America in the 60’s: A Personal Account of a Hippie

The sixties was a tumultuous decade.   America went into a war that has lost the support and commitment of the American people.   My interviewee was a college student then and he claimed that he had learned more in the streets than in the four walls of the classroom.While American soldiers were fighting the Vietcong in order to liberate South Vietnam, they at home were fighting the government to bring home the American soldiers.   According to him, â€Å"our soldiers were just being slaughtered in the battle for nothing. He believed that it was not a war that America should fight.While people gather around together in rallies and movements, there was a diversity of causes people fight for. While my interviewee was particularly concerned against the Vietnam War, his interactions with other activists led him to realize other important social ills that needed to be addressed.He learned about the civil rights movement and feminist movement. The former were basically black people f ighting against racial discrimination and seeking for equal rights particularly the right to suffrage.   The latter on the other hand, were fighting against women’s rights.   But in many cases, they assemble and joined together to stage a mass movement.The rallies sometimes end up violent with the police committing brutality in dispersing the activists. But joining rallies were like a fad.   It was fun, adventurous and liberating. In fact, the violence that occur form part of the thrill of joining rallies.   Accordingly, many of those who joined were not really into the causes of the movements but were there for kicks.   Rebellion seemed part of the youth culture of the sixties in order to be hip.One of the most unforgettable experiences my interviewee had was his attendance to the most well known musical event that practically defined the 60’s, the Woodstock festival in 1969 billed as a three day celebration of music, peace and love (Schomp, p65).According t o him, over half a million people participated in the festival.   As a dedicated activist, the Woodstock was really a united protest action against the Vietnam War but the media just sensationalized the nudity, drugs, and sex committed by the hippies in the event.In my short interview with this acquaintance of mine, the events in the 1960’s seemed closely interlaced with each other and everything seemed to happen simultaneously unlike in the textbook where history is presented like separate and isolated events.The 1960’s was indeed turbulent and riotous per my personal evaluation of my history book and as admitted by my interviewee himself.   However, the book wasn’t able to capture the enjoyment and the ventures that people experienced during that time.My interviewer commented that the sixties was indeed a time of serious transition in the American political sphere, but it wasn’t that dull, boring and uptight serious as written in the pages of a book .   The youth was daring yet were still having the time of their lives.Work Cited:Schomp, Virginia. The Vietnam War. 2nd edition. Marshall Cavendish, 2001, pp64-66   

Abraham Lincoln Essay

To Free the Slaves When the nation was founded, the southern stated favored slavery and the northern states did not. Had the presidents that came before Abraham Lincoln stood up and made the much needed change, then it would not have fallen on Lincoln’s shoulders to stand up and free the slaves. Because this duty was laid upon him, Lincoln took many steps to abolish slavery. Among the many things that he did was to stand up during the Civil War, enact the emancipation proclamation, and pass the 13th amendment. Had he not taken these steps to abolish slavery, history would have been completely different, and the road to civil rights would have been delayed longer than the hundred years that it took to begin achieving equality. On November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected the President of the United States; this event caused outrage among the southern states. Because Lincoln had run on anti-slavery, the southerners believed that they no longer had a place in the Union. By February 1st, 1861 seven states had seceded from the Union. The seceded states collaborated to create the Confederate States of America and elected Jefferson Davis as their president. Lincoln decided to fight because he felt that it was his duty as the president to preserve the union. During his first inaugural address he appealed to the rebellious states to rejoin the union. (Civil War) The Civil War began on April 12th, 1861 in South Carolina at Fort Sumter. The Civil War was not entirely caused by the election of Lincoln. However, it was the primary reason the war broke out when it did. It also in my opinion set the stage for abolishing slavery. At this time Lincoln upheld that blacks could not join the army, however they were allowed to fight for the navy. Many blacks rushed in to fight because; although Lincoln stated that the war was not about slavery, but instead about the union. The African Americans knew this war was about slavery (Handlin). Slaves were escaping in masses, and because there was no consistent law regarding fugitives, commanders could make their own decisions on what to do with them. Some were put to work for union forces, some returned to their owners. Then on August 6th, 1861, the fugitive slaves were considered to be â€Å"contraband of war,† and it was decided that if they fought, and they were found to be contraband of war then they were declared free. As they continued to move south many slaves flooded the north. As a result both white and black northern citizens pulled together, providing aid, and organizing relief. And throughout the war they also organized schools to teach the African Americans to read and write (McPherson). Then in 1862 Lincoln began considering emancipation as a stepping stone toward winning the war. In the south they began to force blacks to build forts, work as blacksmiths, nurses, boatmen, laundresses, and work in hospitals, armories and factories. However, in the north the African Americans who wanted to defeat the slaveholders the most were being turned away from the military, because in the beginning of the war Lincoln did not want the south to believe that the war was about slavery not the not the Union. At this time, if Lincoln declared that the war was about slavery, European public opinion would back the north. On September 22nd, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation warned that if the Confederate states did not surrender by January 1st, 1863, their slaves would be freed. Many believed that this was the beginning of the end of slavery. But, they also feared that Lincoln would give into pressure and fail to keep his promise. Then on January 1st, 1863, he issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in states that were not part of the union. At this point, the purpose of the war changed; they were not only fighting to protect the union, but also fighting to end slavery. After the final draft was issued, the federal army began to officially accept black soldiers into ranks (Goodwin). A new chapter of history began, when the Thirteenth Amendment passed in January 1865. This Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, and provided that â€Å"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. (McPherson) The Amendment was passed at the end of the war, before Confederate States had rejoined the Union, making it easy to pass. Finally, on April 18, 1865, the Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate army. The southern landscape was destroyed, and four million slaves were freed. Former slaveholders faced emancipation with rage, concern, and despair. The sl aves were freed and began to attempt to rebuild their lives. The country then began reconstruction, which held many promises and tragic disappointments for the people of the United States. As part of the reconstruction there were two new amendments added to the constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment, which granted to all people born or naturalized in the United States. And, the Fifteenth Amendment, which said that no American can be denied the right to vote on the basis of race (McPherson). The Civil War paved the way for President Lincoln to abolish slavery in the United States. First he took a stand; he enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, and finally he was able to pass the Thirteenth Amendment. Had Lincoln not taken these steps to abolish slavery, History would have been completely different, and the road to civil rights and equality would have been delayed much longer. We will never know who would have finally stood up if he hadn’t, nor how long it would have taken. However, we do know it would have been different. Would we have had Martin Luther King? Or would we have President Obama? Bibliography 1. Tried by War – McPherson M. James. 2008 2. Team of Rivals – Goodwin Doris Kearns. 2005 3. Abraham Lincoln and the Union – Handlin Oscar and Lillian – 1980 4. www. CivilWar. org Abraham Lincoln Essay Poetry is written to be heard the way a song is meant to be sung. Poetry has been around for ages and enjoyed from children to adults alike. Poetry is not just words on paper that imparts data; it is much more than that. Poetry is an art form that in order to be fully understood, one has to be able to analyze read between the lines. Analyzing poetry can be a daunting task. One may have to read the poem several times with a dictionary handy, just to get an idea what the poem is about. Some poems are made of elaborate statements while only using as few words as possible. The beauty of poetry is being able to visualize what the writer is trying to communicate to the reader and putting it into their own words and scenario. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† by Theodore Roethke can be interpreted in many ways. At first, it can be construed as a child writing about his alcoholic father and the pain that was inflicted on the small boy by the father’s actions. After rereading the poem, the reader can actually see that the father is frolicking about with his son, he may have had a little too much to drink, but that does not depict alcoholism nor abuse. Roethke was shattered when his father died suddenly of a heart attack, when the young man was only fifteen years old. This poem shows him reminiscing about the good times he had with father. â€Å"White Lies,† by Natasha Tretheway is a touching poem about a young girl dealing with her skin color and trying to find acceptance in a judgmental world. A reader can feel the little girl’s pain, loneliness, shame, and fear as the poem is read. Tretheway mentions colors several times in the poem, which alerts the reader on the importance of color throughout. â€Å"I could easily tell the white folk/that we lived uptown, / not in that pink and green/ shanty-fied shotgun section/ along the tracks.† (7-11) for a little girl to feel so ashamed of whom she is and where she came from is heartbreaking and Tretheway put it into perfect detail. â€Å"My Childhood-Home I See Again,† by Abraham Lincoln is a two-part poem that  deals with the issue of memory and having a sense of ourselves in relation to the past. Lincoln used descriptive words to pull the reader into his life and see what it was like for him to grow up. Lincoln wrote the poem after visiting his home of Pigeon Creek, Indiana in 1844. Twelve years after the poem was written, Abraham Lincoln was elected the sixteenth president of the United Sates. Poetry can tell a story about many things. The poet has a story to tell. How the reader interrupts that story is up to them. The reader may not get out of the poem what the poet put into it. Works Cited: My Childhood-Home I See Again-Lincoln http://potw.org/archive/potw325.html A Short Guide to Reading Poetry http://garts.latech.edu/owl/literature/poetryguide.htm Kennedy, X.J. and Gioia, Dana. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 2nd Edition New York: Pearson Longman 2008 Abraham Lincoln Essay According to Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing. † (Mills 3). I was inspired by this quote that speaks of success, which I will describe as a golden star that everyone wants to reach. This quote is similar to most of the leadership quotes because it speaks of ways to reach success, but, this quote is special in a way that it could be related to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Simply put, the main road to success is the â€Å"will to succeed. † I’m sure each of us has experienced actually failing a task whenever our mind is embedded with the phrase: â€Å"I can’t do this! † If you believe that you will be successful in any endeavor you want to take, then, you have taken the first step to becoming a person who is the â€Å"king or queen of success. † I myself have noticed that whenever I put into mind that I will â€Å"win,† the outcome turns out to be truly positive. This essay can help readers realize that their goals can be achieved by first believing in themselves. If a person always expects that he/she will succeed in something specific, then his/her expectations will most probably turn into a reality as what the so-called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† suggests. Rosenthal, in his book: â€Å"Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research,† said: â€Å"Events tend to turn out as one has hypothesized, not because of some great insight but because one behaves in a manner to achieve this outcome. † Believing in this theory would mean that we would have to love ourselves more, believe that we have what it takes to win in this â€Å"game† called life, and, at the same time, because of our mind set, act in such a way that enables us to achieve our dreams. Bear in Mind: Success is in your hands, just believe! Works Cited Mills, Dawson A. â€Å"Continuing Education Offerings Abound. † The Virginian-Pilot [Virginia] 28 January 1996:3. Rosenthal, Robert. Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966. Abraham Lincoln Essay Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He grew up in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and lived out in the wilderness. He was brought up doing chores, and had a special talent of using an axe at a young age. Upon attending an ABC school, Abraham learned how to read, write, and solve arithmetic problems. He and his family constantly had problems with the milk sick disease, which was the cause of the death of Abraham’s mother. One of Abraham’s first jobs as a young adult was to build a flatboat and take it down the Mississippi River loaded with cargo. From then on, his occupations seemed to be constantly changing. Some of the other jobs he became involved in were a clerk in a general store in New Salem, served three months as a private, opening a general store in New Salem once again which failed after a couple months, state legislator of Illinois, and a series of other more political jobs. Abraham Lincoln married twice; first to Ann Rutledge and later as a result of her death e married Mary Todd Lincoln. They had four children, and only one reached adulthood. Lincoln’s first real successful career was as a frontier lawyer, in which he earned about $1200 to $1500 a year. Eventually seeking higher political positions, he became a powerful young congressman. At this time in his life, her first began to have the opportunity to voice his opinions about slavery. He was very much against it, and supported Wilmot Proviso, which proposed that slavery be abolished from Mexico, and he formed other antislavery programs in Washington. Upon returning to his former job as a layer upon the end of his political term, he was able to become a master at the occupation. Around 1854, Abraham began to research the Kansas-Nebraska Act, for he was held an opposing viewpoint of what is stated. He believed the Act did not address how important it was that slavery be abolished, for it allowed people in these two territories to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. Right after this, Lincoln began involving himself in more debates about slavery, while at the same time trying to get into a political position. He was finally granted his wish to become president on November 6, 1860 defeating Douglas, John Bell, and John C. Breckinridge. Re-elected in for the next four years after this term had ended, he was all the while serving during the Civil War. His view on the war was that he hoped to create a plan to join the nation together, and give the South more right to the slaves. Eventually the Civil War’s end was exactly how he had wanted to terminate, with General Lee surrendering to General Grant in Virginia. The death of President Lincoln was tragic, and was soon following this victorious end of the war. Upon a third re-election as U.S. President, he angered many people who did not like the way he served their country. John Wilkes Booth was one of such people, and he expressed his anger during a performance of â€Å"Our American Cousin† at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, when he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Throughout Abraham Lincoln’s life, he was succ essful in politics aided in the progress of our nation. Abraham played many extremely important roles in this particular time period of history, while his most prominent position was undoubtedly President of the United States. During his role in presidency, many Southern states were against his election, including Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Later four more states were angered and all ten succeeded and left the Union around 1860. With no decision but war, the northern and the southern states were allowed to fight over issues dealing with slavery, rights, and preserving the Union. On January 1st, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which entitled that all citizens who were slaves up to now are free. The importance of this declaration was not that it freed many blacks in the South, but that it showed Americans that the present war was being fought to end slavery. Besides this major point, the Emancipation Proclamation allowed black men to feel accepted and equal during the war, for they were allowed to hold better positions and could enroll in the Union Army and Navy. The Gettysburg Address was later given by President Lincoln as well, which where he defined the Civil War as a rededication to the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. This was one of his most well known speeches, for the site at which he announced it was a memorial for the death of soldiers. President Lincoln was indeed a significant person to the history of the United States and its overall development. He is probably the President with the most information documented about his life, and he is remembered today as a man who gave touching speeches and who fought endlessly for what he believed in. He always put forth his efforts into ending wrongs and never giving into what is morally wrong. Because he was committed to preserving the Union no matter what the consequences were to himself, it was saved, and because of his patience, timing, calculations, and keenness at solving problems he was able to kill what was left of slavery. Through transforming the president’s role as commander-in-chief and as chief executive of his nation into a more powerful position, presidents from his term in office on were granted supremacy over both the Congress and the courts. His perseverance as a person brought him to have such an influential remembrance of him today, as he started out as a poor boy brought up in the wilderness in a log cabin to obtaining the most revered position of the country in the White House. Although he ended a tragic death, America will never forget his efforts at making America a better place, and will always look towards him as the father of our country. Bibliography: http://216.132.160.230/KoTrain/Courses/AL/AL_Impact_and_Legacy.htm accessed 9/18/03 http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761577113&pn=6#s67 accessed 9/18/03 http://www.cr.nps.gov/logcabin/html/al6.html accessed 9/18/03

Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Research Report - Essay Example The reasons for the rise of spirituality were diverse ranging from religion to superstition. People felt empowered and believed that they had a sense of direction when they get involved in spirituality. These findings open new doors for the governments in these countries which can create policies that can make people engage in more productive activities and make them rely less of spirituality for peace of mind and self-esteem. But the results also showed rise in happiness level and self-esteem. The success of spirituality can be harnessed to make people feel fulfilled. This study investigates into the phenomenal rise of spirituality in the western countries. Many things such as astrology and meditation have existed in the Oriental civilizations such as India, China and Japan. But these are being adopted by the western countries at a very fast pace. The purpose of this report is to investigate this issue by asking four major questions – There have been many studies on the rise of spirituality. Author of the book The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, made a documentary called The Enemies of Reason. In that he argued that people believe in superstitions in order to escape hard realities of life. He wondered on the rise of spirituality at a time when science was giving answers to most of the problems. With these studies in the background, this study identifies the need to investigate the real reasons behind rise of spirituality in current age. This research is very important as it can provide an insight into the psychology of people and may also identify a social drift taking place in the western society. This research will address questions that aren’t usually asked in developed countries. Questions such as are people happy with the material prosperity, and are they seeking for some form of escape through spirituality, will be addressed by the present study. People, throughout the world, look for new experiences that would satisfy them.

Somalia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Somalia - Research Paper Example Since this time there has been social and political turmoil consisting of factions of ethnic and political sides battling each other for supremacy, in 1991 the northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland which though it is not recognized as a nation by the world has maintained a stable existence. Currently the leader accepted by the world of Somalia is Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed who was elected by expanded parliament in 2009; his goal is to transition Somalia into a representative government. (Somalia) With much of the nation outside of the northern section in chaos this will be a difficult task. Pirate activity, chaos in the streets and a complete lack of infrastructure or basic necessities in many other locations throughout the nation will make it difficult at best to re-establish a representative government. Unfortunately, there is not much known regarding the actual approaches being used to re-establish the government in Somalia. Government: Somalia should form a government to allow stabilization to occur within the nation itself. By forming a representative government the various current warlords and power figures can work together to provide what is best for the people within the borders of this nation. A representative government allows the people to first elect their representatives and to agree on who they should send to the central governing body. After arriving it is then the duty of the representative to truly represent the needs and desires of the people that elected them. The representative in this case should be very communicative with the people that have sent them, simply because due to the current state of affairs in this nation if communication lapses it could cause additional strife or result in miscommunications which could result in far more violence and crime. The principles following this initial gathering should be given a concrete status so as to assist in the formation of a single formative governing body. According to Bernard Manin, â€Å"By principles I do not mean abstract, timeless ideas or ideals, but concrete institutional arrangements that were invented at a particular point in history and that, since that point, have been observable as simultaneously present in all governments described as representative† (Manin 4). It becomes necessary to ensure that the people who are submitting to this government are both fully aware of it and embrace the idea. Unless this is made clear with the people there will continue to be internal strife resulting in and not limited too civil war, as a result it is of the utmost importance that they understand what it is that is being attempted. Piracy: Piracy and Somalia are seemingly synonymous in the international business world, and while it is true that many incidents have occurred recently involving Somalian pirates the entire nation of people cannot be judged by such a relative few actions. Recently within the first few months of 2011 over 140 att acks were registered worldwide as a result of Somalian pirates. And while there is a large group of ships patrolling these waters, â€Å"More than 20 naval vessels now patrol the coast of Somalia as part of multinational coalition established in December 2008. The flotilla includes ships from the EU, U.S. and NATO, as well China and Russia† (Rai). Because over 40% of the entire world’s oil supplies are transported through this area the

Www.cdc.gov Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Www.cdc.gov - Research Paper Example At the main page you can find the news of the organization and several links with bright pictures which would transfer you to some interesting articles on the topic of health and its protection. A little bit lower on the page you can see rubrics in which people can find some information about some brand new viruses and bugs and the places where they are prevailing nowadays. The content of the main page and its disposing are very important, because people’s interest depends on them, and the website’s content was made perfectly and definitely makes you interested in it. Maybe the point is that anyway people are concerned about their health and usually information about its protection is interesting and informative that’s why the website is catching. The links which would bring you further into the website’s content are situated on the top of the main page and their names cover the most fundamental points a viewer would be interested in when he enters the sit e to get to know something about health and disease prevention. This leads us to the point that the main page was arranged brightly and catching to get people’s interest in what they can find on the website next, after a fast view of the main page. It is very important to make the following note about the content arrangement: there is no information which would be perceived as unnecessary or out of the topic. The names of the website’s items are clear and describe the specific aspects of the topic that might be interesting for visitors. The website’s visuals are pretty simple and understandable. You can see the organization’s logo on the top of every single page you open, so you never forget which site you’re visiting. The main points of every page are written shortly in bullet-points way, so you can just click on the item that is interesting for you to see more about it. Also, the website creators have succeeded in

Question is below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Question is below - Essay Example Still, we wonder at the real enormity of freedom granted to the people that have been tempered by the government’s implementation of rules and regulations which effectively shrank the people’s rights. A closer look on lobbying for the public’s freedom has on the other hand, generated so much confusion. This is probably because the people do not really have a cohesive stand on issues concerning rights, privileges, limitations and violations. So now, after lapping in the comforts of the information age for years, we come at another crucial but definitely interesting point of contention. What limits should be set by law on the freedom of expression of communication and publication via the internet? We need to highlight on censorship not only of indecent materials via the internet but also of other forms of psychological abuse towards humanity. This is due to the fact that news reports have illustrated examples of alarming crimes directly or vicariously connected from having accessed materials published virtually. If it has spawned criminal behavior, of that we need empirical evidence but the truth remains that misbehaviors have been learned and continuously so, through the web. We draw the line at child and explicit adult pornography. We draw the line at extreme graphic violence and psychologically damaging elements. We draw the line at unlimited access particularly for children of sites that are too exploitative or too destructive to the over-all well-being and dignity of each person. Restrictions are primordially important since we have struggled to espouse special protection for women and children from the laws that have been enacted. Yet, from the sites available on the internet alone, we see horrendous and crippling images of the marginalized members of the society that we have sworn to protect. Furthermore, numerous libelous statements have genuinely defamed entities because of lack or inconsistent interpretation of statutes concerning

Impact of Education on Veterans Empowerment to Enhance Careers and Job Essay

Impact of Education on Veterans Empowerment to Enhance Careers and Job Satisfaction - Essay Example Soldiers of the World War II spent a considerable period of their lives in the battle field. Incidences taking place in the battle field caused psychological torture and trauma on these soldiers. During their homecoming, the process was characterized by a mixture of feelings and emotions. While those left in their homes advanced academically and improved in the social class, particularly friends and relatives, the soldiers were less educated, with their education stagnating. The civilians acquired higher education and got married, changed their lifestyles among others. On the contrary, the war soldiers came back to start their lives, some from destroyed families and others stalled careers. These problems they faced right on their return were too hard to bear. To solve them, they required economic, financial and psychological support. As a congratulatory message, they were presented with a range of benefits after completing the GI program. Education largely featured among these benefi ts. The potential of education in bringing the soldiers back to normal life as well as putting them in the same social class contributed to this emphasis. Many scholars undertook to conduct studies on the effects of these benefits in transforming the lives of these soldiers. While some argued that these were of no use in changing their way of life, others were confident that they would adequately change them. It is due to these conflicting studies and arguments that I will conduct this study. Its main intent wil

Communication in Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication in Social Work - Essay Example communication is a reciprocal process among all these factions, some of which are not overly amenable to reciprocal interaction, begins to highlight why effective communication skills must be developed for a social worker to be effective. At the same time, it is important to remember that communication does not refer to just words, but also to a whole body of unspoken language that is depicted in letters, tone of voice over the phone or body language and facial expression in face to face meetings. According to Koprowska (2005: 6), â€Å"The quality of the relationship and the quality of communication are deeply connected with each other †¦ Communication is by definition interactive.† To help foster effective communication skills, it is helpful to both practice and analyse practice as a means of determining what was done well and what could be improved upon. Toward this end, a video recording of one social worker’s encounter with a client will be analysed to determi ne what was effective and what could be improved. The video analysed is available through Facebook, submitted by Gavin Lacey. It depicts the arrival of a social worker at the home of a young woman with two very young boys. The sound quality is poor, making it difficult at times to discern what is being said, particularly at the beginning when the case is introduced, presumably providing the viewer with the same basic information the social worker has been provided as to this particular family situation. The video spans from the social worker’s arrival at the apartment, through the beginning stages of the initial interview with the young woman. Rather than depicting through to the end of the interview, the video cuts off after approximately three minutes of conversation. The scenario presented in the video is that of Sylvia Walker, the social worker, visiting with Lorraine, a young woman with two young boys who has been reported as not properly caring for the boys. The opening segment of

Cause & Effect Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cause & Effect Assignment - Essay Example re binge drinking more, underage drinking has serious consequences, underage youth continue to find alcohol easily accessible, youth exposure to alcohol advertising is substantial, long-term studies have shown that youth who see, hear, and read more alcohol ads are more likely to drink and drink more heavily than their peers and Much more needs to be done† (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth). The problems associated with alcoholism, which the study labels as â€Å"serious consequences† includes the death figures associated with drinking an driving, alcohol-related sexual assaults and rape, alcohol-related homicide, suicide and drowning and other diseases such as loss of memory (The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth). These things have given impetus for the government to totally ban the use of alcohol for children below 21 years. As to what effects does this ban has on kids is the aim of this study. We will be using data and analysis from online sources to answer the question. In a study published in 2009, regarding banning alcohol advertisements reveal that â€Å"there is strong evidence that restrictions have not reduced consumption and the evidence from jurisdictions that have removed bans shows that consumption has not increased when advertising has resumed† (http://www.spiked-online.com/). Banning advertisements is one way of managing the demand for alcohol, presuming that advertisements increase the use of alcohol. But the study suggests that this policy is not effective. This policy is similar to banning underage to drink alcohol. It is one way of managing the demand for alcohol, but the figures reveal that the intended purpose is not met. The study of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth specifically produced the following figures: d. More than 7 million underage youth, ages 12 to 20, reported binge drinking – having five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past 30 days – in 2004, according to data released in September

What is Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Art - Essay Example Art is something that looks attractive, fascinating or thrilling. These characteristics make art interesting hence becoming the best way for conveying messages, since people will tend to pay attention to things that will make them relax their minds. Art depends mainly on the use of illustrations to express ideas. The artist ensures that the viewer understands the message by simply looking at the illustration. The brain of the viewer is set to cope with the mood portrayed by the art. It may be an image portraying a holy place, a dirge which is a sign of sorrow or a painting to portray cheerful events. According to Bart Rosier, â€Å"Art is a historical blueprint of human vision and imagination.† Art is an imaginative attempt which integrates many characteristics of the human being. It is a sign of intelligence and the ability to combine several resources to come up with a resourceful image which is intended to be educative, informative and forewarning of impending dangers. Art is used to express differences in various cultures of the world, and the changes that occur with time. Art is mostly a symbol of its cultural setting hence there is immense effect of culture established in the art environment. According to Megan Backhouse, â€Å"There are many different definitions that explain art to be a study, practice and or observation whether it be in relation to scientific arts or the art of thinking.† Many artists use it as a means to present people with a design in relation to the prevailing circumstances, which may possibly not be clear if it was only said without art. Art connects the artistic mind and the minds of the viewer. It therefore deliberately generates poignant communication between the artiste and the spectators. Art has various definitions. These mainly depend on the circumstances for which art is intended to portray specific information. Art is an external way of putting in to view an artist’s

Technology in Our Life Essay Example for Free

Technology in Our Life Essay Way too dependent on technology Most kids these days dont even know how to use a dictionary because Google has it all so they dont see it as a necessary skill. Look around at how many people are engrossed in their phones walking down the street, or while driving. Most accidents are caused by people using their phones while driving, whether it be for GPS, to get on Facebook or anything else. Its insane for some people to fathom how anyone ever lived without texting, GPS, and Google. Technology is a big help and a big problem. So how do we know when too much is too much when it comes to using all the technology we have today?

Misuse Of Drugs And Alcohol: Effect on Children

Misuse Of Drugs And Alcohol: Effect on Children This research proposal concerns the investigation and analysis of the impact of parental misuse of alcohol on children. The perceptions of policy makers and members of society in the UK have for many years acknowledged the negative consequences of excessive alcohol consumption on health, behaviour and public safety. Such perceptions have in turn resulted in curbs on sale of alcohol to young people and to restrictions on driving under its influence. Social workers along with professionals in areas like health, medicine and law and order are also working towards reducing domestic violence and disruption on account of alcohol misuse (Bancroft, et al, 2005, p 47). The impact of parental alcohol misuse on children has however been largely ignored, even in the midst of growing concern about increasing alcohol consumption; especially amongst young people (Murray, 2005, p 7). Recent reports highlight that children numbering more than 2.6 million in the UK live with dangerous drinkers, even as more than 8 million children are adversely affected by alcohol misuse of family members. Families where parents misuse alcohol are by and large characterised by poorer functioning. Such families are perceived to lack cohesion, ritual and routines; they have (a) lesser levels of verbal and physical expression, display of positive feelings, and caring and warmth, and (b) greater degrees of unresolved conflict (Murray, 2005, p 9). Misuse of alcohol by parents is seen to be causal in (a) adverse physiological and physical outcomes for children and (b) fostering of environments that are unfit for children, both for development and for living. Such environments are marked by numerous incidences of neglect and direct or indirect violence (Harwin Forrester, 2002, p 84). There is a great deal of evidence to show that parental alcohol misuse can harm children in diverse ways and lead to behavioural difficulties in early and later life. Children exposed to domestic conditions of parental alcohol misuse are less likely to do well in the classroom and appear to be more prone to mental health problems in later life (Harwin Forrester, 2002, p 85). Evidence also suggests that a huge majority of alcohol dependent people in the UK had alcohol misusers for parents and work towards perpetuating the cycle for future generations (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 25). There is also disturbing evidence to reveal that parental misuse of alcohol is significantly associated with deaths and serious abuse. Studies of adults, who are homeless, imprisoned or have substance misuse problems show significant association of such people with parents who misuse alcohol (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 27). 1.2. Aims and Objectives The proposed research study aims to study the impact of parental misuse of alcohol in detail, with specific regard its relevance for social work theory and practice. The objectives of the dissertation are as under: To investigate the short and long term consequences of parental alcohol misuse on children? To investigate the relevance of the issue in current social work theory and practice? To assess the rationale, validity and effectiveness of current social work approaches in improving the situation, with regard to both results and costs To provide recommendations on improving policy and practice approaches towards improving outcomes for children of parents with alcohol misuse problems. 2. Literature Review 2.1. Short and Long Term Consequences of Parental Alcohol Misuse on Children Research reveals that children of parents who misuse alcohol consumption can suffer from a variety of physical, psychological and behavioural problems with short and long term outcomes. As alcohol problems differ in character, severity and time period, their impact upon children also varies (Murray, 2005, p 4). It is however clear from national and international studies that the children of families in which one or both parents engage in alcohol abuse have greater problems than others. Seven important features of the family lives of these children, namely (1) roles, (2) rituals, (3) routines, (4) social life, (5) finances, (6) communication, and (7) conflict could be adversely affected (Murray, 2005, p 5). Whilst parents with alcohol abuse problems cannot certainly be equated with bad or uncaring parents, research does suggest that alcohol problems adversely affect parenting quality. Excessive drinking can make individuals emotionally unavailable, unpredictable and inconsistent and result in passive, neglectful or even harsh parenting (Grekin, et al, 2005, p 15). With children learning from their parents about who they are, particularly in relation to others, children of parents who engage in alcohol abuse are likely to get ambiguous and inconsistent information, mainly because of the unpredictability on the behaviour and responses of such parents (Grekin, et al, 2005, p 18). Whilst inconsistency occurs mainly on account of the unpredictable way in which such parents behave, such impulsiveness and irresponsibility in their behaviour results in the imposition of responsibilities on children that are excessive and beyond their years, which in turn affects their education, their family life and their relationships with their peers (Murray, 2005, p 9). Such children also face high risks of social exclusion because of their urge to conceal their parental drinking from their friends. Such children sometimes carers of their parents, especially in circumstances of domestic violence and can ally with the drinking parent or against him or her. Psychologists and behavioural specialists state that children of problem drinkers could fail to internalise their feelings of worth and trust and often learn not to trust, feel or talk. They may also be worried about the abilities of their parents to safeguard them and thus find it difficult to trust others (Murray, 2005, p 9 ). Children of parents with alcohol problems are at significantly greater risk of witnessing and experiencing verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. Excessive alcohol consumption plays a major role in 25 to 33 % of known child abuse cases (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 29). Children of problem drinkers are also extremely likely to blame themselves for the difficulties experienced by their families in naÃÆ' ¯ve attempts to make their environment become better able in supporting them. Such children are also likely to carry their experiences of childhood into adulthood. Unborn children of mothers engaged in alcohol abuse during pregnancy can develop Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), involving a variety of mental and physical health problems (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 34). 2.2. Resilience among Children of People with Alcohol Consumption Problems Whilst many of the problems described above place significant demands on social workers, especially when they continue through generations, it is also true that some children of parents with drinking problems do not seem to face as many difficulties as others. They appear to have greater resilience (Murray, 2005, p 5). Contemporary research reveals that certain protective processes and factors can reduce the adverse effect of parental alcohol difficulties on children, in the short as well as the long term. Such protective factors include high degrees of confidence and self esteem, self efficacy, ability to handle change, good problem solving skills, strong and positive family functioning, close and positive bonding with one or more caring adults, and good support networks beyond the family (Murray, 2005, p 7). Protective processes on the other hand include planning on behalf of children to make their lives less disruptive by (a) reduction of the impact of risks by altering the exposu re of children to such risks, and (b) development and maintenance of self efficacy and self-esteem and self efficacy, and (c) improving the care provided by parents (Murray, 2005, p 7). 2.3. Social Work Policy and Practice for Children of Parents with Alcohol Related Problems The national policy for dealing with adults with alcohol related problems is fragmented and approaches the issue from different angles. The main components of the governmentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s national policy towards containment of alcohol misuse are as under (Galvani, 2006, p 3-7): The National Alcohol Harm Reduction strategy for England focused upon the requirement for services in the area of alcohol and domestic abuse to function together to address the issue. The guidance document for the delivery of alcohol strategy acknowledges the requirement for assessment of consequences of alcohol problems on children. The guidance document on alcohol misuse intervention focuses on the ways in which PCTs, along with local authorities, criminal justice agencies and voluntary agencies should understand and implement their roles in dealing with alcohol related crimes. The Drug and Alcohol National Occupational Standards appreciates the requirement for workers to be able to safeguard and reduce the risk of abuse, both by and to their clients. The vision for services for children and young people who are affected by domestic violence guides commissioners on (a) the important aspects of support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse, (b) assessment of gaps in local services, and (c) their priorities for action. The Children Act 1989 and its subsequent amendments incorporates the witnessing or hearing of bad treatment of children by other persons to be included in parameters for assessment of harm. The National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services focuses upon relationship conflict and alcohol and drug use as important areas where parents could require early intervention as well as multi-agency support. The 2009 Task Force Report in response to Lord Lamingà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Report states that many children continue to be at risk of harm on from the people they should otherwise be rely on for care and love and that the government is responsible for doing everything possible to safeguard such vulnerable children (HM Government, 2009, p 29). The 2011 Munro Report on child protection states the need for abandoning the old standardised and bureaucratic approach to child protection and customising services on the basis of the experiences and needs of children Monroe, 2010, p 1). The recently elected coalition government is in the process of assessing and reshaping national policy towards social work and some refocus of attention of policy makers on the consequences of impact of parental alcohol misuse on children is expected. 2.4. Research Questions The aims and objectives of the proposed research, along with the information obtained from a brief review of literature have resulted in the formulation of the following research questions. Research Question 1: What are the short and long term consequences of parental misuse of alcohol on children? Research Question 2: How is current social work policy and practice dealing with this problem? Research Question 3: What is the rationale of existing policies and practices for improving the lives of children threatened by excessive parental consumption of alcohol? Research Question 4: What is the validity of such policies and practices and what is the extent of their effectiveness? Research Question 5: How can current policies and practices be improved for bettering the life outcomes of children at risk from parents who engage in excessive alcohol consumption? 3. Research Method 3.1. Choice of Research Method Social research is by and large conducted with the use of positivist and interpretivist epistemologies, which in turn largely call for the respective use of quantitative and qualitative methods of research (Bryman, 2004, p 43). With the issue under investigation being extremely complex and multifaceted, the use of quantitative methods is hardly likely to yield any substantial or new results. Quantitative surveys on the issue have already revealed the various problems that can stem from excessive alcohol consumption by parents on their children. The use of interpretivist methodology and qualitative research techniques should help in the investigation and analysis of the subject under issue. It is proposed to obtain relevant information on the subject from appropriate primary and secondary sources, whilst information from secondary sources will be obtained from the substantial amount of information and research findings on the subject that is publicly available. The researcher proposes to obtain primary information through the conduct of detailed one-to-one interviews with three social workers who have been closely involved in providing services to the families and children of people suffering from alcohol misuse problems. The interviews will be conducted carefully with the use of a range of open and close ended questions and will hopefully lead to interesting and relevant information. 3.2. Ethics The researcher will take all measures to follow appropriate ethical codes of conduct, with regard to informed consent, confidentiality, absence of coercion, and freedom to answer or not to answer questions. Efforts will be made to ensure that the research is totally original and devoid of any form of plagiarism (Creswell Clark, 2006, p 69).

The Great Gatsby Essay

The Great Gatsby Essay Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as a satire that comments on American ideals in the 1920s. He shows the carelessness of everyone during the time by portraying them in the community of East and West Egg. Fitzgerald conveys two different themes throughout the story. One is the American Dream is corrupted by the desire for wealth and the other is the Attainment of a dream may be less satisfying than the pursuit of it. He uses those themes to show how The Great Gatsby is a satire of American Ideals. The American dream is life should be better and richer and fuller for one. This dream is corrupted between the relationship of Gatsby and daisy. Daisy is the symbol of all that Gatsby strives for; her voice is full of money, as Gatsby describes it. Her voice was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals song in it (Fitzgerald 120). She can be interpreted as a twentieth-century flapper because she ensnares men with her husky, mysterious voice. Gatsby became so enamored by her voice that he based all of his actions on winning Daisy over. Her voice contains the promise of vast riches. However, Gatsby is too late to realize that money is the only thing her voice promises. There is no compassion in Daisy, just as there is none in cold, hard cash. Daisys dream is corrupted by wealth because she is caught up with Toms wealth and Gatsbys wealth. Daisy and Toms marriage is further proof of the collapse of the American dream. Although they belong to the West Egg social group and have extreme wealth, they are unhappy. Tom is first described as one of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterwards savours of anti-climax (Fitzgerald 6). Tom and Daisy are both in unsatisfied with life and are searching for something better. They have traveled to France and drifted here and there unrest fully wherever people were rich and played polo together (Fitzgerald 6). They are unhappy and bored with life. Tom seems to be searching for the excitement that he found in playing football in college, and he finds an outlet for his dissatisfaction by cheating on his wife with Myrtle. Once again, Gatsby does not see that attaining wealth and power does not equal happiness. The Buchanans marriage is full of lies and infidelities, yet they are united through their corruption. After Tom has discovered Daisys infidelity and Myrtle has been killed, their callous selfishness is revealed when they are reunited over fried chicken and two bottles of ale (Fitzgerald 145). They instinctively seek out each other because each recognizes the others strength in the corrupt spiritual element they inhabit. After Myrtle and Gatsby are both killed, neither one of the Buchanans sends their regards or seem remorseful. In fact, they go on a short vacation, which is an indication of the lack of compassion they have toward others. There was no love for anyone. All people cared about was wealth and parties. Nick perceives Tom and Daisy as they really are, heartless and careless. They smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made (Fitzgerald 179). Tom and Daisys actions are an indication of the detrimental and emotionally numbing effects that wealth can have on someone. They focus too much on appearance and things of monetary value, while ignoring peoples feelings and lives. Jordan Bakers plans are also negatively impacted by the corruptive qualities of wealth. Although Nick is attracted to Jordans bored, jaunty, careless air at first, he finally understands that it conveys her profound disregard for other peoples feelings. Jordan supports Daisy having an affair, because Daisy ought to have something in her life (Fitzgerald 79). She sees Gatsby as something, not someone. Jordan also has a reputation for being dishonest and for being a gossip. She was involved in a golf tournament scandal in which she was accused of moving her golf ball to her advantage. Jordan belongs to the East Egg social group because of her careless, dishonest ways. She serves as a hint as to the true nature of the people from East Egg. Jordan may also be an indication of the types of people that Gatsby entertains, since she attends his parties. She is similar to many of his partygoers in that she exploits his hospitality yet never shows any genuine kindness toward him. It is very te lling that Gatsbys house is full of people throughout the entire summer, yet when Gatsby dies, no one attends his funeral except Nick and Gatsbys father. The shallow acquaintances of Gatsby were never his true friends-the only used him for his lavish generosity. The countless people who attend his parties, ride on his hydroplane and in his car, and drink his alcohol are nowhere to be seen when the time comes to pay their respects for him. The theme of the pursuit of a dream is more satisfying than attaining the dream itself repeats itself throughout the book. Gatsbys dream was to get Daisy. We see this repetition of a green light though out the story. Every time Gatsby looked at Daisys house Fitzgerald mentioned the green light. Fitzgerald compares Gatsbys green light to the green breast of the new world (Fitzgerald 180), comparing Gatsbys dream of rediscovering Daisy to the explorers discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. However, Gatsbys dream is tarnished by his material possessions, much like America is now with our obsession with wealth. Gatsby wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to tom and say: I never loved you (Fitzgerald 109). Gatsby tried and tried to get Daisy to think she never loved Tom but the truth was that she did love him. The pursuit of the dream was more satisfying for Gatsby than actually attaining it. He threw parties just to hope she would come and he would be a ble to see him. He became rich so he could impress her with nice things. If Gatsby truly got Daisys heart they would end up doing the same thing as Tom and she normally do. In the end they will have the same dinner fried chickenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and two bottles of ale (Fitzgerald 145) and it would get old and then they would end up having an affair with other people around town like nothing ever changed. On the surface, Fitzgeralds novel may appear to be just a shallow novel about the jazz, parties, and glitz that he experienced in the early twentieth century. After closer examination, however, it is apparent that The Great Gatsby is a profound social commentary on the corrupt and disillusioning effects that materialism can have on members of society. We also learn that in the end attaining your dream is not as fun as trying to get it. Fitzgerald did write a satire that showed the ideals of the 1820s.

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder in which blood levels of glucose are abnormally high because the body doesn’t release or use insulin adequately. Diabetes Mellitus affects many organs of the body. It affects the blood vessels because Atherosclerotic plaque builds up and blocks large or medium-sized arteries in the heart, brain, and legs. The walls of small blood vessels are damaged so that the vessels do not transfer oxygen normally and may leak. This can lead to poor circulation and can hinder the healing of wounds, cause heart disease, stroke, gangrene of the feet and hands, and infections. The eyes are also affected. The small blood vessels of the retina become damaged leading to decreased night vision and ultimately blindness. Poor kidney function and kidney failure may also arise due to thickening of the blood vessels in the kidneys. Protein leaks into the urine and the blood is not filtered normally. Skin is greatly affected by diabetes Mellitus. There is poor blood flow to the skin which causes loss of feeling. Sores and deep infections called diabetic ulcers occur because of this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pregnancy is affected by diabetes Mellitus. Many changes that take place during pregnancy make controlling blood sugar more difficult for a woman who has diabetes. Changes in the levels and types of hormones produced during pregnancy can cause insulin resistance, increasing the body’s requirements for insulin. Poorly controlled diabetes may endanger the fetus as well as the woman. With proper adjustments in insulin the risks lessen. Diabetes increases a pregnant woman’s risk of infection, early labor, and high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. The baby of a diabetic woman may be unusually large at birth. The risk of birth defects is two times higher in babies of women who have diabetes. Most women who have diabetes can have vaginal deliveries. After birth, the babies are assessed carefully because they are at increased risk of developing breathing difficulties, low blood sugar and calcium levels, jaundice, and a high red blood cell count. These pro blems are temporary and can be treated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Six percent of the United States population has some form of diabetes. Ten percent have type 1 form of the disease. Most people who have the disease develop it before age 30. Scientists believe that an environmental factor causes the immune system to destroy the insulin—producing cells in the pancreas. Some genetic link is most likely needed for this to happen.

Essay --

Existentialism is a complicated and diverse set of theories and beliefs. Jean Paul Sartre’s beliefs are very complex as well in how he conveys them to the reader. He firmly believes that the actions of the person should be what they are and that the outside world should not shape a person. Through his play No Exit, each character would come to represent a key point in existentialism, authenticity, angst and absurdity. The definition of authenticity is to know oneself, accept it and be true to it. One major display of authenticity is the character of Inez and how she acts. The way she holds herself is very true to existentialism and that is due to her authenticity. She knows the kind of person that she used to be and even said it herself,† I was what some people down there called ‘a damned bitch.’ Damned already. So it’s no surprise, being here.†(p. 25). With this response, Sartre shows that Inez acknowledges her mistakes and flaws, she truly knows herself. This is a very free way of thought. It has much leeway into what a person could decide to do with their life or not and Inez decided to do whatever she set her mind to. She accepts what she has done; she even says â€Å"You know, I don’t regret a thing† (p. 25) and even embraces it, as her actions were practically a part of who she was as a whole. She does not care how she comes off to others, even if she is â€Å"rather cruel† (p. 26), she does what she wants and is how she wants to be. Another factor of authenticity shown is the rejection of stereotypes. For example, human feeling and going along with social norms pertaining to the consoling of those that are sad are what would be expected of a person in normal society but Inez goes on to say â€Å"Human feeling. That is beyond my range. I’... ... Absurd was the meaning Garcin came to realize about the room and Estelle and Inez. Overall, No Exit is a great work on part of Jean-Paul Sartre. In it he was able to include at least three of the very key facets of his beliefs in existentialism. They were Authenticity, Angst, and finally, The Absurd. The play had various examples in and of itself but most of them came from the characters and their behavior. Each character had a personality that fit very well into the certain mold that was a part of existentialism. Inez was sure of herself and who she was, Estelle was afraid to make any decision that could influence her as a person and finally Garcin took away or added meaning to the scheme of things. Sartre’s No Exit brought all of these facets together in a very cohesive fashion and overall showed how Existentialism can bring the best and the worst out of people.

The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mother’s scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdale’s unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mother’s sin. Pearl Prynne is her mother’s most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless trea sure purchased with Hester’s life. Pearl’s strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hester’s sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mother’s violation of the Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughter’s childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its relation to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter â€Å"A† on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother: But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. T hroughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hester’s letter and Dimmesdale’s habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue. The Symbolic Pearl in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays Pearls have always held a great price to mankind, but no pearl had ever been earned at as high a cost to a person as in Hester Prynne, a powerful Heroine in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. Her daughter Pearl, born into a Puritan prison in more ways than one, is an enigmatic character serving entirely as a vehicle for symbolism. From her introduction as an infant on her mother’s scaffold of shame to the stormy peak of the story, Pearl is an empathetic and intelligent child. Throughout the story she absorbs the hidden emotions of her mother and magnifies them for all to see. Pearl is the essence of literary symbolism. She is, at times, a vehicle for Hawthorne to express the inconsistent and translucent qualities of Hester and Dimmesdale’s unlawful bond, and at other times, a forceful reminder of her mother’s sin. Pearl Prynne is her mother’s most precious possession and her only reason to live, but Pearl also serves as a priceless trea sure purchased with Hester’s life. Pearl’s strange beauty and deeply enigmatic qualities make her the most powerful symbol Hawthorne has ever created. The product of Hester’s sin and agony, Pearl, was a painfully constant reminder of her mother’s violation of the Seventh Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery. Hester herself felt that Pearl was given to her not only as a blessing but a punishment worse than death or ignominy. She is tormented by her daughter’s childish teasing and endless questioning about the scarlet letter and its relation to Minister Dimmesdale. After Pearl has created a letter â€Å"A† on her own breast out of seaweed, she asks her mother: But in good earnest, now, mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? -- and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom? -- and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? In saying this Pearl implies that she knows much, much more about the scarlet letter than she lets on. T hroughout the conversation Pearl is impish and teasing, saying one thing and contradicting it soon after. She refuses to say just what she means, which makes it hard for Hester to give a straight answer. Hester is shocked that her playful daughter has lead their conversation to the topic of the scarlet letter, and even more disturbed that she has assumed Hester’s letter and Dimmesdale’s habit of pressing his hand to his heart a branch from the same issue.

Educational Preparation Essay

Difference in Competencies Between Associate and Baccalaureate Degree Nurses There is much controversy surrounding the issue of the difference in competencies between nurses educated at the Associate (ADN) and Baccalaureate (BSN) level. This paper will discuss those differences in relation to Professional values, and risk-taking propensity. This paper will discuss how, even though numerous studies have been done that show there is little difference between the competencies of ADNs and BSNs, there is, in fact, a distinct difference. No one can deny that the health care industry has come a long way. This does not exclude the nursing field. There is a huge push by the Magnet hospitals to maintain that 80% of their nursing staff carry baccalaureate degrees by the year 2020. This is due to changes in the healthcare delivery system, as well as cost-containment (Masters, 1989). While baccalaureate prepared nurses have better access to jobs as new graduates and are looked at as being better prepared for the clinical workforce, until they have been working in the clinical sector there is really no difference between the experience level of an associate or baccalaureate prepared nurse. There is also a gray area, because graduates of both levels of education take the same licensing exam, and also have the same legal responsibilities (Masters, 1989). In the article â€Å"Analysis of Differences in Entry-Level RN Practice by Educational Preparation†, June E. Smith states that there was a very close relationship in pattern of practice between recently graduated Associate and Baccalaureate nurses (2002). She also wrote that â€Å"Within the first 6 months of practice, ADN and BSN graduates performed activities with remarkably similar frequencies† (Smith, 2002, p. 494). It is shown in the article â€Å"Professional Values Held by Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Nursing Students†, that there have been â€Å"no significant differences found between the two groups† (Martin, 2003, P. 292). This particular study was done out of a random selection of graduating students from a number of baccalaureate and associate degree programs in the state of Texas. These nurses rated their professional values using the Nurses Professional Values Scale (NPVS), as taken from the 1985 American Nurses Association Code of Nursing (Martin, 2003). Findings of this study concluded that â€Å"senior nursing students in ADN programs did not differ significantly from their counterparts in BSN programs† (Martin, 2003, p. 293). According to Marcia L Masters, role differentiation between ADNs and BSNs is not â€Å"clearly defined in terms of decision making responsibility† (1989, p. 391). In this same article, Masters quotes W. Weiss (1985), â€Å"Taking risks means different things to different people.† One person may look at a situation as a challenge for success, where another will look at it as a threat of failure. Through the course of this study, it was found that nurses had a higher risk taking propensity than the normal population, but there were no significant differences in risk taking propensity noted between the ADNs and BSNs studied. This includes both education and experience. â€Å"Although in practice, BSNs may be given more opportunities for decision making, this study indicated the willingness to take the risk in making decisions is fairly evenly distributed between ADNs and BSNs† (Masters, 1989, p. 394). Contrary to what these studies have shown, there is a distinct difference in the competencies of ADNs and BSNs. According to the National League of Nursing (NLN, 2011), a baccalaureate degree expands on the knowledge and capabilities acquired in an associate program. Where associate programs focus on the patient and their family, baccalaureate programs tend to focus more on community nursing and leadership. There is a broader context of nursing that is learned in a baccalaureate program. In the article â€Å"The Differences Between Associate Degree Nurses and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurses†, The author states â€Å"a nurse with a BSN has more opportunities to work in a variety of health care settings that offer an extensive array of op portunities for professional growth. Baccalaureate-prepared nurses can be bedside nurses, educators, case managers, discharge planners, administrators, and work in public health, home health, and community clinics† (Moore, 2009). She continues to explain how associate prepared nurses are focused more on the technical aspects of care, where Baccalaureate prepared nurses are focused more on â€Å"evidenced-based clinical practice and leadership† (Moore, 2009). Moore also agrees that in skill competency, there is not much difference between ADNs and BSNs, but that â€Å"BSN nurses show greater critical thinking skills, better problem solving, and the development of clinical judgment; three skills of increasing importance for the increase in acuity of patients in hospitals and other health care settings† (2009). As a new graduate ADN, the author of this paper has insufficient experience to identify a specific patient care situation in which approaches to decision making may differ between associate and baccalaureate prepared nurses. It comes to light from research, however, that a baccalaureate prepared nurse is more competent in thinking on the fly. As stated earlier, baccalaureate prepared nurses have improved clinical judgement and problem solving skills, which are crucial in an emergency or trauma situation, where the patients have a higher acuity level. It seems that as far as newly graduated nurses are concerned, there is not much of a difference in bedside skill competencies between ADNs and BSNs. A baccalaureate degree, however, better prepares the newly graduated nurse for critical thinking, problem solving and better judgment in emergency situations. A baccalaureate degree gives the nurse more opportunities for advancement and movement within the nursing field, and also prepares the BSN for graduate study. This is important especially when it comes to the nation’s hospitals movement toward Magnet Status. References 1. Martin, P., Yarbrough, S., & Alfred, D. (2003). Professional Values Held by Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Nursing Students. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Third Quarter, 291-296. Retrieved January 19, 2013, from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=14562499&site=eds-live&scope=site 2. Masters, M., & Masters, R. (1989). Risk-Taking Propensity of Nurses: ADN and BSN. Journal of Nursing Education, 28(9), 391-396. Retrieved January 14, 2013, from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=1990100566&site=eds-live&scope=site 3. Moore, D. S., PhD., RN., CNM., MN., & MPH. (n.d.). West Coast University: Dean’s Corner – The Differences Between Associate Degree Nurses and the Baccalaureate Degree Nurses. West Coast University – Nursing Programs – Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire. Retrieved January 20, 2013, from http://www.westcoastuniversity.net/deanscorner/print.php?article=22 4. Ridley, R. (2008). The Relationship Between Nurse Education Level and Patient Safety: An Integrative Review. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(4), 149-156. Retrieved January 15, 2013, from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2009885996&site=eds-live&scope=site 5. Smith, J. (2002). Analysis of Differences in Entry-Level RN Practice by Educational Preparation. Journal of Nursing Education, 41(11), 491-494. Retrieved January 18, 2013, from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2003013823&site=eds-live&scope=site

Pupil

Concert Music Is one of the most Important art expressions, lots of feelings and values can be expressed, and of course lots of stories can be told too. I like many music styles, from classical music to rock and even folk music. One of my favorite musicians is Sting, he is a great singer, bass/doubles player, a great song writer and an actor too. His style is a mixture of many styles, such as pop, Jazz, blues, soul, reggae and much more. One of my favorite songs Is â€Å"Shape of my heart†, Sting Is a brilliant and clever clausal, a great song writer and one hell of a performer.I love the mood, emotion and passion of Sting's music, and there are so many songs you can really connect to. With incredible musicianship, Sting combines rock, jazz and blues like nobody else, and his distinctive, powerful voice never disappoints. My favorite album is the Nothing Like the Sun Sting was born on October 2, 1951 in Newcastle-upon-Tone, a large industrial city in Northumberland. His real n ame Is Gordon Mathematics Samara. HIS mother had a miscalculation. She taught her son to the wonderful world of music by teaching IM to play the pianoforte his childhood.An American drummer Stewart Copeland noticed him,and persuaded him to do rock. He got the nickname â€Å"Sting† because he loved to wear black sweaters in a gold stripe, which made him look like a bumblebee. In 1981, Sting left the group,and in 1985 he released his first solo album â€Å"The Dreamed The Blue Turtles†. The most popular songs 0 Russians 0 Roseanne C] Englishman In New-York CLC All For Love 0 When We Dance 0 Brand New Day CLC I'll Be Missing You Shape Of My Heart Favorite My favorite song Is â€Å"Englishman In New York†.Sting wrote this song about himself, about his life in the USA. Some lines from it don't drink coffee I take tea, my dear,l like my toast done on the sideband you can hear it in my accent when I talk an Englishman in New York Today, I listen to a lot of folk songs with my child who Is three years old. My son Is very fond of folk songs, especially Sultan Kodiak and Bell Bartok songs and choral works. When I was 7 years old, I went to the Sultan Kodiak elementary school, so I know a lot of folk songs. My son's favorite Hey Varying ©If you have time, I often listen to the radio, I like almost all genres. I like any kind of music and I have already been to deferent concerts with my friends The members of hooligans known each other since childhood and had even played together. In 1996, the band was founded Hooligans, The band consists of four members There are plenty of awards and recognition received in recent years. In the future, I will want to go to a concert hooligans. My husband and my child loves this band. We listen this music in the car when we travel somewhere.

Linguistics and Language Essay

?Write about the 2 theories of 1st language acquisition and choose which most tenableand provide examples and relevant literature one you find Michelle In this essay, I will explain as well as compare two theories of first language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. I will explore the differences between them in such categories as the role of the learner, the role of the environment and as well as their strengths and weaknesses. I will then state and explain which one I find more tenable with examples of relevant literature. Role of the Learner Behaviorism, credited to B. F. Skinner in the 1950s, states that the learner knows nothing to start with, he is an empty slate [o1] to be taught. The learner is passive and learns by positive-negative reinforcement, only repeating what he hears. Innatism, credited to Noam Chomsky in 1965, states that the learner is wired from birth for language. The learner is equipped with a LAD, a language acquisition device. This device allows the learner to discover the rules of his language, any language. Role of the Environment Behaviorism states that the role of the environment is key and vital to the learning process. The environment is the active agent while the learner is the passive agent. The environment produces the necessary language input for the learner. It is up to the environment to give positive and negative reinforcement for the learner. Innatism states that the role of the environment is minimal because it only acts as the trigger for learning. It is also thought the environment is flawed and can’t be relied upon to always give perfect information. Therefore, it is up to the learner to find the rules of the language[o2] . Strengths There are a few strengths to support the behaviorism theory. It is easy to monitor the learners’ performance. This is how parents (as teachers) usually teach their children, through nurturing which puts emphasis on the role of the environment. This theory can also explain why learners have the ability to memorize. On the other hand, there are several strengths of the innatism theory. A learner cannot memorize all the possible different language and grammar combinations that he learns through the environment. The LAD helps the learner to generalize rules and make his own creative use of the language. A child will resist using an irregular form because of over-generalizing, and he will create his own form of a word according to the rules that he has internalized. And these rules don’t necessarily conform to adult grammar rules which include many exceptions. By applying these internalized and generalized rules, a child is able to acquire a language at a fast pace. [o3] Weaknesses The Behaviorism theory only accounts for the performance of the learner, and not on his competence. The learner is passive, so this theory does not focus on the learner’s mind and knowledge. It also does not explain why children acquire a language so quickly even if they are exposed to different environments. In addition, this theory also doesn’t offer an explanation of why children over-generalize rules such as the simple past tense of irregular verbs even though they hear irregular forms in the environment. There are also several weaknesses to the Innatism theory. One of the first weaknesses is that it demands the existence of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), its existence is difficult to prove and is immeasurable. This theory also doesn’t take into account different kinds of learners, just ideal learners with ideal grammar. The environment plays a minor role in this theory, so it doesn’t take into account the social aspect of the learner. My Opinion Looking at the two of these theories, I find the Innatism theory the most tenable. In my own experience with my children and students, the learners do not always model my behavior. This usually occurs with irregular patterns, particularly past tense verbs. This is similar to the â€Å"wug† test where a child will form a past tense of a verb that he has never heard before by applying the general grammar rules that he has learned. This behavior cannot be memorized and must be driven by an internal structure. Another reason to support this theory is that learners with impaired intelligence have been able to learn the structure of language. It has also been proven that American Sign Language which is taught to the deaf also has its own language structure. In addition, the creation of Creole languages supports the theory. As a Creole develops, grammar and structure are built in. The LAD would account for the formation of these languages as well as for creative uses of language by a learner. Conclusion In this essay I have explained two theories of language acquisition, behaviorism and innatism. In doing so, I have explained the different roles of the learner as well as the environment. I have also explored strengths and weaknesses of each theory and why I support the innatism theory over the behaviorism theory[o4] . [o1]Good one, I forgot this in my essay [o2]Do you think you should mention poverty of stimulus here? [o3]ording? [o4]Well done Michelle. Do you think you should include UG and CPH in your essay? I think UG is an important part of Innatism, what do you think? __________________________________________________________________ David One theory of first language acquisition is Universal Grammar, set forth by Chomsky in 1959 as a response to Skinner’s (1957) Verbal Behavior. Whereas the latter theory, proposed that the learning of language is through the acquisition of habits, which are positively or negatively reinforced, Chomsky posited that humans come into the world with an innate language faculty in their mind, or a universal grammar. Universal grammar is built off of two propositions, that all languages are governed by a set of universal principles, and that the mind is equipped with parameters which are set intuitively by the child according to the language input they receive. UG researchers have found a number of universal principles. One of the more prominent principles is structure dependency. Structure dependency states that all sentences regardless of the language are built off of propositions that carry both a noun and a verb phrase; in other words, every sentence in every language must have at least a subject and a verb (Chomsky, 1959). One parameter setting that is contained in the LAD is the head setting. Some languages such as English are head first, other languages such as Japanese are head last. Various arguments have been used to support the existence of universal grammar. Chomsky (1959) has proposed the poverty of the stimulus argument, positing that the input children receive cannot account for what they produce, and therefore, children must have an innate facility. He argues that the input is marred in two ways; first it contains a hodgepodge of performance slips, and secondly, it does not contain any negative evidence. How do children acquire language when they don’t know what they can’t say, or how do they learn to speak correctly when the input they here is at times in correct? They do so, according to Chomsky, through this innate capacity. Jackendoff (1994) offers another argument in support of universal grammar, the argument from expressive variety. Jackendoff argues that given that languages are recursive, there is simply no way of storing all of the possible sentences one can create in one’s mind. In other words, sentences don’t come from habits, but rather from creative expression. Universal grammar has had a lot of capital in language acquisition theory, although it has been critiqued on some fronts. Connectionists, particularly, N. Ellis (2006) has argued that language acquisition is not due to an innate faculty and the creative expression of humans, but equates it to a usage-based approach where children learning piecemeal frequently reoccurring chunks of language. Another argument against the innate language faculty is that UG researchers have claimed that only humans have access to syntax, yet this has been found not to be true. Certain animals, such as the humpback whale and songbirds have been found to possess a recursive syntax, suggesting that syntax and language may have evolved from lower order primates. Whereas universal grammar begins with language from the inside, Sociocultural theory, another prominent first language acquisition, posits language acquisition begins from the outside. Vygotsky, the founder of sociocultural theory, argues that language is a psychological tool, which children acquire and learn to manipulate as they interact with their environment and with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978). Children first learn language as they interact with their parents. Parents use caretaker speech, which makes it easier for the child to understand and grasp a hold on the concepts of the language. As the child begins to understand and produce simple utterances, they are able to use the language to mediate their psychological functioning (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky argues that children begin learning language by first learning single words, which are pure meaning. As they develop their language skills, and engage in social speech, single word sentences are augmented through incorporation of non-meaningful elements, such as function  words, and the child’s thoughts and words begin to develop more sense meanings. For instance, where the word ‘cat’ for the 1 or two year old child could have served as an exemplar for all cats, by the time the child is nine, and having undergone a variety of experiences related to cat, they have imbibed the word with their own unique senses. Thus syntax and word senses expand, the more a child learns. Now, whereas social speech began from one and developed into many, inner speech, the speech that goes on inside of our heads becomes more and more truncated. Vygotsky argues, contrary to Piaget, that egocentric speech does not ‘disappear’ rather it becomes internalized as inner speech. And this inner speech is something that could not be understood by anybody but the person who is thinking it. Vygotsky suggests that just as people who have known each other for many years, and who have had a large amount of experiences together exhibit language tendencies of shortened syntax because of their historical shared experience, a person’s inner speech also exhibits this characteristic, but even more so; the stuff of thought is nothing but psychological predicates (Vygotsky, 1978). One of the primary ways humans learn anything, according to Vygotsky, is through the zone of proximal development. This concept explains that what a person can do today with assistance, they can do tomorrow by themselves (Vygotsky, 1978). Applied to first language acquisition, the child may receive help from an expert, such as their parents, who point at objects and say their name, for example, cat. After seeing this, the child may repeat ‘cat’ immediately after. The next day, as the child sees the cat, it says the word ‘cat’ without needing to be told by their parents. The closer an expert is able to gauge one’s ZPD, the more optimal the learning environment becomes. __________________________________________________________ Laleh Innatism Chomsky (1959) opposed Skinner’s (1957) behaviorist viewpoint in language acquisition, who claimed that language acquisition takes place through habit formation and stimulus-response. Skinner, believed that as a child acquires language, he internalizes a finite set of responses to stimuli. Chomsky on the other hand, believes that language acquisition is rule governed and that children construct their own rules, which may not comply with adult rules. Chomsky maintains that languages consist of an infinite number of sentences and cannot be learned through habit formation. Language is too complex to be learned in such a short amount of time (Chomsky, 1959). He believes that every human is born with an innate language learning capacity, which is embedded in the language acquisition device (LAD). Chomsky believes that all language share grammatical structures. This is called universal grammar (UG). Proof of UG includes poverty of stimulus, which explains how children acquire the language despite their limited exposure and incorrect input they may receive. Another evidence for UG that languages are recursive, (Jackendoff, 1994). It is impossible to know all the possible combinations; however, they are learned by children. According to UG, there must be some sort of innate capacity that provides the additional information. The fact that children are resistant to correction once again proves that language is developed through an innate capacity. According to Chomsky (1959), all languages share principles, which are invariable across languages. For example, noun phrases and verb phrases. This is called structure dependency. All languages have verbs and nouns. What distinguishes languages from each other according to Chomsky, are parameters, which are language specific. For example, some languages are head first, and some are head last. In relation to UG, Eric Lenneberg (1967) introduced the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), which is a window of language learning opportunity before puberty. Proponents of CPH believe after this period, language learning becomes a much more difficult task and adults tend to rely on other mechanisms such as problem solving skills, reasoning, and deductive instruction to learn a language. Evidence of the CP is for example abused children, who despite being removed from the environment where they were deprived of social contact, were not able to learn the language. There have been many criticisms to Chomsky’s UG, for example, the LAD cannot be located and is immeasurable. Also, Chomsky’s theories overlook the effects of social contact and the environment on language learning. Social interactionist Vygotsky (1978) was a strong proponent of the social interaction hypothesis. He believed that learning takes place through social interaction, and give and take of information with caregivers, parents, or peers. According to  Vygotsky, children begin with external speech, which could consist of one word only, but have the meaning of a whole sentence. Gradually, as the child grows older, he develops more complex and longer sentences and associates more meaning with his words. A child also engages in private speech (similar to adults), which is usually meant for problem solving or thinking out loud, but is not meant for sharing although articulated. Vygotsky believes that as the child develops more linguistic skills, this private speech becomes internalized and turns into inner speech, which is pure meaning, and does not consist of subjects; it is predicated. On the contrary, Piaget (1955) believed that inner speech simply disappears. Vygotsky also proposes the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which is the distance between what a child can do without help, and what he can do when scaffolding or support is provided. When a child receives the right scaffolding, he will eventually be able to perform the task on his own. __________________________________________ Karen Innatism Noam Chomsky (1959) introduces Innatism as a rebuttal to B. F. Skinner (1957) and his Behaviorist Theory. In direct opposition to the environment being the active participant in language learning, Chomsky flips behaviorism on its head and presents the learner as having a primary role while environment becomes secondary. Within the Universal Grammar Theory (UG), Noam Chomsky (1959) presents a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) that is responsible for the language learning process. Purely biological, language is filtered through the innate LAD that is structured with principles that are unchanging and parameters that vary according to the language being learned. Proofs to support this theory are many. Syntax and the head-first/head-last parameter are two such proofs. As a child learns language, they hold to one of only two possibilities in any given language – head-first and head-last – and language is formed through recursion and syntactic movement that follow a pattern within a particular language. This shows that language is rule-governed and that the LAD is programmed with language foundations from which a child can develop. That children are resistant to correction follows this same thought as they develop language through the LAD. Language is not linked to intelligence as we see in brain damaged adults who are completely coherent in language skills and others who are cognitively normal but cannot speak correctly. Stroke victims also show that, depending on the area of the brain that is affected, intelligence and speech are not linked. Broca’s and Wernicke’s Aphasias show that certain areas of the brain affect speech while intelligence remains unaffected. As evidenced by the Gopnik family, genetic impairments have also proven that a glitch in the UG can be passed down from one generation to another, thus proving that the LAD is indeed biological (Jackendoff, 113). Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis (1967) and the cases of â€Å"wild children† are yet further evidence. Lenneberg holds that the LAD becomes dormant or ineffective after a certain age – around the age of 12 – and this is why children acquire language so much more quickly than adults who are attempting the same. Through these studies of particular children who did not learn language and who were void of contact with language as a whole, it shows that the younger the child, the more fully they were able to learn language. Once a child was passed the age of 12 or so, they were unable to acquire proper language skills. The younger children were not only able to learn more adequately but then went on to continue in the language learning process as a normal adult would. As many proofs as there are for Chomsky’s UG and the LAD, criticisms are plentiful as well. First and foremost, where is the evidence that a device like LAD exists? It certainly has not been located in the brain, therefore, it remains immeasurable and some have serious doubt as to its legitimacy. This theory also limits the role of the environment and gives no account for the social context of the language learning process. It idealizes the speaker and the grammar itself to a certain degree and packages the entire process a bit too neatly. Cognitive Development Theory Jean Piaget’s (1955) work in cognitive development is foundational on many levels. Watching his own children, nature, and certain study groups of young children, Piaget introduces a theory that is completely developmental. As a child is ready and developed (both biologically and cognitively), they are able to assimilate, accommodate and adapt new experiences. Underlying in this theory is reasoning and logic. The role of the environment is minimal and the learner is vital but only as they are cognitively developed and ready for new experiences. A child will not learn what they are not cognitively developed to receive at that point no matter what the instruction. Piaget holds to the notion of children developing schema. As a new experience is received and they are biologically and cognitively ready to receive it, they will develop new schema to fit into the framework of schema that they already have developed. This theory also relies heavily on egocentric and socialized speech with each one serving a different function. Egocentric speech is what is used (mainly by children) when words and thoughts are spoken out loud but the one speaking is only dealing with their own thoughts and ideas. Socialized speech is a shift away from egocentric speech where one simply derives pleasure from speaking to being a way of exchanging their ideas or opinions. Although Piaget’s work and theory is critical, it neither accounts for the child’s behavior as a whole nor for the cognitive development after the stage of ‘formal operation’ is reached. It offers vast insight into the developmental process of a child but little instruction on attaining language skills. It was also based solely on a Western model and is therefore quite limiting. SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION Input & Output Hypotheses As a result of older models of language teaching where attention was given to language grammar, Krashen (1981) places his focus on communication input. He contends that if the learner is given a chance to absorb the language, they will be better equipped to acquire it. Rather than forcing output immediately, Krashen holds to a silent period where learners have the privilege of just listening to language before attempting it†¦much like a young child would in learning their mother tongue. Comprehensible input (i + 1) is the formula that Krashen holds to for optimal language learning for second language learners (SLLs). This states that if a SLL is offered input that is only slightly beyond what they already know, acquisition will take place. He also makes a differentiation between language learning and language acquisition, claiming that acquisition is what is needed for the language learning process. Criticisms of Krashen’s hypothesis are that input alone cannot account for acquisition and that some grammatical forms cannot be learned without being taught. Swain (1985) introduces her Output Hypothesis in contrast to Krashen and claims that no matter the input, if the output is unintelligible, acquisition has not truly occurred. It is the output that forces learners to grapple with the grammatical processing and figure out what works. Through output, a learner can realize their problem areas, can experiment with new areas they are unsure of, and gives them the chance to analyze problems they are having in their language learning process. CONCLUSION As we can see in first and second language acquisition, there is not simply one way to which theorists hold in the process of learning or acquiring language. In looking at how one acquires their mother tongue, however, insights can be made into second language acquisition as well. In fact, it is through first language acquisition theories that other theories can spring from to delve into how second language acquisition occurs. These insights become helpful in the classroom and give the teacher foundational aspects that they can build off of. Pass| 7. 5. -8. 5 (David)