A Soldier’s Embrace by Nadine Gordimer :: Nadine Gordimer A Soldier’s Embrace

A Soldier’s Embrace by Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer is a white author who lives in the country of South Africa. She is known for her excellent characters and the vivid details of her books. Her stories are written in the context of her South African experiences. She also writes about the previous challenges of South Africa under apartheid, at a time when society was split by race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  South Africa’s racial problems began when the white people came and discovered South Africa with its black population. The white people wanted power because there were many fewer whites than blacks. The only way to achieve that was to change the government around so that only white people had political power. The three terms that were used to describe racial groups under the system of apartheid were European, Native and Coloured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gordimer explains the many aspects of this problem in South Africa with her stories in A Soldier’s Embrace. In her last short story, simply titled, â€Å"Oral History†, she writes about the Europeans finding out that there were Native rebels in a village. The chief of the town wanted to get rid of them, so he asked the white army to do it. The white army bombed the village and killed everyone who was in it, too. When the chief came back and found out what had happened, he hanged himself from a tree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gordimer’s message in this story is that the people who split themselves by race (or by anything else for that matter) will eventually destroy everything for different reasons. One cannot label someone by their race because it can be hard to draw the line in some situations. It is also impossible to make laws about love. In one of Gordimer’s short stories, â€Å"Town and County Lovers†, she wrote about a white man and a black woman in love and the consequences of that relationship for them. European South Africans were selfish, and made the people of other cultures separate from them. The Europeans were also the ones who made the Coloureds and Natives do menial work.

Susan Glaspells Trifles Essay -- Susan Glaspell Trifles Essays

Susan Glaspell's Trifles Susan Glaspell's Trifles explores the classical male stereotype of women by declaring that women frequently worry about matters of little, or no importance. This stereotype makes the assumption that only males are concerned with important issues, issues that females would never discuss or confront. The characters spend the entirety of the play searching for clues to solve a murder case. Ironically, the female characters, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, uncover crucial evidence and solve the murder case, not the male characters. The men in the play, the Sheriff, County Attorney, and Hale, search the scene of the crime for evidence on their own, and mock the women's discussions. The women's interest in the quilt, broken bird cage door, and dead canary, all of which are assumed to be unimportant or trifling objects, is what consequentially leads to their solving of the crime. The women are able to discover who the killer is by paying attention to detail, and prove that the items which the me n consider insignificant are important after all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the start of the play, all of the characters enter the abandoned farmhouse of John Wright, who was recently hanged by an unknown killer. The Sheriff and County Attorney start scanning the house for clues as to who killed Mr. Wright, but make a major error when they search the kitchen poorly, claiming that there is nothing there ?but kitchen things.? This illustrates the men?s incorrect belief that a kitchen is a place of trivial matters, a place where nothing of any importance may be found. Mrs. Peters then notices that Mrs. Wright?s fruit froze in the cold weather, and the men mock her and reveal their stereotype of females by saying ?women are used to worrying over trifles.? The men then venture to the upstairs of the house to look for clues, while the women remain downstairs in the kitchen where they discuss the frozen fruit and the Wrights. Mrs. Hale explains that Mrs. Wright, whose maiden name was Minnie Foster, used to be a lively woman who sang in the ch oir. She suggests that the reason Mrs. Wright stopped being cheerful and active because of her irritable husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The women discover their first clue when they find a quilt that Mrs. Wright was sewing. The men make disparaging comments when they are questioning whether or not Mrs. Wright was going to ?quilt it or just knot it... ...ngly asks the women once again whether Mrs. Wright was going to ?quilt it or knot it.? Mrs. Hale replies that she was going to "knot it," which can symbolically represent how Mrs. Wright knotted the rope around her husband?s neck and murdered him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In their discussion of supposedly unimportant items, such as the ill-stitched quilt, broken bird cage door, and dead canary, the women are able to collect important evidence and know enough information about Mrs. Wright to give her a motive for murdering her husband. The men, though, are clueless as to who killed Mr. Wright and why, even after they thoroughly search the house for clues. They believe that they possess superior intelligence and knowledge of the world in comparison to women, but cannot find enough evidence to convict Mrs. Wright. Even if the men did uncover the same clues as the women, it is highly unlikely that they would understand how that would make for a motive for Mrs. Wright, as they simply cannot relate to her as a female. Glaspell's Trifles shows how women reveal basic truths about life by paying close attention to detail, and shows the true importance of the things which men generally find to be trivial.

King Thrushbeard and Lessons Behind Fairytales Essay examples -- essay

To Be a Domestic Woman†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Grimm’s Fairytales,† although never intended to be in text form, are some of the most influential methods in teaching young children morals and to be productive citizens of society. While children enjoy the mere esthetics of fairytales and interpret them at their face value, s are aware of the didacticism hidden beneath the appealing plots and characters of the stories. Unlike s, children would not be able to extract any metaphorical meaning out of fairytales even if fairytales were intended to have distinct messages. For this very reason, fairytales have been studied along with a branch of child psychology to determine whether or not a message that is ual is actually retained in the subconscious of the child. Grimm’s fairytale, â€Å"King Thrushbeard† enforces the importance of modesty in s, teaches them to be less concerned with their own needs, and instead, to be concerned with the needs of others. It keeps us aware of the costs of this teaching. The first evidence of this underlying, didactic theme in â€Å"King Thrushbeard† comes in the second paragraph. The princess’ father, the Old King, reveals being aware of his daughter’s tendency to ridicule and be unappreciative of those to whom he offers her. He is angered by her behavior. What the King doesn’t seem to realize is that his daughter has probably not reached puberty. We can assume that she’s around ten to twelve years old and that her understanding of males is different of that of a sixteen or seventeen year old . As pre- , a she does not yet understand or even know of qualities in men that are pleasing. At this stage she would not have the ability to look for qualities in a man that are ually satisfying for a woman who is ready to marry. The only traits the princess takes note of and relates to are the immediate physical characteristics of the men, which are common things for pre-teens to focus on. There was never an initial attracti on or subsequent attractions to follow with any of the men because of the fact that she was not aware of her own ual nature. At the middle school level it is common for s of this age to still have an ill understanding of men because of their inexperience as ual beings. They often have difficulties in dealing with males because of this lack of understanding. Because the princess has yet to even reach the transition period o... ...love for the princess despite her lack of domestic skills. This teaches s to make individuals out of themselves, and that there is no standard of being â€Å"domestic.† That means that there also wouldn’t be a standard for men in choosing their wives. This fairytale moves s ahead a step in overcoming men’s expectations in a wife. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that this fairytale, â€Å"King Thrushbeard,† does not teach s to conform to a standard way of life. What it does teach is that s should not be discouraged by the disapproval of men who prefer to view a standard way of life. It teaches s to be confident and assertive in making decisions, and to be appreciative of those who are appreciative of them. However, I do not feel as though each and every feature of the fairytale could be yzed to produce a solid, coherent idea. There are many occasions in which features of the story are assumed to be a specific teaching, when, on the other hand, after being yzed do not hold together in producing a second or third didactic theme. This is my reasoning for not including many features of the fairytale. I found some to be misleading and often time irrelevant to the issue being discussed.

Northampton Coursework – Delimiting the Central Business District

My study is located in Northampton, it is a large town with total population of 197,000 (according to the 2001 census), third largest in England at 21st largest settlement in England. It is located in the East midlands region of England, roughly 67 miles North West of London and lies on the river Nene which forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and also is the ninth longest river in England and the twelfth longest in the United Kingdom. Northampton has Junctions 15,15a and a6 of M1 London to North Yorkshire. The A45 and A43 which have primary destinations to Coventry, Rugby, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. Northampton has railway services to London and Birmingham provided by London Midland and Virgin Trains. Sywell aerodrome is the nearest airfield which only has a grass runway but for international links, East midlands and Luton airport are quickly accessible via M1/M6 and also by train. Bus services are operated by Stagecoach, First Northampton and MK metro form Greyfriars Bus station in the town. History Northampton is the fastest growing town in England and has applied for city status. Traditionally was a shoe making and leather making town which decreased in 1960 but although some remain. Northampton in the past has been a secondary industry area but now is mainly a tertiary industry containing lots of services such as shopping malls cinemas and restraunts scattered around the town. Northampton has its own university named Northampton University. The town centre also contains many leisure and entertainment spots such as the Derngate theatre which has a capacity of 1200-1400 people at once. The Grosvenor centre and peacock place offer a large indoor shopping facilities however the market square offers an exceptional outdoor shopping facility. Local pubs also provide a great night out while on the other hand the sporting clubs offer a great chance to get involved. Theory There are two types of land use models, Hoyt model and the Burgess model. The Central Business District of a town or a city is usually located in the centre of the city or town. The CBD can be divided into two distinct concentric areas called the core and the Frame. The frame of the CBD has land uses such as office areas, some derelict land, limited light manufacturing, small shop/low grade, specialist services e.g. medical, etc. The core of the CBD is different to the frame because it contains low residential population, some vertical zoning with use of first/second floor, high density of pedestrians, concentration of banks/ business, etc. The PLVI is in the centre of the CBD and means Peak Land Value Intersection, meaning the place with the highest land value. In this investigation we are aiming to delimit the Central Business District of Northampton. Hypotheses 1. Over 70%of land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order comparison goods. 2. The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abington Street. 3. The lowest Environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars Area. 4. Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre. 5. The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further form the CBD. 6. Highest traffic will be in the frame as there are car parks and major ring roads in the frame. Methodology (Data Collection techniques) We will collect data in Northampton on Friday the June 19, 2009. We will leave Weavers school at 9 am sharp and return back to school at 3 pm approximately. We will spend roughly 45 minutes in each of our study areas. We have split the centre of Northampton into 6 study areas and they are Greyfriars, Upper Abingdon Street, St Giles Street, Market Square, The Grosvenor Centre and Gold Street/Bridge Street. In each area we will organise ourselves into of 3-5 people so that we can collect data on land use, height of the buildings which will help us delimit the CBD of Northampton. These types of data are primary data but we may also look for sources of secondary data such as leaflets and maps. The selection of Northampton as our study area We chose Northampton as our study area for a number for reasons such as; * Northampton is convenient as it is only 8 miles from Wellingborough. * Northampton is familiar to us and we can revisit it if necessary to collect further information. * We believe Northampton is a typical of a large English town. * Northampton town is a manageable size to survey in a school day. * We have a particular interest in Northampton as it is our county town. * Northampton would be an easy place to study as we have all been there before a number of times. Hypothesises explained 1. Over 70% of the land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order comparison as only companies with high profits can afford the high land costs. 2. The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abingdon Street as there are more services and shops for people to shop. 3. The lowest environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars area as there is a bus station which pollutes it with air pollution. 4. Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre as it the major shopping area in Northampton. 5. The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further from the CBD because it costs too much to rebuild as the land prices are high and so are the health and safety risks. 6. Highest traffic will be in the frame as there are car parks and major ring roads in the frame. Conducting a Land Use survey The purpose of conducting a land use survey is to discover the pattern of land use in the study area and attempt to map the edge of the frame and core of the CBD as this is the aim of the whole project. The procedure to conduct a land use is as follows: during the 45mins which are allowed in each of the 6 areas we code each building according to its land use with letters. The land use code varies e.g. PB for public buildings, LO for low order shops, etc. The type of data collected is qualitative as it describes type of use of each building. The advantage of this sort of data is that actually describes the type of building and is quick and easy however it doesn't tell an exact number of buildings in each category. The sampling technique is systematic as this ensures that the whole area is covered without gaps. Conducting a Traffic survey The Purpose of conducting of a traffic survey is to discover where the highest traffic counts are as theory suggests that they will be in the frame as there are lots of parking spaces. The procedure is as follows: Stand at a safe place by the side of the road and record the number of vehicles of different categories that pass you in each five minute period. The type of data is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that it gives an exact number however it doesn't tell what type of vehicle it is, this would matter as if it is a local bus or a lorry are for business purposes while a car is for personal purposes. The sampling technique is systematic point sampling as we don't miss as vehicles which pass us. Conducting a Pedestrian count The purpose of conducting a pedestrian count is to discover where the highest pedestrian counts are as theory suggests they will be in the core of the CBD as there are lots of shops and services. The procedure is as follows: stand in a place where you can clearly see in both directions on the street and count the number of people that pass you in a five minute period using a tally chart. The type of data is collected is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that is tells the exact number of people walking by however it doesn't tell what purpose are the people coming in the town for as this would show what is the use made by people of a particular area. The sampling technique is systematic point sampling so we don't miss any people which pass us. Conducting an Environmental quality survey The purpose of conducting an environmental quality survey is to assess the quality of the environment as in the theory the scores should be higher towards the centre of the CBD as there normally are regular cleaning schedules. The procedure is as follows: give each particular criteria a point on a 5 point rating scale which extends from +2 to -2, the criteria varies from visual impression to pollution etc. The type of data collected is quantitative. The advantage of this sort of data is that it tells exactly how polluted the area is however it doesn't tell what part of the CBD is polluted the most as there are no words and this matters because there is no point getting numbers but don't know where they come from. Data analysis and interpretation Land use- Area 1 The largest category of land use in area 1 is derelict with 21% of the total. This may be because of the current recession which affects the company's profits, closing them down. Other types of land use that are well represented include public buildings. This may be because there is good transport near it, the Greyfriars bus station in the area so the public can access the buildings. Therefore it is likely to be in the frame as it has good transport services. Land use- Area 2 The largest category of land use in area 2 is other services with 20% of the total. This may be because it has high pedestrian count, so more people can access it. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 2 include public buildings, offices and food shops. This may be because it has high pedestrian count, as it has lots of varieties of shops and services. Therefore it could be in the core as there are lots of services. Land use- Area 3 The largest category of land use in area 3 is offices with 15% of the total. This may be because it is a easily accessible area so people working in the office can access it. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 3 include financial services. This may be the fact it is mainly offices. Therefore it could be in the core as it has lots of financial services. Land use- Area 4 The largest category of the land use in the area 4 is public buildings. This may be because it is has lots of roads and a market square that people access normally, so a good place of public buildings that can be accessed be the local public. Other types of land use that are well represented in the area 4 include other services and high order comparison. This may be because, as it is next to the Grosvenor centre which his very high pedestrian counts, it is a location. Therefore this could be in the core as there are lots of services in the area. Land use- Area 5 The largest category of the land use in the area 5 is High Order shops with 40% of the total. This may be because as this area has high pedestrian flow so more people are likely to enter the shop and by goods. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 5 include Low order shops. This may be because as there is high pedestrian flow. Therefore this could be the PLVI as it is a prime shopping area with the most high order comparison shops. Land use- Area 6 The largest category of land use in area 1 is Other Services with 27% of the total. This may be because it is in a high pedestrian area and near major roads. Other types of land use that are well represented in area 6 include low order. This may be because this area is near Market square and Grosvenor centre. Therefore this could be in the core as it has quite a few services. Comparing Traffic flow in different areas The average value of number of vehicles that pass a fixed point in a minute is 41. The range of data was 92. The highest value recorded was 118 vehicles per 2 minutes at the top of Abington Street (area 2) near the A5123, this is 92 more than the lowest value and 77 more than the average. The lowest value was 26 at Drapery (area 4), this is 1 higher that bridge street (area 6) and 16 less than sheep street (area 1). As Grosvenor centre is a shopping centre, traffic flow is not applicable and the average and range were calculated excluding Grosvenor centre. Generally, as the distance from the Grosvenor centre increases so does the traffic flow. We expected to find the highest traffic flow in area 1 as there is a major bus station Greyfriars but instead we found that area 2 has the highest traffic flow. Comparing the Environmental quality of different areas The average environmental quality score was -2 while the range was 25. The highest score was 11 for the Grosvenor centre (area 5), which is 25 points higher than the lowest -14 at bridge street (area 6) and 13 higher than the average. Drapery (area 4) had a score of zero. Castilian Street (area 3) was the second lowest with -9, this 11 less than Abington Street and 7 more than Sheep Street (area 1). Generally, the further away from the Grosvenor centre lower the scores are. Grosvenor also had the best building condition and appearance but no plants or trees, while Bridge Street had the lowest building condition and appearance score also very polluted. We were expecting to find the Grosvenor centre the cleanest as it is the centre of the town and indeed we found Grosvenor centre to be the cleanest. Comparing the Age of buildings of different areas Most buildings were Post War (1946-1969). There were also a few Victorian (1830-1900) and Pre Victorian buildings (before 1830) dotted round the town. There were also some Pre World War 2 (1901-1945).However, the Grosvenor centre, the Multi-story car park, Job centre and few others are modern buildings (1970 -2009). As, so far the Grosvenor centre has been suggested by our data that it is the PLVI, normally the centre of the CBD is quite old and as you go further away the building age decreases. This is an anomaly that we have discovered because the centre of the CBD has the youngest buildings. We were expecting to find the PLVI/Core to be the oldest. Comparing the Pedestrian count of different areas The highest recorded count was 209 on Abington street (area 2) while the lowest on Hazelwood road (area 3) at just 3. Generally Area 2 has the highest count and so does the Grosvenor centre. We expected to find the highest count on Abington Street and indeed we did find that. The range of the data was 206 this suggests that the counts vary a lot from place to place. Looking back at our hypothesis Our first hypothesis was that â€Å"Over 70% of the land use in the Grosvenor centre will be for high order shops†. However, only 39% of the shops were high order which doesn't support the hypothesis but as Grosvenor has the highest percentage of high order comparison shops, it is the Peak Land Value Intersection at the centre of the central business district. Our second hypothesis was that â€Å"The highest pedestrian flows will be recorded on Abington Street†. Our data supports the hypothesis as the highest, 209 people, were recorded. This suggests that Abington Street is in the core of the CBD, also as it is a pedestrianised street it should definitely be in core. Our third hypothesis was that â€Å"The lowest environmental quality scores will be recorded in the Greyfriars area†. Our data challenges the hypothesis as the lowest score was recorded on Bridge Street. This suggests that Bridge Street is not in the core as it is not clean, generally the core of the CBD normally clean. Our fourth hypothesis was that â€Å"Environmental Quality will be highest in the Grosvenor centre†. Our data supports the hypothesis as Grosvenor centre scored 11 points, 25 more than the lowest. This suggests that Grosvenor centre is in the Core as it is the cleanest. Our fifth hypothesis was that â€Å"The age of the buildings will decrease as you travel further from the CBD†. Our data challenges this hypothesis, as the apparent PLVI is the Grosvenor centre, Grosvenor centre is a modern building (1970- 2009) while the building around it are mainly Post war (1946-1969). This suggests that Grosvenor centre is in the not in the CBD. Our sixth hypothesis was that â€Å"Highest traffic will be in the frame†. Our data shows that A5123 near Abington street has the highest traffic flow. This suggests that A5123 is in the frame as it has high traffic flow because frame has major ring roads and transport services. Reaching conclusions about the location of the core and the frame of the CBD Abington Street is definitely in the core because it has the highest pedestrian count also there are lots of high order shops. Grosvenor centre is also definitely in the core, in fact it is the Peak Land Value Intersection because it has the highest percentage of high order shops, and also it is the cleanest of all. A5123 road is definitely in the frame because it has the highest traffic flow. While, Greyfriars is also in the frame because it a major bus station, frame normally has lots transport services. Bridge street is also in the frame because has the poorest environmental quality. The boundary between the core and the frame is between Market Square and the Grosvenor centre, because market square is low order while Grosvenor centre is high order. The other boundary appears to be where Fish street meets St Giles street because there are much lower pedestrian counts and number of high order shops on St Giles street than on Fish street and Abington Street. Furthermore, The Junction near Abington street, A5123 is another boundary between the core and the frame because A5123 has the highest traffic flow while Abington street pedestriansed. There also another boundary, which is between the multistory car park (behind Grosvenor center) and the Grosvenor centre, as frame usually contains car parks while the Grosvenor is high order so it must be in the core. Evaluation of the investigation The investigation has been a success as we have rightfully discovered the extent of the core and the frame in the CBD also boundaries of the core and the frame. The collection of all the data and reaching the conclusion worked well as a part of the investigation because useful and understandable conclusions were reached also the data was effectively collected. The time period was quite short but long enough to get basic data, however for more accurate and precise data more places within the town should have been surveyed and for that longer time period would be needed. So at least 2 day trip should be organised the next time. Also we found the CBD being an anomaly as the youngest buildings were in the core, to improve this an another study place should be selected such as Milton Keynes. The results could also be compared with a similar case study in an LEDC as this would provide a greater comparison. The data might not be reliable as this data was collected during one of the worst recession, this increases the number of the derelict buildings and the total number of shops, offices, etc in the area. For example, a particular area in Northampton before the recession area could be full of high order shops but now because of recession it may be all derelict, so this affects the reliability. This is supported as we did find derelict shops even in the Grosvenor centre. The validity is also affected, the data is still valid because there wasn't an areas that was fully or mostly derelict, the impact of the recession was spread out not targeted in a particular area. We can trust our findings as these are all factual figures collected by ourselves.

No Child Left Behind Act

With the No Child Left Behind Act, signed into law in early 2002, the Bush Administration put its stamp on the central federal law governing K-12 schooling, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) ratified in 1965. Throughout his campaign for the presidency, Bush summoned the ideas that are now law as a way to improve public education across the board, particularly for poor children. Vowing to end the soft prejudice of low expectations that he said has allowed too many poor children to fall enduringly behind in school, President Bush declared, â€Å"It's time to come together to get it (educational reform) done so that we can truthfully say in America, ‘No child will be left behind, not one single child'† Described in this way, the problem of low expectations proposes the solution most probably built into the provisions of No Child Left Behind: higher expectations. Though, the law needs not higher expectations which, after all, cannot be legislated but to a certain extent documented success, across the board and against a set of external standards. Expecting every child to succeed is one thing; needing that success is another. Supporters look upon the No Child Left Behind Act as a much-needed push in the right direction: a set of measures that will drive broad gains in student achievement as well as hold states and schools properly accountable for student progress. A number of critics see it fundamentally as a insincere set of demands, framed in an appealing language of expectations, that will force schools to fail on a scale large enough to rationalize shifting public dollars to private schools that is, as a political effort to reform public education out of existence through a policy of test and burn. (Levin, B. & Riffel, J, 1998). Sadly, No Child Left Behind appears, at best, to fix the wrong problem. The sanctions written into the law appear designed to compel teachers to teach and students to learn. Thus far, few children do not want to learn and few teachers do not want to teach. This is barely the biggest problem in struggling schools. What is missing is chance and support, not desire. Consider the gap between the reforms institutionalized through No Child Left Behind and the needs of John Essex, a high-poverty school in rural Demopolis, Alabama. The New York Times (Schemo, 2003b), reported: The truck full of stones showed up at John Essex School without explanation, as if some unnamed saint had heard Loretta McCoy's despair. As principal of this school in Alabama's rural Black Belt, Ms. McCoy struggles to find money for essentials: library books, musical instruments, supplies and teachers. So when the stones appeared, Ms. McCoy knew it might be the closest John Essex would get to landscaping and got pushing. A pile went by the back door, filing a huge pothole the children waded through when it rained. Another truckload filled a sinkhole by the Dumpsters, where garbage trucks got stuck in mud, and a third went to craters when the children took recess. Her pleading got John Essex five deliveries of rock: not enough to level the school's entrance, but enough to give its principal a small dose of hope. The K-12 school has 264 students, all poor and all Black. The building's cinder-block walls are unplastered, electrical lines are exposed, also the library includes books â€Å"that ponder how the Vietnam War will turn out† and â€Å"speak of landing on the moon as an ambitious dream† (Schemo, 2003b). Students have to master a foreign language to earn the academic diploma they require to get into college; however the school has no foreign language teacher, as well no art or music teacher. A few wrist bells comprise the school's collection of musical instruments. One person teaches chemistry, earth science, biology, and all the other science classes. Given the funding shortfalls and high failure rates extensively predicted for struggling schools like John Essex, it is hard to believe that sanctions are a good-faith prescription for accomplishment. Schools with fewer students and less funding will have even more difficulty attracting the best teachers, most of whom will prefer not to teach in a school branded failing. Though No Child Left Behind was signed into law with promises of not giving up on a single student, which proposes a commitment to ensuring that all children succeed, sanctions drive the law and almost make sure the opposite: failure. If this was not the case, if a state documented the success of each and every student that state no doubt would be criticized for cheating, grade inflation, or low standard. Pious platitudes regarding children being capable to learn and accountability for adequate yearly progress are poor substitutes for the cold, hard cash schools like John Essex need to attract good teachers and to finance the programs that might validate this rhetoric. While the federal contribution to total spending on public education is extremely small, about seven percent, the high-poverty schools most vulnerable to the sanctions rely excessively on this money. No Child Left Behind emerges not to address the very real problems in these schools, some of which rely on Title I dollars for more than a third of their spending, but somewhat to use those problems as a rationale for eroding public education. President Bush wanted to include vouchers for private schools in the No Child Left Behind law, however let this go when it became clear Congress would not pass the legislation with that provision. Debatably, however, No Child Left Behind lays the groundwork for exactly this result. The objective appears to be not to improve the quality of schooling for poor children, however rather to turn the problems of poor schools into a campaign to destroy public education. As growingly schools are deemed failing, the demand for vouchers likely will increase, paving the way for a transfer of students and funds to private schools. In the summer of 2003, the president invigorated his call for vouchers and backed a proposal to spend seventy-five million dollars in federal money on vouchers for private schools. Of the seventy-five million dollars, fifteen million dollars would go to families in Washington, DC for vouchers for two thousand of the sixty-seven thousand students in the district. The move came after a decision by the U. S. Supreme Court the year before that affirmed the constitutionality of permitting parents to use public funds to pay for religious and other private schooling. The case focused on a program in Cleveland, which offers private-school vouchers of up to $2,250 to approximately three thousand and seven hundred of the district's seventy-five thousand students. (Tozer, S. E., Violas, P. C., & Senese, G, 2002). Several students lack supports common in middle-class and rich households an adult at home in the evening, lots of books, and a quiet place to work. Others struggle to handle with the stress of living with constant economic insecurity evictions, homelessness, moving from place to place or of living in a community used by the larger society as a poisonous dumping ground. By paying no attention to this reality, No Child Left Behind continues the â€Å"blame-the-victim approach† that has long considered public schooling. Much more is needed than simply stating we now have high expectations for all children. Unaccompanied by a political commitment to construct a system where there is a cause to expect every child to succeed, such proclamations ridicule the ideals they bring to mind. Under the semblance of battling the soft bigotry of low expectations, policy-makers are moving in the incorrect direction in the long struggle to understand the ideal of equal educational opportunity. The stick side of the No Child Left Behind Act is operating: Schools not capable to meet annual achievement targets are being punished. Though, the carrot side of the law, something better for poor children in struggling schools, has not materialized. While funding for Title I has increased, it falls violently short of the realistic costs of achieving hundred percent proficiency. As the federal government reviewed states' plans for putting into practice No Child Left Behind in summer 2003, a related battle gathered steam when the Bush administration planned to overhaul Head Start, the federally funded preschool program that serves about one million of the nation's poorest 3- and 4-year-olds in community centers and schools. Under the proposal, the funding for the program would be distributed in block grants to states, under the control at first of up to eight governors. When Head Start was formed in 1965 as an initiative within the larger War on Poverty, then-President Lyndon Johnson intentionally avoided giving governors, antagonists in battles over civil rights, control over the program. (Levin, B. & Riffel, J, 1998). Critics of the proposal, including more than forty antipoverty and child welfare groups, protested that distributing Head Start dollars in block grants to states would take to bits the program by destroying the federal guarantee that the money will be used as originally planned namely, to provide an array of services to poor children, together with nutritional food, dental and health care, immunizations, as well as, in some centers, literacy programs for family members. To take this program away from communities this is a direct federal community program also hand it over to states without the national performance standards, without the requirements for complete services that make Head Start successful, and at a time when states are facing the biggest budget shortfalls in their history, is to destroy it. (Johnson, M, 2001). Under the proposal, Head Start employees would be needed to teach reading, writing, and math skills, and Head Start pupils would be required to partake in an assessment to find out if the new academic standards were being met. The proposal would need as a minimum half of all Head Start teachers to have 4-year college degrees by 2008, however would not require competitive salaries. Head Start teachers now earn merely about half the average salary of kindergarten teachers. Reference: Johnson, M. (2001, December). Making teaching boom proof: The future of the teaching profession. New Economy, 8(4), 203-207. This article describes how the staffing and retention of teachers could be enhanced to deal with national shortages. Levin, B. & Riffel, J. (1998, March). Conceptualising school change. Cambridge Journal of Education, 28(1), 113. This article attempts to discuss the implications for educational strategy makers suggested by the literature review Schemo, D. J. (2003b, July 11). Questions on data cloud luster of Houston schools. The New York Times. Retrieved from  Ã‚   http://www.nytimes.com This article discusses that hundreds of drop-outs were wrongly listed as transfers. Enrolment at alleged miracle high schools dropped noticeably during this time. Tozer, S. E., Violas, P. C., & Senese, G. (2002). School and society: Historical and contemporary perspectives (4th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill This text seeks to define an analytic framework that illustrates how and why certain school-society issues first took place in this country and how they transformed over time. In its assessment of the development of education in the United States, this text entails an engaging historical story.

Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Why is living a healthy lifestyle important? Better lifestyle habits will reduce your risk of heart attack, you will feel better, have more energy and reduce your risk of illness. Living healthy also elevates your mood, helping you to feel happy and have more self confidence, which results in a better quality of life. Take an active approach to living healthy and improve you health. Living a healthy lifestyle is very important due to the increase of obesity in the United States. If you are not doing everything you can to improve your overall health you are jeopardizing the quality of your life.Today you can gain knowledge on the best foods for you, the best exercise routines for you and further information you need to help on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Today you will learn the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Healthier living is becoming more important for people all over the world. Currently, more than 66% of US adults are either overweight or obese. The greatest increase is in the body mass index. Roughly 59 million American adults are in this group, which is the greatest health risk.Living a healthy lifestyle is very important in older people and is positively related to a reduced risk and a delay in the deterioration in their health. It slows down the aging process and helps the older generation stay strong and healthy. Living a healthier lifestyle also slows down the disease development and contributes to a longer life. The importance of a healthy lifestyle in children has grown tremendously. Obesity in children is increasing in all countries. Because of this factor it is more important than ever that we educate our children on the importance of a healthier living.They need to learn to eat healthy foods and they need to be put on a daily or 3 times weekly exercise schedule. Let your children know the health risks involved in being overweight. If we teach our children the pros of living a healthier lifest yle they will carry this knowledge throughout their lives and become more productive and happier adults. Health issues associated with overweight children are diabetes and heart disease. These are the two most common side effects of childhood obesity. Any problems your child may have with obesity could and probably will be carried over to their adult life.Therefore, teaching them the importance of a healthy lifestyle at a young age is of utmost importance. The importance of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of disease is widely understood and most people know that lifestyle changes and choices can be critical in determining their health and lifespan. Yet less than 5% of the population in the United States practices a healthy lifestyle. Living your life in a healthier manner will help create a strong body, strong mind and higher self-esteem: You need to drink lots of water, have regular physical activity, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and protein.DO NOT smoke, drink or put a ny chemicals in your body that would cause your body harm. Nutrition is a key factor in the living of a healthy lifestyle. You need to look at what you eat now, lower your calories, make healthier choices and get educated. Another factor in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle is exercise. Muscle burns fat and therefore we must feed the muscle through good nutrition and build the muscle through healthy exercising. Protein stops muscle loss.It not only helps build your muscles when you are exercising it helps you keep your muscle in the times when you are unable to exercise. On your road to living healthier you could include protein bars and protein shakes as well as other sources of protein. What do I mean about healthy exercising? Well, some people tend to go overboard and lose track of the word healthy. They want to be thin fast and they get so obsessed they never see themselves as thin so they over exercise and actually cause injuries to their bodies. Exercise at a pace y our body can handle and slowly work up.The slower the weight comes off the more likely you will be to keep the weight off. I cannot stress enough the importance of living a health lifestyle, educating yourself and treating your body with the respect it deserves. You can do all of that right here. We have everything you need to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. You will find articles, recipes, exercise information, and various other things to help you take steps to learning the importance of and start living a healthier lifestyle today! http://fit4lifefriends. com/topic/93444/1/

Assess the View That Cults and Sects Are Only Fringe Organisations That Are Inevitably Short Lived and of Little Influence in Contemporary Society Essay

It can be argued that cults and sects are only fringe organisations that are inevitably short lived and of little influence in contemporary society, however some may have views to contrast this idea. A sect is an organization, which usually breaks off from an established religion, which finds itself in disagreement with beliefs and values of wider society and refuses to tolerate the beliefs of others. Although the desire to be a member is voluntary, as oppose to being born into, like religion, sects are rejected by society and claim strong obligation and commitment by its members. A sect is an extremely narrow-minded organisation, which is often led by a charismatic leader. Whereas, in contrast, a cult does not progress from a mainstream religion and does not reject or challenge societal norms. However, as tolerant of other beliefs as they are, they still attract a great deal of negative press, for example brainwashing. Members in a cult are usually more like customers than followers. An example of a cult is Heavens gate, which is a destructive doomsday cult, centered in California. There is a mass of supporting evidence that cults and sects are short lived and insignificant to wider society. Nevertheless, it must be maintained that the matter is complex as there are many sects and cults, which identify themselves differently. There is evidence to support this view of a short-lived nature of sects. This is due to many reasons. World rejecting sects, due to their nature and succeeding societal rejection and stigma of bad press, must be able to compromise with society and becoming a denomination and therefore cease to be a sect, if this is not done then the sect will die out. There is also an argument that sects cannot have a great deal of affect upon society over a long term period as they cannot survive past the charismatic leader’s lifetime and therefore sustain themselves over more than one generation. The American theologian Niebuhr theorises that another reason for transience of sects is that they rarely live past the 1st generation because the 2nd generation usually lacks the belief of the 1st. In this way, their membership dwindles as the 2nd generation chooses to leave the sect and hold other views in wider society. However Wilson disagrees with Neibuhrs view and says that he overates his case and chooses to not pay attention to groups who did preserve a ‘ distinct sectarian stance’. Similarly, evidence proves to discredit the belief that a sect fails to live on past their leader’s death. For example, The Mormons have continued for many generations and also the Amish- however this could be attributed to the protective ‘isolation-like’ in which they live. There is also a possibility that the Moonies surviving is due to the leader preparing for his son to take over his position as the charismatic leader after his death, however this is yet to be seen. Cults have seen a large incline in their number recently and because they are more accepting of wider society and despite receiving bad press, offer a practical solution to peoples’ issues and wishes, seem less likely to die out due to refusal and disapproval. They are also financially rather stable, the Church of Scientology for example has an estimated income of over  £200m per year. This is down to the consumer attitude of cults. There is also a mass of evidence for their importance in society in a sense that audience cults have a mass market of ‘self help therapy’ there are many books available for example, tarot reading, crystals and reflexology regularly appear on the best seller list and often more room is devoted to these books rather than Christianity books themselves. The view that cults are fringe movements is less supported than that for sects. Sects very infrequently continue on as sects but cults such as scientology are not only prosperous but also have a huge celebrity following trend; admired by the public for example Tom Cruise. There is also evidence that sects and cults can be of great influence to society – though it is debatable as to whether or not that is possible today in a society as apparently secular as ours. Weber suggests in his Theodicy of Disprivilege that because they offer a solution to problems: justification and explanation for life and its problems, to marginalised groups such as dropouts or ethnic minorities, world rejecting sects that offer status appeal to people. An example of this is Liberation Theology which was for the poorer people which had great influence upon the priorities of the Catholic Church in Latin America (though it has become more conservative, it continues to represent human rights and democracy). Bruce argues that it is not a religion and is instead a shallow, meaningless thing. Due to the elements of choice it offers, the choice about which bits to believe and whether to take its readings into account, it does not require commitment. This he argues prevents it having religious status. Post Modernists see it as being spiritual shopping: it is part of a consumerist culture. Despite not necessarily being a religion, there is lots of evidence to show that it has influenced society as a whole and, some sociologists would claim, aided secularisation. There is also evidence to show that it is unlikely to be particularly short lived as it fits in so well with our Capitalist, consumerist society and our individualistic values and is so profitable. Therefore, though there is strong evidence to show that sects and cults are ‘fringe organisations’, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that neither are short lived in themselves either through the Sectarian cycle or demand and supply (though sects tend to become denominations) and also to suggest that the influence of sects and cults on society is greater than expected; though the influence of sects and cults is exemplified by older examples and so one cannot be sure as to how successful they will be in today’s society, except in regards to specific sects and cults. In conclusion, the view that cults, sects are fringe organisations that are inevitably short-lived and of little influence in modern-day society, is on the whole not wholly correct but has some strength in that the permanency of all is arguable as is their status as fringe organisations.