Creative Writing – “Relief”

he phone rang. It broke the silence of my seething rage. Its high piercing sound irritated me for some reason. I wanted to scream. Lisa wouldn't normally cause me to feel that way (maybe it wasn't just Lisa, but she had been getting to me recently). As twins we were supposed to share a special bond, and usually we got on really well. Despite being only four minutes older than Lisa, I often felt strangely protective of her. With curly blonde hair and brown eyes we looked totally identical, but the similarities ended there. Lisa's favourite word was change; new outfit, new boyfriend, new hairstyle and so on. I was calmer. I had two very close friends – Hannah and Angie, and a steady boyfriend – Adam. That was another part of the reason why I was at home and in such a state. I had just got to the party, after being held up with my friend Laura, who was upset about family problems. Things between Adam and I had not been going well recently, and tonight he had arranged to meet me at six, so we could talk. It was nearly seven. I feared the worst, but friends do come first. However I was not prepared for the scene that met my eyes. I stood transfixed. Something sharp went straight through my heart. There stood Lisa and Adam, alone. Two of the people closest to me, I could not believe it. I ran. A huge bubble of emotion was trying in vain to escape from with in me, but it didn't seem to know how. I could feel tears welling up. I wanted to scream, hit someone, collapse in a heap and break down and sink into the ground all at once. Then my emotions quieted and he silent tears began rolling down my cheeks. I reached the deserted bus stop, when the bus came that was deserted too. My whole life seemed deserted. As soon as I was home I dialled Hannah's number then the grim realisation hit me: All my friends were at the party, my parents were out, my older brother – Phil was out. A fresh wave of rejection, anger, betrayal and total emptiness swept over me, and suddenly I felt very tired. I peeled off my clothes and went to bed. How could Lisa have done that? It wasn't something she would do. Borrowing my clothes? Yes. Shirking chores? Yes. Forgetting favours I asked her? Yes. Trying to sort out my love life with some crazy scheme and making it worse instead? Yes. But stealing my boyfriend? No. Adam? Did the last 10 months mean nothing to him? What about all the special times we had shared together? What about all the â€Å"I love you†s? I felt the bubble return. That was when the phone rang. I left it to ring. It cut off, and then rang again. This time I answered: â€Å"Hello† â€Å"Hello, is this the Scott house?† â€Å"Yes† â€Å"Who am I speaking to?† â€Å"Ali† â€Å"Alison? This is Hertfordshire police† What on earth could the police want? A new emotion hit me: Fear. I listened with trepidation. â€Å"There has been an accident on the railway bridge; Blue Ford Fiesta, young driver, medium build, blonde curly hair. We believe it to be your sister† Lisa. It was Lisa. â€Å"Where is she? Is she ok?† I asked. â€Å"She's at Princess Alexandra hospital. I think it's best if you get yourself up there as soon as possible. Your parents are there already.† I ended the conversation. I walked over to Sarah's to see if her parents drive me. I didn't think about it, I just did it. I couldn't think. Val and Mike were out. I went over to Helen's Helen's mum asked no questions. I couldn't have answered even if she had. She drove me in silence. It was only a twenty minute journey although it seemed to last forever. I was not crying. A strange numbness had come over me. I couldn't think or do or feel anything. There seemed to be a gap where my stomach was and my heart was beating so loudly the whole of Sawbridgeworth could probably hear. Finally we reached the hospital. Helen's mum put her arm around me and led me. Somehow she knew where to go. All my resentful thoughts about Lisa had melted. I felt empty, small and absolutely terrified. I found myself sitting in a green chair. It was a sick green, the green you always find in hospitals. I could see my dad looking grave, his arm around my mum, who was silently crying. Suddenly I noticed there was an arm around me, it was Adam's. I shook it off. A doctor stood by me; he held a glass of water and a small round white tablet. He was telling me to take it. â€Å"Where's Lisa?† I asked â€Å"They did all they could for her. She wanted to tell you something. She kept calling â€Å"Ali, Ali† all the time she was conscious. She said that she loved you. We think she was driving to see you. She was driving very fast, the roads are icy† He said He didn't need to tell me anymore. I knew. Lisa. Lisa was dead. Lisa was dead. It was my fault. I began to cry. â€Å"Ali, take the pill. You need it† It was Adam's voice. I could see Charlie and Amy sitting by him, looking concerned and upset. There was something odd about that, but I couldn't figure out what. I couldn't take the pill. They didn't understand. I had killed my sister. If I hadn't gone off she never would have driven to see me. They couldn't make me take drugs to numb the pain until there was none. â€Å"Alison, this is hard enough on your parents as it is, take it for them† coaxed the doctor I looked to my dad â€Å"Ali, this is hard on all of us, especially you, take the tablet, darling† he said in a hushed tone. Time passed in a blur. I had no idea if it was day or night, or how long I had stayed in my room. My mum kept bringing me those white pills. I was numb. I slept, cried, and just sat for hours, overwhelmed by shock, guilt and sheer emptiness. One morning my mum came in and asked me to come and see Lisa's room. I followed her and my dad. For no apparent reason I was now feeling scared. My mum opened the door. It felt as though it symbolised something but I didn't know what. I gasped. Lisa's room, usually strewn with clothes, makeup and everything else under the sun, was tidy. Moreover all her stuff had been removed and it had been redecorated. I couldn't take it. I broke down. Lisa was like my other half, I was incomplete without her. It was like being half dead. My dad looked at me; I could see it hurt him even to do that. Would it always be like this? Would I serve as a constant reminder of Lisa? â€Å"Ali,† a voice called. It was a familiar voice. It was Lisa. Was I dreaming? I closed my eyes and opened them again. I was lying in my bed. Lisa was shaking me. â€Å"Ali, you left the party. I didn't get a chance to tell you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I just looked at her, utterly bewildered. I reached out my hand and touched her. â€Å"You're alive, â€Å"I murmured. She looked a me briefly as though I was insane, then carried on, â€Å"Adam was waiting for you, and you didn't come. It was my fault things were going badly between you two, so I pretended to be you to make it all better. I was going to tell you, but I couldn't find you. I worked out what you saw, and I'm sorry.† â€Å"But Lisa, you're alive† I stammered. This time she looked at me even more quizzically, so I explained what had happened down to every last detail. â€Å"Ali,† said Angie gently, â€Å"it was a dream, it must have been. We're all fine, your mum and dad are out, and remember Charlie moved to Belgium in August.† I was totally dazed. I felt as if I had been asleep a few hundred years, instead of a few hours. â€Å"So Lisa isn't dead and she never went with Adam,† I said uncertainly. â€Å"I can't believe you even thought such a thing!† exclaimed Lisa. â€Å"Oh Ali, I'm so sorry† â€Å"Everyone's downstairs, I'll go down and explain. You come when you're ready.† said Angie. I couldn't restrain myself any longer. I whooped and threw my arms around Lisa, who looked shocked but pleased. My relief was so immense. I would never hate Lisa again. I was close on euphoric. I slipped my arm through Lisa's and we went downstairs. Amy and Miranda had made up some sandwiches, and after all that had happened I think we all needed them. I was still incredibly tired, but I felt the sudden urge to hug everyone. My emotions were running so high. When I hugged Adam he stroked my hair and whispered, â€Å"I'm sorry about everything that happened. I love you.† Before I knew it he was kissing me deeply. Charlie phoned to say â€Å"Happy new year.† Everyone looked so happy now. As Lisa said, â€Å"It's like a dream.† We all laughed. It felt so good. Relief.

Compare and Contrast Emily and Miss Brill Essay

Miss Brill in Katherine Mansfield’ short story â€Å"Miss Brill† and Emily in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner exhibits interesting similarities and differences. The differences and similarities are evident in their characters. The two stories appear different but the relationship they share is very profound. The stories openly to the reader the realization of similarities and dissimilarities in them and the readers in terms of themes within the story, character traits and plot advancement. The plots of the stories unfold to review the dissimilarities in the social lives between Miss Brill and Grierson Emily. The dissimilarities cannot overweigh the similarities between the two characters in the luck of romantic and genuine social lives and their fateful states of denial. The pride that associates with the community involvement is the major difference between the two characters. Normally people are proud to associate with the community since the involvement gives them a sense if something bigger. Miss Brill takes a community level with more seriously and to a higher level than Emily Grierson who does not take it with much seriousness. This fact makes them different. Miss Brill has a boring life. This fact is evident when she goes to the dark cupboard room. In the room, the almond slice of cake excites her. The depth of Miss Brill loneliness and sadness convinces her that she is an important member of the community. He fills that her contribution is the key driver of her community and in case she withdraws, the community will not survive or operate properly. She thinks that they (community) â€Å"were all stage acting. She was assigned a part sand came every Sunday. No doubt if she hadn’t been somebody there would have noticed; after all she was part of the performance† (Mansfield 20). On the other hand, Emily’s character is a clear contrast of Brill’s character. The narrator brings out the difference when he speaks of Emily’s death. According t the narrator, â€Å"the whole town attended Miss Emily Grierson’s funeral†. The narrator continues to add that, the males attend  the funeral â€Å"as a sign of respect to a fallen monument.† The females attend the funeral because they â€Å"were driven by curiosity to find out how the inside of her house appeared like since no one other than an old manservant had seen it in at least ten years† (Faulkner, 32). Miss Emily Grierson’s father confined her to into the house and continues with the state even after her death. The situation makes the people of the town curious about the life of Miss Emily Grierson’s. The only thing the Miss Emily Grierson did with people was to teach children how to paint china, a craft the people considers useless and outdated. Her l ack of involvement and disinterest in the society is clear when she evades taxes. Read Also:  Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for College She says, â€Å"See Colonel Satoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson† the colonel is dead for almost ten years. The relationship is another point of comparison between the two characters. The both lack romantic and ordinary relationship. None of the two ended up with a functional social life, although there is a bid difference between their public lives. The two stories reveal to the reader a life of two lonely women. Brill would spend her Sunday outings watching people with hopes that she would hear their voices. To her disappointment, people â€Å"did not speak.† (Mansfield, 18). Brill’s gets boredom, a mixture of feelings, and joy from things that she sees and unconsciously relates them to her own life. Comparing herself from a woman who gives her a flower confuses her about whether to reject or accept them. She finally â€Å"she throws flowers† (Mansfield, 19). Emily’s distinctive relationship with her father is the reason she lacks social relationship. His father overprotective nature denies Emily a chance to relate socially. She remembers the â€Å"the young men that had been driven away by her father† (Faulkner, 36). Her father denies her a chance to meet people, not only during the time she is alive, also after she is dead. Brill comes up with a reason for apparent signs of poor circulation ensuing from old age. The grief in her life is what causes the feeling in her. She suppresses and denies the feeling. She says, â€Å"And what they played was sunny, warm, yet there was a mere faint chill or something, what was it?-it is not sadness but rather -a something that made you desire to sing† (Mansfield, 21). The rebuff in Emily’s side is first apparent when she fails to accept her father is dead. She is dressed normally. Despite the  efforts of doctors and the ministry efforts to convince her that her dad is dead, â€Å"She said to them that her father was still alive. She remained in this state of denial for three days (Faulkner, 36). This shows the results of suppressing grief. In conclusion, even though the two stories, â€Å"A Rose or Emily† and â€Å"Miss Brill† seem to revolve around two dissimilar women living lives that completely differ; they are the same in many subtle, but valuable ways. At the same time, their lives differ in how the two women socialize.

Eth/125 Final Essay

The information that I have learned about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand our society and relate to different people. I think that diversity is a beautiful thing that we should embrace instead of looking at negatively. The United States has come a long way in terms of discrimination and prejudice against different people from different cultures, backgrounds and races. This class has helped me gain a better understanding of what some people went through in order to gain the respect of people that looked down on them because they were of a different descent. Looking back at the way African Americans were treated in the 1950s and 1960s truly makes me cringe. To me it’s unfathomable that people can have so much hate towards a group of people because of the color of their skin. Martin Luther King said it best in his â€Å"I have a dream† speech when he stated that he ‘dreams of a day where his four little children will be judged not by th e color of their skin, but by the content of their character’. I think that from then, we have come a long way because as a whole, society is a bit more open to diversity; but we still have a long way to go. Learning about diversity has made me embrace my own culture much more. I am an American of full Dominican Descent, and although I have always been proud to be a Hispanic living in America, diversity has taught me that it really is a beautiful thing. The way some people discriminate against minorities makes you almost a bit ashamed to be from another country, but I don’t see it that way. I love being Dominican and I will always be proud of where I am from. I think that by the year 2050 the United States is going to be much more diverse than it is now. The minority population is going to be much more diverse, resulting in larger amounts of interracial marriages. The Caucasians will no longer be the ‘majority’. Right now, in 2013 we are so diverse and you see people from all over the world in the United States, and I feel th at as time goes by that is just going to increase dramatically. I think that the racial issues that we face today will always be there,  because there will always be people that are closed minded and living in the past. I do however, think that given how diverse the United States is becoming, society will learn to be more accepting of diversity and different cultures and interracial marriages. Today, you don’t see the same concern for race and skin color that we saw in the 1950s and 1960s; people today are more accepting of diversity. The fact that we have the first African American president today is a major turning point in our nation, one that has changed a lot of people attitudes towards African Americans and different minority groups. According to Joel Kotkin (2010), ‘racial and ethnic identification will be as important as it is now. Now more than ever, ethnicity is intertwined with identity and shapes the way people grow, what they believe and their perspectives on a variety of topics’. (What will American look like; Liane Membis, 7/2/2010). The biggest challenge that the United States faces because of diversity is amongst the people themselves. Americans need to get rid o f the hyphen and accept and understand that we are all Americans and one nation. The pledge of allegiance states that we are ‘one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all’, it’s ironic how so many people forget that we are in fact ONE nation and instead of pointing fingers because of where someone is from or the color of their skin, we should come together and embrace the diversity in which we live in. The challenges that this nation faces in regards to diversity our challenges that we have created ourselves. In a perfect world, we would all live in harmony there would be no racism, discrimination or hate. We would all get along and embrace the fact that we come from all over the world to America and live here together. Diversity is such a positive thing, and I wish that more people viewed it this way. In today’s society, where we are the epitome of diversity, a lot of people view it as a good thing. Diversity is beneficial because it gives a lot of people the opportunity to experience different things with different people. S ome people don’t really pay attention to the things that go on outside of their comfort zone, or simply just choose not to participate in things that will help them better understand different cultures and people. â€Å"Studies show that the lack of cohesion between races, sexes and cultures is due to mistrust, stereotyping, and more within culture conversation and language problems† ( Sarah T., Missouri City Tx; The importance & Benefits of  diversity). I think this statement is absolutely true, and is a major factor in the divide that people create in the United States when it comes to diversity. We have a long way to go before we are a diverse society that values the differences in the people that make up our nation. Another benefit of diversity in America is that it prepares our children for the real world. One of the things I love the most about how diverse our nation is and growing up here you see it the most. Our schools are filled with children from all over the world and country, and our children are taught at an early age to not see the color of their friend’s skin, but who they are and how well they get along. I think that by raising consciousness we can foster a climate of acceptance and cultural plurism in the United States. If we as a whole were able to just be a little more open minded we would be able to knock down the walls that keep us from getting to know people from different cultures and accept them how th ey are. Given, that the United states has gone through situations like 9/11 with the terrorist attacks that made people a little more guarded against middle eastern people and that brought on a lot of discrimination against the Muslim Americans living here. I don’t think it’s fair to put them all in that category, because not everyone is the same. There are good and bad people from every part of the world, and if we were a little more conscience of this we would be able to accept diversity that much more. Diversity isn’t just where you are from or your religious beliefs, it’s much more than that; physical appearances, where you grew up, but all of that is irrelevant if we accept each other and come together as a whole. The media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the way that they show people from certain backgrounds in television, newspapers and the way that they talk about people on the radio as well. I think that the way certain racial groups or cultures are portrayed in the media, has a significant impact on the way viewers and listeners see them. For example, the attacks with 9/11 were something that moved our nation and impacted the United States significantly, but the way the media went after the terrorists also made the way viewers and Americans viewed Muslims living in America negative. People began to hate Muslim Americans and discriminate against them, as if the attacks were their fault. The media helps foster appreciation for diversity, for how diverse it is itself. You see people on television from different  backgrounds, and different cultures working together. Whether it is on television shows, newspapers or in music; the media promotes diversity by showing just how diverse it is itself. For example, the Ellen DeGeneres show is very diverse. The fact that she is a gay woman is a fact that some people look down on to begin with, but she brings people from all over the world and a very diverse bunch of celebrities on her show without discrimination against anyone. I think this is the perfect example of how the media helps foster appreciation for diversity, because it applauds the fact that there is such diversity and it is brought together in a positive way. I think that if individuals in the United States were to be a little more open minded than we wouldn’t have any divides at all, and we could reduce prejudice and increase the appreciation for diversity in our nation. The problem is that a lot of people do not realize just how beautiful diversity is. They look at it as something negative and that is the mindset that we need to work on changing in order to reduce prejudice. We live in a country that welcome differences and gives people the choice and right to be themselves, and to be proud of where they come from. Personally, I am a very open person to other people and diversity and I embrace it because I feel that we are all different and that is what makes this country beautiful. I have a very diverse group of friends, and I have never judged people based on the color of their skin, but who they are as a person and I try to carry that way of thinking every day of my life. I have a son, and I would never want people to discriminate against him for being Dominican, or ‘brown’, and so I will instill in him the same values my mother and father instilled in me as a child, that I carry with me today. I mean think about it, if we all walked around being told what to do, what to think, and to act the same then we would complain about that.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Ethics - Essay Example The public expects professionalism and ethical conduct from those in the criminal justice system. The discipline of ethics focuses on the issue of what comprises appropriate or inappropriate behavior. A prominent specialist on ethics, Dr. Sam S. Souryal, gives a specific definition of ethics for corrections officers (Cronkhite, 2013, 304): Ethics has come to mean behaviors as they relate to a profession. Thus, there are medical ethics, legal ethics, and correctional ethics. All corrections professionals must follow basic ethical guidelines. Ethics boils down to making a choice between right and wrong, and doing what is right. In general, you can use your conscience as a guide. If you use sound reasoning, act in good faith, do your job fairly and honestly, respect the rights of others, and follow the rules and regulations of the agency, you will avoid most ethical problems. As argued by Whisenand (2005 as cited in Cronkhite, 2013, 304), ethics in the criminal justice system involves m oral obligations and how individuals should act with regard to both objectives and behavior. The criminal justice system is an inherently service-oriented field that assesses its people and behavior merely in terms of the actual exercise of power and the realization of objectives. Codes of Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas Therefore, codes of ethics fulfill two main functions. First, they serve as ethical or moral rules for those working in criminal justice. They lay down moral responsibilities that must be fulfilled and moral features that must be followed. Moreover, codes of ethics establish rules of professionalism vital to the organization’s interests (Chipman, 2000). The purpose of such rules is to hold the professionals accountable to the utmost performance level and encourage them to be committed to the rules of integrity, loyalty, and obligation. Second, codes of ethics establish professionalism in the criminal justice system. When employees abide by a code of ethics, the o utcome is a setting favorable for excellence. Employees know how to carry out their duties without too much supervision. They feel a sense of commitment and fulfillment in their work. They behave with respect and acceptance toward one another and in relationship to their fellow workers and clients (Chipman, 2000). They are capable of surpassing ‘petty behaviors’ like backstabbing, distrust, and envy and learn to avoid and detest inappropriate behaviors like favoritism, prejudice, and insensitivity. All codes of ethics aim at promoting two major qualities, namely, professionalism and public service. These are natural virtues, essential and fixed (Pollock, 2011). Without these codes of ethics, an organization loses its moral standing and faces serious ethical dilemmas. So how do people confront ethical dilemmas? Scholars explain that people initially exercise intuitive moral thinking when they confront ethical dilemmas. Intuition gives people quite simple rules learned fr om previous experiences (Braswell, McCarthy, & McCarthy, 2010). Another method of confronting ethical dilemmas is critical thinking. Contrary to intuitive thinking, critical thinking uses rules provided by moral and philosophical doctrines. In making moral choices when confronted with ethical dilemmas, people may at first exercise intuitive thinking, using their intuition to determine potential decisions or

Left Bundle Dranch Blockade and Atrial Fibrillation Essay

Left Bundle Dranch Blockade and Atrial Fibrillation - Essay Example In this paper, a case study of an older patient diagnosed with Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and fast Atrial Fibrillation (AF) after a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) will be discussed, including the assessment, pathophysiology, treatment and management. Atrial fibrillation (AF) may result after a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) especially in older adults as a consequence of hypercoagulability and proinflammatory states associated with anaesthesia and surgical trauma, hyperadrenergic state related to perioperative stress, hypoxia, and hypovolemia leading to increased myocardial oxygen demand. Specifically, tachycardia as the heart’s compensatory mechanism to supply the systemic circulation leads to subsequent arrhythmias. In addition to AF, Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) also occurs as an associated condition in older adults above 75 years old due to vascular incompetency and stasis. Usually, people with AF experience palpitations, dyspnea, syncope, fatigue and other cardiovascular and pulmonary manifestations. However, the most important danger posed by LBBB and AF is the hemodynamic stagnation which promotes the thrombus formation and decreased cardiac output. The patient is an 83-year-old gentleman who had undergone a total knee replacement on August 16, 2011. His past medical history was significant for hypertension and arthritis. He reported to have past medical history of atrial fibrillation. ... He reported to have past medical history of atrial fibrillation. On the other hand, he stated independence on performing most of his activities of daily living including household chores without difficulties. He claimed not having episodes of orthopnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. He was able to walk half a mile before becoming short of breath. Impaired with worsening arthritis, the involved knee caused immobility problems and extremely debilitating pain that occurred usually after an exertion. In a short walk, the patient’s knee was traumatically injured that prompted surgical intervention. The patient qualified for the operation after the panel of pre operative assessment was carried out. However, the patient manifested shortness of breath and chest pain two days after the operation. He was then transferred to an orthopaedic centre to manage the acuteness of the symptoms. Also, the patient was connected to a cardiac monitor and an electrocardiographic reading was taken. He was initially given Bisoprolol 2.5 mg but the condition showed no improvement. At that same night, the patient was transferred to Critical Care Unit of Royal Sussex County Hospital where blood studies were run through. His final diagnosis is Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and fast Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Assessment Cardiac complications resulting from surgery are the result of an intricate and dynamic relationship among patient- related risk factors including the patient’s functional capacity, procedure-related risk factors, and the circumstances surrounding the operation. Preoperative patient evaluation begins with obtaining a detailed history and physical examination (Fleisher et al. 165). After the total knee

Middle East culture in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle East culture in business - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in this age of globalization, partnerships and outsourcing are becoming to be the model of businesses.   In this deal, it is important to try and learn the customs and traditions of the country, one has to deal with so as not to offend the hosts. The Middle East is a very large group of diverse culture. The researcher will begin with the discussion of religion.   Religion is a way life for the Muslims, and it has an important bearing when doing business with them.   Muslims pray five times a day, so sometimes, in meetings, they have to be excused. Employers should also understand that Muslim employees have to leave their workplace on Friday afternoons for the mosque.  Ã‚   In contrast, religious practices of Christians found in the Western and Asian culture do not interfere with business because they do only go to Church on Sundays and special occasions and has no need to leave their places when praying. Like the Islam nations, Western faith is based on the Bible. It is not good to do business with Muslims during their celebration of the holy month of Ramadan because businesses are closed and they tend to spend the holidays with their families or at their holy shrine. They observe fasting from dawn to dusk and extensively engaged in their worship, so business must wait as it becomes their second priority.   The month of Ramadan is observed every tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Westerns do not observe this month-long religious activity that often interferes with business.

Manchesters Bohemian Reminder Personal Statement

Manchesters Bohemian Reminder - Personal Statement Example Finally Mari looked up after replacing the hood of his backpack and boomed, "Hey J, care to show me around Manchester" Encountering the streets and the people, we affirmed how Manchester is famed for its tolerant, party-loving attitude and, Mari confessed from his experience at the university, the high-quality academic research. This bohemian character must have what made the city top the "Boho Britain Creativity Index." Demos' new league table is based on a ranking system invented by American academic Richard Florida, and it used three indices to reach its conclusion. One, the city has a thriving gay community, which boosts the establishment of creative businesses due perhaps to openness to radical ideas and considerations. Another factor is the city's large ethnic minority population, clearly manifested by the transcultural element of Rusholme's Curry Mile. And the city has more applications to register new inventions per head. I could not know how it was for him. To have walked our familiar streets then thinking that time would happen he would grow old here, and now knowing the same streets and realizing that he would be leaving it very soon. "That would be dreadful, my man. You must not leave then, if that's the case." I tried to lighten him up, but I knew that a million reasons in the world will not be able to postpone his trip any longer. A different life awaited him in another country. Had Mari been a tourist i... And the city has more applications to register new inventions per head. Manchester's richness in architecture can be verified looking at the structures of the Alcohol Information Centre, the Smithfield Buildings, the Dry 201 bar, the Caf Pop, The Big Issue in the North, Reminder 4 the No. 1 Dorsey Street, The Cord, and the Buddhist Centre, to name a few. Its three universities, namely, the University of Manchester, UMIST, and Manchester Metropolitan University cater to a large and thriving student population. It can thus be figured that the overall enhancement of the city has promoted a drive in creativity and communal confidence. Having now, and perhaps for the last time, tasted the bohemian air of the city, my roommate urged on towards the Northern Quarter, now known as the creative quarter of the city. I could not know how it was for him. To have walked our familiar streets then thinking that time would happen he would grow old here, and now knowing the same streets and realizing that he would be leaving it very soon. "I'm going to be sick," Mari proclaimed. "I'm very certain." And he continued to mutter as we combed the Arndale. "That would be dreadful, my man. You must not leave then, if that's the case." I tried to lighten him up, but I knew that a million reasons in the world will not be able to postpone his trip any longer. A different life awaited him in another country. Reminder 5 "But I can't stay, mum already protested about my prolonged stay." Had Mari been a tourist instead, our little sight-see would have had a different appeal, as we walked the stretch of the Northern Quarter, or N4, along Oak Street, Thomas Street and Tariff Street, sited between Picadilly

Coping with Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Coping with Stress - Essay Example The major cause of stress in my life is the psychological factor. My aims are always very high and I put in all my efforts to achieve my goal and target. I have always managed to keep up to the expectations of the people and this is the major reason of my stress. The fear of not keeping up to the expectations of other people always keeps me under stress. This stress keeps me under pressure, constant headache, cold, stomach ache, afraid to express myself in front of people; the efficiency of my work is also reduced due to this stress (Lazarus, & Folkman, 1984). A proper strategy must be designed in order to cope up with this stressful condition in order to make myself capable of achieving my goals and aims. First I must make myself realize that nobody can be perfect and that mistakes can be made by everyone. I must try to relax myself through meditation and certain medications so that I can get relieved of the stress. These techniques will certainly get me out of the stressful condition because the best solution of getting relieved from stress is meditation (Lazarus,

Future Trends in Purchasing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Future Trends in Purchasing Paper - Essay Example As such, procurement has and continues to help in the evolution of supply chain management in that procurement ensures the security of supply, market expansion, and reduces operational costs while maximizing profits. In essence, this is the direction that supply chain management is headed towards as it evolves from just a profit making venture into a practice requiring adherence to legal, ethical and consumer demands. Callender (2013) gives the example of how the global market now prefers GM-free foods and seeks to shun child labor. E-business can be described as the practice of using technology in order to improve business, essentially by conducting business processes on the internet. The adoption of information technology in the conduct of business has its own advantages and shortcomings, just like the traditional ways of conducting business. According to Popescul & Genete (2007) e-business is advantageous in that it reduces the amount of time required to transact business, while also reducing the costs involved. In addition, the incorporation of information technology in business transactions means that a company is able to market itself on global arenas. On the negative side of doing e-business, companies are exposed to hackers who can swindle the company and its clientele their money. In relation, consumers may fall prey to fraudsters who use information provided online, to steal credit card information. In other cases, There is also the risk that the company’s employees may be unable or unwilling to adapt to the applications used and may thus put the company at risk of losing its consumer base. It is also major concern for companies that the telecommunication bandwidth may be insufficient; meaning that access to online platforms may be hampered thus negating the need for e-business. The practice of using information technology to

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Stat-Final Project - Essay Example In addition, study suggested that students showing higher GPA score have less chance of showing attention deficit disorder that is there is inverse association between GPA score and ADD score. A number of studies have attempted to examine the long-term progenies of the attention deficit disorder (ADD). Substantial attention has been paid that grade point average (GPA) score of the students are related with the attention deficit disorder (ADD) score, and gender and English level of students have an effect on grade point average score of students. Attention deficit disorder is associated with an increased risk for drug involvement and confers a poorer level of psychosocial functioning (Realmuto et. al., 2009). Therefore, it has a negative effect on students grade point average (GPA) score. This study will examine the relationship between GPA score and attention deficit disorder (ADD)-like behavior score. In addition, the effect of gender and English level (remedial, general and college preparatory English level students) on GPA score of students will be also analyzed and discussed. According to Howell, Huessy & Hassuk (1985), this study differs from most follow-up studies in two ways. First, it begins with a total sample of all children of a given age in number of schools, therefore, capable of comparing children who do and do not exhibit attention deficit disorder (ADD)-like behavior. Second, it deals with a predominantly rural and small-town population, whereas previous studies have mainly focused on urban populations. Participants were 216 students (54% boys, 46% girls) from one of 18 schools in northwestern Vermont. The schools were chosen in such a way to produce a reasonable cross section of rural schools within 40 miles of Burlington, VT. Age at first assessment, family background, racial/ethnic identity and other background variables were not assessed. All

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Law of E-commerce - Essay Example With all arsenals pointed at streamlining electronic money institutions through legal, supervisory principles, the binding implementation provisions found quite a number of disparate legislative instruments that tended to hinder the functionality of the directives. The 2000 directives were the first attempts by the Union to harmonize EU e-money banking practices through legal frameworks (Vereecken, 2000). Unknown to the policy drafters was that the directives were headed for major legislative thrusts, which has since prompted the revision of e-Europe Action Plan on the same but with no tangible improvement as once anticipated. The provisions of the action plan of 2005 being the main EU e-money policy blueprint in this area was an updated version deliberated upon since 2000 (Penn, 2005). Indeed, the period of euphoria that characterized the adoption of the directive seemed to have died leaving the future of e-money regulatory legislations much less promising than never imagined. As a matter of fact, many new ideas never sprouted beyond their piloting stages. In essence, The EU e-Money directives were much more of wasted efforts than gainful strategies given that e-Money technology, to a grater extent, remains a figment of salesmen’s imaginations. Background of E-Money Regulations When e-money made a debut into the banking scene, almost all financial institutions in North America as well as the entire Europe took a noticeably stance well armed with different regulatory mechanisms. Rather than a ‘wait and see’ approach adopted by the United States, EU member states took immediate steps, to regulate e-money as soon as the technology appeared (European Commission, 2002). As early as 1994, EMI had recommended that only bank-issue e-money be legalized (EMI 1994; DeGeest 2001). The immediate established target as insinuated above comprised of standardizing measures with a wide spectrum of actions that included access to the Internet, as well as rais ing consumer confidence in IT-supported learning networks embodied in new electronic payment systems. Against a backdrop of concerns from different financial quarters, EU Commission pursued perspective was that proliferation of e-money without regulations could inhibit the proper functioning of the money market and stifle competition as well as innovation in the payment sector. What followed was a draft of directives on the same (EU Commission, 1998). Action Plans set out to achieve the objectives of the EU included numerous legislative measures. Among these were the Directive 2000/28/EC of the European Parliament in conjunction with the EU Council Directive 2000/12/EC touching on the conduct of business of credit institutions forming the first batch of e-Money Directives (EMI Directive, 2000a; 2000b). The second batch of e-Money Directives was the Directive 2000/46/EC from the same intuitions touching on prudential supervision of electronic money institutions (Long and Casanova, 20 02; 2003; EMI Directive, 200

Formative Assessment Essay Example for Free

Formative Assessment Essay The Rape of the Lock, written by Pope in response to a feud between two friends about the theft of a lock of hair, is revolutionary in its evolution of the comic satire genre into the field of epic poetry. Pope, an avid student of the Greek epics (he produced his own translations of some that provided much of his income during his life), takes the basic skeleton of an epic: its structure, critical content and even linguistic points; and crafts around the skeleton a poem of wit and comedy that is at its core epic, but also uses this very epic backbone to undermine its tales own importance and to satirise the content that has been moulded around the form. This creation from Pope marks the offshoot of the epic genre, transforming it into mock epic, an independent genre that bears many of the traits of its forebearer in a new light. The transformations to the epic that Pope undertakes in the Rape of the Lock to satiric effect can be broadly split into transformations of heroic content and transformations of heroic language. The former can be clearly observed here: Pope takes a staple of epic writing, heroic weaponry, and twists its use to his satirical needs. The weapon itself is given, through the use of a similar description, equal place with great weapons like Agamemnons sceptre, whose lineage was used to reinforce Agamemnons dominance and power in the Iliad, being forged by Hephaestus and owned by the Gods from Zeus to Kronos. Belindas weapons lineage is far less great. Instead of a scepter, the weapon of kings and priests in Homers writing, Belinda wields a bodkin, a hair needle. Even that difference itself is satirical: Agamemnons kingship is of great import to the Iliad so the parallel with a bodkin, which links to the hair in question much like the scepter links with kingship, makes a clear statement on the relative importance of the quarrel in the Rape of the Lock. The lineage too satirises the pointlessness of dispute: no claim of divinity (and thus righteousness) is made on the part of Belindas weapon; in fact its lineage mainly consists of feminine objects with the only male mentioned in its lineage also being the only one to explicitly be mentioned dying. Perhaps Pope, often accused of being somewhat sexist, is using this contrast and development to imply that the whole issue is a womans trifle and nothing next to the male quarrels of Achilles and Agamemnon. On top of this, the weapon is not the fixed centre of the lineage as in the Iliad, in which the weapon started as a divine weapon and stayed that way. Instead the object is mutable: it starts as signet rings, develops into a buckle and then becomes a bodkin. Pope changes up the epic formula of the mighty weapon into something changeable and thus insignificant, paralleling with the argument he is satirising, the implication being that it is insignificant and will easily be forgotten. The weapon also shows another perversion of the epic poem that Pope uses. Protection, be it through armour or weaponry, tends to have a high place in the Greek epics. Heroes often wear famed suits of armour or use shields/weapons to survive insurmountable odds (for example the reflective shield in Perseus tale in Ovids Metamorphoses that slays Medusa). This element of protection, divine or otherwise, is a theme that Pope subverts consistently. From the slyph Ariel who is half dissolvd even by light to the Cosmetic powers of her dress and make-up, nothing effectively protects Belinda. The bodkin is no different, it fails to protect her locks from being cut in the initial case, and here, although she uses it to attack the Baron, it fails to return its charge, her hair, to her. Pope is modernising traditional epics, using these typical protections to mock high societies fixation on appearance. All of her outward facing beauty and quaint bodkins cannot protect her from the advances of a single man, so what, Pope asks, is the use of all this artifice? Pope also mutates generic language elements from epic literature for his satirical intentions. In this passage, the clearest example is in his use of the ten syllable rhyming heroic couplet. Pope takes the rhyme of the couplet and uses it to link together two separate words or ideas, often to a comical effect. Here, in the lines, Nor feared the chief the unequal fight to try, Who sought no more than on his foe to die. Pope has the first line of the couplet set up the Barons bravery by expounding his fearlessness in fighting against Belinda in unequal combat (ironic in itself due to Belindas natural weakness compared to his manly strength referred to in the next couplet) before defeating the heroic xpectancy with a sexual pun; the phrase to die holding at the time a dual meaning referring to sexual climax, and often premature climax at that. His heroism is built up and destroyed within a couplet with the contrast of noble bravery and base desire providing a humorous and satirical twist on the typical heroism of the heroic couplet by suggesting that the drive behind the Barons actions is, at its deepest level, sexual, rather than noble or courtly.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë | Analysis

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontà « | Analysis Charlotte Bronte was born at Thornton, Yorkshire, in 1816, the third child of Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell. Mrs Bronte died in 1821 and Charlotte, her four sisters, Maria, Elizabeth, Emily and Anne, and her brother Branwell were left under the care of their aunt, Elizabeth Branwell. In 1824 Charlotte went to a school for daughters of the clergy with Maria, Elizabeth and Emily. Maria and Elizabeth died in the same years and Charlotte attributed their deaths to the ill management of the school. Her experiences there are fictionalised in the Lowood section of Jane Eyre. From 1831 to 1832, Charlotte was at Miss Woolers school at Roehead, where she returned as a teacher in 1835, remaining there for three years. She wrote three other novels, Shirley (1849), Villette (1853) and The Professor (1857). She was then married to her fathers curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls, but unfortunately died in 1854.(Berg 4) Jane Eyre, her first published novel, has been called feminine because of the romanticism and deeply felt emotions of the heroine-narrator. The story is mainly about a girl, who refuses to be placed in the traditional female position, who disagrees with her superiors, who stands up for her rights, who ventures creative thoughts. However more importantly, Bronte sets Jane as the narrator to comment on the role of women in the society and the greater constraint experienced by them. The feminine emotions are often found in Jane Eyre herself as well as in Rochester, which suggests that they possess these enduring human qualities of these emotions. (Waller) In Jane Eyre, Bronte chooses the exact point of view to suit her subject the first-person narration. The story is told entirely through the eyes of Jane Eyre. This technique enables Bronte to bring certain events to the reader with an intensity that involves the audience in the passions, feelings, and thoughts of the heroine. (McFadde n-Geber 1095) Throughout the novel Jane Eyre, Jane is used as a representation of a modern woman from today. Jane does many things which women of her time do not do. She starts reading and writing as a little girl. This is an ability that most women at the time may not possess throughout their entire lives. The biggest reason why Jane is a modern woman is because she takes matters into her own hands. She is in complete control of her life and destiny, whereas most women of that time were completely dependent on their husbands for everything. Jane Eyre represents Charlotte Bronte s idea of a modern woman because she can read, write, and she is independent. Jane starts reading and writing as a little girl in the Reeds house. Jane begged Bessie to fetch Gullivers Travels from the library, which Jane perused with delight. (28) An example that shows Jane can write is when she writes an advertisement that states she is a governess who is in need of a job at Thornfield. With earliest day, I was up: I had my advertisement written, enclosed, and directed before the bell rang to rouse the schoolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nearer to my own age. (89) Finally, Charlotte Bronte shows that Jane represents a modern woman because she is independent. Unlike other women, she does not depend on a man to provide shelter and food for her because she is a modern day working woman. In the Victorian periods, it is almost impossible to find a working woman like Jane who survives on her own in a male dominated society. In Thornfield, after Jane discovers that Rochester has a wife, she reminds herself that she is an independent, modern woman and that she does not have to stay. Therefore, she refuses to become Rochesters mistress and leaves Thornfield. I were so far to forget myself and all the teaching that had ever been instilled, into me, as under any pretext, with any justification, through any temptation to become the successor of these poor girls, he would one day regard me with the same feeling which now in his mind desecrated their memory. I did not give utterance to this conviction: it was not enough to feel it. (350) Jane does not like to follow the orthodox way of doing things. She chooses to live her life her way, not the way women of her time traditionally do for she will not yield to Rochesters passion. (355) More importantly, she follows her own path and does not let Victorian traditions stop her from being a modern woman. Through out the novel, Jane is being both the protagonist and the hero and is involved in a familiar Romantic dualism the opposition between feeling and judgement, or, can also expressed, between passion and reason. (Chase 53) During the eighteenth century, the Victorians have placed great faith in bodily appearance. To the Victorians, a face and figure can reveal the inner thoughts and emotions of the individual as reliable as clothing indicates a person occupation. Therefore, a hero or heroines beauty is known as the most important aspect of his or her character among Victorian novels. (Gaskell 107) In the novel, Jane Eyre appears to be so little, so pale with features so irregular and so marked. (351) Unlike her sisters works, Charlotte Bronte deliberately creates an anti-heroine like figure, Jane Eyre and has told her sisters that they were morally wrong in making their heroines beautiful. (Chase 52) However, they reply that it is impossible to make a heroine interesting on any other terms. Her answer is a heroin as plain and as small as myself, who shall be as interesting as any of yours. (Gaskell 236) In Jane Eyre, Bronte rejects the ideal Victorian beauty and forms questions in readers mind asking, why was Janes plainness so extraordinary? (Gaskell 89) Things that are considered most attractive are Janes Quakerish black frocks and her hair, which is combed behind ears in its simplicity. Jane is a character whose interior self actually surpasses the exterior in beauty. With a typical Victorian obsession for physical appearance, Jane gives many descriptions of herself. She is often painful aware of the deficiencies of her physical appearance in the earliest chapters of her autobiography, saying that she is the strange little figure there . . . with a white face and arms specking the gloomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (21) The importance of female beauty is nicely summed up by Miss Abbot, a servant at Gateshead, If she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that (34). As an adult, Jane is somewhat resigned to her pl ainness but she is still inspired by the ideal Victorian beauty by saying, I ever wished to look as well as I could, and to please as much as my want of beauty would permit. I sometimes regretted that I was not handsomer: I sometimes wished to have rosy cheeks, a straight nose, and a small cherry mouth: I desired to be tall, stately, and finely developed in figure; I felt it a misfortune that I was so little, so pale, and had features so irregular and marked. (11) Rochesters lover, Blanche Ingram on the other hand, is completely opposite of Jane. Despite her charming looks, Blanche is the Man-destroying woman; frequently and quite naturally presented as handsome, but their beauty has a peculiar quality . . . although they usually exhibit astounding beauty, it is really abrupt masculinity that characterises these conventional types. (195) Although Ingram has outward charms, she is not good natured, in fact she is rather shallow and even greedy. (Massey) Like Blanche Ingram, Berth Mason competes and contrasts with Jane physically. Although Jane knows her only as a mad, frightening beast, Bertha is considered quite a beauty in her youth. She is the boast of Spanish Town for her beauty (343) and she has a tall, dark, and majestic figure. During that time, Berthas beauty has blinded the young and na ve, Rochester. He is fooled by both Berthas and Ingrams attractive appearances. Therefore, it is no wonder Rochester is drawn to his small, plain, simp le governess. The constant importance of Janes plainness is evidenced in Rochesters unromantic marriage proposal. (Mason) You poor and obscure, and small and plain as you are I entreat you to accept me as a husband. (286) Then, he wants the world to think Jane as beautiful as he does, which is impossible. Jane refuses to think the same by saying, No, no sir! Think of other subjects, and speak of other things, and in another strain. Dont address me as if I were a beauty; I am your plain Quakerish governess. (291) However, Rochester forces his own opinion upon her by saying You are a beauty in my eyes; and a beauty just after the desire of my heart delicate and aerial. I will make the world acknowledge you a beauty too. I will attire my Jane in satin and lace, and she shall have roses in her hair; and I will cover the head I love best with a priceless veil. (291) Rochesters blindness is the ultimate symbol of the unimportance of physical beauty. (Massey) His blindness allows Jane and him to attain an almost neoplatonic relationship, based on something far greater than outward beauty. Jane is a plain beauty and Rochester is the similarly oxymoronic noble savage. (Mason) Their relationship will surely be a long one because it is not based on external appearances that will eventually fade. True beauty is in the eye of the gazer, is the moral of Brontes tale. She is very successful in making an interesting plain heroine because of her lack of beauty, not despite it. The constant use of fire imagery and many of the metaphors use in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre express two things which could not be expressed openly in the Victorian Period passion and sexuality. (Sng) Brontes writing is dictated by the morals of her society, but her ideas are not. However, Bronte knows that if she is going to write about these two things directly, her book will probably be rejected. Therefore, Bronte creates Jane. The psychology of passion has become one of the novels most dominant themes. Passion has become centrally focused on self-control, female sexuality, and Berthas insanity through use of fire imagery. The use of fire imagery brings reader to the contradictions that Victorian women want to fulfil their passionate needs but at the same time have to keep a sense of self-control. (Sng) In the novel, Jane keeps these feelings and passions strictly deep inside, not wanting to give in to the fire she feels inside. Bronte then creates fire and uses these fire image ries to illustrate the way in which Jane deals this struggle. Jane also demonstrates the way in which she internalised her feelings of opposing ideas and the dealing of loss of self-control. (Koh) As a child, Jane becomes the symbol that Victorian society grows to fear. She has not only been the passionate child but has also become the frenzied woman. In the Victorian psychology, Jane is seen as a girl, who contains sexuality and passion. After Jane is locked up in the red room, her view on the environment totally changes. With its deadly and bloody connotations, its Freudian wealth of secret compartments, wardrobes, drawers, and jewel chest, the red-room has strong associations with the adult female body. (Showalter 69) Mrs. Reed is a widow, who imprisons Jane with ostracism at Gateshead, where Jane is forbidden to eat, play, or socialize with other members of the family. The obsession with the animal appetites and manifestations of the body, and the extreme revulsion from female sexuality are also articulated through one of the submerged literary allusions in the text to Gullivers Travels. (Showalter 70) This book has been one of Janes favourites but after her experience in the red-room it becomes an ominous and portentous fable. Gulliver seems no longer a clever adventurer but a most desolate wanderer in most dread and dangerous regions. (29) The scene in the red-room unmistakably echoes the flagellation ceremonies of Victorian pornography. (Showalter 71) Although Jane constantly reveals her passion later in the novel, her ability to handle these problems has grown slightly. Women at the time are not allowed to let their sexual passions known to anyone, which is similar to Janes summary of how she feels in her society when she states, A tale my imagination created . . . quickened with all of incident, life, fire, feeling, that I desired and had not had in my actual existence. (125) Jane explains that she felt all of these elements inside her but they are not a part of her reality, or in other words, are not allowed to be shown in the society. Women at that time hold back many of their feelings because societys views and morals are pushing them to do so. (Lian) The main problem with this solution is that the women will after many years of doing so, explode into chaos releasing the built up emotions they are hiding. Jane seems to fall into this pattern. She is accused of hiding her emotions and passions, which are evidenced through her interaction with Rochester and Aunt Reed. An example of concealing passions inside her is demonstrated when Aunt Reed at G ateshead asks Jane, how for nine years you could be patient and quiescent under any treatment, and in the tenth break out all fire and violence. (269) Jane falls into the category of the entanglement of self-control and the prisoner of her own passion, similar to other women in the Victorian society. After Jane discovers that she has become Rochesters mistress, she locks herself alone in her bedroom for days. The lockup of herself symbolises the locking up of her soul and passion inside herself. Rochester is expecting hot rain of tears from Jane after she is made known to the truth and he wanted them to be shed on his breast. (336) However, a white cheeked and faded eyed Jane appears in front of him without a trace of tears. (336) Throughout the novel, Rochester has his unique ways to bring out passions and love hidden inside Jane by questioning her in ways like, You dont love me, then? Consequently, Jane immediately reveals her love but still mentally torturing herself by coldly saying, I do love you (241). While Rochester brings Jane to reveal the passions inside her, St. John forces Jane to keep her self-control and destroys her ability to express her sexuality. In Janes words, whereas I am hot, and fire dissolves ice (428) is when she realises how mismatched they are and that he is not able to bring out her sexuality as a lover. This is a good example of the Victorian views, where the society wants women to obey rules by hiding their feelings. Therefore, many women are tortured by the passions and sexuality, which they felt, but were unable to express. Oppositely, Bertha is unable to hide her sexuality and is led to her destruction by jumping to death, while Thornfeild burns to the ground. She shows the potential dangers of allowing only passion to rule uncontrolled and is used to represent unleashed, untamed passion, without any reason or control. (Koh) Berthas bed-burning scene is contrasted to Janes sexual desires, which cannot be let out. Readers can constantly connect Berthas outbursts with Janes insistence on self-control. During the bed-burning scene, Bronte uses several passionate expressions to expose Janes inhibited sexuality. (Koh) When Jane enters Rochesters bedroom, Tongues of flames darted round the bed: the curtains were on fire. In the midst of blaze and vapour, Mr. Rochester lay stretched motionless, in deep sleep. (168) This enables the development of tension and passion in Janes character. As Rochester lay enveloped in tongues of flames, Jane goes to his side and tries to wake him. Jane now becomes the aggressor in this act of passion. After this doesnt work Jane fills a water-jug and extinguishes the flames. Jane has relieved Rochesters sexual desires by putting out his fire, using her water-jug, which broke during this event. Jane says, the breakage of the pitcher I had flung from my hand when I had emptied it . . . roused Mr. Rochester at last, (168) letting her have the role of aggressor and her sexuality be aroused. (Koh) Jane and Bertha are shown to have many parallels in the novel. Janes fires and Berthas blood, the red room and the attic, and Jane being referred to as a mad, the way that Bertha acts throughout the novel. (Chase 62) The way that Jane is able to hide her feelings of passion deep inside is the whole reason that Bertha is assumed to be insane by not being able to do this within herself. The ideas of self-control and the lacks of it are the reasons for the comparisons of Jane and Bertha. There are basically three types of femininity presided over the literary imagination of the 19th century: first, the diabolic outcast, and the destructive, fatal demon woman. Secondly, the domestic angel of the house, the saintly, self-sacrificing frail vessel, and thirdly a particular version of Mary Magdalene, as the penitent and redeemed sexually vain and dangerous woman, the fallen woman. (Bronfen 197) Charlotte Bronte has divided the Victorian female psyche into its extreme components of tamed and untamed, which externalizes two characters Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason. Charlotte Bronte describes Janes character and personality as a passionate, heroic and innocent individual. However, through the novel Jane learns how to control her feelings, her wild and passionate nature. From an innocent child, she grows into a person, who wish to become appreciated and loved by people. Although Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason are both oppressed by the British patriarchal system, the two women differ greatly in the ways that they accept and cope with the reality of their place in society. (Waller) Jane Eyre follows the rules. Although she initially fights against what she believes to be unfair restrictions at Gateshead, she soon discovers that rebellion carries a high price. Therefore she soon learns to modify her behaviour to conform to socially accepted standards. Bertha Mason, on the other hand, never conform to societys restrictions on womens behaviour and so she blindly breaks all of the rules. Therefore, Jane is successful in securing her desired place in society because she ultimately learns the value of conforming to the rules and operating within the context of their established structures, whereas Bertha does not conform and therefore does not survive. As an adult, Jane is a plain governess, (291) whereas Bertha is a big woman who snatched and growled like some strange wild animal but it was covered with clothing. (328) Jane is an orphan who lived in a charity school. Bertha on the other hand is the spoiled daughter of a wealthy West India merchant. Jane is modest and virginal and Bertha is a nature who is the most gross, impure and depraved. (345) Both of them have no choice but to live within the setting of the male-dominated society. In different ways, Jane and Bertha each attempt to function within society acceptable standards while still maintaining a sense of individuality. (Waller) Consequently, both women are judged and punished severely when they do not conform to societys expectations. Jane is bound to powerful or economically viable men like Uncle Reed, Rochester and St. John Rivers several times in the novel. Although it may seem that these attachments are necessary for Janes welfare, in reality they are signs of oppression. (Waller) At Gateshead, she is taken in as an orphan by her uncle. After he dies, Jane remains with his family but is unloved and unwanted. To make matters worse, she is resented by her wealthy relations, who usually enforce unjust rules that Jane has little choice but to obey. Janes rebellion brings about neither justice nor understanding, but only more harsh treatment and loneliness. She is eventually made known to the importance of conforming to social norms and by the time she becomes a teacher at Lowood, Jane no longer needs to be externally controlled by society. (Waller) However, even after she learns the value of conformity, Jane continues to experience the oppression of patriarchy. When she obtains her position as governess at Thornfield, she initially enjoys relative liberty. She is earning more money than she did at Lowood and having Mrs. Fairfax as a companion. Rochester frees Jane from the traditional class conventionalities because he relates to her as a relative social equal. (Waller) However, Janes comfortable life at Thornfield begins to change. As Rochesters feelings for her increase, his efforts in manipulating and controlling her also raises. However, Rochesters efforts to dominate Jane have become less effective as the amount of force he employs increases. Rochesters most intense attempt to control Jane is shown in his insistence that she runs away with him to the south of France, making her realise that he is leaving her no choice but to escape from him. Eventually, Jane senses that if she stays at Thornfield, Rochester will continue t o press her to enter a sexual relationship with him, something she cannot accept. (Waller) Because she loves him so, Jane fears that Rochester may succeed in wearing away her determination in leaving Thornfield. Opposing and refusing his request, Jane leaves Thornfield in a panic following her own principle. This scene demonstrates that Jane would rather give up her chance for happiness than do anything that would yield her conformity to social custom. She is convinced that maintaining a strict adherence to the rules will, in the end, help her to achieve what she want, even if that turns out to be simply social acceptance and love desires. Eventually, Janes conformance to social rules has become the defining element of her adult self. (Waller) She knows her position in the society, and although she may not always be comfortable with it, she internally controls her own behaviour and conforms to societys rules throughout the rest of her life. (Waller) Later in the novel, Bertha dies a nd Jane has finally married Rochester. As a result, Jane has now successfully established social acceptance and maintained her own self-respect. In the end, it is her conformity to the society standards that makes it possible for her to achieve her most cherished desires and goals, like being a legitimate wife of Edward Rochester and the mother of their children. (Waller) Unlike Jane, Bertha Mason is interested in neither social acceptance nor self-respect. According to Rochesters narrative, Berthas childhood experiences, which are very different from Janes, have not prepared her to operate within the framework of patriarchal society. Bertha is not taught in her childhood that non-compliance to social rules carries ultimate redemption and punishment, and consequently, she never learns the value of conforming to the expectations of others. As a child, Bertha is brought up in an atmosphere of wealth and extravagance, and is delighted in the luxuries provided by her wealthy family. Berthas father wants to marry her daughter off as quickly as possible. Rochesters father and brother are also eager to arrange the match to provide wealth for him without having to divide the family estate. Rochester is ignorant, raw, and inexperienced and is dazzled by the beautiful Bertha, who is admired by All the men in her circle. (343) However, after their hasty marriage, Rochester realises that he never lovedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦never esteemedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nor even knew her and that he was not sure of the existence of one virtue in her natureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦neither modesty nor benevolence, nor candour, nor refinement in her mind or manners. (344) He finds her nature is totally alien to him with her cast of mind common, low, narrow, and singularly incapable of being led to anything higher, expanded to anything larger. (344) It is clear that Bertha has neither intention nor desire to operate within the structure of traditional marriage or conform to the expectations of her husband or society. Therefore, Rochester considers Berthas lusty sexual appetite as an inappropriate and devilish act, even within the framework of marriage. (Waller) As a result, Rochester locks his wife in the attic at Thornfield for he thinks that she is safely lodged in that third-story room, of whose secret inner cabinet she has now for ten years made a wild beasts den-a goblins cell. (348) As a member of the patriarchy, Rochester has the unquestionable power and authority to judge and punish Bertha. He is giving Bertha a life sentence of imprisonment for her aggressive sexuality and refusal to conform to patriarchal expectations. However, Rochesters description of Bertha and her behaviour are very different from Janes initial impression. It seems that Bertha, before her marriage with Rochester, is an enchanting lady, who is able to function within a polite society. However, after her marriage with Rochester, he starts to control Berthas behaviour by imposing patriarchal expectations and restrictions but Bertha does not comply, and rebels even further against her husbands dictatorship. Rochester is humiliated and so he avoids her completely. Rochesters increasing strength in confining Bertha leads her to the ultimately passage for escape, which also destroys Thornfield Hall. Even in death, Bertha refuses to be controlled by her husband. (Waller) Jane Eyre may seem like a fairy tale with a happy ending but by looking closely, one will find that it truly reveals the oppressed and non-oppressed thoughts of Charlotte Bronte through the use of words, sentences and characters. All these add to the strong and fascinating character of Jane and certainly proved the phrase no conformity, no survival.

Religious Identity In Different Cultures Sociology Essay

Religious Identity In Different Cultures Sociology Essay We argue that it is possible to empirically test some of the postulates of the classical distinction between an intrinsic and an extrinsic religious orientation: we investigated how people perceive the difference between an individual and a social religious identity, between a central versus a peripheral religiosity, and which are the different motives effectively underlying these different forms of religious identity. Using an ecological measure based on four types of participants self-categorization, results from a longitudinal study across six countries provided a new framework for interpreting religious identity. In particular, religious identity was mainly categorized at a social level by European respondents, whereas nonwestern respondents mostly rated it at an individual level; religious identity was perceived as equally central at the individual and social levels of categorization. Last, we compared the strength of different identity motives underlying these different forms o f religious identity. In the conclusions, we discuss the importance of investigating the different ways of being religious, and how they differ according to the specific experience of religiosity in a particular national context. Keywords: religious identity; identity motives; religious orientation; cross-cultural. The Categorization of Religious Identity in Different Cultures Is there a single form of the religious sentiment? This question was the first interrogation of Allports seminal book The individual and his Religion (1950, p.3): it is clear even in everyday life experience that individuals differ radically from one another in their ways of being religious and that each person endorses the religious identity with a different accent. Some years later, Allport and Ross (1967) developed the well-known distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientations. In this framework, the intrinsic orientation is typical of an individual who lives religiosity as something personal, mainly consisting of private expression, central in life and satisfying the individual need for meaning; on the other hand, the extrinsic oriented individual mainly lives the social aspect of religiosity, considering religion as something peripheral in his/her existence and that responds to social needs, such as the need for belonging or for high social status. Even if it has been widely used, many scholars pointed out the weakness if this definition and the debate on how to define religious identity is still open. Here, we focus on two parts, which we investigated in a cross-cultural study of late adolescents. The first aspect concerns the level of categorization of religious identity: in the intrinsic orientation, religiosity is personal and endorsed at an individual level, whereas the extrinsic type is mainly associated with a social level and thus with group belonging. Does this distinction correspond to real life experience of religious identity? Is it possible to distinguish between an individual (or personal) versus a social (group belonging) religious identity? The second aspect deals with the structure of identity: for an intrinsic orientated individual, religious identity is central and of primary importance, while it is peripheral and superficially endorsed in the extrinsic one. Does the distinction between individual and social religious identity entail a difference between a central versus a peripheral religious identity? In sum, this empirical study investigated in an ecologic framework if some people perceive their own religious identity as an individual characteristic, whereas others as a group belonging, and the implications of this difference for the understanding of religious identity. The Level of Categorization of Religious Identity: Individual and Social Religious Self According to the delineation of the religious orientations provided by Allport and Ross (1967), some people live religiosity as something personally chosen and individually endorsed, whereas other people live religiosity mainly as a belonging to a social group. In the literature, research into religiosity sometimes consider the individual aspect of religion, for example solitary personal prayer (e.g. Fincham, Lambert, Beach, 2010), while at other times consider the social side of religiosity, for example the feeling of belonging to a group and the commitment toward this group (e.g. Vekuyten Yildiz, 2010). Cohen, Hall, Koenig, and Meador (2005) argued that the importance of social aspects in religion can be viewed as a cultural characterization of certain religious denominations (see also Cohen, Siegel, Rozin, 2003; Hall, Meador, Koenig, 2008); for example, the emphasis on communitarian aspects (praying together, feeling a sense of belonging) is stronger in certain denominations, whereas in other denominations the emphasis is more on individual religiosity (e.g. beliefs, conversion, personal prayer). Another possible explanation for the different emphasis put on the individual versus social side of religiosity can be found in general culture: the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures might also affect differences in religious identity (Triandis, 1995). The six countries included in the present study all have a Christian historical background (paired with Islam in Lebanon), but they differ in levels of individualism and collectivism (Triandis, 1995). Thus, we explored the question about the individual or social characterization of religious identity in a large sample of different cultures, allowing to compare between individualistic and collectivistic countries. To our knowledge, no study to date has investigated with an ecologic approach what people actually feel about their religious identity. A first purpose in the present study is to look at what people say when they think about their religious identity. In particular, we proposed to look at four possible levels of categorization, drawing on self- categorization theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, Wetherell, 1987): an individual level, a relational level, a small group level and a large group level. We expected that some people perceive their own religious identity mainly as a personal characteristic, whereas others perceive it as a group belonging, etc. Therefore, we examined which level of categorization people associate their religious identity with if directly asked, without any sort of priming (e.g. without influence by instructions or by item formulation). The Structure of Identity: Central and Peripheral Religious Self The question about the centrality of religiosity in the individual self is assuming growing importance in the literature. In fact, it is argued that the individual differences in centrality of the religious self may also result in different degrees of integration of religion in life, and thus to different outcomes (Pargament, 2002). According to Allport and Ross (1967) theorization, intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity imply a different degree of centrality of religion in the individuals life: the intrinsic orientation entails centrality in life, i.e. subjective importance of religion, and it is seen as a more mature form of religiosity, whereas in the extrinsic form religiosity is a more peripheral part of life. Given that the authors consider intrinsic form of religiosity mainly as individual religiosity, they also assume that the individual religious self is more central than the social (extrinsic) religious self, which is seen as more peripheral. Nevertheless, this clear-cut opposition is questioned from many parts (e.g. Pargament, 1992; Burris, 1994). Flere and Lavric (2007) argued that intrinsic religious orientation is a culturally specific American Protestant concept and concluded that it is time for scholars to approach the question of the authenticity [italics added] of non-intrinsic religious orientation, including social extrinsic orientation not just as sociability, but as a legitimate path for achieving grace and salvation (p. 529). Therefore, we argue that research into the perceived centrality of different types of religious selves would gain clarity by being investigated cross-culturally, comparing across cultures the perceived importance of religiosity in the individual, relational or social self. In the present study, we investigated the centrality measured as perceived subjective importance of religious self in identity in a cross-cultural sample from six nations, including both western and nonwestern countries. We examined if people who define their religious identity more in terms of individual versus relational versus social self also show different degrees of centrality of that religious identity. According to the evidence provided by Cohen and colleagues (2005), and Flere and Lavric (2007), the social aspects of religiosity can be perceived equally important as the individual aspects by the person herself; thus, we expected to observe equivalent degrees of centrality at all levels of categorization. The Present Study This study is based on secondary analysis of a data set of a broader longitudinal study into culture and identity (Becker, Vignoles, Owe, Brown, Smith, Easterbrook, et al., 2012). For the purpose of the present research, we examined six different cultural contexts: three European countries from different parts of Europe (UK, Belgium, Italy) and three non European countries, specifically a Middle East country (Lebanon), one in East Asia (Philippines) and one in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia). These countries represent six very different cultural contexts in which religious identity can develop, with varying levels of individualism and collectivism (Triandis, 1995): the UK, Italy and Belgium have similar high rates for individualism, while Lebanon, Philippines and Ethiopia are all collectivistic countries (Hofstede, 2001). We hypothesized that in all these contexts people can perceive their religious identity at different levels of categorization, with implications for the centrality of religious identity and for the motives underlying each type of religious self. In the previous sections of this paper, we accounted for the distinction between individual and social religious self; then we exposed the centrality or non centrality of religious identity and the multiplicity of motives that can be at the basis of religious identity. The study reflects this pattern and provides answers to three research questions: (1) Are there individuals who categorize their religious identity as individual and others who categorize their identity as relational or social? Our hypothesis, following Cohen at al. (2005), was that participants define their religious identity both as individual and as social. (2) Is the individual religious self the most central religious identity? Our hypothesis, consistent with Cohen et al. (2005) and Flere and Lavric (2007) findings that both individual and social motives can have the same importance in religious identity, was that, irrespective of culture, the perceived centrality of religious identity is equivalent at the individ ual, relational and group level of identity. Method Participants. Participants were a subsample of the broader research project, constituted by secondary school students in the UK, Belgium, Italy, Lebanon, Philippines, and Ethiopia. A total of 1,793 participants took part in the study. The mean age was 17.5 (SD 1.1); 257 were residents in the UK, 194 in Belgium, 187 in Italy, 300 in Lebanon, 250 in Ethiopia, and 300 in the Philippines. Demographic information regarding age, gender, general religiosity (mean rates for How important is religion to you?, from 1 not at all to 5 extremely) and religious belonging in each national sample are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Participants Characteristics and Religious Belonging by Sample. Sample Belgium Ethiopia Italy Lebanon Philippines UK Mean Age (sd) 17.7(1.1) 18.1(1.0) 18.1(0.8) 17.3(0.5) 17.9(1.3) 17.1(0.8) % Female 57 45 61 46 66 75 Religiosity (1-5) 2.14 4.77 2.69 3.73 4.03 1.92 % Christian 45.4 97.1 77.8 34 89.3 34.1 % Muslim 6.0 1.2 1.6 61.3 0.7 0.8 % Other 1.2 3.8 2.0 8.7 2.4 % no relig. belonging 46.6 1.6 16.8 2.7 1.3 61 Procedure. The research was introduced as a study about opinions, thoughts and feelings; participants were recruited through schools and were not compensated in any way. As the present study is based on secondary analysis, the research team members who supervised the completion of the questionnaire were unaware of the researchs aim, so participants were not influenced about religion/religiosity. A questionnaire was filled out at the beginning of the school year (time 1) and, after a period of approximately six months, another questionnaire was completed (time 2). In nations where this was an ethical requirement, parental consent was obtained in advance. Measures. Measures were included within a larger questionnaire concerning identity construction and cultural orientation (see Becker et al, 2012; Owe et. al, 2012). The questionnaires were administered in English in UK and Philippines, and they were translated from English into French (Belgium), Italian (Italy), Arabic (Lebanon) and Amharic (Ethiopia) in each country. Independent back-translations were made by bilinguals who were not familiar with the research topic and hypotheses. Ambiguities and inconsistencies were identified and resolved by discussion, adjusting the translations. Only the measures relevant to this article are described here. Generation of identity aspects. First, participants were asked to generate freely ten answers to the question Who are you? (hereafter, these answers will be referred to as identity aspects), using an adapted version of the Twenty Statements Test (TST, Kuhn McPartland, 1954, see Becker et al., 2012). This part of the questionnaire was located at the very beginning of the questionnaire, so that responses would be constrained as little as possible by theoretical expectations or demand characteristics. The ten aspects generated by respondents at time 1 were re-presented at time 2 and participants re-evaluated them after the time lag. Self-categorization of identity aspects. (Vignoles et al., 2006). Participants were asked to indicate for each identity aspect the category that best fitted their identity aspect, by circling a letter (possible choices: I, for individual characteristic, R, for relationship with someone, SM, for belonging to a small group, LG, for belonging to a large group). We adopted four categories in order to maximize the ecological approach and let respondents choose between more than a dichotomous alternative. Identity centrality. (Vignoles et al. 2006). A question measured the perceived centrality of each identity aspect within participants subjective identity structures (How important is each of these things in defining who you are?; scale anchors were 0 = not at all important, 10 = extremely important). The same item was answered both at time 1 and at time 2. Identity motives. (Vignoles et al., 2006). Participants were asked to rate each of their identity aspects on the six identity motives. The questions measured the association of each identity aspect with feelings of self-esteem (How much does each of these things make you see yourself positively?), distinctiveness (How much do you feel that each of these things distinguishes you-in any sense-from other people?), belonging (How much does each of these things make you feel you belong-that you are include among or accepted by people who matter for you?), efficacy (How much does each of these things make you feel competent and capable?), continuity (How much does each of these things give you a sense of continuity-between past, present and future-in your life?), meaning (How much does each of these things give you the sense that your life is meaningful?). Scale anchors were 0 = not at all, 10 = extremely. Results After collecting data, we read all the identity aspects and selected the identity aspects referring to religion, coding them as 1 and all other aspects as 0. All the aspects that mentioned God, Religion, belonging to religious organizations, etc. were coded as religious identity aspects. Examples are: Christian, Religious, God fearing, Member of the Church, etc. The percentage of people who mentioned at least one religious identity aspect in each country were: Ethiopia 47%, Philippines 33%, Italy 13%, Belgium 9%, Lebanon 7%, UK 6%. Most of the following analyses, except where indicated, were conducted selecting only participants religious identity aspects. Self-categorization of religious identity aspects. The questionnaire item, as described before, allowed to choose between individual characteristic, relationship with someone, belonging to a small group and belonging to a large group. The percentages of selected categories differed in each country sample. As we can see in Figure 1, European participants mainly categorized their religious identity aspects as group belonging, while non-European participants labeled their religious identity aspects as individual characteristic in the majority of cases; relationship with someone and small group were chosen by a minority of respondents. A Chi-square test indicated significant differences between countries, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 (15, 232) = 47.981, p We then checked if the differences in categorization were connected to general culture. We tested if it was a general tendency of western respondents to define all their identity aspects as group belongings, but we found that this categorization is specific to religious identity aspects: a Chi-square test conducted on all identity aspects of the European samples indicated a significant difference of categorization between religious and non religious identity aspects, à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡2 (3, 1) = 33.645, p Figure1. Figure 1. Percentages of self-categorization of religious identity aspects in each sample. Centrality of religious identity in the different levels of categorization. We tested the hypothesis that religious identity aspects would be perceived as more central (i.e. rated as more important) in an individual religious self (aspects labeled as individual characteristic) than in a relational (aspects labeled as relation with someone) or social religious self (aspects labeled as small group belonging or large group belonging). However, the ANOVA comparing the means of the four groups revealed no significant differences in the centrality of the religious identity aspects (F (3,202) = 1.61, p = .189). Mean centrality for each level of categorization is reported in Figure 2. Thus, all levels of categorization of religious identity are associated to the same degree of importance for the person who endorses one of them. Figure 2. Mean identity centrality of the religious self by level of categorization. Numbers in parentheses report standard deviations. Centrality was significantly different between countries (F (5,202) = 6.40, p Discussion Our aim was to explore different forms of religious identity in different countries. The study measured the occurrence of religious identity with an ecological procedure, where participants freely generated aspects of their identities. In countries with a higher mean religiosity, a higher number of participants listed a religious identity aspect in their identity. We first investigated the level of self-categorization (Turner et al., 1987) that participants choose for the religious aspects of their identity. Interesting between-country differences were observed: most Western participants rated their religious identity as group belonging, whereas nonwestern participants rated it as individual characteristic. This pattern does not match the traditional individualist-collectivist distinction (Triandis, 1995), and it cannot be explained by general culture (as tested by the comparison with other, non-religious, identity aspects of the same participants), but probably reflects something mo re specifically connected with religious traditions and habits. These results are in line with Cohen et al. (2005) and add to the existing theory the specification that the importance of social versus individual aspects of religious identity varies not only by religious denomination but also by the specific experience of religiosity in a specific national context. It could be, for example, that in Western countries, where religion is not so widespread, people who experience religiosity necessarily have this experience by means of affiliation with a particular group. On the contrary, in countries in which religion is more widespread, individuals can live a religious experience individually and without entering a specific group. The second aim of our study was to compare religious identity centrality at different levels of categorization: literature about intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation suggests that a more personal level of categorization would coincide with a more central (i.e. perceived as important) religious identity (Allport Ross, 1967). However, we predicted, following Cohen et al. (2005) and Flere and Lavric (2007) that the perceived importance of religious identity should be the same for individual, relational, and social religious identity. In support of this hypothesis, there were no significant differences in the mean rates of identity centrality at the four levels of self-categorization. Thus, this disconfirms the distinction between an extrinsic religiosity that is peripheral and based on group belonging, and an intrinsic religiosity that is central and pertains to an individual level. In fact, both individual level and group level religious identity have the characteristic of ce ntrality that was a prerogative of the sole intrinsic orientation. Conclusions and Implications A first implication of these findings is the irrelevance of a distinction between a first class (real, authentic, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and a second class (peripheral, instrumental,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) religious identity reflecting the personal-social distinction. In fact, even if it is possible to differentiate between different levels of religious identity and to distinguish between a more personal religious identity associated with sense of meaning and a more social religious identity associated with need for belonging (as can be predicted by the traditional intrinsic-extrinsic distinction), each type of religious identity is central for the individual who lives it. Thus, we agree with Flere and Lavric (2007) that the authentic religious expression cannot be confined into the intrinsic-individual orientation but should also include the importance, for the individual, of social and relational aspects of religious identity. A limitation of this study lays in the theoretical opposition between individual and social self: even if it was a necessary option for a first disentanglement of the different ways of being religious, we think that the two selves are not alternative and that an individual could have both a salient individual religious self and a salient social religious self. Indeed, some recent studies combining the two levels measuring at the same time the individual and social side of religious identity show promising findings (see for example, Brambilla, Manzi, Regalia, 2011; Verkuyten Yildiz, 2010). What should also be further explored, is the impact of the minority or majority status of religious groups in a given country on the individual perception of religious identity. In fact, the unexpected observation, in our sample, of the prevalence of self-categorization of religious identity as a group level identity among the western participants, elicits new questions. The impact of different denominations has already been investigated (e.g. Toosi, Ambady, 2010), but less is known about the influence of religious history of each country: it could be the case that in more secularized countries the religious identity is connected to belonging to a specific group, whereas in more religious nations individuals can practice their religion as something ordinary, pertaining to the majority of people (see also Gebauer et al, 2012; Sedikides Gebauer, 2010). Another aspect of possible influence is the interconnection between peoples religious identity and the way in which they enter in con tact with a religious tradition, for example their religious group/community and its specific practices (attendance of services, solitary prayer, volunteering for an association, etc.) and, before, the transmission of faith within family (see for example Assor, Cohen-Malayev, Kaplan, Friedman, 2005).

Workplace Violence :: essays research papers

A summary paper for the partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the Pacific Union College Degree Completion Program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration. Napa Valley College November, 1999 INTRODUCTION Preface This paper is intended to explore the issues of violence in the workplace. It does not recommend a specific course of action or purport to address all of the issues associated with the problem. It is my desire to examine particular elements of workplace violence with the idea that I may author a policy for my employer. Background Crime continues to be a controversial topic in American society. Debate regarding the cause of crime may be found in the media on any given day. What to do about crime is also the topic of much discussion. 5.5 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at year’s end 1996. (U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.) Many changes have taken place within the Department of Corrections in California during the 1990s. Most significantly, dwindling financial recourses have reshaped the priorities of the department. It cost $21,470 a year to house an inmate in a California state prison. (Inmate Costs, 1997-1998 p.1 Corrections: Public Safety, Public Service). There are currently about 161,033 inmates in California Prisons. Since staffing levels must remain more or less constant, it is inmate programs that suffer from lack of funding. Criminals sentenced to prison are under the custody of the Department of Corrections. In addition to fiscal pressure, the department is subject to political pressure at all levels. Public reaction to crime is responsible for the denial of weight yard and other recreational activities; â€Å"Three Strikes†, and the loss of conjugal visits. All place varying levels of stress upon inmates and staff. Nature of the Problem Violence is universally recognized as a pervasive part of contemporary American society and of our Nation’s past as well. Many of the attempts to understand the phenomenon have been made in response to specific situations, such as the lawlessness of the prohibition era, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the urban riots of the mid 1960’s. (Roth) I work for the California Department of Corrections. I am on a two-year assignment as the Employee Relations Officer. Many people understand the title to mean that I am to be an employee advocate. I am, but not for that reason.