of December 2013 an estimated 740 scanners (full body scanners) these devices were in use at more than 150 airports in the United States (TSA). They are effective in identifying suspicious objects that a person may be carrying. However, there are concerns whether use of the full body actual really is a necessary precaution or a practice that invades the privacy of travelers.                  The devices are effective in detecting suspicious objects that may be concealed including both metallic and non-metallic objects. As opposed to metal detectors which identify objects that are made of metallic materials, the scanners used in airports detect both metal and non-metallic objects. They uncover objects that a physical pat-down would reveal but fail to be identified by a metal detector such as chemical explosives and plastic explosives. The device therefore performs the function of both a metal detector and a physical pat-down in revealing various dangerous devices at airports. People who have sinister motives or who desire to break the law by moving illegal items through airports would therefore not be able to succeed in perpetuating their plans because of the presence of the scanners. The primary objective of the scanners is hence achieved and safety of passengers as well as national security is secured.                   The fact that it performs the duties of both a physical pat-down and a metal detector means that the device facilitates time saving and is cost effective (TSA). Regardless of the high costs incurred in purchasing and installing it, the device would replace two security guards responsible for physical pat-downs (one guard for each gender). The airport using the device would hence save on wages for two people and less time would be consumed compared to the time used during a physical pat-down.                   Physical pat-downs are considered by various people to be intrusive and full body scanners provide a better alternative that is not as intrusive as pat-downs and that is more thorough. However, since they still examine the body of an individual in-depth, they still make people to feel that their privacy has been invaded. In order to further protect the privacy of people undergoing such scans, screeners are located in a different room from the individual where they can view images without exposing the identity of the person undergoing the scan (Tessler). In addition, security officers entering the viewing room are not allowed to enter with mobile phones, cameras or any gadgets that can take images and store or transmit them (Tessler). Still, fears remain that such images may be stored and used in other platforms such as uploading them to the internet. Authorities provide counterarguments such as the assertion that functions that are responsible for storag e or transmission are not active but rather that they are disabled prior to the installation of these devices in airports. This, though, does not overrule the possibility of technicians managing to enable such functions. Furthermore, it is not quite clear the reason behind inclusion of such functions in the device yet they get disabled prior to installation.                The costly nature of full body scanners is a major limitation that raises the costs of startup for people wishing to enter the aviation industry. Much as they are costly, they fail to reveal objects that are hidden in body cavities and are not capable of revealing objects that are of low density. It is therefore apparent that full body scanner despite of the significant popularity they have gained in combating security threats and illegal practices are incapable of combating drug smuggling that is executed through concealment of drugs in body cavities (Tessler).                   Full body scanners create a potential for harassment or embarrassment of specific groups of people. The device can detect medical equipment that may be connected to body parts such as catheters and it may necessitate further examination to confirm the identity of the object detected (Gartner et al). This would embarrass the victim who would feel that they have been singled out because of their medical condition. Transgender people are also susceptible to such embarrassment as the scanners are capable of detecting prosthetics such as testicles and breasts and the need may arise to further examine individuals whose images indicate the presence of both breasts and testicles as one of the two body features may be an improvised tool to conceal weapons, drugs or other illegal objects or objects not allowed through airport security (Gartner et al). Conclusion                   Full body scanners are recommended to improve airport security and only few loopholes are existent like the inability to detect objects in body cavities. Although much criticism has been directed at the devices, much of it is only based on assumptions and not factual information. On the contrary, the benefits of the device are validated by real life examples therefore full body scanners are largely beneficial. References Gartner M., Heyl M., Holstein A. and Thewalt A. What can the ‘naked’ scanner really see? Bild. 22 July 2010. Web. 8 April 2014 Tessler, Joelle. Airport full-body scanners have benefits, and limits. The Denver Post. 31 December 2009. Web. 8 April 2014 Transportation Security Administration, TSA. Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). 12 February 2014. Web. 8 April 2014 Source document

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Autism and Psychology

Autism: â€Å"Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human†¦ â€Å"(Aristotle, 328 B. C. in Aronson, 1995). We have been designed from birth to need and trust and socialize with one another in various ways. Yet, why is it so difficult for some but not for others. I have a four year old Autistic son that also has severe developmental delays due to prematurity and birthing complications. There are days that he gets frustrated at not even being able to communicate basic needs or just wants to be in his own world, left to his own device.That for anyone is rough, but knowing I am his mother makes it worse. Social interaction is such an important part of growing as not only a human being, but also for the brain. Even from the beginning of time man has leaned on the premise of needing that companionship and contact with the world around them. Being from the South, you are instructed and taught from day one to be cordial and have social interactions regularly with others in and out of your class, race, or religion. But what if you cannot convey and relate to the social customs? Does that mean you are to forever be labeled as a deviant, eccentric, or antisocial?If it is funding that you have mental issues you don’t discuss them or you are forever looked at as a child. Traditionally, that means that these individuals were ostracized, stigmatized and even eliminated for the good of the whole, as the compromised the very fabric of society by proposing to build a group of individuals, somewhat like a cult, that were interconnected forever( Aronson, 1995). Animal test subjects have been well conditioned to run through mazes or pressed bars for food or to avoid electric shocks administered by researchers; likewise humans comply within similar consequences.Furthermore, it has also been documented that behavior motivated by external consequences is relatively short-li ved, ceasing with the consequence is no longer available (Thompson, & Iwata, 2001). This can even be seen when a mother is watching her children, and then steps out. The children understand to behave in both situations and the latter situation may have a punishment if that direction is not followed properly. Yet, as soon as the mother steps out, the non-conformist child will misbehave, only because of the punishment, even if the other sibling(s) is behaving themselves properly.Something stops a child like this from comprehending why this is wrong and what is truly acceptable. This may be in part to some issues with the connections to neuro-transmitters or lack thereof. Often times these children are not even motivated by reward systems, they will continue to misbehave at some point even when the mother returns, almost challenging her. Therefore, they will never be in society as an integral part, but as part of the problem. This, however, is not true for Autistic children.They wish t o be the same, but again, the neuro-transmitters misfire and do not allow for them to ‘compare apples to oranges’. In 1943 Leo Kanner named such children as, socially withdrawn. He outlined the social disorder in 11 boys that he studied as an â€Å"autistic disturbance of affective contact† because of their apparent disinterest in other people and inability to be socially influenced (Kanner, 1943, in Frith, 1989). In spite of this, in 1984 the American Psychiatric Association, deemed this as a pervasive disorder, among others, and now it is simply known as Autism (APA, 1984).Over the past ten years Autism has been redefined again as the most complicated neurological disorder affecting the central nervous system of a large number of people. It is also the most confusing and pervasive of the developmental disorders as little is known for a cause, there is no cure, and treatments vary among individuals (Frith & Happe’, 1994). The typical stereotype of an indi vidual with autism describes a withdrawn, mute child with an inverted gaze engaged in repetitive activities or self-stimulatory behaviors, ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder, ranges from severe to very mild(Mesibov & Burack, 2001).Yet, the ones that have such disorders, have recently been labeled as Autistic due to lack of social prowess and extreme knowledge and fixation on one profession. These subsets of children can often times appear normal within the first year but start regressing in knowledge and skill, or not improving or gain skills at all. Eventually, one can build a wall to even keep family out, or fixate on something so hard it becomes an obsession or routine that if stopped could be mentally, physically, and socially detrimental(Kennedy & Shukla, 1995).Although, it is also important to remember that individuals with ASD are not totally withdrawn, socially and may even interact from time to time, but this can be limited. I know as more going from hearing your child say â⠂¬ËœI love you’ and hug often, to once or twice week is difficult. The first time my son ran and hugged me and looked me in the eye was very emotional for me, but he did not understand. This leads to my next point: cognition. As I said before many ASD children do not understand emotions or are seldom empathetic. They may ask questions about the emotions you are showing but do not fully understand what you are telling them.This again is due to a misfiring of neuor-transmitters. That is why so many ASD children really like Thomas the Train. He teaches them emotions and what the facial expressions mean. My son now understand crying, anger, and excitement. Therefore, while they have a social desire, the interference in the cognitive system proves to be the main problem (Happe, 1999; Baron-Cohen, 1985; Dodge, 1980). Cognitive processing systems such as motivation, decision making and emotions are believed to be prompted when one responds to stimuli.These stimuli characterize the d ifferent mental states (desires, imagination, emotions, etc. ) that psychologists believe to be the cause of ones actions. Yet, without appropriately developed social cognition individuals have difficulty forming social relationships with others and this is evidenced by poor social behavior (Baron-Cohen, 2000). A study was designed to test this theory, and it found that 64% of individuals with ASD have first degree relatives with more extensive mental health issues, like major depression, and 39% had other social phobias (Smalley, et al, 1995).That being said, one can conclude that unlike other studies, ASD maybe a genetic disease mutated from other mental illness issues. This would also help the justice system that was once scandalized by improprieties of inmates due to a lack of knowledge. By understanding what type of ASD and the severity one can simply argue mental illness? Now I am not condoning every run out on the crazy defense, but if the shoe fits, why would we just put som eone who is innocent into the system as done years ago.Think of the good old days when one could be simply thrown in jail for no id or not talking but if you have a mentally ill or developmentally disabled individual, and you put them in an environment that is rough, harsh, and not anything like their routine, it is no wonder why we had so many inmate suicides and still do inmates slip through the cracks continuously. But we may never see that happen due to public opinion. We as a society look at children with developmental delays or ASD as animals. I find it sickening. Or we think the parent does not discipline the child.Yet, due to lack of cognitive understanding, it would gain to reason why one does not benefit from punishing this type of child; they simply do not understand and are eager to please. Some may disagree but my son’s doctor actually explained to us that anything more than timeout/cool down period would be over his head. Even taking away toys would be ineffecti ve. So the next time you are at a store take that into consideration. Now that I am off of my soapbox consider this: The acceptance of inadequacies in the empathizing process of individuals with Autism can offer more tolerance of the behaviors they display.Thus, they are not capable enough to calculate the conduct of others readily and we would expect an avoidance of impulsive situations. This is apparent in the outbursts and obsessive behaviors these individuals show in an effort to control and maintain routines in their environments (Dodge, 1980). Now some can point to sensory issues, needing to feel secure through various methods close to the five senses. A lot of the Autism community says that therapies for these aversions and how to cope will cause the ASD patient to understand, control, and manipulate to achieve a normal life.Nevertheless, the sensory struggles coincide with socio-emotional issues and are noted as early as infancy. Hence, the various longitudinal studies of in fants later diagnosed with autism show empty eye gaze, poor response to name, aloofness, reduced looking-at-faces, and deficits in directing attention (Mottron & Burack, 2001). And while it appears that these skills, as well as impairments in early social-communication skills and joint attention are present long before speech and mind blindness develop (Koegel & Mentis, 1985; Shanker, 2004; Wing & Gould, 1979).Additionally, developmental theories on attachment and affective responsiveness have suggested that children with impaired social emotional relating in infancy will not develop appropriate social understanding and as a result social interaction and communication skills will suffer (Kennedy & Shukla, 1995). In spite of that, Supporters of the theory of mind suggest that people with Autism lack the ability to comprehend thoughts and experiences that occur outside of themselves (Happe, 1991).While I can see that, since my son gets stuck on one thing that happened and will talk ab out it for months as though it happened yesterday, the difficulty in understanding the mental thoughts of others often results in bizarre communication patterns (Happe, 1999). Thus, blindness and a clear lack of meeting of the minds, also appears to interfere with the ability to identify with others or to understand another person's point of view (Shanker, 2004). So do we really know what people with Autism need, or are we just grabbing air in a world full of marshmallows? BibliographyAmerican Psychiatric Association DSM-IV (1984). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. ). American Psychiatric Association. Aronson, E. (1995). The social animal. (7th ed. ). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company. Baron-Cohen, S. (1985). Mindblindness: An essay on autism and theory of mind. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Baron-Cohen, S. (2000). Theory of mind and autism: A fifteen year review. In S. Baron-Cohen, H. Tager-Flusberg ; D. J. Cohen (Eds), Understanding other minds: perspectives from developmental cognitive neuroscience (pp. 3-20).Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dodge, K. (1980) Social cognition and children's aggressive behavior. Child Development. 51, 162-170. Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the enigma. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Frith, U. , & Happe, F. (1994). Autism: Beyond †theory of mind. † Cognition, 50, 115-132. Happe, F. (1991). The autobiographical writings of three asperger syndrome adults; problems of interpretation and implications for theory. In U. Frith (Ed. ), Autism and asperger syndrome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Happe, F. (1999). Autism: cognitive deficit or cognitive style.Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 3, 6, 216-222. Kennedy, C. H. , & Shukla, S, (1995). Social interaction research for people with autism as a set of past, current, and emerging propositions. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 21-35. Koegel, R. L. , & Mentis, M. (1985). Motivation in childhood autism: Can they or won't they? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 26, 185-191. Mesibov, G. B. , Adams, L. W. , ; Klinger, L. G. (1997). Autism: Understanding the disorder. New York, NY: Plenum Press. Shanker, S. (2004). The roots of mindblindness.Theory ; Psychology, 14, 5, 685-703. Smalley SL, McCracken J, Tanguay P. (1995). Autism, affective disorders, and social phobia. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 27, 60, 1, 19-26. Thompson, R. H. , ; Iwata, B. A. (2001). A descriptive analysis of social consequences following problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 169-178. Wing, L. , ; Gould, J. (1979). Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: Epidemiology and classification. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 11-29.

Friday, September 27, 2019

ARCADIA GROUP -TOPSHOP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

ARCADIA GROUP -TOPSHOP - Essay Example This paper examines the current strategic position, strategic audit and review systems within the firm. In addition, it also considers environmental influence by evaluating the political, economical, sociological and technological aspects that define the nature and scope of their operations. Introduction: Top Shop, as an international retailer, focuses on fashion clothing, cosmetics, shoes and other accessories. It has about 440 shops across 37 countries and online processes in a quantity of its markets. Top Shop was established in 1964 as Peter Robinson's Top Shop, in the Sheffield division of Peter Robinson, a now defunct British area store series. The first separate Top Shop store was established in 1970. It is the single largest supporter of rising design talent in the United Kingdom. The company has sponsored a scheme for New Generation at Fashion Week of London for a decade, one of the most globally accepted talent schemes of fashion designing, besides sponsoring Fashion East s ince 2003. This shop is also the only high street brand to demonstrate on schedule at London Fashion Week with in-house unique designs, thus it becomes clear that the firm is inseparable from London Fashion Week. ... Ranging from the petite and tall ranges to that of vintage treasure as well as boutique classics, the firm’s keen interest for scintillating design is what keeps it one step ahead of other competitors in the market. It is pertinent to quote â€Å"A formal education nowadays can make a difference when applying for and landing fashion design jobs† (My Five Goal Career Path to Becoming a Fashion Designer, n.d., p.2). Strategic Review: Aspiring fashion designers must use imaginative techniques to barge into the business, while getting citizens thrilled about buying their clothes. Soliciting online swapping and reviews links with like-minded traders are two of the well-liked strategies. Mission: The Mission of the Arcadia Group (Top Shop) is to provide business solutions, identify and execute management models for new business enterprises and create global connections for investors and innovators. Goals: Construct a strong basis of experience, skills and knowledge in fashion , stitching, and creativity. Build a solid system of citizens and companies in the industry. Enhance instructional supply funds. Secure software programs widely used in industry. Acquire financial support for upgrading and technology. Build up, expand and hold a consistent successful fashion design business. Objectives: Top Shop is a subsidiary company of the Arcadia Group. The particular objectives of a company are frequently not made public as it could help competitor companies. The Arcadia group though does have an obvious code of conduct which they follow. Dealers to the company are also inclined to obey this code of conduct. Construct Brand Presence in key metropolitan cities of the nation within 6 months to a year To start 8 outlets

An Analysis of Kristian Leven Photography in London Essay

An Analysis of Kristian Leven Photography in London - Essay Example This is unique from other wedding competitors that provide photography services with specific manufactured (posed) shots. Kristian Leven is able to stand out from competitors with his naturalistic approach to wedding photography that better captures special events and moments as they occur. 1.1 Methodology Research was gleaned for the report utilising a qualitative methodology, involving an open-ended interview structure with the sole proprietor, Kristian Leven. The interview occurred on April 5, 2013 and was scheduled for 45 minutes. Leven was proposed questions on such concepts as motivation, funding sources, problems that occur in daily business operations, the social environment, and the entrepreneurial marketing mix. Findings from the interviews were compared to theoretical secondary literature on entrepreneurship and small business management to determine correlations between theory and actual business practice; or to identify dissimilarities between theory and actual business management. 2.0 Funding sources for Kristian Leven Research indicates that credit cards are the most common funding source for entrepreneurs, due to tightened restrictions with banking institutions and other lenders associated with the credit crunch of 2007 and 2008 (Schmith 2008). Leven indicated that he achieved start-up funding by networking with family members in order to obtain an initial co-signed personal loan for ?5000. Leven further supplemented this funding for the start-up venture with a credit card by which he was able to procure equipment and initial inventories not covered by the personal loan that was utilised to set up a storefront. Leven had considered seeking out a private investor, however he was concerned about the potential of contractual agreements being established that guaranteed shared profitability. Leven trusted in his ability to grow the business revenues early that would provide him with the capital necessary to launch a successful photography business. Leven fit the profile of entrepreneurs that must rely on credit cards as a relevant funding source and networking with family members to achieve start-up capability. Leven had submitted a formal business plan to bankers when he was just 19 years old, but his plan was rejected as the lenders believed he was too young and inexperienced to successfully manage the business. Today, Leven is proud to announce an annual cash flow position of over ?200,000. 3.0 Networking Networking is, according to Leven, one of the most fundamental success factors for how Kristian Leven Photography has experienced growth and gained a positive brand reputation with satisfied customers. Leven does not consider his family members to be viable networks for operating or managing the business, or in improving its position. Leven had personal experience with a family-operated business during his childhood in which many disputes about operations and financing were present. This ties in closely with the theoretica l literature in which Johanisson and Monsted (1997) indicate there is no evidence available indicating that personal network capacity contributes to the success of the small business. Instead, Leven relies on professional networking, which are contacts that are developed through business operations. Leven indicated that nearly 80 percent of his business growth is attributed to word-of-mouth advertising that stems from satisfied clients with personal experien

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Analysis of MyPerfectWedding.com Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of MyPerfectWedding.com - Case Study Example For 18 months of website existence, the project has not been successful as it failed to generate revenue and it still requires investment. Probably, Jessica could quit this idea and focus on her main job. However, if she really wants to have the additional source of revenue with minimum involvement in future she needs to work hard now in order to develop a sustainable business. If she were to move forward, what strategy would you recommend? First, Jessica needs to develop a business plan. Even though it is mentioned in the case study that she is not a planner but a doer, she will hardly succeed in the future without having clearly identified goals, objectives, set of activities, financial and marketing plan. Secondly, there are two different areas, on which Jessica needs to focus on: (1) website users; and (2) local suppliers and other companies. Both these categories of customers are essential for Jessica’s business as they are closely interrelated to each other. Website user s will generate activity on the website and this will make it attractive for advertising purposes. Therefore, Jessica needs to develop a more comprehensive marketing communication plan aiming to meet the needs and expectations of both groups of customers. Jessica needs to reconsider its marketing mix strategy, focusing mainly on pricing and promotion strategies. Below are given some brief recommendations regarding these strategies. Pricing strategies Users of the website are charged $20 a year for a membership fee.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Final Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Final Project - Case Study Example This is stated in her IEP, and is certainly the desire of her parents. Naturally, Emily will benefit from this as well as she can have normal interactions with her peers and not be subject to constant ‘extra classes’ that pull her away from valuable class time. There are various assistive technology devices that should help Emily. The first component that should provide needed sight assistance is a screen magnification system. Such a device will magnify information presented in class up to 20 times. At five years old, Emily will be learning a great deal about numbers and letters. She will also begin to write. This requires her to be able to adequately see what the teacher is doing, so that she can model after that. Screen magnification software does not have to take up much room and can be used at Emily’s desk. Another device that could be quite useful to Emily is a video magnifier. In the early childhood classroom, there will be many modern technological tools em ployed to assist in the teaching of reading and writing. A video magnifier will utilize closed circuit tv technology to make written text and small objects easier for her to see. As the teacher writes numbers and letters on the white board, it can be magnified on CCTV for Emily to easily see while sitting at her desk. Finally, a digital book reader can be utilized to play back stories or other lessons. Especially as Emily progress through school, she may not be able to read as quickly as her classmates. A digital book reader can help her receive extra time outside of class to catch up as the reader will provide audio versions of printed text. It is important that each of the assistive technology devices be implemented in a non-invasive way that does not draw undue attention to Emily. This will enable her to have a relatively normal classroom existence and she can then fit in with her peers a bit more cohesively. With proper care and the implementation of a few non-traditional instru ctional strategies, Emily should continue to thrive academically and be able to overcome her disability. Case Study #2 David shows all indications of being a bright young boy with a specific high-incidence disability. While his verbal skills appear to be great for the third grade, he is already exhibiting extreme difficulty in the areas of reading and writing. At this age, David is likely not interested in failing in front of his friends, so he appears unwilling to give any special effort. While it is not indicated in this particular case study, an IEP is likely being developed that focuses on tools in these areas to help David get back up to grade level in these critical areas. David could very well benefit from an assistive technology device that will help him to improve upon his below grade level reading skills. One such device is to utilize books and other publications that are in audio form. This can come in the form of, most commonly, CDs and MP3 Downloads. David can begin to listen to certain texts that are being used in his classroom. In so doing, he can begin to hear how words are pronounced and hopefully, over time, begin to improve upon his comprehension skills. There are many audio book readers on the market. In addition, there are subscription services that the school can be a member of that makes audio versions of texts available for

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN Research Paper

OPAC Evaluation Between University of Arizona & University of BALAMAN - Research Paper Example These features include the general representation of these libraries their database characteristics, how operations occur and managed. Moreover, it also looks at the means that these libraries provide to search for information. Other vital features include operations on Boolean, aids for searching under the subjects, options for displaying on the screen and means to display output. In addition, functionalities that will offer end user support are notably inevitable. The University of Arizona has an unusual layout of the home page clearly showing the menus just below the header page. The integration of sky blue, brown, white and deep blue colors brings out an excellent look ( Lebanese American University, 1997-2015). The selection of the font schemes has differentiated the headings, subheadings, and the body thus making the information easier to read. The spacing is ok. Further, the images in place are informative and not just thrown anyhow. On the other hand, the page on Lebanese American University is simple with links to services easily accessible from the home page. The color contrast of green for the heading and a variation of brown for the body is excellent. The slight color red strip in use under the title LAU Libraries is lovely. The change of the menu coloring clearly distinguishes what is in the selection and what is not. Arizona did not have that, however, it uses color shading to identify what has been highlighted and what is not. The photos in use are standard in the way they convey meaning, for example, the one on how to locate the books. The spacing is alright with the distinction of sections. However, despite the difference between the headings and bodies subheadings, it should have been more distinct. The preceding has been brought out more clearly on the Arizona website. What is common to the two sites is the simplicity in their pages with outright links to

Monday, September 23, 2019

A Picture of Ministry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Picture of Ministry - Assignment Example people to join the ministry was for them to fulfill God’s will, for example, preach the good news and free the people held in bondage (Tidball, 2008). As such, pastors should pray that their preaching of the gospel is faithful, truthful, and patent. In fact, it is important that pastors reform the ministry by emulating the apostolic ministry of Paul. Although he was a persecutor of Christians prior to reforming, he is among the most referenced ministers of the word of God. For him, it is important for pastors to believe in what they preach, so that, their audience could also believe. The ministry should focus on Jesus Christ, and not the pastors. Therefore, the pastors are servants of God (Stevens, 2001). Ministry in the current world portrays some contrasting features when compared to the times of Jesus. From such a context, contemporary ministry has focused on insiders, whereas Jesus’ ministry was on the outsiders. In fact, Jesus viewed insiders as fit to go to heaven, but the outsiders needed the ministry more than they needed the insiders for them to reach their level. Current ministers, thus, focus on satisfying the needs of their members. There is a justification of the same; members are paying pastors’ salaries (Tidball, 2008). In this context, then, pastors qualify as employees, which is a significant contrast to Jesus’ ministry. As employers of the church, then, pastors will one day be accountable of how they conducted their ministry. Focusing on the insiders means that pastors are using the congregation to maintain their career, at the expense of the outsiders who require hearing the word of God (Devers, & Alexander, 2005). Ministers are to emulate teachings evident about Jesus’ ministry, and focus on outsiders rather than insiders. Although adopting Jesus’ ministry might encounter stiff resistance, but as leaders, pastors should open up and show their concern to outsiders in respect to their spiritual welfare (Devers & Alexander,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Multicultural Classroom Essay Example for Free

Multicultural Classroom Essay Teacher’s self assessment about his level of consciousness and awareness of other races, religion and cultures helps him a lot in planning the class room activity effectively. Talking about the crucial role of teachers in creating a multicultural class room, Betty Wilson highlights the importance of teachers learning of new cultures. She says: I think its very important for teachers to know their own cultures very well and study their own cultures, because then they begin to become more reflective listeners. They look at other peoples cultures in a different light, and they begin to see the similarities and differences in their cultures. It becomes a journey in a classroom of learning, because by the teacher sharing their own culture, then the students are more open to that. (Wilson, 2000) As Betty Wilson, the director of multicultural education at Oak Park School, rightly points out learning other cultures will be an enriching experience This demands not only learning new things and cultivating new habits but also unlearning old habits and beliefs. A resource center rich in solutions for the teachers solves many of the dilemmas of the teacher of multi-cultural class room. Sharing the experiences of other faculty members across the university or other institutions will be immensely useful for solving many of the issues in the day to day activities in the class room. Creating opportunities for knowing other cultures about their history and present situation and problems should be made a part of academic curricula. Planning on campus or off campus events teachers and their assistant will have a better understanding of the needs of young people who are members of different cultures. A multi-cultural celebration day is a wonderful idea for all the students who come from different cultures to express themselves freely and to recognize and understand the importance of other cultures. Setting up a bulletin board that gives equal importance to all the five different cultures without hurting the feelings of others is major step in announcing the multi-cultural festival. The board provides ample space for exhibiting the important or representative symbols all the cultures that are present in the class room. Assigning the work to the students to create their own poster expressing their cultural values and symbols encourages all the students and involves every student in the work. Monitoring their work without any interference in their creative expression is a delicate task and it should be dealt with very sensitively. Giving clear instructions in advance will solve many delicate issues. For example, informing the students clearly the place of their poster on the bulletin board following an objective method like the alphabetical order avoids scope for conflict. In fact, to create multicultural class room is a continuous process. It does not end with a multicultural festival. It requires careful planning and meticulous execution over a period of time to establish strongly a base for multicultural class room environment. It will not happen in a day or a semester. It is a demanding work for life long involving learning and unlearning. Creating a healthy multicultural class room is not just the work of the class teacher only. It needs active participation of every teaching and non teaching staff member of the institution. The support and leadership of the authorities who run the institution and the participation of all the departments are the foundation on which the edifice of a multicultural class room can be built. Of course, the process is bound to have certain occasional failures and setbacks but the process should be an ongoing one. It requires a lot of determination, time, effort and money and the investment of all these are worth building a multicultural world for a happy and healthy coexistence. It calls for a long-term investment, an investment in our own growth and change as well as in our students and in the university and society of which they and we will continue to be a part. (Mark Chesler, 2003) References Chesler Mark (2003) Teaching Well in the Diverse/Multicultural Classroom http://www.eduplace.com/science/profdev/articles/scott.html

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Geography of Latin America, European Influence Essay Example for Free

Geography of Latin America, European Influence Essay Like many of the other realms we learned about, the Latin American realm, made up of Middle America and South America, is not a realm that was safe from European invasion. Europeans played a big role in the history of the economic, political, and cultural geography of Latin America and left long-lasting evidence of their influence in the realm. Although colonization left the realm fragmented politically and economically the regions are showing signs of breaking the cycle of poverty and moving towards equality and urbanization. A map of the realm before Europeans would look much different than it does now. On arrival the Spanish conquered the Inca of South America and continued down the western coast taking over land and exploiting the natives and their mineral deposits. Evidence of the wealth that the Spanish gained from their exploitation can be seen in the city of Lima, which soon became one of the richest cities in the world at the time. The arrival of Spanish to the north in Middle America went much like it did in the south. The Aztecs were defeated and Amerindians were enslaved to deforest the realm for the benefit of the European colonizers. The deforestation started by the invaders began a devastating trend and today there is only about 10 percent of the indigenous vegetation left. Around the same time the Spanish were colonizing western South America and Middle America the Portuguese had arrived in what is now Brazil and began their move westward. As the arrival of Spanish colonizers left the Portuguese with a limited work force to exploit, immoral improvisation lead to a cultural impact that would change South America forever. Millions of African slaves were brought to the realm to work for the Europeans. Almost half of all of the slaves brought to the Americas arrived on the Brazilian coast and today Brazil has South Americas largest African population. Slavery and natural destruction aren’t the only things that Europeans brought to the realm. Possibly the biggest impact of colonizers was their effect on the native population. Within years of arrival in South America an estimated 90 percent of Amazonians perished and disease in Middle America killed millions of Amerindians. The Amerindians were moved off much of their land into towns laid out by colonizers and forced to learn Spanish and the Roman Catholic Religion. Although Spanish and Portuguese are dominant, the native culture still survives as the majority in some areas of the realm. With such serious impacts on the culture one may be concerned about the economic disparities that exist in South America but the realm has been shaping up since the independence of some major countries almost two centuries ago and economic improvement continues. Today the Latin American realm is in transition and shows signs of pulling out of the cycle of poverty inherited from European colonization. Mexico has benefited from NAFTA and the Middle American Realm has successfully come together in CAFTA recently. The islands eastward have also developed CARICOM, leading to slow economic change in the Caribbean. Belize is transforming its economy through the production of commercial crops and seafood processing. By taking advantage of its pristine natural environment, Belize has been able to profit a lot from ecotourism. Honduras, the third-poorest country in this realm, has also taken aim at ecotourism and will hopefully simulate the success of Belize because of the uncommon level of biodiversity natural to the country. Even the small-island developing economies are showing positive signs. Though many of the eastern islands have benefitted largely through tourism Trinidad and Tobago seem to have the most momentum with large reserves of natural gas. As the world’s leading exporter of ammonia and methanol and the largest liquefied natural gas supplier to the United States the future looks very bright for Trinidad and Tobago. However, Industrial Development is certainly not restricted to the Central Americas. Brazil is considered one of the biggest emerging markets exporting oil, steel, and Embraer aircraft. Brazil has large oil reserves and is growing rapidly; as a result it is expected to be center stage for the beginning of the twentieth century and has been largely successful in its movement to eliminate poverty and maintain growth in the process. Peru, the fifth largest producer of gold in the world, has extensive mineral deposits as well as oil reserves and a thriving fishing industry because of its extreme coastal exposure. Agriculture is also a contributor to the booming economy of Peru; some of their most profitable exports include asparagus, olives, and lettuce. In Argentina industrial development such as better transportation and more efficient agricultural machinery has led to highly profitable meat and grain production. Thanks to the riches accumulated Argentina, with 91 percent of its population urbanized, is one of the realms most urbanized countries and is even more urbanized than the U. S or Western Europe. In addition to the economic transition that most of the realm is embarking on, political reform is also on the rise. Recently in Chile a new president was elected after two decades of the same ruling party. This new leader led the country with success and made Chile the richest economy in South America. Even in Bolivia, a country with a history of harsh Amerindian mistreatment, new leadership is nationalizing the countries resources and contributing to what is now being called the Amerindian reawakening. Political reform and religious reform are the biggest contributors to the growing awareness of the mistreatment of Amerindians and the decimation that occurred on European arrival and the liberation theology movement of the 1950s is an example. With European colonization having such a huge impact on the realm it is nearly impossible to tell what may have happened if they never arrived. Almost a whole realm of people and culture were lost in years. Some of the native culture survives and lives on, in poverty, as a result of the system left behind by their oppressors. But since the end of the colonial era much progress has been made. Most countries in the realm are on their way to if not already having a strong economy. Brazil and Chile are two examples of South American success already. As the other countries continue to climb economically the countries worse off are showing signs of a better future. The future may be bright for Mexico and Belize, and hopefully the political reform and movement towards economic equality continues in Bolivia as this realm is showing strong signs that it will overcome the major cultural and economic setbacks left over from colonial times.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The comfort women

The comfort women The comfort women issue has been a controversial topic since December 1991, where Kim Hak-sun and several other Korean women came forward in a lawsuit against the Japanese government demanding reparation as former â€Å"comfort women.†[1] Undoubtedly, there is an abundance of literature concerning the issue from both Japanese and American scholars. In addition, the media illustrates many different positions that have been and are still argued today. Yuki Tanaka, however, provides an interesting analysis of Japans comfort system in his book, Japans Comfort Women: Sexual slavery and prostitution during World War II and the US Occupation. He begins on a personal note concerning his father and uncles being part of the Kwantung Army; one of many groups who participated in the comfort system. Tanaka suggests that the Japanese soldiers were not â€Å"monsters† but average and banal human beings whose participation was a â€Å"personal choice,† not a mass conspiracy of evil.[2] In essence, Yuki Tanakas book provides a sound examination of the origins and structure of the comfort system during World War II, as well as its further establishment for the Allies during the US occupation. However, Tanaka neglects the issue of â€Å"slavery† and overemphasizes the issue of â€Å"sex† within the comfort women system. While this is not to say that he fails to acknowledge the slavery issue, his book is driven towards the universal connection between war and sex, in relation to his focus on the ideologies of masculinity and dominance as sole grounds for the brutality against comfort women in Japan and later on in the expanse of Asia. In this review, I examine Tanakas approach on the comfort women issue by evaluating how his literature is structured. I also examine his literatures dependency on the aspects of dominance, masculinity and sex during the wartime as reasoning for his chosen direction on the comfort women issue. Lastly, I examine Tanakas use of terminology throughout his book and determine whether his chosen terminology indicates a trivial bias or an unconscious effort to categorize the differing levels of brutality in which the Japanese military and the Allied occupation forces exploit comfort women. Tanakas motivation to further investigate the comfort women issue stems from the continued silence from his father and uncles concerning certain Japanese war experiences. He suggests that he learned about his fathers wartime experiences through a historical filter, which is often a common practice with history-telling. Tanaka states that the silence warrants a further examination of the history of Japanese prostitution, as well as the practice of wartime prostitution by other nations, specifically the US and Australia.[3] Although Tanaka does not excuse what Japan did to women during World War II, he explains that it was â€Å"part of a pervasive pattern of worldwide male aggression and domination.†[4] Ultimately, Tanaka universalizes certain aspects of Japans military prostitution and the institution of the comfort system. This provides an interesting and rational approach to the issue, since deeming the comfort system as an isolated incident would be careless and ignorant. Tanaka structures his book into six chapters: the origins of the comfort women system, procurement of comfort women and their lives as sexual slaves, comfort women in the Dutch East Indies, why the US forces ignored the comfort women issue, sexual violence committed by the Allied occupation forces, and Japanese comfort women for the Allied occupation forces. In chapter one, he provides a detailed illustration of the how the comfort system started and how it grew from mass recruitment, coercion, abduction and transaction. Tanaka specifically relates the structure of the comfort system to the karayuki-san system of overseas prostitution. He highlights the progressive nature of the Japanese military prostitution system of using professional Japanese prostitutes to using Korean women in the comfort stations. In chapter two, Tanaka examines the significant emergence of Korean women in comfort stations during Japans colonization of Korea. While most literature concerning the comfort women issue focus on the exploitation of Korean women, Tanaka analyzes the circumstances pertaining to the use of Korean women as the main source for the comfort system. To enhance this aspect, he uses testimonies from Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and Filipino comfort women victims to emphasize the drastic expansion of the system from China and the Shanghai Incident in 1932, to the entire Asia-Pacific zone after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor.[5] In chapters three and four, Tanakas focus turns away from the Asian community and towards the international community to examine common characteristics of military prostitution between the Japanese military and the Allied occupation forces.[6] Tanaka first examines the Dutch, Eurasian and Indonesian comfort women in the Dutch East Indies, where the Dutch military prosecute the Japanese military for crimes against the Dutch women, but not for the Asian women situated in the Dutch East Indies.[7] The issue of race is a significant aspect to how the comfort system is structured, as well as how the US and other Allied occupation forces fail to prosecute the Japanese military for crimes against humanity for all comfort women victims. Tanaka highlights the aspect of racial discrimination to place responsibility on the Allied forces for exacerbating the issue by failing to take action against the Japanese military. He also examines how the US occupation forces, along with the British and Au stralian troops, maintained similar policies of â€Å"military-controlled prostitution†[8] as the Japanese military. In addition, Tanaka raises important questions pertaining to whether these policies are still a common practice in contemporary military forces, and whether this issue is â€Å"integral to the relationship between war and sexuality.†[9] Tanakas approach to the comfort women issue takes on a broader focus, which encompasses other nations as active participants in their acts of brutality against comfort women. In chapter five, Tanaka uses a wide variety of Japanese and American documents to examine the true nature of the Allied forces military-controlled prostitution and the extent of the violence and rape suffered by women. With this chapter, Tanaka aims to bring the problematic relationship between war and sexuality into the spotlight of the comfort women issue. In chapter six, Tanaka establishes that the characteristics of the wartime comfort system were similar to the Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA) established specifically for the Allied occupation forces. He maintains that the RAA was a less brutal establishment of military prostitution than that of the Japanese wartime comfort system. However, historian Bob T. Wakabayashi argues that â€Å"[i]f the Allies sexual exploitation of women was less brutal, then, this was largely because it was more lucrative for the women.†[10] Throughout the book, Tanaka emphasizes the problem of venereal disease, which only increased a s the comfort system expanded. While policies were implemented to prevent the spread of venereal diseases, none of the implemented polices attempted to discontinue the system. This, Tanaka suggests, shows how the preventive policies only increased venereal disease because soldiers were working around the policies to find other ways to meet with prostitutes. By examining how Tanaka structures his book, his approach on the comfort women issue suggests that he believes the role of the Allied occupation forces in the comfort system is explained by the ideological relationship between war and sexuality. Tanakas approach to the comfort women issue is defined by his books dependency on the aspects of dominance, masculinity and sex during wartime. He uses these aspects to universalize characteristics of the comfort system as an example of the relationship between war and sex. In addition, Joy Damousi also suggests that Tanaka views â€Å"racism and nationalism [as] interrelated within the ideology of masculinity †¦ [where] sexual abuse of women symbolized the dominance of the conquerors.†[11] Wakabayashi, however, argues that Tanaka purposefully shifts the issues focus from Korea to the Asia-Pacific zone to look for â€Å"charges of criminality† from international law rather than domestic law.[12] Tanaka addresses the parallel between the violation of the womans body and the domination over the enemy on the battlefield. He states that the brothels and prostitutes were used because soldiers believed that women were there to help the soldiers who fought to protect the ir country.[13] This type of reasoning indicates that the soldiers saw their relations with comfort women as a transaction of returned favors. Tanaka states that the soldiers mindset stems from aspects of dominance and masculinity enforced in preparation for the war. Tanaka also theorizes that sexual activity, especially during wartimes, provides an escape from reality, similar to the effects of alcohol.[14] Ultimately, it is used as a weapon against death. In relation to war, violence is needed when fighting wars, which translates into violence against women, in this case against comfort women. Physical domination over women, especially women of the enemy, translates into the humiliation of the enemy.[15] This type of war mentality is very common, not just with the Japanese military, but with the Allied occupation forces as well. Wakabayashi, thus, questions why Japan is the only country under litigation if other Allied occupation forces from the US and Australia also played a role in exacerbating the comfort system. A. Hamish Ion disagrees with Wakabayashis assessment and states that while the Allied occupation forces behavior was cruel, it â€Å"does not equate with that of the wartime Japanese military.†[16] Ultimately, the sexual abu se of women is inevitable during wartime because soldiers are trained to exude masculinity and dominance, which Tanaka explains is the â€Å"military culture of sexualized masculinity, a phenomenon common to military organizations regardless of nationality.†[17] Tanaka provides an interesting comparison between war and sexuality in relation to how this ideological relationship shaped the comfort system during World War II and into the US occupation. While Tanaka gives the impression that he believes the Allied occupation forces played a significant role in exploiting Asian women, he reasons that it was less brutal than the exploitation suffered during the wartime. Wakabayashi argues that Tanaka shifts the focus of the comfort system towards the Asia-Pacific zone for the purpose of using international law to evaluate the Japanese military. However, one must acknowledge that Tanakas shift in focus also emphasizes sexuality and its effect on war. For this reason, he concludes the use of sex was a main factor in sustaining military discipline.[18] Tanakas use of terminology throughout his book also factors into how he illustrates the comfort women issue. From examining his term use, the reader can question whether his literature depicts a bias or merely an effort to distinguish the severity of Japans military prostitution and the Allied occupation forces exploitation of women. Throughout his book, Tanaka does not use the term â€Å"coerced† like many other authors do in their literature. Instead, he consistently uses the terms â€Å"forced† and â€Å"recruit† in reference to how comfort women were procured. This is especially pronounced in chapter two: procurement of comfort women and their lives as sexual slaves, where Tanaka examines the circumstances of Chinese and Filipino comfort women. Often times, the Japanese military did not have to conceal how they were treating civilians.[19] In this case, using the term â€Å"coerced† implies bullying and intimidation, while using the term â€Å"forced † implies an outright proactive recruitment. In addition, Prime Minister Shinzo Abes definition of â€Å"coercion† states that â€Å"government authorities [were] breaking into private homes and taking [women] like kidnappers,†[20] which proves to be a fitting definition in the procurement of Chinese and Filipino comfort women. Tanaka also uses the term â€Å"procure† as a more general reference to how the Japanese military were obtaining and acquiring women for the comfort system. The overall use of this term encompasses terms such as â€Å"coercing,† â€Å"forcing† and â€Å"recruiting† in relation to the comfort system because it only specifies that the women were obtained, not the method in which they were obtained. Wakabayashi also hints at Tanakas â€Å"slight bias† when referring to â€Å"sexual slavery† for Japan and â€Å"military-controlled† prostitution for the Allied forces.[21] Ultimately, Wakabayashi feels that Tanaka â€Å"downplays Western military sexual violence†[22] because he categorizes Japan and the Allies role in the exploitation of women differently. Wakabayashi also accuses Tanaka of being hypocritical because Tanaka states in his introduction that he means no offence by using terms such as â€Å"comfort women† and â€Å"comfort stations† in his literature, which he describes as â€Å"cruel euphemisms.†[23] In addition, Wakabayashi is bothered by Tanakas use of the acronym â€Å"RAA† to refer to the â€Å"Recreation and Amusement Association† established specifically for the Allied occupation forces. However, it can be argued that Tanaka uses acronyms throughout his book, including the terms General Head Quarter s (GHQ), venereal disease (VD) and Government Issue (GI). His use of acronyms could either mean he is attempting to save the reader from repeatedly reading â€Å"venereal disease† numerous times, or that he is trying to downplay the Allies involvement in the exploitation because most of his acronym usage is located in the chapters focused on the Allies. It is not difficult to see why Tanaka downplays the Allied occupation forces involvement, especially when he refers to terms such as â€Å"prostitution† and â€Å"sexual slavery.† In this case, prostitution implies â€Å"payment of sexual union.†[24] Tanaka provides a brief examination of the structure of a comfort establishment by the Recreation and Amusement Association (RAA). The GI is to pay at the front desk and pick up a ticket and a condom before meeting with the comfort woman. In the morning, the comfort woman goes to the front desk to claim half of the money paid. Therefore, one could agree with Tanaka and argue that the RAA and the Allied occupation forces were not as brutal in their exploitation, which is why only Japan is involved in litigation concerning the comfort women issue. By examining Tanakas terminology throughout his book, one can establish that his use of certain terms indicates a bias, but not an unexamined one. His chosen terminology als o emphasizes the sexuality aspect of war and its effect on how both Japanese and Allied troops influenced the comfort system. This review centers around the argument that Yuki Tanaka overemphasizes the aspect of â€Å"sex† and not enough on the aspect of â€Å"slavery.† This is because Tanakas approach on the comfort women issue is dependent upon the relationship between war and sex. This relationship implies a universality of certain characteristics of the comfort system or at least characteristics of military prostitution exploited by all nations. By examining the structure of his book and the terminology he uses, one can identify that Tanaka aims to investigate certain war experiences that the older generation of World War II, from Japan, the US and Australia, maintained silence about. In essence, Tanaka relies heavily on the aspect of â€Å"sex† where A. Hamish Ion also points out, â€Å"the issue at heart is not sex but slavery.†[25] Tanakas book provides an interesting yet reasonable approach to the comfort women issue. He manages to examine different sources from the Japanese Archives, the Australian National Archives and War Memorial, as well as the US National Archives, which allowed him to map out patterns and continuities between military prostitution and war mentality. He provides many primary documents throughout his book, including comfort women and military officials testimonies, witness reports, statistical data as well as photographs. He attributes most of this research to his fourth and fifth chapters, which would have turned out differently had he not visited the US National Archives. Tanakas book not only provides insight to the origins and structure of the comfort system during World War II, but also establishes the Allied occupation forces as a major contributor for the silence maintained concerning the comfort women issue. Therefore from this abundance of information Tanaka provides, one can co nclude that the established silence on the issue was not for the lack of resources, but because literature has over-examined different aspects of the same angle. [1] I use the term â€Å"comfort women† without quotation marks throughout the review to stay consistent with the authors use of the term in his book. [2] Yuki Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women: Sexual slavery and prostitution during World War II and the US Occupation (New York: Routledge, 2002) 3-4. [3] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 2. [4] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, (Forward) xvi. [5] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 5. [6] Raymond Lamont-Brown, â€Å"Sex Slaves for the Emperor,† Contemporary Review 281, no. 1640 (2002), http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/gtx/start.do?prodId=EAIMuserGroupName=yorku_main, 181. [7] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 78. [8] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 92. [9] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 6. [10] Bob Tadashi Wakabayashi, â€Å"Review: Comfort Women: Beyond Litigious Feminism,† Monumenta Nipponica 58, no. 2 (2003), http://www.jstor.org/stable/25066215, 245. [11] Joy Damousi, â€Å"Review: [untitled],† The American Historical Review 108, no. 4 (2003), http://www.jstor.org/stable/3523712, 1122. [12] Wakabayashi, â€Å"Beyond Litigious Feminism,† 249. [13] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 87. [14] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 174. [15] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 176. [16] A. Hamish Ion, â€Å"Review: [untitled],† The International History Review 23, no. 2 (2003), http://www.jstor.org/stable/40109381, 475. [17] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 179. [18] Damousi, â€Å"Review,† 1122. [19] Tanaka, Japans Comfort Women, 48. [20] Hirofumi Hayashi, â€Å"Disputes in Japan over the Japanese Military â€Å"Comfort Women† System and its Perception in History,† The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 617 (2008), http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/gtx/start.do?prodId=EAIMuserGroupName=yorku_main, 124. [21] Wakabayashi, â€Å"Beyond Litigious Feminism,† 243. [22] Wakabayashi, â€Å"Beyond Litigious Feminism,† 243. [23] Wakabayashi, â€Å"Beyond Litigious Feminism,† 244. [24] Sarah Soh, â€Å"From Imperial Gifts to Sex Slaves: Theorizing Symbolic Representations of the ‘Comfort Women,† Social Science Japan Journal 3, no. 1 (2000), http://scholarsportal.info.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/, 65. [25] Ion, â€Å"Review,† 474.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Julius Caesar :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Julius Caesar When the name Julius Caesar is heard, it can only trigger the image of a great leader that led Rome into prosperity. Caesar's military excellence brought more power and more land; that lead to the increase of size and strength in Rome. His dictatorship helped the stability and prosperity in Rome. Caesar's assassination lead to a monarchy that was ruled by Octavin. His death lead to a domino effect ending in the ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire. Many people of the 21st century follow the path of Julius Caesar and try to be as great as he was. The assassination of Julius Caesar was a tragedy due to the contributions he made to Rome's prosperity during his life, and the chaos that occurred in Rome after his death. The contributions that Caesar made towards the strength of Rome's success, and the chaos and collapse of Rome after his death made the assassination of Julius Caesar a tragedy. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senate on March 15 44 BC; also known as the Ides of March. As he was walking in to the senate house, a man told him to beware the Ides of March. He ignored this statement and walked into the senate house. At this time some of the Senate members surrounded Caesar in a stealthy manner and tugged on his toga. As he looked around he was stabbed by many of the senate members multiple times. He collapsed to the ground and lay on the marble floor dead, next to the feet of Pompey's statue. (Nardo 94) Caesar's military eminence helped Rome prosper into one of the greatest and most memorable civilizations in history. His campaigns helped Rome grow larger in size and in power. His victories in Egypt, Pontus, Gaul, Africa, and parts in the Asia Minor were some of Caesar's greatest honors, (Bruns 99) and is considered "the most powerful national leader in history"(Nardo 73) because of his conquests. The major reason for his strong army was due to the fact that the senate favored him. The senate gave him three provinces for the span of five years, instead of one province for one year. With this ruling, he had "a chance to build a stronger personal army"(34). The strategies and tactics used by Caesar made his death even more tragic because of his excellent leadership and planning. Caesar planned wars by legionary battles.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Evolutionary Basis for Ethics and Morals :: Science

Evolutionary Basis for Ethics and Morals With the advent of Darwin's theories of evolution and the rising popularity of biological science as the explanation of human origins, it is perhaps no surprise that philosophers began to tackle the notion of ethics and morals from an evolutionary perspective, eschewing reliance on religious texts and yet seeking to find in science the basis for such characteristics that have long been under the purview of religion and used to separate humanity from its fellow animals. While sociobiologists studied "the evolution of interrelations between organisms in pairs, groups, herds, colonies, [and] nations," both Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche attempted to derive the origins of such groups and nations and the foundation of their morality by using an biological evolutionary model (Dennett 483). Hobbes and Nietzsche tell stories of their own making to explain how such "moral" civilizations were brought into being. In the Hobbesian version, humans once existed in an amoral state in which there was no concept of good and evil – simply good and bad, with all ethics removed. For example, "although they distinguished a good spear from a bad spear...they had no concept of a good or bad person, a moral person, or a good act, a moral act – or their contraries, villains and vices" ( Dennett 454). Mankind persisted in this "state of nature...nasty, brutish and short," Hobbes believed, until several enterprising members of the population arrived at the notion of a "social contract." Instead of remaining in constant competition with each other, humans began to band together outside of simple insular family groups for the protection and sustenance of all – the state, in its nascent form. Dennett draws attention to "Lynn Margulis' story of the eukaryotic revolution," which does provide a useful basis for comparison between the evolution of human civilization and the evolution of species (Dennet 454). "Throughout the Precambrian period," Ernst Mayr writes in What Evolution Is, "the rich diversity of protists gave rise to multicellular descendant, some of which then led to plants, fungi, and animals," and indeed the change from simple prokaryotes to the more complex eukaryotes, and from single-celled eukaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes, seems to mirror human development into ethical beings – assuming that Hobbes' story is true (Mayr 60). The multicellular organisms, "which, thanks to a division of labor among a gang of specialist cells," could now pursue a more complex and

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Mastering Audio

The History of â€Å"Mastering† Music, in most of its styles and forms that is targeting commercial distribution now undergoes a final process of transformation and quality verification known as Mastering. For those working within the audio industry, this process is an unavoidable step to pass through. The role of the mastering engineer is almost unknown and often unheard of.This status of the mastering process has over the ears gathered itself an almost mythical status in the industry. The art itself is quite often misunderstood and in certain cases considered unimportant. Through this essay I hope to explore further into the role of the mastering process and the position it has held over decades with changes in styles, technology and mediums of media distribution. â€Å"Mastering is the set of activities in the audio chain between the final production of the music on an intermediary format and its transfer to a distribution format. (Dominique Bassal, 2005) During the early days, the process of mastering was not a separate discipline that as followed by a different engineer. A recording engineer's profile would involve recording onto a disc cutting lather. Before the year 1925, the tools used to cut records was unsophisticated and worked in a fairly mechanical manner without the use of electricity. By the 1930's the advent of electricity in the audio industry like many other markets changed the way media was recorded, processed and finally distributed.The rise of the radio stations, microphones and the amplification of the stylus that was previously driven Just by a diaphragm into an acoustical horn has changed the way mastering works. The discs cut onto wax were used as stampers to press 78rpm discs using shellac-composite. This was the method of cutting/ producing records before the advent of tape. Mastering/cutting Engineer Post the second world war, the recording ot tape and micro groove LP were tlrst introduced. The introduction of tape recording changed the norm of master recordings almost always being cut direct to disc.This was the beginning of a separate engineer being in charge of using the session tapes to cut master discs. This person was not initially known as a mastering engineer but a â€Å"dubbing ngineer† or rather â€Å"transfer engineer†. â€Å"mastering was a black art practiced by technical curmudgeons who mysteriously made the transfer from the electronic medium of magnetic audio tape to the physical medium of vinyl. † – (Owsnski, 2007) This change brought about the industrial belief that the process of cutting the master discs from recording session tapes was not a very different technical skill than the vinyl pressing operation.The biggest problem as such with vinyl has been to safeguard the largest possible part of the audio fidelity of the master tape, by troubleshooting and working around he numerous downfalls and obstacles brought about by the medium itself. The technology o f cutting vinyl from tape came with its own set of limitations to a huge degree. To explain the groove on the record, the thickness of the hair carries pitch and tonal information laterally and the amplitude information vertically. The problems brought about by this system was that the bass frequencies would drastically affect the total width of the groove.This in turn would affect the determined length of the information being cut onto the vinyl. the thickness of the vinyl similarly affected the dynamic range available for each cut. The recording onto analog tape helped with these flaws to a certain extent through having a tendency to roll off the distinctly sharp high intensity transients. This tendency was due to the saturation that occurred when hit with too much level, which would result in the stylus Jumping out of groove or often burn the disc cutter head itself.Around this time larger record companies dealing with pop music were prioritizing the automation of the tape to dis k transfer as much as possible in the interest of production efficiency. One of the biggest advancements this brought about was the ossibility to determine the thickness of the grooves using analog computer circuitry. It eventually brought about the possibility of having record sides of up to, and in some cases beyond, 30 minutes. The equipment being used for the mastering process also had to be specifically developed for use in record production.The idea behind this was to protect the companies from the expensive cutter heads blowing up as well as to ensure a more quality consistent product.! The birth of the Mastering Plant It was not long betore a tew engineers in this industry realized that there might me a arket out there for mastering that is done with superior care and skill. This brought about the birth of the first independent mastering lab in Los Angeles during the late 60's. The art of mastering became more about the attention to detail, skillful use of the highest grade equipment available and a devotion to artistic satisfaction.This trend soon grew into a business where a master tape sent to a mastering plant run by a credible engineer such as Bob Ludwig, Doug Sax or Bob Katz would result in a disc that sounded phenomenal. lt was during this time that the name of the astering engineer was listed on to the credits of the albums. Mastering trivia: ! â€Å"A significant step in this extension of the role of the mastering engineer, even if ephemeral and exclusively linked to a specific musical style, was the dance mix fad, today devolved, in a modified form, to the D].A rhythmic pop song is delivered to the mastering studio with, along with its official mix, a series of excerpts, sub-mixes of rhythm sections, solo voices, etc. The mastering engineer constructs an extended version of the song, destined for, among others, nightclubs, adding as required upplemental effects and even sounds from other sources. † (Dominique Bassal, 2005) Mastering to day Mastering is still very much a part of the industry, although most of them no longer cut master discs from analog reel tape. The CD generation has definitely caused a huge change in the mastering process.This process is now known as mastering where the recording in its final stage is brought in recorded on to a digital medium and is then sent for pressing. In the older days, each record company would have its own in house engineers working to a pre determined standard set by the company itself. These standards ere for the calibration of recorders, level and metering standards, interfacing and conversion equipment, etc. A number of engineers would also custom build some of the equipment used in their studio. This time saw that the tapes that were sent to these mastering studios could have a consistency to quality and fidelity.The order of the songs on the record, short pauses between tracks and equalization would have already been dealt with. ! Today the mastering business is a v ery different market compared to back then. The material for an album made these days could have been sourced from a variety of ifferent places, ranging from large studio rooms to a bedroom studio. The mixing on the record could have been done using Just a computer and sometimes by the artist themselves. These changes make it a completely contrasting market to when the big record companies were around.It opens a new realm of artistic space to play with as well. This treedom however also attec ed t the technical aspects ot the production. ! It is due to these reasons that mastering engineers began to expect their clients to provide them the recorded and mixed product with certain measures taken into account. The client is requested to not finish aspects of the process such as song spacing, fades and final master levels for each song. It is in the benefit of the client to trust the mastering engineer to take care of such detailed aspects with the necessary skill set and experience.A f undamental point to remember in todays technological free market is that technical competence cannot be taken for granted. Todays mastering engineers are expected to take a body of work that is recorded, produced and mixed and transform it into a sonic piece that is well balanced and is aurally pleasing to listen to. It involves a meticulous binding, processing and reinforcing of sound to translate the artistic vision onto various forms of playback. Mastering Equipment The equipment used in the process of mastering is a range of extremely high quality units that perform very specific tasks in the overall chain.The most important tool however is and will always be the attention to detail through years of experience and critical listening. Equipment used at this stage today is very relative to what is being achieved through the process itself. The aspects that are of prime importance through mastering are he conversion of audio information from analog to digital domains, the consisten t but not squashed dynamic range, equalization and balance of the songs with respect to each other and the intricately combined amplification done using consoles, compressors and limiters.Acoustics: Mastering is the last and final stage between the product and its dispatch for replication and distribution. This is where the sonic fidelity of the album or any other work is Judged technically to suite the various listening conditions and environments that audiences consume music in. Acoustics is amongst the most important tools to chieving a neutral space where the engineer can fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the pre master. Monitors: Reference monitoring systems for mastering plants are very different from the ones used in the mixing and play back stages.Monitoring systems for mastering rooms can be two way or three way systems that divide the trequency ranges to separate drivers so that they are individually emphasized to then pay special attention to. Plants usuall y run two or three sets of references. Adam audio, Barefoot sound and Earthworks are some of the biggest names in Audio reference monitors for astering. Amplification: Amplification is an important stage in the mastering chain and is integral to driving the sound clean and transparent through and out of the monitors.Another reason for amplification is to have a palette of colors to pass the audio through. There are usually at least two different amplification systems in a mastering plant. Console: The console is the heart of the mastering chain where everything comes together. It is the Hub for the audio that is passing through the outboard equipment, convertors and the DAW. Manley, TK Audio and Maselec are highly renowned mastering console anufacturers. DAW: DAWS are the software environments within which the Audio is contained and worked with.There is a wide variety of programs that specialize in different need of the mastering process, For example – Pro tools HD, DDP creat or Pro, Sequoia. EQ's: Equalization is the process of treating specific ranges of the audio to strike a smooth balance that will translate the music onto systems that may not always reproduce the entire spectrum from 20Hz to 20KHz such as earphones and car audio systems. Buzz Audio, Prism Sound and GML are amongst the biggest names for EQ's with regards toDynamics processors: Dynamic range is an integral part of preparing music and audio to a level of industry standard distribution. These processors are categorized into Compressors, Limiters, Exciters, Expanders and Gates. They are used to gradually make the audio translate with a benchmark RMS and Peak level that varies in ratio across music, film, television and radio broadcast. Manley, Cranesong, API and Tubetech make extremely high grade Hardware Dynamics processors for mastering. Convertors: Convertors are arguably the most important tools in the mastering chain today.The amount ot media that is generated completely in the digi tal domain is significantly huge. Converting this information to analog in order to be processed and worked with requires precision based high quality convertor components that can be very expensive. The conversion process also plays a huge factor in converting analog to digital considering the fundamental differences that exist between them such as hardware circuitry and software coding. Lavry Engineering and Apogee is at the forefront of building high quality convertors for mastering. Digital Processors:An integral part of todays Mixing and Mastering is Digital Signal Processing. The tools available for use within a computer are much more cost effective and pretty close to replicating the results of analog gear and circuitry. The biggest names that have been developing the tools of this digital era are Universal Audio, Waves and McDSP, using modern technology and specifically designed chipsets to treat audio without losing its fidelity. Conclusion: The art of Mastering as a discip line was first considered to be a technical process within the larger process of making a record.Over the decades this art form came to recognition when its artistic impact was noticed by people from the industry such as the artist and producers themselves. This brought about the Mastering Plant Revolution. The skill set and aesthetic value brought into the production process by mastering engineers have grown to be invaluable in this day and age of digital distribution. It is through this evolution across almost five decades that todays mastering studio serves as the last and final stage of technical and artistic quality control for most recorded media. References: Aud, R. (n. d. ).http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/109.htmlhttp://www.recordingmag.com/resources.htmlhttp://www.macmusic.org/articles/view.php/lang/en/id/91/The-Practice-of-Mastering-1-Historyhttp://www.mixonline.com/news/profiles/issues-modern-mastering/365757http://www.mixonline.com/news/recordinghttp ://www.mixonline.com/

Monday, September 16, 2019

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures an Essay on the Rise of Adolf Hitler Essay

When Adolf Hitler and his party of National Socialists were elected into power, Germany was in quite a rut. The stock market had crashed, it was the middle of the great depression, and Germany was still in uproar over the Treaty of Versailles. The public was desperate to find someone to take them out of this terrible place, and because they were willing to listen to the outlandish ideas that Nazis had, what they got was far from that. Adolf Hitler was a phenomenal public speaker and he was very firm in his own beliefs. He managed to pin every German fault on someone else, creating a sense of power in the German public, and thus why he was elected. The times were so desperate, Germans turned to a mentally unstable man for help. Hitler became leader because the living conditions were so bad in Germany that he was the only guy it made sense to turn to, which is a problem in itself. The Treaty of Versailles is a big reason why Germany was having such bad troubles. The main terms of the Treaty stated that : â€Å"- Germany to give up Alsace-Lorraine to france – The Rhineland to be demilitarized and placed under Allied occupation – Germany to lose West Prussia and Posen to Poland – Danzig to be made an international city – Germany to surrender all its overseas colonies – Germany to be deprived of its warships and aircraft and to have its army limited to 100 000 † (Lynch 2004: 4) The German Public felt that the terms of the treaty were unfair and were humiliated by it. The Nazi party felt the same, and when Germans discovered this they felt more comfortable siding with them. It was because of these people and the overwhelming sense of humiliation in Germany that the Nazi government (when elected) violated the treaty in many different ways, and ultimately caused WW2. The times that these people lived in would have been difficult for any country to handle, not just Hitler and the Nazis and Germany. The economy in Germany was terrible after the first war. Not only were they already in debt for the money they used to finance the failure of a war that they had, but now because of the war guilt clause they had another $5 billion debt to pay off. Instead of paying out of their own pocket, they decided to begin printing more money until they could wax off their debts. However this did not help the economy, but hindered it instead. The more money Germany printed out, the less it became worth as a currency, creating mass inflation. This put Germany in an even worse economic situation, and the worse that situation got, the more popular the Nazi party became. The party took advantage of the economic struggles in germany, and the better the situation got, the less people felt the need to side with the Nazis. In May of 1924 the Nazi party had 32 seats and 6.6 percent of the vote in Germany. In December of 1924, these numbers dropped to 14 seats and 3 percent of the vote, and worsened in Ma y of 1928, at 12 seats and 2.6 percent of the vote. However, in the beginning of the 1930’s (Lynch 2004: 10), the economy steadily got worse and worse, and the Nazi party gained more recognition and was finally elected. The times had become so rough that the mentally unstable Hitler became a beacon of hope. At the end of the day, Hitler became leader of Germany because of economic instability, and because the public hated the Treaty of Versailles. The times were extremely difficult and due to the Nazi’s extreme views on how to fix Germany’s problems (and the fact that they only had 2 opposing parties), they were elected into the Reichstag. So what does this mean? It means that the times were what made the people turn to Hitler, not Hitler just flat out being an awesome guy.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

People today freely use The Internet Essay

People today freely use The Internet, E-mail, and Online Messaging to communicate with other people. It’s a great way to talk to loved ones who live far away, conduct business, and just have fun with friends, but there is a downside. People who we don’t know can obtain information about us by tracking e-mails and messages and unless these things are encrypted, everything we write can be pulled up and used against us. That is why people who use the Internet need to be much more aware of their online privacy and security. The Internet started in 1969 by the U. S. overnment. They wanted a communication system that couldn’t be destroyed in the event of an emergency. It consisted of four computers linked together called DARPANET. In the 1970’s people found that they could use this system to send messages between the computers to get to other people. More and more people started using this system and by the end of the 70’s, it was international. The earliest found company to use instant messaging was Mirabilis in November of 1996. Instant messaging is like a telephone conversation done between two people on the computer in real time. Popular companies that have instant messaging are AOL, Yahoo, and NET Messenger Service. E-mail or Electronic Mail is a way of composing, sending, and receiving messages over the computer. E-mail started in 1965, which means it actually began before the Internet and in fact helped start the Internet. First e-mail was used for multiple users to communicate through a mainframe computer. Now even though the government does not have control over the Internet in present day, they can still monitor what individuals are writing especially after September 11th. â€Å"The Sept. 1 terrorists relied heavily on the Internet, and the hijackers appear to have plotted their carnage using Yahoo e-mail. † The FBI believes they can now catch suspected terrorists by looking at suspicious email, but what constitutes suspicious? They have developed a program called Carnivore that looks through e-mail to find suspicious information. But, critics of this are not so sure of it’s benefits becau se it can be used to look for keywords such as â€Å"hijack† in mass amounts of e-mails, and whenever it finds an e-mail or message that has that word the FBI is entitled to read that message. If someone is just asking another person through e-mail about the current terrorist situation will that set off an alarm with the FBI and now that person’s e-mails will be tracked? Very possibly. The PATRIOT (Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act provides investigators with more flexibility to pursue interception of e-mail messages, and monitoring of Web surfing and other PC-based communications. But does the general public believe that that government should have the right to look into private e-mails if they could catch a terrorist by doing it? According to a survey of PCWorld. m, â€Å"a total of 60 percent said they had serious concerns about giving the government more access to personal e-mail while 38 percent said they had little or no concern. † While the government and FBI feel that this is a completely legitimate way to weed out the terrorists in America, many others find it a complete invasion of privacy. This isn’t only a government vs. he people issue. As of 2004, â€Å"1 in 5 companies has had employees’ electronic messages subpoenaed in the course of a lawsuit or regulatory investigation† and â€Å"another 13 percent of 840 companies surveyed this year have battled workplace lawsuits triggered by employee e-mail. This means that private emails being sent while at work can be retrieved and used against a person in a court of law. The right to privacy is completely being revoked in these situations. That is why Americans need to be more aware of how to protect their privacy and there are ways to do this. First is by looking at the actual disclaimers that most people just sign without actually reading. American Online or AOL and Yahoo are two major providers of both e-mail and instant messaging. Looking into what their privacy policies are, you find this. Your AIM information consists of personally identifiable information collected or received about you when you register. Your AIM information may be shared within AOL and its business divisions. Your AIM information, including the contents of your online communications, may be accessed and disclosed in response to legal process (for example, a court order, search warrant or subpoena), or in other circumstances in which AOL has a good faith belief that AIM or AOL are being used for unlawful purposes. AOL may also access or disclose your AIM information when necessary to protect the rights or property of AIM or AOL, or in special cases such as a threat to your safety or that of others. (http://www. aol. com/info/p_privacy. adp. ) Yahoo’s disclaimer is similar saying that â€Å"Yahoo! collects personally identifiable information when you register for a Yahoo! account,† and â€Å"we reasonably believe it is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities. Basically both are stating that, for the most part, our privacies are protected unless there is a need to look at the e-mails or messages being sent. That is a big but though. People should read that and decipher that the government or business we work at could basically make up a story as to why they need to read an email and both of these e-mail companies would have to comply. That really isn’t protecting us. At least we should know ahead of time though that these are the company policies so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if our privacy was breached. This brings us to the concept of encryption. â€Å"Chances are that nobody is watching the data you send out, but unless the information is over a secure (encrypted) connection, you can’t be reasonably sure that it’s safe. † The definition of encryption is â€Å"the process of encoding information in such a way that only the person (or computer) with the key can decode it. † There are different encryption systems, but essentially two computers have secret codes that hold the key to decoding the messages sent between them. So if a message is encrypted, only your friend’s computer will be able to read what you sent to them. Does this type of security interest the common person? It definitely should and is quite easy to obtain. There are messenger services that provide e-mail and instant messaging. One is called Hushmail, which includes encryption enhancements. All you have to do is sign up for it just like you would Yahoo! or AOL and the only downside is that storage space is limited. But the option is out there for people to choose safety over unnecessary storage. Yahoo! nd AOL are the trusted and most used e-mail and instant message companies so most people just subscribe to these two, but really need to research what else is out there in regards to encrypted messaging companies like Hushmail. Customers of AOL though can upgrade to AIM 5. 2, which uses encrypted messages. Yahoo! on the other hand only has a form of encryption. The â€Å"system sends the message unprotected to Yahoo’s server. The recipient is given a URL to view the document on an SSL-protected web page. † Consumers feel this is a weak link because the message is still being sent without it being secure, but it is a step forward. There are other simple general steps that a consumer should do or at least think about before signing onto an e-mailing system. One is to always know the software that you are downloading onto your computer. Many programs appear to be legitimate, but they really just want to get your information and use it for bad reasons that veer into your personal privacy. Also, if a person shares a computer with many people, like a college library system, that person needs to make sure they clear their passwords and personal information before leaving their seat. And basically people just need to be more suspicious. Even though that’s a bad outlook, if you’re messages are not encrypted, then you need to be more aware of what you’re writing. If you think it could be construed in a negative way, then you shouldn’t send it over an unprotected system that could one-day work against you. In conclusion, â€Å"although companies and other entities operating in the online or electronic commerce environment have a responsibility to ensure the privacy of personally identifiable information online, the Online Privacy Alliance believes that consumers also have a role to play. Consumers should look for privacy policies on the web sites they visit as well as be aware of the various self-enforcement mechanisms currently available. †After the tragedy of September 11th, the government does need to do certain things in order to further protect our country against another attack, but this shouldn’t mean attacking American’s privacy and security. Americans shouldn’t have to live in constant fear of Big Brother looking into our personal letters and messages to loved ones and friends, and also shouldn’t be afraid that some things being said are going to be taken the wrong way. That is the opposite of making us feel more secure and safe because that basically means we’re being attacked from within our own government. Saying that, there are many things that we, as consumers, are responsible for knowing what is out there to give us more security. There is encryption and the big companies out there that provide e-mail and instant messaging are getting on board and providing encrypted programs for us to use. We should also be responsible enough to actually read all disclaimers that we usually don’t bother to read so that we are not shocked when we learn that the government just looked at our private message to someone. It’s hard as one person to fight something like Carnivore, but we can do simple things like read disclaimers, be smart about what e-mail programs we subscribe to and be safe and responsible when we are on the Internet.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

linguistic feature in fairy tale

Once upon a time†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..these four little words reverberates in the souls of the children and flies their little mind into the imaginative world of magic, fairies, demons, witches, talking wolf who is always ready to capture small and pretty children in its enthralling and devilish jaws. These words squeeze the heart of the children while taking them into the world of fantasy. These words are the starting point of the fairy tales that children love to hear and enjoys every moment of it. They have a universal appeal and are timeless, though depicting the culture of the time in which they are written. The fairy tales are unique in themselves and their uniqueness lies in the distinctive and thematic appeal with which they carry themselves. Despite their typical approach there is an ample scope for creativity and inculcate within children the values that are landed from generation to generation in their innocent world. Several types of narrative styles and techniques form the part of fairy tails, yet all are distinct especially in the relationship which is developed between writer and audience. The genre lies in teaching the children and adults alike putting them into the textual journey before it starts. The basic characteristic of the fairy tale lies in the approach which the writers take in exploiting the narrative and linguistic features to the full capacity. The traditional folk tales which used to belong to oral traditions used to depend on their exceptional characteristics like prosodic phonology, intonation, the use of pauses, rhythm, the different qualities of voice, as well as on paralinguistic codes, among which gestures, mimicry, eye contact etc. Though written narratives cannot imply all these yet have developed their own independent style of narration. (Bruti, â€Å"Which narrative features†, 1999, para.17) The narrative form is encoded in a linguistic form by the use of the initial/final fixed phrases. (Bruti, â€Å"Which narrative features†, 1999, para.16). The linguistic forms further depend in the genre and on the readers for which they are written. The main role of the linguistic form is to provide information with evidences in form of tales. One of the fixed phrases lies in the tradition of the opening and closing formula, a typical example of which is â€Å"Once upon a time† and â€Å"lived happily ever after†. These expressions associate the closeness between writer and children. It creates enthusiasm among the readers and suspends their disbelief in world of fantasy in which the writer is taking them, for e.g. talking of animals, princess turning into frog unless Prince comes to kiss her and bring her to original human form etc. Besides these ritual formulas, the linguistic features include the maximum use of repetitions for making expressions and for the events to unfold. The repetition helps in the easy understanding of the texts, which reflects the mark of the oral tradition.   Other basic linguistic features are the redundant structures and they also found similarity to the oral narratives.   Ellipsis and co-ordination is the characteristic feature of redundant structure, which evolves due to the fact that writers write the stories from the children angle and organizes the information in such a manner that they brings out the actual knowledge that should be imbibed to the children. The other beauty of the fairly tale is the absence of detailed description. The physical description of characters is given more prominence then going deep into their nature and inner attributes. This is done to give semantic clarity and uniqueness. And in many fairy tales characters never change physically for e.g. If the y are young, they will ever remain young. The author can give in many cases some spatial or temporal information, for e.g. The case of hyperbolic distances like, he rode on a horse for thousands miles. Writers also have full scope for temporal deviations that means they can temporarily deviate from the original path to put the excitement and enthusiasm among the readers with the help of creating the impact of visualizations. Another feature that gives punch to the story is the impulse of the protagonists that is directly heard, and which derives him or her to comment and unfold the events taking place to create the influence on the readers. This feature is called as a Conative function, which according to dictionary means mental process or behavior directed towards action or change and including impulse, desire, volition, and striving. The tenses are used frequently in the narration. The Tenses may be either â€Å"commutative† or â€Å"narrative†: A commutative attitude comes with the involvement of the speaker, and his addressees. Narrative verb brings about detached attitude. Tenses are also classified into two categories, the retrospective, which depicts the past events, and the perspective, which takes the readers to the future. Then the verbs are also used to describe the background actions. In fairy tales, that exclusively needs to be notified is about the content or we call the theme which is ordinary i.e. it shows the reality of the life and reality of the world but its beauty lies in the context of fiction and fantasy where it is fitted which makes it more interesting and enthusiastic for the readers. It implies on the ordinary daily objects too like a mirror in which we look at ourselves. It shows the beauty of the princess but this mirror is used in a Snow White as a magic mirror having powers to show the witch her ugliness and update her about the Snow white. In many fairy tales like in the Danish fantastic tales for children, which as told in , Den fantastiske fortà ¦lling i dansk borne literatur 1967 – 2003 , there is an extensive use of figurative language, specially natural metaphors and playing with the popular phrases and clichà ©s. There is also distinguish between two traditions in fantastic tales, one is content oriented epic tradition and the other is language oriented experimental tradition.   The first trend is more communicative and the second trend included language that is easily grasped and makes an exclusive sense to the readers. There are also linguistic games and digressions, meta-linguistic elements, which more focus on the communicative style but not the content. (Centre for Children's Literature, Denmark). Fairy tales are part of the children's lives, and their world. They immerse in the children the sense of belongingness to the Supernatural elements and rejuvenate their souls and give them encouragement. Though the prince, snow white, little red ridding hood, tough princess are all fictions but are part of the children's life so the language of these fairy tales is the language of the children. References 1. Bruti Silvia, November 1999. Approaching Writing Skills through Fairy Tales, The Internet,   TESL Journal Vol. V, No. 11, (Online). Available:  Ã‚  (11 March 2007) 2. Centre for Children's Literature, Denmark. Center for bornelitteratur. (Online). Available: http://www.cfb.dk/site.aspx?p=766 (11 March 2007) 3. Godard Barbara, 1979. Crawford's Fairy Tales, SCL/ELC Volume 4.1 1979 (Online). Available:   http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/SCL/bin/get.cgi?directory=vol4_1/;filename=godard.htmhttp://ww (11 March 2007) 4. Hà ©bert Louis, 2006. The Functions of Language, in Louis Hà ©bert, (dir.), Signo [on-line]         Ã‚  Ã‚  Rimouski (Quebec), (Online). Available: http://www.signosemio.com. (11 March 2007) ;