Dorian Gray and Corruption Essay Example

Dorian Gray and Corruption Paper How does Dorian Gray become corrupted? Is he really so innocent? Does he Ð’Â « sell his soul Ð’Â », if so when? Various stages of corruption Dorian is obviously corrupted at first by Lord Henry who tells him his beauty will not last forever, and advises him to take advantages of his beauty: Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let be nothing lost upon you. For Lord Henry, beauty rhymes with youth and Dorian Gray should enjoy his beauty to make new experiences. Lord Henry plays a big role In Dorian corruption since he Is the one who UT In Doormans brain the Idea that beauty Is the only thing worthy In this world. According to Lord Henry, Dorian can do whatever he wants thanks to his beauty but It will last as long as Dorian Is beautiful. Once ugly, Dorian will have to fight to obtain something In this world. These poisonous words lead Dorian to put beauty above everything. When Dorian Gray looked at his portrait for the first time It Is Like a revelation: A look of joy came into his eyes, as if he had recognized himself for the first time. We will write a custom essay sample on Dorian Gray and Corruption specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Dorian Gray and Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Dorian Gray and Corruption specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. This assuage could refer to the Bible when Adam and Eve eat the apple, then look at each other in a different way since they are aware of new desires And here the snake would stand for Lord Henry. Harry is the masters of witty words which appear terribly attractive to Dorian. Moreover, as being older and scholar, Lord Henry has a peculiar way to see life. According to him women are pointless, one should not mourn a persons death (ref : Sybil) , very few people are worthy, etc. What is more, Basil Hallways is also one of the reasons why Dorian becomes corrupted as he is the one ho painted and therefore revealed to Dorian his own beauty through his portrait. The first visible instance of Doormans corruption happens after he rejects Sibyl Vane. When Dorian comes home and sees his portrait, the painted image now has an expression of cruelty on its face. This terrifies Dorian and convinces him to correct his cruelty towards Sibyl and be a better person in general. However the arrival of Lord Henry with his news of Sibyls death and his poisonous world makes Dorian changes his mind. He decides to experience Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle ND secret, wild Joys and wilder sins ( ) and to let his portrait bear the burden of his shame. This was only the beginning of his plummet into the dark side Then Lord Henrys bad influence is at Its peak when he offers Dorian the yellow book. This book, which is not properly named, is about a young Parisian who dedicates his life to vices and sins. Dorian finds himself so fascinated by It that he decides to make his own life similar to the mall characters one: for years, Dorian Gray could not free himself from the influence of this book. he never sought to free himself. Then his Innocence disappears for good. Later In the novel, Dorian will Implore Lord Henry not to lend the book to anyone else because It poisoned him and It does harm. Indeed, after reading this book Dorian corrupts young gentlemen and brings shame on them and their families. There Is a lapse In time of eighteen years In the novel after Sibyl death where its hinted that he did various other bad deeds that cause several his youthful beauty. One night, Basil seeks Dorian out to confront him about his bad petition, they argue and Dorian decides to show Basil exactly how true the rumors are by showing him his hidden portrait after Basil has witnessed in horror the changes made to his painting, Dorian slit his throat in rage and resentment. He then blackmails an ex-friend doctor to dispose of the body which will drive the friend to suicide later in the novel. Doormans guilt pushes him after that to go to an opium den where he meets James Vane who will end up dead after following him to a hunt and accidentally getting shot. In the end, Dorian too frightened and repulsed by the vying proof of the taint of his soul stab his portrait and accidentally kills himself. The last stage of corruption is obvious at the end, all control is lost. He murders Basil, and then tries to kill his conscience, which he identifies with his picture. Instead, he himself dies and become completely evil. Dorian corrupted behavior and way of thinking is the cause of death of his entourage. Everyone who is close with him becomes corrupted even Lord Henrys sister, Lady Condoled who after meeting with him isnt able to live with her children anymore. Doormans sins are reflected in his stricture which he hides from the world as hes afraid of people guessing his true nature. Furthermore, the city of London also plays a part in Dorian Grays corruption. London, like Dorian Gray had two different aspects: the East and the West, the good side and the evil one. Although East London was dedicated to sins like prostitution and drugs (opium), West London represented the aristocracy. As the novel progresses Dorian is drawn by the East: muff have been seen creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking in disguise into the foulest dens in London. Is he really so innocent? At the beginning of the novel, Dorian Gray is depicted like an innocent young man. In the 1st chapter Basil introduces Dorian Gray like a piece of art: Unconsciously he defines for me the lines of a French school ( ) the harmony of soul and body. So before Lord Henrys corruption, Dorian Gray remains as pure as his beauty. However, the painter who is explaining to Lord Henry Watson, one of his best friends, how Dorian influences his art, also uses these words to describe Dorian: Now and then, however, he is horribly thoughtless, and seems to take a real delight in giving me main (chapter 1). At the beginning of the novel, Dorian even though he hasnt committed any sins, is described as someone who hurt people without being aware of it. Furthermore, the words used to describe Dorian Gray in the 2nd chapter usually refer to children: swinging wound on the music-stool in a willful, petulant manner, a faint blush colored his cheeks for a moment, a funny look of penitence. , cried, a little moue of discontent. It can be argued that Dorian Gray is innocent like a child is : children are usually considered innocent and naive but they can also be cruel, elfish or insensitive sometimes. What is more we learn Dorian Grays background in chapter Ill, and it appears to be very dark. Indeed, his mother had an affair with a man of inferior status, at the end of which the man is murdered on her fathers orders. Then Doormans mother died giving birth. Those sorts of events usually play a part in a mans mind and could be the origin of his taste for corruption he ignored first. Last but not least, Dorian Gray is not that innocent because he always had the opportunity to choose between what his good according to his conscience, and what rod choice is of major importance: it means he still has free will. But Dorian Grays vanity leads his life: he prefers his appearance to his moral principle. Does he sell his soul and if so when? In chapter II Dorian Gray unconsciously sells his soul when he pronounces the wish to stay young forever while the portrait would grow old instead: If it were I who was to be always young and the picture that was to grow old! ( ) I would give my soul for that. Although Dorian Gray never signs contract with the devil, his sacrifice is similar: e trades his soul for the luxury of eternal youth. Nevertheless Dorian Gray makes this wish without knowing that it will became true. So he is rather innocent in chapter two. There isnt a clear moment in the novel where Dorian willingly signs his soul to a demon, there isnt any indication that anything paranormal happened until a month later when the painting suddenly changes after a cruel action. But Dorian Gray clearly believes that the portrait changes are due to the prayer he made when he first saw the portrait: Suddenly there flashed across his mind what he said in Basil Halyards studio the picture had been finished ( ) He had uttered a mad wish that he himself might remain young, and the portrait grow old ( ) Surely his wish had not been fulfilled? (.. ) And, yet, there was the picture before him, with the touch of cruelty in the mouth. This is when Dorian understands that his wish came true, so he is aware of his corruption and in chapter 8 he deliberately choose to become evil. He fell that the time had really come for making his choice. ( ) The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame: that was all.

Jefferesonian republicans DBQ #4 essays

Jefferesonian republicans DBQ #4 essays The Jeffersonian Republicans are usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad constructionism of the Federalists. This is true only to an extent. Jefferson would change his outlook on being a strict or loose constructionist depending on the situation at hand. Jefferson would be a loose or strict constructionist depending on which way would more benefit there way of reason and thinking. There is no fine line between being definite strict and loose constructionists in Jeffersons case but more of a broadened idea. Madison was more of a strict constructionists, as he really stuck to exactly what powers were given by the Constitution. Reasons as the National Bank, Louisiana Purchase, Hartford Convention, Improvements Bill, and the Embargo Act of 1807, will show how each party morphs, and changes to become a strict constructionist and a loose constructionist, and how Madison stays a strict constructionists by the Hartford Convention, and Improvements Bill. The National Bank, a time when Jefferson and the anti-federalists were strict constructionists. Saying that the idea of a national bank was unconstitutional, not stated in the constitution, and there for cannot be ratified. Strict constructionists being people who say you have to directly abide by the constitution, and if its not stated, it doesnt happen. Hamilton, as would Madison at this time say a national bank is necessary and proper, and under the Elastic clause, therefore making it constitutional. These would be ideas of the loose constructionists. People who think its ok to stretch the constitution and form, and mold it are loose constructionists. At this moment in time, Jefferson is a strict constructionist, saying you must abide directly by the constitution, although according to his needs and wants at this time, being from the south and not wanting more power to the federal government, but ...

Outsoucing in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outsoucing in the United States - Research Paper Example In as far as recruitment is concerned, there are other independent companies which can offer advanced services on behalf of different organisations which entails that they can outsource the recruitment and staffing services to third parties. As such, this paper seeks to explain the meaning of outsourcing as well as outlining its pros and cons. The paper will also attempt to evaluate real life situations of outsourcing in different organisations. According to Heneman & Judge (633), outsourcing refers to contracting work to a vendor or third party administrator to perform the tasks that could be done by the organisation itself. This means that the functions of the whole human resources department in particular can be done by an outside company. There are many examples of outsourcing of specific staffing activities and some of them include the following: seeking temporary employees, executive search, skills testing, assessing employee backgrounds, job relocations, assessment centers as well as affirmative action planning (Kleynhans, 85). Basically, the organisation can outsource some of its functions such as recruitment to the third party whilst it concentrates on other core business of the organisation. ... This process is usually longer and many organisations usually spend a fortune in recruiting and selecting the right candidates for the organisation. Outsourcing the recruitment services to the third party is advantageous in that the organisation will only pay a fixed fee and these employment agencies have experience in attracting experienced and skilled workers in the industry. The organisations will not waste more money and resources while training new candidates since the recruitment agencies can head hunt for people with the required knowledge and skills. By outsourcing the recruitment services to the other parties, the HR department of the organisation concerned will be better positioned to focus on the other pertinent issues such as employee motivation as well as improving their performance for the benefit of the organisation as a whole. The other advantage of outsourcing is that the organisation is likely to witness improved services since the vendors have special expertise in selecting the right people for different clients. On the other hand, the recruitment agencies are flexible to meet the changing needs of the clients given that they constantly seek information about the needs of different organisations with regards to their staffing needs. Despite the driving factors forcing the organisations to consider outsourcing of HR activities to the other third parties, there are also some cons that are not always favourable to the company. One notable disadvantage is that there is likely to be some form of resistance within the organisation where some members will prefer the HRM to fulfil all its functions by considering internal promotion of

The Cognitive Approaches of Challenged the Concept of Behavioral Essay

The Cognitive Approaches of Challenged the Concept of Behavioral Theory - Essay Example A child learns new behaviours or is able to modify existing behaviours, as a function of environmental events that either reward or punish that behaviour. Skinner’s learning theory is a move away from the traditional behaviourist approach of stimulus and response, as he differentiated between types of responses. When a response was elicited by a known stimulus it is considered to be associated with the known stimulus. Alternatively, responses that do not require a specific stimulus, which he termed operants, are independent of the stimulus. Skinner emphasized that it was the operant response that could be strengthened or weakened by the use of personal, social or environmental rewards or punishments respectively. Skinner’s principles advocated the idea that learning could be ‘programmed,’ which fit with the 1960s initial explorations into computer-aided instruction. All that was required was for the student to practice, and to be provided with the ideal rei nforcement (i.e., reward or punishment). Students were perceived to learn through processes of rote memorization and amount of practice. A subject such as English has been greatly influenced by Skinner’s principles of reinforcement in terms of being better able to regulate student behaviours and learning achievements. Information is reduced by the teacher into smaller components (e.g., poetry, spelling, vocabulary), and organized by the teacher into a format believed that the student will understand and can systematically build on.

What is the importance of things in our life Essay

What is the importance of things in our life - Essay Example ite unfortunate that ‘things’ are not the determinant of the quality of life, but if they are used well they can enable an individual to have a more fulfilling life. I perceive that there are many misconceptions that relate to the acquisition of things hence people need to understand what they have and how it is beneficial to them. For me, the word â€Å"thing† is too vague. â€Å"Things† however important to me depends on what time I need them and where. When defining what really a person needs, we should not use the word ‘things’ because of its broad and vague meaning. We need specific things to make it in our lives; we do not need all things. Even those things we need them in certain quantities. The assumption that life is driven by the acquisition and consumption of things is not absolutely true. This is because apart from things, there are other important components that people need to make it in life. This does not underrate the importance of having more things on our side. It is very important to have things, but they ought to be specific and meant to meet a given purpose. For example, it is unimaginable that an individual has acquired one hundred personal cars, all for his or her own use. The point here is that, some of these cars may remain to be unutilized even for years. Therefore, the essence of having them in the first place beats logic. It would have been better if the individual bought and disposed appropr iately if the personal need was to have diversity. Therefore, it is better to talk about the importance of specific things instead of the global view. The importance of specific things cannot be disputed. In the paragraph above, the argument has been, we need specific things; these specifics have a very important role in our lives. Things can be categorized from the basic needs, to those that facilitate our personal development, those that help us relate with others as well as those that we need for comfort and luxury. All these categories

History of the European Identity

History of the European Identity Introduction: Although the concept of collective identity is a post-colonial phenomenon, a few nations would describe themselves under a collective identity before the modern times of the 19th Century. In fact, Europe is historically unique in terms that it has been the people living in the continent of Europe who have persistently described themselves as Europeans since the 17th Century (Pagden, 2002). Indeed, European Union emerged as the most important attempt for creating a supranational entity in the Continent and the best example of a Pan-European common identity as even the words Europe and the European Union are being used as synonyms by millions of people every day. Nevertheless, an uncertainty of a common identity has always been the case for Europeans throughout history and the physical as well as social borders of Europe has never been distinctly known for centuries which are full of wars, tensions, competition and blood. Today, the same problem continues to exist and many believe that it is the major factor blocking the efforts for achieving a fully integrated Europe, as the definition and frontiers of a common European identity is still unknown. Indeed, one of the most important issues of the European integration from a socio-political perspective is the vague concept of a common European identity including prospects of European Union Citizenship. Although a common European identity had been long around for centuries, these are fairly new issues in relevance to the half a century long history of todays European Union. However, I believe how the common European identity is defined is very important for the future steps of the integration process, as nowadays the EU is undergoing transformation towards a political union with an aim to become a global actor in the international political arena. What shall be the elements of a common European identity, how shall it be formulized if it is to become a suc cessful construct which would define Europe correctly to end the efforts that lasted for such a long time? I believe a triumphant common European identity must include the concrete and symbolic realities and it must be rooted to the diversity of cultures which had been created by the long history of Europe (DAppollonia, 2002). Otherwise, if it remains as a form of thin identity suggested by Habermas (2006), the problems and uncertainties of European identity as well as the poorly functioning European Union citizenship is most likely to exist in the Unions foreseeable future. In fact, a common European identity can only be successfully constructed by taking into account all the ambiguities, contradictions and developments in form of a unity in diversity principle which can be applied to the reality of Europe rather than building a shallow and artificial construct as it seems to be today. Theoretically, a united Europe in political terms is made possible if a united Europe in cultural terms is established through formulating a collective common identity which may only be conceived as a coll ection of multiple and complex values created by complicated dynamics of Europes long history. Nevertheless, a united Europe in cultural terms shall not mean a homogenous and strictly ordered European society; rather the European identity shall celebrate Europes long tradition of diversity. Another important question is how should European Union citizenship be defined and what should be the frontiers of cultural implications of such a political formulation. Considering the wide cultural diversity and long history that the individual members of the European Union had share in the European continent, a collective identity may prove to be far too complex to construct, so one may argue that a common European identity is still an illusion. Although Europeans have a successfully formed a common economic and increasingly political union, they are still far away from the desired level of cultural unity and a common identity which seems to be an alarming factor for the next stages of the European integration. Nonetheless, European Union citizenship is an area open to developments and it might be used as a critically important tool by the European Union leaders to accumulate a common European identity, only if it is formulized correctly. The critical point on the debate of Europe an Union citizenship is that the dominant Classical Model of Citizenship is based on the structures of nation-state and that is why this model cannot be applied to the European Union, as it is a whole different level of organization. On the other hand, Post-National citizenship is a modern approach to the issue of European identity and it is suitable to Europe in order to reach its goals of unification and deepening through building a stronger common identity in the 21st Century. This paper is organized in several sections. European identity from a historical perspective is analyzed in the first part; the current status of European identity and the issue of national identities in contrast to the common European identity is discussed in the following part; a new European identity and suggestions for a new formulation is given in the third part; a brief history of European Union efforts and progress on building a common identity is examined in the fourth part; and finally the aspects of European Union Citizenship is discussed in the fifth part of this paper. After all, this paper argues that a common identity in form of a collective European identity is clearly necessary for the Union at this stage of integration, and it is a crucial element for the future of the European integration project especially as our world is getting smaller as well as more fragmented simultaneously due to the complex dynamics of international relations every day at the age of globalization. European Citizenship is very much connected to the issue of European identity and it is the key to achieving such a strong common European identity when it is formulized as a Post-National phenomenon. The Europeans must derive their power from the diversity of their cultures by building a thick identity for Europe rather than a thin identity which consists of merely political rights; yet the Europeans shall not overlook the uniqueness of the Continent and the similarities they share in comparison to the rest of the world emphasized by the Unity in Diversity principle. Today, it is time for the Europeans to unite under one roof in socio-political terms, complete the long standing task of defining the boundaries of the European civilization by establishing a common and collective European identity in order to carry on the progress of the European integration project in a globalized world. Nonetheless, the question of possibilities of the Europeans to achieve such a high level of cultural as well as political unity remains a question and it is subject to a whole different level of research. However, often seen as a regional product of globalization itself, I believe the European integration project cannot progress any further without achieving a common European identity which is more critical than ever today in order to overcome the challenges of globalization in the 21st Century. Identity has always been a problematic concept because it is uncertain, fluid and highly flexible. Identity is the way to define ones self and to differentiate from the others. If taken literally, identity means equal, identical. Identity is not static but dynamic, and it can be defined in different ways in different circumstances. Identity is construct, which cannot be constructed immediately but only in time. It is not a fixed, constant and pre-given entity; while identity formation is heavily dependent on how one is perceived by the others. Identification implies belonging or membership, in turn which implies the exclusion of non-members (Bretherton Vogler,1999: 236).In other words, the sole purpose of identity is to separate self from the others in a sense. Moreover, identities are multiple in nature, or even kaleidoscopic. A person may have a single identity, but it will be made up of many levels of loyalty and identification (Von Benda-Beckmann Verkuyten, 1995: 18). Meanwhile , identities change, because they are based on perceptions, which themselves change over time and environment; as it is possible to identify ones self with more than one thing at a time such as class and gender, or religion and age. Therefore there are various elements of ones identity and these various elements in an identity may well be contradictory (Von Benda-Beckmann Verkuyten, 1995: 12). On the other hand, a collective identity means the attitudes, which all members of that group have in common in their thoughts and behavior; which differentiates them from the other (Munch, 2001: 137). Collective identities can provide existential meaning for people, thus they are primary means of unity in a society which give additional stability especially during periods of upheaval. Collective identities can generate a degree of continuity between individuals and their social environment, and can confer social recognition and approval (Von Benda-Beckmann Verkuyten, 1995: 24). Therefore, collective identities are defined mainly by culture from a historical point of view rather than biological genes, ethnicity, nationalism or simple political rights. Finally, It they are used to construct community and feelings of cohesion and holism, a concept to give the impression that all individuals are equal in the imagined community (Strath, 2002: 387). From the perspective of political scie nce; there are two types of political identities: a civic identity and a cultural identity. The cultural definition of political identity entails a sense of belonging of an individual towards a particular group which can mostly defined by its uniform cultural or ethnic values. On the other hand, the civic definition of political identity involves with the identification of an individual mostly in form of citizenry with a political structure, which includes political institutions, rights, duties and rules (Bruter, 2004: 26). Therefore, a cultural European identity implies a reference to Europe as a continent, a civilization and a cultural entity whereas a civic European identity implies a reference to the political and institutional aspects of European Union identity largely in the form of EU citizenship. Europe has always been more of a mental construct than a geographical or social entity (Lowenthal, 2000: 314). Europe has no natural frontiers both in geographic and sociological terms. Therefore it had never been easy to acquire a singular definition of European identity because the borders of Europe had always been dynamic, and no one knew where Europe started and Europe ended (Pagden, 2002). A European identity is an abstraction and a fiction without essential proportions (Strath, 2002: 387). The concept of a European identity is an idea expressing artificial notions of unity rather than an identity of equality. In this sense, the concept of European identity is inscribed in a long history of political reflection on the concept of Europe. From the perspective of history, Europe has been united as a singular entity in various settings for a number of times in its past such as the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Napoleonic Empire, and arguably the Nazi Third Reich. Identity was only conceptualized as a macro-level collective phenomenon by the intellectual elites of Europe; on the other hand, for the rural masses of Europe, identity was a local term associated with the micro-level, rarely the nation and never an incident as large as the continent of Europe (Pagden, 2002). In different period of history, a common European identity had been defined on different basis. In the Middle Ages, Christianity was the main defining characteristic of European identity, whereas in modern times, the emergence of the nation state, periods of nationalism and afterwards democracy and secularism has been the common characteristic of the Europeans. Meanwhile, Christianity lost its dominance yet it arguably remained as one of the important components of European identity. Today, the European Union similar to the continent of Europe can be characterized by overlapping and unclear boundaries. From a geographical perspective, the EU has fuzzy boundaries due to the ongoing enlargement processes since the 1970s (Risse, 2003: 490). Although the geographical borders of Europe are not objectively defined particularly in the east, a state without a geographical relevance to the European continent cannot become a part of the European Union, even if it shares the EUs collective values and norms. Moreover what adds to the uncertainty of Europes borders is that boundaries of the EU may change according to different policy fields such as the Schengen includes the non EU member Norway but at the same time it does not include the EU member state the United Kingdom. Therefore, first of all the lack of solid geographical boundaries weakens efforts of the EU to be seen as a singular entity by its own people (Castano, 2004). On the contrary, diversity shall be the main c haracteristic of European identity from a cultural point of view. Religious and cultural heritages including Roman law, political democracy, parliamentary institutions, Renaissance humanism, rationalism, romanticism characterize the common identity of the Europeans (Smith, 1992). On the other hand, there are undeniable socioeconomic, cultural, national and ethnic differences among the member states of the European Union. Nevertheless, this reality is reflected in the motto of the Union which is unity in diversity from a positive point of view. A collective political culture is an important feature of the common European identity. The Greeks gave Europe the science and philosophy and the Romans gave it the idea of single continent and unity which created Europes strong cultural and political origins. The diverse and multiple cultures of the ancient Europe shared a single identity as they were brought together under a common system of Roman law. The people of Europe also shared a common language, Latin, and after Europe slowly converted to Christianity they acquired a common religion. Christianity has been a crucial part of the European identity and it played a key role to create its internal cohesion and to designate its relationship with the rest of the world. Further references are made to Europes identity besides its heritage of classical Graeco-Roman civilization and Christianity; such as the ideas of the Enlightenment, Science, Reason, Progress, Industrialization, Democracy and Individualization as the core elements of this claimed European legacy (Wintle, 1996: 13-16). Hellenism, Romanticism, welfare society and cross-fertilization of diversity can be added to this list (Garcias, 1993: 7-9), while one may argue that Europes core values include its commitments to an undivided continent, to individual freedom, and to the universalism of humanity (Havel, 1996). However, this unity never reached to the point of sharing a common European culture. A single body of citizenry or a common cultural identity could not be reached even in the peak of Europes history of unity. When the differences within Europe are emphasized, they are often in the form of unity in diversity; religious differences such as Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christianity, and linguistic differences including Romance, Germanic and Slavic languages are obvious; yet they are seen as correlated, Catholic–Romance, Protestant–Germanic, Orthodox–Slavic, and essentially are underlying the major ethnic cleavages and conflicts in the history of Europe. Anthony Smith is among the scholars who are skeptical of the possibility of a common European identity because they could not find a common culture across the European continent, and even more critically they claim that Europe lacks of a shared set of myths, experience and symbols; these elements which they find crucial to create post-national identity (Smith, 1992: 72-73). Furthermore, Europe lacks of a shared historical and cultural content as which is the largest source of division among Europeans. Other obstacles to a common European identity include linguistic diversity and its tripartite religious division. In fact, a major difference among EU countries is the persistence of linguistic diversity, even though in practical level English has become the dominant language in Europe. Language does not only have an instrumental but also an emotional dimension and peoples sense of nationality is often tied up with their mother tongue (Guibernau, 2001: 192). On the other side of the debate, scholars such as Michael Wintle are more optimistic on the possibility of creating a European identity. Indeed, the existence of the EU identity in the form of converging education standards, educational exchanges, and the organization of a European civil society is already established in most parts of Europe. Wintle argues that a European identity was previously already created during the high Middle Age (Wintle, 1996: 19-22), and it can be easily established today considering the forces of globalization. For now, the major success of the EU in fostering its identity has been limited with the increasing free movement of people across European borders, which has accelerated since the 1985 and formalized in 1990 Schengen accords parallelly correlated with the rising impact of globalization. Increased interaction among peoples of Europe would also encourage cultural exchanges and this could foster a stronger sense of a shared community. Education and hi gh culture shall play a key role in European Unions cultural policy, because these two factors have an important effect on the creation of the EU identity. Education is obviously one of the crucial dimensions in any attempt to develop the future identity of the EU or at least more understanding and convergence among Europeans; high culture unites Europeans against the low culture which separates them. After all, the development of the EU identity will be the outcome of a long process in which bottom-up as well as top-down initiatives are likely to be employed (Guibernau, 2001: 183-184). The idea of Europe as well as the identity of Europeans are constructed over time with processes of contention and bargaining. Gerard Delanty argues that a European Culture is not an entity with cohesion and fixed boundaries, but a floppy concept, with no clear borders and with internal opposition and contradictions, discursively shaped in contentious social bargaining processes (Delanty, 1995; 1999). In other words, the images of Europe do not exist as a natural phenomenon but are discursively shaped by internal as well as external forces (Strath, 2002). A basic step in the process of creating a collective identity is to defining itself in relation to the other. Central to ones identifications are images of others. Likewise any identity, European identity necessarily contains a demarcation from the non-European. This is natural to all distinctions, and they are both inclusive and exclusive. The boundaries of Europe can only be drawn and the identity of Europe can only be realized in the mirror of others. Indeed, Europe does not exist without non-Europe and that non-Europe does not exist without Europe. Many centuries ago, the Europeans defined people living in the north as uncivilized and people living in the south as oriental (Pagden, 2002). Furthermore, the Greeks labeled the non-Greek speaking people as barbarians, even if that word would surely have a different meaning by that time. In nearer times, although the Russians shared many features with a European society including the same religion, it could not reach the formal limits of a Romanized civilization thus perceived as a barbaric empire or the orient, depending on the time. Moreover, European belief of its superiority relied on the common features of European societies such as science and liberal arts. Thus the rest of the world could only be portrayed as actors in relation to Europe, in other words always remained as the other. According to Delanty, Europe has been always invented and reinvented on the basis of division and strategy for the construction of difference from the other starting from Christian identity against Islam in the Middle-Ages, after that in the colonial politics to the New World, and to the ethnic minorities in the contemporary European Union (Delanty, 1995). Therefore, historical experience suggests that the new European identity may be constructed on the other which may be the United States, the East, Islam or the European past itself. Samuel Huntington has argued that religion provides the best common means of historically distinguishing between Europeans and the other, especially in terms of the confrontation between the Judeo-Christian tradition and Islam (Huntington, 1996). However, at the same time, the separation between Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Western variations of Christianity has, for a long time, been crucial in establishing a division between Western and Eastern E urope; partially reinforced in the Cold War, divisions between Catholicism and Protestantism and separation between North and South (Guibernau, 2001). Today, the European Union is frequently argued to be a fortress for the other and the EU is often referred to as a Christian Club, because historically all states on the continent of Europe had Christian societies. The Ottoman Empire was the greatest enemy of European states as well as Christianity in the Middle Ages; which made Islam the primary charactersitic of the other for Europeans from the perspective of history. Today, the accession dialogues of Turkey into the European Union raise wide public opposition in Europe while the European Union officials make constant efforts to prove their allegiance to non-religious, non-ethnic but solely liberal and non discriminatory Copenhagen Criteria independent from historical aspects of the other which has actually been extensively used to define the European identity. Finally, Europe is unique because it has possessed an identity as a cultural space which gave birth to political unions throughout its history. However, it has never succeed ed to constitute a single nation-state or a unified ethnic group. Although the European Union with its single currency and supranational political and legal institutions changed these historical facts to an extent, it is only possible with the means of a common European identity which will carry Europe to the next stage of integration which it always aimed but failed to achieve during its long history. Nevertheless, history has already proved that it will surely be hard to overcome uncertainties of a common European identity at the level of the masses. Over the past millennium, the advancements of European civilization gave rise to the elites living on the continent of Europe who feel increasingly attached to Europe as a whole and shared dreams of a united continent. However, Europe as a realm sharing a common history as well as a common destiny has been largely abandoned by fixed prejudices on often nationalistic and ethnic grounds. National interests and biases at local, national, and global levels have prevented the masses of European people from viewing themselves collectively (Lowenthal, 2000: 315). However, today, forces of globalization, advancements in communications technologies and media transmission of everyday popular culture now promotes the sense of being European among larger segments of society other than the European elites. Although a truly trans-European society is still in its infancy, many of its essential elements are already in place this time largely due to the forces of globalization. Most European states a re increasingly democratic in reality; their economies are for the most part market driven; their popular culture grows more homogeneous as communication technologies expand under the forces of globalization in the 21st Century (Waterman, 1999: 23). Therefore, Europe is at the stage of defining its identity today; however which criteria are being deployed to define Europe, Europeans, Europeanness and their respective boundaries is critically important. A common European identity must be constructed by defining and understanding the historical roots of outstanding features of the European society in relation to the notion of citizenship, which will be discussed in depth in the following parts; developed in the past over the land of Europe. For sure, Europe is being redefined as a result of a complex set of processes, but an important question is what sort of Europe is emerging from them? There is certainly a structured symmetry in the perception of the European Union as the coincidence of a homogenized socio-political space, a unified regulatory space of an EU super-state, a singular European civil society surpassing existing national and regional differences in culture and identity (Hudson, 2000). In some respects there has been progress towards such an ideal of European civil society. For example, the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights have had an important role in defining acceptable standards across Europe. The issue of European identity and the criteria used to denote Europeans is clearly a critical one for the political and social integrity for the European Union. Europe will exist as an unquestionable political community only when European identity permeates peoples lives and daily existence (Demos 1998). Identity is a key issue which is continuously changing and thats the reason why it is so hard to define especially in a world of f ast changes in the 21st Centurys globalization. The member states of todays enlarged EU have become multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies with various structural phenomenon ranging from the immigrant community of France to Post-Communist yet ethnic communities of the Central and Eastern European states. As the EU expanded eastwards in the last two rounds of enlargements, the issue of defining a European identity became even more critical for sake of integrity and stability of the Union. One conception of a singular European identity would see it constructed through a process similar to that involved in the creation of national identities in the 19th and the 20th Centuries. Ironically, while the aim was to create those national identities in the past, the challenge that Europeans face today would be to transcend them for the creation of Europeannes. However, the current trends at local European level are quite different from the interests of Europeanists at the supranational level. There are pressures from nation states and their citizens to resist any further transfer of national sovereignty as well as erosion of national identity (Hudson, 2000). In fact, the success of extreme right wing political parties in important European countries such as Austria and France may be seen as a sign of the reappearance of dangerous nationalist and racist ambitions which the peoples of Europe have most probably experienced more than any other continent in the world history. Eric Hobsbawm has proclaimed that nationalism is dead (Hobsbawm, 1990). On the contrary, Llobera argues that national identities are certainly not eternal, but the time of their demise has not yet arrived (Llobera, 2003). In fact, national identities are still dominant in Europe. Recent surveys show that, people in Europe prefer maintaining their national identity and sovereignty, but increasing number of people have accepted European identity in addition to their national identities. Therefore, European nationalism is another important component of a common European identity and it has been a major ideological tool for unifying nation states as well as the Europeans as a whole throughout Europes history. To start with, the European Union, with its both intergovernmental and supranational characteristics represents a far different type of state-organization than a classical nation state. The main distinguishing characteristics of the EU from the nation-state are the absence of a shar ed language, a uniform media, common education system and a central state structure (Shore, 2000: 64). Furthermore, the powers of the EU rely on the sharing of sovereignty of its member states. European unification is a progressive method of limiting individual nation states to practice any kind of harmful nationalism and this is makes up an important part of the European identity. At this point, nationalist Euroskeptics may argue that building a common Europe and an identity for it means destroying nations. However, a general feeling of Europeanness and loyalty to Europe in a cultural sense, does not need to conflict with national identities (Andreani, 1999). A successful construct of European identity must include the concrete and symbolic realities created within time. The European states have not always been nationalist through Europes long history. The definition of nationalism counts on the idea of nation and territory; while the definition of a European nationalism depends on the historical and ideological evolution of the European nation states and aspirations for a post-national Europe. In fact, the aspirations that underlie in the roots of the foundation of the European Union are parallel to European cosmopolitanism in the 18th and the 19th centuries. From the Enlightenment to the beginning of the ECSC after the Second World War; European nationalism found two separate meanings: one as an antinational Pan-European idea of a new united Europe that limits the sovereignty of the nation states, and the other as a pro-national ideology to create or legitimate new nation states (DAppollonia, 2002). Historically, cosmopolitanism reflected intentions for a European unity, and gave rise to anti-national European nationalism. European nationalism was characterized by the will to protect the European interests and its supremacy from non-Europeans as well as protecting Europe from itself by creating a federation. It can be argued that economic development, commercial prosperity, intellectual-supremacy and military power were the factors making Europe homogeneous and created a united European identity beyond national borders to an extent. Some intellectuals as well as economists believe that the nation state is an outdated political and economic entity, and nationalism is merely an expression of old prejudiced and narrow-minded ideas. European nationalism defined itself similar to the nation state through common identity and culture, territory, historical memory building, and economic and political objectives to defend self-interests. The defensive conception of European nationalism o n the other hand had always been a driving factor, yet the pro-nationalist ideologies had been the major cause underlying the wars of modern times. As Europe was divided into aggressive nation states, the idea of Europe had increasingly converged. Although the wars were dividing factors themselves, their interpretations by the Europeanists became powerful unifying factors for Europe. The irony of European nationalism is that it depends on the memory of events that divided rather than united the continent (DAppollonia, 2002). Although it used the same definitions of nation and Europe with the anti-national European nationalism from time to time, it remained limited to the strict logic of the national framework. Transnational solidarities were necessity to establish European unity under either a supranational or an intergovernmental structure. For some intellectuals, European nationalism was the only way to protect the autonomy of nations and the liberty of the individuals. Conceptualizing of the European Union citizenship and creation of the Committee of the Regions in the EU were seen as efforts of the Pro-national European nationalists. These forms of European nationalism rejected the form of narrow nationalism while it showed ambitions to reinforce the intermediary actions between state and individual, between the individual, the market the centralizati

With Reference To At Least Four Different Poems, Explore How Cultural E

With Reference To At Least Four Different Poems, Explore How Cultural Identity Is Represented By The Various Poets The four poems I have selected to focus on all portray a cultural identity in their own unique way. 'Wherever I hang' and 'The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping', are both written by Grace Nichols, a poet of Guinean background. I have also chosen to explore 'Dream Variation' by Langston Hughes as well as 'Half-Caste' by John Agard. I have chosen this selection of poetry because I feel that each poem has great merit in successfully challenging the racial disparities of the modern world. Grace Nichols unsurprisingly tends to base her poems around the inequality between the black and white communities; this is reflected in her poem 'Taint'. The poems I have chosen to investigate by her are 'The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping' and 'Wherever I hang'. I chose to include these poems because they are in contrast to many of her other poems and it's content mainly comments on how white and black lifestyles differ rather than her usual theme of black persecution. The other two poems I have chosen by the two different poets both concentrate more on black discrimination like 'Taint' and are more similar to that poem, in this respect, than the two poems I chose by Grace Nichols. Langston Hughes writes a detailed analysis of the desires of the average Black man in his poem "Dream Variation". Hughes was related to John Mercer Langston, who was the first Black American to be elected to public office, in 1855. Born into a family with a strong sense of culture but a desire to be accepted, it is foreseeable that his poem reflects his aspiration of cultural freedom. Hughes uses representative imagery to portray... ...e wants to live she will live despite all obstacles-despite all cultural differences. The four poems use various methods to convey their points, overall the most effective being the humorous approach. Grace Nichols most effectively conveys her cultural identity via her sarcastic and amusing method of writing. This encourages the reader to think more deeply about the poem and understand the idea of culture identity, which could help acceptance of various cultures in Britain. Despite this, I personally feel "Half-Caste" is the most striking poem, stirring emotions deeper than mere amusement. The poem allows us to understand how people of mixed race must feel when this term is used and the implications of such a word. Although fairly aggressive, this poem conveys most constructively the message of the necessity for acceptance, to whoever the reader may be.

The Effects of Not Keeping a Personal Budget

Life can sometimes throw your curve balls. As you mature in age you realize there is something more important than others. Financial stability is one major aspect to maintaining a healthy life style. The lack of keeping a budget can lead to major personal problems. There are many reasons people experience major financial problems. Your credit score is derived from the way you pay your bills. If you are someone that pays your bills on a timely basis and maintains a relatively high credit score, your score maybe reduced due to financial difficulties, which in turn limits your ability to obtain credit from other entities on big ticket items.In a household with two incomes, excellent communication is a necessity when it comes to managing a budget. If one member of the house spends an excessive amount on various items it could put a strain on the others leaving then to pay all or more of their share of the bills. This may result in a loss of trust between the household because the more re sponsible adult would be able to trust in the other to take care of their financial responsibilities.In martial situations this mistrust can lead to divorce or separation. Financial difficulty is one of the main causes of divorce. For some people financial stability is the key to living a good quality of life. In these people financial problems can cause much stress that can lead to other health problems. High blood pressure is one main cause of stress. Depression is another cause of stress, not knowing how to deal accordingly to stress can cause depression.

Free Essays on Freedom Of Will (social Isues)

David Hume (1711-1776)Life and Writings "Hume is our Politics, Hume is our Trade, Hume is our Philosophy, Hume is our Religion." This statement by 19th century British idealist philosopher James Hutchison Stirling reflects a unique position that David Hume holds in intellectual thought. Hume profoundly impacted all of the disciplines noted by Stirling, not only during Hume's own life, but for generations after and on to our own day. Part of his fame and importance owes to his boldly skeptical approach to a range of philosophical subjects. He questioned common notions of personal identity, and argued that there is no permanent "self" that continues over time. He dismissed standard accounts of causality and argued that our conceptions of cause/effect relations are grounded in habits of thinking, rather than in the perception of causal forces in the external world itself. He argued that it is unreasonable to believe testimonies of alleged miraculous events, and, accordingly, hints that we should reject religions that are foun ded on miracle testimonies. Against the common belief of the time that God's existence could be proven through a design or causal argument, Hume offered compelling criticisms of standard theistic proofs. Also, against the common view that God plays an important role in the creation and reinforcement of moral values, Hume offered one of the first purely secular moral theories, which grounded morality in the pleasing and useful consequences that result from our actions. Table of Contents (Clicking on the links below will take you to that part of this article)  · Life  · Hume's Published Writings  · Collections of Hume's Letters Life David Hume was born in 1711 to a moderately wealthy family from Berwickshire Scotland, near Edinburgh. His background was politically Whiggish and religiously Calvinistic. As a child he faithfully attended the local Church of Scotland pastored by his uncle. Hume was educat... Free Essays on Freedom Of Will (social Isues) Free Essays on Freedom Of Will (social Isues) David Hume (1711-1776)Life and Writings "Hume is our Politics, Hume is our Trade, Hume is our Philosophy, Hume is our Religion." This statement by 19th century British idealist philosopher James Hutchison Stirling reflects a unique position that David Hume holds in intellectual thought. Hume profoundly impacted all of the disciplines noted by Stirling, not only during Hume's own life, but for generations after and on to our own day. Part of his fame and importance owes to his boldly skeptical approach to a range of philosophical subjects. He questioned common notions of personal identity, and argued that there is no permanent "self" that continues over time. He dismissed standard accounts of causality and argued that our conceptions of cause/effect relations are grounded in habits of thinking, rather than in the perception of causal forces in the external world itself. He argued that it is unreasonable to believe testimonies of alleged miraculous events, and, accordingly, hints that we should reject religions that are foun ded on miracle testimonies. Against the common belief of the time that God's existence could be proven through a design or causal argument, Hume offered compelling criticisms of standard theistic proofs. Also, against the common view that God plays an important role in the creation and reinforcement of moral values, Hume offered one of the first purely secular moral theories, which grounded morality in the pleasing and useful consequences that result from our actions. Table of Contents (Clicking on the links below will take you to that part of this article)  · Life  · Hume's Published Writings  · Collections of Hume's Letters Life David Hume was born in 1711 to a moderately wealthy family from Berwickshire Scotland, near Edinburgh. His background was politically Whiggish and religiously Calvinistic. As a child he faithfully attended the local Church of Scotland pastored by his uncle. Hume was educat...

Writing a Short Story

Writing a Short Story A short story is considered one that is five thousand words or less. When creating a short story, a writer will describe as much detail as possible within a limited number of words and action. Often these objects or actions become symbolic which evokes thought on the reader’s part. In addition, it has to get off to a very fast start which means you have to grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph. This is no time for boring drawn out sentences. Every sentence has to have a punch to it, be able to signify multiple meanings or descriptions. Use a limited number of characters. There isn’t time to go into length, so limit your story to three or four. Use just a few characters and magnify them, make them larger than life. Make the story’s beginning as close to the climax as possible, for example: make the short story about an event just before the conclusion. Don’t drag in a year’s worth of problems. Short stories usually have some sort of meaning behind them. Know what this meaning is and develop the characters and setting around it to emphasize that point. Limit the story to a brief period in time usually covering only a couple of scenes leading up to the major event. Remember, every word and action you write has to point towards the meaning and conclusion. If a word seems awkward or out of place, delete it and replace it with another or change the whole sentence around. A short story has no room for unnecessary words. Develop your characters so that you know them intimately. You may never use all those details in your short story but you’ll be able to convey their character more effectively if you make it a point to know everything about them. Show their personality traits by including possible habits or movements. Describe a nervous woman by having her chew on her fingernails which were short and ragged. By limiting the number of characters you have in the story, you’ll be able to make it a meaningful story that conveys its message effectively. Know what scenes you will use in the plot and outline them carefully to make them flow into one another effortlessly. Use a limited number of scenes but make an impact with each of them. Remember to use every single opportunity to create symbolism towards the story’s main goal. When you begin writing the short story, it’s best to start with a sentence that’s packed with action and promise. Since it’s so short, the characters and setting needs to be introduced right away and the beginning of the plot revealed. Pull the reader along by filling their senses with vivid images that become alive in their minds. Explain situations and describe settings by using dialogue and action. As soon as you start the story, you should be going straight to the top where the climax explodes. No digressions along the way or you’ll lose the reader. Writing a short story requires a precision in planning the whole outline. There can be no wandering or musings. The story has to start with a bang and every single word used in the short story has to be able to convey symbolism or perform multiple tasks. Dialogue can be used to show the setting as well as a person’s character all at the same time. Above all, it needs to flow easily and quickly, carrying the reader from the beginning to end.

Personal Learning Lournal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Learning Lournal - Essay Example As Maslow has rightly pointed out in his theory, the motivation of an employee depends on the level of need that they are on. Hence only if the needs at the particular level are met will the employee show some kind of improvement in performance. In the meeting the CEO has been performing miserably, and it is clear from the previous meetings that she lacks leadership skills to a great extent. Although, I have been making efforts to try and contribute to the growth of the company, it is clear that the CEO has completely different ideas. All the meetings in the past have been rushed, last minute and with one or more of the members missing. This shows a clear lack of commitment and also a lack of authority on the CEO’s part. The CEO to a great extent has been assertive and has shown a very poor performance. I have been overloaded with tasks at the end moment, almost three to five hours before the lecture and am asked to complete others pending work. Due to my submissive nature, I have been giving in to all this and have been working although I have completed my part of the work way ahead of time. There is a clear lack of understanding on the side of the CEO that the group members have their personal lives as well which they are required to attend too. The diversity within the group has also been increasing the issues due to cultural differences. There is an obvious teaming up of people from the same country and an understanding only within them. This is very harmful for the group as the secret to the success of this project lies in team work and hard work. The CEO has been working with the intention that the group only requires to be led and has been extremely partial based on the cultural backgrounds of the people. Her style of leadership is mostly an authoritative style, where she has missed out on understanding the group dynamics and has focused on just giving orders to the group members. There has been a clear lack of

Electrical Power Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electrical Power Systems - Essay Example Due to the continuous change of the loads at the low voltage network, the properties of the network vary with time and to measure the properties of the time variance we must determine the attenuation and the SNR that is evaluated for two single and separate tones at 52 kHz and 80 kHz and compare their behavior against a time component. A significant time variance is noted in the 52 kHz channel while the 80 kHz channel remains almost unchanged over the entire period of time. Any changes that may occur on the loading of the network have a direct influence on the communication properties of the low voltage network. The active power is measured in kilowatts while the apparent power generates magnetic fields that in return produce a flux that is necessary for the variation of induction devices. The lower power factor usually has a direct cost on the utility which serves as a major disadvantage in the network. The non linear loading is basically a rectifier and the power of distortion is a measure of the extent to which the harmonic distortion of the load of the current is able to decrease the average power that is transferred to the load. The non linear loads normally change the current wave form from a sine wave to other wave forms and also create harmonic currents. They can be corrected by use of filters to ensure that the harmonic currents are controlled and also through active power factor correction. In this test, a number of simulations will be carried out in order to evaluate the behavior of the harmonics that exist within a distributed system. The harmonics that flow within a network normally downgrade the quality of the electrical power in the network. Loads that are non linear in nature normally draw harmonic currents that are flowing through the distribution network. Harmonic voltages on the other hand are caused by the flow of harmonic currents