Teaching Process Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teaching Process - Research Paper Example The researchers chose this problem because they have observed that the constant reminding and disruptions caused by talking out of turn interrupt and often deviates the flow of the lesson. It is time-consuming on the part of the teacher as s/he must focus on discipline rather than teaching the class. This constant reminding also depletes the energy levels of the teacher, which could be used for teaching instead. The researchers’ observations are reinforced by research from Fred Jones who found that 80% of the misbehavior in the classroom is comprised of talking out of turn. This proves that this particular behavior is a problem in the classroom and that there is a need to address it. Using the clip system created by the researchers will enable the teacher to remind and praise the student for raising his or her hand without disrupting the class or deviating from the lesson, thus encouraging decorous behavior and reducing out of turn talking.The study is significant because it p rovides teachers with a tool to teach students better classroom behavior through self-regulation without the need for constant reminders from The respondents of the study are the morning students of the preparatory class of the Raya School. For the scope of the study, the students will only be given clips during storytelling time. Storytelling time includes Genuine Love for Reading (GLR) and Critical Thinking (CT) time. GLR is the introduction of the book, the storytelling proper, and questions asked by the students before, during and after storytelling.

Impact of Branding on Consumer Purchasing Decision

Impact of Branding on Consumer Purchasing Decision An Empirical Study in the Technological product sector More and more organizations have come to realize that brand is the most valuable asset associated with their products or services and are using branding as a strategic tool in todays dynamic business environment (Chernatony and MacDonald, 1998; Rooney, 1995). Some extremely successful examples in brand management include Microsoft, IBM, Sony, Nike and Coca-Cola (BusinessWeek, 2002[1]). Their brands resonate with the general public and affect the consumers buying decision-making. The power of the brands has contributed substantially to the continuing success in the future (Davis, 2002). Brand acts as a strategic marketing tool to attract and keep customers by promoting value, image, prestige or lifestyle (Rooney, 1995). Furthermore, it is a powerful technique to develop a stable, sustainable and distinct relation with customers by playing number of associations, so marketers must account for all of them in making marketing decisions (Aaker, 1992). Hence this study will try to find out the impact of branding on consumer purchase decision, specifically in the technological product market. The main aim of this project is to find out the impact, branding has on the consumer purchase decision in general and especially in the technological product sector. The focus of this study will be on the consumer’s viewpoint about brands and how it affects their purchasing decisions. Hence the objectives of the study will be to: Review the current literature regarding brands, branding and consumer purchase decision Based on the literature review and secondary data identify branding factors that supposedly impact the consumer purchase decision Find out consumers perception regarding the impact of brands on their purchasing decisions specifically in the technological product sector To bring out the implications of the research Research Methodology: An appropriate research methodology is a general plan of how the researcher will go about answering the research questions considering the sources to collect data and the constraints that one might have (access to data, time, location and money, etc). It should reflect the fact that the researcher has thought carefully about why a particular strategy/method has been employed. Data intended for almost any study can be obtained from two sources: Primary Data and Secondary Data. In order to complete the research project from a theoretical as well as a practical point of view, this research will make use of both types of data. This study will be carried in three phases. The first phase will involve literature review and secondary data collection. Primary data will be collected in the second phase. The last phase will comprise of analysing the primary data and drawing suitable conclusions from the study. Phase 1: The first phase of the research will comprise of reviewing the literature and collecting secondary data. This will involve an investigation of brands and different types of branding options that are availed by manufacturers. Further to this the consumer decision process will also be reviewed to find the factors that affect the consumer’s decision making process in general. According to Sharp and Howard (1996), two major reasons exist for reviewing the literature. First, the preliminary search helps to generate and refine the research ideas. And secondly, a critical review is a part of the research process. Like most research projects, literature review will be an early activity in this research. After the initial literature search, the researcher will be able to redefine the parameters more precisely and undertake further searches, keeping in mind the research objective and goal. The literature review will help in developing a good understanding and insight into the p revious research done on this topic and the trends that have emerged. Secondary data sources Secondary data will be collected from a varied number of sources. Books published books generally considered as one of the most reliable and valid source of information will be used for the basic content of the literature review. Electronic sources – will provide a large amount of information relevant to the subject Magazines a good source of getting data and report of recent and relevant articles Newspapers latest updates on brands and other information Advantages of using secondary data Saves cost and time Wide variety of information available Availability of vast amount of information Disadvantages of using secondary data are Most of the magazines or journals require Subscription, which is not feasible when lots of journals and materials have to be analysed. Shortage of time limits the scope of the research to a great extent. Most of the articles, research papers, and survey results found on various web sites or lacks the proof of the accuracy of their results. Phase 2: In phase 2 primary data will be collected which refers to the data obtained via the researcher’s direct experience. The need for employing more than one method of research stems from the fact that various methods contain their own set of assumptions of the nature of the real world and the kind of data produced (Denscombe, 1998). The author has selected survey strategy for the purpose of collecting primary data. It is a common and popular strategy in business and management research. Through this a large amount of data can be collected in an economical way. Bell (1993) says that surveys can provide answers to questions like What, Where, When, And How. It tries to elaborate the problems of ‘representativeness’ from other approaches like case studies or most of the qualitative approaches. This approach can be termed as fact finding mission and may contribute little towards the development of a hypotheses or shaping theory. The results from the survey can def initely be used to test a hypotheses or theory. The data here is primarily quantitative but may also be qualitative in nature as it represents peoples view about an issue. Questionnaires are generally used for the purpose of data collection followed by few interviews to increase the validity of the data. Using multi-methods produces various kinds of data on the same topic improving the quality of research. Hence, this research will make use of more than one research method (questionnaire and interview) to enable the researcher to present the topic in a more complete fashion from different perspectives. Hence the primary data collection methods used for this research will be- Questionnaires Interviews Questionnaires provide the easiest known way of assembling a mass of information (Burroughs, 1971:106). The author decided to use online questionnaires for the purpose of the study. Online questionnaires are very economical, the costs faced were nearly negligible, since once the form was loaded on the server, and all entries came in the form of e-mail. They are easier to administer and manage and supply standardised answers from all recipients. But a lot of care will be taken in order to construct questionnaires to maximise response rate. Due to its length or complexity in the questionnaire, it may yield a response rate so low that the data may not be adequate to make any kind of generalisation or even a reliable statement. Keeping this in mind, for the purpose of this research, due care will be taken to avoid hypothetical questions, dual meaning questions, presuming questions and any form of ambiguity or imprecision in questions. Also, an attempt will be made to keep the length of the questionnaire very precise, with to the point questions consisting mainly of multiple-choice questions enabling the reader to be comfortable to fill the questionnaire without much loss of time, thereby increasing the questionnaires response rate as well as making data analysis simple. The author also decided to include another method in the form of interviews as part of the research due to the need for more detailed qualitative information. Through the use of questionnaires the research will only able to gather quantitative data, which in itself will be quite useful for the project in order to gain a general view and knowledge about the impact of branding on consumers in general. However, in order to gain better depth in the analysis, the questionnaire data will also be supplemented by few follow up interviews. As an information gathering tool, the interview lends itself to being used alongside other methods as a way of supplementing their data adding detail and depth. (Denscombe, 1998; pi 12) As part of this research project, interviews will be used as a follow-up to the questionnaire. The attempt is to complement the questionnaire data with the interview data, pursuing the interesting lines of enquiry in greater detail. Simply stated, it can yield rich material or put flesh on the bones of the questionnaire (Bell, 1987). Sampling Process In order to collect appropriate information on the views of the consumers on impact of branding on their purchasing decisions, a very large portion of the general population would be an eligible target, but due to various practical problems of time and cost involved in such a process, a restricted sample of the population was considered for this research. The sample population involved in this project was carried out on a small scale due to the time and resources available. The survey polled a population of primarily Internet users including professionals as well as students situated in various parts of UK in order to get their perspective on the effect branding has on their buying behavior. Approximately, 200 emails will be sent. The population of respondents comprised of general Internet users ranging from computer professionals to lecturers to university students. By the means of this survey, we are investigating the general considerations of the users towards brands while purchasing a technological product. Objective Timeframe Task[2] 1. Phase 1 : Literature Survey/Secondary data Client should put the time frame according to his/her requirements Phase 1 will involve an investigation of brands and different types of branding options that are availed by manufacturers. Further to this the consumer decision process will also be reviewed to find the factors that affect the decision making process. The first stage of the research will comprise of reviewing the literature and collecting secondary data. 2. Phase 2 : Interviews/Surveys Client should put the time frame according to his requirements Phase 2 will involve the primary data collection phase in which the online questionnaire will be used to collect consumer opinion regarding brand implication on their purchasing decisions. 3. Phase 3: Analysis of data from Interviews/surveys and drawing conclusions Client should put the time frame according to his requirements After taking the interviews and surveys, a large quantity of interview notes, questionnaire results and other records will be generated all of which will be analyzed. The survey data will be analysed using the SPSS software. A brief thematic analysis will be done for the data collected from the interviews. Following this, conclusions will be drawn based on the findings. References Aaker, A. D. (1992), The Value of Brand Equity. Journal of Business Strategy, Vol.13 (4), p.p.27-32. Bell, J. (1987). Doing your Research Project. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bell, J. (1993) Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education and social science, Open University press Burroughs, G.E.R. (1971). Design and Analysis in Educational Research, Oxford: Educational Review. Davis, S. (2002), Brand Asset Management: how businesses can profit from the power of brand, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 19, No. 4, p.p.351 -358. de Chernatony, L. McDonald, M. (1998), Creating Powerful Brands in Consumer, service and Industrial Markets, 2nd Edition, UK: Reed Eductional and Professional Publishing Ltd. Denscombe, M. (1998). The Good Research Guide. Buckingham: Open University Press Hussey, J. and Hussey, R. (1997), Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students, Macmillan Press, London. Research, http://www.allbusiness.com/articles/content/19671.asp Rooney, J. A. (1995), Branding: a trend for today and tomorrow, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Vol. 4, No. 4, p.p.48 55. Schutz (1972). The Phenomenology of the Social World (London: Heinemann). Sharp, J.A. and Howard, K. (1996) The Management of a Student Research Project. Aldershot, Gower. 1 [1] http://bwnt.businessweek.com/brand/2002/index.asp [2] The tasks will be further divided into sub tasks to give a detailed insight of the plan as it develops.

Mirror by Sylvia Plath, 789-790. :: English Literature

Mirror by Sylvia Plath, 789-790. Why Silvia Plath wrote a poem about a mirror? Sylvia Plath was born on 27 October 1932, at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital. She was an excellent student in high school. Her first poem appeared when she was eight. Once graduated from high school, She entered Smith College in 1950 on a scholarship. On 24 August 1953, she attempted suicide swallowing sleeping pills. Sylvia was readmitted to Smith College for the spring-semester 1954 after receiving electro shock therapy treatment for her recovery. She graduated with honors from Smith College winning a Fulbright scholarship at Cambridge, England. There she found Ted Hughes and got married with him on 16 June 1956. The year of 1958 was very stressful for their relationship. On the last day of school she found her husband cheating on her with a young student. In April1960, Frieda Rebecca (their first child) was born. Later that year Plath became pregnant again and in February she had a miscarriage. She also had an appendectomy, which left her stitched & hospitalized for a number of weeks. On 17 January 1962 Plath Nicholas Farrar (their second child) was born. Late in September the married couple decided for a legal separation. In October Plath wrote over 25 poems and they were the best. In November she and her children moved to London where they had no telephone and the heat was no enough for the cold. Plath spent most of her time in London very lonely. The winter from 1962 to 1963 was recorded as one of the coldest in London ever. Sewer pipes froze and there was plenty of ice and snow on the ground. She and her children got sick leading her to a depression. On 11 February 1963, Plath took her own life. She placed her head in a gas oven and died of gas intoxication. Why Silvia wrote a poem about a mirror? Silvia wrote this poem the same year she committed suicide. The reason why she wrote a poem about a mirror is because at that time she was doing a deep introspection and she did not like what she saw, she was afraid of growing older. She also mentioned her fear of growing older in another journal that she wrote. Quotations for support: When Plath was young she looked at the mirror and see herself superficially; she did not look deep into herself: "I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike" (789). But as Plath ages, She begins to look into herself deeper than just

Plant Imagery Throughout the Scarlet Letter

Honors American Lit. B The Scarlet Letter Pathway Paper – 694 wordsApril 23, 2013 Throughout The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses vegetation imagery in correlation with his ideas about sinful nature and god. When describing the prison in the very beginning of the novel, Hawthorne writes, â€Å"a grass-plot, much overgrown with†¦ such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison† (45-46).Hawthorne uses the imagery of a black flower to depict the sinful nature of humans as it was inevitable that even in this new flourishing society the people there saw the need to build a prison. This vivid image also relates to the Puritan’s harsh view on sin in the community. Throughout the novel Hawthorne frequently criticizes the Puritan society, this being another example, â€Å"but the proprietor appeared already to have relinquished, as hopeless, the effort to perpetuate on this side of the Atlantic, in a hard soil and amid the close struggle for subsistence, the native English taste for ornamental gardening† (97).The description of the Governor’s ornamental garden shows the garden failing, as if the person caring for it had given up and realized that it was impossible to have the ornamental garden in Boston the way it was in England. This parallels Hawthorne’s beliefs about Puritan society in that their abstruse beliefs would not sustain in the new world they were creating, for god is depicted through nature demonstrating how Hawthorne feels god is looking down on the materialistic and frivolous ways of the Puritans.Later in the novel Chillingworth says, â€Å"wherefore not, since all the powers of nature call so earnestly for the confession of sin, that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make manifest an unspoken crime? † (119). Nature is being associated with god in this passage theref ore Hawthorne is saying that god calls for the confession of sin and goes on to say that god disapproves of a person that does not confess, thus the black weeds, mirroring sin, grow on the graves of those who cling to secrets.This idea is also repeated later in the novel, â€Å"and all this time, perchance, when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried! † (130). Sin is again depicted as lifelessness in this passage, for Dimmesdale has sinned, and not confessed; therefore he is concerned that god will reject him. Hawthorne clearly writes with a style of dark romanticism epitomized through his description of sin in the beginning of the novel as inexorable in every society.Hawthorne also reflects his religious views and those of his times period in the way he sees god and nature as one, similar to the ideas of Pantheism, a belief in the manifestation of god th rough nature. Hawthorne frequently links god to nature as seen when Hester calls to nature, as if calling to god, for forgiveness, â€Å"’Thou shalt forgive me! ’ cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him† (175). While nature symbolizes sin, it also symbolizes the comforting and forgiving appearance of god.In relation to the bible, â€Å"†¦the yellow leaves will show no vestige of the white man’s tread† (178), the yellow leaves reference the scripture Isaiah 43:25, which reads, â€Å"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more† displaying the tie between nature and god both covering and forgetting sins; also tying into Hawthorne’s religious perspective in his writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne articulates his views on sin and god through his use of vegetation imagery throughout the scarlet letter; he continually uses dead and â€Å"black† imagery to al lude to sin and secrets.His use of dead vegetation implies that he believes confession is the relief of the burden of sin and the necessary action to obtain god’s approval and forgiveness. Hawthorne also represents god’s forgiveness through plant imagery; connecting god’s washing away of sin to the forest and nature washing away of sin. Fundamentally Hawthorne uses vegetation to convey his ideas on divinity and human sinful nature in The Scarlet Letter.

Car sales Solution Essay

My task is to imagine my friend is setting up a car locating business and wants to install a computer system. The system must have the power to store different car information and have the function to search for desired car information be stored and searched for easily .The system must also be easy to use and I have been asked to find a solution to carry this out. Two ways that I could solve the problem is by (1). Putting the information in a table using Microsoft Word, information would be easy to store, but a disadvantage would be that it is, hard and time consuming to search for a desired car. Another way would be storing the information in Microsoft Access. Microsoft Access is a program that contains databases. I think this would be the most efficient method to solve the problem, because information could be stored and searched for easily, using fields. To do this you need to use a query. Firstly you must make a query table, to it you need to add as many field options as you need such as type model, below each field type what you are looking. Save the table, open it and you should have some results. The car data type I need to put into the databases to solve the problem are Model, Make, Year, Type, Mileage, Mot, Colour, Extra features and history of owners. These will become the titles of the fields (fields are the tables in which you add all the information in the databases. I need to collect each of these items of data because this will give easy access to search for the customers desired feature of a car. For example if a customer wanted a red car I could just type red next to colour when searching. I have designed a data capture form, which shows all the details of a certain car. The car information I have entered comes from an ad in the local paper Herald and Post. The car information is taken from a Stanground Autos ad. I have decided to create a way of validating data. The data type that needed validating was Mileage and Price. For the Price field the validation rule is; >0 and 0 and

Definition and Examples of a Polar Bond in Chemistry

Definition and Examples of a Polar Bond in Chemistry Chemical bonds may be classified as being either polar or nonpolar. The difference is how the electrons in the bond are arranged. Polar Bond Definition A polar bond is a covalent bond between two atoms where the electrons forming the bond are unequally distributed. This causes the molecule to have a slight electrical dipole moment where one end is slightly positive and the other is slightly negative. The charge of the electric dipoles is less than a full unit charge, so they are considered partial charges and denoted by delta plus (ÃŽ ´) and delta minus (ÃŽ ´-). Because positive and negative charges are separated in the bond, molecules with polar covalent bonds interact with dipoles in other molecules. This produces dipole-dipole intermolecular forces between the molecules.Polar bonds are the dividing line between pure covalent bonding and pure ionic bonding. Pure covalent bonds (nonpolar covalent bonds) share electron pairs equally between atoms. Technically, nonpolar bonding only occurs when the atoms are identical to each other (e.g., H2 gas), but chemists consider any bond between atoms with a difference in electronegativity les s than 0.4 to be a nonpolar covalent bond. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are nonpolar molecules. In ionic bonds, the electrons in the bond are essentially donated to one atom by the other (e.g., NaCl). Ionic bonds form between atoms when the electronegativity difference between them is greater than 1.7. Technically ionic bonds are completely polar bonds, so the terminology can be confusing. Just remember a polar bond refers to a type of covalent bond where electrons arent equally shared and electronegativity values are slightly different. Polar covalent bonds form between atoms with an electronegativity difference between 0.4 and 1.7. Examples of Molecules with Polar Covalent Bonds Water (H2O) is a polar bonded molecule. The electronegativity value of oxygen is 3.44, while the electronegativity of hydrogen is 2.20. The inequality in electron distribution accounts for the bent shape of the molecule. The oxygen side of the molecule has a net negative charge, while the two hydrogen atoms (on the other side) have a net positive charge. Hydrogen fluoride (HF) is another example of a molecule that has a polar covalent bond. Fluorine is the more electronegative atom, so the electrons in the bond are more closely associated with the fluorine atom than with the hydrogen atom. A dipole forms with the fluorine side having a net negative charge and the hydrogen side having a net positive charge. Hydrogen fluoride is a linear molecule because there are only two atoms, so no other geometry is possible. The ammonia molecule (NH3) has polar covalent bonds between the nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. The dipole is such that the nitrogen atom is more negatively charged, with the three hydrogen atoms all on one side of the nitrogen atom with a positive charge. Which Elements Form Polar Bonds? Polar covalent bonds form between two nonmetal atoms that have sufficiently different electronegativities from each other. Because the electronegativity values are slightly different, the bonding electron pair isnt equally shared between the atoms. For example, polar covalent bonds typically form between hydrogen and any other nonmetal. The electronegativity value between metals and nonmetals is large, so they form ionic bonds with each other.

English 1302 Poetry Analysis Essay Example

English 1302 Poetry Analysis Essay Example English 1302 Poetry Analysis Paper English 1302 Poetry Analysis Paper Page 957, Countee Cullen, Yet Do I Marvel 1. What is the significance and effect of the allusions to classical literature/myth in general? To these myths in particular? How do they individually and collectively help characterize the speaker’s situation? Through the use of metaphor and allusion, Cullen allows the readers to put themselves in his shoes. Through his poetry, the reader is presented with the struggle and the underlying true message- the harshness and cruelty towards the African Americans- the reality of racism. 2. Does the speaker’s attitude toward God or our sense of that attitude shift or change over the course of the poem? If so, how so? Where does he (and/or do we) end up? The first twelve lines of the sonnet portray the paradoxical nature of a good and kind God. Cullen remarks that if God were really good and kind then why did he create the mole as a blind animal? Why should we all die? Why do our best efforts often end in frustration and failure and unhappiness? Cullen answers these rhetorical questions by stating that Gods ways are mysterious and can never be fully understood by ordinary human beings. The final couplet, however, reveals his anger and frustration at the plight of talented and sensitive black poets like him who are suppressed and oppressed by the white majority, making him to doubt gods goodness and kindness. Page 959, Langston Hughes, â€Å"Harlem† 1. According to this poem, is there an answer to the question asked in the first line: â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? † Yes, there is an answer; the question, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? † appears to be answered with nothing but more questions. But if we analyze each question we get an idea of what the speaker really believes about dreams being postponed. The â€Å"dream† is a goal in life, not just dreams experienced during sleep. The dream is important to the dreamer’s life. Nevertheless, the speaker’s position is clear that any important dream or goal that must be delayed can have serious negative affects. 2. This poem was written in 1951, approximately twenty years after the end of the Harlem Renaissance. It is the only poem in this chapter on the Harlem Renaissance that was written years after its end. How is the content of the poem possibly related to Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance within a post-Renaissance perspective? In 1951, frustration characterized the mood of American blacks. The Civil War in the previous century had liberated them from slavery, and federal laws had granted them the right to vote, the right to own property, and so on. However, continuing prejudice against blacks, as well as laws passed since the Civil War, relegated them to second-class citizenship. Consequently, blacks had to attend poorly equipped segregated schools and settle for menial jobs as porters, ditch-diggers, servants, shoeshine boys, and so on. In many states, blacks could not use the same public facilities as whites, including restrooms, restaurants, theaters, and parks. Access to other facilities, such as buses, required them to take a back seat, literally, to whites. By the mid-Twentieth Century, their frustration with inferior status became a powder keg, and the fuse was burning. Hughes well understood what the future held, as he indicates in the last line of the poem. Pages 959-960, Langston Hughes, The Weary Blues 1. Who is the narrator of this poem? Is the narrator different from the piano player in the poem? Is there a difference in the style of the poem as it shifts between the voice of the narrator and the voice of the singer? The singer and song become united in the same way that the speaker of the poem becomes not only a first-person narrator, but a third-person omniscient storyteller. The central narrative voice describes an African American in Harlem, who is observed singing and playing the  blues. 2. Are there any clues in the poem about the life of the singer? Why might the singer have the blues? Yes, there are clues, such as, Down on Lenox Avenue: Lenox Avenue is a main street in  Harlem, which in terms of the geography of New York, is North, or uptown. We might wonder why Hughes has written down on Lenox Avenue rather than up on Lenox Avenue. Lets think, then, about the identity of the speaker of the poem. Because Harlem was home mainly to African Americans and the parts of New York City south of Harlem (referred to as downtown) were populated mainly by whites, if the speaker were to perceive Lenox Avenue as up from his place of origin, we might assume that he is white. All the singer seems to have is his moaning blues, the revelation of a black mans soul, and those blues are what helps keep him alive. Part of that ability to sustain is apparently the way the blues help him keep his identity. Even in  singing the blue, he is singing about his life, about the way that he and other blacks have to deal with white society. As his black hands touch the white keys, the accepted Western sound of the piano and the form of Western music are changed. The piano itself comes to life as an extension of the singer, and moans, transformed by the black tradition to a mirror of black sorrow that also reflects the transforming power and beauty of the black tradition. . What do you make of the last line of the poem? Why does Hughes choose the word â€Å"dead† here? The poem works out Hughess apprehension, his feeling that his ability to understand the emotions that generated this form of artistic expression was not on a par with the expression itself This is indicated by the last line of the poem, where the speaker notes that the piano player slept like a rock or a man thats dead.   The po ems last line, then, ignores the blues performers ability to articulate pain and likewise to subsume it. That the speaker and the piano player never meet, or as Tracy asserts, strike up a conversation, share a drink, or anything else, suggests that the experience does not rupture the speakers externality. He never enters that space whereby the piano player is speaking for him, giving utterance to his loneliness. Finally, at no point in time does the speaker in the poem insert himself into the lyrics. In this respect, the last line calls our attention to the slippage that occurs when an understanding of the blues is lacking. That the speaker utters the possibility that the piano player has killed himself illustrates his failure to realize that the blues is performed reflection and not a preface to suicidal behavior. Pages 963-964, Claude McKay, â€Å"The Harlem Dancer† 1. This poem is an English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet with three quatrains and an ending couplet. What â€Å"celebration† seems to be made in the three quatrains? How is this â€Å"celebration† deflated in the ending couplet? In the first quatrain, McKay begins by expressing his disdain for America; however, he also expresses his dependence on the country as well. When he states â€Å"Although she feeds me bread of bitterness†, the speaker is telling the reader that he or she depends on America for his or her bread as a child depends on its mother. This leads the reader to believe that the speaker in McKay’s poem recognizes the fact that America is the source of his or her provision, although the food that is being provided is that of bitterness. This particular statement also might lend itself to the underlying feeling that many black Americans were experiencing at this time regarding their limited rights in the South. The country was responsible for seeing that blacks were given equal rights, but these rights were restricted unless the man could reach very unreal expectations. This led to bitterness among the Southern blacks. The second quatrain takes on a more positive focus, seemingly leading the reader to see some of the reasons that the speaker does, in fact, have positive feelings for America. â€Å"Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, / Giving me strength erect against her hate†. These lines indicate that the strength of the burgeoning country was the energy that fueled the speaker’s life. The most interesting interaction within this piece of text is the insurgence that the speaker brings out within the conflicting nature of the prose. While the speaker is boldly proclaiming that America is the source of his or her strength, he or she is rebelling against the provider of that strength and using it to stand up against the racial hate that was prevalent during this time period in America. Although the speaker is standing in strength against the bigotry and injustice within America, he or she seems to feel as if his or her personal stand might be insignificant within the larger picture of the struggle for equality. â€Å"Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood†. It is impossible for a single person to resist the mighty rushing waters of a flood as it rolls over the land. Perhaps, the speaker is expressing the futility of one person standing against the bigoted history of a nation alone. However, just because the speaker stands alone in futility, it does not preclude him from taking that stand. Pages 964- 966, James Weldon Johnson, â€Å"From the preface to The Book of American Negro Poetry† 1. According to Johnson, what are the contributions that can be made by Negro poets? I believe he wanted to let us know that Black or African literature has a rich history or tradition, which is largely due to the effects of the tragedies well documented in the recorded history of the African people, of dislocation, deprivation and degradation. In these circumstances it is hardly surprising that the propagation of Black culture including its literary achievements is a much recent phenomenon when compared to other races. Also the artistic style and dialect of the Negro is uniquely art in and of itself. 2. Do you think that Johnson’s statement â€Å"the richest contribution the Negro poet can make to the American literature of the future will be the fusion into it of his own individual artistic gifts† has been realized from 1921, the year the preface was written, to today? Why or why not? Explain your answer thoroughly. Yes, I believe the value of the Negro poet has been realized. The renaissance allowed for the flowering of a new consciousness, the emergence of great writers, masterful musicians, the celebration of one’s cultural roots, and the development of self-confidence and consciousness. It is without a doubt that the Harlem Renaissance was like an eternal spring of inspiration in the soul of African-Americans. That spring has provided nourishment and inner drive for sustainment into the eras beyond. That spring has fertilized the earth and has allowed the population of African-Americans to move into new and diverse dimensions regarding their self-worth, marvelous accomplishments, and diverse cultural successes. That spring of life in African-Americans which move them from slavery to freedom, is still watering the garden for future exponential growth economically, politically, philosophically, psychologically, and sociologically in directions beyond our human comprehension. Pages 975-977, Zora Neale Hurston, â€Å"How It Feels to Be Colored Me† 1. How does Hurston define and feel about her â€Å"color†? Explain your answer thoroughly. The majority of Hurston’s characters, though represented as black, could just as easily be of any race. Their lives, loves, humors, troubles and travails appear in Hurston’s writing as universal constants, soothing or afflicting without regard to either skin color or gender. Hurston approached the question of her apparent unconcern over racial issues more directly when she said, I have ceased to think in terms of race; I think only in terms of individuals. I am interested in you now not as a Negro man but as a man. In am not interested in the race problem, but I am interested in the problems of individuals, white ones and black ones. †

French Revolution of 1789 - Timeline

French Revolution of 1789 - Timeline Our narrative history for this period begins here. 1789 January January 24: The Estates General is officially summoned; election details go out. Crucially, no one is really sure how it should be formed, leading to an argument over voting powers. January - May: The Third Estate politicises as cahiers are drawn up, political clubs form and discussion takes place both verbally and through pamphleteering. The middle class believe they have a voice and intend to use it. February February: Sieyes publishes What is the Third Estate? February - June: Elections to the Estates General. May May 5: The Estates General opens. There is still no decision on voting rights, and the third estate believe they should have more of a say. May 6: The Third Estate refuses to meet or verify their election as a separate chamber. June June 10: The Third Estate, now frequently called the Commons, gives an ultimatum to the other estates: join in a common verification or the Commons would go on alone. June 13: A few members of the First Estate (priests and clergy) join the Third. June 17: The National Assembly is proclaimed by the former Third Estate. June 20: The Tennis Court Oath taken; with the National Assemblys meeting place closed in preparation for a Royal Session, the deputies meet at a tennis court and swear not to disband until a constitution is established. June 23: The Royal Session opens; the King initially tells the estates to meet separately and introduces reforms; the deputies of the National Assembly ignore him. June 25: Members of the Second Estate begin to join the National Assembly. June 27: The king gives in and orders the three estates to unite as one; troops are called to the Paris area. Suddenly, there has been a constitutional revolution in France. Things would not stop here. July July 11: Necker is dismissed. July 12: Revolt begins in Paris, caused in part by Neckers dismissal and the fear of royal troops. July 14: The storming of the Bastille. Now the people of Paris, or the mob if you prefer, will start to direct the revolution and violence will result. July 15: Unable to rely on his army, the King gives in and orders troops to leave the Paris area. Louis does not want a civil war, when that might be all that would save his old powers. July 16: Necker is recalled. July - August: The Great Fear; mass panic across France as people fear a noble led backlash against their anti-feudal demonstrations. August August 4: Feudalism and privileges are abolished by the National Assembly in perhaps the most remarkable evening in Europes modern history. August 26: Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen published. September September 11: The King is granted a suspensive veto. October October 5-6: Journee of 5-6 October: the King and the National Assembly move to Paris at the behest of a Parisian mob. November November 2: Church property is nationalised. December December 12: Assignats are created. 1790 February February 13: Monastic vows banned. February 26: France divided into 83 departments. April April 17: Assignats accepted as currency. May May 21: Paris is divided into sections. June June 19: Nobility is abolished. July July 12: The Civil Constitution of the Clergy, a complete restructuring of the church in France. July 14: Feast of the Federation, a celebration to mark one year since the fall of the Bastille. August August 16: Parlements are abolished and the judiciary reorganised. September September 4: Necker resigns. November November 27: The Oath of the Clergy passed; all ecclesiastical office holders must swear an oath to the constitution. 1791 January January 4: Last date for clergy to have sworn the oath; over half refuse. April April 2: Mirabeau dies. April 13: The Pope condemns the Civil Constitution. April 18: The King is prevented from leaving Paris to spend Easter at Saint-Cloud. May May: Avignon is occupied by French forces. May 16: Self-Denying Decree: National Assembly deputies cannot be elected to the Legislative Assembly. June June 14: Le Chapelier Law stopping workers associations and strikes. June 20: Flight to Varennes; the King and Queen attempt to flee France but only get as far as Varennes. June 24: Cordelier organises a petition stating that liberty and royalty cannot co-exist. July 16: The Constituent Assembly declares that the king was the victim of an abduction plot. July 17: Massacre at the Champs de Mars, when National Guard open fire on republican demonstrators. August August 14: Slave rebellion begins in Saint-Domingue. August 27: Declaration of Pillnitz: Austria and Prussia threaten to take action in support of the French king. September September 13: The King accepts the new constitution. September 14: King swears the oath of allegiance to the new constitution. September 30: The National Assembly is dissolved. October October 1: The Legislative Assembly convenes. October 20: Brissots first calls for war against the à ©migrà ©s. November November 9: Decree against the à ©migrà ©s; if they do not return they will be considered traitors. November 12: The King vetoes the à ©migrà ©s decree. November 29: Decree against refractory priests; they will be considered suspects unless they take a civic oath. December December 14: Louis XVI requests the Elector of Trier disperse à ©migrà ©s or face military action. December 19: The King vetoes the decree against refractory priests. Back to Index Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Education - Questions and Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Education - Questions and Answers - Essay Example This definition of curriculum stems from the proposition of formal learning, which considers it as an organized and systematic discourse. As such, curriculum becomes the distinctive feature that differentiates formal learning from informal learning. Learning is a process that demands certain systems and designs in order for it to achieve its set objectives. Due to its logical nature, the learning process entails the organization of knowledge in accordance with the objectives of interests of the students (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2011). On this score, the learning process is considered as a needs-based discourse that takes place in controlled environments that are governed by specific procedures and order. In essence, curriculum development must relate to the objectives of learning as a systematic process that proceeds in sequence from a point of relatively lesser knowledge to the projected point of adequate knowledge. Curriculum provides the mechani cs that enables the learning process. It provides the kinetic force that appropriates the learning process in accordance with the needs of the students (Kern et al, 2009). Alternative explanations contend that a curriculum is basically a plan that governs the learning process of the teaching process. This kind of explanation often considers curriculum as a document. In essence, curriculum is considered as a documentation that defines the limits and scope of the learning process in any given field of study. It serves as a guide to the teacher about the methods to be adopted in the learning process. It defines the boundaries of the learning process of a given subject in terms of the aspects to be included and those to be excluded from the learning process (Kern et al, 2009). The pursuit of the details in the curriculum helps the teacher to concentrate his or her focus on the pertinent issues that attach to the field of study (Subang, 2011). These issues are usually developed in line w ith the social, economic, political, and other forms of human discourses that have to be addressed by the study. This implies that curriculums must evolve with the changing nature of realities on which it is based. For example, studies in intelligence have often changed their curriculum in line with the changing nature of global insecurities. In the particular example of the United States, the military educational curriculum has undergone a determined shift from the cold war era to the modern age. During the cold war era the intelligence courses in the United States had their curriculum focussed primarily on the tensions between the United States and the Soviet bloc. The design of the curriculum was designed to be responsive to the needs of the society as they manifested themselves at that period. However, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of global terrorism, the curriculum has been changed in such a manner that there is more emphasis on the phenomena o f global terrorism than on the threat posed by Russia. Legislations One of the most important legislations by the United States Congress was the Native Culture, Language, and Access for Success in Schools Act. This bill was sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka in 2011. This act was primarily intended to level the field of education by recognizing the challenges faced by non-native American students and teachers in the learning process. Among other things, it directed states to lower the kind of

Research proposal dealing with architectural design Essay

Research proposal dealing with architectural design - Essay Example The construction of a roller coaster would serve to attract additional business to this area of the city, further enhancing our ability for economic improvement and revitalization of other structures in the general downtown area. This paper will outline the background of this project, illustrate examples of other cities that have capitalized on small-scale entertainment parks, detail the specifics of the roller coaster itself and enumerate the requirements we would need to invest to make this proposal a reality. When determining the best use for this land, it is appropriate to take a look into the existing facilities in the immediate vicinity. This property lies approximately one half mile from the very large Veteran’s Park along Lake Michigan and less than a quarter of a mile from the River Walk along the Milwaukee River (Mapquest, 2006). This area is described as already thriving with traditional park-like activities. Veteran’s Park itself is bordered by McKinley Marina, the Milwaukee Art Museum complex, a large veteran’s memorial, the 76 Bike Trail, Lake Michigan access, large duck and geese ponds, paddleboats for rent, rollerblading and large fields for kite flying (AOL Cityguide, 2005). Betsa Marsh (2005) describes the River Walk as having â€Å"steps leading down to the river and circular overlooks just above the waves. The route is festooned with flower-draped lampposts, public art and benches just made for cracking open a book. Tiny bump-outs seem like perfect spots for moonlit kisses. Dozens of stores, cafes and bars with river frontage invite pedestrians to linger, browse and buy.† With these kinds of large scale park activities covering outdoor sports and leisure, boating, art, theater and providing room for large gatherings and activities, there is little need in the vicinity for another completely green park area. Businesses that would normally choose to locate close to such settings already have ample space in either of these two

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UNIT 2 DISCUSSION BOARD - Essay Example er, as developed economies started to move towards perfect markets with stricter regulations like corporate governance and SOX, Investors started to pull out their capital towards countries which provide highest returns. The capital flight towards emerging markets and less developed countries is the part of the same phenomenon as capital is flowing towards those countries because with the passage of time, they not only have been able to develop their physical infrastructure and put in favorable environment in order to attract the foreign capital in the country. Less developed and emerging markets provide tax incentives, favorable terms to the foreign investors, and higher returns in terms of capital and money market instruments especially higher stock market returns. Probably the most important reason why capital is flowing from developed countries to less developed and emerging markets is the ease with which the investors can pull back their investments. Strict anti-money laundering laws have made it more inflexible for the genuine investors to move their capital at will within developed world therefore investors are now shifting their investments to less develop and emerging markets. Finally, the capital flight towards the less developed and emerging markets is taking place because governments of those countries are executing liberal monetary as well as fiscal policies raising the prospects of their country to be more lucrative and attractive to the foreign investors to bring in their capital and in due course improve upon their economies on more solid footings. â€Å"Emerging markets are countries that are restructuring their economies along market-oriented lines and offer a wealth of opportunities in trade, technology transfers, and foreign direct investment.† (Li, 2008) Whereas less developed economies are those economies which show lowest indictors on the various scales developed by many international bodies specially United Nations. Though they may be

Sports Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sports Science - Essay Example Though it not a new theory, yet it should be recognized that majority of research is based on experience from dealing with sporting activities, which have been practiced to underpin physical education for many years. The remarkable theory about LTAD is that it brings the variety of theories practiced by different bodies under one umbrella with codified structures and systems. LTAD has 'packaged' the theories for mass understanding and has adopted more effective mechanism for applying the theories to integrate whole sports system which includes coaching, training, playing and competition. The basic principles on which LTAD is based are: It is necessary to devote 8-12 years of consistent practice in order to achieve the level of an expert in that field. Research confirms that this is true about developing any skill, such as learning to play musical instrument or playing sport. This is also referred to as '10,000 hour rule' which relates to practice of 3hours a day for ten years. This requires focused and consistent commitment, and not most players would achieve it. The objective is to encourage and enable all young people to develop confidence in their basic movement skill which are fundamental. Expose young children to wide variety of sports at an early age, which prepares them with better attitude for lifelong participation in sport, because their self-perception of their sporting ability is positive. It also better prepares them to achieve their full potential. The objective is to identify those stages during child's physical and psychological development that offer optimum opportunities to develop movement skill-agility, balance, co-ordination; basic sport skills like running, jumping, throwing and striking; which are necessary attribute for sports related activities. Missing these optimum stages can have impact on reaching their highest potential. LTAD is systematic training in childhood and adolescence which opens the window of opportunity for future success as an athlete. "A specific and well-planned practice, training, competition and recovery regime will ensure optimum development throughout an athlete's career" http://www.sportdevelopment.org.uk/html/balyi2004.html The ultimate objective to ensure sustained success which comes from training and performing well over long term rather than winning in short term. Athletic preparation is serious commitment and there is no escape from hard and consistent practice. There is no short cut to Athlete training. LTAD is a sports science which is based on training, competition, and recovery plan which is based on the developmental age which is the maturation level of the child rather than the chronological age. "The program is athlete centred, coach driven, and administration, sport science, and sponsor supported. Athletes who progress through LTAD experience training and competition in programs that consider their biological and training ages in creating periodized plans specific to their development needs" http://www.ltad.ca/content/home.asp LTAD has developed two specialization models: Early specialization model focuses on these areas; Training to train stage Training to compete stage Training to win stage Retirement/ retainment Late specialization model, focuses on these areas; Fundamental stage Learning to train stage

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Essay

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Aciman - Essay Example Definitely, Alexandria goes first in such a recollection by the author. It is a source for his passion where he is inclined to take a glimpse at the past experience which is never-ending for his entire life. Thus, the first claim of significance is that Aciman is well devoted to the value of a memory. Thereupon, in Alexandria: The Capital of Memory he states on what he gained and missed being an ordinary denizen of the city while the political conflict sprang up in his youth and what Alexandria means to him at present (Aciman 6). It is a so-called memoir represented through the lenses of the writer’s vision of sweet memories and dreams about this location. On the other hand, Aciman is sensitive to the subtle facets of his soul each time he reproduces his own vision of life and living it in close relation with the environment. Just roaming the streets of Alexandria helps the writer focus more on the way everything functions and stays in the city (Aciman 10). It is a particular way to fix the picture of the location at the writer’s specific foreshortening just in case something will change in the future. Such sweet things keep track to the writer’s appreciation of his young ages and how they went on. Besides, In Search of Blue depicts Aciman’s reasoning on the most valued features to stay in mind. It is unlikely that he is dreaming about some material amenities or some lucre. He is dedicated more to the abstract images of what he sees and what will be accumulated in his widespread mind afterwards. Flashbacks feed Aciman in his trip to Rome along with his parents. Along with Alexandria, Rome is a part of the writer’s colorful life (Aciman 24). It is all about a man living his life along and with the family at once. Aciman is open to describe the power of his feelings through the shades and hues of blue, namely: â€Å"For years this wonderful expanse of still and timeless blue, where hills and rippleless beaches seemed made to ex ist in memory alone, belonged nowhere† (Aciman 24). Admittedly, the writer aims at the height of his imagination while taking a look at the natural beauty of the city he lived in. Past memories presuppose the sense of living for Aciman. He takes care of each slight memory so as to keep it alive and vivid. Thus, in search of blue, Andre Aciman seems to find out the exact way of thinking about what a man can bear with him/her throughout life. In his another essay called Shadow Cities, the writer makes an attempt to bind another city to make sure a reader knows what New York means to him. The essay represents his worries about what happened to a little Straus Park just within the city (Aciman 38). He does not hesitate to come closer to the overall idea of a virtue and social responsibility of people inhabiting the city and contributing into its further development. It is all about the way Aciman once shared the significance of natural episodes within concrete jungles of todayâ₠¬â„¢s urbanized world. However, it does not describe him as an opponent of the city. He finds New York pretty magnificent along with its streets and avenues. Therefore, the writer’s great desire states as follows: â€Å"I wanted everything to remain the same† (Aciman 38). It is a voice of despair the writer faced in New York and realized it would never stop in the future. Everything is in the state of flux, as they say. However, Aciman behaves as a real foreigner keeping in mind the things as they were earlier. Hence, he illustrates his strict incapability to get accustomed with new names of the stores or some change to the places of sightseeing he once encountered in his life. To say more, being an adolescent, Andre Aciman obtained precious knowledge of what the world means to a man. Insofar, the essay called Square Lamartine is also a compilation

TEAM PROCESSES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TEAM PROCESSES - Essay Example As a part of customer service, it was required to assist the customers to select the merchandize and offer them suitable products as per their needs. In terms of handling the complaints of the customers, the role had to comply with the company policies of no refund but only exchange. Thus the entire team was dynamic in its work functions with specific purpose of adhering to the company policies and in maintaining the overall profitability of the retail business. This was achieved through improved customer service that played the role of attracting the customers time and again to the retail store. A situation was encountered when the customer wanted a refund of money due to the non-receipt of a free product that was offered with the product. It was found that the stock of the free product was depleted in the retail store for which it could not be provided while selling the primary product to the customer. However, the customer had a non-negotiable approach on his demand. This created an undesired situation which occurred due to lack of effective communication and non-fulfillment of roles and responsibilities of the team. Analysis of team activity: overall effectiveness, limitations, challenges, interactions with other teams The analysis of the overall effectiveness of the team activity has been given below. The activities in the retail sales in the store demand healthy interaction of the different functions of the retail sales. The spontaneous interactions lead to strong co-ordination between the teams and its members. Due to exchange of information, the areas of concern within the team could be addressed. The experience encountered was solely due to lack of co-ordination among the team members and non-availability of updated information on the product sold to the customer. The non-availability of stock of the free offerings with the product was not communicated to the sales person by the store manager who did not inform the same to the customer. The customer af ter buying the product checked later on to find that the free offer was not packed with the sold item by the retail store. This created a sense within the customer of being cheated. For this reason, the customer wanted a refund from the store as the contract of buying and selling was breached by the retail store. This shows the limitations of overall effectiveness of the retail business in dealing with their customers. This is a challenge faced by the team as the there was no free exchange of information. The integral function of the retail store is an aggregation of the individual retail functions (Brannick,  Salas and  Prince, 1997). The communication with other teams is thus important for delivering effective customer service and in sustaining the profitability of their business. Key recommendations for improvement In order to deal with such situation in the future, the key recommendations for improvement of the retail operations are given below. There should be respect among the team members for each other and they should be aligned to overall retail sales activity. The alignment of the roles towards common interest of the overall work of retail sales triggers action from the individual roles that are aimed to make the system error free. In this experience in retail sales, the team members should have exchanged information on

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Essay

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Aciman - Essay Example Definitely, Alexandria goes first in such a recollection by the author. It is a source for his passion where he is inclined to take a glimpse at the past experience which is never-ending for his entire life. Thus, the first claim of significance is that Aciman is well devoted to the value of a memory. Thereupon, in Alexandria: The Capital of Memory he states on what he gained and missed being an ordinary denizen of the city while the political conflict sprang up in his youth and what Alexandria means to him at present (Aciman 6). It is a so-called memoir represented through the lenses of the writer’s vision of sweet memories and dreams about this location. On the other hand, Aciman is sensitive to the subtle facets of his soul each time he reproduces his own vision of life and living it in close relation with the environment. Just roaming the streets of Alexandria helps the writer focus more on the way everything functions and stays in the city (Aciman 10). It is a particular way to fix the picture of the location at the writer’s specific foreshortening just in case something will change in the future. Such sweet things keep track to the writer’s appreciation of his young ages and how they went on. Besides, In Search of Blue depicts Aciman’s reasoning on the most valued features to stay in mind. It is unlikely that he is dreaming about some material amenities or some lucre. He is dedicated more to the abstract images of what he sees and what will be accumulated in his widespread mind afterwards. Flashbacks feed Aciman in his trip to Rome along with his parents. Along with Alexandria, Rome is a part of the writer’s colorful life (Aciman 24). It is all about a man living his life along and with the family at once. Aciman is open to describe the power of his feelings through the shades and hues of blue, namely: â€Å"For years this wonderful expanse of still and timeless blue, where hills and rippleless beaches seemed made to ex ist in memory alone, belonged nowhere† (Aciman 24). Admittedly, the writer aims at the height of his imagination while taking a look at the natural beauty of the city he lived in. Past memories presuppose the sense of living for Aciman. He takes care of each slight memory so as to keep it alive and vivid. Thus, in search of blue, Andre Aciman seems to find out the exact way of thinking about what a man can bear with him/her throughout life. In his another essay called Shadow Cities, the writer makes an attempt to bind another city to make sure a reader knows what New York means to him. The essay represents his worries about what happened to a little Straus Park just within the city (Aciman 38). He does not hesitate to come closer to the overall idea of a virtue and social responsibility of people inhabiting the city and contributing into its further development. It is all about the way Aciman once shared the significance of natural episodes within concrete jungles of todayâ₠¬â„¢s urbanized world. However, it does not describe him as an opponent of the city. He finds New York pretty magnificent along with its streets and avenues. Therefore, the writer’s great desire states as follows: â€Å"I wanted everything to remain the same† (Aciman 38). It is a voice of despair the writer faced in New York and realized it would never stop in the future. Everything is in the state of flux, as they say. However, Aciman behaves as a real foreigner keeping in mind the things as they were earlier. Hence, he illustrates his strict incapability to get accustomed with new names of the stores or some change to the places of sightseeing he once encountered in his life. To say more, being an adolescent, Andre Aciman obtained precious knowledge of what the world means to a man. Insofar, the essay called Square Lamartine is also a compilation

Church History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Church History - Essay Example Moreover, many of the religions followers were being converted to Finney's theological teachings.3 As Charles Finney's following grew in numbers, so did the criticism he received from those who felt as if Finney was threading and invading their own territories.4 As it has been mentioned, Finney's lectures were broken down by his staunchest opponents. Every single detail of his teachings was analyzed to reveal anything that they might be able to use against him. The following discussion will focus on Finney's thoughts and how these differed from the traditional teachings of the Church. Furthermore, the reactions of various groups and individuals to Charles Finney's lectures will likewise be included in the discussion. The primary objective in undertaking such analyses is to reveal the rationale behind the Finney's castigation. Finney asserts that the need for a revival comes from the assumption that the church is in a, "backslidden state."5 Furthermore, Finney believes that a revival is the rise of the church from its backsliding. This should happen together with the conversion of sinners.6 Finney believes that revival is but merely the commencement of the people's new obedience to God. He furthers this by saying, A revival according to Finney is the renewal of the Ch... g from the backslidden state where members of the church were blind to the state of sinners.8 In this backslidden state, Christians do not see the reality of the truth embedded in the scriptures. Although it may seem as if they admit to such truth, and that, "their conscience and judgment assent to it," the faith of Christians does not see such truth as it stands out in reality.9 Furthermore, Finney believes that, A revival breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians. It brings them to such a vantage ground that they get a fresh impulse towards heaven. They have a foretaste of heaven, and new desire after union with God; and the charm of the world is broken, and the power of sin overcome. 10 In all of Finney's thoughts regarding revival, one element stands out. Finney's concept of revival is not one that is a gift from heaven. Finney did not believe that a revival is a product of a miracle and that the church needs not to do anything but accept such gift from God. This is what one may deduce from Finney's statements on the origin of a revival, "A revival is not a miracle, nor dependant on a miracle, in any sense. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means."11 This statement clearly explains Finney's concept of a revival. For Finney, the revival is the product of human effort.12 He believes that Christians have the capability to initiate a revival. Miller states Finney's view of spiritual reformation was that of a self-reformation rather than a divine reformation.13 He did not believe that a miracle or a gift from God is needed in order for any miracle to begin. Finney's view of revival was pragmatic just as his view of the universe was. According to Horton, The American pragmatic impulse that produced both Finney and

Changing Trends in Indian Marriages

Changing Trends in Indian Marriages INTRODUCTION: Marriages are divine alliance between the two individuals and have to be maintained for the entire life. They portray a bond which unlike business should not be dissolved if any problem arises. Marriages on the other hand make it important to maintain heavenly relationships among the humans and promote peace and love. In this modern world, meaning of marriages has changed all throughout the people making more intense problems to maintain a good relationship among individuals. Even though there are some countries which still follow the traditional ways to make this heavenly bond, there are influences from the western societies and the minds of the people which cause the break-up in relationship and some problems which affect the entire society. In this essay, let us see the trends which have made some huge changes to the cultural marriages in India. The rich customs and cultural heritage in India make marriages a special occasion for the friends and relatives. The marriages in India have different varieties owing to the different religions that prevail in India. Every different religion has different wedding rituals, methods and way of celebrations. The common feature of Indian marriages is fun and excitement due to the gathering of friends and relatives. The developing India, has liked the changes that were brought to marriages from the recent past. In the olden days, there used to be many rituals and customs that take place in the marriages and the marriages were considered as a heavenly bond between the individuals and the families as whole. Traditionally, the approval by the elders of the families was considered more important than of the individuals. The trend that was prevalent among these Indian marriages is that of the dowry system. Main reasons for the plummeting trend of arranged marriages are that of the problems that are created by the dowry system which affects the entire society. This system demands material gifts from the family of brides for the exchange of the bridegrooms. This trend in this modern India has caused some deaths of the entire family or the bride because of the rising of the demands even after the marriages. Other trends which had caused some unrest in the society were that of the practice of Sati by the widow women and child marriages. According to the laws, practice of Sati is illegal in modern India but some cases have been reported. This practice of Sati resembled and was followed by the acts performed by Gods and Goddess depicted in the epic writings of Mahabharata. On the other hand, child marriages portray the suppression of choice of the individuals in the field of marriages. This was done in the early days to maintain the status of the upper caste families in marrying peoples from other castes or of religion. The existence of a society mainly depends on the customs and traditions of the people. These customs remains as a strong pillars in identifying a particular society. Without a tradition or a culture, the man will represent the primitive man from the jungle. This thought urges us to follow a tradition and culture to be respected and make a path of life for the people. The practice of arranged marriages was performed since the fourth century and it primarily was done to pass on the family tradition and culture from one generation to another. The concept of arranged marriages is liked by the majority of the people in India because the love marriages are not penetrated throughout India. The unlikeliness of love marriages is because it is considered against the Indian culture. Nowadays, both love marriages and arranged marriages are accepted in India. The Indian way of marriages is entirely different from the western way of a marriage where the main difference is the matter of choice of b ride or bridegrooms. In the western countries, the couples tend to live together before their marriage which will help them to understand each other in every aspect. But, In India, marriages are planned according to the factors of dowry, caste, age, order of birth among their siblings and the needs of the family to showcase their pride. This tradition which is followed in India causes in inequality to the communities and is also mistreating women in this modern world. About 90% of the Indian marriages are arranged and follow the old tradition of social rituals. Making the individuals in India marry within their caste system bounds them of choices for their likes and also oppresses the ability of women because of the dominant character of men. Marriages are a divine relationship between man and a woman which depends on love, trust and faith between each other. Marriages are celebrated as a festival by the both families to make the couples understand the tradition and value behind the relationship. Problems of Dowry System Treatment of women in India has been on a rise since 1920s before which the women were treated poorly and badly making the life tougher to lead. The change mainly occurred due to the modernisation and because of the laws introduced by the Indian government. Even nowadays, the countries in Middle East have restrictions for women to own land, or to come out of the houses. Even the modernisation of the life of people has not changed the aspects of the oppression of women in the world. In India, â€Å"dowry deaths†, different form of assault on women and â€Å"stove burnings† have become common in India. In India, even the family of a girl tend to show hatred owing to the financial struggle because of the dowry that the girl will bring to the family in the future. This also causes many families to choose unsuitable man for the girl who might have some problems in his health. In India, there are many factors which play an important part in requesting of dowry from the girls family. One of the factors is that of the age of the woman, which should be less if the dowry needs to be less and vice versa. Taking this into account, many families tend to marry the girls just after the girl reached 21 or 23. The gifts or the dowries that are requested from the bridegrooms perspective also depends on the boys study i.e. higher studies is equal to higher bribes(dowry). In India, dowries range from as little as $2000 to as high as $200,000 with some material gifts and jewels. If the girls family cannot stick on to the demands of the boys family, the bridegrooms family might not respect the girl and may exploit and treat her as a maid in the future or may result in dowry deaths. Dowry deaths in India are common and not taken serious by the governments or not bought in to notice. These dowry deaths may make way for the bridegroom to remarry requesting for a better dowry from the other family. The newlyweds in India are the ones who are subject to the â€Å"Dowry Dea ths†. This aspect of violence is skyrocketing due to the living costs and other rise in costs. According to an investigation, there were about 7000 deaths due to the dowry demanded from the brides family. Many deaths go un-noticed or reported due to the status of their family and because of the dominant nature of the bridegrooms family. Other common death prevalent among the Indian marriages due to the dowry systems is that of the â€Å"Stove-burnings†. These incidents occur due to the dowry issue or that of the hatred or misconduct with their wife. These are also classified as kitchen accidents but it is false in the real sense. The husbands who commit crime by killing their wife easily get away from law by bribing the police, judges and other people who serve as an evidence for that case. Most of these crimes go un-noticed in India because of the inequality for women. Taking into account the evil deeds of dowry system in India, government has proposed the dowry prohibition act in 1961 which punishes the person taking dowry for imprisonment and fine. If the demand of a particular person is proved in the court of justice, such person is subject to imprisonment for six months and a fine of $500. A Joint Family System Until the twelfth century, the Indian couples liked the principle of joint family structure and the concept was a main feature of Indian society. But, nowadays due to the urban influence, this principle started to fade out in many families. This system represents the main feature of the Indian society and had a good reputation for the society as whole. Even in many rural villages, this trend of joint family has been reduced to a great extent. The males in families are subject to leave their native to pursue higher education or for a lucrative job in the metros. The main reason that can be blamed for is that of the industrial growth in many countries which has led to this decline. Other reasons for this decline can also be stated to the increase in divorce rates and urban migration. The people who are financially sound, career oriented and who has the freedom to make their independent decision mainly contributed for this change in the joint family system. This decline in joint familie s has improved the bond between the couples in many cases and vice versa in some cases. In case of any misunderstanding between the couples have been easily solved if they were in a joint family or the situation could become worse and lead to deaths in other cases. Other important issue that arise in the Indian marriages is the age of women, where the concept of two people uniting together is side-lined. According to the marriage act of 1986, the idle age for marriages is below 18 for female and below 23 for males. This rule by the government has caused infertility and population growth in India. The population growth in the recent years has called the people of India to go in for a one-child per family policy. This is also a main cause for the gender equality prevailing in the country. Another reason for this gender gap can be pointed out to the act that made abortions legal but, illegal to sex selective abortions. The trend of Indian marriages are changing because of the immigrants who get to foreign countries for work and living. In the past, there were many cultural limitations as women getting separated from the own family system and moving to another system. This system allows the tradition of Indian marriages intact and keeps balance of the shift from immigrants in culture these days. Although there are some laws passed in the past to protect women from oppression or ill-treatment, these customs will still prevail as they are deeply rooted in the minds of people from India. Nowadays, the trend of marrying a person who is of other caste or other religion is getting common. These changes were mainly due to the social awareness and advancement of the society. These changes arose due to the approval of the love marriage decision which brings happiness to their sons or daughters life. Although, love marriages are accepted, the final result of the marriage turns out to be an arranged marriage by the approval of the elders in the family. The people of the orthodox family background still follow the tradition of marrying within the caste and religion. The love marriages which are not performed by the approval of the family members may lead to hatred of the each community and may turn in to a riot between the communities or families. Change of Surnames after marriage Another important aspect of marriages in India is that of the tradition of changing the surnames of the brides after the marriage. Even though this concept of changing the surnames portrays a male dominated India, it creates a strong feeling of love and togetherness among the couples and the family members. In Hindu mythology, it says that the unique family name brings a feeling of secure and love. It also says that the women are epitome of familys pride and respect and the replacement of the surname depicts the responsibility taken by her in sustaining and improving the familys name in the society. This change also expresses the sacrifice and obedience to the elders in the family. Its main aim is to show the status of the women and show that she belongs to that particular family. Man in the other hand secures his wife and children and leads a happy life in the society. This change helps in securing the family tradition for many generations to come. The women regain her maiden family name if she plans for a divorce from the husband which is the common system around the world. Due to the advancements in the society and the empowerment of women, this wonderful tradition is vanishing in many metros in India. This portrays the women values are on the rise and there are getting more secure in the society by being independent to make their decisions. Dissolution of marriage Divorce or dissolution of marriages has been a rare case in the Indian family history. The respect, values and public opinion have made this decision unfeasible in the past. Indian marriages are a sacred bond between the couples of two families and not just an agreement to stay together as liked by the elders in the family. Even in case of torture, pressure and stress from the husbands family or the husband himself have not caused any dissolution keeping in mind the difficulties that the woman has to face in the future. In Hindu culture, virginity of a woman is an important aspect of a marriage and guarded as a respectability of a woman. This makes it difficult for the women for a remarriage after her divorce. Owing to this entire problem a woman can face in the future, marriages nowadays are just a transfer of a female from one community to another. The sacred moments between the couples are missing and are just a relationship to share some aspects of life. Even though there is a change in shift of the culture, the Indian marriages are strong in every aspect and unlike that in western countries which are very fragile and break for silly reasons. The divorce rates are very rare in Indian society where only one in fifty couples apply for it when compared to four out of ten couples who go in for separation. The divorce rates in the urban India are on a rise owing to the advancements in the society. Government has also made the divorce and remarriage legal by law and have to apply for their separation before the court. The higher rate of divorce in the cities cannot say that the concept of life long marriages are in trouble, it only gives them the freedom to keep away from the unlike that pre vious generations accepted. The increases in rate of divorces only mean that people are ready to sacrifice their marriage for unsatisfactory relationships. The Muslim law of Sheriat says that it is legal for a Muslim to have multiple wives in India. The government has also recently approved the concept of homosexual marriages in India Conclusion Even though India is emerging in all the fields for improvement, its culture of showing inequality for women is still not changed in form of marriages. The dowry system, stove burnings, female foetus abortion ratio all state and remain as an evidence for the issue. Even though these factors are a hindrance to the emerging society, this tradition is important in every means to lead a decent life in India. The empowerment of women has given a new dimension for them to show their talents in many fields. The government has allotted 33% for the women to encourage their ability and prove that women in India are living in a modern era and not that of the times when they were not given permission to study or come out of their houses. This initiative from the government in the past has made India accept the first president after the regime of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Even though government has been giving many percentages for women, the tradition of arranged marriages wont change in the coming year s. The deed of arranged marriages is also related to the respect and pride got from the close family relatives and friends on regarding the marriage system. In India, almost 90% of the marriages are arranged and successful owing to these positive outcomes, people go by the traditional way of arranging the marriages. The practice of arranged marriages in India cannot be judged as a false idea because of the divorce rates in India are less than 5% of the total marriages and the society is optimistic about these outcomes.

Recommendation Letter for Former Employee :: Business Recommendation Letters

November 20, 2004 Mr. Richard Pillsbury Manager, Marketing Services All Industries Inc. 111 Strawberry Bend, Suite 1551 Smallville, OH 05252 Dear Mr. Pillsbury: This is in response to your recent request for a letter of recommendation for Mary Lamb who worked for me up until three years ago. Mary Lamb worked under my direct supervision at Technical Technologies for a period of five and a half years ending in August 2003. During that period, I had the pleasure of seeing her blossom from a junior marketing trainee, into a fully functioning Marketing, Program Co-Ordinator, in her final year and a half with the company. That was the last position she held before moving on to a better career opportunity. Mary is a hard-working self-motivator who understands exactly what a project is all about from the outset, and how to get it done quickly and effectively. During her year and a half in the Marketing Co-Ordinator position, there was never an instance in which she missed a major deadline. She often brought projects in below budget, and a few were even completed ahead of the deadline. Ms. Lamb is a resourceful, creative, and solution-oriented person who was frequently able to come up with new and innovative approaches to her assigned projects. She functioned well as a team leader and she worked effectively as a team member under the direction of other team leaders. On the interpersonal side, Mary has superior writing and verbal communication skills. She gets along extremely well with the staff under her supervision, as well as colleagues at her own level. She is highly respected, both a person and a professional, by colleagues, employees, suppliers, and customers. A year ago, when Ms. Lamb announced her resignation to take up a new position with a larger company, we were not happy to see her leave, although we wished her the best in her new undertaking.

Renaissance Drama and Staging :: Free Essays Online

Renaissance Drama and Staging Margaret Jane Kidnie states â€Å"an area significantly impacted by William Shakespeare, Renaissance Theater developed into an influential period of drama deviating upon various elements of perception in each performance† (456-473). Many scholars wrote responses about renaissance drama and staging. There was a diversity of focus portrayed throughout each presentation, therefore resulting in differentiation between performances. Jealousy, gender, and spectatorship were some of the many topics that were represented in theater throughout the Renaissance Era, influenced greatly by William Shakespeare. Having written numerous plays performed during the Renaissance era, â€Å"Shakespeare’s influence on drama and staging can be shown through the language of performance criticism,† (Masten 341). interpretation of the drama, different focal points, and the way these plays were performed in relation to the text. During the seventeenth century, most plays that were written had a focal point of jealousy and had tragic endings. According to Katharine Eisaman Maus, â€Å"Anxiety about sexual betrayal pervades the drama of the English Renaissance† (561) and becomes the plot of many plays. Many critics cannot understand why many characters have the quality of being jealous and also to being curious. Maus continues to state, â€Å"Some critics are inclined to look for cultural explanations; for then the phenomenon reflects in a particularly telling way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (561). English Renaissance dramatists are more likely to include jealousy, sexual disloyalty and anxiety rather than non-dramatists. Shakespeare uses sexual fidelity that lead up to jealousy in many of his dramas such as Othello, and The Winter’s Tale. Maus reveals an answer to the question of why jealousy always becomes in a Renaissance drama. She states â€Å"sexual jealousy fascinates English Renaissance playwrights n ot only because it is a psychologically and socially interesting phenomenon but because the dynamic of sexual jealousy provides a complex analogy to theatrical performance and response to culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Maus 563). When people come to the theater, they want a good performance. A good issue to represent in most Renaissance dramas is sexual jealousy and anxiety. This allows the audience to enjoy the play, while having their own interpretation as well. Many historians and Shakespeare scholars show a great interest in how to connect the script and the performance of the play. The script or text of a play is only half of what the drama turns out to be. In order to understand the whole drama, one must comprehend the relationship between the text and the performance. Renaissance Drama and Staging :: Free Essays Online Renaissance Drama and Staging Margaret Jane Kidnie states â€Å"an area significantly impacted by William Shakespeare, Renaissance Theater developed into an influential period of drama deviating upon various elements of perception in each performance† (456-473). Many scholars wrote responses about renaissance drama and staging. There was a diversity of focus portrayed throughout each presentation, therefore resulting in differentiation between performances. Jealousy, gender, and spectatorship were some of the many topics that were represented in theater throughout the Renaissance Era, influenced greatly by William Shakespeare. Having written numerous plays performed during the Renaissance era, â€Å"Shakespeare’s influence on drama and staging can be shown through the language of performance criticism,† (Masten 341). interpretation of the drama, different focal points, and the way these plays were performed in relation to the text. During the seventeenth century, most plays that were written had a focal point of jealousy and had tragic endings. According to Katharine Eisaman Maus, â€Å"Anxiety about sexual betrayal pervades the drama of the English Renaissance† (561) and becomes the plot of many plays. Many critics cannot understand why many characters have the quality of being jealous and also to being curious. Maus continues to state, â€Å"Some critics are inclined to look for cultural explanations; for then the phenomenon reflects in a particularly telling way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (561). English Renaissance dramatists are more likely to include jealousy, sexual disloyalty and anxiety rather than non-dramatists. Shakespeare uses sexual fidelity that lead up to jealousy in many of his dramas such as Othello, and The Winter’s Tale. Maus reveals an answer to the question of why jealousy always becomes in a Renaissance drama. She states â€Å"sexual jealousy fascinates English Renaissance playwrights n ot only because it is a psychologically and socially interesting phenomenon but because the dynamic of sexual jealousy provides a complex analogy to theatrical performance and response to culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Maus 563). When people come to the theater, they want a good performance. A good issue to represent in most Renaissance dramas is sexual jealousy and anxiety. This allows the audience to enjoy the play, while having their own interpretation as well. Many historians and Shakespeare scholars show a great interest in how to connect the script and the performance of the play. The script or text of a play is only half of what the drama turns out to be. In order to understand the whole drama, one must comprehend the relationship between the text and the performance.

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According to Hector Avalos, religions might preach peace, love, and harmony, but establishing a textual canon or sacred site which only some have privileged access to also establishes an illusory â€Å"scarcity† which causes people to fight. This is the intent of religious leaders, but it's an inevitable outgrowth of their actions — and we can see this occurring in the context of Islam with its holy sites and cities: Mecca, Medina, the Dome of the Rock, Hebron, and so on. Each city is holy to Muslims, but while Muslims focus on what they regard as the positive aspects, they cannot pretend that the negative aspects don't exist.Moreover, even the positive aspects can be criticized as often inaccurate. The holiness of each site is associated with violence against other religions or against other Muslims and their importance has been as dependent on politics as religion, a sign of the degree to which political ideologies and parties make use of the religious concept of â₠¬Å"holiness† to further their own agendas. Mecca Islam's holiest site, Mecca, is where Muhammad was born. During his exile in Medina, Muhammad had his followers pray in the direction of Mecca instead of Jerusalem which was the original orientation site.Going on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a person's life is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Mecca is closed to non-Muslims because of a revelation Muhammad allegedly received from God, but some outsiders have entered while disguised as Muslims. Even before Muhammad, Mecca was a pilgrimage site for pagan polytheists and some argue that the Muslim practice of pilgrimage was borrowed from those ancient rituals. Some scholars argue that because Jews and Christians rejected Muhammad's message, ancient pagan practices had to be incorporated into Islam in order to more easily capture the allegiance of local polytheists.Christianity did much the same throughout Europe in order to convert pagans there. Located in the courtyard o f the Great Mosque in Mecca is a windowless cube known as the Kaaba, believed by Muslims to have been built by the prophet Abraham In the southeastern corner of the Kaaba is the â€Å"Black Stone,† an object which Muslims believe was given to Abraham by the angel Gabriel. Reports of local pagans worshipping gods in the form of stones go back centuries and Muhammad probably incorporated this practice through the Kabaa itself.Pagan rituals were thus re-told through the lives of biblical characters and so that local practices could continue under the guise of Muslim tradition. Medina Medina is where Muhammad was exiled after he found little support for his ideas in his home city of Mecca, making it the second holiest site in Islam. There was a large Jewish community in Medina which Muhammad had hoped to convert, but his failure eventually led him to banish, enslave, or kill every Jew in the area. The presence of non-believers was at first an affront to Muhammad's claims that his religion superseded theirs; later, it was an affront to the holiness of the place.Medina was also the capital of the Muslim empire until 661 when it was moved to Damascus. Despite its religious status, this loss of political power caused the city to decline precipitously and it had little influence during the Middle Ages. Medina's modern rise to prominence was again due to politics, not religion: after Britain occupied Egypt, the Ottoman occupiers of the region funneled communications through Medina, transforming it into a major transportation and communication center. Thus the importance, decline, and growth of Medina was always dependent upon the political situation, not on religion or religious beliefs.Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is a Muslim shrine which stands where the first Jewish temple is believed to have stood, where Abraham tried to sacrifice his son to God, and where Muhammad ascended into heaven in order to receive God's commandments. For Muslims this is the third holiest site for pilgrimage, after Mecca and Medina. It may be the oldest surviving example of early Islamic architecture and is modeled after the Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located nearby. Control of the site is a hotly contested issue for Muslims and Jews.Many devout Jews would like to see the mosques torn down and the Temple reconstructed in their place, but this would destroy one of the holiest sites of Islam and lead to a religious war of unprecedented proportions. True Believers have gathered together in a variety of Third Temple societies in active preparation, even going so far as to prepare the precise clothing, coinage, and sacrificial implements needed for use in a rebuilt Temple. Stories have spread among Muslims that the creation of Israel was the first step in an apocalyptic process which will culminate in the total triumph of Islam over all the world.The Dome of the Rock is thus one of the best examples of Avalos' argument about how reli gions create false scarcities which encourage violence. There are no natural resources on this site which humans might be expected to fight over — no oil, water, gold, etc. Instead, people are willing to launch an apocalyptic war simply because they all believe that the site is â€Å"holy† to them and, therefore, that only they should be allowed to control and build upon it. Hebron The city of Hebron is holy for both Muslims and Jews because it contains the â€Å"Cave of the Patriarchs,† supposedly a tomb for Abraham and his family.During the Six Day War of June, 1967, Israel seized Hebron along with the rest of the West Bank. After this war, hundreds of Israelis settled in the area, creating conflict with thousands of Palestinian neighbors. Because of this, Hebron has become a symbol of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities — and thus of interreligious strife, suspicion, and violence. It's not possible for both Jews and Muslims to have exclusive control of Heb ron and neither group is willing to share control. It's only because of the insistence of both that the city is â€Å"holy† that they fight over it at all, though.Mashhad Mashhhad, Iran, is the site for the burial places and shrines for all twelve of the imams revered by the Twelver Shia Muslims. These holy men, believed to be a source of sanctity, are all martyrs because they were murdered, poisoned, or otherwise persecuted. It wasn't Christians or Jews who did this, though, but other Muslims. These shrines to the early imams are treated by Shia Muslims today as religious symbols, but if anything they are symbols for the ability of religion, including Islam, to encourage violence, brutality, and division among believers. QomQom, Iran, is an important pilgrimage site for the Shi'a because of the burial sites of numerous shahs. The Borujerdi mosque is opened and closed each day by government guards who praise Iran's Islamic government. It is also the site of Shia theology trai ning — and thus also of Shia political activism. When the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran from exile, his first stop was Qom. The city is thus as much a political shrine as it is a religious one, a monument to authoritarian politics and the authoritarian religion which provides politics with existential justification. –>