Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Minimum Sentences - 1008 Words

Mandatory minimum sentences are court decisions where judicial discretion is limited by law. Usually when people are convicted of certain crimes they must be punished with at least a minimum number of years in prison. The article I picked to review is an article on mandatory minimum sentences. The article reviews the pros and cons of mandatory sentencing. I will go over the pros and cons described in the article and give my opinion on how I feel about them. Staring with the pros of mandatory minimum sentences, the first pro is that mandatory minimum sentences discourage people from committing crimes. In the United States reportedly experienced a drop in crime when many of the mandatory sentencing laws were put into place in the†¦show more content†¦I look at the example of a single mother who has gotten caught up with the wrong people and has committed a crime that falls under mandatory sentencing. Juries can easily be manipulated by the defendant’s lawyer into feeling sorry for this woman who has committed a crime. With mandatory sentencing the juries do not have to take into account the single mother’s hardships that sentencing may cause (8 Pros and Cons of Mandatory Minimum Sentences). There are also cons of mandatory sentencing. One con is that mandatory sentencing can be unfair. Mandatory minimum sentences have no choice but award the same minimum punishment to everyone who commits the same crime regardless of the individual’s situation or circumstances. For example a criminal with a very lengthy criminal record and a first time offender will both get the same amount of time. Another con is that mandatory sentencing can lead to overcrowding in prisons. With mandatory minimum sentencing people will go to jail even if it is their first offense. As a result of this people who should have possibly got lighter sentences or maybe sentencing that did not involve jail time, like probation, will end up in jail and this cau ses overcrowding. Overcrowding can then cause even more problems to the prisoner’s health, safety, and security. An increased prison population leads to more expenses and theseShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Sentencing in the Justice System630 Words   |  3 Pagespredispose the price an offender has to pay for the crime committed. There are many pros and cons for the many different types of sentencing we use in the criminal justice system. Their are some extremely harsh sentencing we also have some that are very sympathetic. The topics I will be discussing more in depth are, Mandatory minimum, Indeterminate sentencing, and Truth in sentencing. Mandatory minimum sentencing, are among the most contentious of sentencing plans because they establishRead MoreClassical Perspective And Mandatory Sentencing Act837 Words   |  4 PagesClassical Perspective and Mandatory Sentencing Act The classical perspective founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham; stated that at people choose to commit crime after they considered the pros and cons that could be associated with a crime, and believed that the pros outweighed the cons (Tonry,2014). The theory relied on deterring criminal acts by assuring that the consequences of crime are absolute, harsh, and quickly administered (Tonry,2014). Mandatory Sentencing Act Today, more thanRead MoreCriminal Justice Outline1660 Words   |  7 PagesDeterminate- pros and cons b. Indeterminate- pros and cons c. Mandatory- pros and cons d. Specific or general deterrence Determinate sentencing a. Time- Each punishment is set person to person regardless b. Punishment- does not discriminate c. Community- deter people from committing it again Indeterminate Sentencing a. Courts and judges role in helping the offender b. Community outlooks c. Fines and minimums Mandatory sentencing a. Maximum fines and set prison sentences bRead MoreIndeterminate Structured Sentencing1106 Words   |  5 Pagesa judge gets the decision as to what the sentence will be for the offender. As I look at this information I feel that the judge should have a say in what the sentence will be, but not have all the power as to what it will be. A Parole Board gets to determine as to what the amount of time is that the offender will spend in prison for the crime he or she has committed. In this type of sentencing, one of the guidelines is that when determining the sentence it should meet all of the needs of the offenderRead MoreMeasure 11 Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pagespeople a mandatory minimum sentence starting at 5 years 10 months, and going up all the way to 25 years in prison. The law gives a list of about 21 crimes that, if committed by a person, come with a set amount of time that must be served day for day by the offender, without any chance of good-time, work-time, or the possibility of a second look. Applying to ages 15 and up, this law takes the power out of the judge’s hands when it comes to sentencing someone, and forces the judge to give a mandatory minimumRead MoreThe Fair Sentencing Act For Mandatory Minimum Sentences953 Words   |  4 Pages#1 Three salient points from the films/lectures were assessments of change from the five stages of change model (Norcross, j. c., n.d.), the Fair Sentencing Act for mandatory minimum sentences (American Civil Liberties Union, 2010), and eliminating government involvement in regulation of drugs and alcohol substance, while allowing the various states to manage control (ABC News.com, 2007). The first salient point was based on Norcross (n.d.) explaining that finding out and recognizing where the consumerRead MorePrison Reform Is Not The Best Option For Punishing Criminals Essay921 Words   |  4 Pagesprison are mandatory minimum sentencing laws. C. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws are a harsh set of laws that are enforced through the justice system. They set a minimum punishment for crimes where the judge cannot lower the sentence length for any reason. This takes away discretion from the judge and causes the criminal justice system to be harsher when it comes to sentencing (Kearney 9). 1. Although mandatory minimum sentencing laws make it so the justice system can avoid sentence disparityRead MoreEssay on Mandatory Minimum Sentencing1955 Words   |  8 PagesEach year in America many people received prison sentences for crimes that pose little if any danger or harm to our society. Mandatory Minimum Sentencing in the American Justice System has long been argued by both Lawmakers and the public. We will go over some of the history of mandatory minimum sentences as well as the many pros and cons to these types of sentences. Some examples of pros and cons are the overall effect on public safety, the effect on the offenders, the cost to taxpayers, theRead MoreKaplan Unit 3 Paper1504 Words   |  7 PagesSome pros about indeterminate sentencing are mandatory minimum sentences and keeping offenders off the streets. A con of intermediate sentencing is the sentencing of non-violent offenders to unjustly harsh prison terms where they crowd prisons that are already full . Determinate sentencing is when the mandatory minimum sentence is enhanced for certain crimes. Sentencing guidelines allow judges to consider the individual circumstances of the case when determining sentencing. Mandatory minimum sentencesRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Modern Prisons1261 Words   |  6 Pagesthere will be mass destruction, and small problems that people have with prisons can be fixed and dealt with. Here are some of the problems that people have with prisons. Population. The rising population of prisoners in the United States alone is a con for prisons. There are just simply too many people. According to the Sentencing Project, the United States has 2.2 million criminals in its prisons and jails. That is a 500% increase over the last 40 years. â€Å"Changes in law and policy, not changes in

Angelou’s Poetry Explores Various Sides of the Human...

The definition of the human condition is that it encompasses the unique features of being human without having to consider one’s gender, race, culture or class. It captures the unalterable part of humanity that is inherent and innate to human beings. This consists of concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation or awareness regarding the inescapability of death. It can be summed up as the fundamental issues of human existence. My personal perspective on what the human condition is, is the state we are in. It refers to what we need as humans and the experiences we go through for instants the need for basic necessities like food, shelter, drugs, sex etc. We want to†¦show more content†¦The poem ‘The Lesson’ discusses some of the outcomes and the title suggests they know it’s harmful yet they keep doing it. The structure of this particular poem is all in one with no single stanza’s. This is done purposely to emphasise how there are no breaks or stops when taking drugs. Once you take them, it’s hard quitting and people don’t stop to think, they just carry on. The first line, â€Å"I keep on dying again† shows how people know what they’re doing and how it’s affecting them and by the use of â€Å"again†, it’s clear they are occasionally experiencing it. It doesn’t just affect their physical appearance but their insides too.Their â€Å"Veins collapse†, showing how by each take they are decaying within and how they are slowing down and on to the same pace as children opening their â€Å"Small fists†. This very stark description enables us to get a feel of how it’s damaging the insides of our bodies yet those addicts still carry on. Angelou emphasises how they simply don’t care as the idea of â€Å"old tombs, Rotting flesh and worms† is not enough to make them think twice. After taking them for a long period of time, it’s becomes evident on the physical side for example the â€Å"lines along† the face which is marking the long years of taking drugs. It’s symbolising the desperate need for humans to escape reality and take them to a place similar to heaven. Angelou ends this poem with the voice admitting they will keep taking it despite what

Empowering And Transformational Leadership -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Empowering And Transformational Leadership? Answer: Introducation In order to identify the degree of leadership skills I possess, there are 5 of the diagnostic tools that have been selected for the analysis. These five tools helped me in analysing myself as the leaders so that I can find the gap and make the improvements. The first tool that has been used was leadership visibility inventory test. It was a scaling test in which my visibility and credibility was tested. First ten questions in the test were for visibility and I have scored 56 in that and other questions were for credibility on which I have scored 54. Score of 56 in visibility suggests that I am a visible person scoring of 54 in the next section suggests that I am a very credible person. The overall discussion or the scoring of the test suggests that I have the capability to visible in the crowd but there is the scope of improvement in it. The next tool that I have used was big five personality traits. This is the tool that deals with some characteristic of being a leader (Mumford, Campion Morgeson, 2007). The scoring on those characteristic helped me in analysing my skills. The first characteristic was extroversion. It is the trait that deals with being social with the community. I have scored 31, and this suggests that I am quite extrovert and social in nature. Another trait is agreeableness. In this I have scored 25 and this suggests that I am in moderate condition. I agree with the people at times but sometimes I remain on my point. The next trait is conscientiousness, it is the trait that is about being hard working and dedicated. Again I score 25 in this test and this suggests that I am dedicated towards my work but bit is required to be more dedicated. Neuroticism is the personality trait that shows the management aspect in which I have scored 20 that means I am in middle of the scale. The last trait is opennes s to experience. In this trait, I have scored 46 that mean I am a dreamer. I used to accept the new and innovative things that comes ion my way and this nature makes me an innovative personality. I used to perform the same tasks with different methods and try to be efficient every time. Another tool that has been used by me was perceived leader integrity scale. It is the tool that includes the question which needs to be filled by the other person in order to take the concern about the behaviour of the other person (Puccio, Mance Murdock, 2010). My mates have helped me in doing so. They have filled the forms for me. The appendix 3 shows one of the forms that indicates my scoring. I have scored 46 in the same and this suggests that I am highly ethical in nature. All the above used methods have shown my different traits. The next is leadership style survey that is about identifying that which leadership style I believe in. around 15 questions have been asked to me and I have encircled the numbers that best suited me. For analysis of the scoring, all the questions were divided into 3 sets and the scoring is done as per the questions. The total of the scores have been calculated. The one in which I have scored the highest is the 2nd set that is about participative leadership, this suggests that I am the person who use participative leadership style the most. After that, I used to apply delegative style sometimes as per the analysis because I scored little less in this segment. The next and the most important tool is self-assessment questionnaire tool. This is designed in order to measure the authenticity of the self-leadership. There are various components that need to be identified in this tool. The first one is the self-awareness, next is moral perspective and the other two are balanced processing and relational transparency. Comparison of the scores in all these contexts helps in analysing my stronger and weaker points. The scores above 16 suggest that I have the stronger authentic leadership in that context and low score suggests that I have weaker authentic leadership in that particular context. As per the results of the analysis, it has been identified that I am the leader who does not show authentic leadership in context of self-awareness and relational transparency but in other two contexts, there is large scope of improvement. It has been verified by the incidences that I have experienced in last few months. Once I have experienced that I was not a visible person in spite of the fact that I was the one who had done all the preparation for the program that was conducted in our class activity. At the day of the activity, all the credits were given to the students who were active in talking to the teachers and were performing the fore front activities. This made me realise that I am lacking in this skills and it is confirmed by the diagnostic tools. Another incidence that was happened recently with me suggested that I do not have the self-confidence to convey my things. Once I and my friends have prepared the presentation and all the designing part were done by me. one of my friends have presented the same in front of the class and my teacher asked that who have contributed in making the designs and I have not gathered the courage to tell her that I was the one and my friend got all the credits. This incidenc e forces me to make efforts in developing the same. Literature review: Leadership is defined as the ability of the person to guide and influence others in order to make them work in a particular direction so that the gaols of the organisation and the individual can be achieved, it has been analysed that the leaders should have some of the traits in him in order to be the effective one (Heifetz, Grashow Linsky, 2009). There are several leadership styles and theories that has been postulated and given by the theorist in earlier as well as in modern times. These theories such as transformational leadership, transactional leadership, contingency theory, scientific management theory etc. have something in common and this is the leader as the role model, who is followed by his followers (Spillane, 2012). Thus, this suggests that a leader should follow the path that he wants his followers to follow. For this, it is required that the leader should know himself very well and should be self-aware about his weaknesses and strengths. This develops the concept of s elf-awareness in leadership (Axelrod, 2017). As far as the above diagnosis is considered, it has been realised by my scores that I have two of the major weaknesses in terms of being an effective leader. The first one is the self-confidence and the other one is the visibility. Self-awareness is the understanding of the individual about his own self such as his values, beliefs, ambitions, emotions, strengths and weaknesses (Paustian-Underdahl, Walker Woehr, 2014). This is not an easy task and requires years to develop this trait in oneself. Once it is developed, it helps the individual to be self-aware and also helps in to handle himself and his behaviours in the situations (Dabke, 2016). It has been analysed that the level of self-awareness is also linked with the influence and performance. It is suggested that the more the leader is aware of him, the more he can become influential and convince the others to follow the guidelines (Avolio, 2007). Self-awareness is the concept that is directly associated with the aspect of emotional intelligence and thus it has been analysed that the one who is aware of himself have the capability to understand the emotions of others (Rukmani, Ramesh Jayakrishnan, 2010). Leaders who are high in emotional intelligence does not mean that they are emotional but they have they intelligently handle the situation and understand the emotions and the perspective of the other person (Eragula, 2015). This does not act as the weakness but becomes the strength of the leaders to help their followers (Schmitt, Realo, Voracek Allik, 2008). All leaders do not have any idea about how to be a leader. Some of the leaders feel unwilling to become self-aware because they have restricted knowledge about the skills and the responsibilities of leader and failed to realise that they just nit have to guide the followers but also have to negotiate with them so that dis-functioning can be prevented. Leadership is actually about inspiring and motivating the followers so that they can perform with grace and efficiency (Schmitt, Allik, McCrae Benet-Martnez, 2007). The leaders who are not self-aware, it becomes very difficult for them to treat others and understand others situations. The leadership without self-awareness results in non-efficiency. If the leaders themselves do not have any idea about their own strengths and weaknesses, it is very difficult for them to analyse the strengths and weakness of the other person (Joo Jo, 2017). The leaders have to handle many situations where they cannot react suddenly but should have the capability to analyse the situations and perspective of the other person so that effective decision can be made that benefits the follower as well as the organisation (Cobb-Clark Schurer, 2012). The study suggests that self-confidence is the very basic skill that needs to be developed for becoming a great leader and I have to make efforts to achieve the same. Another weakness that I have faced is of visibility. I am not that much visible in the social gatherings and this act as my weakness and restrict me to become good leader. It is very important to be visible and famous. If the person does not have the charm to be visible in the social gathering then it is a big doubt that he can be the leader or not. This is because leaders should have the personality that grabs the attention of others and this is the reason why people follow the leaders because of the charismatic personality (Komarraju, Karau, Schmeck Avdic, 2011). Visibility can be improved when accounting leader has the self confidence in him. There are various theories such as charismatic theory of leadership that suggests that self-confidence is then a very important part of effective leadership (Gibson, 2017). Self-confidence of the leaders can be communicated by his personality and the way he interact with others (Tekleab, Sims Jr, Yun, Tesluk Cox, 2008). Self-confidence disp lay in the leader automatically motivates his team to perform effectively because if the person himself is not confident then it is impossible for him to motivate and inspire the other people to work and perform the tasks in contingencies. Even if the situations are not favourable, the leaders have to show their self-confidence so that the team and the followers feel motivated (Furnham, Monsen Ahmetoglu, 2009). When leaders does not have the confidence in them then they try to hide their weakness and thus may results in arrogant behaviour or may be perceived as the arrogance by the followers. These types of leaders know that they do not have the confidence to be visible so they try to look good and create their person in that way (Obiwuru, Okwu, Akpa, Nwankwere, 2011). These leaders normal fails to be a good listener and come up with the leadership style that does not allow their followers to share their views (Bratton, Dodd Brown, 2011). They find it very offensive when some other person neglect their view and say anything against them. This also results in bad and poor relationship between the employees and the leaders and if the relationship between the leaders and the employees is not good then it may result in poor workplace environment (Van Dierendonck Nuijten, 2011). This is the situation, where it becomes more difficult for the leaders to handle the people and retain them. Trust issues may develop and thing get deteriorated gradually (Tierney Farmer, 2011). The way of thinking of the confident leaders is very different from the under confident one. They accept their strength and weakness in any way without being offensive (Liden, Wayne, Zhao Henderson, 2008). They are open and accept the criticisms by others and also take it in positive manner. It has been analysed that most of the leaders who have confidence in them believes in transferring the same to their followers (Avey, Palanski Walumbwa, 2011). At the end of the day, it has been analysed that leadership is about having the confidence and making the decision in such a way so that it can be followed by the followers and they can have trust on the leaders. Action plan: This action plan is made in order to develop some of the leadership skills and traits that can help me in filing the gap between the competencies that I need to be the good leader and the competencies that I actually have in me. Following are the strategies and the activities that are required to be done by me in order to fill the competency gap. Identification of the target skills It is required to identify the skills that are being developed. The two skills that need to be developed by me are self-awareness and self-confidence. 1 month Personality development courses It is required to take the personality development occurs that helps in developing the personality as well as the self confidence 2- 3months Reading books and watching videos Reading motivational and positive books and watching the similar kid of videos helps in developing a sense of optimism which somehow develop the confidence 1-6 months Feedback Feedback from others can help in analyzing the skills and the perception of other people in order to develop the competency of self-awareness 1-2 months Mentoring Mentoring is also required in order to monitor the overall action plan 1 month Evaluating the learning methods It is the action that helps in evaluating the progress of learning methods that has been used 1 month Analyzing the progress This can be analyzed by asking other team members and the people. 1 month Gantt chart: Below is the Gantt chart that shows the timelines for all the 6 months in order to improve the leadership skills. This chart describes the activities as well that are conducted in order to develop the same. 1 month 2 month 3 month 4 month 5 month 6 month Identification of target skills Personality development courses Reading books and watching videos Feedback Mentoring Evaluation of the learning methods Analyzing the progress Conclusion: It has been concluded from the report that leadership is the very important skill and it is required to develop the same. There are many diagnostic tools that can be used such as visibility inventory test, big five personality test, perceived leader integrity test, leadership style survey and self-assessment questionnaire tool. As per the result of visibility and credibility is concerned, it has been analysed that I have scored 56 which suggests that there is the scope of improvement. The next test that is big five personality test suggests that I am good in all the aspects. The scale of perceived leader integrity scale suggests that I am highly ethical in nature. Another test has been conducted that is regarding leadership style survey w which suggests that I use participative style and the last one is self-assessment questionnaire tool which suggests that I am not that much confident and thus I have to improve the same. Overall results of the tests described that I have to develop the skills such as self-confidence and visibility in me and this requires the action plan to be implemented. References: Avey, J. B., Palanski, M. E., Walumbwa, F. O. (2011). When leadership goes unnoticed: The moderating role of follower self-esteem on the relationship between ethical leadership and follower behavior.Journal of Business Ethics,98(4), 573-582. Avolio, B. J. (2007). Promoting more integrative strategies for leadership theory-building.American Psychologist,62(1), 25. Axelrod, R. H. (2017). Leadership and Self-Confidence. InLeadership Today(pp. 297-313). Springer, Cham. Cobb-Clark, D. A., Schurer, S. (2012). The stability of big-five personality traits. Economics Letters,115(1), 11-15. Dabke, D. (2016). Impact of leaders emotional intelligence and transformational behavior on perceived leadership effectiveness: A multiple source view.Business Perspectives and Research,4(1), 27-40. Eragula, R. (2015). Confidence in Leadership.Advances in Economics and Business Management,2(11), 1070-1072. Furnham, A., Monsen, J., Ahmetoglu, G. (2009). Typical intellectual engagement, Big Five personality traits, approaches to learning and cognitive ability predictors of academic performance.British Journal of Educational Psychology,79(4), 769-782. Gibson, E. W. (2017). Leadership in statistics: Increasing our value and visibility.The American Statistician, (just-accepted), 00-00. Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., Linsky, M. (2009).The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press. Joo, B. K., Jo, S. J. (2017). The effects of perceived authentic leadership and core self-evaluations on organizational citizenship behavior: The role of psychological empowerment as a partial mediator.Leadership Organization Development Journal,38(3), 463-481. Komarraju, M., Karau, S. J., Schmeck, R. R., Avdic, A. (2011). The Big Five personality traits, learning styles, and academic achievement.Personality and individual differences,51(4), 472-477. Liden, R. C., Wayne, S. J., Zhao, H., Henderson, D. (2008). Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment.The leadership quarterly,19(2), 161-177. Mumford, T. V., Campion, M. A., Morgeson, F. P. (2007). The leadership skills strataplex: Leadership skill requirements across organizational levels.The Leadership Quarterly,18(2), 154-166. Obiwuru, T. C., Okwu, A. T., Akpa, V. O., Nwankwere, I. A. (2011). Effects of leadership style on organizational performance: A survey of selected small scale enterprises in Ikosi-Ketu council development area of Lagos State, Nigeria.Australian Journal of Business and Management Research,1(7), 100. Paustian-Underdahl, S. C., Walker, L. S., Woehr, D. J. (2014). Gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness: A meta-analysis of contextual moderators.Journal of applied psychology,99(6), 1129. Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., Murdock, M. C. (2010).Creative leadership: Skills that drive change. Sage Publications. Rukmani, K., Ramesh, M., Jayakrishnan, J. (2010). Effect of leadership styles on organizational effectiveness.European Journal of Social Sciences,15(3), 365-369. Schmitt, D. P., Allik, J., McCrae, R. R., Benet-Martnez, V. (2007). The geographic distribution of Big Five personality traits: Patterns and profiles of human self-description across 56 nations.Journal of cross-cultural psychology,38(2), 173-212. Schmitt, D. P., Realo, A., Voracek, M., Allik, J. (2008). Why can't a man be more like a woman? Sex differences in Big Five personality traits across 55 cultures.Journal of personality and social psychology,94(1), 168. Spillane, J. P. (2012).Distributed leadership(Vol. 4). John Wiley Sons. Tekleab, A. G., Sims Jr, H. P., Yun, S., Tesluk, P. E., Cox, J. (2008). Are we on the same page? Effects of self-awareness of empowering and transformational leadership.Journal of Leadership Organizational Studies,14(3), 185-201. Tierney, P., Farmer, S. M. (2011). Creative self-efficacy development and creative performance over time.Journal of Applied Psychology,96(2), 277. Bratton, V. K., Dodd, N. G., Brown, F. W. (2011). The impact of emotional intelligence on accuracy of self-awareness and leadership performance.Leadership Organization Development Journal,32(2), 127-149. Van Dierendonck, D., Nuijten, I. (2011). The servant leadership survey: Development and validation of a multidimensional measure.Journal of business and psychology,26(3), 249-267.

Suitability of a First Secondary English Textbook

Introduction English language is considered a foreign language in the Kingdom of Saud Arabia (KSA). Learners are introduced to the English language using EFL teaching materials at the sixth grade in public schools and at kindergarten to students who attend private schools.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Suitability of a First Secondary English Textbook specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Teaching materials for EFL in the KSA are developed by the ministry of education. These materials are then distributed to schools and bookshops. According to Shawer (2010), inequity in EFL materials in the KSA is that teachers and learners are not involved in the development of learning materials. Curriculum developers are employees of the government who are solely involved in all the development stages of learning materials, namely textbooks, radio programmes, and television programmes. Lack of inclusion of teachers and l earners in the development of EFL teaching materials in the KSA has resulted in poor relations between teachers and the materials. Teachers cannot completely internalise the materials or fully integrate them into their teaching.  Shawer (2010) recommends that it is important to evaluate EFL teaching materials before adapting them into the teaching and learning system. To begin with, EFL teaching materials are developed without the input of the teachers and the learners who are the main consumers. As such, materials that are presented by the ministry of education lack inclusivity. It is also important to note that most of the teachers are not first speakers of English. The materials used by such teachers as guides and textbooks should be easily understandable. Secondly, most of the learners in the KSA take English as a second language. Such learners may have difficulties in reading and appreciating these textbooks. Therefore, evaluation will ensure that EFL textbooks appeal to thei r language levels. Based on this background information concerning EFL in the KSA, this paper uses ‘Traveler 1 Student’s Book’ by Malkogianni to gauge its suitability as the first English textbook to the KSA learners.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A TEFL in Saudi Arabia Educational policy for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Educational policy for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in the Kingdom of Saud Arabia ensures regulation at all levels where EFL is taught. EFL was introduced in the Kingdom of Saud Arabia by the ministry of education in 1925. Shawer (2010) confirms that the ministry of education has the power to dictate that EFL be taught from grade six through to the university. Most of the subjects in the KSA schools are also taught in English language, thus making it an important language of instruction and evaluation. In addition, several immigrants from western and other countries of the world use English in their communication. This observation makes it important for learners to understand the English language. Interaction between the KSA and other nations in diplomacy, peace, trade, aviation, and research also makes English important. The curriculum of teaching English at the secondary level The ministry of education develops the current curriculum for TEFL in conjunction with the directorate of curriculum. The current TEFL curriculum was developed in 1999. As a policy, TEFL was aimed at meeting the need for language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the KSA. Learners of EFL were then supposed to communicate in English with all speakers of the language. The foundation of TEFL in Saudi Arabia was on two-policy documents, namely teaching English in Saudi Arabia 1408H of 1989 and 1421H of 2000.  The Saudi Policy of Education is responsible for enforcement of curriculum for TEF L. Teaching of foreign languages such as English in Saud Arabia is engraved in this policy document under Article No. 50. Under this article, one of the functions of education is to â€Å"furnish students with at least one of the living languages, in addition to their original language, to enable them acquire knowledge and sciences from other communities and to participate in the service of Islam and humanity† (Al-Hajailan, 2003, p. 23). This function implies that TEFL is an objective and policy that is undertaken by the government. Therefore, learners appreciate English as a language for interaction and cultural exchange both at the national and international level. The policy is also aimed at achieving national goals of transfer and acquisition of scientific, technological, and cultural knowledge under the spirit of Islam.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Suitability of a First Secondary English Textbook specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The EFL curriculum adapts an excellent instructional design assessment (WIDA) in evaluating learner’s skills in listening, speaking, writing, and reading. The EFL curriculum also dictates new students joining the system to take a compulsory test that indicates whether they need ESL and if so the level of their conception. Learners also take WIDA-ACCESS test at the end of every year as an indication of their suitability for the next level. According to Al-Kharabsheh, Al-Azzam, and Obeidat (2009), at level I, English as a second language begins by emphasising the basics of language and its structures. Learners are also taught the basic tenses and vocabularies at this level. This plan enables learners to write simple English statements and paragraphs. Learners should also be taught how to write a topic sentence and support it using simple details. Teachers also emphasise the capitalisation and use of punctuation marks. Learners are also introduced to simple discussions to aid in their listening and speaking skills. At this level, the curriculum directs that EFL have two lessons per day. At level II, learners of English as a second language are introduced to fiction and real stories. This content aids to gauge their ability to understand and discuss stories in English. Learners are also introduced to visual cues, references, inferences, and prediction in reading. Properly written and punctuated sentences are also taught at this level. Learners should write correct sentences while at the same time ensuring proper punctuation. Finally, learners at this level are taught how to write complex sentences and/or make paragraphs. Learners should also know how to differentiate general ideas from specific ideas. At level III, complex ideas are introduced. Shawer (2010) asserts that learners are supposed to not only read and understand complex issues but also discuss them. Learners are also taught how to write complex essays. Such essays should have varying themes and structures. Skills for research and complex writing are also introduced at this level. At level IV, the curriculum recommends teachers to emphasise learners’ skills in communicating in proper English. Teaching and assessment of advanced reading, listening, and writing are done at this level.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Al-Kharabsheh et al. (2009), the curriculum also recommends learners to be involved in journal writing where they should compose at least two journals every week. Such journals should have varying themes. Besides, they should portray comprehension of language and arguments. Development of vocabularies and observation of standards in English language are also emphasised and tested. Recent studies that evaluate the suitability of EFL syllabus Several recent studies have evaluated the suitableness of EFL syllabuses to learners in the KSA. Khafaji conducted one of such studies in 2004. Khafaji (2004) carried out an evaluation of English language teaching materials that are used in public secondary schools in the KSA. Under his evaluation, he explored the policies that guide TEFL in Saudi Arabia. In the analysis of his study, Khafaji (2004) realised that inaccessibility of learning materials for EFL in the KSA was an impediment to successful and motivating academic content a s recommended by the curriculum. Khafaji’s (2004) evaluation also realised that the use of audio-lingual method of teaching EFL was also a limitation to the teaching and learning of English language at this secondary school level. Another study by Alamri (2008) focused on the quality of English language textbook at the entry level, namely the sixth grade. The focal point of this assessment was on the superiority of English learning resources in instructing boys’ schools since they were brought in 2004. According to Alamri (2008), one of the foundations of EFL textbooks that form the basis for English learning in the KSA was analysed. The researcher deployed questionnaires to examine 93 English tongue tutors at the sixth grade and 11 administrators. This research was conducted in Riyadh Educational Zone in the KSA. In his findings, Alamri (2008) realised that teachers and supervisors favoured EFL textbooks, although they objected the adopted teaching methods. The study suggested the upgrading of such teaching materials. Finally, Habtoor (2012) carried out an evaluation to ascertain the quality of content that was contained in textbooks that were used in teaching English for specific purposes. Habtoor (2012) evaluated the substance of the textbooks that were utilised in teaching sophomore learners who were studying archaeology and tourism. The researcher evaluated the opinions of EFL teachers on the content of the textbook and its efficacy in teaching English language. According to Habtoor (2012), presentation of learning skills in relation to the learners’ needs and their study level was also evaluated. In this study, Habtoor (2012) realised that teachers recommended the textbook since it could meet the needs of the learners at that level. Discussion An introductory description of the textbook, context, and learners to whom it is designed ‘Traveler 1 Student’s Book’ by Malkogianni is a must-read textbook that is used for teaching English as a second language in the KSA. Malkogianni presents the fundamentals of English language. As a first secondary English textbook, the book is written in a simple language with simple vocabulary and sentence structure. The context of the English textbook for EFL is tailored towards the language level of the learners. O’Neill (2008) asserts that a textbook should have the basics of language and its structure. ‘Traveler 1 Student’s Book’ presents the readers with simple vocabularies that are commonly used in English. Malkogianni includes the structure of English tenses. He goes further to show how they are used in simple sentences and paragraphs. The textbook has a content that will enable learners at this level to use a topic sentence to write a simple paragraph with supporting details. In addition, the English textbook also introduces learners to punctuation, listening, and reading skills. These factors will meet the learners’ need s at this level. Students entering secondary schools in the KSA have very low comprehension of English language since it is introduced at a later age as a second language. Learners are not able to distinguish tenses, to punctuate sentences, and/or read well. As such, ‘Traveler 1 Student’s Book’ has been set to cater for these fundamentals of English language. The content of the syllabus for first secondary school entrants is appropriate for the psychological characteristics of the learners. Learners at this level are not ready for complex language structures and comprehension. Therefore, the syllabus is tailored to meet the language needs of these learners. The structure of the syllabus directs that learning at this level begin by being taught simple vocabularies, tenses, punctuation, and other basics of the English language. Teaching of the fundamentals first before introducing complex sentence structures ensures that learners are at home with the process for le arning. Introduction of simple to complex language structure ensures a procedural approach to the mental comprehension of learners.  In addition, individual differences in abilities, interest, and level of intelligence are also catered for in the EFL syllabus at this level. Learners are required to take examinations and assessment tests that indicate their language level. For example, new learners are required to take a test to guide teachers on whether the learner is acceptable in the class. In addition, at the end of every term, learners take examinations that indicate their learning ability. O’Neill (2008) confirms that through these examinations, learners are evaluated on their listening, reading, and writing skills. The teachers then use the results in addressing the language needs of individual students. The syllabus also takes care of learners’ language differences through recommending the use of group discussions. Learners are supposed to form simple paragrap hs, which they should discuss with their classmates. Teachers are also required to guide and direct the discussions. In doing so, teachers can spot any differences that exist between learners. Internal oral and written skills are also useful in addressing the language needs of individual learners. The purposes that are stated in this textbook meet the needs of the learners. The language needs of learners at this level include grasping basic language concepts. Learners are taught basic vocabularies, tenses, and sentence structure. Learning of tenses enables learners to begin making correct English sentences. Basic vocabularies that are taught at this level prepare learners for the next stage where they can understand simple sentences. Learners’ age and needs The substance of the syllabus is appropriate upon bearing in mind the students’ psychological status and speech development. At this level, learners’ level of skills in English language is low. Therefore, it is important to address it in a strategic developmental approach. The syllabus recommends teaching of basic tenses. According to Shawer (2010), learning of basic tenses at this level enables learners to comprehend change in time and actions that are expressed in basic sentences. The syllabus also recommends teaching of basic sentence structures to enable learners to piece up simple words together in making basic sentences. Teaching of basic listening and reading skills also ensures that students can read ‘Basic English’ statements and/or listen to ‘Basic English’ audio materials. This step forms an important foundation for the next levels where more advanced structures are taught. The syllabus also addresses language development procedure. For example, it takes care of listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. These basics form the basis for comprehending a new language. EFL goals and context The content of the textbook is also tailored to meet the Saudi EFL goals and purposes because English is taught and used in KSA as a second language. Since English language is introduced at the sixth grade in most public schools, there is a need to form a foundation as learners get into secondary schools. Shawer (2010) affirms that Saudi EFL goals include the development of English language for use in the academic development of learners. Examinations and teaching of students at all levels from the sixth grade is done in English. Therefore, learning of English language prepares learners for academics. Trade and international relations in the KSA is also done in English. Teaching of writing and listening skills is important for this goal. Moreover, people of Saudi interact with many immigrants using the English language. Therefore, learning of listening, reading, and speaking skills meets this goal. Saudi culture The social and religious needs of the KSA people are taken care of in the EFL syllabus. Having been developed by the ministry of education in conjunction with the department of curriculum development, Zarei and Khalessi (2011) confirm that the syllabus incorporates religious and social needs of the people. For example, in the introduction, the importance of learning the English language is stated for the people of Saud Arabia. For example, the language will enable the people who learn it to interact better with those of other communities in an effort to spread their ideologies. Therefore, the English language will enable learners to socialise with the international community. For example, English language is used in international diplomacy.  According to Zarei and Khalessi (2011), Islamic religious goals of the Kingdom of Saud Arabia are also taken care of in the EFL syllabus. Learning of the English language will also enable learners to read religious writings if they are written in English. The syllabus promotes the Islamic religious values. Learning of speaking and listening skills in English will enabl e students to socialise with other Islam believers in other parts of the world. Better comprehension of other people’s religions and culture will also be promoted by the learning of English language, which is spoken in many countries.  Zarei and Khalessi (2011) say that the cultural environment of the Kingdom of Saud Arabia is also reflected in the EFL syllabus. The need for scientific and technological acquisition and exchange is enshrined in the goals of the EFL syllabus. Therefore, learning of the English language will ensure that people of the KSA can easily interact with the international community. Issues such as reading and understanding scientific materials are imperative in the acquisition and exchange of information. English language will enable students at the upper levels of learning to carry out research and/or interact with others across the world. Those who understand the English language can also spread the culture of people of the KSA easily to other Englis h speakers across the world. Essential elements in the modern syllabus The modern EFL syllabus is based on several foundations that are based on modern life situation. For example, in terms of teaching tenses, the syllabus recommends the use of placards that indicate drawings of activities. Discussions of simple stories are also based on modern life and situations that happen in the day-by-day life of the student. For example, learners are told to make simple sentences in the application of the learned subject. In teaching listening and speaking skills in English, the use of audio materials is recommended by the syllabus. The stories and examples that are used in such materials are from the real-life situations in the KSA. For example, when teaching students on new vocabularies, the teacher uses words in the context of what students do in their daily life. According to O’Neill (2008), pictures and illustrations on the EFL textbooks are customised to the KSA environment. Such materials also enhance learners’ autonomy in thinking. Learners can learn by themselves from the environment. The use of simple language structure and illustrations that relate to their personal lives also motivates them to learn by themselves. Conclusion Evaluation of first secondary English textbook in the KSA indicates that both the syllabus and the textbook are appropriate. The textbook is organised to meet the learning needs of national and cultural goals. The structure of the curriculum is also procedural to enable leaders to build on skills that they have acquired from lower levels. Assessments at different levels also ensure continuity of language competence development. Recommendations This evaluation recommends the department of curriculum development to take in the opinion of teachers in developing the curriculum since they (teachers) are the direct end users. Secondly, the ministry of education should consider the needs of the learners when developing the curricul um. Thirdly, there should be a comprehensive training of English language teachers before they are posted to teach in the various KSA schools. Finally, there should be an inclusion of more integrative methods of TEFL in the syllabus. Reference List Alamri, A. (2008). An Evaluation of the Sixth Grade English Language Textbook for Saudi Boys’ Schools. KSA: King Saud University. Al-Hajailan, T. (2003). Teaching English in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh: Aldar Alsawlatiah Al-Kharabsheh, A., Al-Azzam, B., Obeidat, M. (2009). The English Department In The Arab World Re-Visited: Language, Literature, or Translation? A Student’s View. College Student Journal, 43(4), 961-978. Habtoor, A. (2012). English for Specific Purpose Textbook in EFL Milieu: An Instructor’s Perspective Evaluation. International Journal of Linguistics, 4(3), 1-45. Khafaji, A. (2004). An evaluation of the materials used for teaching English to the second secondary level in male public high school in Saudi Ara bia. Exeter, UK: University of Exeter. O’Neill, R. (2008). Why use textbooks? ELT Journal, 36(2), 104-111. Shawer, S. (2010) Communicative-based curriculum innovations between theory and practice: implications for EFL curriculum development and student cognitive and affective change. Curriculum Journal, 21(3), 333-359. Zarei, G., Khalessi, M. (2011). Cultural load in English language textbooks: an analysis of interchange series. Procedia Social and Behavioural Sciences, 15(1), 294–301. This research paper on Suitability of a First Secondary English Textbook was written and submitted by user Samara C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Descriptive Essay Sample

Descriptive Essay Sample Descriptive Essay Sample Descriptive Essay Sample:(Excerpt) The first requisite for sexual compatibility in marriage is the abandonment of the self-gratification pattern for the mutual-gratification ideal. This means that each partner instead of seeking a purely personal satisfaction shall seek to make the sexual experience equally satisfactory to the other. This is a high ideal and not always easy to achieve, but the best sex adjustment to be found comes in those cases where this goal is most nearly approached. The very knowledge of mutuality enhances the pleasure of each, as does also the appreciation of each for the thoughtfulness of the other. When one partner satisfies his passion without regard for the satisfaction of the other, there is at first bewilderment, then disillusionment, and finally recoil against being called upon to serve without sharing. Our expert essay writers want to highlight that this may produce frigidity in the wife and a disgust at the sex act that may never be overcome unless she is so fortunate as to come under t he treatment of a competent doctor or psychiatrist. According to our professional writing service, but the ideal of sharing equally the satisfaction of the sexual experience in marriage necessitates knowledge by each of the sex anatomy and psychology of the other. This means that the old conception of the sexual aggressiveness of the male and the sexual passivity of the female must be abandoned. For centuries it was thought that woman had relatively limited sex desire and that, although she might enjoy the sex act and at times even hunger for it, her enjoyment was of a mild, passive type. In fact, so widely was this pattern accepted that it was considered shameful for her to show much sex passion. Any abandonment of inhibitions supposedly denoted an "oversexed" nature and was an attribute of the courtesan. Men, on the other hand, were by nature the possessors of a strong sex urge, so constant as to be easily aroused at almost any time and so powerful that it was a physical necessity to yield to its satisfaction. Such a conception of t he difference between the sex nature of man and woman (evolved in a man-made world) was naturally very convenient to man. Not only did it entitle him to play the dominant role in his conjugal sex life, but it also justified the double standard. Man's sex needs were imperative and must be met in one way or another; woman's sex needs were not so insistent and could easily be satisfied within the bonds of marriage. In addition, you can read other descriptive essays: Descriptive Essay Writing The above descriptive essay writing sample is a short excerpt of a custom essay written by Our descriptive essays writing help is affordable! Even if you need term paper 15 pages, you will be surprised with our prices! Interesting posts: Informative and Surprising Essay Expository Essay English Essay Writing Outline Conclusion Writing Cold War History Essay

4 Key Characteristics that Professional Bio Writers Must Have

4 Key Characteristics that Professional Bio Writers Must Have 4 Key Characteristics that Professional Bio Writers Must Have Writing assignments require a lot of students’ attention and efforts. If a student decides to hire a professional writer to complete a writing assignment, they need to proceed with caution to make sure that the final draft will be at high quality. When students search for a person to handle their most important writing tasks, they need to pay close attention to the writer’s skills, the results of the previous works, the reviews they’ve been given by other students, and so on. No matter what genre a writer is working with, and it definitely applies to professional bio writers. When you hire a professional bio writer to take care of a writing assignment for you, here are 4 key characteristics that you need to look for. 1. Passionate about Books The writer must be absolutely passionate about books. If a bio author isn’t a bibliophile, there’s no way that they’ll ever be able to gain sufficient knowledge about a person’s life. This is especially true for biography writers dealing with historical figures from the distant past. The longer ago they lived, the more likely they are to have several books, and hundreds of essays written about them. Make sure that the professional bio writer you hire is a true book geek and loves nothing more than diving into hundreds of pages of history. 2. Skilled in Analytical Thinking The writer must be skilled in analytical thinking. Writing an excellent bio requires a writer to be able to juxtapose the facts of a person’s life. They’ll need to sort through contradictory information to find the most reliable sources available and avoid myths and common misconceptions. What you think happened and what really happened can be two very different things. If the writer you hire relies on the first source that they find instead of checking their facts and considering the validity of each source, your professor may be disappointed by the shallow research (and your grade may suffer accordingly). 3. Detail-Oriented The writer must be detail-oriented. Writing an engaging biography requires a writer to go beyond birth, death, and marriage dates and find out what happened in between. They’ll need to search for revealing details of a person’s life, perhaps found in personal correspondence, newspaper articles, or journal entries. Looking beyond a vague summary means that your professor will be delving into fascinating details when they read your paper instead of skimming over a dull summary. 4. Unpleasant Facts Are Mentioned too The writer must not gloss over unpleasant facts of the past. For example, women and minorities have been mistreated throughout much of human history, and while we no longer consider this acceptable, a good bio writer does not omit these details. A good man must not be made into a god by the omission of his having owned slaves or opposed women’s suffrage; instead, his character must be shown fully, with all its strengths and weaknesses together. If you’ll carefully check reviews and correspond with a bio writer to make sure that they follow these guidelines, you’ll be much more pleased with the product you receive. Students should always ensure that their hard-earned money is well-spent when entrusting bio writers with their grades. But you can hire a freelance academic writer to get a custom biography written from scratch.

English Legal Process Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Legal Process - Coursework Example Failure to comply with Section 24 of PACE and the Code of Practice will render an arrest unlawful.2 Together the Code of Practice and Section 24 of PACE inform that two elements must be present otherwise an arrest is unlawful. First the person arrested must be involved or suspected to have been involved in or attempted to be involved in committing a criminal offence. Secondly, there must be reasonable grounds that arrest is necessary. Section 24(5) of PACE sets forth a number of grounds upon which an arrest is necessary to prevent the person under arrest absconding.3 As soon as Ray was approached by the officers and informed that he was under arrest he attempted to escape and therefore whether or not the police had reasonable grounds to believe that Ray’s arrest was necessary when they initially attempted to arrest him, they had reasonable grounds to believe that his arrest was necessary the moment he attempted to escape. ... ect a lawful arrest.7 Ray attempted to escape the police upon learning that he was under arrest and the police merely wrestled him to the ground and in doing so used only the force that was necessary to carry out the arrest. The only questionable act on the part of the police is whether or not the police properly informed Ray of the reasons for his arrest. Section 28 (3) of PACE instructs that an arrest is unlawful â€Å"unless the person arrested is informed of the ground for the arrest at the time of, or as soon as is practicable after, the arrest.8 Obviously, it was impractical to inform Ray of the reasons for his arrest when he attempted to escape, but he could have been informed at any time after he was placed in handcuffs. However, the police did not inform Ray of the reasons for his arrest despite several opportunities to do so. He was in the police car win an officer while the police stopped at an unrelated crime scene. This raises the question of whether or not the police c omplied with their duty to take the detainee to the police station as soon as practical after the arrest.9 The stop was brief however, and given police duties to protect the public, it may be concluded that the stop was not an unnecessary intrusion and thus may not compromise Section 30 which requires the detainee be taken to the police station as soon as practical after the arrest. Although the detainee may not be questioned until after he has been cautioned, and after he is at the police station, Ray offered information while waiting in the car at the police stop. He had been cautioned and had volunteered the information and the police officer receiving the information did not encourage Ray and did not engage in discussions about it. Thus the police did not act improperly. Police are required

Informal Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Informal Assessment - Essay Example It so turns out that, critical reasoning, is in itself difficult a task. It is a skill, and like any skill, it is expected that it can be acquired and sustained with practice. As majority of individuals seeking to learn as well as explore different sectors in the market, with the main aim of making it in life, it is necessary to also learn that, the first step comes from ones individual effort itself. It can be argued that, with reference to the goals that majority of the students aspire to achieve, it can be narrowed down to, success as the bottom-line (Daniels, 2009). The fact that, opinion in terms of career preferences is concerned plays a major role in the case study. Opinion tends to vary from one individual to another, thus broadening the scope of learning involved. It is thus only necessary that each individual receive fair and necessary knowledge as expected. Nothing less of which is considered reasonable. Ambition too falls into question, as it is this, which draws the separating line between the success levels expected. Individuals may follow this particular course, in pursuit for bigger dream realization. In a separate scenario, the issue of an individual’s background may also facilitate what facilitates the coming together of random people, as in topic. It is only fair that boundaries limited to background issues are kept, to ascertain that equality is widespread amongst everyone. It is thus acceptable, to come up with strategies within reason, that aim at delivering to all the random individuals in a more or less equal manner. In a move to deliver every single detail as elaborated, use of emotional appeals would play a huge role in this. These are also referred to as the appeals to pathos. They are powerful tools for influence what individuals think, as well as believe. Everyone, especially at such a critical moment, makes decisions. Some of these decisions are of huge importance, some being based on ones

On Being an Atheist Essay Example for Free

On Being an Atheist Essay In this article McCloskey writes what he believes as truth in the world we live in. He states that theists believe in a God and that they have â€Å"proofs† that this God exists. In the article he addresses these â€Å"proofs† and in a very academic and respectful way tears them down. He attempts to eliminate all possibilities of the existence of God, through what he calls â€Å"reasons why I believe that atheism is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theist should be miserable just because they are theists. † The first issue that McCloskey references to is the â€Å"proofs† that Christians hold to prove that God exist, but as we learned in one of our PointeCast presentations, the reasons Christians believe in God are not exactly proofs, because they cannot scientifically or in any way prove to a point that God does in fact exist. These reasons are arguments, theories and carefully thought out propositions that try their hardest to justify what we believe in. Because of this McCloskey argues that humans should give up on the notion that God exists, yet since there also no way to prove that God does not exist, McCloskey is defeated by his own logic. So if humans are to give up on both the notion that there is or is not a God, then that leaves us with nothing whatsoever to believe in. There is no way to prove that God does or does not exist, what I might believe to be a strong argument for the existence of God, and atheist such as McCloskey might deem nonsense. These â€Å"proofsâ₠¬  are simply and objective argument for the existence of God, thus have to be taken as valid argument, propositions, and theory and not as tangible proof. McCloskey dissects three major arguments being the cosmological proof, the  theological proof, and the argument from design. He takes all these arguments and picks them apart for both atheist and theist to see what he is trying to prove. In all honesty in some cases in these arguments of his I can see what he is trying to prove, yet in the end I have no sense of what he has accomplished with his arguments if he himself cannot prove that God does not exist. The first argument that McCloskey addresses is the Cosmological proof. He states that we cannot possibly assume without proof on an â€Å"an all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused cause† and to this notion I somewhat agree. The reason being is that this argument does not specify the qualities of a god that could create the universe as it is. Thus the argument simply states that there must have been a first cause or there would have been infinite regress, or in other words gods and that is what the argument is trying to avoid. The next argument that McCloskey addresses is the Theological proof. He states that there cannot be indisputable proofs and examples of design that the whole argument becomes invalid. In this case he is again defeated by his own logic; because once again there is no way that any arguments attempting to prove that God does not exist are indisputable as well. In the world we live we must believe in what we as individuals take to as truth, since there is no possible way that a person can prove or disprove that God does or does not exist. McCloskey is attempting to support his arguments so hard that in the essence of itself he is defeating himself without realizing it. I believe that a perfect example of intelligent design is the human body. There is no possible way that such a complex and amazing creation came from a bunch of cells meshing together. Our bodies are built to live on the earth in a way that is amazingly thought out. The body is functioning, living organism in and of itself with thousands of different parts and pieces all working together to accomplish one goal: to live. The human body is the perfect example to show that intelligent design was indeed included in the universe and in the world today. Though this does not prove that there is one God, it does prove that there is a higher being that created what we are  today. I do not object to the thought of microevolution or even evolution itself, but I do not believe that evolution exterminates the need for intelligent design and a creator. Evolutionists believe that there exist the â€Å"perfect condition† as to what created the cosmos and the world around us, yet all the experiments to prove that this event took place have failed. Again there is the fact that we cannot prove or disprove this belief, while the experiments have failed; there is no way to go back in time and to prove that it indeed does not exist. Yet people must take into account that evolution does not cancel out God, in fact why couldn’t it have been God himself that created the â€Å"perfect condition† that brought into place evolution. McCloskey also addresses the fact that there is imperfection and evil in the world, he states that there could not possibly be a God who would allow this. First of all, the cosmological proof in itself does not tell us the characteristic of the creator, simply that there is one. Secondly a person who believes in God would tell you that there is evil in the world because God gave his creation the right to choose. The choice of the first man and woman of the world which God created chose to sin and brought evil into the world. There is also the fact that I believe McCloskey is being quite bold by stating that there is no divine purpose. After all he is simply a person in the world; he himself is not the creator and definitely does not have all the knowledge of the universe. The fact that McCloskey brings up the presence of evil is quite understandable. I completely understand where he is coming from and have had experiences in my own life with people like this. This is actually a very common argument among atheist and McCloskey is not an exception. It is sometimes hard to accept that fact that evil sometime does in fact fall into God’s Will, even some theist have trouble with the problem of evil when they themselves believe in a â€Å"good God†. In this argument I honestly have trouble as well. It is hard to justify a good person’s murder, or the rape of a young child, or the death of thousands because of a natural disaster. Yet in  the depths of my heart I personally believe that when God created the world it was not as such, it was perfect. When sin entered into the world it brought the evil as well. As for why God allows such evil to take place, that is a harder question and an even more difficult answer. I was brought up to believe that when God sees his creation in pain, it hurts him too; there have been times when I have questioned why God allows certain evils in our lives. The truth is there is no arguments that can make a person feel better in the face of child abuse, rape, murder, suicide, and even natural disasters, yet in the moments when people are hurting the most is when they turn to God. Thus I believe that is the way in which we see the reason there is evil in the world. God did not create the world with evil in place, but he did create a creation that could choose for their selves. Thus in essence the human race suffers from our own choices. McCloskey makes some very valid arguments yet I find that most of them stand empty handed. McCloskey also questions why God would not create a human race with free will to always to choose what is right. To this statement I honestly believe that would not be freewill. The reason that God created man with free will was so that he could love God of his own free will. If God had created man to the point where he could only choose what was good and right then in essence it would not have been free will at all. The beauty of having free will is the fact that God lets you choose, though he knows the choices that you will make, the choices are yours. Whether to love God or to reject God, free will cannot be controlled for then it would not be free will at all. At the end of his article McCloskey states that atheism is a much more comforting belief than theism. He uses the example of an ill child that was dying and that he would find no comfort in knowing there was a God. I on the other hand find that if there was no God and man was here on earth simply to be and that there was no reason for living that the death of a child would be unimportant. This might sounds very cruel but it is the truth. If there is no reason to live then dying is not much of an issue, since there is no afterlife simply the life we have here on earth. I find the fact of not knowing what will happen after death disconcerting. To know that when I die I will be in heaven with God is more than enough to help me through this  life on earth. Atheism to me is a sad religion with no reason for the existence of man. Heaven holds so much for the believer, peace, no pain, and an eternal home with God. Atheism to me is the religion that is the most miserable to live with, not theism. The greatest reason being that if there is no God, no afterlife, no salvation; then when death is on your doorsteps there is no hope only despair and fear of the nothingness beyond the grave. I cannot live believing there is no reason to live here on earth, knowing God loves and has a place for me in heaven is what helps me live on this Earth. References Craig, William L. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics. 3rd Ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008. 71-90. Evans, C. S., Manis, R. Z. Philosophy of religion: Thinking about faith. 2nd Ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. McCloskey, H. J. Question 1: On being an atheist. 1968. 51-54.

Program Music: Richard Strausss Don Quixote Essay -- essays research

Before the Romantic musical age, composers wrote music for the purpose of arranging sounds into the most beautiful way possible. Because of these goals, they followed some very specific ideas and wouldn’t stray from them. Once the Romantic era hit, composers wanted to express a variety of things in their music. This is when the idea of program music appeared. Program music is usually instrumental music without spoken or sung words to explain the story or event that the composer has chosen to describe with his or her music. However, program music relies on a few non-musical things to make sure that the listener is interpreting the correct story. These things are often the title of the piece, a written forward and many times notes written to the performer/director directly in the score. After all, it is easy for a composer to say â€Å"I am sad† in his or her music by just using minor sonorities and dissonances, but it isn’t possible for the composer to say  "I am sad because my mother is about to die of prostate cancer† without the aid of explanatory notes. Program music has become a staple of our modern musical listening diet in almost every genre from full orchestra to wind band to small jazz combo. One of the most prominent examples of program music is Richard Strauss’s tone poem Don Quixote. This tone poem tells the story of Miguel de Cevantes Saavedra’s novel The Adventures of Don Quixote. The story of the hero Don Quixote is one of insanity and delusion that Strauss was able to depict very well. Don Quixote was a middle aged man that read too many books about knights and their heroic deeds. This is shown by three different themes given to show Don’s dreams of being a knight. Over time, he read so many books and dreamt of rescuing his ideal woman named Dulcinea from a dragon so many times that his mind was unable to separate his real life from his fantasy world. Strauss chose to depict Dulcinea with a beautiful lyrical melody while the dragon is represented by a loud, low, sustained melody in the tenor and bass tubas. Don’s victory over the dragon is shown by a victory flourish in the flute and oboe. After this melding of his mind occurs, he believ es that he is really the knight Don Quixote de la Mancea. From here, he and his side kick Sancho Panza set out into the world to do chivalrous deeds. From here on out, Don is represented by a solo cello voice. When ... ...with the Knight of the Silver Moon. The knight is really one of Don Quixote’s townspeople that is concerned for Don’s well fare. To save Don, this man plays along with Don and defeats him in a joust. This battle is shown by the solo cello playing Don’s themes playing against all the wind instruments playing the Knight’s themes. This is followed by a dirge-like section which includes the shepherds them. This shows that Don is forced to return home and he thinks about being a shepherd. With all of Don’s dreams of being a knight shattered, he returns home and lives the rest of his life. The final scene is of Don lying in his bed dying. Strauss shows Don Quixote’s final peace in death by using the same two chords that showed his initial desire to be a knight, but this time they are sustained at a pianissimo level. Richard Strauss was known for being able to portray incredible stories with his music incredibly well. Every part of his writing is so descriptive that even Strauss said that he could â€Å"describe a soup spoon† in his music. Program music became so popular and still is for just that reason; a master composer like Strauss can tell any story in a musical format that people enjoy.

Murdock and Talcott Parsons Views on Family

Murdock- George Peter Murdock  (1949) wanted to know if the family was not just cultural but universal (he claimed that it was universal). * Common residence * Economic co-operation * Adults including both sexes * At least two have socially approved sex * One or more children * Biological or adopted This he thought was the  universal minimum. Which adults had sexual relations depended on the  culture. He believed the nuclear family was the universal core of the world's large variety of kinship systems. From this a  family could be extended  vertically (with upper generations) or horizontally (with brothers and sisters of those with offspring).A criticism of Murdock was that to claim something is universal, it only needs one exception to falsify it. Kathleen Gough falsified Murdock’s theory with her study of the Nayar Women of India. Before reaching puberty, Nayar women in India were married to a man according to the Talikettukalydnam rite. This three days of actual o r mock defloration might be their last living contact. From then on, as â€Å"mother†, each woman would take up to 12 sandbanham husbands, who visited her one at a time at night. A man could have an unlimited number of wives.The woman kept her room in the house, and it was first come, first served to supper and bed, so a man too late would sleep on the verandah of the house. So women getting pregnant could have any one of up to 12 as the father. So one of them of equal sub-caste (social class) declared as the father (whether he was or not) and gave a present of cloth and/ | | Clearly women getting pregnant could have  any one of up to 12 as the father. So  one of them  of equal sub-caste declared as the father (whether he was or not) and gave  a present of cloth and/ or vegetables to the attending midwife.A frequent visitor might send luxuries at festivals. That was it. The men weremercenary warriors  and gave  no attention to raising children  or staying with t he woman. | Support for the women instead came from  brothers, sisters, and children of the sisters and daughters. The matrilineal family provided all her essentials. The  eldest male was leader of each kin group. So the women lived not in families, but in kinship groups (mothers, sisters and brothers), and she had her place for sexual activity with the men over which she had considerable personal cotrol.Descent was down the stable female line in terms of charting the source of children, given that any man could be the father. | The important point here is that:| * There was  no economic unit  regarding husbands and wives. * There was  no sharing of the residence  between husbands and wives. * Only the  women within their supporting kinship groups lived with children. * Any relationship affection from the man  was taboo  and resisted by the kinship group. | There are two possibilities here, then, regarding Murdock and his definition of the family. It is  too narr ow, or * It is  not universal. It is the  single parent family, especially female-headed, that is the  most direct criticism  of Murdock. Yet this is a minority, and the family may at least have begun as a two sex nuclear family and, furthermore, the nuclear family is preferred by him. The  nuclear family may simply function better as a family  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ but this is unproven. Nevertheless there are varieties of arrangements for raising children that  stretch Murdock's definition to breaking point. TALCOTT PARSONS-The pre-industrial society is pictured as one where people are divided into kinship groups called lineages each of which is held to be descended from a common ancestor. Another form of family in pre-industrial society is found in traditional peasant societies such as the Irish farming community studied by C. M. Arensberg and S. T. Kimball in their work Family and Community in Ireland. This traditional Irish family is a patriarchal extended family. It is also pa trilineal since property is passed from father to son. According to Talcott Parsons the isolated nuclear family is the typical form in modern industrial society.It is isolated from the extended family, and there is a breakdown of kinship. The development of the isolated nuclear family is, in his opinion, the product of a process of structural differentiation – the process by which social institutions become more and more specialized in the functions they perform. The isolated nuclear family is functionally necessary and contributes to the integration and harmony of the social and economic system as a whole. The family needs to be isolated because of its functional role in ascribing status. Status in industrial society as a whole is achieved and not ascribed.However, within the nuclear family status is ascribed rather than achieved, thus reversing the pattern that exists outside the family. What this means is that within the family the father has status as the father, whilst o utside the family his status might be very different. His achieved status economically does not affect his status as a father. However, if the family was extended then a conflict could arise. Another way of putting this is that the family ascribes particularistic values whilst society ascribes universalistic values.The conflict between the two sets of values is minimized by the isolation of the nuclear family. William Goode in World Revolution and the Family also argues that industrialization undermines the existence of the extended family. He claims this is because (a) movements of individuals between different regions; (b) higher levels of social mobility; (c) the erosion of the functions of the family, these being taken over by external organizations such as schools, businesses and the state; (d) the greater significance of achieved status undermining the value of status within the family and in kinship groups.According to Goode members of a family engage in role bargaining. What this means is that they will maintain kinship relationships if such relationships bring them rewards commensurate to their efforts to maintain them. In fact, developments in communication and transport make it feasible to maintain kinship relationships, but in practice modern industrial society means that individuals gain more by rejecting kinship relationships than by maintaining them.He supports this point by noting how extended family patterns are more frequent among members of the upper classes since for individuals in the family maintaining family connections can bring economic benefits. The main Functionalist theorists of the family are G P Murdock and Talcott Parsons. Murdock argued on the basis of his studies that the nuclear family was a universal social institution and that it existed universally because it fulfilled four basic functions for society : the sexual, reproductive, economic and education functions.Other non-Functionalist sociologists have argued, however, that the existence of the Nayar, the single matrifocal families common among Afr0 Caribbeans and increasingly common more generally and the small number of gay and lesbian families are suggest that the nuclear family is not in fact universal. The Functionalist perspective on the family has been further developed by Talcott Parsons whose theories focus heavily on nuclear, heterosexual families to the exclusion of other family forms.The main aspects of Parsons' theory as developed in the USA in the 1950s were as follows: 1. industrialisation led to the gradual replacement of extended families by nuclear families because industrialisation demands greater geographical and social mobility; 2. industrialisation leads also to processes of structural differentiation which implies that new more specialised social institutions such as factories, schools and hospitals develop to take over some of the functions previously performed by families; 3. his means therefore that the nuclear family loses s ome of its functions but it remains crucial in relation to the two functions which it does retain: the socialisation of the young and the stabilisation of adult personalities; 4. within nuclear families roles are allocated between husbands and wives in accordance with the assumed instrumental characteristics of males[ which makes them more suited to paid employment outside of the home] and the assumed expressive characteristics of females [which makes them more suited to childcare and domestic work. Ronald Fletcher also analyses the family from a Functionalist perspective but he denies that the modern nuclear family has lost functions to the extent suggested by Talcott Parsons. Thus Fletcher argues that even if the family is no longer a unit of production , it is a unit of consumption which can be appealed to by advertisers keen to sell a wide range of household appliances so as to maintain profits.Also parents do supplement school education by providing advice and help more effecti vely than in the past; greater understanding of diet and exercise may mean that the family can play a greater role in health maintenance; and also given the limitations of the Welfare State, the family, and especially women within the family may continue to play a major role in the care of elderly relatives some of whom may not wish to enter old peoples homes. The Community Care initiatives of Conservative Governments [1979-97] may have increased family responsibilities in this respect. * Marxism and The FamilyThe main elements of the Marxist approach to the analysis of the family may be listed as follows. 1. Whereas according to Functionalists the socialisation process as it operates within the family (and elsewhere)   is seen as encouraging conformity with desirable norms and values which contribute to overall social stability, according to Marxists the socialisation process in the family and elsewhere results in the transmission of a ruling class ideology whereby individuals ar e deceived into accepting the capitalist system and the dominance of the capitalist class more or less without question.Especially children are encouraged to accept parental authority more or less without question in the family which prepares them to accept authority more or less without question in the work place in later life. 2. The growth of the home centred privatised family encourages concentration on family concerns, relatively orthodox interests and relatively, moderate mainstream political views at the expense of wider   loyalty to ones work mates   and more active and radical engagement with political issues which thereby reduces the likelihood of meaningful political action to challenge the capitalist system. . Insofar as the family operates as a unit of consumption it can be targeted by advertisers to encourage the increasing purchase of goods and services upon which the continuing profitability of capitalist industries depends. 4. It has been argued by some Feminist s in criticism of Marxism that it concentrates excessively on    exploitation of the working class and not enough on the exploitation of women. 5. However Marxist Feminists do give more attention to the exploitation of women within the family.For example   the family produces labour at low cost to the capitalist system in that wives are not paid directly for bearing the children or for their upkeep. 6. Also wives also provide a range of services for their husbands at far less than their market value. If wives were paid fair wages for all of these services, employed husbands would also have to be paid much more which would reduce the profitability of capitalism. 7. Wives may also absorb the frustrations of their husbands which otherwise might be turned against the capitalist system.Marxists argue that it is the frustrations of working in the capitalist system which are the main, even if indirect cause of domestic violence. 8. Since many women see themselves as mainly housewives i f they are actually in paid employment and become unemployed they are often more prepared to return to their housewife role without criticism. According to Marxists they are a part of a Reserve Army of Labour which can be hired when demand for goods and services is high   and work is plentiful but dismissed relatively easily when economies fall into economic recession.The capitalist system is strengthened by this flexibility to hire and dismiss workers as economic circumstances change. * Structural  Functionalism, Marxism, â€Å"the† Family and Socialisation: An Exercise Let us use the following exercise to illustrate the differing approaches of Structural Functionalists and Marxists to the socialisation process as it operates in the family. [a] According to Structural Functionalists capitalism   is: democratic, economically efficient, unequal but fair and meritocratic.Because the capitalist system works well in the interests of all of its members there will limited con flict in society and a consensus that the capitalist system is working well and should be continued in the future. To promote the continuation of capitalism individuals will be socialised in the family and elsewhere to accept norms and values which will promote the continued existence of capitalism which , as stated is beneficial to all. b] According to Marxists capitalism   is   : dominated both economically   by the Bourgeoisie and at the expense of the exploited proletariat; grossly unequal as a result of which many members of the proletariat live a rotten existence with little chance to develop their potential; dominated politically by the Bourgeoisie whose political influence is hidden by the â€Å"sham institutions of a pretend democracy†.In such a situation you might expect the Proletariat to rise up in revolt but they do not do so partly because they are socialised to accept not a set of norms and values   which operates to their own advantage but a ruling cla ss ideology which is a set of ideas which prevents the proletariat from realising the causes of their exploitation and encourages them to accept the very capitalist system which is actually the source of their discontents. Assignment:   Complete the following table. [The sections marked ** are already â€Å"complete† although you might like to extend them further. Aspects of Family Socialisation| Implications for Individual and Society| For Talcott Parsons the key functions of the nuclear family are the socialisation of the young and the stabilisation of adult personalities. Children are socialised to accept the authority of the parents and to accept the key values and norms of their society. | For Functionalists this means that children begin to learn that legitimate authority should be accepted in school and workplace which will enhance learning capacity and economic efficiency.Marxists believe that when children are socialised to accept authority this can have adverse co nsequences for the individual in later life because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | The Functionalist Talcott Parsons argues that in the 1950s and 1960s the core values of US society are beliefs in meritocracy and individual achievement so that career progress is possible if sufficient efforts are made: this is the so-called â€Å"American Dream. † Children are socialised within the family to accept these values| For Functionalists such values are functional for the system [i. e. ontribute to the stability of the system] because†¦. For Marxists it is quite simply a myth that US society is organised on meritocratic principles but belief in the myth inhibits criticism of the system. Also preoccupation with one's own achievements detracts from consideration of the direction which society as a whole is taking. | The above point may be taken to imply that children will also be socialised to believe in the necessity of a competitive spirit and to measure their progress and even their happines s in terms of their income, wealth and possessions. For Functionalists such attitudes are beneficial because  Marxists are critical of such attitudes because| **  Children may be socialised to accept that family loyalties are more important than loyalties to other groups   i. e. they are socialised to believe that â€Å"blood is thicker than water† or that â€Å"charity begins at home. â€Å"| For Functionalists such values strengthen the family and help it to fulfil its functions. For Marxists family solidarity may weaken social class solidarity and /or dissuade children from consideration of wider issues related to the inequities of capitalism. According to Parsons traditional gender roles are appropriate because they are in accordance with the â€Å"instrumental† characteristics of men and   the â€Å"expressive† characteristics of females. Children are socialised in various ways to accept these traditional gender roles. Note that Feminist sociologi sts[ including Marxist Feminists} are especially critical of the Functionalist analysis of gender roles. | For Functionalists this is beneficial for the individuals concerned and for the society as a whole because†¦Marxists and Feminists are critical of the Functionalist approach to gender roles socialisation because†¦.. | Children may be socialised to accept the general political attitudes of their parents which are often [but not always] likely to involve some support for existing liberal democratic institutions, voting for one of the main political parties and a general absence of political radicalism| For Functionalists such political views are beneficial because†¦ Marxists are critical of such political attitudes because†¦ | **  The Family and the stabilisation of adult personalities. Functionalists argue that men and women can lead happy and fulfilling lives as a result of the deep personal relationships which are forged within families and, in addition,à ‚   family life helps to remove some of the tensions which arise out of work conditions and relationships. Marxists agree that family life can be happy and fulfilling but they emphasise that capitalism results in exploitation and alienation which are likely to create tensions within many families. Although in some cases family life can make capitalism bearable , only the ending of capitalism can result in human emancipation. |

Catal Huyuk Women Essay

The general topic is about the role of women in this early agricultural society. Catal Huyuk had a population of 8,000 people and only 2,000 houses. Also, there weren’t any streets so they had to walk along the roofs and enter their homes through their roofs. Their homes were decorated with sculptures and paintings to illustrate animals and human figurines. The author’s basic point is to explore the findings and tell from them the type of society Catal Huyuk was and the roles of both men and women. Of course there could be evidence of both matriarchies and patriarchies but finding out what were the main roles of both sexes. In today’s world we see more of a patriarchy due to men having more complex and dangerous jobs and when women do have the same job their pay isn’t equal to the men pay. Information such as women figurines was found. During the first excavations in the early 1960’s, a figurine was discovered. The sculpture was a heavyset woman sitting on a seat with an animal on each side that could possibly be leopards. It is said that the women could have worshiped a powerful mother goddess and it is likely that the figurine can be just that. It seemed that it was mostly, or started off as, a patriarchy. Ian Hodder states â€Å"cultural anthropology provides no substantiated claims for true matriarchies† (Hodder pg 78). The article has both strengths and weaknesses in my point of view. The strength of this article is the total information about Catal Huyuk and explanations of why there isn’t much evidence. The weakness of this article is that it gives more information about the settlement and not the evidence of roles. I believe that this article has been a bit limp due to the lack of evidence showing the roles of men and women. Though there wasn’t much differentiation of roles that could show that social roles weren’t important. The strongest evidence found was the diet of men and women from this settlement. The only evidence found in teeth was that women had more cavities than men but both had similar diets and lifestyles. Also, women did the cooking and men did the stone making. In addition, many births were taking place and many bodies were found of women who were pregnant that might show that women made more sacrifices. I’ve learned that finding out roles of men and women could be difficult depending on bones. But there could have been little evidence due to the unimportance of roles as previously mentioned. If our world showed no care to social roles, a lot of things would be different. Job preferences would definitely different. In some countries social roles aren’t important and therefore, they have less social and maybe economical problems than we do here. To follow up on the research presented I would search for more recent information and information from earlier research. Because only 18% of the site was excavated, more and more excavations could be done and more new information could be discovered.

A Knight in Shining Armor essays

A Knight in Shining Armor essays In her 1989 novel A Knight in Shining Armor, author Jude Devurax shows her readers how the power of love can overcome obstacles, and win in the struggle of good against evil. It takes a journey through two time spans showing the difference in civilizations and the importance of believing in yourself and keeping true to your dreams. A Knight in Shining Armor begins as a girl named Dougless Montgomery has taken a trip to visit the English Countryside with her boyfriend, Robert, and his daughter, Gloria. As the trip progresses she gets in a fight with her boyfriend and he abandons her in the foreign country with no money, or way of getting back to America. Being stranded at a church, she feels as if she is a failure, and leans on a nearby tomb stone crying out for her Knight in Shining Armor. Suddenly a man dressed in armor and carrying a sword appears on the scene. He is Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyke, who was executed on a charge of treason in 1564, but had somehow heard Douglesss cries. He now found himself in the year of 1988, standing next to Dougless. Dougless takes him around the new time period teaching him of all her knowledge, and helping him to understand and discover this new world he has come to live in. When he learns that he has been executed and made a fool of during his lifetime, he and Dougless try to find the answers of why he had been put to death. They embark on this journey travelling to Nicholass castles and looking into books and research, to try to discover the reasons of Nicholass unfortunate death, and of what had occurred. In this journey, they also fall in love and begin to have a relationship, in which they do not want to leave each other. Nicholas does not wish to return back to his family, wives, and life of luxury. Through this process they are never quite aware of when Nicholas will disappear just as quickly as he appeared into Dou...