Women and Development Essays

Women and Development Essays Women and Development Essay Women and Development Essay Enhancing women’s participation in economic development is essential not only for achieving social justice but also for reducing poverty. World wide experience shows clearly that supporting a stronger role for women contributes to economic growth, it improves child survival and overall family health and it reduces fertility thus helping to slow population growth rates. In short investing in women is central to sustainable development. And yet, despite these known returns, women still face many barriers in contributing to and benefiting from development.It is from this backdrop that this essay seeks to describe the ways and means to promote women’s participation in economic development. The essay will begin by defining the concept of economic development, after that it will go into describing the ways and means to promote women’s participation in economic development, in this essay the ways and means will be broken down into five areas, edu cation, health, wage labour, agriculture and natural resource management and financial services. Thereafter a conclusion will be drawn.The concept of economic development can be taken to mean the sustained, concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. Economic development can also be referred to as the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy. Such actions can include multiple areas including development of human capital, critical infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy and other initiatives (Todaro amp; Smith, 2005).Education is the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process. Education is important for everyone but it is especially significant for girls and women. This is true not only because education is an entry point to other opportunities, but also because the educational achievements of women can have ripple effects within the family and across generations. Investing in girls’ education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty.Investments in secondary school education for girls especially yield high dividends. Girls who have been educated are likely to marry later and to have smaller and healthier families. Educated women can recognize the importance of health care and know how to seek it for themselves and their children. Education helps girls and women to know their human rights and to gain confidence to claim them (Thompson, 2004). In addition to this, the education of parents is linked to their children’s educational attainment, and the mother’s education is usually more influential than the father’s.An educated mother’s greater influence in household negotiations may allow her to secure more resources for her children. Educated mothers a re more likely to be in the labour force, allowing them to pay some of the costs of schooling, and may be more aware of returns to schooling. And educated mothers, averaging fewer children, can concentrate more attention on each child. Besides having fewer children, mothers with schooling are less likely to have mistimed or unintended births.This has implications for schooling, because poor parents must choose which of their children to educate (ibid). Closing the gender gap in education is a development priority. The 1994 Cairo Consensus recognised education especially for women, as a force for social and economic development. Universal completion of primary education was set as a 20- year goal, as was wider access to secondary and higher education among girls and women. Closing the gender gap in education by 2015 is also one of the benchmarks for the Millennium Development Goals.Therefore it must be stated that once women are educated, they are able to participate effectively in e conomic development (Vossenberg, 2013). Secondly there is the area of health, avoidable female deaths in the developing countries are strongly associated with health care and nutrition failures, whereas avoidable male mortality is associated more with behavioural occupational hazards that are less susceptible to prevention within the health sector, such as exposure to toxins, smoking, drug and alcohol use, violence and accidents.The low marginal costs of preventing women’s disability, illness, and premature death through family planning, nutritional supplementation, community based primary health care and safe mother hood programs (including safe abortion) argue for expanding such programmes in all countries especially in high mortality, high fertility settings. Health services that integrate nutrition training and supplementation, family planning, maternal and childcare and primary health care are the most effective in reaching women because they address a wide spectrum of w omen’s needs and responsibilities and save them time.In some settings the training of female health personnel may be particularly important, and combining care for women and children can help overcome some of the permission barriers that inhibit women from seeking health care. Ensuring that women have access to quality health care would enable them to effectively participate in economic development (World Bank, 1994). Thirdly there is the area of wage labour, unlike the strategies in education and health, those for increasing the participation rates of women and reducing wage differences between men and women are less proven.The main strategies here include increasing the productivity of women, reducing the constraints women face while participating in the labour market and improving the efficiency of the labour market. Providing childcare can reduce the household constraints that working women face, particularly in urban areas where the extended family often is not available to help. With broader childcare facilities available, women may not need to compromise on the type of jobs they accept. This would begin to bridge the male-female differences in earnings that cannot be attributed to human capital differences.For example the community childcare project in Colombia provides for the nutrition, health, and early-childhood development needs of children aged 2 through 6 in low income urban communities. Community mothers chosen by parents, care for about fifteen children each in their homes. The service support component of the project provides training to the community mothers and helps upgrade their homes to reach minimum standards for providing childcare. It increases the productive potential of mothers by offering alternative childcare arrangements, but its cost-effectiveness has yet to be evaluated (ibid).Removing policies of segregation and discrimination to promote access to jobs and making information available to lower the search costs associated with finding a job are other strategies. For instance the employment and training project in Turkey incorporates some of these actions, but it is too recent to provide insights about their effectiveness. In the ongoing projects in Turkey and Hungary, youth and adult counselling systems and career awareness are intended to be gender neutral.This is to ensure gender neutrality in job vacancies, the abolition of gender preferences can be specified as a project goal, as in the Turkey employment project. In countries where there is gender segregation, training projects for women could be designed to be more gender sensitive and address segregation issues. And where equal employment laws exist, countries can be encouraged to enforce them more rigorously. This would in turn ensure that more and more women are able to participate in economic development (Rakodi, 2005). The fourth area has to do with agriculture and natural resource management.The many responsibilities of rural women can im pose time and energy constraints on their participation in programs designed to increase their incomes. Part of the strategy, therefore is to increase their productivity in existing tasks. However, given the option, many women want to escape the drudgery of many of these activities, highlighting the importance of increasing women’s options in agriculture and in home production. Many projects of the World Bank and other agencies include three basic interventions to improve the delivery of extension services to rural women.One is to improve the delivery of appropriate extension messages to women as a separate clientele. The second is to increase the number of female agents and supervisors in the extension system or to separate facilities, transportation, and other resources for extension women farmers. Delivering appropriate extension messages to women may entail revising the content and orientation of extension in order to address women farmers’ needs (Farnworth amp; Mu nachoga, 2010). Furthermore, women bear the burden of environmental degradation, as they have to trek long distances to fetch fuel wood and water.Natural resource management projects and policy oriented studies need to fully evaluate the costs and adverse externalities of environmental damage by including the direct and indirect costs to women’s activities. Deforestation, for example impose both direct and opportunity costs on women. Direct costs result when fuel wood resources are depleted (and must be purchased) and indirect costs occur when women have to walk long distances to obtain fuel wood. When they can be trained to contribute to environmental conservation.Such training in research and analysis of environmental problems and their causes and consequences can equip women to participate effectively in decision making on issues relating to environmental policy. Technology transfer if appropriately designed and adapted, could lead to more efficient use of resources, yield significant environmental benefits and enhance women’s productivity to use resources more sustainably (Rakodi, 2005). Natural resources management projects need to identify and consult women’s groups in order to ensure environmental conservation and sustainable management.Failure to identify and acknowledge the role of women in environmental processes can result in inappropriate interventions and jeopardize the success of environmental projects. Wherever women play a role in influencing policymaking on environment, investigators could document and learn from experience. Women’s groups and environmental NGOs can also play an important role (ibid). Lastly there is the area of financial services, high transaction costs, and high perceived risks of default, lack of collateral and social resistance commonly bar women’s access to credit.One way to reduce transaction costs is group lending, in which members accept joint liability for loans this relieves the len der of the costly process of checking the creditworthiness of individual borrowers and lowers the administrative costs per loan, which is particularly important if the average loan is very small. The groups take over many of the screening, incentive and enforcement functions normally left to banking staff. Group lending also spares borrowers elaborate application procedures, transportation costs, and the need for collateral.Other techniques for lowering transactions include inexpensive and mobile offices, hiring of staff from client communities, and standardized and decentralized procedures for lending. Group lending also lowers the risk of default. The combination of peer pressure and cooperative gained from participation in a group has proved to be an effective motivator for repayment in many different countries and settings worldwide (Vossenberg, 2013). Lack of collateral is a pervasive problem for the poor, and particularly for women who rarely have title to significant assets.J oint liability groups replace collateral with a collective guarantee in many programs. Providing access to financial services is necessary but not sufficient. Women who have never used a bank must be taught how to do so. Training and confidence building are especially important for women, who are likely to have less formal education and less experience with formal organizations and procedures. Alongside financial services, it is imperative to equip women with training in small enterprise, entrepreneurship and management, how to begin and successfully sustain an enterprise.When women have access to financial services, they will be better equipped to participate effectively in economic development (World Bank, 1994). In conclusion, this essay has discussed various ways and means of enhancing women’s participation in economic development. The first one being education, which has been identified as being the most important, this is because education gives women power, self confid ence and the knowledge that can equip them to participate fully in economic development. The second one is health, access to good quality health enables women to effectively participate in economic growth.The third, point has to do with wage labour, there is need for more and more women to be incorporated into wage labour, this would ensure that women start getting a stable salary which would help them to have disposable income that they can invest in businesses, and eventually they would be able to participate in economic development. The last two points that have been discussed are agriculture and natural resource management and financial resources. When women are properly trained in the area of agriculture and finances, they are better able to participate in economic development.

Nora Helmer of A Dolls House, a Play by Henrik Ibsen

Nora Helmer of 'A Doll's House,' a Play by Henrik Ibsen One of the most complex characters of 19th-century drama, Nora Helmer prances about in the first act, behaves desperately in the second, and gains a stark sense of reality during the finale of Henrik Ibsens  A Dolls House. In the beginning, Nora exhibits many childish qualities. The audience first sees her when she returns from a seemingly extravagant Christmas shopping excursion. She eats a few desserts which she has secretly purchased. When her condescending husband, Torvald Helmer, asks if she has been sneaking macaroons, she denies it wholeheartedly. With this minor act of deception, the audience learns that Nora is quite capable of lying. She is most child-like when she interacts with her husband. She behaves playfully yet obediently in his presence, always coaxing favors from him instead of communicating as equals. Torvald gently chides Nora throughout the play, and Nora good-naturedly responds to his critics as though she were some loyal pet. Nora Helmers Clever Side However, Nora has been leading a double life. She has not been thoughtlessly spending their money. Rather, she has been scrimping and saving to pay off a secret debt. Years ago, when her husband became ill, Nora forged her fathers signature to receive a loan to save Torvalds life. The fact that she never told Torvald about this arrangement reveals several aspects of her character. For one, the audience no longer sees Nora as the sheltered, care-free wife of an attorney. She knows what it means to struggle and take risks. In addition, the act of concealing the ill-gotten loan signifies Noras independent streak. She is proud of the sacrifice she has made. Although she says nothing to Torvald, she brags about her actions with her old friend, Mrs. Linde, the first chance she gets.  Basically, she believes that her husband would undergo just as many hardships, if not more, for her sake. However, her perception of her husbands devotion is quite misplaced. Desperation Sets In When the disgruntled Nils Krogstad threatens to reveal the truth about her forgery, Nora realizes that she has potentially scandalized Torvald Helmers good name. She begins to question her own morality, something she has never done before. Did she do something wrong? Were her actions appropriate, under the circumstances? Will the courts convict her? Is she an improper wife? Is she a terrible mother? Nora contemplates suicide in order to eliminate the dishonor she has wrought upon her family. She also hopes to prevent Torvald from sacrificing himself and going to prison in order to save her from persecution. Yet, it remains debatable as to whether or not she would truly follow through and jump into the icy river. Krogstad doubts her ability. Also, during the climactic scene in Act Three, Nora seems to stall before running out into the night to end her life. Torvald stops her all too easily, perhaps because she knows that, deep down, she wants to be saved. Nora Helmers Transformation Noras epiphany occurs when the truth is finally revealed. As Torvald unleashes his disgust towards Nora and her crime of forgery, the protagonist realizes that her husband is a very different person than she once believed. Torvald has no intention of taking the blame for Noras crime. She thought for certain that he would selflessly give up everything for her. When he fails to do this, she accepts the fact that their marriage has been an illusion. Their false devotion has been merely playacting. She has been his child-wife and his doll. The monologue in which she calmly confronts Torvald serves as one of Ibsens finest literary moments. The Controversial Ending of A Dolls House Since the premiere of Ibsens A Dolls House, much has been discussed regarding the final controversial scene. Why does Nora leave not only Torvald but her children as well? Many critics and theater-goers questioned the morality of the plays resolution. In fact, some productions in Germany refused to produce the original ending. Ibsen acquiesced and grudgingly wrote an alternate ending in which Nora breaks down and cries, deciding to stay, but only for her childrens sake. Some argue that Nora leaves her home purely because she is selfish. She does not want to forgive Torvald. She would rather start another life than try to fix her existing one. Or perhaps she feels that Torvald was right, that she is a child who knows nothing of the world. Since she knows so little about herself or society, she feels that she is an inadequate mother and wife. She leaves the children because she feels it is for their benefit, painful as it may be to her. Nora Helmers last words are hopeful, yet her final action is less optimistic. She leaves Torvald explaining that there is a slight chance they could become man and wife once again, but only if a Miracle of miracles occurred. This gives Torvald a brief ray of hope. However, just as he repeats Noras notion of miracles, his wife exits and slams the door, symbolizing the finality of their relationship.

Should companies be required to be more Green (environmentally Research Paper

Should companies be required to be more Green (environmentally friendly) even if it costs more - Research Paper Example In some countries such as China, the issue of environmental pollution is so serious that if not checked, it could reverse the economic gains achieved over the years. This clearly shows that environmental protection should become a priority especially for companies, which contribute significantly to environmental pollution. Accordingly, companies should be required to be environmental friendly even if it is a costly venture. One of the reasons why companies should be required to become environmental friendly is that growth which is achieved at the expense of the environment will only be short term. In degrading the environment and depleting natural resources, a company’s success can only be short term, since such resources are needed for future production. In this case, protecting the environment also protects a company’s long-term productivity. Companies should therefore ensure that their activities do not harm the environment in order to achieve sustainable development. Although environmental protection is quite costly, the cost of reversing the effects of environmental degradation may be higher for a company (EPA). Companies should also be required to become environmental friendly because it is also beneficial for them. As people’s awareness of environmental pollution rises, they look out for companies that show concern for the environment. Consequently, customers or clients will be more likely to purchase products or services from companies which are actively engaged in environmental protection. A company that is environmental friendly will therefore retain its existing customers, while acquiring new ones. In the end, this has a positive impact on a company’s productivity, which outweighs its costs in environmental protection (Scherzer). As seen from the text, environmental protection is a costly venture, thus companies maybe unwilling to become environmental friendly. In order to make this requirement a reality, policymakers

Chapter Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter Summery - Essay Example The objective of this book is to introduce the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), which has been proven to be an effective method of teaching learners of English not only language but content as well. The model has resulted in increasing the chances of the learner to succeed in school. Middle school teachers have already been trained to implement the SIOP model not only in urban schools but also in suburban and rural schools across the United States. It is notable that the SIOP model is not an inflexible framework that cannot be customized but rather a framework that can be adapted to teach any course or subject. With the SIOP model the teacher has to adhere to a list of fundamental instructional principals that are essential to meet the unique language development needs of the student. Once the principals are adhered to the teacher is then free to be creative when designing the delivery of the particular lesson. As the reader proceeds through the book he/she will have many opportunities to try out different methods to supplement, improve and even enhance his/her method of teaching and instruction delivery.

Caffeine - Ginkgo Essay Example for Free

Caffeine Ginkgo Essay There are only a few good things about energy drinks, but there are still good things, however. B Vitamins, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Carnitine and Antioxidants are all good ingredients that an energy drink contains. But, like anything, they’re only good in small amounts. Vitamins and Minerals are good for us. B Vitamin is supposed to wake up our bodies and kickstart them, which is why energy drinks put these type of vitamins in them. Ginseng is an herb that is known to increase energy levels, and alleviate stress. Ginseng is created naturally by the body, so it’s okay to have. But the levels of supplementation and energy drinks dont match up well when you drink energy drinks on a regular basis. Another good ingredient is Ginkgo Biloba. Along with Ginseng, this is another emerging herb. It is said to help your memory, concentration, and blood circulation. This also is made for the regulating of stress levels, which means its something that is made for and okay for your body to consume. Energy drinks also contain Carnitine and Antioxidants, which are actually very good things for your body. Carnitine speeds up your metabolism. So, by drinking one a week, you can gradually increase your metabolism and lose weight in a somewhat-healthy manner. Antioxidants are in most vitamins. They kill the free radicals in your body and can recover from the damage they can sometimes leave. But their are much better ways of getting antioxidants than drinking energy drinks. Although energy drinks have some good qualities, they are, overall, extremely bad for you. Their common ingredients are B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Ginseng, Gingko Biloba, Carnitine, Taurine, Inositol, and Guarana Seed. As I said before, the first four ingredients (B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Ginseng, and Gingko Biloba) are good. But, the bad ingredients are bad enough that they completely cancel out the good things. Energy drinks are a secretly bad combination of soft drink and psuedo-nutritional supplement. But one of the main concerns with the use of the herbs in these drinks is their source. The manufacturers of these drinks aren’t required by law to say whether or not the herbs they use have been sprayed with toxic pesticides, irradiated, or watered with contaminated water supplies. So there is no telling what other toxins are contained in these drinks, or whether or not these herbs will have a negative effect on the body. The caffeine in these drinks is dangerous enough on its own. Caffeine is addictive, and it acts as both a stimulant and a diuretic. The stimulant in it can cause anxiety attacks, heart palpitations, and insomnia. When people drink it in large or regular quantities, caffeine can also make you jittery or irritable. The diuretic in caffeine causes your kidneys to remove extra fluid from your body. They have also found that, if you consume energy drinks while sweating, the effects can be dangerous, maybe causing you to become severely dehydrated quickly. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate our bodies enough when taken separately. But many younger people have started mixing energy drinks with alcohol because it makes them feel alert and energetic, even when they’re drunk. I have never, nor will I ever, try an energy drink. I think all people should avoid drinking them as much as possible. They decrease our bodies internal water supply and natural detoxification processes. And medical professionals don’t know the long-term effects of consuming these drinks. What we do know, though, is that they do nothing to provide our bodies with any necessary nutrients or fluids, and they can cause heart attacks and elevated blood pressure. http://www. globalhealingcenter. com/natural-health/the-health-dangers-of-energy-drinks/ http://www. globalhealingcenter. com/natural-health/dangers-of-taurine/ http://planetprose. com/1660/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you/ http://ezinearticles. com/? Energy-DrinksAre-Energy-Drinks-Good-For-You? id=1990557 http://www. whyev. com/energy-drinks. html.

Crafting a Research Study Outline Essays -- Research Management

The title of my research simulation is Early childhood caries and the effects on young children’s emotional well-being. This study will examine how parental perception of early childhood caries impacts young children’s emotional well- being. The overall goal of this study is to identify barriers to treatment of early childhood caries in preschoolers. In addition, the study will describe the 1) prevalence of ECC in a preschool population, 2) parent oral health knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and 3) the impact that early childhood caries have on young children’s quality of life. â€Å"Early childhood caries (ECC) has been defined as the presence of one or more decayed (noncavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surface on any primary tooth in children up to 71 months of age† (Hallett & O’Rourke, 2003) . â€Å"Severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) is currently defined by American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) as any sign of decay on smooth tooth surfaces in children younger than 3 years of age, or, in children aged 3 to 5 years, carious involvement of one or more smooth surfaces of the upper front teeth† (Virdi, Bajaj, & Kumar, 2010). Early childhood caries was originally called baby bottle tooth decay. There are several factors which contribute the promotion of ECC. â€Å"Factors such as dietary practices, familial socioeconomic background, lack of parental education over dental hygiene and lack of access to adequate dental care attribute to the widespread prevalence of ECC† (Virdi, Ba jaj, & Kumar, 2010). Early childhood caries have become the most prevalent preventable childhood disease. Oral health status is related to the overall quality of life for children. The impact of untreated ... ...ing Early Childhood Research: International Perspectives on Theory & Practice (2 ed.). New York: Mc Graw Hill. Ryan, K. J., Brady, J. V., Cooke, R. E., Height, D. I., Jonsen, A. R., King, P., et al. (1979, April 18). The Belmont Report Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. Retrieved June 25, 2011, from National Institute of Health: http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/guidelines/belmont.html#gob3 Tinanoff, N., & Reisine, S. (2009). Update on Early Childhood Caries Since the Surgeon General's Report. Academic Pediatrics, 9(6), 396-403. Virdi, M., Bajaj, N., & Kumar, A. (2010, September 07). Prevalence of Severe Early Childhood Caries in Pre-School Children in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, India. The Internet Journal of Epidemiology, 8(2). Whiting, L., & Forbes, J. (2009, June). Research involving children. Paediatric Nursing, 21(5), 32-36.

There are many indications within the poetry of Tony Harrison that he considers his work within the context of the canon

‘Whether one thinks of the canon as objectionable because formed at random or to serve some interests at the expense of others, or whether one supposes that the contents of canons are providentially chosen, there can be no doubt that we have not found ways of ordering our thoughts about the history of literature and art without recourse to them. ‘ (Kermode, p. 20). In what ways do you believe Tony Harrison to be affected by the canon. Use analyses of the poem to illustrate your answer. There are many indications within the poetry of Tony Harrison that he considers his work within the context of the canon. The repeated referencing of other poets1 and conscious emulation of the form of other poems (‘v. ‘ is an adaptation of Gray's ‘Elegy on a Country Churchyard' ) suggest that Harrison's work is heavily influenced by other poets, despite his seemingly original style. The way that he uses his referencing is not straightforward, however; it could be suggested that the more traditional references are ironic, as Harrison contrasts his brash modern style with the more ‘genteel' feel of the poets in the canon. The continual allusions to the opposition his poetry has faced, and his subsequent under confidence, can have said to have led to a need for the reassurance of the canon: using the models of other poets to validate the worth of his own poetry. Alternatively, Harrison may feel that the only way to express the voice he wishes to project, that of a working class northern man with authority is by using the â€Å"enemy's weapons†2, and establishing a scholastic side to his work, in order to be taken seriously by the ‘cultural elite'. It has been argued that Harrison uses other people's words and forms to justify his own work; that his feeling of social inferiority reveals itself as an insecurity in his poetry3. Whereas in Gray's ‘Elegy' the last stanza is a contemplation upon the life of the poet, filled with a sense of repose, Harrison ends his epic poem ‘v. ‘ still striving to justify his choice to become a poet. By placing it as a viable occupation alongside other more manual lifestyles, such as the production of â€Å"the beef, the beer, the bread†,4 and anticipating possible reactions: â€Å"How poems can grow from (beat you to it! ) SHIT†5, Harrison tries to protect himself from derision. Critics relate the closing stanzas of â€Å"Elegy on a Country Churchyard† to Gray's fears about his poetic destiny. Damien Grant states â€Å"The poet writes conscious of his own possible doom, to be ‘preserved beneath deep permaverse' like any other victim of evolution†6, but he is considering Harrison's ‘epitaph'. By using a recognised canonical poet such as Gray, Harrison has a model to explore his feelings about his own destiny, investigating his own experiences regarding death: â€Å"taking a short cut home through the graves here/ they reassert the glory of their team/ by spraying words on tombstones, pissed on beer†7, within a controlled and set form. The way that Harrison himself views the canon determines his reaction, and therefore his poetry. The canon could be construed as an enabling, useful force, giving Harrison ideas and structures to work with8, and Harrison himself admits to the influence of classical authors, such as Milton9. Altieri notes that â€Å"contemporary writers†¦ need to address specific canonical works and engage the same degree of emotional and intellectual energy that canonical works provide†10, and Harrison seems to have taken up this mantle, engaging it with his desire to keep poetry relevant to his experience and therefore, to him, alive. Harrison is not trying to be one of the classical authors; he is trying to respond to them in a way that is different but not necessarily inferior11. Indeed, Kermode agrees that â€Å"the best commentary on any verse is another verse, possibly placed very far away from it†. Harrison accepts that he writes from a different world perspective than many of the ‘canonical' authors, but to illustrate the similarities he uses similar forms and quotes them, either to show his awareness of their work or his reaction to it. â€Å"Mute ingloriousness†13, for instance, explores the theme of the difficulties of articulation, and is a direct quote from Gray. Harrison uses it to illustrate the difficulties he has found in developing his own poetic voice. Damien Grant draws comparisons between the symbolism in â€Å"v† and erotic images drawn by other, more traditionally ‘established' poets. The skinhead's addition of a â€Å"middle slit to one daubed v†14 is not an obscenity, it can be argued, but merely Harrison joining a long line of established authors invoking â€Å"the erotic image†¦ to serve public purposes†. 15 Another way of viewing the canon is that of â€Å"codified by a cultural elite, with power to influence the way the country thinks across a broad range of issues†. 16If the canon reflects simply a cultural emphasis, then Harrison should be considered part of that canon, as he is widely taught and studied, to a high level. If, however, the canon is set by the ‘cultural elite', then Harrison's use of some of the more standard forms and obscure classical references may be an attempt to be accepted by this elite, in order to propagate his own cultural emphasis and make his own stance widely known and acceptable. â€Å"Harrison is provoked by the persecution of an RP English teacher to fight back with the enemy's weapons, on the enemy's own ground†18; â€Å"So right, ye buggers, then! We'll occupy/ your lousy leasehold Poetry†. 19 Harrison wishes for his voice to be heard, and is not afraid of using techniques supposedly alien to his class to achieve this. Harrison takes canonical influences and makes them seemingly more accessible to a wider cross section of society, introducing more modern themes such as the problems of the Thatcher era. This is in part to make poetry more relevant and acceptable to those he seeks the approval of the most: the uneducated and the cynical, such as his parents. Catherine Packham suggests that the canon may seem oppressive and intimidating to Harrison; his feeling of insecurity may have led him to feel that all of the timeless themes that he wishes to cover have been explored extensively, by people who are better educated and suitable to be ‘poets'20. Harrison's poetry is full of the issue of self doubt and self worth: â€Å"Poetry's the speech of kings. You're one of those/ Shakespeare gives the comic bits to: prose! â€Å"21 , and seems at times to want to distance his writing from the recognisable canon to show a progression of attitudes and innovation, and perhaps attempting to demonstrate that he is not competing with the established canon. This can be seen in the fact that of the many â€Å"versus† couplings in ‘v. , a major one is that of Harrison's version versus Gray's. The very title of another poem, â€Å"On Not Being Milton†, shows that Harrison is aware of the canon and embraces his differences to it, but the poem itself, with its lyricism and innovative use of language in fact recalls the epic poetry of Milton himself; this is an irony that the poet seems to enjoy. Harrison obviously appreciates the fine crafting of established authors, and wishes to learn from them, whilst staying true to his e arthy subject matter. The touch of some of the word handling may hint at Miltonesque heights, but the subject matter of a man returning to his roots (â€Å"my growing black enough to fit my boots†22) and the outsider becoming a hero (Tidd the Cato Street Conspirator), with his â€Å"Sir, I Ham a Very Bad Hand at Righting†23 indicates that Harrison believes that education is not everything; this, in a poem littered with reference to historical figures and epic literature, hints at play. The theme of articulation is prevalent24: Harrison is concerned with the way things are said, and who they are said by, as he is aware of the impact that other works have had upon him. It would be impossible to ascertain exactly what sway the canon has had upon Harrison's poetry: nevertheless, if we are to judge his work within the context of the canon, then we must consider his literary intentions. We must ask whether his intentions are to be considered within the same school of those that he references and quotes so copiously, or if in fact these references were designed to show the vast differences between their worlds. I believe Harrison to be stuck in between the two worlds, but supremely in command. He is aware that to gain a recognition as a poet, certain rules must be followed; and he adapts these rules to suit his own purposes. Harrison incorporates enough traditional ideas and forms not his work to stay credible, but he fills his poetry with subjects and contexts unfamiliar to the ‘cultural elite'. These are the subjects and contexts that he wishes to bring into the public domain and make issues of, and by taking on the timeless element of the canonical works, Harrison ensures that he pushes poetry forward: into unfamiliar territory, and to unfamiliar readers.

Communicators of the Sea Essay

Dolphins are common creatures at rivers and seas. Majority of small toothed whales are dolphins. Dolphins are large sea animals making it part of the cetaceans, where whales and porpoises belong (Stoops, 1996). Dolphins belong to family Plantanistidae and Delphinidae, respectively. Often, people used dolphins and porpoises interchangeably denoting same species but porpoises in particuclar and dolphins are different species. Porpoises belong to family Phocaenidae; it has a rounded snout and chisel-liked teeth. While dolphins are under family Plantanistidae and Delphinidae, instead of a rounded snout, dolphins have beak like snout and sharp, conical teeth (http://www. dolphinlovers. com/facts. php) Fig. 1 Comparison between the snout of a porpoise and a dolphin Dolphins are outgoing creatures; often they are mingling in a group with two to fifteen animal members or more. Most of their communities are dominated by females, its offspring, sisters and other females. Subadult male dolphins will leave these female-dominated communities to start a group of â€Å"bachelor† dolphins; if these dolphins become sexually mature, they can move in the female groups for copulation. These mammals are very playful. They are often spotted riding the bow wave or stern wake of boats and â€Å"surfing† on waves. Chasing and tossing things to one another is one of their favorite plays. If seen jumping or breaching, it indicates enthusiasm for these creatures. Play is important for dolphins for learning and as well as to practice their skills necessary for their life’s survival (Geocities. com, 2006). Communication among marine animals, dolphins in particular are extensive and complex. The current paper focuses on these creatures’ characteristics, particularly their capability to engage in echolocation. Dolphins can see their environment like that of an X-ray machine and thereby transmitting this x-ray like images to other dolphins. If sight is very crucial for land animals, dolphins use a sound â€Å"seeing† system called echolocation. Echolocation is a sensory sonar system used by dolphins for communication purposes and for locating things in their environment. Through the sound waves released and listened to – size, shape distance speed direction and internal structure of an object is determined. This sound seeing system provides information such as water depth and the position of food and rocks making it effortless for them to catch their prey. (http://www. botany. uwc. ac. za/Envfacts/facts/dolphins. htm, 2007). Scope The paper begins with an introduction about the dolphin, and their general characteristics as sea creatures. This is followed by a discussion of their general physiology, including their skin, fin, swimming speed, breathing, and body temperature. The dolphin family is then discussed, with its 33 species – with 5 river species and 6 porpoise species. Of these, the most popular is said to be the bottlenose dolphin which are found in theme parks and are featured in television programs. The next focus would be on the dolphin’s brainpower, speficically in their capacity to make tunes among themselves with a wide range of sounds. Their distinctive communication patterns are likewise expounded on. The paper concludes with a call for concern and protection from humans, who are supposed to be stewards of these creatures. Overview With regards to its general physiology, dolphins have rubbery skin. They are classified as mammals and have the capacity of maintaining high body temperature. They can hold their breath for several minutes making it easy for them to have rapid and deep dives of more then 300 m (1,000 ft). To date, there are more than 33 different species of dolphins, over 5 different species of river dolphins and more than 6 different species of porpoises. Though there are many species of dolphins, the most popular are bottlenose dolphins which are frequently featured in television and theme parks. Perhaps their greatest strength is their ability to communicate with one another or to echolocate. This is the counterpart of language among humans. Dolphins create whistles and sounds signifying an action for which another dolphin can understand, it can signal danger for their kind hence they should be alert or a prey is near at hand thus, everybody must prepare; depending on the whistle produced. They can make signature whistles that carry distinct information. Considering the cognitive abilities of bottlenose dolphins, their vocal learning and copying skills, and their fission–fusion social structure, their communication process can be further studied to provide evidences about their â€Å"dolphin messages and echoes. † Humans have the responsibility of taking care of these creatures, acting as their stewards to prevent them from extinction. General Physiology of a Dolphin A dolphin’s body is smooth having a rubbery-feel of its hairless skin when touched. The skeletal remnants of five digits in the front appendage form the flippers mainly acting as its balancer during its swim. The rear appendages are almost absent because the small pelvic bones are deep-rooted in the connective tissue at the base of the tail (Dolphin Lovers. com, 2006). The subcutaneous dermal tissue of the dolphin forms its immovable dorsal fin; its tail fin is also dermal in its origin. Its movement is similar with the whales wherein the major force comes from its vertical oscillations of the tail and flukes making it capable to swim at a speed of 37-40 km/h, and in some events, its swimming speed reaches up to 48 km/h. Dolphins seem restless in traveling the rivers but in reality, it rides the bow wave by making use of the ship’s trust (Stoops, 1996) Dolphins are mammals, hence breathing and maintaining high body temperature is vital. Dolphins maintain its internal temperature at 36. 5 deg to 37. 2 deg C (97. 9 deg to 99 deg F), with its thick layer of dense fat (blubber) under the skin. At the top of its head, a single nostril or blowhole is placed where it acts as its lungs. Dolphins breathe air at the surface every two minutes consisting of brief unpredictable exhalation followed by a longer inhalation. Dolphins are capable to hold their breath for several minutes making it easy for them to have rapid and deep dives of more then 300 m (1,000 ft) (Dolphin Lovers. com, 2006). Their swimming capabilities attribute to its powerful tail and the special function of its skin. Due to their streamlined body contour enabling them to have rapid movements and deep dives in the sea like most marine animals. Fig. 2 General physiology of a dolphin The Dolphin Family There are more than 33 different species of dolphins, over 5 different species of river dolphins and more than 6 different species of porpoises (Geocities. com, 2006). Fig. 3 Some Species of the Dolphin Family Though there are many species mentioned, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are the most familiar species. It gained popularity because it has been a mainstay of TV programs. Also, people have the chance to meet and greet bottle nose dolphins at ocean-theme parks. The biggest dolphin specie is the one seen in the movie â€Å"Free Willly†; Orca (Orcinus orca) or the killer whale where the males can grow up to 9. 6 meters http://www. dolphinear. com/data/dolphin_species. htm Fig. 4. Picture of Orca and the Bottlenose Dolphin Dolphin’s Brainpower Greco and Gini (2005) say that dolphins are capable of making tunes among themselves with a wide range of sounds. Dolphins show evidence that their intelligence is greater than that of dogs. Dolphins learn easily and execute complicated tasks, continuous communications with one another, and their ability to mimic the sounds of human language if they are given ample time to be trained. Toothed whales have exceptionally large brains including the famously bright dolphins that have capabilities previously only attributed to humans and apes. Cetaceans (dolphins, whales and porpoises) and its ancestors acquired changes specifically in their brain through evolution. One of the reliable evidence to support this claim is by measuring the level of encephalization of a species or a taxonomic group. EQ is the measure of observed brain size relative to expected brain size derived from a regression of brain weight on body weight for a sample of species. EQ measures how much larger or smaller a species’ total brain size is from what is expected based on brain-body allometry (Greco et. al, 2003). Dolphins and humans share many common attributes. Both creatures are mammals wherein the young are born alive and not hatched from eggs. Air is important for both organisms since it sustains their breathing; the only difference is that dolphins must come up to the surface to breathe in its blowhole on the top of its head and when it dives, the blowhole closes unlike humans that continuously breathe air in its respiratory system. Wang (1995) asserts that aside from being mammals, communication is one the major attributes keeping these two organisms at par with one another. Humans are capable of language and speeches denoting an idea or message for a particular person while dolphins create whistles and sounds signifying an action for which another dolphin can understand, it can signal danger for their kind hence they should be alert or a prey is near at hand thus, everybody must prepare; depending on the whistle produced. Fig. 5 Illustration of the brain size of (a) archaeocete, Cetacean’s ancestor (b) dolphin Distinctive Communication of Dolphins The capabilities of different organisms are astounding particularly in identifying objects from a far. The association between object characteristics such as visual shape, and sensory characteristics like retinal projection, is unclear. The processes on how these characteristics work hand-in-hand remains imprecise. Dolphins communicate by making two types of sounds: vocalizations and echolocation are the two sounds produced by dolphins for communication. Vocalizations are the squeaking sounds from the blowhole that is often heard by humans which is used by dolphins to communicate. Echolocation also called sonar, is a distinctive ability of dolphins to locate and discern objects down under (Janik, 2000). A dolphin releases a particular sound and listens for the echo allowing dolphins to travel under dark waters without bumping or hitting into anything. As much as 1,200 clicks/ sound can be produced in a second and can be transmitted in advance These clicks are from the rounded forehead of the dolphin, melon; along with its lower jaw filled with jelly-like substances for sound waves amplification. When a dolphin swims, the head is moved back and forth to skim through its surroundings, while the echoes are send out to bounce off objects aiming at the lower jawbone, returning sound waves to the inner ear, and this whole process occur rapidly, similarly to how fast a human brain decodes if the individual accidentally touches a hot object. The pitch of the returning echo and the time it takes to get there is important so the dolphin can determine the shape, size, speed, texture, and density of the object; even inside of an object, almost like an X-ray (McCowan, 2001). Echolocation is not solely for communicative processes; it also serves the purpose of locating preys, other dolphins, predators, a lost baby or a sick dolphin. Through echolocation, it allows dolphin to explore its water world wherein sight is of little use. Also, echolocation entails fast analysis of the sound being heard as to what message is conveyed by the dolphin who send the sound (http://www. dolphins-and-more. com/dolphins-echolocation. html) If a dolphin makes a sound, the sound bounces off into objects and creatures then it bounces back in the dolphin’s direction who is going to receive the sound and the information given by it when its sonar receives it. The dolphin’s brain comprehends the message obtained, hence the dolphin will respond accordingly to the message. Echolocation provides vibrations, their frequency, the level of energy, the distance and if the object is moving or not is very important. With these factors interacting, it creates varied â€Å"dolphin messages† (Tyack, 2000). Echolocating dolphins serve as models for object recognition sonar systems. The association between echo characteristics and object characteristics was given emphasis. A dolphin may keep ‘sound templates’ in its brain and be able to recognize whole objects through listening for a particular sound. A dolphin’s brain may contain algorithms, resulting through natural endowments or experience or both, allowing it to identify object characteristics based on sounds (Wells et. al, 1987). Bottlenose dolphins are capabe of producing low frequency sounds ranging between 0. 25 to 150 kHz. Higher frequencies range make up echolocation; low frequencies sounds which is produced often are for social interaction, these low frequency signals can travel greater distance compared to that of higher as the signals travel much further distances. These frequency ranges are correlated with the amplitude obtained from studies of dolphins (Hoelzel, 2002). Click sounds are usually 40-70 microseconds, though short, these clicks are loud reaching around 220 decibels. Click trains are the sound sproduced by dolphins. It is consist of hundred or throusand of clicks per second which are high in frequency. High frequencies don’t travel as far as low frequencies, these high frequencies with very short wavelengths permit dolphins to echolocate on small objects and scrutinize the detail of an object. High frquency and the fine details of an objetc are directly proportional as such the higher frequecy produced, it would allow the dolphins to further examine the object at hand; also, it allows them to track their prey faster(www. dolphinpod. com). The localizing system ability of the dolphin Tursiops truncatus in discerning the characteristics of an object moving in radial motion was studied. The thresholds of the animals’ threshold sensitivity at its target were given focus. The speed and acceleration were measured respectively (2. 6 cm/sec) (0. 6 cm/sec2). For a target moving at a constant speed, dolphins used probe signals made of two impulses. If targets are said to be accelerating, impulses composed of three signals are used. These methods are proven effective for technical methods concerning hydrolocation and radiolocation. hydrolocation and radiolocation (Zhukovski et. al. , 2004). The dolphin’s wave production and sound is inversely proportional; for every wave production, the sound decreases by only 4  µ sec/decibel (dB). Low-frequency clicks (6-kHz peak power) are equivalent with three times increase far-reaching 12  µ sec/dB. The dolphin brainstem is capable of tracking individual click/ 6oo seconds. The latency and amplitude are inversely proportional (as latency is increasing, amplitude decreases) with increasing click rates. This proportionality may vary depending on the wave production of dolphins. The dolphin’s brain is capable of processing short frequent clicks. The wave production in correlation with latency and frequency as well as click production can further test the sonar signal processing of dolphins (Ridgway, 1981). The echolocation process – sending out clicks and listening to the click echoes – is what produces a kind of mental image of the object that a dolphin is investigating with clicks. We know that the changes in the structure of the click echoes are what a dolphin uses to form this mental image, although it is still an unsolved mystery exactly how they manage to accomplish it. This echolocation ‘image’ is unlikely to be something that a human being could imagine simply because people can’t echolocate. But, this â€Å"mental image† is currently the best analogy we’ve got. Scientists have learned from experiments with dolphin echolocation that their acoustic image is quite detailed, and allows a dolphin to do some pretty amazing things Real targets are used to study dolphin echolocation. Classifying the echo parameters is very difficult due to various factors affecting such as physical dimensions and the reflection characteristic of real targets. Dolphin echolocation sounds are transformed into artificial echoes, which are played back to the animal. The phantom echo system, a digital sound processing is used to make echo analysis easier. Echoes of several underwater targets were simulated to evaluate the quality of the method (Aubauer and Whitlow, 1998). In bats and technological sonars, the gain of the receiver is increased with time after the transmission of a signal to balance off for the lost acoustic circulation. The current understanding of dolphin echolocation reveals that automatic gain control is not a part of dolphin’s sonar system (Tyack, 2000). Field measurements of free-ranging echolocating dolphins were tested and the results showed that dolphins do have automatic gain control mechanism which is put into practice during transmission phase rather than the receiving phase of a sonar cycle. The amplitude of the dolphins’ echolocation signals are highly range dependent; this amplitude increases as the target increases, R, in a 20 log(R) fashion to compensate for propagation loss. If a school of fishes, with plenty of sound distributors would be the echolocation target, the echoes from the school will be nearly constant with range as the dolphin closes in on it. This characteristic has similar effect as time-varying gain in bats and technological sonar when considered from a sonar system perspective (Wells et. al, 1987). Echolocation – or biosonar is an auditory imaging system used by various species for navigation and for tracking their prey in their vicinity particularly that their eyesight is incapble of helping them. Emission of vocalizations by the echolocating animal are emitted, detecting the echoes of those sounds and uses them to produce three-dimensional information about the environment. Also, these sounds help dolphins to be aware of their environment, preparing for an enemy attack (www. dolphinpod. com). Toothed whales, small mammals such as rats and shrews uses echolocation. These organisms comprehend their environment via the interpretation of acoustic reflections. In other words, echolocation is not just an ordianry auditory scene analysis, itrequires specialized neural mechanisms and complex computations for the oragnism to be able to understand the message given by the sender and to intrepret it corretly by the receiver. The neural circuitry underlying echolocation allows for the perceptual organization of auditory information, which guides complex spatially-guided behaviours. (www. seaworld. org). Whistles, buzzes, qucks and pops are the sounds produced by dolphins associated with travelling, socializing and feeding. Specific sounds are produced for a specific behavior which is also associated with changed in season. Pops are signifies feeding; quacks are for socialization; buzzes are for travelling purposes. During summer, dolphins are busy socializing with other dolphins and travelling for food hunt while during fall, dolphins are preparing for migration (Jacobs et. al, 2003). Smolker and Pepper (1999) state that dolphins are eager to learn new vocalizations (whistles) throughout life. Over a 4 yr study period, three male bottlenose dolphins are subjected to form an alliance, to herd female dolphins. Among individuals, whistle sounds produce are varied. The distinctiveness of individual repertoires decreased, the sounds produced by the three bottlenose dolphins became indistinguishable, because some whistles were shared among each other. By the end of the study, the three bottlenose dolphins had a common whistling sound which was never heard before the alliance was started. The frequency modulation pattern of the signature whistles of each dolphin contains sufficient information for specificity but the information received is used by the receiver to identify individuals. Dolphins do not have individual voice features but the sound production is greatly affected by changing water pressure (Janik, 1999), make voice recognition underwater more complex than that in the air. Also, the pitch and the time travel of the whistle or the sonar produced is also affected. Animals identify each other’s whistles individually rather than just purely differentiating them. Recognition means perceiving something to be similar with an idea or learning that is previously known. Bottlenose dolphins identify themselves with a signature whistle. However, scientists have found no evidence of a dolphin language. A mother dolphin may whistle to her calf almost continuously for several days after giving birth. This acoustic imprinting helps the calf learn to identify its mother (Caldwell, Caldwell, and Tyack, 1990). Discrimination can also be used but it does not need previous learning from comparison purposes. The animals differentiate stimuli among them because animals are biased for one class of stimuli. The biases are mainly family based on a preference for an underlying feature in the modulation pattern used by related individuals. The other explanation is that the animals recognize the preferred stimulus individually particularly if the stimuli was encountered before clarifying previous confusion around the role or even existence of signature whistles (Janik, 1999,Tyack, 2000 and McCowan, 2001). Dolphins ability to and identity information in synthetic signature whistles that had all voice information removed demonstrates that the contour carries such signature information and that this information is used by the receiver. Janik and Slater (1998) argued that the need for individual recognition and group cohesion are the two key factors for the evolution of vocal learning in dolphins. Vocal learning enhances interindividual variability of signature whistles while maintaining potential group, population, or species features in the signal. In signature whistle development, a baby dolphin tends to duplicate the whistle that it only heard rarely adding slight modifications ending up as its own signature whistle (Fripp, et. al, 2005). This process leads to individually distinctive signature whistles. Geographic variation in whistle parameters over longer distances can also be a factor, the whistles produced by the dolphins at Ganges River are far different from those whistle sounds produced by those at Amazon River, or modifications are already done making each whistle sound unique (Wang,1995). However, the largest dolphin species, the killer whale (Orcinus orca), uses group-specific dialects in its communication system (Ford, 1983). Although vocal learning has evolved in one particular context, it can be used for other purposes once it is established. For example, learning also allows duplication of signals in direct social interactions. Dolphins frequently imitate each other’s whistles in the wild (Wells. et. al, 1987). These signature whistles carries identity information independent from voice features portray the possibility of using these as referential signals, either addressing individuals or referring to a group, similar to the use of names in humans. Given the cognitive abilities of bottlenose dolphins (Janik, 1999), their vocal learning and copying skills, and their fission–fusion social structure, their communication process can be further studied to provide evidences about their â€Å"dolphin messages and echoes. † Personal Conclusion All creatures have their own way of communication to their fellow species. Communication and echolocation among dolphins needs further study and experimentation. The processes involved in both communication (whistles) and echolocation are already established but the different factors affecting it are yet to be known. Dolphins have their unique sound, when calling a buddy and same with a mother dolphin calling her young. A mother dolphin whistles to her calf almost continuously for several days after giving birth. This acoustic imprinting produced by the mother dolphin helps the calf learn to identify its mother. Dolphins regulate their sounds by shunting air throughout the air sacs beneath the blowhole. Tissue structures in this area slap together (much like a trumpet player’s lips) to produce the clicks. These sounds often extend into the ultrasound region. The whistling sound and the echoes emitted aids dolphins in their survival. The problem lies if the whistling signal denotes individuality or whether it is just a modification of a whistling sound heard within the surroundings. Other factors such as geographical variation, pitch, waves and others can alter the sound produced. It is just so amazing that despite these factors which need to be further studied, the communication processes among dolphins continuously exist. The meaning of the message is not altered despite the mentioned factors. Also, hundred clicks (sounds) can be produced by dolphins within a second but they are able to produce the correct whistle for a specific event and thus the receiver dolphin reacts accordingly. Aside from the clicks produced, neural activity is still studied on how dolphins can accurately compute the frequency of the clicks emitted for them to understand the message. The whistling communication process among dolphins makes them unique among other sea creatures. Echolocation helps them to locate objects since vision would not be adequate in locating objects down under; also helping them to avoid bumping into other objects like seaweeds and corals. Whistles and echoes are the counterpart of speech and language for humans. Humans’ brains and that of dolphins are relatively of the same size. Neural activity frequency computation still remains unclear. Though many computations had been published, it still seems inadequate to explain the processes involved within the dolphin’s brain. Also, it is fascinating how these control the sound emitted. Despite the factors affecting their communication such as season, water depth, noise pollution, geographic variation their system of communication never failed. Whether it be on great depths of water, the receiver had been effective in sending his message to the receiver. Humans and dolphins are relatively similar but would that be enough to support the conclusion that organisms with bigger brain structure are capable of communicating with one another? Does it follow that complexity is proportional with brain size? Is it safe to assume that humans and dolphins are closely related? Dolphins in Danger Dolphins are indeed lovely sea creatures. It entertains us in its own ways. And often, meaningful association between humans and these sea creatures may develop just like in the movies we watch. It is just unfortunate that man harms these lovely creatures as we pollute and destroy their habitats to serve our own purpose. Human beings are the most complex life forms and we must take the responsibility of protecting these friendly sea creatures. Dying Dolphin and Porpoise References Aubauer, R. and Au, W. (1998). Phantom echo generation: A new technique for investigating dolphin echolocation. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 104(3). 1165-1170. Caldwell, Melba C. , David K. Caldwell, and Peter L. Tyack. â€Å"Review of the Signature- Whistle Hypothesis for the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin. † In The Bottlenose Dolphin, edited by Stephen Leatherwood and Randall R. Reeves, pp. 199-234. San Diego: Academic Press, Inc. , 1990. Dolphin Lovers. com (2006). Dolphin facts. Retrieved February 23, 2007 from http://www. dolphinlovers. com/facts. php. Dolphinear. com. (2006). Dolphin ear. Retrieved 24 February 2007 from http://www. dolphinear. com/data/dolphin_species. htm. Ford, J. K. B. & Fisher, H. D. (1983). In Communication and behavior of whales. Payne, R (ed. ). Westview, Boulder, 129–161.

Play critique Essays

Play critique Essays Play critique Paper Play critique Paper Acting Critique A Separate Peace Did the actor present a believable character and an interesting performance? The actor, Jason, created a very believable character in the sense that I could understand why John Brown would want to go live in a hospital. I understand why he wanted to stay away from everyone and everything and Just go to a hospital where he could be taken care of. He even says it literally in one of the lines, l came for the clean linen, I came for the calm, the meals on tray, time passing by and bringing nothing. He idnt want anyone expecting anything from him; he Just wanted to do nothing. This was his separate peace. Did the actor create believable relationships? Yes, the actor created believable relationships, ones that the audience could have thought unorthodox but these relationships reflected his unusual character and this added more to the plot of the play. For example, when the Matron asks him and how are we this morning? his reply is we are very well thank you, how are you? This is bizarre in the sense that a patient doesnt normally ask a doctor/nurse/matron how hey are when theyre coming to check on you. Again, this Just adds to John Browns peculiar character. Also, Jason created a believable relationship with Maggie who is Browns special nurse. His relationship with Maggie was one that showed his fondness of her, yet at the same time their relationship suggested that it could never be anything more than a mutual fondness because of the state John Brown was in and because of an uncertain future, even when Brown tells Maggie l like you very much, she replies, l like you too, Brownie, but there is more in life than that. As an audience, I felt the relationship between these two characters was well defined. Did the actor listen, respond and react truthfully under the imaginary circumstances? Yes, he would listen very well to the other actor/actress with him on stage and then he would respond with his line at the right time, in the right tone of voice. He did not Just say lines flatly and his movements on stage were motivated from the lines. For example, when he asked Maggie what are you like when youre not wearing your uniform, he was painting right before that but he paused, went to it on the bed while rolling around the paint in the bucket and then asked her that question. He didnt meant it in a sexual sense but rather in a curious one because he always sees Maggie in the hospital context with her uniform so he was wondering what she was like out of that environment. Under the imaginary circumstances, the actor was truthful and believable. Was the character sustained throughout the performance? The character was sustained throughout the whole performance; it was always John Brown there, rather than Jason. Even when he was painting he was still 100% focused concentrate in order to end up with such a beautiful painting and still be able to stay in character and focused isnt exactly easy. Furthermore, when he went into his dream-like state when he was talking about the wartime, he absorbed the audience into his thought process in a sense that they could feel the pain he went through at that time. Could you hear and understand what the character was saying (projection and subtext)? Yes, the actor had outstanding projection, even when he was painting and is back was towards the audience, I could still hear him very clearly. Regarding subtext, the character did a good Job revealing it. For example, when he tells the Doctor it must be wonderful to have the healing touch, he says it in a sarcastic tone of voice and that gets through to the audience so they laugh. The actor also portrays John Browns humorous side well after the Doctor tells him Matron will be along to discuss your case with you tomorrow and he replies my finger? , when really he knew it had nothing to do with his finger but rather with his unnecessary stay at the ospital. Please conclude with comments on the following: Visual (set, costumes, lights) The set was simple; it reflected the white typical hospital set. The costumes really fit the actors well, and especially matrons costume was very appropriate and added more to her character, she wasnt wearing the clich? © scrub uniform but an actual black outfit. Furthermore, the lighting was an important component of the play; the diming, and the dream-like state when Brown was talking about the war all added more suspense to the mood. Sound The sound suited the play very well, all four music tracks were calm and this added more to the hospital setting and Just the overall environment of Maggie and Browns relationship. Also, the music that was playing during the time Brown was painting went with his painting of nature and the trees and landscape. In addition, the song that was on when Brown was changing was very romantic and built up on the suspense of both the preceding and proceeding scenes. Lastly, the fact that the music faded in and out created an overall serene atmosphere.

Business Coursework

Business Coursework Business Coursework Any student attending business courses has to write a business courseworkat some point in their academic career. Actually, business coursework may weight up to 50% of your final grade. Thus, students should be very responsible with regards business coursework writing. You cannot handle such a project overnight, as you have to devote enough time to writing, organizing ideas, researching thoughts of others, and editing your final draft of business coursework. Business is complex study and it includes a lot of themes for discussion. Any them can be interpreted into the topic anyhow related to it, so while choosing the topic you should be sure that you are keen on it and, very important, that you can add something new into the current knowledge on the topic. It is of primary importance to use the most relevant, updated resources for your business coursework writing: Moreover, you should rely on journal and magazine articles, books, and governmental sites only to support your statements. Wikipedia, personal blogs, or forum postings are not treated as reliable sources of information and it will not help you get a good grade. Business coursework should: have a good topic for discussion. It must not be too narrow as well as not too wide, because in the first case you will have to search for the needed material and maybe to pay for the information; while in the second case you will not include all the information into one business coursework.There is a danger of the treading water. Thus, be wise with the choice of sources. be planned in advance. It is not easy to conduct thorough research. You will have to collect material, search for the questions, write an outline and format your paper and many other things to do. If you do not think over the sequence of ideas, the chaos will be the defining feature of your business coursework.Start working. be written according to the required structure. You have heard a lot of times that any written assignment should be done in the following structure: introduction, body parts and conclusion, - but you do not know that introduction should contain the thesis statement, the body parts should have as many paragraphs as many thoughts you want to develop in thebusiness coursework, the conclusion should be written according to the introduction and include your own solutions to the problem. So structure properly. You may avoid all of these painful aspects of business coursework writing process if you rely on professionalism of our writers! We can definitely deliver a well-written coursework on time. Satisfaction with quality guaranteed! Interesting posts: Cause and Effect Essay Argumentative Essay Topics English Essay Writing Thesis Writing Thesis Topics

Fair trade has more benefits for suppliers than free trade. To what Essay

Fair trade has more benefits for suppliers than free trade. To what extent do you agree with this statement - Essay Example The supporters of fair trade are of the opinion that the various problems related to the imbalances in the society and the environmental problems arise as a result of free market trade. This essay tries to analyse the phenomenon of fair trade from the point of view of the suppliers. The various economic theories have been explored in this context. Before proceeding with any elaboration of the various nuances of fair trade, it is essential o define the various aspects of fair trade. Fair trade is a movement which is aimed at promoting the labour standards as well as the environmental standards. It also includes setting a definite standard for the policy objectives which are aimed at the improvement of the societal welfare. Fair Trade is to be distinguished from free trade since free trade is that which depends on the market forces of demand and supply solely and would mean the removal of the different types of qualitative and quantitative barriers like tariffs and quotas. On the other hand Fair Trade would involve the promotion of the trade in the developing economies or the sectors which otherwise may not be able to compete with the international competitors. Exports being the focus of it from developing to developed countries. FINE proposed the most crafted definition of free trade in the year 2001. The fair Trade labelled p roducts must be in line with the standards practised by the Fair Trade Organizations. The FLO or the Fair Trade labelling Organizations International is the responsible authority for regulating the certification standards as well as labelling of the products and stipulate the minimum criteria for each product to be labelled and sold as fair Trade (Mohan, 2010, pp. 17-24). A number of criteria are present that distinguish the fair trade products from that of the other products in the market. First of all the producers are paid a minimum price by the traders. This ensures

The Joke by Milan Kundera and how it relates with history of European, Essay

The Joke by Milan Kundera and how it relates with history of European, the Czech society, socialism, totalitarianism and any oth - Essay Example Consequently, the thesis statement of this paper is that the author criticises the communist ideology in Czechoslovakia. Analysis The idea of communism when it was introduced in many of the Eastern Europe countries was to create optimism on the people that they will be equal in acquiring and enjoying social and economic benefits (McKay, 2007). Ideally, the ideology was targeting the equal distribution of the resources in the society to enable people to grow equally on social benefits. This political idea has been castigated by the author as an opium system. Indeed, the author illustrates how one of the characters in the fiction novel wrote in a postcard critiquing the notion of optimism in a society. "Optimism is the opium of the people! A healthy atmosphere stinks of stupidity! Long live Trotsky!" (Kundera 18). This observation of the author through the use of the character in the fiction novel, illustrates how the writer thought of the communist ideology in the republic of Czechosl ovakia during those days. Inasmuch the idea of communism in the country was to draw equality in the lives of the population, the system according to the writer, was pegged on optimism to the people that social and economic benefits will be distributed equally for their own good. ... Consequently, the statement from the novel depicts how the writer blames the communist ideology in Czechoslovakia in beholding them from participating in innovative and creative activities to improve their lives. Another aspect that has been demonstrated in the fiction novel by the writer in critiquing the communist idea is the imprisonment of the mind. This implied the effect of the political system that was practiced in the country in preventing the population in questioning the rationale of the government actions. Thus, the writer demonstrates how the communist ideology in his country had blinded the minds of the population in holding the government accountable in carrying out the state’s affairs. Indeed, the writer illustrates how one of the characters described another character in the fiction novel as unable to go beyond the government rhetoric in questioning its action. In addition, the writer demonstrates how the population is politically constrained in understanding t he ills of the government actions due to the legal system that was introduced by the communist ideology. "She was constitutionally unable to look behind anything; she could only see the thing itself" (Kundera, 143). In contrast, the communist idea in the history of European society was agitated to end the capitalism ills in imprisoning the population. Indeed, it was argued that the capitalism ideology had imprisoned the minds of the population due to its embracement of materialism in the society (McKay, 2007). However, the fiction novel demonstrates how the communist idea failed in liberating the population in questioning the actions of their own government. Indeed, the author demonstrates how one of the character