Tuesday, January 28, 2020
The United Nations And Human Rights Essay Example for Free
The United Nations And Human Rights Essay The developments that immediately preceded the Second World War in field of state-relations irreversibly changed the landscape of the international communities. The biggest development, if not the most significant, was the establishment of the United Nations. This move to theoretically unite a war-ravaged world was ambitious and prone to many pitfalls.            Among the immediate developments that were ushered in by the creation of this supranational institution was the Human Rights Machinery. This significant progress came â€Å"[a]fter centuries of inadequate, piecemeal efforts to protect citizens from abuse by their own governments, in 1946 the international community founded a global human rights institution.  The United Nations Commission on Human Rights became the first international body empowered to promote all the human rights of all the world’s peoples. The founders assumed that improved respect for human rights would help individuals and would also serve the United Nations’ primary peacekeeping gal by eliminating repressive practices which provoked war.†[1] The importance and legitimacy of the respect for Human Rights and the international promotion of it among the different nations of the world was further â€Å"highlighted in Chapter IX of the Charter dealing with international economic and social cooperation in terms of a pledge or commitment of all Member states.†[2]            Like with many other issues in the political arena, there is a wide schism between the word and the act. â€Å"The contributions of the UN must neither be understated nor overstated. The UN has been an intellectual pioneer in the issues of economic and social development, much more than is often recognized. At the same time, there have often been omissions and distortions in its work.†[3] While the ideals proclaimed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, through the different Conventions and texts are many, there is a vocal number of people that believe that the United Nations, together with the mentioned Commission is all rhetoric. In this, there is a â€Å"[s]trong tendency†¦to put blame for this unsatisfactory state of affairs on the United Nations and it is true that the Organization is in many respects inapt and ineffective in converting the theory of its own words into actual practice. However, those circles who for good reasons criticize the United Nations would be well advised to do some more soul-searching as to their own direct or indirect share of complicity in bringing about and maintaining structures of injustice.†[4]            The human rights machinery refers to the different organs and procedures dealing directly with human rights in the United Nations system which includes: Intergovernmental organs established on the basis of the Charter of the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission on Human Rights. The commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice also address human rights issues within their respective mandates; Bodies established by human rights treaties; Reporting, communications, and investigating procedures established by policy-making organs and treaty based bodies; the parts of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for human rights activities, especially the United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Division for the Advancement of Women and the centre for International Crime Prevention have also human rights responsibilities. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Decision for the Advancement of Women adopt joint work plans.[5]       â€Å"The Charter of the United Nations, with respect to Human Rights bridged the gap between human rightly established a close link between human rights and other world-wide concerns, viz. the maintenance of peace and the promotion of economic and social development. (†¦) The United Nations played a dynamic role in strongly supporting the quest for independence of colonial countries and peoples was instrumental in terminating colonial domination and combating racial discrimination. In no other area did the United National proclaim and defend human rights principles with so much vigour as in the fields of decolonization and racial discrimination.†[6]            There is said to be three stages of differently focused activities that capture the essence of the Commission’s work in the domain of Human Rights: (1) Standard-Setting (2) Promotion (3) Protection. These three stages are essential in analyzing the work, whether in a positive or negative light, of the Commission.            The Standard-setting stage started the inception of the body of the United Nations itself and lasted a decade after (1945-1955). The most significant output of this stage, and perhaps one of the most significant in human history, was the articulation of the International Bill of Rights; and for this one must give credit to the Commission who was entrusted with this enormous task. During the first decade, the Commission â€Å"spent most of its time on the elaboration of the draft international covenants and concluded its drafting work with respect to those instruments in the mid-fifties.†[7]            â€Å"Despite adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, concern with and promotion of human rights as such often played little part in the UN’s early work on economic and social development. The fulfilment of many economic and social rights was certainly implicit in UN concerns and actions for economic and social advance, but references to rights in this work were few and far between.  Moreover, political and civil and cultural rights mostly got forgotten or ignored in economic writing on development and were treated more as a matter of political and ideological debate in the U.N. Indeed, in development discussions, the belief became popular that authoritarian regimes had some advantage and even some justification because of their ability to take the tough decisions requiredfor example, to raise the rate of savings in poor countries. It was argued that more democratic leaders would find it difficult to take these hard decisions.†[8]            Although the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was and is considered a huge achievement for the international community, the acceptance was not as ready, much like all the new ideas that come into the field, like gender mainstreaming. When a popular support for the ideas embodied in the Declaration did not appear on the horizons, the United Nations began a widespread promotional campaign, the second stage (19955-1965). â€Å"It was assumed that studies, advice and measures in the field of education and information would in the long run provide a more fruitful basis for enhancing the cause of human rights that the treaty-making process which was undertaken with the elaboration of the International Covenants.†[9]           However, this particular stage did not receive resounding success either. The interest that was sparked was not proportionate to the resources of time, energy and money expended to undertake the promotional activities. â€Å"[T]hey failed to grasp the interest and the imagination of the United Nations membership and of the public at large. Moreover, they were too far removed from the main political currents in the World Organization. The human rights program was functioning in isolation and it seemed to lack the political relevance and for that matter the impetus which is needed for dynamic evolution.†[10]            Apparently, the fact that â€Å"[i]t is one thing to draw up international standards, it is quite another thing to have those standards implemented†[11] began to painfully dawn on the Commission. It must be said, however, that this unforeseen lack of support was entirely due to the incompetence of the United Nations in general and the Commission, in particular. External factors of the current times have to be taken into consideration as well. Despite the end of the war, there was still prevalent â€Å"[d]istrust and tensions between nations and peoples, extreme disparities in economic and social conditions between and within nations, religious and ideological antagonism, persistent patterns of racial discrimination and class domination and numerous other factors, including selfishness of individual human beings, affect the realization of human rights with the various societies. It should also be taken into account that any approach from the viewpoint of violations of human rights is, in the context of inter-State cooperation, a most precarious and delicate undertaking inasmuch as it focuses mostly on weaknesses and failures.†[12]            It is undeniable, looking at the United Nations history, that the machinery met great difficulties in the human rights ideals across the world and to effectively integrate it into existing government practices. Due to the few successes of the first two stages, the stage of protection started off with a bumpy ride and is subject to much criticism, which will discussed in the later paragraphs.            Despite the shaky two decades, it is undeniable that â€Å"the Commission has contributed to the inadequate but nevertheless incremental growth of supranational authority capable of scrutinizing practices that had previously been exclusively within governments’ sovereign jurisdiction.†[13] The third stage, protection, came right after the standards were set and the same were promoted to the individuals and national governments. The protection stage is actually the collection of events, still undergoing now, that enforces the standards by â€Å"responding to specific complaints against over seventy governments. The process has increased the Commission’s visibility ad dramatically transformed its operation while exacerbating fundamental differences over whether political or economic, individual or collective rights deserve priority.†[14]            To guide the protection of the world’s population, the Commission refers to now only their shining accomplishment that was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but other treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (1966), the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. â€Å"There can be little doubt that the three greatest intellectual contributions of the United Nations have been human rights on a global scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [15]            Despite the pioneering efforts of the Commission, those that have resulted in both failure and success, a large number of people are highly critical of the United Nations, in general and the Commission, in particular, citing inefficiency, redundancy and an overly-bureaucratic structure as primary reasons. â€Å"American critics have made the sharpest attacks, venting their greatest anger prior to 1980 and since then against the UN in general and the Assembly in particular. The Commissions harshest critic claims that unfair procedures have been manipulated to subvert democratic governments and fundamental rights. The Commission’s defenders lament it limited impact on government practice and propose a variety of structural reforms.†[16]            One of the biggest concerns aired by the Eastern bloc is the supposed prevalence of Western values embodied in the different Declaration and Treaties. â€Å"Judging by the time spent in drafting and the norms adopted, the Commission appears to have given higher priority to Western sponsored political and civil than to Third World initiated economic and social standards.†[17] Economic concerns were definitely more pressing in the third-world countries where starvation trumped political freedom any day. Although in its defense, the Declaration did have economic rights included in the text. However, many complain that while that is true,†[t]he Universal Declaration and the two covenants give nearly consideration to economic rights, but create more effective enforcement procedures for civil liberties. The conventions on race discrimination and apartheid affirm the rights of groups as well as individuals but give no special priority to economic concerns. (†¦) The consensus decision-making procedure delayed and weakened the 1986 declaration on development. If any standard setting priority exists, the Commission has given the greatest attention to individual civil and political rights. Despite the strident rhetoric about balancing economic and political rights, the gross violations identified have involved considerably more political than economic injustice. (†¦) Complaints about forced labour, particularly involving children, have not prompted a response unless the violation involved mass killing or another top priority.†[18]            Assuming but not conceding that this prioritization were true, it must be said that such would be essential in the smooth running of an organization in order not to spread oneself too thin. This is particularly true for the United Nations because a â€Å"society must establish value priorities about which rights to protect by law and which violations to punish most severely. The international community is even more ideologically divided than its constituent members, therefore attempts to enforce universal human rights exacerbate fundamental political differences.†[19]            Among the popular criticisms of the United Nations Human Rights machinery, the most troubling would perhaps have to be the accusations of the employing double standards; standards that heavily favor Western aggression. These complaints found legitimacy in the now-infamous UN inaction during the Rwandan genocide. Furthermore, the deafening silence on the part of the UN during the American military operations against Afghanistan and Iraq hit the UN credibility hard and many more joined the others in crying foul. â€Å"Some critics have concluded that politically motivated double standards, selective enforcement and disparate treatment totally discredit the Commission’s enforcement program. When the Commission acts selectively, its exceptionally rare actions appear arbitrary and capricious. While Commission supporters also complain that too many serious violation escape scrutiny, they favor imperfect enforcement to none at all.†[20]            In conclusion, the Commission was â€Å"ill-equipped to cope with the underlying military and economic causes of the worst human rights violations. At best its measures temper and moderate the most extreme offenses. Once the killing has begun, human rights remedies, like United Nations relief for refugees, merely alleviates symptoms.†[21]            With that said, a new chapter of Human Rights’ protection through the United Nations system was ushered with the extinction of the Commission of the Human Rights in 2006. Its successor is dubbed the Human Rights Council. This brings to the playing field a shift in the field of Human Rights and is significant in several aspects. First, it addresses the issue of a much-needed ‘face-lift’ for the image of the United Nations main machine of human rights. The former Commission had its share of bad publicity and the creation of the Human Rights Council, even if will heavily base its action on those of its predecessors, makes the evolution in thinking and practice much more understandable by the general public.            Moreover, the Council ushers in a new era in which the Commission would have been hard-pressed to fit in. This misfit can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the former Commission was created during a different international field, at a time when war was still a fresh memory. In so many ways, the global community has progressed far beyond the nature of Post-World War II. Therefore, this new change will hopefully reflect mandates that would be more faithful and effective in these current times.            A cursory look at the working groups under the Human Rights Council shows that not all was changed, however, and rightly so. The Council is still carrying out the standard-setting stage, which the Commission excelled at. Under a standard-setting goal, the Council is currently looking into the expansion of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in order to more accurately portray the Human Rights’ needs of these rapidly changing times. In addition to this potential expansion, there is also a working group under the auspices of the Human Rights Council that is currently drafting a legally binding instrument for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearances. This latter on is merely a continuation of the Commission’s work.            The other working groups of the Human Rights Council do show that they are treading into new territory, which the Commission was criticized for not doing enough. Under the working groups for special procedures, there are experts on People of African Descent, Arbitrary Detention and Mercenaries.            There is incredible potential for the Council to do great work in the field of human rights and it is not weighed down by decades of bad publicity. Although it is too early in the game to call the outcome, this significant change in the United Nations framework will only be effective if the new Council learns from its predecessor’s mistakes in enforcement. Although the textual and intellectual contribution of the Commission cannot be disputed, these contemporary times need more than non-binding conventions that do not seem to scare those militant with complete disregard for the sanctity and dignity of human life.            Being a watchdog of human rights in the world cannot be constrained to formulating conventions and treaties. This was where the Commission excelled at and the Council should build on them but concentrate on actual groundwork where they are needed, on the ground and not from some lofty and comfortable climate controlled environment in New York. In many ways, this shows that the United Nations System has evolved with the times and the old complaints with the old machinery will slowly be forgotten. This is a perfect time for any enormous changes within the United Nations system in that there is an actual change of face, literally, with the new Secretary-General; therefore any new victories will be counted as part of the new Council, even if it were heavily rooted in the Commission’s work. [1] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [2] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.119 [3] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.276 [4] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.120 [5] Symonides, J., (2003) Human Rights: International Protection, Monitoring, Enforcement. UNESCO Publishing. p.5 [6] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.120 [7] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.121 [8] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.8 [9] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.122 [10] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.122 [11] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.125 [12] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.125 [13] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [14] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [15] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.276 [16] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.187 [17] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.193 [18] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.193 [19] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.194 [20] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.203 [21] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.220
Monday, January 20, 2020
Origins of the Shadow in A Wizard of Earthsea Essay -- Essays Papers
Origins of the Shadow in A Wizard of Earthsea Ged, the main character in The Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin, through an act of pride and spite unwittingly unleashes a powerful shadow creature on the world, and the shadow hunts Ged wherever he goes. After failing to kill Ged the first time, he learns the only way to destroy the shadow is to find its name. What Ged must realize is the shadow was created by the evil in his own heart. Also, the shadow is not entirely evil, and Ged can actually draw strength from it. In doing so, Ged will realize that the only way to discover the shadow’s name is to discover that he and the shadow are one. Carl G. Jung in Man and His Symbols, describes the shadow as containing the hidden, repressed, and unfavorable â€Å"tendencies†of the conscious personality. â€Å"Such tendencies form an ever-present and potentially destructive ‘shadow’ to our conscious mind.†This shadow takes form in mythology as a dark, shadowy, and imposing figure or as â€Å"the cosmic powers of evil, personified by dragons and other monsters.†(Henderson 111) This shadow is shown to Ged in different forms: â€Å"...Like a clot of black shadow, quick and hideous...it was like a black beast, the size of a young child, though it seemed to swell and shrink; and it had no head or face, only the four taloned paws with which it gripped and tore.†(LeGuin 61) As it appeared when the shadow was first created. Later as the shadow pursued him, it held the same form. â€Å"The shadow did not have the shape of man or beast. It was shapeless, scarcely to be seen, but it whispered at him, though there were no words in its whispering, and it reached out towards him.†(LeGuin 81). Once Ged stops running, the shadow takes on a more identifiable form â€Å"...now some likeness to a man, though being shadow it cast no shadow.†The last form the shadow takes are the images people that Ged has come across in his life, â€Å"An old man it seemed, gray and grim, coming towards Ged; but even as Ged saw his father the smith in that figure, he saw that it was not an old man, but a young one. It was Jasper: Jasper’s insolent handsome young face, and silver-clasped gray cloak, and stiff stride. Hateful was the look he fixed on Ged across the dark intervening air...and it became Pechvarry. But Pechvarry’s face was all bloated and pallid like the face of a drowned man, and he rea... ... to face his fears. â€Å"In silence, man and shadow met face to face and stopped. Aloud and clearly, breaking that old silence, Ged spoke the shadow’s name and in the same moment the shadow spoke without lips or tongue, saying the same word: ‘Ged.’ And the two voices were one voice. Ged reached out his hands, dropping his staff, and took hold of the shadow, of the black self that reached out to him. Light and darkness met, and joined, and were one...’Estarriol’, he said, ‘look, it is done. It is over...the wound is healed...I am whole, I am free.’†(LeGuin 179-180) On the condition that one succeeds in assimilating and integrating the conscious mind the lost and regained contents. Since they are not neutral, their assimilation will modify the personality, just as they themselves will have to make certain changes. â€Å"If we could see our shadow, we should be immune to any moral and mental infection and insinuation.†(Jung 79) Bibliography: A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin, published by Bantam Spectra Books. Fantasy Novel Man and His Symbols, edited by Carl G Jung and M.-L. von Franz, Joseph L. Henderson, Jolande Jacobi, Aniela Jaffe, published by Dell Books, non fiction.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Early Hominids and Tools
Early Hominids and Tools Jacky Thompson ANT 101 March 20, 2013 Even though humans seem to be the most advanced creatures walking this earth, we certainly had ancestors before us. We share similar genetic information of other animals. They are what we consider early hominids. Early hominids date as far back as 6 to 8 million years ago. Just like humans, they had to have some type of culture in order to survive and make a living. Culture is defined as a dynamic adaptive process of learned, shared, and integrated behaviors.But it is not so obvious that these hominids had culture, so the presences of stone tools and home bases might be the answer to determine if they had culture. Tools are defined as a device or implement used with the hand, to carry out a specific function. Primates learn and share in certain culture, but their social behavior is not as complex as those of humans. The earliest hominids were classified as Australopithecus, which is a type of ape. Scientists claimed that their brains were not big enough to fathom the thought of making tools. Perhaps they used tools to hunt animals.The animals that later hominids hunted were used for food and maybe the furs were used for clothing. This is what we consider hunting and gathering. It is a technique in which the men are responsible for hunting while the women gather the resources. In order for them to hunt they must have had tools to help them kill and clean animals. This process of hunting can be learned and passed on through generations, which are basic parts of culture. The use of tools allowed or ancestor’s opportunities to hunt and do other useful things that were off-limits before the use of tools.Scientist still really does not have clues as to how and why this transition took place. The actual history and time comes from the actual tools themselves. The act of making tools is an example of how developed our ancestor’s brains were. To actually create the thought of making tools and t o figure how they will be designed is a significant development in itself. This symbolizes culture because the process of making tools was probably passed down to generations, and they became better at using and making better tools.Early hominids used stone tool making. This is the deliberate fashioning of a stone into an actual tool. Throwing or bashing the stones against something created it. Archaeologists recognized four types of tools: choppers, flake tools, crude tools, and hand axes. Mostly found in Africa and the Middle East. Early hominids probably made tools with sticks, wood, horn, and other perishable materials. Besides previous uses of tools mentioned, they were also used for fishing out termites and other insects.These tools were supposedly long blades of grass that had been licked, and stuck into holes to get termites, which they ate in order to get proteins and the nutrients they needed. Besides humans, species in the animal kingdom, also shared culture behavior. Thi s was mainly seen in chimpanzees. Scientist often compared the culture of the two. Chimps are genetically the closest related relatives to humans, sharing 98 percent of our DNA. Seeing as to they were this closely related to us, of course they would be capable of making tools like earlier hominids did.Chimps made weapons to hunt. They hunted in things like nuts, fishing for termites. And just like earlier ancestors who ate them, the chimps did also. They choose branches, stripped it of its leaves, trimmed it, and put it to use. Unlike hominids, it is not really successful for chimps to hunt. This might be so because their brain is not as developed as ours. They mostly go after available resources such as, fruits and branches. Males used methods such as grabbing prey and killing it, while the females created the tools that were useful for catching the prey.Now, to the actual cultural behaviors of both humans and chimpanzees, we have a few behavior patterns in common. Humans have the ability to throw things, and more precisely, they are able to aim at an actual object then throw. Chimps have also showed this type of behavior. This type of behavior is not one that is passed on through genetics, but it is socially learned. Like little children who look at their parents, and mirror their actions, baby chimps also learn to do the same thing. So in this case, cultural is socially gratified even though it is not as complex as humans.Both species evolved upright or bipedal. Another culture characteristic is the way chimps wake. This gives us an idea of how our early ancestors begin walking. They no longer walked on all fours, they being to free their hands in order to carry valuable resources. Other characteristics include emotions. Chimps have ways to show fear, often displayed with a small smirk, just like humans. Perhaps this is a mechanism used not to show fear. They can also contract similar illnesses that humans have such as HIV and hepatitis but they do not show symptoms of the viruses.Much like institutionalized humans, chimpanzees whose social, intellectual, and physical, needs are not met, they show behavioral symptoms of stress. Chimpanzees exhibit such behaviors, as self-mutilation, continual rocking, and aggression. These are socially learned mechanisms within cultures. Evidence of early hominids have been seen everywhere, but to actually distinguish if they have cultural behavior is hard. Just like hominids, chimpanzees share, almost the same amount of DNA, giving them a better chance to act out as humans, versus other animals.Even though we share a fair amount of DNA, while chimpanzees are further studied, it is becoming more apparent that their intelligence is higher than we previously thought. Talking, for instance, is not a hard task for hominids, but for chimps, it is believed that they have the learning capacity to use spoken language, but their throats and vocal cords are not designed to make consonant noises and sounds. This eliminates the possibility of chimps actually being able to talk. However, chimps in opposition have been taught to understand English, communicate through with certain keypads, acknowledge certain symbols, and use sign language.Since early hominids were descendants of the same common ancestor as chimps, they most likely had the same resources available to learn the same things as humans did. Another thing that hominid cultures find to be normal is to let the male wander off while the females stayed put in a specific area. Chimps use a similar type method. Instead of the male going out to gather sources and goods, the female traveled while the male held the home base. Another behavior characteristic that we share is socializing. Chips show this by grooming, chasing, or playing.Like hominids they too, show affection, which includes kissing and hugging. Perhaps chimps use grooming to connect, while hominids were more successful through talking. We both show facial expression, and sho ckingly, language. Instead of verbal sounds, chimps make grunts and screams. When it came to hominids and chimps hunting, they both searched for meats and plants, making the both of them omnivorous. Even though many humans would prefer eating meats, chimps lean more towards fruits. One of the most common similarities of the wo are bipedalism. This is the act of walking on two legs. Chimps would be seen most of the time walking on all fours but they use bipedalism to further ahead of themselves. When comparing these two species we are able to find so many similarities. With almost the same amount of DNA, the resemblance is shocking. We both have the ability to hunt, walk on two legs, eat similar foods, and we lack a tail. Our behavior is learned, and shared. Chimpanzees and early hominoids, take on the responsibility of hunting and providing for there offspring.They both had the ability of making and using tools. Perhaps they inherited this ability from some common ancestor. Since ch imps did not learn from humans, we can accept the fact that we are related and originated from a common ancestor. Culture is socially stratified, thus making it important for chimps and humans to adapt to the social norm in order to communicate. So the presence of stone tools, and home bases do suggest that we both had culture, and I can conclude the fact the early hominids and chimps cultural behavior did strongly compare.
Saturday, January 4, 2020
King Lear Lear the Tragic Hero - 1662 Words
King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero The definition of tragedy in the Oxford dictionary is, drama of elevated theme and diction and with unhappy ending; sad event, serious accident, calamity. However, the application of this terminology in Shakespearean Tragedy is more expressive. Tragedy does not only mean death or calamity, but in fact, it refers to a series of steps which leads to the downfall of the tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death. Lear, the main character in King Lear was affirmed as the tragic hero because the play meets all the requirements of a tragedy. In order for a character to be qualified as a tragic hero, he must be in a high status on the social chain and the hero also possesses a tragic flaw which†¦show more content†¦Due to his flaw, he gave the two daughters a chance to conspire against him and he was finally thrown out of his daughters home and left with a fool, a servant and a beggar. When Lear was left alone in the storm, he started to lose his sanity and realize his fault to banish Cordelia and Kent. Before the thrown out of Regans home, Lear suffered for shelter food and clothes as he said, On my knees I beg that youll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food. (II, iv, 155) In the storm, he suffered from his growing madness because he could not bear the treatment of his two daughters. He began to realize the true faces of his daughters and did not want to see them again, as he said, I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad. I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell. Well no more meet, no more see one another.. ( II, iv, 218-220) Further more, as Lear moved all over the place to Dover, he suffered from rest as Kent and Gloucester said, Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile. ( Kent, III, vi, 81) Trouble him not, his wits are gone. ( Kent, III, vi, 86) Good Friend. I prithee take him in thy arms I have oer heard a plot of death upon him,Show MoreRelated King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero Essay1617 Words  | 7 Pages King Lear: Lear The Tragic Hero nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The definition of tragedy in the Oxford dictionary is, quot;drama of elevated theme and diction and with unhappy ending; sad event, serious accident, calamity.quot; However, the application of this terminology in Shakespearean Tragedy is more expressive. Tragedy does not only mean death or calamity, but in fact, it refers to a series of steps which leads to the downfall of the tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death. Lear,Read MoreKing Lear : The Tragic Hero957 Words  | 4 PagesThere are many â€Å"tragic heroes†in literature in many different genres. The aspects of a tragic hero include a good man who has royalty in his blood, one tragic flaw, suffer, and then overcome their flaw once they finally open their eyes to what is really going on. Not only do tragic heroes suffer, but they cause others to suffer as well, but this can play a huge role in a work as a whole. King Lear is the tragic hero in, of course, King Lear. King Lear suffers from not knowing who he truly isRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of King Lear1277 Words  | 6 Pagesthere is no salvation for the tragic hero or any sign of optimism in the conclusion. This bleak portrayal of King Lear, through his losses, makes him the ultimate tragic hero, and the play an ultimate tragedy. In every tragedy, of course, there is a tragic hero. A person who has good intentions, but leads the story to ruin through a fatal, and uncontrollable, flaw. The plot of the book centers around the consequences of King Lear’s flaw. Throughout the play, King Lear loses his land, his honorRead MoreKing Lear as a Tragic Hero997 Words  | 4 PagesThe play of King Lear is a tragedy like many of Shakespeare’s plays, and many of them deal with the tragic hero that end up meeting their demise thanks to their tragic flaw. The tragic hero of this play is King Lear, and he is a man that is a ruler of the kingdom of Britain in the 8th century B.C. He is a very old man surrounded by grave responsibilities, which are taking care of the land and taking care of the citizens of the kingdom. Lear the tragic hero must feel suffering and contrast those goodRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of King Lear1310 Words  | 6 PagesKing Lear, one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, depicts a society in uninviting circumstances. Tragedy is depicted by the downfall of a noble hero, usually through a combination of arrogance and fate. The tragic hero s wish to achieve a goal encounters limits, those of human inability, the gods, or nature. As with all tragedies, there exists a tragic hero, one who possesses a calamitous flaw that establishes the tragedy and all the sufferings that follow. In this play, the tragic heroRead MoreIs King Lear A Tragic Hero Essay1358 Words  | 6 PagesKing Lear, one of William Shakespeare s greatest tragedies, depicts a society in grim circumstances. As with all tragedies, there exists a tragic hero [1] , one who possesses a fatal flaw that initiates the tragedy and all the sufferings that follow. In this play, the tragic hero is undoubtedly the title character, King Lear. The plot is driven by the power and consequence of losses, more specifically, the losses of Lear. In the course the play, King Lear, because of his flaws, loses his authorityRead MoreKing Lear and Antigone as Tragic Hero Essay1626 Words  | 7 PagesBecause Lear is capable of change, he becomes a tragic hero; because Antigone is incapable of change, she never becomes a tragic heroine. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as someone, usually a male, who â€Å"falls from a high place mainly due to their fatal flaw.†During the highest point of the tragic hero’s life, something is revealed to the protagonist causing a reversal in their fortune. This reversal of fortune is caused by the flaw in their character. Tragedy evokes catharsis, a feeling ofRead More traglear Tragic Hero in King Lear Essay1591 Words  | 7 Pagesa series of steps that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero and eventually to his tragic death.nbsp; Lear, the main character in King Lear was affirmed as the tragic hero because the play meets all the requirements of a tragedy.nbsp;nbsp; In order for a character to be qualified as a tragic hero, he must be in a high status on the social chain and the hero also possesses a tragic flaw that initiates the tragedy.nbsp; The fall of the hero is not felt by him alone but creates a chain reactionRead MoreSuperheroes, Despite Their Differe nt Powers, All Possess1581 Words  | 7 Pagesmaintenance of strong morals. Similarly, King Lear, the tragic hero in William Shakespeare’s play, King Lear, possesses characteristics that define him as a tragic hero, as stated by Aristotle in Poetics via A.C. Bradley’s The Shakespearean Tragic Hero. King Lear is a character of high social status, and he possesses exceptional qualities that make him a well-respected king; however, throughout the play’s events, he suffers tremendously in an unusual manner. In addition, Lear, despite being a â€Å"good†characterRead MoreThe Tragedy Of King Lear By William Shakespeare1671 Words  | 7 Pagestragedy. Within his theory of tragedy is the concept of the tragic hero, whose great, ironic flaw leads to his own downfall. The tragic hero is of an elevated position in society but should, all the same, be a character with whom the audience can relate. The hero undergoes a massive revelation and experiences dramati c enlightenment. The tragedy of King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, illustrates the story of a proud and self-centered king, whose obtuse judgement shapes his demise. Lear’s impulsive
Friday, December 27, 2019
Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons
The ability to read is one of the most powerful tools teachers and parents can give students. Literacy is strongly correlated with future economic and professional success. Illiteracy, on the other hand, exacts a steep price. The National Center for Education Statistics notes that 43 percent of adults with the lowest reading levels live in poverty, and according to the National Institute for Literacy, 70 percent of people on welfare have extremely low literacy. Furthermore, 72 percent of children of parents with low literacy will themselves have low literacy, and are more likely to perform poorly in school and drop out. Early and elementary education offers a key opportunity to break this cycle of economic hardship. And while the mechanics of reading and writing are essential building blocks, reading comprehension allows students to move beyond decoding and into understanding and enjoyment. Understanding Reading Comprehension The easiest way to explain reading comprehension is to put a reader in the position of someone who is deciphering letters and words rather than comprehending (attaching meaning to) them. Try reading this: Fà ¦der ureà °u à °e eart on heofenumsi à °in nama gehalgodto-becume à °in ricegeweorà ¾e à °in willa on eorà °an swa swa on heofenum.Urne ge dà ¦ghwamlican hlaf syle us to-deagand forgyf us ure gyltasswa swa we forgifaà ¾ urum gyltendumane ne gelà ¦de à °u us on costnungeac alys us of yfle. Using your knowledge base of phonetic sounds, you might be able to â€Å"read†the text, but you would not understand what you’d just read. You most certainly would not recognize it as The Lord’s Prayer. What about the following sentence? Fox grape grey shoe on land title base. You may know each word and its meaning, but that doesnt give the sentence meaning. Reading comprehension involves three distinct components: processing text (sounding out the syllables to decode the words), understanding what was read, and making connections between the text and what you already know. Vocabulary Knowledge vs. Text Comprehension Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension are two vital elements of reading comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge refers to understanding individual words. If a reader doesn’t understand the words he is reading, he won’t understand the text as a whole. Because vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading comprehension, children should be exposed to a rich vocabulary and should always be learning new words. Parents and teachers can help by defining potentially unfamiliar words that students will encounter in texts and teaching students to use contextual clues to understand the meaning of new words. Text comprehension builds on vocabulary knowledge by allowing the reader to combine the meanings of the individual words to understand the overall text. If you’ve ever read a complicated legal document, a challenging book, or the previous example of a nonsensical sentence, you can understand the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension. Understanding the meaning of most of the words does not necessarily translate into understanding the text as a whole. Text comprehension relies on the reader making connections with what hes reading. Reading Comprehension Example Most standardized tests include sections that assess reading comprehension. These assessments focus on identifying the main idea of a passage, understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, and identifying the author’s purpose. A student might read a passage such as the following about dolphins. Dolphins are aquatic mammals (not fish) well-known for their intellect, gregarious nature, and acrobatic abilities. Like other mammals, they are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, feed their babies milk, and breathe air through their lungs. Dolphins have a streamlined body, a pronounced beak, and a blowhole. They swim by moving their tail up and down to propel themselves forward.A female dolphin is called a cow, a male is a bull, and the babies are calves. Dolphins are carnivores that eat marine life such as fish and squid. They have great eyesight and use this along with echolocation to move about in the ocean and locate and identify objects around them.Dolphins communicate with clicks and whistles. They develop their own personal whistle, which is distinct from other dolphins. Mother dolphins whistle to their babies frequently after birth so that the calves learn to recognize their mothers whistle. After reading the passage, students are asked to answer questions based on what they read to demonstrate their understanding of the passage. Young students might be expected to understand from the text that dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. They eat fish and communicate with clicks and whistles. Older students might be asked to apply information gleaned from the passage to facts they already know. They could be asked to infer the meaning of the term carnivore from the text, identify what dolphins and cattle have in common (being identified as a cow, bull, or calf) or how a dolphin’s whistle is similar to a human fingerprint (each is distinct to the individual). Methods of Assessing Reading Comprehension There are several ways to evaluate a student’s reading comprehension skills. One method is to use a formal assessment, like the example above, with reading passages followed by questions about the passage. Another method is to use informal assessments. Ask students to tell you about what they read or retell the story or event in their own words. Put students in discussion groups and listen to what they have to say about the book, watching for areas of confusion and students who are not participating. Ask students for a written response to the text, such as journaling, identifying their favorite scene, or listing the top 3 to 5 facts they learned from the text. Signs That a Student Is Not Able to Comprehend What Hes Reading One indicator that a student is struggling with reading comprehension is difficulty reading aloud. If a student struggles to recognize or sound out words when he’s reading orally, he’s likely encountering the same struggles when reading silently. Weak vocabulary is another indicator of poor reading comprehension. This is because students who struggle with text comprehension may have difficulting learning and incorporating new vocabulary. Finally, poor spelling and weak writing skills may be a signal that a student isn’t able to comprehend what he’s reading. Difficulty spelling may indicate problems remembering letter sounds, which means that the student is likely also having trouble processing text. How to Teach Effective Reading Comprehension It might seem as though reading comprehension skills develop naturally, but that’s because students gradually begin to internalize the techniques. Effective reading comprehension skills must be taught, but it’s not difficult to do. There are simple strategies to improve reading comprehension that parents and teachers can employ. The most important step is to ask questions before, during, and after reading. Ask students what they think the story is going to be about based on the title or cover. As you’re reading, ask students to summarize what they’ve read so far or predict what they think will happen next. After reading, ask students to summarize the story, identify the main idea, or highlight the most important facts or events. Next, help children make connections between what they’ve read and their experiences. Ask them what they would have done if they had been in the main character’s situation or if they’ve had a similar experience. Consider reading challenging texts aloud. Ideally, students will have their own copy of the book so that they can follow along. Reading aloud models good reading techniques and allows students to hear new vocabulary in context without disrupting the flow of the story. How Students Can Improve Reading Comprehension Skills There are also steps that students can take to improve their reading comprehension skills. The first, most basic step is to improve overall reading skills. Help students select books about topics that interest them and encourage them to read at least 20 minutes each day. It’s okay if they want to start with books below their reading level. Doing so can help students focus on what they’re reading, rather than on decoding more challenging text, and improve their confidence. Next, encourage students to stop every so often and summarize what they’ve read, either mentally or aloud with a reading buddy. They may want to make notes or use a graphic organizer to record their thoughts. Remind students to get an overview of what they’ll be reading by first reading chapter titles and subheadings. Conversely, students can also benefit from skimming over the material after they’ve read it. Students should also take steps to improve their vocabulary. One way to do so without disrupting the flow of reading is to jot down unfamiliar words and look them up after they’ve finished their reading time.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Australia s Film And Television Industry - 1635 Words
Australia’s film and television industry has experienced drastic changes since the rise of national cinema. Leading the world film industry, Australia was home to the first film studio and feature film at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) toured England from 1908 as the longest film ever made, popularising a new genre of bushranger movies and epitomising the Ned Kelly legend as a significant aspect in Australian cultural identity (Juddery, 2008). The beginning of Australia’s film industry built itself on bushranger films, with the focus being local audiences rather than foreign, as stated by Judder. However, power struggles within the industry and banning of the bushranger genre saw to the quick demise of the film industry in 1912. Another aspect contributing to the demise is the emergence of competition with Britain and the US releasing two feature films each to Australia’s eight, later decreasing to th ree against the US’ 212 in 1914. Soon thereafter, the industry was dominated by foreign productions. This is evidenced in the 1994 documentary Celluloid Heroes, which states that â€Å"during one week in 1959, 1500 fine dramatic actors appeared on Melbourne television, and only 5 Australians†, resulting in the 1960 Postmaster-General Charles Davidson to implement local content requirements, beginning with TV stations required to broadcast 40 per cent Australian content every 28 days with four hours in peak time, which wasShow MoreRelatedFilm Industry Case Study1692 Words  | 7 Pagesco-production in screen industries between Australia and China based on the nation’s situation and the history of film industry. The main problem is how to utilize this policy to enhance government cooperation and business model to apply those policies into the cooperation procedure. The other problem is the shortage of sustainability of film business and to find out the solution s to develop a model to be used as a best practice framework for the successful integration of film tourism in a DestinationsRead MoreOverview of the Australian Film Industry1403 Words  | 6 PagesAustralian Film Industry 1 Era before World War I Australian film industry had good and bad times or boom and bust (Stratton, 1990) in period of last 100 years and that is why it can be called a fragile industry. If we look at the history, era before 1914, we find out that Australia was counted as one of the biggest film making countries of the world. This Australian film industry took the honor of being first to produce worlds first feature film in 1906, The Story of the Kelly Gang. TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Channel Ten s Strategic Position And Performance Among Like Companies On The Australian Stock Exchange852 Words  | 4 PagesIntroduction and Company Profile Network Ten is one of Australia’s leading free-to air television broadcasters. With a focus on quality entertainment and news content with a substantial supply of material online and on digital platforms. These broadcasting platforms offer multiple free-to-air channels; TEN, ELEVEN and ONE as well as their digital platform, ten play. All channels of employ Network Ten’s corporate vision â€Å"we create innovative and authentic multi-platform content that entertains andRead MoreFilm Review : The Snow Town Killings 1623 Words  | 7 PagesCourse Date Film Review: The Snow Town Murders Culture, the way of life of a group of people is a very important aspect of human existence. Indeed the culture of a certain people is extremely significant to them that they strive as much as possible to prevent its extinction by passing it down from one generation to another. Over the centuries, oral telling , art making and subsequently writing have been methods of passing and preserving culture and then recently film making. The film and the mediaRead MoreChanges Of Australian Pop Culture1912 Words  | 8 Pagesculture, these areas of pop culture include Film, television, radio, music, fashion, sport and communication. Popular Culture refers to the beliefs, attitudes and lifestyles shared by a group of people. Film: Film in Australia has a large part of the Australian lifestyle and has had many major changes in Popular Culture from 1945 to the present. The first film to be released was the Ned Kelly Gang in 1945. Australia has produced many successful films during this time and has had many influencesRead MoreBritish American Influence on Australia1015 Words  | 5 PagesBefore 1945, many people, including Australians themselves, considered Australia to be nothing more than a British colony whose national identity was virtually the same as the British. During this period of Australias history, our modes of entertainment, food, fashion, sporting culture and our social values and attitudes were largely dictated by British culture. One of the most significant changes to have taken place in Australian society since the end of WWII, has been its drift towards AmericanRead MoreThe Effects Of Television And Streaming Services On The Industry1447 Words  | 6 PagesEssay – The future of the Film and Television industry with the effect of pay-tv and streaming services Since the 1950’s the use of new technologies in the Film and Television industry has increased dramatically. From the equipment used to create the moving pictures, the technology we use to view these scenes and the techniques used to capture or produce the animated films and live shots, technology is forever expanding and growing. The Film and Television industry is a major contributor to theRead MoreFrance And India Are On Different Spectrums When It Comes1126 Words  | 5 Pages India and France media consist of television, radio, film, newspapers, magazines, and internet based websites. I personally find both of these countries fascinating and want to know more about the media influence in both countries. In this paper we are going to take a closer look at the types of media, media news stories, and the Western influence in India and France. France France media consists primarily of newspapers, radio, magazines, telephone, television and the internet. The three major formsRead More Americanization of the Australian Media Essay1228 Words  | 5 PagesAmericanization of the Australian Media The Australian television and media have become americanised through the influence of American media and television programs in Australia. This research will only concentrate on the extent of Americanisation in Australia through the influence on television and the film industry as the aspect of Americanisation covers a wide range from fashion to language. To fully understand the topic of the hypothesis, proper exploration of the definitions of ‘identity’Read MoreIncreasing Frequency And Normality Of Piracy2055 Words  | 9 PagesOutcome Introduction This research project explores the increasing frequency and normality of piracy as a crime in addition to its strong relationship with Australia. In particular, the purpose of this research project is to explore ‘How the rate of piracy in Australia can be reduced’ in addition to analysing the fundamental factors behind the increase in the frequency of piracy, furthermore investigating methods to reduce such criminal acts, including legal consequences. Definition of Digital Piracy
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Essay Technology and Staffing
Question: Discuss about the Essayfor Technology and Staffing. Answer: There have been three web based articles chosen for assessing the role of technology in the staffing function. These three papers show how the technology has affected our daily lives as well as the human resources functions. These articles show how the use of internet has grown for the staffing purpose. The use of technology has led to various benefits like the lessening of costs for recruitments, ability to attract huge number of potential candidates and most importantly, making the process of recruitment to be faster. As per these three articles, it is clear that the technology is not to be treated as a substitute for the personal contributions in staffing; there are a lot of regions where technology can make the business work more economically maintaining the expenses to be competitive. By the use of technology, human resource department can get more of free time to focus on building relations and making fresh opportunities. The probability is more that businesses have to invest in numerous special ways to achieve its goals. Though, the suitable technology is non-negotiable for a staffing organization to be successful. The managers need help with staffing then they need the processed data and technology helps in converting the data into useful information. Manually going over the resumes is still a widespread procedure; however it can be a huge wastage of time for a rising staff in the business (Truss et al. 2002). A few of them in a week can be managed, however as a business expands, it is difficult to manually sort the resumes. By use of technology for screening and ranking of the applications, the human resources department can use up extra time bringing round the most suitable applicants and making more efficient matches for the business partners. As the business grows, there is a continuous entry of fresh short-term workers.Joining, training, filing- work, screening and investigating can use a huge amount of time and assets.By standardization of these procedures and their translation into online forms and automatic communication, the business can ease up the extensive managerial workload. There has been stress laid on the involvement of the internet because the technology can be useful in assessment of demands and the gaps among the supply of staffs. The developments in market, expansion of businesses and the rising competition have made businesses to reconsider the ways in which the staffs can be used in the best possible manner. The information and communication technology provides with several possibilities to develop the ways of managing information within the firms and so it can help in making better utilization of employees' understanding. One of such technological alternatives is application of intranet as in-house information structure of a business, which is as per the Internet protocols (Turk and Jaklic, 1998). It allows the business to get comparatively low-priced and easy storage, arrangements, processing, recording and giving out of information among the business members. All of the mentioned tasks are vital for excellent information management. Also, the technological advancements keep the data secure for other outer elements. It is important that no other person or staff member comes to know about the confidential information of others, so the technology makes it possible that all the details are kept secured and transferred in a secure manner. The internet makes internal and external communicat ion also easier, quicker and secured. The automation of work has been possible with the technological advancements and thus lead to reduction in efforts of staffs (Marchand et al 2001). Making the vital choice of which applicant is most appropriate for whichever given job is a continuous test for recruiters. Therefore, it will be great to have precise insight into which candidate is probably to become the most excellent fit. By application of the superior logical skills of modern technology for the applicant selection procedure, recruiters would be capable of making priceless forecasts to inform their choice. For instance, the past data might disclose who out of a set of candidates is probably to stay in the post for the best ever period. By simulation of the real-world circumstances, technology could permit recruiters to further precisely evaluate applicants performance with respect to particular situations. This means that the technology needs to be judiciously utilized so that the necessary information can be attained by getting relevant information for the staffing process. References Truss, C., Gratton, L., Hope-Hailey, V., Stiles, P., Zaleska, J. (2002). Paying the piper: choice and constraint in changing HR functional roles. Human ResourceManagement Journal, 12(2), 39-63. Turk, T., Jaklic J. (1998). Internet, intranet in ekstranet. Dnevi Slovenske Informatike, Ljubljana: Slovensko drutvo Informatika, pp. 133-141. Marchand A. Donald, Kettinger J. William, Rollins D. John (2001). Information orientation:the new business performance metric. Oxford University Press Inc., Ne w York.
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