Louisa May Alcott - Author of Little Women

Louisa May Alcott - Author of Little Women Louisa May Alcott is known for writing  Little Women  and other childrens stories,  connections to other Transcendentalist thinkers and writers.   She was briefly a  tutor of Ellen Emerson, daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson, nurse, and was a Civil War nurse.   She lived from November 29, 1832 to March 6, 1888. Early Life Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, but the family quickly moved to Massachusetts, a location with which Alcott and her father are usually associated. As was common at the time, she had little formal education, taught mainly by her father using his unconventional ideas about education. She read from the library of neighbor Ralph Waldo Emerson and learned botany from Henry David Thoreau. She associated with Nathaniel Hawthorne, Margaret Fuller, Elizabeth Peabody, Theodore Parker, Julia Ward Howe, Lydia Maria Child. The familys experience when her father founded a utopian community, Fruitlands, is satirized in Louisa May Alcotts later story, Transcendental Wild Oats. The descriptions of a flighty father and down-to-earth mother probably reflect well the family life of Louisa May Alcotts childhood. She early realized that her fathers flighty educational and philosophical ventures could not adequately support the family, and she sought ways to provide financial stability. She wrote short stories for magazines and published a collection of fables shed originally written as tutor for Ellen Emerson, Ralph Waldo Emersons daughter. Civil War During the Civil War, Louisa May Alcott tried her hand at nursing, going to Washington, DC, to work with Dorothea Dix and the U.S. Sanitary Commission. She wrote in her journal, I want new experiences, and am sure to get em if I go. She became ill with typhoid fever and was affected for the rest of her life with mercury poisoning, the result of the treatment for that illness. When she returned to Massachusetts, she published a memoir of her time as a nurse, Hospital Sketches, which was a commercial success. Becoming a Writer She published her first novel, Moods, in 1864, traveled to Europe in 1865, and in 1867 began editing a childrens magazine. In 1868, Louisa May Alcott wrote a book about four sisters, published in September as Little Women, based on an idealized version of her own family. The book was successful quickly, and Louisa followed it a few months later with a sequel, Good Wives, published as Little Women or, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, Part Second. The naturalism of the characterizations and the non-traditional marriage of Jo were unusual and reflected the Alcott and May families interest in Transcendentalism and social reform, including womens rights. Louisa May Alcotts other books never matched the lasting popularity of Little Women. Her Little Men not only continues the story of Jo and her husband, but also reflects the educational ideas of her father, which he was never able to communicate effectively in writing. Illness Louisa May Alcott nursed her mother through her final illness, while continuing to write short stories and some books. Louisas income financed the move from the Orchard House to the Thoreau house, more central in Concord. Her sister May died of complications of childbirth, and assigned guardianship of her child to Louisa. She also adopted her nephew John Sewell Pratt, who changed his name to Alcott. Louisa May Alcott had been ill since her Civil War nursing work, but she became worse. She hired assistants to care for her niece, and moved to Boston to be near her doctors. She wrote Jos Boys which neatly detailed the fates of her characters from her most popular fiction series. She also included the strongest feminist sentiments in this final book. By this time, Louisa had retired to a rest home. Visiting her fathers deathbed on March 4, she returned to die in her sleep on March 6. A joint funeral was held, and they were both buried in the family cemetery plot. While she is best known for her writings, and is sometimes a source of quotations, Louisa May Alcott was also a supporter of reform movements including antislavery, temperance, womens education, and womens suffrage. Also known as:  L. M. Alcott, Louisa M. Alcott, A. M. Barnard, Flora Fairchild, Flora Fairfield Family: Father: Amos Bronson Alcott, Transcendentalist, philosopher and educational experimenter, founder of Fruitlands, a utopian community which failedMother: Abigail May, relative of abolitionist Samuel MayLouisa was the second of four daughtersLouisa May Alcott never married. She was a guardian for her sisters daughter and adopted a nephew.

Phrasal Verb Overview and Resources

Phrasal Verb Overview and Resources Phrasal verbs are verbs that are made up of two or more words. For example: Turn onLook forward to turn on - He turned on the TV.look forward to - I look forward to meeting you. Why are Phrasal Verbs Important? If you are unfamiliar with phrasal verbs, this guide to what are phrasal verbs explains everything. Phrasal verbs are used in everyday English by native English speakers to express a wide range of ideas. Unfortunately, phrasal verbs are often ignored because students focus on only the verb. Its important to take notice of the attached prepositions to phrasal verbs when learning new vocabulary. Phrasal verbs can be literal or figurative in meaning. For example, the phrasal verb get into can mean enter - He got in the car - or figuratively accept - He got into Harvard. Phrase verbs are made up of a verb, plus one or more particles. make up - I made up the story.get over - She got over her illness.put in - I put in three hours on the project. In two-word phrasal verbs, the particle is a preposition. In three or more word phrasal verbs the last particle is generally a preposition. look forward to - She looks forward to going on vacation.get ready for - Im getting ready for a competition.get on with - Lets get on with this job. There are four types of phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable and they can take an object or not. Phrasal Verb Reference Materials There are so many phrasal verbs. The Cambridge Phrasal Verb dictionary is 432 pages long! Luckily, not all of these phrasal verbs need to be committed to memory. Phrasal verbs with to get are some of the most common phrasal verbs. There are also certain common prepositions used to build phrasal verbs: Departures and arrivals with off and onIncreasing and decreasing with up and down Learning Phrasal Verbs in Context Phrasal verbs can also be learned in context by relating synonyms to the new phrasal verbs you learn. Here is a series of exercises that provides listening examples from which you match the phrasal verb to its definition or synonym. Build your phrasal verb vocabulary - 2 Phrasal Verb Quizzes Learning phrasal verbs also takes a lot of repetition. Quizzes provide some of the best practice. These quizzes provide feedback on phrasal verbs: Phrasal Verbs with BringPhrasal Verbs with LookPhrasal Verbs with PutPhrasal Verbs with TakePhrasal Verbs with TurnMixed Phrasal Verbs

Parenting and Student Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Parenting and Student Success - Essay Example Paul begins her analysis of Chua’s book and the furor that accompanied it by citing several excerpts from the book that she reckons may have ignited the controversy. This way, she perfectly places her piece in the correct context by identifying with the wild emotions provoked by Chua’s book. This helps her later to critique the audience on the issue of parenting. It also helps her to provide a background to Chua’s book and the specific reasons behind its controversy as well as sales. Paul establishes that the public’s outrage towards Chua is due to a section in the book where the â€Å"self-described "tiger mother,"† reigned in on Lulu, her daughter, to practice for long continuous hours â€Å"... with no breaks for water or even the bathroom.† Paul is also of the opinion that the public’s outrage towards Chua may also be due to her reference to Sophia, her other daughter as garbage when she was deemed to be disrespectful, or even her vilifying and rejection of the birthday card that Lulu made for her. These citations help Paul to set the correct tone with which to address quite a fundamental question in the American society; parenting (University of Richmond 2003). ... own for being light-hearted here appears quite disturbed with Chua, barely containing her contempt while reading viewer comments such as "She's a monster" and "The way she raised her kids is outrageous". Others have even questioned Chua’s love for the children. Paul asserts that Chua â€Å"gave as good as she got,† further airing her views that Western parents are weak. This ultimately leads their children to ruin by giving them too much free time and â€Å"how poorly they prepare them for the future," especially when â€Å"It's a tough world out there.† However, Paul argues that the intense contempt and reaction to Chua’s stance and self-declared superiority masks certain underlying concerns amongst Americans, â€Å"her invocation of what she describes as traditional "Chinese parenting" has hit hard at a national sore spot†. This is the fear that Americans seem to have about Chinese domination of global affairs. Essentially, Paul employs the confl ict â€Å"Tiger Moms† and Western parenting to discuss America’s place in the global outlook especially with the recent advances being made by the Chinese. Paul then adopts an anecdotal tone in detailing the economic plight of America, and their comparison to the rest of the world in terms of education. She indicates that the American economy is not performing as traditionally would be expected to grow at â€Å"an anemic 2.6% and many economists say unemployment will continue to hover above 9%† and further expounds that â€Å"Part of the reason? Jobs outsourced to emerging economies such as Brazil, India and China.† She contrasts the economic plight of America to that of China observing that â€Å"Meanwhile, in China, the economy is steaming along at more than 10% annual growth† and is at the moment at a surplus running into

Is European Union undermining the sovereignty of its individual member Essay

Is European Union undermining the sovereignty of its individual member states - Essay Example The next case that further emphasized upon the sovereignty principle was Case 11/70 Internanationale Handelsgesellschaft GmbH3, whereby it was stated that even where the case was in respect of fundamental rules that had been established by way of the German Constitution, Community law would prevail over such national laws and rules. Another important case which can be cited in respect of the powers of the courts of the member states to respect the sovereignty of Community Law is Case 106/77 Simmenthal SpA (No.2)4 whereby it was stated that even a court of first instance were under a duty to set aside provisions of national law which were incompatible with Community law. Furthermore, there was no need to wait for the national law to be amended in accordance with the EC law and so the national law could be set aside where it was in conflict with a directly applicable or effective provision of the EC law. The duty to respect sovereignty of EC law was extended to administrative agency wh ich was dealing with a national insurance scheme who were said to have powers to set aside conflicting provision. (Case C-118/00 Larsy v. INASTI)5. It is important to mention here that even thought by virtue of the powers being given to courts and administrative agencies the national measure is held to be inapplicable, the Member State is still held to be under a continuing obligation to repeal the conflicting provisions. The Courts in Case 167/73 Commission v. France (French Merchant Seamen)6 for the sake of legal certainty expressly stated the Member States are under an obligation to repeal the offending or contradicting national provision or rule. A step forward in respect of this can be seen from the fact that even if there is not sufficient certainty as to whether a person has a Community law claim, the supremacy doctrine specifies that the national court should set aside the provisions that may prevent anyone from acquiring the full benefit of Community law, even if this is es tablished later in time. The concept can be seen to have been applied in Case C-213/89 R v. Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame Ltd and others7 which was a case on Spanish fishermen who claimed that the UK Act prevented them from fishing in British water and therefore was in contradiction and breach of EC Treaty Articles. The fishermen sought interim relief in this respect; however, the problem that arose in this respect was that the courts in UK were not empowered to grant an injunction against the State, thereby suspending an Act of Parliament. The problem in this case was the if interim relief was not provided the Spanish fishermen would have been driven out of business and might have suffered huge losses and therefore a subsequent judgment would not in any way serve their purpose. The ECJ held that the act of Parliament must be set aside and subsequently the House of Lords granted an injunction. There has been a strong reaction by the national courts in respect of the concept of direct effect and supremacy which has been developed by the Court of Justice. The important point that needs to be looked into when determining the way how the EC law enters the Member State is dependent on the fact as to whether the member state is monist or a

Cultural baggage and Cultural tourism by Dr Jim Butcher, an evaluation Essay Example for Free

Cultural baggage and Cultural tourism by Dr Jim Butcher, an evaluation Essay Dr Jim Butcher, the author of the article above, has researched on its various facets of tourism such as its moralization, innovations, and cultural, ethical, ecological and anthropological aspects and also as a tool for sustainable development. He has several publications to his credit (www. canterbury. ac. uk). The article under review authored by Dr Butcher appears as a book chapter in the Book â€Å"Innovations in Cultural Tourism†(2001) edited by him. Key issues of the article are the positive and potential aspects of cultural tourism which some critiques discount it as antidevelopment and prone to cause conflicts between the host and the tourist. The author is of the view that cultural tourism has its roots to the man’s craving for alien cultures and the need for relief from monotony of modernity and as such it has naturally come as a blessing to the economically backward regions. He has found three aspects of culture as a function, as a past and as a difference overshadowing the goodness of cultural tourism. The main aim of the author is to dispel the negative impression created by these aspects in the minds of the critics. The book chapter under evaluation is not in layman’s language. Even a discernible student of tourism would find it difficult to distinguish between cultural baggage and cultural tourism or relationship between the two terms. Whatever Dr Butcher says about cultural tourism has been in one aspect or another touched upon by his peers. That the cultural tourism has come of age and is capable of benefiting the economically weaker nations or places within nations and that it promotes cultural exchanges, fusion of culture, that it simply promotes or creates awareness of host’s culture and that it has been gradually making countries sans boundaries with only natural barriers by creating a feeling of oneness, have all been also discussed by other authors on the subject if one happens to visit the website of the UNESCO on cultural tourism. (unesco. org) and many others. His unique findings are that the ‘over functional culture’, its ‘past’ character and its â€Å" difference† outlook overshadow the real creative character of cultural tourism. He has taken pains to explain all the three in almost four pages out of hardly six, which is an indicator of his serious concern towards Cultural Tourism. His conclusion that cultural tourism results in economic development is indeed true. Man is basically gregarious and therefore cultural tourism with its benefits is unstoppable. The cultural tourists and the hosts are the actors and we are the audience. It means differently to each one of them. If the actors are allowed to have their own way, the inevitable result will be what the author Dr Jim concludes with, that is development. There is no doubt cultural tourism is growing segment of the travel market â€Å"Mass marketing is giving way to one-to-one marketing with travel being tailored to the interests of the individual consumer. A growing number of visitors are becoming special interest travellers who rank the arts, heritage and/or other cultural activities as one of the top five reasons for travelling†(nasaa-arts. org). It has been said that mass tourism has had its detrimental effects but there are advocates for mass tourism for its own benefits. Certain undesirable conflicts of cultures are just harmless side effects and are not to be taken seriously for the sake of larger benefits cultural tourism. On the whole Dr Jim’s contribution in this chapter leaves the reader more informed and makes him act responsibly as an audience whether as a policy maker or whoever, in order to preserve and promote the goodness of cultural tourism markedly different from mass tourism. REFERENCES Butcher, J. (ed) (2001), Innovations in Cultural Tourism, ATLAS, Tilburg http://www. canterbury. ac. uk/business-sciences/sport-science-tourism-and-leisure/staff/dr-jim-butcher. asp accessed on July 12, 2006 http://www. nasaa-arts. org accessed on July 13, 2006 http://portal. unesco. org/culture/en/ev. php-accessed on July 13, 2006

Computer Crime: A Increasing Problem :: essays research papers fc

Computer Crime: A Increasing Problem ABSTRACT Computer crimes seem to be an increasing problem in today's society. The main aspect concerning these offenses is information gained or lost. As our government tries to take control of the information that travels through the digital world, and across networks such as the InterNet, they also seem to be taking away certain rights and privileges that come with these technological advancements. These services open a whole new doorway to communications as we know it. They offer freedom of expression, and at the same time, freedom of privacy in the highest possible form. Can the government reduce computer crimes, and still allow people the right to freedom of expression and privacy? INFORMATION CONTROL IN THE DIGITIZED WORLD In the past decade, computer technology has expanded at an incredibly fast rate, and the information stored on these computers has been increasing even faster. The amount of money, military intelligence, and personal information stored on computers has increased far beyond expectations. Governments, the military, and the economy could not operate without the use of computers. Banks transfer trillions of dollars every day over inter-linking networks, and more than one billion pieces of electronic mail are passed through the world's networks daily. It is the age of the computer network, the largest of which is known as the InterNet. A complex web of communications inter-linking millions of computers together -- and this number is at least doubling every year. The computer was originally designed as a scientific and mathematical tool, to aid in performing intense and precise calculations. However, from the large, sixty square foot ENIAC (Electronical Numerical Integrator and Calculator) of 1946, to the three square foot IBM PC of today, their uses have mutated and expanded far beyond this boundary. Their almost infinite capacity and lightning speed, which is increasing annually, and their low cost, which is decreasing annually, has allowed computers to stabilize at a more personal level, yet retain their position in mathematical and scientific research1 . They are now being used in almost every aspect of life, as we know it, today. The greatest effect of computers on life at this present time seems to be the InterNet. What we know now as the InterNet began in 1969 as a network then named ArpaNet. ArpaNet, under control by the pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, was first introduced as an answer to a problem concerning the government question of how they would communicate during war. They needed a network with no central authority, unlike those subsequent to this project. A main computer controlling the network would definitely be an immediate target for enemies.

Educating Essex Essay

Dear editor, I am writing to you because I find it impossible to understand why ‘Educating Essex’ represents teenagers in this such way to society today, it only makes an impression of them, that â€Å"all Britain’s teenagers are goby, impolite, spoilt and lacking enough self-discipline to interact with anyone. † This supports stereotypes of modern reckless teens, when in reality â€Å"the majority of Britain’s teenagers are interesting, polite and simply brilliant young people quietly going about the business of creating a bright future for themselves. On ‘Educating Essex’ I have witnessed many negative things that show teenagers in a bad way, such as students walking across a table, pupils on mobile phones, swearing at each other and teachers, cyber-bullying, teenage pregnancy and young girls caked with make-up, even the introduction is very negative towards teenagers. This shows that all teenagers don’t behave in school and do not care about their education and future, but majority of students are not like that, most of them are fun-loving, active and mature for their age. I think the reason for their behaviour are the cameras, as most of them want to show off and think it’s a good idea to play up to them. ‘Educating Essex’ has only focused on the students that badly behave and cause the trouble all the time, but they haven’t showed the good side of teenagers, where they work hard in class, and behave because they are working to achieve the equivalent of five or more GCSE’s at grade A* to C. The programme only creates a fake image of a typical teenager, but certainly they do not act like that, and I know that because I am a student myself, and I’ve never seen this kind of behaviour in my school. I think that the Daily Mail article only focuses on the teachers in ‘Educating Essex’ and mostly points out the bad things teachers say and do. Also how they carry out the lesson, it shows how immature they are when they burst into a class and disturb the lesson just to sing happy birthday. Another teacher is shown; as the students are leaving his class he tells them â€Å"Clear off, scumbags†. In a different scene it shows when Mr Goddard hides behind his door as Mr Drew enters the room, he reaches out his arm around the door to welcome his deputy with a two-fingered gesture, and Mr Drew’s respond is â€Å" You are such a ****er†. In episode two, there is a scene shown of a girl called Carmelita, who accuses the deputy of assaulting her. At first she tells him to â€Å"get lost† and â€Å"shut up†, but in the end she gets excluded when he tells him to â€Å"**** off†. The deputy is cleared after the headtecher watches the CCTVcameras footage. Also the article mentions that â€Å"this sort of behaviour by pupils shouldn’t be allowed and there is extremely childish behaviour by the teachers, who are setting a very bad example for the pupils as they are likely to see the programme† in results of this the teenagers are influenced by what they see on the TV, and think it’s right to behave in this practical way, another influence are the teachers, as they set an example for the students. One more significant reason for child’s behaviour are the parents, because of the way they are bough up, if they have problems at home they will release their anger in school, on students and teachers. But essentially that article did not mention any positive things about teenagers. There were few positive things that I’ve witnessed on ‘Educating Essex’ but not many as I expected to be. I think one of them was when, they showed the students reflecting on what they have done wrong and teachers, because it’s great to hear both sides of the story, also the relationship between the teachers and students which doesn’t happen very often. Additionally how the teachers refused to give up on challenging the pupils, so they have a chance to achieve. But I think the programme should’ve showed more of the satisfactory students who are interesting, polite and clearly brilliant young people trying to achieve, to have a better future. The ‘Observer’ article has also only highlighted the bad points about teenagers, much the same as the ‘Daily Mail’ article. But it makes the reader hate teens, as they call them â€Å"gobby, spaced- out, bizarre† this only shows how selfish they are, and do not care about others. Also they point out how they dress and refer to girls as â€Å"spoiled brats†, and in my opinion they are allowed to do what they want, because it’s their own choice to look like that. I think that the programme doesn’t give a real image of teenagers today because, in my opinion everyone is different, and also because it only concentrated on the bad behaved student where on the other hand there is more students that work really hard on everything, and also contribute in society.

Modern Family Essay

Modern Family is a documentary-style comedy about three branches of the extended Pritchett family: Dad Jay has married a younger woman and is now raising a teenage stepson; his daughter Claire has a husband and three kids of her own; and his gay son Mitchell has just adopted a Vietnamese baby with his partner. Modern Family premiered on ABC in September 2009 as part of the network’s new Wednesday comedy lineup, and was immediately met with positive reviews and strong ratings, becoming the breakout show of the night. Modern Family was created and is executive-produced by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, who worked together as writers and producers on Frasier, and co-created the short-lived sitcom Back to You; Levitan was also the creator of Just Shoot Me. This investigation will highlight the key aspects which has made Modern Family a very likable program over the last few years. the way in how the show appeals to viewers will be discussed as well as the values and attitudes of society are re? ected through the main characters. I Will also indicate some of the controls and constraints that Modern Family has to deal with in order to make their show successful and appropriate. Also featured will be the discussion of some of the obvious stereotypes which the show portrays and the impact of Modern Family on Todays society. But to be able to understand all these aspects, you will need to familiarise yourself with the main characters ? rst. Characters Jay Pritchett: The father of Claire and Mitchell, husband of Gloria, grandfather of Lily, Luke, Alex, and Haley, and the stepfather of Manny. He is the owner of a construction ? rm and is presumably the wealthiest family member. Jay has a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. Like both his son and daughter, Jay is generally more realistic, mild mannered, and sensible than his partner, Gloria, who is unashamed of the fact Jay is many years her senior. A recurring plot involves Jay’s relationship with his son Mitchell, which became more complicated due to Jay’s reaction to Mitchell’s sexual orientation. Gloria Pritchett: Jay’s wife and Manny’s mother. She is from a small village in Columbia. She is a very loving wife and mother despite the age difference between her and her husband. Her voluptuous ? gure and overall beauty is often remarked or noticed by other characters on the show. One of her most distinctive traits is her very thick Colombian accent, which sometimes leads her to mispronounce English words, such as â€Å"ultimatum† as â€Å"old-tomato† and â€Å"earrings† as â€Å"hair-rings†. She often supports Manny when Jay tries to tell him to be less sensitive or hide his cultural background. Manny Delgado: Gloria’s 14-year-old son from her ? rst marriage. He is very outgoing and not the least bit self-conscious. He is very intelligent, mature and intuitive for his age and is often shown doing adult-like things, such as having conversations with Claire about her marriage and kids, and drinking coffee. He has inherited his mother’s passion for life, though Gloria has also said, â€Å"Manny is passionate, just like his father. † This causes Manny to be very romantic. Manny is not afraid to take chances, leading him to ask out older girls, and develop a crush on Haley. Phil Dunphy: Claire’s husband of 20 years who sees himself as the â€Å"cool dad. He dotes on his wife Claire and constantly tries to ? nd ways to bond with his three kids. He is seen as very competitive, one example being his nature of always beating his son at basketball. He has a very juvenile attitude, and is referred to by Claire as the â€Å"kid [she’s] married to. † He uses a parenting method that he calls â€Å"peerenting†, which is a combination of talking like a peer but acting like a parent. He is a real estate agent who is very con? dent in his work, once saying â€Å"I could sell a fur coat to an Eskimo. Claire Dunphy: the daughter of Jay, Mitchell’s older sister, and the helicopter soccer mom of the Dunphy family and its three very different kids. She was once a wild-child who made a lot of mistakes over the years, and she is fearful that her children could make the same mistakes, especially her oldest daughter, Haley. She is often exhausted from stress created by her family but is still a loving mother. When it comes to her kids she has dif? culty controlling Haley’s independence and irresponsibility, Alex’s manipulative nature, and Luke’s lack of common sense. She also gets annoyed with her husband, Phil, constantly. Claire is a very competitive person, much like her husband, and is portrayed with a personality that causes her to freak out easily, and get angry. She is very strict about a clean house. She is seen as an experienced parent by Cameron and Mitchell, so she is called upon for her parenting advice Haley Dunphy: the daughter of Claire and Phil, who is portrayed as the stereotypical teenager who is often embarrassed by the presence of her parents. Haley is 15 at the beginning of the series, and is a freshman in college as of Season 4. Haley is depicted as being a bit of a bimbo, who focuses more on social status than studies. She is a little naive, especially when it comes to arguing with her parents. She is concerned about her popularity at school, as well as her social and sexual life, which contributes to her being embarrassed by her parents. Alex Dunphy: the 15-year-old daughter of Claire and Phil, and also the most erudite and intelligent of the three siblings. She is very bright and cares much more about her studies than friends/social life and boys. As the middle child to a shallow big sister and a goofy younger brother, she enjoys messing with them when they are rude to her, which is fairly often. Often taking advantage of their naivete by fooling them into believing unrealistic things, she at one time convinced Haley and Luke that they could charge electronics by rubbing the battery on their heads (Haley) and putting it in their mouths (Luke). She, as a stereotypical precocious kid, displays a sense of superiority because of her erudition, constantly putting her accomplishments on display and demanding recognition for them. Luke Dunphy: Phil and Claire? s 14-year-old son, who is often doing his own thing. At times, he can be a troublemaker, once shooting his sister with a toy gun and getting into a ? ht with Manny at school. Luke is playful, very innocent and does not always understand the repercussions of his actions, like most children; he once announced at a family gathering that his mom thought her dad’s new wife was a â€Å"gold digger†, although he misheard it as â€Å"coal digger†. Mitchell Pritchett: Also referred to as Mitch, is Jay’s son, Claire’s younger brother, Luke, Alex and Haley’s uncle, one of Lily’s fathers, and partner of eight years to Cameron. He is a low-key, mild-mannered person. At most times he is the exact opposite of Cameron which usually causes disagreements. Cameron acts as a counterbalance to Mitchell’s uptight, worrying ways. He usually responds to homophobia (whether real or perceived) by giving â€Å"speeches. † Because of his mild-mannered, uptight nature, he is sometimes embarrassed by Cameron’s ? amboyance. Cameron Tucker: Also referred to as Cam, is Mitchell’s partner of eight years, and one of Lily’s fathers, who has a very big dramatic personality. His bubbly outgoing personality contrasts to Mitchell’s uptight manner, which causes them to have opposing character traits. Cameron was born on February 29, 1972 and grew up on a farm in Missouri. Lilly Tucker-Pritchett: the adopted Vietnamese daughter of Cameron and Mitchell. When she was introduced to the family, they accepted her with open arms, although Mitchell originally wanted to wait to tell them about her. She is at times doing activities with both of her fathers but remains with Cam at home while Mitchell works. How Does It Appeal? A key aspect of the show? s appeal is the similarities people ? nd between the extended family and their own family. Some characters from the show are Phil Dunphy, Claire Dunphy, Jay Pritchett, Gloria Pritchett, Mitchell Pritchett, and Cam Tucker. There are many other characters that make up this family, which make for much more diversity. The dynamic between these different immediate families and their values (including traditional, gay, straight, and multicultural) are what gives Modern Family its large demographic. The diversity of the Pritchetts helps reach a large audience. The ? rst part of this family is the Pritchett-Delgado family. This consists of Jay, the family patriarch, Gloria, the younger second wife, and Manny, her son. The fun part in watching this family is the culture clash between Jay and Gloria. Gloria and Manny are Hispanic, while Jay is white. It is interesting as they try to make sure that Manny gets a combination of both cultures in his life. Next in this family is the Dunphy family. This has Claire, Jay? s daughter and mother of three, and Phil, Claire? s fun husband. Their children are also in the show. First is Haley, the epitome of some teenage girls who seem to only care about their social lives as opposed to spending time with their family. Second is Alex, the smart child and Haley? s opposite. Last is Luke, the youngest and most rambunctious of the three. He is very close to Manny. The Dunphy? s are a very traditional family, but has had some of the more memorable moments in the show. Some of them come from Phil, who is known for having a very fun sense of humor. Finally there is the Pritchett-Ticker family. This is made up of Mitchell, Jay? s gay son and Claire? s younger brother, Cam, his partner, and Lily, their adoptive daughter from Vietnam. It is fun to watch their family and see how different they are from the other two parts of the family. It? s also important because it helps to put the similarities into perspective for many viewers, and that is very valuable these days. Stereotypes Stereotypes are an inevitable part of modern culture. They are standardized and simpli? ed views of groups and minorities based on prior assumptions. â€Å"Modern Family† constantly utilises and plays with the notions of Stereotypes. â€Å"Modern Family† attempts to create a new stereotype by conforming and altering old stereotypes. There is Jay, the Grandfather who remarried to a beautiful, busty Colombian woman Gloria and her son, Manny. Jay? s daughter, Claire, married to Phil, who have 3 children, Haley, Alex and Luke. Finally, Jay? s on Mitchell has an adopted Vietnamese daughter with boyfriend Cameron. The entire program works by challenging and changing stereotypes, in particular that of Gay parents, Cam and Mitch. Cameron and Mitchell are, in a way, a stereotypical gay couple. However, the humour and the message is portrayed through their confrontation of that stereotype. In one episode, they are confronted with the notion that one of them in the couple is â€Å"the woman. † This stereotypical view, that society is asking them to conform to, forces not only a humorous situation, but also challenges the characters? Gender and Identity. The show cleverly alters the ideas of stereotypes, and plays to into them, but also puts â€Å"name to a face† as it were. Stereotypes are not necessarily formed solely on against minorities, and this show challenges every one. Each character is a â€Å"stereotype† in their own right – be that â€Å"the dumb socialite,† or â€Å"the only child† or â€Å"the loud Colombian woman†. In season 4 there is an episode titled â€Å"Fulgencio† Which con? rms the perception that Latinos working in America are poor and struggle for money but still work very hard. Gloria? family comes to visit the new born baby in the family and the Columbian family endeavors the entire episode to clearing the house, especially Gloria? s sister. it is a positive representation of Latinos because they want to work even if they are on a holiday. But the beauty and hilarity of Modern Family is that each character confronts each of their stereotypes and we, as an audience, see that there is a lot more than meets the eye. Instead of simply accepting some of these stereotypes, Modern Family challenges some of these and in doing so creates a new opinion on the viewers Controls and Constraints There are many controls and constraints that will affect any media production, and Modern Family is no exception. Time: Time is one of the main factors that affects the production. Each episode is meant to run for approximately 20-23 minutes excluding ad-breaks. This means that the group of people who are putting together an episode, must avoid making a very long plot and address the main issue of the episode almost immediately. Another constraint of the show is its budget. Budget: The budget of any program is an outline of how much that production will cost, or how much the director is willing to spend. In its ? st three seasons. There has been episodes ? lmed in Hawaii, and a ranch. These episodes were have been ? lmed in these locations and not a studio with a backdrop of that location. This would have possibly meant that the budget for those 2 episodes would have been greater than some of their other episodes. It is also rumored that the ABC is planning to ? lm a future episode in Columbia in which the viewers will be introduced to Gloria Pritchett? s family. Taking into account the budget of a normal episode, and adding to that international ? ights for the cast and crew, this could very well be the most expensive episode yet. Rating/Audience: One of the most important controls and constraints which affect a media production, is the audience and their expectations. The producers of the show will give a classi? cation or rating so that viewers have some idea of what to expect. Modern Family has a rating of PG13. A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision. The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity. However, these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture. Since people under the age of 13 are still likely to watch the show, The writers of an episode must be very careful about any potential jokes that might affect a child. E. g. Modern Family is not allowed to make a joke about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the tooth fairy not existing because a young person watching the show who believed they existed could end up being very upset. An example of this is from an episode from season 1 when Cameron and Mitchell take their adopted daughter Lilly to go an see Santa Claus at the local mall. The reason all types of ? lm media have these ratings, is to protect the viewer from seeing something they might not want to see. Values and Attitudes Re? ected Through Characters In mainstream media, there seems to be different views on gay marriage, but it seems to be slightly more in favour of accepting the life choices made by these people. In Modern Family, there is a gay couple called Cameron and Mitchell. The way that they positively re? ect the values and attitudes of society is the fact that they are very open about being gay. Another way it is positively re? ected is through the other main characters. They all seem to be very accepting even the Patriarch of the family Jay Pritchett, he accepts his sons choice even though he is uncomfortable with it. In one of the early episodes of season 2, the couple shared a kiss which pleased the audience. Ultimately, then, the show re? ects the experiences and insecurities of its creators and assumed audience, middleclass, middle-aged straight white men. Also in its Pilot episode, Cam and Mitch announce to the family that they have adopted a baby from Vietnam and the whole family (Including Mictchell? s homophobic father Jay) are very accepting of their choice. It reassures them that being tolerant is as good as being inclusive and that heterosexual white families with shrill stay-at-home wives are the norm. Its exploration of the pressures of feminine ideals is considerably less sympathetic meaning that Phil? s wife Claire Dunphy is arguably the least likable character, and story lines have included three women getting their period at the same time and going â€Å"crazy†, and ? ery Latina Gloria needing to be chaperoned because her pregnancy brain makes her too forgetful to function. Modern Family is one of very few to feature main characters who are gay (one of whom is played by a character who is actually gay outside of the production) and people of color, and it shows Cam and Mitch to be caring, capable parents. t challenges some of the values and attitudes which are evident, and the fact that Modern Family presents this unit in such a non-threatening way may be the key to its acceptance. Impact On Society Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Casted as Mitchell Pritchett) said that Modern Family might be doing a lot to change the views on gay marriage. The actor said he has had several people approach him and remark how the show has had an impact their lives and their views. It’s impossible to measure how wide the impact is, but the fact that even one person changed their mind says a lot about the depth of the show. Modern Family† is hardly the ? rst show to feature gay characters. However, it is one of the ? rst that doesn’t really make an issue out of it. In fact, it is easy to forget that Cameron and Mitchell are a gay couple. There are no political statements or agendas. They are just two people living their lives. The fact that it has affected the views of other people indicates that it is a very important show. It takes something special to alter the mindset of an individual. This show ? ts the bill. They keep doing what they do. â€Å"Modern Family† shouldn’t try to change the world. However, if they change a few minds while carrying on as normal then there is nothing wrong with that. Modern Family has also made people who watch the show feel better about themselves because viewers now know that there own family isn? t the only family who has troubles. It is happening all around them. This helps us to understand that Modern family is one of the most realistic television sitcoms going around at the moment. Conclusion It is quite evident that Modern family has had an impact on todays society in a positive way along with providing the viewers with plenty of laughs along the way. For people to want watch a program and understand some of the meaning it constructs, then the show must appeal to the viewer in the ? rst place, and Modern Family does this by creating a storyline that most people can generally relate to. Once people become immersed in the show they start to pick up some of the stereotypes that are evident, e. g. Gay couple, loud South Americans etc. Because we relate with the characters, we feel inclined to display the same values and attitudes that the characters do which is respecting people even if they? re gay or of a different nationality. This leads to its impact on society which is without a doubt a positive one. Perhaps Modern Family is changing the views towards gay marriage and it is better that they? re doing it in a way where people can watch a television program that people can enjoy, but also learn from it. It is amazing to consider how successful a TV show can be due to the controls and constraints it faces, and Modern Family perfects it.

Are Moral Values Absolute or Relative Essay Example

Are Moral Values Absolute or Relative Essay Example Are Moral Values Absolute or Relative Essay Are Moral Values Absolute or Relative Essay Essay Topic: Claim Of Value I will first Cover Mà ªlà ©es area of expertise followed by Taylor Ethical Relativism opinions. Mary Mingled: Moral Isolationism When discussing moral isolationism a name that is sure to pop up is Mary Mingled. Mingled was a professor at the university of Newcastle and has written many books, some of which deal with moral Isolationism. Melody believes that moral isolationism makes no sense at all. After reading Mà ªlà ©es piece on moral Isolationism In the book, I concluded that, I too, see many flaws in the idea of moral isolationism and cannot quite support all the concepts behind it. Many people think that taking a moral isolationist stance on other cultures and people is respectful because they are not making crude Judgments. Mingled says that nobody can respect what is entirely unintelligible to them. I find this statement a little contradicting because If you are ENTIRELY unintelligible about something doesnt this mean that you are completely Ignorant of the subject and therefore know nothing of the topic or that this culture or person even exists. So yes of course you cannot respect something that is entirely unintelligible to you. One of many questions that Mingled brings up is, if we cannot Judge other ultras are we really in a situation to be Judging our own culture? After all if we knew nothing of other cultures and didnt have opinions about these other cultures, how are we going to Judge our own culture? I believe we must form opinions about other cultures and Judge them so that we can do the same with our culture and actually compare our culture with others. To me, this is the only way in which we can come up with an accurate description and Judgment about our own personal cultures. Mingled says that outsiders should form opinions on other cultures and that these outsiders even have an advantage in forming an opinion of a specific ultra. I think this is somewhat true because I can see how an outsider who does not know much of the culture can form a decent opinion on that culture because they see it from a different perspective, an outsider prospective. This insight can help the culture and can maybe even change their views on what is morally right or wrong. For example, lets say an outsider is hurt on a vacation to a third world country and must go to the hospital. While at this third world hospital the outsider notices how some of the practices at the hospital are out-of-date and obsolete. The outsider may even think these practices are ethically Incorrect, while the doctors at the hospital Delve teen are teen Test way to Nell a patient. Well teen outsider may ell t teen doctor of new technologies and practices that have advanced medicine and medical procedures. This doctor than could very easily decide that what they are doing is a little bit wrong and therefore take the outsiders opinion in a positive way and use that outsiders perspective to help his own culture. Another excellent question Mingled brings up is if moral isolationism applies to judgments and opinions does it also apply to praises and compliments of a culture. I think many people are fine with other people praising or complimenting there culture but are not k with people Judging or forming negative opinions about the culture. When really in both situations the persons giving the compliment or judgment may very well have similar understandings about the topic. Mingled says that in order to praise someone or a culture you must first criticize and compare that culture to one you are more familiar with, like your own culture. Moral isolationist would probably say that we should not make Judgments or praises about other cultures that we know very little about. Well then my question is should we be allowed to Judge our own cultures and cultures similar to ours? Since there are many things we do not know about our own culture, moral isolationist should, in principal, say that we should not Judge our own culture. If we are not allowed then to make judgments and form opinions about our culture or any other culture it is impossible to improve our knowledge and the overall knowledge of the world as a whole. Mingled says that it would be a waste of our best evolutionary asset, our brain. This statement hits me pretty hard and helps me believe even more that moral isolationism is impractical and Just flat out impossible to do. Mingled also states that, the power of moral Judgment is, in fact, not a luxury, or a perverse indulgence of the self-righteous. It is a necessity. I really like this quote because I believe that moral judgment is a huge part of our daily lives and an even bigger part of who each of us are as individual people. Mingled believes that moral isolationism makes no sense at all and that if moral isolationism existed we would all loose interest in moral questions and issues. I think this is very true and goes to prove Just how important oral Judgment is to individual people as well as a culture as a whole. Paul Taylor: Ethical Relativism Paul Taylor, a professor at Brooklyn College, is author to many books and speaks in many of them about Ethical Relativism. Taylor answers the question of Are moral values relative or absolute? Taylor says Ethical relativism is, in general, the idea that all ethical values and ideas are relative to the cultural norms that exist and differ from time and place. Taylor says that What is right is what my society approves of, what is wrong is what my society disapproves of. I translate this as there are no such arms that can be considered absolute -or apply to everyone no matter when they were on earth or where they lived or even how they lived. Taylor splits Ethical Relativism into three different categories: Descriptive Relativism, Normative Ethics Relativism and Mathematical Relativism. I will discuss Descriptive and Normative Ethics Relativism only. Descriptive Relativism I can see how many people can accept the idea of Ethical Relativism and in many ways I agree with it too. A good example is how even inside of religions, cultural norms of that time period can alter values between people who base their religion an Deletes on principals Tanat are so very scalar. As I nave tongue Ana eater to Tina a moral norm that applies to all generations and time periods I Just become more and more convinced that there are none. For instance, there was a time when polygamy was widely accepted in religions that now scorn polygamy, the reason having to do with how girls and women were treated in society of that specific time period. I think Taylor really sums this idea up when he says Our own contemporary world reveals a tremendous variety of ways of living. I think that another thing that has to be considered about as much, if not more, Han anything else is the situation and circumstances of the act. For example many would argue that killing someone is always bad. I think that many would even say that killing is bad in all time periods. I would say that killing someone is a moral norm that depends more on how it happened rather than when it happened or in what time period. What Im trying to say is if you kill somebody because they were going to kill you or someone else, I would say that Justifies killing more than any ethical or moral norm does. Taylor also talks about the origins of moral beliefs and moral values. I think this epic is very interesting and helps back the idea of ethical relativism very well. Taylor argues that Even our deepest convictions about Justice and the rights of man are originally nothing but the interjected or internalized views of our culture, transmitted to us through our parents and teachers. Taylor argues that acculturation occurs from the approvals and disapproval of our parents while we were young. He goes on to say that these approvals were reflective of the cultural norms of that specific time period. Taylor says that it is from this process in which our moral values come from. I do agree with Taylor, however, I also believe that our values continue to change and develop as we gain more experiences and learn more about life. Normative Ethical Relativism Taylor talks about normative Ethical Relativism and why this point should be consider when speaking of ethical relativism. He talks of how the statement, What is right in one society may be wrong in another, is often thought of as a factual assertion rather than a normative claim. Taylor argues that how this phrase or statement is taken can vary greatly and that it is important how it is taken. He says that according o the normative ethical view of this statement, norms are not to be considered valid outside of the society where they originated. This then concludes that it is not legitimate to Judge or apply norms, in any way, to somebody elses culture. In conclusion, I would like to discuss the similarities between Moral Isolationism and Ethical Relativism. I think they are pretty much the same thing. Mingled defines Moral Isolationism as an ethical principal (one that she disagrees with) that says you cannot judge a culture or society outside of your own because they have different norms that o do not understand fully. Taylor says Ethical Relativism is the idea that all moral values are relative to the time and place of the culture in which the cultural norms come from. Ethical Relativism is the opposite of absolute relativism. I think that Ethical Relativism is a more correct idea than Moral isolationism because we must be able to Judge other cultures even if we know very little about them; however, these judgments should not be crude and we should be open minded when thinking of other cultures. Also I think there are no true absolute morals so therefore they all must De relative.

World War I and The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

World War I and The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk After a nearly a year of turmoil in Russia, the Bolsheviks ascended to power in November 1917 after the October Revolution (Russia still used the Julian calendar). As ending Russias involvement in World War I was a key tenet of the Bolshevik platform, new leader Vladimir Lenin immediately called for a three-month armistice. Though initially wary of dealing with the revolutionaries, the Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire) finally agreed to a ceasefire in early December and made plans to meet with Lenins representatives later in the month. Initial Talks Joined by representatives from the Ottoman Empire, the Germans and Austrians arrived at Brest-Litovsk (present-day Brest, Belarus) and opened talks on December 22. Though the German delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Richard von KÃ ¼hlmann, it fell upon General Max Hoffmann- who was Chief of Staff of the German armies on the Eastern Front- to serve as their chief negotiator. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was represented by Foreign Minister Ottokar Czernin, while the Ottomans were overseen by Talat Pasha. The Bolshevik delegation was headed by Peoples Commissar for Foreign Affairs Leon Trotsky who was aided by Adolph Joffre. Initial Proposals Though in a weak position, the Bolsheviks stated that they desired peace without annexations or indemnities, meaning an end to the fighting without loss of land or reparations. This was rebuffed by the Germans whose troops occupied large swaths of Russian territory. In offering their proposal, the Germans demanded independence for Poland and Lithuania. As the Bolsheviks were unwilling to cede territory, the talks stalled. Believing that the Germans were eager to conclude a peace treaty to free troops for use on the Western Front before the Americans could arrive in large numbers, Trotsky dragged his feet, believing that moderate peace could be achieved. He also hoped that the Bolshevik revolution would spread to Germany negating the need to conclude a treaty. Trotskys delaying tactics only worked to anger the Germans and Austrians. Unwilling to sign harsh peace terms and not believing that he could delay further, he withdrew the Bolshevik delegation from the talks on February 10, 1918, declaring a unilateral end to hostilities. The German Response Reacting to Trotskys breaking off of the talks, the Germans and Austrians notified the Bolsheviks that they would resume hostilities after February 17 if the situation was not resolved. These threats were ignored by Lenins government. On February 18, German, Austrian, Ottoman, and Bulgarian troops began advancing and met little organized resistance. That evening, the Bolshevik government decided to accept the German terms. Contacting the Germans, they received no response for three days. During that time, troops from the Central Powers occupied the Baltic nations, Belarus, and most of Ukraine (Map). Responding on February 21, the Germans introduced harsher terms which briefly made Lenin debate continuing the fight. Recognizing that further resistance would be futile and with the German fleet moving towards Petrograd, the Bolsheviks voted to accept the terms two days later. Re-opening talks, the Bolsheviks signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3. It was ratified twelve days later. Though Lenins government had achieved its goal of exiting the conflict, it was forced to do so in brutally humiliating fashion and at great cost. Terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk By the terms of the treaty, Russia ceded more than 290,000 square miles of land and around a quarter of its population. In addition, the lost territory contained approximately a quarter of the nations industry and 90 percent of its coal mines. This territory effectively contained the countries of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belarus from which the Germans intended to form client states under the rule of various aristocrats. Also, all Turkish lands lost in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 were to be returned to the Ottoman Empire. Long-Term Effects of the Treaty The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk only remained in effect until that November. Though Germany had made massive territorial gains, it took a large amount of manpower to maintain the occupation. This detracted from the number of men available for duty on the Western Front. On November 5, Germany renounced the treaty due to a constant stream of revolutionary propaganda emanating from Russia. With the German acceptance of the armistice on November 11, the Bolsheviks quickly annulled the treaty. Though the independence of Poland and Finland was largely accepted, they remained angered by the loss of the Baltic states. While the fate of territory such as Poland was addressed at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, other lands such as Ukraine and Belarus fell under Bolshevik control during the Russian Civil War. Over the next twenty years, the Soviet Union worked to regain the land lost by the treaty. This saw them fight Finland in the Winter War as well as conclude the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany. By this agreement, they annexed the Baltic states and claimed the eastern part of Poland following the German invasion at the start of World War II. Selected Sources Avalon Project: Treaty of Brest-LitovskGuide to Russia: Treaty of Brest-LitovskFirst World War: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Decision Support Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decision Support Systems - Essay Example Appraisal of the hotel’s DSS systems The Decision Support System (DSS) is a technology that enables managers in organizations to make effective business choices or solve problems using the available information in the organizations. Almost all information systems help in decision-making. However, the DSS exclusively works with this function. The DSS helps in the analysis of huge amounts of data referred to as business intelligence. Maurier Hotels Group is an SME type of business that should be having enough employees and many departments that should help in making appropriate decisions using the DSS. Considering the current size of the organization, many types of DSS can be more effective since the cost will not exceed the benefits expected after introducing businesses intelligence. The common types of the DSS are the model-driven, communication driven, and the data driven. The data-driven system is usually programmed to use limited set of information such as the number of cus tomers in the current quarter. During the analysis, the CEO or the customer relation manager in the organization will carry out a dialogue with this decision support system by highlighting various scenarios relating to customers. For instance, in order to attract more customers, the managers will use the customer decision support system. ... 22). Model-driven systems help organization in the formulation of alternatives and study their impacts. For instance the hotels can analyze different strategies of creating strong customer relations through this DSS. Many organizations have succeeded in choosing the best alternatives through this system (Koch 2007, P. 220). The hotel group may also use the communication-drive type of DSS. The category of DSS will help the customers care departments in the three hotels to collaborate and share information about their customers. This DSS is more effective for organizations such as the current Maurier Hotels that has to work in groups. The communication-drive intelligence systems will ensure that the hotel groups of the organizations co-ordinate their activities including the customer management services in the three hotel groups. This DSS is most appropriate in-group activities since it ensures easier communication between two groups. By introducing this type of DSS in the organization , the CEO will not have to move from one hotel group to another to collect the information about customers. The information is present on one system. This will help the CEO to monitor the activities taking place in the three hotels at the same time. The technology will help the organization to save the time required to compile information about customers in the three hotel groups. This means that this intelligent system helps in removing distance and time barriers in group businesses (Muntermann 2008, 18). The DSS is also effective because it supports group decisions in an organization. It will be easier for the three groups to make appropriate decisions that will positively affect them (Janakiraman & Sarukesi 2009, p. 43). This type of DSS is helpful because it helps different branches