Homer’s Ideal of Excellence

Throughout this excerpt of â€Å"The Iliad† by the great poet Homer, shows the ideals way back into their era. In this epic segregated values of both men and women are seen in Homer’s era. This epic story begins with the young prince of Troy, Paris, who kidnaps Helen, wife of the king of the Greek state of Sparta. After this treachery towards Sparta the Spartan kings Brother, Agamemnon, attacked Troy. The excerpt begins with Paris’s brother, Hector, another prince of Troy, is talking to his wife, Andromache, just before he goes to fight Achilles. Achilles is a great warrior which has slain many foes with nothing but a scratch including all of Andromache all seven brothers who he fought all at once. Andromache attempts to plead to Hector to flee, but his honor and courage strives him to continue to his impending doom. These words spoken by both Hector and Andromache seem as though they both knew it was most likely was going to be their last words. The way Homer writes the tone of these last words between husband and wife were so compelling in the fact that a mans honor and bravery were way more important than staying alive and taking care of his new born son and wife. From just reading this part of Homer’s writing it is obvious how it shaped the minds of all of Greece and set values among the people of the era. After reading this part of the poem understanding it comes to light by fully seeing how the honor of a man in this era is more important than anything even including your own family. This can be seen When Homer writes; â€Å"†All that, my dear,† said the great Hector of the glittering helmet, â€Å"is surely my concern. But if I hid myself like a coward and refused to fight, I could never face the Trojans and the Trojans ladies in their trailing gowns†. Also Homer goes on to illustrate that he must because that is how Hector was raised and how he must uphold his families honor in the name of his deceased father. Another thing that can be seen is very important to the people of this era was their need to make their gods happy, which in Greek culture was Zeus. The last words of Hector before he goes to fight the unstoppable soldier, Achilles, was praying to the great Greek gods, but not for himself, instead for his son to be just as strong and brave as himself and to be a mighty king of Ilium. He then continues to pray to make his son an even better man then himself. This brought upon another ideal in mind, the linage of your family. As in back then when you were born you automatically obtained all of you bloodlines successes and failures and were marked by them. At the end of the excerpt Hector says to his wife to not be worried about him and not to be distressed but instead continue on her duties at home, where she should continue looming and using the spindles. He then goes on to say how war has no business with women and how it is the business of every man and especially himself since he is the prince of Troy. This emphasizes how the duties were segregated among the Greek people. How women are condemned to taking care of the children, cleaning, and looming cloths whereas men were condemned to death in war for their rulers. These poems did not record history yet the Greek people took these stories as authentic history causing a past in which they can look upon when seeking guidance on what they should do in the Greek culture and ideals. Also they gave the Greek people with a cast of heroes like Hector and Achilles to be their role model. These poems brought both men and women a guide of what they should do to pursue arete (or excellence) among their society. Whether it was inside the household or out on the battlefields both men and women by the Homeric world were taught to pursue excellence (or arete). The â€Å"Iliad† and the â€Å"Odysseus† shaped the ideals of the Greeks and gave a model for the rest of Greek culture to follow.

“Australian Rules” essay Essay

Australian rules is set in a small rural town, where the relationships between the white townspeople and the Aboriginal people on the mission are complex, conflicted and marred by deeply entrenched racism. The local football team in many ways serves to represent the town, it reflects the conflicted relationship between the white people and the Aboriginal people- we begin to understand this as the film unfolds. Other themes inherent in the film are themes of family, love, loyalty and violence- the secrecy of domestic violence and the more overt forms of racial violence that spill out onto the public spheres of the football field and the pub. The opening narration informs us that half the football team is Aboriginal and that there would not be a football team without the Aboriginal players, therefore we understand how the town team relies on the talent and number of the Aboriginal players. We then witness the contradiction of the white and Aboriginal boys playing side by side as team members followed by the social segregation between the members after the match. This segregation is highlighted by Blacky (a white boy from town) and Dumby (an Aboriginal boy who is the best player on the team) whose friendship transcends these borders and we also witness ways that this segregation between the white teenager and Aboriginal teenagers is culturally imposed by certain adults. In one of the beginning scenes, just after a football match, Dumby and Blacky want to ‘hang out’ together, but Dumby is taken back to the mission by an older friend and Blacky cannot follow. Blacky, Clarence and Dumby all call out to each other ‘Nukkin ya’ and this use of Aboriginal language between two Aboriginal teenagers and Blacky the white boy signifies the level of their friendship and mutual acceptance. Pickles’ comment to Blacky that ‘now he even talks like one’, symbolises the town’s disapproval of such respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal people. The character of Pretty, Dumby’s older friend from the mission, plays an important role in the film. He was once a talented football player himself but no longer ‘kicks goals for whitefellas’ and he is significant because he is the main character to verbalise that Aboriginal people are treated  differently and unfairly. He is somewhat aggressive in his approach, expressing bitterness and resentment, yet it is implied that his approach is reactionary to the way he has been treated, and his statementsoverlooked by the white coach- are significant examples of changing responses to uneven power dynamics. For example the white coach tells Dumby to make sure all the Aboriginal team players turn up to the next match and Pretty interjects stating that it doesn’t work that way anymore, his metaphor of ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’, clearly refers to the history of Aboriginal people being used as servants and points out that the coach’s approach of ordering Dumby around is no longer appropriate. Unfortunately the coach does not take this message on and rather than acknowledging the Aboriginal boys as talented, valuable and indeed essential team players, he nervously treats them as unreliable boys who may destroy the team’s chances by not turning up. This attitude of relying on Aboriginal talent, whilst refusing to appropriately acknowledge this talent is made explicitly clear during the award giving ceremony that takes place after the team win the finals. Pretty is made to leave the ceremony after he disputes the truth of a speech about the egalitarian nature of football ‘where you can be anyone, from anywhere, and receive the recognition you deserve’. Pretty is immediately proved to be right when the awards are given only to white boys, and Dumby, who is obviously the most talented player on the team is left completely unacknowledged. There is a direct shift in Dumby’s response and he becomes more like Pretty, demonstrating anger and resentment, rather than his normal cheerful, co operative self. This gives us insight into Pretty’s character and how he may have developed the attitude that he has towards white people. Pretty and Dumby’s break-in to the pub that very night can be interpreted as a direct response to the unfairness of the award ceremony- although there are characters, such as the coach, who are not willing to see the connection. The fact that Dumby is then murdered by Blacky’s father is a complicated event with many layers of meaning. The insights we have been given about Blacky’s father prior to the shooting is that of a man who dominates his family, puts down his sons for showing vulnerability and who physically abuses his wife. There are  instances in which we can see links between the violence he demonstrates towards his family and the verbal and physical violence he feels justified in displaying towards Dumby, and then later towards Dumby’s sister, Clarence. There is a scene in which the father physically attacks Blacky and forces Blacky to declare loyalty to him (regarding the shooting), meanwhile verbally abusing Clarence with racial slurs and ordering her to get out of his house. During this scene the camera pans onto the faces of the Blacky’s mother and siblings and we see how domestic and racial violence become enmeshed, that the father’s attack on Blacky for being with Clarence is an act of violence that hurts his whole family. Interestingly it is Clarence who is the least cowed in this scene, she does not show fear and walks out with dignity. In this way we can see how control and domination is a particular pattern in this family, but is not taken on by Clarence. In many ways, the shooting, and the following events, are catalysts for great changes, both in the town, and more specifically in Blacky’s family. Blacky rejects his parent’s demands to maintain loyalty to his father and instead Blacky remains loyal to his friendship with Dumby. Blacky’s rejection of his father’s authority instigates other members of the family, such as his mother and next youngest brother who subtly take Blacky’s side. The scene where his brother urges him to get up and face his father, (when his father beat him to the ground), symbolises the request of his family for Blacky to represent them all and challenge the father’s authority. The resolution of the film sees the father gone, leaving Clarence and Blacky happily together but planning to this town ‘that has nothing for them’. The fate of the town is not so happy, the boys from the mission won’t come to town and there is no longer a football team. In many ways we can see how Australian rules reflects the complexities of human relationships- of love and loyalty and hatred and violence, and clearly demonstrates how deeply entrenched racism hurts everyone. The town, through its racism has destroyed the tentative trust of the Aboriginal people and has lost its ‘glory’- its winning football team. Its seems empty, a place only good for leaving.

Essentials of Health Information Management Essay

Source- oriented medical records are kept together by subject matters, such as data from all laboratory results. Progress notes are all kept together and are written in paragraph format; these entries are filed under a specific sectionalized area in the patient chart and are usually in chronological order. Many facilities use the chronological order because this is an easy way to locate the required documents. The major advantage is that information is organized together, which makes it easier to determine the assessment, treatment, and observations a particular department provided a patient. The major disadvantage is there is no possible way to quickly determine all of the patient problems or treatment that has been provided to the patient. Problem- oriented medical records are kept together by a problem number; with this a number is placed to each problem. This is the most traditional way that most physicians document his or her records. Progress notes are kept in a â€Å"SOAP for mat, which is S= subjective, O=objective, A= assessment, and P= plan of action.† (SOAP Notes, 2010) The problem oriented-medical records have four parts, which include a database, problem list, initial plan, and progress notes. The major advantage is the record format is the ease or progression through all the data. The data is organized into stratified sections, which is quicker to find information needed and allows for a more rapid review of multiple office vists over time. The major disadvantage is that this type of format requires additional training and commitment from the medical and professional staff. An integrated record is a combination of source- oriented and problem- oriented medical records. The records are arranged in a strict chronological order, regardless of the source of original information. This method keeps a good account of continual events as the events occur and this method makes it difficult to compare and coordinate the issues easily. References Farlex. (2011). The Free Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.medical-dictonary.thefreedictionary.com SOAP Notes. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.maexample.com/soap-notes.htm

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Journal - Assignment Example The article went on further to describe that George Romney had grown up on a Mormon compound established by his grandfather who had four wives. Asked to comment, Obama’s reelection campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith replied that they will not engage in attacking a candidate’s religion and that the practice was beyond what is appropriate. I think that this aspect of the presidential candidate’s family history, especially if it will not affect the candidate’s performance should he become the president, is of no relevance. I think Americans are more concerned with a presidential candidate’s capability to govern them than if where the candidate’s parents grew up. As the article mentioned, it was only Romney’s great grandfather who did not practice monogamy. It just shows that even if it was against their beliefs to have more than one wife, Romney’s grandfather and father stuck to their own principles of having just one family as is what presidential candidate Romney has done. At the end of the day, I think what matters is Romney’s personal conviction. This is what makes him the kind of person and presidential candidate that he is. If this kind of person is who America wants as a ruler then what his great grandfather had done should be of no

Humes Dialogues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humes Dialogues - Essay Example I agree with Philo to the extent that he suggests that God has infinite attributes which cannot be compared with those of man, but I disagree with his assertion that we can infer nothing about the nature of the designer of nature. In my view, I think that experience plays a significant role in informing us that God has infinite attributes similar to the intelligence and mind of human beings. While is true that God has infinite attributes, there is no reason to suppose that such attributes are similar in nature to the mind and intelligence of human beings. Even though their dissimilarities in various designs of human creatures and animals, that does not mean that they are completely obscure. The dissimilarity between the designs of two human beings does not mean that those human beings are different; they are both human beings with human intelligence and the human mind. In the same way, the dissimilarity in terms of divine nature between the design of God and human beings does not mea n they are different; they both have a similar mind and intelligence. Therefore, I agree with Cleanthes that God exists and that he resembles human mind and intelligence. A theist would respond to the challenge of Philo by suggesting that God created human beings to be similar to him; so God resembles human beings. While I agree with theists in existence of a divine God who resembles a human being, I would object their story of creation which suggests that God created human beings to become similar to him.

Tesco Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Tesco Company - Essay Example The company faces financial risk factors as follows: the interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, foreign exchange risk, capital risk and insurance risk. Current ratio – this ratio measures the ability of a business to meet its current obligations using the current assets. Generally, it is advisable for the ratio of current assets to current liability to be 2: 1. Concerning Tesco PLC, the company’s current ratio for 2012 and 2013 were 0.67 and 0.69 respectively. The ratios clearly show that the company is not liquid enough to sufficiently settle its short-term obligations using the current assets. Debt ratio – this ratio indicates the proportion of a company's total assets that have been financed by the total liabilities. It also shows the value of assets that creditors would claim in case of liquidation. Concerning Tesco Company, the ratios for 2012 and 2013 are 64.9 % and 66.76 % respectively. Both ratios show a high dependency on debt to finance the co mpany's assets with 2013 having the biggest percentage. The interpretation shows that only 3.4% of Tesco's revenue was net profit before tax, whereas, the remaining 96.6% were consumed by operating expenses. Based on the current ratio and the net profit margin before tax, Tesco company exhibits poor liquidity and thus cannot meet its current obligation using the current assets. The profitability analysis shows a high level of the company’s operating expenses thus a lower level of profits expressed as a percentage of the total revenue.

Technology paper ( mouse) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology paper ( mouse) - Essay Example Introduction Technological revolution and the use of computers systems have transformed human perception to almost all operations and tasks. Living in the midst of technological harbor, several changes have been envisaged with the use of computer application, which transforms the society into a digital hub leading to sustainable economy. The use of computer systems has facilitated management, communication, data processing and information security but all these has been made even much easier with an aid of a computer mouse, which is classified as a computer point and draw device [Salvendy,2001,p. 36]. The mouse innovation According to SpringerLink, 2011, p. [1236], the earliest forms of computers such as the electronic numerical integrators or the main frames never used the mouse technology. This is because their applications were based on command prompt, which only required typing in commands to execute an instruction. However, with the introduction of windows in 1985, a mouse was d eveloped to assist in the maneuvering around the computer different applications. A mouse sizeable enough to fit the palm is made up of two buttons left and right with a trackball at the bottom. It is meant to detect two dimensional motions relative to the supporting surface. The mouse is meant to be physically beneath the palm with the two fingers resting on the buttons respectively. When the device moves on a surface, the user gets into a position to track, drag select and move files, icons or even folders. Moreover, a mouse allows the user to draw images and navigate almost all applications within a computer system. The first mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1968 after completing his research concerning studies about the human interpretation with computers. However, the official launch of this invention was put into public at Xerox Paulo research center in 1970 [SpringerLink, 2011.p. 1236]. Classifications of mouse Since the introduction of mouse into the market, there have been several classifications based on technology, mode of operation and usage. The most common type of mouse in the market includes: Mechanical mouse This type of mouse uses a ball to move the cursor on the surface of the screen. In order to enjoy the best efficacies, a flat pad would be needed to enable the rubber ball which is contained beneath to roll easily. The rolling ball would triggers the movement of the cursor on to the surface, which further translates into information understood by the computer system [SpringerLink, 2011, p 1236]. Optical mouse Optical mouse uses the sense of lesser rays to help detect the mouse movement in line with the arranged pixels on the surface where the movement is being made. The optical mouse uses red light emitting diode (LED) sensor to induce movement on the surfaces and send signals into the computer for interpretations. The red light emitting diode (LED) bounces the light off the surface onto the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). This mouse offers, the most effective speed and can be used in almost all surfaces [SpringerLink, 2011, p. 1236]. Wireless mouse This type of mouse usually comes up with additional dongle that are attached to the USB ports. The mouse itself contains a Bluetooth transmitter, which sends signal to the dongle acting as the Bluetooth receiver. The signals would then be interpreted by the computer

Global Warming and Kyoto Protocol Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Warming and Kyoto Protocol - Term Paper Example Although the Protocol was signed by more than 159 countries, major industrial countries, such as the United States, refused to ratify it, believing that the commitments included in this Protocol threaten the national security of the country. Hence, the issue of global warming and the role of industrial countries in this concern have emerged a lot of debate. While poor and developing nations strongly push industrialized countries to bear their responsibilities in protecting the environment from global warming, developed and industrial countries, on the other hand, argue that all the countries of the world should bear equal responsibilities of protecting the environment. Hence, the attitude of those industrial nations, led by the United States, needs to be analyzed and evaluated in terms of its validity and fairness. Actually, in order to protect the environment against the dangerous impacts of global warming, all countries of the world, especially industrialized nations such as the Un ited States, should abide by the items of the Kyoto Protocol to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and fight environmental pollution. Basically, global warming is a negative environmental phenomenon that can lead to serious environmental problems, such as destruction of the environment, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. According to environmentalist Richard Dahl, global warming is an environmental problem that leads to a rise in world temperatures that is caused by the concentration of greenhouse emission gases in air (Dahl). This rise in temperatures will lead to melting of snow Mountains, which will increase sea levels (Dahl).  

Leaders' Attitudes and Computer Use in Religious Congregations Essay

Leaders' Attitudes and Computer Use in Religious Congregations - Essay Example I tend to determine the possibility of adopting and implementing ‘church planting by producing multiple congregations’ to reach ethnic minority young people in the context of Leeds for the gospel. The targeted group would be the African minority of Leeds. The most effective church planting technique in this situation will be studied. This research paper will focus on church planting within the African community of Leeds. The problem statement is how to reach the ethnic minority young people in Leeds through church planting to help spread the gospel. According to the MS200 Study Guide, there are numerous church planting models. One of the most effective models of church planting, which was essential in the development of this research essay, is the Church Planting by Producing Multiple Congregations. The research sought to incorporate this model because of the establishment of a regular service for children and young people following the achievement of the intended goals and targets1. The research focused on utilization of the efforts of the congregation members to work effectively and efficiently in the course of identifying the youths. In addition, the efforts focused on bringing the youths back to study the Bible, pray together, and worship collectively. Furthermore, Church Planting by Producing Multiple Congregation models indicates the presence of worship service with the intention of exploiting the youth sub-culture, usage of music, and artistic forms, as well as the language of communication in accordance with the preferences of the target audiences2. It is critical to note that the young people continue to be the focus group for various studies. Nevertheless, none of the studies has been crucial in defining the most effective studies in relation to communicating the gospel to the youth.

Son of Satan Essay Example for Free

Son of Satan Essay Three kids were sitting in a backyard. The sun was shining, they were young. Two of them were 12 years old, Hass and Morgan. The youngest one, who’s also the narrator and the main character, was 11. They sat there, smoked cigarettes, and talked about an important situation. The main character claimed that he had heard from Simpson, a contemporary who they apparently didn’t like, that he had been fucking a girl under the main character’s house. The three friends was certainly not satisfied, and decided to ‘take care of him’. And so they did: They walked down to Simpson’s house, and started accusing him for lying about having sex. What started out being just swearing, soon turned into harsh violence. The three boys, who didn’t have in mind to let Simpson escape unharmed, ordered him back to the backyard of our main character. By kangaroo court they judged him guilty, under charge of the main character, whose name still remained unknown. They decided, even though Simpson was already suffering both physically and psychologically, that he should be hung until death occurred. And they hung him. The three boys ran away and split up. Then our main character realized what he had been a part of. He ran back to the yard, released Simpson who was near death, suffering hard from the dramatic treatments, and the rope around his neck. Our main character pulled himself together, and took a long walk where he wondered about what he’d done. When he got home, he’s father was awaiting him, and told him to go to his room. He claims that the main character isn’t his son, but â€Å"son of Satan†, after what he had done. A fight broke loose, and Son of Satan hid under his bed. He bit his own father hard in he’s hand, and the farther promised that Son of Satan would get ‘what he asked for’!

Group Work and Language Learning

Group Work and Language Learning Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1. Introduction This chapter consists of the rationale behind my decision of having the thesis subject, and the way I found out the problem that my first year students have in speaking activities. Finally, they are the scope; the objectives, research questions, methods and design of this study are also begun. 1.2. Rationale In recent years, English has been considered one of some important subjects and a compulsory one for Vietnamese students. Better English, better careers was the answer given by many of them when they told about their purpose of learning this language. In their daily life, it cant be denied that this international language may help them prepare better for their career in the future because it does not only equip learners with a necessary source of information of social and culture knowledge but also gives them up-to-date information concerning a different issues in our society nowadays. Especially, our countrys recent regional and global participation has been increasing the demand for English speaking people, who are wanted to communicate with the outside world and access up- to- date technology. Vietnamese students are creative however there are many problems facing them when they speak this language, especially the first year students at HUBT. Among them, the problem of oral communication seems to be the most serious one. Teaching this language has been had necessary help from educators but having the best appropriate teaching method which may meet the need of the education and the society is still considered a big question for teachers of English in Vietnam. There have been some important changes in the teaching and learning this language in recent years because of big efforts from many international organizations and educational projects. Different modern approaches, techniques and methods on the teaching of this language have been applied in many universities, colleges and high schools. Generations of teachers of English are trying their best to have the best result in their career and in the classrooms contexts. 1.3. Finding out the problem. During learning English, speaking skill is one of the most necessary ones that can help students have a better job. For many years in teaching, teachers may know that learners would like to speak but they feel they have not enough confidence. As a fact they can think that, this language is not easy so they are not interested in learning, especially in speaking. This action research study of how to promote learners speaking through group work activities is very good because that may also give students more opportunities to improve other skill better. According to Richards (2000, p3): Employers too insist their employees have good English language skills and fluency in English is a prerequisite for success and advancement in many fields of employment in todays world. Focusing on English learners communication skills is an important idea to help them make progress in speaking. Wongsuwana (2006, p 44) shows that speech could be trained and it does not depend on talent anymore or talent is not the most important thing. In addition, Edge (1993, p17) points out the importance of communication that communication is at the heart of modern English Language Teaching, the part of the learning process and the goal of language teaching. However, most students do not have enough opportunities to speak English in an English environment that is why speaking this language has not had the best result. The first year students are from different areas in Vietnam. Maybe they were good at grammar but they have a lot of difficulties in speaking. They feel shy when they speak because they did not have a lot of chances to practice English in communication or for interaction in their daily life. Students from rural areas, sometimes had worse speaking skills than those from big cities. During speaking lessons, the strong students are very confident and the weak ones are afraid of speaking. Therefore, it is necessary to find out some solutions to this problem that the first year students have more chances to communicate with each other as well as to speak to each other in a so-called close-to-real English speaking condition. One of the strategies that reflects the principle of learner centeredness is group work. According to Nuna n and Lamb (1996, p, 142) group work is designed as any classroom activity in which learners perform collaborative tasks with one or more speakers. It has been considered one of the main changes to the dynamics of classroom interaction wrought by students-centered teaching. Moreover this speaking activity is able to increase the amount of active speaking and listening undertaken by all the learners in the language class. Conclusively, group work is the best way to have success in learner centered approach. This kind of speaking activities has had more and more emphasis in language classroom and it is used in encouraging learners oral practice. Participating in group, learners can join actively in the learning process. They do not have to sit passively and listen to their teacher. For all the above good points, it is willing for me to propose Group work as an approach to improving speaking skills for the first year non- major students of English at HUBT as the subject of this study. 1.4. Scope of the study. This study was taken place with the first year students who were learning English as a normal subject. Maybe, the study could not cover all the problems 1st students dealt with in using group work because it was limited to the investigation of learners attitudes towards group work, the level of learners participation in group activities 1.5 Objective of the study. There have been many studies on the spoken English teaching group work so far. Therefore, this study does not claim to introduce a new way of English teaching method. The main objective of the study is for the benefits of the learners, and the study will be a source of materials for teachers of English on the teaching of speaking skill, who consider group work as one of some important educational ways to help students speak better. To be more specific, the main objective is: To investigate the effects of group work on students speaking skill and its results. With this objective, the research questions are: 1. What are the learners attitudes towards group work? 2. What are the effects of group work on learners speaking skills? 1.6. Organization of the study The study consists of 5 main chapters: Introduction, Literature review, Methodology, Finding and discussion, and the last one is Conclusion. Chapter 2: Literature review This chapter presents major issues that relate to the theory of communicative learning in general and in language teaching in particular. The main features are taken into consideration, the concepts related to the study including the communication language teaching and the teaching of speaking skill, the definition of group work. Finally, they are benefits of group work. 2.1. Definition of Communicate language teaching and the teaching of speaking skill CLT is the latest influence on language teaching in Vietnamese education. CLT is considered as a broad approach to teach and results from a focus on communication as the organizing principle for the teaching rather than a focus on mastering of grammatical system of the language. Many different of CLT have been provided so far so it is not easy to show which a standard one is. Byrne (1981, p71) shows that the communicative approach allows many interactive oral activities in the classroom. Learners learn to use the English language, not English usages, to speak better in communication. They participate in group work (including of more than 2 students), play their own roles to speak to others, who have the same role, so each of them make intentional utterances that can help them have the best result and reach their goal in the shortest time. Learners are introduced to clear targets by their teacher and teachers may create communicative conditions, go round, and participate in the activities to help their students. Nunan (1989, p94) points out the approach which consists of aspects common to some definitions of CLT: CTL review language as a system for the expression of meaning. Activities involve oral communication, carrying out meaning tasks and using language, which is meaningful to the learners. Objectives reflect the needs of the learners. They consist of functional skills as well as linguistic objectives. The learners role is as a negotiator and integrator. The teacher role is as a facilitator of the communication process. Materials promote communicative language use; they are task based authentic. This definition shows a clear view of understanding and explaining language acquisition. It is socially constructed and may be effect when exploiting to teach language speaking. In communication, speaking plays an important role. The nature of speaking, both the element of pronunciation and connected speech, and the pragmatic aspects, has been discussed to examine by some well- known scholars and linguists. Brown (1994, p256 ) shows many of the characteristics such as the reduced forms, the stress, rhythm and intonation, the clustering, the colloquialism, the affective factors and the interaction, that could make oral performance not easy. From these writers support, it is easy to realize that the good results of communication consist of many features. They are the ability to articulate phonological ones of the language, the suitable degree of fluency, the mastery of stress intonation patterns, rhythm and etc 1. The development of CLT has had implications, which are necessary for students to develop their speaking ability through cooperative learning. Moreover, it gives students many chances to speak the language with appropriate learning conditions. 2.2. Group work 2.2.1. Definitions of group work. Group work is considered one of the important factors to improve learners communication. Different individuals have developed many approaches to group work over the last time. Group work is defined by Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1991, p15) as group work, in language class, is a co- operative activity, during which students share aims and responsibilities to complete a task assigned by the teacher in groups or in pair. It is said that, in group work, students learn to listen to different ideas, learn to discuss and to negotiate. They take part in equally and sometimes they feel comfortable to experiment and speak the language. Every member has more opportunities for independence and they can have some learning decisions. David (1993) shows that group work activity consists of three general types. The first one is informal learning group. The second one is formal learning group. The last one is the study teams. From these definitions of group type, the first one is more suitable for the term group work activities described in this study. This means that learners are required to have small groups from 3 or more members to work on a speaking task. 2.2.2. Benefits of using group work activities in language teaching. There are many sorts of activities in speaking lesson. They are discussions, dialogues, etc. These activities are often used in group work and have a lot of advantages. Firstly, students responsibility and autonomy are promoted through group work activities. All students work together, share their ideas, and always want to reach the goal in group activities. In addition, one of their main tasks is being in charge of their group activities. Every learner is in charge of his own and each others speaking, so there is a friendly help and high personal interdependence between them. Doff states: Group work and pair wok encourage students to share ideas knowledge. In a reading activity, students can help each other to explore the meaning of a text, in a discussion activity; students can give each other new ideas. (Doff, 1988). Secondly, learners participation, talking time and oral fluency are improved through group. As for Ur (1996, p 232), students can have a learning task during small interaction in group work and it is considered as a kind of their activation and is very valuable for practicing of fluency in speaking. There are 5 groups in a class; students can get 5 times as some chance to speak as in a big class. Finally, the students motivation is improved through group work activities. . Group-work activity can allow participants to use the language. Moreover, it is one of the most effective ways to motivate participants to become more involved. Richards and Loc Khart (1994) point out that, students not only play more active roles in the learning process but also get the benefits of sharing ideas with their team member through taking part in groups. Doff (1988, p141) states students fell less anxiety when they are privately than when they are on shown in front of the whole class. Pair work and group-work can help shy students, who would never say anything in a whole class activity The source of benefits of group-work can be seen in many different fields, consists of improving students speaking skill. In the best group-work activity in a language classroom, the participants of a learning group can benefit in several ways. By dividing the class into group, a new social context in created whereby learners get the opportunity to share individual cognitions with their group mates and decide on a conclusion based on the sum of these cognitions. In general, group work has had a lot of emphasis in language classroom and its activities are taken place in some ways of the second language instructions, especially in encouraging learners face to face practice. However, group activities still have got many problems when some students control the group a lot and make others uncomfortable, so how to organize group work effectively is the big question for educators and language teachers, who consider group wok as one of the best ways to improve students speaking skill. Chapter 3: Methodology. Chapter 3 presents the methodology of the study. The methods used in this study includes both quantitative and qualitative. 3.1. Research design. There have been many methods provided to be used in the way of applied linguistics. They are experimental method, case study but Action Research was chosen in this study because it includes many advantages and it is one of the most effective ways to obtain more objective and reliable information, including observation and interview. 3.2 Participants. The students were in the last term (or second term) of the first year at the University. They are in class KT 1421, Account Department, and learned in a small sized class of 25 ones, including 15 girls and 10 boys. Each class has one private room to study and they attend 10 class hours of English in a week. They are from 18 to 19 years old. Some of them, especially students from big cities, studied English at high school for 7 years, and others, who come from different provinces, finished this language for only 3 years. Although their English knowledge was not the same, they have to study the same level Elementary at University. 3.2 The procedures of the study. 3.2.1 Problem identification During organizing group work activities, due to my experience in teaching and a lot of discussions between me and my first year students, I found out a problem: students lack of interest in participating in group work activities so this speaking activity has not had the best result. 3.2.2 Collecting data To clarify the problem, a student interview was chosen because it has many advantages. Nunan (1987, p150) states it gives the interviewee a degree of power and control over the course of interviewer a great deal of flexibility. The purpose of the interview was to get students opinions about group work activities and the causes of this problem. The interviewer is a teacher of English- a researcher of this study. The interviewees are 6 students from 3 groups which were divided by the researcher. The first group is a weak one, consisting of unconfident students. They are very shy and sometimes lazy with speaking activities. The students in this group were quite and passive, they seemed to keep silent and listen to other team members most of the time. They are 8 students, and often got bad mark (mark 5 or 4) in a pre- test speaking. The second one is a strong group, including dynamic, enthusiastic and hard working students in the study (9 out of 25 students). Most of them were really active and talkative and dominant in group activities. In last test speaking, they got good mark (mark 7.5, 8 and 9).They are always successful in every speaking activity The last group consists of students, whose performance at speaking lesson, especially group work activities is indifferent. Maybe they are not lazy but they are lack of English speaking skill. They shared 33 % (8 students in the class). Mark 6 or 6.5. They do not make noise in the class but their result in studying is not always excellent. 3.2.3. Analyzing data. The information collected from the interview will be discussed in detailed in section 4.1- the initial 3.2.4. Planning action Basing on the findings from the initial data, the solution chosen is to rearrange students seats in group work activities and reconsider the way of teaching. More details will showed in 4.2.2 3.2.5. Implementing the action plan The action plan implementation lasted during 3 weeks, with the participations of the teacher and 25 students in class Kt 1421. 3.2.6 Collecting post- data. Attitude interview was used to collect data in order to find out where group work activities improve their speaking skill. Moreover, I would like to discover the students attitudes towards this speaking activity. 3.2.7 Analyzingpost data This action was evaluated on the results collected from the post data. Some recommendations for other research were presented from the results of the action research. An interview was chosen as a data collection instrument for this study.. The interview was designed by the teacher, based on information I would like to find. The students interview consisted of 5 questions. (See appendix 1). In order to help interviewees understand all the questions clearly, 5 questions were translated into Vietnamese. Chapter 4: Result and discussions This chapter provides the results of the action research. The presentation consists of the description of the initial result from the interview, the information on the findings from this result. 4.1. Initial data. 4.1.1 Results from pre-students interview. Question 1: The students self assessment of their English speaking skill in group work activities. Most of the students (4 out of 6) admitted that their speaking skill in group works discussions was bad, even very bad. They found it very complicated .Only one third (2 out of 6 students) started that the speaking skill was not a big problem in their English learning. Question 2: Students interest in taking part in group work activities. Question 2 asked students if they liked to participate in group work activities. Students answers showed that a majority (4 out of 6) said no to the question. They are from the first and the last group. In their opinions, they would like to have more help from their classmates, whose English is better than their because they are lack of speaking skill and afraid of asking their teacher a lot. Only one third of students (2 out of 6) expressed that they are interested in this speaking activity because it allows them have more opportunities to practice in English. Question 3: Difficulties of learners while participating. Question 3 aimed to collect difficulties the students had to deal with while taking part in group work activities. Two students from the weak group complained that they had a lot of difficulties and the most difficult one is without a leader team. They did not know what to say, how to start and express their ideas, their opinions in English with a topic in discussions. Two other students from the last group mentioned that they had too much difficulty. They often could not understand clearly all the noun phrases and expressions when their teacher taught and explained in English. That was the main reason that they often spent time chatting or reading funny stories and made noise in the class. Other members English level is the same so they would like to have a chance in their sitting in group work activities. Only one third (2 out of 6),who are very confident and independent in studying, started that they did not have any difficulties in every group work speaking activity but sometime they were not satisfied when there was too much noise from the weak group.. Question 4: Learners attitude towards teachers monitoring their seats in group work activities. As can been seen in questions result, a majority students were looking forward to it (4 out of 6). They are from group one and three. One student from the strong one was not ready to accept that. She was afraid that, she is willing to help team mates but she would spend too much time explaining lessons for the weak ones in the team. The last student from the strong group had positive attitude towards changing their seats. Question 5: Learners opinion kids of team member they like to work with. Six interviewees had the same opinion that they do not care of this. 4.1.2. Finding from the initial data As can be seen from the data analysis from students interview, the first year students would like to take part in group work activities until there will be some chances in organizing, especially their seats, and team members. Most of them, especially from the first and the last group are looking forward to this. In addition to this, I try to explain lessons more clearly to help students understand better. In order to overcome these problems, I should think about how to arrange group work activities that they can work effectively and better and what to do to make the activities been done properly. When organizing group work, the first point should be taken into consideration is the selection of group work member. The students always sit in the same place since it means that they will always be in the same group, which can give rise to boredom over a prolonged period. From the identification of this problem mentioned above, the following hypothesis was chosen: If the teacher rearranges students seats in group work activities and changes something in the way of teaching, students will be full of interest in participating in group work activities, and their speaking skill will be better. 4.2. Action Plan The action plan was conducted to check the chosen hypothesis and more importantly to give the answer to the 2 Research Questions. The action implementation was taken place for 3 weeks, during 6 class hours of English with these steps: The first, students are not allowed to choose their partners or group mates because this happened in the first term and better students often sat together and so did the weak ones. Participants are in mixed ability group, consisting 4 members. A group should have a mixture of a weaker and a stronger student since the more able students can help their less fluent or knowledgeable friends, the process of helping will such strong students to understand more about the language themselves. Secondly, I had better to take some important things into my consideration to overcome these problems mentioned above such as instructions, monitoring. Presenting the activity to the class will be a major in its success. Therefore, it is a good idea for me to keep instruction simply and if necessary can use the mother tongue, however I also should try to use English as much as possible because both explaining and evaluating activities is a very real use of language in a classroom situation. Providing many examples and giving the learners a trial run are usually good ideas. Moreover, when activities are in progress, my main task is to move around the class and to listen in directly in order to find out how the participants are getting on well. I think, I should not correct students mistakes of language during a group activity but I should make a note of them and use them as the basis of feedback. The participants should be told that the teacher is available for consultation if they ne ed During 6 class hours, students in 3 groups were divided in different groups with separated roles. The students from the weak one had help from new group members, seemed to take part in discussions actively and the strong ones had opportunities to help their friends. They discussed together positively with their opinions. Post-interview was used to collect post- data after the action plan finished. The five pre-interview questions were used again. Result from post-interview Students problems Pre-action Post-action Noise from weak group 2 0 Fear of speaking 4 2 Low participation 2 0 Use of mother tongue 2 0 Difficulty in understanding lessons 4 1 Arrange their seats in group work activities 4 0 It is clear from the pre-interview results that most students problems have been reduced. There was not noise in group work activities. Only two students from the weak group were still shy when they spoke. They used to keep silent during group work activities, but now their participation is not low. They started to have ideas in groups discussions. Four students from the first and the last group complained about their difficulties in participating. After 3 weeks, they had a little one because of rearranging their seats and having a leader team. It is very helpful for them to speak English better. Most of students are interested in their new seat Chapter 5: Conclusion 5.1. Summary of the study It is not a new idea to use group work activities in improving learners speaking ability. In many educators opinions, this speaking ability no doubt gives big and necessary benefits not only teachers but also learners. In this study, the effects of group work on the students participation and achievement have been shown and learners attitude towards this speaking activity bas been investigated. The study has presented many good results through regards to quantitative and qualitative analysis. The first, a lot of students as the participants in the research expressed their interest in taking part in group work activities. The second, through the implementation of this research, the stronger and friendlier relationship between team members has been proved. Most of the students showed that their speaking skills in English were developed and improved significantly. Therefore this research helped me and my colleagues have more chances to know students weaknesses and strengths during their participating as well as their desires, feelings, difficulties and expectations revealed through their roles. It is valuable source of personal information for teacher to know and helps the teacher adjust and strengthen her role as a facilitator, an educator and a teacher in classroom activities. The increasing quantity of learners interaction in the post- group work activities support the opinion that a lot of students in a group worked more effectively with each other in order to reach the goal of the group by the way they asked question, responded others, clarified and explained opinions and ideas to team members. The weak students were more confident when they asked for help from better members in the group as the participants were willing and ready to help. Moreover they felt comfortable to encourage the weak ones to participate in practicing group work activities as the good students find out that through doing these things, their oral communication skills and many other academic skills, for example level thinking skill, critical thinking skill to explain evaluate , discuss, formulate ideahave been improved. Using group work effectively can help students become more independent, confident and responsible. This is very good because they can have and use many suitable lea rning strategies in their studying for a long time. 5.2. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies. This action was made to improve teaching and learning in group work activities. Like many action research, obviously it has limitations. Firstly, the finding could not be generalized and should be interpreted with caution by using to other contexts. Secondly, the participants are only the first year students not the second or third ones, who have more experience in learning English and in taking part in a teamwork. Moreover, only the way to develop speaking skill is showed while group work activities could be used to teaching other integrated skill for students such as listening, writing, reading and of course, speaking. 5.3. Pedagogical implications of the study English lessons are considered good opportunities to practice this language. Students can have help from their teachers and their classmates. Moreover, to encourage students on the initial trying of studying and improving their practicing English, teachers of English may supply some investment to organize and use the program on a bigger scale such as student-organized English speaking clubs, English students newspaper that provide necessary experience in learning this language, important knowledge and main skill to learn English better. In addition, when organizing group work activities, these important factors should be taken into consideration: setting up a group work activity, managing group work effectively, organizing group successfully. Further more, the realization of this study has showed the orientation and showed the practicality of using group work in teaching English in Vietnamese education, especially in university context, where a lot of teachers use traditional approach and students depend on them a lot. Group work activities are very important and necessary for Vietnamese students, especially the first year students, who have finished high school, where teachers use traditional methods of teaching English a lot. Participating in group work activities can help them improve their independent working, have more critical thinking skills. REFERENCES: Byrne, D (1981). Communication in the classroom. England: Longman.

Analysis of Ancient Roman Architecture

Analysis of Ancient Roman Architecture Ancient Rome is well recognised for its potential to produce large, dense and complex network of infrastructure ranging from roads, aqueducts, bridges, baths, and temples. The Romans were impressive builders and some of the structures built by the Romans that still stand up to this day exhibit this. Large infrastructure was one of the fundamental aspects that allowed the Roman Empire to maintain its expansive territory; roads allowing the free movement of goods, information and troops, the sewers and freshwater systems enabling the growth of large populations. Thus, with these benefits, the Roman empire began to flourish and sparked a golden age of technological advancement and architectural development. Under the Roman empire, city development followed the grid plan based framework adopted from late Greek cities of the Hellenistic period. Roman cities had two major roads, the Cardo Maximus, the main street running through the north-south and the Decumanus, running east-west, serving as a secondary street, emphasised in the ancient Roman city of Timgad (figure 1), which was a common aspect of Roman cities. In essence, the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus played an integral part of city planning, but also served as a central hub for economic life and business. Figure 1: The city of Timgad in Algeria (Marten Kuilman 2010) Furthermore, the Roman grid-based city plan transitioned towards an urban plan by the first century B.C.E. However, it was not planned entirely in advance during the development of Rome. On the other hand, by superseding grid-based plan, an urban plan was a more flexible solution resulting in a more elaborate and organic plan that allowed Rome to expand, improve and grow in splendour (Evans, 2017, p.24-5). Thus theatres, public buildings, basilicas, temples, libraries, and amphitheatres were sprinkled all across the urban fabric of the city so that every building was surrounded by a public structure (Kostof, 1991, p.214). Albeit, Rome did suffer from urban issues, most of which was the gap between the wealthy and poor. The vast majority of Roman citizens were poor and lived in multi-storey flats or apartments known as Insulae (figure 2), which were simplistic buildings that only provided at best a maximum of 2 rooms with no indoor plumbing; therefore, the poor had to commute to public baths to get a supply of water. Figure 2: Remains of a insula in the Capitol hill, in Rome (II century a. C.) (Peter Collony and Hazel dodge 1998) On the other hand, the rich lived in single storey private houses called Domus, consisting of multiple rooms, lavishly laid out walls, gardens and courtyards surrounding the atrium (figure 3) which was the large central hall of the Domus.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Figure 3: A Pompeian Interior oil on panel Dahesh Museum of Art (Luigi Bazzani 1882) The Roman forum was an oblong space adapted from the Greek agora, located near the intersection of the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus whereas the theatre and amphitheatre were located at the perimeter of the city, wrapped around by fortified city walls. The forum was mainly composed of public buildings such as baths, temples of worship, civic centres and administrative buildings, enclosed by colonnades and either a town hall or a basilica. This was because of the Roman propensity to enclose public buildings, for example, the classical Greek theatres evolution that initially began as an open structure (figure 4), however, it was improved upon by the Romans into an enclosed theatre (figure 5) through the combination of the auditorium and stage (Wheeler, 1964, pp.111-2). Figure 4: Greek theatre (Twinningblog 2008) Figure 5: Greek theatre (Twinningblog 2008) Public buildings were adorned with sculptures, paintings, and fountains that were used as a source of civic pride for the Roman public. As a result, the forum became the focal point of business, social existence and the centre of political debate amongst the people of the empire and politicians. Roman temples such as the Maison Carrà ©e, Nimes (16 B.C.E.) (figure 6) were considered the home of the gods as Roman religion played an important part of Roman society. People went to temples to worship and pray to a multitude of deities such as Jupiter, Juno, Venus and Mars amongst many other main gods. Figure 6: The Maison Carà ©e, the Arenas and the Magne Tower in Nimes (Hubert Robert 1787) The Roman theatre, amphitheatre and Hippodrome provided Roman society with an abundance of entertainment. Amphitheatres such as the Coliseum (figure 7) was the home of violence presented in many forms. Entertainment ranged from gladiatorial fights, executions, wild animal fights and the occasional naval battles that required the Coliseum to be flooded, in front of 50,000 spectators from different social classes arranged on stands that the Coliseum was able to house. Therefore, the Coliseum became a public spectacle to a society that loved blood and could decide the fate of the loser but also reflected the social stratification of Roman society. Figure 7: Colosseum: Cross-section (Granger 2014) Whereas the Circus Maximus offered a different kind of entertainment that was chariot racing in front of a maximum capacity 250,000 people that were as famous as the events held at the Coliseum. Even though society loved watching fights and races, however, some members of the public were opposed to the idea of watching fighters die for entertainment at the Coliseum. Thus, the theatre was the ideal alternative to the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus, where plays were held. Roman baths were considered as an essential requirement for day-to-day life in Rome. The Roman practice of Bathing was initially a Greek tradition; that gained popularity amongst Roman society during the second century B.C.E. Moreover, due to the popularity that baths gained, it highlighted the requirement for a centrally based bath complex within the urban structure of every Roman city as more Roman cities began to emerge, epitomised by the city of Bath that gained its name for its Roman bath complex. By the early third century C.E., Eleven main aqueducts supplied the city of Rome on average 190,000 cubic meters of water daily to homes, public and private baths, which had to be provided and distributed via a system of pipes made from either clay or lead. The aqueduct in Segovia, Spain, built in the second Century CE is still being used today. Whereas the Pont du Gard that is part of the aqueduct de Nimes (figure 8) is probably regarded by many architects and engineers as the most impressive aqueduct built by the Romans, standing at a total height of 48.77 metres, shows the skill and complexity that Roman engineers were able to attain. Figure 8: Pont du Gard (Emanuele 2007) Despite water being supplied to Roman baths and houses via a system of pipes, fees were charged in accordance to the pipes size, the larger the pipe, the higher the tax. Therefore, for personal hygiene, Roman citizens went to local baths such as the baths of Caracalla (figure 9), known for its complex functionality, sophistication and immense size. Romans were able to bathe for a small fee; however, Roman baths also became areas of social interchange where gatherings gossiped and conversed about current events or to discuss business matters while getting clean at the same time. Figure 9: The Baths Of Caracalla (Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema 1899) Some Roman structures have survived the test of time and still reside within the urban fabric today, many of these have been changed, repurposed and modernised into urban forms within the city and have contributed to the formation of cities. The Roman amphitheatre turned into a public circular square in Lucca, Diocletian palace that became the centre of Split in Croatia, which was a palace with walls that became the downtown of the city since the collapse of the roman empire. Furthermore, piazza Navona was built on the site of the stadium of Domitian, the amphitheatre and basilica having significant influence on Western architecture. To conclude the Romans were a sociable society that transformed the legacy of Greek architecture into their vision, a vision turned into an art form and embodied in many cities today. Despite Roman architecture being around for millennia, it is one of the most influential architectural styles that became a source of inspiration for many architects throughout time. Bibliography: Kuilman, M. (2010). QA596 The city of Timgad in Algeria. [image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/quadralectics/4361584827/in/photostream/ [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Collony, P. and Dodge, H. (1998). Remains of a insula in the Capitol hill, in Rome (II century a. C.). Photography from CONNOLLY, Peter y DODGE, Hazel: La Ciudad Antigua. La vida en la Atenas y Roma clà ¡sicas, Madrid, 1998.. [image] Available at: http://www.catedu.es/aragonromano/images/insulac2.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Bazzani, L. (1882). : A Pompeian Interior oil on panel Dahesh Museum of Art. [image] Available at: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/pompeii/images/atrium_int_large.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Twinningblog, (2008). Greek Theatre. [image] Available at: https://twinningblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/t-greco.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Twinningblog, (2008). Roman theatre. [image] Available at: https://twinningblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/roman-theatre1.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Robert, H. (1787). The Maison Carà ©e, the Arenas and the Magne Tower in Nimes. [image] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Hubert_Robert_-_The_Maison_Car%C3%A9e%2C_the_Arenas_and_the_Magne_Tower_in_Nimes_-_WGA19601.jpg/612px-Hubert_Robert_-_The_Maison_Car%C3%A9e%2C_the_Arenas_and_the_Magne_Tower_in_Nimes_-_WGA19601.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Granger, (2014). Colosseum: Cross-section. [image] Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4b1AfOTtXTx1zjGDTti-WK4DdlgyMHn2cAi6GxcUByBazOGRtyXe8FERE_qHXPu_jLkiVUb5m7mC1feR7erG5MXILc3T8C7szE9QoCFQj4CsU_7_EAKweF1RHg5Q6mWw9yQ8P_iRz4Ax/s400/colosseum-cross-section.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Emanuele, (2007). Pont du Gard. [image] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[emailprotected]/1566294527 [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Alma-Tadema, L. (1899). The Baths Of Caracalla. [image] Available at: https://uploads1.wikiart.org/images/alma-tadema-lawrence/the-baths-of-caracalla-1899.jpg!Large.jpg [Accessed 8 Jan. 2017]. Dudley, D. (1991). Roman society. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Evans, G. (2017). Cultural planning : an urban renaissance. London: Routledge. Gates, C. (2004). The archaeology of urban life in the ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece, and Rome. London: Routledge. Hodge, A. (2002). Roman aqueducts water supply. London: Duckworth. Kostof, S. and Richard, T. (1991). The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. London: Thames and Hudson. Macaulay, D. (1975). City : A Story of Roman Planning and Construction. London: Collins. Perez de Arce, R. (2017). Urban Transformations and the Architecture of Additions. [ebook] London: Routledge, p.xvi-ii. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=CX09BAAAQBAJprintsec=frontcover#v=onepageqf=false [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017]. Rykwert, J. (1976). The idea of a town. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. Vitruvius Pollio., Schofield, R. and Tavernor, R. (2009). On architecture. London: Penguin Books. Watkin, D. (2009). The Roman Forum. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Wheeler, M. (1964). Roman art and architecture. London: Thames and Hudson. Yourcenar, M. (2000). Memoirs of Hadrian. London: Penguin.

Bed Time Stories of the Saints Essay -- Children Stories Kids Essays

Bed Time Stories of the Saints When children are young, it can be difficult for parents to teach them certain skills and lessons to live a good life. For example, toilet training a young person is something all parents suffer through and most of the time it is hard for them to teach their young ones how to use the bathroom. Several methods have been developed by psychologists, pediatricians, and other scholarly people on the toilet-training process. In addition to this, children’s books are published that are strictly directed at teaching children about their own bodily functions, and using the restroom. The language used, the illustrations, and the delivery of the language, is directed at children. Even children’s bibles are made because children cannot comprehend, or hold the attention to the King James version on the Bible, and so the stories of the bible and its teachings are rewritten in a language children can understand, as well as presented in a manner that will hold a child’s att ention. This same approach is used for Catholic stories of their saints in order to teach children about them and their lives that they lived, which reflects how the Church instructs its followers to live in order to go on to everlasting life with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Each children’s story evaluated, although directed to teach children, or to help the parents teach the child, also contains a certain sub-text, and by comparing the same children’s stories to those written for adults and the general public about saints, and by examining the authors intent, as well as the intent of the Catholic church, the importance of these different story styles and their purpose will be determined. The first story analyzed will be th... ...ersion of a saint’s story is read, the reader will learn something different and take something different from each one. Works Cited De Cantimpre, Thomas. The Life of Christina the Astonishing. Trans. King, Margot H., David Wilijer. 2nd ed. Toranto, Canada: Peregrina Publishing Company, 1999. De Pizan, Christine. "Saint Catherine." The Book of the City of Ladies. New York: Persea Books, 1982. 217. De Voragine, Jacobus. "Saint Cecilia, Saint Catherine." The Golden Legend. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1993. 318. Lee, Frank C. SS R. Bedtime Stories of the Saints. Vol. 2. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1980. Lee, Frank C. SS R. Bedtime Stories of the Saints. Vol. 1. Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Publications, 1980. Potter, Giselle. Lucy's Eyes and Margaret's Dragon. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1997.

A Structuralist Reading of Austens Sense and Sensibility Essay example

A Structuralist Reading of Austen's Sense and Sensibility The fundamental structural dynamic underlying the whole manifested universe, much less literature, is duality; therefore, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is easily analyzed from the structuralist perspective. Each of us is a complex mixture of polar opposites, the most primary of which being the division between right brain and left brain, or, more commonly, "heart and mind." Austen's technique in this novel is that of eliminating altogether the corpus callosum, thus juxtaposing the two halves into a "binary opposition," a split between the heart that throbs and exults and the mind which ascertains and evaluates. Marianne is, of course, the heart of the novel, Elinor the mind. Moreover, the remaining characters, too, fall within one of these two categories. I have arranged the most important figures of the novel in this way: SENSE SENSIBILITY Elinor Marianne Edward Mrs. Dashwood Lucy &nbs... ...novel can stand alone from its constituent elements, to be used and reused again and again by simply replacing different characters, different circumstances. Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund is a perfect example. In this novel, the exact same dualism of heart and mind is explored (and far more interestingly, in my opinion) in the experiences of the two title characters. In closing, it must be stated that there are certainly other structural dichotomies within the novel, contrasts of high and low which bisect the lateral distinctions upon which I have focused. These involve the shifts in social stations experienced by various characters such as Elinor, Marianne, Lucy, and Edward. These are, however, secondary to the primary theme, the seemingly impassable, yawning chasm which separates those with sense from those possessed by mere trivial sensibility

Thesis: Demography and Reproductive Health

IMPLEMENTATION OF RH BILL IN THE PHILIPPINES A RESEARCH Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study â€Å"Where is the provision that recognizes the sanctity of family life? Where’s the provision to protect the life of the unborn, from conception? Is this bill morally acceptable? †These are some of the question that will give an answer as you strived reading and analyzing this research study. What is population? Population is all organisms that both belong to the same species and live in the same geographical area.The Webster Dictionary defined population as the total number of persons inhabiting in a country, city or any district or area. Overpopulation is the most crucial issue in the Philippines. Many people suffer from poverty, hunger and slackness due to some conflicts the government cannot sustain the primary needs of its people, as the issue concerns the government still finding a adequate and right population policy. The population policy in one country or st ate aimed at controlling the quantity, and improving the quality of family life as well as managing the distribution of population so as to improve the community is economic life.Philippines is ranked as the twelfth most densely populated country in the world compromising approximately population of 90 million(as of in 2006). According to some reliable research and documents, the population of the Philippines continually increasing as it goes by in the succeeding years. To control this matter the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines proposed a bill which suggest to limit the population birth rate and to balance the over population, This bill was recognize to be called as Reproductive Health Bill, which was the main focus of the study.The first time the Reproductive Health Bill was proposed was in 1998. During the present 15th Congress, the RH Bills filed are those authored by (1) House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman of Albay, HB 96; (2) Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin, HB 101, (3) Akbayan Representatives Kaka Bag-ao & Warren Bello; HB 513, (4) Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon, HB 1160, (5) Iloilo Representative Augusto Syjuco, HB 1520, (6) Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan. In the Senate, Sen.Miriam Defensor Santiago has filed her own version of the RH bill which, she says, will be part of the country’s commitment to international covenants. On January 31, 2011, the House of Representatives Committee on Population and Family Relations voted to consolidate all House versions of the bill, which is entitled An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population Development and for Other Purposes.According to the Senate Policy Brief titled Promoting Reproductive Health, the history of reproductive health in the Philippines dates back to 1967 when leaders of 12 countries including the Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos signed the Declaration on Population. The Philippines agreed that the popula tion problem be considered as the principal element for long-term economic development. Thus, the Population Commission (Popcom) was created to push for a lower family size norm and provide information and services to lower fertility rates.The Reproductive Health Bill, popularity known as the RH Bill, is a Philippine Bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. The bill was become the center of a contentious national debate. House Bill No. 5043, the RH filled in previous Congress, called for the promotion of both artificial and natural methods of family planning, sex education and responsible parenthood. This bill indicated that the government would support couples who wanted to limit the number of their children by using contraceptives.However, there is general agreement about its provisions on maternal and child health, there is great debate on its key proposal that the Filipino taxpayer and private sector will fund and u ndertake widespread distribution of family planning devices birth control pills(BCPs)and IUDs, as the government continuous to disseminate information on their use through all health care centers. Private companies and the public and private elementary and secondary school system will be required to participate in this information and product dissemination as a way of controlling the population of the Philippines.This Bill is very controversial, as it is being opposed by concerned citizens, especially the pro-life, pro-family, and pro-God groups, regardless of creed of religion. The RCC or Roman Catholic Church expresses the opposition against the bill on many counts, most especially the pronouncement and distribution of family planning devices which are abortifacient to fertilized eggs; they kill the young embryos, who as such are human beings equally worthy of respect, making the bill unconstitutional and morally incorrect.To illustrate how fundamentally divisive the issue is, two powerful institution in the Philippines find themselves at odds, as the bill is supported by the administration of the Philippine president Benigno Aquino III and actively opposed by Roman Catholic Church. The study wants to inform the readers about the truth behind the implementation of RH Bill. The researchers want to emphasize the issue of the growing population in the Philippines, as the government makes their step to combat this matter and how are the communities actively aware regarding this issue.The objective of this study are to be able to know the advantage and disadvantages of legalization of RH Bill, the consequences behind its provisions and proposal, It’s impact to the Philippine economy, and criticism of concerned Filipino citizen, will it be an effective solution to combat the overpopulation. This research study was formed not to be bias in both parties being argue. We construct this study just to give additional information and to know the opinion of the maj ority coming from the voice of ordinary people, professionals and religious groups. Conceptual FrameworkThe two different theories which encompasses the issue of implementation of RH bill in the country as it is being pits into powerful sectors against each other – church on the one hand (theory of Existentialism)-and on the other hand, a well-funded institution the government (theory of Communism). Communism is a sociopolitical movement that aims for a classless and stateless society structured upon common ownership of the means of production, free access to articles of consumption, and the end of wage labor and private property in the means of production and real estate.It is a specific stage of historical development that inevitably emerges from the development of the productive forces that leads to a superabundance of material wealth, allowing for distribution based on need and social relations based on freely-associated individuals. This theory was gradually proposed by Karl Marx and adopted by different countries. The Reproductive Health Bill, popularly known as the RH Bill, is a Philippine bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. The bill has become the center of a contentious national ebate. The communist countries are the first ones who implement the law because they believe that wealth will be achievable in areas where there has less population. The state owns and controls the businesses and it is very easy for them to ‘steal' money if they have the control. Less population makes the state business to provide small budget for the people because they provide the basic needs of their people. They have believed that much number of people is hard to control because of these reasons: 1. the state needs to provide big budget for the basic needs of its people. 2.There will be a tendency that the money they can get from the state business will decrease because they need to balance t he budget. 3. The people will become threat to the state due to the uprisings if more and more people become aware that the state is no longer capable to provide their needs. 4. It is easy to ‘brainwash' the entire nation when it has only few people. Good economists disagree that population is reversely proportional to growth. They believe that the population is directly proportional to growth because the economic activity is very high in areas where population is very dense.Another theory which represents the side of Roman Catholic Church regarding about their strong opposition concerning the bill was the theory of existentialism were they get the idea of importance of the life of the unborn. Existentialism is a term applied to the work of a number of philosophers since the 19th century who, despite large differences in their positions, generally focused on the condition of human existence, and an individual's emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts, or the meaning or purpose of life.Existential philosophers often focused more on what is subjective, such as beliefs and religion, or human states, feelings, and emotions, such as freedom, pain, guilt, and regret, as opposed to analyzing objective knowledge, language, or science. The early 19th century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard is regarded as the father of existentialism. He maintained that the individual is solely responsible for giving his or her own life meaning and for living that life passionately and sincerely, in spite of many existential obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, alienation, and boredom.Subsequent existentialist philosophers retain the emphasis on the individual, but differ, in varying degrees, on how one achieves and what constitutes a fulfilling life, what obstacles must be overcome, and what external and internal factors are involved, including the potential consequences of the existence or non-existence of God. Many existentialists have also re garded traditional systematic or academic philosophy, in both style and content, as too abstract and remote from concrete human experience. Existentialism became fashionable in the post-World War years as a way to reassert the importance of human individuality and freedom.Research Paradigm Output Output Dependent Variables Dependent Variables Independent Variables Independent Variables Religious Groups Religious Groups Economic progress and development. Unequalization in the Community. Economic progress and development. Unequalization in the Community. RH BILL in the Philippines RH BILL in the Philippines Professional Professional Ordinary People Ordinary People Philippine Gov’t Philippine Gov’t Statement of the Problem The proponents would like to study the issue of the growing population of the Philippines, the implementation of RH Bill and the consequences behind its provisions and proposal.The proponents aim to address the following questions: 1. What are the advan tages and disadvantages of implementing RH bill to the Filipino society? 2. What are the reasons why women with unmet need in the Philippines do not practice contraception in the Philippines? 3. What are the views and opinions of the religious groups, professionals, and common people? 1. 2 Assumptions One of the measures to be adopted by the RH Bill is to inculcate in the educational curriculum matters pertaining to reproductive health, responsible parenthood, sex education, etc.My issue is that in Criminal law, persons below the age of 15 are presumed to be innocent and cannot incur criminal liability. It seems that our law is inconsistent in the sense that as far as reproductive health is concerned; persons below 15 are presumed to be mature enough to be educated on such topics yet are presumed to be innocent with respect to criminal liability. The advantages of the RH bill in third world countries like Philippines, reproductive health bill (less population) means economic growth, less crimes, less uneducated children, more food on the table without resorting to begging.This bill hopes to provide midwives for skilled attendance to childbirth and emergency obstetric care, even in geographically isolated and depressed areas. Thus, the one of the causes of maternal mortality, that arising from unattended births, will be addressed. The disadvantages of the Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines is the undue focus being given to reproductive health and population and development, when many more urgent and important health problems need to be addressed in the country, those that cause a significant number of deaths across the country such as cardiovascular diseases and infections.Financial resources allotted by foreign donors to assist the Philippine government programs could actually be better spent towards pursuing health programs targeting communicable diseases than purchasing artificial contraceptives. The bill also calls for the integration of family pla nning and responsible parenthood in anti-poverty programs. The most common reasons why women with unmet need in the Philippines do not practice contraception are health concerns about contraceptive methods, including a fear of side effects.The second largest category of reasons why women with unmet need do not use contraceptives is that many believe they are unlikely to become pregnant. Their specific reasons include having sex infrequently, experiencing lactation amenorrhea (temporary infertility while nursing) and being less fecund than normal. The cost of contraceptive supplies has become a more common reason for nonuse in of contraception in recent years.The proponents assume that the views and opinion of the respondents will result into three sides: the religious group will opposed the bill, professional will somehow agrees and advocates the bill, and the result of the survey for common people will be divided into both points of views of the two first respondents. Significance of the Study This section of the book is written by the proponent to give emphasize and overlook to the possible effect of the study to the concern individual. It contains criticism and encouragement to the following type and group of people.Barangay Officials – This will help them realize that RH Bill may help lessen their communities growing population and inform their people about effective method in family planning. Couple – This will make them realize that they use contraceptives if they are not yet ready on having a child. Doctors – This will help them realize about informing their patients with sexually transmitted disease that using contraceptives may prevent those diseases. Filipino Women – This will help them to understand that abortion is wrong and educate them about unnecessary pregnancy.Filipino Family – This will help them decide freely and responsibly the number of spacing of children and to have information and means to do so, and t o informed them the effective family planning method, and to make them understand that abortion is not included in family planning. Prostitutes – This will make them realize the importance of contraceptives to their job, this will prevent them on having a sexually transmitted disease like AIDS and STD. Religious groups – This will make them realize that this bill may be the only solution on our growing population and make them also understand hat abortion and using artificial contraceptives are different matter. Students – This will make them realize that this law might be the answer to our growing population, and for not committing unnecessary sex at their age. Teenagers – This will make them aware about the content of the bill and the importance of being responsible to their life and point it out that abortion is not right. Scope and Delimitation The bill is national in scope, comprehensive, rights-based and provides adequate funding to the population p rogram.It is a departure from the present setup in which the provision for reproductive health services is devolved to local government units, and consequently, subjected to the varying strategies of local government executives and suffers from a dearth of funding. The reproductive health (RH) bill promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. It assures an enabling environment where women and couples have the freedom of informed choice on the mode of family planning they want to adopt based on their needs, personal convictions and religious beliefs.The bill does not have any bias for or against either natural or modern family planning. Both modes are contraceptive methods. Their common purpose is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The bill will promote sustainable human development. The UN stated in 2002 that â€Å"family planning and reproductive health are essential to reducing poverty. â₠¬  The Unicef also asserts that â€Å"family planning could bring more benefits to more people at less cost than any other single technology now available to the human race. † Coverage of RH. 1) Information and access to natural and modern family planning (2) Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition (3) Promotion of breast feeding (4) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications (5) Adolescent and youth health (6) Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs (7) Elimination of violence against women (8). This study will give an additional information and concrete background about the reality of proposing and opposing this bill.The proponent will use their patient and much effort in conducting a good compilation of ideas regarding population explosion and the population policy which is particularly mandates by the government. The proponent will try to overlook on the broader and wider data and information that is based on the facts and reliable sources. This research will help us to critically evaluate and examine the motives of the two powerful institutions in the Philippines, as the bill is supported by the administration of the Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and actively opposed by Roman Catholic Church.The condition of this research is likely to hear the views and opinions of religious groups, professionals and common people. The voice of majority is the most valuable in this research study. The group will gather information through questionnaires together with interviews and reliable sources. The proponents will conduct their interview into three types of group of people: the religious group, professional and common people. The proponents also relied on the internet regarding the related topic. Moreover, the respondents for religious groups were coming from the opinions of Sto.Nino Parish Church at Brgy. Bago Bantay, teachers of social studies major in Economics of San Francis co High School and students taking Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Our Lady of Fatima University for professionals, and residents of Brgy. Bahay Toro for common people. The said respondents were male and female and will serve as an instrument to make our thesis be fulfilled. Definition of Terms This section will be of use for reference, and will serve as a medium of an invaluable aid to a complete understanding and deeper appreciation of the words/terms being use in conducting this study.It is an improvise dictionary make by the proponent in order to gain the research more factual and easily comprehensible by the readers. Abortion – lexically, the expulsion of a nonviable fetus; spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during first 12 weeks of generation; operationally, a barbaric and inhumane practices ever devised by sinful man; murder of the unborn. Abortifacient – lexically, inducing abortion. Advocating/Advocate – lexically, one that pleads the cause of ano ther. Approximate – lexically, to bring near close.Bias – lexically, to incline to one side; to give a particular direction to; to influence; to prejudice; to prepossess. Birth Control Pills (BCPs) – lexically, known as oral contraceptives, stop the development of the egg and also help in thickening the cervical mucus in the uterus, thus restricting the passage of the sperms to the egg. Common People – Operationally, a group of people which is one of the respondents of the study; they will serve as the medium of the proponent to make the study factual and reliable. Compromising/Comprise – lexically, to come to agreement by mutual concession.Condoms – Operationally, are the most commonly used male contraceptives to escape pregnancy using condoms during sexual intercourse acts like a barrier for sperms to enter the vagina, thus restricting their contact with the egg. Congress – lexically, an assembly or conference; a gathering; operatio nally, in the study House of representative or Congress was the proponent of RH Bill. Contraceptive – Operationally, a form of chemical and medicine which was indicated in RH Bill in order to control the birth rate and overpopulation. Contradictory – lexically, involving, causing, or constituting a contradiction.Development – lexically, refers to a multi-dimensional process involving major changes in social structures, popular attitudes, and national intuitions as well as the acceleration of economic growth, the reduction of inequality and the eradication of widespread poverty. Disseminate – lexically, to scatter widely. Divisive – lexically, creating disunity or dissension. Economy – lexically, the management of household or private affairs and especial expenses; a thirty and efficient use of material resources; Operationally, the main purpose of the government in implementing RH Bill is to have a healthy economy.Embryo – lexically, refers to a child at the early stages of development. Family Planning – lexically, planning intended to determine the number and spacing of one’s children through effective methods of birth control. a. Natural Family Planning – any several methods of family planning that do not involve sterilization or contraceptive devices or drugs; coitus is avoided during the fertile time of a woman’s menstrual cycle. b. Artificial Family Planning – means of preventing pregnancy that involves some kind of device or medication.It does not include periodic abstinence or the withdrawal method. Fertilized Ovum – lexically, the cell resulting from the union of an ovum and a sperm. Fetus – lexically, the young in the womb of viviparous animals in the later stages of development, specifically in women from the end of the second month, prior to which it is called to embryo; unborn offspring. Fertilization – lexically, is the fusion of gametes to pro duce a new organism. In human, the process involves the fusion of an ovum with a sperm, which eventually leads to the development of an embryo.Intrauterine device (IUD) – lexically, the IUD or Copper T as it is commonly known is a very convenient, safe and reversible method of family planning which does not require a daily routine. It is small device made of metal, copper or plastic that is inserted into the uterus of a woman of reproductive age, for as long as she does not want a pregnancy. Normally once it is inserted, it stays in place for 5 to 10 years and inhibits the entry of sperms into the inner recesses of the vagina and also prevents fertilization.Implementation/Implement – lexically, carry out accomplish to give practical effect to and ensure of and ensure of actual fulfillment by concrete measures. Inter-breed – lexically; to breed together. Legalization – lexically, it is an authentication or certification by an appropriate public authority; the act of making legal. Population – lexically, it is a number of or term for all the inhabitants of a designated territory; is all organisms that both belong to the same species and live in the same geographical area.Population Explosion – lexically, a pyramiding of numbers of biological population; especially the recent great increase in human numbers resulting from both increased survival and exponential population growth. Population Policy – lexically, measures taken by a state to modify the way its population is changing; defined as legislative measures, administrative programs, and other governmental actions intended to alter or modify existing population trends and composition in the interest of national survival and welfare.Population Development – lexically, refers to a program that aims to: (1) help couples and parent achieve their desired family size; (2) improve reproductive health of individuals by addressing reproductive health problems; (3 ) contribute to decreased maternal and infant mortality rates and early child mortality; (4) reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy; and (5) enable government to achieve a balanced population distribution. Procure – lexically, to get possession of obtain by particular care and effort.Professional – lexically, it is the one who pursues as a business some vocation or occupation one skilled profession. Reproductive Health Education – lexically, refers to the process of acquiring complete, accurate and relevant information on all matters relating to the reproductive system, its functions and processes and human sexuality; and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy and gender roles. Responsible Parenthood – lexically, is the core responsibilities of parents to provide the needs of the children they have in term of the aspects in life.It is putting the needs of the child over your own. Religious People – lexically, group of people devoted to religious beliefs or observances. Reproductive Health (RH) Bill – lexically, a Philippine Bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care Roman Catholic Church – operationally, pro-life groups whose against the RH Bill; they promotes only natural family planning and is opposed to the use of artificial birth-control pills, saying these could lead to promiscuity and a rise in abortion cases.Sex Education – lexically, it is a broad term used to describe  education  about human sexual,  sexual reproduction,  sexual intercourse,  reproductive health, emotional relations,  reproductive rights  and responsibilities, abstinence,  contraception, and other aspects of  human sexual behavior. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, school programs, and public health campaigns. Vibrant – lexically, it is readily set in vi bration.